Item 1A. Risk Factors
ITEM
1A. Risk Factors
RISK
FACTORS
Investing
in shares of our common stock is very speculative and involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks
and uncertainties described below, the section of this Report entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations” and our financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Report before investing
in shares of our common stock. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties
that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that affect us. If any of the
following risks occur, our business, operating results and prospects could be materially harmed. In that event, the price of our common
stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.
Summary
Risk Factors
Our
business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that you should consider before investing in our company. You should carefully
consider all of the risks described more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on page 19, before
deciding to invest in our common stock. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition and results of operations
would likely be materially adversely affected.
Important
factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially, but are not limited to, the following:
Risks
Related to Our Intellectual Property
We
depend on rights to Ketamir-2 that are or will be licensed to us.
We
may not be able to adequately protect our product candidates or our proprietary technology in the marketplace.
If
third parties claim that our intellectual property, products, processes, or anything else used by us infringes upon their intellectual
property, our operating profits could be adversely affected.
We
have been granted a license to the right to develop Ketamir-2 in the United States in human and pet application, but we have not been
granted a license to the rights to patents covering Ketamir-2 in foreign jurisdictions.
Risks
Related to Our Operations and Financial Condition
We
are an early development-stage company with no revenues and our financial condition raises substantial doubt as to our ability to continue
as a going concern.
Because
we have a limited operating history, you may not be able to accurately evaluate our operations.
We
will need to raise additional financing for the continuation of our operations.
Our
operating results may fluctuate, which could have a negative impact on our ability to grow our client base, establish sustainable revenues
and succeed overall.
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We
have yet to achieve a profit and will not achieve a profit in the near future, if at all.
Certain
of our executive officers are not employed by us on a full-time basis.
Conflicts
of interest may arise between us and MIRALOGX.
Risks
Relating to Our Business and Our Industry
Our
future success will largely depend on the success of Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 and any future product candidates, which development will
require significant capital resources and years of clinical development effort.
We
are dependent on our current and future product candidates, some of which may not receive regulatory approval or be successfully commercialized.
We may not successfully
integrate with SKNY following our potential upcoming acquisition
Results
of pre-clinical studies and earlier clinical trials are not necessarily predictive indicators of future results.
We
have limited marketing experience, and we do not anticipate at this time establishing a sales force or distribution and reimbursement
capabilities, and we may not be able to successfully commercialize any of our product candidates if they are approved in the future.
We
will need to further increase the size and complexity of our organization in the future, and we may experience difficulties in managing
our growth and executing our growth strategy.
We
expect to face intense competition, often from companies with greater resources and experience than we have.
We
have significant and increasing liquidity needs and may require additional funding.
Risks
Related to Development and Regulatory Approval of Our Product Candidates
Clinical
trials for our product candidates are expensive, time-consuming, uncertain, and susceptible to change, delay or termination. The results
of clinical trials are open to differing interpretations.
Any
failure by us to comply with existing regulations could harm our reputation and operating results.
The
regulatory approval processes with the FDA are lengthy and inherently unpredictable.
There
is a high rate of failure for drug candidates proceeding through clinical trials.
Risks
Related to Our Reliance Upon Third Parties
We
rely on, and expect to continue to rely on, third parties to conduct clinical trials for our product candidates.
Our
existing collaboration arrangements and any that we may enter into in the future may not be successful, which could adversely affect
our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates.
Risks
Relating to the Ownership of Our Common Stock
Because
of the speculative nature of an investment in our company, you may lose your entire investment.
Certain
of our founding stockholders, plus our existing officers and directors, control a substantial interest in us and thus may influence certain
actions requiring stockholder vote
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Risks
Related to Our Operations and Financial Condition
We
are an early development-stage company with no revenues. As such, our losses from operations and negative cash flows as of December 31,
2024 raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern absent obtaining adequate new debt or equity financings.
As
a very early development-stage enterprise that is focused on the development of a pre-clinical pharmaceutical product, we have generated
no revenue and have an accumulated deficit of $29.1 million through December 31, 2024, and $21.3 million through December 31, 2023. We
have concluded that substantial doubt exists about our ability to continue as a going concern for the 12 months following the issuance
of the financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. As of the issuance date of these financial statements, we believe
that we have sufficient resources available to support our development activities and business operations and timely satisfy our obligations
as they come due into the third quarter of 2025. We do not have sufficient cash and cash equivalents as of the date of filing this Annual
Report on Form 10-K to support our operations for at least the 12 months following the issuance of the financial statements.
To
alleviate the conditions that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, we plan to secure additional
capital, potentially through a combination of public or private equity offerings and strategic transactions, including potential alliances
and drug product collaborations, however, none of these alternatives are committed at this time. There can be no assurance that we will
be successful in obtaining sufficient funding on terms acceptable to us to fund continuing operations, if at all, identify and enter
into any strategic transactions that will provide the capital that we will require or achieve the other strategies to alleviate the conditions
that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If none of these alternatives are available, or if available,
are not available on satisfactory terms, we will not have sufficient cash resources and liquidity to fund our business operations for
at least the 12 months following the date the financial statements are issued. The failure to obtain sufficient capital on acceptable
terms when needed may require us to delay, limit, or eliminate the development of business opportunities and our ability to achieve our
business objectives and our competitiveness, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations will be materially adversely
affected. In addition, the perception that we may not be able to continue as a going concern may cause others to choose not to deal with
us due to concerns about our ability to meet our contractual obligations.
Additionally,
we filed a shelf registration statement with the SEC to facilitate the issuance of our common stock and entered into an At The Market
Offering Agreement with Rodman & Renshaw LLC, under which we may offer and sell shares of our Common Stock. The maximum amount eligible
to be sold under the ATM Agreement is $75 million. However, although we have received net proceeds of $3.6 million during 2024 from the
ATM, there are no assurances that we will be successful in raising any additional capital from the ATM.
The
report of our independent registered accounting firm on our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024
contains an explanatory paragraph relating to our ability to continue as a going concern .
The auditor’s opinion on our audited financial statements for the
year ended December 31, 2024 includes an explanatory paragraph stating that we have no revenue and incurred recurring losses from operations
and cash used in operations that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. While we believe that we will
be able to obtain the capital we need to continue our operations, there can be no assurances that we will be successful in these efforts
or will be able to resolve our liquidity issues or eliminate our operating losses. If we are unable to obtain sufficient funding, we would
need to significantly reduce our operating plans and curtail some or all of our development efforts. Accordingly, our business, prospects,
financial condition, and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected, and we may be unable to continue as a going
concern. If we seek additional financing to fund our business activities in the future and there remains substantial doubt about our ability
to continue as a going concern, investors or other financing sources may be unwilling to provide additional funding on commercially reasonable
terms or at all.
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We
may not be successful in the integration of our potential acquisition of SKNY.
As
discussed earlier in this Annual Report of Form 10-K, we have entered into a binding letter of intent to acquire SKNY. Integrating SKNY’s
business, processes, and operations presents new risks to the business that must be managed carefully. If not, it could have a material
impact on operations and cause results to differ significantly from expectations.
Ac quisitions
involve a number of risks and difficulties, including: (i) expansion into new markets and business ventures; (ii) the requirement
to understand local business practices; (iii) the diversion of management’s attention to the assimilation of acquired operations
and personnel; (iv) being bound by client or vendor contracts with unfavorable terms; and (v) potential adverse effects on
a company’s operating results for various reasons, including, but not limited to, the following items: (a) the inability to
achieve financial targets; (b) the inability to achieve certain operating goals and synergies; (c) costs incurred to exit current
or acquired contracts or activities; (d) costs incurred to service any acquisition debt; and (e) the amortization or impairment
of intangible assets.
Due to
the multiple risks and difficulties associated with any acquisition, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in achieving
our expected strategic, operating, and financial goals for any such acquisition.
Because
we have a limited operating history, you may not be able to accurately evaluate our operations.
We
have had limited operations to date. Therefore, we have a limited operating history upon which to evaluate the merits of investing in
our company. Potential investors should be aware of the difficulties normally encountered by new companies and the high rate of failure
of such enterprises. The likelihood of success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications, and
delays encountered in connection with the operations that we plan to undertake. These potential problems include, but are not limited
to, unanticipated problems relating to the ability to generate sufficient cash flow to operate our business, and additional costs and
expenses that may exceed current estimates. We expect to continue to incur significant losses into the foreseeable future. We recognize
that if the effectiveness of our business plan is not forthcoming, we will not be able to continue business operations. There is no history
upon which to base any assumption as to the likelihood that we will prove successful, and it is doubtful that we will generate any operating
revenues or ever achieve profitable operations. If we are unsuccessful in addressing these risks, our business will most likely fail.
We
have significant and increasing liquidity needs and will require additional funding.
Our
operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we reported a net operating
cash outflow of $5.6 million and a net cash inflow from financing activities of $3.8 million. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we
reported a net operating cash outflow of $4.5 million and a net cash inflow from financing activities of $8.8 million.
Research
and development, and general and administrative expenses, and cash used for operations will continue to be significant and may increase
substantially in the future in connection with new research and development initiatives and continued product commercialization efforts.
We may need to raise additional capital to fund our operations, continue to conduct clinical trials to support potential regulatory approval
of marketing applications and to fund commercialization of our products.
The
amount and timing of our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:
●
the
timing of FDA approval, if any;
●
the
DEA continuing to classify Ketamir-2 as a substance not subject to CSA;
●
the
DEA continuing to classify MIRA-55 as a substance not subject to CSA;
●
the
timing and amount of revenue from sales of our products, or revenue from grants or other sources;
●
the
rate of progress and cost of our clinical trials and other product development programs;
●
costs
of establishing or outsourcing sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities;
●
costs
and timing of completion of expanded in-house manufacturing facilities as well as any outsourced commercial manufacturing supply
arrangements for our product candidates;
●
costs
of filing, prosecuting, defending, and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights associated with our product
candidates;
●
costs
of operating as a U.S. public company;
●
the
effect of competing technological and market developments;
●
personnel,
facilities, and equipment requirements; and
●
the
terms and timing of any additional collaborative, licensing, co-promotion, or other arrangements that we may establish.
While
we expect to fund our future capital requirements from a number of sources including existing cash balances, future cash flows from operations
and the proceeds from further public offerings, we cannot assure you that any of these funding sources will be available to us on favorable
terms, or at all. Further, even if we can raise funds from all of the above sources, the amounts raised may not be sufficient to meet
our future capital requirements.
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Operating
results may vary significantly in future periods.
Our
operating and financial results are likely to fluctuate significantly in the future. Our operating and financial results are unpredictable
and may fluctuate, for among other reasons, due to:
●
our
achievement of product development objectives and milestones;
●
clinical
trial enrollment and expenses;
●
research
and development expenses; and
●
the
timing and nature of contract manufacturing and contract research payments.
In
addition, a high portion of our costs are determined on an annual basis, due in part to our significant research and development costs.
Thus, increases in our costs could disproportionately affect financial results in a quarter. Other factors, including non-cash expenses
associated with financing activity, could also lead to fluctuations in our results of operations. Because of these factors, our operating
and financial results in one or more future quarters may fail to meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which could
cause our share price to decline.
We
have yet to generate revenues or achieve a profit and may not generate revenue or achieve a profit for many years, if at all.
We
have not yet produced any revenues or profit and may not for many years, if at all. Our ability to generate revenue is dependent on the
receipt of regulatory approval of our product candidates, which will take years to achieve and may not be obtained. We therefore cannot
assure you we will be able to ever generate sufficient revenue to pay for our expenses or achieve profitability. Our ability to continue
as a going concern in the future is dependent upon raising capital from financing transactions and keeping operating expenses below our
revenue levels in order to achieve positive cash flows, none of which can be assured.
Conflicts
of interest may arise between us and MIRALOGX.
MIRALOGX
licenses us the patent pending rights to KETAMIR-2. MIRALOGX is a separate intellectual property development company owned by the Bay
Shore Trust. The Bay Shore Trust is also our largest stockholder. The interests of MIRALOGX are 100% owned by the Bay Shore Trust. Our
relationship with MIRALOGX and the Bay Shore Trust may create, or may create the appearance of, conflicts of interest when we are faced
with decisions that could have different implications for MIRALOGX than the decisions have for us. Furthermore, in light of the license
agreement that we have with MIRALOGX, if a dispute were to arise between MIRALOGX and us relating to our past or future relationship
with MIRALOGX or with respect to intellectual property matters, these potential conflicts of interest may make it more difficult for
us to favorably resolve such disputes.
Certain
of our executive officers will not be employed by us on a full-time basis.
Erez
Aminov, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our board of directors, is not employed by our company on a full-time basis. As intended
to be provided in his employment agreement with our company, he works on a part-time and as-needed basis. Because he does not work full
time for our company, instances may occur where he may not be immediately available to provide solutions to problems or address concerns
that arise in the course of us conducting our business and thus adversely affect our business. In addition, he can become subject to
conflicts of interest because he devotes part of his working time to other business endeavors and may have responsibilities to other
entities. Although Mr. Aminov is aware of his duties and accountability to our company and to applicable laws and policies relating to
corporate opportunity and conflicts of interest, such conflicts of interest may include deciding how much time to devote to our affairs,
as well as what business opportunities should be presented to us.
