Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this report. In addition to historical information, this discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results may differ materially from those discussed below. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below, and those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. All dollar amounts in the below Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are presented in U.S. dollars, and all dollar and share amounts are presented in thousands, unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise provides.
Overview
BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. (“BTI” or the “Company”) is a biopharmaceutical company utilizing artificial intelligence (“AI”) to develop transformative medicines in neuroscience and, through the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, OnkosXcel Therapeutics LLC (“OnkosXcel”), immuno-oncology. We are focused on utilizing cutting-edge technology and innovative research to develop high-value therapeutics aimed at transforming patients’ lives. We employ various AI platforms to reduce therapeutic development costs and potentially accelerate development timelines. Our approach leverages existing approved drugs and/or clinically evaluated product candidates together with big data and proprietary machine learning algorithms to identify new therapeutic indications. We believe this differentiated approach has the potential to reduce the expense and time associated with drug development in diseases with substantial unmet medical needs.
Our most advanced neuroscience candidate is BXCL501. In indications other than those approved by the United States (“U.S.”) Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) as IGALMI™, BXCL501 is an investigational, proprietary, orally dissolving film formulation of dexmedetomidine (or “Dex”) in development for the treatment of agitation associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders. Our most advanced immuno-oncology asset, BXCL701, is an investigational oral innate immune activator being developed by OnkosXcel Therapeutics as a potential therapy for the treatment of aggressive forms of prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and other solid and liquid tumors.
On April 6, 2022, we announced that the FDA approved IGALMI TM (dexmedetomidine) sublingual film for the acute treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar I or II disorder in adults. IGALMI TM is approved to be self-administrated by patients under the supervision of a health care provider. On July 6, 2022, we announced that IGALMI TM was commercially available in doses of 120 and 180 microgram (“mcg).
We are continuing to develop BXCL501 for the acute treatment of agitation associated with bipolar disorders or schizophrenia in the at-home setting and for the acute treatment of agitation (non-daily) associated with dementia due to probable Alzheimer’s disease in the at-home setting and in care facilities. As described further below, we have recently deprioritized the development of BXCL501 for certain indications, including development of BXCL501 as a potential adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder (“MDD”), as well as our BXCL701 program except as noted in Part, Item 1, “Business” under the heading “Immuno-Oncology.”
For our TRANQUILITY program, we have conducted clinical studies evaluating BXCL501 for the acute treatment of agitation associated with mild to moderate dementia in patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease, who reside in assisted living facilities (“ALFs”) and residential care settings and who required minimal assistance with activities of daily living. On June 29, 2023, we announced positive topline data from our TRANQUILITY II trial, as well as information regarding certain investigator misconduct and noncompliance at a clinical trial site. Since that time, we have taken steps to further investigate and evaluate the conduct of the TRANQUILITY II trial at this clinical site. Based on these steps to date, we believe that there have been no further instances of misconduct or fraud or other findings that adversely impact the data integrity or reliability of the eligibility, safety, and efficacy data obtained at the clinical trial site in question.
We had previously been conducting the TRANQUILITY III clinical trial, which was designed to evaluate the potential for BXCL501 to treat acute agitation in patients with moderate to severe dementia associated with probable Alzheimer’s disease living in nursing homes and who require moderate to full assistance with activities of daily living.
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We paused enrollment in TRANQUILITY III due to the much higher-than-expected background frequency of episodes of agitation experienced by the first several patients enrolled in the study.
We held Type B/Breakthrough Therapy Designation meetings with the FDA on October 11, 2023 and on February 20, 2024 to obtain additional feedback on our plans for further development of BXCL501 for the treatment of agitation associated with dementia in patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease. We are currently planning to generate additional Phase 3 efficacy and safety data, in a variety of relevant care-facility settings and across severity of dementia using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-Excitatory Component (“PEC”) as the primary efficacy measure. In addition, we plan to discuss the details of the requirement for long-term safety data at a future meeting with the FDA.
In our SERENITY program, we are evaluating BXCL501 for use in the at-home setting for agitation associated with bipolar disorders or schizophrenia. We completed Part 1 of the SERENITY III trial and announced topline results on May 25, 2023.
We reviewed our SERENITY III program with the FDA in Type C meetings on November 8, 2023 and March 6, 2024. Based on the feedback received from the FDA to date, we plan to move forward to evaluate at-home use of the 120 mcg dose of BXCL501, with safety as the primary objective and efficacy measures as exploratory endpoints to support continued efficacy in the at-home setting as recommended by the FDA in the November 8, 2023 meeting, for the acute treatment of agitation in bipolar disorders or schizophrenia. We also plan to conduct a clinical study designed to enroll approximately 30 patients to evaluate the correlation between patient-reported or informant-reported efficacy with trained rater-reported efficacy using PEC measurements, which the FDA had previously recommended.
Strategic Reprioritization
On August 8, 2023, our Board of Directors approved a broad-based strategic reprioritization (the “Reprioritization”). We determined to take actions to reduce certain operational and workforce expenses no longer deemed core to ongoing operations to extend its cash runway and drive innovation and growth in high-potential clinical development and value-creating opportunities. These actions included a shift in commercial strategy for IGALMI™ in the institutional setting as described, a reduction of in-hospital commercialization expenses, a de-prioritization of programs no longer determined to be core to ongoing operations, and a prioritization on at-home treatment setting opportunities for BXCL501, all as described in Part I, Item 1, “Business”. As part of this strategy, our Board of Directors approved a reduction of approximately 60% of our workforce. Annualized operating expenses are expected to be reduced by approximately $80,000. As of December 31, 2023, the Reprioritization was substantially completed.
