Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM
2. 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 unaudited condensed
financial statements and the related notes appearing under Item 1 of Part I of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this “Quarterly
Report”). Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, including
information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business and expected financial results, includes forward-looking statements
that involve risks and uncertainties. You should review the “Risk Factors” discussed in Item 1A of Part II in this Quarterly
Report for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied
by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.
Overview
Celcuity
is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on development of targeted therapies for treatment of multiple solid tumor indications.
The Company’s lead therapeutic candidate is gedatolisib, a pan-PI3K/mTOR inhibitor. Its mechanism of action and pharmacokinetic
properties are highly differentiated from other currently approved and investigational therapies that target PI3K or mTOR alone or together.
The Company initiated VIKTORIA-1, a Phase 3 study evaluating gedatolisib in patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer in 2022. Its
CELsignia companion diagnostic platform is uniquely able to analyze live patient tumor cells to identify new groups of cancer patients
likely to benefit from already approved targeted therapies.
Gedatolisib
is a potent, well-tolerated, small molecule reversible dual inhibitor, administered intravenously, that selectively targets all class
I isoforms of PI3K and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). In April 2021, we obtained exclusive global development and commercialization
rights to gedatolisib under a license agreement with Pfizer, Inc. We believe gedatolisib’s unique mechanism of action, differentiated
chemical structure, favorable pharmacokinetic properties, and intravenous formulation offer distinct advantages over currently approved
and investigational therapies that target PI3K or mTOR alone or together.
● Overcomes
limitations of therapies that only inhibit a single class I PI3K isoform or only one mTOR
kinase complex
Gedatolisib
is a pan-class I isoform PI3K and mTOR inhibitor with low nanomolar potency for the p110α, p110β, p110γ, and
p110δ isoforms and mTORC1 and mTORC2 complexes. Each PI3K isoform and mTOR complex is known to preferentially affect different
signal transduction events that involve tumor cell survival, depending upon the aberrations associated with the linked pathway. When
a therapy only inhibits a single class I isoform (e.g., alpelisib, a PI3K-α inhibitor) or only one mTOR kinase complex (e.g.,
everolimus, an mTORC1 inhibitor), numerous feedforward and feedback loops between the PI3K isoforms and mTOR complexes
cross-activates the uninhibited sub-units. This, in turn, induces compensatory resistance that reduces the efficacy of isoform
specific PI3K or single mTOR kinase complex inhibitors. Inhibiting all four PI3K isoforms and both mTOR complexes, as gedatolisib
does, thus prevents the confounding effect of isoform interaction that may occur with isoform-specific PI3K inhibitors and the
confounding interaction between PI3K isoforms and mTOR.
● Better
tolerated by patients than oral PI3K and mTOR drugs
Gedatolisib
is administered intravenously (IV) on a four-week cycle of three weeks-on, one week-off, in contrast to the orally administered pan-PI3K
or dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors that are no longer being clinically developed. Oral pan-PI3K or PI3K/mTOR inhibitors have repeatably been
found to induce significant side effects that were not well tolerated by patients. This typically leads to a high proportion of patients
requiring dose reductions or treatment discontinuation. The challenging toxicity profile of these drug candidates ultimately played a
significant role in the decisions to halt their development, despite showing promising efficacy. By contrast, gedatolisib stabilizes
at lower concentration levels in plasma compared to orally administered PI3K inhibitors, resulting in less toxicity, while maintaining
concentrations sufficient to inhibit PI3K/mTOR signaling.
Isoform-specific
PI3K inhibitors administered orally were developed to reduce toxicities in patients. While the range of toxicities associated with isoform-specific
inhibitors is narrower than oral pan-PI3K or PI3K/mTOR inhibitors, administering them orally on a continuous basis still leads to challenging
toxicities. The experience with an FDA approved oral p110-α specific inhibitor, Piqray, illustrates the challenge. In its Phase
3 pivotal trial Piqray was found to induce a Grade 3 or 4 adverse event (AE) related to hyperglycemia in 39% of patients evaluated. In
addition, 26% of patients discontinued alpelisib due to treatment related adverse events. By contrast, in the 103-patient dose expansion
portion of the Phase 1b clinical trial with gedatolisib, only 7% of patients experienced Grade 3 or 4 hyperglycemia and less than 10%
discontinued treatment.
