Item 1. Financial Statements
Item
1. Financial Statements.
ANIXA
BIOSCIENCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
July 31,
2020
October 31,
2019
(Unaudited)
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 5,928,007
$ 3,491,625
Short-term investments in certificates of deposit
3,140,000
2,350,000
Receivables
5,950
66,527
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
189,842
184,972
Total current assets
9,263,799
6,093,124
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $95,015
-
200,569
Operating lease right-of-use asset
67,982
-
Other assets
30,000
-
Total assets
$ 9,361,781
$ 6,293,693
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
$ 339,295
$ 585,817
Accrued expenses
815,717
895,498
Operating lease liability
58,195
-
Total current liabilities
1,213,207
1,481,315
Operating lease liability, non-current
10,567
-
Total liabilities
1,223,774
1,481,315
Commitments and contingencies (Note 9)
Equity:
Shareholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, par value $100 per share; 19,860 shares authorized; no shares issued or
outstanding
-
-
Series A convertible preferred stock, par value $100 per share; 140 shares authorized; no
shares issued or outstanding
-
-
Common stock, par value $.01 per share; 48,000,000 shares authorized; 23,653,754 and 20,331,754
shares issued and outstanding, respectively
236,537
203,317
Additional paid-in capital
197,993,060
186,849,299
Accumulated deficit
(189,611,583 )
(181,817,263 )
Total shareholders’ equity
8,618,014
5,235,353
Noncontrolling interest (Note 1)
(480,007 )
(422,975 )
Total equity
8,138,007
4,812,378
Total liabilities and equity
$ 9,361,781
$ 6,293,693
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
3
ANIXA
BIOSCIENCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine Months Ended
July 31,
July 31,
2020
2019
2020
2019
Revenue
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ 250,000
Operating costs and expenses:
Patent assertion expenses
-
-
-
166,250
Amortization of patents
-
41,875
-
418,750
Research and development expenses (including non-cash share-based
compensation expenses of $394,842, $338,449, $1,250,497 and $2,567,294, respectively)
1,254,131
1,085,574
3,973,509
4,602,239
General and administrative expenses (including non-cash share-based compensation expenses of $646,957, $492,449, $1,922,722 and $2,335,218, respectively)
1,181,838
1,056,963
3,762,466
4,405,385
Impairment in carrying amount of patent asset
-
-
-
418,750
Total operating costs and expenses
2,435,969
2,184,412
7,735,975
10,011,374
Loss from operations
(2,435,969 )
(2,184,412 )
(7,735,975 )
(9,761,374 )
Other Expense
(148,084 )
-
(148,084 )
-
Interest income
7,266
18,364
32,707
53,783
Net loss
(2,576,787 )
(2,166,048 )
(7,851,352 )
(9,707,591 )
Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest
(15,103 )
(26,020 )
(57,032 )
(148,030 )
Net loss attributable to common shareholders
$ (2,561,684 )
$ (2,140,028 )
$ (7,794,320 )
$ (9,559,561 )
Net loss per common share attributable to common shareholders:
Basic and diluted
$ (0.11 )
$ (0.11 )
$ (0.36 )
$ (0.49 )
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic and diluted
23,165,066
20,100,915
21,678,608
19,638,833
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
4
ANIXA
BIOSCIENCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (UNAUDITED )
FOR
THE THREE MONTHS ENDED JULY 31, 2020
Additional
Total
Non-
Common Stock
Paid-in
Accumulated
Shareholders’
controlling
Total
Shares
Par Value
Capital
Deficit
Equity
Interest
Equity
Balance, April 30, 2020
21,479,335
$ 214,793
$ 192,122,260
$ (187,049,899 )
$ 5,287,154
$ (464,904 )
$ 4,822,250
Stock option compensation to employees and directors
-
-
997,094
-
997,094
-
997,094
Stock options issued to consultants
-
-
44,705
-
44,705
-
44,705
Common stock issued upon exercise of stock options
7,200
72
18,468
-
18,540
-
18,540
Common stock issued in at-the-market offering, net of offering expenses of $155,776
2,167,219
21,672
4,810,533
-
4,832,205
-
4,832,205
Net loss
-
-
-
(2,561,684 )
(2,561,684 )
(15,103 )
(2,576,787 )
Balance, July 31, 2020
23,653,754
$ 236,537
$ 197,993,060
$ (189,611,583 )
$ 8,618,014
$ (480,007 )
$ 8,138,007
FOR
THE THREE MONTHS ENDED JULY 31, 2019
Additional
Total
Non-
Common Stock
Paid-in
Accumulated
Shareholders’
controlling
Total
Shares
Par Value
Capital
Deficit
Equity
Interest
Equity
Balance, April 30, 2019
20,005,075
$ 200,050
$ 183,932,744
$ (177,589,742 )
$ 6,543,052
$ (373,387 )
$ 6,169,665
Stock option compensation to employees and directors
-
-
784,246
-
784,246
-
784,246
Stock options and warrants issued to consultants
-
-
46,652
-
46,652
-
46,652
Common stock issued upon exercise of stock options
10,000
100
22,600
-
22,700
-
22,700
Common stock issued in at-the-market offering, net of offering expenses of $111,275
147,776
1,478
540,464
-
541,942
-
541,942
Net loss
-
-
-
(2,140,028 )
(2,140,028 )
(26,020 )
(2,166,048 )
Balance, July 31, 2019
20,162,851
$ 201,628
$ 185,326,706
$ (179,729,770 )
$ 5,798,564
$ (399,407 )
$ 5,399,157
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
5
ANIXA
BIOSCIENCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (UNAUDITED )
FOR
THE NINE MONTHS ENDED JULY 31, 2020
Additional
Total
Non-
Common Stock
Paid-in
Accumulated
Shareholders’
controlling
Total
Shares
Par Value
Capital
Deficit
Equity
Interest
Equity
Balance, October 31, 2019
20,331,754
$ 203,317
$ 186,849,299
$ (181,817,263 )
$ 5,235,353
$ (422,975 )
$ 4,812,378
Stock option compensation to employees and directors
-
-
3,016,305
-
3,016,305
-
3,016,305
Stock options issued to consultants
-
-
156,914
-
156,914
-
156,914
Common stock issued upon exercise of stock options
51,100
511
121,759
-
122,270
-
122,270
Common stock issued pursuant to employee stock purchase plan
9,618
96
15,356
-
15,452
-
15,452
Common stock issued in at-the-market offering, net of offering expenses of $314,072
3,261,282
32,613
7,833,427
-
7,866,040
-
7,866,040
Net loss
-
-
-
(7,794,320 )
(7,794,320 )
(57,032 )
(7,851,352 )
Balance, July 31, 2020
23,653,754
$ 236,537
$ 197,993,060
$ (189,611,583 )
$ 8,618,014
$ (480,007 )
$ 8,138,007
FOR
THE NINE MONTHS ENDED JULY 31, 2019
Additional
Total
Non-
Common
Stock
Paid-in
Accumulated
Shareholders’
controlling
Total
Shares
Par
Value
Capital
Deficit
Equity
Interest
Equity
Balance,
October 31, 2018
18,908,632
$ 189,086
$ 175,415,931
$ (170,170,209 )
$ 5,434,808
$ (251,377 )
$ 5,183,431
Stock
option compensation to employees and directors
-
-
2,808,910
-
2,808,910
-
2,808,910
Stock
options and warrants issued to consultants
-
-
139,161
-
139,161
-
139,161
Common
stock issued upon exercise of stock options
40,000
400
102,100
-
102,500
-
102,500
Restricted
stock award compensation to employee pursuant to stock incentive plan
-
-
1,954,441
-
1,954,441
-
1,954,441
Common
stock issued pursuant to employee stock purchase plan
5,411
54
18,506
-
18,560
-
18,560
Common
stock issued in at-the-market offering, net of offering expenses of $264,186
1,208,808
12,088
4,887,657
-
4,899,745
-
4,899,745
Net
loss
-
-
-
(9,559,561 )
(9,559,561 )
(148,030 )
(9,707,591 )
Balance,
July 31, 2019
20,162,851
$ 201,628
$ 185,326,706
$ (179,729,770 )
$ 5,798,564
$ (399,407 )
$ 5,399,157
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
6
ANIXA
BIOSCIENCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)
For the nine months ended
July 31,
2020
2019
Cash flows from operating activities:
Reconciliation of net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Net loss
$
(7,851,352
)
$
(9,707,591
)
Stock option compensation to employees and directors
3,016,305
2,808,910
Stock options and warrants issued to consultants
156,914
139,161
Restricted stock award compensation to employee pursuant to
stock incentive plan
-
1,954,441
Depreciation of property and equipment
38,276
32,990
Loss on disposal of property and equipment
148,084
-
Amortization of operating lease right-of-use asset
38,317
-
Amortization of patents
-
418,750
Impairment in carrying amount of patent assets
-
418,750
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Receivables
60,577
305,919
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
(4,870
)
45,847
Accounts payable
(246,522
)
(14,234
)
Accrued expenses
(79,781
)
192,672
