Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM
7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
The
Company is a drug discovery company that uses biomarker technology to identify enzyme targets associated with serious common diseases
and then designs novel compounds to attack those targets. The Company’s product pipeline is primarily focused on inhibitors of
protein phosphatases, used alone and in combination with cytotoxic agents and/or x-ray and immune checkpoint blockers, and encompasses
two major categories of compounds at various stages of pre-clinical and clinical development that the Company believes have broad therapeutic
potential not only for cancer but also for other debilitating and life-threatening diseases. The Company has developed two classes of
drugs for the treatment of cancer, consisting of protein phosphatase inhibitors (PTase-i), designated by us as the LB-100 series of compounds,
and histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), designated by us as the LB-200 series of compounds.
The
Company’s activities are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including the need for additional capital. The Company
has not yet commenced any revenue-generating operations, relies on stock-based compensation for a substantial portion of employee and
consultant compensation, does not have positive cash flows from operations, and is dependent on periodic infusions of equity capital
to fund its operating requirements.
Recent
Developments
The
following is a summary of recent developments, including information contained in recent news releases issued by the Company:
January
12, 2022 - The Company reported that its recent collaboration with the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, one of the world’s
leading comprehensive cancer centers, and Stichting Oncode Institute (Oncode Institute), Utrecht, a major independent cancer research
center, has led to an initial joint patent application covering LB-100 combination therapy with one of several other investigational
compounds. The Company, NKI and Oncode Institute believe that the combination therapy would provide unexpectedly strong synergistic anti-cancer
effects in cancer patients. The Company previously announced its entry into a collaboration with the NKI and the Oncode Institute to
identify the most promising drugs to be used in combination with the Company’s LB-100 or with one of the Company’s LB-100
analogues to treat a range of cancers, as well as to identify the specific molecular mechanisms underlying the identified combinations.
Going
Concern
At
December 31, 2021, the Company had cash of $4,823,745 available to fund its operations. Because the Company is currently engaged in Phase
2 clinical trials, it is expected that it will take a significant amount of time and resources to develop any product or intellectual
property capable of generating sustainable revenues. Accordingly, the Company’s business is unlikely to generate any sustainable
operating revenues in the next several years and may never do so. Even if the Company is able to generate revenues through licensing
its technologies or through product sales, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to achieve positive earnings and operating
cash flows.
The
Company’s consolidated financial statements have been presented on the basis that it will continue as a going concern, which contemplates
the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company has no recurring source of revenue
and has experienced negative operating cash flows since inception. The Company has financed its working capital requirements primarily
through the recurring sale of its equity securities.
- 56 -
As
a result, management has concluded that there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, in its report on the Company’s consolidated financial statements
for the year ended December 31, 2021, has also expressed substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
The Company’s consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
In
December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”)
2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”). ASU 2019-12 simplifies the
accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions and enhances and simplifies various aspects of the income tax accounting guidance
in ASC 740. The Company adopted ASU 2019-12 effective January 1, 2021. The adoption of ASU 2019-12 did not have any impact on the Company’s
consolidated financial statement presentation or disclosures.
In
August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, Debt — Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts
in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity
(“ASU 2020-06”). ASU 2020-06 simplifies the accounting for convertible debt by eliminating the beneficial conversion and
cash conversion accounting models. Upon adoption of ASU 2020-06, convertible debt proceeds, unless issued with a substantial premium
or an embedded conversion feature that is not clearly and closely related to the host contract, will no longer be allocated between debt
and equity components. This modification will reduce the issue discount and result in less non-cash interest expense in financial statements.
ASU 2020-06 also updates the earnings per share calculation and requires entities to assume share settlement when the convertible debt
can be settled in cash or shares. For contracts in an entity’s own equity, the type of contracts primarily affected by ASU 2020-06
are freestanding and embedded features that are accounted for as derivatives under the current guidance due to a failure to meet the
settlement assessment by removing the requirements to (i) consider whether the contract would be settled in registered shares, (ii) consider
whether collateral is required to be posted, and (iii) assess shareholder rights. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 2023. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and only if
adopted as of the beginning of such fiscal year. The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 effective January 1, 2021. The adoption of ASU 2020-06
did not have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statement presentation or disclosures.
In
May 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-04, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Debt — Modifications and Extinguishments (Subtopic 470-50),
Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718), and Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic
815-40): Issuer’s Accounting for Certain Modifications or Exchanges of Freestanding Equity-Classified Written Call Options (“ASU
2021-04”). ASU 2021-04 provides guidance as to how an issuer should account for a modification of the terms or conditions or an
exchange of a freestanding equity-classified written call option (i.e., a warrant) that remains classified after modification or exchange
as an exchange of the original instrument for a new instrument. An issuer should measure the effect of a modification or exchange as
the difference between the fair value of the modified or exchanged warrant and the fair value of that warrant immediately before modification
or exchange and then apply a recognition model that comprises four categories of transactions and the corresponding accounting treatment
for each category (equity issuance, debt origination, debt modification, and modifications unrelated to equity issuance and debt origination
or modification). ASU 2021-04 is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods
within those fiscal years. An entity should apply the guidance provided in ASU 2021-04 prospectively to modifications or exchanges occurring
on or after the effective date. Early adoption is permitted for all entities, including adoption in an interim period. If an entity elects
to early adopt ASU 2021-04 in an interim period, the guidance should be applied as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes
that interim period. The adoption of ASU 2021-04 is not expected to have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statement
presentation or disclosures.
Management
does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, authoritative guidance, if currently adopted, would have a material
impact on the Company’s financial statement presentation or disclosures.
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Concentration
of Risk
The
Company periodically contracts with vendors and consultants to provide services related to the Company’s operations. Charges incurred
for these services can be for a specific time period (typically one year) or for a specific project or task. Costs and expenses incurred
that represented 10% or more of general and administrative costs or research and development costs for the years ended December 31, 2021
and 2020 are described as follows.
General
and administrative costs for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 include combined charges from two legal firms for general licensing
and patent prosecution costs relating to the Company’s intellectual properties representing 14.6% and 27.1%, respectively, of total
general and administrative costs. General and administrative costs for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 also included charges
for the fair value of stock options granted to directors and corporate officers representing 44.2% and 23.5%, respectively, of total
general and administrative costs for those periods.
Research
and development costs for the year ended December 31, 2021 include charges from three vendors and consultants representing 30.3%, 21.8%,
and 14.4%, respectively, of total research and development costs for that period. Research and development costs for the year ended December
31, 2020 include charges from a consultant, and the value associated with extending stock options previously granted to that consultant,
representing 65.6% of total research and development costs, and charges from a vendor representing 13.7% of total research and development
costs.
