Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Risks Related to our Business and our Industry
We have a history of losses and may incur future losses.
We have experienced substantial operating losses since inception. As of December 31, 2025, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $312.2M, which included net losses of approximately $8.2M and $20.7M for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Our losses have resulted principally from costs incurred in the research and development of our polymer technology, clinical studies and general and administrative expenses. The Company is targeting breakeven through a combination of improved sales (through expanding our customer base in existing markets, launching new products, and achieving additional regulatory approvals to enter new markets) manufacturing and operating efficiencies, and cost reduction and management programs. The amount of future losses and when, if ever, we will achieve profitability are uncertain. Our ability to achieve profitability will depend, among other things, on continued adoption and usage of our products in the market, obtaining additional regulatory approvals in markets not covered by the CE mark, establishing sales and marketing arrangements with third parties, satisfactory reimbursement in key territories, and raising sufficient funds to finance our activities. No assurance can be given that our product development and commercial efforts will be successful, that additional regulatory approvals in other countries will be obtained, that any of our products will be manufactured at a competitive cost and will be of acceptable quality, that reimbursement will be available or satisfactory, that we will be able to achieve profitability or that profitability, if achieved, can be sustained, or our ability to raise additional capital when needed or on terms acceptable to us. Our failure with respect to any or all of these matters would have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.
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We may require additional capital in the future to fund our operations and failure to raise additional capital or generate cash flows necessary to maintain our operations could reduce our ability to compete successfully and harm our results of operations.
As of December 31, 2025, we had current assets of approximately $20.6 million, including total cash and cash equivalents of $7.8 million, including restricted cash of $1.5 million and current liabilities of approximately $9.7 million. For the year ended December 31, 2025, our cash burn, which we define as the total of cash used in operating and investing activities from our statement of cash flows, was approximately $12.8 million. Our current and historical cash burn is not necessarily indicative of our future use of cash and cash equivalents.
In the future, we may require additional financing to support our operations and may have to raise additional funds by selling equity, issuing debt, borrowing funds, refinancing our existing debt, or selling assets. We may not be able to obtain additional debt or equity financing on favorable terms, in a timely manner, or at all. If we raise additional equity financing, our stockholders may experience significant dilution of their ownership interests. If we engage in additional debt financing, we may be required to accept terms that restrict our ability to incur additional indebtedness, force us to maintain specific liquidity or other ratios, or restrict our ability to pay dividends or make acquisitions. We would likely require additional capital to support the commercialization of our products and proposed products, to initiate and complete new additional clinical studies and for general working capital purposes. The amount of long-term capital we require will depend on various factors, including the rate of sales growth and market adoption of our products; product gross margins; the progress and costs of our research and development, pre-clinical and clinical studies; the time and expense associated with obtaining regulatory approvals in additional countries or for new indications; costs related to protecting and enforcing our intellectual property; the development of sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities; and market acceptance, reimbursement, and training of physicians and other healthcare personnel.
We have an effective shelf registration statement dated September 30, 2024 with the SEC which enables us to raise up to $150 million in one or more offerings, through the issuance and sale of any combination of equity securities, debt securities, warrants and units. Approximately $149.7 million of this amount was available as of December 31, 2025. We have also allocated $20 million of our total shelf amount to our ATM facility, under which we are not obligated to make or continue to make any sale of shares of our common stock under the “at-the-market” offerings. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company did not sell any shares pursuant to the Sale Agreement (as defined below). At December 31, 2025, approximately $19.4 million was available for use under the ATM facility, subject to certain limitations.
On December 30, 2021, we entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement with Jefferies LLC (the “Sale Agreement”), also referred to herein as our “ATM facility”). Pursuant to the Sale Agreement we may offer to sell, from time to time, shares of our common stock, up to a maximum of $2.5 million. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company sold 382,823 shares pursuant to the Sale Agreement, at an average selling price of $1.04 per share, generating net proceeds of approximately $0.3 million. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company did not sell any shares pursuant to the Sale Agreement.
In June 2024, we closed on a $20 million term-loan facility with Avenue Capital Group which provided an initial tranche of $15 million at the closing, of which $10 million was immediately available at closing and $5 million that remained classified as restricted cash through January 10, 2025, when it was released from its restriction. Under this initial facility, another tranche of $5 million would have been available at the Company’s request between July 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025, provided that the Company received FDA marketing approval of its DrugSorb-ATR application. Concurrently with the closing of the first tranche, the Company paid off our existing debt with Bridge Bank.
On November 13, 2025, the Company and Avenue Capital Group entered into the First Amendment to Loan Documents (“the Amended Loan and Security Agreement”), amending the Company’s Loan and Security Agreement, dated June 28, 2024, as supplemented. Under the terms of the Amended Loan and Security Agreement the Company drew an additional aggregate $2.5 million (“Tranche 2a”) from Avenue Capital Group in November 2025 and received an extension of the interest only period from July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026, followed by equal monthly installments of principal plus accrued and unpaid interest until maturity on July 1, 2027. We will have access to an additional aggregate $2.5 million (“Tranche 2b”) from Avenue Capital Group, and a further six-month extension of the interest only period to the July 1, 2027 maturity date subject to FDA approval of DrugSorb-ATR, between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026. Tranche 2a and Tranche 2b, in the aggregate, replace Tranche 2 of the original loan. The Amended Loan and Security Agreement requires that we maintain certain operating cash burn targets (as defined in the Amended Loan and Security Agreement).
On January 10, 2025, the Company closed the subscription period of its previously announced rights offering (the “Rights Offering”), raising aggregate gross proceeds of $6.25 million ($5.4 million, net of fees) from the sale of all 6.25 million Units reserved for the Rights Offering. Participants in the Rights Offering received Units, each Unit comprising of one share of common stock of the
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Company, one Series A Right Warrant to purchase one share of common stock with an expiration date of February 24, 2025, and one Series B Right Warrant to purchase one share of common stock with an expiration date of April 10, 2025. Up to an additional 6,250,000 shares of common stock may have been issued upon exercise of the Rights Warrants.
Proceeds from the closing of the subscription period satisfy a debt covenant which allowed for $5 million of restricted cash on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets to now become unrestricted, and available for use. On February 24, 2025, approximately 1.4 million Series A Right Warrants were exercised by holders, including members of management and the Board of Directors, at an exercise price of $1.13 per warrant, providing an additional $1.6 million in aggregate gross proceeds ($1.4 million net of fees). On April 4, 2025, the Board of Directors extended the expiration date of the Series B Right Warrants from April 10, 2025 to June 10, 2025. On June 11, 2025, the 5-day volume weighted average price of Common Stock over the last five-trading days prior to June 10, 2025 was lower than the minimum required price of $2.00 and, as a result, the Series B Right Warrants issued in connection with the previously announced Rights Offering expired worthless pursuant to their terms.
