UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
☒
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the quarterly period ended June 30, 2023
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission
file number: 001-39717
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
20-2903526
(State
or other jurisdiction of
(I.R.S.
Employer
incorporation
or organization)
Identification
Number)
680
East Colorado Boulevard , Suite 180
Pasadena ,
California 91101
(Address
of principal executive offices, including Zip Code)
(631)
830-7092
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title
of each class
Trading
Symbol(s)
Name
of each exchange on which registered
Common
Stock, par value $0.0001 per share
LIXT
The
Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Warrants
to Purchase Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share
LIXTW
The
Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2)
has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes
☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule
405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit such files).
Yes
☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting
company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”,
“smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large
accelerated filer ☐
Accelerated
filer ☐
Non-accelerated
filer ☒
Smaller
reporting company ☒
Emerging
growth company ☐
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes
☐ No ☒
As
of August 7, 2023, the Company had 2,249,290 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value, issued and outstanding.
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
Number
PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
3
Item 1. Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
3
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets – June 30, 2023 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2022
3
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) – Three Months and Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 and 2022
4
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity (Unaudited) – Three Months and Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 and 2022
5
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) – Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 and 2022
7
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited) – Three Months and Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 and 2022
8
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
31
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
47
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
47
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
48
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
48
Item 1A. Risk Factors
48
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
49
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
49
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
49
Item 5. Other Information
49
Item 6. Exhibits
50
SIGNATURES
51
2
PART
I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM
1. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
June 30,
2023
December 31,
2022
(Unaudited)
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash
$ 2,912,920
$ 5,353,392
Advances on research and development contract services
78,015
147,017
Prepaid insurance
54,650
49,224
Other prepaid expenses and current assets
49,563
10,380
Total current assets
3,095,148
5,560,013
Total assets
$ 3,095,148
$ 5,560,013
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses, including $ 42,500 and $ 46,982 to related parties at June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively
$ 366,528
$ 229,764
Research and development contract liabilities
36,086
165,022
Total current liabilities
402,614
394,786
Commitments and contingencies
-
-
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred Stock, $ 0.0001 par value; authorized – 10,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding – 350,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, $ 10.00 per share stated value, liquidation preference based on assumed conversion into common shares – 72,917 shares
3,500,000
3,500,000
Common stock, $ 0.0001 par value; authorized – 100,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding – 1,665,956 shares and 1,664,706 shares at June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively
166
166
Additional paid-in capital
45,623,081
45,059,760
Accumulated deficit
( 46,430,713 )
( 43,394,699 )
Total stockholders’ equity
2,692,534
5,165,227
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$ 3,095,148
$ 5,560,013
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
3
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
2023
2022
2023
2022
Three Months Ended
Six Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
2023
2022
2023
2022
Revenues
$ —
$ —
$ —
$ —
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative costs:
Compensation to related parties, including stock-based compensation expense of $ 280,060 and $ 424,094 for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $ 557,040 and $ 763,766 for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively
522,561
753,530
1,042,041
1,319,452
Patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs
340,010
358,389
657,350
673,626
Other costs and expenses
379,970
269,281
724,212
584,023
Research and development costs
427,457
164,810
616,542
623,261
Total costs and expenses
1,669,998
1,546,010
3,040,145
3,200,362
Loss from operations
( 1,669,998 )
( 1,546,010 )
( 3,040,145 )
( 3,200,362 )
Interest income
2,714
191
7,729
300
Interest expense
( 1,948 )
( 627 )
( 5,809 )
( 3,121 )
Foreign currency gain (loss)
877
142
2,211
( 39 )
Net loss
$ ( 1,668,355 )
$ ( 1,546,304 )
$ ( 3,036,014 )
$ ( 3,203,222 )
Net loss per common share – basic and diluted
$ ( 1.00 )
$ ( 0.95 )
$ ( 1.82 )
$ ( 2.14 )
Net loss per common share - basic
$ ( 1.00 )
$ ( 0.95 )
$ ( 1.82 )
$ ( 2.14 )
Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic and diluted
1,665,956
1,620,091
1,665,479
1,498,076
Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic
1,665,956
1,620,091
1,665,479
1,498,076
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
4
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(Unaudited)
Three
Months and Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 and 2022
Shares
Amount
Shares
Par Value
Paid-in Capital
Accumulated
Deficit
Stockholders’
Equity
Convertible
Series A
Preferred Stock
Common Stock
Additional Paid-in
Accumulated
Total Stockholders’
Shares
Amount
Shares
Par Value
Capital
Deficit
Equity
Three months ended June 30, 2023:
Balance, March 31, 2023
350,000
$ 3,500,000
1,665,956
$ 166
$ 45,343,021
$ ( 44,762,358 )
$ 4,080,829
Stock-based compensation expense
—
—
—
—
280,060
—
280,060
Net loss
—
—
—
—
—
( 1,668,355 )
( 1,668,355 )
Balance, June 30, 2023
350,000
$ 3,500,000
1,665,956
$ 166
$ 45,623,081
$ ( 46,430,713 )
$ 2,692,534
Six months ended June 30, 2023:
Balance, December 31, 2022
350,000
$ 3,500,000
1,664,706
$ 166
$ 45,059,760
$ ( 43,394,699 )
$ 5,165,227
Exercise of options
—
—
1,250
—
6,281
—
6,281
Stock-based compensation expense
—
—
—
—
557,040
—
557,040
Net loss
—
—
—
—
—
( 3,036,014 )
( 3,036,014 )
Balance, June 30, 2023
350,000
$ 3,500,000
1,665,956
$ 166
$ 45,623,081
$ ( 46,430,713 )
$ 2,692,534
(Continued)
5
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(Unaudited)
(Continued)
Three
Months and Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 and 2022
Convertible
Series A
Preferred Stock
Common Stock
Additional Paid-in
Accumulated
Total Stockholders’
Shares
Amount
Shares
Par Value
Capital
Deficit
Equity
Three months ended June 30, 2022:
Balance, March 31, 2022
350,000
$ 3,500,000
1,374,706
$ 137
$ 38,712,037
$ ( 38,739,082 )
$ 3,473,092
Proceeds from sale of common stock in registered direct offering, net of offering costs
—
—
290,000
29
5,141,355
—
5,141,384
Stock-based compensation expense
—
—
—
—
424,094
—
424,094
Net loss
—
—
—
—
—
( 1,546,304 )
( 1,546,304 )
Balance, June 30, 2022
350,000
$ 3,500,000
1,664,706
$ 166
$ 44,277,486
$ ( 40,285,386 )
$ 7,492,266
Six months ended June 30, 2022:
Balance, December 31, 2021
350,000
$ 3,500,000
1,374,706
$ 137
$ 38,372,365
$ ( 37,082,164 )
$ 4,790,338
Balance
350,000
$ 3,500,000
1,374,706
$ 137
$ 38,372,365
$ ( 37,082,164 )
$ 4,790,338
Proceeds from sale of common stock in registered direct offering, net of offering costs
—
—
290,000
29
5,141,355
—
5,141,384
Stock-based compensation expense
—
—
—
—
763,766
—
763,766
Net loss
—
—
—
—
—
( 3,203,222 )
( 3,203,222 )
Balance, June 30, 2022
350,000
$ 3,500,000
1,664,706
$ 166
$ 44,277,486
$ ( 40,285,386 )
$ 7,492,266
Balance
350,000
$ 3,500,000
1,664,706
$ 166
$ 44,277,486
$ ( 40,285,386 )
$ 7,492,266
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
6
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
2023
2022
Six Months Ended June 30,
2023
2022
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss
$ ( 3,036,014 )
$ ( 3,203,222 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Stock-based compensation expense included in -
General and administrative costs
557,040
763,766
Research and development costs
—
—
Stock-based compensation expense
—
—
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
(Increase) decrease in -
Advances on research and development contract services
69,002
3,224
Prepaid insurance
( 5,426 )
8,574
Other prepaid expenses and current assets
( 39,183 )
( 30,313 )
Increase (decrease) in -
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
136,764
146,743
Research and development contract liabilities
( 128,936 )
81,871
Net cash used in operating activities
( 2,446,753 )
( 2,229,357 )
Cash flows from financing activities:
Exercise of common stock options
6,281
—
Proceeds from sale of common stock in registered direct offering, net of offering costs
—
5,141,384
Net cash provided by financing activities
6,281
5,141,384
Cash:
Net increase (decrease)
( 2,440,472 )
2,912,027
Balance at beginning of period
5,353,392
4,823,745
Balance at end of period
$ 2,912,920
$ 7,735,772
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Cash paid for -
Interest
$ 5,809
$ 3,121
Income taxes
$ —
$ —
See
accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
7
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
Three
Months and Six Months Ended June 30, 2023 and 2022
1.
Organization and Basis of Presentation
The
condensed consolidated financial statements of Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation), including its wholly-owned
Delaware subsidiary, Lixte Biotechnology, Inc. (collectively, the “Company”), at June 30, 2023, and for the three months
and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, are unaudited. In the opinion of management of the Company, all adjustments, including normal
recurring accruals, have been made that are necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Company as of June 30, 2023, and
the results of its operations for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, and its cash flows for the six months
ended June 30, 2023 and 2022. Operating results for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results to be
expected for a full fiscal year. The consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2022 has been derived from the Company’s audited
consolidated financial statements at such date.
The
condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial
statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations.
These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and other information included
in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, as filed with the SEC.
Reverse
Stock Split
On
June 2, 2023, the Company effected a 1-for-10 reverse split of its outstanding shares of common stock. No fractional shares were issued
in connection with the reverse split, with any fractional shares resulting from the reverse split being rounded up to the nearest whole
share.
All
share and per share amounts and information presented herein have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the reverse stock split for
all periods presented.
Nasdaq
Notification of Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule
The
Company’s common stock and the warrants are traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “LIXT” and “LIXTW”,
respectively.
On
June 24, 2022, the Company received a written notice (the “Notice”) from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”)
that the Company had not been in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for a
period of 30 consecutive business days. Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) requires listed securities to maintain a minimum closing bid price
of $1.00 per share, and Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A) provides that a failure to meet the minimum closing bid price requirement exists
if the deficiency continues for a period of 30 consecutive business days. The Notice had no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s
common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market.
In
accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company was provided a compliance period of 180 calendar days from the date of
the Notice, or until December 21, 2022, to regain compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement. On December 22, 2022, the
Company received a written notice from Nasdaq that the Company was eligible for a second 180 calendar day compliance period, or until
June 19, 2023, in order to regain compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement. Nasdaq’s determination to grant the
second compliance period was based on the Company meeting the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares
and all other applicable requirements for initial listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, with the exception of the minimum bid price requirement,
and the Company’s written notice of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse
stock split, if necessary.
8
A
company can generally achieve compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement if the minimum closing bid price of a company’s
common stock is at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days during the 180-day compliance period. However,
under certain circumstances, Nasdaq can extend this 10-day trading period up to a maximum of 20 days.
In
order to achieve compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement, the Company filed a proxy statement with the SEC to hold
a special meeting of stockholders on May 26, 2023 to seek stockholder approval to approve an amendment to the Company’s Certificate
of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock at a split
ratio of up to a maximum of a 1-for-10 split, as determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion.
The
stockholders approved an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split of the issued
and outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, as a result of which the Company effected a 1-for-10 reverse stock split
of its issued and outstanding common stock effective on Friday, June 2, 2023. Commencing with the opening of trading on the Nasdaq Capital
Market on Monday, June 5, 2023, the Company’s common stock began trading on a post-split basis under the same symbol LIXT. The
Company subsequently received confirmation from Nasdaq that it had regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of $1.00
per share under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) and currently meets all other applicable criteria for continued listing.
However,
there can be no assurances that the Company will be able to remain in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement over time, or
that it will be successful in maintaining compliance with any of the other Nasdaq continued listing requirements.
2.
Business
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 corporate office is located in Pasadena, California.
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. The Company believes that inhibitors of protein phosphatases have broad therapeutic
potential not only for cancer but also for other debilitating and life-threatening diseases. The Company is directing its efforts on
clinical development of a specific protein phosphatase inhibitor, referred to as LB-100, which has been shown to have clinical anti-cancer
activity at doses that produce little or no toxicity.
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, does not have positive cash flows from operations, relies on stock-based compensation
for a substantial portion of employee and consultant compensation, and is dependent on periodic infusions of equity capital to fund its
operating requirements.
Sale of Common Stock, Pre-Funded
Common Stock Purchase Warrants, and Common Stock Purchase Warrants; Exercise of Pre-Funded Common Stock Purchase Warrants
Subsequent
to June 30, 2023, on July 20, 2023, in a registered direct offering to an institutional investor, the Company sold 180,000 shares of
common stock at a purchase price of $ 6.00 per share and pre-funded warrants to purchase 403,334 shares of common stock at a purchase
price of $ 5.9999 per pre-funded warrant. Each pre-funded warrant had an exercise price of $ 0.0001 per share, was immediately exercisable
upon issuance, and was valid and exercisable until all pre-funded warrants are exercised in full.
In
a concurrent private placement to the institutional investor, the Company also sold warrants to purchase 583,334 shares of common stock.
