Item 1. Financial Statements
Item 1. Financial Statements
MARKER THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
June 30,
December 31,
2020
2019
(Unaudited)
(Audited)
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$
32,124,187
$
43,903,949
Prepaid expenses and deposits
2,632,514
1,526,442
Interest receivable
3,440
56,189
Total current assets
34,760,141
45,486,580
Non-current assets:
Property, plant and equipment, net
1,592,094
417,528
Construction in progress
2,629,141
—
Right-of-use assets, net
9,542,228
455,174
Total non-current assets
13,763,463
872,702
Total assets
$
48,523,604
$
46,359,282
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
$
4,528,021
$
1,757,680
Lease liability
456,065
204,132
Warrant liability
—
31,000
Total current liabilities
4,984,086
1,992,812
Non-current liabilities:
Lease liability, net of current portion
9,025,273
280,247
Total non-current liabilities
9,025,273
280,247
Total liabilities
14,009,359
2,273,059
Commitments and contingencies (see Note 10)
—
—
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock - $ 0.001 par value, 5 million shares authorized and 0 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively
—
—
Common stock, $ 0.001 par value, 150 million shares authorized, 46.6 million and 45.7 million shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively
46,617
45,728
Additional paid-in capital
374,828,385
371,573,909
Accumulated deficit
( 340,360,757 )
( 327,533,414 )
Total stockholders’ equity
34,514,245
44,086,223
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
$
48,523,604
$
46,359,282
See accompanying notes to these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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MARKER THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
For the Three Months Ended
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
2020
2019
2020
2019
Revenues:
Grant income
$
466,785
$
—
$
466,785
$
—
Total revenues
466,785
—
466,785
—
Operating expenses:
Research and development
4,277,052
3,152,445
8,093,670
5,985,140
General and administrative
2,547,289
2,721,120
5,374,284
5,526,895
Total operating expenses
6,824,341
5,873,565
13,467,954
11,512,035
Loss from operations
( 6,357,556 )
( 5,873,565 )
( 13,001,169 )
( 11,512,035 )
Other income (expense):
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities
—
( 7,000 )
31,000
( 16,000 )
Interest income
15,857
310,174
142,826
638,719
Net loss
$
( 6,341,699 )
$
( 5,570,391 )
$
( 12,827,343 )
$
( 10,889,316 )
Net loss per share, basic and diluted
$
( 0.14 )
$
( 0.12 )
$
( 0.28 )
$
( 0.24 )
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding
46,572,739
45,501,078
46,328,561
45,483,513
See accompanying notes to these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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MARKER THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(UNAUDITED)
For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2020
Total
Common Stock
Additional Paid-
Accumulated
Stockholders’
Shares
Par value
in Capital
Deficit
Equity
Balance at April 1, 2020
46,532,522
$
46,532
$
373,467,697
$
( 334,019,058 )
$
39,495,171
Stock-based compensation
85,110
85
1,360,688
—
1,360,773
Net loss
—
—
—
( 6,341,699 )
( 6,341,699 )
Balance at June 30, 2020
46,617,632
$
46,617
$
374,828,385
$
( 340,360,757 )
$
34,514,245
For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2020
Total
Common Stock
Additional Paid-
Accumulated
Stockholders’
Shares
Par value
in Capital
Deficit
Equity
Balance at January 1, 2020
45,728,831
$
45,728
$
371,573,909
$
( 327,533,414 )
$
44,086,223
Warrants exercised for cash
458,334
459
549,541
—
550,000
Issuance of common stock as commitment fee for future financing
345,357
345
( 345 )
—
—
Stock-based compensation
85,110
85
2,705,280
—
2,705,365
Net loss
—
—
—
( 12,827,343 )
( 12,827,343 )
Balance at June 30, 2020
46,617,632
$
46,617
$
374,828,385
$
( 340,360,757 )
$
34,514,245
For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2019
Total
Common Stock
Additional Paid-
Accumulated
Stockholders’
Shares
Par value
in Capital
Deficit
Equity
Balance at April 1, 2019
45,484,483
$
45,484
$
366,989,803
$
( 311,424,375 )
$
55,610,912
Stock-based compensation
29,040
29
1,363,238
—
1,363,267
Net loss
—
—
—
( 5,570,391 )
( 5,570,391 )
Balance, June 30, 2019
45,513,523
$
45,513
$
368,353,041
$
( 316,994,766 )
$
51,403,788
For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2019
Total
Common Stock
Additional Paid-
Accumulated
Stockholders’
Shares
Par value
in Capital
Deficit
Equity
Balance at January 1, 2019
45,440,704
$
45,440
$
365,400,748
$
( 306,105,450 )
$
59,340,738
Stock options exercised for cash
11,980
12
57,732
—
57,744
Warrants exercised for cash
1,799
2
5,377
—
5,379