The Right Warrants are exercisable commencing on their date of issuance and the exercise price shall be equal to (i) in the case of the Series A Right Warrants, 90% of the 5-day volume weighted average price of our Common Stock over the last 5-trading days prior to the expiration date of the Series A Right Warrants on February 24, 2025, rounded down to the nearest whole cent but (x) not lower than $1.00 and (y) not higher than $2.00, and (ii) in the case of the Series B Right Warrants, 90% of the 5-day volume weighted average price of our common stock over the last 5-trading days prior to the expiration date of the Series B Right Warrants on April 10, 2025, rounded down to the nearest whole cent but (x) not lower than $2.00 and (y) not higher than $4.00.
On February 24, 2025, approximately 1.4 million Series A Right Warrants were exercised by holders, including members of management and the Board of Directors, at an exercise price of $1.13 per warrant, providing an additional $1.6 million in aggregate gross proceeds ($1.4 million, net of fees). On April 4, 2025, the Board of Directors extended the expiration date of the Series B Right Warrants from April 10, 2025 to June 10, 2025. On June 11, 2025, the 5-day volume weighted average price of Common Stock over the last five-trading days prior to June 10, 2025 was lower than the minimum required price of $2.00 and, as a result, the Series B Right Warrants issued in connection with the previously announced Rights Offering expired worthless pursuant to their terms.
As of the issuance date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have raised a total of $6.8 million, net of offering fees, through the Rights Offering, and the exercise of the Series A Right Warrants. The equity raises also provided for $5 million of restricted cash to become unrestricted.
The Company will continue evaluating various financing alternatives, including debt financing, strategic partnerships and other non-equity financing arrangements, including royalty financing. While there can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in obtaining alternative non-equity financing, if such financing is obtained through arrangements with collaborative partners or other non-dilutive sources, such as royalty financing, the Company may have to relinquish economic and/or proprietary rights to some of its technologies or products under development that it would otherwise seek to develop or commercialize itself. These events may result in shareholder dilution and a decline in our share price, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.
A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease, such as COVID-19, may materially and adversely affect our business and operations.
A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease may materially and adversely affect our business and operations. Such an event could disrupt global economies and our supply chain, limit access to necessary raw materials, and impact the manufacturing, commercialization, and demand for CytoSorb. It could also delay our research and development activities and the conduct, enrollment, and completion of current and future clinical trials, including due to patient access limitations, staffing shortages, or healthcare facilities prioritizing other matters. Outbreaks may disrupt the operations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other health authorities, potentially delaying regulatory reviews and approvals, including for DrugSorb-ATR and other product candidates. Employee disruptions, remote working environments, and hiring challenges could reduce operational efficiency and delay development timelines, grant execution, and manufacturing activities. In addition, economic uncertainty and financial market volatility resulting from such events could limit our access to capital and negatively affect our liquidity. Macroeconomic and healthcare system pressures, including staffing shortages, reduced hospital capacity, and restricted access to hospitals, may result in lower-than-expected sales of CytoSorb. The ultimate impact of any such event remains uncertain.
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Our operating results are subject to seasonal fluctuation.
Our total revenue is subject to seasonal fluctuation. Our sales seasonality is affected by a number of factors, including but not limited to, hospital budgets and buying patterns, customer, employee and healthcare worker vacation schedules, religious, national, and state holidays, scientific and medical conference schedules, seasonal illnesses such as influenza, seasonal or weather-related differences in hospital admissions and the timing of insurance benefits, among others. See “A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease may materially and adversely affect our business and operations.” As a result, seasonality has had, and we expect it to continue to have, an impact on our results of operations.
Although historically we have been a research and development company, we are currently commercializing some of our products. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in continuing and expanding commercial operations or balancing our research and development activities with our commercialization activities .
We have historically been engaged primarily in research and development activities and have generated limited revenues to date. With the launch of our CytoSorb product in the EU and elsewhere, there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully manage the balance of our research and development operations with our planned commercial enterprise. Potential investors should be aware of the problems, delays, expenses and difficulties frequently encountered by an enterprise in balancing development, which include unanticipated problems relating to testing, product registration, product labeling, regulatory compliance and manufacturing, with commercialization, which includes problems with market adoption, reimbursement, marketing problems and additional costs. Our products and product candidates will require significant additional research and testing, and we will need to overcome significant regulatory burdens prior to commercialization in other countries, such as the U.S., and for ongoing compliance for our CE Mark. Although we believe we are currently adequately capitalized, we will need to raise additional funds to complete additional clinical studies and obtain regulatory approvals in other countries before we can begin selling our products in markets not covered by our CE Mark. There can be no assurance that after the expenditure of substantial funds and efforts, we will successfully develop and commercialize any products, generate any significant revenues or ever achieve and maintain a substantial level of sales of our products.
If users of our products are unable to obtain adequate reimbursement from third-party payers, or if reimbursement is not available in specific countries, or if new restrictive legislation is adopted, market acceptance of our products may be limited and we may not achieve anticipated revenues.
The continuing efforts of government and insurance companies, health maintenance organizations and other payers of healthcare costs to contain or reduce costs of health care may affect our future revenues and profitability, the future revenues and profitability of our potential customers, suppliers and collaborative partners, and the availability of capital. For example, in certain foreign markets, pricing or profitability of medical devices is subject to government control. In the United States, given recent federal and state government initiatives directed at lowering the total cost of health care, the U.S. Congress and state legislatures will likely continue to focus on health care reform, the cost of medical devices and on the reform of the Medicare and Medicaid systems. While we cannot predict whether any such legislative or regulatory proposals will be adopted, the announcement or adoption of these proposals could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our ability to commercialize our products will depend in part on the extent to which appropriate reimbursement levels for the cost of our products and related treatment are obtained by governmental authorities, private health insurers and other organizations, such as health maintenance organizations (“HMOs”). Third-party payers are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical care. Also, the trend toward managed health care in the United States and the concurrent growth of organizations such as HMOs, which could control or significantly influence the purchase of health care services and medical devices, as well as legislative proposals to reform health care or reduce government insurance programs, may all result in lower prices for our products. The cost containment measures that health care payers and providers are instituting and the effect of any health care reform could materially harm our ability to operate profitably.
Outside of the United States, reimbursement systems vary significantly by country. Many foreign markets often have a combination of government-managed and privately-managed healthcare systems that govern reimbursement for medical devices and related procedures. Socialized medicine is common in the EU, and reimbursement and the pricing of medical devices is generally subject to governmental control. Application for reimbursement, subsequent approvals, if any, and pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after a device has been CE marked. Private insurance has similar challenges. CytoSorb is currently reimbursed in Germany under government-funded insurance, and in other countries may be covered under the diagnosis-related group (“DRG”), or “lump sum payment” reimbursement, or other generalized reimbursement for acute care medical products. See “Risk Factors ― “ Our business could be harmed by adverse economic conditions in Germany, our primary geographical market, or by economic and/or political instability in Germany, the EU or elsewhere caused by various factors. ” We are continuously working to
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obtain or improve upon the type and amount of reimbursement available to us in countries where CytoSorb is available, and as we attempt to move from an existing reimbursement platform to a new reimbursement platform, we may experience interruptions and/or reductions in the amount available for reimbursement. Because of this, there can be no assurance that new reimbursement will be obtained or that existing reimbursement will continue or that such reimbursement will be sufficient to adequately cover the cost of the device or treatment. As a result, our future revenues, profitability and access to capital may be negatively affected by any interruption or reduction in amounts of reimbursement. We plan to seek reimbursement for our product in other EU and non-EU countries to help further adoption. There can be no assurance when, or if, this additional reimbursement might be approved.
