Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
You should carefully
consider the risks described below, as well as general economic and business risks and the other information in this Annual Report on
Form 10-K. The occurrence of any of the events or circumstances described below or other adverse events could have a material adverse
effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline.
Additional risks or uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also harm our business.
RISK FACTOR SUMMARY
Our business is subject to
numerous risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted in Section 1A titled “Risk Factors,” that represent challenges
that we face in connection with the successful implementation of our strategy. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances
described in the section titled “Risk Factors,” alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may have an adverse
effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
●
our financial situation creates doubt
whether we will continue as a going concern;
●
our ability
to remain compliant with the requirements for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market
●
we have generated no significant
revenue from commercial sales to date, and our future profitability is uncertain;
●
if we fail to obtain the
capital necessary to fund our operations, we will be unable to continue or complete our product development, and you will likely
lose your entire investment;
●
we may need to raise additional
funding, which may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all;
●
even if we can raise additional
funding, we may be required to do so on terms that are dilutive to you;
●
the regulatory approval
process is expensive, time-consuming and uncertain and may prevent us from obtaining approvals for the commercialization of our future
product candidates, if any;
●
we may encounter substantial
delays in completing our clinical studies which in turn will require additional costs, or we may fail to demonstrate adequate safety
and efficacy to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities;
●
if our future pre-clinical
development and future clinical Phase I/II studies are unsuccessful, we may be unable to obtain regulatory approval of, or commercialize,
our product candidates on a timely basis or at all;
●
even if we receive regulatory
approval for any of our product candidates, we may not be able to successfully commercialize the product and the revenue that we
generate from their sales, if any, may be limited;
●
adverse events involving
our products may lead the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency to delay or deny clearance for our products or result in product
recalls that could harm our reputation, business and financial results;
●
certain technologies are
subject to licenses from LLU and Stanford (as defined below), each of which are revocable in certain circumstances, including in
the event we do not achieve certain payments and milestone deadlines. Without these licenses, we may not be able to continue to develop
our product candidates;
●
if we were to lose our
CLIA certification or state laboratory licenses, whether as a result of a revocation, suspension or limitation, we would no longer
be able to offer our assays (including our AditxtScore™ platform), which would limit our revenues and harm our business. If
we were to lose, or fail to obtain, a license in any other state where we are required to hold a license, we would not be able to
test specimens from those states;
●
our results of operations
will be affected by the level of royalty and milestone payments that we are required to pay to third parties;
●
we face substantial competition,
which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing products before or more successfully than we do;
●
our technologies and products
under development, and our business, may fail if we are not able to successfully commercialize them and ultimately generate significant
revenues as a result;
●
customers may not adopt
our products quickly, or at all;
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●
the failure to obtain or
maintain patents, licensing agreements and other intellectual property could materially impact our ability to compete effectively;
●
some of our intellectual
property may be subject to “march-in” rights by the U.S. federal government;
●
we do not expect to pay
dividends in the foreseeable future;
●
we have issued a significant
number of shares of convertible preferred stock and warrants and may continue to do so in the future. The conversion and/or exercise
of these securities and the sale of the shares of common stock issuable thereunder may dilute your percentage ownership interest
and may also result in downward pressure on the price of our common stock; and
●
we may engage in future
acquisitions or strategic transactions, which may require us to seek additional financing or financial commitments, increase our
expenses and/or present significant distractions to our management.
Risks Related to
Our Financial Position and Need for Capital
Our financial
situation creates doubt whether we will continue as a going concern.
The
Company was incorporated on September 28, 2017, and through the date of this report has generated no significant revenues. For the years
ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, the Company had a net loss of $42,787,043 and $35,020,058, respectively. There can be no assurances
that we will be able to achieve a level of revenues adequate to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or additional financing
through private placements, public offerings and/or bank financing necessary to support our working capital requirements. To the extent
that funds generated from any private placements, public offerings and/or bank financing are insufficient, we will have to raise additional
working capital. No assurance can be given that additional financing will be available, or if available, will be on acceptable terms.
These conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If adequate working capital is not available,
we may be forced to discontinue operations, which would cause investors to lose their entire investment.
Our ability to
have our securities traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market is subject to us meeting applicable listing criteria.
As previously reported in a Current Report on
Form 8-K filed by the Company, on December 1, 2025, the Company received written notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of
The Nasdaq Capital Market LLC stating that, based upon the stockholders’ equity reported by the Company in its Form 10-Q for the
period ended September 30, 2025, the Company was no longer in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), which requires a company
to maintain a minimum of $2,500,000 in stockholders’ equity, a market value of listed securities of at least $35 million, or net
income from continuing operations of $500,000 in the most recently completed fiscal year or in two of the three most recently completed
fiscal years. In accordance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company had 45 calendar days, or until January 15, 2026, to submit a plan
to regain compliance. The Company submitted its plan of compliance on January 15, 2026, and was granted an extension by Nasdaq until
May 15, 2026, to regain compliance. A delisting could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of
operations and could reduce the liquidity and market price of our common stock.
Although Nasdaq granted the extension, we must
satisfy the requirements for continued listing by the end of the extension period. Our ability to regain compliance may depend on factors
that are outside our control, including market conditions, our operating performance, our ability to improve our stockholders’
equity, and our ability to access capital on acceptable terms, if at all. In addition, Nasdaq may require that we meet interim milestones
or other conditions during the extension period, and there can be no assurance that we will satisfy any such conditions. Even if we regain
compliance, Nasdaq may subsequently determine that we fail to satisfy other continued listing requirements, and we may again become subject
to delisting.
As of the date of this Annual Report, our common
stock has traded below $1.00 for 6 consecutive trading days. Under Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, if our common stock
trades below $1.00 for 30 consecutive trading days, we would be subject to a minimum bid price deficiency and Nasdaq would generally
provide notice that we are not in compliance. As of the date of this Annual Report, we have not received a deficiency notice from Nasdaq;
however, there can be no assurance that we will not receive such notice if our common stock continues to trade below the minimum bid
price threshold for the required period.
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In addition, on January 26, 2026, Nasdaq filed a rule proposal with
the SEC that, if approved and implemented, could require the immediate suspension and delisting of companies whose market capitalization
falls below a specified minimum threshold, including a proposed threshold of $5.0 million, for 30 consecutive business days. On March
11, 2026, the SEC issued a release extending the period to approve, disapprove or institute proceedings to determine whether to disapprove
the proposed new continued listing standard from March 16, 2026 to April 29, 2026. Because the rule is proposed, it may be modified, delayed
or not adopted, and any final rule could differ materially from the proposal, including with respect to the applicable market capitalization
test, measurement period, cure period, compliance deadlines, and available remedies. However, if a minimum market capitalization requirement
at or near the proposed level is adopted and becomes applicable to us, and our market capitalization falls below the applicable threshold
for the relevant period, we could be deemed noncompliant and become subject to delisting from Nasdaq.
Our market capitalization has fluctuated in the past and may continue
to fluctuate significantly due to factors beyond our control, including overall market conditions, volatility in the trading price or
volume of our common stock, industry developments, the availability of research coverage, and investor sentiment. In addition, events
such as equity issuances, reverse stock splits, or other corporate actions may not increase our market capitalization and could adversely
affect it. As of March 30, 2026, our market capitalization is approximately $713,000. As a result, there can be no assurance that we would
be able to satisfy any new minimum market capitalization continued listing standard, if adopted.
Unlike most Nasdaq continued listing deficiencies,
the proposed rule would allow suspension and delisting to take effect without a prior hearing and without any automatic stay. Although
an affected company could seek review of a delisting determination and appeal to the Nasdaq Listing and Hearing Review Council, its securities
would remain suspended from Nasdaq trading during that process and would generally trade in the over-the-counter market. The scope of
any hearing would be narrowly limited to whether Nasdaq staff made a factual error, with no discretion to grant additional time or consider
subsequent compliance.
If our common stock
were delisted from Nasdaq, we could face significant adverse consequences, including: reduced trading liquidity; increased volatility;
reduced analyst coverage and diminished investor interest; decreased ability to raise capital; and potential defaults, penalties or other
adverse consequences under agreements that include listing-related covenants or that are affected by a reduced trading market. Delisting
could also impair our ability to use equity or equity-linked securities for strategic transactions, employee compensation and other corporate
purposes, and could increase our cost of capital. If our common stock were to trade on an over-the-counter market, the market price and
liquidity of our common stock could be adversely affected and investors may have difficulty selling their shares.
We have generated
no significant revenue from commercial sales to date and our future profitability is uncertain.
We
were incorporated in September 2017 and have a limited operating history and our business is subject to all of the risks inherent in the
establishment of a new business enterprise. Our likelihood of success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties,
complications and delays frequently encountered in connection with development and expansion of a new business enterprise. Since inception,
we have incurred losses and expect to continue to operate at a net loss for at least the next several years as we commence our research
and development efforts, conduct clinical trials and develop manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution capabilities. Our net loss
for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $42,787,043 and $35,020,058, respectively, and our accumulated deficit as of December
31, 2025 was $209,808,770. There can be no assurance that the products under development by us will be approved for sale in the U.S. or
elsewhere. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that if such products are approved, they will be successfully commercialized, and the
extent of our future losses and the timing of our profitability are highly uncertain. If we are unable to achieve profitability, we may
be unable to continue our operations.
