Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements reflecting our current expectations, estimates, plans and assumptions concerning events and financial trends that involve risks and may affect our future operating results and financial position. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in the sections entitled “Forward-Looking Statements,” “Risk Factors Summary” and in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report.
Overview
We are a commercial-stage regenerative medicine company focused on creating the next generation of differentiated products and improving outcomes in patients undergoing surgery. We seek to leverage our unique understanding of biologics to improve the interaction between medical devices and patients, with the goal of reducing complications and improving healing. From our proprietary tissue processing platforms, we have developed a portfolio of advanced regenerative medical products that are designed to mimic the healing response of natural biological material. Our proprietary products are designed to address the device protection, women’s health, orthobiologics and cardiovascular markets, which represented a combined $3 billion market opportunity in the United States in 2019. To expand our commercial reach, we have commercial relationships with major medical device companies, such as Boston Scientific, Biotronik and beginning in March 2023, Sientra, to promote and sell some of our products. We believe our focus on our unique regenerative medicine platforms will ultimately maximize our probability of continued clinical and commercial success and will create a long-term competitive advantage for us.
We estimate that, over the past two years, approximately two million patients per year in the United States were implanted with either medical devices, such as pacemakers, defibrillators, neuro-stimulators, spinal fusion and trauma fracture hardware or tissue expanders for breast reconstruction. This number has been driven by advances in medical device technologies, reimbursement models focused on patient outcomes, and an aging population with a growing incidence of comorbidities, including diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular and peripheral vascular diseases. These comorbidities can exacerbate various immune responses and contribute to other complications upon device implant.
Our products are targeted to address unmet clinical needs with the goal of promoting healthy tissue formation and avoiding complications associated with medical device implants, such as infection, scar-tissue formation, capsular contraction, erosion, migration, non-union of implants and implant rejection. We have leading products in each of our four priority markets: device protection, cardiovascular, orthobiologics and women’s health. In device protection, we sell the only biological envelope, protected by a global patent portfolio, that forms a natural, systemically vascularized pocket for holding implanted electronic devices. In cardiovascular, we sell our SIS ECM for use as an intracardiac and vascular patch. In orthobiologics, we have a proprietary processing technology for manufacturing a comprehensive portfolio of bone regenerative products designed to promote the body’s ability to regenerate healthy bone, osteogenesis, while decreasing cell apoptosis, or programmed cell death. In women’s health, we have a patented cell removal technology that produces undamaged extracellular dermal matrices with superior handling, designed to promote faster healing and reduce inflammation. In pre-clinical and clinical studies, our products have supported and, in some cases, accelerated tissue healing, and thereby improved patient outcomes.
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We process all of our products at our two manufacturing facilities in Roswell, Georgia and Richmond, California, and stock inventory of raw materials, supplies and finished goods at those locations. We rely on a single or limited number of suppliers for certain raw materials and supplies. Except for the porcine tissue supplier of our raw materials for our CanGaroo and cardiovascular products, which is Cook Biotech, we generally have no long-term supply agreements with our suppliers, as we obtain supplies on a purchase order basis. Specifically, we acquire donated human tissue directly through tissue procurement firms engaged by us. Our product are shipped either directly to hospital customers or through distribution channels.
We have incurred significant operating losses since our inception. We incurred a net loss of $32.9 million and $24.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Our accumulated deficit as of December 31, 2022 was $138.0 million.
We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we expand our product development and clinical and research activities. In addition, we expect to continue to incur additional costs and expenses associated with operating as a public company.
Our ability to achieve profitability will depend on our ability to generate sales from existing or new products sufficient to exceed our ongoing operating expenses and capital requirements. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties affecting product sales and our ongoing commercialization and product development efforts, including our ability to obtain FDA clearance for the next generation of our flagship CanGaroo product, CanGaroo RM and successfully commercialize this product, we are unable to predict with any certainty whether we will be able to increase sales of our products or the timing or amount of ongoing expenditures we will be required to incur. Accordingly, even if we are able to increase sales of our products, we may not become profitable.
In order to mitigate the current and potential future liquidity issues caused by the matters noted above, we may seek to raise capital through the issuance of common stock, restructure our Revenue Interest Obligation, or pursue asset sale or other transactions. However, such transactions may not be successful and we may not be able to raise additional equity, refinance or restructure our debt instruments, or sell assets on acceptable terms, or at all. As such, based on our current operating plans, we believe there is uncertainty as to whether our future cash flows along with our existing cash, issuances of additional equity and cash generated from expected future sales will be sufficient to meet our anticipated operating needs through twelve months from the financial statement issuance date. Due to these factors, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the issuance of the financial statements.
Impact of COVID-19
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of procedures performed using our products has intermittently decreased, as governmental authorities in the United States have recommended, and in certain cases required, that elective, specialty and other non-emergency procedures and appointments be suspended or canceled in order to avoid patient exposure to medical environments and the risk of potential infection with COVID-19, and to focus limited resources and personnel capacity on the treatment of COVID-19 patients. These measures and challenges will likely continue for the duration of the pandemic, which is uncertain, and may reduce our net sales in the future and negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations while the pandemic continues. In addition, numerous state and local jurisdictions, including those where our facilities are located, imposed, and others in the future may impose or re-impose, “shelter-in-place” orders, quarantines, executive orders and similar government orders and restrictions for their residents to control the spread of COVID-19. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our future financial condition and results of operations will depend on future events and developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the severity and spread of the disease and the effectiveness of actions to contain the disease or treat its impact, among others. As new information regarding COVID-19 continues to emerge, and, as variants of COVID-19 emerge, it is difficult to predict the degree to which this disease will continue to affect our business.
