CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 10-K

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Index to Financial Statements Page Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 206 ) 41 Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 42 Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 43 Statements of Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 44 Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 45 Notes to Financial Statements 46 40 REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Opinion on the Financial Statements We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity (deficit), and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Going Concern Matter The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations and has a net capital deficiency that raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management's plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 2. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Basis for Opinion These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. /s/ MaloneBailey, LLP www.malonebailey.com We have served as the Company's auditor since 2019. Houston, Texas April 1, 2024 41 CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Balance Sheets December 31, 2023 December 31, 2022 Assets Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 548,721 $ 10,055,407 Deferred offering costs 202,859 – Prepaid expenses and other current assets 839,590 2,509,238 Total current assets 1,591,170 12,564,645 Noncurrent Assets: Prepaid expenses, net of current portion 104,750 482,806 Property and equipment, net 4,933 5,664 Total noncurrent assets 109,683 488,470 Total Assets $ 1,700,853 $ 13,053,115 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) Current Liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 5,832,162 $ 4,510,291 Notes payable 300,806 409,968 Total current liabilities 6,132,968 4,920,259 Total Liabilities 6,132,968 4,920,259 Commitments and contingencies – – Stockholders' Equity (Deficit): Preferred stock, $ 0.001 par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized and 0 shares issued and outstanding – – Common stock, $ 0.001 par value, 75,000,000 shares authorized and 6,214,598 and 1,617,325 shares issued and outstanding, respectively 6,214 1,617 Additional paid-in capital 65,128,574 58,846,916 Accumulated deficit ( 69,566,903 ) ( 50,715,677 ) Total Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) ( 4,432,115 ) 8,132,856 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) $ 1,700,853 $ 13,053,115 See accompanying notes to the financial statements. 42 CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Statements of Operations Year ended Year ended December 31, 2023 December 31, 2022 Operating expenses: General and administrative $ 4,769,502 $ 5,967,052 Research and development 14,095,606 9,300,055 Total operating expenses 18,865,108 15,267,107 Loss from operations ( 18,865,108 ) ( 15,267,107 ) Other income (expenses): Interest income 27,687 – Interest expense ( 13,805 ) ( 7,027 ) Total other income (expense) 13,882 ( 7,027 ) Net loss $ ( 18,851,226 ) $ ( 15,274,134 ) Loss per share - basic $ ( 5.00 ) $ ( 11.22 ) Loss per share - diluted $ ( 5.00 ) $ ( 11.22 ) Weighted average shares outstanding - basic 3,767,372 1,361,737 Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted 3,767,372 1,361,737 See accompanying notes to the financial statements. 43 CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 Common Stock Additional Paid-in Accumulated Total Stockholders' Equity Shares Amount Capital Deficit (Deficit) Balance December 31, 2021 949,052 $ 949 $ 41,603,791 $ ( 35,441,543 ) $ 6,163,197 Common stock issued for cash, net 463,316 463 16,037,630 – 16,038,093 Exercise of warrants 204,957 205 2,529 – 2,734 Stock-based compensation – – 1,202,966 – 1,202,966 Net loss – – – ( 15,274,134 ) ( 15,274,134 ) Balance December 31, 2022 1,617,325 1,617 58,846,916 ( 50,715,677 ) 8,132,856 Common stock issued for cash, net 852,936 853 2,316,746 – 2,317,599 Exercise of warrants, net 3,741,958 3,742 2,957,497 – 2,961,239 Stock-based compensation 2,379 2 1,007,415 – 1,007,417 Net loss – – – ( 18,851,226 ) ( 18,851,226 ) Balance December 31, 2023 6,214,598 $ 6,214 $ 65,128,574 $ ( 69,566,903 ) $ ( 4,432,115 ) See accompanying notes to the financial statements. 44 CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Statements of Cash Flows Years Ended Years Ended December 31, 2023 December 31, 2022 Cash Flows from Operating Activities: Net loss $ ( 18,851,226 ) $ ( 15,274,134 ) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: Stock-based compensation 1,007,417 1,202,966 Depreciation 4,134 11,756 Write off of deferred offering cost – 334,138 Loss on disposal of fixed assets 498 3,111 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Prepaid expenses and other current assets 2,377,275 860,451 Accounts payable and accrued expenses 1,321,871 2,303,897 Net cash used in operating activities ( 14,140,031 ) ( 10,557,815 ) Cash Flows from Investing Activities: Purchase of property and equipment ( 3,901 ) ( 4,422 ) Net cash used in investing activities ( 3,901 ) ( 4,422 ) Cash Flows from Financing Activities: Payments of deferred offering costs ( 202,859 ) – Payments on notes payable ( 438,733 ) ( 427,700 ) Proceeds from exercise of warrants 2,961,239 2,734 Proceeds from sale of common stock 2,317,599 16,038,093 Net cash provided by financing activities 4,637,246 15,613,127 Net change in cash and cash equivalents ( 9,506,686 ) 5,050,890 Cash and cash equivalents, at beginning of period 10,055,407 5,004,517 Cash and cash equivalents, at end of period $ 548,721 $ 10,055,407 Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: Cash paid for interest $ 13,805 $ 8,094 Cash paid for income taxes $ – $ – Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities: Prepaid expense financed with note payable $ 329,571 $ 449,874 See accompanying notes to the financial statements. 45 CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Notes to the Financial Statements Note 1 – Nature of Business CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“we”, “our”, the “Company”) is a clinical pharmaceutical company organized as a Nevada corporation on July 27, 2017 to focus on the development of anti-cancer drug candidates. On August 25, 2022, the stockholders of the Company approved an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated articles of incorporation (the “Amendment”) to effect the reverse stock split at a ratio in the range of 1-for-2 to 1-for-30. The reverse stock split became effective on November 28, 2022 on a 1-for-30 basis without any change in the par value per share, which remained at $0.001. The reverse stock split has been retroactively adjusted throughout these financial statements and footnotes. Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies The accompanying financial statements and related notes have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Company’s fiscal year end is December 31. Use of Estimates in Financial Statement Presentation - The preparation of these financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Liquidity and Going Concern - These financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which assumes the Company will continue to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business. The continuation of the Company as a going concern is dependent upon the ability of the Company to obtain equity financings to continue operations. The Company has a history of and expects to continue to report negative cash flows from operations and a net loss. Management believes that the cash on hand, combined with aggressive working capital management, will allow us to continue operating into but not beyond the latter half of the second quarter of 2024. These factors raise substantial doubt regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. These financial statements do not include any adjustments to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern. The Company may seek additional funding through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, government or other third-party funding, commercialization, marketing and distribution arrangements, other collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements and delay planned cash outlays or a combination thereof. Management cannot be certain that such events or a combination thereof can be achieved. Cash and Cash Equivalents - The Company considers all highly liquid accounts with original maturities of three months or less at the date of acquisition to be cash equivalents. Periodically, the Company may carry cash balances at financial institutions in excess of the federally insured limit of $ 250,000 . The amount in excess of the FDIC insurance at December 31, 2023 was $ 298,721 . The Company has not experienced losses on these accounts and management believes, based upon the quality of the financial institutions, that the credit risk with regard to these deposits is not significant. Property and Equipment - Property and equipment is recorded at cost and depreciated over their estimated useful lives using the straight-line depreciation method as follows: Schedule of estimated useful lives Leasehold improvement Shorter of estimated useful lives or the term of the lease Computer equipment 3 years Machinery and equipment 5 years Furniture and office equipment 7 years Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred. 46 Impairment of Long-lived Assets - The Company evaluates its long-lived tangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. The recoverability of a long-lived asset is measured by comparison of the carrying amount to the expected future undiscounted cash flows that the asset is expected to generate. Any impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value. Fair Value of Financial Instruments - The carrying value of short-term instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued expenses, and short-term notes approximate fair value due to the relatively short period to maturity for these instruments. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The Company utilizes a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosures of fair value measurements, defined as follows: Level 1 - inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets. Level 2 - inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the assets or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instruments. Level 3 - inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value. The Company does not have any assets or liabilities that are required to be measured and recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. Related Parties - The Company follows ASC 850, Related Party Disclosures, for the identification of related parties and disclosure of related party transactions. Income Taxes - The Company uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting and the tax bases of reported assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. The Company must then assess the likelihood that the resulting deferred tax assets will be realized. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. The Company accounts for uncertain tax positions in accordance with the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 740-10 which prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for financial statement disclosure of tax positions taken, or expected to be taken, on its tax return. The Company evaluates and records any uncertain tax positions based on the amount that management deems is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination and ultimate settlement with the tax authorities in the tax jurisdictions in which it operates. Stock-based Compensation - Employee and non-employee share-based compensation is measured at the grant date, based on the fair value of the award, and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period. Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) - Our RSUs vest over four years from the date of grant. The fair value of RSUs is the market price of our common stock at the date of grant. Performance Units (“PUs”) - The PUs vest based on our performance against predefined share price targets and the achievement of Positive Interim, Clinical Data as defined by the Board. 47 Loss Per Common Share - Basic loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per common share is determined using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period, adjusted for the dilutive effect of common stock equivalents. In periods when losses are reported, the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding excludes common stock equivalents, because their inclusion would be anti-dilutive. As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s potentially dilutive shares and options, which were not included in the calculation of net loss per share, included warrants to purchase 4,240,063 common shares, unvested restricted stock units of 7,144 common shares, unvested performance units of 28,563 and options for 328,770 common shares, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s potentially dilutive shares and options, which were not included in the calculation of net loss per share, included warrants to purchase 4,133,252 common shares, unvested restricted stock units of 9,523 common shares, unvested performance units of 28,563 and options for 93,001 common shares. Research and Development Costs - Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. The Company recognized the benefit of refundable research and development tax credits as a reduction of research and development expenses when there is reasonable assurance that the amount claimed will be recovered. Recent Accounting Pronouncements The Company does not believe that any other recently issued effective pronouncements, or pronouncements issued but not yet effective, if adopted, would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statements. Note 3 – Note Payable On November 28, 2023, the Company entered into a short-term note payable for an aggregate of $ 329,571 , bearing interest at 9.74 % per year