As a result of the Reprioritization, the Company recorded restructuring costs of $4,163 in the year ended December 31, 2023. These costs consisted of severance and benefit costs of $4,063 and contract termination costs of $100. The Company paid $3,998 of severance and benefit costs and $100 of contract termination costs during the year ended December 31, 2023. Any remaining costs are expected to be paid during the first quarter of 2024.
IGALMI TM Revised Commercialization Strategy
As part of the Company’s Reprioritization, the IGALMI TM commercial team shifted focus to a hospital/Integrated Delivery Network (“IDN”) contracting strategy with a Corporate Account Director (“CAD”) team. The goal of the realigned CAD team is to work with large IDNs and drive sales utilizing a top-down approach. Over time, the revised commercial effort is expected to allow the Company to continue to make inroads into the institutional market in a more cost-efficient manner.
Commercial efforts for the IGALMI TM launch were impacted significantly in the six months ended December 31, 2023, due to the reduction in force, which included the elimination of sales, marketing, and commercial operations staff. The realigned CAD team generated $376 in net revenue for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 through legacy sales and volume-based contracts, up from $341 for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023. Net revenues from IGALMI™ product sales for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $1,380 and $375, respectively.
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On October 30, 2023, we announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) assigned a new J-Code for IGALMI TM (J1105). J-Codes are permanent codes used by healthcare providers, commercial insurance plans, and government payers to help standardize the reimbursement process. A J-Code can help simplify claims submission as compared to use of a miscellaneous or unlisted code, which in turn can streamline the billing and reimbursement process. The J-Code for IGALMI TM has been published online in the CMS HCPCS Application Summaries and Coding Recommendations, Third Quarter, 2023 HCPCS Coding Cycle. We believe this J-Code will facilitate access to IGALMI TM for patients with agitation associated with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
December 2023 Refinancing
On December 5, 2023 (the “Second Amendment Effective Date”), we entered into the Second Amendment to Credit Agreement and Guaranty and Termination of Revenue Interest Financing Agreement (the “Second Amendment”), which amended the Credit Agreement and Guaranty, dated April 19, 2022, by and among us, as the borrower, certain subsidiaries of the Company from time to time party thereto as subsidiary guarantors, the lenders party thereto (the “Lenders”), and Oaktree Fund Administration LLC (“OFA”) as administrative agent (as amended, the “Credit Agreement”). Among other things, the Second Amendment deferred the effectiveness of the Credit Agreement’s Revenue Covenant (as defined below) to the fourth quarter of 2024 and reduced the required minimum revenue levels under the Revenue Covenant; modified the interest rate of loans under the Credit Agreement; provided for warrants to be issued to the Lenders to purchase 70 shares of our common stock; and lowered the strike price of warrants previously issued to the Lenders under the Credit Agreement to $3.6452 per share. Also on the Second Amendment Effective Date, we terminated the Revenue Interest Financing Agreement (as amended, the “RIFA”) by and among the Company, the purchasers party thereto (the “Purchasers”) and OFA, as administrative agent. The $30,000 in financing previously provided to us under the RIFA was converted to an outstanding loan under the Credit Agreement (the “Tranche A-2 Term Loan”) pursuant to the Second Amendment. All commitments for potential future funding under the RIFA were terminated. For additional information, see below under “Liquidity and Capital Resources—Sources of Liquidity—Financing Agreements.”
March 2024 Waiver
On March 20, 2024 (the “Effective Date”), we entered into a Fourth Amendment (the “Fourth Amendment”) to the Credit Agreement pursuant to which the Lenders waived the covenant that we not receive a report and opinion from our independent registered public accounting firm that contains a “going concern” or similar qualification with respect to our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023. Accordingly, while our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K contains a “going concern” explanatory paragraph, it does not constitute an event of default under the Credit Agreement. The Fourth Amendment also includes a number of other changes to the Credit Agreement, as described below under “— Liquidity and Capital Resources—Sources of Liquidity—Financing Agreements.”
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Our Clinical Programs
The following is a summary of the status of our major clinical development programs as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
For additional information regarding our pipeline candidates, see Part I, Item 1, “Business” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Basis of Presentation
The Company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”).
Components of Our Results of Operations
Product Revenue, Net
Revenue relates to sales of IGALMI TM and reflect limited market access since commercial launch in July 2022. The revenues are net of rebates, chargebacks, discounts, and other adjustments. During the fourth quarter of 2022, we began contracting directly with intermediaries such as GPOs.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Cost of Goods Sold
Cost of goods sold primarily relates to the costs of producing, packaging, and delivering our product to customers as well as costs related to excess or obsolete inventory.
Research and Development
Our research and development expenses reflect costs associated with the identification of our preclinical and clinical product candidates. Expenditures primarily consist of salary, benefits and non-cash stock-based compensation for our research and development personnel, costs incurred under agreements with contract research organizations and sites that conduct our non-clinical studies and clinical trials, costs of outside consultants engaged in research and development activities, travel expenses, the cost of acquiring, developing and manufacturing preclinical and clinical trial materials and lab supplies, and depreciation and other expenses. Payments to BioXcel LLC are also included in research and
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development expenses. Costs associated with third parties that provide non-clinical services such as toxicology, pharmacology, research and discovery, biomarker studies and similar services are included in the professional fees category of research and development expenses.
We expense research and development costs as incurred.
