Lipocine Inc. 10-Q

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS In addition to the other information set forth in this Report, consider the risk factors discussed in Part 1, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report filed on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2023, and the risk factors discussed in Item 1A of this Form 10-Q, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or future results. The risks described in the aforementioned report are not the only risks facing the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to the Company or that it currently deems to be not material also may materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and or operating results. The following are the risk factors that have materially changed from our risk factors included in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2023: Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock The value of our warrants outstanding from the November 2019 Offering is subject to potentially material increases and decreases based on fluctuations in the price of our common stock, among other factors. In November 2019, we completed a public offering of common stock and warrants to purchase common stock (the “November 2019 Offering”). Gross proceeds from the November 2019 Offering were approximately $6.0 million. In the November 2019 Offering, the Company sold (i) 10,450,000 Class A Units, with each Class A Unit consisting of one share of common stock and a common stock warrant to purchase one share of common stock, and (ii) 1,550,000 Class B Units, with each Class B Unit consisting of one pre-funded warrant to purchase one share of a common stock and one common stock warrant to purchase one share of common stock at a price of $0.50 per Class A Unit and $0.4999 per Class B Unit. The pre-funded warrants were issued in lieu of common stock in order to ensure the purchaser did not exceed certain beneficial ownership limitations. The pre-funded warrants were immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $.0001 per share, subject to adjustment. Additionally, the common stock warrants were immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $0.50 per share and expire on November 17, 2024. We account for the common stock warrants as a derivative instrument, and changes in the fair value of the warrants are included under other income (expense) in the Company’s statements of operations for each reporting period. On March 31, 2023, the aggregate fair value of the warrant liability included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet was approximately $132,000. We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of the warrants. As a result, the option-pricing model requires the input of several assumptions, including the stock price volatility, share price and risk-free interest rate. Changes in these assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate. While the liability may only result from a change of control at that point in time, we ultimately may incur amounts significantly different than the carrying value. 39 Our management and directors will be able to exert influence over our affairs. As of March 31, 2023, our executive officers and directors beneficially owned approximately 5.3% of our common stock. These stockholders, if they act together, may be able to influence our management and affairs and all matters requiring stockholder approval, including significant corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control and might affect the market price of our common stock. The market price of our common stock has been volatile over the past year and may continue to be volatile. The market price and trading volume of our common stock has been volatile over the past year and it may continue to be volatile. Over the past year, our common stock has traded as low as $0.30 and as high as $1.34 per share. We cannot predict the price at which our common stock will trade in the future and it may decline. The price at which our common stock trades may fluctuate significantly and may be influenced by many factors, including our financial results; developments generally affecting our industry; general economic, industry and market conditions; the depth and liquidity of the market for our common stock; investor perceptions of our business; reports by industry analysts; announcements by other market participants, including, among others, investors, our competitors, and our customers; regulatory action affecting our business; and the impact of other “Risk Factors” discussed herein and in our Annual Report. In addition, changes in the trading price of our common stock may be inconsistent with our operating results and outlook. The volatility of the market price of our common stock may adversely affect investors’ ability to purchase or sell shares of our common stock. Risks Relating to Our Financial Position and Capital Requirements We have incurred significant operating losses in most years since our inception and anticipate that we will incur continued losses for the foreseeable future. We have focused a significant portion of our efforts on developing TLANDO and more recently on LPCN 1154, LPCN 2101, LPCN 1148 and LPCN 1144. We have funded our operations to date through sales of our equity securities, debt and payments received under our license and collaboration arrangements. We have incurred losses in most years since our inception. As of March 31, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $187.3 million. Substantially all of our operating losses resulted from costs incurred in connection with our research and development programs and from general and administrative costs associated with our operations. These losses, combined with expected future losses, have had and will continue to have an adverse effect on our stockholders’ equity and working capital. We expect our research and development expenses to continue to be significant in connection with clinical trials associated with LPCN 1154, LPCN 2101, LPCN 1148, LPCN 1111, LPCN 1144, and LPCN 1107, and possibly increased research and development costs if further clinical trials are initiated. As a result, we expect to continue to incur significant operating losses for the foreseeable future as we evaluate further clinical development of LPCN 1154, LPCN 2101, LPCN 1148, LPCN 1111, LPCN 1144, and LPCN 1107, and our other programs and continued research efforts. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing pharmaceutical products, we are unable to predict the extent of any future losses or when we will become profitable, if at all. We may not be able to maintain our listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market, which would adversely affect the price and liquidity of our common stock. As a small capitalization pharmaceutical company, the price of our common shares has been, and is likely to continue to be, highly volatile. Any announcements concerning us or our competitors, clinical trial results, quarterly variations in operating results, introduction of new products, delays in the introduction of new products or changes in product pricing policies by us or our competitors, acquisition or loss of significant customers, partners and suppliers, changes in earnings estimates or our ratings by analysts, regulatory developments, or fluctuations in the economy or general market conditions, among other factors, could cause the market price of our common shares to fluctuate substantially. There can be no assurance that the market price of our common shares will not decline below its current price or that it will not experience significant fluctuations in the future, including fluctuations that are unrelated to our performance. 40 Currently our common stock is quoted on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “LPCN”. We must satisfy certain minimum listing maintenance requirements to maintain the NASDAQ Capital Market quotation, including certain governance requirements and a series of financial tests relating to stockholders’ equity or net income or market value, public float, number of market makers and stockholders, market capitalization, and maintaining a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share. On June 7, 2022, we received a notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of The NASDAQ Stock Market stating that the bid price of our common stock for the previous 30 consecutive trading days had closed below the minimum $1.00 per share required for continued listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). We had a period of 180 calendar days, or until December 5, 2022, to regain compliance with the rule. In accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we provided written notice to NASDAQ of our intent to cure the deficiency, including, if necessary, by effecting a reverse stock split and, on December 6, 2022, we received notification from NASDAQ providing an additional 180-day grace period, until June 5, 2023, to regain compliance with the NASDAQ Marketplace Rule’s $1.00 minimum bid price requirement. In the event that we do not regain compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules prior to the expiration of the compliance period, including as a result of the reverse stock split, we will receive written notification that our securities are subject to delisting. At that time, we may appeal the delisting determination to a hearings panel pursuant to the procedures set forth in the applicable Nasdaq Listing Rules. If Nasdaq delists our common stock from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including: ● a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; ● reduced liquidity for our securities; ● a determination that our common stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities; ● a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and ● a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” If our common stock continues to be listed on NASDAQ, our common stock will be a covered security. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of our securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS None. ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES None. ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES None.