to finance certain insurance policies. Principal and interest payments related to the note will be repaid over an 11-month period with the final payment due on October 8, 2024 . As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s note payable balance was $ 300,806 . On November 14, 2022, the Company entered into a short-term note payable for an aggregate of $ 449,874 , bearing interest at 5.88 % per year to finance certain insurance policies. Principal and interest payments related to the note will be repaid over an 11-month period with the final payment due on October 31, 2023 . As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company’s note payable balance was $ 0 and $ 409,968 , respectively. Note 4 – Equity The Company has authorized 75,000,000 shares of common stock having a par value of $ 0.001 per share. In addition, the Company authorized 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock to be issued having a par value of $ 0.001 . The specific rights of the preferred stock shall be determined by the board of directors. On August 25, 2022, the stockholders of the Company approved an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated articles of incorporation (the “Amendment”) to effect the reverse stock split at a ratio in the range of 1-for-2 to 1-for-30, with such ratio to be determined in the discretion of the Company’s board of directors and with such reverse stock split to be effected at such time and date, if at all, as determined by the Company’s board of directors in its sole discretion prior to the one-year anniversary of the annual meeting. Pursuant to such authority granted by the Company’s stockholders, the Company’s board of directors approved a one-for-thirty (1:30) reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock and the filing of the Amendment to effectuate the reverse split. The reverse stock split became effective on November 28, 2022 on a 1-for-30 basis without any change in the par value per share, which remained at $0.001. 48 Common Stock 2023 Pursuant to the terms of the Capital on Demand™ Sales Agreement with JonesTrading Institutional Services LLC and Brookline Capital Markets, a division of Arcadia Securities, LLC (collectively, the “Agent”), the Company may sell from time to time, through the Agent, shares of the Company’s common stock with an aggregate sales price of up to $20.0 million. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company sold 852,936 shares of common stock to the Agent for net proceeds of $ 2,317,599 . During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company issued 3,741,958 shares of common stock from the exercise of warrants. 2022 The Company engaged H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC (“Wainwright”), to act as placement agent related to the Securities Purchase Agreement described below. The Company agreed to pay Wainwright an aggregate fee equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the securities in the transaction. The Company also issued to Wainwright or its designees warrants to purchase up to 5.0% of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock sold in the transactions (the “Placement Agent Warrants”), or 20,176 Placement Agent Warrants. The Placement Agent Warrants have substantially the same terms as the Common Warrants, except that the Placement Agent Warrants have an exercise price equal to 125% of the offering price, or $35.625 per share. The Company also paid Wainwright $ 50,000 for non-accountable expenses and $ 10,000 for legal fees and expenses. On January 5, 2022, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with several institutional investors for the sale by the Company of (i) 316,316 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, (ii) pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase up to an aggregate of 87,193 shares of common stock and (iii) warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 403,509 shares of common stock (the “Common Warrants” and, collectively with the Pre-Funded Warrants, the “Warrants”), in a private placement offering. The combined purchase price of one share of common stock (or one Pre-Funded Warrant) and the accompanying Common Warrant is $28.50. Subject to certain ownership limitations, the Warrants are exercisable upon issuance. Each Pre-Funded Warrant is exercisable into one share of common stock at a price per share of $0.001 (as adjusted from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof). Each Common Warrant is exercisable into one share of common stock at a price per share of $24.60 (as adjusted from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof) and will expire on the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance. The gross proceeds from the Purchase Agreement were $ 11,497,385 resulting in net proceeds, after payment of commissions and expenses, received by the Company of $ 10,625,786 . On November 30, 2022, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with an institutional investor for the sale by the Company of (i) 147,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), (ii) pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,742,764 shares of Common Stock and (iii) warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,889,764 shares of Common Stock (the “Common Warrants” and, collectively with the Pre-Funded Warrants, the “Warrants”), in a public offering. The combined purchase price of one share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant is $3.175 and the combined purchase price of one Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Common Warrant is $3.174. Subject to certain ownership limitations, the Warrants are exercisable upon issuance. Each Pre-Funded Warrant is exercisable into one share of Common Stock at a price per share of $0.001 (as adjusted from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof). Each Common Warrant is exercisable into one share of Common Stock at a price per share of $3.03 (as adjusted from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof) and will expire on the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance. Each Pre-Funded Warrant is exercisable into one share of Common Stock at a price per share of $0.001 (as adjusted from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof). The gross proceeds to the Company from the offering were $ 5.998 million, resulting in net proceeds, after payment of commissions and expenses, received by the Company of $ 5,412,308 . 