Our research and development costs by program for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were as follows:
Year ended
December 31,
2023
2022
Direct external costs
BXCL501
$
46,661
$
52,044
BXCL701
7,050
9,631
Other research and development programs
4,142
2,687
Total direct external costs
$
57,853
$
64,362
Internal personnel costs
22,675
22,831
Sub-total direct costs
$
80,528
$
87,193
Indirect costs and overhead
3,798
4,046
Total research and development expenses
$
84,326
$
91,239
Selling, General and Administrative
Selling, general and administrative expenses primarily consist of salaries, benefits and non-cash stock-based compensation for our sales, executive and administrative personnel. Selling, general and administrative expenses also include legal expenses to pursue patent protection of our intellectual property and other corporate matters, professional fees for audit and tax services and insurance charges. We may also incur increased costs to comply with corporate governance, internal controls, investor relations and disclosures and similar requirements applicable to public companies.
With our Reprioritization substantially completed as of December 31, 2023, we expect that our selling, general and administrative expenses will decline due to the restructured commercialization plan of IGALMI TM and reduced personnel costs. However, we may also experience increased selling, general and administrative expenses due to higher fees for outside consultants, attorneys, and accountants.
Restructuring Costs
On August 8, 2023, our Board of Directors approved the Reprioritization. We took actions to reduce certain operational and workforce expenses that were no longer deemed core to ongoing operations in order to extend our cash runway and drive innovation and growth in high potential clinical development and value creating opportunities. These actions included a shift in commercial strategy for IGALMI™ in the institutional setting, a reduction of in-hospital commercialization expenses, a suspension of programs no longer determined to be core to ongoing operations, and a prioritization of at-home treatment setting opportunities for BXCL501.
As part of this strategy, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a reduction of approximately 60% of the Company’s workforce. The Company notified impacted employees on August 14, 2023. Annual operating expenses are expected to be reduced by approximately $80,000. Management believes that, after giving effect to the Reprioritization, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents of $65.2 million as of December 31, 2023 will allow the Company to fund its operations and meet its liquidity requirements into mid-2024.
As a result of the Reprioritization, the Company recorded restructuring costs of $4,163 for the year ended December 31, 2023. These costs consisted of severance and benefit payments of $4,063 and contract termination costs of $100, which were paid in cash. The Company paid $3,998 of severance and benefit costs and $100 of contract termination
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costs during the year ended December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, the Reprioritization was substantially completed and any remaining costs are expected to be paid during the first quarter of 2024.
Other Expense (Income)
Other (income) expense primarily consists of interest costs associated with the Credit Agreement the Company entered into in April 2022, changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments, and interest income earned on cash and cash equivalents that were comprised primarily of money market funds. Interest expense may increase in the future as our loans provided under the Credit Agreement are subject to floating interest rates following our December 2023 amendment to the Credit Agreement and, if we meet required milestones, we may draw down additional funds under the Credit Agreement.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
A description of recently issued accounting pronouncements is set forth in Note 3, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
Product Revenue, Net
Commercial sales of IGALMI TM launched in July 2022. Product revenue, net for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $1,380 and $375, respectively, comprised of sales of IGALMI TM . As part of the Company’s Reprioritization, the IGALMI TM commercial team shifted focus to a hospital/contracting strategy with a CAD team. The goal of the realigned CAD team is to work with large Integrated Delivery Networks and drive sales utilizing a top-down approach. The realigned CAD team generated $376 in net revenue for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023 through legacy sales and volume-based contracts. Commercial efforts for the IGALMI TM launch were impacted significantly in the six months ended December 31, 2023, due to the reduction in force, which included the elimination of sales, marketing, and commercial operations staff. However, the revised commercial effort is expected to allow the Company to continue to make inroads into the institutional market in a more cost-efficient manner.
Cost of Goods Sold
Cost of goods sold for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, were $1,260 and $20, respectively, which primarily related to the costs to produce, package and deliver IGALMI TM to customers, as well as costs related to excess or obsolete inventory. We entered into a commercial supply agreement with ARx, LLC (“ARx”) pursuant to which ARx has agreed to exclusively manufacture and supply us with all of our worldwide demand of film formulation of Dex to be used for the commercial supply of IGALMI TM and for ongoing clinical trials of our product candidate BXCL501, subject to certain alternative supply provisions. The increase in Cost of goods sold for the year ended December 31, 2023 is primarily the result of increased sales and the increase in the reserve for excess and obsolete inventory.
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Research and Development Expense
Research and development expenses for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were as follows:
Year ended
December 31,
2023
2022
Change
% Change
Personnel and related costs
$
16,351
$
18,272
$
(1,921)
(11)
%
Non-cash stock-based compensation
6,324
4,558
1,766
39
%
Professional fees
14,590
14,342
248
2
%
Clinical trials expense
35,094
40,630
(5,536)
(14)
%
Chemical, manufacturing and controls cost
8,687
10,144
(1,457)
(14)
%
Travel and other costs
3,280
3,293
(13)
(0)
%
Total research and development expenses
$
84,326
$
91,239
$
(6,913)
(8)
%
The decrease of $6,913 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 is primarily attributable to the following:
● A decrease in clinical trials expense as a result of reduced costs associated with the wind down of the SERENITY III study to evaluate BXCL501 for at home use for the acute treatment of agitation related to schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, as well as the TRANQUILITY II study of BXCL501 for the potential treatment of agitation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
● A decrease in personnel and related costs during the fourth quarter of 2023 as a result of the Company’s Reprioritization.