FiberCel Recall
On June 2, 2021, we issued a voluntary recall pertaining to a single donor lot of our FiberCel Fiber Viable Bone Matrix, a bone repair product formerly distributed by Medtronic, after learning of post-surgical infections reported in
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several patients treated with the product, including some patients that tested positive for tuberculosis. Since the voluntary recall, we have settled 26 lawsuits relating to FiberCel for a total of approximately $7.3 million and settled and paid 11 of these lawsuits for a total cash outlay of $3.6 million. For the remaining 81 cases for which settlements have not been reached, we estimated a probable loss related to each case and have recorded a liability at an estimated amount of $13.7 million for a total estimated liability at December 31, 2022 of $17.4 million, which is recorded as Contingent Liability for FiberCel Litigation in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets included in this Annual Report. As of December 31, 2022, we have recorded insurance receivables of $13.8 million on our balance sheet in respect of our insurance coverage for the FiberCel Litigation product liability losses.
For an update on the legal proceedings related to the FiberCel Recall, see Part I, Item 3, “Legal Proceedings” and Note 16 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Defending any current or future claims, proceedings or lawsuits, regardless of merit, could be costly, divert management attention and result in adverse publicity, which could result in the withdrawal of, or reduced acceptance of, our products in the market. If we cannot successfully defend against product liability claims, we could incur substantial liability and costs. Additionally, following the public announcement of our voluntary recall, there has been various media coverage surrounding the recall and patients impacted. Such negative publicity related to the perceived quality and safety of our products could affect our brand image, decrease confidence in our products or have an adverse effect on our ability to retain existing and attract new customers, suppliers and distribution partners, any one of which could result in decreased revenue, having an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.
Components of Our Results of Operations
Net Sales
We recognize revenue on the sale of our products. Our device protection and cardiovascular products are sold to hospitals and other healthcare facilities primarily through our direct sales force, commercial partners or independent sales agents. Our women’s health product, SimpliDerm, is sold directly to hospitals and other healthcare facilities through independent sales agents. Our orthobiologics products are sold through commercial partners. Our contract manufacturing products are sold directly to corporate customers. Gross to net sales adjustments include sales returns and prompt payment and volume discounts.
Expenses
In recent years, we have incurred significant costs in the operation of our business. We expect that our recurring operating costs will largely stabilize, or increase at modest rates, in the near future through the identification of efficiencies as we grow. We may, however, still experience more significant expense increases as we expand our product development and clinical and research activities. As a result, we will need to generate significant net sales in order to achieve profitability. Below is a breakdown of our main expense categories and the related expenses incurred in each category:
Costs of Goods Sold
Our cost of goods sold relate to purchased raw materials and the processing and conversion costs of such raw materials consisting primarily of salaries and benefits, supplies, quality control testing and the manufacturing overhead incurred at our processing facilities in Richmond, California and Roswell, Georgia. Both facilities have additional capacity, which if utilized, would further leverage our fixed overhead. Cost of goods sold also includes the amortization of intangibles generated from the CorMatrix Acquisition in 2017.
Sales and Marketing Expenses
Sales and marketing expenses are primarily related to our direct sales force, consisting of salaries, commission compensation, fringe benefits, meals and other expenses. Auto and travel costs have also historically contributed to sales and marketing expenses, albeit to a lesser extent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Outside of our direct sales force, we incur significant expenses relating to commissions to our CanGaroo commercial partners and independent sales agents.
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Additionally, this expense category includes distribution costs as well as market research, trade show attendance, advertising and public relations related to our products, and customer service expenses.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative (“G&A”) expenses consist primarily of compensation, consulting, legal, human resources, information technology, accounting, insurance and general business expenses. Our G&A expenses have increased as a result of operating as a public company, especially as a result of hiring additional personnel and incurring greater director and officer insurance premiums, greater investor relations costs, and additional costs associated with accounting, legal, tax-related and other services associated with maintaining compliance with exchange listing and SEC requirements.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development (“R&D”) expenses consist primarily of salaries and fringe benefits, laboratory supplies, clinical studies and outside service costs. Our product development efforts primarily relate to new offerings in support of the orthobiologics market and activities associated with the development of CanGaroo RM, our CanGaroo Envelope with antibiotics. Our future R&D expenses may increase as a result of additional work required to address the FDA’s questions in the NSE letter we recently received regarding our CanGaroo RM. We also conduct clinical studies to validate the performance characteristics of our products and to capture patient data necessary to support our commercial efforts.