Stock-based compensation
59,040
59
2,889,184
—
2,889,243
Net loss
—
—
—
( 10,889,316 )
( 10,889,316 )
Balance, June 30, 2019
45,513,523
$
45,513
$
368,353,041
$
( 316,994,766 )
$
51,403,788
See accompanying notes to these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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MARKER THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(UNAUDITED)
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
2020
2019
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net loss
$
( 12,827,343 )
$
( 10,889,316 )
Reconciliation of net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization
124,627
39,811
Changes in fair value of warrant liabilities
( 31,000 )
16,000
Stock-based compensation
2,705,365
2,889,243
Amortization on right-of-use assets
96,973
89,178
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses and deposits
( 1,106,072 )
( 349,750 )
Interest receivable
52,749
10,023
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
2,770,341
225,135
Lease liability
( 187,068 )
( 89,907 )
Net cash used in operating activities
( 8,401,428 )
( 8,059,583 )
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Purchase of property and equipment
( 1,299,193 )
( 305,382 )
Purchase of construction in progress
( 2,629,141 )
—
Net cash used in investing activities
( 3,928,334 )
( 305,382 )
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
—
57,744
Proceeds from exercise of warrants
550,000
5,379
Net cash provided by financing activities
550,000
63,123
Net decrease in cash
( 11,779,762 )
( 8,301,842 )
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period
43,903,949
61,746,748
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period
$
32,124,187
$
53,444,906
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
2020
2019
Supplemental schedule of non-cash financing activities:
Issuance of common stock as commitment fee for future financing
$
345
$
—
Recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liability from new operating lease agreements
$
9,184,027
$
—
See accompanying notes to these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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MARKER THERAPEUTICS, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2020
(Unaudited)
NOTE 1: NATURE OF OPERATIONS
Marker Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company” or “we”), is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company specializing in the development and commercialization of novel T cell-based immunotherapies and innovative peptide-based vaccines for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications. The Company’s MultiTAA T cell technology is based on the selective expansion of non-engineered, tumor-specific T cells that recognize tumor associated antigens, which are tumor targets, and kill tumor cells expressing those targets. These T cells are designed to recognize multiple tumor targets to produce broad spectrum anti-tumor activity.
NOTE 2: BASIS OF PRESENTATION
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and pursuant to the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and on the same basis as the Company prepares its annual audited consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair presentation of such interim results.
The results for the condensed consolidated statement of operations are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020 or for any future interim period. The condensed consolidated balance sheet at June 30, 2020 has been derived from unaudited financial statements; however, it does not include all of the information and notes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 and notes thereto included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K filed on March 12, 2020.
NOTE 3: LIQUIDITY AND FINANCIAL CONDITION
As of June 30, 2020, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $ 32.1 million. The Company’s activities since inception have consisted principally of acquiring product and technology rights, raising capital, and performing research and development. Successful completion of the Company’s development programs and, ultimately, the attainment of profitable operations are dependent on future events, including, among other things, its ability to access potential markets; secure financing; successfully progress its product candidates through preclinical and clinical development; obtain regulatory approval of one or more of its product candidates; maintain and enforce intellectual property rights; develop a customer base; attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel; and develop strategic alliances and collaborations. From inception, the Company has been funded by a combination of equity and debt financings.
