Blueprint
As
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April
11, 2018
Registration
Statement No. 333-223562
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Amendment No. 1 to
FORM
S-3
REGISTRATION
STATEMENT UNDER
THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
CORMEDIX
INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
(State
or other jurisdiction
of
incorporation or organization)
|
20-5894890
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
No.)
|
400 Connell Drive, Suite 5000
Berkeley
Heights, New Jersey 07922
Telephone:
(908) 517-9500
(Address,
including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of
registrant’s principal executive offices)
Khoso
Baluch
Chief
Executive Officer
CorMedix
Inc.
400 Connell Drive, Suite 5000
Berkeley
Heights, New Jersey 07922
Telephone:
(908) 517-9500
(Name,
address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area
code, of agent for service)
Copies
to:
Alexander
M. Donaldson, Esq.
Wyrick
Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP
4101
Lake Boone Trail, Suite 300
Raleigh,
North Carolina 27607
Telephone:
(919) 781-4000
Fax
(919) 781-4865
Approximate date of
commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time
after the effective date of this Registration
Statement.
If the only
securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant
to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the
following box. ☐
If any of the
securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a
delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the
Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in
connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the
following box. ☒
If this Form is
filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to
Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following
box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of
the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.
☐
If this Form is a
post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the
Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective registration
statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a
registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a
post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon
filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the
Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is a
post-effective amendment filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D.
filed to register additional securities or additional classes of
securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check
the following box. ☐
Indicate by check
mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting
company. See the definitions of “accelerated filer”,
“large accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting
company” (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act) (Check
one):
Large accelerated
filer ☐
|
Accelerated filer
☐
|
Non-accelerated
filer ☐ (Do not check if smaller reporting
company)
|
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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.
☐
CALCULATION
OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of each
class of securities to be registered
|
|
Amount to be
registered (1)
|
Proposed
maximum aggregate offering price per unit (2)
|
Proposed
maximum
aggregate
offering price
|
Amount
of
registration
fee
|
Common stock,
$0.001 par value per share
|
|
--
|
$--
|
$--
|
$--
|
Preferred stock,
$0.001 par value per share
|
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
Warrants
|
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
Debt
Securities
|
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
Units
|
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
Total
|
|
|
|
$70,000,000
|
$8,715.00(3)(4)
|
_______________
(1)
The Registrant is
registering such indeterminate number of shares of common stock and
preferred stock, such indeterminate principal amount of debt
securities, such indeterminate number of warrants to purchase
common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, and such
indeterminate number of units as shall have an aggregate initial
offering price not to exceed $70,000,000, less the aggregate dollar
amount of all securities previously issued hereunder. If any debt
securities are issued at an original issued discount, then the
offering price of such debt securities shall be in such greater
principal amount as shall result in an aggregate offering price not
to exceed $70,000,000, less the aggregate dollar amount of all
securities previously issued hereunder. Any securities registered
hereunder may be sold separately or as units with the other
securities registered hereunder. The proposed maximum offering
price per unit will be determined, from time to time, by the
Registrant in connection with the issuance by the Registrant of the
securities registered hereunder. The securities registered
hereunder also include such indeterminate number of shares of
common stock and preferred stock and amount of debt securities as
may be issued upon conversion of or exchange for preferred stock or
debt securities that provide for conversion or exchange, upon
exercise of warrants or pursuant to the antidilution provisions of
any of such securities. In addition, pursuant to Rule 416 under the
Securities Act, the shares being registered hereunder include such
indeterminate number of shares of common stock and preferred stock
as may be issuable with respect to the shares being registered
hereunder as a result of stock splits, stock dividends or similar
transaction.
(2)
The proposed
maximum offering price per unit will be determined from time to
time by the Registrant in connection with, and at the time of, the
issuance of the securities and is not specified as to each class of
security pursuant to General Instruction II.D. of Form S-3, as
amended.
(3)
Calculated pursuant
to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, based
on the proposed maximum aggregate offering price of all securities
listed.
(4)
The filing fee was
previously paid.
EXPLANATORY
NOTE
This registration
statement contains two prospectuses:
●
a base prospectus
which covers the offering, issuance and sale by us of up to $70.0
million of our common stock, preferred stock, warrants, debt
securities and/or units; and
●
a sales agreement
prospectus covering the offering and sale of our common stock that
may be issued and sold under a sales agreement between us and B.
Riley FBR, Inc. for shares of common stock having an aggregate
offering price of up to $14.7 million, which is an
amount equal to one-third of our public float as of April
6, 2018 (which was approximately $44,400,000),
as limited by General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3.
The sales agreement
prospectus immediately follows the base prospectus. The
$14.7 million of common stock that may be offered,
issued and sold under the sales agreement prospectus is included in
the $70.0 million of securities that may be offered, issued and
sold by us under the base prospectus. Upon termination of the sales
agreement with B. Riley FBR, Inc., any portion of the
$14.7 million included in the sales agreement
prospectus that is not sold pursuant to the sales agreement will be
available for sale in other offerings pursuant to the base
prospectus, and if no shares are sold under the sales agreement,
the full $70.0 million of securities may be sold in other offerings
pursuant to the base prospectus and a corresponding prospectus
supplement.
The
Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date
or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the
Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states
that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective
in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or
until the registration statement shall become effective on such
date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may
determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be
changed. We may not sell these securities or accept an offer to buy
these securities until the registration statement filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is
not an offer to sell these securities, and we are not soliciting an
offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale
is not permitted.
Subject to completion, dated April 11,
2018
Prospectus
$70,000,000 of
Common Stock,
Preferred Stock,
Warrants,
Debt Securities and/or
Units
From
time to time, we may offer up to $70,000,000 of any combination of
the securities described in this prospectus, either individually or
in units, in one or more offerings in amounts, at prices and on the
terms that we will determine at the time of offering. We may also
offer common stock or preferred stock upon conversion of debt
securities, common stock upon conversion of preferred stock, or
common stock, preferred stock or debt securities upon the exercise
of warrants.
Each
time we sell securities, we will provide specific terms of the
securities offered in a supplement to this prospectus. The
prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information
contained in this prospectus. We will specify in any accompanying
prospectus supplement the terms of any offering. You should read
this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, as well
as any documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and
any prospectus supplement, carefully before you invest in any
securities. This prospectus may not
be used by us to consummate a sale of securities unless accompanied
by the applicable prospectus supplement.
We will
sell these securities directly to our stockholders or to other
purchasers or through agents on our behalf or through underwriters
or dealers as designated from time to time. If any agents or
underwriters are involved in the sale of any of these securities,
the applicable prospectus supplement will provide the names of the
agents or underwriters and any applicable fees, commissions or
discounts.
Our
common stock trades on the NYSE American under the trading symbol
“CRMD.” On April 9,
2018, the
closing price of our common stock was $0.23 per share.
We recommend that you obtain current market quotations for our
common stock prior to making an investment decision.
As of
April 6, 2018, the aggregate market value of our
outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates, or the public
float, was approximately $44,400,000 which was
calculated based on 81,903,027 shares of our
outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates and on a price of
$0.57 per share, the last reported sale price for our common stock
on February 16, 2018. Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form
S-3, in no event will we sell our common stock in a public primary
offering with a value exceeding one-third of our public float in
any 12-month period unless our public float subsequently rises to
$75.0 million or more. We have not offered any securities pursuant
to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3 during the 12 calendar
months prior to and including the date of this
prospectus.