As
of September 30, 2022, 492 patients with solid tumors have received gedatolisib in eight clinical trials sponsored by Pfizer. Of the
492 patients, 129 were treated with gedatolisib as a single agent in three clinical trials. The remaining 363 patients received gedatolisib
in combination with other anti-cancer agents in five clinical trials. Additional patients received gedatolisib in combination with other
anti-cancer agents in nine investigator sponsored clinical trials.
15
A
Phase 1b trial (B2151009) evaluating patients with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer was initiated in 2016 and subsequently enrolled
138 patients. Nine patients from this study continue to receive study treatment, as of September 30, 2022, each of whom have received
study treatment for more than three years. The B2151009 clinical trial was an open label, multiple arm Phase 1b study that evaluated
gedatolisib in combination with palbociclib (CDK4/6 inhibitor) and fulvestrant or letrozole in patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast
cancer. Thirty-five patients were enrolled in two dose escalation arms to evaluate the safety and tolerability and to determine the maximum
tolerated dose (MTD) of gedatolisib when used in combination with the standard doses of palbociclib and endocrine therapy (letrozole
or fulvestrant). The MTD was determined to be 180 mg administered intravenously once weekly. A total of 103 patients were subsequently
enrolled in one of four expansion arms (A, B, C, D).
High
objective overall response rates (ORR) were observed in all four expansion arms and were comparable in each arm for PIK3CA WT and PIK3CA
MT patients. In treatment-naïve patients (Arm A), ORR was 85%. In patients who received prior hormonal therapy alone or in combination
with a CDK4/6 inhibitor (Arms B, C, and D), ORR ranged from 32% to 77%. Each arm achieved its primary endpoint target, which was reporting
higher ORR in the study arm than ORR from either the PALOMA-2 (ORR=55%) study that evaluated palbociclib plus letrozole for Arm A or
the PALOMA-3 study (ORR=25%) that evaluated palbociclib plus fulvestrant for Arms B, C, and D. For all enrolled patients, a clinical
benefit rate (CBR) of ≥79% was observed. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 31.1 months for patients receiving first-line
treatment (Arm A) and 12.9 months for patients who received a prior CDK4/6 inhibitor and were treated in the study with the Phase 3 dosing
schedule (Arm D).
Gedatolisib
combined with palbociclib and endocrine therapy demonstrated a favorable safety profile with manageable toxicity. The majority of treatment
emergent adverse events were Grade 1 and 2. The most frequently observed adverse events included stomatitis/mucosal inflammation, the
majority of which were Grade 1 and 2. The most common Grade 4 AEs were neutropenia and neutrophil count decrease, which were assessed
as related to treatment with palbociclib. No grade 5 events were reported in this study.
We
activated VIKTORIA-1, a Phase 3, open-label, randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two regimens in adults
with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer whose disease has progressed after prior CDK4/6 therapy in combination with an aromatase
inhibitor: 1) gedatolisib in combination with palbociclib and fulvestrant; and 2) gedatolisib in combination with fulvestrant. Two
hundred clinical sites in North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia have been selected to participate in the study.
The first clinical site was activated in the third quarter.
The
clinical trial will enable separate evaluation of subjects according to their PIK3CA status. Subjects who meet eligibility criteria and
are PIK3CA WT will be randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive a regimen of either gedatolisib, palbociclib, and fulvestrant (Arm A), gedatolisib
and fulvestrant (Arm B), or fulvestrant (Arm C). Subjects who meet eligibility criteria and are PIK3CA MT will be randomly assigned (3:3:1)
to receive a regimen of either gedatolisib, palbociclib, and fulvestrant (Arm D), alpelisib and fulvestrant (Arm E), or gedatolisib and
fulvestrant (Arm F).
Our
proprietary CELsignia diagnostic platform is the only commercially ready technology we are aware of that uses a patient’s living
tumor cells to identify the specific abnormal cellular process driving a patient’s cancer and the targeted therapy that best treats
it. This enables us to identify patients whose tumors may respond to a targeted therapy, even though they lack a previously associated
molecular mutation. By identifying cancer patients whose tumors lack an associated genetic mutation but have abnormal cellular activity
a matching targeted therapeutic is designed to inhibit, CELsignia CDx can expand the markets for a number of already approved targeted
therapies. Our current CDx identifies breast and ovarian cancer patients whose tumors have cancer drivers potentially responsive to treatment
with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2), mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-MET), or phosphatidylinositol
3-kinases (PI3K) targeted therapeutics. While U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approval or clearance is not currently
required for CELsignia tests offered as a stand-alone laboratory developed test, if we are partnered with a drug company to launch a
CELsignia test as a companion diagnostic for a new drug indication, we would be required to obtain premarket approval, or PMA, in conjunction
with the pharmaceutical company seeking a new drug approval for the matching therapy.
