Item 1. Business
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Overview
Corporate Overview of NeuroOne Medical Technologies
Corporation
We were originally incorporated as Original Source
Entertainment, Inc. under the laws of the State of Nevada on August 20, 2009. Prior to the closing of the Acquisition, as defined below,
we completed a series of steps contemplated by a Plan of Conversion pursuant to which we, among other things, changed our name to NeuroOne
Medical Technologies Corporation, increased our authorized number of shares of Common Stock from 45,000,000 to 100,000,000, increased
our authorized number of shares of preferred stock from 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 and reincorporated in Delaware. On July 20, 2017, we acquired
NeuroOne, Inc. (the “Acquisition”). Immediately following the closing of the Acquisition, the business of NeuroOne, Inc. became
our sole focus.
Corporate Overview and History of NeuroOne,
Inc.
NeuroOne, Inc. was incorporated under the laws
of the State of Delaware on October 7, 2016. Its predecessor entity, NeuroOne LLC (the “LLC”), was formed on December 13,
2013 and operated as a limited liability company until it was merged with and into NeuroOne, Inc. on October 27, 2016, with NeuroOne,
Inc. as the surviving entity (the “Merger”). As a result of the Merger, all of the properties, rights, privileges and powers
of the LLC vested in NeuroOne, Inc., and all debts, liabilities and duties of the LLC became the debts, liabilities and duties of NeuroOne,
Inc., except for the Exclusive Start-up Company License Agreement, dated as of October 1, 2014, as amended on February 22, 2017, March
30, 2019 and September 18, 2019 (the “Original WARF License”), with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (“WARF”),
which was not legally transferred until May 2017. The purposes of the Merger were to: change the jurisdiction of incorporation from Minnesota
to Delaware; change the ownership of the LLC’s underlying assets; and convert from a limited liability company to a corporation.
In December 2019, NeuroOne, Inc. was merged with and into the Company, with the Company remaining as the surviving entity.
We are a medical technology company focused on
the development and commercialization of thin film electrode technology for continuous electroencephalogram (cEEG) and stereoelectrocencephalography
(sEEG) recording, spinal cord stimulation, brain stimulation and ablation solutions for patients suffering from epilepsy, Parkinson’s
disease, dystonia, essential tremors, chronic pain due to failed back surgeries and other related neurological disorders. Additionally,
we are investigating the potential applications of our technology associated with artificial intelligence. Members of our management team
have held senior leadership positions at a number of medical technology and biopharmaceutical companies, including Boston Scientific,
St. Jude Medical, Stryker Instruments, C.R. Bard, A-Med Systems, Sunshine Heart, Empi, Don-Joy and PMT.
We are developing our cortical, strip, grid and
depth electrode technology to provide solutions for diagnosis through cEEG recording and sEEG recording and treatment through brain stimulation
and ablation, all in one product. A cEEG is a continuous recording of the electrical activity of the brain that identifies the location
of irregular brain activity, which information is required for proper treatment. cEEG recording involves an invasive surgical procedure,
referred to as a craniotomy. sEEG involves a less invasive procedure whereby doctors place electrodes in targeted brain areas by drilling
small holes through the skull. Both methods of seizure diagnosis are used to identify areas of the brain where epileptic seizures originate
in order to precisely locate the seizure source for therapeutic treatment if possible.
Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, therapies involve
activating or inhibiting the brain with electricity that can be given directly by electrodes on the surface or implanted deeper in the
brain via depth electrodes. Introduced in 1987, this procedure involves implanting a power source referred to as a neurostimulator, which
sends electrical impulses through implanted depth electrodes, to specific targets in the brain for the treatment of disorders such as
Parkinson’s disease, essential tremors, dystonia, and chronic pain. The effects of DBS as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s
is also being evaluated by researchers. Unlike ablative technologies, the effects of DBS are reversible.
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Radio frequency (RF) ablation is a procedure that
uses radiofrequency under the electrode contacts which is directed to the site of the brain tissue that is targeted for ablation. The
process involves delivering energy to the contacts, thereby heating them and creating a lesion in the brain tissue. The ablation does
not remove the tissue. Rather, it is left in place and typically scar tissue (lesion) forms in the place where the ablation occurs. This
procedure is also known as brain lesioning as it causes irreversible lesions. In August 2021, the Company announced a strategic partnership
with RBC Medical Innovations to develop a RF ablation generator. The following month, our RF ablation technology was tested by representatives
from Emory University in Atlanta Georgia in an animal study. The product remains in development.
Our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode
technology has been tested over the years by both WARF, the owners of our licensed patents, and Mayo Clinic located in Rochester, Minnesota,
in both pre-clinical models as well as through an institutional review board (“IRB”) approval at Mayo Clinic for clinical
research. In December 2020, we announced the first human commercial use of our Evo cortical electrode in a procedure performed at the
Mayo Clinic. Regarding our ablation electrode, the Cleveland Clinic and representatives from Emory University have performed testing in
bench top models and pre-clinical (or animal testing) models. These pre-clinical tests have demonstrated that the technology is capable
of recording, monitoring, ablation and acute stimulation, although our ablation electrode technology remains in product development (meaning
that additional testing will be needed prior to it being submitted for clearance for commercial distribution by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (the “FDA”) for recording (or diagnostic) and therapeutic modalities.
We received 510(k) FDA clearance for our Evo cortical
technology in November 2019,in September 2021 we received FDA clearance to market our Evo sEEG electrode technology for temporary (less
than 24 hours) use with recording, monitoring, and stimulation equipment for the recording, monitoring, and stimulation of electrical
signals at the subsurface level of the brain, and in October 2022 we received FDA clearance to market our Evo sEEG electrode technology
for temporary (less than 30 days) use with recording, monitoring, and stimulation equipment for the recording, monitoring, and stimulation
of electrical signals at the subsurface level of the brain.
Our Market Opportunity
Epilepsy Market
We expect to initially target the diagnosis and
treatment of epilepsy. Epilepsy can be caused by a variety of conditions that affect a person’s brain, some of which are: stroke,
brain tumor, traumatic brain injury and central nervous system infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(the “CDC”) and Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (“CURE”), there are approximately 3,000,000 patients
annually suffering with epilepsy in the United States, with an additional 200,000 diagnosed every year. The CDC and CURE also estimate
that epilepsy costs the United States $15.5 billion per year. Approximately 720,000 of these patients are not receptive to pharmaceutical
treatment and therefore are appropriate for surgical treatment of this disorder. In addition to poor quality of life, epilepsy also is
associated with fairly high mortality rates. Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy has an annual incidence of 1.16/1000 in epilepsy patients.
Despite the large market opportunity, it is estimated that there are only less than 5K epilepsy surgeries performed each year in the
United States. 1
These numbers represent an underpenetrated market
due to the invasiveness of diagnostic procedures. After the diagnostic procedure, a second therapeutic procedure is required and at times
even a third surgery if the seizures persist. We believe patients are unwilling to proceed due to the long diagnostic and treatment procedure
times (one to four weeks in the hospital after a potential craniotomy for diagnosis). As detailed above, after the diagnosis is completed,
if successful, the patient must undergo an additional procedure to have the affected area of brain tissue ablated or removed. The average
cost for the diagnostic technology per procedure could be >$10,000, with ablation devices costing >$15,000. We believe our technology,
once developed, will offer an all-in-one solution with diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities.
1 Epilepsy surgery in the United States: Analysis of data from
the National Association of Epilepsy Centers 2015 Epilepsy Research
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Many leading neurologists believe that the limits
of today’s current technologies are the reason the exact affected area of the brain causing epileptic seizures is not well-determined.
We believe our technology, which has been developed to date by physicians at WARF and Mayo Clinic, will provide a number of advantages
over the current commercially available technologies, including the following:
● Our proprietary thin film technology under development has a smaller footprint with many more electrodes.
● We expect that our technology will eventually be able to be implanted using a minimally invasive procedure
utilizing a dime sized burr hole rather than a full craniotomy.
● Our technology may provide more accurate detection of irregular brain activity over currently available
technology. In limited clinical testing, doctors at Mayo Clinic have documented pre-seizure activity (micro-seizures) during their clinical
research with their patients using our cEEG technology.
We expect our technology can ablate through the
electrodes as well as perform brain recording, monitoring and stimulation, allowing for diagnosis and treatment through the same product
and in the same procedure.
Parkinson’s Disease
The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation estimates
that as many as 1,000,000 patients in the United States live with Parkinson’s disease with an additional 60,000 patients diagnosed
per year. Over 10,000,000 patients worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease. There have not been any drugs introduced that
have been effective at treating all patients with Parkinson’s disease. The average onset is over 60 years old but some people have
been diagnosed as young as 40 years old. Parkinson’s is a disorder of the central nervous system caused by loss of brain cells throughout
various regions of the brain.
Today’s primary treatment for Parkinson’s
disease involves medications that have not proven to be curative but rather ease symptoms. One of the potential treatments for Parkinson’s
patients is Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). According to the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Disease Research Foundation website, patients
that seem to do best with DBS are those that have had the disease for at least four years and have benefited from taking medications prescribed
to control the disease. In addition, DBS seems to help with reducing the issues with motor functions such as tremors, stiffness and slowness
but not for balance issues.
Essential Tremors
Essential tremors are thought to be due to electrical
irregularities in the brain that send abnormal signals to the muscles. It is a progressive condition that worsens over time and is linked
to genetic disorders that typically appear in people who are over 40. Essential tremors usually occur alone and without any other neurological
symptoms or signs. The tremors usually occur when the hands are raised and primarily affect the hands. Muscles in the trunk, face and
neck may also experience symptoms. Sometimes misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremors are an involuntary rhythmic
shaking of the hands that is not present at rest. It is apparent during activities such as drinking, writing and eating. Symptoms can
worsen due to stress, anxiety, smoking, caffeine, fatigue, etc. Genetics Home Reference estimates that as many as 10,000,000 people in
the United States are affected by the disease. Treatments for the disease include medical therapy, and DBS. DBS, which unlike other therapies,
is reversible and programmable, helping to adjust the settings to maximize patient benefit. Similar to Parkinson’s disease, the
ability to detect this irregular brain activity before it causes a tremor is highly desirable.