We depend upon key personnel who may terminate their employment with us at any time.
As of the issuance date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we had 129 full-time and part-time employees as well as several consultants and temporary employees. Our success will depend to a significant degree upon the continued services of our key management team and advisors, including, Dr. Phillip Chan, our Chief Executive Officer; Peter J. Mariani, our Chief Financial Officer; Vincent Capponi, our President and Chief Operating Officer and Dr. Efthymios Deliargyris, our Chief Medical Officer. On July 30, 2019, we entered into amended and restated executive employment agreements with its principal executives, Dr. Phillip P. Chan, Chief Executive Officer, Vincent Capponi, President and Chief Operating Officer, and Kathleen P. Bloch, Chief Financial Officer. Each agreement had an initial term of three years and were retroactively effective as of January 1, 2019. On April 12, 2020, CytoSorbents Corporation entered into an executive employment agreement with Dr. Efthymios Deliargyris, who began employment as Chief Medical Officer on May 1, 2020, with an initial term that expired on December 31, 2021. On August 14, 2024, CytoSorbents Corporation entered into an executive employment agreement with Peter J. Mariani, who began employment as Chief Financial Officer on August 14, 2024 following the retirement of former CFO Kathy Bloch, with an initial term that expired on December 31, 2025. After the expiration of the initial terms, the employment agreements automatically renew for additional terms of one year unless either party provides written notice of non-renewal at least 60 days prior to a renewal. The employment agreements for the Named Executive Officers above have automatically renewed for subsequent one-year terms. There can be no assurance that key management personnel or other members of our management team and advisors will continue to provide services to us. In addition, our success will depend on our ability to attract and retain other highly skilled personnel. We may be unable to recruit such personnel on a timely basis, if at all. Management and other employees may voluntarily terminate their employment with us at any time. Additionally, the increasing demand for qualified personnel may make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified employees. Changing demographics and labor work force trends may make it difficult for us to replace departing employees at our manufacturing and other facilities and we may experience increased turnover rates. U.S. labor market conditions are currently challenging, and labor shortages have been exacerbated during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. These conditions are expected to persist into 2026 and may lead to higher labor costs. If we fail to attract and retain qualified personnel, or if we experience labor shortages, we may experience higher costs and other difficulties. The loss of services of key personnel, or the inability to attract and retain additional qualified personnel, could result in delays in development or approval of our products, loss of sales and diversion of management resources.
We may not be successful in obtaining the FDA’s or Health Canada’s authorization and successful commercialization for DrugSorb-ATR in the U.S. or Canada, respectively.
On April 25, 2025, the FDA issued a denial letter regarding the Company’s De Novo Request for DrugSorb-ATR, identifying remaining deficiencies that must be addressed before the De Novo Request can be granted, and the device can be authorized for commercialization in the U.S. The Company filed an appeal of the decision through the formal appeal process with the FDA. In July, the Company participated in an appeal hearing with the FDA for supervisory review (administrative appeal) under 21 CFR 10.75. The appeal hearing included FDA senior leadership, Company management and our external surgical experts.
On August 14, 2025, the Company received an FDA appeal decision following its July 2025 in-person supervisory administrative review (appeal) meeting with the FDA under 21 CFR 10.75. In the appeal decision, the FDA found no issues with device safety but upheld its prior De Novo denial decision citing the need for additional information to support the Company’s desired label indication. Additionally, the FDA proactively proposed a potential expedited path forward for market authorization but noted the Company could also appeal to a final higher level within the FDA with the Director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiologic Health (CDRH). In September 2025, the Company announced that it decided to not file a final appeal with the CDRH because of positive FDA upper management feedback for a reasonable path forward that would allow for a suitable and potentially expedited De Novo grant for the Company’s original desired label indication. The Company expects to file a new De Novo application with additional information that includes analyses of new real-world data to support its desired label indication. As part of the resubmission process, the Company filed a pre-submission meeting request with supporting documentation to the FDA in November 2025. The Company conducted a formal pre-submission meeting with the FDA in late January 2026 and continues to engage with the FDA to clarify and confirm the requirements for the new De Novo submission. The interactive discussions regarding the information to be included in the new submission are ongoing, and the Company expects to provide an update of the anticipated timing for the new submission once these interactive
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discussions with the FDA on the final requirements are complete. Following the new De Novo submission, a regulatory decision would be expected following a typical 150-day review process but may be accelerated or extended depending on interactive discussions with the FDA related to submission questions.
On June 26, 2025, Health Canada issued a Notice of Refusal of the Company’s Medical Device License application, identifying remaining deficiencies that must be addressed before the application may be granted and the device authorized for commercialization. On September 16, 2025 the Company announced that it had timely filed a Level 1 “Request For Reconsideration” with Health Canada. However, following interactive discussions with the Medical Devices Directorate Bureau Director and the Company’s Canadian regulatory counsel, it was recommended that any subsequent review of DrugSorb-ATR in Canada be delayed until better clarity was received from the FDA. As such, the Company withdrew the Request for Reconsideration and will provide a new Medical Device License application to Health Canada with improved visibility from the FDA.
We may be unsuccessful in obtaining the FDA’s or Health Canada’s authorization and successfully commercialization of DrugSorb-ATR in the U.S or Canada which may significantly impact our ability to generate any significant revenues or ever achieve and maintain a substantial level of sales of our product candidates in the U.S. and Canada.
Acceptance of our medical devices in the marketplace is uncertain, and failure to achieve market acceptance will prevent or delay our ability to generate revenues.
Our future financial performance will depend, at least in part, upon the introduction, and customer and healthcare community acceptance of our products. Even with current or future regulatory or marketing approvals for our CytoSorb, ECOS-300CY, and PuriFi pump devices, other products like VetResQ, and product candidates such as DrugSorb-ATR, these products may not achieve market acceptance in the countries where they are sold. There is no guarantee that we will be able to achieve additional regulatory approvals, and even if we do, our products may not achieve market acceptance in the countries covered by such approvals.
The degree of market acceptance of our products will depend on several factors, including our ability to obtain regulatory clearance for marketing claims related to the uses we are developing; demonstrate and achieve acceptance of the safety, efficacy, and advantages of our polymer technology, as reflected in product adoption, sales, reimbursement, and inclusion in treatment guidelines;secure favorable pricing and reimbursement from government and third-party payers;compete effectively against similar or competing products; attract corporate partners to support commercialization; and successfully market our products.