We
are supporting the advancement of new potential indications for four different targeted therapies, controlled by other pharmaceutical
companies, that would rely on a CELsignia CDx to select patients. Five Phase 2 trials are underway to evaluate the efficacy and safety
of these therapies in CELsignia selected patients. These patients are not currently eligible to receive these drugs and are not identifiable
with a molecular test.
Supporting
the development of a potential first-in-class targeted therapy for breast cancer, like gedatolisib, with our CELsignia platform is a
natural extension of our strategy to use our CELsignia CDx to enable new indications for other companies’ targeted therapies. By
combining companion diagnostics designed to enable proprietary new drug indications with targeted therapies that treat signaling dysregulation
our CDx identifies, we believe we are uniquely positioned to improve the standard-of-care for many early and late-stage breast cancer
patients. Our goal is to play a key role in the multiple treatment approaches required to treat breast cancer patients at various stages
of their disease. With each program, we are:
●
Leveraging the proprietary insights CELsignia provides
into live patient tumor cell function
●
Using a CELsignia CDx to identify new patients likely
to respond to the paired targeted therapy
●
Developing a new targeted therapeutic option for breast
cancer patients
●
Maximizing the probability of getting regulatory approval
to market the targeted therapy indication
16
Recent
Developments
On
August 9, 2022, Celcuity amended its existing debt financing agreement with an affiliate of Innovatus Capital Partners, LLC (“Innovatus”)
to provide Celcuity with up to $75 million in term loans, a $50 million increase from the original debt financing agreement dated April
8, 2021. Celcuity received $15 million at the closing of the original agreement in April 2021. Celcuity will be able to draw an additional
$20 million tranche following closing the of the $100 million private placement. Celcuity will be able to draw on two additional tranches
of $10 million each and one additional tranche of $20 million upon achievement of certain clinical trial milestones and satisfaction
of certain financial covenants determined on a pro forma as-funded basis. Funding of these additional tranches is also subject to other
customary conditions and limits on when the Company can request funding for such tranches. Celcuity is entitled to make interest only
payments for the 48-month period from the original agreement date or for the 60-month period from the original agreement date if certain
conditions are met. The loans will mature on April 8, 2027, the sixth anniversary of the initial funding date. Innovatus has the right
to convert outstanding principal into shares of Celcuity common stock until the third anniversary of the loan amendment date, with such
amount limited to an aggregate of up to $6.5 million assuming all tranches are funded. The loan is secured by all of Celcuity’s
assets.
Celcuity
completed selection of clinical trial sites for the Phase 3 VIKTORIA-1 clinical trial. The 200-sites selected exceeded the number of
sites initially targeted. Operational activities are focused now on facilitating activation of these sites
and to dose the first patient. The clinical trial protocol was updated to include an additional study arm
(Arm F) to evaluate gedatolisib plus fulvestrant in 50 patients who have PIK3CA mutations. This update was made in response to a
recommendation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) that the study arms for PIK3CA mutated patients mirror the same study arms
for PIK3CA non-mutated patients. No changes were made to the primary endpoints. VIKTORIA-1 will evaluate the safety and efficacy of
gedatolisib in combination with fulvestrant with or without palbociclib in adults with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer whose
disease progressed while receiving prior CDK4/6 therapy. Further details about the study are available at ClinicalTrials.gov.
On
July 18, 2022, gedatolisib was granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer after progression on CDK4/6
therapy. Breakthrough Therapy designation is granted by the FDA to expedite the development and regulatory review of an investigational
medicine that is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening condition. The criteria for Breakthrough Therapy designation require
preliminary clinical evidence that demonstrates the drug may have substantial improvement on one or more clinically significant endpoints
over available therapy. The benefits of Breakthrough Therapy Designation include more intensive guidance from the FDA on an efficient
development program, access to a scientific liaison to help accelerate review time, and potential eligibility for priority review if
relevant criteria are met. Celcuity’s breakthrough application was supported by data from a Phase 1b study that assessed the safety,
tolerability and clinical activity of gedatolisib in combination with palbociclib and fulvestrant in patients with HR+/HER2- metastatic
breast cancer whose disease progressed during treatment with a CDK4/6 therapy and an aromatase inhibitor.