Each common warrant had an initial exercise price of $ 6.00 per share, was immediately exercisable upon issuance, and expires five years
thereafter on July 20, 2028. The common warrants and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the common warrants were not
registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and were offered pursuant to the exemption
provided in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act and Rule 506(b) promulgated thereunder.
9
The
registered direct offering and the concurrent private placement generated gross proceeds of approximately $ 3,500,000 . The total cash
costs of the registered direct offering and the private placement were approximately $ 375,000 , resulting in net proceeds of approximately
$ 3,125,000 . Pursuant to the placement agent agreement, the Company granted to the placement agent warrants to purchase 35,000 shares
of common stock at an exercise price of $ 6.60 per share and expiring on July 20, 2028.
During the period
from July 24, 2023 through August 7, 2023, the 403,334
pre-funded warrants exercisable at $ 0.0001
per share were exercised for total cash proceeds of $ 40 ,
resulting in the issuance of 403,334 shares of common stock.
Going
Concern
At
June 30, 2023, the Company had cash of $ 2,912,920 available to fund its operations. Because the Company is currently engaged in various
early-stage 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 technology, product sales or other commercial activities, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to achieve and
maintain positive earnings and operating cash flows. At June 30, 2023, the Company’s remaining contractual commitments pursuant
to clinical trial agreements and clinical trial monitoring agreements not yet incurred aggregated $ 6,389,000 (see Note 9), which are
currently scheduled to be incurred through approximately December 31, 2025.
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 through
the recurring sale of its equity securities.
Based
on the foregoing, management has concluded that there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern
within one year after the date that the accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements are being issued. The Company’s
interim condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
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, design and results of the Company’s clinical trial program, which, in turn, depends on the
availability of operating capital to fund such activities.
Based
on current operating plans, the Company estimates that existing cash resources, together with the proceeds from the July 20, 2023 registered
direct offering and concurrent private placement, will provide sufficient working capital to fund the current clinical trial program
with respect to the development of the Company’s lead anti-cancer clinical compound LB-100 through approximately December 31, 2024.
However, existing cash resources will not be sufficient to complete the development of and obtain regulatory approval for the Company’s
product candidate, which will require that the Company raise significant additional capital. The Company estimates that it will need
to raise additional capital to fund its operations, including its various clinical trial commitments, no later than the latter half of
the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. However, the Company’s operating plans may change as a result of many factors that are
currently unknown and/or outside of the control of the Company, and additional funds may be needed sooner than planned.
As
market conditions present uncertainty as to the Company’s ability to secure additional funds, there can be no assurance that the
Company will be able to secure additional financing on acceptable terms, as and when necessary, to continue to conduct operations.
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 entirely.
10
3.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Principles
of Consolidation
The
accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with United States generally
accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and include the financial statements of Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. and its
wholly-owned subsidiary, Lixte Biotechnology, Inc. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Segment
Information
The
Company operates and reports in one segment, which focuses on the utilization of biomarker technology to identify enzyme targets associated
with serious common diseases and then designing novel compounds to attack those targets. The Company’s operating segment is reported
in a manner consistent with the internal reporting provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker, which is the Company’s President,
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer.
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with 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 the calculation of accruals for clinical trial costs and other potential liabilities, valuing equity instruments issued for services,
and the realization of deferred tax assets.
Cash
Cash
is held in a cash bank deposit program maintained by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, a division of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
(“Morgan Stanley”). Morgan Stanley is a FINRA-regulated broker-dealer. The Company’s policy is to maintain its cash
balances with financial institutions with high credit ratings and in accounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the
“FDIC”) and/or by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (the “SIPC”). The Company periodically has cash
balances in financial institutions in excess of the FDIC and SIPC insurance limits of $ 250,000 and $ 500,000 , respectively. Morgan Stanley
Wealth Management also maintains supplemental insurance coverage for the cash balances of its customers. The Company has not experienced
any losses to date resulting from this policy.
Research
and Development
Research
and development costs consist primarily of fees paid to consultants and contractors, and other expenses relating to the negotiation,
design, development and management of clinical trials with respect to the Company’s clinical compound and product candidate. Research
and development costs also include the costs to manufacture the compounds used in research and clinical trials, which are charged to
operations as incurred. The Company’s inventory of LB-100 for clinical use has been manufactured separately in the United States
and in the European Union in accordance with the laws and regulations of such jurisdictions.
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.
11
Obligations
incurred with respect to mandatory scheduled payments under 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 respective agreement. Obligations incurred with respect to mandatory scheduled payments under agreements without milestone provisions
are accounted for when due, are recognized ratably over the appropriate period, as specified in the respective 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 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 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 various clinical trial and research
and development contracts on a quarterly basis.
Prepaid
Insurance
Prepaid
insurance represents the premiums paid for directors and officers insurance coverage and for general liability insurance coverage in
excess of the amortization of the total policy premium charged to operations at each balance sheet date. Such amount is determined by
amortizing the total policy premium charged on a straight-line basis over the respective policy period. As the policy premiums incurred
are generally amortizable over the ensuing twelve-month period, they are recorded as a current asset in the Company’s consolidated
balance sheet at each reporting date and appropriately amortized to the Company’s consolidated statement of operations for each
reporting period.
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 related to the development
and protection of the Company’s intellectual property are charged to operations as incurred. Patent and licensing legal and filing
fees and costs were $ 340,010 and $ 358,389 for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $ 657,350 and $ 673,626
for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs are included in general
and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
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 three months and six months
ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 are described as follows.
General
and administrative costs for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 included charges from legal firms and other vendors for general
licensing and patent prosecution costs relating to the Company’s intellectual properties representing 27.3 % and 25.9 % of total
general and administrative costs, respectively. General and administrative costs for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 also
included charges for the fair value of stock options granted to directors and corporate officers representing 22.5 % and 30.7 %, respectively,
of total general and administrative costs.
Research
and development costs for the three months ended June 30, 2023 included charges from two vendors and consultants representing 62.9 % and
12.4 %, respectively, of total research and development costs. Research and development costs for the three months ended June 30, 2022
include charges from five vendors and consultants representing 29.7 %, 18.2 %, 17.4 %, 12.6 %, and 10.2 %, respectively, of total research
and development costs.
General
and administrative costs for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 include charges from legal firms and other vendors for general
licensing and patent prosecution costs relating to the Company’s intellectual properties representing 27.1 % and 26.1 % of total
general and administrative costs, respectively. General and administrative costs for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 also
included charges for the fair value of stock options granted to directors and corporate officers representing 23.0 % and 29.6 %, respectively,
of total general and administrative costs.
Research
and development costs for the six months ended June 30, 2023 include charges from three vendors and consultants representing 43.9 %, 17.1 %
and 11.2 %, respectively, of total research and development costs. Research and development costs for the six months ended June 30, 2022
include charges from two vendors and consultants representing 44.6 % and 16.5 %, respectively, of total research and development costs.
12
Income
Taxes
The
Company accounts for income taxes under an asset and liability approach for financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Accordingly,
the Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected impact of differences between the financial statements and
the tax basis of assets and liabilities.
The
Company records a valuation allowance to reduce its deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. In
the event the Company was to determine that it would be able to realize its deferred tax assets in the future in excess of its recorded
amount, an adjustment to the deferred tax assets would be credited to operations in the period such determination was made. Should the
Company determine that it would not be able to realize all or part of its deferred tax assets in the future, an adjustment to the deferred
tax assets would be charged to operations in the period such determination was made.
The
Company is subject to U.S. federal income taxes and income taxes of various state tax jurisdictions. As the Company’s net operating
losses have yet to be utilized, all previous tax years remain open to examination by Federal authorities and other jurisdictions in which
the Company currently operates or has operated in the past. The Company had no unrecognized tax benefits as of June 30, 2023 or December
31, 2022 and does not anticipate any material amount of unrecognized tax benefits through December 31, 2023.
The
Company accounts for uncertainties in income tax law under a comprehensive model for the financial statement recognition, measurement,
presentation and disclosure of uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in income tax returns as prescribed by GAAP. The
tax effects of a position are recognized only if it is “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the taxing authority as
of the reporting date. If the tax position is not considered “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained, then no benefits of
the position are recognized. The Company had not recorded any liability for uncertain tax positions as of June 30, 2023 or December 31,
2022. Subsequent to June 30, 2023, any interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions will be recognized as a component of
income tax expense.
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. Recognition of compensation expense for non-employees is in the same period and manner as if the Company had paid cash
for the services.
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.
13
Earnings
(Loss) Per Share
The
Company’s computation of earnings (loss) per share (“EPS”) includes basic and diluted EPS. Basic EPS is measured as
the income (loss) attributable to common stockholders divided by the weighted average common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted
EPS is similar to basic EPS, but presents the dilutive effect on a per share basis of potential common shares (e.g., preferred shares,
warrants and stock options) as if they had been converted at the beginning of the respective periods presented, or issuance date, if
later. Potential common shares that have an anti-dilutive effect (i.e., those that increase income per share or decrease loss per share)
are excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS.
Loss
per common share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the respective periods.
Basic and diluted loss per common share was the same for all periods presented because all preferred shares, warrants and stock options
outstanding were anti-dilutive.
At
June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company excluded the outstanding securities summarized below, which entitle the holders thereof to acquire
shares of common stock, from its calculation of earnings per share, as their effect would have been anti-dilutive.
Schedule
of Anti-dilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share
2023
2022
June 30,
2023
2022
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock
72,917
72,917
Common stock warrants
190,031
340,031
Common stock options, including options issued in the form of warrants
428,229
332,500
Total
691,177
745,448
Fair
Value of Financial Instruments
The
authoritative guidance with respect to fair value established a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques
used to measure fair value into three levels and requires that assets and liabilities carried at fair value be classified and disclosed
in one of three categories, as presented below. Disclosure as to transfers in and out of Levels 1 and 2, and activity in Level 3 fair
value measurements, is also required.
Level
1. Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for an identical asset or liability that the Company has the ability to
access as of the measurement date. Financial assets and liabilities utilizing Level 1 inputs include active-exchange traded securities
and exchange-based derivatives.
Level
2. Inputs, other than quoted prices included within Level 1, which are directly observable for the asset or liability or indirectly observable
through corroboration with observable market data. Financial assets and liabilities utilizing Level 2 inputs include fixed income securities,
non-exchange-based derivatives, mutual funds, and fair-value hedges.
Level
3. Unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data for the asset or liability which requires the reporting entity to develop
its own assumptions. Financial assets and liabilities utilizing Level 3 inputs include infrequently traded non-exchange-based derivatives
and commingled investment funds and are measured using present value pricing models.
The
Company determines the level in the fair value hierarchy within which each fair value measurement falls in its entirety, based on the
lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. In determining the appropriate levels, the Company
performs an analysis of the assets and liabilities at each reporting period end.
The
carrying value of financial instruments (consisting of accounts payable and accrued expenses) is considered to be representative of their
respective fair values due to the short-term nature of those instruments.
14
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
In
May 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“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 was
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. The Company adopted ASU 2021-04 effective January 1, 2022. The adoption of ASU 2021-04 did not have any impact on the Company’s
consolidated financial statement presentation or related disclosures.
In
July 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-03, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205), Income Statement — Reporting Comprehensive
Income (Topic 220), Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (Topic 480), Equity (Topic 505), and Compensation — Stock Compensation
(Topic 718) Presentation of Financial Statements (“ASU 2023-03”). ASU 2023-03 amends the FASB Accounting Standards Codification
to include Amendments to SEC Paragraphs pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 120, SEC Staff Announcement at the March 24, 2022
EITF Meeting, and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 6.B, Accounting Series Release 280 — General Revision of Regulation S-X:
Income or Loss Applicable to Common Stock. As the ASU does not provide any new guidance, there is no transition or effective date associated
with its adoption. Accordingly, the Company adopted ASU 2023-03 immediately upon its issuance. The adoption of ASU 2023-03 did not have
any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statement presentation or related 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.
4.
Research and Development Costs
A
summary of research and development costs for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, including costs associated
with clinical trials involving the Company’s lead clinical compound LB-100, are summarized below based on the respective geographical
regions where such costs have been incurred.
Schedule
of Research and Development Costs
2023
2022
2023
2022
Three Months Ended
June 30,
Six Months Ended
June 30,
2023
2022
2023
2022
United States
$ 87,625
$ 80,290
$ 223,531
$ 154,821
Spain
272,564
18,774
273,539
347,604
China
14,090
16,860
14,090
17,720
Netherlands
53,178
48,886
105,382
103,116
Total
$ 427,457
$ 164,810
$ 616,542
$ 623,261
Research
and development expense
$ 427,457
$ 164,810
$ 616,542
$ 623,261
5.
Stockholders’ Equity
Preferred
Stock
The
Company is authorized to issue a total of 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $ 0.0001 per share. On March 17, 2015, the Company
filed a Certificate of Designations, Preferences, Rights and Limitations of its Series A Convertible Preferred Stock with the Delaware
Secretary of State to amend the Company’s certificate of incorporation. The Company has designated a total of 350,000 shares as
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, which are non-voting and are not subject to increase without the written consent of a majority
of the holders of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock or as otherwise set forth in the Preferences, Rights and Limitations. The
holders of each tranche of 175,000 shares of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock are entitled to receive a per share dividend equal
to 1 % of the annual net revenue of the Company divided by 175,000 , until converted or redeemed. As of June 30, 2023 and December 31,
2022, the Company had 9,650,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock which may be issued with such rights and powers as the Board of
Directors may designate.