Physicians, patients, payers or the medical community in general may be unwilling to accept, utilize or recommend any of our products. For example, the approval of our CytoSorb device as a cytokine adsorber as well as the data we have gathered in our clinical studies to support device usage in this indication may not be sufficient for market acceptance in the medical community. We may also need to conduct additional clinical studies to gather additional data for marketing purposes. If we are unable to obtain regulatory approval or commercialize and market our products when planned, we may not achieve any market acceptance or generate revenue.
If we are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for our products and product candidates, or if the scope of the patent protection obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialize products and product candidates similar or identical to ours, and our ability to successfully commercialize our products and product candidates may be adversely affected.
Our commercial success will depend, in part, on our ability to obtain and maintain patent protection in the United States and other countries with respect to our products and product candidates. We seek to protect our proprietary position by filing patent applications in the United States and abroad related to our products and product candidates that are important to our business. We cannot be certain that patents will be issued or granted with respect to applications that are currently pending or that we apply for in the future with respect to one or more of our products and product candidates, or that issued or granted patents will not later be found to be invalid and/or unenforceable.
The patent prosecution process is expensive and time-consuming, and we may not be able to file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection. Although we enter into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to patentable aspects of our research and development output, such as our employees, distribution partners, consultants, advisors and other third parties, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose such output before a patent application is filed, thereby jeopardizing our ability to seek patent protection.
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The patent position of medical device companies generally is highly uncertain, involves complex legal and factual questions and has in recent years been the subject of much litigation. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our patent rights are highly uncertain. Our pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued, and even if issued, the patents may not meaningfully protect our products or product candidates, effectively prevent competitors and third parties from commercializing competitive products or otherwise provide us with any competitive advantage. Our competitors or other third parties may be able to circumvent our patents by developing similar or alternative products in a non-infringing manner.
Changes in the patent laws, implementing regulations or interpretation of the patent laws in the United States and other countries may also diminish the value of our patents or narrow the scope of our patent protection. The laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States, and many companies have encountered significant difficulties in protecting and defending such rights in foreign jurisdictions.
We cannot be certain that our patents and patent rights will be effective in protecting our products, product candidates and technologies. In addition, our existing patents are scheduled to expire between 2026 and 2044. Failure to protect such assets may have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition and prospects.
We may face litigation from third parties claiming that our products infringe on their intellectual property rights or seek to challenge the validity of our patents.
Our future success is also dependent in part on the strength of our intellectual property, trade secrets and know-how, which have been developed from years of research and development. In addition to the previously settled “Purolite” litigation discussed below, we may be exposed to additional future litigation by third parties seeking to challenge the validity of our rights based on claims that our technologies, products or activities infringe the intellectual property rights of others or are invalid, or that we have misappropriated the trade secrets of others.
Since our inception, we have sought to contract with large, established manufacturers to supply commercial quantities of our adsorbent polymers. As a result, we have disclosed, under confidentiality agreements, various aspects of our technology with potential manufacturers. We believe that these disclosures, while necessary for our business, have resulted in the attempt by potential suppliers to improperly assert ownership claims to our technology in an attempt to gain an advantage in negotiating manufacturing rights.
We previously engaged in discussions with the Brotech Corporation and its affiliate, Purolite International, Inc. (collectively referred to as “Purolite”), which had demonstrated a strong interest in being our polymer manufacturer. For a period of time beginning in December 1998, Purolite engaged in efforts to develop and optimize the manufacturing process needed to produce our polymer products on a commercial scale. However, the parties eventually decided not to proceed. In 2003, Purolite filed a lawsuit against us asserting, among other things, co-ownership and co-inventorship of certain of our patents. On September 1, 2006, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania approved a Stipulated Order and Settlement Agreement under which we and Purolite agreed to the settlement of the action. The Settlement Agreement provides us with the exclusive right to use our patented technology and proprietary know how relating to adsorbent polymers for a period of 18 years. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, we have agreed to pay Purolite royalties of 2.5% to 5% on the sale of certain of our products through August 2024, after which time no royalties are due under this settlement agreement.
The expiration or loss of patent protection may adversely affect our future revenues and operating earnings.
We rely on patent, trademark, trade secret and other intellectual property protection in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and sale of our products and product candidates. In particular, patent protection is important in the development and eventual commercialization of our products and product candidates. Patents covering our products and product candidates normally provide market exclusivity, which is important in order for our products and product candidates to become profitable.
Our existing patents are scheduled to expire between 2026 and 2044. While we are seeking additional patent coverage which may protect the technology underlying these patents, there can be no assurances that such additional patent protection will be granted, or if granted, that these patents will not be infringed upon or otherwise held enforceable. Even if we are successful in obtaining a patent, patents have a limited lifespan. In the United States, the natural expiration of a utility patent typically is generally 20 years after it is filed. Various extensions may be available; however, the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. Without patent protection for our products and product candidates, we may be open to competition from generic versions of such methods and devices.
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We have received and continue to seek additional regulatory approvals of our products and product candidates, but the approval process involves lengthy and costly clinical studies and is, in large part, not in our control. The failure to obtain government approvals, internationally or domestically, for our products and product candidates, or to comply with ongoing governmental regulations could prevent, delay or limit introduction or sale of our products and result in the failure to achieve revenues or maintain our operations.
CytoSorb has already achieved marketing authorization in the EU under the CE marking process and the Medical Devices Directive. It is manufactured at our manufacturing facility in New Jersey under ISO 13485 Full Quality Systems certification. The manufacturing and marketing of our products is subject to extensive and rigorous government regulation in the EU, as well as in the U.S. and in other countries. In the U.S. and other countries, the process of obtaining and maintaining required regulatory approvals is lengthy, expensive, and uncertain. There can be no assurance that we will ever obtain the necessary additional approvals to sell our products in the United States or other non-EU countries. Even if we do ultimately receive FDA approval or clearance for any of our products, we will be subject to extensive ongoing regulation. While we have received approval from our notified body to apply the CE mark to our CytoSorb device, we will be subject to extensive ongoing regulation and auditing requirements to maintain the CE mark.
Our products are subject to international regulation as medical devices under the Medical Devices Directive and, once our CE Mark under MDD expires in December 2028 will be subject to the new European Union Medical Device Regulation (“MDR”). In Europe, the notified body and Competent Authority govern, where applicable, development, clinical studies, labeling, manufacturing, registration, notification, clearance or approval, marketing, distribution, record keeping, and reporting requirements for medical devices. Different regulatory requirements may apply to our products depending on how they are categorized by the notified body under these laws. Current international regulations classify our CytoSorb device as a Class IIb device. Even though we have received CE mark certification of the CytoSorb device, there can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to comply with the required annual auditing requirements or other international regulatory requirements that may be applicable. In addition, there can be no assurance that government regulations applicable to our products or the interpretation of those regulations will not change. The extent of potentially adverse government regulation that might arise from future legislation or administrative action cannot be predicted. There can be no assurances that reimbursement will be granted or that additional clinical data will be required to establish reimbursement.