On
May 15, 2022, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain institutional and other accredited investors for
the sale of Company common stock, preferred stock that may be convertible into common stock and warrants initially exercisable for preferred
stock for $100 million in the aggregate, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses. Pursuant to the securities
purchase agreement, investors will purchase shares of common stock and preferred stock at a price per share of $5.75 (on an as converted
to common stock basis). For each share of common stock and each 1/10 of a share of preferred stock purchased, investors will receive
a warrant exercisable for 0.40 shares of common stock. The exercise price of the warrants will be at a 40% premium to the price paid
by investors for the initial shares of common stock purchased in the private placement. The preferred stock will be convertible into
common stock at the holder’s election, subject to certain limitations such as beneficial ownership. The closing of the private
placement is conditioned on, among other customary items, the first patient enrolled in the Company’s Phase 3 clinical
study (VIKTORIA-1) having received their first dose of treatment at a clinical site located in the United States, provided that if such
date does not occur on or before December 31, 2022, each investor will have the right to terminate its obligation to purchase securities
under the securities purchase agreement. The Company also entered into a customary registration rights agreement with the investors pursuant
to which it agreed to file a registration statement with the SEC registering the resale of (i) the shares of common stock to be issued
and sold in the private placement, (ii) the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the preferred stock purchased in the private
placement and (iii) the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the shares of preferred stock that may be issued upon exercise
of warrants purchased in the private placement.
17
Impact
of COVID-19 on our Business
Although
we have largely returned to normal operations in our facility, the COVID-19 pandemic continues and its effect on our operations and financial
condition will depend in large part on future developments which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. Future developments include
the duration, scope and severity of the pandemic, the emergence of new virus variants that are more contagious or harmful than prior
variants, actions taken by governmental authorities, suppliers, clinical trial sites, and other business partners to contain or mitigate
the pandemic’s impact, and the potential adverse effects on the suppliers, labor market and general economic activity.
As
we continue to advance our clinical trial collaborations, we remain in close contact with our current clinical sponsors, and principal
investigators, as well as prospective pharmaceutical company and clinical collaborators, to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on our trial
enrollment timelines and collaboration discussions. We experienced delays in the enrollment of patients in our ongoing clinical trials
and now expect interim results from two of our CELsignia Phase 2 clinical trials, FACT-1 and FACT-2 to be delayed until mid-2023 and
final results approximately nine months later. We could experience further delays in clinical trials and collaborations with pharmaceutical
companies and sponsors if new variants emerge or if the spread of COVID-19 once again accelerates. Due to the inherent uncertainty associated
with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are unable to predict the impact the pandemic may have on our clinical trial work and overall financial
condition.
Results
of Operations
We
have not generated any revenue from sales to date, and we continue to incur significant research and development and other expenses related
to our ongoing operations. As a result, we are not and have never been profitable and have incurred losses in each period since our inception
in 2012. For the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, we reported a net loss of approximately $10.9 million and $6.0 million,
respectively and for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, we reported a net loss of approximately $28.8 million and $22.9
million, respectively. As of September 30, 2022, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $84.7 million. As of September
30, 2022, we had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $57.5 million.
Components
of Operating Results
Revenue
To
date, we have not generated any revenue. With the execution of the Pfizer license agreement in April 2021, whereby we acquired exclusive
world-wide licensing rights to develop and commercialize gedatolisib, we expect to conduct clinical trials to support potential regulatory
approval to market gedatolisib. If we obtain regulatory approvals to market gedatolisib, we expect to generate revenue from sales of
the drug for the treatment of breast cancer patients. Additionally, we will seek to generate revenue from partnership agreements with
pharmaceutical companies to provide companion diagnostics for such pharmaceutical partners’ existing or investigational targeted
therapies. If a new drug indication is received that requires use of our companion diagnostic to identify eligible patients, we expect
to generate revenues from sales of tests to treating physicians.
Research
and Development
Since
our inception, we have primarily focused on research and development of our CELsignia platform, development and validation of our CELsignia
tests, and research related to the discovery of new cancer sub-types. Beginning in April 2021, we are also focusing on development of
gedatolisib, a PI3K/mTOR targeted therapy. Research and development expenses primarily include:
● employee-related
expenses related to our research and development activities, including salaries, benefits,
recruiting, travel and stock-based compensation expenses;
● laboratory
supplies;
● consulting
fees paid to third parties;
● clinical
trial costs;
● validation
costs for gedatolisib;
● facilities
expenses; and
● legal
costs associated with patent applications.