Dystonia
Dystonia is a neurological condition recognized
as a motion disorder that involves over activity of a variety of different muscles simultaneously that work against each other. It presents
itself in a variety of symptoms but typically involves repetitive, patterned and often twisting involuntary muscle contractions resembling
tremors. According to the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, over 300,000 people are affected in the United States and Canada alone.
Dystonia is the third most common problem seen in movement disorder clinics. Because it has many different manifestations, it is often
misdiagnosed. In addition, similar to Parkinson’s disease, there are no specific tests that can positively diagnose dystonia. A
doctor typically will evaluate patient and family history, potentially do genetic testing, EEG testing, blood and urine tests. There are
several treatment options (including medication and Botox) for patients depending on the type of dystonia. DBS may be also an alternative
for certain patient sub-types.
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Spinal Cord Stimulation
Chronic back pain is one of the most prevalent
chronic conditions in the world. According to the CDC, “in 2016, an estimated 20.4% of U.S. adults had chronic pain and 8.0% of
U.S. adults had high-impact chronic pain. Chronic pain has been linked to numerous physical and mental conditions and contributes to high
health care costs and lost productivity”. Failed back surgery syndrome (“FBSS”) is one of leading causes for chronic
lower back/leg pain due to one or more failed back surgeries. Typically, it is related to patients that suffer with pain after surgery
of the lumbar spine for degenerative disc disease. Re-operations are usually not recommended for these patients due to low success rates.
These patients experience greater levels of pain, a lower quality of life, varying levels of disability and higher rate of unemployment.
Spinal cord stimulation works by placing an electrode(s) in a targeted area of the spine which is then connected to an implantable pulse
generator that sends electrical stimulation to the electrode to block the pain signals from reaching the brain.
The back pain market includes the following indications:
FBSS, Ischemic Limb Pain, and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Over half of this market is comprised of patients with FBSS. Studies have
indicated a benefit for some patients suffering from chronic back and lower limb pain when they have been treated with electrical stimulation.
Prior to the patient receiving an implant, they undergo a trial period that allows them to determine if they are receiving relief from
the therapy while preventing a surgery to implant the pulse generator that provides the stimulation. If the trial period is successful,
then the device is implanted in a follow-up procedure.
Artificial Intelligence
The brain consists of approximately 100 billion
nerve cells, which are small wires that pass electrical signals to control all of its functions. There have been a number of successful
clinical trials in which small metal wires, known as electrodes, are implanted in the brain to correct nerve damage using wireless communication
between implanted wires to simulate functional nerve cells. In addition to correcting damaged nerve cells, certain scientists have theorized
that if millions of wires could be implanted in the brain, these electrodes could present an opportunity to use artificial intelligence
to create infrared sight, increase hearing or perfect memory recall. However, there currently is no commercially available manufacturing
platform capable of making thousands of wires that can be placed within or on the brain and work reliably for the lifetime of a subject,
and are soft enough to match the tissue of the brain, that avoid damage to the brain.
Limitations of Currently Available Therapies
There are a limited number of currently available
products for diagnosis and treatment for people with neurological disorders such as epilepsy. Although the currently available systems
provide diagnosis and treatment for patients, they have certain inherent limitations and shortcomings that we believe limit their use
and validate the need for improved technology in the market. These limitations include:
● Lengthy diagnostic times: It takes several months for patients to go through the various phases
of diagnostic methods, including imaging and non-invasive EEGs. If the source of seizures are still unknown, Patients spend one to four
weeks in the hospital after interventional diagnostic procedures (cortical and/or SEEG implants) waiting to have seizures that will allow
doctors to determine where the seizures are occurring.
● Lower Accuracy: Historically, clinical electrode manufacturers primarily provided electrodes that
sample brain tissue at approximately centimeter spatial scales. Advances in digital EEG acquisition have made recordings at sub-millimeter
spatial scales possible, but high-spatial resolution EEG has been slow to impact clinical practice. Existing, higher spatial scales increase
the potential for missing data that may be critical in the removal of brain tissue causing the irregular activity.
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● Need to perform a full craniotomy (invasiveness): Currently available cortical electrode technology
is typically placed after a craniotomy, which may require removing the top part of the cranium and is a very painful and invasive procedure.
Procedural times for a craniotomy can be as high as eight hours. A variety of complications can occur when a full craniotomy is performed,
including but not limited to: stroke, bleeding, infection, seizures, swelling of the brain (which may require a second craniotomy), nerve
damage, which may cause muscle paralysis or weakness, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, which may require repair, loss of mental functions
and permanent brain damage with associated disabilities. The invasiveness, procedural times and possible surgical complications have limited
the growth of surgical treatment of epilepsy.
● Requirement for multiple devices for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures : Today both interventional
diagnostic and treatment procedures may require different device implants, surgeries and even hospitalizations for each procedure. This
causes significant patient inconvenience, use of precious hospital resources and tremendous cost to the system.
● Limited number of contacts on an electrode : Paddle electrodes currently are available in a variety
of sizes and number of contacts. Physicians increasingly want to explore greater number of contacts on the same electrode in order to
be able to be more precise in stimulating targeted areas.
Our Solution
As a result of the inherent limitations and inconvenience
of existing systems, we believe that there is a significant unmet need among people with neurological disorders for cortical strip, grid
and depth electrodes that provide diagnostic capabilities through cEEG and sEEG recording in addition to therapeutic modalities, such
as brain stimulation and ablation, offered as an all-in-one product. In comparison to currently available technologies, we are continuing
to develop applications of our strip, grid and depth electrodes with the goal of providing the following expected advantages:
● Reduced time for diagnosis and treatment: By offering a minimally invasive procedure and developing
an all-in-one solution, we expect our technology will reduce overall procedural times. While our pre-clinical and clinical experience
to date is limited, our cortical grid technology has demonstrated the ability to provide high fidelity recordings that have allowed physicians
to identify the affected brain tissue causing seizures. This may provide the potential for meaningful cost savings for hospitals and patients
and improved quality of life for patients.
● Improved accuracy of diagnostic technologies: Because we believe our thin film technology is capable
of recording at higher fidelity than current technologies used in EEG recording, we believe our technology may be able to more precisely
determine the brain tissue causing seizures. In December 2020, we announced the first human commercial use of our Evo cortical electrode
to perform recording, functional mapping, monitoring and stimulation of the brain. In the procedure, performed at the Mayo Clinic, our
electrodes were used to record evidence of pre-seizure activity, which may be critical in developing treatments to prevent the onset of
seizures. Since then, several institutions around the country have successfully tried and adopted our devices for diagnostic procedures.
● Implantation via minimally invasive procedure with fewer post-procedure complications: We are currently
developing approaches to deliver the electrodes by minimizing the invasiveness of the procedures. We expect that patients who have qualified
for diagnostic or treatment procedures will be more accepting of a minimally-invasive procedure. Such procedures may potentially reduce
the patient’s pain, bleeding and other adverse events. For example, our cortical electrode technology is expected to also have fewer
wires, also referred to as tails, exiting the patient’s head, which can also reduce the potential for infections. Furthermore, the
material we currently use in our cortical electrodes has shown in pre-clinical evaluations to cause less inflammation than current electrode
substrates as it appears more compatible with brain tissue. As discussed under “Our Strategy” below, our technology has been
and will be implanted via a full craniotomy until such time, if ever, as we are able to develop our minimally invasive procedure.
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● All-in-one diagnostic and therapeutic technology solution: Due to the expected recording and treatment
capabilities of some of our technology under development, we have received feedback from physicians that they will attempt to perform
the diagnosis and treatment in a single procedure, thereby potentially eliminating the need for a second surgical procedure, reducing
the likelihood of patient infection, risks associated with surgical procedures and minimizing the diagnostic, procedural and hospital
costs. As discussed under “Our Strategy” below, our initial product offering offers diagnostic-only capabilities while we
advance the development of our all-in-one approach. Currently, we are developing a combination recording, stimulation and RF ablation
technology that will perform both diagnostic and therapeutic functions.
● Percutaneous placement of spinal cord stimulation paddle electrodes with scalability options: Due
to the thin film nature of our electrode technology, we believe that it may allow for percutaneous placement of “paddle” (flat)
shaped electrodes, thereby preventing the need to use more invasive surgical approaches to place the electrodes. Minimally invasive and
percutaneously placed technologies have become almost a requirement for adoption with patients and physicians. In addition, our technology
in the future offers the ability to increase the number of contacts on a film that traditionally offers fewer contacts. Increasing the
number of contacts may allow for more precise stimulation in the spine, potentially improving the therapeutic outcomes.
Our Strategy
Our goal is to be the global leader in cEEG and
sEEG recording, monitoring, deep brain stimulation and ablation, owning the procedure from diagnosis through treatment.
The key elements of our strategy include:
● Introduce cortical strip and grid electrodes for the diagnosis of epilepsy in United States : In
December 2019, we announced that we received FDA 510(k) clearance to market our thin film cortical electrode technology for temporary
(less than 30 days) recording, monitoring, and stimulation on the surface of the brain. Our initial product offering has initially been
and will be placed through traditional surgical means involving a craniotomy until such time, if any, that we launch our minimally invasive
procedure. In July 2020, we entered into a development relationship with Zimmer, pursuant to which we granted Zimmer exclusive global
rights to distribute the cortical strip and grid electrodes, and Zimmer will use commercially reasonable efforts to promote, market and
sell the strip and grid electrodes. We believe, due to physician feedback, that our technology represents a major improvement over existing
cortical electrodes for the recording of brain activity. We are initially targeting epilepsy as we believe this is a clinical area of
great need and a market that is underserved with a quick path to commercialization. We believe the largest and quickest-to-market geography
for our cortical strip and grid technology under development is the United States for a number of reasons, including the following: (i)
many industry sources believe there is a large underserved U.S. market, (ii) healthy procedural reimbursement exist for centers and physicians,
(iii) average selling prices are robust, and (iv) there is substantial physician enthusiasm for our technology under development. To date,
several institutions around the country have successfully tried and adopted our cortical electrode technology for diagnostic procedures.