If we fail to maintain the CE Mark in the European Union, we will not be able to commercially sell and market CytoSorb.
In March 2011, CytoSorb, was “CE marked” in the EU as an extracorporeal cytokine adsorber indicated for use in clinical situations where cytokines are elevated, allowing for commercial marketing. The CE Mark demonstrates that a conformity assessment has been carried out and the product complies with the Medical Devices Directive. A re-certification audit was conducted in April 2019. The successful completion of this audit CE-certifies CytoSorb under the current Medical Device Directive (93/42/EEC) until December 2028. Prior to the expiration of such certificate, we will apply for certification under the new Medical Devices Regulation (MDR). Failure to certify CytoSorb under the Medical Devices Regulation will prevent us from using the CE mark for commercial distribution of CytoSorb in the European Union. Any new product that we submit for the CE Mark after August 2019 must be approved under the new Medical Devices Regulation.
Furthermore, if we are unable to obtain re-certification for CytoSorb’s current use, fail to do so before the existing certificate expires, are unable to satisfy the more stringent requirements of the Medical Devices Regulation, or are required to conduct additional research or modify technical documentation in connection with any variation of the uses for which the CE Mark has been affixed, our revenues and operating results could be adversely affected and our reputation could be harmed:
We may pursue various indications for our product candidates, and they may be subject to different FDA regulatory pathways for marketing authorization, and under the jurisdiction of different FDA review divisions within the FDA.
As we seek to determine commercially viable indications for our product candidates, we may consider pursuing a variety of indications that may be approved through one of several different FDA regulatory clearance or approval pathways, and under the jurisdiction of different FDA review divisions within the FDA. We expect the pathways available to us will be impacted by the FDA regulatory history of the category of “sorbent hemoperfusion systems” and our options may also be impacted by the FDA’s interpretations and application of these and other regulatory standards to our product candidates. The regulatory pathways available to us may impact the level and type of data necessary to support our applications, and the post-marketing requirements to which we and our products will be subject.
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Inadequate funding for the FDA, the SEC and other government agencies, or the downsizing thereof in connection with proposals to reduce or eliminate budgetary deficits, could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, prevent new products and services from being developed or commercialized in a timely manner, affect whether government agencies award, promptly pay or continue to fund amounts awarded under grants from such agencies, or otherwise prevent those agencies from performing normal business functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our business.
The ability of the FDA to review and approve new drugs and medical devices can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, and statutory, regulatory, and policy changes. Average review times at the FDA have fluctuated in recent years as a result. In addition, government funding of the SEC and other government agencies on which our operations may rely, including those that fund research and development activities is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.
The ability of the FDA to review and approve new drugs and medical devices can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, and statutory, regulatory, and policy changes. Average review times at the FDA have fluctuated in recent years as a result. In addition, government funding of the SEC and other government agencies on which our operations may rely, including those that fund research and development activities is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.
Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new drugs and medical devices to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies as well as affect whether we receive timely payment of amounts awarded to us under grants and contracts with government agencies which would adversely affect our business. For example, over the last several years, the U.S. government has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA and the SEC, have had to furlough critical FDA, SEC and other government employees and stop critical activities. If a prolonged government shutdown occurs, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, in our operations as a public company, future government shutdowns could impact our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital in order to properly capitalize and continue our operations. Additionally, proposals to reduce or eliminate budgetary deficits have sometimes included reduced allocations to U.S. government agencies that fund research and development activities.
Adverse economic conditions and political or regulatory developments could materially and adversely affect our business.
Weakness, volatility, or instability in the global economy, particularly in the United States and Europe, including inflation, rising energy costs, or financial market disruptions, could negatively affect demand for our products and harm our revenue and operating results. In addition, changes in domestic or international political, trade, tax, or regulatory policies may increase our costs, disrupt our operations, or adversely affect our financial condition. Because we operate internationally, we may be subject to evolving trade laws, tariffs, export restrictions, and potential retaliatory measures. Domestically, we may be adversely affected by budgetary constraints, funding cuts, staffing shortages, or shifts in regulatory priorities at agencies overseeing our products and reimbursement, including the FDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which could delay approvals, disrupt oversight, or require significant resources to address compliance. Additionally, keeping abreast of, and in compliance with, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, will require an increased amount of management attention and external resources. If economic or political conditions deteriorate or regulatory requirements become more burdensome, our business, results of operations, and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
Clinical study results for our CytoSorb and/or DrugSorb-ATR device may not be indicative of our future clinical study results, and we cannot assure you that any clinical study results will lead to results sufficient for necessary regulatory clearances or product sales. Additionally, clinical and pre-clinical data is susceptible to varying interpretations, which could delay, limit, reduce, or prevent additional regulatory clearances or product sales.
To date, we have conducted limited clinical studies on our CytoSorb and DrugSorb-ATR product. There can be no assurance that we will successfully complete additional clinical studies or that our current or future clinical studies will lead to results necessary to receive additional regulatory approvals in markets not covered by the CE Mark. While clinical studies conducted by us and others have produced results we believe to be encouraging, data already obtained, or in the future obtained, from pre-clinical studies and clinical studies do not necessarily predict the results that will be obtained from later pre-clinical studies and clinical studies. CytoSorb, DrugSorb-ATR and our other products and product candidates may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy in clinical development despite positive results in previous studies, which could result in decreased sales of our products and product candidates and have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Moreover, pre-clinical and clinical data are susceptible to varying interpretations, which could delay, limit or prevent additional regulatory approvals in markets not covered by the CE Mark. A number of companies in the
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medical device and pharmaceutical industries have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical studies, even after promising results in earlier studies. The failure to adequately demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of CytoSorb, DrugSorb-ATR or another product under development could delay or prevent regulatory clearance of the device, resulting in delays to commercialization, and could materially harm our business and results of operations. Even though we have received approval to apply the CE Mark to our CytoSorb device as a cytokine adsorber, there can be no assurance that we will be able to receive approval under the MDR for other potential applications of CytoSorb, or that we will receive regulatory clearance or marketing approval from authorities in other targeted regions or countries.
We are and will be exposed to product liability risks, and clinical and preclinical liability risks, which could place a substantial financial burden upon us should we be sued.
Our business exposes us to potential product liability and other liability risks that are inherent in the testing, manufacturing and marketing of medical devices. We cannot be sure that claims will not be asserted against us. A successful liability claim or series of claims brought against us could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We cannot give assurances that we will be able to continue to obtain or maintain adequate product liability insurance on acceptable terms, if at all, or that such insurance will provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities. Claims or losses in excess of any product liability insurance coverage that we may obtain could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Certain university and other relationships are important to our business and may potentially result in conflicts of interests.
We work with many medical and clinical advisors in critical care, cardiac surgery, trauma, and other areas who are associated with healthcare institutions. Their association with these institutions may currently or in the future involve conflicting interests in the event they or these institutions enter into consulting or other arrangements with competitors of ours.