You
should carefully read this prospectus, the prospectus supplement
relating to any specific offering of securities and all information
incorporated by reference herein and therein.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. These
risks are described under the caption “Risk
Factors” beginning on
page 6 and in the documents incorporated by reference into this
prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state
securities commission has approved or disapproved of these
securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or
complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
The date of this prospectus is ______, 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About this Prospectus
|
1
|
Prospectus Summary
|
2
|
Risk Factors
|
6
|
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
|
25
|
Use of Proceeds
|
26
|
Plan of Distribution
|
27
|
Description of Our Capital Stock
|
29
|
|
Common Stock
|
29
|
|
Issued and Outstanding Preferred Stock
|
29
|
|
Series C-2 and C-3 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred
Stock
|
30
|
|
Series D Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock
|
31
|
|
Series E Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock
|
32
|
|
Series F Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock
|
33
|
|
Transfer Agent and Registrar
|
35
|
|
Description of Preferred Stock That May be Offered
|
35
|
Description of Debt Securities
|
36
|
Description of Warrants
|
38
|
Description of Units
|
39
|
Certain Provisions of Delaware Law and of Our Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated
Bylaws
|
40
|
Legal Matters
|
41
|
Experts
|
41
|
Where You Can Find Additional Information
|
41
|
Incorporation of Documents by Reference
|
41
|
This prospectus is part of a registration
statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, or SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration
process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer
shares of our common stock and preferred stock, various series of
debt securities and/or warrants to purchase any of such securities,
either individually or in units, in one or more offerings, of an
indeterminate amount. This prospectus
provides you with a general description of the securities we may
offer. Each time we offer a type or series of securities under this
prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will
contain specific information about the terms of that
offering.
This
prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the
registration statement. For a more complete understanding of the
offering of the securities, you should refer to the registration
statement, including its exhibits. Prospectus supplements may also
add, update or change information contained or incorporated by
reference in this prospectus. However, no prospectus supplement
will fundamentally change the terms that are set forth in this
prospectus or offer a security that is not registered and described
in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness. This
prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplements and
the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus,
includes all material information relating to this offering. You
should carefully read this prospectus, the applicable prospectus
supplement, the information and documents incorporated herein by
reference and the additional information under the heading
“Where You Can Find More Information” before making an
investment decision.
You
should rely only on the information we
have provided or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or
any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide
you with information different from that contained or incorporated
by reference in this prospectus. No dealer, salesperson or other
person is authorized to give any information or to represent
anything not contained or incorporated by reference in this
prospectus. You must not rely on any unauthorized information or
representation. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the
securities offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in
jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. You should assume that
the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is
accurate only as of the date on the front of the document and that
any information we have incorporated herein by reference is
accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by
reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or
any sale of a security.
To
the extent there are inconsistencies between any prospectus
supplement, this prospectus and any documents incorporated by
reference, the document with the most recent date will
control.
This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of our
securities, unless it is accompanied by a prospectus
supplement.
Unless
the context otherwise requires, “CorMedix,” the
“company,” “we,” “us,”
“our” and similar names refer to CorMedix
Inc.
Neutrolin®
is our registered trademark and the
CorMedix logo is our trademark. All other trade names, trademarks
and service marks appearing in this prospectus are the property of
their respective owners. We have assumed that the reader
understands that all such terms are source-indicating. Accordingly,
such terms, when first mentioned in this prospectus, appear with
the trade name, trademark or service mark notice and then
throughout the remainder of this prospectus without trade name,
trademark or service mark notices for convenience only and should
not be construed as being used in a descriptive or generic
sense.
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights certain information about us, this offering
and selected information contained elsewhere in or incorporated by
reference into this prospectus. This summary is not complete and
does not contain all of the information that you should consider
before deciding whether to invest in our common stock. For a more
complete understanding of our company and this offering, we
encourage you to read and consider carefully the more detailed
information in this prospectus, including the information
incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and the information
referred to under the heading “Risk Factors” in this
prospectus beginning on page 6, and in the documents
incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
OUR COMPANY
Overview
We are
a biopharmaceutical company
focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for
the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory
diseases.
Our
primary focus is to develop our lead product candidate,
Neutrolin® (also known as
CRMD003), for potential commercialization in the U.S. and other key
markets. We have in-licensed the worldwide rights to develop and
commercialize Neutrolin, which is a novel anti-infective solution
(a formulation of taurolidine, citrate and heparin 1000 u/ml) under
development in the U.S. for the reduction and prevention of
catheter-related infections and thrombosis in patients requiring
central venous catheters in clinical settings such as dialysis,
critical/intensive care, and oncology. Infection and thrombosis
represent key complications among critical care/ intensive care and
cancer patients with central venous catheters. These complications
can lead to treatment delays and increased costs to the healthcare
system when they occur due to hospitalizations, need for IV
antibiotic treatment, long-term anticoagulation therapy,
removal/replacement of the central venous catheter, related
treatment costs and increased mortality. We believe Neutrolin has
the potential to address a significant unmet medical need and
represents a potential large market opportunity.
In July
2013, we received CE Mark approval for Neutrolin. As a result, in
December 2013, we commercially launched Neutrolin in Germany
for the prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infections and
maintenance of catheter patency in hemodialysis patients using a
tunneled, cuffed central venous catheter for vascular
access. To date, Neutrolin is registered and may be sold
in certain European Union and Middle Eastern countries for such
treatment. In April 2017, we
entered into a commercial collaboration with Hemotech SAS covering
France and French overseas territories.
We
initiated one Phase 3 clinical trial in hemodialysis patients with
a central venous catheter (“LOCK-IT-100”) in December
2015. The FDA has indicated that two pivotal trials to demonstrate
safety and effectiveness of Neutrolin will be required by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to secure
marketing approval in the United States.
In
April 2017, a safety review by an independent Data and Safety
Monitoring Board, or DSMB was completed. The DSMB unanimously
concluded that it is safe to continue the LOCK-IT-100 clinical
trial as designed based on its evaluation of data from the first
279 patients randomized on trial.
On
August 2, 2017, we announced that the FDA had agreed to key changes
to the LOCK-IT-100 clinical trial. We sought guidance from the FDA
to address, in part, the apparent overall lower rate of
catheter-related blood stream infection (CRBSI) events as announced
in April 2017. Changes made to the protocol were 1) the utilization
of a Clinical Adjudication Committee (CAC) to assess suspected
CRBSIs; 2) the use of the CAC to critically and independently
assess suspected CRBSIs in a blinded fashion based on a single
positive blood culture and supporting documentation, rather than
two positive blood cultures as previously required; 3) the ability
to capture cases occurring outside of dialysis centers to
facilitate more complete capture of CRBSI events in the study,
particularly when patients present with CRBSI events outside of the
dialysis center setting (emergency rooms or urgent care centers);
and 4) a revision of the design of the study to detect a treatment
effect of 55% or greater when comparing the Neutrolin and heparin
control arms. The FDA agreed that cases adjudicated by the CAC to
be CRBSI events and the per protocol definition of CRBSI events
will be included in the primary analysis of the primary efficacy
endpoint of the LOCK-IT-100 study. The amended study assumptions
including a reduction in statistical power have resulted in a
reduction in the total number of CRBSI events required from 161
events to 56 events to complete the study. We believe that these
changes have allowed the identification of more infections,
enabling a single interim analysis.