Internal
and external research and development costs are expensed as they are incurred. As we continue development of gedatolisib, manage the
VIKTORIA-1 Phase 3 trial and other clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of targeted therapies in cancer patients selected with one
of our CELsignia tests, the proportion of research and development expenses allocated to external spending will grow at a faster rate
than expenses allocated to internal expenses.
General
and Administrative
General
and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation related to our executive, finance and
support functions. Other general and administrative expenses include professional fees for auditing, tax, and legal services associated
with being a public company, director and officer insurance, investor relations and travel expenses for our general and administrative
personnel.
18
Sales
and Marketing
Sales
and marketing expenses consist primarily of professional and consulting fees related to these functions. To date, we have incurred immaterial
sales and marketing expenses as we continue to focus primarily on the development of our first drug, gedatolisib, CELsignia platform
and corresponding CELsignia tests. We would expect to begin to incur increased sales and marketing expenses in anticipation of the commercialization
of our first drug, gedatolisib, and CELsignia tests. These increased expenses are expected to include payroll-related costs as we add
employees in the commercial departments, costs related to the initiation and operation of our sales and distribution network and marketing
related costs.
Interest
Expense
Interest
expense is primarily due to a Loan Agreement and finance lease obligations.
Interest
Income
Interest
income consists of interest income earned on our cash and cash equivalent balances.
Results
of Operations
Comparison
of the Three Months Ended September 30, 2022 and 2021
Three Months Ended
September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
2022
2021
$
Percent Change
Statements of Operations Data:
Operating expenses:
Research and development
$ 9,621,505
$ 4,960,515
$ 4,660,990
94 %
General and administrative
1,022,050
639,271
382,779
60 %
Total operating expenses
10,643,555
5,599,786
5,043,769
90 %
Loss from operations
(10,643,555 )
(5,599,786 )
(5,043,769 )
90 %
Other income (expense)
Interest expense
(537,661 )
(433,072 )
(104,589 )
24 %
Interest income
287,495
5,612
281,883
5,023 %
Other income (expense), net
(250,166 )
(427,460 )
177,294
(41 )%
Net loss before income taxes
(10,893,721 )
(6,027,246 )
(4,866,475 )
81 %
Income tax benefits
-
-
-
- %
Net loss
$ (10,893,721 )
$ (6,027,246 )
$ (4,866,475 )
81 %
Comparison
of the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 and 2021
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
2022
2021
$
Percent Change
Statements of Operations Data:
Operating expenses:
Research and development
$ 24,685,505
$ 20,266,965
$ 4,418,540
22 %
General and administrative
3,066,382
1,768,058
1,298,324
73 %
Total operating expenses
27,751,887
22,035,023
5,716,864
26 %
Loss from operations
(27,751,887 )
(22,035,023 )
(5,716,864 )
26 %
Other income (expense)
Interest expense
(1,428,108 )
(824,283 )
(603,825 )
73 %
Interest income
391,301
7,803
383,498
4,915 %
Loss on sale of fixed assets
-
(263 )
263
n/a %
Other income (expense), net
(1,036,807 )
(816,743 )
(220,064 )
27 %
Net loss before income taxes
(28,788,694 )
(22,851,766 )
(5,936,928 )
26 %
Income tax benefits
-
-
-
- %
Net loss
$ (28,788,694 )
$ (22,851,766 )
$ (5,936,928 )
26 %
19
Research
and Development
Our
research and development expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2022 were approximately $9.6 million, representing an increase
of approximately $4.7 million, or 94%, compared to the same period in 2021. Of the $4.7 million increase in research and development
expenses, $1.2 million was related to increased employee and consulting expenses, of which $0.2 million was in the form of non-cash stock-based
compensation. The remaining $3.5 million increase of research and development expenses is primarily related to costs for existing clinical
trials and for activities supporting the initiation of the VIKTORIA-1 pivotal trial.
Our
research and development expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 were approximately $24.7 million, representing an increase
of approximately $4.4 million, or 22%, compared to the same period in 2021. Included in the $4.4 million increase is a $10 million reduction
in gedatolisib licensing related expenses offset by increases of $14.4 million in other research and development expenses. In the 2021
period, research and development expenses included a $10.0 million upfront license fee related to the execution of the Pfizer license
agreement while there were no licensing agreement expenses for gedatolisib in 2022. Of the $14.4 million increase in research and development
expense, $4.2 million was related to increased employee and consulting expenses, of which $0.9 million was in the form of non-cash stock-based
compensation. The remaining $10.2 million increase of research and development expenses is related to costs for existing clinical trials
and for activities supporting the initiation of the VIKTORIA-1 pivotal trial.