Although we have significant manufacturing experience and capabilities, we may not be able to manufacture sufficient quantities at an acceptable cost or quality, or without shut-downs or delays.
In March 2011, we received approval from our notified body to apply the CE Mark to our CytoSorb device for commercial sale as a cytokine adsorber. We also achieved ISO 13485:2003 Full Quality Systems certification, and have since upgraded to ISO 13485:2016 Full Quality Systems certification, an internationally recognized quality standard designed to ensure that medical device manufacturers have the necessary comprehensive management systems in place to safely design, develop, manufacture and distribute medical devices in the EU. We also achieved the Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP) certification that is necessary for product approval in certain countries such as Canada. We manufacture CytoSorb at our manufacturing facilities in New Jersey for sale in the EU and around the world, as well as for additional clinical studies. Manufacturers and manufacturers’ facilities are required to comply with extensive FDA requirements, including ensuring that quality control and manufacturing procedures conform to current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMP”) for medical devices, as set forth in the QSR. As such, we are subject to continual review and periodic inspections to assess compliance with cGMP/QSR requirements as required by our International notified body. Accordingly, we must continue to expend time, money and effort in all areas of regulatory compliance, including manufacturing, production and quality control. We have limited experience in establishing, supervising and conducting commercial manufacturing. If we or the third-party manufacturers of our products fail to adequately establish, supervise and conduct all aspects of the manufacturing processes, we may not be able to commercialize our products on a timely basis, or at all.
We depend on a limited number of suppliers for chemicals, other raw materials, and molded parts used in the development and manufacture of our products. Although we typically second source and validate the quality of chemicals, raw materials, and molded parts any change in the availability of these components, or availability of single sourced materials, without an alternative source may result in lengthy delays or disruptions in manufacturing if we need to change or cannot identify a supplier for any reason which could have a material impact on our business and results of operations.
Our ability to manufacture and distribute products is dependent, in part, upon availability and quality of chemicals, raw materials, molded parts and other components supplied by third parties. Any disruption in the supply of these ingredients or components or any problems in their standard of quality could materially affect our ability to manufacture and distribute our products, maintain sufficient inventory levels or otherwise meet customer demand, and could result in legal liabilities that could materially affect our ability to realize profits or otherwise harm our business, financial, and operating results. We primarily source the raw materials for our products from domestic suppliers but may be required to source from international suppliers if our domestic suppliers are unable to meet our supply requirements. Generally, we typically second source and validate the quality of chemicals, raw materials, and molded parts. We
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do not have any significant concentration of risk with respect to any one particular supplier. If we were to change the supplier of a raw material for a product, the cost for the material could be greater than the amount we paid with the previous supplier. Changes in suppliers are rare but could occur as a result of a supplier’s business failing, an issue arising from an FDA inspection, failure to maintain our required standards of quality, or a force majeure event. As a result, we carefully select suppliers, based on various factors including quality, reliability of supply, and long-term financial stability. From time to time, we may experience temporary or long-term disruptions in the supply of certain of our raw materials that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Due to our limited resources for marketing, sales and distribution, and our reliance on many different distributors, we may be unsuccessful in our efforts to successfully commercialize our products in one or more countries.
We have limited resources for marketing, sales, and distribution. We expect to enter into additional agreements with third parties for the commercial marketing, and distribution of our products. There can be no assurance that any third parties we may engage to market and distribute our products will satisfy their financial or contractual obligations to us, effectively promote our products, or refrain from offering, designing, manufacturing, or promoting competing products. If for any reason any party we engage is unable or chooses not to perform its obligations under our marketing and distribution agreement, we would experience delays in product sales and incur increased costs, which would harm our business and financial results.
If for any reason any party we engage is unable or chooses not to perform its obligations under our marketing and distribution agreement, we would experience delays in product sales and incur increased costs, which would harm our business and financial results.
Our results of operations can be significantly affected by foreign currency fluctuations and regulations.
A significant portion of our revenues is currently derived in the local currencies of the foreign jurisdictions in which our products are sold. Accordingly, we are subject to risks relating to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. In the future, and especially as we further expand our sales efforts in international markets, our customers will increasingly make payments in non-U.S. currencies. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates could affect our revenues, operating costs and operating margins. In addition, currency devaluation can result in a loss to us if we hold deposits of that currency or if it reduces the cost-competitiveness of our products. We cannot predict the effect of future exchange rate fluctuations on our operating results.
If we are unable to convince physicians and other health care providers as to the benefits of our products, we may incur delays or additional expense in our attempt to establish market acceptance.
Broad use of our products may require physicians and other health care providers to be informed about our products and their intended benefits, often supported by clinical data. The time and cost of such an educational process and obtaining such clinical data may be substantial. Inability to successfully carry out this education process, or obtain adequate positive clinical data, may adversely affect market acceptance of our products. We may be unable to educate physicians regarding our products in sufficient numbers or in a timely manner to achieve our marketing plans or to achieve product acceptance. Any delay in physician education may materially delay or reduce demand for our products. In addition, we may expend significant funds towards physician education before any acceptance or demand for our products is created, if at all.
The market for our products is rapidly changing and competitive, and new devices and drugs, which may be developed by others, could impair our ability to maintain and grow our business and remain competitive.
The medical device and pharmaceutical industries are subject to rapid and substantial technological change. Developments by others may render our technologies and products noncompetitive or obsolete. We also may be unable to keep pace with technological developments and other market factors. Technological competition from medical device, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, governmental entities and others diversifying into the field is intense and is expected to increase. Many of these entities have significantly greater research and development capabilities and budgets than we do, as well as substantially more marketing, manufacturing, financial and managerial resources. These entities represent significant competition for us.
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Our business could be harmed by adverse economic conditions in Germany, our primary geographical market, or by economic and/or political instability in Germany, the EU or elsewhere caused by various factors.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, we derived approximately 32% of our net product sales from sales in Germany. Despite modest European and global growth, there are many economic and political issues that could negatively impact the health of Germany’s economy, the broader EU economy, and the world economy overall. Examples include the uncertainty over the implications of the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU, also known as “Brexit,” economic instability in a number of EU member countries, and changes in the political leadership in the EU and United States. Germany and other European countries face additional risks to their local economies, some of which include the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations, unemployment, tightening of monetary policy, the economic burden of immigration, diminished liquidity and reliance on debt, the rising cost of healthcare, and other factors. In addition, the German government, insurance companies, health maintenance organizations and other payers of healthcare costs continue to focus on healthcare reform and containment of healthcare costs. For example, in October 2024, the German Parliament fully passed the Hospital Care Improvement Act mandating hospital reform beginning in January 2025 through 2029. As part of the reform, government payments to hospitals would de-emphasize the DRG (diagnosis-related group) “lump sum” payment system that incentivizes revenue generation through more patients treated and procedures performed, and instead emphasize base payments focused on quality measures and appropriate patient care. This is expected to favor a shift of routine operations and procedures to outpatient centers, consolidation of smaller hospitals into larger ones, and importantly, an increased focus of remaining hospitals on sicker patients, more complex operations such as cardiothoracic surgery and organ transplant, and on therapies that help reduce the severity of illness and help patients recover faster. Hospitals must also meet strict quality standards to receive money for operations. Although we believe our products are aligned with the goals of Germany healthcare reform, the ultimate scope, implementation and timing of these reforms remains uncertain and we cannot accurately predict the impact that such reforms may have on our business, our customers, our existing reimbursement and such policies and procedures for seeking reimbursement, or our results of operations. Furthermore, we cannot predict whether Germany’s economy will continue to grow or decline consistent with the overall global economy, which decline would negatively impact the demand for medical devices and healthcare technologies generally and lead to reduced spending on the products we provide. In addition, continued healthcare cost containment efforts may result in lower prices and a reduction or elimination of reimbursement for our products. Due to the concentration of our product sales in this country, any of the foregoing may have a negative impact on our revenues, business operations and financial condition.