● A decrease in Chemical, manufacturing and controls (“CMC”) costs due to lower CMC costs related to decreased clinical trial activities.
● An increase in non-cash stock-based compensation due to higher award forfeitures in 2022.
Following IGALMI TM ’s approval by the FDA, we capitalize costs related to commercial production of IGALMI TM as inventory and expense those CMC costs related to clinical trials.
Selling, General and Administrative Expense
Selling, general and administrative expenses for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were as follows:
Year ended
December 31,
2023
2022
Change
% Change
Personnel and related costs
$
27,171
$
20,690
$
6,481
31
%
Non-cash stock-based compensation
12,290
12,779
(489)
(4)
%
Professional fees
22,310
14,313
7,997
56
%
Commercial and marketing
12,485
13,006
(521)
(4)
%
Insurance
1,743
2,370
(627)
(26)
%
Travel and other costs
7,414
5,603
1,811
32
%
Total selling, general and administrative expenses
$
83,413
$
68,761
$
14,652
21
%
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The increase of $14,652 for the year ended December 31, 2023, relative to the year ended December 31, 2022 is primarily attributable to:
● Increased professional fees, primarily related to higher legal costs for the investigation of our TRANQUILITY II study, the write-off of previously deferred costs related to the initial public offering of OnkosXcel, and higher corporate operating support levels partially offset by reductions in consulting and recruiting fees.
● An increase in personnel costs due to our efforts to expand our functional teams, particularly in sales, to support commercialization of IGALMI TM in the U.S., prior to the Reprioritization.
● An increase in travel and other costs as a result of the commercial launch of IGALMI TM .
● Decreased non-cash stock-based compensation costs due to increased award forfeitures in 2023 resulting from the Reprioritization and decreased insurance costs as a result of completed clinical activities.
● Decreased commercial and marketing costs due to higher spend levels in 2022 resulting from the commercial launch of IGALMI TM .
Restructuring Costs
Restructuring costs were $4,163 for the year ended December 31, 2023. See “Components of Our Results of Operations - Restructuring Costs” above for a discussion of the Company’s Reprioritization and restructuring activities. There were no restructuring costs for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Other (Income) Expense
Interest expense increased to $13,314 for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $8,213 for the year ended December 31, 2022, due to higher average debt balances during the year due to borrowings under the Credit Agreement and, prior to its termination, the RIFA that the Company put in place in April 2022. The expense was partially offset by interest income earned on cash and cash equivalents that were held primarily in short-term money market funds. Interest income increased to $5,649 for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $2,528 for the year ended December 31, 2022, due to higher average cash balances during the year. Other (income) expense, net is primarily associated with changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments for the period, which relate to instruments associated with the Credit Agreement.
Inflation
Inflation generally affects us by increasing our cost of labor and clinical trial costs. We do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our results of operations during the periods presented. For a discussion of inflationary risks to our future revenues under the Inflation Reduction Act, see “ Health care reform measures could hinder or prevent our product candidates ’ commercial success.” in Part I, Item 1A., “Risk Factors” elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $65,221, working capital of $44,876 and stockholders’ deficit of $56,508. Net cash used in operating activities was $155,006 and $135,341 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We incurred losses of approximately $179,053 and $165,757 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We will need to generate significant product revenues to achieve profitability. Our history of significant losses, negative cash flows from operations, potential near-term increased covenant-driven amortization payments or full repayment obligations under our Credit Agreement, the regulatory event of default triggers under the Credit Agreement, other funding requirement covenants under the Credit Agreement, limited liquidity resources currently on hand, and dependence on our ability to obtain additional financing to fund our operations after the current resources are exhausted, about which there can be no certainty, have resulted in management’s assessment that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from the issuance date of the financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Successful completion of the Company’s development programs and, ultimately, the attainment of profitable operations are dependent upon future events, including obtaining adequate financing to support the Company’s cost structure and operating plan. Management’s plans to improve the Company’s liquidity and reduce its operating expenses and capital requirements include, among other things, pursuing one or more of the following steps to raise additional capital, none of which can be guaranteed or are entirely within the Company’s control:
● raise funding through the sale of the Company’s equity securities;
● raise funding through third-party investments in or other strategic options for OnkosXcel;
● raise funding through debt financing and/or restructuring of its existing Credit Agreement;
● establish collaborations with potential partners to advance the Company’s product pipeline;
● establish collaborations with potential marketing partners;
● reduce overhead and headcount to focus on core priorities, and/or
● any combination of the foregoing.
To date, we have continued research and development activities while managing our cash position. However, we require additional funding to continue as a going concern. There are no assurances that we will be successful in obtaining an adequate level of financing as and when needed to finance our operations on terms acceptable to us or at all, particularly when there is market uncertainty or an economic downturn or if other events make investment in our securities less appealing. If we are unable to secure adequate additional funding as and when needed on acceptable or commercially reasonable terms, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development and commercialization of one or more product candidates. In addition, there are various macro-economic trends affecting the financing markets whose impact on our liquidity and future funding requirements are uncertain as of the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We will need substantial additional funding, and if we are unable to raise capital when needed, we could be compelled to pursue alternative options, including, without limitation, implementing further workforce reductions, reducing or ceasing product development programs and advancement of our clinical trials and product candidates, selling our assets or seeking other strategic alternatives. See “Risks Related to Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital — We will need substantial additional funding, and if we are unable to raise capital when needed, we could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development programs or commercialization efforts or otherwise seek strategic alternatives. ” in Part I. Item 1A., “Risk Factors” elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Sources of Liquidity
We have primarily focused our efforts on raising capital and building the products in our pipeline, and, although we generate revenue from sales of IGALMI TM , we do not expect to generate positive cash flows from operations in the near term. Since our inception, our operations have been financed primarily from proceeds from the sale of equity securities, including our initial public offering, private placements of our common stock, registered offerings of our common stock, an Open Market Sale Agreement (as amended, supplemented and/or restated from time to time, the “Sale Agreement”) with Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”), and borrowings under our Credit Agreement (as described below). We have not yet established an ongoing source of revenue sufficient to cover our operating costs and will need to do so in future periods.