Operating lease liability
(37,537
)
-
Net cash used in operating activities
(4,761,589
)
(3,404,385
)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Disbursements to acquire short-term investments in certificates of deposit
(5,510,000
)
(2,350,000
)
Proceeds from maturities of short-term investments in certificates of deposit
4,720,000
2,250,000
Purchase of property and equipment
(15,791
)
(175,457
)
Net cash used in investing activities
(805,791
)
(275,457
)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net proceeds from sale of common stock in at-the-market offering
7,866,040
4,899,745
Proceeds from sale of common stock pursuant to employee stock purchase
plan
15,452
18,560
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
122,270
102,500
Net cash provided by financing activities
8,003,762
5,020,805
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
2,436,382
1,340,963
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
3,491,625
3,055,890
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
$
5,928,007
$
4,396,853
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Operating lease right-of-use asset
$
(106,221
)
$
-
Operating lease liability
$
106,299
$
-
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
7
ANIXA
BIOSCIENCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(UNAUDITED)
1. BUSINESS
AND FUNDING
Description
of Business
As
used herein, “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company” or “Anixa” means Anixa
Biosciences, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. Our primary operations involve developing therapies and vaccines that are
focused on critical unmet needs in oncology and infectious disease. Our therapeutics programs include the development of a chimeric
endocrine receptor T-cell technology, a novel form of CAR-T technology, initially focused on treating ovarian cancer, and discovery
and ultimately development of anti-viral drug candidates for the treatment of COVID-19 focused on inhibiting certain viral protein
functions. Our vaccine program consists of the development of a vaccine against triple negative breast cancer (“TNBC”),
the most lethal form of breast cancer.
We
hold an exclusive worldwide, royalty-bearing license to use certain intellectual property owned or controlled by The Cleveland
Clinic Foundation (“Cleveland Clinic”) related to certain breast cancer vaccine technology developed at Cleveland
Clinic. We are working in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic to develop a method to vaccinate women against contracting breast
cancer, focused specifically on TNBC, the most lethal form of the disease. A specific protein, alpha-lactalbumin, has been identified
that is only present during lactation in healthy women, but reappears in many forms of breast cancer, especially TNBC. Studies
have shown that vaccinating against this protein prevents breast cancer in mice. We are working with researchers at Cleveland
Clinic to advance this vaccine toward human clinical testing, and we are in the process of manufacturing the vaccine and upon
completion we will be prepared to file an Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application with the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (“FDA”). While we anticipate filing the IND during the third calendar quarter of 2020, we may experience
delays in the vaccine manufacturing and characterization process due to the global coronavirus pandemic. We do not currently anticipate
any potential delays to significantly alter our expected timeline. The IND application, after review and if approved by the FDA,
will enable us to begin testing our vaccine in human subjects.
Our
subsidiary, Certainty Therapeutics, Inc. (“Certainty”), is developing immuno-therapy drugs against cancer. Certainty
holds an exclusive worldwide, royalty-bearing license to use certain intellectual property owned or controlled by The Wistar Institute
(“Wistar”) relating to Wistar’s CAR-T technology. We have initially focused on the development of a treatment
for ovarian cancer, but we may also pursue applications of the technology for the development of treatments for additional solid
tumors. The license agreement requires Certainty to make certain cash and equity payments to Wistar. With respect to Certainty’s
equity obligations to Wistar, Certainty issued to Wistar shares of its common stock equal to five percent (5%) of the common stock
of Certainty.
Certainty,
in collaboration with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Inc. (“Moffitt”), is advancing toward
human clinical testing its CAR-T technology for treating ovarian cancer. Clinical grade materials are currently being manufactured
and upon completion will undergo extensive testing. Once the materials have been successfully tested, we will be prepared to submit
an IND application with the FDA. While we anticipate filing the IND by the end of calendar 2020, we may experience delays in completing
the manufacturing and testing of clinical materials due to the global coronavirus pandemic. We do not currently anticipate any
potential delays to significantly alter our expected timeline. The IND application, after review and approval by the FDA, will
enable us to begin testing our therapy in ovarian cancer patients.
8
In
April 2020, in collaboration with OntoChem GmbH (“OntoChem”), we commenced a project to discover and ultimately develop
anti-viral drug candidates against COVID-19. Through this collaboration, we are utilizing advanced computational methods, machine
learning, and molecular modeling techniques to perform in silico screening of over 1.2 billion compounds in chemical libraries
(including publicly available compounds and OntoChem’s proprietary libraries) to evaluate if any of these compounds could
disrupt one of two key enzymes of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19.
While
the screening process is ongoing and we anticipate discovering additional drug candidates, we have identified four compounds that
could disrupt the function of a viral enzyme called an endoribonuclease, known as Non-Structural Protein-15 (“NSP-15”),
and 27 compounds that target the main protease (“M pro ”) of the virus. Our in silico molecular modeling
indicates that any of the NSP-15 or M pro inhibitors might disrupt the virus’ ability to replicate in humans.
The NSP-15 compounds have been synthesized and are in the process of being tested in biological assays. We are currently evaluating
which of the M pro compounds to synthesize for biological testing. The in vitro biological assays of the NSP-15
compounds are ongoing, and if the biological activity of any of these compounds is verified, they will be tested in animal studies
to further evaluate their candidacy as COVID-19 therapeutics.
On
July 2, 2020, we implemented a strategic realignment of our business and redirected resources to exclusively focus on the development
of therapeutics and vaccines. Accordingly, we suspended operations of our subsidiary, Anixa Diagnostics Corporation, and the development
of the Cchek™ artificial intelligence driven platform of non-invasive blood tests for the early detection of cancer.
Over
the next several quarters, we expect the development of our breast cancer vaccine, our COVID-19 therapeutic discovery program
and Certainty’s CAR-T technology to be the primary focus of the Company. As part of our legacy operations, the Company remains
engaged in limited patent licensing activities regarding the Cchek™ liquid biopsy platform, as well as in the area of encrypted
audio/video conference calling. We do not expect these activities to be a significant part of the Company’s ongoing operations
nor do we expect these activities to require material financial resources or attention of senior management.
Over
the past several years, our revenue was derived from technology licensing and the sale of patented technologies, including revenue
from the settlement of litigation. We have not generated any revenue to date from our therapeutics or vaccine programs. In addition,
while we pursue our therapeutics and vaccine programs, we may also make investments in and form new companies to develop additional
emerging technologies.