If we fail to
obtain the capital necessary to fund our operations, we will be unable to continue or complete our product development and you will likely
lose your entire investment.
We will need to continue
to seek capital from time to time to continue development of our lead drug candidate beyond our initial combined Phase I/IIa clinical
trial and to acquire and develop other product candidates. Once approved for commercialization, we cannot provide any assurances that
any revenues it may generate in the future will be sufficient to fund our ongoing operations.
Our business or operations
may change in a manner that would consume available funds more rapidly than anticipated and substantial additional funding may be required
to maintain operations, fund expansion, develop new or enhance products, acquire complementary products, business or technologies or
otherwise respond to competitive pressures and opportunities, such as a change in the regulatory environment or a change in preferred
treatment modalities. In addition, we may need to accelerate the growth of our sales capabilities and distribution beyond what is currently
envisioned, and this would require additional capital. However, we may not be able to secure funding when we need it or on favorable
terms. We may not be able to raise sufficient funds to commercialize the product candidates we intend to develop.
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If we cannot raise adequate
funds to satisfy our capital requirements, we will have to delay, scale back or eliminate our research and development activities, clinical
studies or future operations. We may also be required to obtain funds through arrangements with collaborators, which arrangements may
require us to relinquish rights to certain technologies or products that we otherwise would not consider relinquishing, including rights
to future product candidates or certain major geographic markets. This could result in sharing revenues which we might otherwise retain
for ourselves. Any of these actions may harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The amount of capital
we may need depends on many factors, including the progress, timing and scope of our product development programs; the progress, timing
and scope of our preclinical studies and clinical trials; the time and cost necessary to obtain regulatory approvals; the time and cost
necessary to further develop manufacturing processes and arrange for contract manufacturing; our ability to enter into and maintain collaborative,
licensing and other commercial relationships; and our partners’ commitment of time and resources to the development and commercialization
of our products.
We may need to
raise additional funding, which may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed
may force us to delay, limit or terminate our product development efforts or other operations.
We do not expect that
our current cash position will be sufficient to fund our current operations for the next 12 months. Our operating plan may change as
a result of many factors currently unknown to us, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned, through public or private
equity or debt financings, government or other third-party funding, marketing and distribution arrangements and other collaborations,
strategic alliances and licensing arrangements or a combination of these approaches. In any event, we will require additional capital
to obtain regulatory approval for, and to commercialize, our product candidates. Raising funds in the current economic environment may
present additional challenges. Even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans, we may seek additional
capital if market conditions are favorable or if we have specific strategic considerations.
Any additional fundraising
efforts may divert our management from their day-to-day activities, which may adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize
our product candidates. In addition, we cannot guarantee that future financing will be available in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable
to us, if at all. Moreover, the terms of any financing may adversely affect the holdings or the rights of our stockholders and the issuance
of additional securities, whether equity or debt, by us, or the possibility of such issuance, may cause the market price of our shares
to decline. The sale of additional equity or convertible securities may dilute our existing stockholders. The incurrence of indebtedness
would result in increased fixed payment obligations and we may be required to agree to certain restrictive covenants, such as limitations
on our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire, sell or license intellectual property rights and other
operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. We could also be required to seek funds through
arrangements with collaborative partners or otherwise at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable and we may be required to
relinquish rights to some of our technologies or product candidates or otherwise agree to terms unfavorable to us, any of which may have
a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and prospects.
If we are unable to
obtain funding on a timely basis, we may be required to significantly curtail, delay or discontinue one or more of our research or development
programs or the commercialization of any product candidate or be unable to expand our operations or otherwise capitalize on our business
opportunities, as desired, which could materially affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Even if we can
raise additional funding, we may be required to do so on terms that are dilutive to you.
The capital markets
have been unpredictable in the past for unprofitable companies such as ours. In addition, it is generally difficult for development stage
companies to raise capital under current market conditions. The amount of capital that a company such as ours is able to raise often
depends on variables that are beyond our control. As a result, we may not be able to secure financing on terms attractive to us, or at
all. If we are able to consummate a financing arrangement, the amount raised may not be sufficient to meet our future needs. If adequate
funds are not available on acceptable terms, or at all, our business, including our results of operations, financial condition and our
continued viability will be materially adversely affected.
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Risks Related to
Product Development, Regulatory Approval, Manufacturing and Commercialization
The regulatory
approval process is expensive, time-consuming and uncertain and may prevent us from obtaining approvals for the commercialization of
our future product candidates, if any.
We will not be permitted
to market our product candidates in the United States until we receive approval from the FDA, or in any foreign countries until we receive
the requisite approval from corresponding agencies in such countries. The testing, manufacturing, labeling, approval, selling, marketing
and distribution of health and life science-related products are subject to extensive regulation, which regulations differ from country
to country.
Successfully completing
our clinical program and obtaining approval of a Biologics License Application (“BLA”) is a complex, lengthy, expensive and
uncertain process, and the FDA or other applicable foreign regulator may delay, limit or deny approval of our product candidates for
many reasons, including, among others, because:
● we
may not be able to demonstrate that our product candidates are safe and effective in treating patients to the satisfaction of the FDA
or foreign regulator;
●
the results
of our clinical trials may not meet the level of statistical or clinical significance required by the FDA or foreign regulator for
marketing approval;
●
the FDA or
foreign regulator may disagree with the number, design, size, conduct or implementation of our clinical trials;
●
the FDA or
foreign regulator may require that we conduct additional clinical trials;
●
the FDA or
foreign regulator may not approve the formulation, labeling or specifications of our product candidates;
●
the contract
research organizations (CROs) and other contractors that we may retain to conduct our clinical trials may take actions outside of
our control that materially adversely impact our clinical trials;
●
the FDA or
foreign regulator may find the data from preclinical studies and clinical trials insufficient to demonstrate that our product candidate(s)
are safe and effective for their proposed indications;
●
the FDA or
foreign regulator may disagree with our interpretation of data from our preclinical studies and clinical trials;
●
the FDA or
foreign regulator may not accept data generated at our clinical trial sites or may disagree with us over whether to accept efficacy
results from clinical trial sites outside the United States or outside the EU, as applicable, where the standard of care is potentially
different from that in the United States or in the EU, as applicable;
●
if and when
our BLAs or foreign equivalents are submitted to the applicable regulatory authorities, such agencies may have difficulties scheduling
the necessary review meetings in a timely manner, may recommend against approval of our application or may recommend or require,
as a condition of approval, additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, limitations on approved labeling or distribution and
use restrictions;
●
the FDA or
foreign regulator may require development of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), which would use risk minimization
strategies to ensure that the benefits of certain prescription drugs outweigh their risks, as a condition of approval or post-approval;
●
the FDA or
other applicable foreign regulatory agencies may not approve the manufacturing processes or facilities of third-party manufacturers
with which we contract; or
●
the FDA or
the other applicable foreign regulatory agencies may change their approval policies or adopt new regulations.
17
We may encounter
substantial delays in completing our clinical studies which in turn will require additional costs, or we may fail to demonstrate adequate
safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities.
It is difficult to predict
if or when any of our product candidates, will prove safe or effective in humans or will receive regulatory approval. Before
obtaining marketing approval from regulatory authorities for the sale of our product candidates, we must conduct extensive clinical studies
to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the product candidates in humans. Clinical testing is expensive, time-consuming and uncertain
as to outcome. We cannot guarantee that any clinical studies will be conducted as planned or completed on schedule, if at all. A failure
of one or more clinical studies can occur at any stage of testing. Events that may prevent successful or timely completion of clinical
development include:
●
delays in reaching,
or failing to reach, a consensus with regulatory agencies on study design;
●
delays in reaching,
or failing to reach, agreement on acceptable terms with a sufficient number of prospective contract research organizations (“CROs”)
and clinical study sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs
and trial sites;
●
delays in obtaining required
Institutional Review Board (“IRB”) or Ethics Committee (“EC”) approval at each clinical study site;
●
delays in recruiting a
sufficient number of suitable patients to participate in our clinical studies;
●
imposition of a clinical
hold by regulatory agencies, after an inspection of our clinical study operations or study sites;
●
failure by
our CROs, other third parties or us to adhere to the clinical study, regulatory or legal requirements;
●
failure to perform in accordance
with the FDA’s good clinical practices (“GCP”) or applicable regulatory guidelines in other countries;
●
delays in the
testing, validation, manufacturing and delivery of sufficient quantities of our product candidates to the clinical sites;
●
delays in having patients’
complete participation in a study or return for post-treatment follow-up;
●
clinical study sites or
patients dropping out of a study;
●
delay or failure to address
any patient safety concerns that arise during the course of a trial;
●
unanticipated costs or
increases in costs of clinical trials of our product candidates;
●
occurrence of serious adverse
events associated with the product candidates that are viewed to outweigh their potential benefits; or
●
changes in regulatory requirements
and guidance that require amending or submitting new clinical protocols.
We could also encounter
delays if a clinical trial is suspended or terminated by us, by the IRBs or ECs of the institutions in which such trials are being conducted,
by an independent Safety Review Board (“SRB”) for such trial or by the FDA, European Medicines Agency (“EMA”),
or other regulatory authorities. Such authorities may suspend or terminate a clinical trial due to a number of factors, including
failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical
trial operations or trial site by the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen
safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a drug, changes in governmental regulations or administrative
actions or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial.