The Company expects to continue to incur substantial losses over the next several years during its development phase. To fully execute its business plan, the Company will need to complete certain research and development activities and clinical trials. Further, the Company’s product candidates will require regulatory approval prior to commercialization. These activities will span many years and require substantial expenditures to complete and may ultimately be unsuccessful. Any delays in completing these activities could adversely impact the Company. The Company plans to meet its capital requirements primarily through issuances of debt and equity securities and, in the longer term, revenue from sales of its product candidates, if approved.
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Based on the Company’s revised clinical and research and development plans and its revised timing expectations related to the progress of its programs, and buildout of manufacturing and research facilities, and expansion of the Company’s corporate headquarters, discussed in Footnotes #7 and #10 below, the Company expects that its cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2020 will enable the Company to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the second quarter of 2021, as such these factors raise substantial doubt regarding the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The Company has based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and the Company could utilize its available capital resources sooner than it currently expects. Furthermore, the Company's operating plan may change, and it may need additional funds sooner than planned in order to meet operational needs and capital requirements for product development and commercialization. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the development and commercialization of the Company's product candidates and the extent to which the Company may enter into additional collaborations with third parties to participate in their development and commercialization, the Company is unable to estimate the amounts of increased capital outlays and operating expenditures associated with its current and anticipated clinical trials. The Company's future funding requirements will depend on many factors, as it:
● initiates or continues clinical trials of its product candidates;
● continues the research and development of its product candidates and seeks to discover additional product candidates;
● seeks regulatory approvals for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;
● maintains and enforces intellectual property rights;
● establishes sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure and scale-up manufacturing capabilities to commercialize any product candidates that may receive regulatory approval;
● evaluates strategic transactions the Company may undertake; and
● enhances operational, financial and information management systems and hires additional personnel, including personnel to support development of product candidates and, if a product candidate is approved, commercialization efforts.
These factors raise substantial doubt regarding the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which implies that the Company will continue to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business. The condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
In addition to the foregoing, based on the Company’s current assessment, the Company does not expect any material impact on its long-term liquidity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Company will continue to assess the effect of the pandemic on its operations, including its clinical programs. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the Company’s business and operations will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the ultimate geographic spread of the disease, the duration of the outbreak, the duration and effect of business disruptions and the short-term effects and ultimate effectiveness of the travel restrictions, quarantines, social distancing requirements and business closures in the United States and other countries to contain and treat the disease. While the potential economic impact brought by, and the duration of, COVID-19 may be difficult to assess or predict, a widespread pandemic could result in significant disruption of global financial markets, reducing the Company’s ability to access capital, which could in the future negatively affect the Company’s liquidity. In addition, a recession or market correction resulting from the spread of COVID-19 could materially affect the Company’s business and the value of its common stock.
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NOTE 4: SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Property and equipment - Construction in Progress
On June 26, 2020, the Company entered into a lease for a manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas. In connection with the manufacturing facility, the Company has incurred costs pursuant to an agreement with a vendor to design, engineer, build and eventually install modular cleanrooms in a manufacturing facility. $ 2.6 million is recorded in fixed assets - construction in progress on the balance sheet as of June 30, 2020. Upon completion of the facility's construction, all costs associated with the buildout will be recorded as manufacturing equipment and amortized over the estimated useful life of the facility.
New Accounting Standards
From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standard setting bodies that the Company adopts as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, the Company does not believe that the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations upon adoption.
Recent Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted
Income Taxes
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”), which is intended to simplify various aspects related to accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 removes certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
NOTE 5: NET LOSS PER SHARE
Basic loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted loss per common share is computed similarly to basic loss per common share except that it reflects the potential dilution that could occur if dilutive securities or other obligations to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock.