9
Funding
and Management’s Plans
Based
on currently available information as of September 8, 2020, we believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments
and expected cash flows will be sufficient to fund our activities for the next twelve months. We have implemented a business model
that conserves funds by collaborating with third parties to develop our technologies. However, our projections of future cash
needs and cash flows may differ from actual results. If current cash on hand, cash equivalents, short-term investments and cash
that may be generated from our business operations are insufficient to continue to operate our business, or if we elect to invest
in or acquire a company or companies or new technology or technologies that are synergistic with or complementary to our technologies,
we may be required to obtain more working capital. During the nine months ended July 31, 2020, we raised an aggregate of approximately
$7,866,000, net of expenses, through the sale of 3,261,282 shares of common stock in our at-the-market equity offerings. This
included approximately $427,000, net of expenses, through the sale of 112,238 shares of common stock in an at-the market equity
offering which expired in November 2019 and approximately $7,439,000, net of expenses, through the sale of 3,149,044 shares of
common stock in an at-the-market equity offering under which we may issue up to $50 million of common stock. Under our current
at-the-market equity program which is currently effective and may remain available for us to use in the future, we may sell an
additional approximately $42,260,000 of common stock. We may seek to obtain working capital during our fiscal year 2020 or thereafter
through sales of our equity securities or through bank credit facilities or public or private debt from various financial institutions
where possible. We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. If we do identify
sources for additional funding, the sale of additional equity securities or convertible debt could result in dilution to our stockholders.
We can give no assurance that we will generate sufficient cash flows in the future to satisfy our liquidity requirements or sustain
future operations, or that other sources of funding, such as sales of equity or debt, would be available or would be approved
by our security holders, if needed, on favorable terms or at all. If we fail to obtain additional working capital as and when
needed, such failure could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore,
such lack of funds may inhibit our ability to respond to competitive pressures or unanticipated capital needs, or may force us
to reduce operating expenses, which would significantly harm the business and development of operations.
Basis
of Presentation
The
accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions
to Form 10-Q and Rule 8-03 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, certain information and disclosures required by generally accepted
accounting principles in annual financial statements have been omitted or condensed. These interim condensed consolidated financial
statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related disclosures included in
our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2019. The accompanying October 31, 2019 condensed consolidated balance
sheet data was derived from the audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by US GAAP. The condensed
consolidated financial statements include all adjustments of a normal recurring nature which, in the opinion of management, are
necessary for a fair statement of our financial position as of July 31, 2020, and results of operations and cash flows for the
interim periods represented. The results of operations for the nine months ended July 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative
of the results to be expected for the entire year.
10
Noncontrolling Interest
Noncontrolling
interest represents Wistar’s equity ownership in Certainty and is presented as a component of equity. The following table
sets forth the changes in noncontrolling interest for the nine months ended July 31, 2020:
Balance, October 31, 2019
$ (422,975 )
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest
(57,032 )
Balance, July 31, 2020
$ (480,007 )
Revenue
Recognition
Since
fiscal 2016 our revenue has been derived solely from technology licensing and the sale of patented technologies. Revenue is recognized
upon transfer of control of intellectual property rights and satisfaction of other contractual performance obligations to licensees
in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive.
On
November 1, 2018 we adopted Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 (“ASU 2014-09”), Revenue from Contracts with Customers
using the modified retrospective method. Upon adoption of ASU 2014-09 we were required to make certain judgments and estimates
in connection with the accounting for revenue. Such areas may include determining the existence of a contract and identifying
each party’s rights and obligations to transfer goods and services, identifying the performance obligations in the contract,
determining the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to separate performance obligations, estimating the timing
of satisfaction of performance obligations, determining whether a promise to grant a license is distinct from other promised goods
or services and evaluating whether a license transfers to a customer at a point in time or over time.
Our
revenue arrangements provide for the payment of contractually determined, one-time, paid-up license fees in settlement of litigation
and in consideration for the grant of certain intellectual property rights for patented technologies owned or controlled by the
Company. These arrangements typically include some combination of the following: (i) the grant of a non-exclusive, retroactive
and future license to manufacture and/or sell products covered by patented technologies owned or controlled by the Company, (ii)
a covenant-not-to-sue, (iii) the release of the licensee from certain claims, and (iv) the dismissal of any pending litigation.
In such instances, the intellectual property rights granted have been perpetual in nature, extending until the expiration of the
related patents. Pursuant to the terms of these agreements, we have no further obligations with respect to the granted intellectual
property rights, including no obligation to maintain or upgrade the technology, or provide future support or services. Licensees
obtained control of the intellectual property rights they have acquired upon execution of the agreement. Accordingly, the performance
obligations from these agreements were satisfied and 100% of the revenue was recognized upon the execution of the agreements.
The adoption of ASU 2014-09 had no impact on revenue recognized.
11
Cost
of Revenues
Cost
of revenues include the costs and expenses incurred in connection with our patent licensing and enforcement activities, including
inventor royalties paid to original patent owners, contingent legal fees paid to external counsel, other patent-related legal
expenses paid to external counsel, licensing and enforcement related research, consulting and other expenses paid to third-parties
and the amortization of patent-related investment costs. These costs are included under the caption “Operating costs and
expenses” in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations.
Research
and Development Expenses
Research
and development expenses, consisting primarily of employee compensation, payments to third parties for research and development
activities and other direct costs associated with developing a platform for non-invasive blood tests for early detection of cancer,
developing immuno-therapy drugs against cancer, development of our breast cancer vaccine and development of anti-viral drugs candidates
for COVID-19, are expensed in the consolidated financial statements in the period incurred.
2. STOCK
BASED COMPENSATION
The
Company maintains stock equity incentive plans under which the Company grants incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options,
stock appreciation rights, stock awards, performance awards, or stock units to employees, directors and consultants.
Stock
Option Compensation Expense
The
compensation cost for service-based stock options granted to employees and directors is measured at the grant date, based on the
fair value of the award using the Black-Scholes pricing model, and is expensed on a straight-line basis over the requisite service
period (the vesting period of the stock option) which is one to four years. We recorded stock-based compensation expense related
to service-based stock options granted to employees and directors of approximately $3,016,000 and $2,433,000 during the nine months
ended July 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and approximately $997,000 and $784,000 during the three months ended July 31, 2020
and 2019, respectively.
For
stock options granted to employees and directors that vest based on market conditions, such as the trading price of the Company’s
common stock exceeding certain price targets, we use a Monte Carlo Simulation in estimating the fair value at grant date and recognize
compensation cost over the implied service period (median time to vest). On May 8, 2018, we issued market condition options to
purchase 1,500,000 shares of common stock, to our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, vesting at target trading prices
of $5.00 to $8.00 per share before May 31, 2021, with implied service periods of three to seven months. In October 2018, the first
tranche of 500,000 shares of market condition options became exercisable upon achieving an average closing price above $5.00 per
share for twenty consecutive trading days. We recorded stock-based compensation expense related to market condition stock options
granted to employees of approximately $-0- and $376,000 during the nine months ended July 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. We
did not have any market condition stock-based compensation expense during the three months ended July 31, 2020 and 2019.
12
On
November 1, 2018 we adopted Accounting Standards Update 2018-07 (“ASU 2018-07”) for stock options granted to consultants.
Upon adoption of ASU 2018-07 we estimated the fair value of unvested service-based and performance-based stock options at the
date of adoption, using the Black-Scholes pricing model. Subsequent to adoption of ASU 2018-07, future grants to consultants are
measured at the grant date, based on the fair value of the award using the Black-Scholes pricing model, consistent with our policy
for grants to employees and directors. In prior periods, in accordance with US GAAP, we estimated the fair value of service-based
and performance-based stock options granted to consultants at each reporting period using the Black-Scholes pricing model. We
recognize the fair value of stock options granted to consultants as consulting expense over the requisite or implied service period
of the grant. We recorded stock-based consulting expense related to stock options granted to consultants of approximately $157,000
and $75,000 during the nine months ended July 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and approximately $45,000 and $25,000 during the
three months ended July 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Stock
Option Plans
During
the nine months ended July 31, 2020, we had three stock option plans: the Anixa Biosciences, Inc. 2003 Share Incentive Plan (the
“2003 Share Plan”), the Anixa Biosciences, Inc. 2010 Share Incentive Plan (the “2010 Share Plan”) and
the Anixa Biosciences, Inc. 2018 Share Incentive Plan (the “2018 Share Plan”), which were adopted by our Board of
Directors on April 21, 2003, July 14, 2010 and January 25, 2018, respectively. The 2018 Share Plan was approved by our shareholders
on March 29, 2018.