On
February 20, 2018, we announced that the CAC had
reviewed potential cases of CRBSI in the LOCK-IT 100 study that
occurred through early December 2017, and identified 28 such cases.
As previously agreed with FDA, an interim analysis will be
performed when the first 28 CRBSIs case have been identified. The
primary endpoint for the studyis the reduction of CRBSI by
Neutrolin in comparison to a heparin catheter lock solution. We are
currently directing standard procedures to ensure the accuracy and
completeness of the data required for conducting the interim
analysis. This review includesdata for all subjects in the study
needed to assess the two secondary endpoints related to a reduction
in catheter removal and catheter blockage, as well as the primary
endpoint and safety information. Before the full dataset can be
locked and the interimanalysis can proceed, a number of weeks will
be required to complete the quality assurance procedures
appropriate for the amount of data generated in the trial. The
interim analysis will be provided to the Data Safety Monitoring
Board for its review and recommendation upon completion. We
project to complete patient enrollment in mid-year 2018,
and anticipate that we will accumulate the requisite
number of CRBSI events around the end of 2018.
We are
evaluating opportunities for the
possible expansion of taurolidine as a platform compound. Patent
applications have been filed in wound closure, surgical meshes,
wound management, and osteoarthritis, including
visco-supplementation. We have had
dialogue with the FDA on the regulatory pathway for these
indications. The FDA has recently informed us that it regards
taurolidine as a new chemical entity and therefore an unapproved
drug. Consequently, there is no appropriate predicate device
currently marketed in the U.S. on which a 510k approval process
could be based. As a result, we will be required to submit a
premarket approval application for marketing authorization for
these indications. In the event that the New Drug Application for
Neutrolin is approved by the FDA, the regulatory pathway can be
revisited with the FDA. Although there will presumably still
be no appropriate predicate, de novo Class II designation can
be proposed, based on a risk assessment and a reasonable assurance
of safety and effectiveness. We
believe taurolidine can also provide benefits not currently
available in marketed antimicrobial medical devices, including
devices for burn victims and use in less sterile
environments.
We are also involved in a pre-clinical research
collaboration for the use of taurolidine as a possible combination
treatment for rare orphan pediatric tumors. In February
2018, the FDA granted orphan drug designation to taurolidine for
the treatment of neuroblastoma.
Corporate History and Information
We were
organized as a Delaware corporation on July 28, 2006 under the name
“Picton Holding Company, Inc.” and we changed our
corporate name to “CorMedix Inc.” on January 18, 2007.
Our operations to date have been primarily limited to organizing
and staffing, licensing product candidates, developing clinical
trials for our product candidates, seeking regulatory approvals for
Neutrolin, establishing manufacturing for our product candidates
and maintaining and improving our patent portfolio and launching
Neutrolin in the E.U and other foreign countries.
Our
executive offices are located at 400 Connell Drive, Suite 5000,
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922. Our telephone number is (908) 517-9500.
Our website address is www.cormedix.com. Information contained in,
or accessible through, our website does not constitute part of this
prospectus supplement.
Offerings Under This Prospectus
We may
offer shares of our common stock and preferred stock, various
series of debt securities and/or warrants to purchase any of such
securities, either individually or in units, up to an indeterminate
amount from time to time under this prospectus at prices and on
terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of any
offering. This prospectus provides you with a general description
of the securities we may offer. Each time we offer a type or series
of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus
supplement that will describe the specific amounts, prices and
other important terms of the securities.
The
prospectus supplement also may add, update or change information
contained in this prospectus or in documents we have incorporated
by reference into this prospectus. However, no prospectus
supplement will fundamentally change the terms that are set forth
in this prospectus or offer a security that is not registered and
described in this prospectus at the time of its
effectiveness.
This prospectus may not be used to consummate a sale of any
securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus
supplement.
We may
sell the securities directly to investors or to or through agents,
underwriters or dealers. We, and our agents or underwriters,
reserve the right to accept or reject all or part of any proposed
purchase of securities. If we offer securities through agents or
underwriters, we will include in the applicable prospectus
supplement:
●
the
names of those agents or underwriters;
●
applicable
fees, discounts and commissions to be paid to them;
●
details
regarding over-allotment options, if any; and
●
the
net proceeds to us.
Common Stock
We may
issue shares of our common stock from time to time. The holders of
common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters to
be voted upon by stockholders. Subject to preferences that may be
applicable to any outstanding preferred stock, the holders of
common stock are entitled to receive ratably any dividends that may
be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of
funds legally available for that purpose. In the event of our
liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of common stock
are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment
of liabilities, subject to prior distribution rights of any
preferred stock then outstanding.
Preferred Stock
We may
issue shares of our preferred stock from time to time, in one or
more series. Our board of directors will determine the rights,
preferences, privileges and restrictions of the preferred stock,
including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms
of redemption, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms and the
number of shares constituting any series or the designation of such
series, without any further vote or action by stockholders.
Convertible preferred stock will be convertible into our common
stock or exchangeable for our other securities. Conversion may be
mandatory or at your option or both and would be at prescribed
conversion rates.
If
we sell any series of preferred stock under this prospectus and
applicable prospectus supplements, we will fix the rights,
preferences, privileges and restrictions of the preferred stock of
such series in the certificate of designation relating to that
series. We will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of
which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference
from reports that we file with the SEC, the form of any certificate
of designation that describes the terms of the series of preferred
stock we are offering before the issuance of the related series of
preferred stock. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus
supplement related to the series of preferred stock being offered,
as well as the complete certificate of designation that contains
the terms of the applicable series of preferred stock.
Warrants
We
may issue warrants for the purchase of common stock, preferred
stock and/or debt securities in one or more series. We may issue
warrants independently or together with common stock, preferred
stock and/or debt securities, and the warrants may be attached to
or separate from these securities. We will evidence each series of
warrants by warrant certificates that we will issue under a
separate agreement. We may enter into warrant agreements with a
bank or trust company that we select to be our warrant agent. We
will indicate the name and address of the warrant agent in the
applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of
warrants.
In
this prospectus, we have summarized certain general features of the
warrants. We urge you, however, to read the applicable prospectus
supplement related to the particular series of warrants being
offered, as well as the warrant agreements and warrant certificates
that contain the terms of the warrants. We will file as exhibits to
the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or
will incorporate by reference from reports that we file with the
SEC, the form of warrant agreement or warrant certificate
containing the terms of the warrants we are offering before the
issuance of the warrants.
Debt Securities
We
may offer debt securities from time to time, in one or more series,
as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated
convertible debt. The senior debt securities will rank equally with
any other unsecured and unsubordinated debt. The subordinated debt
securities will be subordinate and junior in right of payment, to
the extent and in the manner described in the instrument governing
the debt, to all of our senior indebtedness. Convertible debt
securities will be convertible into or exchangeable for our common
stock or our other securities. Conversion may be mandatory or at
your option or both and would be at prescribed conversion
rates.
With
respect to any debt securities that we issue, we will issue such
debt securities under an indenture, which we would enter into with
the trustee named in the indenture. The form of indenture was filed
as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this
prospectus is a part and is incorporated herein by reference. Any
indenture would be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of
1939.