49 On November 30, 2022, in connection with the offering, the Company also entered into a warrant amendment agreement (the “Warrant Amendment Agreement”) with the investor in the offering. Under the Warrant Amendment Agreement, the Company agreed to amend certain existing warrants (the “Existing Warrants”) to purchase up to an aggregate of (i) 16,667 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $ 66.00 per share and an expiration date of December 28, 2025 and (ii) 210,527 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $ 24.60 per share and an expiration date of January 10, 2027, as follows: (i) to lower the exercise price of the Existing Warrants to $3.03 per share, and (ii) to extend the expiration date of the Existing Warrants to five years following the closing of the offering. On November 30, 2022, the Company entered into a placement agency agreement with H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC (“Wainwright”) and Brookline Capital Markets, a division of Arcadia Securities, LLC (“Brookline” and collectively with Wainright, the “Placement Agents”) (the “Placement Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company has agreed to pay the Placement Agents an aggregate fee equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the securities in the transaction. Pursuant to the Placement Agreement, the Company will also issue to the Placement Agents or their designees warrants to purchase up to 5.0% of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock issued in the offering and issuable upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrants issued in the offering (the “Placement Agent Warrants”), or 94,488 Placement Agent Warrants. The Placement Agent Warrants have substantially the same terms as the Common Warrants, except that the Placement Agent Warrants have an exercise price equal to 125% of the offering price, or $3.7875 per share, subject to adjustments. The Company also agreed to reimburse certain expenses of Wainwright, including a non-accountable expense allowance of $ 50,000 , legal fees and expenses in an amount up to $ 100,000 and clearing fees of $ 15,950 . The Company also agreed to pay Wainwright a tail fee equal to the cash compensation in this offering, if any investor, who was contacted or introduced to the Company by Wainwright during the term of its engagement, provides the Company with capital in any public or private offering or other financing or capital raising transaction during the nine-month period following expiration or termination of our engagement of Wainwright. In addition, with certain exceptions, for a period of seven month following the closing of the offering, the Company has granted Wainwright the right to act as sole book-runner, sole manager, sole placement agent or sole agent with respect to any financing or refinancing of indebtedness; and if the Company decides to raise funds by means of a public offering (including at-the-market facility) or a private placement or any other capital-raising financing of equity, equity-linked or debt securities, the Company has granted Wainwright the right to act as sole book-running manager, sole underwriter or sole placement agent for such financing. As consideration for entering into a purchase agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC in fiscal year 2020, the Company recorded as deferred offering costs of $440,902, on the balance sheet. As of December 31, 2021, unamortized deferred offering costs totaled $334,138. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company wrote off the remaining $ 334,138 deferred offering costs to the statement of operations. Stock Options In 2017, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2017 Stock Plan (the “2017 Plan”). The 2017 Plan allows for the Board of Directors to grant various forms of incentive awards for up to 66,667 shares of common stock. In 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2020 Stock Plan (the “2020 Plan”). The 2020 Plan allows for the Board of Directors to grant various forms of incentive awards for up to 100,000 shares of common stock. The 2020 Plan was amended effective as of August 9, 2023, which was approved by the Company’s stockholders at the Company’s annual meeting on September 14, 2023. The amendment increased the 2020 Plan by 745,800 shares of common stock. On December 30, 2022, the Board of Directors of the Company appointed Faith Charles as an independent member of the Company’s Board of Directors and as Chairperson of the Board of Directors. Ms. Charles receives an annual retainer for her service as Chairperson of $ 30,000 and, on the date of her appointment, was granted a ten-year option to purchase 3,500 shares of Company common stock at an exercise price of $ 2.40 vesting in 36 equal monthly installments succeeding the issuance date. The total fair value of these option grants at issuance was $ 7,091 . 50 On March 29, 2023, the Board of Directors approved, based upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, cash bonuses totaling $ 550,750 to the officers of the Company. In addition, the officers and an employee were awarded a total of 29,988 options with a ten-year term at an exercise price of $ 0.996 . Of the options issued, 50% vest over 2 years and 50% vest upon the Company’s common stock price exceeding various closing prices ranging from $6.00 - $24.00 per share . The total fair value of these option grants at issuance was $ 25,820 . On May 3, 2023, the Board of Directors of the Company appointed Bettina M. Cockroft, M.D., M.B.A as an independent member of the Company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Cockroft was granted a ten-year option to purchase 2,099 shares of Company common stock at an exercise price of $ 1.67 vesting in 36 equal monthly installments succeeding the issuance date. The total fair value of these option grants at issuance was $ 3,514 . On August 4, 2023, the Board of Directors approved the issuance of 6,500 options to Dr. Cockroft. The options have a ten-year term at an exercise price of $ 2.27 and vest in 36 equal monthly installments succeeding the issuance date . The total fair value of these option grants at issuance was $ 12,771 . On August 27, 2023, the Board of Directors approved the issuance of 193,690 options to the board of directors. The options have a ten-year term at an exercise price of $ 1.90 and vest on the first anniversary date of issuance . The total fair value of these option grants at issuance was $ 313,846 . During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $ 949,982 and $ 1,149,364 of stock-based compensation, respectively, related to outstanding stock options. At December 31, 2023, the Company had $ 718,042 of unrecognized expenses related to options. The following table summarizes the stock option activity for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022: Schedule of stock option activity Options Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share Outstanding, December 31, 2021 95,501 $ 67.50 Granted – – Exercised – – Forfeited ( 2,500 ) 70.50 Expired – – Outstanding, December 31, 2022 93,001 67.42 Granted 235,777 1.78 Exercised – – Forfeited ( 8 ) 120.00 Expired – – Outstanding, December 31, 2023 328,770 $ 20.35 Exercisable, December 31, 2023 85,769 $ 62.02 51 The aggregate fair value of the options measured during the year ended December 31, 2023 were calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on the following assumptions: Schedule of assumptions options Year Ended December 31, 2023 Fair value of common stock on measurement date $1.00 to $2.40 per share Risk free interest rate (1) 3.38 % to 4.37 % Volatility (2) 114.13 % to 118.09 % Dividend yield (3) 0 % Expected term (in years) 5.5 – 6.3 (1) The risk-free interest rate was determined by management using the market yield on U.S. Treasury securities with comparable terms as of the measurement date. (2) The trading volatility was determined by calculating the volatility of the Company’s peer group. (3) The Company does not expect to pay a dividend in the foreseeable future. As of December 31, 2023, the outstanding stock options have a weighted average remaining term of 8.54 years and the aggregate intrinsic value of options vested and outstanding was $ 8,217 . As of December 31, 2023, there were no awards remaining to be issued under the 2017 Plan and 545,610 awards remaining to be issued under the 2020 Plan. Stock Warrants The following table summarizes the stock warrant activity for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022: Schedule of warrants activity Warrants Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share Outstanding, December 31, 2021 140,512 $ 142.83 Granted 4,237,900 2.88 Exercised ( 204,957 ) 0.01 Forfeited – – Expired ( 40,203 ) 330.00 Outstanding, December 31, 2022 4,133,252 4.35 Granted 3,849,900 1.29 Exercised ( 3,741,958 ) 0.84 Forfeited – – Expired ( 1,131 ) 30.91 Outstanding, December 31, 2023 4,240,063 $ 3.88 On October 16, 2023, the Company entered into a warrant exercise inducement offer letter (the “Inducement Letter”) with a holder of certain existing warrants (“Holder”) to receive new warrants to purchase up to a number of shares of common stock equal to 200% (the “Inducement Warrants”) of the number of warrant shares issued pursuant to the exercise of such certain existing warrants to purchase shares of common stock (the “Existing Warrants”) pursuant to which the Holder agreed to exercise for cash their Existing Warrants to purchase up to 1,878,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, at a Reduced Exercise Price (as defined below), in exchange for the Company’s agreement to issue the Inducement Warrants to purchase up to 3,756,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Inducement Warrant Shares”). The Existing Warrants consist of: (i) warrants, originally issued on December 22, 2020 and amended on December 5, 2022; (ii) warrants, originally issued on January 10, 2022 and amended on December 5, 2022; and (iii) warrants issued on December 5, 2022. Pursuant to the Inducement Letter, the exercise price for such Existing Warrants was reduced to $1.28 per share (the “Reduced Exercise Price”). In connection with the warrant inducement, the Company estimated the fair value of the warrants based on the Black-Scholes option pricing model and recorded a deemed dividend to additional paid in capital of $ 5,571,694 . 52 The aggregate fair value of the warrants measured during the year ended December 31, 2023 were calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on the following assumptions: Schedule of assumptions warrants Year Ended December 31, 2023 Fair value of common stock on measurement date $1.62 per share Risk free interest rate (1) 4.72 % Volatility (2) 124.66 % Dividend yield (3) 0 % Expected term (in years) 4.2 – 5.0 (1) The risk-free interest rate was determined by management using the market yield on U.S. Treasury securities with comparable terms as of the measurement date. (2) The trading volatility was determined by calculating the volatility of the Company. (3) The Company does not expect to pay a dividend in the foreseeable future. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company received $ 2,961,239 in net cash proceeds from the exercise of 1,787,000 warrants issued at an exercise price of $1.28, 238,958 warrants previously issued at an exercise price of $3.03 and 1,625,000 warrants previously issued at an exercise price of $0.001. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company received $ 2,734 in cash proceeds from the exercise of 204,957 warrants previously issued at an exercise price range of $0.01 to $0.03. As of December 31, 2023 the outstanding and exercisable warrants have a weighted average remaining term of 4.64 years and had no intrinsic value. Restricted Stock Units On April 28, 2022, the Compensation Committee approved cash bonuses totaling $ 213,000 to the officers of the Company. In addition, the officers and employees were awarded a total of 9,523 Restricted Stock Units that partially vest over 4 years. The Company valued the RSUs based on the stock price at grant which total $ 95,399 . During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $ 23,850 and $ 17,887 of stock-based compensation, related to outstanding RSUs, respectively. At December 31, 2023, the Company had $ 53,661 of unrecognized expenses related to outstanding RSUs. The following table summarizes the RSUs activity for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022: Schedule of restricted stock units activity RSUs Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Non-vested, December 31, 2021 – $ – Granted 9,523 10.02 Vested – – Forfeited – – Non-vested, December 31, 2022 9,523 10.02 Granted – – Vested ( 2,379 ) – Forfeited – – Non-vested, December 31, 2023 7,144 $ 10.02 53 Performance Units On April 28, 2022, the Compensation Committee approved, the officers and employees were awarded a total of 28,563 PUs. For awards granted in 2022, they vest as follows: (i) 9,521 of the PU grant will vest if within 24 months from issuance the average the closing price of the Company’s common stock over a ten trading day period exceeds $60.00 (subject to pro rata adjustment for stock splits or similar events), (ii) 9,521 of the PU grant will vest if within 36 months from issuance the average the closing price of the Company’s common stock over a ten trading day period exceeds $120.00 (subject to pro rata adjustment for stock splits or similar events) and (iii) 9,521 of the PU grant will vest if within 24 months from issuance the Company achieves “Positive Interim, Clinical Data” as defined by the Board of Directors. To the extent that the market and/or “Positive Interim Clinical Data” conditions are not met, the applicable portions of the PUs will not vest and will be cancelled. The fair value at grant date of these performance units was $ 169,663 . Compensation expense is recognized over the derived service period for the PUs with market conditions and over the requisite service period for PUs with performance conditions on the date when achievement of such conditions are deemed probable. The fair value of each performance unit with market conditions (vesting terms (i) and (ii)) is estimated at the date of grant using a Monte Carlo simulation with the following assumptions: underlying stock price $10.02, hurdle prices ranging from $60.00 -$120.00, expected terms ranging from 2-3 years, cost of equity 18.7% and risk-free rate of 2.8%. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $ 15,203 and $ 21,928 for vesting term (i), $ 18,382 and $ 13,787 for vesting (ii) and $ 0 and $ 0 for vesting term (iii), related to outstanding stock PUs, respectively. At December 31, 2023, the Company had $ 100,362 of unrecognized expenses related to PUs. The following table summarizes the PUs activity for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022: Schedule of performance units activity PUs Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Non-vested, December 31, 2021 – $ – Granted 28,563 5.94 Vested – – Forfeited – – Non-vested, December 31, 2022 28,563 5.94 Granted – – Vested – – Forfeited – – Non-vested, December 31, 2023 28,563 $ 5.94 54 Note 5 – Commitments and Contingencies Executive Employment Agreements On September 1, 2017, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Mr. John Climaco pursuant to which Mr. Climaco agreed to serve as Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company commencing on such date for an initial term of three years. On September 1, 2020, the Company entered into an amendment to the employment agreement with Mr. Climaco. The amendment extends the term of employment under the Employment Agreement, which was originally for a three-year period, for additional twelve-month periods, unless and until either the Company or Mr. Climaco provides written notice to the other party not less than sixty days before such anniversary date that such party is electing not to extend the term. If the Company provides notice of its election not to extend the term, Mr. Climaco may terminate his employment at any time prior to the expiration of the term by giving written notice to the Company at least thirty days prior to the effective date of termination, and upon the earlier of such effective date of termination or the expiration of the term, Mr. Climaco shall be entitled to receive the same severance benefits as are provided upon a termination of employment by the Company without cause. Pursuant to the Amendment, the severance benefits shall be twelve months of Mr. Climaco’s base salary. Such severance payment shall be made in a single lump sum sixty days following the termination, provided that Mr. Climaco has executed and delivered to the Company and has not revoked a general release of the Company. Pursuant to the employment agreement, the compensation committee of the board of directors reviews the base salary payable to Mr. Climaco annually during the term of the agreement. On February 6, 2021, the compensation committee of the board of directors set Mr. Climaco’s 2021 annual base salary to $ 525,000 . On June 28, 2019, we entered into employment letters with Drs. Silberman and Picker pursuant to which Dr. Silberman agreed to commit 50% of her time to our matters; and Dr. Picker agreed to commit 25% of his time to our matters. On February 6, 2021, the compensation committee of the board of directors set Drs. Silberman and Picker 2021 annual base salaries to $ 200,000 and $ 115,000 , respectively. Scientific Advisory Board On July 15, 2021, our Board approved the following compensation policy for the Scientific Advisory Board members. The Scientific Advisory board consisted of Dr. Waldemar Priebe, our founder and related party, and Dr. Sigmond Hsu. Each scientific advisory board member shall receive annual cash compensation of $68,600. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company paid $ 76,087 related to the Scientific Advisory Board compensation. As of August 25, 2022, Dr. Waldemar Priebe is no longer a member of the Scientific Advisory Board. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has accrued $ 168,734 related to Mr. Hsu’s Scientific Advisory Board compensation. WP744 Portfolio (Berubicin) On November 21, 2017, the Company entered into a Collaboration and Asset Purchase Agreement with Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Reata”). Through this agreement, the Company purchased all of Reata’s rights, title, interest and previously conducted research and development results in the chemical compound commonly known as Berubicin. In exchange for these rights, the Company agreed to pay Reata an amount equal to 2.25% of the net sales of Berubicin for a period of 10 years from the Company’s first commercial sale of Berubicin plus $10,000. Reata also agreed to collaborate with the Company on the development of Berubicin, from time to time. 55 On December 28, 2017, the Company entered into a Technology Rights and Development Agreement with Houston Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“HPI”). HPI is affiliated with Dr. Waldemar Priebe, our founder. Pursuant to this agreement, the Company obtained a worldwide exclusive license to the chemical compound commonly known as WP744. In exchange for these rights, the Company agreed to pay consideration to HPI as follows: (i) a royalty of 2% of net sales of any product utilizing WP744 for a period of ten years after the first commercial sale of such; and (ii) $100,000 upon beginning Phase II clinical trials (paid in 2021); and (iii) $200,000 upon the approval by the FDA of a New Drug Application for any product utilizing WP744; and (iv) a series of quarterly development payments totaling $750,000 beginning immediately after the Company’s raise of $7,000,000 of investment capital. In addition, the Company issued 6,667 shares of the Company’s common stock valued at $1.35 per share to HPI upon execution of the agreement. On November 13, 2019, the Company closed its IPO, thereby fulfilling all conditions precedent and completing the acquisition of the intellectual property discussed in the HPI agreement. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $ 50,000 and $ 275,000 , respectively, related to this agreement. Unrelated to this agreement, from time to time, the Company purchases pharmaceutical products from HPI which are necessary for the manufacturing of Berubicin API and drug product in related party transactions which are reviewed and approved by the Company’s audit committee based upon the standards of providing superior pricing and time to delivery than that available from unrelated third parties. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company expensed $ 0 and $ 41,075 respectively related to the purchase of pharmaceutical products from HPI. On August 30, 2018, we entered into a sublicense agreement with WPD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“WPD”). Pursuant to the agreement, the Company granted WPD an exclusive sublicense, even as to us, for the patent rights we licensed pursuant to the HPI License within the following countries: Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Chechnya, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Greece, Austria, and Russia. The sublicense agreement provides that WPD must use commercially reasonable development efforts to attempt to develop and commercialize licensed products in the above mentioned territories, which means the expenditure of at least $2.0 million on the development, testing, regulatory approval or commercialization of the licensed products during the three year period immediately following the date of the sublicense agreement. In the event that WPD fails to use commercially reasonable development efforts by the foregoing three-year deadline, we have the right to terminate this sublicense agreement. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has received reports of the WPD expenditures related to this agreement, has conducted due inquiry into validating those expenditures, and has determined that WPD has exercised commercially reasonable development efforts and has therefore fulfilled the terms of the agreement necessary to secure their rights under the sublicense in perpetuity subject to the ongoing obligations of the sublicense. In consideration for the rights granted under the sublicense agreement, to the extent we are required to make any payments to HPI pursuant to the HPI License as a result of this sublicense agreement, WPD agreed to advance us such payments, and to pay us a royalty equal to 1% of such payments. WPD is a Polish corporation that is majority-owned by an entity controlled by Dr. Priebe, our founder. On November 21, 2022, CNS entered into an Investigational Medicinal Product Supply Agreement with Pomeranian Medical University (“PUM”) in Szczecin, Poland. CNS agreed to sell berubicin hydrochloride drug product (and related reference standards) to PUM at a discount to the historical cost of manufacturing so that PUM may conduct an investigator-initiated clinical trial of Berubicin in CNS lymphomas. PUM agreed to pay CNS the following payments: (i) PLN 5,870 upon delivery of 2 vials each of berubicin and berubicinol reference standards, (ii) PLN 873,201 upon delivery of a first batch of 150 berubicin drug product vials, and (iii) PLN 873,201 upon delivery of a second batch of 150 berubicin drug product vials. As of December 31, 2022, the reference standards were delivered, and the Company recognized $ 1,302 in accounts receivable and as a reduction to research and development expense. In April 2023, the first batch of berubicin drug product vials were delivered, and the Company recognized $ 196,303 in accounts receivable and as a reduction to research and development expense. As of December 31, 2023, the outstanding accounts receivable balance of $ 197,605 was collected in full. On August 31, 2018, the Company entered into a sublicense agreement with Animal Life Sciences, LLC (“ALI”), a related party, pursuant to which we granted ALI an exclusive sublicense, even as to us, for the patent rights we licensed pursuant to the HPI License solely for the treatment of cancer in non-human animals through any type of administration. In consideration for the rights granted under the sublicense agreement, ALI agreed to issue us membership interests in ALI equal to 1.52% of the outstanding ALI membership interests. As additional consideration for the rights granted, to the extent we are required to make any payments to HPI pursuant to the HPI License as a result of this sublicense agreement, ALI agreed to advance us such payments, and to pay us a royalty equal to 1% of such payments. Dr. Waldemar Priebe, our founder, is also the founder and a shareholder of ALI, holds 38% of the membership interests of ALI. 56 On June 10, 2020, the FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation (“ODD”) for Berubicin for the treatment of malignant gliomas. ODD from the FDA is available for drugs targeting diseases with less than 200,000 cases per year. ODD may enable market exclusivity of 7 years from the date of approval of an NDA in the United States. During that period the FDA generally could not approve another product containing the same drug for the same designated indication. Orphan drug exclusivity will not bar approval of another product under certain circumstances, including if a subsequent product with the same active ingredient for the same indication is shown to be clinically superior to the approved product on the basis of greater efficacy or safety, or providing a major contribution to patient care, or if the company with orphan drug exclusivity is not able to meet market demand. The ODD now constitutes our primary intellectual property protections although the Company is exploring if there are other patents that could be filed related to Berubicin to extend additional protections. On July 24, 2021, the Company received Fast Track Designation from the FDA for Berubicin. Fast Track Designation is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. WP1244 Portfolio On January 10, 2020, Company entered into a Patent and Technology License Agreement (“Agreement”) with The Board of Regents of The University of Texas System, an agency of the State of Texas, on behalf of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (“UTMDACC”). Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company obtained a royalty-bearing, worldwide, exclusive license to certain intellectual property rights, including patent rights, related to the Company’s recently announced WP1244 drug technology. In consideration, the Company must make payments to UTMDACC including an up-front license fee, annual maintenance fee, milestone payments and royalty payments (including minimum annual royalties) on sales of licensed products developed under the Agreement. The term of the Agreement expires on the last to occur of: (a) the expiration of all patents subject to the Agreement, or (b) fifteen years after execution; provided that UTMDACC has the right to terminate this Agreement in the event that the Company fails to meet certain commercial diligence milestones. The commercial diligence milestones are as follows (i) initiated PC toxicology to support filing of Investigational New Drug Application (“IND”) or New Drug Application (“NDA”) for the Licensed Product within the eighteen (18) month period following the Effective Date (ii) file and IND for the Licensed Product within three (3) year period following the Effective Date and (iii) Commencement of Phase I Study within the five (5) year period following the Effective Date. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $ 55,092 and $ 58,222 , respectively. On May 7, 2020, pursuant to the WP1244 Portfolio license agreement described above, the Company entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement with UTMDACC to perform research relating to novel anticancer agents targeting CNS malignancies. The Company agreed to fund approximately $1,134,000 over a two-year period. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company paid $ 334,000 and accrued $ 400,000 related to this agreement in research and development expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company paid $ 800,000 to UTMDACC related to this agreement. The Company has no further payment obligations as of December 31, 2021. This agreement was extended and now expires on March 31, 2023. The principal investigator for this agreement is Dr. Waldemar Priebe, our founder. Nasdaq Capital Markets Listing Qualifications On August 17, 2023, we received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq which notified us that we were not in compliance with Nasdaq’s Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), which requires that we maintain a minimum of $ 2.5 million in stockholders’ equity, and that we also did not, at such time, meet the alternatives of market value of listed securities or net income from continuing operations set forth in the Listing Rule. The letter did not have any immediate effect on the listing of our common stock on Nasdaq and we had 45 calendar days to submit a plan to regain compliance. We timely submitted our plan to regain compliance with the Listing Rule, our plan was accepted and the Staff granted an extension until February 13, 2024 to evidence compliance. On February 14, 2024, the Staff notified the Company that it had not complied with the Listing Rule and as such did not meet the terms of the extension. The Staff letter stated that unless the Company timely requests a hearing before a Hearings Panel, the Company would be subject to delisting. Accordingly, the Company timely requested a hearing before the Panel, with such hearing scheduled for April 18, 2024. The hearing request automatically stayed any suspension or delisting action pending the hearing and the expiration of any additional extension period granted by the Panel following the hearing. In that regard, the Panel has the discretion to grant the Company an extension not to exceed August 12, 2024. 57 Note 6 – Income Taxes The Company is subject to United States federal income taxes at an approximate rate of 21%. The reconciliation of the provision for income taxes at the United States federal statutory rate compared to the Company’s income tax expense as reported is as follows: Schedule of effective income tax rate reconciliation Year Ended Year Ended December 31, December 31, 2023 2022 Income tax benefit computed at the statutory rate $ 3,959,000 $ 3,206,000 Tax effect of: True-ups and non-deductible expenses 118,000 ( 194,000 ) Change in valuation allowance ( 4,077,000 ) ( 3,012,000 ) Provision for income taxes $ – $ – Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities after applying enacted corporate income tax rates are as follows: Schedule of deferred tax assets As of As of December 31, December 31, 2023 2022 Deferred income tax assets Net operating losses $ 6,672,000 $ 8,603,000 Stock-based compensation 873,000 715,000 Capitalized 174 expenses 5,420,000 – Deferred income tax liability Prepaid expenses ( 198,000 ) ( 628,000 ) Valuation allowance ( 12,767,000 ) ( 8,690,000 ) Net deferred income tax assets $ – $ – As of December 31, 2023, the Company has an operating loss carry forward of approximately $ 31,771,000 , which expires commencing in 2037. Note 7 – Subsequent Events On January 29, 2024, the Company entered into a placement agency agreement with A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners (“AGP”) and Maxim Group LLC (“Maxim” and collectively with AGP, the “Placement Agents”) (the “Placement Agreement”) for the public offering by the Company of (i) 2,215,667 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) (ii) pre-funded warrants to purchase 11,117,667 shares of Common Stock (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”); (iii) Series A Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 13,333,334 shares of Common Stock (the “Series A Warrants”); and (iv) Series B Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 13,333,334 shares of Common Stock (the “Series B Warrants”, and together with the Series A Warrants, the “Common Warrants)). The Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants are collectively referred to herein as the (“Warrants”). The combined purchase price of one share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrants was $0.30 and the combined purchase price of one Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Common Warrants was $0.299. In connection with the offering, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain institutional investors that participated in the offering. As of April 1, 2024, 2,204,667 of the Pre-Funded Warrants have been exercised. 58 The closing of the sales of these securities occurred on February 1, 2024. The gross proceeds to the Company from the offering were $3,988,883, before deducting the placement agents’ fees and other offering expenses, and excluding the proceeds, if any, from the exercise of the Warrants. On January 29, 2024, the Company entered into a warrant amendment agreement (the “Warrant Amendment”) pursuant to which the Company agreed, subject to shareholder approval, to amend certain existing warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 3,756,000 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $1.28 per share and a termination date of October 16, 2028, so that the amended warrants will have a reduced exercise price of $0.30 per share and a new termination date of February 1, 2029. If shareholder approval is not received, such existing warrants will have an exercise price equal to the Nasdaq minimum price on the six-month anniversary of February 1, 2024 and a new termination date of February 1, 2029. The other terms of such warrants will remain unchanged. On January 19, 2024, the Company approved the issuance of 12,420 options to Ms. Mahery as compensation for her appointment to our Board of Directors. The options have a ten-year term at an exercise price of $0.253 and vest in 36 equal monthly installments succeeding the issuance date. On February 27, 2024, we received a deficiency letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market notifying us that for the last 30 consecutive business days the bid price for our common stock had closed below the minimum $1.00 per share requirement for continued inclusion on the Nasdaq Capital Market pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). The notification received had no immediate effect on our Nasdaq listing. In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A) (the “Bid Price Rule”), we have been provided an initial period of 180 calendar days, or until August 26, 2024, to regain compliance with the Bid Price Rule. If, at any time before that date, the bid price for the Company’s common stock closes at $1.00 or more for a minimum of 10, though generally not more than 20, consecutive business days as required under the compliance period rule, Nasdaq will provide written notification to us that we are in compliance with the Bid Price Rule. If we are not in compliance with the Bid Price Rule by August 26, 2024, we may be afforded a second 180 calendar day period to regain compliance. To qualify, we would be required to meet the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for The Nasdaq Capital Market, except for the minimum bid price requirement. In addition, we would be required to notify Nasdaq of its intent to cure the minimum bid price deficiency, which may include, if necessary, implementing a reverse stock split. In March 2024, the Board of Directors approved, based upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, cash bonuses totaling $240,608 to the officers of the Company payable upon completion of a subsequent round of financing and a determination by the Board that such financing is sufficient for the Company's needs after payment of such bonus. 59 Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosures. None.