UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K
(Mark
One)
☒
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the Fiscal Year Ended December 31 , 2025
OR
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission
File Number: 001-39199
Scienture
Holdings, Inc.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
46-3673928
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification No.)
20
Austin Blvd.
Commack , NY 11725
33634
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(Zip
code)
(631)
670-6039
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
(Former
name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title
of each class
Trading
Symbol(s)
Name
of each exchange on which registered
Common
Stock, $0.00001 Par Value Per Share
SCNX
The
NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
(The
NASDAQ Capital Market)
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None.
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2)
has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule
405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company,
or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “ large accelerated filer, ” “ accelerated filer, ”
“ smaller reporting company, ” and “ emerging growth company ” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large
accelerated filer
☐
Accelerated
filer
☐
Non-accelerated
filer
☒
Smaller
reporting company
☒
Emerging
growth company
☐
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness
of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered
public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If
securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant
included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation
received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The
aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of the last business day
of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was approximately $ 10,203,000 .
There
were 40,630,815 shares
of the registrant’s common stock outstanding on March 27, 2026.
DOCUMENTS
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions
of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2026 annual meeting of stockholders (the “2026 Proxy
Statement”) are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Annual Report”)
where indicated. The 2026 Proxy Statement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this Annual
Report relates.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
3
PART I
Item
1.
Business
5
Item
1A.
Risk Factors
32
Item
1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
63
Item
1C.
Cybersecurity
63
Item
2.
Properties
63
Item
3.
Legal Proceedings
63
Item
4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
63
PART II
Item
5.
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
64
Item
6.
[Reserved]
64
Item
7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
64
Item
7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
70
Item
8.
Financial Statements and Supplemental Data
71
Item
9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
100
Item
9A.
Controls and Procedures
100
Item
9B.
Other Information
101
Item
9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions That Prevent Inspections
101
PART III
Item
10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
102
Item
11.
Executive Compensation
102
Item
12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
102
Item
13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
102
Item
14.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
102
PART IV
Item
15.
Exhibits, Financial Statements and Schedules
103
Item
16.
Form 10–K Summary
106
Signatures
107
2
Table of Contents
CAUTIONARY
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This
Annual Report contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements which are subject to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section
27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Some of
the statements in this Annual Report constitute forward-looking statements because they relate to future events or our future
performance or future financial condition. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current
expectations, estimates and projections about our company, our industry, our beliefs and our assumptions. Our forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or
strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future
events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, the words “anticipate,”
“believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,”
“may,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,”
“should,” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence
of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance
or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied
by such forward-looking statements.
Actual
performance or results could differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors
that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to:
●
risks
related to our history of operating losses and that our operations may not become profitable;
●
claims
relating to alleged violations of intellectual property rights of others;
●
our
ability to manage our growth;
●
regulatory
and licensing requirement risks;
●
risks
related to changes in the U.S. healthcare environment;
●
risks
associated with the operations of our more established competitors;
●
our
ability to respond to general economic conditions, including financial market volatility and disruption, elevated levels of inflation,
and declining economic conditions in the United States;
●
changes
in laws or regulations relating to our operations;
●
our
growth strategy;
●
compliance
with the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”);
●
risks
relating to the liquidity and trading of our common stock;
●
our
ability to raise financing in the future;
●
demand
for our products and services may decline;
●
data
security breaches, cyber-attacks or other network outages; and
●
other
risks disclosed below under “ Risk Factors .”
The
forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments
and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated.
These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions
that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
These
risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the section of this Annual Report entitled “ Risk
Factors ”. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect,
actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements.
We
have based the forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report on information available to us on the date of this Annual Report,
and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any
forward-looking statements in this Annual Report, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised
to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we may file in the future with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports
on Form 8-K.
3
Table of Contents
SUMMARY
OF RISK FACTORS
Our
business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, including those highlighted in the section
titled “ Risk Factors ” in this Annual Report. These risks include, among others, the following:
●
We
operate a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a limited operating history, which may make it difficult to evaluate its
current business and predict its future success and viability.
●
We
need additional capital which may not be available when needed or on commercially acceptable terms, thereby casting substantial doubt
on our ability to continue as a going concern. Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our stockholders, restrict our operations
or require us to relinquish rights to our product candidates.
●
Due
to the significant resources required to develop our product pipeline, and depending on our ability to access capital, we must prioritize
the development of certain product candidates over others and we may fail to expend our limited resources on product candidates or
indications that may have been more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.
●
Our
business is highly dependent on the success of certain product candidates. If we are unable to successfully complete clinical development,
obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize one or more of our product candidates, or if we experience delays in doing so, our
business will be materially harmed.
●
We
may seek to collaborate with third parties and may not be able to implement these collaborations on commercially acceptable terms,
if at all. The success of certain of our product candidates may depend in significant part on the success of such collaborations.
●
The
successful development of our pharmaceutical products involves a lengthy and expensive process and is highly uncertain.
●
We
are subject, directly or indirectly, to federal and state healthcare, fraud, abuse false claims, and other laws and regulations as
well as health data privacy and security laws and regulations, contractual obligations and self-regulatory schemes. If we are unable
to comply, or have not fully complied, with such laws, we could face investigations and substantial penalties. Furthermore, it may
be difficult and costly for us to comply with the extensive government regulations to which our business is subject.
●
We
may be unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates under applicable regulatory requirements. The denial or delay
of any such approval would delay commercialization of our product candidates and adversely impact our business and results of operations.
●
Even
if we obtain regulatory approval for any of our product candidates, we will be subject to ongoing regulatory requirements, which
may result in significant additional expenses. Additionally, our product candidates, if approved, could be subject to labeling and
other restrictions, and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or experience unanticipated
problems with our product candidates.
●
Even
if we obtain FDA approval for a product candidate in the United States, we may never obtain approval for or successfully commercialize
that candidate outside of the United States, which would limit our ability to realize a product’s full market potential.
●
Even
if we are able to commercialize any of our product candidates, the third-party payor coverage and reimbursement status of newly-approved
products are uncertain. Failure to obtain or maintain adequate coverage and reimbursement for our product candidates could limit
our ability to market those products and decrease our ability to generate revenue.
●
We
are developing a drug-device combination product, which may result in additional regulatory risks.
●
Our
third party collaborators and service providers are, or may become, subject to a variety of stringent and evolving privacy and data
security laws, regulations, and rules, contractual obligations, industry standards, policies and other obligations related to privacy
and data security. Any actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could expose us to significant fines or other
penalties and otherwise harm our business and operations.
●
Healthcare
legislative reform measures may have a negative impact on our business and results of operations.
●
We
may not be able to protect our intellectual property and trade secret rights throughout the world. If our efforts to protect our
intellectual property rights are inadequate, we may not be able to compete effectively in our market.
●
We
depend on in-licensed intellectual property. If we fail to comply with our obligations under intellectual property licenses with
third parties, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.
●
If
we or our licensors are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for our product candidates, or if the scope of the patent
protection obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialize products similar or identical to our
product candidates, and our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates may be adversely affected. Furthermore,
we do not intend to seek patent protection for one of our products, SCN-106.
●
Obtaining
and maintaining patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements
imposed by governmental patent agencies. Our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
●
Issued
patents covering our product candidates could be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged in court or the USPTO.
●
We
may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our intellectual property or asserting that we violated intellectual
property rights of others, the outcome of which would be uncertain. These claims could be extremely costly to defend, could require
us to pay significant damages and limit our ability to operate, and could distract our personnel from normal responsibilities.
●
European
patents and patent applications could be challenged in the recently created Unified Patent Court for the European Union.
●
Our
use, or the use by our third party collaborators and service providers, of new and evolving technologies, such as artificial intelligence
(“AI”) and machine learning (“ML”), may result in spending additional resources and present new risks and
challenges that can impact our business, including by posing security and other risks to our sensitive data. As a result, we may
be exposed to reputational harm, other adverse consequences, and liability.
●
If
our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected then we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of interest
and our business may be adversely affected.
●
We
may not be able to comply with Nasdaq’s continued listing standards.
●
Our
common stock has in the past been a “penny stock” under SEC rules, and may be subject to the “penny stock”
rules in the future. It may be more difficult to resell securities classified as “penny stock.”
●
The
exercise of outstanding warrants, options and other securities that are exercisable into shares of our common stock will be dilutive
to our existing stockholders.
●
We
have not historically paid or declared any dividends on our common stock and do not expect to pay or declare cash dividends in the
future on a regular basis, if at all.
●
Our
common stock price is likely to be highly volatile because of several factors, including a limited public float.
●
There
may not be sufficient liquidity in the market for our securities in order for investors to sell their shares. The market price of
our common stock may continue to be volatile.
●
Stockholders
may be diluted significantly through our efforts to obtain financing and satisfy obligations through the issuance of additional shares
of our common stock.
4
Table of Contents
PART
I
ITEM
1.
BUSINESS
INTRODUCTION
This
information included in this Annual Report should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes
in “ Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplemental Data ” of this Annual Report.
Our
logo and some of our trademarks and tradenames are used in this Annual Report. This Annual Report may also include trademarks, tradenames
and service marks that are the property of others. Solely for convenience, trademarks, tradenames and service marks referred to in this
Annual Report may appear without the ®, ™ and SM symbols. References to our trademarks, tradenames and service marks are not
intended to indicate in any way that we will not assert to the fullest extent under applicable law our rights or the rights of the applicable
licensors if any, nor that respective owners to other intellectual property rights will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable
law, their rights thereto. We do not intend the use or display of other companies’ trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship
with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
The
market data and certain other statistical information used throughout this Annual Report are based on independent industry publications,
reports by market research firms or other independent sources that we believe to be reliable sources. Industry publications and third-party
research, surveys and studies generally indicate that their information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, although
they do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. We are responsible for all of the disclosures contained in this
Annual Report, and we believe these industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies are reliable. While we are not
aware of any misstatements regarding any third-party information presented in this Annual Report, their estimates, in particular, as
they relate to projections, involve numerous assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and are subject to change based on
various factors, including those discussed under the section entitled “ Risk Factors ” of this Annual Report. These
and other factors could cause our future performance to differ materially from our assumptions and estimates. Some market and other data
included herein, as well as the data of competitors as they relate to us, are also based on our good faith estimates.
Our
fiscal year ends on December 31st. Interim results are presented on a quarterly basis for the quarters ended March 31st, June 30th, and
September 30th, the first quarter, second quarter and third quarter, respectively, with the quarter ending December 31st being referenced
herein as our fourth quarter. “Fiscal 2025” means the Fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, whereas “Fiscal 2024”
means the year ended December 31, 2024.
Unless
the context requires otherwise, references to the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer
specifically to Scienture Holdings, Inc., and its consolidated subsidiaries.
Available
Information
We
file annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the
public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and are available for download, free of charge, soon after
such reports are filed with or furnished to the SEC, on the “Investors” page of our website at www.scientureholdings.com.
Copies of documents filed by us with the SEC are also available from us without charge, upon oral or written request to our Secretary,
who can be contacted at the address and telephone number set forth on the cover page of this Annual Report. Our website addresses are
www.scientureholdings.com, www.scienture.com, www.trxadehealth.com and www.rxintegra.com. The information on, or that may be accessed through, our websites is not, and shall not be deemed to be, part of this Annual Report or incorporated by reference into any other filings
we make with the SEC, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in any such filings. All website addresses in this Annual Report
are intended to be inactive textual references only.
Current
Business – Scienture LLC
Overview
Scienture
LLC was originally incorporated in Delaware and commenced operations in 2019. In connection with our acquisition in July 2024, Scienture
LLC became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Scienture’s principal executive offices are located in Commack, New York.
Scienture
LLC is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization and development of products for the treatment of cardiovascular
(“CVS”) and Central Nervous System (“CNS”) diseases. Scienture LLC launched its first commercial product for hypertension and is in the process
of commercializing its second product for the treatment of opioid overdose. Its development pipeline consists of a broad range of novel
product candidates including new potential treatments for migraine, thrombosis, pain and other related disorders.
Scienture
LLC’s Strategy
Scienture
LLC’s mission is to improve the lives of patients suffering from CNS and CVS diseases. Scienture LLC’s vision is to be a
leader in the industry by commercializing and developing new medicines for the treatment of CNS and CVS diseases. Key elements of Scienture
LLC’s strategy to achieve this vision include:
●
Advance
product candidates through clinical studies and toward commercialization. Scienture LLC is in various stages of clinical development
for the product candidates in its pipeline, and it intends to move these programs efficiently toward being commercially available
to patients, subject to approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”). Scienture LLC obtained regulatory
approval of its first product candidate, SCN-102 ( Arbli TM ) in the first quarter of 2025.
●
Drive
growth and profitability. Using dedicated sales and marketing resources in the U.S., Scienture LLC will seek to drive the revenue
growth of its product candidates approved for marketing by the FDA and will also evaluate and seek additional commercial ready product
opportunities through acquisitions and partnerships to expand its marketed portfolio. Scienture, LLC completed the acquisition of
the commercial ready product asset REZENOPY TM in the first quarter of 2025.
●
Target strategic business development opportunities.
Scienture LLC is exploring a broad range of strategic opportunities. This may include acquiring, in-licensing and entering into
co-promotion partnerships for commercial products to expand its marketed portfolio.
●
Continue
to grow its development pipeline. Scienture LLC will continue to evaluate and seek to develop additional product candidates that
it believes have significant commercial potential through Scienture LLC’s internal research and development efforts and through
co-development partnerships.
5
Table of Contents
Commercial Product Portfolio
Scienture LLC is committed to
building and leveraging its strong commercial platform and infrastructure to launch its FDA approved product candidates in the U.S. The progress of Scienture LLC’s
products through this process is represented in the table below.
Arbli TM (SCN-102 - Losartan Potassium
Oral Suspension, 10mg/mL)
Arbli TM (SCN-102)
is an oral liquid formulation of losartan potassium in development under the 505(b)(2) pathway, for (i) treatment of hypertension, to
lower blood pressure in adults and children greater than 6 years old, (ii) reduction of the risk of stroke in patients with hypertension
and left ventricular hypertrophy, and (iii) treatment of diabetic nephropathy with an elevated serum creatinine and proteinuria in patients
with type 2 diabetes and a history of hypertension. Currently, there are no FDA-approved liquid formulations of losartan potassium.
Arbli TM (SCN-102)
is the first and only FDA approved oral liquid formulation of losartan on the market. Scienture LLC submitted an Investigational New
Drug (“IND”) application to the FDA in September 2022. Multiple human pharmacokinetics studies were performed, showing close
comparability with the oral solid dosage form. In October 2023, Scienture LLC submitted a New Drug Application (“NDA”) for
losartan potassium oral suspension to the FDA. In December 2023, the FDA accepted the NDA for review and assigned a Prescription Drug
User Fee Act (“PDUFA”) target action date of August 19, 2024. Despite responding during the FDA’s review to information
requests related to chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (“CMC”), pharmacovigilance, clinical, microbiology and labeling,
the FDA issued a Complete Response Letter to Scienture LLC focused on the CMC information submitted. Scienture LLC prepared the requested
information and resubmitted the NDA to the FDA on September 17, 2024. In October 2024, the FDA accepted the resubmitted NDA for review
and assigned a PDUFA target action date of March 17, 2025. On March 13, 2025, the FDA approved the SCN-102 NDA to be launched as ARBLI TM
(losartan potassium) Oral Suspension, 10mg/mL. Scienture LLC commercially launched the product in the third quarter of 2025. Arbli TM
(SCN-102) is the first FDA approved oral liquid formulation of losartan on the market.
A
Phase I PK study has shown that SCN-102 has close comparability to the immediate-release tablet as depicted in the data below:
Summary
of Statistical Results for Losartan Potassium Oral Liquid 10 mg/ml (T) versus Losartan Potassium Immediate Release Tablets 100 mg
(R) – For Losartan
Geometric
Means of treatment:
Ratio
Intra-subject
90%
SABE
Result –
SABE
PK
Parameter
N
Test
(T)
Reference
(R)
(%)
%CV
CI
of Ratio
Bound
SWR
Log
C max (ng/ml)
44
1317.6955
974.6741
135.19
39.6
122.19
– 149.58
0.070
0.3361
LogAUC 0-t
(ng.hr/ml)
44
1590.6271
1581.0602
100.61
13.2
97.25
– 104.08
-0.014
0.1576
LogAUC 0-inf
(ng.hr/ml)
44
1615.4717
1605.3052
100.63
13.0
97.34
– 104.03
-0.014
0.1549
Summary
of Statistical Results for Losartan Potassium Oral Liquid 10 mg/ml (T) versus Losartan Potassium Immediate Release Tablets 100 mg
(R) – For Carboxylic Acid Metabolite
Geometric
Means of treatment:
Ratio
Intra-subject
90%
SABE
Result –
SABE
PK
Parameter
N
Test
(T)
Reference
(R)
(%)
%CV
CI
of Ratio
Bound
SWR
Log
C max (ng/ml)
44
1160.0978
1056.3253
109.82
25.5
102.91
– 117.20
-0.028
0.2828
LogAUC 0-t
(ng.hr/ml)
44
6775.8841
6726.8952
100.73
10.3
98.11
– 103.42
-0.006
0.1099
LogAUC 0-inf
(ng.hr/ml)
44
6872.6739
6823.3736
100.72
10.2
98.13
– 103.39
-0.006
0.1071
Specifically,
the Phase I PK study showed that SCN-102 was comparable to immediate release tablets based on the following:
●
The
overall exposure for the Carboxylic Acid metabolite (EXP-3174) meet the confidence interval 80-125% range.
●
The
overall exposure for Losartan were within the 90% confidence interval.
●
The
Cmax for Losartan analyte, a pro-drug, for SCN-102 was slightly higher than the immediate release tablets (122.19 - 149.58%). This
is due to the fact that the SCN-102 (oral liquid) and the reference product are two different dosage forms. SCN-102 is an oral liquid
formulation and therefore it is expected to have an earlier Cmax than the immediate release tablet. Based on the discussion above,
we believe that the impact of this Cmax difference will be minimal.
●
The
data obtained in the study is similar to the PK study data for the immediate release tablet.
6
Table of Contents
REZENOPY TM
(SCN-110 – Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray, 10mg)
Scienture
LLC entered into an Exclusive Commercial and Supply Agreement (the “Kindeva Agreement”) with Summit Biosciences Inc.,
a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kindeva, on March 4, 2025, pursuant to which Kindeva granted Scienture LLC an exclusive, non-transferrable,
non-sublicensable right and license to commercialize REZENOPY TM (Nalaxone HCI nasal spray 10mg/0.11mL) within the United States
and its territories. Scienture LLC intends to use the exclusive right and license to price, launch, promote, market, distribute, and
educate the public on REZENOPY TM .
In
a pharmacokinetic study in 30 healthy adult subjects, the relative bioavailability of one nasal spray of a 10 mg total dose (0.11
mL of 91 mg/mL naloxone hydrochloride solution) was compared to a single dose of 0.4 mg naloxone hydrochloride intramuscular injection
and a single dose of 2 mg naloxone hydrochloride intravenous injection. The studies showed that REZENOPY TM provided exposures
comparable to the reference treatments, supporting the efficacy of the product. The studies further demonstrated the safety and tolerability
of the product, including testing to evaluate nasal irritation and impact on olfactory ability.
Research
and Development Pipeline
Scienture
LLC is committed to the development of innovative product candidates in the CNS and CVS therapeutic areas. The process by which Scienture
LLC intends to bring its product candidates to market and the anticipated launch dates of its product candidates is depicted in the following
table.
Scienture LLC is
engaged in a variety of research and development efforts including development of a pipeline of novel product candidates for the treatment
of various disease conditions. Scienture LLC has devoted and will continue to devote significant resources to research and development
activities, and expects to incur significant expenses as it continues advancing its product candidates towards FDA approval
and expanding product indications for approved products and its intellectual property portfolio. Scienture LLC’s expectations regarding
its research and development programs are subject to risks, including the risk that Scienture LLC’s financial condition and results
of operations may be materially and adversely affected by delays and failures in the completion of clinical
development of its product candidates, which could increase its costs or delay or limit our ability to generate revenues.
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SCN-104
(Multi-dose Dihydroergotamine Mesylate (“DHE”) injection pen)
The
SCN-104 injection pen is a disposable, multiple fixed dose, single entity combination product comprised of a small molecule drug, SCN-104,
which is administered using a customized injection pen. SCN-104 is a drug product containing DHE as the active ingredient. The mechanism
of action of SCN-104 is mediated through DHE and is exactly the same as that of DHE. DHE is available in the market as a single dose
nasal spray, which has a high degree of variability in clinical outcomes. DHE is also available in the market as single dose ampoules
for injection, however, Scienture LLC believes that the process of dose withdrawal from the ampoule followed by self-injection at the
time of intense need is cumbersome and difficult for the patient.
Scienture
LLC believes that the SCN-104 multi-dose self-injection pen is easy to use and provides enhanced patient convenience. Furthermore, Scienture
LLC believes that the SCN-104 injection pen provides for consistent and accurate delivery of every dose which results in better exposure
compared to the nasal spray formulation. The SCN-104 injection pen is being developed via the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. The SCN-104
injection pen is in development for the acute treatment of migraine headaches with or without aura and the acute treatment of cluster
headache episodes.
As
shown in third party studies of DHE, SCN-104’s mechanism of action for its antimigraine effect is due to its potential action as
an agonist at the serotonin 5-HT1D receptors. SCN-104 is intended for subcutaneous administration. SCN-104 is also intended for acute
use and is not intended for chronic administration.
Scienture
LLC has conducted two preclinical studies of SCN-104 and the SCN-104 injection pen: (i) a 30-day repeated dose toxicity study of
dimethyl sulfoxide and caffeine following thrice daily, 3 times per week subcutaneous administration in Sprague-Dawley rats and (ii)
a 30-day repeated dose toxicity study of dimethyl sulfoxide and caffeine following thrice daily, 3 times per week subcutaneous
administration in Göttingen minipigs. The objective of each study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the test items
with and without DHE to the subject animals, providing information on important potential toxic effects, target organs, progressive
toxic effects, characterization of a possible dose-response relationship, and an estimate of the No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level.
Both studies were designed for the qualification of the excipients. The animals treated either with DHE + Dimethyl Sulfoxide
(“DMSO”) + caffeine or DMSO + caffeine formulations did not reveal any changes attributable to treatment at the end of
the treatment/recovery periods. As such, both studies support a conclusion that SCN-102 is considered to have no toxicological
significance across the following attributes – Hematology, Coagulation Parameters, Clinical Chemistry and
Urinalysis.
Scienture
LLC believes the SCN-104 injection pen may offer a significant improvement, in terms of usability and patient acceptability, to the current
standard of care in the market (ampoules for injection). The intended pen delivery system was designed with patients in mind to carry
multiple doses, have a lower volume of injection, and utilize shielded needles to avoid unnecessary exposure.
Scienture
LLC has had initial discussions with the FDA to align on a path forward for this development program. As a result of these discussions,
Scienture LLC learned that its proposed plan for manufacturing NDA registration batches and that the reference product and dose selection
of the reference product that Scienture LLC selected for a comparative regulatory study are acceptable. Scienture LLC also received guidance
from the FDA on nonclinical safety studies and stability testing. The formulation has been scaled up to enable future commercial scale
production and the pen has been optimized for commercial use. As shown below, several pharmacokinetics studies have shown comparability
between SCN-104 and the currently available marketed injection product.
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Scienture
LLC is initiating manufacturing activities and planning to conduct bioequivalence studies. Scienture LLC plans to initiate a Phase 1
single dose study in healthy adults in 2026, following submission of an IND, if the IND is cleared by the FDA.
SCN-106
(Potential Biosimilar)
Scienture
LLC is developing a potential biosimilar, SCN-106, based on Cathflo Activase, a reference product that is a thrombolytic agent that binds
to fibrin in clots and converts entrapped plasminogen to plasmin. SCN-106 is a sterile, purified glycoprotein that is synthesized using
the complementary DNA for natural human tPA obtained from a Chinese hamster ovary cell-line.
Scienture
LLC is working with Anthem Biosciences Pvt, Ltd. (“Anthem”) to develop a biosimilar product that utilizes the same mechanism(s)
of action for the proposed condition of use, and has the same route of administration, dosage form, and strength as the reference product.
In this regard, Scienture LLC entered into a Master Services Agreement with Anthem on October 29, 2024 (the “Anthem Agreement”).
The following is a summary of the Anthem Agreement, which is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Anthem Agreement, which
is filed as an exhibit to this Annual Report.
Under
the Anthem Agreement, Anthem has agreed to diligently complete the services associated with SCN-106 as included in work orders to be
attached to the Anthem Agreement. In performing these services, Anthem has agreed to strictly comply with the specifications in the
Anthem Agreement, the work order, standard operating procedures approved in writing by Scienture LLC, and relevant professional
standards, and any regulatory authority requirements, including current Good Laboratory Practices (“GLPs”) and current
Good Manufacturing Practices (“GMPs”) promulgated by the FDA, and any other applicable laws, rules, and regulations. In
carrying-out its services, Anthem will only allow those employees and personnel under Anthem’s direct control to perform such
services and will obtain Scienture LLC’s consent prior to delegating or subcontracting any portion of the services. Anthem is
required to provide prompt written reports to Scienture LLC on the status of the services provided by Anthem under the Anthem
Agreement and any work order. Under the Anthem Agreement, Scienture LLC is responsible for paying Anthem the amounts designated on
any attached work order. These amounts are to be paid on the schedule stated on the work order and Anthem is responsible for
invoicing Scienture LLC for such amounts. Undisputed late payments incur interest at the rate of 18% per annum payable until the
date of actual payment.
Any
project or work order in effect under the Anthem Agreement may be terminated by Scienture LLC without cause upon thirty (30) days’
prior notice to Anthem. Anthem may terminate the Anthem Agreement without cause upon thirty (30) days’ prior notice to Scienture
LLC. However, Anthem is responsible for delivering all services and deliverables under the Anthem Agreement then required to be performed
by Anthem under a work order prior to any such termination. Either party may terminate the Anthem Agreement upon the breach of the Anthem
Agreement by the other party if the breach remains uncured for a period of thirty (30) days. In the event that performance by Anthem
or Scienture LLC under the Anthem Agreement is delayed due to an event beyond the control of Anthem or Scienture LLC for a period of
ninety (90) days, then the other party can terminate the Anthem Agreement upon written notice.
With
respect to projects to be performed by Anthem under the Anthem Agreement, any and all materials relating to such projects are the property
of Scienture LLC, and are to be protected as such by Anthem. Furthermore, Anthem has agreed to irrevocably assign to Scienture LLC all
right, title, and interest in and to any “Program Technology” (as defined in the Anthem Agreement) and to make any assignments
necessary to ensure that Scienture LLC has such ownership interest. The Anthem Agreement also contains customary confidentiality obligations,
representations and warranties, indemnification provisions, and anti-assignment provisions. The Anthem Agreement may only be amended
upon the written consent of both parties.
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The
CMC development program is focused on establishing the analytical similarity of SCN-106 to the reference product. Multiple clones of
Chinese hamster ovary (“CHO”) cells have been produced to synthesize lots of SCN-106 which were screened for similarity to the reference product for several key
biochemical quality attributes as well as overall protein yield and finalization of a lead clone.
Scienture
LLC completed a Biosimilar Initial Advisory meeting with the FDA in June 2023 to discuss the CMC, non-clinical, and clinical studies
required for regulatory approval. As a result of this meeting, Scienture LLC learned that its analytical strategy for initiating analytical
similarity studies between SCN-106 and a proposed biosimilar product is acceptable. Scienture LLC also learned that SCN-106 is suitable
for further development and received guidance from the FDA on a comparable clinical study needed to demonstrate biosimilarity of SCN-106
and the reference product.
SCN-107
(Bupivacaine Long-Acting Injection)
SCN-107
is a long-acting injection suspension formulation of a non-opioid analgesic that is indicated for postsurgical local and regional analgesia.
Scienture LLC’s long-acting formulation, SCN-107,
is a novel microsphere-based formulation of bupivacaine that comprises the drug in polymer-based microspheres and is intended to provide
pain management over a period of 5-7 days. The product candidate is designed to potentially provide longer term post-surgical pain relief
compared to the currently available products in the market.
Based
on initial discussions with FDA regarding this program, Scienture LLC believes this product candidate would require at least one Phase
3 clinical trial to support submission of a marketing application.
Scienture
LLC anticipates submitting an IND and, if cleared by the FDA, initiating a Phase 1 single dose study in healthy adults in 2026 to
conduct an initial assessment of safety and tolerability of SCN-107.
Scienture LLC entered into a Feasibility Study and Animal Trial Material Manufacturing Agreement with Innocore Technologies,
B.V. (“Innocore”) on May 26, 2020 (as amended on December 2, 2022, the “Innocore License”), for certain intellectual
property rights associated with SCN-107. Under the Innocore License, Innocore granted Scienture LLC a worldwide exclusive, milestone,
royalty-bearing and sublicensable license to certain patent rights for the research and development of SCN-107 in postsurgical local and
regional analgesia. Pursuant to the Innocore License, Scienture LLC is required to make low single-digit percentage royalty payments based
on annual net sales of licensed products for the first three years of sales on a country-by-country basis, subject to a low single digit
increase as of the fourth year of sales on a country-by-country basis.
Sales
and Marketing
Scienture
LLC intends to market its products through its own sales forces in the U.S. and seek strategic collaborations with other pharmaceutical
companies to commercialize its products outside of the U.S. Scienture LLC is in the process of building a commercial sales and marketing
operation in the U.S., through a partnership with a Contract Sales Organization, to support sales of Scienture
LLC’s products . This sales and marketing organization will include a combination of
field teams, virtual sales representatives and omnichannel marketing to effectively reach health care providers and offer patient education.
Scienture LLC’s promotional efforts are expected to further include developing a market access strategy to obtain commercial and
government payor coverage for its products. In addition, Scienture LLC intends to partner with a third-party logistics provider and have
internal sales operations and analytics teams to provide state-of-the-art distribution capabilities to wholesalers, pharmacies, institutional
buying groups and hospitals. Scienture LLC believes its commercial operations infrastructure, will
enable it to effectively target healthcare providers to support and grow its products subsequent to market entry.
Customers
The
majority of Scienture LLC’s product sales, if its products are approved by the FDA, are expected to be to pharmaceutical wholesalers,
specialty pharmacies, and distributors who, in turn, would sell such products to pharmacies, hospitals, long term care institutions and
other customers, potentially including federal and state entities.
Market
and Competition
Scienture
LLC is engaged in segments of the pharmaceutical industry
that are highly competitive and rapidly changing. Many large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, governmental
agencies, and other public and private research organizations are commercializing or pursuing the development of products utilizing the
same molecules or compounds or for the same indications that Scienture LLC is currently pursuing or may target in the future.
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Hypertension
Hypertension
(high blood pressure) is a CVS condition, when the pressure in the blood vessels is too high (140/90 mmHg or higher). According to
the Centers for Disease Control, hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects nearly half of adults in the U.S. (48.1%, or
approximately 119.9 million people). Hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or higher, and diastolic blood
pressure of 90 mmHg or higher. Hypertension is a risk factor for stroke and heart disease, which are leading causes of death in the
U.S. Factors that increase the risk of having high blood pressure include: older age, genetics, being overweight or obese, not being
physically active, high-salt diet and drinking too much alcohol. Hypertension is clinically diagnosed if, when blood pressure is
measured on two different days, the systolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥140 mmHg and/or the diastolic blood
pressure readings on both days is ≥ 90 mmHg.
The
hypertension market has increased with the commercial launch of several branded products in recent years, as well as the launch of generic
versions of branded drugs, such as Prinvil, Lotensin, Cozaar, Cardizem, Apresoline, Nitrostat and Toprol-XL. Treatment options for hypertension
in the U.S. market can be broadly classified across the following product classes, Angiotensin-converting enzyme (“ACE”) inhibitors, Angiotensin
II receptor blockers (“ARBs”), Beta-Blockers, Diuretics and Calcium Channel Blockers.