Financing Agreements
On April 19, 2022, we entered into two financing agreements: the Credit Agreement and the RIFA. Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Lenders originally agreed to provide us up to $135,000 in senior secured term loans to us. On April 28, 2022, we borrowed the first $70,000 tranche of loans under the Credit Agreement. Pursuant to the RIFA, the Purchasers agreed to provide us with up to $120,000 in financing for our near-term commercial activities of IGALMI TM , development and commercialization of BXCL501 and other general corporate purposes. On July 8, 2022, we drew down the first tranche of $30,000 under the RIFA. In connection with the Credit Agreement, we granted to the Lenders (i) warrants to purchase up to 278 shares of our common stock (the “Original Warrants”), (ii) rights to purchase up to
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$5,000 of our common stock and (iii) warrants to purchase up to 175 individual ownership units (i.e., not in thousands) in OnkosXcel (the “OnkosXcel Warrants”).
On November 13, 2023, we, the Lenders and OFA entered into a Waiver and First Amendment to Credit Agreement and Guaranty (the “First Amendment”) that provided for, among other things, a waiver and a modification to the covenant in the Credit Agreement regarding investments in OnkosXcel, pursuant to which we are permitted to invest up to a maximum of $30,000 at any time outstanding in OnkosXcel, increased from the $25,000 at any time outstanding. The First Amendment waived any defaults or events of default arising under the Credit Agreement due to a breach prior to the date of the First Amendment of the OnkosXcel investment covenant, or a breach of our obligation to notify OFA of such default, including our investment in an amount in excess of what was previously permitted under the OnkosXcel investment covenant. In connection with the First Amendment, we paid to the Lenders a fee of $180 (representing 0.25% of the loans outstanding under the Credit Agreement on the date of the First Amendment) and agreed to pay to the Lenders an exit fee equal to 0.25% of the loans under the Credit Agreement repaid upon maturity or prepayment of the loans.
On December 5, 2023, we entered into the Second Amendment to Credit Agreement and Guaranty and Termination of Revenue Interest Financing Agreement (the “Second Amendment”) with the Lenders and OFA, as administrative agent. The Second Amendment terminated the RIFA and converted the financing previously provided to us thereunder to term loans under the Credit Agreement. In addition, the Second Amendment replaced the Credit Agreement’s existing “Tranche B” and “Tranche C” term loan opportunities with three new tranches aggregating up to $100,000 in potential funding:
● A $20,000 “Tranche B” term loan available upon satisfaction of the following conditions on or before December 31, 2024: (i) us raising an aggregate of at least $40,000 after the date of the First Amendment from (a) equity proceeds or (b) a bona fide contract with a governmental authority to use BXCL501 for opioid withdrawal, (ii) initiation of a new clinical trial in the TRANQUILITY program based on our meeting with the FDA held on October 11, 2023, and (iii) the total pro forma indebtedness outstanding under the Credit Agreement as a percentage of our trailing 30-day market capitalization being less than 30%;
● A $30,000 “Tranche C” term loan available upon satisfaction of the following conditions on or before December 31, 2025: (i) either (a) receipt of approval from the FDA of an sNDA in respect of the use of BXCL501 for the acute treatment of agitation associated with dementia or (b) the receipt of approval from the FDA of an sNDA in respect of the use of BXCL501 for (x) the acute treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia in adults and (y) the acute treatment of agitation associated with bipolar I or II disorder in adults, in each case, in the community/at home setting without the requirement for administration under the supervision of a healthcare provider, and (ii) the total pro forma indebtedness outstanding under the Credit Agreement as a percentage of our trailing 30-day market capitalization being less than 30%; and
● A $50,000 “Tranche D” term loan available upon satisfaction of the following conditions on or before December 31, 2025: (i) the conditions precedent to the borrowing of Tranche C (as described in the preceding bullet point) have been satisfied, and (ii) our total net revenue attributable to sales of BXCL501 (for the avoidance of doubt, including any revenues attributable to use of BXCL501 for opioid withdrawal) for the trailing twelve consecutive month period exceeding a specified amount.
The Second Amendment also modified the interest rate of the loans provided under the Credit Agreement to be a floating rate per annum equal to the secured overnight financing rate (“SOFR”) (subject to a SOFR floor of 2.5% and a cap of 5.5%) plus 7.5%.