FiberCel Litigation Costs
FiberCel litigation costs consist primarily of legal fees and the estimated costs to resolve the outstanding FiberCel litigation cases offset by the estimated amounts recoverable under insurance, indemnity and contribution agreements for such costs.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
Year Ended December 31,
2022
2021
Change 2021 / 2022
% of Net
% of Net
(in thousands, except percentages)
Amount
Sales
Amount
Sales
$
%
Net sales
$
49,187
100.0
%
$
47,390
100.0
%
$
1,797
3.8
%
Cost of goods sold
29,965
60.9
%
28,368
59.9
%
1,597
5.6
%
Gross profit
19,222
39.1
%
19,022
40.1
%
200
1.1
%
Sales and marketing
20,195
41.1
%
18,825
39.7
%
1,370
7.3
%
General and administrative
16,627
33.8
%
13,687
28.9
%
2,940
21.5
%
Research and development
8,940
18.2
%
9,266
19.6
%
(326)
(3.5)
%
FiberCel litigation costs
5,200
10.6
%
276
0.6
%
4,924
NM
Total operating expenses
50,962
103.6
%
42,054
88.7
%
8,908
21.2
%
Loss from operations
(31,740)
(64.5)
%
(23,032)
(48.6)
%
(8,708)
(37.8)
%
Interest expense
5,282
10.7
%
5,324
11.2
%
(42)
(0.8)
%
Other income, net
(4,159)
(8.5)
%
(3,579)
(7.6)
%
(580)
NM
Loss before provision of income taxes
(32,863)
(66.8)
%
(24,777)
(52.3)
%
(8,086)
(32.6)
%
Income tax expense
34
0.1
%
55
0.1
%
(21)
(38.2)
%
Net loss
$
(32,897)
(66.9)
%
$
(24,832)
(52.4)
%
$
(8,065)
(32.5)
%
NM = not meaningful
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Net Sales
Net sales information for our products is summarized as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2022
2021
% of Net
% of Net
Change 2021 / 2022
(in thousands, except percentages)
Amount
Sales
Amount
Sales
$
%
Products:
Device protection
$
9,093
18.5
%
$
7,902
16.7
%
$
1,191
15.1
%
Women's health
7,474
15.2
%
5,046
10.6
%
2,428
48.1
%
Orthobiologics
25,338
51.5
%
26,934
56.8
%
$
(1,596)
(5.9)
%
Cardiovascular
7,282
14.8
%
7,508
15.8
%
$
(226)
(3.0)
%
Total Net Sales
$
49,187
100.0
%
$
47,390
100.0
%
$
1,797
3.8
%
Total net sales increased $1.8 million, or 3.8%, to $49.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $47.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. With respect to the individual product segments, the increase in the net sales of both our device protection and women’s health products were primarily attributable to volume growth in the respective segment. The net sales in the orthobiologics segment decreased between the years as a result of the discontinuation of sales to Medtronic in June 2021 following our recall. Excluding the $4.9 million of Medtronic sales from the year ended December 31, 2021, our net sales of orthobiologic products increased $3.3 million between the years primarily due to increased sales from several contract manufacturing customers. Net sales of our cardiovascular products were relatively flat between the years.
Cost of Goods Sold
Cost of goods sold and gross margin percentage information for our products is summarized as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2022
2021
Gross
Gross
Change 2021 / 2022
(in thousands, except percentages)
Amount
Margin %
Amount
Margin %
$
%
Products:
Device protection
$
2,979
67.2
%
$
2,141
72.9
%
$
838
(5.7)
%
Women's health
4,337
42.0
%
4,132
18.1
%
205
23.9
%
Orthobiologics
17,755
29.9
%
17,192
36.2
%
563
(6.2)
%
Cardiovascular
1,497
79.4
%
1,507
79.9
%
(10)
(0.5)
%
Cost of goods sold, excluding intangible asset amortization
26,568
46.0
%
24,972
47.3
%
1,596
(1.3)
%
Intangible asset amortization expense
3,397
(6.9)
%
3,396
(7.2)
%
1
0.3
%
Total Cost of Goods Sold
$
29,965
39.1
%
$
28,368
40.1
%
$
1,596
(1.1)
%
Total cost of goods sold increased $1.6 million to $30.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $28.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2021 primarily due to an increase in total net sales. Gross margin was 39.1% in the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 40.1% in the year ended December 31, 2021. Gross margin, excluding intangible asset amortization, was 46.0% in the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 47.3% in the year ended December 31, 2021. With respect to the individual product segments, the gross margin of device protection declined slightly in the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 due to operational inefficiencies in the current year causing minor increases to the cost of the product. The gross margin of women’s health products increased significantly in the current year due to non-recurring inventory writedowns in the prior year on certain slow moving product sizes which caused reductions in the prior years’ gross margin. The current year decrease in gross margin of the orthobiologics products was primarily due to a shift in product mix as the contracted services component of
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this segment, which have lower margins than our other products, experienced sales growth in the year ended December 31, 2022. Gross margin on our cardiovascular products was relatively flat between years.
Operating Expenses
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expenses increased $1.4 million, or 7.3%, to $20.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $18.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase was primarily the result of increases in commissions paid to independent sales agents due to sales growth in our women’s health products and higher stock-based compensation. As a percentage of net sales, sales and marketing expenses grew to 41.1% in the year ended December 31, 2022 from 39.7% in the year ended December 31, 2021 primarily due to increases in our commission-based revenue streams.
General and Administrative
G&A expenses increased $2.9 million, or 21.5%, to $16.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $13.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in G&A expenses was primarily due to certain non-recurring charges associated with legal fees on various corporate matters and the Chief Executive Officer transition described in Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report. As a percentage of net sales, G&A expenses rose to 33.8% in the year ended December 31, 2022 from 28.9% in the year ended December 31, 2021.