15
Each
share of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock may be converted, at the option of the holder, into 0.20833 shares of common stock (subject
to customary anti-dilution provisions) and the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock is subject to mandatory conversion at the conversion
rate in the event of a merger or sale transaction resulting in gross proceeds to the Company of at least $ 21,875,000 . The Series A Convertible
Preferred Stock has a liquidation preference based on its assumed conversion into shares of common stock. The Series A Convertible Preferred
Stock does not have any cash liquidation preference rights or any registration rights. If fully converted, the 350,000 outstanding shares
of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock would convert into 72,917 shares of common stock at June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
Based
on the attributes of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock as previously described, the Company has accounted for the Series A Convertible
Preferred Stock as a permanent component of stockholders’ equity.
Common
Stock
The
Company is authorized to issue a total of 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $ 0.0001 per share. As of June 30, 2023 and December
31, 2022, the Company had 1,665,956 shares and 1,664,706 shares, respectively, of common stock issued and outstanding.
On
June 2, 2023, the Company effected a 1-for-10 reverse split of its outstanding shares of common stock. No fractional shares were issued
in connection with the reverse split, with any fractional shares resulting from the reverse split being rounded up to the nearest whole
share. All share and per share amounts and information presented herein have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the reverse stock
split for all periods presented.
Effective
April 12, 2022, the Company completed the sale of 290,000 shares of common stock at a price of $ 20.00 per share in a registered direct
offering, generating gross proceeds of $ 5,800,000 . The total cash costs of this offering were $ 658,616 , resulting in net proceeds of
$ 5,141,384 . Pursuant to the placement agents’ agreement, the Company granted warrants to the placement agents to purchase 29,000
shares of common stock at an exercise price of $ 20.00 per share exercisable through April 14, 2027.
Effective
March 10, 2023, the Company issued 1,250 shares of common stock upon the exercise of a stock option in the form of a warrant held by
a consultant to the Company for 1,250 shares exercisable at $ 5.025 per share for total cash proceeds of $ 6,281 .
Common
Stock Warrants
A
summary of common stock warrant activity during the six months ended June 30, 2023 is presented below.
Schedule of Warrants Outstanding
Number of Shares
Weighted Average
Exercise Price
Weighted Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (in Years)
Warrants outstanding at December 31, 2022
190,031
$ 50.161
Issued
—
—
Exercised
—
—
Expired
—
—
Warrants outstanding at June 30, 2023
190,031
$ 50.161
2.65
Warrants exercisable at December 31, 2022
190,031
$ 50.161
Warrants exercisable at June 30, 2023
190,031
$ 50.161
2.65
At
June 30, 2023, the outstanding warrants are exercisable at the following prices per common share:
Schedule of Warrants Outstanding and Exercisable
Exercise
Prices
Warrants
Outstanding
(Shares)
$ 20.000
29,000
$ 37.000
11,331
$ 57.000
149,700
190,031
16
The
warrants exercisable at $ 57.00 per share at June 30, 2023 include publicly-traded warrants that were issued as part of the Company’s
November 2020 public offering of units and are exercisable for a period of five years thereafter. As a result of the 1-for-10 reverse
split of the Company’s common stock effective June 2, 2023, each such publicly-traded warrant currently represents the right to
purchase 1/10th of a share of common stock at the original exercise price of $ 5.70 per share. Accordingly, upon exercise, a warrant holder
will be required to present ten warrants, each exercisable at $ 5.70 , to acquire one share of post-split common stock, which is equivalent
to a purchase price of $ 57.00 .
Based
on a fair market value of $ 5.88 per share on June 30, 2023, there was no intrinsic value attributed to exercisable but unexercised common
stock warrants at June 30, 2023.
Information
with respect to the issuance of common stock in connection with various stock-based compensation arrangements is provided at Note 7.
6.
Related Party Transactions
Related
party transactions include transactions with the Company’s officers, directors and affiliates.
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, payable monthly, as described below. 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 additional one-year periods in July and August 2021 and 2022.
The
Company entered into an employment agreement with Dr. Kovach dated July 15, 2020, effective October 1, 2020, for Dr. Kovach to continue
to act as the Company’s President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, with an annual salary of $ 250,000 . During
the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $ 62,500 and $ 62,500 , respectively, to Dr. Kovach under this employment
agreement, which costs are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $ 125,000 and $ 125,000 , respectively, to Dr. Kovach under this employment
agreement, which costs are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations
for such periods.
The
Company entered into an employment agreement with Dr. James S. Miser, M.D., effective August 1, 2020 to act as the Company’s Chief
Medical Officer, with an annual salary of $ 150,000 . Effective May 1, 2021, Dr. Miser’s annual salary was increased to $ 175,000 .
Dr. Miser is required to devote at least 50% of his business time to the Company’s activities. During the three months ended June
30, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $ 43,750 and $ 43,750 , respectively, to Dr. Miser under this employment agreement, which costs are
included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. During the six months ended
June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $ 87,500 and $ 87,500 , respectively, to Dr. Miser under this employment agreement, which costs
are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations for such periods.
The
Company entered into an employment agreement with Eric J. Forman effective July 15, 2020, as amended on August 12, 2020, to act as the
Company’s Chief Administrative Officer, with an annual salary of $ 120,000 . Mr. Forman is the son-in-law of Gil Schwartzberg (deceased),
a former member of the Company’s Board of Directors who died on October 30, 2022 and was a significant stockholder of and consultant
to the Company, and is the son of Dr. Stephen Forman, a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. Julie Forman, the wife of Mr.
Forman and the daughter of Gil Schwartzberg, is Vice President of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, at which firm the Company’s
cash is on deposit and with which the Company maintains a continuing banking relationship. Effective May 1, 2021, Mr. Forman’s
annual salary was increased to $ 175,000 . Additionally, effective November 6, 2022, Mr. Forman was promoted to Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer with an annual salary of $ 200,000 . Effective October 1, 2022, Mr. Forman has been provided a monthly office rent allowance,
pursuant to which Mr. Forman was paid $ 1,530 and $ 4,113 , respectively, for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2023. During
the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $ 50,000 and $ 43,750 , respectively, to Mr. Forman under this employment
agreement, which costs are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $ 100,000 and $ 87,500 , respectively, to Mr. Forman under this employment
agreement, which costs are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations
for such periods.
17
The
Company entered into an employment agreement with Robert N. Weingarten effective August 12, 2020 to act as the Company’s Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer, with an annual salary of $ 120,000 . Effective May 1, 2021, Mr. Weingarten’s annual salary was increased
to $ 175,000 . During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $ 43,750 and $ 43,750 , respectively, to Mr. Weingarten
under this employment agreement, which costs are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements
of operations. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $ 87,500 and $ 87,500 , respectively, to Mr. Weingarten
under this employment agreement, which costs are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements
of operations for such periods.
Appointment
of Dr. René Bernards to the Board of Directors
Effective
as of June 15, 2022, Dr. René Bernards was appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors as an independent director. Dr.
Bernards is a leader in the field of molecular carcinogenesis and is employed by the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. As a
new director, in lieu of a grant of stock options, Dr. Bernards received a one-time cash board fee of $ 100,000 , which was paid upon his
appointment to the Board of Directors, and an annual cash board fee of $ 40,000 , payable quarterly.
Previously,
on October 8, 2021, the Company had entered into a Development Collaboration Agreement with the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam,
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, as described at Note 9.
Compensatory
Arrangements for Members of the Board of Directors
Effective
April 9, 2021, the Board of Directors approved a comprehensive cash and equity compensation program for the independent members of the
Board of Directors and committee members. Effective May 25, 2022, the Board of Directors approved an amendment to the program. Officers
who also serve on the Board of Directors are not compensated separately for their service on the Board of Directors.
Cash
compensation for independent directors, payable quarterly, is as follows:
Base
director compensation - $ 20,000 per year
Chairman
of audit committee – additional $ 10,000 per year
Chairman
of any other committees – additional $ 5,000 per year
Member
of audit committee – additional $ 5,000 per year
Member
of any other committees – additional $ 2,500 per year
Equity
compensation for independent directors is as follows:
Appointment
of new independent directors – The Company grants options to purchase 25,000 shares of common stock, exercisable for a period of
five years, at the closing market price on the date of grant, vesting 50 % on the grant date and the remaining 50 % vesting 12.5 % on the
last day of each calendar quarter beginning in the quarter immediately subsequent to the date of the grant until fully vested, subject
to continued service. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, for a nominee to the Board of Directors who is restricted by their
respective institution or employer from receiving equity-based compensation, in lieu of the grant of such stock options, the Company
may elect to pay a one-time cash fee of $ 100,000 to such director, payable upfront.
Annual
grant of options to independent directors – Effective on the last business day of the month of June, the Company grants options
to purchase 10,000 shares of common stock, exercisable for a period of five years, at the closing market price on the date of grant,
vesting 12.5 % on the last day of each calendar quarter beginning in the quarter immediately subsequent to the date of grant until fully
vested, subject to continued service. If any director has served for less than 12 full calendar months at the grant date, the amount
of such stock option grant shall be prorated based on the length of service of such director. At the discretion of the Board of Directors,
for a nominee to the Board of Directors who is restricted by their respective institution or employer from receiving equity-based compensation,
in lieu of the grant of such stock options, the Company may elect to pay an annual cash fee of $ 40,000 to such director, payable quarterly.
18
Total
cash compensation paid to independent directors was $ 42,501 and $ 135,686 , respectively, for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and
2022. Total cash compensation paid to independent directors was $ 85,001 and $ 168,186 , respectively, for the six months ended June 30,
2023 and 2022.
Stock-based
compensation granted to members of the Company’s Board of Directors, officers and affiliates is described at Note 7.
A
summary of related party costs, including compensation under employment and consulting agreements and fees paid to non-officer directors
for their services on the Board of Directors, for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, is presented below.
Summary of Related Party Costs
2023
2022
2023
2022
Three Months Ended
June 30,
Six Months Ended
June 30,
2023
2022
2023
2022
Related party costs:
Cash-based
$ 242,501
$ 329,436
$ 485,001
$ 555,686
Stock-based
280,060
424,094
557,040
763,766
Total
$ 522,561
$ 753,530
$ 1,042,041
$ 1,319,452
Related
party costs
$ 522,561
$ 753,530
$ 1,042,041
$ 1,319,452
7.
Stock-Based Compensation
The
Company periodically issues common stock and stock options as incentive compensation to directors and as compensation for the services
of employees, contractors, and consultants of the Company.
On
July 14, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company adopted the 2020 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”), which was subsequently
approved by the stockholders of the Company. The 2020 Plan provides for the granting of equity-based awards, consisting of stock options,
restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, and other stock-based awards to employees, officers, directors and
consultants of the Company and its affiliates, initially for a total of 233,333 shares of the Company’s common stock, under terms
and conditions as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors. On October 7, 2022, the stockholders of the Company approved
an amendment to the 2020 Plan to increase the number of common shares issuable thereunder by 180,000 shares, to a total of 413,333 shares.
As
of June 30, 2023, unexpired stock options for 300,313 shares were issued and outstanding under the 2020 Plan and 113,020 shares were
available for issuance under the 2020 Plan.
The
fair value of a stock option award is calculated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The risk-free interest
rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect as of the grant date. The expected dividend yield assumption is based on the
Company’s expectation of dividend payouts and is assumed to be zero. 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. 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 fair market value of the
common stock is determined by reference to the quoted market price of the common stock on the grant date.
For
stock options requiring an assessment of value during the six months ended June 30, 2023, the fair value of each stock option award was
estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions:
Schedule of Fair Value of Each Option Award Estimated Assumption
Risk-free interest rate
4.565 %
Expected dividend yield
0 %
Expected volatility
138.05 %
Expected life
3.5 years
19
For
stock options requiring an assessment of value during the six months ended June 30, 2022, the fair value of each stock option award was
estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions:
Risk-free interest rate
3.03 %
Expected dividend yield
0 %
Expected volatility
153.17 %
Expected life
3.5 years
On
July 15, 2020, as amended on August 12, 2020, in connection with the employment agreement entered into with Eric J. Forman, Mr. Forman
was granted stock options to purchase 5,833 shares of the Company’s common stock. The options can be exercised on a cashless basis.
The options are exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $71.40 per share, which was equal to the closing market
price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. The options vested 25% on August 12, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively,
with the final 25% vesting on August 12, 2023, subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant
to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $ 400,855 ($ 68.718 per share), of which $ 100,214 was attributable to the
portion of the stock options fully vested on August 12, 2020 and was therefore charged to operations on that date. The remaining unvested
portion of the fair value of the stock options is being charged to operations ratably from August 12, 2020 through August 12, 2023. During
the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement
of operations of $ 24,985 and $ 24,985 , respectively, with respect to these stock options. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and
2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $ 49,695 and $ 49,695 ,
respectively, with respect to these stock options .