Following the Second Amendment, we must also comply with certain covenants under the Credit Agreement, including a financial covenant that requires we maintain a minimum cash liquidity amount of $15,000 (or higher upon certain events) and a modified minimum revenue requirement measured on a quarterly basis based on the revenue attributable to BXCL501 for the six consecutive month period ending on the last day of the relevant quarter (the “Revenue Covenant”), subject to cure payments of not less than $1,000 if we fail to meet the minimum revenue requirement. The Revenue Covenant applies beginning with the six-month period ending on December 31, 2024. If we
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fail to meet the minimum Revenue Covenant for the preceding six-month periods ending on December 31, 2024, March 31, 2025, June 30, 2025 and September 30, 2025, we could be required to make revenue cure payments of up to $4,500, $6,200, $8,500, and $8,500, respectively, plus aggregate prepayment fees of $1,900. Under the Credit Agreement, these cure payments would be due on April 21, 2025, June 6, 2025, September 5, 2025 and December 8, 2025, respectively. We are only permitted to make cure payments for revenue shortfalls up to three times during the term of the Credit Agreement, after which we would default on the Credit Agreement if we are unable to satisfy the minimum revenue requirement for any subsequent fiscal quarter. As of December 31, 2023, we had aggregate principal indebtedness of $102,680 outstanding under the Credit Agreement.
In connection with the closing of the Second Amendment, we amended and restated the Original Warrants granted to the Lenders on April 19, 2022 to purchase up to 278 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $20.04 per share. Pursuant to the amendment and restatement of the Original Warrants, dated December 5, 2023 (the “Amended and Restated Original Warrants”), the exercise price of the Original Warrants has been reduced to $3.6452 per share, which represents the arithmetic average of the volume-weighted average price of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market during the 30 trading days preceding the Second Amendment Effective Date. In addition, the Company granted new warrants to the Lenders to purchase up to 70 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “2023 Warrant Shares”) at an exercise price of $3.6452 per share (the “2023 Warrants”). The Original Warrants and the 2023 Warrants will expire on April 19, 2029 and may be net exercised at the holder’s election.
On the “Effective Date, we entered into the Fourth Amendment to the Credit Agreement (“the Fourth Amendment”), pursuant to which the Lenders waived the covenant that we not receive a report and opinion from our independent registered public accounting firm that contains a “going concern” or similar qualification with respect to our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023. Accordingly, while our independent registered public accounting firm’s report contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K contains a “going concern” explanatory paragraph, it does not constitute an event of default under the Credit Agreement.
The Fourth Amendment includes covenants that we will receive, (i) after the Effective Date and on or before April 15, 2024, at least $25,000 in gross proceeds from the issuance of our common stock, warrants and/or pre-funded warrants, and/or in non-refundable cash consideration from partnering transactions entered into after the Effective Date (so long as such partnering transactions would not require us or any of our subsidiaries to make any cash investments in connection with the partnering transactions and no such cash investments are made), and (ii) after the Effective Date and on or before November 30, 2024, at least $50,000 (for the avoidance of doubt, inclusive of amounts previously counted toward the preceding clause (i)) in gross proceeds from the issuance of our common stock, warrants and/or pre-funded warrants, and/or in cash and/or non-cash consideration (measured at fair market value, as determined by the Administrative Agent (as defined in the Credit Agreement) in its sole discretion ) from partnering transactions entered into after the Effective Date. Failure to perform this covenant would constitute (A) a default under the Credit Agreement and (B) an event of default under the Credit Agreement, subject to a cure period, in the case of clause (i) of the preceding sentence, until May 15, 2024 (for the avoidance of doubt, failure to perform clause (ii) would constitute an immediate event of default under the Credit Agreement without any cure or grace period).
In addition, the Fourth Amendment provides that if we have not, after the Effective Date and on or before September 30, 2024, received at least $40,000 in gross proceeds from the issuance of our common stock, warrants and/or pre-funded warrants, and/or cash and/or non-cash consideration (measured at fair market value, as determined by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion) from partnering transactions entered into after the Effective Date, the “Minimum Liquidity Amount” (as defined in the Credit Agreement) that we are required to maintain at all times will increase to $25,000 from $15,000, unless and until we have received, after the Effective Date and on or before November 30, 2024, at least $50,000 in gross proceeds from the issuance of our common stock, warrants and/or pre-funded warrants, and/or in cash and/or non-cash consideration (measured at fair market value, as determined by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion) from partnering transactions entered into after the Effective Date.
In connection with the Fourth Amendment, on the Effective Date, we granted new warrants to the Lenders to purchase up to 100 shares of our common stock (the “2024 Warrant Shares”) at an exercise price of $3.0723 per share (the “2024 Warrants”), which represents a 10% premium over the arithmetic average of the volume-weighted average
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price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market during the 30 trading days preceding the Effective Date. The 2024 Warrants will expire on April 19, 2029 and may be net exercised at the holder’s election.
In addition, pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Lenders have the right to purchase shares of our common stock, so long as borrowings under the Credit Agreement are outstanding, for a purchase price of $5,000 at a price per share equal to a 10% premium to the volume-weighted average price of the common stock over the 30 trading days prior to the Lenders’ election to proceed with such equity investment (the “Equity Investment Right”). We entered into a registration rights agreement with the Lenders (as amended and restated in connection with the Second Amendment, the “Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement”) and filed registration statements on Form S-3 to register the shares issuable upon exercise of the Original Warrants, 2023 Warrants and, if issued, the shares related to the Equity Investment Right, for resale. The maximum shares of our common stock issuable under the Original Warrants, the 2023 Warrants and the Lenders’ Equity Investment Right is 5,852. On the Effective Date, we further amended and restated the Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement (the “Second Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement”) with the Lenders. Pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, we agreed to register the 2024 Warrant Shares for resale.