Units
We
may issue units consisting of common stock, preferred stock, debt
securities and/or warrants for the purchase of common stock,
preferred stock and/or debt securities in one or more series. In
this prospectus, we have summarized certain general features of the
units. We urge you, however, to read the applicable prospectus
supplement related to the series of units being offered, as well as
the unit agreements that contain the terms of the units. We will
file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this
prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference reports that
we file with the SEC, the form of unit agreement and any
supplemental agreements that describe the terms of the series of
units we are offering before the issuance of the related series of
units.
RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves risk. The prospectus
supplement applicable to each offering of our securities will
contain a discussion of the risks applicable to an investment in
our company. Prior to making a decision about investing in our
securities, you should carefully consider the specific factors
discussed below and under the heading “Risk Factors” in
the applicable prospectus supplement, together with all of the
other information contained or incorporated by reference in the
prospectus supplement or appearing or incorporated by reference in
this prospectus. You should also consider the risks, uncertainties
and assumptions discussed under the heading “Risk
Factors” included in our most recent annual report on
Form 10-K which is on file with the SEC and is incorporated
herein by reference, and which may be amended, supplemented or
superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the SEC
in the future.
Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need for Additional
Capital
We have a history of operating losses, expect to incur additional
operating losses in the future and may never be
profitable.
Our
prospects must be considered in light of the uncertainties, risks,
expenses, and difficulties frequently encountered by companies in
the early stages of operation. We incurred net losses of
approximately $33
million and
$24.6 million for the years ended December 31,
2017 and 2016, respectively. As of December 31,
2017, we had an
accumulated deficit of approximately $152.2 million. We expect to incur
substantial additional operating expenses over the next several
years as our research, development, pre-clinical testing, clinical
trial and commercialization activities increase as we develop and
commercialize Neutrolin. As a result, we expect to experience
negative cash flow as we fund our operating losses and capital
expenditures. The amount of future losses and when, if ever, we
will achieve profitability are uncertain. Neutrolin was launched in
December 2013 and is currently available for distribution in
certain European Union and Middle East countries. We have not
generated any significant commercial revenue and do not expect to
generate substantial revenues from Neutrolin until it is approved
by the FDA and launched in the U.S. market,and might never generate
significant revenues from the sale of Neutrolin or any other
products. Our ability to generate revenue and achieve profitability
will depend on, among other things, the following: successfully
marketing Neutrolin in Germany and other countries in which it is
approved for sale; obtaining necessary regulatory approvals for
Neutrolin from the other applicable European and Middle East
agencies, other foreign agencies and the FDA and international
regulatory agencies for any other products; establishing
manufacturing, sales, and marketing arrangements, either alone or
with third parties; and raising sufficient funds to finance our
activities. We might not succeed at any of these undertakings. If
we are unsuccessful at some or all of these undertakings, our
business, prospects, and results of operations may be materially
adversely affected.
We have
received a
going concern opinion from our independent registered
public accounting firm.
Our
operations are subject to a number of factors that can affect our
operating results and financial condition. Such factors
include, but are not limited
to: the results of clinical testing and trial activities of our
product candidates; the ability to obtain regulatory approval to
market our products; ability to manufacture successfully;
competition from products manufactured and sold or being developed
by other companies; the price of, and demand for, our products; our
ability to negotiate favorable licensing or other manufacturing and
marketing agreements for our products; and our ability to raise
capital to support our operations.
To
date, our commercial operations have not generated sufficient
revenues to enable profitability. As of December 31,
2017, we had an accumulated deficit of $152.2
million, and incurred net losses from operations of
$33.0 million for the year then ended.
Based on the current development plans for Neutrolin in both the
U.S. and foreign markets
(including the ongoing hemodialysis Phase 3 clinical trial in the
U.S.) and our other operating requirements, management believes
that the existing cash at December 31, 2017 plus funding
raised through March 9, 2018 and a proposed new $3 million backstop
facility, for which a binding term sheet was recently signed by us
and Elliott Management Corporation, will be sufficient to fund
operations into the third quarter of 2018. If a definitive
agreement can be negotiated and executed, we anticipate that the
proposed backstop facility would be available for drawing between
April 16, 2018 and July 31, 2018. These factors raise
substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going
concern. We will need additional funding to complete the
ongoing hemodialysis clinical trial in the U.S. which
commenced in December 2015 and to continue the Neutrolin
development program through to NDA filing and marketing
approval.
As a
result of the above matters, our independent auditors
have indicated in their report on our December
31, 2017 financial statements that there is
substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
A “going concern” opinion indicates that the financial
statements have been prepared assuming we will continue as a going
concern and do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible
future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets, or the amounts
and classification of liabilities that may result if we do not
continue as a going concern. Therefore, you should not rely on our
consolidated balance sheet as an indication of the amount of
proceeds that would be available to satisfy claims of our
creditors, and potentially be available for distribution to our
stockholders, in the event of liquidation.
Our
continued operations will ultimately depend on our ability to raise
additional capital through various potential sources, such as
equity and/or debt financings, strategic relationships, or
out-licensing of our products in order to complete our ongoing and planned Phase 3 clinical trials
and until we achieve profitability, if ever. We can provide no
assurances that such financing or strategic relationships will be
available on acceptable terms, or at all. Without this funding, we
could be required to delay, scale back or eliminate some or all of
our research and development programs which would likely have a
material adverse effect on our business.
We will need to finance our future cash needs through public or
private equity offerings, debt financings or corporate
collaboration and licensing arrangements. Any additional funds that
we obtain may not be on terms favorable to us or our stockholders
and may require us to relinquish valuable
rights.
We have launched Neutrolin in certain European
Union and Middle East countries, but to date have no other approved
product on the market and have not generated significant product
revenue from Neutrolin to date. Unless and until we receive
applicable regulatory approval for Neutrolin in the U.S., we cannot
sell Neutrolin in the U.S. Therefore, for the foreseeable future,
we will have to fund all of our operations and capital expenditures
from Neutrolin sales in Europe and other foreign markets, if
approved, cash on hand, additional financings, licensing fees and
grants.
We believe that our cash resources as of
December 31, 2017, plus funding raised through March 9, 2018
and a proposed new $3 million backstop facility, for which a
binding term sheet was recently signed by us and Elliott Management
Corporation, will be sufficient to fund operations
into the third quarter of 2018. If a definitive agreement can be
negotiated and executed, we anticipate that the proposed backstop
facility would be available for drawing between April 16, 2018 and
July 31, 2018. We will need additional funding thereafter to
complete our ongoing and anticipated Phase 3
clinical trials in the U.S., and to continue the
Neutrolin development program through to NDA filing and
approval. If we are unable to raise additional funds when
needed, we may not be able to complete our ongoing Phase 3 clinical
trial, to complete the Neutrolin development program through
to NDA filing and marketing approval or commercialize
Neutrolin and we could be required to delay, scale back or
eliminate some or all of our research and development programs. We
can provide no assurances that any financing or strategic
relationships will be available to us on acceptable terms, or at
all. We expect to incur increases in our cash used in operations as
we continue to conduct our ongoing Phase 3 clinical
trial and prepare for additional Phase 3 clinical
trials, seek FDA approval of Neutrolin in the U.S.,
commercialize Neutrolin in Europe and other markets, pursue
development of our medical devices and other business
development activities, and incur additional legal costs to defend
our intellectual property.