Scienture
LLC’s product, Arbli TM (Losartan Oral Suspension 10mg/mL), is a ready to use oral suspension of losartan
for increased patient convenience and ease of dosing. Losartan is classified as an ARB for treating hypertension and is one of the highest
prescribed molecules for this indication. Current products in the market containing losartan are available only as oral solids, which
can be further compounded to a liquid formulation. Scienture LLC believes that Arbli TM is the first liquid formulation of
losartan on the market that does not require compounding and has reduced dosing volume and long-term shelf life at room temperature storage.
Opioid
Abuse
The
opioid overdose epidemic remains a significant public health issue and continues to rise exponentially in the U.S. According to the
2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, among people aged 12 or older in 2024, 2.7 percent (or 7.8 million people) misused
opioids in the prior year. Additionally, according to the Centers for Disease Control, new
preliminary data predicts that there were 71,542 drug overdose deaths for the 12 months ending in October 2025 . The majority of those deaths involved highly potent
synthetic opioids and their analogues. These synthetic opioids are highly powerful, with fentanyl and carfentanil estimated to be up
to 100 and 10,000 times more potent than morphine, respectively. While fentanyl has been available in prescription form as an
analgesic for some time, data indicates that the dramatic rise in drug overdose deaths in recent years can be attributed primarily
to the influx of illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids.
Approved
by the FDA in 1971, naloxone is considered the standard of care and has been shown to be effective in opioid overdose reversals. The
opioid overdose reversal market (specifically for naloxone-based products) includes several branded and generic products across nasal
spray, auto-injector, and injectable formulations. Most growth in recent years has been in intranasal products, such as Narcan 4mg, RiVive
3mg and Kloxxado 8mg, which are needle free and easier for bystanders and community responders to use. Real world studies suggest the
need for multiple naloxone administrations (“MNA”) using these products among bystanders and EMS providers continues to increase. With
the increase of synthetic opioids and the rapid onset of effect, evidence is emerging suggesting the need for increased doses of naloxone
to reverse opioid toxicity.
REZENOPY TM
(Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray, 10mg) is the highest FDA-approved nasal spray dose available in the U.S. market. The product provides maximum
naloxone protection in a single easy-to-use device and caters to the segment of patients who need multiple doses of lower strength for
stabilization in emergency situations. REZENOPY TM provides potential longer duration of opioid receptor block, improves chances
of quicker reversal and possible coverage against multiple abuse agents inclusive of synthetic opioids and combinations, through a single
dose administration of 10mg naloxone hydrochloride. High dose REZENOPY™ improves the chances of reversing potent opioids quickly
and reducing the requirement of MNA.
Migraine
Migraine
is a painful, complex neurological disorder consisting of recurring painful attacks that can significantly impact quality of life. Migraine
headaches are often characterized by throbbing pain, extreme sensitivity to light or sound, and potentially nausea and vomiting. The
World Health Organization categorizes migraine as one of the most disabling medical illnesses worldwide. The American Research Foundation
categorizes migraine as the third most prevalent illness in the world, and nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households includes someone with migraines.
Migraine is estimated to affect over 39 million individuals in the U.S.
Current
products in the market that are available to treat migraine headaches, include CGRP antagonists (calcitonin gene related peptide), which
is a class of products first introduced in 2018 (Nurtec, Ubrelvy), Botox, branded and generic versions of triptans (Imitrex, Maxalt,
Relpax), and ergot alkaloids (Ergotamine and Dihydroergotamine (DHE)).
Scienture
LLC’s product candidate, SCN-104, is supplied in a multi-dose pen-based delivery system for self-injection and increased patient
convenience. The product candidate is in development for the acute treatment of migraine headaches with or without aura and the acute
treatment of cluster headache episodes.
Thrombotically
Occluded Catheter (CVAD) Management
Catheters,
which are a type of a Central Venous Access Device (“CVAD”), are employed to deliver life-sustaining therapies. They can
be used for short-term or long-term infusion of antibiotics, parenteral nutrition, chemotherapy, blood and blood products in patients
with limited peripheral access. More than 7 million CVADs are inserted each year in patients in the United States. Occlusion of catheters
while in use can complicate patient care by interrupting the administration of medications and solutions, delaying or disrupting therapies
and leading to additional procedures such as catheter replacement. Occlusion is the most common noninfectious complication in the long-term
use of CVADs and may occur soon after insertion of a device or develop at any time. About 58% of catheter occlusions are thrombotic,
resulting from the formation of a thrombus within, surrounding, or at the tip of the catheter.
Scienture
LLC’s product candidate, SCN-106, is a thrombolytic agent currently in development. Scienture LLC plans to develop SCN-106 through
the FDA’s 351(k) pathway for biosimilars.
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Postoperative
Pain
Post-surgery
pain, also known as postoperative pain, is pain that a patient experiences after a surgical procedure. Pain can be caused by a number
of factors, including: the type of procedure, the size of the operation, and medications used during surgery. Chronic pain can negatively
impact a patient’s rehabilitation, quality of life, and the results of the procedure.
Current
drug product treatments available in the market for treating postoperative pain include IV and oral opioids, injectable local anesthetics,
and steroidal and non-steroidal analgesics. Marketed products include branded and generic versions of Celebrex, Ketalar, Exparel, Lyrica,
Neurontin and Astromorph.
Scienture
LLC’s product candidate, SCN-107, is a microsphere based long-acting injection of Bupivacaine, a local anesthetic, in development
for postsurgical analgesia. SCN-107 is designed to be a non-opioid treatment regimen with rapid onset of action and analgesia that is
intended to provide coverage over a period of 5-7 days.
Manufacturing
Scienture
LLC currently depends on third-party commercial manufacturing organizations (“CMOs”) for all manufacturing operations, including
the production of raw materials, finished dosage form product, and product packaging for both its planned commercial scale manufacturer
and the products used in its preclinical and clinical research. Scienture LLC does not own or operate manufacturing facilities for the
production of any of its product candidates nor does Scienture LLC have plans to develop its own manufacturing operations in the foreseeable
future to support clinical trials or commercial production. Scienture LLC currently employs internal resources to manage its manufacturing
contractors.
Scienture
LLC is in discussion with CMOs headquartered in North America, Europe and Asia for its pipeline product candidates. These CMOs offer
a comprehensive range of commercial contract manufacturing and packaging services.
If
Scienture LLC fails to produce its products and product candidates in the volumes that Scienture LLC requires on a timely basis, or fails
to comply with stringent regulations applicable to pharmaceutical drug manufacturers, Scienture LLC may face delays in the development
and commercialization of its products and product candidates or be required to withdraw its products from the market for
risks associated with manufacturing and supply of its products and product candidates.
Intellectual
Property
Overview
Scienture
LLC continues to build its intellectual property portfolio to provide protection for its technologies,
products, and pr oduct candidates. Scienture LLC seeks patent protection, where appropriate, both in the U.S. and internationally
for products and product candidates.
Scienture
LLC’s intended objective is to protect its innovations and proprietary products by, among other things, filing patent applications
in the U.S. and abroad, including Europe, Canada, and other countries when appropriate. Scienture LLC also relies on trade secrets, know-how,
proprietary knowledge, continuing technological innovation, and in-licensing opportunities to develop and maintain its proprietary position.
Scienture LLC cannot be sure that patents will be granted with respect to its pending patent applications or with respect to any patent
applications filed by it in the future, nor can Scienture LLC be sure that any of its existing patents or any patents that may be granted
to it in the future will be commercially useful in protecting its technology or its products. Scienture LLC cannot be sure that any patents,
if granted, will sustain a legal challenge.
Patent
Portfolio
Arbli TM (SCN-102)
SCN-102
has two orange book listed formulation composition and method of use patents in the U.S. Patent #: 11,890,273, Issue Date: February 6, 2024, titled “LOSARTAN LIQUID FORMULATIONS AND METHODS OF USE”, Expiration
Date: October 7, 2041 and Patent #: 12,156,869, Issue Date: December 03, 2024, titled “LOSARTAN LIQUID FORMULATIONS AND METHODS
OF USE”, Expiration Date: October 7, 2041. A third application is pending (Appl. No. 18/061,819; Filing Date: December 5, 2022;
Expiration: on or after October 7, 2041).
REZENOPY TM (SCN-110)
SCN-110 has an issued orange
book listed formulation composition and method of use patent in the U.S. Patent #: 12,514,854, Issue Date: January 6, 2026, titled “DRUG
PRODUCTS FOR INTRANASAL ADMINISTRATION AND USES THEREOF”, Expiration Date: February 5, 2041. A second application is pending in
the U.S. (18/602,972; Filing Date: March 12, 2024; Expiration Date: February 5, 2041).
SCN-104
SCN-104
has a formulation composition and method of use application pending in the U.S. (Appl. No. 17/757,924; Filing Date: June 23, 2022; Expiration
Date: June 15, 2035).
SCN-106
SCN-106
is a potential biosimilar and considered by Scienture LLC to be part of its product development portfolio, however Scienture LLC is
not pursuing patent protection for this product.
SCN-107
SCN-107
has a formulation composition and method of use application pending in the U.S. (Appl. No. 17/996,995; Filing Date: October 24,
2022; Expiration Date: on or after April 22, 2041). Applications in Canada and Europe are currently pending. As described above,
Scienture LLC licenses certain patent rights from Innocore for the research and development of SCN-107.
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Collaborations
and Licensing Arrangements
Kindeva
Drug Delivery L.P. (“Kindeva”)
Scienture
LLC entered into the Kindeva Agreement on March 4, 2025,
pursuant to which Kindeva granted Scienture LLC an exclusive, non-transferrable, non-sublicensable right and license to commercialize
REZENOPY TM (Nalaxone HCI Nasal spray 10mg/0.11mL) (the “Product”) within the United States and its territories. Scienture
LLC intends to use the exclusive right and license to price, launch, promote, market, distribute, and educate the public on the Product.
Unless
earlier terminated, the term of the Kindeva Agreement will remain in effect for 10 years from the date of first commercial sale of
the Product in the United States and its territories to an unaffiliated third-party. The Kindeva Agreement will automatically renew
for successive 1-year periods unless either party terminates the agreement in accordance with its terms. Either party may terminate
the Kindeva Agreement if (i) the other party materially breaches the Kindeva Agreement and has not cured such breach during a period
of 90 days following notice of the breach, (ii) the Product is withdrawn from the market as a result of any ruling or requirement by
the FDA, a voluntary recall by the FDA is issued, or there are material safety concerns that could significantly impact the
commercial viability of the Product, or (iii) the Product is the subject of a mass tort liability action or is subject to material
health and public safety concerns. Scienture LLC may terminate the Kindeva Agreement upon 120 days prior written notice if Scienture
LLC determines that the Product is compromised by an adverse and material change in the market or other adverse and material
business conditions. The Kindeva Agreement is also terminable by either party upon the occurrence of certain bankruptcy related
events pertaining to the other party.
Pursuant
to the Kindeva Agreement, Scienture LLC is exclusively responsible, at its expense, for the commercializing the Product in the United
States and its territories in a manner that maximizes the net sales of the Product. Scienture LLC has final and sole authority for the
pricing of the Product, but has agreed to not reduce the sale price of the Product for reasons other than the impact of market demand
for the Product, after taking into account all relevant factors.
Pursuant
to the Kindeva Agreement, Kindeva will retain control of all activities associated with manufacturing the Product, and be responsible
for any non-clinical or clinical studies regarding the Product. Kindeva will provide a copy of the NDA for the Product to Scienture LLC
as well as all related information and data necessary for Scienture LLC to commercialize the Product. Once the NDA is transferred to
Scienture LLC, Scienture LLC will be responsible for maintaining the NDA and deal with any regulatory authorities regarding the advertising
and marketing of the Product as well as any adverse drug experience reports for the Product that Scienture LLC directly receives. The
initial supply price for the Product to Scienture LLC is $9.20 per unit. Kindeva may increase that price not more than once each calendar
year after the launch of the Product to account for any increased manufacturing costs.
Under
the Kindeva Agreement, Scienture LLC and Kindeva agreed to form a joint steering committee within 30 days to oversee and coordinate
their respective activities under the Kindeva Agreement with respect to any additional regulatory or development requirements needed
to obtain any regulatory approvals needed for Scienture LLC to fulfill its commercialization responsibilities. The joint steering
committee will be comprised of four members, with 2 members to be appointed by each of Scienture LLC and Kindeva. The joint steering
committee is responsible for establishing timelines for the launch of the Product, overseeing the development and commercialization
of the Product, providing strategic direction and performance criteria, and resolving disputes that might arise under and in
connection with the Kindeva Agreement. The joint steering committee will meet 4 times per year, unless Scienture LLC and Kindeva
agree to a different schedule. The joint steering committee must act by unanimous vote of the members present at a meeting, provided
that at least 1 member from each of Scienture LLC and Kindeva must be present at such meeting, or may otherwise act by a written
consent signed by all members.
In
exchange for the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the Products, Scienture LLC agreed to pay Kindeva certain milestone payments,
net sales share payments, and NDA cost reimbursements, including:
●
A
one-time commercial milestone payment of between $2.5 million and $10 million based on the achievement of certain pre-defined annual
net sales targets;
●
Milestone
payments totaling $1 million, $200,000 of which was due upon executing the Kindeva Agreement, $300,000 of which is due within 3 months
of executing the Kindeva Agreement, $250,000 of which is due upon delivery of the initial commercial supply of the Product, and $250,000
of which is due 3 months after receipt of such commercial supply;
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●
Profit-sharing
payments representing 10% of the net sales by Scienture LLC of the Product, which will be reduced to 8% of the net sales on the market
entry of a third party generic ANDA for the Product; and
●
Additional
profit-sharing payments representing 5% of the net sales until the total cumulative payments equals Kindeva’s cost of developing
and receiving NDA approval of the Product, which was $12.8 million as of the date of the Kindeva Agreement.
Under
the Kindeva Agreement, Scienture LLC agreed to place minimum order quantities of the Product of 3 batches of 450,000 units per year
beginning in 2027 or, alternatively, pay Kindeva $1.242 million per year unless Scienture LLC elects to terminate the Kindeva
Agreement pursuant to its terms.
Kesin
Pharma Corporation (“Kesin”)
Scienture
LLC entered into exclusive license and commercial agreements on August 28, 2022 and April 24, 2023, with Kesin, a related party, pursuant
to which Scienture LLC granted the exclusive license rights to commercialize SCN-102 and SCN-104, respectively, to Kesin for use in the
United States (together, the “Kesin Agreement”). In consideration of the rights granted, Scienture LLC received
milestone payments and reimbursement of costs actually incurred related to SCN-102 and SCN-104.
On
March 13, 2024, the parties terminated the Kesin Agreement by entering a Confidential Termination Agreement (the “Kesin Termination
Agreement”), and the parties agreed that Scienture LLC would pay Kesin a total gross amount of $1.285 million upon commercialization
of either SCN-102 or SCN-104 via a royalty arrangement. The Kesin Termination Agreement also requires that if the full $1.285 million
has not been repaid within two years of the earlier of (i) commercial launch of a product or (ii) 120 days after FDA approval of a product,
then interest will accrue prospectively at a rate of 8% annually on the unpaid balance.
In
August 2024, Kesin demanded immediate payment of the full amount under the Kesin Termination Agreement, alleging the full amount is payable
in connection with the consummation Scienture LLC’s business combination with the Company. Scienture LLC has disputed that the
amount is payable, and the parties entered into discussions to resolve the issue.
On
March 11, 2025, Kesin filed a complaint against Scienture LLC in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
seeking payment of the disputed $1.285 million. The case was voluntarily dismissed on October 1, 2025. The Company and Kesin entered
into a Settlement Agreement and Release on October 27, 2025, whereby Kesin agreed to unconditionally release and discharge the Company
from all actions related to the complaint in exchange for the Company paying $1.285 million plus 8% interest from March 13, 2025, and
legal fees and costs related to the complaint according to a payment schedule through December 2026.
Government
Regulation
U.S.
Drug Development Process
In
the United States, pharmaceutical products are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the
“FDCA”) and other federal and state statutes and regulations, govern, among other things, the research, development, testing,
manufacture, storage, recordkeeping, approval, labeling, promotion and marketing, distribution, post-approval monitoring and reporting,
sampling, and import and export of pharmaceutical products. Scienture LLC, along with third-party contractors, will be required to navigate
the various preclinical, clinical and commercial approval requirements of the governing regulatory authorities of the countries in which
Scienture LLC wishes to conduct studies or seek approval of its product candidates. Failure to comply with applicable United States requirements
may subject a company to a variety of administrative or judicial sanctions, such as FDA refusal to approve pending applications, withdrawal
of an approval, warning or untitled letters, clinical holds, product recalls or withdrawals from the market, product seizures, total
or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, fines, refusals of government contracts, restitution, disgorgement
of profits, civil penalties, and criminal prosecution.
FDA
approval is required before any new unapproved product or a product with certain changes to a previously approved product, including
a new use of a previously approved drug, can be marketed in the United States. The steps required to be completed by the FDA before a
drug may be marketed in the United States generally include the following:
●
completion
of preclinical laboratory tests, animal studies, and formulation studies performed in accordance with the FDA’s Good Laboratory
Practice (“GLP”) regulations;
●
submission
to the FDA of an IND application for human clinical testing, which must become effective before human clinical trials may begin and
must be updated annually or when significant changes are made;
●
approval
by an independent institutional review board (“IRB”) or ethics committee at each clinical site before the clinical trial
is commenced;
●
performance
of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials in accordance with applicable IND regulations, good clinical practices (“GCPs”)
requirements and other clinical-trial related regulations to establish the safety and efficacy of the proposed drug for each indication;
●
preparation
and submission to the FDA of an NDA or biologics license application (“BLA”), after completion of all pivotal clinical
trials, which includes not only the results of the clinical trials, but also, detailed information on the chemistry, manufacture
and quality controls for the product candidate and proposed labeling;
●
satisfactory
completion of an FDA Advisory Committee review, if applicable;
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●
a
determination by the FDA within 60 days of its receipt of an NDA or BLA to file the application for review;
●
satisfactory
completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the proposed drug is produced to
assess compliance with current good manufacturing practices (“GMPs”) regulations and of selected clinical trial sites
to assess compliance with GCPs; and
●
FDA
review and approval of the NDA or BLA to permit commercial marketing of the product for particular indications for use in the United
States.
Satisfaction
of FDA pre-market approval requirements typically takes many years and the actual time required may vary substantially based upon the
type, complexity, and novelty of the product or disease.
Preclinical
and Clinical Development
Preclinical
tests include laboratory evaluation of product chemistry, formulation, and toxicity, as well as animal trials to assess the characteristics
and potential safety and efficacy of the product candidate. The conduct of the preclinical tests must comply with federal regulations
and requirements, including GLP. The results of preclinical testing are submitted to the FDA as part of an IND application along with
other information, including information about the product candidate, chemistry, manufacturing and controls, any available human data
or literature to support the use of the product candidate and a proposed clinical trial protocol. Long term preclinical tests, such as
animal tests of reproductive toxicity and carcinogenicity, may continue after the IND is submitted.
An
IND application must become effective before human clinical trials may begin. The IND application automatically becomes effective 30
days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA, within the 30-day period, raises safety concerns or questions relating to one or more
proposed clinical trials and places the clinical trial on clinical hold. In such a case, the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any
outstanding concerns or questions before the clinical trial can begin. The FDA may also impose clinical holds on a product candidate
at any time before or during clinical trials due to safety concerns, non-compliance or other issues affecting the integrity of the trial.
Accordingly, submission of an IND application may or may not result in the FDA allowing clinical trials to commence and, once begun,
issues may arise that could cause the trial to be suspended or terminated.
Clinical
trials involve the administration of the investigational drug product to human subjects under the supervision of a qualified investigator.
Clinical trials must be conducted: (i) in compliance with federal regulations; (ii) in compliance with GCP, an international standard
meant to protect the rights and health of clinical research participants and to define the roles of clinical trial sponsors, administrators,
and monitors; as well as (iii) under protocols detailing the objectives of the trial, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety,
and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. Each protocol involving testing on United States patients and subsequent protocol amendments
must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND. Furthermore, an independent IRB or ethics committee for each site proposing to conduct
the clinical trial must review and approve the plan for any clinical trial and its informed consent form before the clinical trial begins
at that site, and must monitor the study until completed. An IRB is charged with protecting the welfare and rights of trial participants
and considers such items as whether the risks to individuals participating in the clinical trials are minimized and are reasonable in
relation to anticipated benefits.
Regulatory
authorities, the IRB or the sponsor may suspend a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the subjects
are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk or that the trial is unlikely to meet its stated objects. The FDA may order the temporary,
or permanent, discontinuation of a clinical trial at any time, or impose other sanctions, if it believes that the clinical trial is not
being conducted in accordance with FDA requirements. Further, an IRB may also require the clinical trial at the site to be halted, either
temporarily or permanently, for failure to comply with the IRB’s requirements, or may impose other conditions. Some trials also
include oversight by an independent group of qualified experts organized by the clinical trial sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring
board, which provides authorization for whether or not a study may move forward at designated check points based on access to certain
data from the study and may recommend a clinical trial to be halted if it determines that there is an unacceptable safety risk for subjects
or other grounds, such as futility.
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Clinical
trials to support an NDA or BLA for marketing approval are typically conducted in three sequential phases, but the phases may overlap
or be combined. In Phase 1 clinical trials, the investigational product is typically introduced into a limited population of healthy
human subjects or patients with the target disease or condition. These trials are designed to test the safety, dosage tolerance, pharmacokinetics
and pharmacological actions of the investigational product, to identify side effects associated with increasing doses, and, if possible,
to gain early evidence on effectiveness. Phase 2 clinical trials usually involve administering the investigational product to a limited
patient population with the specified disease or condition to evaluate the preliminarily efficacy, dosage tolerance, and optimum dosage,
and to identify possible adverse effects and safety risks. Phase 3 clinical trials are typically undertaken in a larger number of patients,
typically at geographically dispersed clinical trial sites, to provide substantial evidence of clinical efficacy and to further test
for safety in an expanded and diverse patient population. These clinical trials are intended to permit the FDA to evaluate the overall
benefit-risk relationship of the investigational product and to provide adequate information for the labeling of the product candidate.
In
reviewing an NDA or BLA, the FDA will consider all information submitted in the application, including the results of all clinical trials
conducted. In some cases, the FDA may require, or companies may voluntarily pursue, additional clinical trials after a product is approved
to gain more information about the product. These so-called Phase 4 studies may be made a condition to approval of the NDA or BLA. These
trials are used to gain additional experience from the treatment of patients in the intended therapeutic indication and further document
clinical benefit in the case of drugs approved under accelerated approval regulations. Failure to exhibit due diligence with regard to
conducting Phase 4 clinical trials could result in the withdrawal of approval for products.
Concurrent
with clinical trials, companies may complete additional animal studies and develop additional information about the biological characteristics
of the product candidate, and must finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with current
GMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product candidate and, among
other things, must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final product. Additionally, appropriate
packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo
unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
During
all phases of clinical development, regulatory agencies require extensive monitoring and auditing of all clinical activities, clinical
data, and clinical study investigators. Progress reports detailing the results of the clinical trials, among other information, must
be submitted at least annually to the FDA, and written IND safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and the investigators for serious
and unexpected suspected adverse events, findings from other studies suggesting a significant risk to humans exposed to the product candidate,
findings from animal or in vitro testing that suggest a significant risk for human subjects, and any clinically important increase in
the rate of a serious suspected adverse reaction over that listed in the protocol or investigator brochure.
NDA
and BLA Submission and Review
Assuming
successful completion of the required clinical testing in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements, an NDA or BLA application
which includes, among other information, the results of product development, preclinical studies and clinical trials is submitted to
the FDA. FDA approval of the application is required before marketing of the product may begin in the United States. The application
must include, among other things, the results of all trials and preclinical testing, and other testing and a compilation of data relating
to the product’s pharmacology, chemistry, manufacture, controls and proposed labeling. The cost of preparing and submitting an
NDA or BLA is substantial.
The
FDA has 60 days from its receipt of an NDA or BLA to either issue a Refuse to File Letter or accept the NDA or BLA for filing, indicating
that it is sufficiently complete to permit substantive review. Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth
review. The FDA has agreed to certain performance goals in the review of NDAs and BLAs. Under applications subject to the performance
goals of the PDUFA, the FDA has a goal of responding to standard review NDAs and BLAs within ten months after it accepts the application
for filing, or, if the application qualifies for priority review, six months after the FDA accepts the application for filing, but this
timeframe can be extended, such as by the submission of major amendments by applicants during the review period. The FDA reviews an application
to determine, among other things, whether the product is safe and effective and the facility in which it is manufactured, processed,
packed or held meets standards designed to assure the product’s continued safety, purity and potency.
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The
FDA may refer applications for novel drug products, or drug products that present difficult questions of safety or efficacy, to an advisory
committee—typically a panel that includes clinicians and other experts—for review, evaluation, and a recommendation as to
whether the application should be approved. The FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, but it generally follows
such recommendations. Before approving an application, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance
with GCPs. Additionally, the FDA will inspect the facility or the facilities at which the proposed product is manufactured. If the FDA
determines that the application, manufacturing process or manufacturing facilities are not acceptable, it will outline the deficiencies
in the submission and often will request additional testing or information. Notwithstanding the submission of any requested additional
information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval.
After
the FDA evaluates the application and conducts inspections of the manufacturing facilities where the investigational product and/or its
drug substance will be produced, it issues either an approval letter or a Complete Response Letter. An approval letter authorizes commercial
marketing of the drug with approved prescribing information for specific indications. A Complete Response Letter indicates that the review
cycle of the application is complete and the application is not ready for approval. A Complete Response Letter generally outlines the
deficiencies in the submission, except that where the FDA determines that the data supporting the application are inadequate to support
approval, the FDA may issue the Complete Response Letter without first conducting required inspections or reviewing proposed labeling.
In issuing the Complete Response Letter, the FDA may require substantial additional clinical data and/or other significant, expensive,
and time-consuming requirements related to clinical trials, preclinical studies and/or manufacturing. If a Complete Response Letter is
issued, the applicant may either resubmit the NDA or BLA, addressing all of the deficiencies identified in the letter, withdraw the application
or request a hearing. The FDA has committed to reviewing resubmissions of the NDA or BLA addressing such deficiencies in two or six months
depending on the type of information included. Even if such data are submitted, however, the FDA may ultimately decide that the NDA or
BLA does not satisfy the criteria for approval.
If
regulatory approval of a product is granted, such approval will be granted for a particular indication(s) and may include limitations
on the indicated use(s) for which such product may be marketed. Further, the FDA may require that certain contraindications, warnings
or precautions be included in the product labeling or may condition the approval of the application on other changes to the proposed
labeling, development of adequate controls and specifications, or a commitment to conduct post-market testing or clinical trials and
surveillance to monitor the effects of approved products. As a condition of NDA or BLA approval, the FDA may require a risk evaluation
and mitigation strategy (“REMS”) to help ensure that the benefits of the drug outweigh the potential risks. REMS can include
medication guides, communication plans for healthcare professionals, and elements to assure safe use (“ETASU”). ETASU can
include, but are not limited to, special training or certification for prescribing or dispensing, dispensing only under certain circumstances,
special monitoring, and the use of patient registries. The requirement for REMS can materially affect the potential market and profitability
of the product. Moreover, product approval may also be conditioned on substantial post-approval testing, such as Phase 4 post-market
studies, and surveillance to monitor the product’s safety or efficacy, and the FDA may limit further marketing of the product based
on the results of these post-approval studies. Once granted, product approvals may be withdrawn if compliance with regulatory standards
is not maintained or problems are identified following initial marketing.
Changes
to some of the conditions established in an approved application, including changes in indications, labeling, or manufacturing processes
or facilities, require submission and FDA approval of a new NDA or BLA, or NDA or BLA supplement before the change can be implemented.
An NDA or BLA supplement for a new indication typically requires clinical data similar to that in the original application, and the FDA
uses the same procedures and actions in reviewing NDA and BLA supplements as it does in reviewing NDAs and BLAs. As with new NDAs and
BLAs, the review process is often significantly extended by requests for additional information or clarification.
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505(b)(2)
NDA Approval Process
Section
505(b)(2) of the FDCA provides an alternate regulatory pathway for the FDA to approve a new product and permits reliance for such approval
on published literature or an FDA finding of safety and effectiveness for a previously approved drug product. Specifically, section 505(b)(2)
permits the filing of an NDA where one or more of the investigations relied upon by the applicant for approval were not conducted by
or for the applicant and for which the applicant has not obtained a right of reference. Typically, 505(b)(2) applicants must perform
additional trials to support the change from the previously approved drug and to further demonstrate the new product’s safety and
effectiveness. The FDA may then approve the new product candidate for all or some of the labeled indications for which the referenced
product has been approved, as well as for any new indication sought by the section 505(b)(2) applicant.
Regulation
of Combination Products in the United States
Certain
products may be comprised of components, such as drug components and device components, that would normally be regulated under different
types of regulatory authorities, and frequently by different centers at the FDA. These products are known as combination products. Specifically,
under regulations issued by the FDA, a combination product may be:
●
a
product comprised of two or more regulated components that are physically, chemically, or otherwise combined or mixed and produced
as a single entity;
●
two
or more separate products packaged together in a single package or as a unit and comprised of drug and device products, device and
biological products, or biological and drug products;
●
a
drug, or device, or biological product packaged separately that according to its investigational plan or proposed labeling is intended
for use only with an approved individually specified drug, or device, or biological product where both are required to achieve the
intended use, indication, or effect and where upon approval of the proposed product the labeling of the approved product would need
to be changed, e.g., to reflect a change in intended use, dosage form, strength, route of administration, or significant change in
dose; or
●
any
investigational drug, or device, or biological product packaged separately that according to its proposed labeling is for use only
with another individually specified investigational drug, device, or biological product where both are required to achieve the intended
use, indication, or effect.
Under
the FDCA and its implementing regulations, the FDA is charged with assigning a center with primary jurisdiction, or a lead center, for
review of a combination product. The designation of a lead center generally eliminates the need to receive approvals from more than one
FDA component for combination products, although it does not preclude consultations by the lead center with other components of FDA.
The determination of which center will be the lead center is based on the “primary mode of action” of the combination product.
Thus, if the primary mode of action of a drug-device combination product is attributable to the drug product, the FDA center responsible
for premarket review of the drug product would have primary jurisdiction for the combination product. The FDA has also established an
Office of Combination Products to address issues surrounding combination products and provide more certainty to the regulatory review
process. That office serves as a focal point for combination product issues for agency reviewers and industry. It is also responsible
for developing guidance and regulations to clarify the regulation of combination products, and for assignment of the FDA center that
has primary jurisdiction for review of combination products where the jurisdiction is unclear or in dispute.
A
combination product with a drug primary mode of action generally would be reviewed and approved pursuant to the drug approval processes
under the FDCA. In reviewing the NDA application for such a product, however, FDA reviewers in the drug center could consult with their
counterparts in the device center to ensure that the device component of the combination product met applicable requirements regarding
safety, effectiveness, durability and performance. In addition, under FDA regulations, combination products are subject to current GMP
requirements applicable to both drugs and devices, including the Quality System regulations applicable to medical devices.
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Post-Approval
Requirements
Once
an NDA or BLA is approved, a product will be subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA including, among other things,
requirements relating to current GMPs, quality controls, record-keeping, reporting of adverse experiences, periodic reporting, product
sampling and distribution, and advertising and promotion of the product. For instance, the FDA closely regulates the post-approval marketing
and promotion of drugs, including standards and regulations for direct-to-consumer advertising, off-label promotion, industry-sponsored
scientific and educational activities and promotional activities involving the internet. Drugs may be marketed only for the approved
indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved labeling. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in adverse
publicity, warning letters, corrective advertising, and potential civil and criminal penalties. Physicians may prescribe legally available
products for uses that are not described in the product’s labeling and that differ from those tested by Scienture LLC and approved
by the FDA. Such off-label uses are common across medical specialties. Physicians may believe that such off-label uses are the best treatment
for many patients in varied circumstances. The FDA does not regulate the practice of medicine by physicians or their choice of treatments.
The FDA does, however, regulate manufacturer’s communications on the subject of off-label use of their products.
In
addition, quality control, drug manufacture, packaging, and labeling procedures must continue to conform to current GMPs after approval.