Stock
Option Activity
During
the nine months ended July 31, 2020 and 2019, we granted options to purchase 800,000 shares and 10,000 shares of common stock,
respectively, to employees and consultants, with exercise prices ranging from $3.64 to $4.04 per share, pursuant to the 2010 Share
Plan and the 2018 Share Plan. During the nine months ended July 31, 2020 and 2019, stock options to purchase 51,100 and 40,000
shares of common stock, respectively, were exercised with aggregate proceeds of approximately $122,000 and $103,000, respectively.
13
2003
Plan
The
2003 Share Plan provided for the grant of nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock awards, performance awards
and stock units to employees, directors and consultants. In accordance with the provisions of the 2003 Share Plan, the plan terminated
with respect to the ability to grant future awards on April 21, 2013. Information regarding the 2003 Share Plan for the nine months
ended July 31, 2020 is as follows:
Shares
Weighted
Average Exercise
Price Per Share
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Options outstanding at October 31, 2019
400
$ 17.00
Forfeited/Expired
(400 )
$ 17.00
Options outstanding and exercisable at July 31, 2020
-
$ -0-
$ -0-
Information
regarding the 2003 Share Plan for the nine months ended July 31, 2019 is as follows:
Shares
Weighted
Average Exercise
Price Per Share
Aggregate
Intrinsic Value
Options outstanding at October 31, 2018
12,000
$ 2.77
Exercised
(4,000 )
$ 3.63
Options outstanding and exercisable at July 31, 2019
8,000
$ 2.34
$ 23,694
The
following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and exercisable under the 2003 Share Plan as of July 31,
2019:
Range of
Exercise Prices
Number
Outstanding
and
Exercisable
Weighted Average Remaining
Contractual Life
(in
years)
Weighted
Average Exercise
Price
$0.67 - $17.00
8,000
0.19
$ 2.34
2010
Plan
The
2010 Share Plan provided for the grant of nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock awards, performance awards
and stock units to employees, directors and consultants. In accordance with the provisions of the 2010 Share Plan, the plan terminated
with respect to the ability to grant future awards on July 14, 2020. Information regarding the 2010 Share Plan for the nine months
ended July 31, 2020 is as follows:
Shares
Weighted
Average Exercise
Price Per Share
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Options outstanding at October 31, 2019
1, 1,998,668
$ 2.80
Exercised
(51,100 )
$ 2.39
Forfeited/Expired
(20,534 )
$ 1.72
Options outstanding at July 31, 2020
1 1,927,034
$ 2.82
$ 731,670
Options exercisable at July 31, 2020
1, 1,772,034
$ 2.84
$ 630,120
14
The
following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and exercisable under the 2010 Share Plan as of July 31,
2020:
Options Outstanding
Options Exercisable
Range of
Exercise Prices
Number
Outstanding
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual Life
(in years)
Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
Number
Exercisable
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual Life
(in years)
Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
$ 0.67 - $2.30
549,000
5.70
$ 1.57
494,000
5.56
$ 1.64
$ 2.58 - $ 3.13
846,000
3.05
$ 2.79
846,000
3.41
$ 2.79
$ 3.46 - $ 5.75
532,034
7.45
$ 4.16
432,034
7.33
$ 4.33
Information
regarding the 2010 Share Plan for the nine months ended July 31, 2019 is as follows:
Shares
Weighted
Average Exercise
Price Per Share
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Options outstanding at October 31, 2018
2,131,868
$ 2.11
Granted
10,000
$ 3.64
Exercised
(32,000 )
$ 2.27
Forfeited/Expired
(99,200 )
$ 3.78
Options outstanding at July 31, 2019
2,010,668
$ 2.03
$ 5,422,886
Options exercisable at July 31, 2019
1,639,556
$ 1.92
$ 4,609,165
The
following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and exercisable under the 2010 Share Plan as of July 31,
2019:
Options Outstanding
Options Exercisable
Range of
Exercise Prices
Number Outstanding
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life
(in years)
Weighted Average Exercise Price
Number Exercisable
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life
(in years)
Weighted Average Exercise Price
$ 0.67
938,000
5.94
$ 0.67
799,388
5.59
$ 0.67
$2.27 -$3.01
600,134
3.81
$ 2.58
600,134
3.81
$ 2.58
$3.46 -$7.00
472,534
8.51
$ 4.05
240,034
8.19
$ 4.43
2018
Plan
The
2018 Share Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock
awards, performance awards and stock units to employees, directors and consultants. As of July 31, 2020, the 2018 Share Plan had
2,258,376 shares available for future grants. Information regarding the 2018 Share Plan for the nine months ended July 31, 2020
is as follows:
Shares
Weighted
Average Exercise
Price Per Share
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Options outstanding at October 31, 2019
3,935,000
$ 3.74
Granted
800,000
$ 3.85
Forfeited/Expired
(258,376 )
$ 3.86
Options outstanding at July 31, 2020
4,476,624
$ 3.76
$ -0-
Options exercisable at July 31, 2020
2,403,014
$ 3.76
$ -0-
15
The
following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and exercisable under the 2018 Share Plan as of July 31,
2020:
Options Outstanding
Options Exercisable
Range of
Exercise Prices
Number
Outstanding
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
(in years)
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
Number
Exercisable
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
(in years)
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
$ 3.70
3,100,000
7.78
$ 3.70
1,700,000
7.78
$ 3.70
$ 3.84 - $4.61
1,376,624
7.55
$ 3.89
703,014
6.15
$ 3.90
Information
regarding the 2018 Share Plan for the nine months ended July 31, 2019 is as follows:
Shares
Weighted
Average Exercise
Price Per Share
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Options outstanding at October 31, 2018
3,482,000
$ 3.73
Exercised
(4,000 )
$ 3.84
Forfeited/Expired
(8,000 )
$ 3.84
Options outstanding at July 31, 2019
3,470,000
$ 3.73
$ 3,337,300
Options exercisable at July 31, 2019
1,321,111
$ 3.73
$ 1,273,443
The
following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and exercisable under the 2018 Share Plan as of July 31,
2019:
Options Outstanding
Options Exercisable
Range of
Exercise Prices
Number
Outstanding
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
(in years)
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
Number
Exercisable
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
(in years)
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
$ 3.70 - $4.61
3,470,000
8.78
$ 3.73
1,321,111
8.77
$ 3.73
16
Outside
of Share Plans
In
addition to options granted under the 2003 Share Plan, the 2010 Share Plan and the 2018 Share Plan, during the years ended October
31, 2012 and 2013, the Board of Directors approved the grant of stock options to certain employees and directors. Information
regarding stock options that were granted outside of Share Plans for the nine months ended July 31, 2020 is as follows:
Shares
Weighted
Average Exercise
Price Per Share
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Options outstanding at October 31, 2019
1,698,000
$ 2.58
Options outstanding and exercisable at July 31, 2020
1,698,000
$ 2.58
$ 348,090
The
following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and exercisable that were granted outside of Share Plans
as of July 31, 2020:
Range
of
Exercise Prices
Number
Outstanding
and
Exercisable
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual Life
(in
years)
Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
$ 2.58
1,698,000
2.00
$ 2.58
Information
regarding stock options that were granted outside of Share Plans for the nine months ended July 31, 2019 is as follows:
Shares
Weighted
Average Exercise
Price Per Share
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
Options outstanding at October 31, 2018
1,780,000
$ 1.58
Options outstanding and exercisable at July 31, 2019
1,780,000
$ 1.58
$ 5,583,900
The
following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and exercisable that were granted outside of Share Plans
as of July 31, 2019:
Range
of
Exercise Prices
Number
Outstanding
and
Exercisable
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual Life
(in
years)
Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
$ 0.67
1,046,000
3.30
$ 0.67
$ 2.58-$ 5.56
734,000
2.85
$ 2.88
Stock
Awards
For
stock awards granted to employees, directors and consultants that vest upon grant we recognize expense at the date of grant based
on the grant date market price of the underlying common stock. We did not grant any stock awards that vested upon grant during
the nine months ended July 31, 2020 or 2019.