To raise needed capital, we may sell additional
equity or debt securities, obtain a bank credit facility, or enter
into a corporate collaboration or licensing arrangement.
The sale of additional equity or debt
securities, if convertible, could result in dilution to our
stockholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in fixed
obligations and could also result in covenants that would restrict
our operations. Raising additional funds through collaboration or
licensing arrangements with third parties may require us to
relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue
streams, research programs or product candidates, or to grant
licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us or our
stockholders.
At the time that we may need additional financing, we may not have
sufficient authorized shares of common stock available, depending
on the amount of the financing, the price of our common stock and
our obligations to reserve shares for our outstanding convertible
preferred stock, warrants and options. We currently have
160,000,000 shares of common stock authorized and at March 31,
2018, we had 81,786,902 shares outstanding and 37,753,594 shares
reserved for issuance upon the exercise and conversion of our
outstanding convertible preferred stock, warrants and options. To
increase our authorized common stock, we would need stockholder
approval to amend our certificate of incorporation, which approval
may not be obtained.
Until
the date that none of the shares of common stock or warrants that
we issued to Elliott Associates, L.P. and Elliott International,
L.P in November 2017 as part of the backstop financing are
outstanding, we are prohibited from issuing or selling any
securities convertible into common stock on terms more favorable
than the backstop financing terms and with a conversion, exchange
or exercise price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading
prices of or quotations for the shares of our common stock or that
is subject to being reset at some future date or upon the
occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly
related to our business (other than pursuant to a customary
“weighted average” anti-dilution provision) or the
market for our common stock or enter into any agreement to sell
securities at a future determined price (other than standard and
customary “preemptive” or “participation”
rights and other than pursuant to an at-the-market offering through
a registered broker-dealer). This restriction could make raising
capital through the sale of equity securities very difficult and
could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial
condition and prospects.
Risks Related to the Development and Commercialization of Our
Product Candidates
If we are unable to successfully complete our Phase 3 LOCK-IT-100
clinical trial, or if such clinical trial takes longer to complete
than we project, our ability to execute our current business
strategy will be adversely affected.
Whether or not and how quickly we complete the
Phase 3 LOCK-IT-100 clinical trial is dependent in part upon the
rate of enrollment of patients, the rate we collect, clean, lock
and analyze the clinical trial database, and the frequency with
which CRBSI events occur. Patient enrollment is a function of many
factors, including the size of the patient population, the
proximity of patients to clinical sites, the eligibility criteria
for the study, the existence of competitive clinical trials, and
whether existing or new products are approved for the indication we
are studying. In addition, the LOCK-IT-100 clinical trial is
designed to continue until a pre-determined number of events have
occurred in the patients enrolled. Event-driven trials such as
LOCK-IT-100 are subject to delays and other risks stemming from
patient withdrawal and from lower than expected event rates.
A lower event rate will require that
we enroll more patients than initially anticipated, which would
require us to incur additional costs and extend the anticipated time for
completion of the trial
in order to achieve the desired number
of events. If we experience delays in patient enrollment in our
clinical trial, or if we experience other issues related to the
number of events or other trial results, we may incur additional
costs and delays in the trial, and may not be able to complete the
clinical trial in a cost-effective or timely manner, which would
have an adverse effect on our development program for Neutrolin as
a treatment for catheter related bloodstream
infections.
Our only product Neutrolin is only approved in Europe and is still
in development in the U. S.
Neutrolin currently and for at least the near
future is our only current product as well as product candidate.
Neutrolin has received CE Mark approval in Europe, and we launched
it in Germany in December 2013. We also are pursuing development of
Neutrolin in the U.S. Our product commercialization and development
efforts may not lead to commercially viable products for any of
several reasons. For example, our product candidates may fail to be
proven safe and effective in clinical trials, or we may have
inadequate financial or other resources to pursue development
efforts for our product candidates. Even if approved, our products
may not be accepted in the marketplace. Neutrolin will require
significant additional development, clinical trials, regulatory
clearances and/or investment by us or our collaborators as we
continue its commercialization, as will any of our other products.
Specifically, we plan to expand marketing of Neutrolin in other
foreign countries and to develop Neutrolin for sale in the U.S.,
which will take time and capital.
In
April 2017, we entered into a commercial collaboration with
Hemotech SAS covering France and certain overseas territories. We
have entered into agreements with a Saudi Arabian company to market
and sell Neutrolin in Saudi Arabia, and with a South Korean company
to market, sell and distribute Neutrolin in South Korea upon
receipt of regulatory approval in that country. We also have a
commercial presence in Germany and the United Arab Emirates.
Consequently, we will be dependent on these companies and
individuals for the success of sales in those countries and any
other countries in which we
receive regulatory approval and in which we contract with third
parties for the marketing, sale and/or distribution of Neutrolin.
If these companies or individuals do not perform for whatever
reason, our business, prospects and results of operations will be
materially adversely affected. Finding a suitable replacement
organization or individual for these or any other companies or
individuals with whom we might contract could be difficult, which
would further harm our business, prospects and results of
operations.
Successful development and commercialization of our products is
uncertain.
Our development and commercialization of current and future
product candidates is subject to the risks of failure and delay
inherent in the development of new pharmaceutical products,
including but not limited to the
following:
●
inability
to produce positive data in pre-clinical and clinical
trials;
●
delays in product development, pre-clinical and clinical testing, or
manufacturing;
●
unplanned expenditures in product
development, clinical testing, or
manufacturing;
●
failure
to receive regulatory approvals;
●
emergence of superior or equivalent
products;
●
inability to manufacture our product
candidates on a commercial scale on
our own, or in collaboration with third parties;
and
●
failure to achieve market
acceptance.
Because of these risks, our development efforts
may not result in any commercially viable products. If a
significant portion of these development efforts are not
successfully completed, required regulatory approvals are not
obtained or any approved products are not commercialized
successfully, our business, financial condition, and results of
operations will be materially harmed.
Clinical trials required for our product candidates are expensive
and time-consuming, and their outcome is
uncertain.
In order to obtain FDA or foreign approval to
market a new drug or device product, we must demonstrate proof of
safety and effectiveness in humans. Foreign regulations and
requirements are similar to those of the FDA. To meet FDA
requirements, we must conduct “adequate and
well-controlled” clinical trials. Conducting clinical trials
is a lengthy, time-consuming, and expensive process. The length of
time may vary substantially according to the type, complexity,
novelty, and intended use of the product candidate, and often can
be several years or more per trial. Delays associated with products
for which we are directly conducting clinical trials may cause us
to incur additional operating expenses. The commencement and rate
of completion of clinical trials may be delayed by many factors,
including, for example:
●
inability
to manufacture sufficient quantities of qualified materials under
the FDA’s cGMP requirements for use in clinical
trials;
●
slower than expected rates of patient
recruitment;
●
failure to recruit a sufficient number
of patients;
●
modification of clinical trial
protocols;
●
changes in regulatory requirements
for clinical
trials;
●
lack of effectiveness during clinical
trials;
●
emergence of unforeseen safety issues;
●
delays, suspension, or termination
of clinical trials due to the
institutional review board responsible for overseeing the study at
a particular study site; and
●
government or regulatory delays
or “clinical holds”
requiring suspension or termination of the
trials.
The results from early pre-clinical and clinical
trials are not necessarily predictive of results to be obtained in
later clinical trials. Accordingly, even if we obtain positive
results from early pre-clinical or clinical trials, we may not
achieve the same success in later clinical
trials.