Michelle
Yanez, our Chief Financial Officer, is not employed by our company on a full-time basis. As intended to be provided in her employment
agreement with our company, she works on a part-time and as-needed basis. Because she does not work full time for our company, instances
may occur where she may not be immediately available to provide solutions to problems or address concerns that arise in the course of
us conducting our business and thus adversely affect our business. In addition, she can become subject to conflicts of interest because
she devotes part of her working time to other business endeavors and may have responsibilities to other entities. Although Mrs. Yanez
is aware of her duties and accountability to our company and to applicable laws and policies relating to corporate opportunity and conflicts
of interest, such conflicts of interest may include deciding how much time to devote to our affairs, as well as what business opportunities
should be presented to us.
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Risks
Relating to Our Business and Our Industry
Our
future viability will largely depend on the positive development of Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55, and any future product candidates, which development
will require significant capital resources and years of clinical development effort.
We
currently have no drug products on the market, and all of our drug development projects are in a pre-clinical stage of development or
moving into clinical stages. Our business depends almost entirely on the successful pre-clinical and clinical development, FDA regulatory
approval, and commercialization of our product candidates, principally Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55. Investors need to be aware that substantial
additional investments including pre-clinical and clinical development and FDA regulatory submission and approval efforts will be required
before we are permitted to undertake clinical studies and market and commercialize our product candidates, if ever. It may be several
years before we can commence clinical trials, if ever. Any clinical trial will be subject to extensive and rigorous review and regulation
by numerous government authorities in the United States and other jurisdictions where we intend, if approved, to market our product candidates.
Before obtaining regulatory approvals for any of our product candidates, we must demonstrate through pre-clinical testing and clinical
trials that the product candidate is safe and effective for its specific application. This process can take many years and may include
post- marketing studies and surveillance, which would require the expenditure of substantial resources. Of the large number of drugs
in development for approval in the United States (and the rest of the world), only a small percentage will successfully complete the
FDA regulatory approval financing to fund our planned research, development, and clinical programs, we cannot assure you that any of
our product candidates will be successfully developed or commercialized.
We
may be unable to formulate or scale up any or all of our product candidates. There is no guarantee that any of the product candidates
will be or are able to be manufactured or produced in a manner to meet the FDA’s criteria for product stability, content uniformity
and all other criteria necessary for product approval in the United States and other markets. Any of our product candidates may fail
to achieve their specified endpoints in clinical trials.
Furthermore,
product candidates may not be approved even if they achieve their specified endpoints in clinical trials. The FDA may disagree with our
trial design and our interpretation of data from clinical trials or may change the requirements for approval even after it has reviewed
and commented on the design for our clinical trials. The FDA may also approve a drug for fewer or more limited indications than we request
or may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-approval clinical trials (i.e., Phase IV trials). In addition, the
FDA may not approve the labeling claims that we believe are necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of our product
candidates.
If
we are unable to obtain regulatory approval for Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 within the timeline we anticipate, we will not be able to execute
our business strategy effectively and our ability to substantially grow our revenues will be limited, which would have a material adverse
impact on our long-term business, results of operations, financial condition, and prospects.
We
are dependent on our current and future product candidates, some of which may not receive regulatory approval or be successfully commercialized.
Our
ability to progress our plan will depend on our ability to clinically develop, gain regulatory approval for and ultimately commercialize
our product candidates. Our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates will depend on, among other things, our ability
to:
●
successfully
complete pre-clinical and other nonclinical studies and clinical trials in a manner that allows us to progress our studies;
26
●
receive
IND acceptance and regulatory approvals from the FDA;
●
produce,
through a validated process, in manufacturing facilities inspected and approved by regulatory authorities, including the FDA, sufficiently
large quantities of product candidates to permit successful commercialization;
●
obtain
reimbursement from payers such as government health care programs and insurance companies and achieve commercially attractive levels
of pricing;
●
secure
acceptance of our product candidates from physicians, health care payers, patients, and the medical community;
●
create
positive publicity surrounding our product candidates;
●
manage
our spending as costs and expenses increase due to clinical trials and commercialization; and
●
obtain
and enforce sufficient intellectual property for our product candidates.
Our
failure or delay with respect to any of the factors above could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations
and financial condition.
Impact
of global tensions may increase uncertainty of our future operations.
The
global tensions arising from the Palestine-Israel war and the war in Ukraine may result in disruptions in the broader global economic
environment. The uncertain nature, magnitude, and duration of hostilities stemming from such conflicts, including the potential effects
of sanctions and countersanctions, or retaliatory cyber-attacks on the world economy and markets, have contributed to increased market
volatility and uncertainty, which could have an adverse impact on macroeconomic factors that affect our business and operations, such
as pre-clinical study issues, manufacturer delays or shipping delays.
Moreover,
the conflict between Palestine and Israel could impact future business decisions to locate potential clinical trials in Israel. It is
not possible to predict the short and long-term implications of military conflicts or wars or geopolitical tensions which could include
further sanctions, uncertainty about economic and political stability, increases in inflation rate and energy prices, cyber-attacks,
supply chain challenges and adverse effects on currency exchange rates and financial markets.
Results
of pre-clinical studies and earlier clinical trials are not necessarily predictive indicators of future results.
Any
positive results from future pre-clinical testing of our product candidates and potential future clinical trials may not necessarily
be predictive of the results from Phase I, Phase II or Phase III clinical trials. In addition, our interpretation of results derived from
clinical data or our conclusions based on our pre-clinical data may prove inaccurate. Frequently, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies
have suffered significant setbacks in clinical trials after achieving positive results in pre-clinical testing and early phase clinical
trials, and we cannot be certain that we will not face similar setbacks. These setbacks may be caused by the fact that pre-clinical and
clinical data can be susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses. Furthermore, certain product candidates may perform satisfactorily
in pre-clinical studies and clinical trials but nonetheless fail to obtain FDA approval or appropriate approvals by the appropriate regulatory
authorities in other countries. If we fail to produce positive results in our clinical trials for our product candidates, the development
timeline and regulatory approval and commercialization prospects for them and as a result our business and financial prospects would
be materially adversely affected.
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We
have limited marketing experience, and we do not anticipate at this time establishing a sales force or distribution and reimbursement
capabilities, and we may not be able to successfully commercialize any of our product candidates if they are approved in the future.
If
regulatory approval of our products is ever obtained, our ability to generate revenues ultimately depends on our ability to sell our
approved products and secure adequate third-party reimbursement. We currently have limited experience in marketing and selling our products.
We currently do not have any products approved for sale in the United States or in any other country.
The
commercial success of our product candidates will not even be possible for the foreseeable future and will depend on a number of factors
beyond our control, including the willingness of physicians to prescribe our products to patients, payers’ willingness and ability
to pay for the drugs, the level of pricing achieved, patients’ response to our drugs and the ability of our marketing partners
to generate sales. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to establish or maintain the personnel, systems, arrangements and capabilities
necessary to successfully commercialize Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 or any product candidate approved by the FDA in the future. If we fail
to establish or maintain successful marketing, sales and reimbursement capabilities or fail to enter into successful marketing arrangements
with third parties, our product revenues may suffer.
Should
we later determine if it is in our best interest to develop a sales force, we may be unable to effectively train and equip our sales
force, therefore our ability to successfully commercialize our products may be harmed.
We
will be required to expend significant time and resources to train our sales force to be credible, persuasive and compliant with applicable
laws in marketing Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 or our other product candidates to physicians for their approved uses. In addition, we must continue
to train our sales force to ensure that a consistent and appropriate message about Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 or our other product candidates
are being delivered to our potential customers. If we are unable to effectively train our sales force and equip them with effective materials,
including medical and sales literature, to help them inform and educate potential customers about the benefits of Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55
and our product candidates and its proper administration, our efforts to successfully commercialize Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 and our product
candidates could be jeopardized, which would negatively impact our ability to generate product revenues.
We
will need to further increase the size and complexity of our organization in the future, and we may experience difficulties in managing
our growth and executing our growth strategy.
Our
management and personnel, systems, and facilities currently in place may not be adequate to support our business plan and future growth.
As a result, we may need to further expand certain areas of our organization.
Our
need to effectively manage our operations, growth and various projects requires that we:
●
continue
to improve our operational, financial, management and regulatory compliance controls and reporting systems and procedures;
●
attract
and retain enough talented employees;
●
manage
our clinical trials effectively;
●
manage
our external manufacturing operations with contract research organizations effectively and in a cost-effective manner;
●
manage
our development efforts effectively while carrying out our contractual obligations to contractors and other third parties; and
In
addition, we may utilize the services of part-time outside consultants and contractors to perform several tasks for us, including tasks
related to compliance programs, clinical trial management, regulatory affairs, formulation development and other drug development functions.
Our growth strategy may entail expanding our use of consultants and contractors to implement these and other tasks going forward. If
we are not able to effectively expand our organization by hiring new employees and expanding our use of consultants and contractors,
we may be unable to successfully implement the tasks necessary to effectively execute on our planned research, development, manufacturing,
and commercialization activities and, accordingly, may not achieve our research, development and commercialization goals.
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Our
product candidates, if approved, may be unable to achieve the expected market acceptance and, consequently, limit our ability to generate
revenue from new products.
Even
when product development is successful and regulatory approval has been obtained, our ability to generate sufficient revenue depends
on the acceptance of our products by physicians and patients. We cannot assure you that our product candidates will achieve the expected
level of market acceptance and revenue if and when they obtain the requisite regulatory approvals. The market acceptance of any product
depends on a number of factors, including the indication statement and warnings required by regulatory authorities in the product label.
Market acceptance can also be influenced by continued demonstrations of efficacy and safety in commercial use, physicians’ willingness
to prescribe the product, reimbursement from third-party payers such as government health care programs and private third-party payers,
the price of the product, the nature of any post-approval risk, management activities mandated by regulatory authorities, competition,
and marketing and distribution support. Further, an ineffective or inefficient distribution model at launch may lead to the inability
to fulfill demand, and consequently a loss of revenue. Any factors preventing or limiting the market acceptance of our products could
have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If
the price for any future approved products decreases or if government and other third-party payers do not provide coverage and adequate
reimbursement levels, our revenue and prospects for profitability will suffer.
Patients
who are prescribed medicine for the treatment of their conditions generally rely on third-party payers to reimburse all or part of the
costs associated with their prescription drugs. Reimbursement systems in international markets vary significantly by country and by region,
and reimbursement approvals generally must be obtained on a country-by-country basis. Coverage and adequate reimbursement from governmental
healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and commercial payers is critical to new product acceptance. Coverage decisions may
depend upon clinical and economic standards that disfavor new drug products when more established or lower-cost therapeutic alternatives
are already available or subsequently become available. Even if we obtain coverage for products we may market, the resulting reimbursement
payment rates may require co-payments that patients find unacceptably high. Patients may not use our products if coverage is not provided,
or reimbursement is inadequate to cover a significant portion of their cost.
In
addition, the market for our products will depend significantly on access to third-party payers’ drug formularies or lists of medications
for which third-party payers provide coverage and reimbursement. The industry competition to be included in such formularies often leads
to downward pricing pressures on pharmaceutical companies. Also, third-party payers may refuse to include a particular branded drug in
their formularies or otherwise restrict patient access to a branded drug when a less costly generic equivalent or other alternative is
available, even if not approved for the indications for which our products are approved.
Third-party
payers or governmental or commercial entities are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling healthcare costs. The
current environment is putting pressure on companies to price products below what they may feel is appropriate. Selling our products
at less than an optimized price could impact our revenues and overall success as a company. It will be difficult to determine the optimized
price for our products. In addition, in the U.S., no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for drug products exists among third-party
payers. Therefore, coverage and reimbursement for our products may differ significantly from payer to payer. As a result, the coverage
determination process is often a time-consuming and costly process that will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for
the use of our products to each payer separately, with no assurance that coverage will be obtained. If we are unable to obtain coverage
of, and adequate payment levels for, products we may market to third-party payers, physicians may limit how much or under what circumstances
they will prescribe or administer them, and patients may decline to purchase them. This in turn could affect our ability to successfully
commercialize products we may market, and thereby adversely impact our profitability, results of operations, financial condition, and
future success.
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In
addition, where we have chosen to collaborate with a third party on product candidate development and commercialization, our partner
may elect to reduce the price of our products in order to increase the likelihood of obtaining reimbursement approvals. In many countries,
products cannot be commercially launched until reimbursement is approved and the negotiation process in some countries can exceed 12
months. In addition, pricing and reimbursement decisions in certain countries can be affected by decisions taken in other countries,
which can lead to mandatory price reductions and/or additional reimbursement restrictions across a number of other countries, which may
thereby adversely affect our sales and profitability. In the event that countries impose prices that are not sufficient to allow us or
our partners to generate a profit, our partners may refuse to launch the product in such countries or withdraw the product from the market,
which would adversely affect sales and profitability. Events, such as price decreases, government mandated rebates or unfavorable reimbursement
decisions, could affect the pricing and reimbursement of Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 and our other product candidates and could have a material
adverse effect on our business, reputation, results of operations and financial condition.
We
expect to face intense competition, often from companies with greater resources and experience than we have.
Demand
for ketamine analogs like Ketamir-2 and synthetic cannabinoids such as MIRA-55 and will likely be dependent on a number of social, political,
legislative, and economic factors that are beyond our control. While we believe that there will be a demand for such drugs, and that
the demand will grow, there is no assurance that such demand will happen, that we will benefit from any demand or that our business,
in fact, will ever generate revenues from our drug development programs or become profitable.