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
The
preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the
United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Some of those judgments
can be subjective and complex, and therefore, actual results could differ materially from those estimates under different assumptions
or conditions. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable
in relation to the financial statements taken as a whole under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments
about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Management regularly evaluates
the key factors and assumptions used to develop the estimates utilizing currently available information, changes in facts and circumstances,
historical experience and reasonable assumptions. After such evaluations, if deemed appropriate, those estimates are adjusted accordingly.
Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates include those related to assumptions used in accruals for potential
liabilities, valuing equity instruments issued for services, and the realization of deferred tax assets.
The
following critical accounting policies affect the more significant judgements and estimates used in the preparation of the Company’s
consolidated financial statements.
Research
and Development
Research
and development costs consist primarily of fees paid to consultants and contractors, and other expenses relating to the acquisition,
design, development and clinical trials with respect to the Company’s compounds and product candidates. Research and development
costs also include the costs to produce the compounds used in research and clinical trials, which are charged to operations as incurred.
Research
and development costs are generally charged to operations ratably over the life of the underlying contracts, unless the achievement of
milestones, the completion of contracted work, the termination of an agreement, or other information indicates that a different expensing
schedule is more appropriate. However, payments for research and development costs that are contractually defined as non-refundable are
charged to operations as incurred.
Obligations
incurred with respect to mandatory scheduled payments under research agreements with milestone provisions are recognized as charges to
research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations based on the achievement of such milestones,
as specified in the agreement. Obligations incurred with respect to mandatory scheduled payments under research agreements without milestone
provisions are accounted for when due, are recognized ratably over the appropriate period, as specified in the agreement, and are recorded
as liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet, with a corresponding charge to research and development costs in the
Company’s consolidated statement of operations.
Payments
made pursuant to research and development contracts are initially recorded as advances on research and development contract services
in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet and are then charged to research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated
statement of operations as those contract services are performed. Expenses incurred under research and development contracts in excess
of amounts advanced are recorded as research and development contract liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet,
with a corresponding charge to research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations. The Company
reviews the status of its research and development contracts on a quarterly basis.
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Patent
and Licensing Legal and Filing Fees and Costs
Due
to the significant uncertainty associated with the successful development of one or more commercially viable products based on the Company’s
research efforts and related patent applications, all patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs are charged to operations
as incurred. Patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s
consolidated statements of operations.
During
the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs related to the development and protection
of its intellectual property were $729,171 and $553,173, respectively, an increase of $175,998 (31.8%) in 2021 as compared to 2020.
In
late 2021, the Company engaged a new patent law firm, highly regarded for its expertise in biotechnology, and requested a comprehensive
analysis of the Company’s extensive patent portfolio in order to maximize intellectual property protection, both domestically and
internationally. In addition, several patents were filed recently, reflecting potentially new uses of the Company’s unique lead
clinical compound LB-100 in cancer therapy. These activities resulted in the increase in patent and licensing legal and filing fees and
costs in 2021 as compared to 2020. The Company expects that patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs will remain relatively
stable in 2022, as the Company expects to focus primarily on obtaining clinical data validating its novel approach to cancer treatment.
A
descriptive summary of the patent portfolio for the Company’s most important clinical programs involving the development of LB-100,
as well as a detailed listing of each domestic and international patent that has been issued, is presented at “ITEM 1. BUSINESS
– Intellectual Property”.
Stock-Based
Compensation
The
Company periodically issues common stock and stock options to officers, directors, employees, Scientific Advisory Committee members,
contractors and consultants for services rendered. Options vest and expire according to terms established at the issuance date of each
grant. Stock grants, which are generally time vested, are measured at the grant date fair value and charged to operations ratably over
the vesting period.
The
Company accounts for stock-based payments to officers, directors, employees, Scientific Advisory Committee members contractors and consultants
by measuring the cost of services received in exchange for equity awards utilizing the grant date fair value of the awards, with the
cost recognized as compensation expense on the straight-line basis in the Company’s financial statements over the vesting period
of the awards.
The
fair value of stock options granted as stock-based compensation is determined utilizing the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, and is
affected by several variables, the most significant of which are the expected life of the stock option, the exercise price of the stock
option as compared to the fair market value of the common stock on the grant date, and the estimated volatility of the common stock.
Unless sufficient historical exercise data is available, the expected life of the stock option is calculated as the mid-point between
the vesting period and the contractual term (the “simplified method”). The estimated volatility is based on the historical
volatility of the Company’s common stock, calculated utilizing a look-back period approximately equal to the contractual life of
the stock option being granted. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant.
The fair market value of the common stock is determined by reference to the quoted market price of the Company’s common stock on
the grant date. The expected dividend yield is based on the Company’s expectation of dividend payouts and is assumed to be zero.
The
Company recognizes the fair value of stock-based compensation awards in general and administrative costs and in research and development
costs, as appropriate, in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The Company issues new shares of common stock to
satisfy stock option exercises.
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Summary
of Business Activities and Plans
Company
Overview
The
Company is a drug discovery company that uses biomarker technology to identify enzyme targets associated with serious common diseases
and then designs novel compounds to attack those targets. The Company’s product pipeline is primarily focused on inhibitors of
protein phosphatases, used alone and in combination with cytotoxic agents and/or x-ray and immune checkpoint blockers, and encompasses
two major categories of compounds at various stages of pre-clinical and clinical development that the Company believes have broad therapeutic
potential not only for cancer but also for other debilitating and life-threatening diseases.
The
Company has developed two series of pharmacologically active drugs, the LB-100 series and the LB-200 series. The Company believes that
the mechanism by which compounds of the LB-100 series affect cancer cell growth is different from cancer agents currently approved for
clinical use. Lead compounds from each series have activity against a broad spectrum of common and rarer human cancers in cell culture
systems. In addition, compounds from both series have anti-cancer activity in animal models of glioblastoma multiforme, neuroblastoma,
and medulloblastoma, all cancers of neural tissue. Lead compounds of the LB-100 series also have activity against melanoma, breast cancer
and sarcoma in animal models and enhance the effectiveness of commonly used anti-cancer drugs in these animal models. The enhancement
of anti-cancer activity of these anti-cancer drugs occurs at doses of LB-100 that do not significantly increase toxicity in animals.
It is therefore hoped that, when combined with standard anti-cancer regimens against many tumor types, the Company’s compounds
will improve therapeutic benefit without enhancing toxicity in humans.