Our clinical trials may be conducted in patients
with serious or life-threatening diseases for whom conventional
treatments have been unsuccessful or for whom no conventional
treatment exists, and in some cases, our product is expected to be
used in combination with approved therapies that themselves have
significant adverse event profiles. During the course of treatment,
these patients could suffer adverse medical events or die for
reasons that may or may not be related to our products. We cannot
ensure that safety issues will not arise with respect to our
products in clinical development.
Clinical trials may not demonstrate statistically
significant safety and effectiveness to obtain the requisite
regulatory approvals for product candidates. The failure of
clinical trials to demonstrate safety and effectiveness for the
desired indications could harm the development of our product
candidates. Such a failure could cause us to abandon a product
candidate and could delay development of other product candidates.
Any delay in, or termination of, our clinical trials would delay
the filing of any NDA or any Premarket Approval Application, or
PMA, with the FDA and, ultimately, our ability to commercialize our
product candidates and generate product revenues. Any change in, or
termination of, our clinical trials could materially harm our
business, financial condition, and results of
operations.
If we fail to comply with international regulatory
requirements we could be subject to regulatory delays,
fines or other penalties.
Regulatory requirements in foreign countries for
international sales of medical devices often vary from country to
country. The occurrence and related impact of the following factors
would harm our business:
●
delays in receipt of, or failure to
receive, foreign regulatory
approvals or clearances;
●
the loss of previously obtained approvals
or clearances; or
●
the failure to comply with existing or
future regulatory
requirements.
The CE Mark is a mandatory conformity mark for
products to be sold in the European Economic Area. Currently, 28
countries in Europe require products to bear CE Marking. To market
in Europe, a product must first obtain the certifications
necessary to affix the CE Mark. The CE Mark is an international
symbol of adherence to the Medical Device Directives and the
manufacturer’s declaration that the product complies with
essential requirements. Compliance with these requirements is
ascertained within a certified Quality Management System (QMS)
pursuant to ISO 13485. In order to obtain and to maintain a CE
Mark, a product must be in compliance with the applicable
quality assurance provisions of the aforementioned ISO and obtain
certification of its quality assurance systems by a recognized
European Union notified body. We received CE Mark approval for
Neutrolin on July 5, 2013. However, certain individual countries
within the European Union require further approval by their
national regulatory agencies. Failure to receive or
maintain these other requisite approvals could prohibit us
from marketing and selling Neutrolin in the entire
European Economic Area or elsewhere.
We do not have, and may never obtain, the regulatory approvals we
need to market our product candidates outside of the European
Union.
While
we have received the CE Mark approval for Neutrolin in Europe,
certain individual countries within the European Union require
further approval by their national regulatory
agencies. Failure to receive or maintain these other
requisite approvals could prohibit us from marketing and
selling Neutrolin in the entire European Economic Area. In
addition, we will need regulatory approval to market and sell
Neutrolin in foreign countries outside of Europe. We have received
regulatory approval in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and
Bahrain.
In
the United States, we have no current application for, and have not
received the regulatory approvals required for, the commercial sale
of any of our products. We have not submitted an NDA, PMA or 510(K)
to the FDA for any product. We have received approval from the FDA
to proceed with our ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial for Neutrolin in
hemodialysis catheters as the first of our required two Phase 3
studies. The design of our required
second Phase 3 clinical trial has not been determined.
Financing will be required to complete our current Phase 3 trial
and to begin and execute our anticipated second Phase 3 trial.
However, we might not obtain any financing and may never start the
second Phase 3 trial.
The
FDA recently informed us that it regards taurolidine as a new
chemical entity and therefore an unapproved drug. Consequently,
there is no appropriate predicate device currently marketed in the
U.S. on which a 510k approval process could be based. As a result,
we will be required to submit a premarket approval application for
marketing authorization for these indications. In the event that
the New Drug Application for Neutrolin is approved by the FDA, the
regulatory pathway can be revisited with the FDA. Although there
will presumably still be no appropriate predicate,
de novo
Class II designation can be proposed,
based on a risk assessment and a reasonable assurance of safety and
effectiveness.
It is possible that Neutrolin will not receive any
further approval or that any of our other product candidates will
be approved for marketing. Failure to obtain regulatory approvals,
or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals, would adversely affect
the successful commercialization of Neutrolin or any other drugs or
products that we or our partners develop, impose additional costs
on us or our collaborators, diminish any competitive advantages
that we or our partners may attain, and/or adversely affect our
cash flow.
Even if approved, our products will be subject to extensive
post-approval regulation.
Once a product is approved, numerous post-approval
requirements apply in the United States and abroad. Depending on
the circumstances, failure to meet these post-approval requirements
can result in criminal prosecution, fines, injunctions, recall or
seizure of products, total or partial suspension of production,
denial or withdrawal of pre-marketing product approvals, or refusal
to allow us to enter into supply contracts, including government
contracts. In addition, even if we comply with FDA, foreign and
other requirements, new information regarding the safety or
effectiveness of a product could lead the FDA or a foreign
regulatory body to modify or withdraw product
approval.
The successful commercialization of Neutrolin will depend on
obtaining coverage and reimbursement for use of Neutrolin from
third-party payors.
Sales of pharmaceutical products largely depend on
the reimbursement of patients’ medical expenses by government
health care programs and/or private health insurers, both in the
U.S. and abroad. Further, significant uncertainty exists as to the
reimbursement status of newly approved health care products.
We initially expect to sell Neutrolin directly to hospitals and key
dialysis center operators, but also plan to expand its usage into
intensive care, oncology and total parenteral nutrition
patients needing catheters,
including Medicare patients. All of these potential customers are
healthcare providers who depend upon reimbursement by government
and commercial insurance payors for dialysis and other treatments.
Reimbursement is strictly governed by these insurance payors. We
believe that Neutrolin would be eligible for coverage under various
reimbursement programs, including hospital inpatient
diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), outpatient ambulatory payment
classification (APCs) and the End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective
Payment System (ESRD PPS) or under the Durable Medical Equipment,
Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Fee Schedule,
depending on the treatment setting. However, coverage by any of
these reimbursement programs is not assured, and even if coverage
is granted it could laterbe revoked or modified under future
regulations. Further, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS), which administers Medicare and works with states to
administer Medicaid, has adopted and will continue to adopt and/or
amend rules governingreimbursement for specific treatments,
including those we intend to address such as dialysis and ESRD PPS.
We anticipate that CMS and private insurers will increasingly
demand that manufacturers demonstrate the cost effectiveness of
their products as partof the reimbursement review and approval
process. Rising healthcare costs have also lead many European and
other foreign countries to adopt healthcare reform proposals and
medical cost containment measures. Any measures affecting the
reimbursement programs of these governmental and private insurance
payors, including any uncertainty in the medical community
regarding their nature and effect on reimbursement programs, could
have an adverse effect on purchasing decisions regarding Neutrolin,
as well as limit the prices we may charge for Neutrolin.
The failure to obtain or maintain
reimbursement coverage for Neutrolin or any other products could
materially harm our operations.
In
anticipation that the CMS and private payers will demand that we
demonstrate the cost effectiveness of Neutrolin as part of the
reimbursement review and
approval process, we have incorporated health economic evaluations
into our ongoing clinical studies to support this review in the
context of the prospective use of Neutrolin in dialysis, the ICU
and oncology settings. However, our studies might not be
sufficient to support coverage or reimbursement at levels that
allow providers to use Neutrolin.