The
emerging markets for product candidates like ours and related medical research and development is and will likely remain competitive.
The development and commercialization of drugs and medicines is highly competitive. We compete with a variety of multinational pharmaceutical
companies and specialized biotechnology companies, as well as products and processes being developed by universities and other research
institutions. Many of our competitors have developed, are developing, or will develop drugs and processes which may be competitive with
our drug candidates. Competitive therapeutic treatments include those that have already been approved by medicines regulators and accepted
by the medical community and any new treatments that may enter the market. For some of our drug development programs / areas of therapeutic
interest, other treatment options are currently available, under development, and may become commercially available in the future. If
any of our product candidates are approved for the diseases and conditions we are currently pursuing, they may compete with a range of
medicines or therapeutic treatments that are either in development, will be developed in the future or currently marketed.
Established
companies may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size and experiences, financial resources, and institutional networks.
Many of our competitors may have significantly greater financial, technical, and human resources than we do. Due to these factors, our
competitors may have an advantage in marketing their approved drugs and may obtain regulatory approval of their drug candidates before
we are able to, which may limit our ability to develop or commercialize our drug candidates. Our competitors may also develop drugs /
medicines that are safer, more effective, more widely used and less expensive than ours. These advantages could materially impact our
ability to develop and, if approved, commercialize our product candidates successfully. Furthermore, some of these competitors may make
acquisitions or establish collaborative relationships among themselves or with third parties to increase their ability to rapidly gain
market share.
Our
product candidates may compete with other synthetic cannabinoids, as well as with cannabinoid or cannabis-based drugs, in addition to
competing with state-licensed medical and recreational marijuana, in markets where the recreational and/or medical use of marijuana is
legal. There is continuing support in the U.S. for further state legalization of marijuana. In markets where recreational and/or medical
marijuana is not legal, our product candidates, once approved by regulators, may compete with marijuana or marijuana-based products purchased
in the illegal drug market. This may or may not affect the commercial price that we may be able to achieve for our synthetic regulatory-approved
medicines, should they be approved by the FDA.
Moreover,
as generic versions of drug products enter the market, the price for such medicines may be expected to decline rapidly and substantially.
Even if we are the first to obtain FDA approval of one of our product candidates, the future potential approval of generics could adversely
affect the price we are able to charge, and the profitability of our product(s) will likely decline.
Mergers
and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in more resources being concentrated among a smaller number
of our competitors. Smaller and other early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative
arrangements with large and established companies.
30
These
companies may compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, management and commercial personnel, utilizing contract
manufacturing facilities or contract research organizations (CROs), or establishing clinical trial sites and subject registration for
clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to our research projects.
Product
shipment delays could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The
shipment, import and export of Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 and our other product candidates require import and export licenses. In the U.S.,
FDA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the DEA, and in other countries similar regulatory authorities, regulate the import and export
of pharmaceutical products that contain controlled substances. Specifically, the import and export process require the issuance of import
and export licenses by the relevant controlled substance authority in both the importing and exporting countries. We may not be granted,
or if granted, maintain such licenses from the authorities in certain countries. Even if we obtain the relevant licenses, shipments of
Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 and our product candidates may be held up in transit, which could cause significant delays and may lead to product
batches being stored outside required temperature ranges. Inappropriate storage may damage the product shipment resulting in a partial
or total loss of revenue from one or more shipments of Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 or our other product candidates. A partial or total loss
of revenue from one or more shipments of Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 or our other product candidates could have a material adverse effect on
our business, results of operations and financial condition. Even though the DEA has confirmed in writing that it conducted a scientific
review of the chemical structure of MIRA1a and Ketamir-2 in accordance with the definitions within the CSA and its implementing regulations
and determined that MIRA1a and Ketamir-2 is not a controlled substance or listed chemical, there is no assurance that the DEA may not
change its position. We have filed the necessary requirements with the DEA to review MIRA-55, however, there can be no assurance that
the DEA will conclude that MIRA-55 is not a controlled substance or listed chemical.
The
manufacture of our product candidates is complex and uncertain, and until we develop a validated manufacturing process, we may encounter
difficulties in supplying our planned and future clinical trials. If we encounter such difficulties, or fail to meet quality standards,
our ability to meet clinical timelines and expand our development strategy could be impacted.
The
processes involved in manufacturing Ketamir-2, MIRA-55 and other product candidates are complex, expensive, highly regulated and subject
to multiple risks and uncertainties. We have been faced with issues such as this in the initial synthesis of MIRA-55 (which we initially
believed was based on our patented MIRA1a molecule).
In
addition, as product candidates are developed through early to late-stage clinical trials and then to approval and commercialization,
it is common that various aspects of the development program, such as manufacturing methods, are modified along the way to optimize the
scale, process and results. Any changes to the manufacturing processes carry the risk that they will not achieve these intended objectives,
or that the product candidates may not meet the rigorous quality standards necessary for use in our pre-clinical or clinical trials.
Also,
if planned or future manufacturing of Ketamir-2, MIRA-55 or other product candidates fails to meet the quality standards for use in our
pre-clinical or clinical trials, or the active drug substance does not meet our quality specifications, it could impact our timelines
and limit our development strategy. For example, and as discussed above, in the first quarter of 2024, we concluded that during the manufacturing
and scale-up process of MIRA1a, the intended MIRA1a compound was in fact synthesized as MIRA-55.
Moreover,
our contract manufacturing organizations (“CMOs”) or contract development and manufacturing organization (“CDMOs”)
may be unable to successfully increase the manufacturing scale for our product candidates in a timely or cost-effective manner and may
experience delays due to limited manufacturing capacity. In addition, quality issues may arise during manufacturing activities. If our
CMOs or CDMOs are unable to successfully manufacture our product candidates in sufficient quantity in a timely manner or produce active
drug substances that do not meet our quality specifications, our planned pre-clinical or clinical trials may be delayed or modified.
31
We
may fail to expand our manufacturing capability in time to meet market demand for our products and product candidates, and the FDA may
refuse to accept our facilities or those of our contract manufacturers as being suitable for the production of our products and product
candidates. Any problems in our manufacturing process could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and
financial condition.
Before
we can begin commercial manufacture of any product candidates for sale in the U.S., we must obtain FDA regulatory approval for the product,
which requires a successful FDA inspection of our manufacturing facilities and those of our contract manufacturers, processes, and quality
systems in addition to other product-related approvals. Although we may successfully navigate this pre-approval inspection process as
it relates in the U.S., pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are continuously subject to post-approval inspection by the FDA and foreign
regulatory authorities. Due to the complexity of the processes used to manufacture our product candidates, we may be unable to initially
or continue to pass federal, state or international regulatory inspections in a cost-effective manner. If we are unable to comply with
manufacturing regulations, we may be subject to fines, unanticipated compliance expenses, recall or seizure of any approved products,
total or partial suspension of production and/or enforcement actions, including injunctions, and criminal or civil prosecution. These
possible sanctions would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Business
interruptions could delay us in the process of developing our product candidates and could disrupt our product sales.
Our
research and development activities are conducted through outside contractors and manufacturers. Loss of our contracted manufacturing
facilities, stored inventory or laboratory facilities through fire, theft or other causes, or loss of our raw material, could have an
adverse effect on our ability to continue product development activities and to conduct our business. Failure to supply our partners
with commercial product may lead to adverse consequences, including the right of partners to take over responsibility for product supply.
We currently do not have insurance coverage to compensate us for such business interruptions. Our contract manufacturers and suppliers
provide that in their separate operations; however, such coverage may prove insufficient to fully compensate us for the damage to our
business resulting from any significant property or casualty loss to those facilities.
If
product liability lawsuits are successfully brought against us, we will incur substantial liabilities and may be required to limit the
commercialization of Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 and our product candidates.
Although
we have never had any product liability claims or lawsuits brought against us, we face potential product liability exposure related to
the testing of our product candidates in human clinical trials. We may face exposure to claims by an even greater number of persons when
we begin to market and distribute our products commercially in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere. Now, and in the future, an individual
may bring a liability claim against us alleging that Ketamir-2, MIRA-55 or one of our other product candidates caused an injury. While
we continue to take what we believe are appropriate precautions, we may be unable to avoid significant liability if any product liability
lawsuit is brought against us. Large judgments have been awarded in class action or individual lawsuits based on drugs that had unanticipated
side effects. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we will incur substantial liabilities. Regardless
of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:
●
decreased
demand for Ketamir-2, MIRA-55 or our other product candidates if such product candidates are approved;
32
●
injury
to our reputation;
●
withdrawal
of clinical trial participants;
●
costs
of related litigation;
●
substantial
monetary awards to patients and others;
●
increased
cost of liability insurance;
●
loss
of revenue; and
●
the
inability to successfully commercialize our products.
Counterfeit
versions of our products could harm our business.
Counterfeiting
activities and the presence of counterfeit products in a number of markets and over the Internet continue to be a challenge for maintaining
a safe drug supply for the pharmaceutical industry. Counterfeit products are frequently unsafe or ineffective and can be life-threatening.
To distributors and users, counterfeit products may be visually indistinguishable from the authentic version. Reports of adverse reactions
to counterfeit drugs along with increased levels of counterfeiting could be mistakenly attributed to the authentic product, affect patient
confidence in the authentic product and harm the business of companies such as ours. If our products were to be the subject of counterfeits,
we could incur reputational and financial harm.
We
depend upon our key personnel and our ability to attract and retain employees.
Our
future growth and success depend on our ability to recruit, retain, manage, and motivate our employees. The inability to hire or retain
experienced management personnel could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan and harm our operating results. Due
to the specialized scientific and managerial nature of our business, we rely heavily on our ability to attract and retain qualified scientific,
technical, and managerial personnel. The competition for qualified personnel in the pharmaceutical field is intense. Due to this intense
competition, we may be unable to continue to attract and retain the qualified personnel necessary for the development of our business
or to recruit suitable replacement personnel.
Our
employees may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements.
We
are exposed to the risk of employee fraud or other misconduct. Misconduct by employees could include intentional failures to comply with
FDA or foreign regulations, provide accurate information to FDA or other regulatory authorities, comply with applicable manufacturing
standards, comply with other foreign, federal, and state laws and regulations, report information or data accurately or disclose unauthorized
activities to us. Employee misconduct could also involve the improper use of information, including information obtained during clinical
trials, or illegal appropriation of drug products, which could result in government investigations and serious harm to our reputation.
The precautions we take to detect and prevent these prohibited activities may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks
or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to comply with such
laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our
rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of significant fines or other sanctions.
33
We
are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption laws, as well as export control laws, customs laws, sanctions
laws and other laws governing our operations. If we fail to comply with these laws, we could be subject to civil or criminal penalties,
other remedial measures, and legal expenses, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our
operations are subject to anti-corruption laws, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the “FCPA”),
and other anti-corruption laws that apply in countries where we do business. The FCPA and these other laws generally prohibit us and
our employees and intermediaries from bribing, being bribed or making other prohibited payments to government officials or other persons
to obtain or retain business or gain some other business advantage. We and our commercial partners operate in a number of jurisdictions
that pose a high risk of potential FCPA violations, and we participate in collaborations and relationships with third parties whose actions
could potentially subject us to liability under the FCPA or local anti-corruption laws. In addition, we cannot predict the nature, scope,
or effect of future regulatory requirements to which our international operations might be subject or the manner in which existing laws
might be administered or interpreted.
We
are also subject to other laws and regulations governing our international operations, including regulations administered by the government
of the U.S. and other countries in which we operate or plan to operate, including applicable export control regulations, economic sanctions
on countries and persons, customs requirements, and currency exchange regulations, (collectively referred to as the “Trade Control
laws”).
However,
there is no assurance that we will be completely effective in ensuring our compliance with all applicable anti-corruption laws, including
the FCPA or other legal requirements, including Trade Control laws. If we are not in compliance with the FCPA and other anti-corruption
laws or Trade Control laws, we may be subject to criminal and civil penalties, disgorgement and other sanctions and remedial measures,
and legal expenses, which could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity, as
well as our reputation. Likewise, any investigation of any potential violations of the FCPA, other anti-corruption laws or Trade Control
laws by the U.S. or other authorities could also have an adverse impact on our reputation, our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
Our
proprietary information, or that of our suppliers and business partners, may be lost or we may suffer security breaches.
In
the ordinary course of our business, we will collect and store sensitive data, including valuable and commercially sensitive intellectual
property, clinical trial data, our proprietary business information and that of our suppliers and business partners, and personally identifiable
information of our clinical trial subjects and employees, on our networks, and with our third-party cloud service providers. The secure
processing, maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our operations. Despite our security measures, our information
technology and infrastructure, and that of our third parties, may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers or breached due to employee error,
malfeasance, or other disruptions. Any breach could compromise our networks and the information stored there could be accessed, publicly
disclosed, lost, or stolen. Any such access, disclosure or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability
under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, regulatory penalties, disrupt our operations, damage our reputation, and
cause a loss of confidence in our products and our ability to conduct clinical trials, which could adversely affect our business and
reputation and lead to delays in gaining regulatory approvals for Ketamir-2 and MIRA-55 or other product candidates.
Failure
of our information technology systems, including cybersecurity attacks or other data security incidents, could significantly disrupt
the operation of our business.
