Item 1A. Risk Factors
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
Summary
of Risk Factors
The
risk factors summarized and detailed below could materially harm our business, operating results and financial condition, impair our
future prospects and cause the price of our common stock to decline. These are not all of the risks we face and other factors not presently
known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also affect our business if they occur. Material risks that may affect our
business, operating results and financial condition include, but are not necessarily limited to, those relating to:
● we
have incurred significant operating losses since inception and cannot assure you that we
will ever achieve or sustain profitability;
● our
ability to continue our operations requires that we raise additional capital and our operations
could be curtailed if we are unable to obtain the additional funding as or when needed;
● we
will need to raise substantial additional funds in the future, and these funds may not be
available on acceptable terms or at all. A failure to obtain this necessary capital when
needed could force us to delay, limit, scale back or cease some or all operations;
● medical
device development involves a lengthy and expensive process, with an uncertain outcome. We
may incur additional costs or experience delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to
complete, the development and commercialization of any product;
● changes
in the configuration of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology
under development may result in additional costs or delay;
● if
we are unable to successfully develop, receive regulatory clearance/approval for and commercialize
our technology and other products under development, or if we experience significant delays
in doing so, our business will be harmed;
● failure
to secure or retain coverage or adequate reimbursement for our cortical strip, grid electrode
and depth electrode technology or future versions thereof, including the implantation procedures,
by third-party payors could adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating
results;
● if
our competitors are better able to develop and market products for the diagnosis and treatment
of epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, essential tremors, chronic pain due to
failed back surgeries and other related neurological disorders that are safer, more effective,
less costly, easier to use or otherwise more attractive than our cortical strip, grid electrode
and depth electrode technology, our business will be adversely impacted;
● the
size and future growth in the market for our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode
technology or our future neurological drugs delivery under development has not been established
with precision and may be smaller than we estimate, possibly materially;
● we
depend on intellectual property licensed from WARF for our technology under development,
and the termination of this license would harm 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;
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● if
we are unable to expand our sales and marketing infrastructure, we may not be successful
in commercializing our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology in the
United States;
● we
contract with third parties for the manufacture of our products and technology under development
and expect to continue to do so for clinical trials and commercialization. Risks associated
with the manufacturing of our products could reduce our gross margins and negatively affect
our operating results;
● if
we or our third-party suppliers or manufacturers fail to comply with the FDA’s good
manufacturing practice regulations, this could impair our ability to market our products
in a cost-effective and timely manner;
● potential
complications from our products and technology that are currently unknown may come to light;
● if
there are significant disruptions in our information technology systems, our business, financial
condition and operating results could be adversely affected;
● we
have entered into, and may enter into collaborations, in-licensing arrangements, joint ventures,
strategic alliances or partnerships with third parties that may not result in the development
of commercially viable products or the generation of significant future revenues;
● our
future success depends on our ability to retain key executives and to attract, retain and
motivate qualified personnel;
● we
have been the victim of a cyber-related crime and our controls may not be successful in avoiding
further cyber-related crimes in the future;
● our
ability to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology is uncertain;
● we
may be subject to damages resulting from claims that we, or our employees, have wrongfully
used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of our competitors or are in breach of non-competition
or non-solicitation agreements with our competitors;
● our
products and operations are subject to extensive governmental regulation, and failure to
comply with applicable requirements could cause our business to suffer;
● the
price of our Common Stock might fluctuate significantly, and you could lose all or part of
your investment; and
● we
intend to issue more shares to raise capital, which will result in substantial dilution.
Risks
Related to Our Business
We
have incurred significant operating losses since inception and cannot assure you that we will ever achieve or sustain profitability.
We
have incurred losses since inception, and as of September 30, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $75.0 million primarily as a result
of expenses incurred in connection with our operations and from our research and development programs. We expect to continue to incur
significant expenses and increasing operating costs resulting in net losses for the foreseeable future, and management has raised substantial
doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. There was also substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue
as a going concern as of and for the year ended September 30, 2023. To date, we have financed our operations primarily through debt and
equity financings, and our primary activities have been limited to, and our limited resources have been dedicated to, performing business
and financial planning, raising capital, recruiting personnel, negotiating with business partners and the licensors of our intellectual
property and conducting development activities.
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To
implement our business strategy we need to, among other things, continue to develop all-in-one diagnostic and therapeutic solution, gain
approval for other brain or motor related disorders such as Parkinson’s with the therapeutic technologies developed for epilepsy,
convince physicians and patients that our technology represents an improvement over existing diagnostic or treatment options, hire direct
experienced sales representatives to market our technology, and engage in beneficial partnerships that can leverage our core technology.
We have never been profitable and do not expect to be profitable in the foreseeable future. We expect our expenses to increase significantly
as we pursue our objectives. The extent of our future operating losses and the timing of profitability are highly uncertain, and we expect
to continue incurring significant expenses and operating losses over the next several years. Our prior losses have had, and will continue
to have, an adverse effect on our stockholders’ equity and working capital. Any additional operating losses may have an adverse
effect on our stockholders’ equity, and we cannot assure you that we will ever be able to achieve profitability. Even if we achieve
profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain
profitable would depress the value of our Company and could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, maintain our development
efforts, obtain regulatory approvals or continue our operations.
We
have a limited operating history, making it difficult for you to evaluate our business and your investment.
We
are an early-stage medical technology company which continues to develop and commercialize comprehensive neuromodulation cEEG and sEEG
monitoring, ablation, and brain stimulation solutions to diagnose and treat patients with epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia,
essential tremors, chronic pain due to failed back surgeries and other related neurological disorders. Our operations are subject to
all of the risks inherent in the establishment of a new business enterprise, including but not limited to the absence of an operating
history, lack of fully-developed or commercialized products, insufficient capital, expected substantial and continual losses for the
foreseeable future, limited experience in dealing with regulatory issues, lack of manufacturing and marketing experience, need to rely
on third parties for the development and commercialization of our proposed products, a competitive environment characterized by well-established
and well-capitalized competitors and reliance on key personnel.
From
our inception through September 30, 2024, we have generated limited revenue from the commercial sales of our products. Because we have
generated very limited revenues from commercialization, our operations to date have been principally financed through public and private
offerings of our Common Stock and convertible debt and exercises of options and warrants.
Investors
are subject to all the risks incident to the creation and development of a new business and each investor should be prepared to withstand
a complete loss of his, her or its investment. Furthermore, the accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that we
will continue as a going concern. However, the factors included above raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going
concern. Our financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Our
Company has limited experience in medical device development and may not be able to successfully develop any device or therapy. Our ability
to become profitable depends primarily on: our ability to further develop our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology,
our successful completion of all necessary pre-clinical testing and clinical trials on such technology, our ability to obtain clearance
or approval for such technology and successfully commercialize such technology, our ongoing research and development efforts, the timing
and cost of clinical trials, our ability to identify personnel with the necessary skill sets or enter into favorable alliances with third-parties
who can provide substantial capabilities in clinical development, regulatory affairs, sales, marketing and distribution and our ability
to obtain and maintain necessary intellectual property rights to such technology. Our limited experience in medical device development
may make it more difficult for us to complete these tasks.
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Medical Technologies Corporation
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Even
if we successfully develop and market such technology, we may not generate sufficient or sustainable revenue to achieve or sustain profitability,
which could cause us to cease operations and cause you to lose all of your investment.
Zimmer
has exclusive global rights to distribute our strip and grid cortical electrodes, our electrode cable assembly products and our OneRF
product. We are reliant on Zimmer to drive the commercialization and sales of our products. Zimmer’s failure to timely develop
or commercialize these products, or to achieve certain milestones, would have a material adverse effect on our business and operating
results.
The
Company granted Zimmer an exclusive global right to distribute our strip and grid cortical electrodes and electrode cable assembly products
and our OneRF system. Additionally, we granted Zimmer the exclusive right and license to distribute certain depth electrodes developed
by the Company. We are reliant on Zimmer to drive the commercialization and sales of our products until 2034 under the Zimmer Amended
and Restated Distribution Agreement for the exclusive distribution, marketing and sales license provided to Zimmer. The collaboration
with Zimmer may not be successful due to several factors, including the following:
● Zimmer
may not be able to obtain from us or manufacture our products in a timely or cost-effective manner;
● Zimmer
may not timely perform its obligations under the Zimmer Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement or to achieve certain net sales milestones;
● Zimmer
may fail to effectively commercialize our products; or
● contractual
disputes or other disagreements between us and Zimmer, including those regarding the development, manufacture, and commercialization
of our products, interpretation of the Zimmer Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement, and ownership of proprietary rights.
Any
of the foregoing could adversely impact the likelihood and timing of any payments we are eligible to receive under the Zimmer Amended
and Restated Distribution Agreement. If Zimmer does not perform its obligations under the Zimmer Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement,
sales would be substantially delayed and could result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and prospects
and would likely cause our stock price to decline.
Our
ability to continue our operations requires that we raise additional capital and our operations could be curtailed if we are unable to
obtain the additional funding as or when needed.
Our
independent registered public accounting firm included an explanatory paragraph in the report on our financial statements as of and for
the years ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, noting the existence of substantial doubt about our ability to continue as
a going concern. The Company has incurred losses since inception, negative cash flows from operations, and an accumulated deficit of
$75.0 million as of September 30, 2024. To date, the Company’s revenues have not been sufficient to cover its full operating costs,
and as such, it has been dependent on funding operations through the issuance of debt and sale of equity securities. At September 30,
2024, we had cash and cash equivalents in the aggregate of approximately $1.5 million. Our existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term
investments will not be sufficient to fund our operating expenses. To continue to fund operations, we will need to secure additional
funding. We may obtain additional financing in the future through the issuance of our Common Stock, through other equity or debt financings
or through collaborations or partnerships with other companies. We may not be able to raise additional capital on terms acceptable to
us, or at all.
We
may be adversely affected by the effects of inflation.
Inflation
has the potential to adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial position and liquidity by increasing our overall
cost structure, particularly if we are unable to achieve commensurate increases in the prices we charge our customers. The existence
of inflation in the economy has the potential to result in higher interest rates and capital costs, supply shortages, increased costs
of labor and other similar effects. As a result of inflation, we may experience increases in the costs of labor, materials, and other
inputs, such as engineering consultants. Although we may take measures to mitigate the impact of this inflation, if these measures are
not effective our business, results of operations, financial position and liquidity could be materially adversely affected. Even if such
measures are effective, there could be a difference between the timing of when these beneficial actions impact our results of operations
and when the cost inflation is incurred.
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We
will need to raise substantial additional funds in the future, and these funds may not be available on acceptable terms or at all. A
failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed could force us to delay, limit, scale back or cease some or all operations.