As part of entering into the Credit Agreement, OnkosXcel, a wholly owned subsidiary of BTI, granted the OnkosXcel Warrants to the Lenders to purchase 175 individual limited liability company units. The strike price of the OnkosXcel Warrants is formulaic based on the value of OnkosXcel at the time of exercise and can only be exercised upon occurrence of an equity related liquidity event for OnkosXcel of at least $20,000. The exercise price per unit of the OnkosXcel Warrants will be set upon the earlier of the closing of the next sale (or series of related sales) by OnkosXcel of equity securities of OnkosXcel with aggregate proceeds of not less than $20,000 to unrelated third parties (the “Next Equity Financing”) at an exercise price per unit equal to a 10% premium over the price per unit of the equity securities sold by OnkosXcel in such Next Equity Financing or, in the event of a sale of OnkosXcel prior to the Next Equity Financing or an initial public offering constituting the Next Equity Financing, the lesser of (x) 75% of the fair value of the consideration to be paid for a unit upon the consummation of such transaction and (y) 150% of the valuation applicable to the initial profits units issued by OnkosXcel after the closing of the Credit Agreement. The OnkosXcel Warrants are transferable with approval from BTI, which cannot be unreasonably withheld, expire on April 19, 2029, and may be net exercised at the holder’s election.
See Note 9, Debt and Credit Facilities and Note 19, Subsequent Events in the notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information relating to the Credit Agreement and RIFA, including applicable interest rates, payment obligations and certain restrictive and financial covenants thereunder. As of December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with all restrictive and financial covenants under the Credit Agreement, other than the “going concern” covenant described above as to which the Lenders have waived compliance.
ATM Program
In May 2021, we entered into the Sale Agreement with Jefferies pursuant to which we could offer and sell shares of our common stock, having an aggregate offering price of up to $100,000, from time to time, through an “at the market offering” program under which Jefferies will act as sale agent. On November 1, 2023, we entered into an amendment to the Sale Agreement with Jefferies to increase the size of the “at the market offering” program; pursuant to the Sale Agreement, as amended, we can offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $150,000 (excluding any shares of common stock already sold in the “at the market offering” program prior to the date of the amendment), from time to time, through an “at the market offering” program under which Jefferies will act as sale agent. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold 1,408 shares under the Sale Agreement for net proceeds of $26,221. We did not sell any shares, and no proceeds were received under the Sale Agreement during the year ended December 31, 2022. From January 1, 2024 through March 19, 2024, we sold 647 shares under the Sale Agreement for gross proceeds of $1,743 and received proceeds of $1,691, net of issuance costs of $52.
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Cash Flows
Year ended December 31,
2023
2022
Cash (used in) provided by:
Operating activities
$
(155,006)
$
(135,341)
Investing activities
$
(20)
$
(139)
Financing activities
$
26,522
$
96,237
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $155,006 and was primarily attributable to our net loss of $179,053 and a $3,219 decrease in accounts payable, accrued expenses, due to related parties, and other current liabilities, partially offset by a $2,888 decrease in prepaid expenses, other current assets and other assets, $18,614 in non-cash stock-based compensation, and a $4,369 increase in accrued and payable in kind interest.
Net cash used in operating activities was $135,341 for the year ended December 31, 2022, and was primarily attributable to our $165,757 net loss, a $1,985 increase in inventory of IGALMI TM and a $3,905 increase in prepaid expenses, other current assets and other assets, partially offset by $17,337 in non-cash stock-based compensation, a $4,611 increase in accrued and payment in kind interest, and $13,030 increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses, due to related parties and other current liabilities.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023, was $20 and was primarily attributable to leasehold improvements.
Net cash used in investing activities was $139 for the year ended December 31, 2022, and was primarily attributable to the purchase of equipment and leasehold improvements.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023, was $26,522 and was primarily attributable to net proceeds of $26,221 from the sale of common stock under the Sale Agreement with Jefferies and net proceeds of $508 from the exercise of stock options.
Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, was $96,237 and was primarily attributable to $98,600 of proceeds received from the OFA Facilities, net of $2,646 of debt issuance costs and proceeds of $283 from the exercise of stock options.
Operating Capital and Capital Expenditure Requirements
We expect to continue to incur significant and increasing operating losses at least for the next several years as we commercialize IGALMI TM and as we expand our clinical trials of and seek marketing approval focused on BXCL501 while pursuing development of additional product candidates for BXCL502, BXCL701 and BXCL702. We expect to continue to incur net losses in the near term. Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year, depending on the timing of our planned clinical trials and our expenditures on other research and development activities.
We have based our projections of operating capital requirements on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, and we may use all of our available capital resources sooner than we expect. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with research, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products, we are unable to estimate the exact amount of our operating capital requirements. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially as we:
● continue our clinical development of our product candidates;
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● conduct additional research and development with our product candidates;
● seek to identify, acquire, license, develop and commercialize product candidates;
● integrate acquired technologies into a comprehensive regulatory and product development strategy;
● maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio;
● hire scientific, clinical, quality control and administrative personnel and utilize professional services, including consultants, lawyers, and accountants;
● add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our drug development and commercial efforts;
● seek regulatory approvals for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;
● fully develop a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure and scale up external manufacturing capabilities to commercialize IGALMI TM and any product candidates for which we may obtain regulatory approval; and
● continue to operate as a public company.