● Launch depth electrodes for sEEG recording: In September 2021, we announced that we received FDA
510(k) clearance to market our Evo sEEG electrode technology for temporary (less than 24 hours) use with recording, monitoring, and stimulation
equipment for recording, monitoring, and stimulation of electrical signals at the subsurface level of the brain. We filed for 510(k) clearance
to expand the duration of use up to less than 30 days in November 2021. On October 20, 2022, the Company received an FDA clearance to
market its Evo sEEG Electrode technology for temporary (less than 30 days) use with recording, monitoring, and stimulation equipment for
the recording, monitoring, and stimulation of electrical signals at the subsurface level of the brain. Given the reluctance of patients
to undergo epilepsy surgery due to its invasiveness, a number of epilepsy centers have adopted the use of depth electrodes, which are
placed by drilling small holes into the patient’s cranium, thereby avoiding a craniotomy. We believe our technology offers advantages
compared to current depth electrode technology in the market and will also enable us to offer a therapeutic solution using this same technology
in the future. As we continue to develop our technology, we plan to release further information about the expected advantages of our technology
over currently available therapies.
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● Utilize these core technologies to develop all-in-one diagnostic and therapeutic solutions with the initial
focus on a combination diagnostic and ablation electrode: For many patients who currently undergo one surgical procedure for diagnosis,
a second and different procedure or surgery is then required to treat the patient. There is strong physician/surgeon interest to be able
to perform both the diagnostic and therapeutic procedure with the same implanted devices. We are developing our technology with the goal
of being able to offer this benefit although there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so. We are pursuing cortical grid, strip
and depth electrode technology that can record brain activity (diagnose) and also provide both acute and long term stimulation as well
as depth electrode technology that can ablate brain tissue. The technology has demonstrated these functions in acute and short term animal
models; however, additional development is required to offer a device that has long term therapeutic application. These therapeutic technologies
are expected to require more robust regulatory approvals for the United States, ranging from a 510(k) to potential for pre-market approvals
(“PMAs”) with human clinical data. We will engage the FDA at the proper time to determine the most efficient regulatory path.
● Develop percutaneous placed electrodes for spinal cord stimulation with scalable contact configurations:
Given that many surgically placed technologies have become less invasive due to patient and physician demands, we believe that our
flexible thin film technology will allow for percutaneous placement of “paddle” shaped electrodes, thus potentially eliminating
the need to make a more invasive surgical procedure. Spinal cord clinical literature over the years have shown that “paddle”
electrodes (flat shaped) require less energy for stimulation (thus saving neurostimulator battery life) and may be associated with lower
revision rates over time. Even then, “paddle” shaped electrodes are used less often due to the more invasive surgical procedure
that is required for placement. But we hope to change that paradigm by creating “paddle” electrodes that can be implanted
percutaneously (less invasively) through a “needle hole incision”. By leveraging our existing FDA cleared cortical electrode
and sEEG technology, we may also be able to offer the ability to improve precision of where the stimulation is delivered. NeuroOne’s
platform thin film technology has the capability to increase the number of contacts in a similar footprint that has fewer contacts.
● Gain clearance for other brain or motor related disorders such as Parkinson’s with the therapeutic
technologies developed for epilepsy: While we are developing our technology for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy, we believe that
our technology has strong application and utilization for other brain or motor related disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, dystonia,
essential tremors and facial pain as these diseases are currently treated with DBS if medications are not effective. As previously mentioned,
we are actively evaluating the potential to offer electrodes that can be implanted for long term stimulation applications, but such use
will require that we pursue additional approvals from the FDA and any international regulatory bodies where we seek to commercialize our
technology.
● Explore partnerships with other companies that leverage our core technology: Given that our technology
enables, complements and/or competes with a number of companies that are in the market or attempting to enter the market with diagnostic
or therapeutic technologies to treat brain related disorders, we believe there may be opportunities to establish mutually beneficial relationships.
In addition, our technology may have application in cardiovascular, orthopedic and pain related indications that could benefit from a
high fidelity thin film electrode product that can provide stimulation and/or ablation therapies.
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● Investigate the potential applications associated with Artificial Intelligence: We have been informed
by some of our corporate advisors that the ability to offer scale-able electrode technology that can provide thousands of electrodes in
the brain may be helpful in treating medical conditions that may benefit from using artificial intelligence. The Company has formed an
advisory board that will provide guidance to the Company as we continue to explore the opportunities in this exciting field.
Our Technology
Epilepsy Mapping and Monitoring
Epileptic seizures occur when the neurons in the
brain miscommunicate. This miscommunication typically results in involuntary muscle seizure activities and/or periods of perceptual disconnect
where the individual appears frozen. Modern medical science has advanced the treatment of epileptic seizures by mapping the electrical
communication activity of neurons and understanding their special orientation in the brain. This mapping is accomplished by access to
the cranium (through a craniotomy) and placing conductive contacts on the brain directly. The craniotomy procedure is very invasive, traumatic
to the surrounding tissue, results in high patient down time, and increases the risk of infection.
We seek to leverage scale-able technology and
produce ultra-thin, or paper-thin electrodes that allow for high-resolution and high-definition recordings, which would improve mapping
resolution and signal acquisition. If the Company is able to leverage scale-able technology, it would mean that our technology would be
able to incorporate smaller electrodes and thereby increase the number of electrodes on a given surface area. We expect that this would
increase the imaging resolution so that brain activity is displayed in greater definition. We also believe that the electrodes’
unique thinness and flexibility will provide a less invasive approach to electrode placement. The electrodes would be able to be placed
through a small quarter size hole instead of by an invasive full craniotomy procedure.
The images under “Cortical Electrode,”
from bottom to top, are images of our cortical electrode strip, our grid electrode, and the placement of the grid electrode on the brain,
respectively. The images under “High Density Interconnect” are both images of our product that connects our electrodes to
the head box, which is a piece of hardware that connects to electrodes to acquire, amplify, display, store and archive electrophysiological
signals, and is integrated as part of our manufactured electrode product. The images under “Head Box” and “Signal Monitoring
and Mapping” are images of the device which processes information received through the high density interconnect, and a sample output
of data acquisition, respectively, neither of which is one of the Company’s products.
Our technology consists of three primary types
of cortical electrodes: grid electrodes, strip electrodes and dual-sided electrodes. These electrodes have a patented design that utilizes
proprietary processing and materials technology, which we believe will allow the electrodes to have improved features over the current
industry standard recording electrodes.
What sets our technology apart from others is
the integration of state of the art design leveraging the latest in flexible printed circuit technology. We believe our patented designs
will provide the surgeon a higher tactile perspective on electrode placement allowing for ultra-precise neuron recording. We expect the
benefits of our electrode designs to include the ability to detect better defined margins between healthy tissue and resect-able tissue,
less immune-response from the brain and surrounding tissue, better signal acquisition due to superior conformability of the electrode
over the brain, improved flexibility that physicians have requested, which we expect will enable a minimally invasive approach and the
electrodes unique thinness that is unmatched by current products being used.
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The Future of Neurology Mapping with
NeuroOne
We seek to develop superior “scale-able”
technology for future product system iterations in higher density contact placement. This will open the doors to other brain related disease
recording procedures by providing high fidelity, more accurate diagnostic capabilities and also the ability to provide an all-in-one therapy
capable of diagnosis, ablation and/or stimulation. Beyond the brain, we believe our technology under development has applications in other
neurological signal recording disease states related to voluntary or involuntary motor neuron abnormalities, understanding sensory neuro
behavior (pain), limb prosthetics and degenerative muscle disease.
Clinical Development and Regulatory Pathway
Clinical Experience, Future Development
and Clinical Trial Plans
Our Evo cortical electrode technology has received
510(k) clearance from the FDA for recording, monitoring, and stimulating brain tissue for less than 30 days on the surface of the brain.
Our Evo sEEG electrode technology has received FDA 510(k) clearance from the FDA for use (less than 30 days) with recording, monitoring,
and stimulation equipment for the recording, monitoring, and stimulation of electrical signals at the subsurface level of the brain. Our
other products have not received any clearance for commercialization by any U.S. or foreign regulatory body. To date, the Company has
performed a number of bench top (which includes feasibility testing) and pre-clinical tests (which include animal testing of device placement,
ergonomics, performance, ease of use, and other tests required by FDA regulations). As described in “-Government Regulation”
below, the Company will be required to perform additional testing of its technology in connection with seeking additional regulatory clearances
or approvals.
We intend to expand our product offerings to include
less invasive means and all-in-one solutions, thus providing both patients and physicians better options to treat epilepsy, Parkinson’s
disease, dystonia, essential tremors, chronic pain due to failed back surgeries and other related neurological disorders. While we expect
to make modifications to our initial system, we believe that most of our future product development initiatives will involve unique and
transformational next generation technology that should drive further appeal of our products with both physicians and patients.
We are utilizing a number of resources to develop
these technologies. We license three critical patents from WARF that are the foundation of the technology and we are developing and intend
to commercialize and benefit from the thin film technology know-how of Mayo Clinic doctors through our license and development agreement.
WARF, Mayo Clinic (cortical electrodes) and Cleveland Clinic (sEEG electrodes) have been responsible for all pre-clinical studies of our
technology under development to date. See “-WARF License” and “-Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research License
and Development Agreement” below. We announced in December 2020, Mayo Clinic doctors used our technology in the first human commercial
application of our Evo cortical electrode technology to perform recording, functional mapping and stimulation of the brain on a human
patient. And more recently, in July 2022, we announced the first clinical case using the Evo sEEG electrode was performed by Dr. Robert
Gross at Emory University. Dr. Gross selected the Evo sEEG electrode for intraoperative brain mapping at the subsurface level of the brain.