Any inability to successfully
complete preclinical and clinical development could result in additional costs to us or impair our ability to generate revenues from
product sales, regulatory and commercialization milestones and royalties. In addition, if we make manufacturing or formulation changes
to our product candidates, we may need to conduct additional studies to bridge our modified product candidates to earlier versions.
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Clinical study delays
could also shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize our product candidates or allow our competitors
to bring products to market before we do, which could impair our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates. In
addition, any delays in completing our clinical trials will increase our costs, slow down our product candidate development
and approval process and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenues. Any of these occurrences may significantly
harm our business, financial condition and prospects. In addition, many of the factors that cause, or lead to, a delay in the commencement
or completion of clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our product candidates.
The outcome of preclinical
studies and early clinical trials may not be predictive of the success of later clinical trials, and interim results of a clinical trial
do not necessarily predict final results. Further, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to various interpretations and
analyses, and many companies that have believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical
trials have, nonetheless, failed to obtain marketing approval. If the results of our clinical studies are inconclusive or if there
are safety concerns or adverse events associated with our other product candidates, we may:
● be
delayed in obtaining marketing approval for our product candidates, if approved at all;
●
obtain approval
for indications or patient populations that are not as broad as intended or desired;
●
obtain approval with labeling
that includes significant use or distribution restrictions or safety warnings;
●
be required
to change the way the product is administered;
●
be required to perform
additional clinical studies to support approval or be subject to additional post-marketing testing requirements;
●
have regulatory authorities
withdraw their approval of a product or impose restrictions on its distribution in the form of a modified risk evaluation and mitigation
strategy;
●
be sued; or
●
experience damage to our
reputation.
Additionally, our product
candidates could potentially cause other adverse events that have not yet been predicted. The inclusion of ill patients in our clinical
studies may result in deaths or other adverse medical events due to other therapies or medications that such patients may be using. As
described above, any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of our product candidates and impair
our ability to commercialize our products.
If our future
pre-clinical development and future clinical Phase I/II studies are unsuccessful, we may be unable to obtain regulatory approval of,
or commercialize, our product candidates on a timely basis or at all.
The successful completion
of pre-clinical development and multiple clinical trials is critical to the success of our future products. If the pre-clinical development
and clinical trials are unsuccessful or produce inconsistent results or unanticipated adverse side effects, or if we are unable to collect
reliable data, regulatory approval of our products could be delayed or not given and as a result we may be unable to commercialize our
products. Generally, we expect to engage third parties such as consultants, universities or other collaboration partners to conduct clinical
trials on our behalf. Incompatible practices or misapplication of our products by these third parties could impair the success of our
clinical trials.
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Even if we receive
regulatory approval for any of our product candidates, we may not be able to successfully commercialize the product and the revenue that
we generate from their sales, if any, may be limited.
If approved for marketing,
the commercial success of our product candidates will depend upon each product’s acceptance by the medical community, including
physicians, patients and health care payors. The degree of market acceptance for any of our product candidates will depend on a number
of factors, including:
●
demonstration
of clinical safety and efficacy;
●
relative convenience, dosing
burden and ease of administration;
●
the prevalence and severity
of any adverse effects;
●
the willingness of physicians
to prescribe our product candidates, and the target patient population to try new therapies;
●
efficacy of
our product candidates compared to competing products;
●
the introduction of any
new products that may in the future become available targeting indications for which our product candidates may be approved;
●
new procedures or therapies
that may reduce the incidences of any of the indications in which our product candidates may show utility;
●
pricing and
cost-effectiveness;
●
the inclusion or omission
of our product candidates in applicable therapeutic and vaccine guidelines;
●
the effectiveness of our
own or any future collaborators’ sales and marketing strategies;
●
limitations
or warnings contained in approved labeling from regulatory authorities;
●
our ability to obtain and
maintain sufficient third-party coverage or reimbursement from government health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid,
private health insurers and other third-party payors or to receive the necessary pricing approvals from government bodies regulating
the pricing and usage of therapeutics; and
●
the willingness of patients
to pay out-of-pocket in the absence of third-party coverage or reimbursement or government pricing approvals.
If any of our product
candidates are approved, but do not achieve an adequate level of acceptance by physicians, health care payors, and patients, we may not
generate sufficient revenues and we may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability. Our efforts to educate the medical community
and third-party payors on the benefits of our product candidates may require significant resources and may never be successful.
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In addition, even if
we obtain regulatory approvals, the timing or scope of any approvals may prohibit or reduce our ability to commercialize our product
candidates successfully. For example, if the approval process takes too long, we may miss market opportunities and give other companies
the ability to develop competing products or establish market dominance. Any regulatory approval we ultimately obtain may be limited
or subject to restrictions or post-approval commitments that render our product candidates not commercially viable. For example, regulatory
authorities may approve any of our product candidates for fewer or more limited indications than we request, may grant approval contingent
on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical trials, or may approve any of our product candidates with a label that does not
include the labeling claims necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization for that indication. Further, the FDA or comparable
foreign regulatory authorities may place conditions on approvals or require risk management plans or a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation
Strategy (“REMS”) to assure the safe use of the drug. If the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency concludes a REMS
is needed, the sponsor of the BLA must submit a proposed REMS; the regulatory agencies will not approve the BLA without an approved REMS,
if required. A REMS could include medication guides, physician communication plans, or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted
distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. The regulatory agencies may also require a REMS for an approved
product when new safety information emerges. Any of these limitations on approval or marketing could restrict the commercial promotion,
distribution, prescription or dispensing of our product candidates. Moreover, product approvals may be withdrawn for non-compliance with
regulatory standards or if problems occur following the initial marketing of the product. Any of the foregoing scenarios could materially
harm the commercial success of our product candidates.
Adverse events
involving our products may lead the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory agency to delay or deny clearance for our products or result
in product recalls that could harm our reputation, business and financial results.
Once a product receives
regulatory clearance or approval, the agency has the authority to require the recall of commercialized products in the event of adverse
side effects, material deficiencies or defects in design or manufacture. The authority to require a recall must be based on a regulatory
finding that there is a reasonable probability that the product would cause serious injury or death. Manufacturers may, under their own
initiative, recall a product if any material deficiency in a product is found. A government-mandated or voluntary recall by us or one
of our distributors could occur as a result of adverse side effects, impurities or other product contamination, manufacturing errors,
design or labeling defects or other deficiencies and issues. Recalls of any of our products would divert managerial and financial resources
and have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. The regulatory agencies require that certain classifications
of recalls be reported to them within ten (10) working days after the recall is initiated. Companies are required to maintain certain
records of recalls, even if they are not reportable to the regulatory agency. We may initiate voluntary recalls involving our products
in the future that we determine do not require notification of the regulatory agencies. If the regulatory agency disagrees with our determinations,
they could require us to report those actions as recalls. A future recall announcement could harm our reputation with customers and negatively
affect our sales. In addition, the regulatory agency could take enforcement action for failing to report the recalls when they were conducted.
The in-licensing
of technologies and the successful testing and early development of technologies in the laboratory may not be indicative of future results
and may not result in commercially viable technologies or products. Further, our future products may have to be modified from their originally
conceived versions in order to reach or be successful in the market.
Positive results from
laboratory testing and early developmental successes, may not be predictive of future successful development, commercialization and sales
results and should not be relied upon as evidence that products developed from our technologies will become commercially viable and successful.
Further, the products we plan to develop in the future may have to be significantly modified from their originally conceived versions
in order for us to control costs, compete with similar products, receive market acceptance, meet specific development and commercialization
timeframes, avoid potential infringement of the proprietary rights of others, or otherwise succeed in developing our business and earning
ongoing revenues. This can be a costly and resource draining activity. What appear to be promising technologies when we license them
may not lead to viable technologies or products, or to commercial success.
21
Complying with
numerous regulations pertaining to our business is an expensive and time-consuming process, and any failure to comply could result in
substantial penalties.
We are subject to the
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment of 1988, or CLIA, which is a federal law regulating clinical laboratories that perform testing
on specimens derived from humans for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of disease. Our
clinical laboratory is located in Richmond, Virginia and must be certified under CLIA in order for us to perform testing on human specimens.
CLIA is intended to ensure the quality and reliability of clinical laboratories in the United States by mandating specific standards
in the areas of personnel qualifications, administration, and participation in proficiency testing, patient test management, quality
control, quality assurance and inspections. We currently hold a CLIA certificate to perform high-complexity testing. Laboratories performing
high complexity testing are required to meet more stringent requirements than laboratories performing less complex tests. CLIA regulations
require clinical laboratories like ours to comply with various operational, personnel, facilities administration, quality, and proficiency
testing requirements intended to ensure that testing services are accurate, reliable and timely. CLIA certification is a prerequisite
for reimbursement eligibility for services provided to state and federal health care program beneficiaries. CLIA is user-fee funded.
Therefore, all costs of administering the program must be covered by the regulated facilities, including certification and survey costs.
To renew this certificate, we are subject to survey and inspection every two years. Moreover, CLIA inspectors may make periodic inspections
of our clinical laboratory outside of the renewal process. The failure to comply with CLIA requirements can result in enforcement actions,
including the revocation, suspension, or limitation of our CLIA certificate of compliance, as well as a directed plan of correction,
state on-site monitoring, civil money penalties, civil injunctive suit and/or criminal penalties. We must maintain CLIA compliance and
certification to be eligible to bill for assays provided to Medicare beneficiaries. If we were to be found out of compliance with CLIA
program requirements and subjected to sanctions, our business and reputation could be harmed. Even if it were possible for us to bring
our laboratory back into compliance, we could incur significant expenses and potentially lose revenue in doing so.