The
continued growth of our business, including the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of our cortical strip, grid electrode
and depth electrode technology, will significantly increase our expenses going forward. As a result, we will be required to seek substantial
additional funds in the future. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:
● the
cost of further developing our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology;
● obtaining
and maintaining regulatory clearance or approval for our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology;
● the
costs associated with commercializing our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology;
● any
change in our development priorities;
● the
revenue generated by sales of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology;
● the
costs associated with expanding our sales and marketing infrastructure for commercialization of our cortical strip grid electrode and
depth electrode technology;
● any
change in our plans regarding the manner in which we choose to commercialize any approved product in the United States;
● the
cost of ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements;
● expenses
we incur in connection with potential litigation or governmental investigations;
● expenses
and costs we incur in connection with changes in the economy and regulatory process;
● the
costs to develop additional intellectual property;
● anticipated
or unanticipated capital expenditures; and
● unanticipated
general and administrative expenses.
As
a result of these and other factors, we do not know whether and the extent to which we may be required to raise additional capital. We
may in the future seek additional capital from public or private offerings of our capital stock, borrowings under credit lines or other
sources.
We
may not be able to raise additional capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all. Any failure to raise additional capital could compromise
our ability to execute on our business plan, and we may be forced to liquidate our assets. In such a scenario, the values we receive
for our assets in liquidation or dissolution could be significantly lower than the values reflected in our financial statements.
If
we issue additional equity or debt securities to raise additional funds, our existing stockholders may experience dilution, and the new
equity or debt securities may have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of our existing stockholders. In addition, if we
raise additional funds through collaborations, licensing, joint ventures, strategic alliances, partnership arrangements or other similar
arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish valuable rights to our potential future products or proprietary technologies or grant
licenses on terms that are not favorable to us.
An
inability to obtain a supply of components and raw material products could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
Supply
of components and raw material products are generally available in quantities to meet the needs of the Company’s business. We are
dependent on third-party manufacturers for the medical products that develops. An inability to obtain such components and raw material
products could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We
depend on a limited number of third-party suppliers for the components of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology,
and the loss of any of these suppliers, or their inability to provide us with an adequate supply of materials, could harm our business.
We
rely on third-party suppliers to supply and manufacture the components of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology.
For our business strategy to be successful, our suppliers must be able to provide us with components in sufficient quantities, in compliance
with regulatory requirements and quality control standards, in accordance with agreed upon specifications, at acceptable costs and on
a timely basis. Future increases in sales of our cortical strip and sheet electrode technology, if approved, whether expected or unanticipated,
could strain the ability of our suppliers to deliver an increasingly large supply of components and our cortical strip, grid electrode
and depth electrode technology in a manner that meets these various requirements.
Production
of therapeutic products may require raw materials for which the sources and amount of supply are limited, or may be hindered by quality
or scheduling issues in respect of the third party suppliers over which the Company has limited control. An inability to obtain adequate
supplies of raw materials could significantly delay the development, regulatory approval and sales and marketing of a product.
We
use a small number of suppliers of components for our products. Depending on a limited number of suppliers exposes us to risks, including
limited control over pricing, availability, quality and delivery schedules. We may not have long term supply agreements with our suppliers
and, in many cases, we may make our purchases on a purchase order basis. Our ability to purchase adequate quantities of components or
our products may be limited and we may not be able to convince suppliers to make components and products available to us. Additionally,
our suppliers may encounter problems that limit their ability to supply components or manufacture products for us, including financial
difficulties, damage to their manufacturing equipment or facilities, product discontinuations, or complications due to worldwide economic
and social instability. As a result, there is a risk that certain components could be discontinued and no longer available to us. We
may be required to make significant “last time” purchases of component inventory that is being discontinued by the supplier
to ensure supply continuity. If we fail to obtain sufficient quantities of high quality components to meet demand for our products in
a timely manner or on terms acceptable to us, we would have to seek alternative sources of supply. Because of factors such as the proprietary
nature of our products, our quality control standards and regulatory requirements, we may not be able to quickly engage additional or
replacement suppliers for some of our critical components. Failure of any supplier to deliver components at the level our business requires
could disrupt the manufacturing of our products and, if approved, limit our ability to meet our sales commitments, which could harm our
reputation and adversely affect our business.
We
may not procure volumes sufficient to receive favorable pricing, which could impact our gross margins if we are unable to pass along
price differences to our customers. Recent global economic cost inflation trends could unfavorably impact pricing from our suppliers.
Furthermore,
vandalism, terrorism or a natural or other disaster, such as an earthquake, fire or flood, could damage or destroy equipment, our inventory
of component supplies or finished products, cause substantial delays in development or our operations, result in the loss of key information,
and cause us to incur additional expenses. We maintain liability insurance and property casualty insurance, but it may not be adequate
to fully cover our losses in any particular case. In addition, regardless of the level of insurance coverage, damage to our or our suppliers’
facilities could harm our business, financial condition and operating results.
We
may also have difficulty obtaining similar components from other suppliers that are acceptable to the FDA or other regulatory agencies,
and the failure of any supplier to comply with strictly enforced regulatory requirements could expose us to regulatory action including
warning letters, product recalls, and termination of distribution, product seizures or civil penalties. It could also require us to cease
using the components, seek alternative components or technologies and modify our products to incorporate alternative components or technologies,
which could result in a requirement to seek additional regulatory approvals. Any disruption of this nature or increased expenses could
harm our development, approval or commercialization efforts and adversely affect our operating results.
Changes
in the configuration of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology under development may result in additional
costs or delay.
As
products are developed through pre-clinical testing and clinical trials towards approval and commercialization, it is common that various
aspects of the development program, such as manufacturing methods and configuration, are altered along the way in an effort to optimize
processes and results. Any changes we make carry the risk that they will not achieve the intended objectives. Any of these changes could
cause our products to perform differently and affect the results of planned clinical trials or other future clinical trials conducted
with the altered device. Such changes may also require additional testing, regulatory notification or regulatory approval. This could
delay completion of pre-clinical testing or clinical trials, increase costs, delay approval of our future products and jeopardize our
ability to commence sales and generate revenue.
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Medical Technologies Corporation
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We
have three products which have each received 510(k) clearance from the FDA. If we are unable to successfully develop, and receive regulatory
clearance/approval for our other products under development, or if we experience significant delays in doing so, our business will be
harmed.
Three
of our products have received 510(k) clearance from the FDA: (i) our Evo cortical electrode technology has received 510(k) clearance
from the FDA for recording, monitoring, and stimulating brain tissue on the surface of the brain for less than 30 days; (ii) our Evo
sEEG electrode technology has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for use (less than 30 days) with recording, monitoring, and stimulation
equipment for recording, monitoring, and stimulation of electrical signals at the subsurface level of the brain; and our OneRF ablation
system has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for creation of radiofrequency lesions in nervous tissue for functional neurosurgical
procedures. None of our other products have received clearance or approval for commercial sale. Our ability to generate revenue from
our developed products, if any, will depend heavily on their successful development and regulatory approval.
For
our current products under continued development, clinical testing is expensive, difficult to design and implement, can take many years
to complete and is inherently uncertain as to outcome. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing. Further,
the outcomes of completed clinical trials may not be predictive of the success of later clinical trials, and interim results of a clinical
trial do not necessarily predict final results. Clinical data is often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many
companies that have believed their products performed satisfactorily in clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain marketing clearance
or approval. We have limited resources to complete the expensive process of medical device development, pre-clinical testing and clinical
trials, putting us at a disadvantage, particularly compared to some of our larger and established competitors, and we may not have sufficient
resources to commercialize our products under development in a timely fashion, if ever.
We
may experience numerous unforeseen events during or as a result of clinical trials that could delay or prevent our ability to receive
marketing approval or commercialize our products, including:
● regulators
may not authorize us or our investigators to commence a clinical trial or conduct a clinical trial at a prospective trial site;
● the
failure to successfully complete pre-clinical testing requirements required by the FDA;
● we
may experience delays in reaching, or fail to reach, agreement on acceptable clinical trial contracts with third parties or clinical
trial protocols with prospective trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among
different trial sites;
● clinical
trials of our technology under development may produce negative or inconclusive results, including failure to demonstrate statistical
significance, and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional clinical trials or abandon our development programs;
● the
number of people with brain related disorders required for clinical trials may be larger than we anticipate, enrollment in these clinical
trials may be slower than we anticipate or people may drop out of these clinical trials or fail to return for post-treatment follow-up
at a higher rate than we anticipate;
● our
products may have unanticipated adverse events, undesirable side effects or other unexpected characteristics, causing us or our investigators,
regulators or institutional review boards to suspend or terminate the trials;
● our
third-party contractors conducting the clinical trials may fail to comply with regulatory requirements or meet their contractual obligations
to us in a timely manner, or at all;
● regulators
may require that we or our investigators suspend or terminate clinical development for various reasons, including noncompliance with
regulatory requirements or a finding that the participants are being exposed to unacceptable health risks;
● the
cost of clinical trials of our products may be greater than we anticipate;
● the
supply or quality of our products or other materials necessary to conduct clinical trials of our products may be insufficient or inadequate;
and
● delays
from our suppliers and manufacturers could impact clinical trial completion and impact revenue.
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If
we are required to conduct additional clinical trials or other testing of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology
under development beyond those that we contemplate, if we are unable to successfully complete clinical trials, if the results of these
trials or tests are not favorable or if there are safety concerns, we may:
● not
obtain marketing approval at all;
● be
delayed in obtaining marketing approval for our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology under development in a
jurisdiction;
● be
subject to additional post-marketing testing requirements; or
● have
our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology removed from the market after obtaining marketing approval.
Our
development costs will also increase if we experience delays in testing or marketing approvals. We do not know whether any of our clinical
trials will begin as planned, will need to be restructured or will be completed on schedule, or at all. Significant clinical trial delays
also could allow our competitors to bring innovative products to market before we do and impair our ability to successfully commercialize
our products.
Even
if we obtain regulatory clearance and/or approval for all of our products, we will remain subject to extensive regulatory scrutiny and
compliance obligations.
Both
before and after a product is commercially released, we will have ongoing responsibilities under FDA regulations. We will also be subject
to periodic inspections by the FDA and comparable foreign authorities to determine compliance with regulatory requirements, such as the
Quality System Regulation, or QSR, of the FDA, medical device reporting regulations and regulations regarding notification, corrections,
and recalls. These inspections can result in observations or reports, warning letters or other similar notices or forms of enforcement
action. If the FDA concludes that we are not in compliance with applicable laws or regulations, or that any of our products are ineffective
or pose an unreasonable health risk, it could ban these products, suspend or cancel our marketing authorizations, impose “stop-sale”
and “stop-import” orders, detain or seize adulterated or misbranded products, order a recall, repair, replacement, correction
or refund of such products, or require us to notify health providers and others that the products present unreasonable risks of substantial
harm to the public health. Discovery of previously unknown problems with our product’s design or manufacture may result in restrictions
on use, restrictions placed on us or our suppliers, or withdrawal of an existing regulatory clearance. The FDA may also impose operating
restrictions, enjoin and restrain certain violations of applicable law pertaining to medical devices, assess civil or criminal penalties
against our officers, employees or us, or recommend criminal prosecution of our Company. Adverse regulatory action may restrict us from
effectively marketing and selling our products. In addition, negative publicity and product liability claims resulting from any adverse
regulatory action could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.