The following table sets forth the computation of net loss per share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively:
For the Three Months Ended
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
2020
2019
2020
2019
Numerator:
Net loss
$
( 6,341,699 )
$
( 5,570,391 )
$
( 12,827,343 )
$
( 10,889,316 )
Denominator:
Weighted average common shares outstanding
46,572,739
45,501,078
46,328,561
45,483,513
Net loss per share data:
Basic and Diluted
$
( 0.14 )
$
( 0.12 )
$
( 0.28 )
$
( 0.24 )
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The following securities, rounded to the nearest thousand, were not included in the diluted net loss per share calculation because their effect was anti-dilutive for the periods presented:
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
2020
2019
Common stock options
5,842,000
4,568,000
Common stock purchase warrants
21,381,000
22,979,000
Common stock warrants - liability treatment
—
27,000
Potentially dilutive securities
27,223,000
27,574,000
NOTE 6: PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment consist of the following as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively:
June 30,
December 31,
Estimated Useful Lives
2020
2019
Lab equipment
5 Years
$
1,065,000
$
111,000
Manufacturing equipment
5 Years
—
—
Computers, equipment and software
3 - 5 Years
299,000
211,000
Office furniture
5 Years
179,000
178,000
Leasehold improvements
Lesser of lease term or estimated useful life
279,000
23,000
Total
1,822,000
523,000
Less: accumulated depreciation
( 230,000 )
( 105,000 )
Construction in progress
2,629,000
—
Total fixed assets, net
$
4,221,000
$
418,000
Depreciation expense for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 was approximately $ 0.09 million and $ 0.03 million, respectively. Depreciation expense for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 was approximately $ 0.1 million and $ 0.04 million, respectively.
On June 26, 2020, the Company entered into a lease for a manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas. In connection with the manufacturing facility, the Company has incurred costs pursuant to an agreement with a vendor to design, engineer, build and eventually install modular cleanrooms in a manufacturing facility. $ 2.6 million is recorded in fixed assets - construction in progress on the balance sheet as of June 30, 2020. Upon completion of the facility's construction, all costs associated with the buildout will be recorded as manufacturing equipment and amortized over the estimated useful life of the facility.
In connection with the research facility that the Company opened during the second quarter of 2020, the Company incurred approximately $ 1.0 million of costs acquiring necessary lab equipment to carry out its experiments.
NOTE 7: LEASES
On March 23, 2020, the Company entered into an agreement to expand its corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas, which is expected to commence in the third or fourth quarter of 2020. The initial lease term is ten years with two five-year renewal options. Fixed rent payments under the initial term are approximately $ 5.6 million. Additionally, the Company is also responsible for its share of operating expenses.
On April 30, 2020, the Company entered into a lease for a research facility in Houston, Texas. The lease term is 71 months . Fixed rent payments under the initial term are approximately $ 1.1 million. In the second quarter of 2020, the Company recorded right-of use assets and related operating lease liabilities of approximately $ 0.9 million as result of entering into the lease for our research facility.
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On June 26, 2020, the Company entered into a lease for a manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas. The initial lease term is ten years from the expected commencement date in the third quarter of 2020 with two five-year renewal options. Fixed rent payments under the initial term are approximately $ 11.1 million. Additionally, the Company is also responsible for its share of operating expenses. In the second quarter of 2020, the Company recorded right-of use assets and related operating lease liabilities of approximately $8.3 million as result of entering into the lease for its manufacturing facility.
The Company also leases office space under agreements classified as operating leases that expire on various dates through 2022. The Company has a remaining lease liability of $ 0.2 million and $ 0.2 million of the related right-of-use asset resulting from the lease of its corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas, which expires in 2021. In addition, the Company has a remaining lease liability of $ 0.2 million and $ 0.2 million of the related right-of-use asset from the lease of its Jacksonville, Florida office space, which expires in 2022.
Such leases do not require any contingent rental payments, impose any financial restrictions, or contain any residual value guarantees. Certain of the Company’s leases include renewal options and escalation clauses; renewal options have not been included in the calculation of the lease liabilities and right-of-use assets as the Company is not reasonably certain to exercise the options. Variable expenses generally represent the Company’s share of the landlord’s operating expenses. The Company does not act as a lessor or have any leases classified as financing leases.
The Company excludes short-term leases having initial terms of 12 months or less from the new accounting guidance as an accounting policy election and recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company has two lease agreements, an office at the Florida Atlantic Research and Development Authority and laboratory space located at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, which are included in short-term lease expense below.
At June 30, 2020, the Company had operating lease liabilities of approximately $ 9.5 million and right-of-use assets of approximately $ 9.5 million, which were included in the condensed consolidated balance sheet.