On
August 1, 2020, in connection with an employment agreement entered into with Dr. James S. Miser, M.D., Dr. Miser was granted stock options
to purchase 8,333 shares of the Company’s common stock. The options can be exercised on a cashless basis. The options are exercisable
for a period of five years at an exercise price of $ 71.40 per share, which was equal to the closing market price of the Company’s
common stock on the effective date of the employment agreement. The options vested 25% on August 1, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively,
with the final 25% vesting on August 1, 2023, subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant
to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $ 572,650 ($ 68.718 per share), of which $ 143,163 was attributable to the
portion of the stock options fully vested on August 1, 2020 and was therefore charged to operations on that date. The remaining unvested
portion of the fair value of the stock options is being charged to operations ratably from August 1, 2020 through August 1, 2023. During
the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement
of operations of $ 35,693 and $ 35,693 , respectively, with respect to these stock options. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and
2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $ 70,993 and $ 70,993 ,
respectively, with respect to these stock options .
On
August 12, 2020, in connection with the employment agreement entered into with Robert N. Weingarten, Mr. Weingarten was granted stock
options to purchase 5,833 shares of the Company’s common stock. The options can be exercised on a cashless basis. The options are
exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $ 71.40 per share, which was equal to the closing market price of the Company’s
common stock on the grant date. The options vested 25% on August 12, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the final 25% vesting on
August 12, 2023, subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing
model, was determined to be $ 400,855 ($ 68.718 per share), of which $ 100,214 was attributable to the portion of the stock options fully
vested on August 12, 2020 and was therefore charged to operations on that date. The remaining unvested portion of the fair value of the
stock options is being charged to operations ratably from August 12, 2020 through August 12, 2023. During the three months ended June
30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $ 24,985
and $ 24,985 , respectively, with respect to these stock options. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded
charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $ 49,695 and $ 49,695 , respectively, with respect
to these stock options .
On
April 9, 2021, the Board of Directors appointed Gil Schwartzberg to fill the vacancy created by a former director’s resignation.
In connection with his appointment to the Board of Directors, and in accordance with the Company’s cash and equity compensation
package for members of the Board of Directors, Mr. Schwartzberg was granted stock options to purchase 25,000 shares of the Company’s
common stock, exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $ 32.00 per share (the closing market price on the grant
date), vesting 50% on the grant date and the remainder vesting 12.5% on the last day of each subsequent calendar quarter-end until fully
vested, subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing
model, was determined to be $ 753,611 ($ 30.144 per share), of which $ 376,800 was attributable to the portion of the stock options fully
vested on April 9, 2021 and was therefore charged to operations on that date. The remaining unvested portion of the fair value of the
stock options was being charged to operations ratably from April 9, 2021 through June 30, 2023. However, vesting of these stock options
terminated on October 30, 2022, the date that Mr. Schwartzberg died. During the three months and six months ended June 30, 2022, the
Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $ 42,228 and $ 83,992 , respectively,
with respect to these stock options .
20
On
May 11, 2021, the Board of Directors appointed Regina Brown to the Board of Directors. In connection with her appointment to the Board
of Directors, and in accordance with the Company’s cash and equity compensation package for members of the Board of Directors,
Ms. Brown was granted stock options to purchase 25,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, exercisable for a period of five years
at an exercise price of $ 28.00 per share (the closing market price on the grant date), vesting 50% on the grant date and the remainder
vesting 12.5% on the last day of each subsequent calendar quarter-end until fully vested, subject to continued service. The fair value
of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $ 658,363 ($ 26.335 per
share), of which $ 329,188 was attributable to the portion of the stock options fully vested on May 11, 2021 and was therefore charged
to operations on that date. The remaining unvested portion of the fair value of the stock options was charged to operations ratably from
May 11, 2021 through June 30, 2023. During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and
administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $ 38,405 and $ 38,405 , respectively, with respect to these stock options.
During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated
statement of operations of $ 76,388 and $ 76,388 , respectively, with respect to these stock options.
On
June 30, 2021, the Board of Directors, in accordance with the Company’s cash and equity compensation package for members of the
Board of Directors, granted to each of the five non-officer directors of the Company stock options to purchase 10,000 shares (a total
of 50,000 shares) of the Company’s common stock, exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $ 30.30 per share
(the closing market price on the grant date), vesting 12.5% on the last day of each subsequent calendar quarter-end until fully vested,
subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model,
was determined to be $ 1,421,095 ($ 28.423 per share), which was charged to operations ratably from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023.
During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated
statement of operations of $ 106,290 and $ 177,150 , respectively, with respect to these stock options. During the six months ended June
30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $ 211,412
and $ 352,355 , respectively, with respect to these stock options .
On
June 17, 2022, the Board of Directors appointed Bas van der Baan to the Board of Directors. In connection with his appointment to the
Board of Directors, and in accordance with the Company’s cash and equity compensation package for members of the Board of Directors,
Mr. Baan was granted stock options to purchase 25,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, exercisable for a period of five years
at an exercise price of $ 7.40 per share (the closing market price on the grant date), vesting 50% on the grant date and the remainder
vesting 12.5% on the last day of each subsequent calendar quarter-end until fully vested, subject to continued service. The fair value
of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $ 158,525 ($ 6.341 per share),
of which $ 79,263 was attributable to the portion of the stock options fully vested on June 17, 2022 and was therefore charged to operations
on that date. The remaining unvested portion of the fair value of the stock options is being charged to operations ratably from June
17, 2022 through June 30, 2024. During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative
costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $ 9,695 and $ 80,647 , respectively, with respect to these stock options. During the
six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement
of operations of $ 19,284 and $ 80,647 , respectively, with respect to these stock options.
On
June 30, 2022, the Board of Directors, in accordance with the Company’s cash and equity compensation package for members of the
Board of Directors, granted to each of the five non-officer directors of the Company stock options to purchase 10,000 shares (a total
of 50,000 shares) of the Company’s common stock, exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $7.40 per share
(the closing market price on the grant date), vesting 12.5% on the last day of each subsequent calendar quarter-end until fully vested,
subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model,
was determined to be $ 316,700 ($ 6.334 per share), which is being charged to operations ratably from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024.
During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated
statement of operations of $23,655 and $0, respectively, with respect to these stock options. During the six months ended June 30, 2023
and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $ 47,049 and
$ 0 , respectively, with respect to these stock options.
21
On
November 6, 2022, the Board of Directors granted to each of the four officers of the Company stock options to purchase 20,000 shares
(a total of 80,000 shares) of the Company’s common stock, exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $ 20.00
per share, vesting 25 % on issuance and 25 % on each anniversary date thereafter until fully vested, subject to continued service. The
total fair value of the 80,000 stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be
$ 262,560 ($ 3.282 per share), which is being charged to operations ratably from November 6, 2022 through November 6, 2025. During the
three months and six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company recorded a total charge to general and administrative costs in the consolidated
statement of operations of $ 16,352 and $ 32,524 , respectively, with respect to these stock options.
On
November 6, 2022, the Company issued a stock option, in the form of a warrant, to BioPharmaWorks to purchase 10,000 shares of the Company’s
common stock, which was fully vested upon issuance and is exercisable for a period of five years at $ 5.025 per share (the closing market
price on the issue date). The fair value of the warrant, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined
to be $ 43,264 ($ 4.326 per share) and was charged to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations on that
date.
On
June 30, 2023, the Board of Directors, in accordance with the Company’s cash and equity compensation package for members of the
Board of Directors, granted to each of the four non-officer directors of the Company stock options to purchase 10,000 shares (a total
of 40,000 shares) of the Company’s common stock, exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $ 5.88 per share
(the closing market price on the grant date), vesting 12.5 % on the last day of each subsequent calendar quarter-end until fully vested,
subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model,
was determined to be $ 192,593 ($ 4.8131 per share), which is being charged to operations ratably from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025.
During the three months and six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company did not record a charge to operations with respect to these stock
options.
Dr.
Philip Palmedo, a director of the Company since 2006, did not stand for re-election to the Company’s Board of Directors at the
Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on October 7, 2022, and Gil Schwartzberg, a director of the Company, died on October
30, 2022. Accordingly, the unvested stock options for each such person ceased vesting effective as of the respective dates that their
service on the Company’s Board of Directors terminated. Furthermore, the expiration date of all vested stock options owned by such
persons are contractually scheduled to expire one year from the respective dates that their service on the Company’s Board of Directors
terminated.
A
summary of stock-based compensation costs for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 is as follows:
Summary of Stock-based Compensation Costs
2023
2022
2023
2022
Three Months Ended
Six Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
2023
2022
2023
2022
Related parties
$ 280,060
$ 424,094
$ 557,040
$ 763,766
Non-related parties
—
—
—
—
Total stock-based compensation costs
$ 280,060
$ 424,094
$ 557,040
$ 763,766
A
summary of stock option activity, including options issued in the form of warrants, during the six months ended June 30, 2023 is as follows:
Summary of Stock Option Activity Including Options Form of Warrants
Number of Shares
Weighted Average
Exercise
Price
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life
(in Years)
Stock options outstanding at December 31, 2022
389,479
$ 29.1826
Granted
40,000
5.8800
Exercised
( 1,250 )
5.0250
Expired
—
—
Stock options outstanding at June 30, 2023
428,229
$ 27.0764
2.77
Stock options exercisable at December 31, 2022
281,979
$ 32.8335
Stock options exercisable at June 30, 2023
301,979
$ 31.9708
2.75
22
Total
deferred compensation expense for the outstanding value of unvested stock options was approximately $ 517,000 at June 30, 2023, which
will be recognized subsequent to June 30, 2023 over a weighted-average period of approximately 21 months.
The
exercise prices of common stock options outstanding and exercisable, including options issued in the form of warrants, at June 30, 2023
are as follows:
Schedule of Exercise Prices of Common Stock Options Outstanding and Exercisable Including Options Form of Warrants
Exercise
Prices
Options
Outstanding
(Shares)
Options
Exercisable
(Shares)
$ 5.025
8,750
8,750
$ 5.880
40,000
—
$ 7.400
57,500
36,250
$ 16.800
3,333
3,333
$ 20.000
80,000
20,000
$ 20.600
20,000
20,000
$ 28.000
25,000
25,000
$ 30.000
66,667
66,667
$ 30.300
42,500
42,500
$ 32.000
20,313
20,313
$ 32.100
15,000
15,000
$ 60.000
16,667
16,667
$ 66.000
4,167
4,167
$ 71.400
20,000
15,000
$ 120.000
8,332
8,332
428,229
301,979
The
intrinsic value of exercisable but unexercised in-the-money stock options at June 30, 2023 was approximately $ 7,500 , based on a fair
market value of $ 5.88 per share on June 30, 2023.
Outstanding
stock options to acquire 126,250 shares of the Company’s common stock had not vested at June 30, 2023.
The
Company expects to satisfy such stock obligations through the issuance of authorized but unissued shares of common stock.
8.
Income Taxes
During
the three months and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not record any provision for income taxes, as the Company
incurred losses during those periods. Deferred tax assets and liabilities reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between
the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The Company
has recorded a full valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets for all periods presented as the Company currently believes it
is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
9.
Commitments and Contingencies
Legal
Claims
The
Company may be subject to legal claims and actions from time to time as part of its business activities. As of June 30, 2023 and December
31, 2022, the Company was not subject to any pending or threatened legal claims or actions.
23
Principal
Commitments
Clinical
Trial Agreements
At
June 30, 2023, the Company’s remaining contractual commitments pursuant to clinical trial agreements and clinical trial monitoring
agreements not yet incurred, as described below, aggregated $ 6,389,000 , which are currently scheduled to be incurred through approximately
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 is reached. 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.
Moffitt.
Effective August 20, 2018, the Company entered into a five-year Clinical Trial Research Agreement with the Moffitt Cancer Center
and Research Institute Hospital Inc., Tampa, Florida. Pursuant to the Clinical Trial Research Agreement, Moffitt agreed to conduct and
manage a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial to evaluate the toxicity and 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
to conduct a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial to evaluate the toxicity and 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 utilized 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.
During
the three months ended June 30, 2023, the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial at the Moffitt Cancer Center evaluating LB-100 in patients with MDS
was closed by the principal investigator. In this clinical trial, single agent LB-100 was used on a new schedule of days 1, 3, and 5
every 3 weeks. It was determined that patients found it too challenging to go for an infusion given on this schedule. The Company is
not employing this schedule in its other clinical trials. Although the Maximally Tolerated Dose (MTD) was not achieved, there was no
dose-limiting toxicity on this schedule at doses that were even greater than those which were above the MTD in the Phase 1 clinical trial
of LB-100 on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday schedule.
During
the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $ 6,000 and $ 6,073 , respectively, pursuant to this agreement,
which have been included in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. During the six
months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $ 12,000 and $ 9,405 , respectively, pursuant to this agreement, which
have been included in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of June 30, 2023,
total costs of $ 143,074 have been incurred pursuant to this agreement. Nominal trailing costs subsequent to June 30, 2023 are expected
relating to the closure of this study.
The
Company has decided not to pursue further studies in MDS, as other opportunities in much more common diseases have become available.