Our
business is increasingly dependent on critical, complex, and interdependent information technology (“IT”) systems, including
internet-based systems, some of which are managed or hosted by third parties, to support business processes as well as internal and external
communications. The size and complexity of our IT systems make us potentially vulnerable to IT system breakdowns, malicious intrusion,
and computer viruses, which may result in the impairment of our ability to operate our business effectively.
34
We
are continuously evaluating and, where appropriate, enhancing our IT systems to address our planned growth, including to support our
planned manufacturing operations. There are inherent costs and risks associated with implementing the enhancements to our IT systems,
including potential delays in access to, or errors in, critical business and financial information, substantial capital expenditures,
additional administrative time and operating expenses, retention of sufficiently skilled personnel to implement and operate the enhanced
systems, demands on management time, and costs of delays or difficulties in transitioning to the enhanced systems, any of which could
harm our business and results of operations. In addition, the implementation of enhancements to our IT systems may not result in productivity
improvements at a level that outweighs the costs of implementation, or at all. In addition, our systems and the systems of our third-party
providers and collaborators are potentially vulnerable to data security breaches which may expose sensitive data to unauthorized persons
or to the public. Such data security breaches could lead to the loss of confidential information, trade secrets or other intellectual
property, could lead to the public exposure of personal information (including personally identifiable information or individually identifiable
health information) of our employees, clinical trial patients, customers, business partners, and others, could lead to potential identity
theft, or could lead to reputational harm. Data security breaches could also result in loss of clinical trial data or damage to the integrity
of that data. In addition, the increased use of social media by our employees and contractors could result in inadvertent disclosure
of sensitive data or personal information, including but not limited to, confidential information, trade secrets and other intellectual
property.
Any
such disruption or security breach, as well as any action by us or our employees or contractors that might be inconsistent with the rapidly
evolving data privacy and security laws and regulations applicable within the United States and elsewhere where we conduct business,
could result in enforcement actions by U.S. states, the U.S. federal government or foreign governments, liability or sanctions under
data privacy laws, including healthcare laws such as HIPAA, that protect certain types of sensitive information, regulatory penalties,
other legal proceedings such as but not limited to private litigation, the incurrence of significant remediation costs, disruptions to
our development programs, business operations and collaborations, diversion of management efforts and damage to our reputation, which
could harm our business and operations. Because of the rapidly moving nature of technology and the increasing sophistication of cybersecurity
threats, our measures to prevent, respond to and minimize such risks may be unsuccessful.
Security
breaches, loss of data and other disruptions could compromise sensitive information related to our business, prevent us from accessing
critical information or expose us to liability, which could adversely affect our business and our reputation.
In
the ordinary course of our business, we, our vendors, and our third-party cloud service providers may collect and store sensitive data,
including legally protected patient health information, credit card information, personally identifiable information about our employees
and patients, intellectual property, and proprietary business information. We manage and maintain our applications and data utilizing
cloud-based and on-site systems. These applications and data encompass a wide variety of business-critical information including research
and development information, commercial information and business and financial information.
The
secure processing, storage, maintenance, and transmission of this critical information is vital to our operations and business strategy,
and we devote significant resources to protecting such information. Although we take measures to protect sensitive information from unauthorized
access or disclosure, our information technology and infrastructure may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers, or viruses, breaches, or
interruptions due to employee error, malfeasance or other disruptions, or lapses in compliance with privacy and security mandates. Any
such virus, breach or interruption could compromise our networks and the information stored there could be accessed by unauthorized parties,
publicly disclosed, lost or stolen. We have measures in place that are designed to prevent, and if necessary to detect and respond to
such security incidents, breaches of privacy, and security mandates. However, in the future, any such access, disclosure or other loss
of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, such
as HIPAA in the United States and the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union, or GDPR, government enforcement actions
and regulatory penalties. Unauthorized access, loss or dissemination could also disrupt our operations, including our ability to process
samples, provide test results, share and monitor safety data, bill payers or patients, provide customer support services, conduct research
and development activities, process and prepare company financial information, manage various general and administrative aspects of our
business and may damage our reputation, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Legislative
or regulatory reform of the health care system in the U.S. may affect our ability to profitably sell our products, if approved.
Our
ability to commercialize our future products successfully, alone or with collaborators, will depend in part on the extent to which coverage
and reimbursement for the products will be available from government and health administration authorities, private health insurers and
other third-party payers. The continuing efforts of the U.S. government, insurance companies, managed care organizations and other payers
for health care services to contain or reduce health care costs may adversely affect our ability to set prices for our products which
we believe are fair, and our ability to generate revenues and achieve and maintain profitability.
35
Specifically,
in the U.S., there have been a number of legislative and regulatory proposals to change the health care system in ways that could affect
our ability to sell our products profitably. For example, certain states in the U.S. are proposing legislation mandating publicly funded
health program coverage of medical cannabis. In addition, the 2010 Affordable Care Act, or the ACA, substantially changed the way healthcare
is financed by both governmental and private insurers. Both Congress and the U.S. President have already taken some actions that are
intended to significantly limit the ACA, and we expect efforts to further modify or repeal the ACA to continue. The success and potential
effects of these efforts to repeal or modify the ACA are not clear.
We
expect additional federal and state legislative proposals for health care reform, which could limit the prices that can be charged for
the products we develop and may limit our commercial opportunity.
The
continuing efforts of government and other third-party payers to contain or reduce the costs of health care through various means may
limit our commercial opportunity. It will be time-consuming and expensive for us to go through the process of seeking coverage and reimbursement
from Medicare, Medicaid, and other governmental health programs and from private payers. Our products may not be considered cost-effective,
and government and third-party private health insurance coverage and reimbursement may not be available to patients for any of our future
products or sufficient to allow us to sell our products on a competitive and profitable basis. Our results of operations could be adversely
affected by ACA, changes to the ACA, and by other health care reforms that may be enacted or adopted in the future. In addition, increasing
emphasis on managed care in the U.S. will continue to put downward pressure on the pricing of pharmaceutical products. Cost-control initiatives
could decrease the price that we or any potential collaborators could receive for any of our future products and could adversely affect
our ability to generate revenue in the U.S. market and maintain profitability.
Unfavorable global economic
and geopolitical conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition, stock price, and results of operations.
Our business
could be adversely affected by unstable economic and political conditions within the United States and foreign jurisdictions, including
as a result of an economic downturn and geopolitical events, such as changes in U.S. federal policy that affect the geopolitical landscape.
Changes to policy implemented by the U.S. Congress, the Trump administration or any new administration have impacted and may in the future
impact, among other things, the U.S. and global economy, international trade relations, unemployment, immigration, healthcare, taxation,
the U.S. regulatory environment, inflation and other areas. For example, during the prior Trump administration, increased tariffs were
implemented on goods imported into the U.S., particularly from China, Canada, and Mexico. On February 1, 2025, the U.S. imposed a 25%
tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, which were subsequently suspended for a period of one month, and a 10% additional tariff on
imports from China. Historically, tariffs have led to increased trade and political tensions, between not only the U.S. and China, but
also between the U.S. and other countries in the international community. In response to tariffs, other countries have implemented retaliatory
tariffs on U.S. goods. Political tensions as a result of trade policies could reduce trade volume, investment, technological exchange
and other economic activities between major international economies, resulting in a material adverse effect on global economic conditions
and the stability of global financial markets. Any changes in political, trade, regulatory, and economic conditions, including U.S. trade
policies, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. Until we know what policy changes
are made, whether those policy changes are challenged and subsequently upheld by the court system and how those changes impact our business
and the business of our competitors over the long term, we will not know if, overall, we will benefit from them or be negatively affected
by them.
The global
credit and financial markets have also generally experienced extreme volatility and disruptions (including as a result of actual or perceived
changes in interest rates, inflation and macroeconomic uncertainties), which has included severely diminished liquidity and credit availability,
declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, high inflation, uncertainty about economic stability, global supply chain
disruptions, and increases in unemployment rates. The financial markets and the global economy may also be adversely affected by military
conflict, including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and Hamas, terrorism, or other geopolitical events. Sanctions
imposed by the United States and other countries in response to such conflicts, including the one in Ukraine, may also continue to adversely
impact the financial markets and the global economy, and any economic countermeasures by the affected countries or others could exacerbate
market and economic instability. There can be no assurance that further deterioration in credit and financial markets and confidence in
economic conditions will not occur. A severe or prolonged economic downturn could result in a variety of risks to our business.
In addition,
current inflationary trends in the global economy may impact salaries and wages, costs of goods and transportation expenses, among other
things, and recent and potential future disruptions in access to bank deposits or lending commitments due to bank failures may create
market and economic instability. We cannot anticipate all of the ways in which the foregoing, and the current economic climate and financial
market conditions generally, could adversely impact our business.
We
may acquire other companies which could divert our management’s attention, result in additional dilution to our shareholders and
otherwise disrupt our operations and harm our operating results.
We
may in the future seek to acquire businesses, products, or technologies that we believe could complement or expand our product offerings,
enhance our technical capabilities or otherwise offer growth opportunities. The pursuit of potential acquisitions may divert the attention
of management and cause us to incur various expenses in identifying, investigating, and pursuing suitable acquisitions, whether or not
they are consummated. If we acquire additional businesses, we may not be able to integrate the acquired personnel, operations and technologies
successfully, or effectively manage the combined business following the acquisition or realize anticipated cost savings or synergies.
We also may not achieve the anticipated benefits from the acquired business due to a number of factors, including:
●
incurrence
of acquisition-related costs;
●
diversion
of management’s attention from other business concerns;
●
unanticipated
costs or liabilities associated with the acquisition;
●
harm
to our existing business relationships with collaboration partners as a result of the acquisition;
●
harm
to our brand and reputation;
●
the
potential loss of key employees;
●
use
of resources that are needed in other parts of our business; and
●
use
of substantial portions of our available cash to consummate the acquisition.
36
In
the future, if our acquisitions do not yield expected returns, we may be required to take charges to our operating results arising from
the impairment assessment process. Acquisitions may also result in dilutive issuances of equity securities or the incurrence of debt,
which could adversely affect our operating results. In addition, if an acquired business fails to meet our expectations, our business,
results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.
Risks
Related to Development and Regulatory Approval of Our Product Candidates
Clinical
trials for our product candidates are expensive, time-consuming, uncertain, and susceptible to change, delay or termination. The results
of clinical trials are open to differing interpretations.
Clinical
trials are expensive, time consuming and difficult to design and implement. Regulatory agencies may analyze or interpret the results
differently than us. Even if the results of our clinical trials are favorable, the clinical trials for a number of our product candidates
are expected to continue for several years and may take significantly longer to complete. In addition, we, the FDA, or other regulatory
authorities, including state and local authorities, or an Institutional Review Board, or IRB, with respect to a trial at its institution,
may suspend, delay or terminate our clinical trials at any time, require us to conduct additional clinical trials, require a particular
clinical trial to continue for a longer duration than originally planned, require a change to our development plans such that we conduct
clinical trials for a product candidate in a different order, e.g., in a step-wise fashion rather than running two trials of the same
product candidate in parallel, or the DEA could suspend or terminate the registrations and quota allotments we require in order to procure
and handle controlled substances, for various reasons, including:
●
lack
of effectiveness of any product candidate during clinical trials;
●
discovery
of serious or unexpected toxicities or side effects experienced by trial participants or other safety issues, such as drug interactions,
including those which cause confounding changes to the levels of other concomitant medications;
●
slower
than expected rates of subject recruitment and enrollment rates in clinical trials;
●
difficulty
in retaining subjects who have initiated a clinical trial but may withdraw at any time due to adverse side effects from the therapy,
insufficient efficacy, fatigue with the clinical trial process or for any other reason;
●
delays
or inability in manufacturing or obtaining sufficient quantities of materials for use in clinical trials due to regulatory and manufacturing
constraints;
●
inadequacy
of or changes in our manufacturing process or product formulation;
37
●
delays
in obtaining regulatory authorization to commence a trial, including “clinical holds” or delays requiring suspension
or termination of a trial by a regulatory agency, such as the FDA, before or after a trial is commenced;
●
changes
in applicable regulatory policies and regulations, including changes to requirements imposed on the extent, nature, or timing of
studies;
●
delays
or failure in reaching agreement on acceptable terms in clinical trial contracts or protocols with prospective clinical trial sites;
●
uncertainty
regarding proper dosing;
●
delay
or failure to supply product for use in clinical trials which conforms to regulatory specification;
●
unfavorable
results from ongoing pre-clinical studies and clinical trials;
●
failure
of our contract research organizations, or CROs, or other third-party contractors to comply with all contractual requirements or
to perform their services in a timely or acceptable manner;
●
failure
by us, our employees, our CROs or their employees to comply with all applicable FDA or other regulatory requirements relating to
the conduct of clinical trials or the handling, storage, security, and recordkeeping;
●
scheduling
conflicts with participating clinicians and clinical institutions;
●
failure
to design appropriate clinical trial protocols;
●
regulatory
concerns with cannabinoid products generally and the potential for abuse;
●
insufficient
data to support regulatory approval;
●
inability
or unwillingness of medical investigators to follow our clinical protocols; or
●
difficulty
in maintaining contact with patients during or after treatment, which may result in incomplete data.