Additionally, certain
states require laboratory licenses in order to test specimens from patients in those states or received from ordering physicians in those
states. We may also be subject to regulation in foreign jurisdictions if we seek to expand international distribution of our assays outside
the United States.
If we were to lose our
CLIA certification or state laboratory licenses, whether as a result of a revocation, suspension or limitation, we would no longer be
able to offer our assays (including our AditxtScore™ platform), which would limit our revenues and harm our business. If we were
to lose, or fail to obtain, a license in any other state where we are required to hold a license, we would not be able to test specimens
from those states.
Risks Related to
the Company and our Business
Certain technologies
are subject to licenses from LLU and Stanford, each of which are revocable in certain circumstances, including in the event we do not
achieve certain payments and milestone deadlines. Without these licenses, we may not be able to continue to develop our product candidates.
The LLU License Agreement
may be terminated by LLU in the event of a breach by us of any non-payment provision (including the provision that requires us to meet
certain deadlines for milestone events (each, a “Milestone Deadline”)) not cured within 90 days after delivery of written
notice by LLU. Additional Milestone Deadlines include: (i) the requirement to have regulatory approval of an IND application to initiate
first-in-human clinical trials on or before March 31, 2023 (which has been extended to March 31, 2024 with a payment of a $100,000 extension
fee), (ii) the completion of first-in-human (phase I/II) clinical trials by March 31, 2024, (iii) the completion of Phase III clinical
trials by March 31, 2026 and (iv) biologic licensing approval (BLA) by the FDA by March 31, 2027. If the LLU License Agreement were to
be terminated by LLU, we would lose our most significant asset and may no longer be able to develop our product candidates, which would
have a material adverse effect on our operations.
The February 2020 License
Agreement with Stanford may be terminated by Stanford if we (i) are delinquent on any report or payments; (ii) are not diligently developing
and commercializing Licensed Product (as defined in the February 2020 License Agreement); (iii) miss a milestone described in the agreement;
(iv) are in breach of any other provision of the agreement; or (v) if we provide a false report to Stanford. The Termination discussed
above will take effect only upon 30 days written notice by Stanford unless we remedy the breach within a 30-day cure period. If the February
2020 License Agreement were to be terminated by Stanford, we would lose a significant asset and may no longer be able to develop our
product candidates, which would have a material adverse effect on our operations. The Company is current with its obligations and has
submitted a year end report as well as provided additional milestone plans for research and development as well as commercialization.
22
Our results of
operations will be affected by the level of royalty and milestone payments that we are required to pay to third parties.
The LLU License Agreement
and February 2020 License Agreement with Stanford each require us to remit royalty payments and meet certain performance milestones related
to in-licensed intellectual property. Any failure on our part to pay royalties owed or meet milestones could lead to us losing rights
under our licenses and could thereby adversely affect our business. As our product sales increase, we may, from time-to-time, disagree
with our third-party collaborators as to the appropriate royalties owed and the resolution of such disputes may be costly and may consume
management’s time. Furthermore, we may enter into additional license agreements in the future, which may also include royalty payments.
We face substantial
competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing products before or more successfully than we do.
The development and
commercialization of drugs is highly competitive. We compete with a variety of multinational pharmaceutical companies and specialized
biotechnology companies, as well as products and processes being developed at universities and other research institutions. Our competitors
have developed, are developing or will develop product candidates and processes competitive with our product candidates. Competitive
therapeutic treatments include those that have already been approved and accepted by the medical community and any new treatments that
may enter the market. We believe that a significant number of products are currently available, under development, and may become commercially
available in the future, for the treatment of indications for which we may try to develop product candidates.
More established companies
may have a competitive advantage over us due to their greater size, cash flows and institutional experience. Compared to us, many of
our competitors may have significantly greater financial, technical and human resources. As a result of these factors, our competitors
may have an advantage in marketing their approved products and may obtain regulatory approval of their product candidates before we are
able to, which may limit our ability to develop or commercialize our product candidates. Our competitors may also develop drugs that
are safer, more effective, more widely used and less expensive than ours, and may also be more successful than us in manufacturing and
marketing their products.
Mergers and acquisitions
in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our
competitors. Smaller and other early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative
arrangements with large and established companies. These companies compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific,
management and commercial personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and subject registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring
technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.
Our technologies
and products under development, and our business, may fail if we are not able to successfully commercialize them and ultimately generate
significant revenues as a result.
Successful development
of technologies and our product candidates will require significant additional investment, including costs associated with additional
development, completing trials and obtaining regulatory approval, as well as the ability to manufacture or have others manufacture our
products in sufficient quantities at acceptable costs while also preserving product quality. Difficulties often encountered in scaling
up production include problems involving production yields, quality control and assurance, shortage of qualified personnel, production
costs and process controls. In addition, we are subject to inherent risks associated with new technologies and products. These risks
include the possibility that any of our technologies or future products may:
●
be found unsafe;
●
be ineffective
or less effective than anticipated;
●
fail to receive
necessary regulatory approvals;
●
be difficult
to competitively price relative to alternative solutions;
●
be harmful
to consumers or the environment;
●
be difficult
to manufacture on an economically viable scale;
●
be subject
to supply chain constraints for raw materials;
23
●
fail to be
developed and accepted by the market prior to the successful marketing of alternative products by competitors;
●
be difficult
to market because of infringement on the proprietary rights of third parties; or
●
be too expensive
for commercial use.
Furthermore, we may
be faced with lengthy market partner or distributor evaluation and approval processes. Consequently, we may incur substantial expenses
and devote significant management effort in order to customize products for market partner or distributor acceptance, though there can
be no assurance of such acceptance. As a result, we cannot accurately predict the volume or timing of any future sales.
Customers may
not adopt our products quickly, or at all.
Customers in the sector
in which we operate can be generally cautious in their adoption of new products and technologies. In addition, given the relative novelty
of our future planned products (including our AditxtScore™ platform), customers of those products may require education regarding
their utility and use, which may delay their adoption. There can be no assurance that customers will adopt our products quickly, or at
all.
The significant
level of competition in the markets for our products developed in the future may result in pricing pressure, reduced margins or the inability
of our future products to achieve market acceptance.
The markets for our
future products are intensely competitive and rapidly changing. We may be unable to compete successfully, which may result in price reductions,
reduced margins and the inability to achieve market acceptance for our products.
Our competitors may
have longer operating histories, significantly greater resources, greater brand recognition and large customer bases than we do. As a
result, they may be able to devote greater resources to the manufacture, promotion or sale of their products, receive greater resources
and support from market partners and independent distributors, initiate or withstand substantial price competition or more readily take
advantage of acquisition or other opportunities.
We rely on third
parties for the distribution of our current and future products, including our AditxtScore™ platform. If these parties do
not distribute our products in a satisfactory or timely manner, in sufficient quantities or at an acceptable cost, our sales and development
efforts could be delayed or otherwise negatively affected.
We rely on third parties
for the distribution of our current and future products, including our AditxtScore™ platform. Our reliance on third parties to
distribute products may present significant risks to us, including the risk that should any of these third parties fail to adequately
distribute our products and services to end consumers and other market participants, our business may be materially harmed. Additionally,
if we need to enter into agreements for the distribution of our future products with other third parties, there can be no assurance we
will be able to do so on favorable terms, if at all.
We may rely on
third parties for the production of our future products. If these parties do not produce our products at a satisfactory quality,
in a timely manner, in sufficient quantities or at an acceptable cost, our sales and development efforts could be delayed or otherwise
negatively affected.
We may rely on third
parties for the manufacture of our future products. Our reliance on third parties to manufacture our future products may present significant
risks to us, including the following:
●
reduced control
over delivery schedules, yields and product reliability;
●
price increases;
●
manufacturing
deviations from internal and regulatory specifications;
●
the failure
of a key manufacturer to perform as we require for technical, market or other reasons;
24
●
difficulties
in establishing additional manufacturer relationships if we are presented with the need to transfer our manufacturing process technologies
to them;
●
misappropriation
of our intellectual property; and
●
other risks
in potentially meeting our product development schedule or satisfying the requirements of our market partners, distributors, direct
customers and end users.
If we need to enter
into agreements for the manufacturing of our future products, there can be no assurance we will be able to do so on favorable terms,
if at all.
If we are unable
to establish successful relations with third-party market partners or distributors, or these market partners or distributors do not focus
adequate resources on selling our products or are otherwise unsuccessful in selling them, sales of our products may not develop.
We anticipate relying
on independent market partners and distributors to distribute and assist us with the marketing and sale of our products. Our future revenue
generation and growth will depend in large part on our success in establishing and maintaining this sales and distribution channel. If
our market partners and distributors are unable to sell our products, or receive negative feedback from end users, they may not continue
to purchase or market our products. In addition, there can be no assurance that our market partners and distributors will focus adequate
resources on selling our products to end users or will be successful in selling them. Many of our potential market partners and distributors
are in the business of distributing and sometimes manufacturing other, possibly competing, products. As a result, these market partners
and distributors may perceive our products as a threat to various product lines currently being distributed or manufactured by them.