For example, the Company is now focusing on documenting clear-cut potentiation of cytotoxic treatment as in the ongoing study of advanced
soft tissue sarcoma and small cell lung cancer. In addition, new pre-clinical data demonstrate the potentiation of immunotherapy by LB-100
in other common cancers.
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.
24
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 is to enter approximately 150 to 170 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.
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.
In
order to manufacture a new inventory supply of LB-100 for the GEIS clinical trial, the Company 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 included
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 was then transferred to a vendor that prepares the clinical drug product, also under
GMP conditions documented by an independent auditor. The clinical drug product was 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 was submitted to the appropriate regulatory
authorities for review and approval before being used in a clinical trial.
As
of June 30, 2023, this program to provide new inventory of the clinical drug product for the Spanish Sarcoma Group study, and potentially
for subsequent multiple trials within the European Union, had cost approximately $ 1,144,000 . Although the production of new inventory
has been completed, nominal trailing costs subsequent to June 30, 2023 are expected to be incurred.
On
October 13, 2022, the Company announced that the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Agencia Española de Medicamentos
y Productos Sanitarios or “AEMPS”) had authorized a Phase 1b/randomized Phase 2 study of LB-100, the Company’s lead
clinical compound, plus doxorubicin, versus doxorubicin alone, the global standard for initial treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas
(ASTS). Consequently, the GEIS clinical trial commenced during the quarter ending June 30, 2023 and is expected to be completed by December
31, 2025. In April 2023, GEIS completed its first site initiation visit in preparation for the clinical trial at Fundación Jiménez
Díaz University Hospital (Madrid). Up to 170 patents will be entered into the clinical trial. The Phase 1b section of the protocol
is expected to be completed by June 30, 2024, at which time the Company expects to have data on both response and toxicity from this
portion of the clinical trial.
The
interim analysis of this clinical trial will be done before full accrual of patients is completed to determine whether the study has
the possibility of showing superiority of the combination of LB-100 plus doxorubicin 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.
During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $ 268,829 and $ 0 , respectively, pursuant to this agreement.
During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $ 268,829 and $ 0 , respectively, pursuant to this agreement.
Such costs, when incurred, are included in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Through June 30, 2023, the Company has paid GEIS an aggregate of $ 684,652 for work done under this agreement through the fourth milestone.
The
Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $ 3,536,000
as of June 30, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through December 31, 2025. As the work 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. Such fluctuations
are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations as foreign currency gain or loss, as appropriate.
25
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. However, as
patient accrual was slower than expected, the Company has been seeking to add two additional sites to increase the rate of patient accrual.
Effective March 6, 2023, the Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI), Nashville, Tennessee, joined the City of Hope’s ongoing Phase
1b clinical trial. The Company is continuing its efforts to add a third site. The addition of SCRI is expected to expedite and expand
the accrual of patients to this clinical trial, thus reducing the time required to demonstrate the feasibility, tolerability and efficacy
of adding LB-100 to the current standard treatment regimen. With the addition of SCRI, the Company currently expects that this clinical
trial will be completed by December 31, 2024.
During
the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not incur any costs pursuant to this agreement. During the six months
ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $ 69,001 and $ 0 , respectively, pursuant to this agreement, which are included
in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of June 30, 2023, total costs of $ 447,512
have been incurred 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 June 30, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through December 31, 2024. 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. If a significant improvement in outcome is seen with the addition of LB-100, this would be an important advance in the treatment
of a very aggressive disease.
Theradex.
On June 22, 2023, the Company finalized a work order agreement with Theradex Systems, Inc. (“Theradex”), an international
contract research organization (“CRO”), to conduct a Phase I/II randomized trial of LB-100 plus doxorubicin vs. doxorubicin
alone in first line of advanced soft tissue sarcomas. The study is expected to be completed by December 31, 2025.
Costs
under this work order agreement are estimated to be approximately $ 153,000 , with such payments expected to be allocated approximately
72 % to Theradex for services and approximately 28 % for payments for pass-through software costs. During the three months and six months
ended June 30, 2023, the Company incurred costs of $ 6,250 pursuant to this work order. As of June 30, 2023, total costs of $ 6,250 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 $ 153,000 as of June 30, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through December 31, 2025.
National
Cancer Institute Pharmacologic Clinical Trial. In May 2019, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) initiated a glioblastoma (GBM) pharmacologic
clinical trial. This study is being conducted and funded by the NCI under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, with the
Company responsible for providing the LB-100 clinical compound.
26
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 was 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. As a result of the innovative design of the NCI study, data from a 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. Five patients have been entered and analysis of the blood and tissue has proceeded. If there is evidence in at least two of
the patients of penetration of LB 100 into tumor tissue, the study will be deemed as successful. Results of this study are currently
being reviewed by NCI and a report is expected by the end of 2023.
Clinical
Trial Monitoring Agreements
Moffitt.
On September 12, 2018, the Company finalized a work order agreement with Theradex (“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.
The
costs of the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial being paid to or through Theradex have been recorded and charged to operations based on periodic
documentation provided by the CRO. During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $ 10,997 and $ 4,558 ,
respectively, pursuant to this work order. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $ 20,284
and $ 7,839 , respectively, pursuant to this work order. As of June 30, 2023, total costs of $ 147,572 have been incurred pursuant to this
work order agreement.
During
the three months ended June 30, 2023, concurrent with the closure of the Company’s Clinical Trial Research Agreement with Moffitt,
this work order agreement with Theradex to monitor the Clinical Trial Research Agreement with Moffitt was similarly suspended, although
nominal oversight trailing costs subsequent to June 30, 2023 are expected to be incurred relating to the closure of the Moffitt study.
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. Costs under this
work order agreement are estimated to be approximately $ 335,000 . During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred
costs of $ 5,687 and $ 11,235 , respectively, pursuant to this work order. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company
incurred costs of $ 11,240 and $ 15,735 , respectively, pursuant to this work order. As of June 30, 2023, total costs of $ 69,681 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 $ 267,000 as of June 30, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through December 31, 2025.
27
Patent
and License Agreements
Moffitt.
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
was 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 three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to operations of $ 6,233 and
$ 6,233 , respectively, in connection with its obligations under the License Agreement. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022,
the Company recorded charges to operations of $ 12,398 and $ 12,398 , respectively, in connection with its obligations under the License
Agreement. As of June 30, 2023, 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 (see Note 6). 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 additional one-year periods in July and August 2021 and 2022.
On
April 9, 2021, the Board of Directors increased the annual compensation of Eric J. Forman, Dr. James S. Miser, and Robert N. Weingarten
under the employment agreements, such that the total aggregate annual compensation of all officers increased to $ 775,000 , effective May
1, 2021.
Effective
November 6, 2022, Mr. Forman was promoted to Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, with an annual salary of $ 200,000 . In addition,
Mr. Forman is being provided an office allowance of approximately $ 1,500 per month through December 31, 2023.
The
total aggregate annual compensation of all officers increased to $ 800,000 , effective November 6, 2022, which has continued through June
30, 2023.
Other
Significant Agreements and Contracts
NDA
Consulting Corp. 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 $ 4,000 and $ 4,000 for the three months
ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $ 8,000 and $ 8,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, which were included
in research and development costs in the consolidated statements of operations.
BioPharmaWorks .
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, assisting the Company to commercialize
its products and strengthen its patent portfolio; identifying large pharmaceutical companies with a potential interest in the Company’s
product pipeline; assisting in preparing technical presentations concerning the Company’s products; consultation in drug discovery
and development; and identifying providers and overseeing tasks relating to clinical development of new compounds.
28
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 (see Note 7). The Company recorded
charges to operations pursuant to this Collaboration Agreement of $ 30,000 and $ 30,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022,
respectively, and $ 60,000 and $ 60,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which were included in research
and development costs in the consolidated statements of operations.
Netherlands
Cancer Institute . On October 8, 2021, the Company entered into a Development Collaboration Agreement with the Netherlands Cancer
Institute, Amsterdam (see Note 6), 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 three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred charges in the amount
of $ 53,178 and $ 48,886 , respectively, with respect to this agreement, which amounts are included in research and development costs in
the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred charges
in the amount of $ 105,381 and $ 103,116 , respectively, with respect to this agreement, which amounts are included in research and development
costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of June 30, 2023, total costs of $ 364,788 have been incurred pursuant
to this agreement. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled
approximately $ 53,000 as of June 30, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through June 30, 2025. As the work 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.
MRI
Global. The Company has contracted with MRI Global for stability analysis, storage and distribution of LB-100 for clinical trials
in the United States. On June 10, 2022, the contract was amended to reflect a new total contract price of $ 273,980 for services to be
rendered through April 30, 2023. Effective April 17, 2023, the contract was further amended to reflect a new total contract price of
$ 326,274 for services to be rendered through April 30, 2024. During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred
costs of $ 4,010 and $ 19,597 , respectively, pursuant to this contract. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company
incurred costs of $ 7,183 and $ 20,353 , respectively, pursuant to this work order. As of June 30, 2023, total costs of $ 225,924 have been
incurred pursuant to this contract.
The
Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this contract, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $ 100,000
as of June 30, 2023.
External
Risks Associated with the Company’s Business Activities
Covid-19
Virus . The global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in early 2020 led to disruptions in general economic activities throughout
the world as businesses and governments implemented broad actions to mitigate this public health crisis. The extent to which the coronavirus
pandemic may reappear and impact the Company’s clinical trial programs and capital raising efforts in the future is uncertain and
cannot be predicted.
Inflation
Risk. The Company does not believe that inflation has had a material effect on its operations to date, other than its impact on the
general economy. However, there is a risk that the Company’s operating costs could become subject to inflationary and interest
rate pressures in the future, which would have the effect of increasing the Company’s operating costs (including, specifically,
clinical trial costs), and which would put additional stress on the Company’s working capital resources.
Supply
Chain Issues. The Company does not currently expect that supply chain issues will have a significant impact on its business activities,
including its ongoing clinical trials.
29
Potential
Recession. There are various indications that the United States economy may be entering a recessionary period. Although unclear at
this time, an economic recession would likely impact the general business environment and the capital markets, which could, in turn,
affect the Company.
The
Company is continuing to monitor these matters and will adjust its current business and financing plans as more information and guidance
become available.
10.
Subsequent Events
The
Company performed an evaluation of subsequent events through the date of filing of these condensed consolidated financial statements
with the SEC. Other than those matters described below, there were no material subsequent events which affected, or could affect, the
amounts or disclosures in the condensed consolidated financial statements.
Sale
of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Common Stock Purchase Warrants, and Common Stock Purchase Warrants; Exercise of Pre-Funded Common Stock Purchase
Warrants
On
July 20, 2023, in a registered direct offering to an institutional investor, the Company sold 180,000 shares of common stock at a purchase
price of $ 6.00 per share and pre-funded warrants to purchase 403,334 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $ 5.9999 per pre-funded
warrant. Each pre-funded warrant had an exercise price of $ 0.0001 per share, was immediately exercisable upon issuance, and was valid and
exercisable until all pre-funded warrants are exercised in full.
In
a concurrent private placement to the institutional investor, the Company also sold warrants to purchase 583,334 shares of common stock.
Each common warrant had an initial exercise price of $ 6.00 per share, was immediately exercisable upon issuance, and expires five years
thereafter on July 20, 2028. The common warrants and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the common warrants were not
registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and were offered pursuant to the exemption
provided in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act and Rule 506(b) promulgated thereunder.
The
registered direct offering and the concurrent private placement generated gross proceeds of approximately $ 3,500,000 . The total cash
costs of the registered direct offering and the private placement were approximately $ 375,000 , resulting in net proceeds of approximately
$ 3,125,000 . Pursuant to the placement agent agreement, the Company granted to the placement agent warrants to purchase 35,000 shares
of common stock at an exercise price of $ 6.60 per share and expiring on July 20, 2028.
During
the period from July 24, 2023 through August 7, 2023, the 403,334
pre-funded warrants exercisable at $ 0.0001
per share were exercised for total cash proceeds of $ 40 ,
resulting in the issuance of 403,334 shares of common stock.
30
ITEM
2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Forward-Looking
Statements
This
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) contains certain forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These might
include statements regarding the Company’s financial position, business strategy and other plans and objectives for future operations,
and assumptions and predictions about future clinical trials and their timing and costs, product demand, supply, manufacturing costs,
marketing and pricing factors are all forward-looking statements. These statements are generally accompanied by words such as “intend”,
“anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “potential(ly)”, “continue”, “forecast”,
“predict”, “plan”, “may”, “will”, “could”, “would”, “should”,
“expect” or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. The Company believes that the assumptions and expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, based on information available to it on the date hereof, but the Company
cannot provide assurances that these assumptions and expectations will prove to have been correct or that the Company will take any action
that the Company may presently be planning. These forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties.
Actual results or experience may differ materially from those expected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, regulatory policies or changes thereto, available
cash, research and development results, competition from other similar businesses, and market and general economic factors. This discussion
should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Item 1 of this Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, including the section
entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors”. The Company does not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect
new information, future events or otherwise.
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 corporate office is located in Pasadena, California.