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Below we have summarized, for each component of
our technology, the current stage of development or commercial production, the pre-clinical testing done to date by WARF, the Cleveland
Clinic or Mayo Clinic on such component, if any, our plans for further testing or clinical trials and our expectations regarding the requirements
for regulatory clearance or approval and timing of regulatory submissions.
Technology
Stage of Development and Pre-Clinical Testing to Date
Additional Expected Steps for Regulatory
Clearance or Approval
Cortical strip and grid electrodes for the diagnosis of epilepsy
The Company has finalized the design for the product
and there are no further expected changes to the device (“design freeze”).
Pre-clinical testing and clinical testing on the
final design has been conducted by Mayo Clinic and WARF (as described in “Mayo Clinic Studies” below). The product is in commercial
production.
The Company received FDA 510(k) clearance in the
fourth calendar quarter of 2019.
Commercial launch commenced utilizing Zimmer, our
distribution partner.
Depth electrodes for recording (diagnostic) purposes
We have frozen this design and the product is in
commercial production.
No clinical testing was required in order to obtain
FDA clearance.
The Company filed for FDA 510(k) marketing clearance for sEEG electrodes in May 2021 and received a 510(k) clearance from FDA for recording, monitoring and stimulation of brain tissue for less than 24 hours in September 2021. The Company filed for 510(k) clearance to expand the duration of use up to less than 30 days in November 2021. On October 20, 2022, the Company received an FDA clearance to market its Evo sEEG Electrode technology for temporary (less than 30 days) use with recording, monitoring, and stimulation equipment for the recording, monitoring, and stimulation of electrical signals at the subsurface level of the brain. Zimmer has indicated its desire to distribute this product.
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Depth electrode diagnostic and ablation devices
No design freeze. We expect to conclude the design
phase by the end of 2022.
Pre-clinical testing, including benchtop and animal
testing, has been conducted on near-final designs. Very early testing at the Cleveland Clinic was completed in the second calendar quarter
of 2020.
Pre-clinical (animal) feasibility testing was conducted
in September 2021 with representatives from Emory University in Atlanta Georgia. We plan to do further pre-clinical animal testing of
our near-final and final designs in the coming months.
The Company announced a partnership with RBC Medical
Systems in August 2021 to develop an RF generator that will be used with the Company’s diagnostic and ablation electrode.
No animal or human clinical testing is anticipated
for FDA submission since 510K predicate devices did not perform such clinical testing.
Once the design is finalized, we will be required
to conduct additional pre-clinical testing, which may include additional benchtop or even animal testing for safety and performance.
We anticipate filing a 510(k) submission in the second
calendar quarter of 2023. We expect that we will need to demonstrate design verification, biocompatibility, electrical safety and sterilization
validation and adoption, all of which we estimate will require >$300K to complete. It is estimated the RF generator will cost approximately
$1.5 million to complete.
Future testing requirements for regulatory clearance
will continue to be evaluated as we develop the design and regulatory strategy for this product.
Spinal cord stim electrodes
No design freeze.
We performed pre-clinical in-house bench top testing
in August 2020.
In 2021/early 2022, we performed bench top testing
of prototypes to demonstrate chronic performance and longevity.
In 2023, we will continue to refine our chronic spinal
cord electrode design based on SCS customer feedback and do additional pre-clinical bench and/or animal tests to further validate our
value proposition.
This device is in early stages of development.
Once the design is finalized, we will be required
to conduct additional pre-clinical testing, which may include additional benchtop or animal testing for safety and performance. Additionally,
the FDA may require that we conduct human clinical studies.
No FDA feedback has been sought or received by us
to date on the regulatory/clinical process that may be required for spinal cord stimulation indication, but we expect regulatory PMA approval
will require a more robust clinical process, human clinical data for a PMA (implanted system), depending on proposed indications for use.
Future pre-clinical and clinical testing requirements
for regulatory submission will continue to be evaluated as we develop the design of this product.
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Depth electrode chronic stimulation devices
No design freeze.
Bench top testing were successfully performed in
2021 and early 2022. We announced the results of these studies in the first quarter of 2022.
While this device remains in early development, we
expect to work with clinicians to further refine our designs and continue testing in 2023.
Following a design freeze, we will be required to
conduct additional pre-clinical testing, which may include additional benchtop or animal testing for safety and performance. Additionally,
FDA-approved human clinical studies will most likely be required.
No FDA feedback has been sought or received by us
to date on the clinical process that will be required for chronic stimulation, but we expect regulatory approval for chronic stimulation
may require a more robust clinical process, which could include a PMA with human clinical data. Because we have not yet met with the FDA,
we cannot yet determine what clinical data and testing we will need to complete or what the testing will need to demonstrate. However,
we believe, based on the experience of competitors for similar technology, that we will need to conduct clinical trials, which we estimate
will require an investment of over $2,000,000.
Mayo Clinic and University of Wisconsin-Madison
Studies
Our cortical technology for the diagnosis of epilepsy
has been tested by doctors at Mayo Clinic in multiple pre-clinical tests conducted from 2012 to 2017. In pre-clinical models, doctors
examined the biological impact on mammalian brains. Polyimide substrate electrodes (NeuroOne technology) were implanted on the pig’s
brain for one week alongside standard competitive electrodes. The tissue underneath the two types of electrodes was removed, fixed, stained,
and examined for immunological responses. The results of a histological (evaluation of brain tissue under a microscope) analysis showed
reduced immunological reaction to prolonged polyimide substrate implants (NeuroOne technology) compared to standard silicone substrate
clinical electrodes. Electrophysiological recordings showed data obtained from polyimide electrodes which demonstrated the feasibility
of high fidelity multi-scale electrophysiology while also displaying easier deployment of polyimide electrodes (NeuroOne technology) through
minimally invasive burr holes.
Additionally, doctors implanted our polyimide
thin film electrodes on five human patients who were undergoing surgery to remove brain tissue for drug resistant epilepsy. Electrophysiological
recordings from the polyimide thin film technology displayed in each of these patients demonstrated micro-seizure activity due to the
high fidelity multi-scale electrophysiology. In December 2020, we announced the first human commercial use of our Evo cortical electrode
to perform recording, functional mapping and stimulation of the brain. In the procedure, performed at the Mayo Clinic, our electrodes
were used to record evidence of pre-seizure activity which may be critical in developing treatments to prevent the onset of seizures.
Conclusions reached by the physicians at Mayo
Clinic were that thin, flexible polyimide electrodes (NeuroOne technology) provided recordings similar to standard clinical electrodes
with reduced immunological response. In addition, Mayo Clinic physicians observed that the flexibility of polyimide electrodes may reduce
pain and swelling associated with implantation of the device, and the single wire exiting the skull may reduce infection risk. The ability
to record micro-seizure and single neuron brain activity may also provide additional useful clinical data. Combined, these properties
suggest that the replacement of current competitive silicone electrodes with polyimide substrate electrodes (NeuroOne technology) for
recording brain activity for epilepsy could provide enhanced clinical value with reduced cost, reduced infection risk, and improved patient
comfort.
In addition, our thin film cortical implant technology
has been tested by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in multiple pre-clinical animal studies conducted from 2006 to 2016,
which included mice, rats and primates. In these studies, our technology was able to record brain activity from different areas of the
brain, was implanted in a minimally invasive fashion, electrically provided brain stimulation and tissue ablation, and had increased flexibility
compared to existing commercially available technology, which allowed the grids to conform more easily to the brain surface (and may have
reduced pain and swelling, compared to less flexible devices).
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Sales and Marketing
Zimmer Development Agreement
Based on the size and maturity of the U.S. market
and our initial commercial focus, on July 20, 2020, we entered into an exclusive development and distribution agreement (the “Development
Agreement”) with Zimmer, pursuant to which we granted Zimmer exclusive global rights to distribute NeuroOne’s strip and grid
cortical electrodes (the “Strip/Grid Products”) and electrode cable assembly products (the “Electrode Cable Assembly
Products”), including to approximately 188 Level 4 epilepsy centers. Additionally, we granted Zimmer the exclusive right and license
to distribute certain depth electrodes developed by the Company (“SEEG Products”, and together with the Strip/Grid Products
and Electrode Cable Assembly Products, the “Products”). The parties have agreed to collaborate with respect to development
activities under the Development Agreement through a joint development committee composed of an equal number of representatives of Zimmer
and the Company.
Under the terms of the Development Agreement,
we are responsible for all costs and expenses related to developing the Products, and Zimmer is responsible for all costs and expenses
related to the commercialization of the Products. In addition to the Development Agreement, Zimmer and the Company have entered into a
manufacturing and supply agreement (the “MS Agreement”) and a supplier quality agreement (the “Quality Agreement”)
with respect to the manufacturing and supply of the Products.
Except as otherwise provided in the Development
Agreement, we are responsible for performing all development activities, including non-clinical and clinical studies directed at obtaining
regulatory approval of each Product. Zimmer has agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to promote, market and sell each Product
following the “Product Availability Date” (as defined in the Development Agreement) for such Product.
Pursuant to the Development Agreement, Zimmer
made an upfront payment of $2.0 million to the Company in August 2020.
In August 2022, we entered into an amendment to
the Development Agreement with Zimmer that provided us with a $3.5 million accelerated payment relating to certain milestone events. In
addition, Zimmer received a Warrant to purchase 350,000 shares of our Common Stock, with an exercise price of $3.00 per share.
The Development Agreement will expire on the tenth
anniversary of the date of the first commercial sale of the last of the Products to achieve a first commercial sale, unless terminated
earlier pursuant to its terms. Either party may terminate the Development Agreement (x) with written notice for the other party’s
material breach following a cure period or (y) if the other party becomes subject to certain insolvency proceedings. In addition, Zimmer
may terminate the Development Agreement for any reason with 90 days’ written notice, and we may terminate the Development Agreement
if Zimmer acquires or directly or indirectly owns a controlling interest in certain competitors of the Company.
We will investigate markets outside of the U.S.
with the assistance of Zimmer and formulate a plan to enter those markets with the support of Zimmer.