Research and Development
R&D expenses decreased $0.4 million, or 3.5%, to $8.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $9.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. The decline in R&D expenses was largely attributable to the lessening of work needed to finalize the development and testing of our CanGaroo Envelope with antibiotics. We continue to focus our R&D efforts on the development of our pipeline products.
FiberCel Litigation Costs
FiberCel litigation costs increased to $5.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $0.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in expense was primarily due to the settlements reached in a significant number of FiberCel Litigation cases in the year ended December 31, 2022 as well as the estimation of contingent liabilities for the unsettled cases. The total of such settlement and estimated settlement values was recorded (net of estimated insurance, indemnity and contribution agreement recoveries) in the year ended December 31, 2022. See further discussion in Note 17 to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Interest Expense
Interest expense was approximately $5.3 million in both the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021. While there was essentially no fluctuation between years, we had lower draws on our formerly outstanding MidCap Credit Facility and lower outstanding principal on our formerly outstanding MidCap Loan Facility, which reductions in interest expense were offset by increased principal outstanding and higher interest rates on the SWK Credit Facility which commenced in August 2022 upon consummation of our debt refinancing. See “ - Liquidity and Capital Resources - Credit Facilities” below for a further discussion of these debt agreements and Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Other Income, net
Other income, net was approximately $4.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2022 and was primarily attributable to the $5.0 million gain on the revaluation of our Revenue Interest Obligation to Ligand. See Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report for additional information. Such gain was
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offset by o ther expense related to our debt refinancing in August 2022 and the associated prepayment fees, payment of unaccrued exit fees and the write-off of unamortized deferred financing costs, which collectively resulted in a loss of $1.2 million. Such loss was offset by other income of $0.4 million related to the forgiveness of interest accrued on the promissory note to a tissue supplier upon repayment of such note in August 2022. See Note 9 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report for further discussion of these transactions.
Other income, net was approximately $3.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. Such other income relates to the forgiveness of our promissory note with Silicon Valley Bank under the Paycheck Protection Program of the CARES Act in the amount of approximately $3.0 million and our receipt of $550,000 in satisfaction of a 2018 settlement with KeraLink. For further discussion on these items, see Notes 9 and 18 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In this Part II. Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of the Annual Report, we present our gross margin, excluding intangible asset amortization. We calculate gross margin, excluding intangible asset amortization, as gross profit, excluding amortization expense relating to intangible assets we acquired in the CorMatrix Acquisition, divided by net sales. Gross margin, excluding intangible asset amortization, is a supplemental measure of our performance, is not defined by or presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to our GAAP gross margin, gross profit or any other financial performance measure presented in accordance with GAAP. We present gross margin, excluding intangible asset amortization, because we believe that it provides meaningful supplemental information regarding our operating performance by removing the impact of amortization expense, which is not indicative of our overall operating performance. We believe this provides our management and investors with useful information to facilitate period-to-period comparisons of our operating results. Our management uses this metric and the results of the segments in assessing the health of our business and our operating performance, and we believe investors’ understanding of our operating performance is similarly enhanced by our presentation of this metric.
Although we use gross margin, excluding intangible asset amortization, as described above, this metric has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may use other measures to evaluate their performance, which could reduce the usefulness of this non-GAAP financial measure as a tool for comparison.
The following table presents a reconciliation of our gross margin, excluding intangible asset amortization, for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, which is our GAAP gross margin (in thousands).
Year Ended
December 31,
2022
2021
Net sales
$
49,187
$
47,390
Cost of goods sold
29,965
28,368
Gross profit
19,222
19,022
Intangible asset amortization expense
3,397
3,396
Gross profit, excluding intangible asset amortization
$
22,619
$
22,418
Gross margin
39.1
%
40.1
%
Gross margin, excluding intangible asset amortization
46.0
%
47.3
%
Seasonality
Historically, we have experienced seasonality in our first and fourth quarters, and we expect this trend to continue. We have experienced and may in the future experience higher sales in the fourth quarter as a result of hospitals in the United States increasing their purchases of our products to coincide with the end of their budget cycles. Satisfaction of
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patient deductibles throughout the course of the year also results in increased sales later in the year, once patients have paid their annual insurance deductibles in full, which reduces their out-of-pocket costs. Conversely, our first quarter generally has lower sales than the preceding fourth quarter as patient deductibles are re-established with the new year, which increases their out-of-pocket costs.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2022, we had cash and restricted cash of approximately $17.0 million. Since inception, we have financed our operations primarily through private placements of our convertible preferred stock, amounts borrowed under our credit facilities, sales of our products and sales of our common stock. Our historical cash outflows have primarily been associated with acquisition and integration, manufacturing and administrative costs, research and development, clinical activity and investing in our commercial infrastructure through our direct sales force and our commercial partners in order to expand our presence and to promote awareness and adoption of our products. As of December 31, 2022, our accumulated deficit was $138.0 million.
On October 13, 2020, in connection with our IPO, we issued and sold 2,941,176 shares of common stock, consisting of 2,205,882 shares of Class A common stock and 735,294 shares of Class B common stock, at a price to the public of $17.00 per share, resulting in net proceeds to us of approximately $43.0 million, after deducting the underwriting discount of approximately $3.5 million and offering expenses of approximately $3.5 million. Additionally, in December 2021, we closed on a private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing, thereby receiving net proceeds of approximately $13.8 million, after deducting offering costs. The PIPE investors purchased an aggregate of 2,122,637 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock and an aggregate of 1,179,244 shares of the Company’s Class B common stock (which are convertible on a one-for-one basis into shares of Class A common stock), in each case, at a price of $4.24 per share. Furthermore, in December 2022, we issued and sold 2,350,000 shares our Class A common stock at a price to the public of $4.75 per share in a registered underwritten offering, resulting in net proceeds to us of approximately $10.2 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses.