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. The Company believes that inhibitors of protein phosphatases have broad therapeutic
potential not only for cancer but also for other debilitating and life-threatening diseases. The Company is directing its efforts on
clinical development of a specific protein phosphatase inhibitor, referred to as LB-100, which has been shown to have clinical anti-cancer
activity at doses that produce little or no toxicity.
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, does not have positive cash flows from operations, relies on stock-based compensation
for a substantial portion of employee and consultant compensation, and is dependent on periodic infusions of equity capital to fund its
operating requirements.
Reverse
Stock Split
On
June 2, 2023, the Company effected a 1-for-10 reverse split of its outstanding shares of common stock. No fractional shares were issued
in connection with the reverse split, with any fractional shares resulting from the reverse split being rounded up to the nearest whole
share.
All
share and per share amounts and information presented herein have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the reverse stock split for
all periods presented.
31
Recent
Developments
News
Release
On
July 17, 2023, the Company issued a news release announcing that a recently posted article in BioRxiv based on the results of a collaboration
between the Company and the Netherlands Cancer Institute, shows that inhibition of PP2A in colon cancer cells, using LIXTE’s lead
clinical compound LB-100, leads to major changes in the way cancer cells process their mRNAs.
Based
on this finding, the Company indicated that cancer cells are predicted to produce a significant number of aberrant proteins that can
be recognized by the immune system. This newly discovered mechanism, by which LB-100 turns immunologically “cold” tumors
“hot,” adds to several additional mechanisms that have recently been described through which LB-100 sensitizes cancer cells
to immune checkpoint blockade.
The
Company said the new research also shows that disruption of proper mRNA maturation induced by LB-100 leads to a reduced ability of the
cancer cells to deal with DNA damage. This finding concurs with multiple pre-clinical studies demonstrating synergy between LB-100 and
radiotherapy or different chemotherapies in various cancer models.
The
July 13, 2023 BioRxiv article, titled “PP2A Inhibition Instructs Spliceosome Phosphorylation to Create Splicing Vulnerability in
Colon Adenocarcinoma,” was authored by Dias et. al. from the Netherlands Cancer Institute, in a collaboration that the Company
initiated in 2021 with a team of scientists headed by René Bernards, a Professor of Molecular Carcinogenesis at the Netherlands
Cancer Institute and a member of the Company’s Board of Directors.
Sale of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Common Stock Purchase Warrants, and
Common Stock Purchase Warrants; Exercise of Pre-Funded Common Stock Purchase Warrants
On
July 20, 2023, in a registered direct offering to an institutional investor, the Company sold 180,000 shares of common stock at a purchase
price of $6.00 per share and pre-funded warrants to purchase 403,334 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $5.9999 per pre-funded
warrant. Each pre-funded warrant had an exercise price of $0.0001 per share, was immediately exercisable upon issuance, and was valid
and exercisable until all pre-funded warrants are exercised in full.
In
a concurrent private placement to the institutional investor, the Company also sold warrants to purchase 583,334 shares of common stock.
Each common warrant had an initial exercise price of $6.00 per share, was immediately exercisable upon issuance, and expires five years
thereafter on July 20, 2028. The common warrants and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the common warrants were not
registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and were offered pursuant to the exemption
provided in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act and Rule 506(b) promulgated thereunder.
The
registered direct offering and the concurrent private placement generated gross proceeds of approximately $3,500,000. The total cash
costs of the registered direct offering and the private placement were approximately $375,000, resulting in net proceeds of approximately
$3,125,000. Pursuant to the placement agent agreement, the Company granted to the placement agent warrants to purchase 35,000 shares
of common stock at an exercise price of $6.60 per share and expiring on July 20, 2028.
During
the period from July 24, 2023 through August 7, 2023, the 403,334 pre-funded warrants exercisable at $0.0001 per share were exercised
for total cash proceeds of $40, resulting in the issuance of 403,334 shares of common stock.
Going
Concern
At
June 30, 2023, the Company had cash of $2,912,920 available to fund its operations. Because the Company is currently engaged in various
early-stage 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 technology, product sales or other commercial activities, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to achieve and
maintain positive earnings and operating cash flows. At June 30, 2023, the Company’s remaining contractual commitments pursuant
to clinical trial agreements and clinical trial monitoring agreements not yet incurred aggregated $6,389,000 (see “Principal Commitments”
below), which are currently scheduled to be incurred through approximately December 31, 2025.
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 through
the recurring sale of its equity securities.
32
Based
on the foregoing, management has concluded that there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern
within one year after the date that the accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements are being issued. The Company’s
interim condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
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, design and results of the Company’s clinical trial program, which, in turn, depends on the
availability of operating capital to fund such activities.
Based
on current operating plans, the Company estimates that existing cash resources, together with the proceeds from the July 20, 2023 registered
direct offering and concurrent private placement, will provide sufficient working capital to fund the current clinical trial program
with respect to the development of the Company’s lead anti-cancer clinical compound LB-100 through approximately December 31, 2024.
However, existing cash resources will not be sufficient to complete the development of and obtain regulatory approval for the Company’s
product candidate, which will require that the Company raise significant additional capital. The Company estimates that it will need
to raise additional capital to fund its operations, including its various clinical trial commitments, no later than the latter half of
the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. However, the Company’s operating plans may change as a result of many factors that are
currently unknown and/or outside of the control of the Company, and additional funds may be needed sooner than planned.
As
market conditions present uncertainty as to the Company’s ability to secure additional funds, there can be no assurance that the
Company will be able to secure additional financing on acceptable terms, as and when necessary, to continue to conduct operations.
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 entirely.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
Information
with respect to recent accounting pronouncements is provided at Note 3 to the condensed consolidated financial statements for the three
months and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 included elsewhere in this document.
Concentration
of Risk
Information
with respect to concentration of risk is provided at Note 3 to the condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months and
six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 included elsewhere in this document.
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 the calculation
of accruals for clinical trial costs and other potential liabilities, valuing equity instruments issued for services, and the realization
of deferred tax assets.
33
The
following critical accounting policies affect the more significant judgements and estimates used in the preparation of the Company’s
consolidated financial statements.
Cash
Cash
is held in a cash bank deposit program maintained by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, a division of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
(“Morgan Stanley”). Morgan Stanley is a FINRA-regulated broker-dealer. The Company’s policy is to maintain its cash
balances with financial institutions with high credit ratings and in accounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the
“FDIC”) and/or by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (the “SIPC”). The Company periodically has cash
balances in financial institutions in excess of the FDIC and SIPC insurance limits of $250,000 and $500,000, respectively. Morgan Stanley
Wealth Management also maintains supplemental insurance coverage for the cash balances of its customers. The Company has not experienced
any losses to date resulting from this policy.
Segment
Information
The
Company operates and reports in one segment, which focuses on the utilization of biomarker technology to identify enzyme targets associated
with serious common diseases and then designing novel compounds to attack those targets. The Company’s operating segment is reported
in a manner consistent with the internal reporting provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker, which is the Company’s President,
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer.
Research
and Development
Research
and development costs consist primarily of fees paid to consultants and contractors, and other expenses relating to the negotiation,
design, development and management of clinical trials with respect to the Company’s clinical compound and product candidate. Research
and development costs also include the costs to manufacture the compounds used in research and clinical trials, which are charged to
operations as incurred. The Company’s inventory of LB-100 for clinical use has been manufactured separately in the United States
and in the European Union in accordance with the laws and regulations of such jurisdictions.
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 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 respective agreement. Obligations incurred with respect to mandatory scheduled payments under agreements without milestone provisions
are accounted for when due, are recognized ratably over the appropriate period, as specified in the respective 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 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 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 various clinical trial and research
and development contracts on a quarterly basis.
34
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 three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs related to the development and protection
of its intellectual property were $340,010 and $358,389, respectively, a decrease of $18,379, or 5.1% in 2023, as compared to 2022. During
the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs related to the development and protection
of its intellectual property were $657,350 and $673,626, respectively, a decrease of $16,276, or 2.4% in 2023, as compared to 2022.
In
late 2021, the Company engaged a new patent law firm that is highly regarded for its expertise in biotechnology. This firm conducted
a comprehensive analysis of the Company’s extensive patent portfolio in order to implement a program to maximize intellectual property
protection, both domestically and internationally. As a result, several patents were filed in 2022, reflecting potential new uses of
the Company’s lead clinical compound LB-100 in cancer therapy. The Company expects that patent and licensing legal and filing fees
and costs will remain relatively stable for the remainder of 2023 as compared to 2022, as the Company continues to focus on efforts to
expand clinical programs to analyze various potential uses for LB-100 and to develop and expand its patent portfolio related to the clinical
development of LB-100.
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” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
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.
35
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 is focusing its development activities on its LB-100 series of drugs. 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. The Company is not currently planning to allocate resources to further develop its LB-200 series
of drugs,
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 has decided not to actively pursue
the pre-clinical development of the LB-200 series of compounds. At this time, the Company intends to only maintain composition and synthesis
patents on the LB-200 series of compounds in the United States.
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.
36
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.
External
Risks Associated with the Company’s Business Activities
Covid-19
Virus . The global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in early 2020 led to disruptions in general economic activities throughout
the world as businesses and governments implemented broad actions to mitigate this public health crisis. The extent to which the coronavirus
pandemic may reappear and impact the Company’s clinical trial programs and capital raising efforts in the future is uncertain and
cannot be predicted.
Inflation
Risk. The Company does not believe that inflation has had a material effect on its operations to date, other than its impact on the
general economy. However, there is a risk that the Company’s operating costs could become subject to inflationary and interest
rate pressures in the future, which would have the effect of increasing the Company’s operating costs (including, specifically,
clinical trial costs), and which would put additional stress on the Company’s working capital resources.
Supply
Chain Issues. The Company does not currently expect that supply chain issues will have a significant impact on its business activities,
including its ongoing clinical trials.
Potential
Recession. There are various indications that the United States economy may be entering a recessionary period. Although unclear at
this time, an economic recession would likely impact the general business environment and the capital markets, which could, in turn,
affect the Company.
The
Company is continuing to monitor these matters and will adjust its current business and financing plans as more information and guidance
become available.
Results
of Operations
At
June 30, 2023, 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 condensed consolidated statements of operations as discussed herein are presented below.
Three Months Ended
Six Months Ended
June 30,
June 30,
2023
2022
2023
2022
Revenues
$ —
$ —
$ —
$ —
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative costs:
Compensation to related parties
522,561
753,530
1,042,041
1,319,452
Patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs
340,010
358,389
657,350
673,626
Other costs and expenses
379,970
269,281
724,212
584,023
Research and development costs
427,457
164,810
616,542
623,261
Total costs and expenses
1,669,998
1,546,010
3,040,145
3,200,362
Loss from operations
(1,669,998 )
(1,546,010 )
(3,040,145 )
(3,200,362 )
Interest income
2,714
191
7,729
300
Interest expense
(1,948 )
(627 )
(5,809 )
(3,121 )
Foreign currency gain (loss)
877
142
2,211
(39 )
Net loss
$ (1,668,355 )
$ (1,546,304 )
$ (3,036,014 )
$ (3,203,222 )
Net loss per common share – basic and diluted
$ (1.00 )
$ (0.95 )
$ (1.82 )
$ (2.14 )
Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic and diluted
1,665,956
1,620,091
1,665,479
1,498,076
37
Three
Months Ended June 30, 2023 and 2022
Revenues .
The Company did not have any revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022.
General
and Administrative Costs . For the three months ended June 30, 2023, general and administrative costs were $1,242,541, which consisted
of the fair value of vested stock options issued to directors and officers of $280,060, patent and licensing legal and filing fees and
costs of $340,010, other consulting and professional fees of $159,361, insurance expense of $104,151, officer salaries and related costs
of $216,248, cash-based director and board committee fees of $42,501, licensing fees of $6,233, shareholder reporting costs of $57,350,
listing fees of $15,500, filing fees of $3,470, taxes and licenses of $3,769, investor relations of $9,372, and other operating costs
of $4,516.
For
the three months ended June 30, 2022, general and administrative costs were $1,381,200, which consisted of the fair value of vested stock
options issued to directors and officers of $424,094, patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs of $358,389, other consulting
and professional fees of $97,740, insurance expense of $117,135, officer salaries and related costs of $209,622, cash-based director
and board committee fees of $135,686, licensing fees of $6,233, shareholder reporting costs of $3,370, listing fees of $14,875, filing
fees of $3,088, taxes and licenses of $4,069, investor relations of $2,452, and other operating costs of $7,447.
General
and administrative costs decreased by $138,659, or 10.0%, in 2023 as compared to 2022, primarily as a result of a decrease in the fair
value of vested stock options issued to directors and officers of $144,034, a decrease in patent and licensing legal and filing fees
and costs of $18,379, a decrease in cash-based director and board committee fees of $93,185, offset by increases in other consulting
and professional fees of $61,621 and an increase in transfer agent and other shareholder reporting costs of $53,980.
Research
and Development Costs . For the three months ended June 30, 2023, research and development costs were $427,457, which consisted of
clinical and related oversight costs of $297,763, regulatory service costs of $1,740, and pre-clinical research focused on development
of additional novel anti-cancer compounds to add to the Company’s clinical pipeline of $127,954.