Any
of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Clinical
trials of synthetic cannabinoid drug candidates and ketamine analogs are novel with very limited or non-existing history; we face a significant
risk that the trials will not result in commercially viable drugs and treatments.
At
present, there is only a very limited documented clinical trial history from which we can derive any scientific conclusions for our product
candidates or prove that our present assumptions for the current and planned research are scientifically compelling. The active pharmaceutical
ingredient (or API) content shown in INDs can vary from one IND to another - hence it is not necessarily possible to extrapolate results
from studies with one product and predict efficacy of safety with another product containing a similar API and different source. Whilst
the principal synthetic cannabinoid component may be similar, the APIs may differ in terms of minor cannabinoid content, impurity profiles
or degradant profiles. While we are encouraged by the results of clinical trials by others (where they exist), there can be no assurance
that any pre-clinical study or clinical trial will result in in commercially viable drugs or treatments.
Clinical
trials are expensive, time consuming and difficult to design and implement. We, as well as the regulatory authorities, may suspend, delay
or terminate our clinical trials at any time, may require us, for various reasons, to conduct additional clinical trials, or may require
a particular clinical trial to continue for a longer duration than originally planned, including, among others:
●
lack
of effectiveness of any API, formulation, or delivery system during clinical trials;
38
●
discovery
of serious or unexpected toxicities or side effects experienced by trial participants or other safety issues;
●
slower
than expected rates of subject recruitment and enrollment rates in clinical trials;
●
delays
or inability in manufacturing or obtaining sufficient quantities of GMP-grade materials for use in clinical trials due to regulatory
and manufacturing constraints;
●
delays
in obtaining regulatory authorization to commence a trial, including Institutional Review Board (“IRB”) approvals or
DEA approvals, licenses required for obtaining and using synthetic cannabinoids or cannabinoid-like substances for research, either
before or after a trial is commenced;
●
unfavorable
results from ongoing pre-clinical studies and clinical trials;
●
patients
or investigators failing to comply with clinical trial protocols;
●
patients
failing to return for post-treatment follow-up at the expected rate;
●
sites
participating in an ongoing clinical trial withdraw, requiring us to engage new sites;
●
third-party
clinical investigators decline to participate in our clinical trials, do not perform the clinical trials on the anticipated schedule,
or act in ways inconsistent with the established investigator agreement, clinical trial protocol, good clinical practices, and other
IRB requirements;
●
third-party
entities do not perform data collection and analysis in a timely or accurate manner or at all; or
●
regulatory
inspections of our clinical trials require us to undertake corrective action or suspend or terminate our clinical trials.
Any
of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Any
failure by us to comply with existing regulations could harm our reputation and operating results.
We
are subject to extensive regulation by U.S. federal and state governments in each of the markets where we have product candidates progressing
through the approval process.
We
must also adhere to all regulatory requirements including FDA’s Good Laboratory Practice, Good Clinical Practice, and current Good
Manufacturing Practices requirements (“cGMP”) pharmacovigilance requirements, advertising, and promotion restrictions, reporting
and recordkeeping requirements. If we or our suppliers fail to comply with applicable regulations, including FDA pre-or post-approval
cGMP requirements, then FDA could sanction us. Even if a drug is FDA-approved, regulatory authorities may impose significant restrictions
on a product’s indicated uses or marketing or impose ongoing requirements for potentially costly post-marketing trials. Ketamir-2
and MIRA-55, and any of our product candidates that may be approved in the U.S. in the future, will be subject to ongoing regulatory
requirements for manufacturing, labeling, packaging, storage, distribution, import, export, advertising, promotion, sampling, recordkeeping
and submission of safety and other post-market information, including both federal and state requirements in the U.S. In addition, manufacturers
and manufacturers’ facilities are required to comply with extensive FDA requirements, including ensuring that quality control and
manufacturing procedures conform to GMP. As such, we, and our contract manufacturers (in the event contract manufacturers are appointed
in the future) are subject to continual review and periodic inspections to assess compliance with GMP. Accordingly, we and others with
whom we work must continue to spend time, money, and effort in all areas of regulatory compliance, including manufacturing, production,
quality control and quality assurance. We will also be required to report certain adverse reactions and production problems, if any,
to the FDA, and to comply with requirements concerning advertising and promotion for our products. Promotional communications with respect
to prescription drugs are subject to a variety of legal and regulatory restrictions and must be consistent with the information in the
product’s approved label.
39
If
a regulatory agency discovers previously unknown problems with a product, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency,
or problems with the facility where the product is manufactured, or disagrees with the promotion, marketing or labeling of the product,
it may impose restrictions on that product or us, including requiring withdrawal of the product from the market. If we fail to comply
with applicable regulatory requirements, a regulatory agency or enforcement authority may:
●
issue
untitled or warning letters;
●
seek
to enjoin our activities;
●
impose
civil or criminal penalties;
●
suspend
regulatory approval;
●
suspend
any of our ongoing clinical trials;
●
refuse
to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications submitted by us;
●
impose
restrictions on our operations, including by requiring us to enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement or closing our contract manufacturers’
facilities, if any; or
●
seize
or detain products or require a product recall.
In
addition, any government investigation of alleged violations of law could require us to expend significant time and resources in response
and could generate negative publicity. Any failure to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements may significantly and adversely affect
our ability to commercialize and generate revenue from our product candidates. If regulatory sanctions are applied or if regulatory approval
is withdrawn, the value of our business and our operating results may be adversely affected.
Any
action against us for violation of these laws, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses,
divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business and damage our reputation. We expend significant resources
on compliance efforts and such expenses are unpredictable and might adversely affect our results. Changing laws, regulations and standards
might also create uncertainty, higher expenses and increase insurance costs. As a result, we intend to invest all reasonably necessary
resources to comply with evolving standards, and this investment might result in increased management and administrative expenses and
a diversion of management time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities.
We
are subject to federal and state healthcare laws and regulations and implementation of or changes to such healthcare laws and regulations
could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
In
the United States, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory proposals to change the healthcare system in ways that could
impact our ability to sell our product candidates. If we are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other federal or state
regulations, we may be subject to administrative, civil and/or criminal penalties, damages, fines, individual imprisonment, exclusion
from federal health care programs and the restructuring of our operations. Any of these could have a material adverse effect on our business
and financial results. Since many of these laws have not been fully interpreted by the courts, there is an increased risk that we may
be found in violation of one or more of their provisions. Any action against us for violation of these laws, even if we ultimately are
successful in our defense, will cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert our management’s attention away from the
operation of our business.
We
expect that the ACA, as well as other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage
criteria and in additional downward pressure on the price that we may receive for any approved product. There have been judicial challenges
to certain aspects of the ACA and numerous legislative attempts to repeal and/or replace the ACA in whole or in part, and we expect there
will be additional challenges and amendments to the ACA in the future. At this time, the full effect that the ACA will have on our business
in the future remains unclear. An expansion in the government’s role in the U.S. healthcare industry may cause general downward
pressure on the prices of prescription drug products, lower reimbursements, or any other product for which we obtain regulatory approval,
reduce product utilization, and adversely affect our business and results of operations. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare
or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payers. The implementation of cost containment
measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability, or commercialize products
for which we may receive regulatory approval.
40
We
plan to conduct clinical trials at sites outside the United States. The FDA may not accept data from trials conducted in such locations,
and the conduct of trials outside the United States could subject us to additional delays and expense.
We
plan to conduct one or more clinical trials with one or more trial sites that are located outside the United States. The acceptance by
the FDA or other regulatory authorities of study data from clinical trials conducted outside their jurisdiction may be subject to certain
conditions or may not be accepted at all. In cases where data from foreign clinical trials are intended to serve as the sole basis for
marketing approval in the United States, the FDA will generally not approve the application on the basis of foreign data alone unless
(i) the data are applicable to the United States population and United States medical practice; (ii) the trials were performed by clinical
investigators of recognized competence and pursuant to GCP regulations and (iii) the data may be considered valid without the need for
an on-site inspection by the FDA, or if the FDA considers such inspection to be necessary, the FDA is able to validate the data through
an on-site inspection or other appropriate means .
In
addition, even where the foreign study data are not intended to serve as the sole basis for approval, the FDA will not accept the data
as support for an application for marketing approval unless the study is well-designed and well-conducted in accordance with GCP requirements
and the FDA is able to validate the data from the study through an onsite inspection if deemed necessary. Many foreign regulatory authorities
have similar approval requirements. In addition, such foreign trials would be subject to the applicable local laws of the foreign jurisdictions
where the trials are conducted. There can be no assurance that the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authority will accept data
from trials conducted outside of the United States or the applicable jurisdiction. If the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authority
does not accept such data, it would result in the need for additional trials, which could be costly and time-consuming, and which may
result in current or future product candidates that we may develop not receiving approval for commercialization in the applicable jurisdiction.
Conducting
clinical trials outside the United States also exposes us to additional risks, including risks associated with:
●
additional foreign regulatory requirements;
●
foreign exchange fluctuations;
●
compliance with foreign manufacturing, customs, shipment and storage requirements;
●
cultural differences in medical practice and clinical research;
●
diminished protection of intellectual property in some countries; and
●
interruptions or delays in our trials resulting from geopolitical events, such as war or terrorism.
The
regulatory approval processes with the FDA are lengthy and inherently unpredictable.
We
are not permitted to market our drug candidates as medicines in the United States or other countries until we receive approval of a New
Drug Application (“NDA”) from the FDA or in any foreign countries until we receive the approval from the regulatory authorities
of such countries. Prior to submitting an NDA to the FDA for approval of our drug candidates we will need to have completed our pre-clinical
studies and clinical trials and demonstrate that our products meet all applicable standards of identity, strength, quality, and purity
throughout their expiration date. Successfully completing any clinical program and obtaining approval of an NDA is a complex, lengthy,
expensive, and uncertain process, and the FDA (or other country medicines regulatory body) may delay, limit, or deny approval of product
candidates for many reasons, including, among others, because:
●
an
inability to demonstrate that our product candidates are safe and effective in treating patients to the satisfaction of the FDA;
41
●
results
of clinical trials that may not meet the level of statistical or clinical significance required by the FDA;
●
disagreements
with the FDA with respect to the number, design, size, conduct or implementation of clinical trials;
●
requirements
by the FDA to conduct additional clinical trials;
●
disapproval
by the FDA of certain formulations, labeling or specifications of product candidates;
●
findings
by the FDA that the data from pre-clinical studies and clinical trials are insufficient;
●
findings
by the FDA that our API or finished products do not meet all applicable standards of identity, strength, quality, and purity;
●
the
FDA may disagree with the interpretation of data from pre-clinical studies and clinical trials; and
●
the
FDA may change their approval policies or adopt new regulations.
Any
of these factors, many of which are beyond our control, could increase development time and / or costs or jeopardize our ability to obtain
regulatory approval for our drug candidates.
There
is a high rate of failure for drug candidates proceeding through clinical trials.
Generally,
there is a high rate of failure for drug candidates proceeding through clinical trials. We may suffer significant setbacks in our clinical
trials similar to the experience of a number of other companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, even after receiving
promising results in earlier trials. Further, even if we view the results of a clinical trial to be positive, FDA may disagree with our
interpretation of the data. In the event that we obtain negative results from clinical trials for product candidates or other problems
related to potential chemistry, manufacturing and control issues or other hurdles occur and our product candidates are not approved,
we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue or obtain financing to continue our operations, our ability to execute on our current
business plan may be materially impaired, our reputation in the industry and in the investment community might be significantly damaged
and the price of our common stock could decrease significantly. In addition, our inability to properly design, commence and complete
clinical trials may negatively impact the timing and results of our clinical trials and ability to seek approvals for our drug candidates.
If
we are found in violation of federal or state “fraud and abuse” laws, we may be required to pay a penalty and/or be suspended
from participation in federal or state health care programs, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results
of operations.
In
the United States, we are subject to various federal and state health care “fraud and abuse” laws, including anti-kickback
laws, false claims laws and other laws intended to reduce fraud and abuse in federal and state health care programs, which could affect
us particularly upon successful commercialization of our products in the U.S. The Medicare and Medicaid Patient Protection Act of 1987,
or federal Anti-Kickback Statute, makes it illegal for any person, including a prescription drug manufacturer (or a party acting on its
behalf), to knowingly and willfully solicit, receive, offer or pay any remuneration that is intended to induce the referral of business,
including the purchase, order or prescription of a particular drug for which payment may be made under a federal health care program,
such as Medicare or Medicaid. Under federal law, some arrangements, known as safe harbors, are deemed not to violate the federal Anti-Kickback
Statute. Although we seek to structure our business arrangements in compliance with all applicable requirements, it is often difficult
to determine precisely how the law will be applied in specific circumstances. Accordingly, it is possible that our practices may be challenged
under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and Federal False Claims Act. Violations of fraud and abuse laws may be punishable by criminal
and/or civil sanctions, including fines and/or exclusion or suspension from federal and state health care programs such as Medicare and
Medicaid and debarment from contracting with the U.S. government. In addition, private individuals have the ability to bring actions
on behalf of the government under the federal False Claims Act as well as under the false claims laws of several states.
42
Many
states have adopted laws similar to the federal anti-kickback statute, some of which apply to the referral of patients for health care
services reimbursed by any source, not just governmental payers. There are ambiguities as to what is required to comply with these state
requirements and if we fail to comply with an applicable state law requirement, we could be subject to penalties.