We expect our losses to continue for the foreseeable future and these losses will continue to have an adverse effect on our financial position. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with our commercialization and development efforts, including our ability to obtain FDA clearance for the next generation of our flagship CanGaroo product, CanGaroo RM and successfully commercialize this product, we are unable to predict when we will become profitable, and we may never become profitable. Our inability to achieve and then maintain profitability would negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
In order to mitigate the current and potential future liquidity issues caused by the matters noted above, we may seek to raise capital through the issuance of common stock, restructure our Revenue Interest Obligation, or pursue asset sale or other transactions. However, such transactions may not be successful and we may not be able to raise additional equity, refinance our debt instruments, or sell assets on acceptable terms, or at all. As such, based on our current operating plans, we believe there is uncertainty as to whether our future cash flows along with our existing cash, availability under the SWK Loan Facility (described below under “—Credit Facilities”), issuances of additional equity and cash generated from expected future sales will be sufficient to meet our anticipated operating needs through twelve months from the financial statement issuance date. Due to these factors, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as going concern within one year after the issuance of the financial statements.
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Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
Year Ended
December 31,
2022
2021
(in thousands)
Net cash used in:
Operating activities
$
(21,434)
$
(15,446)
Investing activities
(540)
(369)
Financing activities
8,535
6,711
Net decrease in cash
$
(13,439)
$
(9,104)
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31 2022 was $21.4 million compared to $15.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to a gain on extinguishment of debt in the year ended December 31, 2021 versus a loss experienced in the year ended December 31, 2022. Additionally, due to timing, accounts payable increases in the current period increased cash and offset a portion of the cash used in operating cash activities when compared to the prior period.
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $0.5 million and approximately $0.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. In both periods, the use of cash related to the purchase of property and equipment, the majority of which are used in the production activities of our Richmond, California facility.
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 totaled $8.5 million compared to $6.7 million of cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2021. The year-over-year net increase was caused primarily by the net cash infusion from the proceeds of the August 2022 debt refinancing, less all debt repayments and refinancing costs incurred during the year ended December 31, 2022 offset by the lower equity raise in the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.
Credit Facilities
General
O n August 10, 2022 (the “Closing Date”), we entered into a senior secured term loan facility with SWK Funding LLC, as agent, and other lenders party thereto (as amended and modified subsequent to the Closing Date, the “SWK Loan Facility”) for an aggregate principal amount of $25 million. An initial draw of $21 million drawn was made on the Closing Date with the additional $4 million drawn on December 14, 2022 upon satisfaction of the amended terms enabling such receipt. The SWK Loan Facility also allows for the establishment of a separate, new asset-based revolving loan facility of up to $8 million, which had not been entered into to date. We used $16 million of the proceeds of the SWK Loan Facility to pay all outstanding obligations on the formerly outstanding MidCap Loan Facility and MidCap Credit Facility. Such payment included (i) $12.8 million to repay all outstanding principal and accrued interest on the MidCap Loan Facility, (ii) $1.7 million to pay the prepayment and exit fees on the MidCap Loan Facility and (iii) $1.5 million to repay the outstanding balance, accrued interest and exit fees on the MidCap Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2022, we had $24.3 million of indebtedness outstanding under our SWK Loan Facility, with such balance being net of $1.0 million of unamortized discount and deferred financing costs, but increased by capitalized PIK Interest (as defined below) in November 2022 of $0.3 million.
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Interest Rates
All of the SWK Loan Facility borrowings take the form of Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) loans and will bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the sum of an applicable margin of (i) 7.75% and the “Term SOFR Rate” (based upon an interest period of 3 months), or (ii) if we have elected the PIK Interest option (as defined below), 4.75% and the “Term SOFR Rate.” We may elect a portion of the interest due, to be paid in-kind at a rate per annum of 4.5% (“PIK Interest”), and such election may be made (x) until November 15, 2024 if certain profitability and regulatory conditions (“Extension Conditions”) have not been met, or until November 17, 2025 if such conditions have been satisfied. The “Term SOFR Rate” is subject to a floor of 2.75%.
Mandatory Prepayments
The SWK Loan Facility Agreement requires certain mandatory prepayments, subject to certain exceptions, with: (1) 100% of any net casualty proceeds in excess of $250,000 and (2) for non-ordinary course asset sales, an amount equal to the difference between (x) the proportion of divested gross profit (as defined in the SWK Loan Facility Agreement) to the Company’s total gross profit (as defined in the SWK Loan Facility Agreement) multiplied by the outstanding loans under the SWK Loan Facility, and (y) the difference between $1,000,000 and the aggregate sale proceeds of any assets previously sold during the fiscal year. No such mandatory prepayments were required during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Optional Prepayment
The SWK Loan Facility Agreement also includes an exit fee equal to: (i) if such prepayment occurs prior to the first anniversary of the Closing Date, 2% of the aggregate principal amount funded prior to the termination plus remaining unpaid interest payments scheduled to be paid during the first year of the loan or (ii) if such prepayment occurs after the first anniversary of the Closing Date but prior to the second anniversary of the Closing Date, 2% of the aggregate principal amount funded prior to termination.