For
the three months ended June 30, 2022, research and development costs were $164,810, which consisted of contractor costs incurred in connection
with the synthesis work done to develop a new supply of LB-100 for the Spanish clinical trial of $18,774, clinical and related oversight
costs of $21,865, regulatory service costs of $360, and pre-clinical research focused on development of additional novel anti-cancer
compounds to add to the Company’s clinical pipeline of $123,811.
Included
in pre-clinical research costs for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 were $53,178 and $48,886, respectively, of costs paid
to the Netherlands Cancer Institute, which employs Dr. René Bernards, a director of the Company since June 15, 2022. On October
8, 2021, the Company entered into a Development Collaboration Agreement with the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, 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 (see “Principal Commitments – Other
Significant Agreements and Contracts – Netherlands Cancer Institute” below).
Research
and development costs increased by $262,647, or 159.4%, in 2023 as compared to 2022, primarily as a result of an increase in clinical
and related oversight costs of $275,898.
38
Interest
Income . For the three months ended June 30, 2023, the Company had interest income of $2,714, as compared to interest income of $191
for the three months ended June 30, 2022, related to the investment of funds generated by the Company’s financing activities.
Interest
Expense . For the three months ended June 30, 2023, the Company had interest expense of $1,948, as compared to interest expense of
$627 for the three months ended June 30, 2022, related to the financing of the premium for the Company’s directors and officers
liability insurance policy.
Foreign
Currency Loss . For the three months ended June 30, 2023, the Company had a foreign currency gain of $877, as compared to a foreign
currency gain of $142 for the three months ended June 30, 2022, from foreign currency transactions.
Net
Loss . For the three months ended June 30, 2023, the Company incurred a net loss of $1,668,355, as compared to a net loss of $1,546,304
for the three months ended June 30, 2022.
Six
Months Ended June 30, 2023 and 2022
Revenues .
The Company did not have any revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022.
General
and Administrative Costs . For the six months ended June 30, 2023, general and administrative costs were $2,423,603, which consisted
of the fair value of vested stock options issued to directors and officers of $557,040, patent and licensing legal and filing fees and
costs of $657,350, other consulting and professional fees of $329,946, insurance expense of $208,305, officer salaries and related costs
of $432,603, cash-based director and board committee fees of $85,001, licensing fees of $12,398, shareholder reporting costs of $60,896,
listing fees of $31,000, filing fees of $10,195, taxes and licenses of $7,538, investor relations of $22,344, and other operating costs
of $8,987.
For
the six months ended June 30, 2022, general and administrative costs were $2,577,101, which consisted of the fair value of vested stock
options issued to directors and officers of $763,766, patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs of $673,626, other consulting
and professional fees of $235,455, insurance expense of $234,270, officer salaries and related costs of $420,489, cash-based director
and board committee fees of $168,186, licensing fees of $12,398, shareholder reporting costs of $6,324, listing fees of $29,750, filing
fees of $8,412, taxes and licenses of $8,138, investor relations of $4,849, and other operating costs of $11,438.
General
and administrative costs decreased by $153,498, or 6.0%, in 2023 as compared to 2022, primarily as a result of a decrease in the fair
value of vested stock options issued to directors and officers of $206,726, a decrease in patent and licensing legal and filing fees
and costs of $16,276, a decrease in cash-based director and board committee fees of $83,185, offset by increases in other consulting
and professional fees of $94,491 and an increase in transfer agent and other shareholder reporting costs of $54,572.
Research
and Development Costs . For the six months ended June 30, 2023, research and development costs were $616,542, which consisted of clinical
and related oversight costs of $393,892, regulatory service costs of $7,819, and pre-clinical research focused on development of additional
novel anti-cancer compounds to add to the Company’s clinical pipeline of $214,831.
For
the six months ended June 30, 2022, research and development costs were $623,261, which consisted of contractor costs incurred in connection
with the synthesis work done to develop a new supply of LB-100 for the Spanish clinical trial of $351,488, clinical and related oversight
costs of $32,978, regulatory service costs of $360, and pre-clinical research focused on development of additional novel anti-cancer
compounds to add to the Company’s clinical pipeline of $238,435.
Included
in pre-clinical research costs for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 were $105,382 and $103,116, respectively, of costs paid
to the Netherlands Cancer Institute, which employs Dr. René Bernards, a director of the Company since June 15, 2022. On October
8, 2021, the Company entered into a Development Collaboration Agreement with the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, 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 (see “Principal Commitments – Other
Significant Agreements and Contracts – Netherlands Cancer Institute” below).
39
Research
and development costs decreased by $6,719, or 1.1%, in 2023 as compared to 2022, primarily as a result of a decrease in contractor costs
incurred in connection with the synthesis work done to develop a new supply of LB-100 for the Spanish clinical trial of $351,488, offset
by an increase in clinical and related oversight costs of $360,914.
Interest
Income . For the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company had interest income of $7,729, as compared to interest income of $300
for the six months ended June 30, 2022, related to the investment of funds generated by the Company’s financing activities.
Interest
Expense . For the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company had interest expense of $5,809, as compared to interest expense of $3,121
for the six months ended June 30, 2022, related to the financing of the premium for the Company’s directors and officers liability
insurance policy.
Foreign
Currency Loss . For the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company had a foreign currency gain of $2,211, as compared to a foreign
currency loss of $39 for the six months ended June 30, 2022, from foreign currency transactions.
Net
Loss . For the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company incurred a net loss of $3,036,014, as compared to a net loss of $3,203,222
for the six months ended June 30, 2022.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources – June 30, 2023
The
Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows as discussed herein are as follows:
Six Months Ended June 30,
2023
2022
Net cash used in operating activities
$ (2,446,753 )
$ (2,229,357 )
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
—
—
Net cash provided by financing activities
6,281
5,141,384
Net increase (decrease) in cash
$ (2,440,472 )
$ 2,912,027
At
June 30, 2023, the Company had working capital of $2,692,534, as compared to working capital of $5,165,227 at December 31, 2022, reflecting
a decrease in working capital of $2,472,693 for the six months ended June 30, 2023. The decrease in working capital during the six months
ended June 30, 2023 was primarily the result of the funding of the Company’s ongoing research and development activities and other
ongoing operating expenses, including maintaining and developing its patent portfolio. At June 30, 2023, the Company had cash of $2,912,920
available to fund its operations.
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, design and results of the Company’s clinical trial program, which, in turn, depends on the
availability of operating capital to fund such activities.
Based
on current operating plans, the Company estimates that existing cash resources, together with the proceeds from the July 20, 2023 registered
direct offering and concurrent private placement, will provide sufficient working capital to fund the current clinical trial program
with respect to the development of the Company’s lead anti-cancer clinical compound LB-100 through approximately December 31, 2024.
However, existing cash resources will not be sufficient to complete the development of and obtain regulatory approval for the Company’s
product candidate, which will require that the Company raise significant additional capital. The Company estimates that it will need
to raise additional capital to fund its operations, including its various clinical trial commitments, during the latter half of the fiscal
year ending December 31, 2024. At June 30, 2023, the Company’s remaining contractual commitments pursuant to clinical trial agreements
and clinical trial monitoring agreements not yet incurred aggregated $6,389,000, which are currently scheduled to be incurred through
approximately December 31, 2025. However, he Company’s operating plans may change as a result of many factors that are currently
unknown and/or outside of the control of the Company, and additional funds may be needed sooner than planned.
At
June 30, 2023, the Company did not have any transactions, obligations or relationships that could be considered off-balance sheet arrangements.
40
Operating
Activities . For the six months ended June 30, 2023, operating activities utilized cash of $2,446,753, as compared to utilizing cash
of $2,229,357 for the six months ended June 30, 2022, 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 six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company had no investing activities.
Financing
Activities . For the six months ended June 30, 2023, financing activities consisted of $6,281 from the exercise of common stock options.
For the six months June 30, 2022, financing activities consisted of the gross proceeds from the sale of common stock in the Company’s
direct offering of $5,800,000, reduced by offering costs of $658,616.
Principal
Commitments
Clinical
Trial Agreements
At
June 30, 2023, the Company’s remaining contractual commitments pursuant to clinical trial agreements and clinical trial monitoring
agreements not yet incurred, as described below, aggregated $6,389,000, which are currently scheduled to be incurred through approximately
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 is reached. 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.
Moffitt.
Effective August 20, 2018, the Company entered into a five-year Clinical Trial Research Agreement with the Moffitt Cancer Center
and Research Institute Hospital Inc., Tampa, Florida. Pursuant to the Clinical Trial Research Agreement, Moffitt agreed to conduct and
manage a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial to evaluate the toxicity and 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
to conduct a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial to evaluate the toxicity and 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 utilized 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.
During
the three months ended June 30, 2023, the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial at the Moffitt Cancer Center evaluating LB-100 in patients with MDS
was closed by the principal investigator. In this clinical trial, single agent LB-100 was used on a new schedule of days 1, 3, and 5
every 3 weeks. It was determined that patients found it too challenging to go for an infusion given on this schedule. The Company is
not employing this schedule in its other clinical trials. Although the Maximally Tolerated Dose (MTD) was not achieved, there was no
dose-limiting toxicity on this schedule at doses that were even greater than those which were above the MTD in the Phase 1 clinical trial
of LB-100 on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday schedule.
During
the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $6,000 and $6,073, respectively, pursuant to this agreement,
which have been included in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. During the six
months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $12,000 and $9,405, respectively, pursuant to this agreement, which
have been included in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of June 30, 2023,
total costs of $143,074 have been incurred pursuant to this agreement. Nominal trailing costs subsequent to June 30, 2023 are expected
relating to the closure of this study.
The
Company has decided not to pursue further studies in MDS, as other opportunities in much more common diseases have become available.
For example, the Company is now focusing on documenting clear-cut potentiation of cytotoxic treatment as in the ongoing study of advanced
soft tissue sarcoma and small cell lung cancer. In addition, new pre-clinical data demonstrate the potentiation of immunotherapy by LB-100
in other common cancers.
41
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 is to enter approximately 150 to 170 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.
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.
In
order to manufacture a new inventory supply of LB-100 for the GEIS clinical trial, the Company 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 included
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 was then transferred to a vendor that prepares the clinical drug product, also under
GMP conditions documented by an independent auditor. The clinical drug product was 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 was submitted to the appropriate regulatory
authorities for review and approval before being used in a clinical trial.
As
of June 30, 2023, this program to provide new inventory of the clinical drug product for the Spanish Sarcoma Group study, and potentially
for subsequent multiple trials within the European Union, had cost approximately $1,144,000. Although the production of new inventory
has been completed, nominal trailing costs subsequent to June 30, 2023 are expected to be incurred.
On
October 13, 2022, the Company announced that the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Agencia Española de Medicamentos
y Productos Sanitarios or “AEMPS”) had authorized a Phase 1b/randomized Phase 2 study of LB-100, the Company’s lead
clinical compound, plus doxorubicin, versus doxorubicin alone, the global standard for initial treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas
(ASTS). Consequently, the GEIS clinical trial commenced during the quarter ending June 30, 2023 and is expected to be completed by December
31, 2025. In April 2023, GEIS completed its first site initiation visit in preparation for the clinical trial at Fundación Jiménez
Díaz University Hospital (Madrid). Up to 170 patents will be entered into the clinical trial. The Phase 1b section of the protocol
is expected to be completed by June 30, 2024, at which time the Company expects to have data on both response and toxicity from this
portion of the clinical trial.
The
interim analysis of this clinical trial will be done before full accrual of patients is completed to determine whether the study has
the possibility of showing superiority of the combination of LB-100 plus doxorubicin 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.
42
The
Company’s agreement with GEIS provides for various payments based on achieving specific milestones over the term of the agreement.
During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $268,829 and $0, respectively, pursuant to this agreement.
During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $268,829 and $0, respectively, pursuant to this agreement.
Such costs, when incurred, are included in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Through June 30, 2023, the Company has paid GEIS an aggregate of $684,652 for work done under this agreement through the fourth milestone.
The
Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $3,536,000
as of June 30, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through December 31, 2025. As the work 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. Such fluctuations
are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations as foreign currency gain or loss, as appropriate.
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. However, as
patient accrual was slower than expected, the Company has been seeking to add two additional sites to increase the rate of patient accrual.
Effective March 6, 2023, the Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI), Nashville, Tennessee, joined the City of Hope’s ongoing Phase
1b clinical trial. The Company is continuing its efforts to add a third site. The addition of SCRI is expected to expedite and expand
the accrual of patients to this clinical trial, thus reducing the time required to demonstrate the feasibility, tolerability and efficacy
of adding LB-100 to the current standard treatment regimen. With the addition of SCRI, the Company currently expects that this clinical
trial will be completed by December 31, 2024.
During
the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not incur any costs pursuant to this agreement. During the six months
ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $69,001 and $0, respectively, pursuant to this agreement, which are included
in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of June 30, 2023, total costs of $447,512
have been incurred 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 June 30, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through December 31, 2024. 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. If a significant improvement in outcome is seen with the addition of LB-100, this would be an important advance in the treatment
of a very aggressive disease.
Theradex.