Product
Candidates
The
LB-100 series consists of novel structures which have the potential to be first in their class and may be useful in the treatment of
not only several types of cancer but also vascular and metabolic diseases. The LB-200 series contains compounds which have the potential
to be the most effective in its class and may be useful for the treatment of chronic hereditary diseases, such as Gaucher’s disease,
in addition to cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
The
Company has demonstrated that lead compounds of both the LB-100 series and the LB-200 are active against a broad spectrum of human cancers
in cell culture and against several types of human cancers in animal models. The research on these compounds was initiated in 2006 under
a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, or CRADA, with the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke, or NINDS,
of the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, dated March 22, 2006 that was subsequently extended through a series of amendments until
it terminated on April 1, 2013. As discussed below, the Company’s primary focus is on the clinical development of LB-100.
The
LB-200 series consists of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi). Many pharmaceutical companies are also developing drugs of this type,
and at least two companies have HDACi approved for clinical use, in both cases for the treatment of a type of lymphoma. Despite this
significant competition, the Company has demonstrated that its HDACi have broad activity against many cancer types, have neuroprotective
activity, and have anti-fungal activity. In addition, these compounds have low toxicity. LB-200 has not yet advanced to the clinical
stage and would require additional capital to fund further development. Accordingly, because of the Company’s focus on the clinical
development of LB-100 and analogs for cancer therapy as described below in more detail, the Company have decided not to actively pursue
the pre-clinical development of our LB-200 series of compounds at this time. At this time, the Company intend to only maintain composition
of matter patents for LB-200.
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Collaborations
with leading academic research centers in the United States, Europe and Asia have established the breadth of activity of LB-100 in pre-clinical
models of several major cancers. There is considerable scientific interest in LB-100 because it exerts its activity by a novel mechanism
and is the first of its type to be evaluated so broadly in multiple animal models of cancer and now in human beings. LB-100 is one of
a series of serine/threonine phosphatase (s/t ptase) inhibitors designed by the Company. The s/t ptases are ubiquitous enzymes that regulate
many cell signaling networks important to cell growth, division and death. The s/t ptases have long been appreciated as potentially important
targets for anti-cancer drugs. However, because of the multi- functionality of these enzymes, it had been widely held that pharmacologic
inhibitors of s/t ptases would be too toxic to allow their development as anti-cancer treatments, but the Company has shown that this
is not the case. LB-100 was well tolerated at doses associated with objective regression (significant tumor shrinkage) and/or the arresting
of tumor progression in patients with progressive cancers.
Pre-clinical
studies showed that LB-100 itself inhibits a spectrum of human cancers and that combined with standard cytotoxic drugs and/or radiation,
LB-100 potentiates their effectiveness against hematologic and solid tumor cancers without enhancing toxicity. Given at very low doses
in animal models of cancer, LB-100 markedly increased the effectiveness of a PD-1 blocker, one of the widely used new immunotherapy drugs.
This finding raises the possibility that LB-100 may further expand the value of the expanding field of cancer immunotherapy.
The
Company completed a Phase 1 clinical trial of LB-100 to evaluate its safety that showed it is associated with antitumor activity in humans
at doses that are readily tolerable. Responses included objective regression (tumor shrinkage) lasting for 11 months of a pancreatic
cancer and cessation of growth (stabilization of disease) for 4 months or more of 9 other progressive solid tumors out of 20 patients
who had measurable disease. As Phase 1 clinical trials are fundamentally designed to determine safety of a new compound in humans, the
Company was encouraged by these results. The next step is to demonstrate in Phase 2 clinical trials the efficacy of LB-100 in one or
more specific tumor types, against which the compound has well documented activity in pre-clinical models.
As
a compound moves through the FDA-approval process, it becomes an increasingly valuable property, but at a cost of additional investment
at each stage. As the potential effectiveness of LB-100 has been documented at the clinical trial level, the Company has allocated resources
to expand the breadth and depth of its patent portfolio. The Company’s approach has been to operate with a minimum of overhead,
moving compounds forward as efficiently and inexpensively as possible, and to raise funds to support each of these stages as certain
milestones are reached. The Company’s longer-term objective is to secure one or more strategic partnerships or licensing agreements
with pharmaceutical companies with major programs in cancer.
Impact
of the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) on the Company’s Business Activities
The
global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) has led to disruptions in general economic activities worldwide, as businesses and
governments have taken broad actions to mitigate this public health crisis. In
light of the uncertain and continually evolving situation relating to the spread of Covid-19, this pandemic could pose a risk to the
Company. The extent to which the coronavirus may impact the Company’s business activities will depend on future developments, which
are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time. The Company intends to continue to monitor the situation and may adjust its
current business plans as more information and guidance become available.
The
coronavirus pandemic presents a challenge to medical facilities worldwide. As the Company’s clinical trials are conducted on an
outpatient basis, it is not currently possible to predict the full impact of this developing health crisis on such clinical trials, which
could include delays in and increased costs of such clinical trials. Current indications from the clinical research organizations conducting
the clinical trials for the Company are that such clinical trials are being delayed or extended for several months or more as a result
of the coronavirus pandemic.
Over
the near term, there is also significant and continuing uncertainty as to the effect that the coronavirus may have on the capital markets
in general and on the amount and type of financing available to the Company in particular.
The
Company is continuing to monitor the situation and will adjust its current business and financing plans as more information and guidance
become available.
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Results
of Operations
At
December 31, 2021, the Company had not yet commenced any revenue-generating operations, does not have any positive cash flows from operations,
and is dependent on its ability to raise equity capital to fund its operating requirements.
The
Company’s consolidated statements of operations as discussed herein are presented below.
Years
Ended December 31,
2021
2020
Revenues
$ —
$ —
Costs
and expenses:
General
and administrative costs:
Compensation
to related parties
2,931,280
765,085
Patent
and licensing legal and filing fees and costs
729,171
553,173
Other
1,323,218
724,506
Research
and development costs
1,736,776
1,223,676
Total
costs and expenses
6,720,445
3,266,440
Loss
from operations
(6,720,445 )
(3,266,440 )
Interest
income
626
4,342
Interest
expense
(7,414 )
(3,674 )
Foreign
currency gain (loss)
(1,163 )
890
Net
loss
$ (6,728,396 )
$ (3,264,882 )
Net
loss per common share – basic and diluted
$ (0.50 )
$ (0.29 )
Weighted
average common shares outstanding – basic and diluted
13,473,839
11,277,126
Years
Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
Revenues .