17
On
May 8, 2018, a restricted stock award of 1,500,000 shares of common stock was granted under the 2018 Share Plan to our Chairman,
President and Chief Executive Officer. The restricted stock award vests in its entirety upon achievement of a target trading price
of $11.00 per share of the Company’s common stock before May 31, 2021. For restricted stock awards vesting upon achievement
of a price target of our common stock we use a Monte Carlo Simulation in estimating the fair value at grant date and recognize
compensation cost over the implied service period (median time to vest). During the nine-month and three-month periods ended July
31, 2019, we recorded compensation expense related to the restricted stock award of approximately $1,954,000 and $-0-, respectively.
We did not record any compensation expense related to the restricted stock award during the nine-month period ended July 31, 2020.
Employee
Stock Purchase Plan
The
Company maintains the Anixa Biosciences, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan which permits eligible employees to purchase shares
at not less than 85% of the market value of the Company’s common stock on the offering date or the purchase date of the
applicable offering period, whichever is lower. The plan was adopted by our Board of Directors on August 13, 2018 and approved
by our shareholders on September 27, 2018. During the nine months ended July 31, 2020, employees purchased 9,618 shares with aggregate
proceeds of approximately $15,000. During the nine months ended July 31, 2019, employees purchased 5,411 shares with aggregate
proceeds of approximately $19,000.
Warrants
During
the nine months ended July 31, 2019 we issued a warrant, expiring on November 1, 2023, to purchase 25,000 shares of common stock
at $4.04 per share, vesting over 12 months, to a consultant for investor relations services. On November 1, 2019 the warrant was
exchanged for a stock option with the same terms as the warrant. During the nine-month and three-month periods ended July 31,
2019, we recorded consulting expense of approximately $64,000 and $21,000, respectively, based on the fair value of the warrant
recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. No warrants were issued during the nine months ended July 31, 2020.
As
of July 31, 2020, we also had warrants outstanding to purchase 500,000 shares of common stock at $5.03 per share expiring on November
30, 2021.
3. FAIR
VALUE MEASUREMENTS
US
GAAP defines fair value and establishes a framework for measuring fair value. We have categorized our financial assets and liabilities,
based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique, into a three-level fair value hierarchy as set forth below. If
the inputs used to measure the financial instruments fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the categorization is based
on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument.
18
Financial
assets and liabilities recorded in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets are categorized based on the inputs
to the valuation techniques as follows:
Level
1 - Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in
an active market which we have the ability to access at the measurement date.
Level
2 - Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on quoted market prices in markets where trading occurs infrequently
or whose values are based on quoted prices of instruments with similar attributes in active markets.
Level
3 – Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are
both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. These inputs reflect management’s own assumptions
about the assumptions a market participant would use in pricing the asset and liabilities.
The
following table presents the hierarchy for our financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of July 31, 2020:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Money market funds:
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 5,154,304
$ -
$ -
$ 5,154,304
Certificates of deposit:
Cash and cash equivalents
500,000
500,000
Short-term investments
-
3,140,000
-
3,140,000
Total financial assets
$ 5,654,304
$ 3,140,000
$ -
$ 8,794,304
The
following table presents the hierarchy for our financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of October 31,
2019:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Money market funds:
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 2,706,944
$ -
$ -
$ 2,706,944
Certificates of deposit:
Cash and cash equivalents
500,000
-
-
500,000
Short-term investments
-
2,350,000
-
2,350,000
Total financial assets
$ 3,206,944
$ 2,350,000
$ -
$ 5,556,944
Our
non-financial assets that are measured on a non-recurring basis include our property and equipment and which are measured using
fair value techniques whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate a condition of impairment exists. The estimated fair
value of accounts receivable, prepaid expenses, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximates their individual carrying amounts
due to the short-term nature of these measurements. Cash and cash equivalents are stated at carrying value which approximates
fair value.
19
4. ACCRUED
EXPENSES
Accrued
expenses consist of the following as of:
July 31,
2020
October 31,
2019
Payroll and related expenses
$ 238,565
$ 72,850
Accrued royalty and contingent legal fees
449,691
449,691
Accrued collaborative research and license expenses
37,114
371,710
Accrued severance costs
83,624
-
Accrued other
6,723
1,247
$ 815,717
$ 895,498
5. NET
LOSS PER SHARE OF COMMON STOCK
Basic
net loss per common share (“Basic EPS”) is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common
shares outstanding. Diluted net loss per common share (“Diluted EPS”) is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted
average number of common shares and dilutive common share equivalents and convertible securities then outstanding. Diluted EPS
for all periods presented is the same as Basic EPS, as the inclusion of the effect of common share equivalents then outstanding
would be anti-dilutive. For this reason, excluded from the calculation of Diluted EPS for the nine and three months ended July
31, 2020 and 2019, were stock options to purchase 8,101,658 and 7,268,668 shares, respectively, and warrants to purchase 500,000
and 545,000 shares, respectively.
6. EFFECT
OF RECENTLY ADOPTED AND ISSUED PRONOUNCEMENTS
In
February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 (“ASU 2016-02”)
Accounting Standards Codification Topic 842, Leases (ASC 842), which supersedes Topic 840, Leases, and which requires lessees
to recognize most leases on the balance sheet. The new lease standard does not substantially change lessor accounting. For public
companies, the standard was effective for the first interim reporting period within annual periods beginning after December 15,
2018, although early adoption was permitted. Lessees and lessors were required to apply the new standard at the beginning of the
earliest period presented in the financial statements in which they first apply the new guidance. In July 2018, FASB issued ASU
2018-11, Leases, which provides an additional transition option for an entity to apply the provisions of ASC 842 by recognizing
a cumulative effect adjustment at the effective date of adoption without adjusting the prior comparative periods presented. The
requirements of this standard include a significant increase in required disclosures. The Company adopted ASU 2016-02 on November
1, 2019. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. See
Note 8 regarding the accounting and disclosures related to our office lease.
7. INCOME
TAXES
We
recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for the estimated future tax effects of events that have been recognized in our
financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference
between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which
the differences are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to
the amount expected to be realized. We have provided a full valuation allowance against our deferred tax asset due to our historical
pre-tax losses and the uncertainty regarding the realizability of these deferred tax assets.
20
We
have substantial net operating loss carryforwards for Federal, New York State and California income tax returns. These net operating
loss carryforwards could be subject to limitations under Internal Revenue Code section 382. We have no unrecognized income tax
benefits as of July 31, 2020 and October 31, 2019 and we account for interest and penalties related to income tax matters, if
any, in general and administrative expenses.
8. LEASES
We
lease approximately 2,000 square feet of office space at 3150 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, California (our principal executive
offices) from an unrelated party pursuant to an operating lease that expires September 30, 2021. Our base rent is approximately
$5,000 per month and the lease provides for annual increases of approximately 3% and an escalation clause for increases in certain
operating costs. Under an operating lease that expired on May 31, 2019 we also leased approximately 3,000 square feet of office
space at 12100 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California (our former executive offices) from an unrelated party. As of August
1, 2018, we had subleased these facilities. Rent expense was approximately $48,000 and $46,000, respectively, for the nine months
ended July 31, 2020 and 2019, and approximately $16,000 and $16,000, respectively, for the three months ended July 31, 2020 and
2019.