Conducting
a significant amount of research and development is central to our business model. We plan to increase our research and development expenses
for the foreseeable future as we seek to develop gedatolisib, discover new cancer sub-types, and develop and validate additional CELsignia
tests to diagnose such sub-types. We also expect to incur increased expenses to support companion diagnostic business development activities
with pharmaceutical companies as we develop additional CELsignia tests and initiate a clinical trial for gedatolisib.
General
and Administrative
Our
general and administrative expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2022 were approximately $1.0 million, representing an increase
of approximately $0.4 million, or 60%, compared to the same period in 2021. Employee related expenses accounted for $0.3 million of the
$0.4 million increase, including approximately $0.3 million in non-cash stock-based compensation. The remaining $0.1 million increase
of general and administrative expenses resulted from director and officer insurance and other professional fees associated with being
a public company.
Our
general and administrative expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 were approximately $3.1 million, representing an increase
of approximately $1.3 million, or 73%, compared to the same period in 2021. Employee related expenses accounted for $1.1 million of the
$1.3 million increase, including approximately $0.9 million in non-cash stock-based compensation. The remaining $0.2 million of the increase
resulted from director and officer insurance and other professional fees associated with being a public company.
We
anticipate that our general and administrative expenses will increase in future periods, reflecting both increased costs in connection
with the potential future commercialization of gedatolisib and CELsignia tests, an expanding infrastructure, and increased professional
fees associated with being a public company.
20
Interest
Expense
Interest
expense for the three months ended September 30, 2022 was $0.5 million and represents an increase of $0.1 million, or 24%, compared to
the same period in 2021. The increase is due to a higher interest rate on the loan.
Interest
expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $1.4 million and represents an increase of $0.6 million, or 73%, compared to
the same period in 2021. The increase is due to the loan agreement being in place for the entire nine-month period in 2022 rather than
for only a fraction of the period in 2021 and a higher interest rate on the loan.
Interest
Income
Interest
income for the three months ended September 30, 2022 was $0.3 million higher compared to the same period in 2021. The increase was due
to higher market interest rates.
Interest
income for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $0.4 million higher compared to the same period in 2021. The increase was due
to higher market interest rates.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Since
our inception, we have incurred losses and cumulative negative cash flows from operations. Through September 30, 2022, we have
raised capital of approximately $13.7 million and $7.5 million through private placements of common equity and unsecured convertible
notes, respectively. On September 22, 2017, we closed on the initial public offering of our common stock, which generated
approximately $ 23.3 million of additional cash after taking into account underwriting
discounts and commissions and offering expenses. On June 5, 2020, we entered into an At Market Issuance Sales Agreement with B.
Riley, FBR, Inc (the “ATM Agreement”). The ATM Agreement allowed us to sell shares of common stock up to an aggregate
offering price of $10.0 million. Through September 30, 2022, we generated approximately $0.1 million of additional cash through
sales pursuant to the ATM Agreement, after taking into account commissions and offering expenses. On February 26, 2021, we completed
a follow-on offering of our common stock, which generated approximately $25.8 million of additional cash after taking into account
underwriting discounts and offering expenses. In conjunction with the follow-on offering, the ATM Agreement was terminated. On April
8, 2021, we entered into a loan agreement with Innovatus Life Sciences Lending Fund I, LP (“Innovatus”), whereby
Innovatus agreed to loan up to $25 million in three tranches consisting of (i) a $15.0 million non-contingent term A loan that was
funded on April 8, 2021, (ii) a $5 million term B loan with a deadline of March 31, 2022 and we are no longer eligible to draw on,
and (iii) a $5 million term C loan to be funded upon our request no later than March 31, 2023. Funding of the term C loan is subject
to our ability to achieve certain milestones. On July 1, 2021, we completed a follow-on offering of our common stock, which
generated approximately $52.8 million of additional cash after taking into account underwriting discounts of approximately $3.4
million and offering expenses of approximately $0.1 million.
On
February 4, 2022, we entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement SM with Jefferies LLC, as agent, pursuant to which we may offer
and sell, from time to time, through Jefferies, shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000. On
October 12, 2022, pursuant to this agreement, the Company sold 500,000 shares of common stock in a single transaction at a price
of $10.35 per share, generating gross proceeds of $5.2 million ($4.8 million net of commissions and offering expenses).