In addition, these market partners and distributors may earn higher margins by selling competing products or combinations of competing
products. If we are unable to establish successful relationships with independent market partners and distributors, we will need to further
develop our own sales and distribution capabilities, which would be expensive and time-consuming and might not be successful.
If we are not
able to attract and retain highly skilled employees and contractors, we may not be able to implement our business model successfully.
We will rely upon employees
and third-party consultant/contractors to effectively establish, manage and grow our business. Consequently, we believe that our future
viability will depend largely on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled personnel. In order to do so, we may need to pay
higher compensation, fees, and/or other incentives to our employees or consultants than we currently expect, and such higher compensation
payments would have a negative effect on our operating results. Competition for experienced, high-quality employees, consultants and
contractors is intense and we cannot assure that we will be able to recruit and retain such personnel. We may not be able to hire or
retain the necessary personnel to implement our business strategy. Our failure to hire and retain such personnel could impair our ability
to develop new products and manage our business effectively.
The loss of our
management team or other key personnel would have an adverse impact on our future development and impair our ability to succeed.
In the early stages
of development, our business will be significantly dependent on the Company’s management team and other key personnel. Our success
will be particularly dependent upon our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Amro Albanna and our Chief Innovation Officer, Dr. Shahrokh Shabahang.
The loss of any one of these individuals or any other future key personnel could have a material adverse effect on the Company and our
ability to further execute our intended business.
25
The commercial
success of our in-development and future diagnostic tests and services depends upon attaining significant market acceptance among payers,
providers, clinics, patients, and biopharmaceutical companies.
Our commercial success
depends, in part, on the acceptance of our diagnostic tests and services as being safe and relatively simple for medical personnel to
learn and use, clinically flexible, operationally versatile and, with respect to providers and payers, cost effective. We cannot predict
how quickly, if at all, payers, providers, clinics and patients will accept future diagnostic tests and services or, if accepted, how
frequently they will be used. These constituents must believe that our diagnostic tests offer benefits over other available alternatives.
The degree of market
acceptance of our in development and future diagnostic tests and services depends on a number of factors, including:
●
whether there
is adequate utilization of our tests by clinicians, biopharmaceutical companies and other target groups based on the potential and
perceived advantages of our diagnostic tests over those of our competitors;
●
the convenience
and ease of use of our diagnostic tests relative to those currently on the market;
●
the effectiveness
of our sales and marketing efforts;
●
the ability
of our distribution partners to meet sales forecasts;
●
our ability
to provide incremental data that show the clinical benefits and cost effectiveness, and operational benefits, of our diagnostic tests;
●
the coverage
and reimbursement acceptance of our products and services;
●
pricing pressure,
including from group purchasing organizations (GPOs), seeking to obtain discounts on our diagnostic tests based on the collective
bargaining power of the GPO members;
●
negative publicity
regarding our or our competitors’ diagnostic tests resulting from defects or errors;
●
the accuracy
of our tests relative to those of our competitors;
●
ability to
obtain any requisite premarket authorization from FDA prior to commercializing our tests;
●
product labeling
or product insert requirements by the FDA or other regulatory authorities; and
●
limitations
or warnings contained in the labeling cleared or approved by the FDA or other authorities.
The use of our
products may be limited by regulations, and we may be exposed to product liability and remediation claims.
The use of our planned
products may be regulated by various local, state, federal and foreign regulators. Even if we are able to comply with all such regulations
and obtain all necessary registrations, we cannot provide assurance that our future products will not cause injury to the environment,
people, or animals and/or otherwise have unintended adverse consequences, under all circumstances. For example, our products may be improperly
combined with other chemicals or, even when properly combined, our products may be blamed for damage caused by those other chemicals.
The costs of remediation or products liability could materially adversely affect our results, financial condition and operations.
26
We may be held
liable for, or incur costs to settle, liability and remediation claims if any products we develop, or any products that use or incorporate
any of our technologies, cause injury or are found unsuitable during product testing, manufacturing, marketing, sale or use. These risks
exist even with respect to products that have received, or may in the future receive, regulatory approval, registration or clearance
for commercial use. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to avoid product liability exposure.
At the stage customary
to do so, we expect to maintain product liability insurance at levels we believe are sufficient and consistent with industry standards
for like companies and products. However, we cannot guarantee that our product liability insurance will be sufficient to help us avoid
product liability-related losses. In the future, it is possible that meaningful insurance coverage may not be available on commercially
reasonable terms or at all. In addition, a product liability claim could result in liability to us greater than our assets or insurance
coverage. Moreover, even if we have adequate insurance coverage, product liability claims or recalls could result in negative publicity
or force us to devote significant time and attention to these matters, which could harm our business.
Our ability to
offer new products and continue the development of our existing products, depends upon us maintaining strong relationships with health
care professionals.
If we fail to maintain
our working relationships with health care professionals, many of our products may not be developed and offered in line with the needs
and expectations of the professionals who use and support our products, which could cause a decline in our earnings and profitability.
The research, development, marketing, and sales of our products is expected to be dependent upon our maintaining working relationships
with such health care professionals, and the use of our products is expected to often require the participation of health care professionals.
In addition, health care professionals are the primary customer groups we expect to market and sell our products directly to, further
highlighting the importance of our relationship with such health care professionals. If we are unable to maintain our relationships with
these professionals, we may lose our primary customer base, our products may not be utilized correctly or to their full potential, and
our ability to develop, manufacture, and market future products may be significantly stunted.
We operate in
a highly competitive industries and we may be unable to compete effectively.
We expect to compete
domestically and internationally in the neurology, diagnostic imaging and MedTech markets and the motion control market. These markets
are characterized by rapid change resulting from technological advances and scientific discoveries. In the product lines and offered
services in which we plan to compete, we face a mixture of competitors ranging from large manufacturers with multiple business lines
to small manufacturers that offer a limited selection of niche products. Development by other companies of new or improved products,
processes, technologies, or the introduction of reprocessed products or generic versions when our proprietary products lose their patent
protection may make our existing products or proposed products less competitive. Competitive factors include product reliability, product
performance, product technology, product quality, breadth of product lines, product services, customer support, price, and reimbursement
approval from health care insurance providers.
We also face competition
for marketing, distribution, and collaborative development agreements, for establishing relationships health care professionals, medical
associations, and academic and research institutions, and for licenses to intellectual property. In addition, academic institutions,
governmental agencies and other public and private research organizations also may conduct research, seek patient protection and establish
collaborative arrangements for discovery, research, clinical development and marketing of products similar to ours. These companies,
professionals, and institutions compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, as well as
in acquiring necessary product technologies.
There may be limitations
on the effectiveness of our internal controls, and a failure of our control systems to prevent error or fraud may materially harm our
Company.
We do not expect that
internal control over financial accounting and disclosure, even if timely and well established, will prevent all error and all fraud.
A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s
objectives will be met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits
of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of
controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. Failure of our control
systems to prevent error or fraud could materially adversely affect our business.
27
Risks Related to
Our Acquisition Strategy
Our acquisition
strategy exposes us to substantial risk.
Our acquisition of companies
is subject to substantial risk, including but not limited to the failure to identify material problems during due diligence (for which
we may not be indemnified post-closing), the risk of over-paying for assets (or not making acquisitions on an accretive basis), the ability
to obtain or retain customers and the risks of entering markets where we have limited experience. While we perform due diligence on prospective
acquisitions, we may not be able to discover all potential operational deficiencies in such entities.
Our acquisition targets
may not perform as expected or the returns from such businesses may not support the financing utilized to acquire them or maintain them.
Furthermore, integration and consolidation of acquired businesses requires substantial human, financial and other resources and may divert
management’s attention from our existing business concerns, disrupt our ongoing business or not be successfully integrated. Even
if we consummate businesses that we believe will be accretive, those businesses may in fact result in a decrease in revenues as a result
of incorrect assumptions in our evaluation of such businesses, unforeseen consequences, or other external events beyond our control.
Furthermore, if we consummate any future acquisitions, our capitalization and results of operations may change significantly, and stockholders
will generally not have the opportunity to evaluate the economic, financial, and other relevant information that we will consider in
determining the application of these funds and other resources. As a result, the consummation of acquisitions may have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We may experience
difficulty as we evaluate, acquire and integrate businesses that we may acquire, which could result in drains on our resources, including
the attention of our management, and disruptions of our on-going business.
From time to time we
have acquired and may continue to acquire small to mid-sized businesses in various industry segments. Generally, because such businesses
may be privately held, we may experience difficulty in evaluating potential target businesses as much of the information concerning these
businesses is not publicly available. Therefore, our estimates and assumptions used to evaluate the operations, management and market
risks with respect to potential target businesses may be subject to various risks and uncertainties. Further, the time and costs associated
with identifying and evaluating potential target businesses may cause a substantial drain on our resources and may divert our management
team’s attention away from the operations of our businesses for significant periods of time.
In addition, we may
have difficulty effectively integrating and managing acquisitions. The management or improvement of businesses we acquire may be hindered
by a number of factors, including limitations in the standards, controls, procedures and policies implemented in connection with such
acquisitions. Further, the management of an acquired business may involve a substantial reorganization of the business’ operations
resulting in the loss of employees and customers or the disruption of our ongoing businesses. We may experience greater than expected
costs or difficulties relating to an acquisition, in which case, we might not achieve the anticipated returns from any particular acquisition.