On June 22, 2023, the Company finalized a work order agreement with Theradex Systems, Inc. (“Theradex”), an international
contract research organization (“CRO”), to conduct a Phase I/II randomized trial of LB-100 plus doxorubicin vs. doxorubicin
alone in first line of advanced soft tissue sarcomas. The study is expected to be completed by December 31, 2025.
Costs
under this work order agreement are estimated to be approximately $153,000, with such payments expected to be allocated approximately
72% to Theradex for services and approximately 28% for payments for pass-through software costs. During the three months and six months
ended June 30, 2023, the Company incurred costs of $6,250 pursuant to this work order. As of June 30, 2023, total costs of $6,250 have
been incurred pursuant to this work order agreement.
43
The
Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this clinical trial monitoring agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled
approximately $153,000 as of June 30, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through December 31, 2025.
National
Cancer Institute Pharmacologic Clinical Trial. In May 2019, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) initiated a glioblastoma (GBM) pharmacologic
clinical trial. This study is being conducted and funded by the NCI under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, with the
Company responsible for providing 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 was 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. As a result of the innovative design of the NCI study, data from a 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. Five patients have been entered and analysis of the blood and tissue has proceeded. If there is evidence in at least two of
the patients of penetration of LB 100 into tumor tissue, the study will be deemed as successful. Results of this study are currently
being reviewed by NCI and a report is expected by the end of 2023.
Clinical
Trial Monitoring Agreements
Moffitt.
On September 12, 2018, the Company finalized a work order agreement with Theradex (“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.
The
costs of the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial being paid to or through Theradex have been recorded and charged to operations based on periodic
documentation provided by the CRO. During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $10,997 and $4,558,
respectively, pursuant to this work order. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $20,284
and $7,839, respectively, pursuant to this work order. As of June 30, 2023, total costs of $147,572 have been incurred pursuant to this
work order agreement.
During
the three months ended June 30, 2023, concurrent with the closure of the Company’s Clinical Trial Research Agreement with Moffitt,
this work order agreement with Theradex to monitor the Clinical Trial Research Agreement with Moffitt was similarly suspended, although
nominal oversight trailing costs subsequent to June 30, 2023 are expected to be incurred relating to the closure of the Moffitt study.
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. Costs under this
work order agreement are estimated to be approximately $335,000. During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred
costs of $5,687 and $11,235, respectively, pursuant to this work order. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company
incurred costs of $11,240 and $15,735, respectively, pursuant to this work order. As of June 30, 2023, total costs of $69,681 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 $267,000 as of June 30, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through December 31, 2025.
44
Patent
and License Agreements
Moffitt.
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
was 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 three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to operations of $6,233 and
$6,233, respectively, in connection with its obligations under the License Agreement. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022,
the Company recorded charges to operations of $12,398 and $12,398, respectively, in connection with its obligations under the License
Agreement. As of June 30, 2023, 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 additional one-year periods in July and August 2021, 2022 and 2023.
On
April 9, 2021, the Board of Directors increased the annual compensation of Eric J. Forman, Dr. James S. Miser, and Robert N. Weingarten
under the employment agreements, such that the total aggregate annual compensation of all officers increased to $775,000, effective May
1, 2021.
Effective
November 6, 2022, Mr. Forman was promoted to Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, with an annual salary of $200,000. Accordingly,
the total aggregate annual compensation of all officers increased to $800,000, effective November 6, 2022. In addition, Mr. Forman is
being provided an office allowance of approximately $1,500 per month through December 31, 2023.
The
total aggregate annual compensation of all officers increased to $800,000, effective November 6, 2022, which has continued through June
30, 2023.
45
Other
Significant Agreements and Contracts
NDA
Consulting Corp. 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 $4,000 and $4,000 for the three months
ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $8,000 and $8,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, which were included
in research and development costs in the consolidated statements of operations.
BioPharmaWorks .
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, assisting the Company to commercialize
its products and strengthen its patent portfolio; identifying large pharmaceutical companies with a potential interest in the Company’s
product pipeline; assisting in preparing technical presentations concerning the Company’s products; consultation in drug discovery
and development; and identifying providers and overseeing tasks relating to clinical development 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 $30,000 and $30,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively,
and $60,000 and $60,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which were included in research and development
costs in the consolidated statements of operations.
Netherlands
Cancer Institute . On October 8, 2021, the Company entered into a Development Collaboration Agreement with the Netherlands Cancer
Institute, Amsterdam, 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 three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred charges in the amount of $53,178 and
$48,886, respectively, with respect to this agreement, which amounts are included in research and development costs in the Company’s
consolidated statements of operations. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred charges in the amount
of $105,381 and $103,116, respectively, with respect to this agreement, which amounts are included in research and development costs
in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of June 30, 2023, total costs of $364,788 have been incurred pursuant
to this agreement. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled
approximately $53,000 as of June 30, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through June 30, 2025. As the work 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.
MRI
Global. The Company has contracted with MRI Global for stability analysis, storage and distribution of LB-100 for clinical trials
in the United States. On June 10, 2022, the contract was amended to reflect a new total contract price of $273,980 for services to be
rendered through April 30, 2023. Effective April 17, 2023, the contract was further amended to reflect a new total contract price of
$326,274 for services to be rendered through April 30, 2024. During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred
costs of $4,010 and $19,597, respectively, pursuant to this contract. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company
incurred costs of $7,183 and $20,353, respectively, pursuant to this work order. As of June 30, 2023, total costs of $225,924 have been
incurred pursuant to this contract.
The
Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this contract, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $100,000
as of June 30, 2023.
Trends,
Events and Uncertainties
Research
and development of new pharmaceutical compounds is, by its nature, unpredictable. Although the Company undertakes research and development
efforts with commercially reasonable diligence, there can be no assurance that the Company’s cash position will be sufficient to
enable it to develop pharmaceutical compounds to the extent needed to create future revenues sufficient to sustain operations.
There
can be no assurances that the Company’s pharmaceutical compounds will obtain the regulatory approvals and market acceptance to
achieve sustainable revenues sufficient to support operations. Even if the Company is able to generate revenues, there can be no assurances
that it will be able to achieve operating profitability or positive operating cash flows. There can be no assurances that the Company
will be able to secure additional financing, to the extent required, on acceptable terms or at all. If cash resources are insufficient
to satisfy the Company’s ongoing cash requirements, the Company would be required to reduce or discontinue its research and development
programs, or attempt to obtain funds, if available (although there can be no assurances), through strategic alliances that may require
the Company to relinquish rights to certain of its pharmaceutical compounds, or to curtail or discontinue its operations entirely.
Other
than as discussed above, the Company is not currently aware of any trends, events or uncertainties that are likely to have a material
effect on its 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 the Company’s financial condition.
46
ITEM
3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURE ABOUT MARKET RISK
Not
applicable.
ITEM
4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure
Controls and Procedures
The
Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining a system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
in Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), that is designed
to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is
recorded, processed, summarized, and reported, within the time periods specified in the rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures
include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by an issuer in the
reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the issuer’s management, including its
principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate, to allow timely
decisions regarding required disclosure.
In
accordance with Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15, an evaluation was completed under the supervision and with the participation of
the Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design
and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of June 30, 2023, the end of the most recent fiscal period
covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, the Company’s management has concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls
and procedures were effective in providing reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the Company’s reports
filed or submitted under the Exchange Act was recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the
rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Limitations
on Effectiveness of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
In
designing and evaluating disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well
designed and operated, cannot provide absolute assurance that the objectives of the controls system are met, and no evaluation of controls
can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within a company have been detected. In addition,
the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect that there are resource constraints and that management is required to
apply judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.
Changes
in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The
Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has determined that no change in the Company’s
internal control over financial reporting (as that term is defined in Rules 13(a)-15(f) and 15(d)-15(f) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934) occurred during the period ended June 30, 2023 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
47
PART
II - OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM
1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The
Company is not currently subject to any pending or threatened legal actions or claims.
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
The
Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be impacted by a number of factors, many of which
are beyond the Company’s control, including those set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2022, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2023 (the “2022 Form 10-K”).
The
Risk Factors set forth in the 2022 Form 10-K should be read carefully in connection with evaluating the Company’s business and
in connection with the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Any of the risks described in the
2022 Form 10-K could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition or future results and the actual outcome
of matters as to which forward-looking statements are made. These are not the only risks that the Company faces. Additional risks and
uncertainties not currently known to the Company or that the Company currently deems to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect
the Company’s business, financial condition and/or operating results.
As
of the date of this filing, except as disclosed in this document, there have been no material changes to the Risk Factors previously
disclosed in the Company’s 2022 Form 10-K.
Nasdaq
Notification of Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule
The
Company’s common stock and the warrants are traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “LIXT” and “LIXTW”,
respectively.
On
June 24, 2022, the Company received a written notice (the “Notice”) from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”)
that the Company had not been in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for a
period of 30 consecutive business days. Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) requires listed securities to maintain a minimum closing bid price
of $1.00 per share, and Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A) provides that a failure to meet the minimum closing bid price requirement exists
if the deficiency continues for a period of 30 consecutive business days. The Notice had no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s
common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market.
In
accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company was provided a compliance period of 180 calendar days from the date of
the Notice, or until December 21, 2022, to regain compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement. On December 22, 2022, the
Company received a written notice from Nasdaq that the Company was eligible for a second 180 calendar day compliance period, or until
June 19, 2023, in order to regain compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement. Nasdaq’s determination to grant the
second compliance period was based on the Company meeting the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares
and all other applicable requirements for initial listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, with the exception of the minimum bid price requirement,
and the Company’s written notice of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse
stock split, if necessary.
A
company can generally achieve compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement if the minimum closing bid price of a company’s
common stock is at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days during the 180-day compliance period. However,
under certain circumstances, Nasdaq can extend this 10-day trading period up to a maximum of 20 days.
In
order to achieve compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement, the Company filed a proxy statement with the SEC to hold
a special meeting of stockholders on May 26, 2023 to seek stockholder approval to approve an amendment to the Company’s Certificate
of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock at a split
ratio of up to a maximum of a 1-for-10 split, as determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion.
48
The
stockholders approved an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split of the issued
and outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, as a result of which the Company effected a 1-for-10 reverse stock split
of its issued and outstanding common stock effective on Friday, June 2, 2023. Commencing with the opening of trading on the Nasdaq Capital
Market on Monday, June 5, 2023, the Company’s common stock began trading on a post-split basis under the same symbol LIXT. The
Company subsequently received confirmation from Nasdaq that it had regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of $1.00
per share under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) and currently meets all other applicable criteria for continued listing.
However,
there can be no assurances that the Company will be able to remain in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement over time, or
that it will be successful in maintaining compliance with any of the other Nasdaq continued listing requirements.
External
Risks Associated with the Company’s Business Activities
Covid-19
Virus . The global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in early 2020 led to disruptions in general economic activities throughout
the world as businesses and governments implemented broad actions to mitigate this public health crisis. The extent to which the coronavirus
pandemic may reappear and impact the Company’s clinical trial programs and capital raising efforts in the future is uncertain and
cannot be predicted.
Inflation
Risk. The Company does not believe that inflation has had a material effect on its operations to date, other than its impact on the
general economy. However, there is a risk that the Company’s operating costs could become subject to inflationary and interest
rate pressures in the future, which would have the effect of increasing the Company’s operating costs (including, specifically,
clinical trial costs), and which would put additional stress on the Company’s working capital resources.
Supply
Chain Issues. The Company does not currently expect that supply chain issues will have a significant impact on its business activities,
including its ongoing clinical trials.
Potential
Recession. There are various indications that the United States economy may be entering a recessionary period. Although unclear at
this time, an economic recession would likely impact the general business environment and the capital markets, which could, in turn,
affect the Company.
The
Company is continuing to monitor these matters and will adjust its current business and financing plans as more information and guidance
become available.
ITEM
2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
Not
applicable.
ITEM
3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
Not
applicable.
ITEM
4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not
applicable.
ITEM
5. OTHER INFORMATION
During
the three months ended June 30, 2023, no director or officer (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) of the Company adopted
or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” as such term is defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K.
49
ITEM
6. EXHIBITS
The
following documents are filed as part of this report:
Exhibit
Number
Description
of Document
4.1
Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant, filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 20, 2023
4.2
Form of Pre-Funded Common Stock Purchase Warrant, filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 20, 2023
4.3
Form of Placement Agent Warrant, filed as Exhibit 4.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 20, 2023
10.1
Amendment to Contract between Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. and MRI Global effective April 17, 2023, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2023, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 10, 2023
10.2
Securities Purchase Agreement, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 20, 2023
31.1*
Officer’s Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.2*
Officer’s Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.1*
Officer’s Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.2*
Officer’s Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101.INS
Inline
XBRL Instance Document (does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
101.SCH
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
104
Cover
Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL document and included in Exhibit 101.INS)
*
Filed herewith.
50
SIGNATURES
In
accordance with the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
(Registrant)
Date:
August 9, 2023
By:
/s/
JOHN S. KOVACH
John
S. Kovach
Chief
Executive Officer
(Principal
Executive Officer)
Date:
August 9, 2023
By:
/s/
ROBERT N. WEINGARTEN
Robert
N. Weingarten
Chief
Financial Officer
(Principal
Financial and Accounting Officer)
51
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.