Drug manufacturers and certain of their subcontractors are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies,
and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA, and certain state agencies for compliance with current GMPs, which impose
certain organizational, procedural and documentation requirements with respect to manufacturing and quality assurance activities. Changes
to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated, and, depending on the significance of the change, may require prior FDA approval
before being implemented. FDA regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from current GMPs and impose reporting
requirements upon Scienture LLC and any third-party manufacturers that Scienture LLC may decide to use. NDA or BLA holders using contract
manufacturers, laboratories or packagers are responsible for the selection and monitoring of qualified firms, and, in certain circumstances,
qualified suppliers to these firms. Drug manufacturers and other parties involved in the drug supply chain for prescription drug products
must also comply with product tracking and tracing requirements and notify the FDA of counterfeit, diverted, stolen and intentionally
adulterated products or products that are otherwise unfit for distribution in the United States. The discovery of violative conditions,
including failure to conform to current GMPs, could result in enforcement actions that interrupt the operation of any such facilities
or the ability to distribute products manufactured, processed or tested by them. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time,
money, and effort in the areas of production and quality-control to maintain compliance with current GMPs.
The
FDA may withdraw product approvals or request product recalls if a company fails to comply with regulatory standards or is not maintained,
if problems occur following initial marketing, or if previously unrecognized problems are subsequently discovered. Later discovery of
previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with manufacturing processes,
or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information; imposition
of post-market studies or clinical trials to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution restrictions or other restrictions
under a REMS program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
●
restrictions
on the marketing or manufacturing of a product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls;
●
fines,
warning letters or holds on post-approval clinical trials;
●
refusal
of the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or revocation of existing product
approvals;
●
product
seizure or detention, or refusal of the FDA to permit the import or export of products;
●
consent
decrees, corporate integrity agreements, debarment or exclusion from federal healthcare programs;
●
mandated
modification of promotional materials and labeling and the issuance of corrective information;
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●
the
issuance of safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases and other communications containing warnings or other
safety information about the product; or
●
injunctions
or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
U.S.
Patent Term Restoration
Depending
upon the timing, duration and specifics of the potential FDA approval of Scienture LLC’s product candidates, some of its U.S. patents
may be eligible for limited patent term extension. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term, often referred to as
patent term extension, of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review
process. However, patent term restoration cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the product’s
approval date. The patent term restoration period is generally one-half the time between the effective date of an IND and the submission
date of an NDA plus the time between the submission date of an NDA and the approval of that application. Only one patent applicable to
an approved drug is eligible for the extension and the application for the extension must be submitted prior to the expiration of the
patent. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves or denies the application for any patent
term extension or restoration.
U.S.
Marketing Exclusivity
Market
exclusivity provisions under the FDCA can also delay the submission or the approval of certain marketing applications, including 505(b)(2)
applications. The FDA provides three years of marketing exclusivity for an NDA (including a 505(b)(2) application), or supplement to
an existing NDA, if new clinical investigations, other than bioavailability studies, that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant
are deemed by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application. Three-year exclusivity is typically awarded to innovative changes
to a previously-approved drug product, such as new indications, dosage forms or strengths. This three-year exclusivity covers only the
modification for which the drug received approval on the basis of the new clinical investigations and does not prohibit the FDA from
approving applications for drugs that do not have the innovative change, such as generic copies of the original, unmodified drug product.
Three-year exclusivity blocks approval of 505(b)(2) applications and Abbreviated New Drug Applications, but will not delay the submission
or approval of a full NDA. However, an applicant submitting a full NDA would be required to conduct or obtain a right of reference to
all of the nonclinical studies and adequate and well-controlled clinical trials necessary to demonstrate safety and effectiveness. Orphan
drug exclusivity, as described above, may offer a seven-year period of marketing exclusivity, except in certain circumstances. Pediatric
exclusivity is another type of regulatory market exclusivity in the United States. Pediatric exclusivity, if granted, adds six months
to existing exclusivity periods, including exclusivity attaching to certain patent certifications. This six-month exclusivity, which
runs from the end of other exclusivity protection and patent terms, may be granted based on the voluntary completion of a pediatric trial
in accordance with an FDA-issued “Written Request” for such a trial, provided that at the time pediatric exclusivity is granted
there is not less than nine months of term remaining.
Biosimilars
and Exclusivity
The
ACA, which was signed into law in March 2010, included a subtitle called the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (the
“BPCIA”). The BPCIA established a regulatory scheme authorizing the FDA to approve biosimilars and interchangeable biosimilars.
A biosimilar is a biological product that is highly similar to an existing FDA-licensed “reference product.” The FDA has
issued multiple guidance documents outlining an approach to review and approval of biosimilars. Under the BPCIA, a manufacturer may submit
an application for licensure of a biologic product that is “biosimilar to” or “interchangeable with” a previously
approved biological product or “reference product.” In order for the FDA to approve a biosimilar product, it must find that
there are no clinically meaningful differences between the reference product and proposed biosimilar product in terms of safety, purity
and potency. For the FDA to approve a biosimilar product as interchangeable with a reference product, the agency must find that the biosimilar
product can be expected to produce the same clinical results as the reference product, and (for products administered multiple times)
that the biologic and the reference biologic may be switched after one has been previously administered without increasing safety risks
or risks of diminished efficacy relative to exclusive use of the reference biologic.
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Under
the BPCIA, an application for a biosimilar product may not be submitted to the FDA until four years following the date of approval of
the reference product. The FDA may not approve a biosimilar product until 12 years from the date on which the reference product was approved.
Even if a product is considered to be a reference product eligible for exclusivity, another company could market a competing version
of that product if the FDA approves a full BLA for such product containing the sponsor’s own preclinical data and data from adequate
and well-controlled clinical trials to demonstrate the safety, purity and potency of their product. The BPCIA also created certain exclusivity
periods for biosimilars approved as interchangeable products. Since the passage of the BPCIA, many states have passed laws or amendments
to laws, including laws governing pharmacy practices, which are state regulated, to regulate the use of biosimilars.
Orphan
Drug Designation
Under
the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan drug designation to a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition—generally
a disease or condition with either a patient population that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States or a patient
population greater than 200,000 individuals in the United States and there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and
making available the drug will be recovered from sales of the drug in the United States. Orphan drug designation must be requested before
submitting an NDA or BLA. After the FDA grants orphan drug designation, the generic identity of the product and its potential orphan
use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. Orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory
review and approval process.
The
first applicant to receive FDA approval for a particular active ingredient to treat a particular disease with FDA orphan drug designation
is entitled to a seven-year exclusive marketing period in the United States for that product, for that indication. During the seven-year
exclusivity period, the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same product for the same disease, except in limited
circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity or if the FDA finds that the holder
of the orphan drug exclusivity has not shown that it can assure the availability of sufficient quantities of the orphan drug to meet
the needs of the patients with the disease or condition for which the product was designated. Orphan drug exclusivity does not prevent
the FDA from approving a different product for the same disease or condition, or the same product for a different disease or condition.
Among the other benefits of orphan drug designation are tax credits for certain research and a waiver of the NDA or BLA application user
fee.
A
designated orphan drug may not receive orphan drug exclusivity if it is approved for a use that is broader than the indication for which
it received orphan drug designation. In addition, orphan drug exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA
later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantities
of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition.
Fast
Track Designation and Breakthrough Therapy Designation
The
FDA is required to facilitate the development, and expedite the review, of drugs that are intended for the treatment of a serious or
life-threatening disease or condition which demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the condition, and accordingly,
the FDA has established the fast track designation and breakthrough therapy designation programs.
A
product candidate is eligible for fast track designation if it is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition
and demonstrates the potential to address unmet medical needs for such disease or condition. Fast track designation applies to the combination
of the product and the specific indication for which it is being studied. Under the fast track program, the sponsor of a drug candidate
may request that the FDA designate the candidate for a specific indication as a fast track product concurrent with, or after, the filing
of the IND for the candidate. The FDA must determine if the product candidate qualifies for fast track designation within 60 days of
receipt of the sponsor’s request. Fast track designation provides increased opportunities for sponsor interactions with the FDA
during preclinical and clinical development, in addition to the potential for rolling review of sections of the applicant’s NDA
or BLA before the application is complete. This rolling review is available if the applicant provides, and the FDA approves, a schedule
for the submission of the remaining information and the applicant pays applicable user fees. However, the FDA’s time period goal
for reviewing an application does not begin until the last section of the application is submitted. Additionally, the fast track designation
may be withdrawn by the FDA if the FDA believes that the designation is no longer supported by data emerging in the clinical trial process.
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Under
the FDA’s breakthrough therapy program, a sponsor may seek FDA designation of its product candidate as a breakthrough therapy if
the product candidate is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs or biologics, to treat a serious or life-threatening
disease or condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that it may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies
on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. Breakthrough
therapy designation comes with all of the benefits of fast track designation. The FDA may take other actions appropriate to expedite
the development and review of the product candidate, including intensive guidance on an efficient product development program beginning
as early as Phase 1, and FDA organizational commitment to expedited development, including involvement of senior managers and experienced
review staff in a cross-disciplinary review, where appropriate.
Priority
Review
A
product is eligible for priority review if it has the potential to provide a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness in the
treatment, diagnosis or prevention of a serious disease or condition. A priority review means that the goal for the FDA to review an
application is six months, rather than the standard review of ten months under current PDUFA guidelines. Under the current PDUFA agreement,
these six-and ten-month review periods are measured from the “filing” date rather than the receipt date for NDAs for new
molecular entities, which typically adds approximately two months to the timeline for review and decision from the date of submission.
Most products that are eligible for fast track designation are also likely to be considered appropriate to receive a priority review.
Pediatric
Information
Under
the Pediatric Research Equity Act (the “PREA”), NDAs and BLAs, or supplements to NDAs and BLAs, must contain data to assess
the safety and effectiveness of the drug for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and
administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the drug is safe and effective. The FDA may grant full or partial waivers,
or deferrals, for submission of data. Unless otherwise required by regulation, PREA does not apply to any drug for an indication for
which orphan designation has been granted.
Disclosure
of Clinical Trial Information
Sponsors
of clinical trials of FDA-regulated products, including drugs and combination products, are required to register and disclose certain
clinical trial information. Information related to the product, patient population, phase of investigation, trial sites and investigators,
and other aspects of the clinical trial is then made public as part of the registration. Sponsors are also obligated to disclose the
results of their clinical trials after completion. Competitors may use this publicly available information to gain knowledge regarding
the progress of development programs. Disclosure of the results of these trials can be delayed until the new product or new indication
being studied has been approved. Failure to timely register a covered clinical study or to submit study results as provided for in the
law can give rise to civil monetary penalties and also prevent the non-compliant party from receiving future grant funds from the federal
government. The Final Rule on ClinicalTrials.gov registration and reporting requirements became effective in 2017, and both the National
Institutes of Health and the FDA have signaled the government’s willingness to begin enforcing those requirements against non-compliant
clinical trial sponsors.
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Other
Regulatory Requirements
Health
Care Laws
Pharmaceutical
companies are subject to additional healthcare regulation and enforcement by the federal government and by authorities in the states
and foreign jurisdictions in which they conduct their business that may constrain the financial arrangements and relationships through
which Scienture LLC researches, as well as sell, market and distribute any products for which Scienture
LLC obtains marketing authorization. Such laws include, without limitation, state and federal anti-kickback, fraud and abuse, false claims,
and transparency laws and regulations related to drug pricing and payments and other transfers of value made to physicians and other
healthcare providers. If Scienture LLC’s operations are found to be in violation of any of
such laws or any other governmental regulations that apply, Scienture LLC may be subject to penalties, including, without limitation,
administrative, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, the curtailment or restructuring of operations, integrity
oversight and reporting obligations, exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs and responsible individuals
may be subject to imprisonment. Scienture LLC may be subject to:
●
The
federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, persons or entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting,
receiving, offering or paying any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe or rebate), directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly,
in cash or in kind, to induce, or in return for, the purchase, lease, order, arrangement, or recommendation of any good, facility,
item or service for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program, such as the Medicare and
Medicaid programs. The Medicare program is a national health insurance program that primarily provides health insurance for Americans
aged 65 and older as well as some younger people with disability status as determined by the Social Security Administration and people
with end stage renal disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease). The Medicaid program is a federal
and state health insurance program that helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources, and offers benefits
not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and personal care services. A person or entity does not need to have
actual knowledge of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation. Violations
are subject to civil and criminal fines and penalties for each violation, plus up to three times the remuneration involved, imprisonment,
and exclusion from government healthcare programs. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services
resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal
False Claims Act or federal civil monetary penalties;
●
The
federal civil and criminal false claims laws and civil monetary penalty laws, such as the federal False Claims Act, which impose
criminal and civil penalties and authorize civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, against individuals or entities for, among other
things: knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, to the federal government, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent;
knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used, a false statement of record material to a false or fraudulent claim or 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 money to the federal government. Manufacturers can be held liable under the federal False Claims Act even when
they do not submit claims directly to government payors if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent
claims. The federal False Claims Act also permits a private individual acting as a “whistleblower” to bring actions on
behalf of the federal government alleging violations of the federal False Claims Act and to share in any monetary recovery;
●
The
federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), which created new federal criminal statutes
that prohibit a person from knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit
program or obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises, any of the money or property owned by,
or under the custody or control of, any healthcare benefit program, regardless of the payor (e.g., public or private) and knowingly
and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by any trick or device a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious,
or fraudulent statements or representations in connection with the delivery of, or payment for, healthcare benefits, items or services
relating to healthcare matters; similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge
of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation;
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●
HIPAA,
as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009
(“HITECH”) and their respective implementing regulations, including the Final
Omnibus Rule published in January 2013, which impose requirements on certain covered healthcare
providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses as well as their respective business
associates, independent contractors or agents of covered entities, that perform services
for them that involve the creation, maintenance, receipt, use, or disclosure of, individually
identifiable health information relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually
identifiable health information. Individually identifiable information means information
that is a subset of health information, including demographic information collected from
an individual, and: (1) is created or received by a health care provider, health plan, employer,
or health care clearinghouse; and (2) relates to the past, present, or future physical or
mental health or condition of an individual; the provision of health care to an individual;
or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to an individual;
and (a) that identifies the individual; or (b) with respect to which there is reasonable
basis to believe the information can be used to identify the individual.
HITECH
also created new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business
associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to
enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. In addition,
there may be additional federal, state and non-U.S. laws which govern the privacy and security of health and other personal
information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect,
thus complicating compliance efforts;
●
The
U.S. federal transparency requirements under the ACA, including the provision commonly referred to as the Physician Payments Sunshine
Act, and its implementing regulations, which requires applicable manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies
for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program to report annually to the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”), information related to payments or other transfers of value made
to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors), certain other licensed health
care practitioners and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by the physicians described above and
their immediate family members;
●
Federal
price reporting laws, which require manufacturers to calculate and report complex pricing metrics to government programs, where such
reported prices may be used in the calculation of reimbursement and/or discounts on approved products; and
●
Federal
consumer protection and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm
consumers .
Additionally,
Scienture LLC is subject to state and foreign equivalents of each of the healthcare laws and regulations described above, among others,
some of which may be broader in scope and may apply regardless of the payor. Many U.S. states have adopted laws similar to the federal
Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act, and may apply to Scienture LLC’s business practices, including, but not limited to,
research, distribution, sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental
payors, including private insurers. In addition, some states have passed laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the
April 2003 Office of Inspector General Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and/or the Pharmaceutical Research
and Manufacturers of America’s Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals. Several states also impose other marketing restrictions
or require pharmaceutical companies to make marketing or price disclosures to the state and require the registration of pharmaceutical
sales representatives. There are ambiguities as to what is required to comply with these state requirements and if Scienture LLC fails
to comply with an applicable state law requirement Scienture LLC could be subject to penalties. State and foreign laws, including for
example the European Union General Data Protection Regulation, which became effective in May 2018, also govern the privacy and security
of health information in some circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by
HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts. There are ambiguities as to what is required to comply with these state requirements and
if Scienture LLC fails to comply with an applicable state law requirement Scienture LLC could be subject to penalties.
The
scope and enforcement of each of these laws is uncertain and subject to rapid change in the current environment of healthcare reform.
Federal and state enforcement bodies have recently increased their 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.
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Ensuring
that Scienture LLC’s internal operations and future business arrangements with third parties comply with applicable healthcare
laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that Scienture LLC’s
business practices do not comply with current or future statutes, regulations, agency guidance or case law involving applicable fraud
and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If Scienture LLC’s operations are found to be in violation of any of the laws
described above or any other governmental laws and regulations that may apply to us, Scienture LLC may be subject to significant penalties,
including administrative, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, the exclusion from participation in federal and
state healthcare programs, individual imprisonment, reputational harm, and the curtailment or restructuring of Scienture LLC’s
operations, as well as additional reporting obligations and oversight if Scienture LLC becomes subject to a corporate integrity agreement
or other agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws. Further, defending against any such actions can be costly
and time consuming, and may require significant financial and personnel resources. Therefore, even if Scienture LLC is successful in
defending against any such actions that may be brought against it, its business may be impaired. If any of the physicians or other providers
or entities with whom Scienture LLC expects to do business are found to not be in compliance with applicable laws, they may be
subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs and imprisonment.
If any of the above occur, Scienture LLC’s ability to operate its business and its results of operations could be adversely affected.
Healthcare
Reform
Payors,
whether domestic or foreign, or governmental or private, are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling healthcare
costs and those methods are not always specifically adapted for new technologies such as gene therapy and therapies addressing rare diseases
such as those Scienture LLC is developing. In both the United States and certain foreign jurisdictions, there have been a number of legislative
and regulatory changes to the health care system that could impact Scienture LLC’s ability to sell its products profitably. In
particular, in 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of
2010 (collectively, the “ACA”) was enacted, which, among other things, subjected biologic products to potential competition
by lower-cost biosimilars; increased the minimum Medicaid rebates owed by most manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program;
extended the Medicaid Drug Rebate program to utilization of prescriptions of individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations;
subjected manufacturers to new annual fees and taxes for certain branded prescription drugs; created a Medicare Part D coverage gap discount
program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 70% point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs
to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered
under Medicare Part D; and provided incentives to programs that increase the federal government’s comparative effectiveness research.
In
addition, other legislative and regulatory changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted.
●
The
Budget Control Act of 2011 and subsequent legislation, among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress
that include aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which remain in effect through 2031. Due
to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, estimated budget deficit increases resulting from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021,
and subsequent legislation, Medicare payments to providers will be further reduced starting in 2025 absent further legislation. The U.S.
American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 further reduced Medicare payments to several types of providers and increased the statute
of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years.
●
On
April 13, 2017, CMS published a final rule that gives states greater flexibility in setting benchmarks for insurers in the individual
and small group marketplaces, which may have the effect of relaxing the essential health benefits required under the ACA for plans
sold through such marketplaces.
●
On
May 30, 2018, the Right to Try Act, was signed into law. The law, among other things, provides a federal framework for certain patients
to access certain investigational new drug products that have completed a Phase 1 clinical trial and that are undergoing investigation
for FDA approval. Under certain circumstances, eligible patients can seek treatment without enrolling in clinical trials and without
obtaining FDA permission under the FDA expanded access program. There is no obligation for a pharmaceutical manufacturer to make
its drug products available to eligible patients as a result of the Right to Try Act.
●
On May
23, 2019, CMS published a final rule to allow Medicare Advantage Plans the option of using step therapy for Part B drugs.
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Additionally,
there has been increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect to drug pricing practices. Specifically,
there has been heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which
has resulted in several U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other
things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, and review the relationship between
pricing and manufacturer patient programs.
In
August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IRA”), was signed into law. The IRA includes several provisions that
may impact Scienture LLC’s business, depending on how various aspects of the IRA are implemented. Provisions that may impact Scienture
LLC’s business include a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, the imposition of new manufacturer financial
liability on most drugs in Medicare Part D, permitting the U.S. government to negotiate Medicare Part B and Part D pricing for certain
high-cost drugs and biologics without generic or biosimilar competition, requiring companies to pay rebates to Medicare for drug prices
that increase faster than inflation, and delay until January 1, 2032 the implementation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (“HHS”) rebate rule that would have limited the fees that pharmacy benefit managers can charge. Further, under the
IRA, orphan drugs are exempted from the Medicare drug price negotiation program, but only if they have one orphan designation and for
which the only approved indication is for that disease or condition. If a product receives multiple orphan designations or has
multiple approved indications, it may not qualify for the orphan drug exemption. The implementation of the IRA is currently subject to
ongoing litigation challenging the constitutionality of the IRA’s Medicare drug price negotiation program. The effects of the IRA
on Scienture LLC’s business and the healthcare industry in general is not yet known.
Former
President Biden issued multiple executive orders that sought to reduce prescription drug costs. In February 2023, HHS also issued
a proposal in response to an October 2022 executive order from former President Biden that includes a proposed prescription drug pricing
model that will test whether targeted Medicare payment adjustments will sufficiently incentivize manufacturers to complete confirmatory
trials for drugs approved through FDA’s accelerated approval pathway. A number of these and other proposed measures may require
authorization through additional legislation to become effective, and the Trump administration may reverse or otherwise change these
measures. However, Congress has indicated that it will continue to seek new legislative measures to control drug costs.
Scienture
LLC expects that additional U.S. federal healthcare reform measures will be adopted in the future, any of which could limit the amounts
that the U.S. Federal Government will pay for healthcare drugs and services, which could result in reduced demand for Scienture LLC’s
drug candidates or additional pricing pressures.
Individual
states in the United States have also become increasingly active in passing legislation and implementing regulations designed to control
pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain
drug access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk
purchasing. Legally mandated price controls on payment amounts by third-party payors or other restrictions could harm Scienture LLC’s
business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, regional healthcare authorities and individual hospitals
are increasingly using bidding procedures to determine what pharmaceutical products and which suppliers will be included in their prescription
drug and other healthcare programs. This could reduce the ultimate demand for Scienture LLC’s drugs or put pressure on its drug
pricing, which could negatively affect its business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Pharmaceutical
Coverage, Pricing, and Reimbursement
The
success of Scienture LLC’s product candidates, if approved, depends on the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement
from third-party payors. Scienture LLC cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for, or accurately estimate the
potential revenue from, its product candidates or assure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that it may
develop. Patients who are provided medical treatment for their conditions generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part
of the costs associated with their treatment. Coverage and adequate reimbursement from governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare
and Medicaid, and commercial payors is critical to new product acceptance.
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Government
authorities and other third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which drugs and
treatments they will cover and the amount of reimbursement. Coverage and reimbursement by a third-party payor may depend upon a number
of factors, including the third-party payor’s determination that use of a product is:
●
a
covered benefit under its health plan;
●
safe,
effective and medically necessary;
●
appropriate
for the specific patient;
●
cost-effective;
and
●
neither
experimental nor investigational.
In
the United States, no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for products exists among third-party payors. As a result, obtaining
coverage and reimbursement approval of a product from a government or other third-party payor is a time-consuming and costly process
that could require Scienture LLC to provide to each payor supporting scientific, clinical and cost-effectiveness data for the use of
Scienture LLC’s products on a payor-by-payor basis, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be obtained.
In the United States, the principal decisions about reimbursement for new medicines are typically made by CMS. CMS decides whether and
to what extent a new medicine will be covered and reimbursed under Medicare and private payors tend to follow CMS to a substantial degree.
Even if Scienture LLC obtains coverage for a given product, the resulting reimbursement payment rates might not be adequate for Scienture
LLC to achieve or sustain profitability or may require co-payments that patients find unacceptably high. Additionally, third-party payors
may not cover, or provide adequate reimbursement for, long-term follow-up evaluations required following the use of product candidates,
once approved. Patients are unlikely to use Scienture LLC’s product candidates, once approved, unless coverage is provided and
reimbursement is adequate to cover a significant portion of their cost. There is significant uncertainty related to insurance coverage
and reimbursement of newly approved products. It is difficult to predict at this time what third-party payors will decide with respect
to the coverage and reimbursement for Scienture LLC’s product candidates.
Net
prices for drugs may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs or private payors and by
any future relaxation of laws that presently restrict imports of drugs from countries where they may be sold at lower prices than in
the United States. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from
list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. Scienture LLC cannot be sure that reimbursement will be available
for any product candidate that it commercializes and, if reimbursement is available, the level of reimbursement. In addition, many pharmaceutical
manufacturers must calculate and report certain price reporting metrics to the government, such as average sales price and best price.
Penalties may apply in some cases when such metrics are not submitted accurately and timely. Further, these prices for drugs may be reduced
by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs. Payment methodologies may be subject to changes in healthcare
legislation and regulatory initiatives.
Scienture
LLC expects that healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and in additional
downward pressure on the price that Scienture LLC receives for any approved product. The implementation of cost containment measures
or other healthcare reforms may prevent Scienture LLC from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability, or commercialize Scienture
LLC’s products. Legislative and regulatory proposals have been made to expand post-approval requirements and restrict sales and
promotional activities for pharmaceutical products. Scienture LLC cannot be sure whether additional legislative changes will be enacted,
or whether existing regulations, guidance or interpretations will be changed, or what the impact of such changes on the marketing approvals
or clearances of Scienture LLC’s product candidates, if any, may be.
In
addition, in some foreign countries, the proposed pricing for a drug must be approved before it may be lawfully marketed. The requirements
governing drug pricing vary widely from country to country. For example, the European Union provides options for its Member States to
restrict the range of medicinal products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices
of medicinal products for human use. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval, some of these countries may require the completion
of clinical trials that compare the cost effectiveness of a particular product candidate to currently available therapies. A Member State
may approve a specific price for the medicinal product or it may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability
of the company placing the medicinal product on the market. There can be no assurance that any country that has price controls or reimbursement
limitations for pharmaceutical products will allow favorable reimbursement and pricing arrangements for any of Scienture LLC’s
product candidates. Historically, products launched in the European Union do not follow price structures of the United States and generally
prices tend to be significantly lower.
Environmental
Matters
The
Company and Scienture LLC’s operations and those of its third-party manufacturers and suppliers are subject to national, state
and local environmental laws. Scienture LLC has made, and intends to continue to make, expenditures and undertake efforts to comply
with applicable laws. Scienture LLC believes the safety procedures utilized by it for the handling and disposing hazardous materials
comply with the standards prescribed by applicable laws and regulations.
Human
Capital
The
Company’s success begins and ends with its people. The Company’s solid progress to date reflects the talent and hard
work of all of its employees. The Company considers the intellectual capital of its employees to be an essential driver of its
business and key to its future prospects. Attracting, developing, and retaining talented people in technical, marketing, sales,
research, and other positions is crucial to executing its strategy and its ability to compete effectively.
Talent
Acquisition, Retention and Development
The
Company’s key human capital objectives are to attract, retain and develop the highest quality talent. The Company employs
various human resource programs in support of these objectives. The Company’s ability to recruit and retain such talent
depends on a number of factors, including compensation and benefits, talent development and career opportunities, and the work
environment.
The Company attracts and rewards its employees by providing market competitive compensation and benefit packages, including incentives and recognition
plans that extend to all levels in its organization. To that end, Scienture LLC offers a
comprehensive total rewards program aimed at health, home-life, and financial needs of its employees. Scienture LLC’s total rewards
package includes market-competitive pay, broad-based stock grants, bonuses, healthcare benefits, retirement savings plans, paid time
off and family leave, an Employee Assistance Program, and mental health services.
The
Company is committed to the safety, health, and security of its employees. The Company believes a hazard-free environment is
critical for the success of its business. Throughout the Company’s operations, it strives to ensure that all its
employees have access to safe workplaces that allow them to succeed in their jobs. The Company’s experience
and continuing focus on workplace safety has enabled it to preserve business continuity without sacrificing its commitment to
keeping its colleagues and workplace visitors safe.
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Facilities
The Company’s corporate headquarters is located at 20 Austin Blvd, Commack, NY 11725, which is 2,000 square feet of office space with a
lease termination date of July 31, 2026. The Company believes its facilities are sufficient to meet its current needs for the foreseeable
future.
Legal
Proceedings
From
time to time, the Company may be involved in various claims and legal proceedings.
On
March 11, 2025, Kesin filed a complaint against Scienture LLC in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
stemming from exclusive license and commercial agreements that Scienture LLC entered into on August 28, 2022 and April 24, 2023, with
Kesin, a related party, pursuant to which Scienture LLC granted the exclusive license rights to commercialize SCN-102 and SCN-104, respectively
to Kesin for use in the United States of America (together, the “Kesin Agreement”). In consideration of the rights granted,
Scienture LLC received milestone payments and reimbursement of costs actually incurred related to SCN-102 and SCN-104.
On
March 13, 2024, the parties terminated the Kesin Agreement by entering a Confidential Termination Agreement (the “Kesin Termination
Agreement”), and the parties agreed that Scienture LLC would pay Kesin a total gross amount of $1.285 million upon commercialization
of either SCN-102 or SCN-104 via a royalty arrangement. The Kesin Termination Agreement also requires that if the full $1.285 million
has not been repaid within two years of the earlier of (i) commercial launch of a product or (ii) 120 days after FDA approval of a product,
then interest will accrue prospectively at a rate of 8% annually on the unpaid balance.
In
August 2024, Kesin demanded immediate payment of the full amount under the Kesin Termination Agreement, alleging the full amount is
payable in connection with the consummation Scienture LLC’s business combination with the Company. Scienture LLC disputed that
the amount was payable, and the parties entered into discussions to resolve the issue. Nevertheless, Kesin filed its complaint on
March 11, 2025, seeking payment of the disputed $1.285 million. The case was voluntarily dismissed on October 1, 2025. The Company
and Kesin entered into a Settlement Agreement and Release on October 27, 2025, whereby Kesin agreed to unconditionally release and
discharge the Company from all actions related to the complaint in exchange for the Company paying $1.285 million plus 8% interest
from March 13, 2025, and legal fees and costs related to the complaint according to a payment schedule through December
2026.
Employees
Currently,
the Company and Scienture LLC collectively employ approximately four (4) full-time employees and five (5) part-time employees. We
are not a party to any collective bargaining agreements and have not experienced any strikes or work stoppages. We consider our relations
with our employees and consultants to be satisfactory.
Seasonality
Our
business is not directly affected by seasonal fluctuations but is affected indirectly by the fall and winter flu season, to the extent
it leads to an increased demand for certain generic pharmaceuticals.
Subsidiaries
We currently exist as a holding
company directly owning 100% of the equity interests of Scienture LLC. Scienture LLC is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on
the commercialization and development of products for the treatment of Cardiovascular (CVS) and Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases.
Scienture LLC launched its first commercial product for hypertension and is in the process of commercializing its second product for the
treatment of opioid overdose. Its development pipeline consists of a broad range of novel product candidates including new potential treatments
for migraine, thrombosis, pain and other related disorders.
Dispositions
SOSRx,
LLC
SOSRx,
LLC (“SOSRx”) was formed on February 15, 2022. The Company entered into a relationship with Exchange Health, LLC (“Exchange
Health”), a technology company providing an online platform for manufacturers and suppliers to sell and purchase pharmaceuticals, pursuant to which SOSRx, a Delaware limited liability company, was formed, which was owned 51% by the Company and 49% by Exchange Health. SOSRx did not
generate material revenue and in February 2023 the Company voluntarily withdrew from the joint venture agreement.
Community
Specialty Pharmacy, LLC and Alliance Pharma Solutions, LLC
On
January 20, 2023, the Company entered into Membership Interest Purchase Agreements to sell 100% of the outstanding membership interests
of the Company’s former subsidiaries, Community Specialty Pharmacy, LLC and Alliance Pharma Solutions, LLC (d.b.a DelivMeds). The
Company also agreed to enter into a Master Service Agreement to operate the businesses prior to closing. The transactions contemplated
by the Membership Interest Purchase Agreements closed on August 22, 2023.
Superlatus
Inc.
On
July 14, 2023, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Superlatus Merger Agreement”)
with Superlatus Inc., a diversified food technology company, and Foods Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary
of the Company (“Merger Sub”).
On
July 31, 2023, the Company completed its acquisition of Superlatus in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Superlatus Merger
Agreement (the “Superlatus Merger”), pursuant to which the Company acquired Superlatus by way of a merger of the Merger Sub
with and into Superlatus, with Superlatus being a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and the surviving entity in the Superlatus Merger.