On
November 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASC 842, which increases transparency and comparability by recognizing a lessee’s
rights and obligations resulting from leases by recording them on the balance sheet as lease assets and lease liabilities. The
new guidance requires the recognition of the right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and related operating lease liabilities on
the balance sheet. The Company adopted the new guidance using the modified retrospective approach on November 1, 2019. As a result,
the condensed consolidated balance sheet as of October 31, 2019 was not restated and is not comparative.
The
adoption of ASC 842 resulted in the recognition of ROU assets of $106,221, and lease liabilities for operating leases of $106,299
on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet as of November 1, 2019. The difference between the ROU assets and
the operating lease liability represents the difference between the lease cost and the amount of rent paid in October.
The
Company elected the package of practical expedients permitted within the standard, which allow an entity to forgo reassessing
(i) whether a contract contains a lease, (ii) classification of leases, and (iii) whether capitalized costs associated with a
lease meet the definition of initial direct costs. Also, the Company elected the expedient allowing an entity to use hindsight
to determine the lease term and impairment of ROU assets and the expedient to allow the Company to not have to separate lease
and non-lease components. The Company has also elected the short-term lease accounting policy under which Anixa would not recognize
a lease liability or ROU asset for any lease that at the commencement date has a lease term of twelve months or less and does
not include a purchase option that Anixa is more than reasonably certain to exercise.
21
For operating leases,
the lease liability is initially and subsequently measured at the present value of the unpaid lease payments. The remaining 14-month
lease term as of July 31, 2020 for the Company’s lease includes the noncancelable period of the lease. The lease does
not contain a Company option to extend the lease or an option to extend the lease controlled by the lessor. All ROU assets are
reviewed for impairment.
Balance
sheet information related to the Company’s lease is presented below:
Balance Sheet
Location
July 31,
2020
November 1,
2019
October 31,
2019
Operating Lease:
Right-of-use asset
Operating lease right-of-use asset
$ 67,982
$ 106,221
$ -
Right-of-use liability, current
Operating lease liability
58,195
51,101
-
Right-of-use liability, non-current
Operating lease liability, non-current
10,567
55,198
-
As
of July 31, 2020, the annual minimum lease payments of our operating lease liabilities were as follows:
For
Years Ending October 31,
Operating Leases
2020 (excluding the nine months ended July 31, 2020)
$ 15,816
2021
59,136
Total future minimum payments, undiscounted
74,952
Less: Imputed interest
(6,190 )
Present value of future minimum lease payments
$ 68,762
9. COMMITMENT
AND CONTINGENCES
Litigation
Matters
We
are not involved in any litigation or other legal proceedings and management is not aware of any pending litigation or legal proceeding
against us that would have a material adverse effect upon our results of operations or financial condition.
22
10.
SEGMENT INFORMATION
We
follow the accounting guidance of ASC 280 “Segment Reporting” (“ASC 280”). Reportable operating segments
are determined based on the management approach. The management approach, as defined by ASC 280, is based on the way that the
chief operating decision-maker organizes the segments within an enterprise for making operating decisions and assessing performance.
While our results of operations are primarily reviewed on a consolidated basis, the chief operating decision-maker manages the
enterprise in five reportable segments, each with different operating and potential revenue generating characteristics: (i) CAR-T
Therapeutics, (ii) Cancer Vaccines, (iii) Anti-Viral Therapeutics, (iv) Cancer Diagnostics and (v) our legacy Patent Licensing
activities. The following represents selected financial information for our segments for the three and nine months ended July
31, 2020 and 2019 and as of July 31, 2020 and October 31, 2019:
For the Three Months Ended
July 31,
For the Nine Months Ended
July 31,
2020
2019
2020
2019
Net Loss:
CAR-T Therapeutics
$ (402,223 )
$ (723,128 )
$ (1,527,586 )
$ (4,240,347 )
Cancer Vaccines
(172,881 )
(573,005 )
(538,748 )
(573,005 )
Anti-Viral Therapeutics
(268,704 )
-
(578,208 )
-
Cancer Diagnostics
(1,727,256 )
(876,667 )
(5,196,929 )
(3,929,021 )
Patent Licensing
(5,723 )
6,752
(9,881 )
(965,218 )
Total
$ (2,576,787 )
$ (2,166,048 )
$ (7,851,352 )
$ (9,707,591 )
Total operating costs and expenses
$ 2,584,053
$ 2,184,412
$ 7,884,059
$ 10,011,374
Less non-cash share-based compensation
(1,041,799 )
(830,898 )
(3,173,219 )
(4,902,512 )
Operating costs and expenses excluding non-cash share-based compensation
$ 1,542,254
$ 1,353,514
$ 4,710,840
$ 5,108,862
Operating costs and expenses excluding non-cash share based compensation:
CAR-T Therapeutics
$ 182,007
$ 442,621
$ 752,170
$ 1,688,301
Cancer Vaccines
70,061
407,010
235,391
407,010
Anti-Viral Therapeutics
149,075
-
370,093
-
Cancer Diagnostics
1,136,629
487,169
3,345,441
1,905,137
Patent Licensing
4,482
16,714
7,745
1,108,414
Total
$ 1,542,254
$ 1,353,514
4,710,840
$ 5,108,862
July 31,
2020
October 31,
2019
Total assets:
CAR-T Therapeutics
$ 4,110,341
$ 2,382,460
Cancer Vaccines
1,575,525
489,881
Anti-Viral Therapeutics
3,349,814
-
Cancer Diagnostics
78,723
3,119,246
Patent Licensing
247,378
302,106
Total
$ 9,361,781
$ 6,293,693
Operating
costs and expenses excluding non-cash share-based compensation expense is the measurement the chief operating decision-maker uses
in managing the enterprise.
11.
IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
On
March 10, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. The virus and actions taken to mitigate
its spread have had and are expected to continue to have a broad adverse impact on the economies and financial markets of many
countries, including the geographical areas in which the Company operates and conducts its business and which the Company’s
partners operate and conduct their business. We are currently following the recommendations of local health authorities to minimize
exposure risk for our team members and visitors. However, the scale and scope of this pandemic is unknown and the duration of
the business disruption and related financial impact cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. While we have implemented specific
business continuity plans to reduce the potential impact of COVID-19, there is no guarantee that our continuity plans will be
successful.
We
have already experienced certain disruptions to our business such as temporary closure of our offices and similar disruptions
have occurred for our partners. Specifically, the outbreak has caused shutdowns of the laboratories and other service providers
that we rely on to develop our CAR-T and breast cancer vaccine programs, and those laboratories and service providers that have
been operating or that have begun operating recently have been doing so with more limited capacity due to social distancing requirements.
As a result, our progress has been slowed and there is no assurance that we will be able to meet our previously announced timelines
regarding the IND filings for our CAR-T therapy for ovarian cancer and for our breast cancer vaccine.
The
extent to which COVID-19 or any other health epidemic may impact our results will depend on future developments, which are highly
uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and the actions
to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. Accordingly, COVID-19 could have a material adverse effect on our business,
results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
23
Item
2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Information
included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this “Report”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
“Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical facts, but rather reflect our current
expectations concerning future events and results. We generally use the words “believes,” “expects,” “intends,”
“plans,” “anticipates,” “likely,” “will” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking
statements. Such forward-looking statements, including those concerning our expectations, involve risks, uncertainties and other
factors, some of which are beyond our control, which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results,
to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
These risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to, those factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2019 and the condensed consolidated financial statements included in this Report. Except
as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States, we undertake no obligation to publicly update
or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are cautioned
not to unduly rely on such forward-looking statements when evaluating the information presented in this Report.
GENERAL
We
discuss the description of our business in the Notes to our condensed consolidated financial statements.