The Company did not have any revenues for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
General
and Administrative Costs . For the year ended December 31, 2021, general and administrative costs were $4,983,669, which consisted
of the fair value of vested stock options issued to directors and officers of $2,201,280, patent and licensing legal and filing fees
and costs of $729,171, other consulting and professional fees of $610,846, insurance expense of $385,312, officer’s salary and
related costs of $781,254, cash-based director and committee fees of $92,833, licensing fees of $24,999, shareholder reporting costs
of $42,792, listing fees of $58,000, filing fees of $18,114, taxes and licenses of $16,200, and other operating costs of $22,868.
For
the year ended December 31, 2020, general and administrative costs were $2,042,764, which consisted of the fair value of vested stock
options issued to directors and officers of $480,634, patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs of $553,173, other consulting
and professional fees of $503,983, insurance expense of $142,575, officer’s salary and related costs of $268,457, licensing fees
of $25,001, shareholder reporting costs of $11,801, listing fees of $12,000, filing fees of $10,616, taxes and licenses of $19,032, and
other operating costs of $15,492.
General
and administrative costs increased by $2,940,905, or 144.0%, in 2021 as compared to 2020, primarily as a result of an increase in the
fair value of vested stock options issued to directors and officers of $1,720,646, an increase in patent and licensing legal and filing
fees and costs of $175,998, an increase in other consulting and professional fees of $106,863, an increase in insurance expense of $242,737,
an increase in officer’s salary and related costs of $512,797, and an increase in cash-based director and committee fees $92,833.
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Research
and Development Costs . For the year ended December 31, 2021, research and development costs were $1,736,776, which consisted of the
fair value of vested stock options issued to a consultant of $397,642, contractor costs incurred in connection with the synthesis work
done to develop a new supply of LB-100 of $624,187, clinical and related oversight costs of $456,921, and pre-clinical research focused
on development of additional novel anti-cancer compounds to add to the Company’s clinical pipeline of $258,026.
For
the year ended December 31, 2020, research and development costs were $1,223,676, which consisted of the fair value of vested stock options
issued to a consultant of $670,715, contractor costs incurred in connection with the synthesis work done to develop a new supply of LB-100
of $167,120, clinical and related oversight costs of $115,941, and pre-clinical research focused on development of additional novel anti-cancer
compounds to add to the Company’s clinical pipeline of $269,900.
Research
and development costs increased by $513,100, or 41.9% in 2021 as compared to 2020, primarily as a result of an increase in contractor
costs incurred in connection with the synthesis work done to develop a new supply of LB-100 of $457,067, an increase in clinical and
related oversight costs of $340,980, which included an upfront payment to City of Hope of $240,508 upon execution of the Clinical Research
Support Agreement in January 2021, offset by a decrease in the fair value of vested stock options issued to a consultant of $273,073.
The absence of costs associated with ongoing clinical trials during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 reflects the slow accrual
of patients into such clinical trials.
Interest
Income . For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company had interest income of $626, as compared to interest income of $4,342 for
the year ended December 31, 2020, as a result of a reduction in the Company’s cash resources previously invested in short-term
federally insured certificates of deposit.
Interest
Expense . For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company had interest expense of $7,414, as compared to interest expense of $3,674
for the year ended December 31, 2020, related to the financing of its directors and officers liability insurance policy premium.
Foreign
Currency Loss . For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company had a loss from foreign currency transactions of $1,163 as compared
to a gain of $890 for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Net
Loss . For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company incurred a net loss of $6,728,396, as compared to a net loss of $3,264,882
for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources – December 31, 2021
The
Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows as discussed herein are presented below.
Years
Ended December 31,
2021
2020
Net
cash used in operating activities
$ (4,142,915 )
$ (2,131,414 )
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
—
—
Net
cash provided by financing activities
3,897,394
4,601,816
Net
increase (decrease) in cash
$ (245,521 )
$ 2,470,402
At
December 31, 2021, the Company had working capital of $4,790,338, as compared to working capital of $5,011,951 at December 31, 2020,
reflecting a decrease in working capital of $221,613 for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease in working capital during the
year ended December 31, 2021 was the result of the net cash proceeds of $3,689,761 from the Company’s March 2021 direct equity
offering, proceeds of $17,100 from the exercise of warrants, and proceeds of $201,000 from the exercise of stock options that were utilized
to pay offering costs of $10,467 and to fund the Company’s research and development activities and ongoing operating expenses,
including the Company’s clinical trial program and maintaining and developing its patent portfolio. At December 31, 2021, the Company
had cash of $4,823,745 available to fund its operations.
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The
Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon its ability to raise additional equity capital to fund its research
and development activities and to ultimately achieve sustainable operating revenues and profitability. The amount and timing of future
cash requirements depends on the pace and design of the Company’s clinical trial program, which, in turn, depends on the availability
of operating capital to fund such activities.
Effective
November 30, 2020, the Company listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market in conjunction with the completion of its public offering of units
of common stock and warrants that generated net cash proceeds of $4,591,349. Subsequently, effective March 2, 2021, the Company completed
a sale of common stock under a registered direct equity offering that generated net cash proceeds of $3,689,761.
Based
on current operating plans, the Company estimates that it will need to raise additional capital to fund its operations, including its
various clinical trial commitments, during the quarter ending September 30, 2022. In addition, the Company’s operating plans may
change as a result of many factors which are currently unknown to the Company, including possible additional clinical trials, and the
Company may need additional funds sooner than currently planned.
As
market conditions present uncertainty as to the Company’s ability to secure additional funds, there can be no assurances that the
Company will be able to secure additional financing on acceptable terms, as and when necessary, to continue to conduct operations. There
is also significant uncertainty as to the effect that the coronavirus pandemic may have on the Company’s clinical trial schedule
and the amount and type of financing available to the Company in the future.
If
cash resources are insufficient to satisfy the Company’s ongoing cash requirements, the Company would be required to scale back
or discontinue its clinical trial program, as well as its licensing and patent prosecution efforts and its technology and product development
efforts, or obtain funds, if available, through strategic alliances or joint ventures that could require the Company to relinquish rights
to and/or control of LB-100, or to discontinue operations
Operating
Activities . For the year ended December 31, 2021, operating activities utilized cash of $4,142,915, as compared to utilizing cash
of $2,131,414 for the year ended December 31, 2020, to fund the Company’s ongoing research and development activities and to fund
its other ongoing operating expenses, including maintaining and developing its patent portfolio.
Investing
Activities . For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had no investing activities.