Physicians and patients may not accept and use our
products.
Even with the CE Mark approval of Neutrolin, and even if we
receive FDA or other foreign regulatory approval for Neutrolin or
other product candidates, physicians and patients may not accept
and use our products. Acceptance and use of our products will
depend upon a number of factors including the
following:
●
perceptions
by members of the health care community, including physicians,
about the safety and effectiveness of our drug or device
product;
●
cost-effectiveness
of our product relative to competing products;
●
availability of reimbursement for our
product from government or other
healthcare payors; and
●
effectiveness of marketing and distribution
efforts by us and our licensees and
distributors, if any.
Because
we expect sales of Neutrolin to generate substantially all of our
product revenues for the foreseeable future, the failure of
Neutrolin to find market acceptance would harm our business and
would require us to seek additional financing.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
Competition and technological change may make our product
candidates and technologies less attractive or
obsolete.
We compete with established pharmaceutical and
medical device companies that are pursuing other forms of
prevention or treatment for the same indications we are pursuing
and that have greater financial and other resources. Other
companies may succeed in developing products earlier than we do,
obtaining FDA or any other regulatory agency approval for products
more rapidly, or developing products that are more effective than
our product candidates. Research and development by others may
render our technology or product candidates obsolete or
noncompetitive, or result in processes, treatments or cures
superior to any therapy we develop. We face competition from
companies that internally develop competing technology or acquire
competing technology from universities and other research
institutions. As these companies develop their technologies, they
may develop competitive positions that may prevent, make futile, or
limit our product commercialization efforts, which would result in
a decrease in the revenue we would be able to derive from the sale
of any products.
There can be no assurance that Neutrolin or any
other product candidate will be accepted by the marketplace as
readily as these or other competing treatments. Furthermore, if our
competitors’ products are approved before ours, it could be
more difficult for us to obtain approval from the FDA or any other
regulatory agency. Even if our products are successfully developed
and approved for use by all governing regulatory bodies, there can
be no assurance that physicians and patients will accept any of our
products as a treatment of choice.
Furthermore, the pharmaceutical and medical device
industry is diverse, complex, and rapidly changing. By its nature,
the business risks associated with the industry are numerous and
significant. The effects of competition, intellectual property
disputes, market acceptance, and FDA or other regulatory agency
regulations preclude us from forecasting revenues or income with
certainty or even confidence.
We face the risk of product liability claims and the amount of
insurance coverage we hold now or in the future may not be adequate
to cover all liabilities we might incur.
Our business exposes us to the risk of product
liability claims that are inherent in the development of drugs. If
the use of one or more of our or our collaborators’ drugs or
devices harms people, we may be subject to costly and damaging
product liability claims brought against us by clinical trial
participants, consumers, health care providers, pharmaceutical
companies or others selling our products.
We currently carry product liability insurance
that covers our clinical trials. We cannot predict all of the
possible harms or side effects that may result and, therefore, the
amount of insurance coverage we hold may not be adequate to cover
all liabilities we might incur. Our insurance covers bodily injury
and property damage arising from our clinical trials, subject to
industry-standard terms, conditions and exclusions. This coverage
includes the sale of commercial products. We have expanded our
insurance coverage to include the sale of commercial products due
to the receipt of the CE Mark approval, but we may be unable to
maintain such coverage or obtain commercially reasonable product
liability insurance for any other products approved for
marketing.
If
we are unable to obtain insurance at an acceptable cost or
otherwise protect against potential product liability claims, we
may be exposed to significant liabilities, which may materially and
adversely affect our business and financial position. If we are
sued for any injury allegedly caused by our or our
collaborators’ products and do not have sufficient insurance
coverage, our liability could exceed our total assets and our
ability to pay the liability. A successful product liability claim
or series of claims brought against us would decrease our cash and
could cause the value of our capital stock to
decrease.
We may be exposed to liability claims associated with the use of
hazardous materials and chemicals.
Our
research, development and manufacturing activities and/or those of
our third-party contractors may involve the controlled use of
hazardous materials and chemicals. Although we believe that our
safety procedures for using, storing, handling and disposing of
these materials comply with federal, state and local, as well as
foreign, laws and regulations, we cannot completely eliminate the
risk of accidental injury or contamination from these materials. In
the event of such an accident, we could be held liable for any
resulting damages and any liability could materially adversely
affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, the federal, state and local, as well as foreign, laws
and regulations governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling
and disposal of hazardous or radioactive materials and waste
products may require us to incur substantial compliance costs that
could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
Healthcare policy changes, including reimbursement policies for
drugs and medical devices, may have an adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and results of
operations.
Market acceptance and sales of Neutrolin or any
other product candidates that we develop will depend on
reimbursement policies and may be affected by health care reform
measures in the United States and abroad. Government authorities
and other third-party payors, such as private health insurers and
health maintenance organizations, decide which drugs they will pay
for and establish reimbursement levels. We cannot be sure that
reimbursement will be available for Neutrolin or any other product
candidates that we develop. Also, we cannot be sure that the amount
of reimbursement available, if any, will not reduce the demand for,
or the price of, our products. If reimbursement is not available or
is available only at limited levels, we may not be able to
successfully commercialize Neutrolin or any other product
candidates that we develop.
In
the United States, there have been a number of legislative and
regulatory proposals to change the health care system in ways that
could affect our ability to sell our products profitably. The
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or
collectively, the Healthcare Reform Act, substantially changes the
way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private
insurers, and significantly impacts the pharmaceutical industry.
The Healthcare Reform Act contains a number of provisions,
including those governing enrollment in federal healthcare
programs, reimbursement changes and fraud and abuse, which will
impact existing government healthcare programs and will result in
the development of new programs, including Medicare payment for
performance initiatives and improvements to the physician quality
reporting system and feedback program. We anticipate that if we
obtain approval for our products, some of our revenue may be
derived from U.S. government healthcare programs, including
Medicare.
Some of
the provisions of the Healthcare Reform Act have yet to be
implemented, and there have been judicial and Congressional
challenges to certain aspects of the Healthcare Reform Act. Since
January 2017, President Trump has signed two Executive Orders and
other directives designed to delay, circumvent or loosen the
implementation of certain provisions requirements mandated by the
Healthcare Reform Act or otherwise circumvent some of the
requirements for health insurance mandated by the Healthcare Reform
Act. Concurrently, Congress has considered legislation that would
repeal or repeal and replace all or part of the Healthcare Reform
Act. While Congress has not passed repeal legislation, the Tax Cuts
and Jobs Act of 2017 includes a provision repealing, effective
January 1, 2019, the tax-based shared responsibility payment
imposed by the Healthcare Reform Act on certain individuals who
fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a
year that is commonly referred to as the “individual
mandate.” Additionally, on January 23, 2018, President
Trump signed a continuing resolution on appropriations for fiscal
year 2018 that delayed the implementation of certain Healthcare
Reform Act-mandated fees, including the so-called
“Cadillac” tax on certain high cost employer-sponsored
insurance plans. Congress may consider other legislation to repeal
or replace elements of the Healthcare Reform Act.
