Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our financial
condition and results of operations should be read together with our financial statements and the related notes and the other financial
information included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result
of various factors, including those discussed below and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, in our Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and in other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly those
under “Risk Factors.” Dollars in tabular format are presented in thousands, except per share data, or as otherwise indicated.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking
statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 under Section 27A of the
Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements
include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates, intentions
and future performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control, and which
may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could
be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements through our use of words such as “may,” “can,”
“anticipate,” “assume,” “should,” “indicate,” “would,” “believe,”
“contemplate,” “expect,” “seek,” “estimate,” “continue,” “plan,”
“point to,” “project,” “predict,” “could,” “intend,” “target,”
“potential” and other similar words and expressions of the future.
There are a number of important factors that could
cause the actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement made by us. These factors include,
but are not limited to:
●
our ability to complete one or more strategic transactions that will maximize our assets or otherwise provide value to stockholders;
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our ability to raise capital when needed;
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our ability to maintain or protect the validity of our patents and other intellectual property; and
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the factors listed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, elsewhere in this report and other reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified
in their entirety by this cautionary notice. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak
only as of the date of this report or the date of the document incorporated by reference into this report. We have no obligation, and
expressly disclaim any obligation, to update, revise or correct any of the forward- looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. We have expressed our expectations, beliefs and projections in good faith, and we believe they have a reasonable
basis. However, we cannot assure you that our expectations, beliefs or projections will result or be achieved or accomplished.
Overview
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
focused on delivering groundbreaking therapies using our lipid nanocrystal (LNC) platform delivery technology (LNC Platform).
Key elements of our strategy now include:
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Securing one or more partners to monetize the value of MAT2203 in the short term and raise additional non-dilutive capital through the licensing or sale of our lead LNC Platform product candidate. A partnership would likely seek to advance MAT2203 into Phase 3 development as quickly as possible, which could position a partner to commercialize MAT2203 upon approval and which could bring additional longer-term value to the Company and its shareholders.
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Conserving our cash resources while identifying and evaluating other strategic options for the Company, which could include the in-license of one or more assets or seeking a merger partner for the Company.
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For the three month periods ended March 31, 2025 and
2024, our net loss was $1,656 and $5,824, respectively. We have incurred losses for each period from our inception and expect to incur
additional losses for the foreseeable future. We will seek to fund our operations through public or private equity offerings, debt financing,
government or other third-party funding, collaborations and licensing arrangements. Adequate additional financing may not be available
to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed would impact our going concern and would have a
negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy and continue as a going concern. We will need
to generate significant revenues to achieve profitability, and we may never do so.
Financial Operations Overview
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses consist of costs
incurred for the development of product candidate MAT2203 and advancement of our LNC platform, which include:
●
the cost of acquiring, developing, and manufacturing pre-clinical and human clinical trial materials;
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costs for consultants and contractors associated with Chemistry and Manufacturing Controls (CMC), pre-clinical and clinical activities and regulatory operations;
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expenses incurred under agreements with contract research organizations, or CROs, including the NIH, that conduct our pre-clinical or clinical trials; and
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employee-related expenses, including salaries and stock-based compensation expense for those employees involved in the research and development process.
Research and development activities are central to
our business model. We expect our research and development expenses to increase over time because product candidates in later stages of
clinical development generally have higher development costs than those in earlier stages of clinical development, primarily due to the
increased size and duration of later-stage human trials. However, we anticipate that our research and development expenses during 2025
will be lower compared with expenses incurred during 2024 until such time, if at all, as we are able to secure additional funding to support
initiation of our Phase 3 registration trial for MAT2203 and advancement of our LNC platform delivery technology.
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General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses for the three
months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 were $1,861 and $2,456, respectively. General and administrative expenses consist principally of
salaries and related costs for personnel in executive and finance functions. Other general and administrative expenses include facility
costs, insurance, investor relations expenses, professional fees for legal, patent review, consulting and accounting/audit services. We
anticipate that our general and administrative expenses during 2025 will decrease slightly compared to expenses incurred during 2024 as
a result of cost-cutting measures implemented to conserve cash.
Change in fair value of warrant liability
On February 13, 2025, the Company closed a private
placement investment with certain investors in which the investors received shares of Series C Preferred Stock and warrants to purchase
shares the Company’s common stock. The warrants were classified as a liability upon issuance with the fair value estimated using
a Monte Carlo simulation model. Future changes in fair value will be recognized in other (expense)/income, net at each reporting period
until the warrants are either exercised or expired.
A gain of $294 was recognized for the
three months ended March 31, 2025, representing the change in fair value of the warrant liability between the issuance date of February
13, 2025 and March 31, 2025.
Other (expense)/income, net
Other (expense)/income, net for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 were ($4) and $78, respectively. Other (expense)/income, net decreased compared to
the prior period primarily due to recording issuance costs of $148 in connection with the Company’s private placement of Series
C Preferred Stock and warrants.