Financing
Activities . For the year ended December 31, 2021, financing activities consisted of the gross proceeds from the sales of common stock
in the Company’s direct equity offering of $4,192,478, reduced by offering costs of $502,717, $17,100 from the exercise of common
stock warrants, and $201,000 from the exercise of common stock options. The Company also paid offering costs of $10,467 during the year
ended December 31, 2021. For the year December 31, 2020, financing activities consisted of the gross proceeds from the sales of units
and warrants in the Company’s public offering of $5,701,800, offset by the payment of offering costs of $1,099,984.
Principal
Commitments
At
December 31, 2021, the Company’s contractual commitments pursuant to clinical trial agreements, clinical trial monitoring agreements,
and agreements for the production of LB-100 for clinical use, as described below, aggregated $8,646,000, which are currently scheduled
to be incurred through December 31, 2025. The Company’s ability to conduct and fund these contractual commitments is subject to
the timely availability of sufficient capital to fund such expenditures, as well as any changes in the allocation or reallocation of
such funds to the Company’s current or future clinical trial programs. The Company expects that the full amount of these expenditures
will be incurred only if such clinical trial programs are conducted as originally designed and their respective enrollments and duration
are not modified or reduced. Clinical trial programs, such as the types that the Company is engaged in, can be highly variable and can
frequently involve a series of changes and modifications over time as clinical data is obtained and analyzed, and are frequently modified,
suspended or terminated before the clinical trial endpoint. Accordingly, such contractual commitments as discussed herein should be considered
as estimates only based on current clinical assumptions and conditions, and are typically subject to significant revisions over time.
Additional information with respect to the conduct of the Company’s clinical trial programs is provide at “ITEM 1A. RISK
FACTORS - Risks Related to the Development and Regulatory Approval of Our Product Candidates”.
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Clinical
Trial Agreements
Moffitt.
Effective August 20, 2018, the Company entered into a Clinical Trial Research Agreement with the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research
Institute Hospital Inc., Tampa, Florida, effective for a term of five years, unless terminated earlier by the Company pursuant to 30
days written notice. Pursuant to the Clinical Trial Research Agreement, Moffitt agreed to conduct and manage a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial
to evaluate the therapeutic benefit of the Company’s lead anti-cancer clinical compound LB-100 to be administered intravenously
in patients with low or intermediate-1 risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
In
November 2018, the Company received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Investigational New Drug Application
(“IND”) to conduct a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial to evaluate the therapeutic benefit of LB-100 in patients with low and intermediate-1
risk MDS who have failed or are intolerant of standard treatment. Patients with MDS, although usually older, are generally well except
for severe anemia requiring frequent blood transfusions. This Phase 1b/2 clinical trial utilizes LB-100 as a single agent in the treatment
of patients with low and intermediate-1 risk MDS, including patients with del(5q) myelodysplastic syndrome (del5qMDS) failing first line
therapy. The bone marrow cells of patients with del5qMDS are deficient in PP2A by virtue of an acquired mutation and are especially vulnerable
to further inhibition of PP2A by LB-100. The clinical trial began at a single site in April 2019 and the first patient was entered into
the clinical trial in July 2019. A total enrollment of 41 patients is planned. An interim analysis will be done after the first 21 patients
are entered. If there are 3 or more responders but fewer than 7, an additional 20 patients will be entered. If at any point there are
7 or more responders, this will be sufficient evidence to support continued development of LB-100 for the treatment of low and intermediate-1
risk MDS. Recruitment has been slow and the Covid-19 pandemic has further reduced recruitment of patients into the protocol. At the current
rate of accrual, the clinical trial is expected to be completed by June 30, 2025. However, with additional funds, the Company would consider
adding two additional MDS centers to the Phase 2 portion of the study to accelerate patient accrual.
During
the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company incurred costs of $18,443 and $41,142, respectively, pursuant to this agreement,
which have been included in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of December
31, 2021, total costs of $104,677 have been incurred pursuant to this agreement. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to
this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $601,000 as of December 31, 2021, which is expected to be
incurred through December 31, 2025.
GEIS.
Effective July 31, 2019, the Company entered into a Collaboration Agreement for an Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trial with the
Spanish Sarcoma Group (Grupo Español de Investigación en Sarcomas or “GEIS”), Madrid, Spain, to carry out a
study entitled “Randomized phase I/II trial of LB-100 plus doxorubicin vs. doxorubicin alone in first line of advanced soft tissue
sarcoma”. The purpose of this clinical trial is to obtain information with respect to the efficacy and safety of LB-100 combined
with doxorubicin in soft tissue sarcomas. Doxorubicin is the global standard for initial treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas (“ASTS”).
Doxorubicin alone has been the mainstay of first line treatment of ASTS for over 40 years, with little therapeutic gain from adding cytotoxic
compounds to or substituting other cytotoxic compounds for doxorubicin. In animal models, LB-100 consistently enhances the anti-tumor
activity of doxorubicin without apparent increases in toxicity.
GEIS
has a network of referral centers in Spain and across Europe that have an impressive track record of efficiently conducting innovative
studies in ASTS. The Company agreed to provide GEIS with a supply of LB-100 to be utilized in the conduct of this clinical trial, as
well as to provide funding for the clinical trial. The goal was to enter approximately 150 patients in this clinical trial over a period
of two years. As advanced sarcoma is a very aggressive disease, the design of the study assumes a median progression free survival (PFS,
no evidence of disease progression or death from any cause) of 4.5 months in the doxorubicin arm and an alternative median PFS of 7.5
months in the doxorubicin plus LB-100 arm to demonstrate a statistically significant decrease in relative risk of progression or death
by adding LB-100. There is a planned interim analysis of the primary endpoint when approximately 50% of the 102 events required for final
analysis is reached.
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The
Company had previously expected that this clinical trial would commence during the quarter ended June 30, 2020. However, during July
2020, the Spanish regulatory authority advised the Company that although it had approved the scientific and ethical basis of the protocol,
it required that the Company manufacture new inventory of LB-100 under current Spanish pharmaceutical manufacturing standards. These
standards were adopted subsequent to the production of the Company’s existing LB-100 inventory.
A
new batch of LB 100 has been prepared and is now undergoing the multitude of analytical studies of the formulated product necessary to
gain approval for use in the European Union. Regulatory reviews by the European Union have been delayed, as a result of which the final
review of the clinical product by Spanish regulatory authorities will also be delayed. Accordingly, the clinical trial is now estimated
to begin during the quarter ending June 30, 2022 and be completed by June 30, 2025.