We may not be
able to effectively integrate the businesses that we acquire.
Our ability to realize
the anticipated benefits of acquisitions will depend on our ability to integrate those businesses with our own. The combination of multiple
independent businesses is a complex, costly and time-consuming process and there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully
integrate businesses into our business, or if such integration is successfully accomplished, that such integration will not be costlier
or take longer than presently contemplated. Integration of future acquisitions may include various risks and uncertainties, including
the factors discussed in the paragraph below. If we cannot successfully integrate and manage the businesses within a reasonable time,
we may not be able to realize the potential and anticipated benefits of such acquisitions, which could have a material adverse effect
on our stock price, business, cash flows, results of operations and financial position.
28
We will consider acquisitions
that we believe will complement, strengthen and enhance our growth. We evaluate opportunities on a preliminary basis from time to time,
but these transactions may not advance beyond the preliminary stages or be completed. Such acquisitions are subject to various risks
and uncertainties, including:
●
the inability
to integrate effectively the operations, products, technologies and personnel of the acquired companies (some of which are in diverse
geographic regions) and achieve expected synergies;
●
the potential
disruption of existing business and diversion of management’s attention from day-to-day operations;
●
the inability
to maintain uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies;
●
the need or
obligation to divest portions of the acquired companies;
●
the potential
failure to identify material problems and liabilities during due diligence review of acquisition targets;
●
the potential
failure to obtain sufficient indemnification rights to fully offset possible liabilities associated with acquired businesses; and
●
the challenges
associated with operating in new geographic regions.
The integration
of our acquisitions may result in significant accounting charges that adversely affect the announced results of our Company.
The financial results
of our Company may be adversely affected by cash expenses and non-cash accounting charges incurred in connection with our recent acquisitions.
In addition to the anticipated cash charges, costs associated with the amortization of intangible assets are expected. The price of our
common stock could decline to the extent our financial results are materially affected by the foregoing charges or if the foregoing charges
are larger than anticipated.
Our planned acquisitions
may result in unexpected consequences to our business and results of operations.
Although we believe
that our planned acquisitions will generally be subject to risks similar to those to which we are subject to in our existing operations,
we may not have discovered all risks applicable to these businesses during the due diligence process. Some of these risks could produce
unexpected and unwanted consequences for us. Undiscovered risks may result in us incurring financial liabilities, which could be material
and have a negative impact on our business operations.
Failure to manage
our growing and changing business could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of
operations.
As we grow, we expect
to encounter additional challenges to our internal processes, capital commitment process, and acquisition funding and financing capabilities.
Our existing operations, personnel, systems, and internal control may not be adequate to support our growth and expansion and may require
us to make additional unanticipated investments in our infrastructure. To manage the future growth of our operations, we will be required
to improve our administrative, operational, and financial systems, procedures, and controls, and maintain, expand, train, and manage
our growing employee base. If we are unable to manage our growth effectively, we may not be able to take advantage of market opportunities,
execute our business strategies successfully or respond to competitive pressures. As a result, our business, prospects, financial condition,
and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
29
We face competition
for businesses that fit our acquisition strategy and, therefore, we may have to acquire targets at sub-optimal prices or, alternatively,
forego certain acquisition opportunities.
Our acquisition strategy
is focused on the acquisition of small to mid-sized businesses. In pursuing such acquisitions, we expect to face strong competition from
a wide range of other potential purchasers. Although the pool of potential purchasers for such businesses is typically smaller than for
larger businesses, those potential purchasers can be aggressive in their approach to acquiring such businesses. Furthermore, we expect
that we will need to use third-party financing in order to fund some or all of these potential acquisitions, thereby increasing our acquisition
costs. To the extent that other potential purchasers do not need to obtain third-party financing or are able to obtain such financing
on more favorable terms, they may be in a position to be more aggressive with their acquisition proposals. As a result, in order to be
competitive, our acquisition proposals may need to be aggressively priced, including at price levels that exceed what we originally determined
to be fair or appropriate. Alternatively, we may determine that we cannot pursue on a cost-effective basis what would otherwise be an
attractive acquisition opportunity.
We may not be
able to successfully fund acquisitions due to the unavailability of equity or debt financing on acceptable terms, which could impede
the implementation of our acquisition strategy.
We intend to finance
acquisitions primarily through additional debt and equity financings. Because the timing and size of acquisitions cannot be readily predicted,
we may need to be able to obtain funding on short notice to benefit fully from attractive acquisition opportunities. The sale of additional
shares of any class of equity will be subject to market conditions and investor demand for such shares at prices that may not be in the
best interest of our stockholders. The sale of additional equity securities could also result in dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence
of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could require us to agree to operating and financial covenants
that would restrict our operations. Financing may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. These risks may
materially adversely affect our ability to pursue our acquisition strategy.
We may change
our management and acquisition strategies without the consent of our stockholders, which may result in a determination by us to pursue
riskier business activities.
We may change our strategy
at any time without the consent of our stockholders, which may result in our acquiring businesses or assets that are different from,
and possibly riskier than, the strategy described in this prospectus. A change in our strategy may increase our exposure to interest
rate and currency fluctuations, subject us to regulation under the Investment Company Act or subject us to other risks and
uncertainties that affect our operations and profitability.
In the future,
we may seek to enter into credit facilities to help fund our acquisition capital and working capital needs. These credit facilities may
expose us to additional risks associated with leverage and may inhibit our operating flexibility.
We may seek to enter
into credit facilities with third-party lenders to help fund our acquisitions. Such credit facilities will likely require us to pay a
commitment fee on the undrawn amount and will likely contain a number of affirmative and restrictive covenants. If we violate any such
covenants, our lenders could accelerate the maturity of any debt outstanding. Such debt may be secured by our assets, including the stock
we may own in businesses that we acquire. Our ability to meet our debt service obligations may be affected by events beyond our control
and will depend primarily upon cash produced by businesses that we currently manage and may acquire in the future and distributed or
paid to us. Any failure to comply with the terms of our indebtedness may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
In addition, we expect
that such credit facilities will bear interest at floating rates which will generally change as interest rates change. We will bear the
risk that the rates that we are charged by our lenders will increase faster than we can grow the cash flow from our businesses or businesses
that we may acquire in the future, which could reduce profitability, materially adversely affect our ability to service our debt, cause
us to breach covenants contained in our third-party credit facilities and reduce cash flow available for distribution.
30
If, in the future,
if we cease to control and operate our businesses or other businesses that we acquire in the future or engage in certain other activities,
we may be deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
We have the ability
to make investments in businesses that we will not operate or control. If we make significant investments in businesses that we do not
operate or control, or that we cease to operate or control, or if we commence certain investment-related activities, we may be deemed
to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Our decision to sell a business will be based upon financial, operating
and other considerations rather than a plan to complete a sale of a business within any specific time frame. If we were deemed to be
an investment company, we would either have to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, obtain exemptive
relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, or modify our investments or organizational structure or our contract
rights to fall outside the definition of an investment company. Registering as an investment company could, among other things, materially
adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations, materially limit our ability to borrow funds or engage
in other transactions involving leverage and require us to add directors who are independent of us and otherwise will subject us to additional
regulation that will be costly and time-consuming.
If intangible
assets and goodwill that we recorded in connection with our acquisitions become impaired, we may have to take significant charges against
earnings.
In connection with the
accounting for our completed acquisitions, we may be required to record a significant amount of intangible assets, including developed
technology, in-process research and development, and customer relationships relating to the acquired product lines, and goodwill. Under
generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, we must assess, at least annually and potentially more frequently, whether
the value of indefinite-lived intangible assets and goodwill have been impaired. Intangible assets and goodwill are assessed for impairment
in the event of an impairment indicator. Any reduction or impairment of the value of intangible assets and goodwill will result in a
charge against earnings, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations and shareholders’ equity in future periods.
Risks Relating to
Our Intellectual Property Rights
The failure to
obtain or maintain patents, licensing agreements and other intellectual property could materially impact our ability to compete effectively.
In order for our business
to be viable and to compete effectively, we need to develop and maintain, and we will heavily rely on, a proprietary position with respect
to our technologies and intellectual property. However, there are significant risks associated with our actual or proposed intellectual
property. The risks and uncertainties that we face with respect to our rights principally include the following:
● pending
patent applications we have filed or will file may not result in issued patents or may take longer than we expect to result in issued
patents;
● we
may be subject to interference proceedings;
● we
may be subject to reexamination proceedings;
●
we may be subject
to post grant review proceedings;
●
we may be subject
to inter partes review proceedings;
●
we may be subject
to derivation proceedings;
●
we may be subject
to opposition proceedings in the U.S. or in foreign countries;
●
any patents
that are issued to us may not provide meaningful protection;
●
we may not
be able to develop additional proprietary technologies that are patentable;
●
other companies
may challenge patents licensed or issued to us;
●
other companies
may have independently developed and patented (or may in the future independently develop and patent) similar or alternative technologies,
or duplicate our technologies;
31
●
other companies
may design around technologies we have licensed or developed;
●
enforcement
of patents is complex, uncertain and very expensive and we may not be able to secure, enforce and defend our patents; and
●
in the event
that we were to ever seek to enforce our patents in ligation, there is some risk that they could be deemed invalid, not infringed,
or unenforceable.