On
May 15, 2022, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain institutional and other accredited investors for the sale
of Company common stock, preferred stock that may be convertible into common stock and warrants exercisable for common stock for $100
million in the aggregate, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses. Pursuant to the securities purchase agreement,
investors will purchase shares of common stock and preferred stock at a price per share of $5.75 (on an as converted to common stock
basis), with the closing (funding) of such purchase to occur following the achievement of a milestone in our Phase 3 study
(VIKTORIA-1). The sale of shares of common stock includes forty percent (40%) warrant coverage and customary resale registration rights.
Please see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Recent Developments”
above for additional details.
On
August 9, 2022, the Company amended the loan agreement with Innovatus to provide up to $75 million in term loans. As mentioned above,
the initial term A loan of $15 million was funded on April 8, 2021. Th Company will be able to draw an additional $20 million following
the closing of the $100 million private placement. Additionally, the Company will be able to draw on two additional tranches of $10 million
and one additional tranche of $20 million upon achievement of certain clinical trial milestones and satisfaction of certain financial
covenants determined on a pro forma as-funded basis. Funding of these additional tranches is also subject to other customary conditions
and limits on when the Company can request funding for such tranches.
Cash
from our historical capital raising activities has been our primary source of funds for our operations since inception. As of September
30, 2022, our cash and cash equivalents were approximately $57.5 million, and we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $84.7 million.
21
We
expect that our research and development and general and administrative expenses will increase as we continue to develop gedatolisib,
conduct research related to the discovery of new cancer sub-types, conduct clinical trials, and pursue other business development activities.
We would also expect to incur sales and marketing expenses as we commercialize gedatolisib and our CELsignia tests. We expect to use
cash on hand, together with the funds to be received under the securities purchase agreement described above, to fund our research and
development expenses, clinical trial costs, capital expenditures, working capital, sales and marketing expenses, and general corporate
expenses.
Based
on our current business plan, we believe that our current cash on hand will provide sufficient cash to finance operations and pay obligations
when due for at least the next twelve months.
We
may seek to raise additional capital to expand our business, pursue strategic investments, and take advantage of financing or other opportunities
that we believe to be in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders. Additional capital may be raised through the sale of
common or preferred equity or convertible debt securities, entry into debt facilities or other third-party funding arrangements. The
sale of equity and convertible debt securities may result in dilution to our stockholders and those securities may have rights senior
to those of our common shares. Agreements entered into in connection with such capital raising activities could contain covenants that
would restrict our operations or require us to relinquish certain rights. Additional capital may not be available on reasonable terms,
or at all.
Cash
Flows
The
following table sets forth the primary sources and uses of cash for the nine months ended September 30:
September 30,
2022
2021
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities
$ (26,528,911 )
$ (14,187,938 )
Investing activities
(46,724 )
(71,459 )
Financing activities
(226,970 )
92,988,298
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
$ (26,802,605 )
$ 78,728,901
Operating
Activities
Net
cash used in operating activities was approximately $26.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and consisted primarily
of a net loss of approximately $28.8 million and working capital changes of approximately $2.0 million, offset by non-cash expense
items of approximately $4.3 million. The approximately $2.0 million of working capital changes was primarily due to an increase of approximately
$5.9 million in prepaid assets, partially offset by increases in accounts payable and accrued expenses of approximately $1.6 million
and $2.3 million, respectively. Non-cash expense items of approximately $4.3 million primarily consisted of approximately $3.5 million
of stock-based compensation expense, non-cash interest expense of approximately $0.6 million and depreciation expense of approximately
$0.2 million.
Net
cash used in operating activities was approximately $14.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and consisted primarily
of a net loss of approximately $22.9 million, offset by non-cash expense items of approximately $7.3 million and working capital
changes of $1.4 million. Non-cash expense items of approximately $7.3 million primarily consisted of $5.0 million for issuance of common
stock related to a license agreement, stock-based compensation expense of approximately $1.7 million, non-cash interest expense of approximately
$0.4 million and depreciation expense of approximately $0.2 million. The approximately $1.4 million of working capital changes was primarily
due to an increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses.
Investing
Activities
Net
cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 were minimal and consisted of purchases of property
and equipment.
22
Financing
Activities
Net
cash used in financing activities was approximately $0.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and consisted of payments
for secondary registration statement costs, offset partially by proceeds from the exercise of employee stock options and proceeds from
employee stock purchases.