The
interim analysis of this clinical trial could indicate either inferiority or superiority of LB-100 plus doxorubicin as compared to doxorubicin
alone. A positive study would have the potential to change the standard therapy for this disease after four decades of failure to improve
the marginal benefit of doxorubicin alone.
The
Company’s agreement with GEIS provides for various payments based on achieving specific milestones over the term of the agreement.
Through December 31, 2021, the Company has paid GEIS an aggregate of $67,582 towards the second milestone payment for current work being
done under this agreement.
During
the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company incurred costs of $24,171 and $43,411, respectively, pursuant to this agreement,
which have been included in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of December
31, 2021, total costs of $155,053 have been incurred pursuant to this agreement. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to
this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $4,250,000 as of December 31, 2021, which is expected to
be incurred through December 31, 2025.
In
order to manufacture a new inventory supply of LB-100 for the GEIS clinical trial, the Company has engaged a number of vendors to carry
out the multiple tasks needed to make and gain approval of a new clinical product for investigational study in Spain. These tasks include
the synthesis under good manufacturing practices (GMP) of the active pharmacologic ingredient (API), with documentation of each of the
steps involved by an independent auditor. The API is then transferred to a vendor that prepares the clinical drug product, also under
GMP conditions documented by an independent auditor. The clinical drug product is then sent to a vendor to test for purity and sterility,
provide appropriate labels, store the drug, and distribute the drug to the clinical centers for use in the clinical trials. A formal
application documenting all steps taken to prepare the clinical drug product for clinical use must be submitted to the appropriate regulatory
authorities for review and approval before being used in a clinical trial.
On
November 2, 2021, the Company entered into a Development Agreement with Famar Health Care Services Madrid SA (“Famar”) to
prepare a new batch of clinical LB-100 for use in clinical trials to be conducted in the European Union. During the year ended December
31, 2021, the Company incurred costs of $119,860, pursuant to this agreement, which has been included in research and development costs
in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this agreement, less
amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $180,000 as of December 31, 2021, which is expected to be incurred through June
30, 2024.
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As
of December 31, 2021, the Company estimates that this program to provide new inventory of the clinical drug product for the Spanish sarcoma
study, and potentially for subsequent multiple trials within the European Union, including the costs incurred and to be incurred with
Famar as described above, will cost approximately $1,076,000. The Company’s aggregate commitments under this program, less amounts
previously paid to date, totaled approximately $318,000 as of December 31, 2021, which are expected to be incurred through December 31,
2024. As the production of the new inventory of the clinical drug product is being conducted in Europe and is paid for in Euros, final
costs are subject to foreign currency fluctuations between the United States Dollar and the Euro.
City
of Hope. Effective January 18, 2021, the Company executed a Clinical Research Support Agreement with the City of Hope National Medical
Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, and City of Hope Medical Foundation (collectively, “City of Hope”),
to carry out a Phase 1b clinical trial of LB-100, the Company’s first-in-class protein phosphatase inhibitor, combined with a standard
regimen for treatment of untreated extensive- stage disease small cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC). LB-100 will be given in combination with
carboplatin, etoposide and atezolizumab, an FDA-approved but marginally effective regimen, to previously untreated ED-SCLC patients.
The dose of LB-100 will be escalated with the standard fixed doses of the 3-drug regimen to reach a recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D).
Patient entry will be expanded so that a total of 12 patients will be evaluable at the RP2D to confirm the safety of the LB-100 combination
and to look for potential therapeutic activity as assessed by objective response rate, duration of overall response, progression-free-survival
and overall survival.
The
clinical trial was initiated on March 9, 2021, with patient accrual expected to take approximately two years to complete. If LB-100 does
potentiate the benefit of the standard regimen, some evidence could be noted at 12 months into the clinical trial, but an assessment
of potential increased activity is likely to require at least 24 months. The Company is currently seeking to add two additional centers
to increase the rate of accrual. The Company expects this clinical trial to be completed by June 30, 2024.
During
the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company incurred costs, and total costs, of $378,511, pursuant to this agreement. The Company’s
aggregate commitment pursuant to this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $2,433,000 as of December
31, 2021, which is expected to be incurred through December 31, 2024, based upon a target of 42 enrollees. If a significant number of
patients fail during the dose-escalation process, an increase of up to 12 patients would likely be necessary, at an estimated additional
cost of approximately $800,000. The Company currently expects that enrollment in this clinical trial will range from approximately 18
to 30 enrollees, with 24 enrollees as the most likely number. Should fewer than 42 enrollees be required, the Company has agreed to compensate
City of Hope on a per enrollee basis.
National
Cancer Institute Pharmacologic Clinical Trial. In May 2019, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) initiated a glioblastoma (GBM) pharmacologic
clinical trial. During the fourth quarter of 2019, the NCI enrolled the first two patients of a planned eight patient pharmacologic study
of the ability of LB-100 to enter the brain and penetrate recurrent brain tumors in patients where surgical removal of the cancers is
indicated (clinical trials registry NCT03027388). This study is being conducted and funded by the NCI under a Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement, with the Company being required to provide the LB-100 clinical compound.
Primary
malignant brain tumors (gliomas) are very challenging to treat. Radiation combined with the chemotherapeutic drug temozolomide has been
the mainstay of therapy of the most aggressive gliomas (glioblastoma multiforme or GBM) for decades, with some further benefit gained
by the addition of one or more anti-cancer drugs, but without major advances in overall survival for the majority of patients. In animal
models of GBM, the Company’s novel protein phosphatase inhibitor, LB-100, has been found to enhance the effectiveness of radiation,
temozolomide chemotherapy treatments and immunotherapy, raising the possibility that LB-100 may improve outcomes of standard GBM treatment
in the clinic. Although LB-100 has proven safe in patients at doses associated with apparent anti-tumor activity against several human
cancers arising outside the brain, the ability of LB-100 to penetrate tumor tissue arising in the brain is not known. Unfortunately,
many drugs potentially useful for GBM treatment do not enter the brain in amounts necessary for anti-cancer action.
The
NCI study is designed to determine the extent to which LB-100 enters recurrent malignant gliomas. Patients having surgery to remove one
or more tumors will receive one dose of LB-100 prior to surgery and have blood and tumor tissue analyzed to determine the amount of LB-100
present and to determine whether the cells in the tumors show the biochemical changes expected to be present if LB-100 reaches its molecular
target. The goal is to obtain data in up to eight patients. As a result of the innovative design of the NCI study, data from so few patients
should be sufficient to provide a sound rationale for conducting a larger clinical trial to determine the effectiveness of adding LB-100
to the standard treatment regimen for GBMs.