We cannot be certain
that any patents will be issued as a result of any pending or future applications, or that any patents, once issued, will provide us
with adequate protection from competing products. For example, issued patents may be circumvented or challenged, declared invalid or
unenforceable, or narrowed in scope. In addition, since publication of discoveries in scientific or patent literature often lags behind
actual discoveries, we cannot be certain that we or our licensors were the first to invent or to file patent applications covering them.
It is also possible
that others may have or may obtain issued patents that could prevent us from commercializing our products or require us to obtain licenses
requiring the payment of significant fees or royalties in order to enable us to conduct our business. There is no guarantee that such
licenses will be available based on commercially reasonable terms. As to those patents that we have licensed, our rights depend on maintaining
our obligations to the licensor under the applicable license agreement, and we may be unable to do so.
If we are unable
to obtain and maintain patent protection for our products, or if the scope of the patent protection obtained is not sufficiently broad,
competitors could develop and commercialize products similar or identical to ours, and our ability to successfully commercialize our
products could be impaired.
The patent prosecution
process is expensive and time-consuming, and we may not be able to file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent applications
at a reasonable cost, in a timely manner, or in all jurisdictions. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects
of our development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection.
The patent position
of life science companies generally is highly uncertain, involves complex legal and factual questions and has in past years been the
subject of much litigation. In addition, the laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the
United States, and we may fail to seek or obtain patent protection in all major markets. For example, unlike the U.S., European patent
law restricts the patentability of methods of treatment of the human body. Our pending and future patent applications may not result
in patents being issued which protect our technology or products, in whole or in part, or which effectively prevent others from commercializing
competitive technologies and products. Changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent laws in the United States and
other countries may diminish the value of our patents or narrow the scope of our patent protection, even post-grant.
Recent patent reform
legislation has increased the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of patent applications and the enforcement or defense
of issued patents. On September 16, 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or the Leahy-Smith Act, was signed into law. The Leahy-Smith
Act includes a number of significant changes to United States patent law. These include provisions that affect the way patent applications
are prosecuted and may also affect patent litigation. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, recently developed new regulations
and procedures to govern administration of the Leahy-Smith Act, and many of the substantive changes to patent law associated with the
Leahy-Smith Act, and in particular, the first to file provisions, only became effective on March 16, 2013. Accordingly, it is not clear
what, if any, impact the Leahy-Smith Act will have on the operation of our business. However, the Leahy-Smith Act and its implementation
could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our
issued patents, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
Moreover, we may be
subject to a third-party pre-issuance submission of prior art to the USPTO, or become involved in opposition, derivation, reexamination, inter
partes review, post-grant review or interference proceedings challenging our patent rights (whether licensed or otherwise held)
or the patent rights of others. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of,
or invalidate, our patent rights (whether licensed or otherwise held), allow third parties to commercialize our technology or products
and compete directly with us, without payment to us, or result in our inability to manufacture or commercialize products without infringing
third-party patent rights. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications (whether
licensed or otherwise held) is threatened, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop or commercialize
current or future product candidates.
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Even if our patent applications
(whether licensed or otherwise held) result in the issuance of patents, they may not issue in a form that will provide us with any meaningful
protection, prevent competitors from competing with us or otherwise provide us with any competitive advantage. Our competitors may be
able to circumvent our owned or licensed patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a non-infringing manner.
The issuance of a patent
is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and our licensed or owned patents may be challenged in the
courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad. Such challenges may result in loss of exclusivity or freedom to operate or
in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, in whole or in part, which could limit our ability to stop others
from using or commercializing similar or identical products, or limit the duration of the patent protection of our products. Given the
amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new life science product candidates, patents protecting
such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our intellectual property rights
portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours.
We may become
involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, which could be expensive, time-consuming and ultimately
unsuccessful.
Competitors may infringe
our intellectual property. To counter infringement or unauthorized use, we may be required to file infringement claims, which can be
expensive and time-consuming. Any claims we assert against perceived infringers could provoke these parties to assert counterclaims against
us alleging that we infringe their intellectual property or that our intellectual property is invalid or unenforceable. In addition,
in a patent infringement proceeding, a court may decide that a licensed or owned patent of ours is invalid or unenforceable, in whole
or in part, construe the patent’s claims narrowly or refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds
that our patents do not cover that technology. Moreover, lawsuits to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights could be expensive,
time-consuming and ultimately unsuccessful.
Third parties
may initiate legal proceedings alleging that we are infringing their intellectual property rights, the outcome of which would be uncertain.
Our commercial success
depends upon our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell our product candidates without infringing the proprietary rights of
third parties. There is considerable intellectual property litigation in the life sciences industry. We cannot guarantee that our product
candidates will not infringe third-party patents or other proprietary rights. We may become party to, or threatened with, future adversarial
proceedings or litigation regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our products and technology, including inter
partes review, interference, or derivation proceedings before the USPTO and similar bodies in other countries. Third parties
may assert infringement claims against us based on existing intellectual property rights and intellectual property rights that may be
granted in the future.
If we are found to infringe
a third party’s intellectual property rights, we could be required to obtain a license from such third party to continue developing
and marketing our products. However, we may not be able to obtain any required license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Even
if we were able to obtain a license, it could be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed
to us. We could be forced, including by court order, to cease commercializing the infringing technology or product. In addition, we could
be found liable for monetary damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees if we are found to have willfully infringed
a patent. A finding of infringement could prevent us from commercializing our product candidates or force us to cease some of our business
operations, which could materially harm our business. Claims that we have misappropriated the confidential information or trade secrets
of third parties could have a similar negative impact on our business.
Periodic maintenance
fees and annuities on any issued patent are due to be paid to the USPTO and foreign patent agencies in several stages over the lifetime
of the patent. The USPTO and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary,
fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. While an inadvertent lapse can in many cases be cured
by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules, there are situations in which noncompliance can result
in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction.
Noncompliance events that could result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application include, but are not limited to, failure
to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non-payment of fees and failure to properly legalize and submit formal
documents. In such an event, our competitors might be able to enter our markets, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
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We may be subject
to claims by third parties asserting that our employees or we have misappropriated their intellectual property or claiming ownership
of what we regard as our own intellectual property.
Certain employees and
contractors were previously employed at universities or other companies, including potential competitors. Although we try to ensure that
our employees and contractors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to
claims that these employees or we have used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information,
of any such employee’s former employer. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims, and any such litigation could
have an unfavorable outcome.
In addition, while it
is our policy to require our employees and contractors who may be involved in the development of intellectual property to execute agreements
assigning such intellectual property to us, we may be unsuccessful in executing such an agreement with each party who in fact develops
intellectual property that we regard as our own. Our and their assignment agreements may not be self-executing or may be breached, and
we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what
we regard as our intellectual property.
If we fail in prosecuting
or defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel.
Even if we are successful in prosecuting or defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and adverse results,
and be a distraction to management.
Some intellectual
property which we own or have licensed may have been discovered through government funded programs such as, for example, the government
funded programs referenced in intellectual property licensed under the LLU License Agreement, and thus may be subject to federal regulations
such as “march-in” rights, certain reporting requirements, and a preference for United States industry. Compliance with such
regulations may limit our exclusive rights, subject us to expenditure of resources with respect to reporting requirements, and limit
our ability to contract with non-U.S. manufacturers.
Some of the intellectual
property rights we own or have licensed have been generated through the use of United States government funding and may therefore be
subject to certain federal regulations. As a result, the United States government may have certain rights to intellectual property embodied
in our current or future products and product candidates pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980. These United States government rights
in certain inventions developed under a government-funded program include a non-exclusive, non-transferable, irrevocable worldwide license
to use inventions for any governmental purpose. In addition, the United States government has the right to require us to grant exclusive,
partially exclusive, or non-exclusive licenses to any of these inventions to a third party if it determines that: (i) adequate steps
have not been taken to commercialize the invention; (ii) government action is necessary to meet public health or safety needs; or
(iii) government action is necessary to meet requirements for public use under federal regulations (also referred to as “march-in
rights”). The United States government also has the right to take title to these inventions if we fail to disclose the invention
to the government and fail to file an application to register the intellectual property within specified time limits. In addition, the
United States government may acquire title to these inventions in any country in which a patent application is not filed within specified
time limits. Intellectual property generated under a government funded program is also subject to certain reporting requirements, compliance
with which may require us to expend substantial resources. In addition, the United States government requires that any products embodying
the subject invention or produced through the use of the subject invention be manufactured substantially in the United States. The manufacturing
preference requirement can be waived if the owner of the intellectual property can show that reasonable but unsuccessful efforts have
been made to grant licenses on similar terms to potential licensees that would be likely to manufacture substantially in the United States
or that under the circumstances domestic manufacture is not commercially feasible. This preference for United States manufacturers may
limit our ability to contract with non-U.S. product manufacturers for products covered by such intellectual property. Any exercise by
the government of any of the foregoing rights could harm our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations
and prospects.
We rely on information
technology, and if we are unable to protect against service interruptions, data corruption, cyber-based attacks or network security breaches,
our operations could be disrupted, and our business could be negatively affected.