In
addition, even though we have obtained FDA clearance to market two of our products, and even if we obtain the proper regulatory approval
or clearance to market any additional products under development, the FDA has the power to require us to conduct post-market surveillance
studies, which are designed to identify adverse events, device malfunctions or complaints from patients implanted with the device during
a specified period after the commencement of commercial use in the U.S. The FDA may also require us to conduct post-approval studies
to further monitor the safety and/or effectiveness of our products. Failure to conduct required surveillance or studies in a timely manner
could result in the revocation of the approved PMA product that is subject to such a requirement and could also result in the recall
or withdrawal of the product, which would prevent us from generating sales from that product in the United States.
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We
may not be successful in commercializing our technology.
We
anticipate that we will derive nearly all of our revenue from the sales of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology
or future versions thereof.
Moreover,
we expect the revenue opportunity for additional uses of our technology to be greater than the technology and uses that have currently
been cleared by the FDA, and so we believe our ability to generate significant revenue in the future will be dependent upon the receipt
of additional FDA clearances.
Our
revenue will be dependent, in part, upon the size of the markets in which we gain regulatory approval, the accepted price for the product,
the ability to obtain coverage and reimbursement, and whether we own the commercial rights for that territory. If the number of people
we target is not as significant as we estimate or the treatment population is narrowed by competition, physician choice or treatment
guidelines, we may not generate significant revenue from sales of such products, even if approved.
The
success of any products that we develop will depend on several factors, including:
● receipt
of timely commercialization approvals from applicable regulatory authorities;
● our
ability to procure and maintain suppliers and manufacturers of the components of our current cortical strip, grid electrode and depth
electrode technology and future versions;
● market
acceptance of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology by people with epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia,
essential tremors, chronic pain due to failed back surgeries and other related neurological disorders, the medical community and third-party
payors;
● our
success in educating healthcare providers and people with epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, essential tremors, chronic pain
due to failed back surgeries and other related neurological disorders about the benefits, administration and use of our cortical strip,
grid electrode and depth electrode technology and future versions;
● the
prevalence and severity of adverse events and public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic;
● the
perceived advantages, cost, safety, convenience and accuracy of alternative therapies;
● obtaining
and maintaining patent, trademark and trade secret protection and regulatory exclusivity for our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth
electrode technology and otherwise protecting our rights in our intellectual property portfolio;
● maintaining
compliance with regulatory requirements, including current good manufacturing practices; and
● obtaining
and maintaining a continued acceptable performance and safety profile of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology.
The
continuing development and commercialization of our products depends upon us maintaining strong relationships with academic and healthcare
institutions and professionals.
If
we fail to maintain our strong working relationships with healthcare and academic institutions and their professionals such as the Mayo
Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic and Emory University, many of our products may not be developed and marketed in line with the needs and
expectations of the professionals who use and support our products, which could cause a decline in our earnings and profitability. The
development, marketing and sales of many of our products depends on our maintaining working relationships with healthcare institutions
and professionals. We rely on these professionals to provide us with considerable knowledge and experience regarding the development,
marketing and sale of our products. If we are unable to maintain strong relationships with these institutions and professionals, the
development and marketing of our products could suffer, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations,
financial condition, and cash flows.
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Our
success depends on our ability to continue to develop, commercialize and gain market acceptance for our products and technology.
Our
current business strategy is highly dependent on developing and commercially launching our products and technology and achieving and
maintaining market acceptance. In order for us to sell cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology to people with epilepsy,
Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, essential tremors, chronic pain due to failed back surgeries and other related neurological disorders,
we must convince them, their caregivers and healthcare providers that our technology offers meaningful advantages over existing solutions
for neuromodulation, cEEG and sEEG recording, ablation, and brain stimulation. Key challenges include overcoming physician preference
for established competitive products and demonstrating superior clinical outcomes. Several factors could negatively impact market acceptance,
including: failure to gain support from key opinion leaders, insufficient clinical evidence supporting our technology’s benefits,
perceived risks associated with the technology, introduction of competitive products, adverse clinical trial results, loss of regulatory
approvals, or adverse publicity. Healthcare providers typically adopt new technologies slowly due to liability concerns and reimbursement
uncertainties.
In
addition, people with such medical conditions, their caregivers or healthcare providers may perceive our products and technology to be
more complicated or less effective than current technology, and people may be unwilling to change their current regimens. Moreover, we
believe that healthcare providers tend to be slow to change their medical treatment practices because of perceived liability risks arising
from the use of new products and the uncertainty of third-party reimbursement. Accordingly, healthcare providers may not recommend our
cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology until, if ever, there is sufficient evidence to convince them to alter
the treatment methods they typically recommend, such as receiving recommendations from prominent healthcare providers or other key opinion
leaders in the community.
If
we fail to convince patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers of our technology’s benefits or cannot achieve widespread market
acceptance, our sales potential and strategic objectives would be compromised, adversely affecting our business, financial condition,
and operating results.
Failure
to secure or retain coverage or adequate reimbursement for our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology or future
versions thereof, including the implantation procedures, by third-party payors could adversely affect our business, financial condition
and operating results.
We
plan to derive nearly all of our revenue from sales of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology, in the United
States and expect to do so for the next several years. We anticipate a substantial portion of the purchase price of our cortical strip,
grid electrode and depth electrode technology will be paid for by third-party payors, including private insurance companies, preferred
provider organizations and other managed care providers. Patients who receive treatment for their medical conditions and their healthcare
providers generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their medical treatment, including
healthcare providers’ services. Coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors, including governmental healthcare
programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and commercial payors, is critical to new product acceptance. Future sales of our cortical strip,
grid electrode and depth electrode technology will be limited unless people with epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, essential
tremors, chronic pain due to failed back surgeries and other related neurological disorders can rely on third-party payors to pay for
all or part of the cost to purchase our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology. Access to adequate coverage and
reimbursement for our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology by third-party payors is essential to the acceptance
of our products by people with epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, essential tremors, chronic pain due to failed back surgeries
and other related neurological disorders.
36
NeuroOne
Medical Technologies Corporation
Form 10-K
In
the United States, a third-party payor’s decision to provide coverage for our products does not imply that an adequate reimbursement
rate will be obtained. Further, one third-party payor’s decision to cover our products does not assure that other payors will also
provide coverage for the products or will provide coverage at an adequate reimbursement rate. Healthcare providers may choose not to
order a product unless third-party payors pay a substantial portion of the product. Within and outside the United States, reimbursement
is obtained from a variety of sources, including government-sponsored and private health insurance plans. These third-party payors determine
whether to provide coverage and reimbursement for specific products and procedures. Coverage determinations and reimbursement levels
of both our products and the healthcare provider’s performance of the insertion and removal procedures are critical to the commercial
success of our product, and if we are not able to secure positive coverage determinations and reimbursement levels for our products or
the insertion and removal procedures, our business would be materially adversely affected.
In
addition, there may be significant delays in obtaining reimbursement, and coverage may be more limited than the purposes for which the
product is cleared by the FDA or other foreign regulatory authorities. Moreover, eligibility for reimbursement does not imply that any
product will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution.
Payment rates may vary according to the use of the product and the clinical setting in which it is used, may be based on payments allowed
for lower cost products that are already reimbursed, and may be incorporated into existing payments for other services. Net prices for
products may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs or third-party payors and by any
future relaxation of laws that presently restrict imports of products from countries where they may be sold at lower prices than in the
United States.
Because
there is generally no separate reimbursement for medical devices and other supplies used in such procedures, including our cortical strip,
grid electrode and depth electrode technology, and because we believe that our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology,
if approved, would be adequately described by existing DRG and ICD-9 codes for epilepsy surgery, some of our target customers may be
unwilling to adopt our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology over more established or lower cost therapeutic
alternatives already available or subsequently become available. Further, any decline in the amount payors are willing to reimburse our
customers for procedures using our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology could make it difficult for new customers
to adopt our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology and could create additional pricing pressure for us, which
could adversely affect our ability to invest in and grow our business.
Third-party
payors, whether governmental or commercial, are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling healthcare costs. In addition,
in the United States, no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for medical device products and services exists among third-party
payors. Therefore, coverage and reimbursement for medical device products and services can differ significantly from payor to payor.
In addition, payors continually review new technologies for possible coverage and can, without notice, deny coverage for these new products
and procedures. As a result, the coverage determination process is often a time-consuming and costly process that will require us to
provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our products to each payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate
reimbursement will be obtained, or maintained if obtained.
If
sufficient coverage and reimbursement is not available for our any product we develop, in the United States, the demand for our products
and our revenues will be adversely affected.
Reimbursement
by Medicare is highly regulated and subject to change.
Medicare
program is administered by CMS, which imposes extensive and detailed requirements on medical services providers, including, but not limited
to, rules that govern how we structure our relationships with physicians, and how and where we provide our solutions. Our failure to
comply with applicable Medicare rules could result in discontinuing the ability for physicians to receive reimbursement as they will
likely utilize our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology under the Medicare payment program, civil monetary penalties,
and/or criminal penalties, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and revenues.
37
NeuroOne
Medical Technologies Corporation
Form 10-K
If
our competitors are better able to develop and market products for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease,
dystonia, essential tremors, chronic pain due to failed back surgeries and other related neurological disorders that are safer, more
effective, less costly, easier to use or otherwise more attractive than our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology,
our business will be adversely impacted.
The
medical device industry is highly competitive and subject to technological change. Our success depends, in part, upon our ability to
establish a competitive position in the market for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, essential
tremors, chronic pain due to failed back surgeries and other related neurological disorders by securing broad market acceptance of our
cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology. Any product we develop that achieves regulatory clearance or approval
will have to compete for market acceptance and market share. We believe that the primary competitive factors of our cortical strip, grid
electrode and depth electrode technology will be: reduced infections, ability to record additional brain activity, minimally invasive
surgical procedure, ease of use and cost effectiveness. We face significant competition in the United States and internationally, which
we believe will intensify. For example, our major competitors are: (i) in the market for diagnosis, PMT, Ad-Tec Medical and Integra Lifesciences,
(ii) in the market for neuro-ablation, Medtronic and Monteris Medical and (iii) in the market for neurostimulation, Medtronic, Boston
Scientific, NeuroPace Biotronik and Abbott. Each of the foregoing competitors has systems approved in the United States and certain foreign
jurisdictions and has been established for several years. We face a particular challenge overcoming the long-standing practices by some
physicians of using the existing technology of our larger, more established competitors. Physicians may be reluctant to try new products
from a source with which they are less familiar. If these physicians do not try to subsequently adopt our product, then we may never
achieve profitability and such failure to adopt our product could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and operating results.