Application of Critical Accounting Policies and
Accounting Estimates
A critical accounting policy is one that is both important
to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations and requires management’s most difficult, subjective or complex
judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain.
For a description of our significant accounting policies,
refer to “Note 3 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies ” in our 2024 Form 10-K. Of these policies, the
following are considered critical to an understanding of our Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements as they require the
application of the most difficult, subjective and complex judgments: (i) Research and development expenses, (ii) Goodwill and other
intangible assets, and (iii) Warrants.
Warrants
We account for warrants as either equity-classified
or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the warrant’s specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance
in ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. Warrants classified as equity are recorded at
fair value as of the date of issuance on our condensed consolidated balance sheets and no further adjustments to their valuation are made.
Warrants that require separate accounting as liabilities are recorded on our condensed consolidated balance sheets at their fair value
on the date of issuance and are revalued on each subsequent balance sheet date until such instruments are exercised or expire, with any
changes in the fair value between reporting periods recorded on the condensed consolidated statement of operations. The assessment of
whether the warrants are accounted for as equity-classified or liability-classified instruments is re-evaluated on a periodic basis.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to “Note 3 – Summary of Significant
Accounting Policies” in the Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of recently adopted
accounting pronouncements and their expected impact on our financial positions and results of operations.
Current Operating Trends
Our current R&D efforts are focused on advancing
our lead LNC product candidate, MAT2203. Our R&D expenses consist of fees paid to consultants for work related to clinical trial design
and regulatory activities, fees paid to providers for conducting various clinical studies as well as for the analysis of the results of
such studies, and for other medical research addressing the potential efficacy and safety of our drugs. We believe that significant investment
in product development is a competitive necessity, and we are seeking a partner to assist us in continuing to make these investments to
be in a position to realize the potential of our product candidates and proprietary technologies.
We expect that most of our R&D expenses in the
near-term, if any, will be incurred in support of MAT2203 and positioning that drug for a partnership with a well-funded and experienced
third party biotech or pharmaceutical company.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the three months ended March 31,
2025 to the three months ended March 31, 2024
The following tables summarize our revenues and operating
expenses for the periods presented:
Three Months Ended March 31,
2025
2024
Expenses:
Research and development
$ 85
$ 3,446
General and administrative
1,861
2,456
Operating Expenses
$ 1,946
$ 5,902
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Research and Development expenses. Research
and Development (R&D) expense for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 were $85 and $3,446, respectively. The decrease
in R&D expenses were primarily attributable to the decrease in clinical trial consulting costs related to the pause of our MAT2203
development program and in headcount costs resulting from our reduction in force.
General and Administrative expenses.
General and Administrative (G&A) expense for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 was $1,861 and $2,456, respectively. The
decrease in G&A expenses were primarily attributable to lower stock based compensation expense and decreased headcount partially offset
by increased legal and consulting fees.
Liquidity and capital resources
Sources of Liquidity
We have funded our operations since inception primarily
through private placements of our preferred stock and our common stock and common stock warrants. As of March 31, 2025, we have raised
a total of $168,557 in gross proceeds and $154,945, net, from sales of our equity securities.
As of March 31, 2025, we had cash and cash equivalents,
excluding restricted cash, totaling $6,924.
2025 Private Placement
On February 13, 2025, we entered into a Securities
Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain investors (the “Purchasers”), pursuant to which we
agreed to issue and sell, in a private placement (the “Offering”), an aggregate of 3,300 shares of our Series C Convertible
Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), initially convertible into up to 5,631,404 shares of
our common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), with a stated value of $1,000 per share (the “Stated
Value”), and warrants (the “Warrants”) to purchase up to an aggregate of 200% of the shares of Common Stock into which
the shares of Preferred Stock are initially convertible, or 11,262,808 shares of Common Stock, for an offering price of $1,000 per share
of Preferred Stock and accompanying Warrants. The Purchase Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and agreements by
us and customary conditions to closing.
Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, on February 13,
2025, we issued and sold in an initial closing of the Offering (the “Initial Closing”), 1,650 shares of Preferred Stock, initially
convertible into up to 2,815,702 shares of Common Stock, and accompanying Warrants, initially exercisable for up to 5,631,404 shares of
Common Stock, for gross proceeds of $1.65 million. On April 4, 2025, we obtained shareholder approval (“Shareholder Approval”)
for the issuance of the Preferred Stock and Warrants, as required by the rules and regulations of NYSE American LLC (the “ NYSE”),
including Section 713 of the NYSE American Company Guide, and issued and sold, in a second closing of the Offering (the “Second
Closing”), an additional 1,650 shares of Preferred Stock, initially convertible into up to 2,815,702 shares of Common Stock, and
accompanying Warrants, initially exercisable for up to 5,631,404 shares of Common Stock, for gross proceeds of $1.65 million.