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Under
the terms of the Superlatus Merger Agreement, at the closing of the Superlatus Merger (the “Closing”), shareholders of Superlatus
received an aggregate of 136,441 shares of the Company’s common stock and 306,855 shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred
Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Series B Preferred Stock”), convertible into 100 shares of the Company’s
common stock. At Closing, the value of the Company’s common stock was $7.30 per share, resulting in a total value of $225,000,169.
On
October 13, 2023, the Company announced that Superlatus PD Holding Company, Inc., a purported subsidiary of Superlatus, entered into
a supplier agreement with Rainforest Distribution Corp, a New York corporation (“Rainforest”), pursuant to which Superlatus
allegedly appointed Rainforest as its exclusive distributor for Superlatus’ portfolio of consumer packaged goods brands in certain
markets. The Company later learned and announced that neither the Company’s management nor the Company’s Board of Directors
authorized or approved the organization of Superlatus PD Holding Company, Inc. or the entry into the supplier agreement. Instead, the
Company’s management determined that certain representatives of a former subsidiary of the Company likely unilaterally took actions
related to the supplier agreement.
On
January 8, 2024, the Company entered into Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Superlatus
Amendment”) as not all of the closing conditions of the Superlatus Merger Agreement were met. Under the terms of the Superlatus
Amendment, the merger consideration to the shareholders of Superlatus was adjusted to the aggregate of 136,441 shares of the Company’s
common stock and 15,759 shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock, resulting in a total value of $12,500,089. Additionally,
the shareholders of Superlatus agreed to surrender back to the Company 291,096 shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock.
On
March 5, 2024, the Company entered in a Stock Purchase Agreement (“Superlatus SPA”) with Superlatus Foods Inc. (the “Buyer”).
Pursuant to the Superlatus SPA, the Company sold all of the issued and outstanding stock of Superlatus to the Buyer. A $1.00 purchase
price was delivered to the Company at the closing, which occurred simultaneously with the execution of the Superlatus SPA.
As a result of the transaction Superlatus is no longer a subsidiary of the Company, and the rights and assets of Superlatus together
with various liabilities and obligations that were specific to Superlatus became rights and obligations of the Buyer.
Other
Legacy Subsidiaries
The
Company also previously owned 100% of Softell Inc. (f/k/a Trxade Inc.) (“Softell”), Integra Pharma Solutions, LLC
(“IPS”), Bonum Health, Inc., and Bonum Health, LLC.
Softell
& IPS Entities
On October
4, 2024, the Company and Softell entered into an Assignment and Assumption of Membership
Interests (the “IPS Assignment Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company transferred, and Softell accepted, 100% of the membership
interests of IPS. As a result, IPS became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Softell.
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On April
8, 2025, the Company entered into a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (the “IPS MIPA”) with Tollo Health, Inc. (“Tollo”),
pursuant to which Tollo agreed to purchase and the Company agreed to sell all of the Company’s membership interests in IPS. Suren
Ajjarapu, the Company’s former Chief Executive Officer, and Prashant Patel, the Company’s former President and Chief Operating
Officer, each have a beneficial interest in Tollo.
On April 8, 2025, the Company
also entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Softell SPA”) with Tollo, pursuant to which Tollo agreed to purchase and
the Company agreed to sell all issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Softell.
Bonum
Health Entities
On April
8, 2025, the Company also entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Bonum SPA”)
with Tollo, pursuant to which Tollo agreed to purchase and the Company agreed to sell all issued and outstanding shares of common stock
of Bonum Health, Inc.
In November 2025, the Company
dissolved Bonum Health, LLC.
The
divestitures described above are part of a broader strategic realignment at the Company designed to sharpen operational focus and
unlock long-term value. It is aligned with the Company’s commitment to streamline its core operations, optimize its portfolio,
and accelerate growth in the Branded and Specialty Pharma markets. The Company intends to use the proceeds obtained from the
divestment to facilitate the high-growth commercial and strategic product development activities at its Scienture LLC
subsidiary.
Corporate
and Organizational History
We
were incorporated in Delaware on July 15, 2005, as “Bluebird Exploration Company” (“Bluebird”). Bluebird was
originally formed to engage in the exploitation of mineral properties. In December 2008, Bluebird changed its name to “Xcellink
International, Inc.” (“XCEL”), and subsequently announced that its business plan was being expanded to include the
development and marketing of platform-independent customer-centric payment systems and methodologies. XCEL was unable to raise the funds
necessary to implement its business strategy, and never generated any revenue.
On
November 22, 2013, Trxade Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (“Trxade Nevada”) and wholly owned subsidiary of Trxade,
Inc., a Florida corporation (“Trxade Florida”), acquired a controlling interest of XCEL common stock pursuant to a
Purchase and Sale Agreement dated November 7, 2013. Trxade Florida was formed in August 2010 under the name PharmaCycle LLC, a
Nevada limited liability company (“PharmaCycle”). PharmaCycle was formed by Prashant Patel, our former President and Chief
Operating Officer. In January 2013,
PharmaCycle converted into a Florida corporation and changed its name to Trxade, Inc. In May 2013, Trxade Florida formed Trxade
Nevada as a wholly owned subsidiary. Subsequently, Trxade Nevada acquired Trxade Florida pursuant to a reverse triangular merger,
resulting in Trxade Florida becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trxade Nevada (the “Nevada-Florida Merger”). Immediately
following the Nevada-Florida Merger, Surendra Ajjarapu, the Company’s former Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Patel, the Company’s former President and Chief Operating Officer, collectively owned 99% of Trxade Nevada.
On
December 16, 2013, Trxade Nevada and XCEL entered into a definitive merger agreement providing for the merger of Trxade Nevada with
and into XCEL, with XCEL continuing as the surviving corporation (the “XCEL Merger”). The XCEL Merger closed in January
2014. As a result of the XCEL Merger, XCEL acquired Trxade Nevada and Trxade Nevada’s wholly owned subsidiaries, including
IPS. In connection with the XCEL Merger, XCEL changed its name to “Trxade Group, Inc.” and changed its trading
symbol to “TRXD”.
Our common stock was approved for listing on Nasdaq under the symbol “MEDS” on February 13, 2020.
On
June 1, 2021, we changed our corporate name from “Trxade Group, Inc.” to “TRxADE HEALTH, Inc.”
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On
July 25, 2024, the Company entered into and closed an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Scienture Merger Agreement”) with
MEDS Merger Sub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub I”), MEDS Merger
Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub II” and, together
with Merger Sub I, the “Merger Subs”), and Scienture LLC. Pursuant
to the Scienture Merger Agreement, (i) Merger Sub I merged with and into Scienture LLC (the “First Merger”), with Scienture
LLC continuing as the surviving entity and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and (ii) Scienture LLC merged with and into Merger
Sub II (the “Second Merger” and, together with the First Merger and all other related transactions, the “Scienture
Merger”), with Merger Sub II continuing as the surviving entity. In connection with the transactions, the Company changed its name
to “Scienture Holdings, Inc.” and Merger Sub II, as the surviving entity of the Second Merger, changed its name to “Scienture,
LLC”.
ITEM
1A.
RISK
FACTORS
You
should be aware that there are substantial risks for an investment in our common stock. You should carefully consider these risk factors
before you decide to invest in our common stock and should not consider this list to be a complete statement of all risks and uncertainties.
If
any of the following risks were to occur, such as our business, financial condition, results of operations or other prospects, any of
these could materially affect our likelihood of success. If that happens, the market price of our common stock, if any, could decline,
and prospective investors would lose all or part of their investment in our common stock.
Risks
Related to Our Business
We
operate a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a limited operating history, which may make it difficult to evaluate its current
business and predict its future success and viability.
We
hold a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a limited operating history. Scienture LLC was formed in 2019 and its
operations to date have been limited to organizing and staffing its company, business planning, raising capital, identifying and
developing its product candidates for the treatment of central nervous system (“CNS”) and cardiovascular
(“CVS”) diseases, securing intellectual property rights, and planning and undertaking preclinical studies and clinical
trials. Scienture LLC has not yet demonstrated an ongoing ability to generate revenues, obtain regulatory approvals, manufacture any
product on a commercial scale or arrange for a third party to do so on its behalf or conduct sales and marketing activities
necessary for successful product commercialization. Scienture LLC’s limited operating history as a company makes any
assessment of its future success and viability subject to significant uncertainty. Scienture LLC encounters risks and
difficulties frequently experienced by early-stage biopharmaceutical companies in rapidly evolving fields, and Scienture LLC has not
yet demonstrated an ability to successfully overcome such risks and difficulties. If Scienture LLC does not address these risks and
difficulties successfully, its business will suffer.
The
success of our business depends primarily upon its ability to identify, develop, and commercialize product candidates, including our
existing product candidates: SCN-102, SCN-104, SCN-106, and SCN-107. We only have one product candidate, SCN-102, for which it has conducted
pivotal clinical studies to date, and we will be required to similarly perform pivotal clinical studies for the other products in its
pipeline in order to obtain regulatory approval for these earlier stage candidates. Our business depends heavily on its ability to obtain
FDA approval for SCN-102 and successfully launch this product candidate and do the same for the other products in its pipeline. We do
not know whether it will be able to develop any products of commercial value. We do not have any products approved for commercial sale
and have not generated any revenue from product sales to date. We will continue to incur significant research and development and other
expenses related to its preclinical and clinical development and ongoing operations. As a result, we are not profitable and has incurred
losses in each period since its inception. Net losses and negative cash flows have had, and likely will continue to have, an adverse
effect on our financial condition. We expect to continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future, and we expect these
losses to increase as we continue our research and development of, and seek regulatory approvals for, our product candidates.
We
anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if, and as, we:
●
advance
our product candidates through clinical development;
●
seek
regulatory approvals for our product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;
●
hire
additional clinical, quality control, medical, scientific and other technical personnel to support the clinical development of our product candidates;
●
experience
an increase in headcount as we expand our research and development organization and market development and pre-commercial
planning activities;
●
undertake
any pre-commercial or commercial activities to establish sales, marketing and distribution capabilities, including in relation to
our product candidates;
●
seek
to identify, acquire and develop additional product candidates, including through business development efforts to invest in or in-license
other technologies or product candidates;
●
maintain,
expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; and
●
make
milestone, royalty, interest, or other payments due under any in-license, collaboration agreements; financing agreements, or other arrangements with third parties.
Biopharmaceutical
product development entails substantial upfront capital expenditures and significant risk that any potential product candidate will
fail to demonstrate adequate efficacy or an acceptable safety profile, gain regulatory approval, secure market access and
reimbursement and become commercially viable, and therefore any investment in us is highly speculative. Accordingly, you should
consider our prospects, factoring in the costs, uncertainties, delays and difficulties frequently encountered by companies in
clinical development, especially clinical-stage biopharmaceutical companies such as us. Any predictions you make about our future
success or viability may not be as accurate as they would otherwise be if we had a longer operating history or a history of
successfully developing and commercializing pharmaceutical products. We may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties,
complications, delays and other known or unknown factors in achieving our business objectives.
Additionally,
our expenses could increase beyond our expectations if we are required by the FDA or other comparable regulatory authorities to perform
clinical trials in addition to those that we currently expect, or if there are any delays in establishing appropriate manufacturing arrangements
for or in completing our clinical trials or the development of any of our product candidates.
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We
need additional capital which may not be available when needed or on commercially acceptable terms. Raising additional capital may cause
dilution to our stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our product candidates.
Developing biopharmaceutical products, including conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials, is a very
time-consuming, expensive and uncertain process that takes years to complete. Moving forward, we expect our expenses to continue to increase
in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we conduct clinical trials of, and seek regulatory and marketing approval
for, our product candidates. Even if our current or future product candidates are approved for commercial sale, we anticipate incurring
significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product candidate. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated
with research and development of product candidates, we are unable to predict the timing or amount of our working capital requirements.
Until
such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial product revenue, we expect to finance our operations with existing cash, cash
equivalents, short-term investments, and any future equity or debt financings and upfront and milestone and royalty payments, if
any, received under any future licenses or collaborations. While we believe that our cash as of the date of this Annual Report will
be sufficient to meet our funding requirements during the next 12 months, this belief may prove to be wrong as we could utilize
available capital resources sooner than we expect. We will eventually need to raise additional capital or secure debt funding to
support on-going operations. This may include raising additional financing on an opportunistic basis in the future. For example, we
may seek to raise equity capital or obtain additional capital in the near term due to favorable market conditions or strategic
considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for current or future operating plans.
Attempting
to secure additional financing may divert management from day-to-day activities, which may adversely affect our ability to develop product
candidates. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including but not limited to:
●
the
scope, timing, progress, costs and results of discovery, preclinical development and clinical trials for our current or future product
candidates;
●
the
number of clinical trials required for regulatory approval of our current or future product candidates;
●
the
costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of any of our current or future product candidates;
●
the
costs associated with acquiring or licensing additional product candidates, technologies or assets, including the timing and amount
of any milestones, royalties or other payments due in connection with our acquisitions and licenses;
●
the
cost of manufacturing clinical and commercial supplies of our current or future product candidates;
●
the
costs and timing of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights
and defending any intellectual property-related claims, including any claims by third parties that we are infringing upon their intellectual
property rights;
●
the
effectiveness of our approach at identifying target patient populations and utilizing our approach to enrich our patient population
in our clinical trials;
●
our
ability to maintain existing, and establish new, strategic collaborations or other arrangements and the financial terms of any such
agreements, including the timing and amount of any future milestone, royalty or other payments due under any such agreement;
●
the
costs and timing of future commercialization activities, including manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution, for any of our
product candidates for which we receive marketing approval;
●
the
revenue, if any, received from commercial sales of our product candidates for which we receive marketing approval;
●
expenses
to attract, hire and retain skilled personnel;
●
our
ability to establish a commercially viable pricing structure and obtain approval for coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party
and government payors;
●
the
effect of macroeconomic trends including inflation and rising interest rates;
●
addressing
any potential supply chain interruptions or delays;
●
the
effect of competing technological and market developments; and
●
the
extent to which we acquire or invests in business, products and technologies.
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We
anticipate that the sources of capital available to us will be through the sale of equity and debt, which may not be available on favorable
terms, if at all, and may, if sold, cause significant dilution to existing stockholders. Our ability to raise additional funds will depend
on financial, economic, political and market conditions and other factors, over which we may have no or limited control. The issuance
of additional securities, whether equity or debt, or the possibility of such issuance, may cause the market price of our shares to decline.
If we are unable to access additional capital moving forward, it may hurt our ability to grow and to generate future revenues, our financial
position, and liquidity. Furthermore, we could be forced to delay, limit, reduce or terminate product development programs, future commercialization
efforts or other operations.
If
we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities or we issue any equity or convertible debt securities
in connection with a collaboration agreement or other contractual arrangement, our stockholders’ ownership interests also will
be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of stockholders.
Debt
financing, if available, may result in increased fixed payment obligations and involve agreements that include covenants limiting or
restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, declaring dividends
or acquiring, selling or licensing intellectual property rights or assets, which could adversely impact the ability to conduct our business.
If
we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements with third
parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our intellectual property, technologies, future revenue streams or product candidates
or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. We could also be required to seek funds through arrangements with collaborators
or others at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable. Any of these occurrences may have a material adverse effect on our business,
operating results and prospects.
Market
conditions and changes in financial regulations and policies can impact the viability of financial institutions. In the event of failure
of any of the financial institutions where we maintain cash and cash equivalents, there can be no assurance that we would be able to
access uninsured funds in a timely manner or at all. Any inability to access or delay in accessing these funds could adversely affect
our business and financial position. In addition, changes in regulations governing financial institutions are beyond our control and
difficult to predict; consequently, the impact of such changes on our business and results of operations is difficult to predict and
may have an adverse effect on us.
Due
to the significant resources required to develop our product pipeline, and depending on our ability to access capital, we must prioritize
the development of certain product candidates over others and we may fail to expend our limited resources on product candidates or indications
that may have been more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.
Due
to the significant resources required for the development of our product candidates, we must decide which product candidates and indications
to pursue and advance and the amount of resources to allocate to each. Our decisions concerning the allocation of research, development,
collaboration, management and financial resources toward particular product candidates, therapeutic areas or indications may not lead
to the development of viable commercial products and may divert resources away from better opportunities. If we make incorrect determinations
regarding the viability or market potential of any of our product candidates or misread trends in the pharmaceutical industry, in particular
for CNS and CVS diseases, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. As
a result, we may fail to capitalize on viable commercial products or profitable market opportunities, be required to forego or delay
pursuit of opportunities with other product candidates or other diseases and disease pathways that may later prove to have greater commercial
potential than those we choose to pursue, or relinquish valuable rights to such product candidates through collaboration, licensing or
royalty arrangements in cases in which it would have been advantageous for us to invest additional resources to retain sole development
and commercialization rights.
Our
acquisitions and investments in new businesses and new products, services, and technologies is inherently risky, and could disrupt our
ongoing businesses.
We
have invested and expect to continue to invest in new businesses, products, services, and technologies. Such endeavors may involve significant
risks and uncertainties, including insufficient revenues from such investments to offset any new liabilities assumed and expenses associated
with these new investments, inadequate return of capital on our investments, distraction of management from current operations, and unidentified
issues not discovered in our due diligence of such strategies and offerings that could cause us to fail to realize the anticipated benefits
of such investments and incur unanticipated liabilities. Because these new ventures are inherently risky, no assurance can be given that
such strategies and offerings will be successful and will not adversely affect our reputation, financial condition, and operating results.
The
use of resources for new businesses and new products, services, and technologies, to the extent such new businesses and new products,
services, and technologies do not generate revenues or profits may take management’s focus and time away from more profitable endeavors,
may require us to take significant write-downs or write-offs, may take funding away from our other operations
or growth opportunities, which may ultimately be more profitable, and may have a material adverse effect on our cash
flows, liquidity and revenues, any or all of which may cause the value of our securities to decline in value or become
worthless.
Our
business is highly dependent on the success of certain product candidates. If we are unable to successfully complete clinical development,
obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize one or more of our product candidates, or if we experience delays in doing so, our business
will be materially harmed.
Scienture
LLC has completed development of SCN-102, which received FDA regulatory approval in March 2025 and commenced commercialization in the
third quarter of 2025. The remaining product candidates — SCN-104, SCN-106, and SCN-107 — remain in clinical or preclinical
development. Management expects SCN-104 and SCN-106 to achieve regulatory approval in 2027 or 2028, with commercialization projected
to begin in 2028, and SCN-107 to achieve regulatory approval in 2028 or 2029, with commercialization projected to begin in 2029. Our
future success and ability to generate revenue from Scienture LLC’s product candidates is dependent on our ability to successfully develop,
obtain regulatory approval for, and commercialize one or more of our remaining product candidates. If any of Scienture LLC’s product
candidates encounters safety or efficacy problems, development delays, regulatory issues, or other problems, our development plans and
business would be materially harmed.
We
may not have the financial resources to continue development of our product candidates, particularly if we experience any issues
that delay or prevent regulatory approval of, or our ability to commercialize, product candidates, including:
●
inability to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA or other comparable regulatory authorities that our product candidates
are safe and effective;
●
insufficiency
of our financial and other resources to complete the necessary clinical trials and preclinical studies;
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●
negative
or inconclusive results from clinical trials, preclinical studies or the clinical trials of others for product
candidates similar to ours, leading to a decision or requirement to conduct additional clinical trials or preclinical studies
or abandon a program;
●
product-related
adverse events experienced by subjects in our clinical trials, including unexpected toxicity results, or by individuals
using drugs or therapeutic biologics similar to our product candidates;
●
delays
in submitting an IND application or other regulatory submission to the FDA or other comparable regulatory authorities, or delays or failure in obtaining the necessary approvals from regulators to commence a
clinical trial or a suspension or termination, or hold, of a clinical trial once commenced;
●
conditions
imposed by the FDA or other comparable regulatory authorities regarding the scope or design of our clinical trials;
●
poor
effectiveness of our product candidates during clinical trials;
●
better
than expected performance of control arms, such as placebo groups, which could lead to negative or inconclusive results from our clinical trials;
●
delays
in enrolling subjects in our clinical trials;
●
high
drop-out rates of subjects from our clinical trials;
●
inadequate
supply or quality of product candidates or other materials necessary for the conduct of our clinical trials;
●
higher
than anticipated clinical trial or manufacturing costs;
●
unfavorable
FDA or comparable regulatory authority inspection and review of our clinical trial sites;
●
failure
of our third-party contractors or investigators to comply with regulatory requirements or the clinical trial protocol or otherwise
meet their contractual obligations in a timely manner, or at all;
●
delays
and changes in regulatory requirements, policies and guidelines, including the imposition of additional regulatory oversight around
clinical testing generally or with respect to our therapies in particular; or
●
varying
interpretations of data by the FDA or other comparable regulatory authorities.
In
addition, clinical trials conducted in one country may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other countries, and regulatory approval
in one country does not guarantee regulatory approval in any other country. We may in the future conduct one or more clinical trials with one or more trial sites that are located outside the United States. Although the FDA may accept data from clinical
trials conducted outside the United States, acceptance of this data is subject to conditions imposed by the FDA, and there can be no
assurance that the FDA will accept data from trials conducted outside of the United States. If the FDA does not accept the data from
any trial that we conduct outside the United States, it would likely result in the need for additional trials, which would be costly
and time-consuming and could delay or permanently halt our development of the applicable product candidates.
We
are dependent upon our current management, who may have conflicts of interest. Our ability to develop product candidates and our future
growth depends on attracting, hiring and retaining key personnel and recruiting additional qualified personnel.
Our
success depends upon the continued contributions of our key management and scientific personnel, many of whom have substantial experience
with developing therapies, identifying potential product candidates and building the technologies related to the clinical development
of our product candidates. However, some of officers and directors have duties and affiliations with other companies. Involvement of
our officers and directors in other businesses may present a conflict of interest regarding decisions they make for us or with
respect to the amount of time available for us.
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Given
the specialized nature of CNS and CVS diseases and our approach, there is an inherent scarcity of experienced personnel in these
fields. As we continue developing product candidates, we will require personnel with medical, scientific, or technical
qualifications specific to each program. The loss of any of our officers or directors, in particular our current management team
consisting of Shankar Hariharan, Narasimhan Mani or Rahul Surana, could have a materially adverse
effect upon our business and future prospects.
Despite
our efforts to retain valuable employees, members of our team may terminate employment on short notice. The competition for qualified
personnel in the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries is intense, and our future success depends upon our ability to attract,
retain, and motivate highly skilled scientific, technical and managerial employees. We face competition for personnel from other companies,
universities, public and private research institutions, and other organizations. If our recruitment and retention efforts are unsuccessful
in the future, it may be difficult for us to implement our business strategy, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.
In
addition, our clinical operations and research and development programs depend on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled scientists,
data scientists, and engineers, particularly in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. There is powerful competition for
skilled personnel in these geographical markets, and we may experience, difficulty in hiring and retaining employees with appropriate
qualifications on acceptable terms, or at all. Many of the companies with which we compete for experienced personnel have greater resources
than we do. If we hire employees from competitors or other companies, their former employers may attempt to assert that these employees
have breached legal obligations, resulting in a diversion of our time and resources and, potentially, damages. In addition, job candidates
and existing employees often consider the value of the stock awards they receive in connection with their employment. If the perceived
benefits of stock awards decline, it may harm our ability to recruit and retain highly skilled employees. If we fail to attract new personnel
or fail to retain and motivate our current personnel, our business and future growth prospects would be harmed.
We
may seek to collaborate with third parties and may not be able to implement these collaborations on commercially acceptable terms, if
at all. The success of certain of our product candidates may depend in significant part on the success of such collaborations.
We
plan to opportunistically pursue strategic partnerships if we believe that these partnerships can accelerate the development or maximize
the market potential of our product candidates. Likely collaborators may include large and mid-size pharmaceutical companies, regional
and national pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies. In addition, if we are able to obtain regulatory approval for product
candidates from foreign regulatory authorities, we may enter into partnerships or collaborations with international biotechnology or
pharmaceutical companies for the commercialization of such product candidates.
We
face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators. Whether we reach a definitive agreement for a partnership or collaboration
will depend, among other things, upon our assessment of the collaborator’s resources and expertise, the terms and conditions of
the proposed partnerships or collaboration and the proposed collaborator’s evaluation of a number of factors. Those factors may
include the potential differentiation of our product candidates from competing product candidates, design or results of clinical trials,
the likelihood of approval by the FDA or other comparable regulatory authorities and the regulatory pathway for any such approval, the
potential market for the product candidate, the costs and complexities of manufacturing and delivering the product to patients and the
potential of competing products. The collaborator may also consider alternative product candidates or technologies for similar indications
that may be available for partnership or collaboration and whether such a partnership or collaboration could be more attractive than
the one with us for our product candidate. If we elect to increase expenditures to fund development or commercialization activities
on our own, we may need to obtain additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we do not have
sufficient funds, we may not be able to further develop product candidates or bring them to market and generate product revenue.
Partnerships
and collaborations are each complex and time-consuming to negotiate and document. Further, business combinations among large pharmaceutical
companies could result in a reduced number of potential future collaborators. Any partnership or collaboration agreement that we enter
into in the future may contain restrictions on our ability to enter into potential partnerships or collaborations or to otherwise develop
specified product candidates. We may not be able to negotiate partnerships or collaborations on a timely basis, on acceptable terms,
or at all. If we are unable to do so, we may have to curtail the development of the product candidate for which we are seeking to collaborate,
reduce or delay development programs, delay potential commercialization or reduce the scope of any sales or marketing activities, or
increase expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense.
We
may have limited control over the amount and timing of resources that our collaborators will dedicate to the development or commercialization
of our product candidates. Our ability to generate revenues from these arrangements will depend on any future collaborators’ abilities
to successfully perform the functions assigned to them in these arrangements. In addition, any future collaborators may have the right
to abandon research or development projects and terminate applicable agreements, including funding obligations, prior to or upon the
expiration of the agreed upon terms.
Collaborations
involving our product candidates pose a number of risks, including the following:
●
collaborators
have significant discretion in determining the efforts and resources that they will apply to these collaborations;
●
collaborators
may not perform their obligations as expected;
●
collaborators
may not pursue development and commercialization of our product candidates or may elect not to continue or renew development or commercialization
programs, based on clinical trial results, changes in the collaborators’ strategic focus or available funding or external factors,
such as an acquisition, which divert resources or create competing priorities;
●
collaborators
may delay clinical trials, provide insufficient funding for a clinical trial program, stop a clinical trial or abandon a product
candidate, repeat or conduct new clinical trials or require a new formulation of a product candidate for clinical testing;
●
collaborators
could independently develop, or develop with third parties, products that compete directly or indirectly with our product candidates;
●
a
collaborator with marketing and distribution rights to one or more products may not commit sufficient resources to the marketing
and distribution of such product or products;
●
disagreements
with collaborators, including disagreements over proprietary rights, including trade secrets and intellectual property rights, contract
interpretation, or the preferred course of development might cause delays or termination of the research, development or commercialization
of product candidates, might lead to additional responsibilities for us with respect to product candidates, or might result in litigation
or arbitration, any of which would be time-consuming and expensive;
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●
collaborators
may not properly maintain or defend our intellectual property rights or may use our proprietary information in such a way as to invite
litigation that could jeopardize or invalidate our intellectual property or proprietary information or expose us to potential litigation;
●
collaborators
may infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties, which may expose us to litigation and potential liability; and
●
collaborations
may be terminated and, if terminated, may result in a need for additional capital to pursue further development or commercialization
of the applicable product candidates.
Collaboration
agreements may not lead to development or commercialization of product candidates in the most efficient manner or at all. If any future
collaborator is involved in a business combination, we could decide to delay, diminish or terminate the development or commercialization
of any licensed product candidate.
We
have relied upon and plan to continue to rely on third parties, such as Contract Research Organizations (“CROs”), clinical
data management organizations, medical institutions and clinical investigators, to conduct our clinical trials and expect to rely on
these third parties to conduct clinical trials of any other product candidate that we develop. Our ability to complete clinical trials
in a timely fashion depends on a number of key factors. These factors include protocol design, regulatory and Institutional Review Board
approval, patient enrollment rates and compliance with GCPs. Generally, we rely on our third-party partners to accurately report their
results. Our reliance on third parties for clinical development activities may impact or limit our control over the timing, conduct,
expense and quality of our clinical trials. Moreover, the FDA requires that we to comply with GCPs for conducting, recording and reporting
the results of clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and
confidentiality of trial participants are protected. The FDA enforces these GCPs through periodic inspections of clinical trial sponsors,
principal investigators, clinical trial sites and Institutional Review Boards. For certain commercial prescription drug products, manufacturers
and other parties involved in the supply chain must also meet chain of distribution requirements and build electronic, interoperable
systems for product tracking and tracing and for notifying the FDA of counterfeit, diverted, stolen and intentionally adulterated products
or other products that are otherwise unfit for distribution in the United States.
We
remain responsible for ensuring that each of our trials is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal and regulatory
requirements and scientific standards. Our failure or the failure of third parties to comply with the applicable protocol, legal and
regulatory requirements and scientific standards can result in rejection of our clinical trial data or other sanctions. If we or our
third-party clinical trial providers or third-party CROs do not successfully carry out these clinical activities, our clinical trials
or the potential regulatory approval of a product candidate may be delayed or be unsuccessful. Additionally, if we or our third-party
contractors fail to comply with applicable GCPs for any reason, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable
and the FDA may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our product candidates, which would delay the regulatory
approval process. We cannot be certain that, upon inspection, the FDA will determine that any of our clinical trials comply with GCPs.
We are also required to register certain clinical trials and post the results of completed clinical trials on a government-sponsored
database, ClinicalTrials.gov, within certain timeframes. Failure to do so can result in fines, adverse publicity and civil and criminal
sanctions.
Furthermore,
the third parties conducting clinical trials on our behalf are not our employees, and except for remedies available to us under our agreements
with such contractors, we cannot control whether or not they devote sufficient time, skill and resources to our ongoing development programs.
These contractors may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting
clinical trials or other drug development activities, which could impede their ability to devote appropriate time to our clinical programs.
If these third parties, including clinical investigators, do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, meet expected deadlines
or conduct its clinical trials in accordance with regulatory requirements or its stated protocols, we may not be able to obtain, or may
be delayed in obtaining, regulatory approvals for our product candidates. If that occurs, we will not be able to, or may be delayed in
our efforts to, successfully commercialize our product candidates. In such an event, our financial results and the commercial prospects
for any product candidates that we seek to develop could be harmed, our costs could increase and our ability to generate revenues could
be delayed, impaired or foreclosed.
We
also rely on other third parties to store and distribute drug supplies for our clinical trials. Any performance failure on the part of
our distributors could delay clinical development or regulatory approval of our product candidates or commercialization of any resulting
products, producing additional losses and depriving us of potential product revenue.
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In
addition, we rely on wholesalers and attempt to structure our agreements with such wholesalers to ensure that we are appropriately and
predictably compensated for the services we provide. We cannot control the frequency or magnitude of pharmaceutical price changes. We
might be unable to renew agreements with wholesalers in a timely and favorable manner. These risks might have a materially adverse impact
on our business operations and our financial positions or results of operations.
Any
of the third-party organizations we utilize may terminate our engagements with us under certain circumstances. The replacement of an
existing CRO or other third party may result in the delay of the affected trials or otherwise adversely affect our efforts to obtain
regulatory approvals and commercialize our product candidates. We may not be able to enter into alternative arrangements or do so on
commercially reasonable terms. In addition, even if there are suitable replacements for one or more of these service providers, there
is a natural transition period when a new service provider begins work. As a result, delays may occur, which could negatively impact
our ability to meet our expected clinical development timelines and harm our business, financial condition and prospects.
Our
third-party manufacturing partners may be unable to increase the scale of production or product yield of our product candidates, resulting
in increased manufacturing costs and delays in commercialization of our products. Furthermore, changes in methods of manufacturing our
product candidates could result in additional costs or delays.