Economic downturns, international trade disruptions, wars, terrorism, and geopolitical conflicts could materially and adversely affect our business and operating results.
Significant portions of our business are conducted in Europe (including the U.K.), Asia, and other international markets. Economic instability, trade disputes, sanctions, tariffs, regulatory changes, pandemics, wars, military actions, acts of terrorism, and other geopolitical conflicts — including the war between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, the evolving conflicts in Iran and Israel and the surrounding areas, and trade tensions involving the United States, China, Canada, and Mexico — could disrupt global commerce, financial markets, travel, and supply chains. These events may result in changes to regulations affecting our products or intellectual property, disruptions to our manufacturing or commercial operations, delays or cancellations of customer orders, reduced healthcare spending, difficulties marketing and distributing our products, challenges engaging with or collecting payment from customers in affected regions (including Russia, where our products are distributed), or restrictions on sales due to existing or future sanctions. Such conditions may also impair our ability to raise capital or access the capital markets.
We cannot predict the duration or severity of these events or their long-term impact. Any significant economic downturn, trade disruption, armed conflict, terrorist activity, or related sanctions or retaliatory measures could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We could be adversely affected by violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar worldwide anti-bribery laws.
We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”), which generally prohibits companies and their intermediaries from making payments to non-U.S. government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or securing any other improper advantage. We are also subject to anti-bribery laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate. Although we have policies and procedures designed to ensure that we, our employees and our agents comply with the FCPA and other anti-bribery laws, there is no assurance that such policies or procedures will protect us against liability under the FCPA or other laws for actions taken by our agents, employees and intermediaries with respect to our business or any businesses that we acquire. We do business in a number of countries in which FCPA violations by other companies have recently been enforced. Failure to comply with the FCPA, other anti-bribery laws or other laws governing the conduct of business with foreign government entities, including local laws, could disrupt our business and lead to severe criminal and civil penalties, including imprisonment, criminal and civil fines, loss of our export licenses, suspension of our ability to do business with the federal government, denial of government reimbursement for our products and/or
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exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs. Other remedial measures could include further changes or enhancements to our procedures, policies, and controls and potential personnel changes and/or disciplinary actions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. We could also be adversely affected by any allegation that we violated such laws.
We are subject to governmental export and import controls that could impair our ability to compete in international markets due to licensing requirements and subject us to liability if we are not in compliance with applicable laws.
Our products are subject to export control and import laws, tariffs, and regulations, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, U.S. Customs regulations, and various economic and trade sanctions regulations administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Controls. Exports of our products must be made in compliance with these laws, tariffs, and regulations. If we fail to comply with these laws, tariffs, and regulations, we and certain of our employees could be subject to substantial civil or criminal penalties, including the possible loss of export or import privileges; fines, which may be imposed on us and responsible employees or managers; and, in extreme cases, the incarceration of responsible employees or managers.
In addition, changes in our products or changes in applicable export or import laws, tariffs, and regulations may create delays in the introduction and sale of our products in international markets or, in some cases, prevent the export or import of our products to certain countries, governments or persons altogether. Any change in export or import laws and regulations, shift in the enforcement or scope of existing laws, tariffs, and regulations, or change in the countries, governments, persons, products, or technologies targeted by such laws, tariffs, and regulations, could also result in decreased use of our products, or in our decreased ability to export or sell our products to existing or potential customers. Any decreased use of our products or limitation on our ability to export or sell our products would likely adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Cyberattacks and other security breaches could compromise our proprietary and confidential information which could harm our business and reputation.
In the ordinary course of our business, we generate, collect, and store proprietary information, including intellectual property, business information, and employee personal data, and the secure storage, transmission, and access to this information are critical to our operations and reputation. Cybersecurity incidents have become increasingly common across industries, and we face risks from hackers, employees, contractors, and other third parties who may attempt to gain unauthorized access to, misappropriate, or inadvertently expose our confidential information, including through phishing or other sophisticated attacks, particularly in remote working environments. We have experienced previous attempts to penetrate our systems and, although we maintain multi-layered security safeguards, our information technology networks and infrastructure remain vulnerable to evolving threats, technological advances, and human error or malfeasance. We may not detect unauthorized access promptly or be able to remediate breaches effectively. Any compromise of our data security or unauthorized access to, or disclosure or loss of, confidential or proprietary information could disrupt our operations, harm our reputation, provide competitors with valuable information, result in additional costs, and materially and adversely affect our business.
Our failure to comply with data protection laws and regulations could lead to government enforcement actions and significant penalties against us, and adversely impact our operating results.
European Union member states and other foreign jurisdictions, including Switzerland, have adopted data protection laws and regulations which impose significant compliance obligations. Moreover, the collection and use of personal health data in the European Union, which was formerly governed by the provisions of the European Union Data Protection Directive, was replaced with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation, or the GDPR, in May 2018. The GDPR, which is wide-ranging in scope, imposes several requirements relating to the consent of the individuals to whom the personal data relates, the information provided to the individuals, the security and confidentiality of the personal data, data breach notification and the use of third-party processors in connection with the processing of personal data. The GDPR also imposes strict rules on the transfer of personal data out of the European Union to the United States, provides an enforcement authority and imposes large penalties for noncompliance, including the potential for fines of up to €20 million or 4% of the annual global revenues of the noncompliant company, whichever is greater. The recent implementation of the GDPR has increased our responsibility and liability in relation to personal data that we process, including in clinical trials, and we may in the future be required to put in place additional mechanisms to ensure compliance with the GDPR, which could divert management’s attention and increase our cost of doing business. In addition, new regulation or legislative actions regarding data privacy and security (together with applicable industry standards) may increase our costs of doing business. In this regard, we expect that there will continue to be new proposed laws, regulations and industry standards relating to privacy and data protection in the United States, the European Union and other jurisdictions, and we cannot determine the impact such future laws, regulations and standards may have on our business.