In
addition to facing competition from major competitors and potentially our development partner, we may also face competition from other
emerging competitors or smaller companies with active development programs that may emerge in the future.
Many
of the companies developing or marketing competing products enjoy several advantages over us, including:
● more
experienced sales forces;
● greater
name recognition;
● more
established sales and marketing programs and distribution networks;
● earlier
regulatory clearance or approval in the United States or foreign jurisdictions;
● long
established relationships with physicians and hospitals;
● significant
patent portfolios, including issued U.S. and foreign patents and pending patent applications, as well as the resources to enforce patents
against us or any of our third-party suppliers and distributors;
● the
ability to acquire and integrate our competitors and/or their technology;
● demonstrated
ability to develop product enhancements and new product offerings;
● established
history of product reliability, safety and durability;
● the
ability to offer rebates or bundle multiple product offerings to offer greater discounts or incentives;
● greater
financial and human resources for product development, sales, and marketing; and
● greater
experience in and resources for conducting research and development, clinical studies, manufacturing, preparing regulatory submissions,
obtaining regulatory clearance or approval for products and marketing approved products.
Our
competitors may develop and patent processes or products earlier than us, obtain patents that may apply to us at any time, obtain regulatory
clearance or approvals for competing products more rapidly than us or develop more effective or less expensive products or technologies
that render our technology or products obsolete or less competitive. Furthermore, the frequent introduction by competitors of products
that are, or claim to be, superior to our products may create market confusion that may make it difficult to differentiate the benefits
of our products over competitive products. In addition, the entry of multiple new products may lead some of our competitors to employ
pricing strategies that could adversely affect the pricing of any product we may develop and commercialize. We also face fierce competition
in recruiting and retaining qualified sales, scientific, and management personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and enrolling patients
in clinical studies. If our competitors are more successful than us in these matters, our business may be harmed.
38
NeuroOne
Medical Technologies Corporation
Form 10-K
The
size and future growth in the market for our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology and for other future products
and technology under development have not been established with precision and may be smaller than we estimate, possibly materially. If
our estimates and projections overestimate the size of these markets, our sales growth may be adversely affected.
The
size and future growth potential of the market for our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology and other future
products and technology under development may be materially smaller than our estimates. Our market projections are based on internal
and third-party studies, current treatment patterns, and our belief that the incidence of targeted neurological disorders (including
epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, essential tremors, and chronic pain from failed back surgeries) is increasing in the United
States and worldwide.
While
we believe these factors provide reliable tools for market estimation, the underlying assumptions and conditions may change, affecting
their predictive accuracy. If our assumptions about disease incidence rates or potential market demand prove incorrect, the actual market
size and growth potential could be materially different from our projections. Any overestimation of the market opportunity could adversely
impact our projected sales growth and overall business performance.
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.
WARF
has granted us the WARF 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. See “Business - WARF License” for additional information
regarding our license agreement with WARF.
WARF
may terminate this license in the event that 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 this license if, after royalties earned on sales begin to
be paid, such earned royalties cease for more than four calendar quarters. The WARF License otherwise expires by its terms on the date
that no valid claims on the patents licensed thereunder remain.
Disputes
may arise between us and WARF regarding intellectual property subject to this agreement, including with respect to: the scope of rights
granted under the WARF License and other interpretation-related issues; whether and the extent to which our technology and processes
infringe on intellectual property of WARF that is not subject to the WARF License; the amount and timing of milestones and royalty payments;
the rights of WARF under the license; our right to sublicense; and the ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the WARF License.
For example, if we or any of our sublicensees for any reason contest the validity of any patent licensed under the WARF License, 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.
Any
disputes with WARF may prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangement. We depend on the intellectual property
licensed from WARF to develop our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology. The original license agreement entered
into with WARF in 2014 required that we meet certain milestones and make certain payments to WARF. We failed to do so and were in default
under the original license agreement. Furthermore, the LLC was not able to transfer the rights and obligations under the 2014 WARF Agreement
to us at the time of the Merger without the consent of WARF. As a result, in February 2017, we signed an amendment to the WARF License
which, among other things, modified and removed certain previous milestones and provided WARF’s consent to such transfer. Because
of this past breach, WARF may be less likely to waive future defaults or breaches or further amend the WARF License in the future, to
the extent we request any waiver or amendment. See “Note 4 - Commitments and Contingencies” included in “Item 8 -
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this Report.
39
NeuroOne
Medical Technologies Corporation
Form 10-K
Termination
of our license could result in the loss of significant rights and would harm our ability to further develop our cortical strip, grid
electrode and depth electrode technology. 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.
Such rights, if exercised by WARF, could harm our ability to develop and commercialize our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode
technology.
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.
We
have entered into the Mayo Development Agreement to (i) exclusively license worldwide certain Mayo improvements for the development and
commercialization of products, methods and processes related to flexible circuit technology for the recording and stimulation of tissue
and (ii) license, on a non-exclusive basis, worldwide Mayo thin film electrode technology know-how for the development and commercialization
of products, methods and processes related to flexible circuit technology for the recording and stimulation of tissue. Mayo has agreed
to assist the Company by providing access to the Mayo Principal Investigators in developing a minimally invasive device/delivery system
and procedure for a minimally invasive approach for the implantation of any flexible circuit technology developed by the Company, 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. See “Business-Mayo
Foundation for Medical Education and Research License and Development Agreement” for additional information regarding our agreement
with Mayo.
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. Mayo
and the Company may not be successful in their efforts to develop any product, method, process, device, delivery system or minimally
invasive approach by such expiration date or termination, if at all. If no such minimally invasive device or delivery system and procedure
for minimally invasive approach is developed, the Company may never receive regulatory approval of its cortical strip, grid electrode
and depth electrode technology under development or the market may never accept such technology, if approved.
Disputes
may arise between us and Mayo regarding intellectual property subject to the Mayo Development Agreement or other matters, including with
respect to: the scope of rights granted under the agreement and other interpretation-related issues; the amount and timing of payments;
the rights and obligations of Mayo under the license agreement; and the ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the joint
creation or use of intellectual property by Mayo and us.
Any
disputes with Mayo may prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current arrangement. We depend on the intellectual property licensed
from and development assistance from Mayo to develop our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology. We cannot assure
you that we will be able to continue to comply with the Mayo Development Agreement. In fact, the original license and development agreement
entered into with Mayo in 2014 required that, upon the Merger with the LLC, we make certain payments and issue shares of Common Stock
to Mayo, which we failed to do at such time.
40
NeuroOne
Medical Technologies Corporation
Form 10-K
We
contract with third parties for the manufacture of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology and for our future
products and technology under development, and expect to continue to do so for clinical trials and commercialization. Risks associated
with the manufacturing of our products could reduce our gross margins and negatively affect our operating results.
We
currently rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties for the manufacture of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth
electrode technology. Therefore, our business strategy depends on our third-party manufacturers’ ability to manufacture our cortical
strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology and future generations thereof in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis so
as to meet consumer demand, while adhering to product quality standards, complying with regulatory requirements and managing manufacturing
costs. To date, we have only manufactured small quantities of our cortical electrodes. As a result, we currently have limited data and
experience regarding the quality, reliability and timeliness of our third-party manufacturers.
We
are subject to numerous risks relating to the manufacturing capabilities of our third-party manufacturers, including:
● quality
or reliability defects;
● inability
to secure product components in a timely manner, in sufficient quantities or on commercially reasonable terms;
● failure
to increase production to meet demand;
● inability
to modify production lines to enable us to efficiently produce future products or implement
changes in current products in response to regulatory requirements;
● difficulty
identifying and qualifying alternative manufacturers in a timely manner;
● inability
to manufacture product components cost-effectively;
● inability
to establish agreements with future third-party manufacturers or to do so on acceptable terms;
● potential
damage to or destruction of our manufacturers’ equipment or facilities;
● failure
to complete sterilization on time or in compliance with the required regulatory standards;
● transportation
and import and export risk;
● delays
in analytical results or failure of analytical techniques that we will depend on for quality
control and release of products;
● natural
disasters, labor disputes, financial distress, raw material availability, issues with facilities
and equipment or other forms of disruption to business operations affecting our manufacturers
or suppliers; or
● latent
defects that may become apparent after products have been released and that may result in
a recall of such products.
These
risks are likely to be exacerbated by our limited experience with our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology and
its manufacturing process. As demand for our products increases, our third-party suppliers will need to invest additional resources to
purchase components, hire and train employees, and enhance their manufacturing processes. If our manufacturers fail to increase production
capacity efficiently, our sales may not increase in line with our expectations and our operating margins could fluctuate or decline.
In addition, manufacturing any future versions of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology may require the modification
of production lines, the identification of new manufacturers for specific components, or the development of new manufacturing technologies.
It may not be possible for us to manufacture these products at a cost or in quantities sufficient to make any future versions of our
cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology commercially viable.
Potential
complications from our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology that are currently unknown may come to light.
Based
on our industry experience and the experience of the physicians that use products similar to our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth
electrode technology, complications from use of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology may include post-operative
hemorrhage, infection, brain inflammation, brain tissue necrosis, inability to accurately localize the epileptogenic focus (the area
of the cerebral cortex responsible for causing epileptic seizures), neurologic deficit (abnormal function of a body area due to weaker
function of the brain, spinal cord, muscles or nerves, such as abnormal reflexes, inability to speak and decreased sensation) and extra
axial fluid collections (fluid that occurs in the brain after surgery). If these or unanticipated complications or side-effects result
from the use of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology, our product development may be delayed, we may not
be able to obtain regulatory clearance or approval for certain products, we could be subject to liability and, even for cleared/approved
products, our technology would not be widely adopted. We cannot assure you that use, even for a limited time, would not result in unanticipated
complications, even after the device is removed.
41
NeuroOne
Medical Technologies Corporation
Form 10-K
Undetected
errors or defects in our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology under development or future versions thereof could
harm our reputation, decrease the market acceptance of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology or expose us
to product liability claims adversely affecting our financial condition and results of operations or liquidity.
Our
cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology may contain undetected errors or defects. As a result, we may be subject
to warranty and liability claims for damages related to errors or defects in such products. A material liability claim or other occurrence
that harms our reputation or decreases market acceptance of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology could harm
our business and operating results. This risk exists even if a device is cleared or approved for commercial sale and manufactured in
facilities licensed and regulated by the FDA or an applicable foreign regulatory authority. Our products are designed to affect, and
any future products will be designed to affect, important bodily functions and processes. Any side effects, manufacturing defects, misuse
or abuse associated with our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology or future versions thereof could result in
patient injury or death. The medical device industry has historically been subject to extensive litigation over product liability claims,
and we cannot offer any assurance that we will not face product liability lawsuits. Our clinical and commercial product liability insurance
coverage may not be sufficient to cover claims that may be made against us. In addition, we may not be able to maintain insurance coverage
at a reasonable cost, or in sufficient amounts or scope, to protect us against losses. Any claims against us, regardless of their merit,
could severely harm our financial condition, strain our management team and other resources, and adversely impact or eliminate the prospects
for commercialization of the product candidate, or sale of the product, which that is the subject of any such claim.