For more information regarding the Development
Agreement, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Financial Overview-Collaborations
Revenue” and “Note 7 - Zimmer Development Agreement” included in “Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary
Data” in this Report.
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Reimbursement
Coverage in the United States
Reimbursement from private third-party healthcare
payors and, to a lesser extent, Medicare will be an important element of our success. Although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(“CMS”) and third-party payors have adopted coverage policies for our targeted indications, there is no guarantee this will
continue at the same levels or at all in the future. Current Procedural Terminology, or CPT, is a medical code set that is used to report
medical, surgical and diagnostic procedures and services to entities such as physicians, health insurance companies and accreditation
organizations.
Applicable diagnostic CPT codes for mapping (diagnosing)
the brain for diagnostic procedures are as follows:
● 61531 Subdural implantation of strip electrodes through one or more burr or trephine (saw) hole(s) for
long-term seizure monitoring;
● 61533 Craniotomy with elevation of bone flap: for subdural implantation of an electrode array, for long
term seizure monitoring;
● 61535 Craniotomy with elevation of bone flap; for removal of epidural or subdural electrode array, without
excision of cerebral tissue (separate procedure); and
● 61760 Stereotactic implantation of depth electrodes into the cerebrum for long term seizure monitoring.
Regarding ICD-10 codes, the International Classification
of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10) is a clinical cataloging system that went into effect for the U.S. healthcare industry on October
1, 2015, after a series of lengthy delays. Accounting for modern advances in clinical treatment and medical devices, ICD-10 codes offer
many more classification options compared to those found in its predecessor, ICD-9. Within the healthcare industry, providers, coders,
IT professionals, insurance carriers, government agencies and others use ICD codes to properly note diseases on health records, to track
epidemiological trends and to assist in medical reimbursement decisions.
ICD-10 codes for epilepsy are as follows:
● G40.0 Localization-related (focal) (partial) idiopathic epilepsy and epileptic syndromes with seizures
of localized onset;
● G40.1 Localization-related (focal) (partial) symptomatic epilepsy and epileptic syndromes with simple
partial seizures;
● G40.2 Localization-related (focal) (partial) symptomatic epilepsy and epileptic syndromes with complex
partial seizures;
● G40.3 Generalized idiopathic epilepsy and epileptic syndromes;
● G40.A Absence epileptic syndrome;
● G40.4 Other generalized epilepsy and epileptic syndromes;
● G40.50 Epileptic seizures related to external causes, not intractable;
● G40.80 Other epilepsy; and
● G40.82 Epileptic spasms.
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We believe that many of the indications we are
pursuing with our technologies are currently reimbursed on a widespread basis by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies.
Medicare, Medicaid, health maintenance organizations
and other third-party payors are increasingly attempting to contain healthcare costs by limiting both coverage and the level of reimbursement
of new medical devices, and, as a result, their coverage policies may be restrictive, or they may not cover or provide adequate payment
for our products. In order to obtain reimbursement arrangements, we may have to agree to a net sales price lower than the net sales price
we might charge in other sales channels. Our revenue may be limited by the continuing efforts of government and third-party payors to
contain or reduce the costs of healthcare through various increasingly sophisticated means, such as requiring prospective reimbursement
and second opinions, purchasing in groups, or redesigning benefits. Our future dependence on the commercial success of our technologies
makes us particularly susceptible to any cost containment or reduction efforts. Accordingly, if government and other third-party payors
do not provide adequate coverage and reimbursement for our products and the related insertion and removal procedures, our financial performance
will be negatively impacted.
Manufacturing, Supply and Quality Assurance
We currently outsource the supply and manufacture
of all components of our prototypes of our technology under development. We plan to continue with an outsourced manufacturing arrangement
for the foreseeable future. Our third-party manufacturers are recognized in their field for their competency to manufacture the respective
portions of our system and have quality systems established that meet FDA requirements. We believe the manufacturers we currently utilize
have sufficient capacity to meet our requirements; however, see “Risk Factors-Risks Related to Our Business-The COVID-19 pandemic
has adversely impacted, and may continue to impact, our business”. We believe that as we increase our demand in the future, our
per-unit costs will decrease materially. We have also identified capable second source manufacturers and suppliers in the event of disruption
from any of our primary vendors.
Our suppliers meet the latest ISO 13485 certification,
which includes design control requirements. As a medical device developer, the facilities of our sterilization and other critical suppliers
are subject to periodic inspection by the FDA and corresponding state and foreign agencies. We believe that our quality systems and those
of our suppliers are robust and achieve high product quality. We plan to audit our suppliers periodically to ensure conformity with the
specifications, policies and procedures for our devices.
Research and Development
Our research and development team, which includes
our Director of Electrode Development, utilizes advice from leading experts in the neurotech field on our scientific advisory board and
is focused on the development of thin film cortical grid and strip electrodes and depth electrodes for recording, ablation and chronic
stimulation for brain related disorders as well as stimulation for spinal cord stimulation for back related pain. Our research and development
expenses were $4.9 million and $3.9 million for the years ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Competition
In the market for Epilepsy diagnosis, our cortical
strip, grid and depth electrode technology will likely compete with Integra Life Science’s Integra Epilepsy Strip, Grid and depth
electrodes, which provide a similar function to our diagnostic technologies. These products are well established in the marketplace and
Integra has greater resources than us, which could allow them to innovate faster. Ad-Tech Medical Instrument Corporation’s Epilepsy/LTM
(subdural grid, strip and depth) electrodes, which have become the market leaders for diagnostic mapping in epilepsy, and PMT’s
Cortac Strips and grid electrodes and Depthalon depth electrodes are used for recording brain activity similar to other competitive technologies.
In addition, Dixie Medical has launched a product line of depth electrodes and CorTec has launched a cortical electrode product line called
AirRay. Today’s success rates for seizure free post-operative conditions remain at 50%, which has limited patients’ willingness
to undergo the currently highly invasive surgical procedure. We will also compete against other companies in early stages of development
of thin film technologies.
In the neuro-ablation market, we expect to compete
with Medtronic’s Visualase guided-laser ablation technology and Monteris Medical’s NeuroBlate technology, which use MRI guided
laser surgical ablation for use to ablate, necrotize or coagulate soft tissue through interstitial irradiation or thermal therapy in medicine
and surgery in the discipline of neurosurgery with 1064 nm lasers. Their website claims it is used for ablation in the brain for soft
tissue and tumors. We believe there are other laser-based systems in development that will compete with these technologies.
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In the neurostimulation market, we expect to compete
with NeuroPace’s RNS system approved for epilepsy, Medtronic’s Activa system approved for Parkinson’s disease, Boston
Scientific Vercise (indicated for Parkinson’s, dystonia and essential tremors), Abbott/St. Jude Medical’s Infinity DBS system
(approved for Parkinson’s disease and essential tremors), Liva Nova/Cyberonic’s VNS therapy intended for patients suffering
with epilepsy.
Although we will face potential competition from
many different sources, we believe that our technology, knowledge, experience and scientific resources will provide us with competitive
advantages. For a discussion of the key competitive factors that we believe will impact the success of our cortical strip, grid electrodes
under development, if successfully developed and approved, see “Our Solution” above.
Many of the companies against which we may compete
in the future have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, preclinical testing,
conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved products than we do. Mergers and acquisitions in the
pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostic industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of
our competitors. Smaller or early stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements
with large and established companies. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management
personnel and establishing clinical trial sites and subject registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary
to, or necessary for, our development.
WARF License
In January 2020, we entered into the Amended and
Restated Exclusive Start-Up Company License Agreement, dated as of January 21, 2020, as amended on June 15, 2020 (the “WARF License”)
with WARF, which amended and restated in full the Original WARF License. Pursuant to the WARF License, WARF has granted to us an exclusive
license to make, use and sell, in the United States only, products that employ certain licensed patents for a neural probe array or thin-film
micro electrode array and method. We have agreed to pay WARF a royalty equal to a single-digit percentage of our product sales pursuant
to the WARF License, with a minimum annual royalty payment of $50,000 for calendar year 2020, $100,000 for calendar year 2021 and $150,000
for calendar year 2022 and each calendar year thereafter that the WARF License is in effect. The minimum annual royalty payment for calendar
year 2020 in the amount of $50,000 was paid in January 2021. If we or any of our sublicensees contest the validity of any licensed patent,
the royalty rate will be doubled during the pendency of such contest and, if the contested patent is found to be valid and would be infringed
by us if not for the WARF License, the royalty rate will be tripled for the remaining term of the WARF License.
WARF may terminate this license on 30 days’
written notice, if we default on the payments of amounts due to WARF or fail to timely submit development reports, actively pursue our
development plan or breach any other covenant in the WARF License and fail to remedy such default in 90 days or in the event of certain
bankruptcy events involving us. WARF may also terminate the WARF License (i) on 90 days’ notice if we had failed to have commercial
sales of one or more FDA-approved products under the WARF License by June 30, 2021 or (ii) if, after royalties earned on sales begin to
be paid, such earned royalties cease for more than four calendar quarters. The first commercial sale occurred on December 7, 2020, prior
to the June 30, 2021 deadline. The WARF License otherwise expires by its terms on the date that no valid claims on the patents licensed
thereunder remain. We expect the latest expiration of a licensed patent to occur in 2030.
In addition, WARF reserves the right to grant
non-profit research institutions and government agencies non-exclusive licenses to practice and use the inventions of the licensed patents
for non-commercial research purposes, and we grant WARF a non-exclusive, sub licensable, royalty-free right and license for non-commercial
research purposes to use improvements to the licensed patents. In the event that we discontinue use or commercialization of the licensed
patents or improvements thereon, we must grant WARF an option to obtain a non-exclusive, sub-licensable, royalty-bearing license to use
the improvements for commercial purposes.
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See “Risk Factors- Risks Related to Our
Business-We depend on intellectual property licensed from WARF for our technology, including our technology under development, and the
termination of this license would harm our business” for additional information regarding the WARF License.