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In the U.S., even for companies that are not “covered entities” or business associates” under HIPAA, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, or the FTC, failing to take appropriate steps to keep consumers’ personal information secure constitutes unfair acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, or the FTCA, 15 U.S.C § 45(a). The FTC expects a company’s data security measures to be reasonable and appropriate in light of the sensitivity and volume of consumer information it holds, the size and complexity of its business, and the cost of available tools to improve security and reduce vulnerabilities. Medical data is considered sensitive data that merits stronger safeguards. The FTC’s guidance for appropriately securing consumers’ personal information is similar to what is required by the HIPAA Security Rule. Some state privacy and security laws apply more broadly than HIPAA and associated regulations. For example, California recently enacted legislation – the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA – which went into effect January 1, 2020. The CCPA, among other things, creates new data privacy obligations for covered companies and provides new privacy rights to California residents, including the right to opt out of certain disclosures of their information. The CCPA also creates a private right of action with statutory damages for certain data breaches, thereby potentially increasing risks associated with a data breach. Legislators have stated that they intend to propose amendments to the CCPA before it goes into effect, and the California Attorney General will issue clarifying regulations. Although the law includes limited exceptions, including for certain information collected as part of clinical trials as specified in the law, it may regulate or impact our processing of personal information depending on the context. It remains unclear what, if any, modifications will be made to this legislation or how it will be interpreted.
Risks Connected to Our Securities
We are not in compliance with the continued listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), and our common stock could be delisted if we do not regain compliance with listing standards within time frame required by the Nasdaq staff, which could have a material adverse effect on the liquidity of our common stock.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”). On October 2, 2025, we were notified that we were not in compliance with the Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements relating to the minimum average closing price per share of our common stock, because the average closing price of our common stock over a consecutive 30 trading-day period was below $1.00 per share (the “Minimum Bid Price Requirement”).
We have timely notified the Nasdaq of our intent to regain compliance with the minimum price condition within a 180-day cure period provided by Nasdaq rules, or until March 31, 2026 (the “Compliance Date”). We can regain compliance at any time within the cure period if, the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock meets or exceeds $1.00 per common share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days prior to the Compliance Date, unless the Nasdaq staff exercises its discretion to require the Company to meet the Minimum Bid Price Requirement for a longer period pursuant to applicable Nasdaq rules. If we fail to regain compliance with the Nasdaq’s minimum price condition by the end of the cure period, the Company would be eligible for an additional compliance period of 180 days provided it presents an acceptable plan to Nasdaq to regain compliance. In accordance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company has filed for a 180-day extension to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, including the Company’s intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. and expects the Nasdaq will respond to the Company’s request subsequent to March 31, 2026.
The Company intends to actively monitor the closing bid price of its common stock and will consider its options to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement or will otherwise be in compliance with other Nasdaq listing standards. If the Company is unable to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, our common stock will be subject to the Nasdaq’s suspension and delisting procedures.
During this time, our common stock will continue to be listed on the Nasdaq, subject to our compliance with other Nasdaq continued listing requirements. However, there can be no assurance about our ability to regain compliance with the Nasdaq’s minimum price condition within the applicable cure periods.
The price of our common stock has been highly volatile due to factors that will continue to affect the price of our stock.
Our common stock closed as high as $1.31 and as low as $0.62 per share between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025 on Nasdaq. On December 31, 2025, the closing price of our common stock, as reported on Nasdaq, was $0.64. Historically, medical device company securities such as our common stock have experienced extreme price fluctuations. Some of the factors contributing to this volatility include fluctuations in our operating results; regulatory developments; announcements of product releases, clinical data, acquisitions, or partnerships by us or our competitors; analyst or media reports; changes in our financial condition; and general market conditions. There is no assurance that the price of our common stock will not continue to be volatile.
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Directors, executive officers and principal stockholders own a significant percentage of the shares of common stock, which will limit your ability to influence corporate matters.
Our directors, executive officers and principal stockholders together beneficially own a significant percentage of the voting control of the common stock on a fully diluted basis. Accordingly, these stockholders could have a significant influence over the outcome of any corporate transaction or other matter submitted to stockholders for approval, including mergers, consolidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets and also could prevent or cause a change in control. The interests of these stockholders may differ from the interests of our other stockholders. Third parties may be discouraged from making a tender offer or bid to acquire us because of this concentration of ownership. As of December 31, 2025, three shareholders hold 16.6% of our shares and our directors and officers hold 6.3% of our shares on a fully diluted basis.
Our Board of Directors’ authority to issue additional securities and anti-takeover provisions in our governing documents under Delaware law could adversely affect the rights of our common stockholders and discourage or delay a change in control.
On December 3, 2014, we effected a 25:1 reverse stock split and changed our state of incorporation from Nevada to Delaware through a merger with our wholly owned Delaware subsidiary, at which time we adopted our current certificate of incorporation and bylaws. Our certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 5,000,000 shares of “blank check” preferred stock and up to 100,000,000 shares of common stock, a substantial portion of which remains available for issuance, in each case without stockholder approval. The issuance of preferred stock with rights and preferences determined by our Board of Directors, or additional shares of common stock, could dilute existing stockholders and adversely affect the voting power and other rights of holders of our common stock. In addition, provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as well as Delaware law, may discourage, delay, or prevent a merger, acquisition, or other change in control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares, and may limit stockholders’ ability to influence the direction or management of the Company.
In our previous Form 10K, we identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, which could, if not effectively remediated, result in additional restatements of our financial statements, and a failure to meet our reporting and financial obligations, each of which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
As discussed above, our management has concluded that we did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025, due to a material weakness relating to the accounting for stock-based compensation corresponding to grants of restricted stock units. Specifically, our controls were not effectively designed or operating to ensure that non-cash restricted stock unit expense was properly accounted for. We are actively engaged in remediating the identified material weakness. Management has begun implementing measures to strengthen our internal control over financial reporting, including redesigning internal control procedures and enhancing documentation processes related to the accounting for restricted stock unit grant and vesting events. These efforts are intended to ensure accurate and timely reporting in accordance with U.S. GAAP for both interim and annual periods. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation or strengthening of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control failures within the Company have been or will be detected. Accounting standards are complex and are subject to changing guidance and differing interpretations. Notwithstanding the exertion of significant effort and resources to interpret and apply accounting standards (and any related guidance), it is possible that they may be misinterpreted or misapplied, or that prior interpretations may be reconsidered and changed, which may result in technical accounting errors. Any such accounting error could result in additional restatements of our previously issued consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, we cannot be certain that our efforts to remediate the identified material weakness will ensure effective internal control over financial reporting going forward. We also face risks associated with the cost of establishing, maintaining and enhancing effective internal control over financial reporting. We have invested and expect to continue to invest significant resources in future years, to develop and maintain the necessary documentation and testing procedures required by Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Ensuring we have adequate internal financial and accounting controls and procedures in place to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis is a costly and time-consuming effort.
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