In
order to produce sufficient quantities to meet the demand for clinical trials and, if approved, subsequent commercialization of our product
candidates, our third-party manufacturers will be required to increase production and optimize manufacturing processes while maintaining
the quality of our product candidates. The transition to larger scale production could prove difficult. In addition, if our third-party
manufacturers are not able to optimize their manufacturing processes to increase the product yield for our product candidates, or if
such third party manufacturers are unable to produce increased amounts of our product candidates while maintaining the same quality,
then we may not be able to meet the demands of clinical trials or market demands. This could decrease our ability to generate profits
and have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
Our
growth depends in part on the success of our strategic relationships with third parties. Some of these third parties may be located outside
of the United States.
In
order to grow our business, we anticipate that we will need to continue to depend on our relationships with third parties, including
our technology providers. Identifying partners, and negotiating and documenting relationships with them, requires significant time and
resources. Our competitors may be effective in providing incentives to third parties to favor their products or services, or utilization
of, our products and services. In addition, acquisitions of our partners by our competitors could result in a decrease in the number
of our current and potential customers. If we are unsuccessful in establishing or maintaining our relationships with third parties, our
ability to compete in the marketplace or to grow our revenue could be impaired and our results of operations may suffer. Even if we are
successful, we cannot assure you that these relationships will result in increased customer use of our products or increased revenue.
We
do not own or operate manufacturing facilities for the production of clinical or commercial quantities of our product candidates,
and we lack the resources and the capabilities to do so. Our current strategy is to outsource all manufacturing of our product
candidates to third parties, including in jurisdictions outside of the United States such as China. As such, we currently rely on
third-party manufacturers to provide all of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (“API”) and the final drug product formulation of all of our product candidates that are
being used in our clinical trials and preclinical studies. If we were to need an alternate manufacturer, we would incur added costs
and delays in identifying and qualifying any such replacement. In addition, we typically order raw materials, API and drug product
and services on a purchase order basis and do not enter into long-term dedicated capacity or minimum supply arrangements with any
commercial manufacturer. We may not be able to timely secure needed supply arrangements on satisfactory terms, or at all. Our
failure to secure these arrangements as needed could have a material adverse effect on our ability to complete the development of
our product candidates or, to commercialize them, if approved. We may be unable to conclude agreements for commercial supply with
third-party manufacturers or may be unable to do so on acceptable terms. There may be difficulties in scaling up to commercial
quantities and formulation of our product candidates, and the costs of manufacturing could be prohibitive.
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Many
of the third-party manufacturers we rely on have only recently begun working with us and have limited or no experience manufacturing
our API and final drug products. If our manufacturers have difficulty or suffer delays in successfully manufacturing material that meets
our specifications, it may limit supply of our product candidates and could delay our clinical trials.
Even
if we are able to establish and maintain arrangements with third-party manufacturers, reliance on third-party manufacturers entails additional
risks, including:
●
the
failure of the third-party manufacturer to comply with applicable regulatory requirements and reliance on third parties for manufacturing
process development, regulatory compliance and quality assurance;
●
manufacturing
delays if our third-party manufacturers give greater priority to the supply of other products over our product candidates or otherwise
do not satisfactorily perform according to the terms of the agreement between parties;
●
limitations
on supply availability resulting from capacity and scheduling constraints of third parties;
●
the
failure of the third-party manufacturer to produce materials with acceptable quality on a larger scale;
●
the
possible breach of manufacturing agreements by third parties because of factors beyond our control;
●
the
possible termination or non-renewal of the manufacturing agreements by the third party, at a time that is costly or inconvenient
to us; and
●
the
possible misappropriation of our proprietary information, including our trade secrets and know-how.
If
we do not maintain our key manufacturing relationships, we may fail to find replacement manufacturers or develop our own manufacturing
capabilities, which could delay or impair our ability to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates. If we do find replacement
manufacturers, we may not be able to enter into agreements with them on terms and conditions favorable to us and there could be a substantial
delay before new facilities could be qualified and registered with the FDA and other comparable regulatory authorities.
Additionally,
if any third-party manufacturer with whom we contract fail to perform its obligations, we may be forced to manufacture the materials
ourself, for which we may not have the capabilities or resources, or enter into an agreement with a different manufacturer. In either
scenario, our clinical trials supply could be delayed significantly as we establish alternative supply sources. In some cases, the technical
skills required to manufacture our product candidates may be unique or proprietary to the original manufacturer and we may have difficulty,
or there may be contractual restrictions prohibiting us from, transferring such skills to a back-up or alternate supplier, or we may
be unable to transfer such skills at all. In addition, if we are required to change third-party manufacturers for any reason, we will
be required to verify that the new manufacturer maintains facilities and procedures that comply with quality standards and with all applicable
regulations. We will also need to verify, such as through a manufacturing comparability study, that any new manufacturing process will
produce its product candidate according to the specifications previously submitted to the FDA or other comparable regulatory authorities.
We may be unsuccessful in demonstrating the comparability of clinical supplies, which could require the conduct of additional clinical
trials. The delays associated with the verification of a new third-party manufacturer could negatively affect our ability to develop
product candidates or commercialize our products in a timely manner or within budget. Furthermore, a third-party manufacturer may possess
technology related to the manufacture of our product candidates that such third party owns independently. This would increase our reliance
on such third-party manufacturer or require us to obtain a license from such third-party manufacturer in order to have another third
party manufacture our product candidates.
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If
any of our product candidates are approved by any regulatory agency, we intend to utilize arrangements with third-party contract manufacturers
for the commercial production of those products. This process is difficult and time consuming and we may face competition for access
to manufacturing facilities as there are a limited number of contract manufacturers operating under cGMPs that are capable of manufacturing
our product candidates. Consequently, we may not be able to reach agreement with third-party manufacturers on satisfactory terms, which
could delay commercialization.
Some
of our manufacturers are located outside of the United States, including in China. There is currently significant uncertainty about the
future relationship between the United States and various other countries, including China, with respect to trade policies, treaties,
government regulations and tariffs. Increased tariffs or pending legislation that would impose federal contracting or federal funding
limitations on parties directly using or connected to those using the services or equipment of certain foreign entities with known or
alleged associations with foreign adversaries could potentially disrupt our existing supply chains and impose additional costs on our
business. In particular, certain Chinese biotechnology companies and commercial manufacturing organizations may become subject to trade
restrictions, sanctions, and other regulatory requirements by the U.S. government, which could restrict or even prohibit our ability
to work with such entities, thereby potentially disrupting our supplies and manufacturing. Additionally, it is possible further tariffs
may be imposed that could affect imports of any APIs used in our product candidates
in the future, or our business may be adversely impacted by retaliatory trade measures taken by China or other countries, including restricted
access to such raw materials used in its product candidates. Given the unpredictable regulatory environment in China and the United States
and uncertainty regarding how the U.S. or foreign governments will act with respect to tariffs, international trade agreements and policies,
further governmental action related to tariffs, additional taxes, contracting matters, regulatory changes or other retaliatory trade
measures in the future could occur with a corresponding detrimental impact on our business and financial condition.
Our
failure, or the failure of our third-party manufacturers, to comply with applicable regulations could result in sanctions being imposed
on us, including clinical holds, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, delays, suspension or withdrawal of approvals, seizures or voluntary
recalls of product candidates, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly affect supplies of
our product candidates. The facilities used by our contract manufacturers to manufacture our product candidates must be evaluated by
the FDA. We do not control the manufacturing process of, and is completely dependent on, its contract manufacturing partners for compliance
with cGMPs. If our contract manufacturers cannot successfully manufacture material that conforms to our specifications and the strict
regulatory requirements of the FDA or other comparable regulatory authorities, we may not be able to secure and/or maintain regulatory
approval for our product candidates manufactured at these facilities. In addition, we have no control over the ability of our contract
manufacturers to maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and qualified personnel. If the FDA finds deficiencies or a comparable
foreign regulatory authority does not approve these facilities for the manufacture of our product candidates or if it withdraws any such
approval in the future, we may need to find alternative manufacturing facilities, which would significantly impact our ability to develop,
obtain regulatory approval for or market our approved product candidates. Contract manufacturers may face manufacturing or quality control
problems causing drug substance production and shipment delays or a situation where the contractor may not be able to maintain compliance
with the applicable cGMP requirements. Any failure to comply with cGMP requirements or other FDA and comparable foreign regulatory requirements
could adversely affect our clinical research activities and our ability to our its product candidates and market our products, if approved.
The
FDA or other comparable regulatory authorities require manufacturers to register manufacturing facilities, and also inspect these facilities
to confirm compliance with cGMPs.
Contract
manufacturers may face manufacturing or quality control problems causing drug substance production and shipment delays or a situation
where the contractor may not be able to maintain compliance with the applicable cGMP requirements. Any failure to comply with cGMP requirements
or other FDA and other comparable regulatory requirements could adversely affect our clinical research activities and our ability to
develop our product candidates and market our products following approval, if obtained.
Furthermore,
should we decide to use any APIs in any of our product candidates that are proprietary to one or more third parties, we would need to
maintain licenses to those APIs from those third parties. If we are unable to gain or continue to access rights to such APIs prior to
conducting preclinical toxicology studies intended to support clinical trials, we may need to develop alternate product candidates from
these programs by either accessing or developing alternate APIs, resulting in increased development costs and delays in commercialization
of these product candidates. If we are unable to gain or maintain continued access rights to the desired APIs on commercially reasonable
terms or develop suitable alternate APIs, we may not be able to commercialize product candidates from these programs.
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Changes
in methods of product candidate manufacturing or formulation may result in additional costs or delay.
As
product candidates proceed through preclinical studies to late-stage clinical trials towards potential approval and commercialization,
it is common that various aspects of the development program, such as the vendors used to manufacture drug product or manufacturing methods
and formulation, are altered along the way in an effort to optimize processes and results. Such changes carry the risk that they will
not achieve these intended objectives. Any of these changes could cause our product candidates to perform differently and affect the
results of planned clinical trials or other future clinical trials conducted with the materials manufactured using altered processes.
Such changes may also require additional testing, FDA notification or FDA approval. This could delay or prevent completion of clinical
trials, require conducting bridging clinical trials or the repetition of one or more clinical trials, increase clinical trial costs,
delay or prevent approval of our product candidates and jeopardize our ability to commence sales and generate revenue.
We
may be subject to lawsuits.
From
time to time, we may be subject to legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business. Such claims, even if lacking merit,
could result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources.
The
successful development of our pharmaceutical products involves a lengthy and expensive process and is highly uncertain.
Successful
development of our pharmaceutical products involves a lengthy and expensive process, is highly uncertain, and is dependent
on numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control. Product candidates that appear promising in the early phases of development
may fail to reach the market for several reasons, including:
●
clinical
trial results may show the product candidates to be less effective than expected;
●
failure
to receive the necessary regulatory approvals or a delay in receiving such approvals, which, among other things, may be caused by
patients who fail the trial screening process, slow enrollment in clinical trials, patients dropping out of trials, patients lost
to follow-up, length of time to achieve trial endpoints, additional time requirements for data analysis or NDA or similar foreign application preparation, discussions with the FDA or other comparable regulatory authority, FDA or other comparable
regulatory request for additional preclinical or clinical data (such as long-term toxicology studies) or unexpected safety or manufacturing
issues;
●
preclinical
study results may show the product candidate to be less effective than desired or to have harmful side effects;
●
failure
to receive the necessary post-marketing approval requirements; or
●
the
proprietary rights of others and their competing products and technologies may prevent our product candidates from being commercialized.
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Furthermore,
the length of time necessary to complete clinical trials and submit an application for marketing approval for a final decision by a regulatory
authority varies significantly from one product candidate to the next and from one country or jurisdiction to the next and may be difficult
to predict.
Even
if a product is approved, the FDA may limit the indications for which the product may be marketed, require extensive warnings on the
product labeling or require expensive and time-consuming clinical trials and/or reporting as conditions of approval. Regulators of other
countries and jurisdictions have their own procedures for the approval of product candidates with which we must comply prior to marketing
in those countries or jurisdictions.
Even
if we are successful in obtaining marketing approval, commercial success of any approved products will also depend in large part on the
availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors, including government payors such as the Medicare and Medicaid
programs and managed care organizations in the United States or country-specific governmental organizations in foreign countries, which
may be affected by existing and future healthcare reform measures designed to reduce the cost of healthcare. Third-party payors could
require us to conduct additional studies, including post-marketing studies related to the cost effectiveness of a product, to qualify
for reimbursement, which could be costly and divert our resources. If government and other healthcare payors were not to provide coverage
and adequate reimbursement for our products once approved, market acceptance and commercial success would be reduced. Even if we are
able to obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement for approved products, there may be features or characteristics of our products, such
as dose preparation requirements, that prevent our products from achieving market acceptance by the healthcare or patient communities.
In
addition, if any of our product candidates receive marketing approval, we will be subject to significant regulatory obligations regarding
the submission of safety and other post-marketing information and reports and registration, and will need to continue to comply (or ensure
that our third-party providers comply) with current cGMPs and GCPs for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. In addition, there is always the risk that we, a regulatory authority or a third
party might identify previously unknown problems with a product post-approval, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency.
Compliance with these requirements is costly, and any failure to comply or other issues with our product candidates post-approval could
adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks
Related to Our Legal and Regulatory Requirements
We
are subject, directly or indirectly, to federal and state healthcare, fraud, abuse false claims, and other laws and regulations as well
as health data privacy and security laws and regulations, contractual obligations and self-regulatory schemes. If we are unable to comply,
or have not fully complied, with such laws, we could face investigations and substantial penalties. Furthermore, it may be difficult
and costly for us to comply with the extensive government regulations to which our business is subject.
Our
operations are subject to extensive regulation by the U.S. federal and state governments. Healthcare providers and third-party payors
in the United States and elsewhere play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of any product candidates for which we
obtain marketing approval. Our operations and our current and future arrangements with healthcare professionals, principal investigators,
consultants, customers and third-party payors may subject us to various federal and state fraud and abuse laws and other healthcare laws,
including, without limitation, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the federal civil and criminal false claims laws and the law commonly
referred to as the Physician Payments Sunshine Act and regulations. These laws will impact, among other things, our clinical research,
as well as our proposed sales and marketing programs.
We
may be subject to health information privacy and security laws by the federal government, the states and other jurisdictions in which
we may conduct our business. In particular, we may be subject to regulations promulgated pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), which establishes privacy and security standards that limit the use and disclosure
of individually identifiable health information, known as “protected health information,” and requires the implementation
of administrative, physical and technological safeguards to protect the privacy of protected health information and ensure the confidentiality,
integrity and availability of electronic protected health information. We are directly subject to certain provisions of the regulations
as a “Business Associate” through our relationships with customers. We are also directly subject to the HIPAA privacy and
security regulations as a “Covered Entity” with respect to our operations as a healthcare clearinghouse, specialty pharmacy
and medical surgical supply business. If we are unable to properly protect the privacy and security of protected health information entrusted
to us, we could be found to have breached our contracts with our customers. Further, if we fail to comply with applicable HIPAA privacy
and security standards, we could face civil and criminal penalties. Although we have implemented and continue to maintain policies and
processes to assist us in complying with these regulations and our contractual obligations, we cannot provide assurances regarding how
these regulations will be interpreted, enforced or applied by the government and regulators to our operations. In addition to the risks
associated with enforcement activities and potential contractual liabilities, our ongoing efforts to comply with evolving laws and regulations
at the federal and state level might also require us to make costly system purchases /or modifications from time to time.
We
also may be subject to extensive, and frequently changing, local, state and federal laws and regulations relating to healthcare fraud,
waste and abuse. Local, state and federal governments continue to strengthen their position and scrutiny over practices involving fraud,
waste and abuse affecting Medicare, Medicaid and other government healthcare programs. Many of the regulations applicable to us, including
those relating to marketing incentives, are vague or indefinite and have not been interpreted by the courts. The regulations may be interpreted
or applied by a prosecutorial, regulatory, or judicial authority in a manner that could require us to make changes in our operations.
If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could become liable for damages and suffer civil and criminal penalties,
including the loss of licenses or our ability to participate in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal and state healthcare programs.
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In
addition, we may be subject to the operating and security standards of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FDA, various state boards
of pharmacy, state health departments, the HHS, the CMS, and other comparable agencies. We are also subject to certain state laws relating
to price gouging. Although we have enhanced our procedures to ensure compliance, a regulatory agency or tribunal may conclude that our
operations are not compliant with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, we may be unable to maintain or renew existing permits,
licenses or any other regulatory approvals or obtain without significant delay, future permits, licenses or other approvals needed for
the operation of our businesses. Any noncompliance by us with applicable laws and regulations or the failure to maintain, renew or obtain
necessary permits and licenses could lead to litigation and have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
Because
of the breadth of these laws and the limited statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors available, it is possible that some of
our business activities could be subject to challenge under one or more of such laws. Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements
with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. Any action against us
for violation of these laws, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert
our management’s attention from the operation of our business. The shifting compliance environment and the need to build and maintain
robust and expandable systems to comply with multiple jurisdictions with different compliance and/or reporting requirements increases
the possibility that a healthcare company may run afoul of one or more of the requirements.
If
our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be
subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, exclusion from participation
in government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, additional reporting requirements and oversight if we become
subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws and the curtailment
or restructuring of our operations.
We
may be unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates under applicable regulatory requirements. The denial or delay
of any such approval would delay commercialization of our product candidates and adversely impact our business and results of operations.
An NDA or other similar regulatory filing requesting approval to market a product candidate must include extensive
preclinical and clinical data and supporting information to establish that the product candidate is safe, effective, pure and potent
for each desired indication. The NDA or other similar regulatory filing must also include significant information regarding the chemistry,
manufacturing and controls for the product.
The
research, testing, manufacturing, labeling, approval, sale, marketing and distribution of pharmaceutical products are subject to extensive
regulation by the FDA and other regulatory authorities in the United States and other countries, and such regulations differ from country
to country. We are not permitted to market any product candidate in the United States or in any foreign countries until we receive the
requisite approval from the applicable regulatory authorities of such jurisdictions.
The
FDA or any foreign regulatory bodies can delay, limit or deny approval of a product candidate for many reasons, including:
●
our
inability to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA or the applicable foreign regulatory body that the product candidate is safe
and effective for the requested indication;
●
the
FDA’s or the applicable foreign regulatory agency’s disagreement with our trial protocol or the interpretation of data
from preclinical studies or clinical trials;
●
our
inability to demonstrate that the clinical and other benefits of a product candidate outweigh any safety or other perceived risks;
●
the
FDA’s or the applicable foreign regulatory agency’s requirement for additional preclinical studies or clinical trials;
●
the
FDA’s or the applicable foreign regulatory agency’s non-approval of the formulation, labeling or specifications of a
product candidate;
●
the
FDA’s or the applicable foreign regulatory agency’s failure to approve our manufacturing processes and facilities or
the facilities of third-party manufacturers upon which we rely; or
●
the
potential for approval policies or regulations of the FDA or the applicable foreign regulatory agencies to significantly change in
a manner rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval.
Of
the large number of pharmaceutical products in development, only a small percentage successfully complete the FDA or other regulatory
bodies’ approval processes and are commercialized.
Even
if we eventually complete clinical testing and receive approval from the FDA or applicable foreign agencies for our product candidates,
the FDA or the applicable foreign regulatory agency may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly additional clinical trials
which may be required after approval. The FDA or the applicable foreign regulatory agency also may approve a product candidate for a
more limited indication or a narrower patient population than we originally requested, and the FDA, or applicable foreign regulatory
agency, may not approve it with the labeling that we believe is necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization.
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Any
delay in obtaining, or inability to obtain, applicable regulatory approval would delay or prevent commercialization of our product candidates
and would materially adversely impact our business and prospects.
Even
if we obtain regulatory approval for any of our product candidates, we will be subject to ongoing regulatory requirements, which may
result in significant additional expenses. Additionally, our product candidates, if approved, could be subject to labeling and other
restrictions, and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or experience unanticipated problems
with our product candidates.
If
any of our product candidates are approved by the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority, they will be subject to extensive
and ongoing regulatory requirements for manufacturing, labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, sampling, record-keeping,
conduct of post-marketing studies, and submission of safety, efficacy, and other post-market information, including both federal and
state requirements in the United States and requirements of comparable foreign regulatory authorities. These requirements include submissions
of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, establishment registration and listing, as well as continued compliance with
cGMPs and GMPs for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. Any regulatory approvals that we receive for our product candidates
may also be subject to limitations on the approved indicated uses, including the duration of use, for which the product may be marketed
or to the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing studies, including Phase 4 clinical trials,
and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product. The FDA may also require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy
in order to approve our product candidates, which could entail requirements for a medication guide, physician communication plans or
additional elements to ensure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools.
Manufacturers
and manufacturers’ facilities are required to comply with extensive FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authority requirements,
including ensuring that quality control and manufacturing procedures conform to cGMP regulations and implementing tracking and tracing
requirements for certain prescription pharmaceutical products. As such, we and our contract manufacturers will be subject to continual
review and inspections to assess compliance with cGMPs and adherence to commitments made in any approved marketing application. Accordingly,
we and others with whom we work must continue to expend time, money, and effort in all areas of regulatory compliance, including manufacturing,
production, and quality control.
We
will have to comply with requirements concerning advertising and promotion for our product candidates. Promotional communications with
respect to prescription drugs are subject to a variety of legal and regulatory restrictions and must be consistent with the information
in the product’s approved label. As such, we may not promote any of our products for indications or uses for which they do not
have approval. However, companies may share truthful and not misleading information that is otherwise consistent with a product’s
FDA approved labeling. We also must submit new or supplemental applications and obtain approval for certain changes to the product labeling
or manufacturing processes for our products, if approved.
If
we discover previously unknown problems with any of our product candidates, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency,
or problems with the facility where they manufactured, or if the FDA disagrees with the promotion, marketing or labeling of our products,
the FDA may impose restrictions on us, including requiring withdrawal from the market. If we fail to comply with applicable regulatory
requirements, the FDA and other regulatory authorities may, among other things:
●
issue
warning letters or other regulatory enforcement action;
●
impose
injunctions, fines or civil or criminal penalties;
●
suspend
or withdraw regulatory approval;
●
suspend
any ongoing clinical studies;
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●
refuse
to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications;
●
require
revisions to the labeling, including limitations on approved uses or the addition of additional warnings, contraindications or other
safety information, including boxed warnings;
●
impose
a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, which may include distribution or use restrictions;
●
require
the conduct of an additional post-market clinical trial or trials to assess the safety of the product;
●
impose
restrictions on our operations, including closing our contract manufacturers’ facilities where regulatory inspections identify
observations of noncompliance requiring remediation; or
●
restrict
the marketing of the product, require a product recall, seizure or detention, or refuse to permit the import or export of the product.
Any
government action or investigation of alleged violations of law could require us to expend significant time and resources in response,
and could generate negative publicity. Any failure to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements may significantly and adversely affect
our ability to commercialize and generate revenue from our product candidates. If regulatory sanctions are applied or if regulatory approval
is withdrawn, our operating results will be adversely affected.
Moreover,
the policies of the FDA and of other regulatory authorities may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could
prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of our product candidates. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government
regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative or executive action, either in the United States or abroad. In addition,
if we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not
able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may be subject to enforcement action and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.
We
intend to use certain regulatory pathways to seek regulatory approval of several of our product candidates. If the FDA concludes that
our marketing applications no longer qualify for these regulatory pathways, then our applications may not be accepted by the FDA for
review and approval of our products may be delayed.
We
intend to seek FDA approval for certain product candidates through the Section 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. Section 505(b)(2) of the
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “FDCA”) was enacted as part of the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration
Act of 1984, (the “Hatch-Waxman Amendments”), and permits the submission of an NDA where at least some of the information
required for approval comes from preclinical studies or clinical trials not conducted by or for the applicant and for which the applicant
has not obtained a right of reference. The FDA interprets Section 505(b)(2) of the FDCA to permit the applicant to rely upon the FDA’s
previous findings of safety and efficacy for an approved product. The FDA requires submission of information needed to support any changes
to a previously approved drug, such as published data or new studies conducted by the applicant or clinical trials demonstrating safety
and efficacy. The FDA could require additional information to sufficiently demonstrate safety and efficacy to support approval. If the
FDA later determines our applications for any of our product candidates do not meet the requirements of Section 505(b)(2), or that additional
information is needed to support a marketing application for such candidates we are planning to develop under the Section 505(b)(2) pathway,
we could experience delays in submitting a marketing application or in obtaining marketing approval. Moreover, even if we obtain approval
for our product candidates under the Section 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway, the approval may be subject to limitations on the indicated
uses for which they may be marketed or to other conditions of approval, or may contain requirements for costly post-marketing testing
and surveillance to monitor the safety or efficacy of the products.
We
may seek priority review designation for our product candidates. We might not receive such designation, and even if we do, such designation
may not lead to faster regulatory review or approval.
If
the FDA determines that a product candidate offers a treatment for a serious condition and, if approved, the product would provide a
significant improvement in safety or effectiveness, the FDA may designate the product candidate for priority review. A priority review
designation means that the goal for the FDA to review an application is six months, rather than the standard review period of ten months.
We may request priority review for one or more of our product candidates. The FDA has broad discretion with respect to whether or not
to grant priority review status, so even if we believe a product candidate for such designation or status, the FDA may decide not to
grant it. Moreover, a priority review designation does not necessarily result in an expedited regulatory review or approval process or
necessarily confer any advantage with respect to approval compared to conventional FDA procedures. Receiving priority review from the
FDA does not guarantee approval within the six-month review cycle or at all.
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We
may seek orphan drug designation from the FDA for our product candidates. We may be unable to obtain such designation or, if obtained,
to maintain the benefits associated with orphan drug status, including the potential for non-patent market exclusivity.
We
may seek orphan drug designation for certain of our product candidates, but we may not be able to obtain such designation or maintain
the benefits associated with orphan drug designation (if obtained), including the potential for non-patent market exclusivity. Under
the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may designate a drug or biologic as an orphan drug if it is a product intended to treat a rare disease or
condition, which is generally defined as a patient population of fewer than 200,000 individuals annually in the United States, or a patient
population of 200,000 or more in the United States where there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing the product will
be recovered from sales in the United States. In the United States, orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives
such as opportunities for grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax advantages and user-fee waivers.
Generally,
if a product with an orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first regulatory approval for the indication for which it has
such designation, the product is entitled to a period of marketing exclusivity, which precludes the FDA from approving another marketing
application for the same product and indication for that time period, except in limited circumstances. Any competitor developing the
same product in the same indication with orphan drug designation may block our ability to obtain orphan drug exclusivity in the future
if the competitor receives marketing approval before we do. The applicable exclusivity period is seven years in the United States.
Even
if we obtain orphan drug exclusivity, that exclusivity may not effectively protect our product from competition because different products
can be approved for the same condition. Even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA can subsequently approve the same product for
the same condition if the FDA concludes that the later product is clinically superior in that it is shown to be safer, more effective
or makes a major contribution to patient care. In addition, a designated orphan drug may not receive orphan drug exclusivity if it is
approved for a use that is broader than the indication for which it received orphan designation. Moreover, orphan drug exclusive marketing
rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the
manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantity of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition
or if another product with the same active moiety is determined to be safer, more effective, or represents a major contribution to patient
care. Orphan drug designation neither shortens the development time or regulatory review time of a product nor gives the product any
advantage in the regulatory review or approval process.
If
regulatory authorities approve generic versions of our products, or do not grant our products a sufficient period of market exclusivity
before approving a generic version, our ability to generate revenue may be adversely affected.
Once
an NDA is approved, including under the 505(b)(2) pathway, the product covered thereby becomes a “reference listed drug”
in the FDA’s publication, “Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations,” commonly known as the
Orange Book. Manufacturers may seek approval of generic versions of reference listed drugs through submission of Abbreviated New Drug
Applications and may obtain therapeutical equivalence evaluations for 505(b)(2) pathway drugs under the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform
Act’s expanded authorities, in the United States. In support of an Abbreviated New Drug Application, a generic manufacturer need
not conduct clinical trials to assess safety and efficacy. Rather, the applicant generally must show that its product has the same active
ingredient(s), dosage form, strength, route of administration and conditions of use or labelling as the reference listed drug and that
the generic version is bioequivalent to the reference listed drug, meaning it is absorbed in the body at the same rate and to the same
extent. Generic products may be significantly less costly to bring to market than the reference listed drug and companies that produce
generic products are generally able to offer them at lower prices. Thus, following the introduction of a generic drug, a significant
percentage of the sales of any branded product or reference listed drug is typically lost to the generic product.
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Generic
drug manufacturers may seek to launch generic products following the expiration of any applicable exclusivity period we obtain if any
of our products is approved, even if we still have patent protection. In particular, competition that our lead candidate, SCN-102, could
face from generic versions could materially and adversely affect our future revenue, profitability, and cash flows and substantially
limit our ability to obtain a return on the investments we have made in SCN-102.
Even
if we obtain FDA approval for a product candidate in the United States, we may never obtain approval for or successfully commercialize
that candidate outside of the United States, which would limit our ability to realize a product’s full market potential.
In
order to market a candidate outside of the United States, we must obtain marketing authorizations and comply with numerous and varying
regulatory requirements of other countries regarding quality, safety and efficacy. Clinical trials conducted in one country may not be
accepted by foreign regulatory authorities, and regulatory approval in one country does not mean that regulatory approval will be obtained
in any other country. Approval processes vary among countries and can involve additional product testing and validation and additional
administrative review periods. Seeking foreign regulatory approval could result in difficulties and costs for us and require additional
non-clinical studies or clinical trials, which could be costly and time consuming. Regulatory requirements can vary widely from country
to country and could delay or prevent the introduction of our product candidates in those countries. We do not have experience in obtaining
regulatory approval in international markets. If we fail to comply with regulatory requirements in international markets or to obtain
and maintain required approvals, or if regulatory approval in international markets is delayed, our target market for our product candidates
will be reduced and we would not be able to realize the full market potential of our product candidates.
Even
if we are able to commercialize any of our product candidates, the third-party payor coverage and reimbursement status of newly-approved
products are uncertain. Failure to obtain or maintain adequate coverage and reimbursement for our product candidates could limit our
ability to market those products and decrease our ability to generate revenue.
The
availability and adequacy of coverage and reimbursement by governmental healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, private health
insurers and other third-party payors in the United States are essential for most patients to be able to afford treatments such as our
products or product candidates, if approved. Our ability to achieve acceptable levels of coverage and reimbursement for drug treatments
by governmental authorities, private health insurers and other organizations will have an effect on our ability to successfully commercialize
our products, and potentially attract additional collaboration partners to invest in the development of our product candidates. We cannot
be sure that adequate coverage and reimbursement in the United States, the EU or elsewhere will be available for our products or any
products that we may develop, and any reimbursement that may become available may be decreased or eliminated in the future.
There
is significant uncertainty related to the insurance coverage and reimbursement of newly approved products. In the United States, third-party
payors, including private and governmental payors, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs, play an important role in determining
the extent to which new drugs, biologics and medical devices will be covered. The Medicare and Medicaid programs increasingly are used
as models for how private payors and other governmental payors develop their coverage and reimbursement policies for drugs, biologics
and medical devices. It is difficult to predict at this time what third-party payors will decide with respect to the coverage and reimbursement
for our products or product candidates.
Moreover,
increasing efforts by governmental and third-party payors in the United States and abroad to cap or reduce healthcare costs may cause
such organizations to limit both coverage and the level of reimbursement for new products approved and, as a result, they may not cover
or provide adequate payment for our products or product candidates. We expect to experience pricing pressures in connection with the
sale of our products and product candidates due to the trend toward managed healthcare, the increasing influence of health maintenance
organizations, and additional legislative changes. The downward pressure on healthcare costs in general, particularly prescription drugs,
medical devices and surgical procedures and other treatments, has become very intense. As a result, increasingly high barriers are being
erected to the entry of new products.
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We
are developing a drug-device combination product, which may result in additional regulatory risks.
Our
SCN-104 injection pen will be regulated as a drug-device combination product. We currently plan to develop this product as a combination
of a small molecule drug product administered using a disposable, multiple fixed dose injection pen. There may be additional regulatory
risks for drug-device combination products. We may experience delays in obtaining regulatory approval of SN-104 given the increased complexity
of the review process when approval of the product and a delivery device is sought under a single marketing application. In the United
States, each component of a combination product is subject to the requirements established by the FDA for that type of component, whether
a drug, biologic or device. The delivery device will be subject to FDA design control device requirements which comprise among other
things, design verification, design validation (including human factors testing), and testing to assess performance, cleaning, and robustness.