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and
Research License and Development Agreement
In May 2017, we entered into the Amended and Restated
License and Development Agreement, dated as of May 25, 2017 (the “Mayo Development Agreement”), with Mayo Foundation for Medical
Education and Research (“Mayo”) to license worldwide (i) certain know how for the development and commercialization of products,
methods and processes related to flexible circuit thin film technology for the recording of tissue and (ii) the products developed therefrom,
and to partner with Mayo to assist the Company in the investigation, research application, development and improvement of such technology.
Mayo has agreed to assist us by providing access to certain individuals at Mayo (the “Mayo Principal Investigators”), in developing
our cortical thin film flexible circuit technology, including prototype development, animal testing, protocol development for human and
animal use, abstract development and presentation and access to and license of any intellectual property that the Mayo Principal Investigators
develop relating to the procedure.
We have agreed to pay Mayo a royalty equal to
a single-digit percentage of our product sales pursuant to the Mayo Development Agreement. Mayo may purchase any developed products licensed
under the Mayo Development Agreement at the best price offered by us to the end user in the prior year. The Mayo Development Agreement
generally will expire in October 2034, unless the Mayo know-how and improvements under the Mayo Development Agreement remain in use, and
the Mayo Development Agreement may be terminated by Mayo for cause or under certain circumstances.
For additional information regarding the Mayo
Development Agreement, see “Risk Factors- Risks Related to Our Business-We depend on our partnership with Mayo to license certain
know how for the development and commercialization of our technology. Termination of this partnership would harm our business, and even
if this partnership continues, it may not be successful.”
Intellectual Property
Protection of our intellectual property is a strategic
priority for our business. We rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets as well as nondisclosure and
assignment of invention agreements, material transfer agreements, confidentiality agreements and other measures to protect our intellectual
property and other proprietary rights.
Patents
As of September 30, 2022, our patent estate consists
of three issued United States patents licensed from WARF covering a neural probe array and thin-film micro electrode array and method,
a pending U.S. patent application filed by us and published in 2018 covering our applications and additional devices used during the diagnostic
and therapeutic ablation and stimulation procedures, a U.S. patent issued in October 2022 and pending European patent application filed
by us and published in 2020 relating to improved neural depth electrodes, a pending U.S. patent application filed by us and published
in 2020 relating to agent-delivering neural electrodes, pending U.S. and European patent applications published in 2020 relating to minimally
invasive electrodes, pending U.S. and European patent applications published in 2021 relating to spinal cord stimulation systems and devices,
a pending U.S. patent application (and corresponding PCT application) published in 2022 relating to methods of making electrode probes,
a pending U.S. patent application (and corresponding PCT application) filed in 2021 relating to devices having temperature sensors, a
pending U.S. patent application filed in 2022 relating to deformable spinal cord stimulation devices, a pending U.S. patent application
filed in 2022 relating to spinal cord stimulation device implantation methods, and a pending U.S. patent application filed in 2022 relating
to ablation probe and temperature sensing device systems. The licensed issued patents expire between 2025 and 2030, subject to any patent
extensions that may be available for such patents. The issued patent owned by NeuroOne expires in 2041. If a patent or patents are issued
on our additional pending patent applications, the resulting patents are projected to expire between 2038 and 2043.
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Our patent applications may not result in issued
patents, and any patents that have been issued or may be issued in the future may not protect the commercially important aspects of our
technology. Furthermore, the validity and enforceability of our issued patents may be challenged by third parties and our patents could
be invalidated or modified by the issuing governmental authority. Third parties may independently develop technology that is not covered
by our patents that is similar to, or competes with, our technology. In addition, our intellectual property may be infringed or misappropriated
by third parties, particularly in foreign countries where the laws and governmental authorities may not protect our proprietary rights
as effectively as those in the United States.
The medical device industry in general, and the
recording, ablation and neurostimulation sector of this industry in particular, are characterized by the existence of a large number of
patents and frequent litigation based on assertions of patent infringement. We are aware of numerous patents issued to third parties that
may relate to the technology used in our business, including the design and manufacture of electrodes and pulse generators, as well as
methods for device placement. Each of these patents contains multiple claims, any one of which may be independently asserted against us.
The owners of these patents may assert that the manufacture, use, sale or offer for sale of our cortical strip and grid electrodes infringe
one or more claims of their patents. Furthermore, there may be additional patents issued to third parties of which we are presently unaware
that may relate to aspects of our technology that such third parties could assert against us and materially and adversely affect our business.
In addition, because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be patent applications that are currently pending and
unknown to us, which may later result in issued patents that third parties could assert against us and materially and adversely affect
our business.
Any adverse determination in litigations, post
grant trial proceedings, at the Patent Office relating to intellectual property to which we are or may become a party could subject us
to significant liabilities to third parties or require us to seek licenses from third parties, and result in the cancellation and/or invalidation
of our intellectual property. Furthermore, if a court finds that we have willfully infringed a third party’s intellectual property,
we could be required to pay treble damages and/or attorney fees for the prevailing party, in addition to other penalties. Although intellectual
property disputes in the medical device area are often settled through licensing or similar arrangements, costs associated with such arrangements
can be substantial and often require ongoing royalty payments. We may be unable to obtain necessary licenses on satisfactory terms, if
at all. If we do not obtain necessary licenses, we may not be able to redesign our products to avoid infringement; if we are able to redesign
our products to avoid infringement, we may not receive FDA approval in a timely manner. Adverse determinations in a judicial or administrative
proceeding or failure to obtain necessary licenses could prevent us from manufacturing and selling our products, which could have a significant
adverse impact on our business.
Trademarks
We have registered U.S. trademarks for the trademarks
“NEUROONE” and “EVO.” The document(s) updating the owner’s name were filed with the U.S. Trademark Office
on November 30, 2021, with an effective date of December 30, 2019. We have a pending U.S. trademark application for the trademark OneRF.
We also have pending trademark applications in the United Kingdom and the European Union for the trademark OneRF.
Trade Secrets
We also rely on trade secrets, technical know-how
and continuing innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect such intellectual property and proprietary
information by generally requiring our employees, consultants, contractors, scientific collaborators and other advisors to execute non-disclosure
and assignment of invention agreements upon the commencement of their employment or engagement as the case may be. Our agreements with
our employees prohibit them from providing us with any intellectual property or proprietary information of third parties. We also generally
require confidentiality agreements or material transfer agreements with third parties that receive or have access to our confidential
information, data or other materials. Notwithstanding the foregoing, there can be no assurance that our employees and third parties that
have access to our confidential proprietary information will abide by the terms of their agreements. Despite the measures that we take
to protect our intellectual property and confidential information, unauthorized third parties may copy aspects of our products or obtain
and use our proprietary information.
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Government Regulation
Our cortical strip, grid and depth electrodes
are medical devices subject to extensive and ongoing regulation by the FDA and the U.S. CMS. Regulations cover virtually every critical
aspect of a medical device company’s business operations, including research activities, product development, quality, manufacturing,
supplier management and risk management, contracting, reimbursement, medical communications, and sales and marketing. In the United States,
the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”), and the implementing regulations of the FDA (specifically, 21 Code of Regulations
(21 CFR Parts 801- labeling, 803 - medical device reporting, 807 - registration and listing, subpart E premarket notification 510k, 812
- investigational device exemption, 814 - premarket approval and 820 - quality system regulation) and applicable FDA issued guidance’s
govern product design and development, pre-clinical and clinical testing, premarket clearance or approval, risk management, product manufacturing,
quality systems, import and export, product labeling, product storage, recalls and field safety corrective actions, advertising and promotion,
product sales and distribution, and post-market clinical surveillance. Our business is subject to federal, state, local and harmonized
standards, such as ISO 13485, ISO 14971, and FDA’s Quality System Regulation (“QSR”) contained in 21 CFR Part 820.
Regulatory Framework in the United
States
Device classification
The FDA characterizes medical devices into one
of three classes, Class I, II, and III. Regulatory control increases from Class I to Class III. The device classification regulation defines
the regulatory requirements for a general device type. Most Class I devices are exempt from Premarket Notification under 510(k); most
Class II devices require Premarket Notification under 510(k); and most Class III devices require Premarket Approval.
Class I devices are subject to general controls
including labeling. However, most such devices are exempt from pre-market notification. If a device
is exempted from any of the general controls, such exemption is stated in the classification regulation for that device. This pertains
to manufacturers’ methods and documentation of the design, testing, production, control quality assurance, labeling, packaging,
sterilization, storage and shipping of products. Class II devices are subject to the same general controls but may be subject to special
controls such as performance standards, post-market surveillance, FDA guidance, or particularized labeling, and may also require clinical
testing prior to clearance. Class III devices are those for which insufficient information exists to assure safety and effectiveness solely
through general or special controls, including devices that support or sustain human life, are of substantial importance in preventing
impairment of human health, or which present a potential, unreasonable risk of illness or injury. Premarket Approval is required for most
Class III devices.
Some Class I and Class II devices are exempted
by regulation from the pre-market notification requirement under Section 510(k) of the FDCA, also referred to as a 510(k) clearance, but
must meet the requirement of compliance with substantially all of the QSR. However, a pre-market approval (“PMA application”)
is required for devices deemed by the FDA to pose the greatest risk, such as life-sustaining, life-supporting or certain implantable devices,
or those that are “not substantially equivalent” either to a device previously cleared through the 510(k) process or to a
“preamendment” Class III device in commercial distribution before May 28, 1976 when PMA applications were not required. The
PMA approval process is more comprehensive than the 510(k) clearance process and typically takes multiple years to complete.
Based on FDA classifications, we believe our diagnostic
cortical strip, grid and depth electrode and RF ablation technology will be categorized by the FDA as Class II devices that do not require
clinical testing and can be filed as a 510(k), similar to existing competitive technology. The Company expects that indications for treating
epilepsy, Parkinson’s and other patients suffering from motor related neurological deficiencies via a permanent implant for chronic
treatment will require a PMA process to commercially distribute in the United States.