The following summarizes quantitative information about the Company’s operating leases for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively:
For the Three Months Ended
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
2020
2019
2020
2019
Operating lease expense summary:
Operating lease expense
$
103,000
$
55,000
$
158,000
$
110,000
Short-term lease expense
3,000
24,000
22,000
46,000
Variable lease expense
5,000
23,000
16,000
38,000
Total
$
111,000
$
102,000
$
196,000
$
194,000
Other information:
Operating cash flows - operating leases
$
248,000
Weighted-average remaining lease term as of June 30, 2020 – operating leases
9.6
Weighted-average discount rate as of adoption date – operating leases
5.6
%
Maturities of the Company's operating leases, excluding short-term leases, are as follows:
Six months ended December 31, 2020
$
286,000
Year ended December 31, 2021
1,379,000
Year ended December 31, 2022
1,253,000
Year ended December 31, 2023
1,219,000
Year ended December 31, 2024
1,254,000
Thereafter
7,114,000
Total
12,505,000
Less present value discount
( 3,024,000 )
Operating lease liabilities included in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at June 30, 2020
$
9,481,000
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NOTE 8: ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND ACCRUED LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities consist of the following as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively:
June 30,
December 31,
2020
2019
Accounts payable
$
2,808,000
$
993,000
Compensation and benefits
858,000
323,000
Professional fees
686,000
94,000
Technology license fees
50,000
105,000
Other
126,000
243,000
Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities
$
4,528,000
$
1,758,000
NOTE 9: WARRANT LIABILITY AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
During the six months ended June 30, 2020, all of the Company's common stock purchase warrants previously treated as a liability expired.
A summary of quantitative information with respect to valuation methodology and significant unobservable inputs used for the Company’s common stock purchase warrants that are categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 is as follows:
Weighted Average Inputs
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
2020
2019
Exercise price
$
—
$
9.72
Contractual term (years)
0
0.58
Volatility (annual)
—
78
%
Risk-free rate
—
2
%
Dividend yield (per share)
—
0
%
Financial Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
Financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized below and disclosed on the balance sheet under Warrant liability:
Fair value measured at June 30, 2020
Quoted prices in active
Significant other
Significant
markets
observable inputs
unobservable inputs
Fair value at
(Level 1)
(Level 2)
(Level 3)
June 30, 2020
Warrant liability
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
Fair value measured at December 31, 2019
Quoted prices in active
Significant other
Significant
markets
observable inputs
unobservable inputs
Fair value at
(Level 1)
(Level 2)
(Level 3)
December 31, 2019
Warrant liability
$
—
$
—
$
31,000
$
31,000
The fair value accounting standards define fair value as the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is determined based upon assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. Fair value measurements are rated on a three-tier hierarchy as follows:
● Level 1 inputs: Quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets;
● Level 2 inputs: Inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, that are observable either directly or indirectly; and
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● Level 3 inputs: Unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.
There were no transfers between Level 1, 2 or 3 during the six months ended June 30, 2020.
The following table presents changes in Level 3 liabilities measured at fair value for the six months ended June 30, 2020:
Warrant
Liability
Balance - January 1, 2020
$
31,000
Change in fair value of warrant liability
( 31,000 )
Balance - June 30, 2020
$
—
NOTE 10: COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
An arbitration proceeding was brought against the Company before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. by a broker seeking to be paid approximately $ 1 million as compensation for two 2018 transactions, a warrant conversion and a private placement brokered by another broker. The broker’s claims are based on a placement agent agreement for a private placement it brokered in 2017, under which it alleges it is entitled to compensation for the 2018 transactions. The Company believes it has defenses to all of the allegations and intends to vigorously defend itself in this matter.
As discussed in Footnotes #6 and #7, on March 26, 2020 the Company entered into an agreement with a vendor to design, engineer, build and eventually install modular cleanrooms in a manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas, which the Company expects to lease with a commencement date in the third quarter of 2020. The total fees for this project to be substantially completed by December 31, 2020 are estimated to be $ 6.0 million. As of June 30, 2020, the Company has recorded $ 2.6 million of construction in progress costs associated with the building of the cleanrooms.