Delays in or failure of the studies conducted by us, or failure of us, our collaborators, if any, or our third-party providers or suppliers
to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements could result in increased development costs, delays in or failure to obtain regulatory
approval, and associated delays in SCN-104 reaching the market.
Our
third party collaborators and service providers are, or may become, subject to a variety of stringent and evolving privacy and data security
laws, regulations, and rules, contractual obligations, industry standards, policies and other obligations related to privacy and data
security. Any actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could expose us to significant fines or other penalties and
otherwise harm our business and operations.
In
the ordinary course of our business, we and the third parties upon which we rely (such as our third party CROs and other contractors
and consultants) collect, receive, store, process, generate, use, transfer, disclose, make accessible, protect, secure, dispose of, transmit,
and share personal data and other sensitive information, including proprietary and confidential business data, trade secrets, intellectual
property, sensitive third-party data, business plans, transactions, financial information and data we collect about trial participants
in connection with clinical trials. Our data processing activities subject us to numerous evolving privacy and data security obligations,
such as various laws, regulations, guidance, industry standards, external and internal privacy and security policies, contractual requirements,
and other obligations relating to privacy and data security.
The
legislative and regulatory framework for the processing of personal data worldwide is rapidly evolving and is likely to remain uncertain
for the foreseeable future. In the United States, numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations, including federal health information
privacy laws, state information security and data breach notification laws, federal and state consumer protection laws (e.g., Section
5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act), and other similar laws (e.g., wiretapping laws) govern the processing of health-related and other
personal data.
At
the state level, numerous U.S. states—including California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut and Utah—have enacted comprehensive
privacy laws that impose certain obligations on covered businesses, including providing specific disclosures in privacy notices and affording
individuals certain rights concerning their personal data. Similar laws are being considered in several other states, as well as at the
federal and local levels, and we expect more states to pass similar laws in the future. While these states exempt some data processed
in the context of clinical trials, these developments may further complicate compliance efforts, and increase legal risk and compliance
costs for us and the third parties upon whom we rely.
Additionally,
we may be subject to new laws governing the privacy of consumer health data. For example, Washington’s My Health My Data Act broadly
defines consumer health data, creates a private right of action to allow individuals to sue for violations of the law, imposes stringent
consent requirements and grants consumers certain rights with respect to their health data, including to request deletion of their information.
Connecticut and Nevada have also passed similar laws regulating consumer health data. These various privacy and data security laws may
impact our business activities, including our identification of research subjects, relationships with business partners and ultimately
the marketing and distribution of our products.
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Outside
the United States, an increasing number of laws, regulations, and industry standards may govern privacy and data security. For example,
the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation and the United Kingdom’s GDPR (collectively, “GDPR”)
impose strict requirements for processing personal data.
GDPR
establishes stringent requirements regarding the processing of personal data, including (i) strict requirements relating to processing
of sensitive data (such as health data), ensuring there is a legal basis or condition to justify the processing of personal data, where
required, (ii) strict requirements relating to obtaining consent of individuals, (iii) expanded disclosures about how personal data is
to be used, (iv) limitations on retention of information, (v) implementing safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of
personal data, where required, (vi) providing notification of data breaches, (v) maintaining records of processing activities, and (vii)
documenting data protection impact assessments where there is high risk processing and taking certain measures when engaging third-party
processors.
Under
GDPR, companies may face temporary or definitive bans on data processing and other corrective activities, fines, and private litigation
related to processing of personal data brought by classes of data subjects or consumer protection organizations authorized at law to
represent their interests. Non-compliance could also result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results
of operations.
In
addition, we may be unable to transfer personal data from Europe and other jurisdictions to the United States or other countries due
to data localization requirements or limitations on cross-border data flows. Europe and other jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring
data to be localized or limiting the transfer of personal data to other countries. In particular, the European Economic Area (“EEA”)
and the United Kingdom (“UK”) have significantly restricted the transfer of personal data to the United States and other
countries whose privacy laws it generally believes are inadequate. Other jurisdictions may adopt similarly stringent interpretations
of their data localization and cross-border data transfer laws. Although there are currently various mechanisms that may be used to transfer
personal data from the EEA and UK to the United States in compliance with law, such as the EEA’s standard contractual clauses,
the UK’s International Data Transfer Agreement/Addendum, and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and the UK extension thereto (which
allows for transfers to relevant U.S.-based organizations who self-certify compliance and participate in the framework), these mechanisms
are subject to legal challenges, and there is no assurance that we can satisfy or rely on these measures to lawfully transfer personal
data to the United States. If there is no lawful manner for us to transfer personal data from the EEA, the UK, or other jurisdictions
to the United States, or if the requirements for a legally-compliant transfer are too onerous, we could face significant adverse consequences,
including the interruption or degradation of our operations, the need to relocate part of or all of our business or data processing activities
to other jurisdictions (such as Europe) at significant expense, increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and penalties,
the inability to transfer data and work with partners, vendors and other third parties, and injunctions against our processing or transferring
of personal data necessary to operate our business. Additionally, companies that transfer personal data out of the EEA and UK to other
jurisdictions, particularly to the United States, are subject to increased scrutiny from regulators, individual litigants, and activities
activist groups. Some European regulators have ordered certain companies to suspend or permanently cease certain transfers of personal
data out of Europe for allegedly violating the GDPR’s cross-border data transfer limitations.
In
addition to privacy and data security laws, we are contractually subject to industry standards adopted by industry groups and may become
subject to such obligations in the future. We are also bound by other contractual obligations related to privacy and data security, and
our efforts to comply with such obligations may not be successful.
We
may publish privacy policies, marketing materials, and other statements, such as compliance with certain certifications or self-regulatory
principles, regarding privacy and data security. If these policies, materials or statements are found to be deficient, lacking in transparency,
deceptive, unfair, or misrepresentative of our practices, we may be subject to investigation, enforcement actions by regulators, or other
adverse consequences.
Obligations
related to privacy and data security (and consumers’ data privacy expectations) are quickly changing, becoming increasingly stringent,
and creating uncertainty. Additionally, these obligations may be subject to differing applications and interpretations, which may be
inconsistent or conflict among jurisdictions. Preparing for and complying with these obligations requires us to devote significant resources
and may necessitate changes to our services, information technologies, systems, and practices and to those of any third parties that
process personal data on our behalf.
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We
may at times fail (or be perceived to have failed) in our efforts to comply with our privacy and data security obligations. Moreover,
despite our efforts, our personnel or third parties on whom we rely may fail to comply with such obligations, which could negatively
impact our business operations. If we or the third parties on which we rely fail, or are perceived to have failed, to address or comply
with applicable privacy and data security obligations, we could face significant consequences, including but not limited to: government
enforcement actions (e.g., investigations, fines, penalties, audits, inspections, and similar); litigation (including class-action claims)
and mass arbitration demands; additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; bans on processing personal data; and orders to destroy
or not use personal data. In particular, plaintiffs have become increasingly more active in bringing privacy-related claims against companies,
including class claims and mass arbitration demands. Some of these claims allow for the recovery of statutory damages on a per violation
basis, and, if viable, carry the potential for monumental statutory damages, depending on the volume of data and the number of violations.
Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, or financial condition, including but not limited
to: loss of customers; interruptions or stoppages in our business operations (including, as relevant, clinical trials); inability to
process personal data or to operate in certain jurisdictions; limited ability to develop or commercialize our products; expenditure of
time and resources to defend any claim or inquiry; adverse publicity; or substantial changes to our business model or operations.
The
FDA and other regulatory agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses.
If
we obtain approval of any of our product candidates and we are found to have improperly promoted off-label uses of such products, we
may become subject to significant liability. The FDA and other regulatory agencies strictly regulate the promotional claims that may
be made about prescription products, if approved. In particular, while the FDA permits the dissemination of truthful and non-misleading
information about an approved product, a manufacturer may not promote a product for uses that are not approved by the FDA or such other
regulatory agencies as reflected in the product’s approved labeling. If we are found to have promoted such off-label uses, we may
become subject to significant liability. The federal government has levied large civil and criminal fines against companies for alleged
improper promotion of off-label use and has enjoined several companies from engaging in off-label promotion. The government has also
imposed consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements or permanent injunctions under which specified promotional conduct must be changed
or curtailed. If we cannot successfully manage the promotion of our product candidates, if approved, we could become subject to significant
liability, which would materially adversely affect our business and financial condition.
Healthcare
legislative reform measures may have a negative impact on our business and results of operations.
In
the United States and some foreign jurisdictions, there have been, and continue to be, several legislative and regulatory changes and
proposed changes regarding the healthcare system that could prevent or delay marketing approval of product candidates, restrict or regulate
post-approval activities, and affect our ability to profitably sell any product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval.
Among
policy makers and payors in the United States and elsewhere, there is significant interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems
with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality and/or expanding access. In the United States, the pharmaceutical
industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by major legislative initiatives. In 2010,
the ACA was passed, which substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both the government and private insurers, and significantly
impacts the U.S. pharmaceutical industry.
There
are continued efforts to challenge the ACA. There are also efforts to broaden healthcare coverage. U.S. lawmakers also have explored
proposals to reduce drug prices, including requiring price transparency and drug importation measures. These proposals might result in
significant changes in the pharmaceutical value chain as manufacturers, pharmacy benefits managers (“PBMs”, managed care
organizations and other industry stakeholders look to implement new transactional flows and adapt their business models. PBMs are third-party
administrator of prescription drug programs for commercial health plans, self-insured employer plans, Medicare Part D plans (prescription
drug plans), the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and state government employee plans
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Provincial
governments in Canada that provide partial funding for the purchase of pharmaceuticals and independently regulate the sale and reimbursement
of drugs have sought to reduce the costs of publicly funded health programs. For example, provincial governments have taken steps to
reduce consumer prices for generic pharmaceuticals and, in some provinces, change professional allowances paid to pharmacists by generic
manufacturers.
Many
European governments provide or subsidize healthcare to consumers and regulate pharmaceutical prices, patient eligibility and reimbursement
levels in order to control government healthcare system costs. Some European governments have implemented or are considering austerity
measures to reduce healthcare spending. These measures exert pressure on the pricing and reimbursement timelines for pharmaceuticals
and may cause our customers to purchase fewer of our products and services or influence us to reduce prices.
The
continuing efforts of the government, insurance companies, managed care organizations and other payers of healthcare services to contain
or reduce costs of healthcare may adversely affect:
●
the
demand for any of our product candidates, if approved;
●
the
ability to set a price that we believe is fair for any of our product candidates, if approved;
●
our
ability to generate revenues and achieve or maintain profitability;
●
the
level of taxes that we are required to pay; and
●
the
availability of capital.
Legislative
and regulatory proposals have been made to expand post-approval requirements and restrict sales and promotional activities for pharmaceutical
and biologic products. In addition, there has been increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect
to specialty drug pricing practices. Specifically, there have been several recent U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted
federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce the cost of prescription
drugs under Medicare, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement
methodologies for drugs.
We
cannot be sure whether additional legislative changes will be enacted, or whether FDA regulations, guidance or interpretations will be
changed, or what the impact of such changes on the marketing approvals of our product candidates, if any, may be. In addition, increased
scrutiny by Congress of the FDA’s approval process may significantly delay or prevent marketing approval, as well as subject us
to more stringent product labeling and post-marketing testing and other requirements.
We
cannot predict what healthcare reform initiatives may be adopted in the future. We expect that these and other healthcare reform measures
that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and additional downward pressure on the price that we
receive for any approved drug. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction
in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being
able to generate revenue, attain profitability, or commercialize our drugs.
Inadequate
funding for the FDA and other government agencies, including from government shutdowns, or other disruptions to these agencies’
operations, could hinder such agencies’ ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, prevent new products and
services from being developed or commercialized in a timely manner or otherwise prevent those agencies from performing normal business
functions on which the operation of our business may rely.
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The
ability of the FDA to review and approve new products can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding
levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, and statutory, regulatory and policy changes. Average
review times at the agency have fluctuated in recent years as a result. Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time
necessary for new product candidates to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our
business. In addition, government funding of the SEC and other government agencies on which our operations may rely, including those
that fund research and development activities, is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.
Disruptions
at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new product candidates to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary
government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, over the last several years the United States government
has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA and the SEC, have had to furlough critical FDA, SEC and
other government employees and stop critical activities. If a prolonged government shutdown occurs, it could significantly impact the
ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Further, future government shutdowns could impact our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital in order to properly
capitalize and continue our operations.
Risks
Related to Our Technology and Intellectual Property
We
may not be able to protect our intellectual property and trade secret rights throughout the world. If our efforts to protect our intellectual
property rights are inadequate, we may not be able to compete effectively in our market.
We
may not be able to pursue patent coverage of our product candidates in certain countries outside of the United States. Filing, prosecuting
and defending patents on product candidates in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual
property rights in some countries outside the United States may be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws
of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States.
The breadth and strength of our or our licensors’ patents issued in foreign jurisdictions or regions may not be the same as the
corresponding patents issued in the United States. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our or our
licensors’ inventions in all countries outside the United States, or from selling or importing products made using our or our licensors’
inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have
not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and further, may export otherwise infringing products to certain territories
where we have patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with our product
candidates and our patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.
In
addition to seeking patents for some of our product candidates, we also rely on trade secrets, including unpatented know-how, technology,
and other proprietary information, to maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect these trade secrets, in part, by entering
into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to them, such as employees, corporate collaborators,
outside scientific collaborators, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors, and other third parties. We also enter into confidentiality
and invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and consultants. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach
the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies
for such breaches. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive, and
time consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. If we are unable to prevent unauthorized material disclosure of our intellectual property
to third parties, we may not be able to establish or maintain a competitive advantage in the market, which could materially adversely
affect our business, operating results and financial condition. If we choose to go to court to stop a third party from using any of our
trade secrets, we may incur substantial costs. These lawsuits may consume our time and other resources even if successful. In addition,
some courts inside and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. As a result, we may encounter
significant problems in protecting and defending our intellectual property both in the United States and abroad. If any of our trade
secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor, we would have no right to prevent them from using that
technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor,
our competitive position would be harmed.
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Many
companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The
legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets
and other intellectual property protections, particularly those relating to biotechnology and biopharmaceutical products. This difficulty
with enforcing patents could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our or our licensors’ patents or marketing of
competing products otherwise generally in violation of our proprietary rights. Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions
could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our or our licensors’
patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly, put our or our licensors’ patent applications at risk of not issuing
and could 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 meaningful. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights around
the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we develop or license.
We
depend on in-licensed intellectual property. If we fail to comply with our obligations under intellectual property licenses with third
parties, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.
Scienture
LLC is a party to the Innocore License, an exclusive and royalty-bearing intellectual property license agreement.
In connection with our efforts to expand our pipeline of product candidates, we expect to enter into additional license agreements in
the future. We expect that any future license agreements we may enter into may impose various diligence, milestone payment, royalty,
insurance, and other obligations on us. If we fail to comply with these obligations, our licensors may have the right to terminate the
relevant agreement, in which event we would not be able to develop or market the products covered by such licensed intellectual property,
or to pursue other remedies.
We
may not be able to obtain licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, or at all. Furthermore, if we lose intellectual property
rights licensed under existing agreements or fail to obtain future licenses, we may be required to expend considerable time and resources
to develop or license replacement technology. If we are unable to do so, we may be unable to develop or commercialize the affected proprietary
technologies and product candidates, which could harm our business significantly.
If
we or our licensors are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for our product candidates, or if the scope of the patent protection
obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialize products similar or identical to our product candidates,
and our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates may be adversely affected. Furthermore, we do not intend to seek
patent protection for one of our products, SCN-106.
Our
success depends in large part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent protection in the United States and other countries with respect
to our product candidates, their respective components, formulations, combination therapies, methods used to manufacture them and methods
of treatment that are important to our business. If we or our licensors does not adequately protect our or our licensors’ intellectual
property rights, competitors may be able to erode or negate any competitive advantage we may have, which could harm our business and
ability to achieve profitability. We and our licensors seek to protect our proprietary position by filing patent applications in the
United States and abroad related to our product candidates that are important to our business. We may in the future also license or purchase
patent applications filed by others. If we or our licensors are unable to secure or maintain patent protection with respect to our product
candidates and any proprietary product candidates and technology we develop, our business, financial condition, results of operations,
and prospects could be materially harmed.
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If
the scope of the patent protection we or our licensors obtain is not sufficiently broad, we may not be able to prevent others from developing
and commercializing products and technology similar or identical to our product candidates or otherwise maintain a competitive advantage.
The degree of patent protection we require to successfully compete in the marketplace may be unavailable or severely limited in some
cases and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep any competitive advantage. We cannot provide any assurances
that any of our or our licensors’ patents have, or that any of our or our licensors’ pending patent applications that mature
into issued patents will include, claims with a scope sufficient to protect our product candidates or otherwise provide any competitive
advantage. In addition, to the extent that we license intellectual property, we cannot make assurances that those licenses will remain
in force.
Even
if our owned and licensed patent applications issue as patents, they may not issue in a form that will provide us with any meaningful
protection, prevent competitors from competing with us, or otherwise provide us with any competitive advantage. The scope of the invention
claimed in a patent application can be significantly reduced before the patent is issued, and this scope can be reinterpreted after issuance.
Any patents that eventually issue may be challenged, narrowed or invalidated by third parties. Consequently, we do not know whether any
of our product candidates will be protectable or remain protected by valid and enforceable patent rights. Our competitors or other third
parties may be able to circumvent our owned or licensed patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a non-infringing
manner.
The
patent prosecution process is expensive and time consuming, and we may not be able to file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent
applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. In addition, we may not pursue or obtain patent protection in all relevant markets.
It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output before it is too late to
obtain patent protection. Moreover, in some circumstances, we do not have the right to control the preparation, filing and prosecution
of patent applications, or to maintain the patents, covering product candidates that we license from third parties and are reliant on
our licensors. Therefore, we cannot be certain that these patents and applications will be prosecuted and enforced in a manner consistent
with the best interests of our business. If such licensors fail to maintain such patents, or lose rights to those patents, the rights
we have licensed may be reduced or eliminated.
Furthermore,
patents have a limited lifespan. In the United States, the natural expiration of a patent is generally 20 years after it is filed. Various
extensions may be available; however, the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. Publications of discoveries in
the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions
are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases, at all. Therefore, we cannot be certain that we or our licensors
were the first to make the inventions claimed in our owned or licensed patents or pending patent applications, or that we or our licensors
were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions.
The
patent position of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies generally is highly uncertain, involves complex legal and factual questions,
and has in recent years been the subject of much litigation. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability, and commercial
value of our and our licensors’ patent rights are highly uncertain. Our and our licensors’ pending and future patent applications
may not result in patents being issued which protect our product candidates or which effectively prevent others from commercializing
competitive products.
The
issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity, or enforceability, and our owned and licensed patents
may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad. There may be prior art of which we are not aware that
may affect the validity or enforceability of a patent claim. There also may be prior art of which we are aware, but which we do not believe
affects the validity or enforceability of a claim, which may, nonetheless, ultimately be found to affect the validity or enforceability
of a claim. We or our licensors may in the future, become subject to a third-party pre-issuance submission of prior art, opposition,
derivation, revocation, re-examination, post-grant and inter partes review, or interference proceeding and other similar proceedings
challenging our patent rights or the patent rights of others in the USPTO or other foreign patent office. Such challenges may result
in loss of exclusivity or freedom to operate or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated, or held unenforceable, which could limit
our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical products, or limit the duration of the patent protection
of our product candidates.
Furthermore,
given the amount of time required for the development, testing, and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such
candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our owned and licensed patent portfolio
may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to our product candidates.
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In
addition, we rely on certain of our licensors to prosecute patent applications and maintain patents and otherwise protect the intellectual
property we license from them and may continue to do so in the future. We have limited control over these activities or any other intellectual
property that may be related to our in-licensed intellectual property. For example, we cannot be certain that such activities by these
licensors have been or will be conducted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or will result in valid and enforceable patents
and other intellectual property rights. We have limited control over the manner in which our licensors initiate an infringement proceeding
against a third-party infringer of the intellectual property rights or defend certain of the intellectual property that is licensed to
us. It is possible that any licensors’ infringement proceeding or defense activities may be less vigorous than had we conducted
them.
Moreover,
some of our owned and in-licensed patents and patent applications may in the future be co-owned with third parties. If we are unable
to obtain an exclusive license to any such third-party co-owners’ interest in such patents or patent applications, such co-owners
may be able to license their rights to other third parties, including our competitors, and our competitors could market competing products
and technology. In addition, we or our licensors may need the cooperation of any such co-owners of our owned and in-licensed patents
in order to enforce such patents against third parties, and such cooperation may not be provided to us or our licensors. Any of the foregoing
could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, business, financial conditions, results of operations and prospects.
Notwithstanding
the importance of obtaining and maintaining patent protection for our products, we are not pursuing, and do not intend in the future
to pursue, patent protection for one of our products, SCN-106. SCN-106 is a potential biosimilar product. Developing and commercializing
a biosimilar product is time consuming, costly, and subject to numerous factors that may delay or prevent such development and commercialization.
The biosimilar markets in which we compete are undergoing and are expected to continue to undergo, rapid and significant change. We expect
competition to intensify as technology advances and consolidation continues. New developments by other manufacturers and distributors
could render our products uncompetitive or obsolete.
The
Company did not maintain a fully integrated financial consolidation and reporting system throughout the period and as a result, extensive
manual analysis, reconciliation and adjustments were required in order to produce financial statements for external reporting purposes.
does not currently have a sufficient complement of technical accounting and external reporting personnel commensurate to support standalone
external financial reporting under public company or SEC requirements. Specifically, the Company did not effectively segregate certain
accounting duties due to the small size of its accounting staff and maintain a sufficient number of adequately trained personnel necessary
to anticipate and identify risks critical to financial reporting and the closing process. In addition, there were inadequate reviews
and approvals by the Company’s personnel of certain reconciliations and other processes in day-to-day operations due to the lack
of a full complement of accounting staff.
Even
if we are able to obtain regulatory approvals for SCN-106, the commercial success of SCN-106 is dependent upon market acceptance. Levels
of market acceptance for our product could be affected by several factors, including:
a. internal
control over financial reporting a. the availability of alternative products from our competitors;
b.
the prices of our products relative to those of our competitors;
c.
the timing of our market entry;
d.
the ability to market our products effectively at the institutional level;
e.
the perception of patients and the healthcare community, including third-party payers, regarding the safety, efficacy and benefits of
our drug products compared to those of competing products; and
f.
the acceptance of our products by government and private formularies.
Some
of these factors will not be in our control, and SCN-106 may not achieve expected levels of market acceptance. Many of our competitors
in the biosimilar space have longer operating histories and greater financial, research and development, marketing, and other resources
than we do. Consequently, some of our competitors may be able to develop biosimilar products and/or processes competitive with, or superior
to, our products and/or processes and can enter the market prior to or after we launch the product. Furthermore, we may not be able to
offer customers payment and other commercial terms as favorable as those offered by our competitors. Such actions have the potential
to significantly reduce the potential market share and profitability of SCN-106.
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Obtaining
and maintaining patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements
imposed by governmental patent agencies. Our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
We
cannot be certain that an allowed patent application will become an issued patent because there may be events that cause withdrawal of
the allowance of a patent application. For example, after a patent application has been allowed, but prior to being issued, material
that could be relevant to patentability may be identified. In such circumstances, the applicant may pull the application from allowance
in order for the USPTO to review the application in view of the new material. We cannot be certain that the USPTO will issue the application
in view of the new material. Periodic maintenance fees on any issued patent are due to be paid to the USPTO and foreign countries may
require the payment of maintenance fees or patent annuities during the lifetime of a patent application and/or any subsequent patent
that issues from the application. The USPTO and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural,
documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process and following the issuance of a patent. While
an inadvertent lapse can in many cases be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules, there
are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application. Such noncompliance can
result in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. Noncompliance events that could result in abandonment
or lapse of a patent or patent application include, but are not limited to, failure to respond to official actions within prescribed
time limits, non-payment of fees and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. Such an event could have a material adverse
effect on our business.
Issued
patents covering our product candidates could be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged in court or the USPTO.
If
we or one of our licensing partners initiates legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent covering our product candidates,
the defendant could counterclaim that the patent covering our product candidates, as applicable, is invalid and/or unenforceable. In
patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability are commonplace, and there
are various grounds upon which a third party can assert invalidity or unenforceability of a patent. Third parties may also raise similar
claims before administrative bodies in the United States or abroad, even outside the context of litigation. Such mechanisms include re-examination,
inter partes review, post grant review and equivalent proceedings in foreign jurisdictions (such as opposition proceedings). Such
proceedings could result in revocation or amendment to our or our licensors’ patents in such a way that they no longer cover our
product candidates. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to the validity
question, for example, we cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art, of which we, our patent counsel, our licensors and
the patent examiner were unaware during prosecution. If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity and/or unenforceability,
or if we are otherwise unable to adequately protect our or our licensors’ rights, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all,
of the patent protection on our product candidates. Such a loss of patent protection could have a material adverse impact on our business
and our ability to commercialize or license our technology and product candidates.
Changes
to patent law in the United States and in foreign jurisdictions could diminish the value of our patents in general, thereby impairing
our ability to protect our product candidates.
As
is the case with other biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies, our success is heavily dependent on intellectual property, particularly
patents. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industry involves both technological and legal complexity,
and is therefore costly, time-consuming and inherently uncertain. Patent reform legislation in the U.S. and other countries could increase
those uncertainties and costs. Passed in 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (the “Leahy-Smith Act”) made a number
of significant changes to U.S. patent law, including provisions affecting the way patent applications are prosecuted, redefining prior
art and providing more efficient and cost-effective avenues for competitors to challenge the validity of patents. In addition, the Leahy-Smith
Act transformed the U.S. patent system into a “first-to-file” system, effective on March 16, 2013 and has impacted our business
by making it more difficult to obtain patent protection for our inventions and increasing the uncertainties and costs surrounding the
prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents.
Moreover,
recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have narrowed the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances and weakened the rights
of patent owners in certain situations. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our or our licensors’ ability to obtain
patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents, once obtained. Depending
on decisions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts, and the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable
ways that would weaken our or our licensors’ ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our or our licensors’ existing patents
and patents that we or our licensors might obtain in the future. We cannot predict how future decisions by the courts, Congress or the
USPTO may impact the value of our or our licensors’ patents. Similarly, any adverse changes in the patent laws of other jurisdictions
could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. Changes in the laws and regulations governing patents in
other jurisdictions could similarly have an adverse effect on our ability to obtain and effectively enforce our patent rights.
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If
we do not obtain patent term extension for our current product candidates, our business may be materially harmed.
Depending
upon the timing, duration and specifics of any FDA marketing approval of our current product candidates, one or more of our or our licensors’
U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit
a patent extension term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during the FDA regulatory review process. A patent term
extension cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval, only one patent
may be extended and only those claims covering the approved drug, a method for using it, or a method for manufacturing it may be extended.
However, we may not be granted an extension because of, for example, failing to exercise due diligence during the testing phase or regulatory
review process, failing to apply for a patent extension within applicable deadlines, failing to apply prior to expiration of relevant
patents, or otherwise failing to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the applicable time period or the scope of patent protection
afforded could be less than we request. If we are unable to obtain patent term extension or the term of any such extension is less than
we believe we are entitled to, our competitors may obtain approval of competing products sooner than we would expect, and our business,
financial condition, results of operations, and prospects could be materially harmed.
We
may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, which could be distracting, expensive, time consuming,
and unsuccessful.
Competitors
may infringe our patents or the patents of our licensors. To counter infringement or unauthorized use, we may be required to file infringement
claims, which can be expensive and time consuming. In addition, in an infringement proceeding, a court may decide that our patents or
our licensors’ patents are invalid or unenforceable, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on
the grounds that the patents do not cover the technology in question. An adverse result in any litigation proceeding could put one or
more of our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and could put our patent applications at risk of not issuing.
Defense against these assertions, non-infringement, invalidity or unenforceability regardless of their merit, would involve substantial
litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of
infringement against us, we may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees for willful infringement,
obtain one or more licenses from third parties, pay royalties or redesign our infringing products, which may be impossible or require
substantial time and monetary expenditure.
Post-grant
proceedings provoked by third parties or brought by the USPTO may be brought to determine the validity or priority of inventions with
respect to our patents or patent applications or those of our licensors. An unfavorable outcome could result in a loss of our current
patent rights and could require us to cease using the related technology or require us to obtain license rights from the prevailing party.
Our business could be harmed if the prevailing party does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms. Litigation or post-grant
proceedings may result in a decision adverse to our interests and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our
management, employees, and contractors. We may not be able to prevent, alone or with our licensors, misappropriation of our trade secrets
or confidential information, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect those rights as fully as those within the United
States.
Furthermore,
because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some
of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation. In addition, our licensors may have
rights to file and prosecute such claims, and we are reliant on them.
We
may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our intellectual property or asserting that we violated intellectual
property rights of others, the outcome of which would be uncertain. These claims could be extremely costly to defend, could require us
to pay significant damages and limit our ability to operate, and could distract our personnel from normal responsibilities.
Our
commercial success depends upon our ability and the ability of our collaborators to commercialize, develop, manufacture, market, and
sell our product candidates without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. We have yet to conduct comprehensive freedom
to operate searches to determine whether we would infringe patents issued to third parties. We may become party to, or threatened with,
future adversarial proceedings or litigation regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our product candidates, including
interference proceedings before the USPTO. Third parties may assert infringement claims against us based on existing patents or patents
that may be granted in the future. If we are found to infringe a third party’s intellectual property rights, we could be required
to obtain a license from such third party to continue developing and marketing its product candidates. However, we may not be able to
obtain any required license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Even if we were able to obtain a license, it could be non-exclusive,
thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. We could be forced, including by court order, to cease
commercializing the infringing product. In addition, we could be found liable for monetary damages. A finding of infringement could prevent
us from commercializing our product candidates or force us to cease some of our business operations, which could materially harm our
business. Claims that we have misappropriated the confidential information or trade secrets of third parties could have a similar negative
impact on our business.
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If
a third party alleges that we infringe its intellectual property rights, we may face a number of issues, including, but not limited to:
●
infringement
and other intellectual property misappropriation which, regardless of merit, may be expensive and time-consuming to litigate and
may divert management’s attention from our core business;
●
substantial
damages for infringement or misappropriation, which we may have to pay if a court decides that the product or technology at issue
infringes on or violates the third-party’s rights, and, if the court finds we have willfully infringed intellectual property
rights, we could be ordered to pay treble damages and the patent owner’s attorneys’ fees;
●
an
injunction prohibiting us from manufacturing, marketing or selling our product candidates, or from using our proprietary technologies,
unless the third party agrees to license its patent rights to us;
●
even
if a license is available from a third party, we may have to pay substantial royalties, upfront fees and other amounts, and/or grant
cross-licenses to intellectual property rights protecting our product candidates; and
●
we
may be forced to try to redesign our product candidates or processes so they do not infringe third-party intellectual property rights,
an undertaking which may not be possible or which may require substantial monetary expenditures and time.
Some
of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially
greater resources. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have a material
adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our operations or could otherwise have a material adverse effect
on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
Third
parties may assert that we are employing their proprietary technology without authorization. Patents issued in the United States by law
enjoy a presumption of validity that can be rebutted only with evidence that is “clear and convincing,” a heightened standard
of proof. There may be issued third-party patents of which we are currently unaware with claims to compositions, formulations, methods
of manufacture or methods for treatment related to the use or manufacture of our product candidates. Patent applications can take many
years to issue. There may be currently pending patent applications which may later result in issued patents that may be infringed by
our product candidates. Moreover, we may fail to identify relevant patents or incorrectly conclude that a patent is invalid, not enforceable,
exhausted, or not infringed by its activities. If any third-party patents, held now or obtained in the future by a third party, were
found by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover the manufacturing process of our product candidates, constructs or molecules used
in or formed during the manufacturing process, or any final product or methods use of the product, the holders of any such patents may
be able to block our ability to commercialize the product unless we obtained a license under the applicable patents, or until such patents
expire or they are finally determined to be held invalid or unenforceable. Similarly, if any third-party patent were held by a court
of competent jurisdiction to cover any aspect of our formulations, any combination therapies or patient selection methods, the holders
of any such patent may be able to block our ability to develop and commercialize the product unless we have obtained a license or until
such patent expires or is finally determined to be held invalid or unenforceable. In either case, such a license may not be available
on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we are unable to obtain a necessary license to a third-party patent on commercially reasonable
terms, or at all, our ability to commercialize our product candidates may be impaired or delayed, which could in turn significantly harm
our business. Even if we obtain a license, such license may be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies
licensed to us. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications are threatened,
it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop or commercialize our product candidates.