Amortization and Final Maturity
The SWK Loan Facility matures on August 10, 2027 and accrues interest, payable quarterly in arrears. Principal amortization of the SWK Loan Facility starts on November 15, 2024, which amortization may be extended to November 17, 2025 if the Extension Conditions (as defined in the SWK Loan Facility Agreement) have been satisfied. Principal payments during the amortization period will be limited based on revenue-based caps. As of December 31, 2022, quarterly principal payments are scheduled to begin on November 15, 2024, in an amount equal to 5% of the Initial Term Loan with the balance paid at maturity.
Security
All obligations under the SWK Loan Facility are, and any future guarantees of those obligations will be, secured by, among other things, and in each case subject to certain exceptions, a first priority lien on and security interest in, upon, and to all of our assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, wherever located.
Covenants and Other Matters
The SWK Loan Facility Agreement that governs the SWK Loan Facility contains a number of covenants that, among other things and subject to certain exceptions, restrict our ability to:
● incur additional indebtedness;
● incur certain liens;
● pay dividends or make other distributions on equity interests;
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● redeem, repurchase or refinance subordinated indebtedness;
● consolidate, merge or sell or otherwise dispose of their assets;
● make investments, loans, advances, guarantees and acquisitions;
● enter into transactions with affiliates;
● amend or modify their governing documents;
● amend or modify certain material agreements; and
● alter the business conducted by them and their subsidiaries.
In addition, the SWK Loan Facility Agreement contains two financial covenants. The first covenant, which is measured quarterly, requires us to achieve a specified Minimum Aggregate Revenue (as defined in the SWK Loan Facility Agreement) for the preceding 12-month period. The second covenant requires us to maintain a minimum liquidity (as defined in the SWK Loan Facility Agreement) of $5.0 million until December 16, 2022 and thereafter, the greater of (a) $5.0 million and (b) the sum of the operating cash burn (as defined in the SWK Loan Facility Agreement) for the two prior consecutive fiscal quarters then ended (the “Liquidity Covenant”).
The SWK Loan Facility Agreement contains events of default, including, most significantly, a failure to timely pay interest or principal, insolvency, or an action by the FDA or such other material adverse event impacting the operations of Aziyo. As of December 31, 2022, we were in compliance with the financial covenant and all other covenants.
Supplier Promissory Note
During 2017, we restructured certain of our liabilities with a tissue supplier and entered into an unsecured promissory note bearing interest at 5%. In both 2022 and 2021, no payments were made on the promissory note because the Company’s senior lender restricted payment of the amounts due. The Company used $1.4 million of the proceeds from the SWK Loan Facility to repay the remaining balance on the promissory note; however the accrued interest on the promissory note was forgiven by the lender. Such forgiveness resulted in a gain to the Company of approximately $0.4 million which has been recorded as other income, net in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
PPP Loan
In May 2020, we entered into a promissory note with Silicon Valley Bank, or SVB, under the Paycheck Protection Program of the CARES Act pursuant to which SVB agreed to make a loan to us in the amount of approximately $3.0 million. The PPP Loan bears interest at a rate of 1.0% per annum with monthly principal and interest payments beginning in March 2021 and ending on the maturity date of May 7, 2022; however such repayment commencement was deferred by the U.S. Small Business Administration while they evaluated our forgiveness application. In June 2021, we were notified by the U.S. Small Business Administration that the entire balance of our PPP Loan and all related accrued interest was forgiven. Such forgiveness resulted in a gain to us of approximately $3.0 million which has been recorded as other income, net in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Funding Requirements
We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we expand our product development and clinical and research activities. In addition, we expect to continue to incur significant costs and expenses associated with operating as a public company.
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As of December 31, 2022, we had $24.3 million of indebtedness outstanding, consisting of $25.3 million outstanding under our SWK Loan Facility (net of $1.0 million of unamortized discount and deferred financing costs). In addition, as further described in Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report, we are party to a royalty agreement with Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (“Ligand”) pursuant to which we assumed a restructured, long-term obligation to Ligand (the “Revenue Interest Obligation”), that requires us to pay Ligand 5.0% of future sales of the products we acquired from CorMatrix (as well as products substantially similar to those products), subject to annual minimum payments of $2.75 million. Furthermore, a $5.0 million payment will be due to Ligand if cumulative sales of these products exceed $100 million and a second $5.0 million will be due if cumulative sales exceed $300 million during the ten-year term of the agreement which expires on May 31, 2027. We are currently forecasting that the initial $5.0 million milestone payment will become payable in mid-2023.
If our available cash balances and cash flow from operations, if any, are insufficient to satisfy our liquidity requirements, we may seek to raise additional capital through equity offerings, debt financings, or asset sale or other transactions. However, such transactions may not be successful and we may not be able to raise additional equity or debt, or sell or license assets on acceptable terms, or at all. We may also consider raising additional capital in the future to expand our business, pursue strategic investments or take advantage of financing opportunities. Our present and future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including, among other things:
● continued patient, physician and market acceptance of our products;
● the scope, rate of progress and cost of our current and future pre-clinical and clinical studies;
● the cost of our research and development activities and the cost and timing of commercializing new products or technologies;
● the cost and timing of expanding our sales and marketing capabilities;
● the cost of filing and prosecuting patent applications and maintaining, defending and enforcing our patent or other intellectual property rights;
● the cost of defending, in litigation or otherwise, any claims that we infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate third-party patents or other intellectual property rights;
● the costs of defending against or the damages payable in connection with the FiberCel Litigation and any future litigation that we may be subject to (to the extent above the applicable insurance coverage);
● the cost and timing of additional regulatory approvals;
● costs associated with any product recall that may occur;
● the effect of competing technological and market developments;
● the expenses we incur in manufacturing and selling our products;
● the extent to which we acquire or invest in products, technologies and businesses, although we currently have no commitments or agreements relating to any of these types of transactions;
● the costs of operating as a public company;
● unanticipated general, legal and administrative expenses; and
● the effects on any of the above of the current COVID-19 pandemic or any other pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease.