We rely on information
technology networks and systems to process, transmit and store electronic and financial information; to coordinate our business; and
to communicate within our Company and with customers, suppliers, partners and other third-parties. These information technology systems
may be susceptible to damage, disruptions or shutdowns, hardware or software failures, power outages, computer viruses, cyber-attacks,
telecommunication failures, user errors or catastrophic events. If our information technology systems suffer severe damage, disruption
or shutdown, and our business continuity plans do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, our operations could be disrupted,
and our business could be negatively affected. In addition, cyber-attacks could lead to potential unauthorized access and disclosure
of confidential information, and data loss and corruption. There is no assurance that we will not experience these service interruptions
or cyber-attacks in the future.
34
Risks Relating to
the Litigation and Government Regulation
Claims, litigation,
government investigations, product liability and recalls, and other proceedings may adversely affect our business, operating results,
financial condition, and cash flows.
We are, from time to
time, involved in various claims, litigation matters and regulatory proceedings that could have a material adverse effect on us. These
matters may include personal injury and other tort claims, deceptive trade practice disputes, intellectual property disputes, product
recalls, contract disputes, employment and tax matters and other proceedings and litigation, including class actions lawsuits. It is
not possible to predict the outcome of pending or future litigation and any such claims, with or without merit, could be time consuming
and expensive, and may require the Company to incur substantial costs and divert the resources of management.
On February 3, 2026,
Vertalo, Inc. filed an Original Petition against Aditxt, Inc. in the District Court of Travis County, Texas (98th Judicial District),
Cause No. D-1-GN-26-000795. The complaint asserts claims for breach of contract and seeks, among other relief, alleged unpaid fees of
$300,000, warrants to acquire 6,250 shares of Aditxt common stock, $26,000 of alleged travel-related costs, additional alleged damages
of at least $500,000, attorneys’ fees, and interest. Aditxt disputes the allegations and intends to defend the matter vigorously,
pursue counterclaims and pursue available claims and defenses. Based on information available to the Company at present, the Company
cannot reasonably estimate a range of loss for this potential action We cannot predict the outcome of this dispute with certainty. Regardless
of the outcome, these can have an adverse impact on us because of legal costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.
Determining legal reserves
or possible losses from claims against us involves judgment and may not reflect the full range of uncertainties and unpredictable outcomes.
Until the final resolution of such matters, we may be exposed to losses in excess of the amount recorded, and such excess amounts could
have a material effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows. In addition, it is possible that
a resolution of any claim, including as a result of a settlement, could require us to make substantial future payments, prevent us from
offering certain products or services, or require us to change our business practices each of which could have a material adverse effect
on our business, operating results, financial condition, and cash flows.
We must successfully
manage compliance with current and expanding laws and regulations, as well as manage new and pending legal and regulatory matters in
the U.S. and abroad.
We are subject in the
ordinary course of our business, in the U.S. and internationally, to many statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations that, if violated
by us or the third parties we work with, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition,
and cash flows. These laws and regulations include but are not limited to accounting and financial reporting, advertising, anti-bribery
and anti-corruption, consumer protection, data security and privacy, electronic commerce, employment, intellectual property, product
liability, and trade. In addition, increasing governmental and societal attention to environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters,
including expanding mandatory and voluntary reporting, diligence and disclosure on topics such as climate change, waste production, water
usage, human capital, labor and risk oversight, could expand the nature, scope and complexity of matters that we are required to control,
assess and report, each of which can be challenging given our reliance on third party suppliers. These and other rapidly changing laws,
regulations, policies and related interpretations as well as increased enforcement actions by various governmental and regulatory agencies,
create challenges for us, including our compliance and ethics programs, may alter the environment in which we do business and may increase
the ongoing costs of compliance, which could adversely impact our business, operating results, financial condition, and cash flows. If
we are unable to continue to meet these challenges and to comply with all laws, regulations, policies and related interpretations, it
could negatively impact our reputation and our business, operating results, financial condition, and cash flows. Additionally, we may
in the future be subject to inquiries, investigations, claims, proceedings and requests for information from governmental agencies or
private parties, the adverse outcomes of which could harm our business. Failure to successfully manage these new or pending regulatory
and legal matters and to resolve such matters without significant liability or damage to our reputation may materially adversely impact
our operating results, financial condition, and cash flows. Furthermore, if new legal or regulatory matters result in fines or costs
in excess of the amounts accrued to date, that may also materially impact our operating results and financial position.
Risks Related to
Our Common Stock
We do not expect
to pay dividends in the foreseeable future.
We do not intend to
declare dividends for the foreseeable future, as we anticipate that we will reinvest any and all future earnings in the development and
growth of our business. Therefore, investors will not receive any funds unless they sell their securities, and holders may be unable
to sell their securities on favorable terms or at all. We cannot assure you of a positive return on your investment or that you will
not lose the entire amount of your investment.
35
Future sales or
issuances of substantial amounts of our common stock, including, potentially, as a result of the future acquisitions or strategic transactions
could result in significant dilution.
If additional shares
are issued in connection with the proposed acquisition transactions or additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or convertible
debt securities, the issuance of those securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.
We may engage
in future acquisitions or strategic transactions, which may require us to seek additional financing or financial commitments, increase
our expenses and/or present significant distractions to our management.
Obtaining financing
for future acquisitions may only be possible through the issuance or sale of additional equity and/or debt securities, if possible, may
not be at favorable terms and may result in additional dilution to our current stockholders. Additionally, any such transactions may
require us to incur non-recurring or other charges, may increase our near and long-term expenditures and may pose significant integration
challenges or disrupt our management or business, which could adversely affect our operations and financial results. For example, an
acquisition or strategic transaction may entail numerous operational and financial risks, including the risks outlined above and additionally:
●
exposure to
unknown liabilities;
●
disruption
of our business and diversion of our management’s time and attention in order to develop acquired products or technologies;
●
higher than
expected acquisition and integration costs;
●
write-downs
of assets or goodwill or impairment charges;
●
increased amortization
expenses;
●
difficulty
and cost in combining the operations and personnel of any acquired businesses with our operations and personnel;
●
impairment
of relationships with key suppliers or customers of any acquired businesses due to changes in management and ownership; and
●
inability to
retain key employees of any acquired businesses.
Accordingly, although
there can be no assurance that we will undertake or successfully complete any transactions of the nature described above, and any transactions
that we do complete could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
Upon dissolution
of our Company, you may not recoup all or any portion of your investment.
In the event of a liquidation,
dissolution or winding-up of our Company, whether voluntary or involuntary, our assets would be used to pay all of our debts and liabilities,
and only thereafter would any remaining assets be distributed to our stockholders, subject to rights of the holders of the Preferred
Stock, if any, on a pro rata basis. There can be no assurance that we will have assets available from which to pay any
amounts to our stockholders upon such a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up. In such an event, you would lose all of your investment.
Anti-takeover
provisions under Delaware law could discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our Company and could affect the trading price
of our securities.
We are a Delaware corporation
and the anti-takeover provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control by prohibiting
us from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years after the person becomes an interested
stockholder, even if a change in control would be beneficial to our existing stockholders.
36
We could issue
“blank check” preferred stock without stockholder approval with the effect of diluting interests of then-current
stockholders and impairing their voting rights, and provisions in our charter documents and under Delaware law could discourage a takeover
that stockholders may consider favorable.
Our Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation provides for the authorization to issue up to 3,000,000 shares of “blank check” preferred
stock with designations, rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by our board of directors. Our board of directors
is empowered, without stockholder approval, to issue one or more series of preferred stock with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting
or other rights which could dilute the interest of, or impair the voting power of, our common stockholders. The issuance of a series
of preferred stock could be used as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control. For example, it would be possible
for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt
to change control of our company. In addition, advanced notice is required prior to stockholder proposals, which might further delay
a change of control.
Our Amended and
Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for
substantially all disputes between the Company and its stockholders, which could limit stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable
judicial forum for disputes with the Company or its directors, officers or employees.
Our Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation provides that unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the State
of Delaware is the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (ii)
any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Company to the Company
or the Company’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Company, its directors, officers or employees arising
pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) or our Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation or the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Company, its directors,
officers, employees or agents governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except for, as to each of (i) through (iv) above, any claim
as to which the Court of Chancery determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery
(and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination),
which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, or for which the Court of Chancery
does not have subject matter jurisdiction. This exclusive forum provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or
duty created by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. To
the extent that any such claims may be based upon federal law claims, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction
over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
Section 22 of the Securities
Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the
Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. However, our Amended and Restated Bylaws contain a federal forum provision which
provides that unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United
States of America will be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities
Act. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation are deemed to
have notice of and consented to this provision. The Supreme Court of Delaware has held that this type of exclusive federal forum provision
is enforceable. There may be uncertainty, however, as to whether courts of other jurisdictions would enforce such a provision, if applicable.
These choice of forum
provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with the
Company or its directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and
other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find our choice of forum provisions contained in either our Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation or Amended and Restated Bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated
with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We no longer qualify
as an “emerging growth company” as of January 1, 2026 and, as a result, we are no longer able to avail ourselves of certain
reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies.
As of January 1, 2026
we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company within the meaning of Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS
Act. As such, we are subject to certain disclosure and compliance requirements that apply to other public companies but did not previously
apply to us due to our status as an emerging growth company.
37
We are a “smaller reporting company” and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies may
make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies and make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are a “smaller
reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced
disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited consolidated financial statements. We will
remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our common stock held by nonaffiliates
exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30 or (ii) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and
the market value of our common stock held by non affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30. To the extent we take advantage
of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparisons of our consolidated financial statement with other public companies
difficult or impossible.