Parties
making claims against us may seek and obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to further
develop and commercialize our product candidates. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, could involve substantial litigation
expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement
against us, we may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees for willful infringement, obtain
one or more licenses from third parties, pay royalties or redesign its infringing product candidates, which may be impossible or require
substantial time and monetary expenditure. We cannot predict whether any such license would be available at all or whether it would be
available on commercially reasonable terms. Furthermore, even in the absence of litigation, we may need or may choose to obtain licenses
from third parties to advance its research or allow commercialization of its product candidates. We may fail to obtain any of these licenses
at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. In that event, we would be unable to further develop and commercialize its product
candidates, which could harm our business significantly.
We
generally enter into confidentiality and intellectual property assignment agreements with our employees, consultants, and contractors.
These agreements generally provide that inventions conceived by the party in the course of rendering services to us will be our exclusive
property. However, these agreements may not be honored and may not effectively assign intellectual property rights to us. Moreover, there
may be some circumstances where we are unable to negotiate for such ownership rights. Disputes regarding ownership or inventorship of
intellectual property can also arise in other contexts, such as collaborations and sponsored research. If we are subject to a dispute
challenging our rights in or to patents or other intellectual property, such a dispute could be expensive and time-consuming. If we are
unsuccessful, we could lose valuable rights in intellectual property that we regard as our own.
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This
is especially relevant as some of our employees and contractors may have been previously employed at, or may have previously provided
or may be currently providing consulting services to, universities or other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our
competitors or potential competitors. We could in the future be subject to claims that we or our employees and contractors have inadvertently
or otherwise used or disclosed alleged trade secrets or other confidential information of former employers or competitors. Although we
try to ensure that our employees and contractors do not use the proprietary information or know how of others in their work for us, we
may be subject to claims that we caused an employee or contractor to breach the terms of his or her non-competition or non-solicitation
agreement, or that we or our employees or contractors have, inadvertently or otherwise, used or disclosed intellectual property, including
trade secrets or other proprietary information, of a former employer or competitor. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these
claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights
or personnel. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction
to management.
European
patents and patent applications could be challenged in the recently created Unified Patent Court for the European Union.
We
or our licensors’ European patents and patent applications could be challenged in the recently created Unified Patent Court (“UPC”)
for the European Union. We may decide to opt out our European patents and patent applications from the UPC. However, if certain formalities
and requirements are not met, our European patents and patent applications could be challenged for non-compliance and brought under the
jurisdiction of the UPC. We cannot be certain that our or our licensors’ European patents and patent applications will avoid falling
under the jurisdiction of the UPC, if we decide to opt out of the UPC. Under the UPC, a granted European patent would be valid and enforceable
in numerous European countries. A successful invalidity challenge to a European patent under the UPC would result in loss of patent protection
in those European countries. Accordingly, a single proceeding under the UPC could result in the partial or complete loss of patent protection
in numerous European countries, rather than in each validated European country separately as such patents always have been adjudicated.
Such a loss of patent protection could have a material adverse impact on our business and our ability to commercialize our technology
and product candidates and, resultantly, on our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Our
use, or the use by our third party collaborators and service providers, of new and evolving technologies, such as artificial intelligence
(“AI”) and machine learning (“ML”), may result in spending additional resources and present new risks and challenges
that can impact our business, including by posing security and other risks to our sensitive data. As a result, we may be exposed to reputational
harm, other adverse consequences, and liability.
The
use of new and evolving technologies, such as AI/ML, in our operations, and the operations of third parties upon which we rely presents
new risks and challenges that could negatively impact our business. The use of certain AI/ML technologies can give rise to intellectual
property risks, including compromises to proprietary intellectual property and intellectual property infringement. Additionally, several
jurisdictions around the globe, including Europe and certain U.S. states, have proposed, enacted, or are considering, laws governing
the development and use of AI/ML, such as the European Union’s AI Act. We expect other jurisdictions will adopt similar laws. Additionally,
certain privacy laws extend rights to consumers (such as the right to delete certain personal data) and regulate automated decision making,
which may be incompatible with our use of AI/ML. These obligations may make it harder for us to conduct our business using AI/ML, lead
to regulatory fines or penalties, require us to change our business practices, retrain our AI/ML, or prevent or limit our use of AI/ML.
For example, the Federal Trade Commission has required other companies to turn over (or disgorge) valuable insights or trainings generated
through the use of AI/ML where they allege the company has violated privacy and consumer protection laws. If we cannot use AI/ML or our
use is restricted, our business may be less efficient, or we may be at a competitive disadvantage.
The
rapid evolution of AI/ML will require the application of significant resources to design, develop, test and maintain our products and
services to help ensure that AI/ML is implemented in accordance with applicable law and regulation and in a socially responsible manner
and to minimize any real or perceived unintended harmful impacts. Our vendors may in turn incorporate AI/ML tools into their own offerings,
and the providers of these AI/ML tools may not meet existing or rapidly evolving regulatory or industry standards, including with respect
to privacy and data security. Further, bad actors around the world use increasingly sophisticated methods, including the use of AI/ML,
to engage in illegal activities involving the theft and misuse of sensitive data. Any of these effects could damage our reputation, result
in the loss of valuable property and information, cause us to breach applicable laws and regulations, and adversely impact our business.
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If
our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected then we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of interest
and our business may be adversely affected.
Our
trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks.
We rely on both registration and common law protection for our trademarks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these trademarks
and trade names or may be forced to stop using these names, which we need for name recognition by potential partners or customers in
our markets of interest. During the trademark registration process, we may receive so called “Office Actions” from the USPTO
objecting to the registration of our trademark. Although we would be given an opportunity to respond to those objections, we may be unable
to overcome such rejections. In addition, in the USPTO and in comparable agencies in many foreign jurisdictions, third parties are given
an opportunity to oppose pending trademark applications and/or to seek the cancellation of registered trademarks. Opposition or cancellation
proceedings may be filed against our trademarks, and our trademarks may not survive such proceedings. If we are unable to establish name
recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, we may not be able to compete effectively and our business may be adversely affected.
Risks
Related to Our Common Stock
We
may not be able to comply with Nasdaq’s continued listing standards.
There
is no guarantee that we will be able to maintain our listing on Nasdaq for any period of time by perpetually satisfying
Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements. Our failure to continue to meet these requirements may result in our securities being
delisted from Nasdaq. At times, we have received deficiency notices from Nasdaq regarding our inability to comply with various of
the continued listing rules (including stockholders’ equity requirements, publicly held share requirements, and timely filing
requirements). For example, on October 14, 2025, we received a written notice from the Listing Qualifications department of
Nasdaq indicating that we were not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1), as the minimum bid price of our common stock
had been below $1.00 per share for 30 consecutive business days (the “Minimum Bid Price Requirement”). This written
notice had no immediate effect on the listing or trading of our common stock on Nasdaq. According to the notice, we have 180
calendar days, or until April 13, 2026 (the “Initial Compliance Period”), to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid
Price Requirement. To regain compliance, the minimum bid price of our common stock must meet or exceed $1.00 per share for a minimum
of ten consecutive business days during the Initial Compliance Period.
In
the event we do not regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement during the Initial Compliance Period, we may be eligible
for an additional 180-calendar day compliance period (the “Additional Compliance Period”) if, at that time, we meet the continued
listing requirement for the market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for the Nasdaq Capital Market,
with the exception of the bid price requirement. Additionally, we would need to provide written notice of our intention to cure the deficiency
during the Additional Compliance Period, including by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. Our failure to regain compliance
during the Initial Compliance Period or the Additional Compliance Period, if applicable, could result in delisting.
While
we believe we will be able to timely regain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, there can be no assurance
that we will be able to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement or will otherwise be able to maintain compliance with
other Nasdaq listing criteria. If our common stock were to be delisted from Nasdaq, it would likely reduce the liquidity of our
common stock, and, among other things, may decrease the attractiveness of our common stock to the investment community, and make it
more difficult for us to issue equity securities for capital raising purposes or for acquisitions.
Our
common stock has in the past been a “penny stock” under SEC rules, and may be subject to the “penny stock” rules
in the future. It may be more difficult to resell securities classified as “penny stock.”
In
the past (including immediately prior to our common stock being listed on Nasdaq in February 2020), our common stock was a “penny
stock” under applicable SEC rules (generally defined as non-exchange traded stock with a per-share price below $5.00). While our
common stock is not now considered a “penny stock” because it is listed on Nasdaq, if we are unable to maintain that listing,
unless we maintain a per-share price above $5.00, our common stock will become “penny stock.” These rules impose additional
sales practice requirements on broker-dealers that recommend the purchase or sale of penny stocks to persons other than those who qualify
as “established customers” or “accredited investors.” For example, broker-dealers must determine the appropriateness
for non-qualifying persons of investments in penny stocks. Broker-dealers must also provide, prior to a transaction in a penny stock
not otherwise exempt from the rules, a standardized risk disclosure document that provides information about penny stocks and the risks
in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer also must provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock,
disclose the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction, furnish monthly account statements showing the
market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account, provide a special written determination that the penny stock is
a suitable investment for the purchaser, and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction.
Legal
remedies available to an investor in “penny stocks” may include the following:
●
If
a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in violation of the requirements listed above, or other federal or states securities
laws, the investor may be able to cancel the purchase and receive a refund of the investment.
●
If
a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in a fraudulent manner, the investor may be able to sue the persons and firms
that committed the fraud for damages.
These
requirements may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity, if any, in the secondary market for a security that becomes
subject to the penny stock rules. The additional burdens imposed upon broker-dealers by such requirements may discourage broker-dealers
from effecting transactions in our securities, which could severely limit the market price and liquidity of our securities. These requirements
may restrict the ability of broker-dealers to sell our common stock and may affect your ability to resell our common stock.
Many
brokerage firms will discourage or refrain from recommending investments in penny stocks. Most institutional investors will not invest
in penny stocks. In addition, many individual investors will not invest in penny stocks due, among other reasons, to the increased financial
risk generally associated with these investments.
For
these reasons, penny stocks may have a limited market and, consequently, limited liquidity. We can give no assurance at what time, if
ever, our common stock may be classified as a “penny stock” in the future.
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The
exercise of outstanding warrants, options and other securities that are exercisable into shares of our common stock will be dilutive
to our existing stockholders.
As
of the date of this Annual Report, we had outstanding various warrants, stock options and other securities that are exercisable
into shares of our common stock. For the life of the options and warrants, the holders have the opportunity to profit from a rise in
the market price of our common stock without assuming the risk of ownership. The issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding
securities will also dilute the ownership interests of our existing stockholders. The availability of these shares for public resale,
as well as any actual resales of these shares, could adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.
We
cannot predict the size of future issuances of our common stock pursuant to the exercise of outstanding options or warrants, or the effect,
if any, that future issuances and sales of shares of our common stock may have on the market price of our common stock. Sales or distributions
of substantial amounts of our common stock (including shares issued in connection with an acquisition), or the perception that such sales
could occur, may cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
We
have not historically paid or declared any dividends on our common stock and do not expect to pay or declare cash dividends in the future
on a regular basis, if at all.
Although
we declared special cash dividends in the first and third quarters of 2024, those dividends were declared as the result of a sale various
business assets and not paid from cash generated in our operations. We have not historically paid or declared any dividends on
our common stock or preferred stock. Any future dividends on common stock will be declared at the discretion of our board of directors
and will depend, among other things, on our earnings, our financial requirements for future operations and growth, and other facts as
we may then deem appropriate. As such, the return on your investment, if any, has historically been dependent solely on an increase,
if any, in the market value of our common stock.
Our
common stock price is likely to be highly volatile because of several factors, including a limited public float.
The
market price of our common stock has been volatile in the past and the market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile
in the future. You may not be able to resell shares of our common stock following periods of volatility because of the market’s
adverse reaction to volatility.
Other
factors that could cause such volatility may include, among other things:
●
actual
or anticipated fluctuations in our operating results;
●
the
absence of securities analysts covering us and distributing research and recommendations about us;
●
we
may have a low trading volume for a number of reasons, including that a large portion of our stock is closely held;
●
overall
stock market fluctuations;
●
announcements
concerning our business or those of our competitors;
●
actual
or perceived limitations on our ability to raise capital when we require it, and to raise such capital on favorable terms;
●
conditions
or trends in our industry;
●
litigation;
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●
changes
in market valuations of other similar companies;
●
future
sales of common stock;
●
departure
of key personnel or failure to hire key personnel; and
●
general
market conditions.
Any
of these factors could have a significant and adverse impact on the market price of our common stock. In addition, the stock market in
general has at times experienced extreme volatility and rapid decline that has often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating
performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock, regardless
of our actual operating performance.
There
may not be sufficient liquidity in the market for our securities in order for investors to sell their shares. The market price of our
common stock may continue to be volatile .
The
market price of our common stock will likely continue to be highly volatile. Some of the factors that may materially affect the market
price of our common stock are beyond our control, such as conditions or trends in the industry in which we operate or sales of our common
stock. This situation is attributable to a number of factors, including the fact that we are a small company which is relatively unknown
to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume,
and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and would be reluctant to follow an unproven company
such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we became more seasoned and viable.
As
a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared
to a mature issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse
effect on share price. It is possible that a broader or more active public trading market for our common stock will not develop or be
sustained, or that trading levels will not continue. These factors may materially adversely affect the market price of our common stock,
regardless of our performance. In addition, the public stock markets have experienced extreme price and trading volume volatility. This
volatility has significantly affected the market prices of securities of many companies for reasons frequently unrelated to the operating
performance of the specific companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Stockholders
may be diluted significantly through our efforts to obtain financing and satisfy obligations through the issuance of additional shares
of our common stock.
Wherever
possible, our board of directors will attempt to use non-cash consideration to satisfy obligations. In many instances, we believe that
the non-cash consideration will consist of restricted shares of our common stock or where shares are to be issued to our officers, directors
and applicable consultants. Our board of directors has authority, without action or vote of the stockholders, but subject to Nasdaq rules
and regulations (which generally require shareholder approval for any transactions which would result in the issuance of more than 20%
of our then outstanding shares of common stock or voting rights representing over 20% of our then outstanding shares of stock), to issue
all or part of the authorized but unissued shares of common stock. In addition, we may attempt to raise capital by selling shares of
our common stock, possibly at a discount to market. These actions will result in dilution of the ownership interests of existing stockholders,
which may further dilute common stock book value, and that dilution may be material. Such issuances may also serve to enhance existing
management’s ability to maintain control of the Company because the shares may be issued to parties or entities committed to supporting
existing management.
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ITEM
1B.
UNRESOLVED
STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM
1C.
CYBERSECURITY
We
maintain a cyber-risk management program which is intended to assist in assessing, identifying, and managing material risks from cybersecurity
threats to our data and information systems. This program is to ensure that cybersecurity considerations are included in decision-making
processes throughout the Company.
Our
approach consists of, among other things, cybersecurity threat and vulnerability prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of
potential cybersecurity risks. We employ cybersecurity intrusion detection systems and continuous monitoring, in order to help defend
against unauthorized access. We also employ identity-based access controls and identity authentication requirements. Access to the Company’s
data is monitored and controlled according to access control policies. Data protection and privacy practices, including data loss prevention,
help to safeguard sensitive information. We have also outsourced significant elements of our information technology infrastructure; as
a result, we manage independent vendor relationships with third parties who are responsible for maintaining significant elements of our
information technology systems and infrastructure.
Our
Board of Directors is responsible for oversight of our cyber-risk management program and management’s role is to assist the Board
of Directors in identifying and considering material cybersecurity risks, ensure implementation of management and employee level cybersecurity
practices and training and provide the Board of Directors with regular reports regarding any cybersecurity attacks or vulnerabilities.
As
of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have no t experienced any significant cybersecurity attacks and, to date, the risks
from cybersecurity threats have not materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our business strategy, results
of operations, or financial condition.
ITEM
2.
PROPERTIES
We
do not own any real property.
Scienture
LLC entered into a lease at 20 Austin Boulevard, Commack, NY 11725 for approximately $29,621 per year ($2,468 per month) under a 22-month
agreement, effective October 1, 2023.
We
believe our current and future facilities are adequate for our current and near-term needs. Additional space may be required as we expand
our activities. We do not currently foresee any significant difficulties in obtaining any required additional facilities.
ITEM
3.
LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS
In
the ordinary course of business, we may become a party to lawsuits involving various matters. The impact and outcome of litigation, if
any, is subject to inherent uncertainties, and an adverse result in these or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm
our business. We believe the ultimate resolution of any such current proceeding will not have a material adverse effect on our continued
financial position, results of operations or cash flows, except as otherwise set forth below. However, assessment of the current litigation
or other legal claims could change in light of the discovery of facts not presently known to the Company or by judges, juries or other
finders of fact, which are not in accord with management’s evaluation of the possible liability or outcome of such litigation or
claims.
For
a description of our material pending legal proceedings, please see “Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies” to
the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included herein under “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplemental
Data.”
ITEM
4.
MINE
SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not
applicable.
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PART
II
ITEM
5.
MARKET
FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market
for Common Stock
Our
common stock is listed on Nasdaq, under the symbol “SCNX”. At present, there is a limited market for
our common stock.
Holders of Record
As
of March 27, 2026, we had 40,630,815 shares of common stock outstanding, held by 66 stockholders of record, not including holders
who hold their shares in street name. The actual number of stockholders is greater than this number of record holders, and includes stockholders who are
beneficial owners, but whose shares are held in street name by brokers and other nominees.
Dividend
Policy
Although
we paid a special cash dividend in the first and third quarters of 2024, we have not historically paid or declared any cash dividends
on our common stock. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our board of directors. Accordingly,
investors have historically relied on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to
realize any future gains on their investments.
Recent
Sales of Unregistered Securities
During
the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company issued 3,760,150 shares of common stock for services. The Company relied on the
exemption from registration set forth in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act for this issuance. Such issuance did not
involve a public offering and was made without general solicitation or general advertising, and the recipient of the shares was an
accredited investor.
Purchases
of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
The
Company did not repurchase any shares of common stock during the year ended December 31, 2025.
ITEM
6.
[RESERVED]
ITEM
7.
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The
following discussion of the Company’s historical performance and financial condition should be read together with the consolidated
financial statements and related notes in the section entitled “ Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplemental Data ”
of this Annual Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements based on the views and beliefs of our management, as well
as assumptions and estimates made by our management. See the section entitled “ Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Information ” above. These statements by their nature are subject to risks and uncertainties and are influenced by various factors.
As a consequence, actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. See “ Item 1A. Risk Factors ”
of this Annual Report for the discussion of risk factors. For all periods presented, the consolidated statements of income and consolidated
balance sheet data have been adjusted for the reclassification of discontinued operations information, unless otherwise noted. All references
to years relate to the calendar year ended December 31 of the particular year.
Summary
of The Information Contained in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Our
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is provided in addition to the
accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes to assist readers in understanding our results of operations, financial condition,
and cash flows. MD&A is organized as follows:
●
Company
Overview . Discussion of our business and overall analysis of financial and other highlights affecting us, to provide context
for the remainder of MD&A.
●
Recent
Events . Summary of material transactions occurring during year ended December 31, 2025.
●
Liquidity
and Capital Resources . An analysis of changes in our consolidated balance sheets and cash flows and discussion of our financial
condition.
●
Results
of Operations . An analysis of our financial results comparing the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.
●
Critical
Accounting Policies . Accounting estimates that we believe are important to understanding the assumptions and judgments incorporated
in our reported financial results and forecasts.
Company
Overview
On
July 25, 2024, we acquired a wholly-owned subsidiary, Scienture LLC. Scienture LLC is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the
commercialization and development of products for the treatment of Cardiovascular (CVS) and Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases.
Scienture LLC launched its first commercial product for hypertension and is in the process of commercializing its second product for
the treatment of opioid overdose. Its development pipeline consists of a broad range of novel product candidates including new
potential treatments for migraine, thrombosis, pain and other related disorders. Scienture LLC’s mission is to bring to market
innovative technology-based products to address unmet medical needs. Its targeted portfolio consists of short term and long-term
opportunities with efficient development, regulatory, and go to market strategies.
Dispositions
SOSRx,
LLC
SOSRx,
was formed on February 15, 2022. The Company entered into a relationship with Exchange Health, LLC (“Exchange Health”), a
technology company providing an online platform for manufacturers and suppliers to sell and purchase pharmaceuticals, pursuant to which
SOSRx, a Delaware limited liability company, was formed, which was owned 51% by the Company and 49% by Exchange Health. SOSRx did not
generate material revenue and in February 2023 the Company voluntarily withdrew from the joint venture agreement.
Community
Specialty Pharmacy, LLC and Alliance Pharma Solutions, LLC
On
January 20, 2023, the Company entered into Membership Interest Purchase Agreements to sell 100% of the outstanding membership interests
of the Company’s former subsidiaries, Community Specialty Pharmacy, LLC and Alliance Pharma Solutions, LLC (d.b.a DelivMeds). The
Company also agreed to enter into a Master Service Agreement to operate the businesses prior to closing. The transactions contemplated
by the Membership Interest Purchase Agreements closed on August 22, 2023.
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Superlatus
Inc.
On
July 14, 2023, the Company entered into the Superlatus Merger Agreement with Superlatus Inc., a diversified food technology company,
and Merger Sub.
On
July 31, 2023, the Company completed its acquisition of Superlatus in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Superlatus Merger
Agreement, pursuant to which the Company acquired Superlatus by way of a merger of the Merger Sub with and into Superlatus, with Superlatus
being a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and the surviving entity in the Superlatus Merger.
Under
the terms of the Superlatus Merger Agreement, at the Closing, shareholders of Superlatus received an aggregate of 136,441 shares of the
Company’s common stock and 306,855 shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock, convertible into 100 shares of the Company’s
common stock. At Closing, the value of the Company’s common stock was $7.30 per share, resulting in a total value of $225,000,169.
On
October 13, 2023, the Company announced that Superlatus PD Holding Company, Inc., a purported subsidiary of Superlatus, entered into
a supplier agreement with Rainforest, pursuant to which Superlatus allegedly appointed Rainforest as its exclusive distributor for Superlatus’
portfolio of consumer packaged goods brands in certain markets. The Company later learned and announced that neither the Company’s
management nor the Company’s Board of Directors authorized or approved the organization of Superlatus PD Holding Company, Inc.
or the entry into the supplier agreement. Instead, the Company’s management determined that certain representatives of a former
subsidiary of the Company likely unilaterally took actions related to the supplier agreement.
On
January 8, 2024, the Company entered into the Superlatus Amendment as not all of the closing conditions of the Superlatus Merger Agreement
were met. Under the terms of the Superlatus Amendment, the merger consideration to the shareholders of Superlatus was adjusted to the
aggregate of 136,441 shares of the Company’s common stock and 15,759 shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock, resulting
in a total value of $12,500,089. Additionally, the shareholders of Superlatus agreed to surrender back to the Company 291,096 shares
of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock.
On
March 5, 2024, the Company entered into the Superlatus SPA with the Buyer, Superlatus Foods Inc. Pursuant to the Superlatus SPA, the
Company sold all of the issued and outstanding stock of Superlatus to the Buyer. A $1.00 purchase price was delivered to the Company
at the closing, which occurred simultaneously with the execution of the Superlatus SPA. As a result of the transaction Superlatus is
no longer a subsidiary of the Company, and the rights and assets of Superlatus together with various liabilities and obligations that
were specific to Superlatus became rights and obligations of the Buyer.
Other
Legacy Subsidiaries
The
Company also previously owned 100% of Softell, IPS, Bonum Health, Inc., and Bonum Health, LLC.
Softell
& IPS Entities
On
October 4, 2024, the Company and Softell entered into the IPS Assignment Agreement, pursuant to which the Company transferred, and Softell
accepted, 100% of the membership interests of IPS. As a result, IPS became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Softell.
On
April 8, 2025, the Company entered into the IPS MIPA with Tollo, pursuant to which Tollo agreed to purchase and the Company agreed to
sell all of the Company’s membership interests in IPS. Suren Ajjarapu, the Company’s former Chief Executive Officer, and
Prashant Patel, the Company’s former President and Chief Operating Officer, each have a beneficial interest in Tollo.
On
April 8, 2025, the Company also entered into the Softell SPA with Tollo, pursuant to which Tollo agreed to purchase and the Company agreed
to sell all issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Softell.
Bonum
Health Entities
On
April 8, 2025, the Company also entered into the Bonum SPA with Tollo, pursuant to which Tollo agreed to purchase and the Company agreed
to sell all issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Bonum Health, Inc.
In
November 2025, the Company dissolved Bonum Health, LLC.
The
divestitures described above are part of a broader strategic realignment at the Company designed to sharpen operational focus and unlock
long-term value. It is aligned with the Company’s commitment to streamline its core operations, optimize its portfolio, and accelerate
growth in the Branded and Specialty Pharma markets. The Company intends to use the proceeds obtained from the divestment to facilitate
the high-growth commercial and strategic product development activities at its Scienture LLC subsidiary.
The
Company believes that the key benefits of the divestitures include:
●
Increased
Operational Efficiency : Streamlining the Company’s structure aimed at strengthening its balance sheet, providing
for leaner operations and a more agile decision-making framework.
●
Realize
Synergies : Consolidating overlapping functions and eliminating redundancies intended to cause annualized cost savings.
●
Dedicated
Focus : Affording the full focus and deployment of resources to the commercial products and the high value product pipeline
in development at its Scienture subsidiary.
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Liquidity
Outlook Cash Explanation
Cash
Requirements
As
of December 31, 2025, the Company’s primary source of liquidity consisted of $6,662,008 in cash and cash equivalents and the
Tollo promissory note with a principal balance of $5,000,000 (bearing interest at the prime rate and maturing June 30, 2030). The
Company has financed its operations primarily through equity issuances under its equity line of credit (“ELOC”) and
convertible note arrangements. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company raised approximately $26.3 million in gross
equity proceeds through ELOC and other equity transactions. The Company’s principal uses of cash are commercialization of
ARBLI™ and REZENOPY TM research and development, general and administrative costs, and debt service. The Company
expects to fund its operations for at least the next twelve months from its existing cash balance and revenues generated from
ARBLI™ commercialization, which commenced in the third quarter of 2025 and is expected to grow in 2026. The company also
expects to generate revenue from REZENOPY TM which is anticipated to commence in the second quarter of 2026. The Company
may also raise additional funding through the sale of debt or equity to fund accelerated pipeline development activities; however,
there can be no assurance that such funding will be available on favorable terms, or at all.
The
Company’s ability to continue to fund operations beyond the next twelve months will depend on its ability to grow revenues
from the commercialization of ARBLI™ and REZENOPY TM and, if needed, to access additional capital markets.
Management continues to evaluate potential strategic transactions and partnerships to accelerate product development and
commercialization across the pipeline.
Going
Concern
The
consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had cash and cash
equivalents of $6,662,008, positive working capital of approximately $5,181,000, and current liabilities of approximately $2,735,000.
Management evaluated conditions and events in accordance with ASC 205-40 and determined that, based on the factors described below, there
is no substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for the twelve-month period following the date
these financial statements are issued. See also “Note 2 – Going Concern” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
for further discussion.
As
of December 31, 2025, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $80,551,237 and cash and cash equivalents of $6,662,008. The Company
had current liabilities of $2,735,351 and working capital of approximately $5,181,000, an improvement of approximately $6,782,000 from
the working capital deficit of $(1,601,416) as of December 31, 2024.
Management
believes that the Company’s existing cash of $6,662,008, combined with growing revenues from ARBLI™ and
REZENOPY TM commercialization and its plans to access additional capital as needed, will be sufficient to fund operations
and meet its obligations for at least the twelve months following the issuance of these financial statements. Key factors supporting
this assessment include: (i) cash on hand of $6.7 million, which management believes is sufficient to cover current operating
requirements; (ii) positive working capital of approximately $5.2 million as of December 31, 2025, compared to a working capital
deficit of approximately $(1.6) million as of December 31, 2024; (iii) initial revenues from ARBLI™ commencing in the third
quarter of 2025, with projected revenue growth in 2026; (iv) initial revenues from REZENOPY™ commencing in the third quarter of 2025, with
projected revenue growth in 2026 and (v) the Company’s ability to modulate discretionary spending and access equity markets,
as demonstrated by raising approximately $26.3 million in gross equity proceeds during 2025.
Cash
Flows
The
following table summarizes the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:
Year Ended December 31, 2025
Year Ended December 31, 2024
Change
% Change
Net cash used in operating activities from continuing operations
$ (13,382,482 )
$ (13,286,163 )
$ (96,319 )
1 %
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from discontinued operations
2,799
(979,075 )
981,874
-100 %
Operating Activities
$ (13,379,683 )
$ (14,265,238 )
$ 885,555
-6 %
Net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations
—
$ (2,379,024 )
$ 2,379,024
-100 %
Net cash provided by investing activities from discontinued operations
—
29,931,815
(29,931,815 )
-100 %
Investing Activities
$ —
$ 27,552,791
$ (27,552,791 )
-100 %
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities from continuing operations
$ 19,733,595
$ (12,974,770 )
$ 32,708,365
-252 %
Net cash used in financing activities from discontinued operations
—
(5,000 )
5,000
-100 %
Financing Activities
$ 19,733,595
$ (12,979,770 )
$ 32,713,365
-252 %
Net change in cash
$ 6,353,912
$ 307,782
$ 6,046,130
1,964 %
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Net
cash used in operating activities from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $13,382,482, compared to net cash
used in operating activities of approximately $13,286,163 for the year ended December 31, 2024. The net loss of $43,507,142 was the primary
driver of cash used in operations in 2025, partially offset by significant non-cash charges including $26,346,050 of impairment losses,
$3,161,100 of debt discount amortization, $2,068,892 of stock-based compensation expense, $4,310,090 of common stock issued for services,
$453,846 of amortization of intangible assets, and gains on warrant and derivative fair value changes of $3,205,854. Changes in working
capital used cash of approximately $3,0,000, primarily driven by increases in accounts receivable and inventory associated with the
ARBLI™ commercialization launch.
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities from continuing operations was $0 for the year ended December 31, 2025 and $2,379,024
net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2024. Net cash provided by investing
activities from discontinued operations was $0 for 2025, compared to $29,931,815 in 2024, which primarily reflected proceeds from the
disposition of Micro Merchant Systems assets and other asset sales completed in the first and second quarters of 2024.
Net
cash provided by financing activities from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $19,733,595, compared to net
cash used in financing activities of approximately $12,980,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024. Cash provided by financing activities
in 2025 was primarily driven by gross proceeds of $26,293,039 from the issuance of common stock through the Company’s ELOC and other equity transactions, partially offset by repayment of convertible notes of $9,244,444, net repayment of related
party loans of $415,000, and development liability payments of $400,000. The year ended December 31, 2024 reflected cash used in financing
activities primarily due to the payment of special cash dividends of approximately $14,858,000 partially offset by proceeds from convertible
note issuances.
Results
of Operations
The
following selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the
notes to these statements included in this Annual Report.