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In addition, our operating plans may change as a result of any number of factors, including those set forth above and other factors currently unknown to us, and we may need additional funds sooner than anticipated. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership interest may be materially diluted, and the terms of such securities could include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a common stockholder. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include restrictive covenants that limit our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, creating liens, redeeming shares of our common stock and/or declaring dividends. If we raise funds through collaborations, licensing agreements or other strategic alliances, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates, or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings or other arrangements when needed, we may be required to delay the development or commercialization of our products, license to third parties the rights to commercialize products or technologies that we would otherwise seek to commercialize and reduce marketing, customer support or other resources devoted to our products or cease operations. See our “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business — Our future capital needs are uncertain and we may need to raise funds in the future, and such funds may not be available on acceptable terms or at all .”
Based on our current operating plans, we believe there is uncertainty as to whether our future cash flows along with our existing cash, issuances of additional equity and cash generated from expected future sales will be sufficient to meet our anticipated operating needs through twelve months from the financial statement issuance date. Due to these factors, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as going concern within one year after the issuance of the financial statements.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of December 31, 2022, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined under SEC Regulation S-K Item 303(a)(4)(ii).
Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the amounts of revenues and expenses reported during the period. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates these estimates and judgments, including those related to revenue, inventory valuation, valuation of intangibles, revenue interest obligation and stock-based compensation. Actual results may differ from those estimates. We have identified the following critical accounting policies:
Revenue Recognition
We enter into contracts to sell and distribute products to healthcare providers or commercial partners, or are produced and sold under contract manufacturing arrangements with corporate customers which are billed under ship and bill contract terms. Revenue is recognized when we have met our performance obligations pursuant to our contracts with our customers in an amount that we expect to be entitled to in exchange for the transfer of control of the products and services to our customers. For all net sales, we have no further performance obligations and revenue is recognized when control transfers which occurs either when: i) the product is shipped via common carrier; or ii) the product is delivered to the customer or distributor, in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
A portion of our product revenue is generated from consigned inventory maintained at hospitals, and from inventory physically held by our direct sales representatives. For these types of products sales, we retain control until the product has been used or implanted, at which time revenue is recognized.
We have elected to account for shipping and handling activities as a fulfillment cost rather than a separate performance obligation. Amounts billed to customers for shipping and handling are included as part of the transaction price and recognized as revenue when control of the underlying products is transferred to the customer. The related shipping and freight charges incurred by us are included in sales and marketing costs.
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Contracts with customers state the final terms of the sale, including the description, quantity, and price of each implant distributed. The payment terms and conditions in our contracts vary; however, as a common business practice, payment terms are typically due in full within 30 to 60 days of delivery. We, at times, extend volume discounts to customers. We permit returns of our products in accordance with the terms of contractual agreements with customers.
Inventory Valuation
Inventories, consisting of purchased materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead, are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined using the average cost method. Inventory write-downs for unprocessed and certain processed donor tissue are recorded based on the estimated amount of inventory that will not pass the quality control process based on historical data. At each balance sheet date, we also evaluate inventories for excess quantities, obsolescence or shelf life expiration. This evaluation includes analysis of our current and future strategic plans, historical sales levels by product, projections of future demand, the risk of technological or competitive obsolescence for products, general market conditions and a review of the shelf life expiration dates for products. To the extent that management determines there is excess or obsolete inventory or quantities with a shelf life that is too near its expiration for us to reasonably expect that we can sell those products prior to their expiration, we adjust the carrying value of the inventory to its estimated net realizable value.
Due to the judgmental nature of inventory valuation, we may from time to time be required to adjust our assumptions as processes change and as we gain better information. Although we continue to refine the assumptions, described above, on which we base our estimates, we cannot be sure that our estimates are accurate indicators of future events. Accordingly, future adjustments may result from refining these estimates. Such adjustments may be significant.
Valuation of Purchased Intangible Assets
Purchased intangible assets with finite lives are carried at acquired fair value, less accumulated amortization. Amortization is computed over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets. We periodically evaluate the period of amortization for purchased intangible assets to determine whether current circumstances warrant revised estimates of useful lives. We review our purchased intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount to the net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. Impairment exists when the carrying value of our asset exceeds the related estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be derived from the asset. If impairment exists, the carrying value of that asset is adjusted to its fair value. A discounted cash flow analysis is used to estimate an asset’s fair value, using assumptions that market participants would apply. An impairment loss would be recorded for the excess of net carrying value over the fair value of the asset impaired. The results of impairment tests are subject to management’s estimates and assumptions of projected cash flows and operating results. Changes in assumptions or market conditions could result in a change in estimated future cash flows and could result in a lower fair value and therefore an impairment, which could impact reported results.