The
sale and use of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology or future versions thereof could lead to the filing
of product liability claims if someone were to allege that our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology or one of
our products contained a design or manufacturing defect. A product liability claim could result in substantial damages and be costly
and time consuming to defend, either of which could materially harm our business or financial condition. Product liability claims may
be brought against us by patients, healthcare providers or others selling or otherwise coming into contact with our products, among others.
If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we will incur substantial liabilities and reputational harm.
In addition, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, product liability claims may result in:
● litigation;
● distraction
of management’s attention from our primary business;
● the
inability to commercialize our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology;
● decreased
demand;
● damage
to our business reputation;
● product
recalls or withdrawals from the market;
● withdrawal
of clinical trial participants;
● substantial
monetary awards or settlements to patients or other claimants; or
● loss
of revenue.
Product
liability lawsuits and claims, safety alerts or product recalls, with or without merit, could cause us to incur substantial costs, delay
our product development efforts, place a significant strain on our financial resources, divert the attention of management from our core
business, harm our reputation, increase our product liability insurance rates, once we obtain such insurance, or prevent us from securing
such insurance coverage in the future and adversely affect our ability to attract and retain customers, if approved, any of which could
harm our business, financial condition and operating results.
We
currently maintain commercial product liability insurance with an aggregate limit of $5,000,000. We cannot be assured that such insurance
would adequately protect our assets from the financial impact of defending a product liability claim because these policies typically
have substantial deductibles. Product liability claims in excess of applicable insurance coverage would negatively impact our business,
financial condition and operating results. Insurance coverage varies in cost and can be difficult to obtain, and we cannot guarantee
that we will be able to obtain insurance coverage in the future on terms acceptable to us or at all.
42
NeuroOne
Medical Technologies Corporation
Form 10-K
We
depend on sophisticated information technology systems, and any breach or disruption affecting these systems could adversely affect our
business, financial condition and operating results.
The
efficient operation of our business depends on our information technology systems, which we use to manage product development tasks,
research and development data and accounting and financial functions. In the future, we may rely on our information technology systems
for inventory management and technical support functions. Our information technology systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption
from earthquakes, fires, floods, other natural disasters, terrorist attacks, attacks by computer viruses or hackers, power losses, and
computer system or data network failures.
In
addition, our data management application and a variety of our software systems are hosted by third-party service providers whose security
and information technology systems are subject to similar risks. If our, or our third-party service provider’s, security systems
are breached or fail, unauthorized persons may be able to obtain access to sensitive data.
To
the extent that any disruption or security breach were to result in a loss of, or damage to, our data or applications, or inappropriate
disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur liability. The failure of our or our service providers’ information
technology systems or our transmitter’s software to perform as we anticipate or our failure to effectively implement new information
technology systems could disrupt our entire operation, adversely affect our products, or result in delays in our product development,
clinical trial or commercialization efforts, increased overhead costs and damage our reputation. Any of these results could negatively
affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
We
have entered into, and may enter into additional collaborations, in-licensing arrangements, joint ventures, strategic alliances or partnerships
with third-parties that may not result in the development of commercially viable products or the generation of significant future revenues.
In
the ordinary course of our business, we may enter into collaborations, in-licensing arrangements, joint ventures, strategic alliances,
partnerships or other arrangements to develop products and to pursue new markets. Proposing, negotiating and implementing collaborations,
in-licensing arrangements, joint ventures, strategic alliances or partnerships may be a lengthy and complex process. Other companies,
including those with substantially greater financial, marketing, sales, technology or other business resources, may compete with us for
these opportunities or arrangements. We may not identify, secure, or complete any such transactions or arrangements in a timely manner,
on a cost-effective basis, on acceptable terms or at all. We have limited institutional knowledge and experience with respect to these
business development activities, and we may also not realize the anticipated benefits of any such transaction or arrangement. In particular,
these collaborations may not result in the development of products that achieve commercial success or result in significant revenues
and could be terminated prior to developing any products.
Additionally,
we may not be in a position to exercise sole decision making authority regarding the transaction or arrangement, which could create the
potential risk of creating impasses on decisions, and our future collaborators may have economic or business interests or goals that
are, or that may become, inconsistent with our business interests or goals. It is possible that conflicts may arise with our collaborators,
such as conflicts concerning the achievement of performance milestones, or the interpretation of significant terms under any agreement,
such as those related to financial obligations or the ownership or control of intellectual property developed during the collaboration.
If any conflicts arise with any future collaborators, they may act in their self-interest, which may be adverse to our best interest,
and they may breach their obligations to us. In addition, we may have limited control over the amount and timing of resources that any
future collaborators devote to our or their future products. Disputes between us and our collaborators may result in litigation or arbitration
which would increase our expenses and divert the attention of our management. Further, these transactions and arrangements will be contractual
in nature and will generally be terminable under the terms of the applicable agreements and, in such event, we may not continue to have
rights to the products relating to such transaction or arrangement or may need to purchase such rights at a premium.
43
NeuroOne
Medical Technologies Corporation
Form 10-K
If
we enter into in-bound intellectual property license agreements, we may not be able to fully protect the licensed intellectual property
rights or maintain those licenses. Future licensors could retain the right to prosecute and defend the intellectual property rights licensed
to us, in which case we would depend on the ability of our licensors to obtain, maintain and enforce intellectual property protection
for the licensed intellectual property. These licensors may determine not to pursue litigation against other companies or may pursue
such litigation less aggressively than we would. Further, entering into such license agreements could impose various diligence, commercialization,
royalty or other obligations on us. Future licensors may allege that we have breached our license agreement with them, and accordingly
seek to terminate our license, which could adversely affect our competitive business position and harm our business prospects.
We
have been the victim of a cyber-related crime and our controls may not be successful in avoiding further cyber-related crimes in the
future.
In
January 2023, we were the victim of a business email compromise fraud which resulted in our incurring a loss of approximately $0.1 million.
We have worked with law enforcement authorities and the banks involved in the wire transfer to pursue recovery of the $0.1 million, but
at this time we do not expect that we will be able to recover such funds. Enhancements have been made to our controls relating to electronic
payments by or for us that we believe will reduce our risk of becoming a victim of future frauds related to our payments, including by
wire transfers. However, cyber-related criminal activities continue to evolve and increase in sophistication, frequency and severity.
As a result, the control enhancements that have been made, and any additional enhancements that may be made in the future, to our controls
may not be successful in avoiding our becoming a victim to further cyber-related crimes.
Risks
Related to our Intellectual Property
Our
ability to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology is uncertain.
The
medical device market in which we operate is largely technology driven. We rely primarily on patent, trademark and trade secret laws,
as well as confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technologies. We continue
to review new technological developments in order to make decisions about what additional filings would be the most appropriate for us.
We also plan to seek patent protection for our proprietary technology in select countries internationally. If we fail to timely file
a patent application in any jurisdiction, we may be precluded from doing so at a later date. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that any
patent application will be approved in a timely manner or at all. The rights granted to us under our patents, and the rights we are seeking
to have granted in our pending patent applications, may not be meaningful or provide us with any commercial advantage. In addition, those
rights could be opposed, contested or circumvented by our competitors, or be declared invalid or unenforceable in judicial or administrative
proceedings. The failure of our patents to adequately protect our technology might make it easier for our competitors to offer the same
or similar products or technologies. Even if we are successful in receiving patent protection for certain products and processes, our
competitors may be able to design around our patents or develop products that provide outcomes which are comparable to ours without infringing
our intellectual property rights. Due to differences between foreign and U.S. patent laws, our patented intellectual property rights
may not receive the same degree of protection in foreign countries as they would in the United States. Even if patents are granted outside
the United States, effective enforcement in those countries may not be available.
We
rely on our trademarks and trade names to distinguish our products from the products of our competitors, and have registered or applied
to register many of these trademarks. For example, we have a registered U.S. trademark for the “EVO” trademark. We cannot
assure you that our trademark applications will be approved in a timely manner or at all. Third parties also may oppose our trademark
applications, or otherwise challenge our use of the trademarks. In the event that our trademarks are successfully challenged, we could
be forced to rebrand our products, which could result in loss of brand recognition, and could require us to devote additional resources
to marketing new brands. Further, we cannot assure you that competitors will not infringe upon our trademarks, or that we will have adequate
resources to enforce our trademarks.
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Form 10-K
We
also rely on trade secrets, know-how and technology, which are not protectable by patents, to maintain our competitive position. We try
to protect this information by entering into confidentiality agreements and intellectual property assignment agreements with our officers,
employees, temporary employees and consultants regarding our intellectual property and proprietary technology. In the event of unauthorized
use or disclosure or other breaches of those agreements, we may not be provided with meaningful protection for our trade secrets or other
proprietary information. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known or be independently discovered by competitors. To
the extent that our commercial partners, collaborators, employees and consultants use intellectual property owned by others in their
work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights in the related or resulting know-how and inventions. If any of our trade secrets, know-how
or other technologies not protected by a patent were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor, our business, financial
condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
If
a competitor infringes upon one of our patents, trademarks or other intellectual property rights, enforcing those patents, trademarks
and other rights may be difficult and time-consuming. Patent law relating to the scope of claims in the industry in which we operate
is subject to rapid change and constant evolution and, consequently, patent positions in our industry can be uncertain. Even if successful,
litigation to defend our patents and trademarks against challenges or to enforce our intellectual property rights could be expensive
and time consuming and could divert management’s attention from managing our business. Moreover, we may not have sufficient resources
or desire to defend our patents or trademarks against challenges or to enforce our intellectual property rights. Litigation also puts
our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and our patent applications at risk of not issuing. Additionally, we
may provoke third-parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate and the damages or other remedies
awarded, if any, may not be commercially valuable. The occurrence of any of these events may harm our business, financial condition and
operating results.
There
is limited market awareness of our technology, and we may not be able to establish or strengthen our brand.
There
is currently limited market awareness of our technology. We believe that establishing and strengthening our brand is critical to achieving
widespread acceptance of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology. Promoting and positioning our brand, and
increasing market awareness of our technology, will depend largely on the success of our marketing efforts and our ability to provide
physicians with a reliable product for successful treatment of brain-related disorders. Additionally, we believe the quality and reliability
of our product is critical to building physician support in the United States, and any negative publicity regarding the quality or reliability
of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology could significantly damage our reputation in the market. Further,
given the established nature of our competitors, it is likely that our future marketing efforts will require us to incur significant
additional expenses. These brand promotion activities may not yield increased sales and, even if they do, any sales increases may not
offset the expenses we incur to promote our brand. If we fail to successfully promote and maintain our brand, or if we incur substantial
expenses in an unsuccessful attempt to promote and maintain our brand, our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology
may not be accepted by physicians, which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We
could become subject to patent litigation that could be costly, result in the diversion of management’s time and efforts, stop
our development and commercialization measures or require us to pay damages.