Year
Ended December 31, 2025 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2024
Year Ended
December 31,
Percent
2025
2024
Change
Change
Revenues
$ 431,609
$ 136,643
294,966
216 %
Cost of sales
100,127
130,638
(30,511 )
-23 %
Gross profit
331,482
6,005
325,477
5420 %
Operating expenses:
Wage and salary expense
2,118,568
2,111,066
7,502
0 %
Professional fees
2,407,822
1,458,332
949,490
65 %
Accounting and legal expense
2,070,337
1,807,041
263,296
15 %
Technology expense
97,261
416,311
(319,050 )
-77 %
General and administrative (including stock-based compensation expense)
7,926,016
6,677,580
1,248,436
19 %
Research and development
1,956,270
2,236,690
(280,420 )
-13 %
Impairment loss
26,346,050
-
26,346,050
100 %
Total operating expenses
42,922,324
14,707,020
28,215,304
192 %
Change in fair value of warrant liability
909,020
(182,982 )
1,092,002
-597 %
Change in fair value of derivative liability
2,296,834
180,383
2,116,451
1173 %
Impairment of investment
-
(2,500,000 )
2,500,000
-100 %
Loss on conversion of note payable
(53,446 )
-
(53,446 )
-100 %
Loss on disposition of subsidiaries
(288,204 )
-
(288,204 )
-100 %
Interest income
302,702
135,337
167,365
124 %
Loss on disposal of asset
-
(374,968 )
374,968
-100 %
Interest expense
(4,083,206 )
(1,335,631 )
(2,747,575 )
206 %
Net loss from continuing operations
(43,507,142 )
(18,778,876 )
(24,728,266 )
132 %
Benefit / (provision) for income taxes
1,994,878
534,396
1,460,482
273 %
Net loss from continuing operations, net of tax
(41,512,264 )
(18,244,480 )
(23,267,784 )
128 %
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax
-
27,310,278
(27,310,278 )
-100 %
Net (loss) income
$ (41,512,264 )
$ 9,065,798
$ (50,578,062 )
-558 %
Revenues
and Gross Profit
Revenues
for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $431,609, compared to $136,643 for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $294,966,
or approximately 216%. The increase reflects initial sales of ARBLI™ (SCN-102, Losartan Potassium Oral Suspension) through wholesale
distribution channels, which commenced in the third quarter of 2025 following FDA approval in March 2025. Revenue in 2024 consisted primarily
of residual pharmaceutical wholesale activity prior to the IPS disposition. Cost of sales for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $100,127,
resulting in gross profit of $331,482 (gross margin: 76.8%), compared to cost of sales of $130,638 and gross profit of $6,005 (gross
margin: 4.4%) for the year ended December 31, 2024. The improvement in gross margin reflects the shift to higher-margin branded pharmaceutical
sales through ARBLI™ versus the prior-period lower-margin wholesale distribution activity.
Operating
Expenses
Total
operating expenses were $42,922,324 for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $14,707,020 for the year ended December 31, 2024.
The increase of $28,215,304 was primarily driven by non-cash impairment charges of $26,346,050 recognized in 2025 (comprising a goodwill
impairment of $21,372,960 and IPR&D impairment of $4,973,090), with no comparable charge in 2024. Excluding impairment charges, total
operating expenses were $16,576,274 in 2025 compared to $14,707,020 in 2024. Key components of operating expenses were as follows:
Wage
and salary expense was $2,118,568 for the year ended December 31, 2025, relatively flat compared to $2,111,066 for 2024. Professional
fees increased $949,490 to $2,407,822 in 2025 from $1,458,332 in 2024, primarily due to higher external consulting costs related to commercialization
activities, SEC compliance, and corporate actions. Accounting and legal expense was $2,070,337 in 2025 compared to $1,807,041 in 2024,
an increase of $263,296, driven by incremental costs associated with the year-end audit, SEC filings, and legal matters. General and
administrative expenses (including non-cash stock-based compensation) increased $1,248,436 to $7,926,016 in 2025 from $6,677,580 in 2024,
primarily due to higher non-cash stock-based compensation expense and costs associated with ARBLI™ commercialization activities.
Technology expense decreased $319,050 to $97,261 in 2025 from $416,311 in 2024, primarily reflecting the wind-down of legacy technology
platform expenses following the IPS and Softell dispositions. Research and development expenses were $1,956,270 in 2025 compared to $2,236,690
in 2024, a decrease of $280,420, reflecting shifts in the timing of CRO and regulatory spending across our pipeline programs (SCN-102:
$368K; SCN-104: $422K; SCN-106: $298K; SCN-107: $500K in 2025).
67
Table of Contents
Non-Operating
Income (Expense)
Non-operating
income (expense) for the year ended December 31, 2025 included: a gain on the change in fair value of warrant liability of $909,020
(2024: loss of $182,982), reflecting mark-to-market decreases in warrant fair value; a gain on the change in fair value of the
derivative liability of $2,296,834 (2024: gain of $180,383), primarily related to the derecognition of the Arena convertible
debenture derivative liability upon full repayment; interest income of $302,702 (2024: $135,337) on the Tollo promissory note;
interest expense of $4,083,206 (2024: $1,335,631), reflecting a full year of amortization of debt discount and interest on the Arena
debenture and other convertible notes; a loss on conversion of note payable of $53,446; and a loss on disposition of subsidiaries of
$288,204, primarily related to the Bonum Health, Inc. and Softell transactions. The Company recognized an income tax benefit of
$1,994,878 for the year ended December 31, 2025 (2024: $nil), reflecting changes in deferred tax liabilities attributable to the
intangible asset impairment charges recognized during the year.
Net
Loss and Discontinued Operations
Net
loss from continuing operations, net of tax, was $41,512,264 for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to a net loss from continuing
operations of $15,803,908 for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in net loss was primarily attributable to the $26,346,050
of non-cash impairment charges recognized in 2025, with no comparable charge in 2024. Excluding impairment, net loss from continuing
operations improved by approximately $37,000 year over year. There was no income from discontinued operations in 2025. For the year ended
December 31, 2024, income from discontinued operations, net of tax, was $27,310,278, primarily from the gain on the sale of MMS assets
and the Softell disposition in the first half of 2024. Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $41,512,264, compared to net
income of $11,506,370 for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Critical
Accounting Policies
Our
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which
have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these
financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure
of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amount of net sales and expenses for each
period. The following represents a summary of our critical accounting policies, defined as those policies that we believe are the most
important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations and that require management’s most difficult, subjective
or complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effects of matters that are inherently uncertain.
Acquisitions
The
Company accounts for acquisitions and investments in businesses as business combinations if the target meets the definition of a business
and (a) the target is a variable interest entity and the Company is the target’s primary beneficiary, and therefore the Company
must consolidate its financial statements, or (b) the Company acquires more than 50% of the voting interest of the target and it was
not previously consolidated. The Company records business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting, which requires all
the assets acquired and liabilities assumed to be recorded at fair value as of the acquisition date. The excess of the purchase price
over the estimated fair values of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired is recorded as goodwill.
The
application of the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions
in the determination of the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in order to properly
68
Table of Contents
Stock-Based
Compensation
The
Company accounts for stock-based compensation to employees in accordance with ASC 718, “ Compensation-Stock Compensation ”.
ASC 718 requires companies to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments, including
stock options, based on the grant date fair value of the award and to recognize it as compensation expense over the period the employee
is required to provide service in exchange for the award, usually the vesting period. Stock option forfeitures are recognized at the
date of employee termination. Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2018-07 for the accounting of share-based payments granted
to non-employees for goods and services.
Revenue
Recognition
In
general, the Company accounts for revenue recognition in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting
Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.”
IPS
is a licensed wholesaler of brand, generic and non-drug products to Customers. IPS takes orders for products, creates invoices for each
order and recognizes revenue at the time the product is shipped to the Customer. IPS was divested on April 30, 2025, and its operations
are presented as discontinued operations for all periods presented. Following the IPS disposition, the Company’s revenue is derived
solely from the sale of pharmaceutical products through wholesale distribution channels. ARBLI™ (SCN-102, Losartan Potassium Oral
Suspension) is the Company’s first commercially available product, with sales commencing in the third quarter of 2025. The Company
sells its products to wholesale distributors, who in turn sell to retail pharmacies, hospitals, and other healthcare providers. Revenue
is recognized at the point in time when control of the product transfers to the customer, which generally occurs upon delivery to the
customer’s designated facility. Revenue is measured at the net transaction price, which reflects the gross invoice price reduced
by estimated variable consideration, as described below.
Gross-to-Net
Sales Adjustments. The Company records product revenue net of estimated variable consideration. Gross-to-net adjustments include:
(i) chargebacks, representing the difference between the price charged to wholesale distributors and the lower contract price that distributors
extend to their end-customers (including retail pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics under contracted pricing arrangements), estimated
based on expected sell-through to qualifying end-customers and contractual terms; (ii) wholesaler rebates and distribution service fees,
representing fees and rebates paid to wholesale distributors and, where applicable, group purchasing organizations (“GPOs”)
under contractual arrangements, estimated based on contracted rates, expected sales volumes, and historical payment patterns; (iii) prompt
pay discounts, representing discounts offered to wholesale distributors for timely payment, estimated based on contractual terms and
expected payment timing; and (iv) product returns, estimated based on contractual return rights and available market data, which have
not been material to date given the early stage of commercialization of ARBLI™. Estimates of variable consideration are updated
each reporting period based on available historical data, contractual terms, and management’s judgment regarding current market
conditions. Accrued liabilities related to gross-to-net adjustments are classified within accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance
sheets. The Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations as all contracts have an expected duration of
one year or less.
69
Table of Contents
Acquisitions,
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
The
Company allocates the cost of an acquired business to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values
at the date of acquisition. The excess value of the cost of an acquired business over the estimated fair value of the assets acquired
and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. The Company uses a variety of information sources to determine the value of acquired
assets and liabilities, including: identifiable intangibles.
Goodwill
and indefinite-lived intangibles are not amortized but are instead evaluated annually for impairment as part of the Company’s annual
financial review, or when indicators of a potential impairment are present. The annual test for impairment performed for goodwill can
be qualitative or quantitative, taking into consideration certain factors surrounding the fair value of the goodwill including, level
by which fair value exceeded carrying value in the prior valuation, as well as macroeconomic factors, industry conditions and actual
results at the test date.
Non-GAAP
Financial Measures
In
addition to our financial results determined in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”),
our management uses earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization expenses to net income (“EBITDA”), a
non-GAAP measure, as a key measure in operating our business. We use EBITDA to make strategic decisions, establish business plans and
forecasts, identify trends affecting our business, and evaluate performance. For example, we use adjusted EBITDA as a measure of our
operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA is presented for supplemental informational purposes only, should not be considered a substitute
for, or a more meaningful measure than, financial information presented in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from similarly
titled non-GAAP measures used by other companies. A reconciliation is provided below for adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable
financial measure presented in accordance with GAAP. Investors are encouraged to review the related GAAP financial measure and the reconciliation
of adjusted EBITDA to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
For
the year ended December 31, 2025, adjusted EBITDA was $(5,384,274), compared to adjusted EBITDA of $17,820,898 for the year ended December
31, 2024. The decrease reflects the transition from a diversified operating business (which included higher-revenue wholesale and asset-sale
activities in 2024) to a focused specialty pharmaceutical company in 2025, with initial ARBLI™ revenues only commencing in Q3 2025
and higher operating costs associated with the build-out of commercialization infrastructure. Excluding the non-cash impairment charges
of $26,346,050 recognized in 2025, adjusted EBITDA was $(5,384,274), reflecting the early-stage commercial nature of the business. The
following table reconciles net loss from continuing operations to adjusted EBITDA for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:
Year Ended
December 31,
2025
2024
Net (loss) income
$ (41,512,264 )
$ 9,065,798
Depreciation and amortization
491,781
53,361
Benefit for income taxes
1,994,878
Interest expense
4,083,206
1,335,631
Other non-operating expenses (income)
(3,166,906 )
2,742,230
Stock based compensation (non-cash)
6,378,981
4,623,878
Impairment loss
26,346,050
-
Adjusted EBITDA
$ (5,384,274 )
$ 17,820,898
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
During
the periods presented, we did not have, nor do we currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined under SEC rules.
Recently
Issued Accounting Standards
For
more information on recently issued accounting standards, see “ N ote 1 – Organization
and Basis of Presentation” to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included herein under “ Item 8. Financial
Statements and Supplemental Data .”.
ITEM
7A.
QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Pursuant
to Item 305(e) of Regulation S-K (§ 229.305(e)), the Company is not required to provide the information required by this Item as
it is a “smaller reporting company,” as defined by Rule 229.10(f)(1).
70
Table of Contents
ITEM
8.
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Scienture
Holdings, Inc.
FORM
10-K
For
the Year Ended December 31, 2025
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM (PCAOB ID: 6866 )
72
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
73
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
74
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
75
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
76
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
77
71
Table of Contents
PART
II: FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM
8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To
the Board of Directors and
Stockholders
of Scienture Holdings, Inc.
Opinion
on the Financial Statements
We
have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Scienture Holdings, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2025 and 2024,
and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the years then ended,
and the related notes (collectively referred to as the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, and the results of its operations and
its cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis
for Opinion
These
financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s
financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities
laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company
is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits,
we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion
on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our
audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error
or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant
estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits
provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Emphasis
of a matter – Going Concern
The
accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note
2 to the financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations and has a net capital deficiency that raises
substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described
in Note 2. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Critical
Audit Matter
The
critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated
or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial
statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters
does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit
matter below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Critical
Audit Matter — Impairment assessment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets
We
identified the impairment assessment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets as a critical audit matter. Auditing management’s
judgments regarding forecasts of future revenue and operating margin, and the discount rate to be applied involved a high degree of subjectivity
and significant judgment.
How
the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in Our Audit:
●
Obtaining
an understanding of management’s process for determining goodwill and intangible asset impairment
●
Reviewing
management’s impairment analysis, including the determination of fair value
●
Comparing
actual sales to prior forecasts to assess forecasting accuracy
●
Utilizing
valuation specialists to evaluate methodologies used by management
/s/
CM3 Advisory
We
have served as the Company’s auditor since 2023
San
Diego, California
March
30, 2026
72
Table of Contents
Scienture
Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated
Balance Sheets
December
31, 2025 and 2024
2025
2024
December 31,
2025
2024
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 6,662,008
$ 308,096
Accounts receivable, net
731,328
11,106
Inventory
213,408
-
Prepaid expenses
262,278
4,560
Notes receivable - related party
-
1,300,000
Other receivables
-
4,138,770
Deferred offering costs
47,384
534,800
Current assets of discontinued operations
-
8,145
Total current assets
7,916,406
6,305,477
Property, plant and equipment, net
15,500
17,500
Deposits
-
22,039
Notes receivable
5,000,000
-
Interest receivable
250,000
-
Intangible assets, net
70,973,064
76,400,000
Goodwill
-
21,372,960
Operating lease right-of-use assets
23,360
201,433
Deferred tax asset
-
534,396
Total assets
$ 84,178,330
$ 104,853,805
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
$ 1,443,266
$ 2,898,683
Accrued liabilities
657,034
1,313,731
Other current liabilities
-
5,441
Loan payable, related party
-
415,000
Convertible note, net of debt discount - current portion
-
2,285,423
Operating lease liability - current
24,137
63,334
Warrant liability
10,914
919,935
Development agreement liability - current portion
600,000
-
Current liabilities of discontinued operations
-
5,346
Total current liabilities
2,735,351
7,906,893
Convertible notes, net of debt discount
-
612,275
Derivative liability
-
2,296,834
Operating lease liability - net of current portion
-
156,469
Development agreement liability
285,000
1,285,000
Deferred tax liability
11,037,595
13,524,213
Total liabilities
14,057,946
25,781,684
Commitments and contingencies (Note 15)
-
-
Stockholders’ equity (deficit):
Series A preferred stock, $ 0.00001 par value; 0 and 9,211,246 shares authorized; 0 shares issued and outstanding as of both December 31, 2025 and 2024
-
-
Series B preferred stock, $ 0.00001 par value; 787,754 shares authorized; 15,759 shares issued and outstanding as of both December 31, 2025 and 2024
-
-
Series C preferred stock, $ 0.00001 par value; 1,000 shares authorized; 0 shares issued and outstanding as of both December 31, 2025 and 2024
-
-
Series X preferred stock, $ 0.00001 par value; 9,211,246 shares authorized; 0 shares issued and outstanding as of both December 31, 2025 and 2024
-
-
Preferred stock
-
-
Common stock, $ 0.00001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 40,630,815 and 8,750,582 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively 1,015,000 and 0 shares unvested as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively
406
87
Additional paid-in capital
150,671,215
118,111,007
Accumulated deficit
( 80,551,237 )
( 39,038,973 )
Total stockholders’ equity
70,120,384
79,072,121
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$ 84,178,330
$ 104,853,805
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
73
Table of Contents
Scienture
Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated
Statements Of Operations
Years
Ended December 31, 2025 and 2024
2025
2024
Year Ended
December 31,
2025
2024
Revenues
$ 431,609
$ 136,643
Cost of sales
100,127
130,638
Gross profit
331,482
6,005
Operating expenses:
Wage and salary expense
2,118,568
2,111,066
Professional fees
2,407,822
1,458,332
Accounting and legal expense
2,070,337
1,807,041
Technology expense
97,261
416,311
General and administrative
7,926,016
6,677,580
Research and development
1,956,270
2,236,690
Impairment loss
26,346,050
-
Total operating expenses
42,922,324
14,707,020
Operating loss
( 42,590,842 )
( 14,701,015 )
Non-operating income (expense):
Change in fair value of warrant liability
909,020
( 182,982 )
Change in fair value of derivative liability
2,296,834
180,383
Impairment of investment
-
( 2,500,000 )
Loss on conversion of note payable
( 53,446 )
-
Loss on disposition of subsidiaries
( 288,204 )
-
Interest income
302,702
135,337
Loss on disposal of asset
-
( 374,968 )
Interest expense
( 4,083,206 )
( 1,335,631 )
Total non-operating expense
( 916,300 )
( 4,077,861 )
Net loss from continuing operations
( 43,507,142 )
( 18,778,876 )
Benefit / (provision) for income taxes
1,994,878
534,396
Net loss from continuing operations, net of tax
( 41,512,264 )
( 18,244,480 )
Net income from discontinued operations, net of tax
-
27,310,278
Net (loss) income
$ ( 41,512,264 )
$ 9,065,798
Net loss per common share from continuing operations
Basic
$ ( 2.70 )
$ ( 5.41 )
Diluted
$ ( 2.70 )
$ ( 5.41 )
Net income per common share from discontinued operations
Basic
$ -
$ 8.09
Diluted
$ -
$ 7.47
Net (loss) income per common share
Basic
$ ( 2.70 )
$ 2.69
Diluted
$ ( 2.70 )
$ 2.48
Weighted average common shares outstanding
Basic
15,347,312
3,375,325
Diluted
15,347,312
3,653,609
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
74
Table of Contents
Scienture
Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated
Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Capital
Deficit
Equity
Series A
Series B
Series C
Series X
Common
Additional
Total
Preferred Stock
Preferred Stock
Preferred Stock
Preferred Stock
Stock
Paid-in
Accumulated
Stockholders’
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Capital
Deficit
Equity
Balances at December 31, 2023
-
$ -
15,759
$ -
290
$ -
-
$ -
905,008
$ 9
$ 33,788,284
$ ( 33,245,940 )
$ 542,353
Common stock issued for services
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
490,698
5
4,598,289
-
4,598,294
Conversion of Series C preferred stock into common stock
-
-
-
-
( 290 )
-
-
-
52,158
1
( 1 )
-
-
Issuance of shares pursuant to Merger
-
-
-
-
-
-
6,826,753
68
291,536
3
78,646,113
-
78,646,184
Conversion of Series X preferred stock into common stock
-
-
-
-
-
-
( 6,826,753 )
( 68 )
6,826,753
68
-
-
-
Equity line of commitment shares issued
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
70,000
1
534,799
-
534,800
Issuance of common shares in connection with convertible note
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
55,000
1
420,199
-
420,200
Warrants issued with convertible note
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
71,332
-
71,332
Options exercised for common shares
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2,371
-
9,840
-
9,840
Warrants exercised for cash
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
57,058
-
16,567
-
16,567
Options expense
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
25,584
-
25,584
Cash dividends paid ($ 8 per share)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
( 12,671,072 )
( 12,671,072 )
Cash dividends paid ($ 1.50 per share)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
( 2,187,759 )
( 2,187,759 )
Net income
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
9,065,798
9,065,798
Balances at December 31, 2024
-
-
15,759
-
-
-
-
-
8,750,582
87
118,111,007
( 39,038,973 )
79,072,121
Balance
-
-
15,759
-
-
-
-
-
8,750,582
87
118,111,007
( 39,038,973 )
79,072,121
Common stock issued for services
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3,760,150
38
4,310,052
-
4,310,090
Common stock issued for cash, net of offering costs
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
22,826,273
228
23,879,077
-
23,879,305
Cancellation of stock options and issuance of common stock
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2,000,000
20
1,512,974
-
1,512,994
Equity line of commitment shares issued
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,064,512
11
1,526,307
-
1,526,318
Conversion of note payable into common stock
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
274,000
3
410,997
-
411,000
Common stock issued for convertible note settlement
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
224,998
2
189,671
-
189,673
Common stock issued for convertible note extension
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
250,000
3
175,248
-
175,250
Warrants exercised for shares
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
279,402
3
( 3 )
-
-
Restricted shares issued for services
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,200,898
12
( 12 )
-
-
Stock-based compensation expense
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
555,898
-
555,898
Net loss
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
( 41,512,264 )
( 41,512,264 )
Net income (loss)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
( 41,512,264 )
( 41,512,264 )
Balances at December 31, 2025
-
$ -
15,759
$ -
-
$ -
-
$ -
40,630,815
$ 406
$ 150,671,215
$ ( 80,551,237 )
$ 70,120,384
Balance
-
$ -
15,759
$ -
-
$ -
-
$ -
40,630,815
$ 406
$ 150,671,215
$ ( 80,551,237 )
$ 70,120,384
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
75
Table of Contents
Scienture
Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows
Years
Ended December 31, 2025 and 2024
2025
2024
Year Ended
December 31,
2025
2024
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss from continuing operations
$ ( 43,507,142 )
$ ( 18,778,876 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation expense
2,000
2,000
Amortization of intangible assets
453,846
-
Change in fair value of warrant liability
( 909,020 )
182,982
Change in fair value of derivative liability
( 2,296,834 )
( 180,383 )
Loss on conversion of note payable
53,446
-
Loss on disposition of subsidiaries
214,486
-
Stock-based compensation
2,068,892
25,584
Common stock issued for services
4,310,090
4,598,294
Goodwill impairment
26,346,050
-
Impairment of investment
-
2,500,000
Amortization of debt discount
3,161,100
912,447
Amortization of right-of-use assets
35,935
51,361
Interest income
( 250,000 )
-
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net
( 720,222 )
( 11,106 )
Prepaid expenses and deposits
( 193,023 )
34,656
Inventory
( 213,408 )
968
Other receivables
( 80,469 )
( 2,914,068 )
Lease liability
( 36,979 )
( 51,587 )
Accounts payable
( 1,567,215 )
448,572
Accrued liabilities
( 248,574 )
( 44,616 )
Current liabilities
( 5,441 )
( 62,390 )
Net cash used in operating activities from continuing operations
( 13,382,482 )
( 13,286,163 )
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from discontinued operations
2,799
( 979,075 )
Net cash used in operating activities
( 13,379,683 )
( 14,265,239 )
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash received in acquisition
-
132,976
Acquisition of property and equipment
-
( 12,000 )
Investment in securities
-
( 2,500,000 )
Net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations
-
( 2,379,024 )
Net cash provided by investing activities from discontinued operations
-
29,931,815
Net cash provided by investing activities
-
27,552,791
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of contingent liability
-
( 1,246,346 )
Proceeds from loan payable, related party
116,000
150,000
Repayment of loan payable, related party
( 531,000 )
-
Proceeds from issuance of convertible notes, net of issuance costs
-
2,954,000
Proceeds from convertible notes
3,500,000
-
Repayment of convertible notes
( 9,244,444 )
-
Gross proceeds from issuance of common stock
26,293,039
-
Repayment of development liability
( 400,000 )
-
Cash dividends paid
-
( 14,858,831 )
Proceeds from exercise of warrants
-
16,567
Proceeds from exercise of options
-
9,840
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities from continuing operations
19,733,595
( 12,974,770 )
Net cash used in financing activities from discontinued operations
-
( 5,000 )
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
19,733,595
( 12,979,770 )
Net change in cash
6,353,912
307,782
Cash at beginning of period
308,096
314
Cash at end of period
$ 6,662,008
$ 308,096
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest
$ -
$ -
Cash paid for taxes
$ -
$ -
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Conversion of note payable into common stock
$ 411,000
$ -
Equity line of commitment shares issued as offering costs
$ 1,526,318
$ 534,800
Issuance of note receivable in exchange for other receivables
$ 5,000,000
$ -
Issuance of shares pursuant to Merger
$ -
$ 78,646,184
Assets acquired in connection with Merger
$ -
$ 194,554
Liabilities assumed in connection with Merger
$ -
$ 5,797,117
Insurance premium financed
$ -
$ 198,245
Issuance of common shares in connection with converible debenture
$ -
$ 420,200
Deferred offering costs
$ -
$ 69,444
Derivative liability recognized in connection with issuance of convertible note
$ -
$ 2,477,217
Warrants issued with convertible note
$ -
$ 71,332
Common stock issued for convertible note settlement
$ 189,673
$ -
Common stock issued for convertible note extension
$ 175,250
$ -
Accretion of original issue discount on Treasury Bills
$ 20,625
$ -
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
76
Table of Contents
NOTE
1 – ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Overview
On
September 20, 2024, changed its legal name from “TRxADE HEALTH, Inc.” to “Scienture Holdings, Inc.” As of the
date of these financial statements, the Company’s primary operating subsidiary is Scienture, LLC (f/k/a Scienture, Inc.) (“ Scienture ”).
Scienture was acquired in July 2024.
Scienture is a New
York based branded, specialty pharmaceutical research company focused on the commercialization and development of products for the treatment
of Cardiovascular (CVS) and Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases. Scienture launched its first commercial product for hypertension and
is in the process of commercializing its second product for the treatment of opioid overdose. Its development pipeline consists of a
broad range of novel product candidates including new potential treatments for migraine, thrombosis, pain and other related disorders.
Scienture’s mission is to bring to market innovative technology-based products to address unmet medical needs. Its targeted portfolio
consists of short term and long-term opportunities with efficient development, regulatory, and go to market strategies.
Dispositions
SOSRx,
LLC
SOSRx,
LLC (“SOSRx”) was formed on February 15, 2022. The Company entered into a relationship with Exchange Health, LLC (“Exchange
Health”), a technology company providing an online platform for manufacturers and suppliers to sell and purchase pharmaceuticals,
pursuant to which SOSRx, a Delaware limited liability company, was formed, which was owned 51% by the Company and 49% by Exchange Health.
SOSRx did not generate material revenue and in February 2023 the Company voluntarily withdrew from the joint venture agreement.
Community
Specialty Pharmacy, LLC and Alliance Pharma Solutions, LLC
On
January 20, 2023, the Company entered into Membership Interest Purchase Agreements to sell 100% of the outstanding membership interests
of the Company’s former subsidiaries, Community Specialty Pharmacy, LLC and Alliance Pharma Solutions, LLC (d.b.a DelivMeds). The
Company also agreed to enter into a Master Service Agreement to operate the businesses prior to closing. The transactions contemplated
by the Membership Interest Purchase Agreements closed on August 22, 2023.
Superlatus
Inc.
On
July 14, 2023, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Superlatus Merger Agreement”)
with Superlatus Inc., a diversified food technology company, and Foods Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary
of the Company (“Merger Sub”).
On
July 31, 2023, the Company completed its acquisition of Superlatus in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Superlatus Merger
Agreement (the “Superlatus Merger”), pursuant to which the Company acquired Superlatus by way of a merger of the Merger Sub
with and into Superlatus, with Superlatus being a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and the surviving entity in the Superlatus Merger.
Under
the terms of the Superlatus Merger Agreement, at the closing of the Superlatus Merger (the “Closing”), shareholders of Superlatus
received an aggregate of 136,441 shares of the Company’s common stock and 306,855 shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred
Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Series B Preferred Stock”), convertible into 100 shares of the Company’s
common stock. At Closing, the value of the Company’s common stock was $7.30 per share, resulting in a total value of $225,000,169.
On
October 13, 2023, the Company announced that Superlatus PD Holding Company, Inc., a purported subsidiary of Superlatus, entered into
a supplier agreement with Rainforest Distribution Corp, a New York corporation (“Rainforest”), pursuant to which Superlatus
allegedly appointed Rainforest as its exclusive distributor for Superlatus’ portfolio of consumer packaged goods brands in certain
markets. The Company later learned and announced that neither the Company’s management nor the Company’s Board of Directors
authorized or approved the organization of Superlatus PD Holding Company, Inc. or the entry into the supplier agreement. Instead, the
Company’s management determined that certain representatives of a former subsidiary of the Company likely unilaterally took actions
related to the supplier agreement.
On
January 8, 2024, the Company entered into Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Superlatus
Amendment”) as not all of the closing conditions of the Superlatus Merger Agreement were met. Under the terms of the Superlatus
Amendment, the merger consideration to the shareholders of Superlatus was adjusted to the aggregate of 136,441 shares of the Company’s
common stock and 15,759 shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock, resulting in a total value of $12,500,089. Additionally,
the shareholders of Superlatus agreed to surrender back to the Company 291,096 shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock.
On
March 5, 2024, the Company entered in a Stock Purchase Agreement (“Superlatus SPA”) with Superlatus Foods Inc. (the “Buyer”).
Pursuant to the Superlatus SPA, the Company sold all of the issued and outstanding stock of Superlatus to the Buyer. A $1.00 purchase
price was delivered to the Company at the closing, which occurred simultaneously with the execution of the Superlatus SPA. As a result
of the transaction Superlatus is no longer a subsidiary of the Company, and the rights and assets of Superlatus together with various
liabilities and obligations that were specific to Superlatus became rights and obligations of the Buyer.
Other
Legacy Subsidiaries
The
Company also previously owned 100% of Softell Inc. (f/k/a Trxade Inc.) (“Softell”), Integra Pharma Solutions, LLC (“IPS”),
Bonum Health, Inc., and Bonum Health, LLC.
Softell
& IPS Entities
On
October 4, 2024, the Company and Softell entered into an Assignment and Assumption of Membership Interests (the “IPS Assignment
Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company transferred, and Softell accepted, 100% of the membership interests of IPS. As a result,
IPS became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Softell.
On
April 8, 2025, the Company entered into a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (the “IPS MIPA”) with Tollo Health, Inc.
(“Tollo”), pursuant to which Tollo agreed to purchase and the Company agreed to sell all of the Company’s membership
interests in IPS. Suren Ajjarapu, the Company’s former Chief Executive Officer, and Prashant Patel, the Company’s former
President and Chief Operating Officer, each have a beneficial interest in Tollo.
On
April 8, 2025, the Company also entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Softell SPA”) with Tollo, pursuant to which
Tollo agreed to purchase and the Company agreed to sell all issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Softell.
Bonum
Health Entities
On
April 8, 2025, the Company also entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Bonum SPA”) with Tollo, pursuant to which Tollo
agreed to purchase and the Company agreed to sell all issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Bonum Health, Inc.
77
Table of Contents
In
November 2025, the Company dissolved Bonum Health, LLC.
The
divestitures described above are part of a broader strategic realignment at the Company designed to sharpen operational focus and unlock
long-term value. It is aligned with the Company’s commitment to streamline its core operations, optimize its portfolio, and accelerate
growth in the Branded and Specialty Pharma markets. The Company intends to use the proceeds obtained from the divestment to facilitate
the high-growth commercial and strategic product development activities at its Scienture subsidiary.
See
Note 3 for further detail on the dispositions.
Basis
of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States of America (“ U.S. GAAP ”) and the rules of the SEC. All significant intercompany accounts
and transactions have been eliminated.
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions
that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue
and expenses in the reporting period. The Company bases its estimates and assumptions on current facts, historical experience and various
other factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about
the carrying values of assets and liabilities and the accrual of costs and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources.
The actual results experienced by the Company may differ materially and adversely from its estimates. Significant estimates for the years
ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 include the valuation of intangible assets, including goodwill, and gain (losses) on dispositions.
Revision
of Previously Issued Financial Statements for Correction of Immaterial Errors
During
the three months ended September 30, 2025, the Company identified and corr
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.