Neither
the government nor the courts have provided definitive guidance on the application of fraud and abuse laws to our business. Law enforcement
authorities are increasingly focused on enforcing these laws, and it is possible that some of our practices may be challenged under these
laws. While we believe we have structured our business arrangements to comply with these laws, it is possible that the government could
allege violations of, or convict us of violating, these laws. If we are found in violation of one of these laws, we could be required
to pay a penalty and could be suspended or excluded from participation in federal or state health care programs, and our business, results
of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.
Serious
adverse events or other safety risks could require us to abandon development and preclude, delay or limit approval of our product candidates,
limit the scope of any approved label or market acceptance, or cause the recall or loss of marketing approval of products that are already
marketed.
If
any of our product candidates prior to or after any approval for commercial sale, cause serious or unexpected side effects, or are associated
with other safety risks such as misuse, abuse or diversion, a number of potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:
●
regulatory
authorities may interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials;
●
regulatory
authorities may deny regulatory approval of our product candidates;
●
regulatory
authorities may require certain labeling statements, such as warnings or contraindications or limitations on the indications for
use, and/or impose restrictions on distribution in the form of a REMS in connection with approval or post-approval;
●
regulatory
authorities may withdraw their approval, require more onerous labeling statements, impose a more restrictive Risk Evaluation and
Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”), or require us to recall any product that is approved;
●
we
may be required to change the way the product is administered or conduct additional clinical trials;
●
our
relationships with our collaboration partners may suffer;
●
we
could be sued and held liable for harm caused to patients; or
●
our
reputation may suffer. The reputational risk is heightened with respect to those of our product candidates that are being developed
for pediatric indications.
We
may voluntarily suspend or terminate our clinical trials if at any time we believe that they present an unacceptable risk to participants
or if preliminary data demonstrate that our product candidates are unlikely to receive regulatory approval or unlikely to be successfully
commercialized. Following receipt of approval for commercial sale of a product we may voluntarily withdraw or recall that product from
the market if at any time we believe that its use, or a person’s exposure to it, may cause adverse health consequences or death.
To date we have not withdrawn, recalled, or taken any other action, voluntary or mandatory, to remove an approved product from the market.
In addition, regulatory agencies, IRBs, or data safety monitoring boards may at any time recommend the temporary or permanent discontinuation
of our clinical trials or request that we cease using investigators in the clinical trials if they believe that the clinical trials are
not being conducted in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements, or that they present an unacceptable safety risk to participants.
Although we have never been asked by a regulatory agency, IRB, or data safety monitoring board to discontinue a clinical trial temporarily
or permanently, if we elect or are forced to suspend or terminate a clinical trial of any of our product candidates, the commercial prospects
for that product will be harmed and our ability to generate product revenue from that product may be delayed or eliminated. Furthermore,
any of these events may result in labeling statements such as warnings or contraindications. In addition, such events or labeling could
prevent us or our partners from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the affected product and could substantially increase the
costs of commercializing our product candidates and impair our ability to generate revenue from the commercialization of these products
either by us or by our collaboration partners.
43
Risks
Related to Our Reliance Upon Third Parties
Our
existing collaboration arrangements and any that we may enter into in the future may not be successful, which could adversely affect
our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates.
We
may seek additional collaboration arrangements with pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies for the development or commercialization
of our product candidates. We may, with respect to our product candidates, enter into new arrangements on a selective basis depending
on the merits of retaining commercialization rights for ourselves as compared to entering into selective collaboration arrangements with
leading pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies for each product candidate, both in the U.S. and internationally. To the extent that
we decide to enter into collaboration agreements, we will face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators and the terms
of any collaboration or other arrangements that we may establish may not be favorable to us.
Any
existing or future collaboration that we enter may not be successful. The success of our collaboration arrangements will depend heavily
on the efforts and activities of our collaborators. Collaborators generally have significant discretion in determining the efforts and
resources that they will apply to these collaborations. Disagreements between parties to a collaboration arrangement regarding development,
intellectual property, regulatory or commercialization matters can lead to delays in the development process or commercialization of
the applicable product candidate and, in some cases, termination of the collaboration arrangement. These disagreements can be difficult
to resolve if neither of the parties has final decision-making authority. Any such termination or expiration could harm our business
reputation and may adversely affect us financially.
We
depend on a limited number of suppliers for materials and components required to manufacture our product candidates. The loss of these
suppliers, or their failure to supply us on a timely basis, could cause delays in our current and future capacity and adversely affect
our business.
We
depend on a limited number of suppliers for the materials and components required to manufacture our product candidates. As a result,
we may not be able to obtain sufficient quantities of critical materials and components in the future. A delay or interruption by our
suppliers may also harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, the lead time needed to establish a
relationship with a new supplier can be lengthy, and we may experience delays in meeting demand in the event we must switch to a new
supplier. The time and effort to qualify for and, in some cases, obtain regulatory approval for a new supplier could result in additional
costs, diversion of resources or reduced manufacturing yields, any of which would negatively impact our operating results. Our dependence
on single-source suppliers exposes us to numerous risks, including the following: our suppliers may cease or reduce production or deliveries,
raise prices or renegotiate terms; our suppliers may become insolvent or cease trading; we may be unable to locate a suitable replacement
supplier on acceptable terms or on a timely basis, or at all; and delays caused by supply issues may harm our reputation, frustrate our
customers and cause them to turn to our competitors for future needs.
We
maintain our cash at financial institutions, at times in balances that exceed federally insured limits. The failure of financial institutions
could adversely affect our ability to pay operational expenses or make other payments.
Our
cash held in non-interest-bearing and interest-bearing accounts can at times exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”)
insurance limits. If such banking institutions were to fail, we could lose all or a portion of those amounts held in excess of such insurance
limitations. In addition, even if account holders are ultimately made whole with respect to a future bank failure, account holders’
access to their accounts and assets held in their accounts may be substantially delayed. Any material loss that we may experience in
the future or inability for a material time period to access our cash and cash equivalents could have an adverse effect on our ability
to pay our operational expenses or make other payments, which could adversely affect our business.
44
We
rely on, and expect to continue to rely on, third parties to conduct clinical trials for our product candidates. If these third parties
do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, comply with regulatory requirements or meet expected deadlines, we may not be
able to obtain marketing approval for or commercialize our product candidates, and our business could be substantially harmed.
We
have agreements with third-party CROs to operationalize, provide monitors for and to manage data for our ongoing clinical trials. We
rely heavily on these parties for the execution of clinical trials and control only certain aspects of their activities. As a result,
we have less direct control over the start-up, conduct, timing and competition of these clinical trials, and the management of data developed
through the clinical trials than would be the case if we were relying entirely upon our own staff. Communicating with outside parties
can also be challenging, potentially leading to mistakes as well as difficulties in coordinating activities. However, we remain responsible
for the conduct of these trials and are subject to enforcement which may include civil and criminal liabilities for any violations of
FDA rules and regulations and the comparable foreign regulatory provisions during the conduct of our clinical trials. Outside parties
may:
●
have
staffing difficulties;
●
fail
to comply with contractual obligations;
●
Devote
inadequate resources to our clinical trials;
●
Experience
regulatory compliance issues;
●
Undergo
changes in priorities or become financially distressed; or
●
Form
more favorable relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors.
These
factors, among others, may materially adversely affect the willingness or ability of third parties to conduct our clinical trials and
may subject us to unexpected cost increases that are beyond our control. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our
studies is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory and scientific standards, and our reliance on CROs
does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. We and our CROs are required to comply with GCPs, which are guidelines enforced
by the FDA, the competent authorities of the EU member states and equivalent competent authorities in foreign jurisdictions for any products
in clinical development. The FDA and foreign regulatory authorities enforce these regulations and GCP guidelines through periodic inspections
of clinical trial sponsors principal investigators, and trial sites, and IRBs. If we or our CROs fail to comply with applicable GCPs,
the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA or other equivalent competent authorities in
foreign jurisdictions may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot assure
you that, upon inspection, the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities will determine that any of our clinical trials comply with GCPs.
In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with products produced under current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMPs and similar
foreign requirements. Our failure or the failure of our CROs to comply with these regulations may require us to repeat clinical trials,
which would delay the regulatory approval process and could also subject us to enforcement action up to and including civil and criminal
penalties.
If
any of our relationships with these third-party CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs.
If CROs do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced
or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain are compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols,
regulatory requirements or for other reasons, any such clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated, and we may not be able
to obtain regulatory approval for, or successfully commercialize, Ketamir-2, MIRA-55 or our other product candidates. As a result, our
financial results and the commercial prospects for Ketamir-2 MIRA-55 or our other product candidates would be harmed, our costs could
increase and our ability to generate revenue could be delayed.
45
We
rely and expect to continue to rely on third parties to manufacture our clinical product supplies and clinical candidates, and we may
rely on third parties for at least a portion of the manufacturing process of our product candidates, if approved. Our business could
be harmed if those third parties fail to provide us with sufficient quantities of product supplies or product candidates or fail to do
so at acceptable quality levels or prices.
We
do not currently own any facility that may be used as a clinical-scale manufacturing and processing facility, and we rely on outside
vendors and collaborators to manufacture supplies and process our product candidates. For certain of our components or product candidates,
we rely on single suppliers or manufacturers to supply or manufacture, but we plan to expand the number of suppliers and manufacturers
as we advance our product candidates through clinical development. Our product candidates are not yet manufactured or processed on a
commercial scale and we may remain unable to do so for any of our product candidates. Although in the future we may develop our own manufacturing
facilities, we may also continue to use third parties as part of our manufacturing processes and may, in any event, never be successful
in developing our own manufacturing facilities. Our anticipated reliance on third-party manufacturers exposes us to the following risks:
●
We
may be unable to identify manufacturers on acceptable terms or at all because the number of potential manufacturers is limited and
the FDA must inspect any manufacturers for current cGMP.
●
Non-compliance
of our third-party manufacturers with requirements of our marketing application(s). In addition, a new manufacturer would have to
be educated in, or develop substantially equivalent processes for, the production of our product candidates.
●
Third-party
manufacturers may have little or no experience with our product candidates and therefore may require a significant amount of support
from us in order to implement and maintain the infrastructure and processes required to manufacture our product candidates.
●
Third-party
manufacturers might be unable to timely manufacture our product candidates or produce the quantity and quality required to meet our
clinical and commercial needs, if any.
●
Third-party
manufacturers may not be able to execute our manufacturing procedures and other logistical support requirements appropriately.
●
Third-party
manufacturers may not perform as agreed, may not devote sufficient resources to our product candidates or may not remain in the contract
manufacturing business for the time required to supply our clinical trials or to successfully produce, store, and distribute our
products, if any.
●
Manufacturers
are subject to ongoing periodic unannounced inspection by the FDA and corresponding state or foreign agencies to ensure strict compliance
with cGMP and other government regulations and corresponding foreign standards. We do not have control over third-party manufacturers’
compliance with these regulations and standards.
●
We
may not own, or may have to share, the intellectual property rights to any improvements made by our third-party manufacturers in
the manufacturing processes for our product candidates.
●
Our
third-party manufacturers could breach or terminate their agreements with us, and we may be required to pay fees upon suspension
or termination of the agreement even if the manufacturers do not deliver adequate supply of the product candidates or their components.
●
Raw
materials and components used in the manufacturing processes, particularly those for which we have no other source or supplier, may
not be available or may not be suitable or acceptable for use due to factors beyond our control.
●
Our
third-party manufacturers may have unacceptable or inconsistent product quality success rates and yields, and we have no direct control
over their ability to maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and qualified personnel.
46
Each
of these risks could delay or prevent the completion of our clinical trials or the approval of any of our product candidates by the FDA,
result in higher costs or adversely impact commercialization of our product candidates. In addition, we will rely on third parties to
perform certain specification tests on our product candidates prior to delivery to patients. If these tests are not appropriately done
and test data are not reliable, patients could be put at risk of serious harm and the FDA could place significant restrictions on our
company until deficiencies are remedied. Furthermore, our or a third party’s failure to execute on our manufacturing requirements,
to do so on commercially reasonable terms or to comply with cGMP could adversely affect our business in a number of ways, including:
●
An
inability to initiate or continue clinical trials of our product candidates under development;
●
Delay
in submitting regulatory applications, or receiving marketing approvals, for our product candidates;
●
Loss
of the cooperation of future collaborators;
●
Subjecting
third-party manufacturing facilities or our manufacturing facilities to additional inspections by regulatory authorities;
●
Requirements
to cease development or to recall batches of our product candidates; and
●
In
the event of approval to market and commercialize our product candidates, an inability to meet commercial demands for our product
or any other future product candidates.
If
any CMO or CDMO with whom we contract fails to perform its obligations, we may be forced to enter into an agreement with a different
CMO or CDMO, which we may not be able to do on reasonable terms, if at all. In such scenario, our clinical trials supply could be delayed
significantly as we establish alternative supply sources. In some cases, the technical skills required to manufacture our products or
product candidates may be unique or proprietary to the original CMO or CDMO and we may have difficulty, or there may be contractual restrictions
prohibiting us from, transferring such skills to a back-up or alternate supplier, or we may be unable to transfer such skills at all.