Our
success will depend in part on not infringing the patents or violating the other proprietary rights of third-parties. Significant litigation
regarding patent rights exists in our industry. Our competitors in both the United States and abroad, many of which have substantially
greater resources and have made substantial investments in competing technologies, may have applied for or obtained or may in the future
apply for and obtain, patents that will prevent, limit or otherwise interfere with our ability to make and sell our products. The large
number of patents, the rapid rate of new patent issuances, and the complexities of the technology involved increase the risk of patent
litigation.
In
the future, we could receive communications from various industry participants alleging our infringement of their intellectual property
rights. Any potential intellectual property litigation could force us to do one or more of the following:
● stop
selling our products or using technology that contains the allegedly infringing intellectual
property;
● incur
significant legal expenses;
● pay
substantial damages to the party whose intellectual property rights we are allegedly infringing;
● redesign
those products that contain the allegedly infringing intellectual property; or
● attempt
to obtain a license to the relevant intellectual property from third-parties, which may not
be available on reasonable terms or at all, and if available, may be non-exclusive, thereby
giving our competitors access to the same technology.
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Patent
litigation can involve complex factual and legal questions, and its outcome is uncertain. Any litigation or claim against us, even those
without merit, may cause us to incur substantial costs, and could place a significant strain on our financial resources, divert the attention
of management from our core business and harm our reputation. Further, as the number of participants in the neurostimulation market increases,
the possibility of intellectual property infringement claims against us increases.
We
may be subject to damages resulting from claims that we, or our employees, have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of
our competitors or are in breach of non-competition or non-solicitation agreements with our competitors.
Some
of our current or future employees may have previously been employed at other medical device companies, including those that are our
direct competitors or could potentially be our direct competitors. We may be subject to claims that we, or our employees, have inadvertently
or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of these former employers or competitors. In addition,
we may in the future be subject to allegations that we caused an employee to breach the terms of his or her non-competition or non-solicitation
agreement. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims.
There
can be no assurance that this type of litigation will not occur, and any future litigation or the threat thereof may adversely affect
our ability to hire additional employees. A loss of key personnel or their work product could hamper or prevent our ability to commercialize
our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology or future versions thereof, which could have an adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and operating results.
Intellectual
property rights do not necessarily address all potential threats to our competitive advantage.
The
degree of future protection afforded by our intellectual property rights is uncertain because intellectual property rights have limitations,
and may not adequately protect our business, or permit us to maintain our competitive advantage. The following examples are illustrative:
● others
may be able to make devices that are the same as or similar to our cortical strip, grid electrode
and depth electrode technology but that are not covered by the claims of the patents that
we own;
● we
or any collaborators might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by the
issued patents or pending patent applications that we own;
● we
might not have been the first to file patent applications covering certain of our inventions;
● others
may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or duplicate any of our technologies
without infringing our intellectual property rights;
● it
is possible that our pending patent applications will not lead to issued patents;
● issued
patents that we own may not provide us with any competitive advantages, or may be held invalid
or unenforceable as a result of legal challenges;
● we
might enforce our patent rights or defend a challenge to our issued patents or pending application,
putting the patents and patent applications at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly;
● our
competitors might conduct research and development activities in the United States and other
countries that provide a safe harbor from patent infringement claims for certain research
and development activities, as well as in countries where we do not have patent rights, and
then use the information learned from such activities to develop competitive products for
sale in our major commercial markets; and
● we
may not develop additional proprietary technologies that are patentable.
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Medical Technologies Corporation
Form 10-K
Risks
Related to our Legal and Regulatory Environment
Our
products and operations are subject to extensive governmental regulation, and any adverse regulatory action may materially adversely
affect our financial condition and business operations.
Our
medical devices and technologies and business activities, including marketing, manufacturing, sales and development processes, are subject
to regulation by the FDA, U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, and
other federal and state, governmental authorities. These governmental authorities enforce laws and regulations that are meant to assure
product safety and effectiveness, including the regulation of, among other things:
● product
design and development;
● pre-clinical
studies and clinical trials;
● product
safety;
● establishment
registration and product listing;
● labeling,
content and language of instructions for use and storage;
● marketing,
manufacturing, sales and distribution;
● pre-market
clearance or approval;
● servicing
and post-market surveillance;
● record-keeping
procedures;
● product
import and export;
● advertising
and promotion; and
● recalls
and field safety corrective actions.
The
regulations to which we are subject are complex and have tended to become more stringent over time. Regulatory changes could result in
restrictions on our ability to carry on or expand our operations, higher than anticipated costs or lower than anticipated revenues.
Failure
to comply with applicable regulations could jeopardize our ability to sell our products and result in enforcement actions such as fines,
civil penalties, injunctions, warning letters, recalls of products, delays in the introduction of products into the market, refusal of
the regulatory agency or other regulators to grant future clearances or approvals, and the suspension or withdrawal of existing approvals
by such regulatory agencies. Any of these sanctions could result in higher than anticipated costs or lower than anticipated sales and
harm our reputation, business, financial condition and operating results.
A
recall of our products, or the discovery of serious safety issues with our products, could have a significant negative impact on us.
The
FDA has the authority to require the recall of commercialized products in the event of material deficiencies or defects in design or
manufacture or in the event that a product poses an unacceptable risk to health. Our third-party suppliers may, under their own initiative,
recall a product if any material deficiency in a device is found. A government-mandated or voluntary recall by us or one of our third-party
distributors, if any, could occur as a result of an unacceptable risk to health, component failures, manufacturing errors, design or
labeling defects or other deficiencies and issues. Recalls of any of our products would divert managerial and financial resources and
have an adverse effect on our reputation, financial condition and operating results, which could impair our ability to produce our products
in a cost-effective and timely manner.
Further,
under the FDA’s medical device reporting regulations, we are required to report to the FDA any incident in which our product may
have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or in which our product malfunctioned and, if the malfunction were to recur,
would likely cause or contribute to death or serious injury. Repeated product malfunctions may result in a voluntary or involuntary product
recall, which could divert managerial and financial resources, impair our ability to manufacture our products in a cost-effective and
timely manner and have an adverse effect on our reputation, financial condition and operating results.
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Medical Technologies Corporation
Form 10-K
Any
adverse event involving our products could result in future voluntary corrective actions, such as recalls or customer notifications,
or regulatory agency action, which could include inspection, mandatory recall or other enforcement action. Any corrective action, whether
voluntary or involuntary, will require the dedication of our time and capital, distract management from operating our business and may
harm our reputation and financial results.
We
are subject to additional federal, state and foreign laws and regulations relating to our healthcare business; our failure to comply
with those laws could have an adverse impact on our business.
Although
we will not provide healthcare services, submit claims for third-party reimbursement, or receive payments directly from government health
insurance programs or other third-party payors for our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology, we are subject
to healthcare fraud and abuse regulation and enforcement by federal, state and foreign governments, which could adversely impact our
business. Healthcare fraud and abuse and health information privacy and security laws potentially applicable to our operations include,
but are not limited to:
● the
Anti-Kickback Statute, which will apply to our marketing practices, educational programs,
pricing policies and relationships with healthcare providers, by prohibiting, among other
things, soliciting, receiving, offering or providing remuneration intended to induce the
purchase or recommendation of an item or service reimbursable under a federal healthcare
program, such as the Medicare or Medicaid programs. A person or entity does not need to have
actual knowledge of this statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation;
● federal
civil and criminal false claims laws and civil monetary penalty laws, including civil whistleblower
or qui tam actions that prohibit, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to
be presented, claims for payment or approval to the federal government that are false or
fraudulent, knowingly making a false statement material to an obligation to pay or transmit
money or property to the federal government or knowingly concealing or knowingly and improperly
avoiding or decreasing an obligation to pay or transmit money or property to the federal
government. The government may assert 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 false claims statutes;
● HIPAA,
and its implementing regulations, which created federal criminal laws that prohibit, among
other things, executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or making false
statements relating to healthcare matters. A person or entity does not need to have actual
knowledge of these statutes or specific intent to violate them;
● HIPAA,
as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009,
and their implementing regulations, also imposes certain regulatory and contractual requirements
regarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information;
● federal
“sunshine” requirements imposed by the ACA on device manufacturers regarding
any “transfer of value” made or distributed to physicians and teaching hospitals.
Failure to submit required information may result in civil monetary penalties of up to an
aggregate of $150,000 per year (or up to an aggregate of $1 million per year for “knowing
failures”), for all payments, transfers of value or ownership or investment interests
that are not timely, accurately, and completely reported in an annual submission. Manufacturers
must submit reports by the 90th day of each subsequent calendar year;
● federal
consumer protection and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace activities
and activities that potentially harm consumers; and
● state
law equivalents of each of the above federal laws, such as anti-kickback and false claims
laws that may apply to items or services reimbursed by any third-party payor, including commercial
insurers; state laws that require device companies to comply with the industry’s voluntary
compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government
or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers; state laws that
require device manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers
of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures; and state
laws governing the privacy and security of certain health information, many of which differ
from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA.
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The
risk of our being found in violation of these laws and regulations is increased by the fact that the scope and enforcement of these laws
is uncertain, many of them have not been fully interpreted by the regulatory authorities or the courts, their provisions are open to
a variety of interpretations, or they vary country by country. We are unable to predict what additional federal, state or foreign legislation
or regulatory initiatives may be enacted in the future regarding our business or the healthcare industry in general, or what effect such
legislation or regulations may have on us. Federal, state or foreign governments may (i) impose additional restrictions or adopt interpretations
of existing laws that could have a material adverse effect on us or (ii) challenge our current or future activities under these laws.
Any of these challenges could impact our reputation, business, financial condition and operating results.
If
our operations are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other governmental regulations that apply to us
now or in the future, we may be subject to penalties, including civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement of profits,
exclusion from governmental health care programs, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely
affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results. Any federal, state or foreign regulatory review to which we may
become subject, regardless of the outcome, would be costly and time-consuming.
For
example, to enforce compliance with the federal laws, the DOJ, has increased its scrutiny of interactions between healthcare companies
and healthcare providers, which has led to a number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and settlements in the healthcare industry.
Dealing with investigations can be time and resource consuming and can divert management’s attention from our core business. Additionally,
if we settle an investigation with law enforcement or other regulatory agencies, we may be forced to agree to additional onerous compliance
and reporting requirements as part of a consent decree or corporate integrity agreement. Any such investigation or settlement could increase
our costs or otherwise have an adverse effect on our business.