NOTE 11: STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Common Stock Transactions
Exercise of Stock Warrants
During the six months ended June 30, 2020, certain outstanding warrants were exercised for 458,334 shares of common stock providing aggregate proceeds to the Company of approximately $ 0.6 million.
Board Compensation
During the six months ended June 30, 2020, the Company issued an aggregate of 85,110 shares of common stock to its non-employee directors. The fair value of the common stock of approximately $ 0.2 million was recognized as a component of stock-based compensation expense in general and administrative expenses.
Aspire Capital
On February 28, 2020, the Company entered into a common stock purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Aspire Capital Fund, LLC (“Aspire Capital”) which provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions and limitations set forth therein, Aspire Capital is committed to purchase up to an aggregate of $ 30.0 million of shares of the Company’s common stock over the 30 -month term of the purchase agreement. In consideration for entering into the purchase agreement, the Company issued to Aspire Capital 345,357 shares of the Company’s common stock as a commitment fee. The Company recorded the commitment fee to additional paid in capital. As of June 30, 2020, Aspire Capital had not purchased any shares under the Purchase Agreement.
The Company may request daily up to 0.1 million shares to be purchased with a maximum purchase commitment of 9.2 million shares over the term of the arrangement. The purchase price will generally be 97% of the stock price on the date of purchase.
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Share Purchase Warrants
A summary of the Company’s share purchase warrants as of June 30, 2020 and changes during the period is presented below:
Weighted Average
Number of
Weighted Average
Remaining Contractual
Total Intrinsic
Warrants
Exercise Price
Life (in years)
Value
Balance - January 1, 2020
22,664,000
$
4.71
3.33
$
954,000
Exercised for cash
( 458,000 )
1.20
—
—
Expired or cancelled
( 825,000 )
7.10
—
—
Balance - June 30, 2020
21,381,000
$
4.69
3.03
$
—
NOTE 12: STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
Stock Options
Award of 2019 Performance Bonuses and 2020 Equity Incentive Awards
On March 10, 2020, upon the recommendation of the compensation committee and pursuant to the Company’s 2014 Omnibus Stock Ownership Plan, the Company’s board of directors approved a total of 1,170,000 options to purchase the Company’s common stock as (i) performance bonuses for 2019 performance and (ii) equity-based incentive awards to the Company’s executive officers. Each option award was granted with an exercise price of $ 2.12 per share, the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on March 10, 2020, with the option award vesting in 48 equal monthly installments over a four-year period, subject to such executive officer’s continued service on the applicable vesting date. Additionally, on March 10, 2020, the Company issued 111,000 options to purchase the Company’s common stock to other employees of the Company as equity-based incentive awards. Each option award was granted with an exercise price of $ 2.12 per share, the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on March 10, 2020, with the option award vesting in 48 equal monthly installments over a four-year period, subject to such executive officer’s continued service on the applicable vesting date.
The above awards were in addition to stock option awards issued during the six months ended June 30, 2020 to new employees upon their commencement of employment with the Company.
A summary of the Company’s stock option activity is as follows:
Weighted
Average
Weighted
Remaining
Number of
Average
Total Intrinsic
Contractual
Shares
Exercise Price
Value
Life (in years)
Outstanding as of January 1, 2020
4,983,000
$
7.79
$
18,000
8.9
Granted
1,371,000
2.13
—
9.7
Cancelled
( 512,500 )
9.13
—
—
Outstanding as of June 30, 2020
5,841,814
$
6.34
$
14,000
8.7
Options vested and exercisable
1,793,460
$
7.70
$
—
8.3
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The Black-Scholes option pricing model is used to estimate the fair value of stock options granted under the Company’s share-based compensation plans. The weighted average assumptions used in calculating the fair values of stock options that were granted during the six months ended June 30, 2020 was as follows:
For the Six Months Ended
June 30, 2020
Exercise price
$
2.13
Expected term (years)
6.0
Expected stock price volatility
109
%
Risk-free rate of interest
1
%
Expected dividend rate
0
%
The following table sets forth stock-based compensation expenses recorded during the respective periods:
For the Three Months Ended
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
2020
2019
2020
2019
Stock Compensation expenses:
Research and development
$
528,000
$
593,000
$
1,309,000
$
1,280,000
General and administrative
833,000
770,000
1,396,000
1,609,000
Total stock compensation expenses
$
1,361,000
$
1,363,000
$
2,705,000
$
2,889,000
At June 30, 2020, the total stock-based compensation cost related to unvested awards not yet recognized was $ 12.9 million. The expected weighted average period compensation costs to be recognized was approximately 3.0 years. Future option grants will impact the compensation expense recognized.