In addition, if we are required to change CMOs or CDMOs for any reason, we will be required to verify that the new CMO or CDMO maintains
facilities and procedures that comply with quality standards and with all applicable regulations. We will also need to verify, such as
through a manufacturing comparability study, that any new manufacturing process will produce our product candidate according to the specifications
previously submitted to the FDA or another regulatory authority. The delays associated with the verification of a new CMO or CDMO could
negatively affect our ability to develop product candidates or commercialize our products in a timely manner or within budget. In addition,
changes in manufacturers often involve changes in manufacturing procedures and processes, which could require that we conduct bridging
studies between our prior clinical supply used in our clinical trials and that of any new manufacturer. We may be unsuccessful in demonstrating
the comparability of clinical supplies which could require the conduct of additional clinical trials.
We
rely on, and expect to continue to rely on, third parties to conduct clinical trials for our product candidates. If these third parties
do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, comply with regulatory requirements or meet expected deadlines, we may not be
able to obtain marketing approval for or commercialize our product candidates, and our business could be substantially harmed.
We
are dependent on third parties to conduct our clinical trials and preclinical and nonclinical studies. Specifically, we rely on, and
intend to continue to rely on, medical institutions, clinical investigators, contract research organizations, or CROs, and consultants
to conduct nonclinical studies and clinical trials, in each case in accordance with our study protocols and applicable regulatory requirements.
These CROs, investigators and other third parties play a significant role in the conduct and timing of these studies or trials and the
subsequent collection and analysis of data. Though we expect to carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, investigators and other
third parties, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges
will not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and prospects. Further, while we have and will have agreements
governing the activities of our third-party contractors, we have limited influence over their actual performance. Nevertheless, we are
responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol and legal, regulatory
and scientific standards and requirements, and our reliance on our CROs and other third parties does not relieve us of our regulatory
responsibilities. In addition, we and our CROs are required to comply with GLP and GCP requirements, as applicable, which are regulations
and guidelines enforced by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities related to the conduct of nonclinical studies and clinical
trials, respectively. Regulatory authorities enforce GCPs through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, principal investigators and
trial sites. If we or any of our CROs or trial sites fail to comply with applicable GLP or GCP or other requirements, the collected nonclinical
data or the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable, and the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities
may require us to perform additional nonclinical studies or clinical trials before approving our marketing applications, if ever. Furthermore,
our clinical trials must be conducted with materials manufactured in accordance with cGMP regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations
may require us to repeat clinical trials, which would delay the regulatory approval process.
47
There
is a risk that our CROs, investigators or other third parties will be unable to devote adequate time and resources to such trials or
studies or perform as contractually required. If any of these third parties fail to meet expected deadlines, adhere to our clinical protocols
or meet regulatory requirements, or otherwise perform in a substandard manner, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated.
In addition, many of the third parties with whom we contract may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our
competitors, for whom they may also be conducting clinical trials or other development activities that could harm our competitive position.
In addition, principal investigators for our clinical trials are expected to serve as scientific advisors or consultants to us from time
to time and may receive cash or equity compensation in connection with such services. If these relationships and any related compensation
result in perceived or actual conflicts of interest, or the FDA concludes that the financial relationship may have affected the interpretation
of the study, the integrity of the data generated at the applicable clinical trial site may be questioned and the utility of the clinical
trial itself may be jeopardized, which could result in the delay or rejection by the FDA of any NDA we submit. Any such delay or rejection
could prevent us from receiving regulatory approval for, or commercializing, TELOIR-1 and any future product candidates.
Our
CROs have the right to terminate their agreements with us in the event of an uncured material breach and under other specified circumstances.
If any of our relationships with these third parties terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative third
parties on commercially reasonable terms, in a timely manner or at all. Switching or adding CROs, investigators and other third parties
involves additional cost and requires our management’s time and focus. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a
new CRO commences work. As a result, delays occur, which can materially impact our ability to meet our desired clinical development timelines.
Though we work to carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, investigators and other third parties, there can be no assurance
that we will not encounter challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a material adverse impact
on our business, financial condition and prospects.
Risks
Related to Our Intellectual Property
We
may not be able to adequately protect our product candidates or our proprietary technology in the marketplace.
Our
success will depend, in part, on our ability to obtain patents, protect our trade secrets and operate without infringing on the proprietary
rights of others. We may rely upon a combination of patents, trade secret protection (i.e., know-how), trademarks, licenses, and confidentiality
agreements to protect the intellectual property of our product candidates. The strengths of patents in the pharmaceutical field involve
complex legal and scientific questions and can be uncertain. Where appropriate, we seek patent protection for certain aspects of our
products and technology. However, patent protection for naturally occurring compounds is exceedingly difficult to obtain, defend and
enforce. Filing, prosecuting and defending patents throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, so our policy is to look to
patent technologies with commercial potential in jurisdictions with significant commercial opportunities. However, patent protection
may not be available for some of the products or technology we are developing. If we must spend significant time and money protecting,
defending, or enforcing our patents, designing around patents held by others or licensing, potentially for large fees, patents or other
proprietary rights held by others, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be harmed. We may not develop additional
proprietary products that are patentable.
The
patent positions of pharmaceutical products are complex and uncertain. The scope and extent of patent protection for our product candidates
are particularly uncertain. To date, our principal product candidates have been based on specific formulations of certain previously
known cannabinoids found in nature in the cannabis sativa plant. While we have sought patent protection, where appropriate, directed
to, among other things, composition-of-matter for our specific formulations, their methods of use, and methods of manufacture, we do
not have and will not be able to obtain composition of matter protection on these previously known cannabinoids per se. We anticipate
that the products we develop in the future will continue to be based on the same or other naturally occurring compounds, as well as additional
synthetic compounds we may discover. Although we have sought and expect to continue to seek patent protection for our product candidates,
their methods of use, and methods of manufacture, any, or all of them may not be subject to effective patent protection. If any of our
products are approved and marketed for an indication for which we do not have an issued patent, our ability to use our patents to prevent
a competitor from commercializing a non-branded version of our commercial products for that non-patented indication could be significantly
impaired or even eliminated.
48
Publication
of information related to our product candidates by us, or others may prevent us from obtaining or enforcing patents relating to these
products and product candidates. Furthermore, others may independently develop similar products, may duplicate our products, or may design
around our patent rights. In addition, any of our issued patents may be opposed and/or declared invalid or unenforceable. If we fail
to adequately protect our intellectual property, we may face competition from companies who attempt to create a generic product to compete
with our product candidates. We may also face competition from companies who develop a substantially similar product to one of our product
candidates that is not covered by any of our patents.
If
third parties claim that our intellectual property, products, processes, or anything else used by us infringes upon their intellectual
property, our operating profits could be adversely affected.
There
is a substantial amount of litigation, both within and outside the U.S., involving patent and other intellectual property rights in the
pharmaceutical industry. We may, from time to time, be notified of claims that we are infringing upon patents, trademarks, copyrights,
or other intellectual property rights owned by third parties, and we cannot provide assurances that other companies will not, in the
future, pursue such infringement claims against us, our commercial partners or any third-party proprietary technologies we have licensed.
If we were found to infringe upon a patent or other intellectual property right, or if we failed to obtain or renew a license under a
patent or other intellectual property right from a third party, or if a third party that we were licensing technologies from was found
to infringe upon a patent or other intellectual property rights of another third party, we may be required to pay damages, including
damages of up to three times the damages found or assessed, if the infringement is found to be willful, suspend the manufacture of certain
products or reengineer or rebrand our products, if feasible, or we may be unable to enter certain new product markets. Any such claims
could also be expensive and time consuming to defend and divert management’s attention and resources. Our competitive position
could suffer as a result. In addition, if we have declined or failed to enter into a valid non-disclosure or assignment agreement for
any reason, we may not own the invention or our intellectual property, and our products may not be adequately protected. Thus, we cannot
guarantee that our product candidates, or our commercialization thereof, does not and will not infringe any third party’s intellectual
property.
If
we are unable to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our technology and products, or if the scope of the intellectual
property protection obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could commercialize technology and products similar or identical
to ours, and our ability to successfully commercialize our technology and products may be impaired.
Our
success depends in large part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent protection in relevant countries with respect to our proprietary
technology and products. We seek to protect our proprietary position by filing patent applications in the United States and internationally
that are related to our novel technologies and product candidates. This patent portfolio includes issued patents and pending patent applications
covering pharmaceutical compositions and methods of use.
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. We may choose not to seek patent protection for certain innovations and may
choose not to pursue patent protection in certain jurisdictions, and under the laws of certain jurisdictions, patents or other intellectual
property rights may be unavailable or limited in scope. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our discovery
and nonclinical development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection. Moreover, in some circumstances, we may not have
the right to control the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, or to maintain the patents, covering technology
that we license from third parties. Therefore, these patents and applications may not be prosecuted and enforced in a manner consistent
with the best interests of our business.
49
The
patent position of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies generally is highly uncertain, involves complex legal and factual questions
and has in recent years been the subject of much litigation. In addition, the laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to
the same extent as the laws of the United States. For example, India and China do not allow patents for methods of treating the human
body. Publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the
United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all. Therefore,
we cannot know with certainty whether we were the first to make the inventions claimed in our owned or licensed patents or pending patent
applications, or that we were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions. 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 which protect our technology or products, in whole or in part, or which effectively prevent others from commercializing
competitive technologies and products. Changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent laws in the EU, the United States
and other countries may diminish the value of our patents or narrow the scope of our patent protection.
The
risks described pertaining to our patents and other intellectual property rights also apply to the intellectual property rights that
we license, and any failure to obtain, maintain and enforce these rights could have a material adverse effect on our business. In some
cases, we may not have control over the prosecution, maintenance or enforcement of the patents that we license, and our licensors may
fail to take the steps that we believe are necessary or desirable in order to obtain, maintain and enforce the licensed patents. Any
inability on our part to protect adequately our intellectual property may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results
and financial position.
The
USPTO and various non-U.S. governmental patent agencies require compliance with several procedural, documentary, fee payment and other
similar provisions during the patent application process. In certain situations, non-compliance can result in abandonment or lapse of
the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. In such an event,
our competitors might be able to enter the market and this circumstance would have a material adverse effect on our business.
In
addition, we acquired rights to Ketomir-2 through a license agreement with MIRALOGX and may in the future enter into other license agreements
with third parties for other intellectual property rights or assets. These license agreements may impose various diligence, milestone
payment, royalty, and other obligations on us. If we fail to comply with our obligations under these agreements, or we are subject to
a bankruptcy, we may be required to make certain payments to the licensor, we may lose the exclusivity of our license, or the licensor
may have the right to terminate the license, in which event we would not be able to develop or market products covered by the license.
Additionally, the milestone and other payments associated with these licenses will make it less profitable for us to develop our drug
candidates than if we had developed the licensed technology internally.
In
some cases, patent prosecution of our licensed technology may be controlled solely by the licensor. If our licensors fail to obtain and
maintain patent or other protection for the proprietary intellectual property we license from them, we could lose our rights to the intellectual
property or our exclusivity with respect to those rights, and our competitors could market competing products using the intellectual
property. In certain cases, we may control the prosecution of patents resulting from licensed technology. In the event we breach any
of our obligations related to such prosecution, we may incur significant liability to our licensing partners. If disputes over intellectual
property and other rights that we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangements on acceptable
terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates.
We
have no patent protection for MIRA-55, which could adversely impact MIRA-55’s potential competitive position.
We
have no issued patents relating to MIRA-55 and our patent application for MIRA-55 may not result in an issued patent. While we attempt
to protect our proprietary information as trade secrets through certain agreements with our employees, consultants, agents and other
organizations to which we disclose our proprietary information, we cannot give assurance that these agreements will provide effective
protection for our proprietary information in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of such information. If other products similar
to MIRA-55 are approved and marketed, we may be unable to prevent them from competing with MIRA-55 in MIRA-55’s potential marketplace.
We expect that the presence of one or more competing products could reduce our potential market share and could negatively impact potential
price levels and third-party reimbursement for MIRA-55, any of which would materially affect our business.
50
Risks
Relating to the Ownership of our Common Stock
Because
of the speculative nature of investment risk, you may lose your entire investment.
An
investment in our securities carries a high degree of risk and should be considered as a speculative investment. We have a limited operating
history, no revenues, have not paid dividends, and are unlikely to pay dividends in the immediate or near future. The likelihood of our
success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays frequently encountered in connection
with the establishment of any business. An investment in our securities may result in the loss of an investor’s entire investment.
Only potential investors who are experienced in high-risk investments and who can afford to lose their entire investment should consider
an investment in our securities.
Certain
of our founding stockholders, plus our existing officers and directors, control a substantial interest in us and thus may influence certain
actions requiring stockholder vote.
Our
founding stockholders, which include the Bay Shore Trust, and MIRALOGX, collectively own in excess of 27% of our issued and outstanding
common stock, as well as outstanding warrants. Our officers and directors also own shares of our common stock. Therefore, these entities
and individuals could influence the outcome of matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and approval
of significant corporate transactions.
Sales
of a significant number of shares of our common stock in the public markets, or the perception that such sales could occur, could depress
the market price of our common stock.
Sales
of a significant number of shares of our common stock in the public markets, or the perception that such sales could occur as a result
of our utilization of a universal shelf registration statement or otherwise could depress the market price of our common stock and impair
our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. Notably, a large number of shares of our common stock
held by Bay Shore Trust and MIRALOGX have been registered for public resale and could be sold in the public market, depressing our stock
price. Moreover, we cannot in general predict the effect that future sales of our common stock or the market perception that we are permitted
to sell a significant number of our securities would have on the market price of our common stock.