We
may be liable if the FDA or another regulatory agency concludes that we have engaged in the off-label promotion of our products.
Our
promotional materials and training methods must comply with FDA and other applicable laws and regulations, including the prohibition
of the promotion of the off-label use of our products. Healthcare providers may use our products, if approved, off-label, as the FDA
does not restrict or regulate a physician’s choice of treatment within the practice of medicine. However, if the FDA determines
that our promotional materials or training constitute promotion of an off-label use, it could request that we modify our training or
promotional materials or subject us to regulatory or enforcement actions, including the issuance of an untitled letter, a warning letter,
injunction, seizure, civil fine and criminal penalties. It is also possible that other federal, state or foreign enforcement authorities
might take action if they consider our promotional or training materials to constitute promotion of an unapproved use, which could result
in significant fines or penalties. Although we intend to train our marketing and direct sales force to not promote our products for uses
outside of their cleared uses and our policy will be to refrain from statements that could be considered off-label promotion of our products,
the FDA or another regulatory agency could disagree and conclude that we have engaged in off-label promotion. In addition, the off-label
use of our products may increase the risk of product liability claims. Product liability claims are expensive to defend and could result
in substantial damage awards against us and harm our reputation.
Legislative
or regulatory healthcare reforms may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results or operations and cash
flows.
Recent
political, economic and regulatory influences are subjecting the healthcare industry to fundamental changes. The sales of our products
depend in part on the availability of coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors such as government health administration authorities,
private health insurers, health maintenance organizations and other healthcare-related organizations. Both the federal and state governments
in the United States continue to propose and pass new legislation and regulations designed to contain or reduce the cost of healthcare.
This legislation and regulation may result in decreased reimbursement for medical devices, which may further exacerbate industry-wide
pressure to reduce the prices charged for medical devices. This could harm our ability to market our products and generate sales.
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In
addition, FDA regulations and guidance are often revised or reinterpreted by the FDA in ways that may significantly affect our business
and our products. Any new regulations or revisions or reinterpretations of existing regulations may impose additional costs or lengthen
review times of our products. Delays in receipt of or failure to receive regulatory clearances or approvals for our products would harm
our business, financial condition and operating results.
While
one often stated goal of healthcare reform is to expand coverage to more individuals, it also involves increased government price controls,
additional regulatory mandates and other measures designed to constrain medical costs. For example, the ACA and Health Care and Education
Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 were enacted into law in the U.S. in March 2010. Certain provisions of this law, including comparative
effectiveness research, pilot programs to evaluate alternative payment methodologies and other changes to the payment systems, have started
changing the way healthcare is delivered, reimbursed and funded. While the extent to which it has affected our business is not clear,
these changes, over the long term, may adversely affect our business and results of operations. The current U.S. administration may attempt
to reverse some of the previous administration’s changes to the ACA, particularly related to healthcare coverage for the uninsured,
and is further expected to introduce more ambitious healthcare legislation, which could include what is commonly referred to as a “public
option” or changes to Medicare age requirements. If passed, this legislation would lead to increased coverage levels and utilization
of services; however, at this point, the impact of any such changes is unclear because specific changes have not been enacted or implemented.
We
cannot predict whether any additional healthcare reform proposals will be adopted or how such proposals may impact our business and operations.
However, any changes that lower reimbursements for either our products or procedures using our products, reduce medical procedure volumes,
increase cost containment pressures on us or others in the healthcare sector, or impose additional or heightened regulatory requirements
could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Risks
Related to our Common Stock
The
price of our Common Stock might fluctuate significantly, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Volatility
in the market price of our Common Stock may prevent you from being able to sell your shares of our Common Stock at or above the price
you paid for your shares. The trading price of our Common Stock may be volatile and subject to wide price fluctuations in response to
various factors, including:
● actual
or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly financial and operating results;
● our
progress toward developing our cortical strip and sheet electrode technology;
● the
commencement, enrollment and results of our future clinical trials;
● adverse
results from, delays in or termination of our clinical trials;
● adverse
regulatory decisions, including failure to receive regulatory approval;
● publication
of research reports about us or our industry or positive or negative recommendations or withdrawal
of research coverage by securities analysts, if any;
● perceptions
about the market acceptance of our products and the recognition of our brand;
● adverse
publicity about our products or industry in general;
● overall
performance of the equity markets;
● introduction
of products, or announcements of significant contracts, licenses or acquisitions, by us or
our competitors;
● legislative,
political or regulatory developments;
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● additions
or departures of key personnel;
● threatened
or actual litigation and government investigations;
● third-party
promotional activities, which are subject to ongoing regulatory obligations;
● sale
of shares of our Common Stock by us or members of our management; and
● general
economic conditions.
These
and other factors might cause the market price of our Common Stock to fluctuate substantially, which may negatively affect the liquidity
of our Common Stock. In addition, the stock market has experienced significant price and volume fluctuations. This volatility has had
a significant impact on the market price of securities issued by many companies across many industries. The changes frequently appear
to occur without regard to the operating performance of the affected companies. Accordingly, the price of our Common Stock could fluctuate
based upon factors that have little or nothing to do with our Company, and these fluctuations could materially reduce our share price.
Securities
class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the overall market and in the
market price of a company’s securities. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs, divert our
management’s attention and resources, and harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
If
we fail to comply with the continued listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market, our Common Stock could be delisted. If it is delisted,
our Common Stock and the liquidity of our Common Stock would be impacted.
On
July 11, 2024, we received a letter (the “Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department (the “Staff”) of
Nasdaq notifying that because the closing bid price of our Common Stock was below $1.00 per share for the prior 30 consecutive business
days, we are not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq, as set forth in Nasdaq Marketplace
Rule 5550(a)(2), the Minimum Bid Price Requirement.
In
accordance with Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we have a period of 180 calendar days from July 11, 2024, or until January 7,
2025, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. If at any time before January 7, 2025, the closing bid price of our
Common Stock closes at or above $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days (which number days may be extended by Nasdaq),
Nasdaq will provide written notification that we have achieved compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, and the matter would
be resolved. However, there is no assurance that we will be able to meet with Nasdaq compliance requirements.
The
continued listing of our Common Stock on Nasdaq is contingent on our continued compliance with a number of listing standards. There is
no assurance that we will remain in compliance with these standards. Delisting from Nasdaq would adversely affect our ability to raise
additional financing through the public or private sale of equity securities, significantly affect the ability of investors to trade
our securities and negatively affect the value and liquidity of our Common Stock. Delisting also could limit our strategic alternatives
and attractiveness to potential counterparties and have other negative results, including the potential loss of employee confidence,
the loss of institutional investors or interest in business development opportunities. Moreover, we have committed in connection with
the sale of securities to use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the listing of its Common Stock during such time that certain
warrants are outstanding.
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Medical Technologies Corporation
Form 10-K
Any
failure to maintain an effective system of internal controls over our financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002 could result in material misstatements of our financial statements or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations
or fail to prevent fraud in which case, our stockholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which would harm our business
and could negatively impact the price of our stock.
We
are required to comply with the internal control evaluation and certification requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002 (“SOX”) and management is required to report annually on our internal control over financial reporting. This assessment
includes disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. Although
we prepare our financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, our internal accounting
controls may not meet all standards applicable to companies with publicly traded securities. Our independent registered public accounting
firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section
404(b) of SOX until the date we have a public float of $75 million or greater.
If
we fail to maintain effective internal controls and procedures for financial reporting, it could result in material misstatements in
the annual or interim financial statements that would not be prevented or detected in a timely manner. In that case, we could become
subject to regulatory sanction or investigation. Further, these outcomes could damage investor confidence in the accuracy and reliability
of our financial statements. Our management has concluded that our internal controls over financial reporting were, and continue to be,
effective as of September 30, 2024. We cannot assure you that material weaknesses or significant deficiencies will not occur in the future
and that we will be able to remediate such weaknesses or deficiencies in a timely manner, which could impair our ability to accurately
and timely report our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. If we are not able to maintain effective internal control
over financial reporting, our financial statements, including related disclosures, may be inaccurate, which could have a material adverse
effect on our business.
We
intend to issue more shares to raise capital, which will result in substantial dilution.
Our
certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of a maximum of 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred
stock. Until we can generate significant revenue from product sales, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through the sale of
equity, debt financings, or other capital sources. Any additional financings effected by us may result in the issuance of additional
securities without stockholder approval and the substantial dilution in the percentage of Common Stock held by our then existing stockholders.
Moreover, the Common Stock issued in any such transaction may be valued on an arbitrary or non-arm’s-length basis by our management,
resulting in an additional reduction in the percentage of Common Stock held by our current stockholders. Our Board has the power to issue
any or all of such authorized but unissued shares without stockholder approval. To the extent that additional shares of Common Stock
are issued, dilution to the interests of our stockholders will occur and the rights of the holder of Common Stock might be materially
and adversely affected.
As
of September 30, 2024, we had outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 7,045,875 shares of Common Stock at a weighted average
exercise price of $3.81 per share, and options to purchase an aggregate of 2,814,096 shares of Common Stock at a weighted average exercise
price of $3.13 per share. For a description of our outstanding warrants and information about the number of shares of Common Stock for
which they are exercisable, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity
and Capital Resources-Capital Resources.” To the extent these outstanding options or warrants are exercised, there will be further
dilution to holders of our Common Stock.
Anti-takeover
provisions in the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws may prevent or frustrate attempts by stockholders to change
the Board or current management and could make a third-party acquisition of the Company difficult.
The
Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition
or other change in control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive
a premium for their shares. For example, our certificate of incorporation permits the Board without stockholder approval to issue up
to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock and to fix the designation, power, preferences, and rights of those shares. Furthermore, our
Board has the ability to increase the size of the Board and fill the newly created vacancies without stockholder approval. These provisions
could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of the Common Stock.
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We
are a smaller reporting company, and the reduced reporting requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies may make our Common
Stock less attractive to investors.
We
are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Section 12 of the Exchange Act. For as long as we continue to be a smaller
reporting company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies
that are not smaller reporting companies such as, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our annual and periodic
reports and proxy statements and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We will remain a “smaller
reporting company” as long as (i) our public float remains less than $250 million or (ii) our annual revenues are less than $100
million and we either have no public float, or our public float is less than $700 million. Public float is measured as of the last business
day of our most recently-completed second fiscal quarter, and annual revenues are as of the most recently completed fiscal year for which
audited financial statements are available. We cannot predict if investors will find our Common Stock less attractive because we may
rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market
for our Common Stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
We
have not paid dividends in the past and do not expect to pay dividends in the future, and any return on investment may be limited to
the value of our stock.
We
have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings
for use in the operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Accordingly,
you may have to sell some or all of your shares of our Common Stock in order to generate cash flow from your investment. You may not
receive a gain on your investment when you sell shares and you may lose the entire amount of the investment.