The
neurosurgical unit at the NCI, which had been closed due to the Covid-19 epidemic, has reopened, and patient accrual has resumed. Patient
entry remains at two, with the goal to enter eight patients before analyzing results. There is an urgent need to improve therapy for
this type of aggressive brain tumor. If the NCI study shows that LB-100 does penetrate the brain, a clinical study of LB-100 in combination
with standard therapy for GBM, the drug temozolomide and radiation, both of which have been well documented in pre-clinical studies to
be significantly enhanced by LB-100, would be of significant interest to neuro-oncologists frustrated by decades of limited advances
in therapy for this common brain tumor in adults.
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Clinical
Trial Monitoring Agreements
Moffitt.
On September 12, 2018, the Company finalized a work order agreement with Theradex Systems, Inc. (“Theradex”), an international
contract research organization (“CRO”), to monitor the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial being managed and conducted by Moffitt.
The clinical trial began in April 2019 and the first patient was entered into the clinical trial in July 2019. At the current rate of
accrual, the clinical trial is expected to be completed by June 30, 2025.
Costs
under this work order agreement are estimated to be approximately $954,000, with such payments expected to be divided approximately 94%
to Theradex for services and approximately 6% for payments for pass-through costs. The costs of the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial being paid
to or through Theradex are being recorded and charged to operations based on the periodic documentation provided by the CRO. During the
years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company incurred costs of $9,750 and $18,663, respectively, pursuant to this work order.
As of December 31, 2021, total costs of $91,885 have been incurred pursuant to this work order agreement. The Company’s aggregate
commitment pursuant to this clinical trial monitoring agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $868,000
as of December 31, 2021, which is expected to be incurred through June 30, 2025.
City
of Hope. On February 5, 2021, the Company signed a new work order agreement with Theradex to monitor the City of Hope investigator-initiated
clinical trial in small cell lung cancer in accordance with FDA requirements for oversight by the sponsoring party. During the year ended
December 31, 2021, the Company incurred costs of $24,626, pursuant to this work order. As of December 31, 2021, total costs of $24,626
have been incurred pursuant to this work order agreement. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this clinical trial monitoring
agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $314,000 as of December 31, 2021, which is expected to be incurred
through June 30, 2025.
Patent
and License Agreements
On
March 22, 2018, the Company entered into a Patent Assignment and Exploitation Agreement with INSERM TRANSFERT SA, acting as delegatee
of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, for the assignment to the Company of INSERM’S interest in United
States Patent No. 9,833,450 entitled “Oxabicyloheptanes and Oxabicycloheptenes for the Treatment of Depressive and Stress Disorders”,
which was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in the name of INSERM and the Company as co-owners on February 19,
2015 and granted on May 12, 2017, and related patent applications and filings. INSERM is a French public institution dedicated to research
in the field of health and medicine that had previously entered into a Material Transfer Agreement with the Company to allow INSERM to
conduct research on the Company’s proprietary compound LB-100 and/or its analogs for the treatment of depressive or stress disorders
in humans. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company has agreed to make certain milestone payments to INSERM aggregating up to $1,750,000
upon achievement of development milestones and up to $6,500,000 upon achievement of commercial milestones. The Company also agreed to
pay INSERM certain commercial royalties on net sales of products attributed to the Agreement. The Company’s initial plan was to
complete the validation process to evaluate LB-100 for the treatment of depressive or stress disorders in humans within three years;
however, the exploitation of this patent for the treatment of depressive and stress disorders in humans will require substantial additional
capital and/or a joint venture or other type of business arrangement with a pharmaceutical company with substantially greater capital
and business resources than those available to the Company. As there can be no assurances that the Company will be able to obtain the
capital or business resources necessary to focus on the exploitation of this patent, it is uncertain as to when, if at all, the Company
may reach any of the development or commercialization milestones under the Agreement. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, no amounts were
due under this agreement.
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Effective
August 20, 2018, the Company entered into an Exclusive License Agreement with Moffitt. Pursuant to the License Agreement, Moffitt granted
the Company an exclusive license under certain patents owned by Moffitt (the “Licensed Patents”) relating to the treatment
of MDS and a non-exclusive license under inventions, concepts, processes, information, data, know-how, research results, clinical data,
and the like (other than the Licensed Patents) necessary or useful for the practice of any claim under the Licensed Patents or the use,
development, manufacture or sale of any product for the treatment of MDS which would otherwise infringe a valid claim under the Licensed
Patents. The Company was obligated to pay Moffitt a non-refundable license issue fee of $25,000 after the first patient is entered into
a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial to be managed and conducted by Moffitt. The clinical trial began at a single site in April 2019 and the first
patient was entered into the clinical trial in July 2019. The Company is also obligated to pay Moffitt an annual license maintenance
fee of $25,000 commencing on the first anniversary of the Effective Date and every anniversary thereafter until the Company commences
payment of minimum royalty payments. The Company has also agreed to pay non-refundable milestone payments to Moffitt, which cannot be
credited against earned royalties payable by the Company, based on reaching various clinical and commercial milestones aggregating $1,897,000,
subject to reduction by 40% under certain circumstances relating to the status of Valid Claims, as such term is defined in the License
Agreement. During the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded charges to operations of $24,999 and $25,001, respectively,
in connection with its obligations under the License Agreement. As of December 31, 2021, no milestones had yet been attained.
The
Company will be obligated to pay Moffitt earned royalties of 4% on worldwide cumulative net sales of royalty-bearing products, subject
to reduction to 2% under certain circumstances, on a quarterly basis, with a minimum royalty payment of $50,000 in the first four years
after sales commence, and $100,000 in year five and each year thereafter, subject to reduction by 40% under certain circumstances relating
to the status of Valid Claims, as such term is defined in the License Agreement. The Company’s obligation to pay earned royalties
under the License Agreement commences on the date of the first sale of a royalty-bearing product, and shall automatically expire on a
country-by-country basis on the date on which the last valid claim of the Licensed Patents expires, lapses or is declared invalid, and
the obligation to pay any earned royalties under the License Agreement shall terminate on the date on which the last valid claim of the
Licensed Patents expires, lapses, or is declared to be invalid in all countries.
Employment
Agreements with Officers
During
July and August 2020, the Company entered into one-year employment agreements with its executive officers, consisting of Dr. John S.