We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2023 will not be sufficient to enable us to fund operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months from the date of the issuance of the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including funding our ongoing research and development and commercialization efforts. In particular, after giving effect to the Reprioritization, we believe that our cash and cash equivalents of $65.2 million as of December 31, 2023 will allow us to fund our operations and meet our liquidity requirements into mid-2024, assuming we are able to comply with the covenants under our Credit Agreement. We expect that we will need to obtain substantial additional funding to fund our ongoing operations. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities, the ownership interests of our existing stockholders may be materially diluted, and the terms of these securities could include liquidation or other preferences that could adversely affect the rights of our existing stockholders. In addition, debt financing, if available, would result in increased fixed payment obligations and may involve agreements that include restrictive covenants that limit our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, or declaring dividends, which could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we could be forced to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development or commercialization of our product candidates, seek collaborators at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable or on terms that are less favorable than might otherwise be available, and relinquish or license, potentially on unfavorable terms, our rights to our product candidates that we otherwise would seek to develop or commercialize ourselves. To date, we have continued research and development activities while managing our cash position. However, we can provide no assurance that will be successful in obtaining additional necessary resources and, if we are unable to fund our operations, including our clinical trials, we may need to focus on advancing fewer of our product candidates or otherwise consider strategic alternatives.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
In April 2022, the Company signed a commercial supply agreement that requires minimum annual payments for the first three years of the agreement that in aggregate total $10,000 for the three-year period and the minimum commitment for 2024 is $5,000.
In February 2022, we signed a distribution agreement with a third party to distribute product related to BXCL501 in the U.S. The distributor will be paid defined fees for its services under the agreement, which can be terminated by either party for cause. The distribution agreement can also be terminated by us without cause, subject to payment of agreed termination fees.
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BTI leases office space for its corporate headquarters at 555 Long Wharf Drive, New Haven, Connecticut (the “HQ Lease”). The HQ Lease expires in February 2026. The Company has an option to renew the HQ Lease for one additional five-year term. Payments under the HQ Lease are fixed. The Company has approximately $837 of payments remaining under the HQ Lease. For additional details, see Note 13, Leases in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information relating to the Company’s leases.
In addition, we are obligated to make quarterly interest payments under our Credit Agreement. For additional details, see Note 9, Debt and Credit Facilities in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information relating to the Company’s debt payment obligations.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to exercise its judgment. We exercise considerable judgment with respect to establishing sound accounting policies and in making estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of our assets and liabilities, our recognition of revenues and expenses, and disclosure of commitments and contingencies at the date of the consolidated financial statements.
On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and judgments. We base our estimates and judgments on a variety of factors including our historical experience, knowledge of our business and industry, current and expected economic conditions, the attributes of our products and the regulatory environment. We periodically re-evaluate our estimates and assumptions with respect to these judgments and modify our approach when circumstances indicate that modifications are necessary.
While we believe that the factors we evaluate provide us with a meaningful basis for establishing and applying sound accounting policies, we cannot guarantee that the results will always be accurate. Since the determination of these estimates requires the exercise of judgment, actual results could differ from such estimates.
We define critical accounting policies as those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainty and which may potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. In applying these critical accounting policies, our management uses its judgment to determine the appropriate assumptions to be used in making certain estimates. These estimates are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty. Our critical accounting policies are noted below.
Stock Compensation
The Company has granted stock options, restricted stock units and profit units to employees, directors, and consultants, as well as warrants to other third parties. For employee, director and consultant awards, the value of each grant is estimated on the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Black-Scholes pricing model incorporates the volatility of the price of BTI’s stock, the risk-free interest rate, the estimated life of the award, the closing market price of the Company’s stock and the exercise price of the award. Management bases the Company’s estimates of stock price volatility on the historical volatility of the Company’s common stock, as well as a peer group of comparable companies. However, these estimates are neither predictive nor indicative of the future performance of the Company’s stock. For purposes of the calculation, management assumed that no dividends would be paid during the life of the stock awards. The estimates utilized in the Black-Scholes calculation involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management judgment.
Research and Development Expenses
As part of the process of preparing the Company’s consolidated financial statements, BTI’s management is required to estimate prepaid and accrued expenses, including research and development expenses. This process involves reviewing open contracts, communicating with personnel to identify services that have been performed on behalf of the Company and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for the service when BTI has not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of the actual cost. The majority of the Company’s service providers invoice BTI monthly for services performed or when contractual milestones are met. BTI management makes estimates of prepaid and/or accrued expenses, including research and development expenses, as of each reporting date in the
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Company’s consolidated financial statements based on facts and circumstances known to management at that time. BTI periodically confirms the accuracy of its estimates with the service providers and makes adjustments, if necessary. Examples of estimated accrued research and development expenses include fees paid to contract research organizations (“CROs”) in connection with clinical studies, amounts paid to contract manufacturing organizations, and fees paid to sites in connection with clinical trials.
The Company bases its expenses related to clinical studies on management’s estimates of the services received and efforts expended pursuant to contracts with multiple CROs that conduct and manage clinical trial studies on our behalf. The financial terms of these agreements are subject to an initial negotiation, vary from contract to contract and may result in uneven payment flows. There may be instances in which payments made to vendors exceed the level of services provided and result in a prepayment of the clinical expense. Payments under some of these contracts depend on factors such as the successful enrollment of patients and the completion of clinical trial milestones. In accruing certain service fees, BTI management estimates the time period over which services will be performed, enrollment of patients, number of sites activated and the level of effort to be expended in each period. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from management’s estimate, management will adjust the accrual or prepaid accordingly. Although the Company does not expect management’s estimates to be materially different from amounts actually incurred, management’s understanding of the status and timing of services performed relative to the actual status and timing of services performed may vary and may result in BTI reporting amounts that are too high or too low in any particular period.