If
securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports, or publish unfavorable research or reports, about us, our business
or our market, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The
trading market for our Common Stock will be influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about
us and our business. Securities or industry analysts may elect not to provide coverage of our Common Stock, and such lack of coverage
may adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock. In the event we do not secure additional securities or industry analyst coverage,
we will not have any control over the analysts or the content and opinions included in their reports. The price of our stock could decline
if one or more securities or industry analysts downgrade our stock or issue other unfavorable commentary or research. If one or more
securities or industry analysts ceases coverage of our Company or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our stock could
decrease, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.
Our
Common Stock has been, and may in the future be subject to the “penny stock” rules of the SEC, which makes transactions in
our stock cumbersome and may reduce the value of an investment in our stock.
The
SEC has adopted regulations which generally define a “penny stock” as an equity security that has a market price of less
than $5.00 per share, subject to specific exemptions. The SEC’s penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction
in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document that provides information about
penny stocks and the risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer must also provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations
for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker-dealer and the salesperson in the transaction, and monthly account statements showing
the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account. In addition, the penny stock rules generally require that
before a transaction in a penny stock occurs, the broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable
investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s agreement to the transaction. If our Common Stock is subject to the “penny
stock” rules, these rules may restrict the ability of brokers-dealers to sell our Common Stock and may affect the ability of investors
to sell their shares, until our Common Stock no longer is considered a penny stock.
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Medical Technologies Corporation
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There
can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with Nasdaq’s continued listing standards, a failure of which could result in
a de-listing of our Common Stock.
There
is no assurance that we will continue to comply with the applicable Nasdaq listing standards. In order to maintain the listing of our
Common Stock on Nasdaq, Nasdaq requires that the trading price of a company’s listed stock on Nasdaq remain above one dollar in
order for such stock to remain listed. If a listed stock trades below one dollar for more than 30 consecutive trading days, then it is
subject to delisting from Nasdaq. In addition, to maintain a listing on Nasdaq, we must satisfy minimum financial and other continued
listing requirements and standards, including those regarding director independence and independent committee requirements, minimum stockholders’
equity, and certain corporate governance requirements. If we are unable to satisfy these requirements or standards, we could be subject
to delisting, which would have a negative effect on the price of our Common Stock and warrants and would impair your ability to sell
or purchase our Common Stock and warrants when you wish to do so. In the event of a delisting, we would expect to take actions to restore
our compliance with the listing requirements, but we can provide no assurance that any such action taken by us would allow our Common
Stock and/or warrants to become listed again, stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our Common Stock, prevent our Common
Stock from dropping below the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, or prevent future non-compliance with the listing requirements.
General
Risk Factors
Adverse
global economic conditions could have a negative effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and liquidity.
A
general slowdown in the global economy, including a recession, or in a particular region or industry, an increase in trade tensions with
U.S. trading partners, inflation or a tightening of the credit markets could negatively impact our business, financial condition and
liquidity. Adverse global economic conditions have from time to time caused or exacerbated significant slowdowns in the industries and
markets in which we operate, which have adversely affected our business and results of operations. Macroeconomic weakness and uncertainty
also make it more difficult for us to accurately forecast revenue, gross margin and expenses, and may make it more difficult to raise
or refinance debt.
Worldwide
economic and social instability could adversely affect our revenue, financial condition, or results of operations.
Generally,
worldwide economic conditions remain uncertain, particularly due to the effects of the war, terrorism, military conflicts on global markets,
the conflict and instability such as between Russia and Ukraine and potentially Eastern Europe, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, the Gaza Strip
and the Middle East and Asia, disruptions in the banking system and financial markets, new and ongoing challenges relating to current
supply chain constraints, the impact of natural disasters or global pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, increased inflation and
rising interest rates. The general economic and capital market conditions, both in the U.S. and worldwide, have been volatile in the
past and at times have adversely affected the Company’s access to capital and increased the cost of capital. The capital and credit
markets may not be available to support future capital raising activity on favorable terms. If economic conditions decline, the Company’s
future cost of equity or debt capital and access to the capital markets could be adversely affected. Our vendors and development partners
may experience financial difficulties or be unable to borrow money to fund their operations, which may adversely impact their ability
to purchase our products or to pay for our products on a timely basis, if at all. In addition, adverse economic conditions, such as recent
supply chain disruptions and labor shortages and persistent inflation, have affected, and may continue to adversely affect our suppliers’
ability to provide our manufacturers with materials and components, which may negatively impact our business. These economic conditions
make it more difficult for us to accurately forecast and plan our future business activities.
Changes
in tax laws or exposure to additional income tax liabilities could have a material impact on our business, results of operations, financial
condition and cash flows.
We
are subject to income and other non-income-based taxes and tariffs in the U.S., and our operations, plans and results are affected by
tax and other initiatives. The rules dealing with U.S. federal, state and local income taxation are constantly under review by persons
involved in the legislative process and by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Treasury Department, and state/local taxing authorities.
The tax laws in the U.S. could change on a prospective or retroactive basis, and any such changes could materially adversely affect our
business, our results of operations, our effective tax rate, and holders of our Common Stock. We cannot predict whether, when, in what
form, or with what effective dates, tax laws, regulations and rulings may be enacted, promulgated or decided, which could result in an
increase in our, or our stockholders’, tax liability or require changes in the manner in which we operate in order to minimize
increases in our tax liability. In recent years, many such changes have been made and changes are likely to continue to occur in the
future. Future changes in tax laws could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flow, financial condition, results of operations,
tax provision, cash tax liability, and effective tax rate. For example, in August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”)
was enacted into law. The IRA includes a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax and a 1% excise tax on share repurchases.
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Medical Technologies Corporation
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We
urge investors to consult with their legal and tax advisers regarding the implications of potential changes in tax laws on an investment
in our Common Stock.
We
are also subject to regular reviews, examinations, and audits by the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing authorities with respect
to our taxes. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, if a taxing authority disagrees with the positions we have taken,
we could face additional tax liability, including interest and penalties. There can be no assurance that payment of such additional amounts
upon final adjudication of any disputes will not have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position.
We
may seek to grow our business through acquisitions of complementary products or technologies, and the failure to complete acquisitions,
or the failure to integrate them with our existing business, could harm our business, financial condition and operating results.
From
time to time, we may consider opportunities to acquire other companies, products or technologies that may enhance our product platform
or technology, expand the breadth of our markets or customer base, or advance our business strategies. The success of our strategy relating
to future acquisitions, investments or alliances will depend on a number of factors, including our ability to:
● identify
suitable opportunities for acquisition, investment or alliance, if at all;
● manage
acquisition, investment or alliance opportunities within our capital capacity and prioritize
those investments to execute on our strategy;
● manage
our due diligence process to uncover potential issues and liabilities with targets;
● finance
any future acquisition, investment or alliance on terms acceptable to us, if at all;
● complete
acquisitions, investments or alliances in a timely manner on terms that are satisfactory
to us, if at all;
● successfully
integrate and operate acquired businesses;
● successfully
identify and retain key target employees;
● comply
with applicable laws and regulations;
● protect
intellectual property and to prevail in litigation related to newly acquired technologies;
● assimilate
the acquired products or technologies;
● maintain
uniform standards, procedures, controls and policies;
● anticipate
costs associated with acquisitions;
● avoid
the diversion of management’s attention from our existing business;
● manage
risks associated with entering new markets in which we have limited or no experience; and
● manage
legal and accounting costs relating to the acquisitions or compliance with regulatory matters.
We
have no current commitments with respect to any acquisition. We do not know if we will be able to identify acquisitions we deem suitable,
whether we will be able to successfully complete any such acquisitions on favorable terms or at all, or whether we will be able to successfully
integrate any acquired products or technologies. Our potential inability to integrate any acquired products or technologies effectively
may adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.
Our
future success depends on our ability to retain key executives and to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel.
We
are highly dependent on the management, research and development, clinical, financial and business development expertise of our officers
and advisory board members. Although we have an employment agreement with our Chief Executive Officer, David Rosa, he (and each of our
other key employees) may terminate his employment with us at any time and will continue to be able to do so. We do not maintain “key
person” insurance for any of our executives or employees.
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Recruiting and retaining qualified scientific
and clinical personnel will also be critical to our success. The loss of the services of our executive officers or other key employees
could impede the achievement of our research, development and commercialization objectives and seriously harm our ability to successfully
implement our business strategy. Furthermore, replacing executive officers and key employees may be difficult and may take an extended
period of time because of the limited number of individuals in our industry with the breadth of skills and experience required to successfully
develop, gain regulatory approval of and commercialize our products. Competition to hire from this limited pool is intense, and we may
be unable to hire, train, retain or motivate these key personnel on acceptable terms given the competition among numerous medical device
companies for similar personnel, many of which have greater financial and other resources dedicated to attracting and retaining personnel.
We also experience competition for the hiring of scientific and clinical personnel from universities and research institutions. In addition,
we rely on consultants and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist us in formulating our research and development
and commercialization strategy. Our consultants and advisors may be employed by employers other than us and may have commitments under
consulting or advisory contracts with other entities that may limit their availability to us. If we are unable to continue to attract
and retain high quality personnel, our ability to pursue our growth strategy will be limited.
Prolonged negative economic conditions could
adversely affect us, our customers and third-party partners, manufactures or suppliers, if any, which could harm our financial condition.
We are subject to the risks arising from adverse
changes in general economic and market conditions. Uncertainty about future economic conditions could negatively impact our existing and
potential customers, adversely affect the financial ability of health insurers to pay claims, adversely impact our expenses and ability
to obtain financing of our operations, and cause delays or other problems with key suppliers.
Healthcare spending in the United States has been,
and is expected to continue to be, under significant pressure and there are many initiatives to reduce healthcare costs. As a result,
we believe that some insurers are scrutinizing insurance claims more rigorously and delaying or denying coverage and reimbursement more
often. Because the sale, if approved, of our cortical strip, grid electrode and depth electrode technology under development will generally
depend on the availability of third-party coverage and reimbursement, any delay or decline in coverage and reimbursement will adversely
affect our sales.
We have incurred, and may continue to incur
increased costs and demands upon management as a result of being a public company.
As a public company in the United States, we incur
significant legal, accounting and other costs. These additional costs could negatively affect our financial results. In addition, changing
laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including regulations implemented by the SEC and
the stock exchange on which we may list our Common Stock, may increase legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities more
time-consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations and, as a result, their application in practice
may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving
laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s
time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If, notwithstanding our efforts to comply with new laws,
regulations and standards, we fail to comply, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business may be
harmed. Failure to comply with these rules might also make it more difficult for us to obtain some types of insurance, including director
and officer liability insurance, and we might be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs
to obtain the same or similar coverage. The impact of these events could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified
persons to serve on our Board, on committees of our Board or as members of senior management.
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NeuroOne Medical Technologies Corporation
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