Net
cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 was approximately $93.0 million. The $93.0 million
primarily consisted of approximately $78.5 million from net proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock through two follow-on
offerings and approximately $14.4 million from net proceeds related to the closing of a loan agreement. The remaining $0.1 million was
the result of proceeds from the exercise of common stock warrants and employee stock options and proceeds from employee stock purchases.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
From
time-to-time new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other standard setting bodies and
adopted by us as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed in Note 2 to our unaudited condensed financial statements
included in Item 1 of Part I of this Quarterly Report, we believe that the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective
will not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations upon adoption.
Critical
Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates
Our
management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is based on our unaudited condensed financial
statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities
at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported expenses during the reporting periods. These items are monitored and
analyzed by us for changes in facts and circumstances, and material changes in these estimates could occur in the future. We base our
estimates on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances; the results of
which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other
sources. Changes in estimates are reflected in reported results for the period in which they become known. Actual results may differ
materially from these estimates.
Our
significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 to our unaudited condensed financial statements included in Item 1
of Part I of this Quarterly Report.
Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act
The
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “safe harbor” for forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
information is included in this Quarterly Report and in other materials filed or to be filed by us with the SEC (as well as information
included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by us). Forward-looking statements include all statements
based on future expectations. This Quarterly Report contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties including,
but not limited to, (i) our clinical trial plans and the estimated costs for such trials, including the timing of activating a
Phase 3 clinical trial for gedatolisib and enrolling patients in such trial; (ii) our expectations with respect to costs and timelines
to develop, validate and launch CELsignia tests and to continue to develop gedatolisib; (iii) our beliefs related to the perceived advantages
of our CELsignia tests compared to traditional molecular or other diagnostic tests; (iv) the expected benefits of gedatolisib; (v) our
expectations regarding the timeline of patient enrollment and results from clinical trials, including the existing clinical trial for
gedatolisib; (vi) the future payments that may be owed to Pfizer under the license agreement; (vii) our expectations regarding partnering
with pharmaceutical companies and other third parties; (viii) our expectations regarding revenue from sales of CELsignia tests and revenue
from milestone or other payment sources; (ix) our plans with respect to research and development and related expenses for the foreseeable
future; (x) our expectations regarding business development activities, including companion diagnostic related activities with pharmaceutical
companies, expanding our sales and marketing functions and the costs associated with such activities; (xi) our expectations with respect
to the CELsignia tests and the analytical capabilities and potential impact of such tests; (xii) our beliefs regarding the ability of
our cash on hand to fund our research and development expenses, capital expenditures, working capital, sales and marketing expenses,
and general corporate expenses, as well as the increased costs associated with being a public company; (xiii) our expectations with respect
to closing on our $100 million private placement announced May 16, 2022 and our plans with respect to potentially raising capital; and
(xiv) our expectations regarding the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic effects will have on our business and results
of operations.
In
some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,”
“could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “ongoing,” “plan,”
“potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would,”
or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking
statements are only predictions and are not guarantees of performance. These statements are based on our management’s beliefs and
assumptions, which in turn are based on their interpretation of currently available information.
23
These
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our results or our industry’s actual
results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these
forward-looking statements. Certain risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, our limited operating history;
the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business; our initial success being heavily dependent on the success of our CELsignia
HER2 Pathway Activity Test; our inability to develop and commercialize gedatolisib; our inability to determine whether our CELsignia
tests are currently commercially viable; challenges we may face in developing and maintaining relationships with pharmaceutical company
partners; the complexity and timeline for development of CELsignia tests and gedatolisib; the uncertainty and costs associated with clinical
trials; the uncertainty regarding market acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payors and others in the medical community,
and with the size of market opportunities available to us; the pricing of molecular and other diagnostic products and services that compete
with us; uncertainty with insurance coverage and reimbursement for our CELsignia tests; difficulties
we may face in managing growth, such as hiring and retaining a qualified sales force and attracting and retaining key personnel; changes
in government regulations; and obtaining and maintaining intellectual property protection for our technology and time and expense associated
with defending third-party claims of intellectual property infringement, investigations or litigation threatened or initiated against
us. These and additional risks, uncertainties and other factors are described more fully in Item 1A of Part II of this Quarterly
Report . Copies of filings made with the SEC are available through the SEC’s electronic data gathering analysis and retrieval system
(EDGAR) at www.sec.gov.
You
should read the cautionary statements made in this Quarterly Report as being applicable to all related forward-looking statements wherever
they appear in this Quarterly Report. We cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report will prove to
be accurate. Furthermore, if our forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. You should read this
Quarterly Report completely. Other than as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even
though our situation may change in the future.
ITEM
3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
As
a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide disclosure pursuant to this item.
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.