RESULTS
OF OPERATIONS
Nine
months ended July 31, 2020 compared with nine months ended July 31, 2019
Revenue
We
did not record any revenue for the nine months ended July 31, 2020. For the nine months ended July 31, 2019, we recorded revenue
of $250,000 from one license agreement. The license agreement provided for a one-time, non-recurring, lump sum payment in exchange
for a non-exclusive retroactive and future license, and covenant not to sue. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, we have no
further obligations with respect to the granted intellectual property rights, including no obligation to maintain or upgrade the
technology, or provide future support or services. Accordingly, the performance obligations from this license agreement were satisfied
and 100% of the revenue was recognized upon execution of the license agreement. As discussed in Note 1 to our condensed consolidated
financial statements, as part of our legacy operations, the Company remains engaged in limited patent licensing activities which
we do not expect to be a significant part of our ongoing operations or revenue.
Patent
assertion expenses
Patent assertion expenses decreased from approximately $166,000
in the nine months ended July 31, 2019 to $-0- in the nine months ended July 31, 2020. The decrease was primarily due to the decrease
in related revenues. Inventor royalties and contingent legal fees are expensed in the period that the related revenues are recognized.
Litigation and licensing expenses related to patent assertion, other than contingent legal fees, are expensed in the period incurred.
24
Amortization
of Patents
Amortization
of patents was $-0- in the nine months ended July 31, 2020 compared to approximately $419,000 in the comparable prior year. We
capitalize patent and patent rights acquisition costs and amortize the cost over the estimated economic useful life. The decrease
in amortization of patents was due to the patent asset being fully amortized in fiscal year 2019.
Research
and Development Expenses
Research
and development expenses are related to the development of our cancer diagnostics and therapeutics programs and our anti-viral
drug program, and decreased by approximately $628,000 to approximately $3,974,000 in the nine months ended July 31, 2020, from
approximately $4,602,000 in the nine months ended July 31, 2019. The decrease in research and development expenses was primarily
due to a decrease in employee stock award compensation expense of approximately $1,251,000 and a decrease in employee stock option
compensation expense of approximately $75,000, offset by an increase in outside research and development expense, excluding license
expense, of approximately $406,000 primarily related to the development of Cchek™, our non-invasive blood tests for early
detection of cancer, an increase in employee compensation and related costs, other than stock option compensation expense and
stock awards of approximately $136,000 and an increase in consulting expense related to our Cchek™ program of approximately
$129,000.
Research
and development expenses incurred in the nine months ended July 31, 2020 associated with each of our development programs consisted
of approximately $2,578,000 for cancer diagnostics, approximately $798,000 for CAR-T therapeutics, approximately $329,000 for
anti-viral therapeutics, and approximately $269,000 for cancer vaccines.
General
and Administrative Expenses
General
and administrative expenses decreased by approximately $643,000 to approximately $3,762,000 in the nine months ended July 31,
2020, from approximately $4,405,000 in the nine months ended July 31, 2019. The decrease in general and administrative expenses
in 2020 was principally due to a decrease in employee stock award compensation expense of approximately $704,000, a decrease in
legal and accounting fees of approximately $338,000 in fiscal year 2020 primarily related to fees incurred in fiscal year 2019
in connection with a putative shareholder derivative complaint which was settled in August 2019, a decrease in expense resulting
from the discharge in January 2020 of a disputed liability of approximately $337,000 upon the expiration of the vendor’s
statutory right to pursue collection of the disputed liability which reduced expenses in fiscal year 2020, a decrease in expense
resulting from a patent expense reimbursement to Cleveland Clinic of approximately $164,000 in fiscal 2019 which reduced expenses
in fiscal year 2020 and a decrease in investor relations and public relations expense of approximately $80,000, offset by an increase
in employee compensation and related costs, other than stock option compensation expense and stock award compensation expense,
of approximately $502,000 which included approximately $157,000 of severance costs related to the suspension of the Cchek™
liquid biopsy program, an increase in employee stock option expense of approximately $283,000, an increase in corporate insurance
expense of approximately $156,000 primarily due to an increase in directors and officers insurance premium and an increase in
consultant stock option expense of approximately $73,000.
25
Impairment
in Carrying Amount of Patent Assets
The
impairment in carrying amount of patent assets related to our legacy patent licensing activities of approximately $419,000 in
the nine months ended July 31, 2019 resulted from the write down of the value of our patent assets to the estimated undiscounted
future cash flows we anticipated receiving from the patent assets as of January 31, 2019. Our estimates of future cash flows were
based on our most recent assessment of the market for potential licensees, as well as the status of ongoing negotiations with
potential licensees.
Other
Expense
Other
expense was $148,000 in the nine months ended July 31, 2020 compared to $-0- in the comparable prior year. Other expense in fiscal
year 2020 represents loss on disposal of property and equipment.
Interest
Income
Interest
income decreased by approximately $21,000 to approximately $33,000 in the nine months ended July 31, 2020, from approximately
$54,000 in the comparable prior year period as a result of a decrease in interest rates.
Net
Loss Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest
The
net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest, representing Wistar’s 5% ownership interest in Certainty’s net loss,
decreased by approximately $91,000 to approximately $57,000 in the nine months ended July 31, 2020, from approximately $148,000
in the nine months ended July 31, 2019, as Certainty’s net loss decreased. The decrease in Certainty’s net loss was
primarily due to decreases in employee stock option compensation expense and employee stock award compensation expense.
Three
months ended July 31, 2020 compared with three months ended July31, 2019
Revenue
We
had no revenue during the three-month periods ended July 31, 2020 and 2019.
Amortization
of Patents
Amortization
of patents was $-0- in the three months ended July 31, 2020 compared to approximately $42,000 in the comparable prior year. We
capitalize patent and patent rights acquisition costs and amortize the cost over the estimated economic useful life. The decrease
in amortization of patents was due to the patent asset being fully amortized in fiscal year 2019.
26
Research
and Development Expenses
Research
and development expenses are related to the development of our cancer diagnostics and therapeutics programs and our anti-viral
drug program, and increased by approximately $168,000 to approximately $1,254,000 in the three months ended July 31, 2020, from
approximately $1,086,000 in the three months ended July 31, 2019. The increase in research and development expenses was primarily
due to an increase in consulting expense of approximately $108,000 related to our Cchek™ liquid biopsy program, an increase
in employee compensation and related costs, other than stock option compensation expense and stock award compensation expense,
of approximately $94,000, an increase in employee stock option expense of approximately $54,000, offset by a decrease of approximately
$100,000 of license fees paid to Cleveland Clinic.
Research
and development expenses incurred in the three months ended July 31, 2020 associated with each of our development programs consisted
of approximately $749,000 for cancer diagnostics, approximately $233,000 for CAR-T therapeutics, approximately $173,000 for anti-viral
therapeutics, and approximately $99,000 for cancer vaccines.
General
and Administrative Expenses
General
and administrative expenses increased by approximately $125,000 to approximately $1,182,000 in the three months ended July 31,
2020, from approximately $1,057,000 in the three months ended July 31, 2019. The increase in general and administrative expenses
in fiscal year 2020 was principally due to an increase in employee compensation and related costs, other than stock option compensation
expense and stock award compensation expense, of approximately $174,000 which included approximately $157,000 of severance costs
related to the suspension of the Cchek™ liquid biopsy program, an increase in employee stock option compensation expense
of approximately $159,000, an increase in legal and accounting fees of approximately $101,000, offset by a decrease in expense
resulting from a patent expense reimbursement to Cleveland Clinic of approximately $164,000 in fiscal 2019 which reduced expenses
in fiscal year 2020 and a decrease in consulting expense of approximately $118,000 primarily related to commercialization of the
Cchek™ program.
Other
Expense
Other
expense was $148,000 in the three months ended July 31, 2020 compared to $-0- in the comparable prior year. Other expense in fiscal
year 2020 represents loss on disposal of property and equipment.
Interest
Income
Interest
income decreased by approximately $11,000 to approximately $7,000 in the three months ended July 31, 2020, from approximately
$18,000 in the comparable prior year period as a result of a decrease in interest rates.