NOTE 13: GRANT INCOME
During the six months ended June 30, 2020, the Company received $ 0.5 million of a grant awarded to the Mayo Foundation from the U.S. Department of Defense to fund the Phase 2 clinical trial of TPIV100 for the treatment of HER2/neu breast cancer. The portion of the grant the Company received compensated the Company for clinical supplies manufactured by the Company for the clinical trial. In accordance with Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)" issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Company recorded the $ 0.5 million of grant income as revenue. The Company did not record any grant income during the six months ended June 30, 2019.
NOTE 14: RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The following table sets forth related party transaction expenses recorded for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
For the Three Months Ended
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
2020
2019
2020
2019
Research and development
$
193,000
$
112,000
$
447,000
$
237,000
Total
$
193,000
$
112,000
$
447,000
$
237,000
The detailed information for the table above is below.
Sponsored Research Agreements with The Baylor College of Medicine (“BCM”) . On November 16, 2018 and February 1, 2020, in furtherance of the BCM License Agreement and as contemplated by the terms thereof, the Company entered in Sponsored Research Agreements (“SRAs”) with BCM, which provided for the conduct of research for the Company by credentialed personnel at BCM’s Center for Cell and Gene Therapy.
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The following table sets forth related party transaction expenses recorded in connection with the SRAs for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
For the Three Months Ended
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
2020
2019
2020
2019
Research and development
$
11,000
$
8,000
$
46,000
$
22,000
Total
$
11,000
$
8,000
$
46,000
$
22,000
Clinical Supply Agreement with BCM . On September 9, 2019, in furtherance of the BCM License Agreement and as contemplated by the terms thereof, the Company entered in a Clinical Supply Agreement ("CSA") with BCM, which provided for BCM to provide to the Company multi tumor antigen specific products.
The following table sets forth related party transaction expenses recorded in connection with the CSA for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
For the Three Months Ended
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
2020
2019
2020
2019
Research and development
$
100,000
$
—
$
200,000
$
—
Total
$
100,000
$
—
$
200,000
$
—
Workforce Grant Agreement with BCM . On October 5, 2019, in furtherance of the BCM Clinical Supply Agreement and as contemplated by the terms thereof, the Company entered in a Workforce Grant Agreement ("WGA") with BCM, which provided for BCM to provide to the Company manpower costs of projects for manufacturing, quality control testing and validation run activities.
The following table sets forth related party transaction expenses recorded in connection with the WGA for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
For the Three Months Ended
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
2020
2019
2020
2019
Research and development
$
47,000
$
—
$
147,000
$
—
Total
$
47,000
$
—
$
147,000
$
—
Purchases from Bio-Techne Corporation . The Company is currently utilizing Bio-Techne Corporation and one of its brands for the purchases of reagents, primarily cytokines. Mr. David Eansor is a member of the Company's board of directors and is serving as the President of the Protein Sciences Segment of Bio-Techne Corporation.
The following table sets forth related party transaction expenses recorded in connection with Bio-Techne Corporation for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
For the Three Months Ended
For the Six Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
2020
2019
2020
2019
Research and development
$
35,000
$
18,000
$
54,000
$
39,000
Total
$
35,000
$
18,000
$
54,000
$
39,000
Consulting Agreement with Dr. Juan Vera . On October 19, 2018, after the closing of the Company’s merger, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Dr. Juan Vera, a member of the Company’s board of directors, to serve as the Company’s Chief Development Officer. On September 1, 2019, Dr. Vera became an employee of the Company and his consulting agreement was terminated.
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, the Company incurred approximately $ 88,000 and $ 175,000 , respectively, of expenses under Dr. Vera’s consulting agreement.
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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.