Under the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement,
we are prohibited, subject to certain exceptions, from issuing, entering into any agreement to issue, or announcing the issuance or proposed
issuance of any shares of common stock or common stock equivalents until November 2025.
2024 Registered Direct Offering
On April 5, 2024, the Company closed a registered
direct offering of 666,667 shares of its common stock and warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 666,667 additional shares of common
stock, at a combined purchase price of $15.00 per share and accompanying warrant. The Company generated gross proceeds of approximately
$10,000 and net proceeds of approximately $9,125, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses.
2020 At-The-Market Sales Agreement
On July 2, 2020, we entered into an At-The-Market
Sales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with BTIG, LLC (“BTIG”), pursuant to which we may offer and sell, from
time to time, through BTIG, as sales agent and/or principal, shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50
million, subject to certain limitations on the amount of common stock that may be offered and sold by us set forth in the Sales Agreement.
BTIG will be paid a 3% commission on the gross proceeds from each sale. We may terminate the Sales Agreement at any time; BTIG may terminate
the Sales Agreement in certain limited circumstances. The Company did not sell any shares under the sales agreement during the three months
ended March 31, 2025. During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company sold 4 shares of its common stock generating net proceeds
of $54. As of March 31, 2025, the Sales Agreement’s available capacity is $44,191.
Cash Flows
The following table sets forth the primary sources
and uses of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash for each of the periods set forth below:
Three Months Ended March 31,
2025
2024
Cash used in operating activities
$ (2,007 )
$ (5,769 )
Cash provided by investing activities
—
2,000
Cash provided by financing activities
1,647
53
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash
$ (360 )
$ (3,716 )
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Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was $2,007 and
$5,769 for the three month periods ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Net losses of $1,656 and $5,824 for the three month periods
ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, were partially offset by working capital adjustments due to the timing of receipts and payments
in the ordinary course of business, adjustments for non-cash stock based compensation expense and change in fair value of the warrant liability.
Investing Activities
Net cash provided by investing activities was $0 and
$2,000 for the three month periods ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The decrease of cash provided by investing activities
was due to a $2,000 decrease in maturities of marketable debt securities.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing
activities was $1,647 and $53 for the three month periods ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The increase in cash provided
by financing activities is primarily due to the net proceeds from the sale of our preferred stock of $1,648 during the three months
ended March 31, 2025, compared to net proceeds from the sale of our common stock of $54 under the ATM with BTIG, LLC during the
three months ended March 31, 2024.
Funding Requirements and Other Liquidity Matters
We expect to continue to incur significant expenses
and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if and as we:
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conduct further preclinical and clinical studies of MAT2203, our lead product candidate, even if such studies are primarily financed with non-dilutive funding from the NIH;
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seek to discover and develop additional product candidates;
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seek regulatory approvals for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;
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require the manufacture of larger quantities of product candidates for clinical development and potentially commercialization;
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maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio;
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hire additional clinical, quality control and scientific personnel; and
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add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our product development and planned future commercialization efforts and personnel and infrastructure necessary to help us comply with our obligations as a public company.
We do not believe that our existing cash and cash
equivalents will be sufficient to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditures requirements beyond the next twelve months from
the filing date of this Quarterly Report. As a result, substantial doubt exists about the Company’s ability to continue as a going
concern.
Until such time, if ever, that we can generate revenues
sufficient to achieve profitability, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of private and public equity offerings,
debt financings, government or other third-party funding, collaborations, and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional
capital through the sale of common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities, the ownership interest of our stockholders
may be materially diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights
of our common stockholders. Debt financing and preferred equity financing, if available, would result in increased fixed payment obligations
and may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional
debt, making capital expenditures, or declaring dividends, that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. Securing additional
financing could require a substantial amount of time and attention from our management and may divert a disproportionate amount of their
attention away from day-to-day activities, which may adversely affect our management’s ability to secure one or more partners to
monetize the value of MAT2203 or future product candidates. Moreover, under the terms of a recent financing, we are prohibited, subject
to certain exceptions, from issuing, entering into any agreement to issue, or announcing the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares
of common stock or common stock equivalents until November 2025.
If we raise additional funds through
collaborations, strategic alliances or marketing, distribution, or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish
valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that
may not be favorable to us.
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Our financial condition and results of operations
may also be impacted by other factors we may not be able to control, such as global supply chain disruptions, global trade disputes and/or
political instability. Increases in interest rates, especially if coupled with reduced government spending and volatility in financial
markets, may have the effect of further increasing economic uncertainty and heightening these risks. Additionally, rising inflation rates
may affect us by increasing operating expenses, such as employee-related costs and clinical trial expenses, negatively impacting our results
of operations.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We did not have during the periods presented, and
we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined under SEC rules, such as relationships with unconsolidated entities
or financial partnerships, which are often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, established for the purpose
of facilitating financing transactions that are not required to be reflected on our balance sheets.
Item 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES
ABOUT MARKET RISK.
Not applicable.
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.