Net
Loss Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest
The
net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest, representing Wistar’s 5% ownership interest in Certainty’s net loss,
decreased by approximately $11,000 to approximately $15,000 in the three months ended July 31, 2020, from approximately $26,000
in the three months ended July 31, 2019, as Certainty’s net loss decreased. The decrease in Certainty’s net loss was
primarily due to decreases in employee stock option compensation expense and employee stock award compensation expense.
27
LIQUIDITY
AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our
primary sources of liquidity are cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments.
Based
on currently available information as of September 8, 2020, we believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments
and expected cash flows will be sufficient to fund our activities for the next twelve months. We have implemented a business model
that conserves funds by collaborating with third parties to develop our technologies. However, our projections of future cash
needs and cash flows may differ from actual results. If current cash on hand, cash equivalents, short-term investments and cash
that may be generated from our business operations are insufficient to continue to operate our business, or if we elect to invest
in or acquire a company or companies or new technology or technologies that are synergistic with or complementary to our technologies,
we may be required to obtain more working capital. During the nine months ended July 31, 2020, we raised an aggregate of approximately
$7,866,000, net of expenses, through the sale of 3,261,282 shares of common stock in our at-the-market equity offerings. This
included approximately $427,000, net of expenses, through the sale of 112,238 shares of common stock in an at-the market equity
offering which expired in November 2019 and approximately $7,439,000, net of expenses, through the sale of 3,149,044 shares of
common stock in an at-the-market equity offering under which we may issue up to $50 million of common stock. Under our current
at-the-market equity program which is currently effective and may remain available for us to use in the future, we may sell an
additional approximately $42,260,000 of common stock. We may seek to obtain working capital during our fiscal year 2020 or thereafter
through sales of our equity securities or through bank credit facilities or public or private debt from various financial institutions
where possible. We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. If we do identify
sources for additional funding, the sale of additional equity securities or convertible debt could result in dilution to our stockholders.
We can give no assurance that we will generate sufficient cash flows in the future to satisfy our liquidity requirements or sustain
future operations, or that other sources of funding, such as sales of equity or debt, would be available or would be approved
by our security holders, if needed, on favorable terms or at all. If we fail to obtain additional working capital as and when
needed, such failure could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore,
such lack of funds may inhibit our ability to respond to competitive pressures or unanticipated capital needs, or may force us
to reduce operating expenses, which would significantly harm the business and development of operations.
During
the nine months ended July 31, 2020, cash used in operating activities was approximately $4,762,000. Cash used in investing activities
was approximately $806,000, resulting from the purchased of certificates of deposit totaling $5,510,000 and the purchase of property
and equipment of approximately $16,000, which was offset by the proceeds on maturities of certificates of deposit totaling $4,720,000.
Cash provided by financing activities was approximately $8,004,000, resulting from the sale of 3,261,282 shares of common stock
in our at-the-market equity offering over the past nine months of approximately $7,866,000 (which is ongoing), the proceeds from
sale of common stock pursuant to employee stock purchase plan of approximately $15,000 and the proceeds from exercise of stock
options of approximately $122,000. As a result, our cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments at July 31, 2020 increased
approximately $3,226,000 to approximately $9,068,000 from approximately $5,842,000 at the end of fiscal year 2019.
28
CRITICAL
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The
Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States of America. In preparing these financial statements, we make assumptions, judgments and estimates that can
have a significant impact on amounts reported in our condensed consolidated financial statements. We base our assumptions, judgments
and estimates on historical experience and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual
results could differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. On a regular basis, we evaluate
our assumptions, judgments and estimates and make changes accordingly.
We
believe that, of the significant accounting policies discussed in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2019, the following accounting policies require our most difficult,
subjective or complex judgments:
Revenue
Recognition; and
Stock-Based
Compensation.
Revenue
Recognition
Our
revenue has been derived solely from technology licensing and the sale of patented technologies. Revenue is recognized upon transfer
of control of intellectual property rights and satisfaction of other contractual performance obligations to licensees in an amount
that reflects the consideration we expect to receive.
On
November 1, 2018 we adopted Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 (“ASU 2014-09”), Revenue from Contracts with Customers
using the modified retrospective method. Upon adoption of ASU 2014-09 we are required to make certain judgments and estimates
in connection with the accounting for revenue. Such areas may include determining the existence of a contract and identifying
each party’s rights and obligations to transfer goods and services, identifying the performance obligations in the contract,
determining the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to separate performance obligations, estimating the timing
of satisfaction of performance obligations, determining whether a promise to grant a license is distinct from other promised goods
or services and evaluating whether a license transfers to a customer at a point in time or over time.
Our
revenue arrangements provide for the payment of contractually determined, one-time, paid-up license fees in settlement of litigation
and in consideration for the grant of certain intellectual property rights for patented technologies owned or controlled by the
Company. These arrangements typically include some combination of the following: (i) the grant of a non-exclusive, retroactive
and future license to manufacture and/or sell products covered by patented technologies owned or controlled by the Company, (ii)
a covenant-not-to-sue, (iii) the release of the licensee from certain claims, and (iv) the dismissal of any pending litigation.
In such instances, the intellectual property rights granted have been perpetual in nature, extending until the expiration of the
related patents. Pursuant to the terms of these agreements, we have no further obligations with respect to the granted intellectual
property rights, including no obligation to maintain or upgrade the technology, or provide future support or services. Licensees
obtained control of the intellectual property rights they have acquired upon execution of the agreement. Accordingly, the performance
obligations from these agreements were satisfied and 100% of the revenue was recognized upon the execution of the agreements.
The adoption of ASU 2014-09 had no impact on revenue recognized.
29
Stock-Based
Compensation
The
compensation cost for service-based stock options granted to employees and directors is measured at the grant date, based on the
fair value of the award using the Black-Scholes pricing model, and is recognized as an expense on a straight-line basis over the
requisite service period (the vesting period of the stock option) which is one to four years. For employee options vesting if
the trading price of the Company’s common stock exceeds certain price targets we use a Monte Carlo Simulation in estimating
the fair value at grant date and recognize compensation cost over the implied service period.
For
stock awards granted to employees and directors that vest at date of grant we recognize expense based on the grant date market
price of the underlying common stock. For restricted stock awards vesting upon achievement of a price target of our common stock
we use a Monte Carlo Simulation in estimating the fair value at grant date and recognize compensation cost over the implied service
period (median time to vest).
On
November 1, 2018 we adopted Accounting Standards Update 2018-07 (“ASU 2018-027”) for stock-based compensation to non-employees.
Upon adoption of ASU 2018-07 we estimated the fair value of unvested awards at the date of adoption, using the Black-Scholes pricing
model. Future grants to consultants will be measured at the grant date, based on the fair value of the award using the Black-Scholes
pricing model, consistent with our policy for grants to employees and directors.
The
Black-Scholes pricing model and the Monte Carlo Simulation we use to estimate fair value requires valuation assumptions of expected
term, expected volatility, risk-free interest rates and expected dividend yield. The expected term of stock options represents
the weighted average period the stock options are expected to remain outstanding. We use the simplified method, which is a weighted
average of the vesting term and contractual term, to determine expected term. The simplified method was adopted since we do not
believe that historical experience is representative of future performance because of the impact of the changes in our operations
and the change in terms from historical options. Under the Black-Scholes pricing model, we estimated the expected volatility of
our shares of common stock based upon the historical volatility of our share price over a period of time equal to the expected
term of the grants. We estimated the risk-free interest rate based on the implied yield available on the applicable grant date
of a U.S. Treasury note with a term equal to the expected term of the underlying grants. We made the dividend yield assumption
based on our history of not paying dividends and our expectation not to pay dividends in the future.
We
will reconsider use of the Black-Scholes pricing model and Monte Carlo Simulation if additional information becomes available
in the future that indicates other models would be more appropriate. If factors change and we employ different assumptions in
future periods, the compensation expense that we record may differ significantly from what we have recorded in the current period.
30
EFFECT
OF RECENTLY ISSUED PRONOUNCEMENTS
We
discuss the effect of recently issued pronouncements in the Notes to our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
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