Revenue Interest Obligation
In 2017, we completed an asset purchase agreement with CorMatrix and acquired all of the CorMatrix commercial assets and related intellectual property. As part of this acquisition, we entered into a royalty agreement with Ligand pursuant to which we assumed the Revenue Interest Obligation, with an estimated present value on the acquisition date of $27.7 million. The terms of the Revenue Interest Obligation require us to pay Ligand 5% of future sales of the products we acquired in the CorMatrix acquisition, subject to certain annual minimum payments. Furthermore, a $5.0 million payment will be due to Ligand if cumulative sales of the acquired products exceed $100 million and a second $5.0 million will be due if cumulative sales exceed $300 million during the ten-year term of the agreement which expires on May 31, 2027.
We have estimated the fair value of the Revenue Interest Obligation, including contingent milestone payments and estimated sales-based payments, based on assumptions related to future sales of the acquired products. At each reporting period, the value of the Revenue Interest Obligation is re-measured based on current estimates of the net present value of future payments, with changes to be recorded in the consolidated statements of operations. In connection with our
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estimation at December 31, 2022, it was determined that the estimated future payments, discounted at the original discount rate, had decreased since the prior estimates. Such decrease was primarily the result of anticipated changes to our strategic partnerships relative to sales of both our CanGaroo and cardiovascular product lines that will impact the timing and extent of such sales and, thereby, will reduce expected future payments to Ligand. The change to estimated future payments yielded a reduction to the total Revenue Interest Obligation of approximately $5.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 with such amount recognized as a gain in Other income, net in our consolidated statement of operations. There was no change to estimated future payments during the year ended December 31, 2021 and thus, no re-measurement gain or loss was recognized. The estimation of future sales and the possible attainment of sales milestones is subject to significant judgment. Different judgments would yield different valuations of the Revenue Interest Obligation and these differences could be significant.
Contingent Liability for FiberCel Litigation
We review every lawsuit and claim and are in contact with outside counsel on an ongoing basis in determining our Contingent Liability for FiberCel Litigation. An accrual is established for each lawsuit and claim, when appropriate, based on the nature of each such lawsuit or claim. The provision for FiberCel Litigation claims are based upon many factors, which vary for each case. These factors include (i) the extent of the injuries incurred, (ii) recent experience on settled claims, (iii) settlement offers made to the other parties to the litigation and (iv) any other factors that may have a material effect on the estimated liability. While we believe our estimated liability to be reasonable, the actual loss amounts are highly variable and turn on a case-by-case analysis of the relevant facts. As such, actual settlement amounts may differ from our estimates and such differences may be material.
Stock-Based Compensation
Compensation costs associated with stock option awards and other forms of equity compensation are measured at the grant-date fair value of the awards and recognized over the requisite vesting period of the awards on a straight-line basis.
Our policy is to grant stock options at an exercise price equal to 100% of the market value of a share of common stock at closing on the date of the grant. Our stock options generally have seven to ten year contractual terms and vest over a four-year period from the date of grant. We use the Black-Scholes model to value our time-vested stock option grants. The fair value of stock options is determined on the grant date using assumptions for the estimated fair value of the underlying common stock, expected term, expected volatility, dividend yield and the risk-free interest rate. Before the completion of our IPO, our board of directors determined the fair value of common stock considering the state of the business, input from management, third party valuations and other considerations. We use the simplified method for estimating the expected term used to determine the fair value of options. Until our IPO in October 2020, there had been no public market for our common stock and thus, we lacked company-specific historical and implied volatility information. As a result, we estimate the expected volatility primarily based on the historical volatility of comparable companies in the industry whose share prices are publicly available and expect to continue to do so until such time as we have adequate historical data regarding the volatility of our own traded share price. We use a zero-dividend yield assumption as we have not paid dividends since inception nor do we anticipate paying dividends in the future. The risk-free interest rate approximates recent U.S. Treasury note auction results with a similar life to that of the option.
For our performance-based stock option grants which vest upon the achievement of specified market conditions, we used the Monte Carlo simulation model to calculate the grant-date fair value. This model simulates the probabilities of the potential outcomes of our future stock prices over the performance period to determine a fair value. Under this simulation model, our key assumptions relate to the risk-free interest rate and equity volatility based on consideration of our historical trading volatility as well as the observed equity volatility of other publicly-traded life sciences companies .
The period expense for all of our stock options is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. Different assumptions relative to the fair valuation of our stock options would result in a different period expense and such differences may be material.
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JOBS Act
Section 107 of the JOBS Act permits us, as an “emerging growth company,” to take advantage of an extended transition period for adopting new or revised accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this exemption and, as a result, for so long as we remain an emerging growth company, unless we subsequently choose to affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period, our financial statements may not be comparable to the financial statements of issuers who are required to comply with the effective dates for new or revised accounting standards that are applicable to public companies. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that we can elect to opt out of the extended transition period at any time, which election is irrevocable.
We will remain an emerging growth company, and will be able to take advantage of the foregoing exemptions, until the earliest of: (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues are $1.235 billion or more; (ii) the last day of 2025; (iii) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our common equity held by non-affiliates is $700 million or more as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter; or (iv) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the previous three years.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 3, “Recently Issued Accounting Standards,” to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report for information regarding recently issued accounting pronouncements.