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The 510(k) clearance process
Under the 510(k) clearance process, the manufacturer
must submit to the FDA a premarket notification, demonstrating that the device is “substantially equivalent” to a legally
marketed predicate device. A predicate device is a legally marketed device that is not subject to a PMA, i.e., a device that was legally
marketed prior to May 28, 1976 (pre-amendments device) and for which a PMA is not required, a device that has been reclassified from Class
III to Class II or I, or a device that was previously found substantially equivalent through the 510(k) process. To be “substantially
equivalent,” the proposed device must have the same intended use, indications for use as the predicate device, and either have the
same technological characteristics as the predicate device or have different technological characteristics and not raise different questions
of safety or effectiveness than the predicate device. Clinical data is sometimes required to support substantial equivalence.
After a 510(k) premarket notification is submitted,
the FDA determines whether to accept it for substantive review. If it lacks necessary information for substantive review, the FDA will
refuse to accept the 510(k) notification. If it is accepted for filing, the FDA begins a substantive review. The FDA goal is to complete
its review of a 510(k) notification within 90 calendar days of receiving the 510(k) notification. As a practical matter, clearance often
takes longer, and clearance is never assured. Although many 510(k) premarket notifications are cleared without clinical data, the FDA
may require further information, including clinical data, to make a determination regarding substantial equivalence, which may significantly
prolong the review process. If the FDA agrees that the device is substantially equivalent, it will grant clearance to commercially market
the device.
If the FDA determines that the device is not “substantially
equivalent” to a predicate device, or if the device is automatically classified into Class III, the device sponsor must then fulfill
the more rigorous premarketing requirements of the PMA approval process, or seek reclassification of the device through the De Novo process.
The De Novo request provides a marketing pathway to classify novel medical devices for which general controls alone, or general and special
controls, provide reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness for the intended use, but for which there is no legally marketed predicate
device. De Novo classification is a risk-based classification process. The De Novo classification process is an alternate pathway to classify
medical devices that are automatically classified into Class III but which are low to moderate risk. A manufacturer can submit a Pre-submission
(Q-Sub) for De Novo review if the manufacturer is unable to identify an appropriate predicate device and the new device or new use of
the device presents a moderate or low risk.
After a device receives 510(k) clearance, any
modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a new or major change in its intended
use, will require a new 510(k) clearance or, depending on the modification, could require a De Novo device application and potentially
a PMA application. The FDA requires each manufacturer to determine whether the proposed change requires a new submission in the first
instance, but the FDA can review any such decision and disagree with a manufacturer’s determination. Many minor modifications are
accomplished by a letter-to-file in which the manufacture documents the change in an internal letter-to-file based on adherence to FDA
guidance on changes to an existing 510(k) device. The letter-to-file is in lieu of submitting a new 510(k) to obtain clearance for such
change. The FDA can always review these letters to file in an inspection. If the FDA disagrees with a manufacturer’s determination
regarding whether a new premarket submission is required for the modification of an existing 510(k)-cleared device, the FDA can require
the manufacturer to cease marketing and/or recall the modified device until 510(k) clearance or approval of a De Novo or PMA application
is obtained. In addition, in these circumstances, the FDA can impose significant regulatory fines or penalties for failure to submit the
requisite application(s).
The PMA approval process
Following receipt of a PMA application, the FDA
conducts an administrative review to determine whether the application is sufficiently complete to permit a substantive review. If it
is not, the agency will refuse to file the PMA. If it is, the FDA will accept the application for filing and begin its review. The FDA
has 180 days to review a filed PMA application, although the review of an application more often occurs over a significantly longer period
of time. During this review period, the FDA may request additional information or clarification of information already provided, and the
FDA may issue a major deficiency letter to the applicant, requesting the applicant’s response to deficiencies communicated by the
FDA.
Before approving or denying a PMA, an FDA advisory
committee may review the PMA at a public meeting and provide the FDA with the committee’s recommendation on whether the FDA should
approve the submission, approve it with specific conditions, or not approve it. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory
committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.
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Prior to approval of a PMA, the FDA may conduct
inspections of the clinical trial data and clinical trial sites, as well as inspections of the manufacturing facility and processes. Overall,
the FDA review of a PMA application generally takes between one and three years, but may take significantly longer. The FDA can delay,
limit or deny approval of a PMA application for many reasons, including:
● the device may not be safe, effective, reliable or accurate to the FDA’s satisfaction;
● the data from pre-clinical studies and clinical trials may be insufficient to support approval;
● the manufacturing process or facilities may not meet applicable requirements; and
● changes in FDA approval policies or adoption of new regulations may require additional data.
If an FDA evaluation of a PMA application is favorable,
the FDA will either issue an approval letter, or approvable letter, which usually contains a number of conditions that must be met in
order to secure final approval of the PMA. When and if those conditions have been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the FDA, the agency
will issue a PMA approval letter authorizing commercial marketing of a device, subject to the conditions of approval and the limitations
established in the approval letter. If the FDA’s evaluation of a PMA application or manufacturing facilities is not favorable, the
FDA will deny approval of the PMA or issue a not approvable letter. The FDA also may determine that additional tests or clinical trials
are necessary, in which case the PMA approval may be delayed for several months or years while the trials are conducted and data is submitted
in an amendment to the PMA. The PMA process can be expensive, uncertain and lengthy and a number of devices for which FDA approval has
been sought by other companies have never been approved by the FDA for marketing.
New PMA applications or PMA supplements may be
required for modifications to the manufacturing process, labeling, device specifications, materials or design of a device that has been
approved through the PMA process. PMA supplements often require submission of the same type of information as an initial PMA application,
except that the supplement is limited to information needed to support any changes from the device covered by the approved PMA application
and may or may not require as extensive technical or clinical data or the convening of an advisory panel.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are typically required to support
a PMA application and are sometimes required for a 510(k) clearance. These trials generally require submission of an application for an
Investigational Device Exemption (“IDE”), to the FDA. The IDE application must be supported by appropriate data, such as animal
and laboratory testing results, showing that it is safe to test the device in humans and that the testing protocol is scientifically sound.
The IDE application must be approved in advance by the FDA for a specified number of patients, unless the product is deemed a non-significant
risk device and eligible for abbreviated IDE requirements. Generally, clinical trials for a significant risk device may begin once the
IDE application is approved by the FDA and the study protocol and informed consent are approved by appropriate institutional review boards
at the clinical trial sites. The FDA’s approval of an IDE allows clinical testing to go forward, but it does not bind the FDA to
accept the results of the trial as sufficient to prove the product’s safety and efficacy, even if the trial meets its intended success
criteria. All clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with the FDA’s IDE regulations that govern investigational device
labeling, prohibit promotion, and specify an array of recordkeeping, reporting and monitoring responsibilities of study sponsors and study
investigators. Clinical trials must further comply with the FDA’s regulations for institutional review board approval and for informed
consent and other human subject protections. Required records and reports are subject to inspection by the FDA. The results of clinical
testing may be unfavorable or, even if the intended safety and efficacy success criteria are achieved, may not be considered sufficient
for the FDA to grant approval or clearance of a product. Clinical trials must be entered into the clinical trials registry at clinicaltrials.gov.
The commencement or completion of any clinical
trial may be delayed or halted, or be inadequate to support approval of a PMA application, for numerous reasons, including, but not limited
to, the following:
● the FDA or other regulatory authorities do not approve a clinical trial protocol or a clinical trial,
or place a clinical trial on hold;
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● patients do not enroll in clinical trials at the rate expected;
● patients, sponsor (NeuroOne) or study sites do not comply with trial protocols;
● patient follow-up is not at the rate expected;
● patients experience unanticipated adverse event;
● the data safety monitoring board determines the study should be placed on hold:
● patients die during a clinical trial, even though their death may not be related to the products that
are part of our trial;
● institutional review boards and third-party clinical investigators may delay or reject the trial protocol;
● third-party clinical investigators decline to participate in a trial or do not perform a trial on the
anticipated schedule or consistent with the clinical trial protocol, good clinical practices or other FDA requirements;
● the sponsor (NeuroOne) or third-party organizations do not perform data collection, monitoring and analysis
in a timely or accurate manner or consistent with the clinical trial protocol or investigational or statistical plans;
● third-party clinical investigators have significant financial interests related to the sponsor (NeuroOne)
or the study that the FDA deems to make the study results unreliable, or the company or investigators fail to disclose such interests;
● regulatory inspections of our clinical trials or manufacturing facilities, which may, among other things,
require us to undertake corrective action or suspend or terminate our clinical trials;
● changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions;
● the interim or final results of the clinical trial are inconclusive or unfavorable as to safety or efficacy;
and
● the FDA concludes that our trial design is inadequate to demonstrate safety and efficacy.
Other Regulatory Requirements
Even after a device receives clearance or approval
and is placed in commercial distribution, numerous regulatory requirements apply. These include:
● establishment registration and device listing;
● QSR, which requires manufacturers, including third party manufacturers, to follow stringent design, testing,
risk management, production control, supplier/contractor selection, complaint handling, documentation and other quality assurance procedures
during all aspects of the manufacturing process;
● labeling regulations that prohibit the promotion of products for uncleared, unapproved or “off-label”
uses, and impose other restrictions on labeling, advertising and promotion;
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● MDR regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA if their device may have caused or
contributed to a death or serious injury or malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury
if the malfunction were to recur;
● voluntary and mandatory device recalls to address problems when a device is mislabeled or does not meet
specifications and could be a risk to health; and
● corrections and removals reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA field
corrections and product recalls or removals if undertaken to reduce a risk to health posed by the device or to remedy a violation of the
FDCA that may present a risk to health.
Also, the FDA may require us to conduct post-market
surveillance studies or establish and maintain a system for tracking our products through the chain of distribution to the patient level.
The FDA enforces regulatory requirements by conducting periodic, unannounced inspections and market surveillance. Inspections may include
the manufacturing facilities of our subcontractors.
Failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements
can result in enforcement actions by the FDA and other regulatory agencies. These may include any of the following sanctions or consequences:
● warning letters or untitled letters that require corrective action;
● fines and civil penalties;
● unanticipated expenditures;
● delays in approving or refusal to approve future products;
● FDA refusal to issue certificates to foreign governments needed to export products for sale in other countries;
● suspension or withdrawal of FDA clearance or approval;
● product recall or seizure; interruption of production;
● operating restrictions;
● injunctions; and
● criminal prosecution.
Our contract manufacturers, specification developers
and some suppliers of components or device accessories, also are required to manufacture our products in compliance with current good
manufacturing practice requirements set forth in the QSR. The QSR requires a quality system for the design, risk management, manufacture,
packaging, labeling, storage, installation and servicing of marketed devices, and it includes extensive requirements with respect to quality
management and organization, device design, buildings, equipment, purchase and handling of components or services, production and process
controls, packaging and labeling controls, device evaluation, distribution, installation, complaint handling, servicing, and record keeping.
The FDA evaluates compliance with the QSR through periodic unannounced inspections that may include the manufacturing facilities of our
subcontractors. If the FDA believes that any of our contract manufacturers or regulated suppliers are not in compliance with these requirements,
it can shut down such manufacturing operations, require a recall of our products, refuse to approve new marketing applications, institute
legal proceedings to detain or seize products, enjoin future violations or assess civil and criminal penalties against us or our officers
or other employees.
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The Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) and Similar Foreign and State Laws and Regulations Affecting the Transmission, Security
and Privacy of Health Information
We may also be subject to data privacy and security
regulation by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business. HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information
Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, and their respective implementing regulations, imposes specified requirements
relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. Among other things, HITECH makes HIPAA’s
security standards directly applicable to business associates, defined as service providers of covered entities that create, receive,
maintain or transmit protected health information in connection with providing a service for or on behalf of a covered entity. HITECH
also created four new tiers of civil monetary penalties and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages
or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal
civil actions. In addition, many state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which
differ from HIPAA and each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect.
Fraud and Abuse Laws
In addition to FDA restrictions, there are numerous
U.S. federal and state laws pertaining to healthcare fraud and abuse, including anti-kickback laws and physician self-referral laws. Our
relationships with healthcare providers and other third parties are subject to scrutiny under these laws. Violations of these laws are
punishable by criminal and civil sanctions, including, in some instances, imprisonment and exclusion from participation in federal and
state healthcare programs, including the Medicare, Medicaid and Veterans Administration health programs.
Federal Anti-Kickback and Self-Referral
Laws
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute (the “Anti-Kickback
Statute”) prohibits persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or providing remuneration (including any
kickback, bribe or rebate), directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, to induce either the referral of an individual, or the furnishing,
recommending, or arranging of a good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare and
Medicaid or other federal healthcare programs. The term “remuneration” has been broadly interpreted to include anything of
value, including such items as gifts, discounts, the furnishing of supplies or equipment, credit arrangements, waiver of payments and
providing anything at less than its fair market value. Although there are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors
protecting some common activities from prosecution, the exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly. Practices that involve remuneration
that may be alleged to be intended to induce prescribing, purchases or recommendations may be subject to scrutiny if they do not qualify
for an exception or safe harbor. Failure to meet all of the requirements of a particular applicable statutory exception or regulatory
safe harbor does not make the conduct per se illegal under the Anti-Kickback Statute. Instead, the legality of the arrangement will be
evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on a review of all its relevant facts and circumstances. Several courts have interpreted the statute’s
intent requirement to mean that if any one purpose of an arrangement involving remuneration is to induce referrals of (or purchases, or
recommendations related to) federal healthcare covered business, the Anti-Kickback Statute has been implicated and potentially violated.
The penalties for violating the Anti-Kickback
Statute include imprisonment for up to five years, fines of up to $25,000 per violation and possible exclusion from federal healthcare
programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Many states have adopted prohibitions similar to the Anti-Kickback Statute, some of which do not
have the same exceptions and apply to the referral of patients for healthcare services reimbursed by any source, not only by the Medicare
and Medicaid programs. Further, the Anti-Kickback Statute was amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”).
Specifically, as noted above, under the Anti-Kickback Statute, the government must prove the defendant acted “knowingly” to
prove a violation occurred. The ACA added a provision to clarify that with respect to violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, “a
person need not have actual knowledge” of the statute or specific intent to commit a violation of the statute. This change effectively
overturns case law interpretations that set a higher standard under which prosecutors had to prove the specific intent to violate the
law. In addition, the ACA codified case law that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute
constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal civil False Claims Act (the “False Claims Act”).
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We plan to provide the initial training to providers
and patients necessary for appropriate use of our technology either through our own educators or by contracting with outside educators
that have completed an appropriate training course. Outside educators are reimbursed for their services at fair market value.
Noncompliance with the Anti-Kickback Statute could
result in our exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid or other governmental programs, restrictions on our ability to operate in certain jurisdictions,
and civil and criminal penalties.
The federal Physician Self-Referral Prohibition,
commonly known as the “Stark Law,” prohibits a physician from ordering “designated health services,” including
durable medical equipment, for Medicare and Medicaid patients from entities with which the physician (or an immediate family member) has
a “financial relationship.” Financial relationships include both compensation arrangements and investment and ownership interests.
Violation of the Stark Law could result in denial of payment, disgorgement of reimbursements received under a noncompliant arrangement,
civil penalties, and exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid or other governmental programs. We believe that we have structured our provider
arrangements to comply with current Stark Law requirements.
Nevertheless, a determination of liability under
such laws could result in fines and penalties and restrictions on our ability to operate in these jurisdictions.
Additionally, as some of these laws are still
evolving, we lack definitive guidance as to the application of certain key aspects of these laws as they relate to our arrangements with
providers with respect to patient training. We cannot predict the final form that these regulations will take or the effect that the final
regulations will have on us. As a result, our provider and training arrangements may ultimately be found to be not in compliance with
applicable federal law.
False Claims Act
The False Claims Act provides, in part, that the
federal government may bring a lawsuit against any person whom it believes has knowingly presented, or caused to be presented, a false
or fraudulent request for payment from the federal government, or who has made a false statement or used a false record to get a claim
approved. In addition, amendments in 1986 to the False Claims Act have made it easier for private parties to bring “qui tam”
whistleblower lawsuits against companies under the False Claims Act. Penalties include fines ranging from $5,500 to $11,000 for each false
claim, plus three times the amount of damages that the federal government sustained because of the act of that person. Qui tam actions
have increased significantly in recent years, causing greater numbers of healthcare companies to have to defend a false claim action,
pay fines or be excluded from Medicare, Medicaid or other federal or state healthcare programs as a result of an investigation arising
out of such action.
There are other federal anti-fraud laws that prohibit,
among other actions, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program,
including private third-party payors, knowingly and willfully embezzling or stealing from a healthcare benefit program, willfully obstructing
a criminal investigation of a healthcare offense, and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or
making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits,
items or services.
Additionally, HIPAA established two federal crimes
related to making false statements in relation to healthcare matters. The healthcare fraud statute prohibits knowingly and willfully executing
a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private payors. A violation of this statute is a felony and may result in
fines, imprisonment or exclusion from government sponsored programs. The false statements statute prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying,
concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery
of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. A violation of this statute is a felony and may result in fines or imprisonment.
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Civil Monetary Penalties Law
In addition to the Anti-Kickback Statute and the
False Claims Act, the federal government has the authority to seek civil monetary penalties, or CMPs, assessments, and exclusion against
an individual or entity based on a wide variety of prohibited conduct. For example, the Civil Monetary Penalties Law authorizes the imposition
of substantial CMPs against an entity that engages in activities including, but not limited to: (1) knowingly presenting or causing to
be presented, a claim for services not provided as claimed or which is otherwise false or fraudulent in any way; (2) knowingly giving
or causing to be given false or misleading information reasonably expected to influence the decision to discharge a patient; (3) offering
or giving remuneration to any beneficiary of a federal health care program likely to influence the receipt of reimbursable items or services;
(4) arranging for reimbursable services with an entity which is excluded from participation from a federal health care program; (5) knowingly
or willfully soliciting or receiving remuneration for a referral of a federal health care program beneficiary; or (6) using a payment
intended for a federal health care program beneficiary for another use. The government is authorized to seek different amounts of CMPs
and assessments based on underlying violation. For false or fraudulent claims, the government may seek a penalty of up to $10,000 for
each item or service improperly claimed, and an assessment of up to three times the amount improperly claimed. For kickback violations,
the government may seek a penalty of up to $50,000 for each improper act and damages of up to three times the amount of remuneration at
issue.
State Fraud and Abuse Provisions
Many states have also adopted some form of anti-kickback
and anti-referral laws and a false claims act. We believe that we are in conformance to such laws. Nevertheless, a determination of liability
under such laws could result in fines and penalties and restrictions on our ability to operate in these jurisdictions.
Physician Payment Sunshine Act
Transparency laws regarding payments or other
items of value provided to healthcare providers and teaching hospitals may also impact our business practices. The federal Physician Payment
Sunshine Act requires most medical device manufacturers to report annually to the Secretary of Human Health Services financial arrangements,
payments, or other transfers of value made by that entity to physicians and teaching hospitals. The payment information is made publicly
available in a searchable format on a CMS website. Over the next several years, we will need to dedicate significant resources to establish
and maintain systems and processes in order to comply with these regulations. Failure to comply with the reporting requirements can result
in significant civil monetary penalties. Similar laws have been enacted or are under consideration in foreign jurisdictions.
Human Capital
As of September 30, 2022, we had 15 employees,
all of whom are full-time, seven of whom are engaged in research and development activities, and all of whom are located in the United
States. As of September 30, 2022, we also retained the services of approximately seven regular consultants. None of our employees are
represented by a labor union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relationship with our employees to be good.
During our 2022 fiscal year, we did not experience any turnover among our employees.
Corporate Information
Our principal
executive offices are located at 7599 Anagram Drive, Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55344, and our telephone number is 952-426-1383. Our website
address is www.n1mtc.com. Information on our website is not part of this Annual Report.
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