Kovach, Eric J. Forman, Dr. James S. Miser, and Robert N. Weingarten, which provided for aggregate annual compensation of $640,000, payable
monthly. The employment agreements are automatically renewable for additional one-year periods unless terminated by either party upon
60 days written notice prior to the end of the applicable one-year period, or by death, or by termination for cause. These employment
agreements were automatically renewed for an additional one-year period in July and August 2021.
On
April 9, 2021, the Board of Directors increased the annual compensation of Eric J. Forman, the Company’s Chief Administrative Officer,
Dr. James S. Miser, the Company’s Chief Medical Officer, and Robert N. Weingarten, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer,
under the employment agreements such that the total aggregate annual compensation of all officers increased to $775,000, effective May
1, 2021.
Other
Significant Agreements and Contracts
On
December 24, 2013, the Company entered into an agreement with NDA Consulting Corp. for consultation and advice in the field of oncology
research and drug development. As part of the agreement, NDA also agreed to cause its president, Dr. Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., to become
a member of the Company’s Scientific Advisory Committee. The term of the agreement was for one year and provided for a quarterly
cash fee of $4,000. The agreement has been automatically renewed for additional one-year terms on its anniversary date since 2014. Consulting
and advisory fees charged to operations pursuant to this agreement were $16,000 and $16,000 for the years ended December 31, 2021 and
2020, respectively, which were included in research and development costs in the consolidated statements of operations.
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Effective
September 14, 2015, the Company entered into a Collaboration Agreement with BioPharmaWorks, pursuant to which the Company engaged BioPharmaWorks
to perform certain services for the Company. Those services included, among other things: (a) assisting the Company to (i) commercialize
its products and strengthen its patent portfolio, (ii) identify large pharmaceutical companies with potential interest in the Company’s
product pipeline, and (iii) prepare and deliver presentations concerning the Company’s products; (b) at the request of the Board
of Directors, serving as backup management for up to three months should the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and scientific leader
be temporarily unable to carry out his duties; (c) being available for consultation in drug discovery and development; and (d) identifying
providers and overseeing tasks relating to clinical use and commercialization of new compounds.
BioPharmaWorks
was founded in 2015 by former Pfizer scientists with extensive multi-disciplinary research and development and drug development experience.
The Collaboration Agreement was for an initial term of two years and automatically renews for subsequent annual periods unless terminated
by a party not less than 60 days prior to the expiration of the applicable period. In connection with the Collaboration Agreement, the
Company agreed to pay BioPharmaWorks a monthly fee of $10,000, subject to the right of the Company to pay a negotiated hourly rate in
lieu of the monthly payment and agreed to issue to BioPharmaWorks certain equity-based compensation. The Company recorded charges to
operations pursuant to this Collaboration Agreement of $120,000 and $120,000 for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively,
which were included in research and development costs in the consolidated statements of operations.
Effective
August 12, 2020, the Company entered into a Master Service Agreement with the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapy (FAST) to collaborate
in supporting pre-clinical studies of the potential benefit of LB-100 in a mouse model of Angelman Syndrome (AS) as reported in The Proceedings
of The National Academy of Science (Wang et al, June 3, 2019). The pre-clinical studies will be conducted at The University of California
- Davis under the direction of Dr. David Segal, an internationally recognized leader in AS research. If the pre-clinical studies confirm
that LB-100 reduces AS signs in rodent models, the Company has agreed to enter into discussions with FAST with respect to possible collaborations
to most efficiently assess the benefit of LB-100 in patients with AS, which is a rare disease affecting an estimated one out of 12,000
to one out of 20,000 persons in the United States. The genetic cause of AS, reduced function of a specific maternal gene called Ube3,
has been understood for some time, but the molecular abnormality resulting from the genetic lesion has now been shown to be increased
concentrations of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), a molecular target of the Company’s investigational compound, LB-100. The Company
has agreed to provide FAST with a supply of LB-100 to be utilized in the conduct of this study, which is initially expected to be completed
within three years. Conditioned on FAST’s completion of this study, the Company has agreed to pay FAST five percent (5%) of all
proceeds, as defined in the Master Service Agreement, received by the Company, up to a maximum of $250,000 from the exploitation of the
study results.
The
research team at the University of California, Davis recently completed their pre-clinical study of the potential benefit of LB-100 in
a mouse model of AS, and the results are currently under review by FAST. The preliminary analysis indicates that the positive results
previously reported by Chinese investigators were not confirmed in the US model. The Company is awaiting input from FAST as to whether
it intends to continue to pursue pre-clinical studies of LB 100.
On
October 8, 2021, the Company entered into a Development Collaboration Agreement with the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam (NKI),
one of the world’s leading comprehensive cancer centers, and Oncode Institute, Utrecht, a major independent cancer research center,
to identify the most promising drugs to be combined with LB-100, and potentially LB-100 analogues, to be used to treat a range of cancers,
as well as to identify the specific molecular mechanisms underlying the identified combinations. The Company has agreed to fund the study
and provide a sufficient supply of LB-100 to conduct the study. The study is expected to take approximately two years to conduct. During
the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company incurred charges in the amount of $55,248, with respect to this agreement, which amount
is included in research and development0 costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
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Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
At
December 31, 2021, the Company did not have any transactions, obligations or relationships that could be considered off-balance sheet
arrangements.
Trends,
Events and Uncertainties
Research
and development of new pharmaceutical compounds is, by its nature, unpredictable. Although we will undertake research and development
efforts with commercially reasonable diligence, there can be no assurance that our cash position will be sufficient to enable us to develop
our pharmaceutical compounds to the extent needed to create future sales to sustain operations as contemplated herein.
There
can be no assurances that one or more of our pharmaceutical compounds will obtain the regulatory approvals and market acceptance to achieve
sustainable revenues sufficient to support our operations. Even if we are able to generate revenues, there can be no assurances that
we will be able to achieve operating profitability or positive operating cash flows. There can be no assurances that we will be able
to secure additional financing, to the extent required, on acceptable terms or at all. If cash resources are insufficient to satisfy
our ongoing cash requirements, we would be required to reduce or discontinue our research and development programs, or attempt to obtain
funds, if available (although there can be no assurances), through strategic alliances that may require us to relinquish rights to certain
of our pharmaceutical compounds, or to curtail or discontinue our operations entirely.
Other
than as discussed above, we are not currently aware of any trends, events or uncertainties that are likely to have a material effect
on our financial condition in the near term, although it is possible that new trends or events may develop in the future that could have
a material effect on our financial condition.
ITEM
7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Not
applicable.
ITEM
8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The
Company’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto and the related report of its independent registered public accounting
firm are attached to this Annual Report on Form 10-K beginning on page F-1.
ITEM
9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
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.