The
requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert management’s attention and affect our ability to attract
and retain executive management and qualified board members.
As
a reporting issuer, we are subject to the reporting requirements of applicable securities legislation of the jurisdiction in which we
are a reporting issuer, the listing requirements of Nasdaq and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Compliance with these
rules and regulations increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly
and increase demand on its systems and resources. Applicable securities laws require us to, among other things, file certain annual and
quarterly reports with respect to its business and results of operations. In addition, applicable securities laws require us to, among
other things, maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting.
In
order to maintain and, if required, improve its disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting to meet
this standard, significant resources and management oversight are required and, as a result, management’s attention may be diverted
from other business concerns, which could harm our business and results of operations. To comply with these requirements, we may need
to hire more employees in the future or engage outside consultants, which will increase our costs and expenses.
51
In
addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for
public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations
and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application
in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty
regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to
continue to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general
and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance
activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing
bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us,
which could adversely affect our business and financial results.
As
a public company subject to these rules and regulations, it may be more expensive to obtain director and officer liability insurance,
and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make
it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of the Board, particularly to serve on the Audit Committee and Compensation
Committee, and qualified executive officers.
We
are an “emerging growth company,” and any decision on our part to comply only with certain reduced reporting and disclosure
requirements applicable to emerging growth companies could make shares of our common stock less attractive to investors.
We
are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging
growth company, we may choose to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies
that are not emerging growth companies, including, but not limited to, not being required to have our independent registered public accounting
firm audit our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations
regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on
executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We could be an emerging growth
company until the fifth anniversary of the fiscal year end date following the completion of our initial public offering, however, our
status would change more quickly if we have more than US$1.235 billion in annual revenue, if the market value of our shares of common
stock held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds US$700 million as of June 30 of any year, or we issue more than US$1.0 billion of non-convertible
debt over a three-year period before the end of that period.
Investors
could find our shares less attractive if we choose to rely on these exemptions. If some investors find shares less attractive as a result
of any choice to reduce future disclosure, there may be a less active trading market for our shares and our share price may be more volatile.
For
as long as we are an “emerging growth company”, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to
attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404. We could be an “emerging
growth company” until the fifth anniversary of the fiscal year end date following the completion of our initial public offering.
An independent assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls could detect problems that our management’s assessment
might not. Undetected material weaknesses in our internal controls could lead to financial statement restatements and require us to incur
the expense of remediation.
If
we identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, or if we are unable to comply with the requirements
of Section 404 in a timely manner or assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered
public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting when
required, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our securities
could be negatively affected, and we could become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed,
the SEC, or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.
Additionally,
we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take
advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements.
We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of any fiscal year for so long as either: (i) the market value of our shares
of common stock held by non-affiliates does not equal or exceed $250 million as of the prior June 30 th ; or (ii) our annual
revenues did not equal or exceed $100 million during such completed fiscal year. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure
obligations, it may also make the comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.
52
If
we fail to maintain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules, our shares may be delisted from Nasdaq, which would result in a limited trading
market for our shares and make obtaining future debt or equity financing more difficult for the us.
Our
common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “MIRA”. However, there is no assurance that we will
be able to continue to maintain our compliance with the Nasdaq continued listing requirements. If we fail to do so, our securities may
lose their status on Nasdaq and they would likely be traded on the over-the-counter markets, including the Pink Sheets market. As a result,
selling our securities could be more difficult because smaller quantities of shares or warrants would likely be bought and sold, transactions
could be delayed, and security analysts’ coverage of us may be reduced. In addition, in the event our securities are delisted,
broker dealers would bear certain regulatory burdens which may discourage broker dealers from effecting transactions in the securities
and further limit the liquidity of the securities. These factors could result in lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices
for the securities. Such delisting from Nasdaq and continued or further declines in the share price of the securities could also greatly
impair our ability to raise additional necessary capital through equity or debt financing and could significantly increase the ownership
dilution to shareholders caused by our issuing equity in financing or other transactions.
If
our shares were to be delisted from Nasdaq, they may become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules.
Delisting
from Nasdaq may cause our securities to become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules. The SEC generally defines
a penny stock as an equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share or an exercise price of less than $5.00 per
share, subject to certain exemptions. One such exemption is to be listed on Nasdaq. Therefore, if shares of our common stock were to
be delisted from Nasdaq, our securities could become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules. These rules require,
among other things, that any broker engaging in a purchase or sale of our securities provide its customers with: (i) a risk disclosure
document, (ii) disclosure of market quotations, if any, (iii) disclosure of the compensation of the broker and its salespersons in the
transaction, and (iv) monthly account statements showing the market values of our securities held in the customer’s accounts. A
broker would be required to provide the bid and offer quotations and compensation information before effecting the transaction. This
information must be contained in the customer’s confirmation. Generally, brokers are less willing to effect transactions in penny
stocks due to these additional delivery requirements. These requirements may make it more difficult for shareholders to purchase or sell
the shares of our common stock. Since the broker, not us, prepares this information, we would not be able to assure that such information
is accurate, complete or current.
Some
provisions of Florida law and our amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may have anti-takeover
effects that could discourage an acquisition of us by others, even if an acquisition would be beneficial to our shareholders and may
prevent attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our current management.
Our
status as a Florida corporation and the anti-takeover provisions of the Florida Business Corporation Act, which we sometimes refer to
as the FBCA, may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control even if a change in control would be beneficial to our shareholders.
The
control share acquisition statute, Section 607.0902 of the FBCA, generally provides that in the event a person acquires voting shares
of the company in excess of 20% of the voting power of all of our issued and outstanding shares, such acquired shares will not have any
voting rights unless such rights are restored by the holders of a majority of the votes of each class or series entitled to vote separately,
excluding shares held by the person acquiring the control shares or any of our officers or employees who are also directors of the company.
Certain acquisitions of shares are exempt from these rules, such as shares acquired pursuant to the laws of intestate succession or pursuant
to a gift or testamentary transfer, pursuant to a merger or share exchange effected in compliance with the FBCA if we are a party to
the agreement, or pursuant to an acquisition of our shares if the acquisition has been approved by our board of directors before the
acquisition. The control share acquisition statute generally applies to any “issuing public corporation,” which means a Florida
corporation which has:
●
One
hundred or more shareholders;
53
●
Its
principal place of business, its principal office, or substantial assets within Florida; and
●
Either
(i) more than 10% of its shareholders are resident in Florida; (ii) more than 10% of its shares are owned by residents of Florida;
or (iii) one thousand shareholders are resident in Florida.
The
affiliated transaction (or so-called “business combination”) statute, Section 607.0901 of the FBCA, provides that we may
not engage in certain mergers, consolidations, sales of assets, issuances of stock, reclassifications, recapitalizations, and other affiliated
transactions with any “interested shareholder” for a period of three years following the time that such shareholder became
an interested shareholder, unless:
●
Prior
to the time that such shareholder became an interested shareholder, our board of directors approved either the affiliated transaction
or the transaction which resulted in the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder; or;
●
Upon
consummation of the transaction that resulted in the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder, the interested shareholder owned
at least 85% of our voting shares outstanding at the time the transaction commenced; or
●
At
or subsequent to the time that such shareholder became an interested shareholder, the affiliated transaction is approved by our board
of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of shareholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote
of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting shares which are not owned by the interested shareholder.
An
“interested shareholder” is generally defined as any person who is the beneficial owner of more than 15% of our outstanding
voting shares. Currently, Bay Shore Trust would be considered an “interested shareholder.”
The
voting requirements set forth above do not apply to a particular affiliated transaction if one or more conditions are met, including,
but not limited to, the following: if the affiliated transaction has been approved by a majority of our disinterested directors; if we
have not had more than 300 shareholders of record at any time during the three years preceding the date the affiliated transaction is
announced; if the interested shareholder has been the beneficial owner of at least 80% of our outstanding voting shares for at least
three years preceding the date the affiliated transaction is announced; or if the consideration to be paid to the holders of each class
or series of voting shares in the affiliated transaction meets certain requirements of the statute with respect to form and amount, among
other things.
Both
the control share acquisition statute and the affiliated transactions statute may have the effect of discouraging or preventing certain
change of control or takeover transactions involving us.
In
addition, our amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that may make it more
difficult for a third party to acquire us or increase the cost of acquiring us, even if doing so would benefit our shareholders, including
transactions in which shareholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions include:
●
nothing
in our amended and restated articles of incorporation precludes future issuances without shareholder approval of the authorized but
unissued shares of our common stock;
54
●
advance
notice procedures apply for shareholders to nominate candidates for election as directors or to bring matters before an annual meeting
of shareholders;
●
a
special meeting of shareholders can only be called by our chairman of the board of directors, our chief executive officer, our president
(in the absence of a chief executive officer), a majority of our board of directors or the holders of 10% or more of all of our votes
entitled to be cast on any issue proposed to be considered at the special meeting of shareholders;
●
no
provision in our amended and restated articles of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws provides for cumulative voting, which
limits the ability of minority shareholders to elect director candidates;
●
directors
will only be able to be removed for cause;
●
our
amended and restated articles of incorporation authorizes undesignated preferred stock, the terms of which may be established and
shares of which may be issued, without the approval of the holders of our capital stock; and
●
certain
litigation against us can only be brought in Florida.
These
provisions could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our company. These provisions could also
discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other shareholders to elect directors of your choosing and cause us
to take corporate actions other than those you desire. See “Description of Capital Stock.”
Our
amended and restated bylaws designates the state courts located within the state of Florida as the exclusive forum for substantially
all disputes between us and our shareholders and the federal district courts as the exclusive forum for Securities Act claims, which
could limit our shareholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.
Our
amended and restated bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive
forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty
owed by any of our current or former directors, officers or other employees to us or our shareholders, (iii) any action arising pursuant
to any provision of the FBCA, our amended and restated articles of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws, or (iv) any other
action asserting a claim that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be a state court located within the state of Florida
(or, if a state court located within the state of Florida does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the Middle District
of Florida); provided that, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by
the Exchange Act, or to any claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Our amended and restated bylaws also provide
that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the U.S. federal district courts shall be the exclusive
forum for the resolution of any claims arising under the Securities Act. Under the Securities Act, federal and state courts have concurrent
jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act, and investors cannot waive compliance
with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Accordingly, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would
enforce such a forum selection provision as written in connection with claims arising under the Securities Act.
By
becoming a shareholder in our company, you will be deemed to have notice of and have consented to the provisions of our amended and restated
bylaws related to choice of forum. The choice of forum provisions in our amended and restated bylaws may limit our shareholders’
ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us. Additionally, the enforceability of choice of forum provisions in
other companies’ governing documents has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that, in connection with any
applicable action brought against us, a court could find the choice of forum provisions contained in our amended and restated bylaws
to be inapplicable or unenforceable in such action. If so, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other
jurisdictions, which could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
55
Securities
or industry analysts may not regularly publish reports on us, which could cause the price of our securities or trading volumes to decline.
The
trading market for our securities could be influenced by research and reports that industry and/or securities analysts may publish us,
our business, the market or our competitors. We do not have any control over these analysts and cannot be assured that such analysts
will cover us or provide favorable coverage. If any of the analysts who may cover our business change their recommendation regarding
our securities adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of our securities would
likely decline. If any analysts who may cover our business were to cease coverage or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could
lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the price of our securities or trading volumes to decline.
We
will likely conduct further offerings of our equity securities in the future, in which case your proportionate interest may become diluted.
We
will likely be required to conduct equity offerings in the future to finance our current projects or to finance subsequent projects that
we decide to undertake. If our common stock shares are issued in return for additional funds, the price per share could be lower than
that paid by our current shareholders. We anticipate continuing to rely on equity sales of our common stock shares in order to fund our
business operations. If we issue additional common stock shares or securities convertible into shares of our common stock, your percentage
interest in us could become diluted.
We
may issue shares of preferred stock in the future, which could make it difficult for another company to acquire us or could otherwise
adversely affect holders of our common stock, which could depress the price of our common stock.
Our
certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue one or more series of preferred stock. Our board of directors will have the authority
to determine the preferences, limitations and relative rights of the shares of preferred stock and to fix the number of shares constituting
any series and the designation of such series, without any further vote or action by our shareholders. Our preferred stock could be issued
with voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to the rights of our common stock. The potential issuance of preferred stock
may delay or prevent a change in control of us, discouraging bids for our common stock at a premium to the market price, and materially
adversely affect the market price and the voting and other rights of the holders of our common stock.
We
have never declared or paid any cash dividends or distributions on our capital stock. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends
on our common stock in the foreseeable future.
We
have never declared or paid any cash dividends or distributions on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain our future earnings,
if any, to support operations and to finance expansion and therefore we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock
in the foreseeable future.
The
declaration, payment and amount of any future dividends will be made at the discretion of the board of directors, and will depend upon,
among other things, the results of our operations, cash flows and financial condition, operating and capital requirements, and other
factors as the board of directors considers relevant. There is no assurance that future dividends will be paid, and, if dividends are
paid, there is no assurance with respect to the amount of any such dividend.
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.