In addition to the Healthcare Reform Act, we
expect that there will continue to be proposals by legislators at
both the federal and state levels, regulators and third-party
payors to keep healthcare costs down while expanding individual
healthcare benefits. Certain of these changes could impose
limitations on the prices we will be able to charge for any
products that are approved or the amounts of reimbursement
available for these products from governmental agencies or other
third-party payors or may increase the tax requirements for life
sciences companies such as ours. While it is too early to predict
what effect the Healthcare Reform Act or any future legislation or
regulation will have on us, such laws could have an adverse effect
on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
Health administration authorities in countries
other than the United States may not provide reimbursement for
Neutrolin or any of our other product candidates at rates
sufficient for us to achieve profitability, or at all. Like the
United States, these countries could adopt health care reform
proposals and could materially alter their government-sponsored
health care programs by reducing reimbursement
rates.
Any reduction in reimbursement rates under
Medicare or private insurers or foreign health care programs could
negatively affect the pricing of our products. If we are not able
to charge a sufficient amount for our products, then our margins
and our profitability will be adversely
affected.
If we lose key management or scientific personnel, cannot recruit
qualified employees, directors, officers, or other personnel or
experience increases in compensation costs, our business may
materially suffer.
We are highly dependent on the principal members
of our management and scientific staff, specifically, Khoso Baluch,
a director and our Chief Executive Officer, Robert Cook, our Chief
Financial Officer, and John Armstrong, our Executive Vice President
for Technical Operations. Our future success will depend in part on
our ability to identify, hire, and retain current and additional
personnel. We experience intense competition for qualified
personnel and may be unable to attract and retain the personnel
necessary for the development of our business. Moreover, our work
force is located in the New York metropolitan area, where
competition for personnel with the scientific and technical skills
that we seek is extremely high and is likely to remain high.
Because of this competition, our compensation costs may increase
significantly. In addition, we have only limited ability to prevent
former employees from competing with
us.
If we are unable to hire additional qualified personnel, our
ability to grow our business may be
harmed.
Over
time, we expect to hire additional qualified personnel with
expertise in clinical testing, clinical research and testing,
government regulation, formulation and manufacturing, and sales and
marketing. We compete for qualified individuals with numerous
pharmaceutical companies, universities and other research
institutions. Competition for such individuals is intense, and we
cannot be certain that our search for such personnel will be
successful. Attracting and retaining such qualified personnel will
be critical to our success.
We may not successfully manage our growth.
Our
success will depend upon the expansion of our operations to
commercialize Neutrolin and the effective management of any growth,
which could place a significant strain on our management and our
administrative, operational and financial resources. To manage this
growth, we may need to expand our facilities, augment our
operational, financial and management systems and hire and train
additional qualified personnel. If we are unable to manage our
growth effectively, our business may be materially
harmed.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
If we materially breach or default under any of our license
agreements, the licensor party to such agreement will have the
right to terminate the license agreement, which termination may
materially harm our business.
Our
commercial success will depend in part on the maintenance of our
license agreements. Each of our license agreements provides the
licensor with a right to terminate the license agreement for our
material breach or default under the agreement, including the
failure to make any required milestone or other payments. Should
the licensor under any of our license agreements exercise such a
termination right, we would lose our right to the intellectual
property under the respective license agreement, which loss may
materially harm our business.
If we and our licensors do not obtain protection for and
successfully defend our respective intellectual property rights,
our competitors may be able to take advantage of our research and
development efforts to develop competing
products.
Our commercial success will depend in part on
obtaining further patent protection for our products and other
technologies and successfully defending any patents that we
currently have or will obtain against third-party challenges. The
patents which we currently believe are most material to our
business are as follows:
●
U.S. Patent No. 8,541,393 (expiring
in November 2024) (the “Prosl
Patent”) - use of Neutrolin for preventing infection and
maintenance of catheter patency in hemodialysis
catheters;
●
U.S.
Patent No. 6,166,007 (expiring May 2019) (the “Sodemann
Patent”) - a method of inhibiting or preventing infection and
blood coagulation at a medical prosthetic device; and
●
European Patent EP 1 814 562 B1 (expiring
October 12, 2025) (the “Prosl
European Patent”) - a low heparin catheter lock solution for
maintaining and preventing infection in a hemodialysis
catheter.
We are currently seeking further patent protection
for our compounds and methods of treating diseases. However, the
patent process is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, and
there can be no assurance that we will be successful in protecting
our products by obtaining and defending patents. These risks and
uncertainties include the
following:
●
patents
that may be issued or licensed may be challenged, invalidated, or
circumvented, or otherwise may not provide any competitive
advantage;
●
our competitors, many of which have
substantially greater resources than
we have and many of which have made significant investments in
competing technologies, may seek, or may already have obtained,
patents that will limit, interfere with, or eliminate our ability
to make, use, and sell our potential products either in the United
States or in international markets;
●
there
may be significant pressure on the United States government and
other international governmental bodies to limit the scope of
patent protection both inside and outside the United States for
treatments that prove successful as a matter of public policy
regarding worldwide health concerns; and
●
countries other than the United States may
have less restrictive patent laws than
those upheld by United States courts, allowing foreign competitors
the ability to exploit these laws to create, develop, and market
competing products.
In addition, the United States Patent and
Trademark Office, or PTO, and patent offices in other jurisdictions
have often required that patent applications concerning
pharmaceutical and/or biotechnology-related inventions be limited
or narrowed substantially to cover only the specific innovations
exemplified in the patent application, thereby limiting the scope
of protection against competitive challenges. Thus, even if we or
our licensors are able to obtain patents, the patents may be
substantially narrower than
anticipated.
The above mentioned patents and patent
applications are exclusively licensed to us. To support our patent
strategy, we have engaged in a review of patentability and certain
freedom to operate issues, including performing certain searches.
However, patentability and certain freedom to operate issues are
inherently complex, and we cannot provide assurances that a
relevant patent office and/or relevant court will agree with our
conclusions regarding patentability issues or with our conclusions
regarding freedom to operate issues, which can involve subtle
issues of claim interpretation and/or claim liability. Furthermore,
we may not be aware of all patents, published applications or
published literature thatmay affect our business either by blocking
our ability to commercialize our product candidates, preventing the
patentability of our product candidates to us or our licensors, or
covering the same or similar technologies that may invalidate our
patents, limit the scope of our future patent claims or adversely
affect our ability to market our product
candidates. Additionally, it is also possible that prior art
of which we are aware, but which we do not believe affects the
validity or enforceability of a claim, may, nonetheless, ultimately
be found by a court of law or an administration panel to affect the
validity or enforceability of a claim. If a third party were to
prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity and/or unenforceability,
we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent
protection on our product candidates. Such loss of patent
protection could have a material adverse impact on our
business.
In addition to patents, we also rely on trade
secrets and proprietary know-how. Although we take measures to
protect this information by entering into confidentiality and
inventions agreements with our employees and some, but not all, of
our scientific advisors, consultants, and
collaborators, we cannot
provide any assurances that these agreements will not be breached,
that we will be able to protect ourselves from the harmful effects
of disclosure or dispute ownership if they are breached, or that
our trade secrets will not otherwise become known or be
independently discovered by competitors. If any of these events
occurs, or we otherwise lose protection for our trade secrets or
proprietary know-how, the value of our intellectual property may be
greatly reduced.
Ongoing and future intellectual property disputes could require us
to spend time and money to address such disputes and could limit
our intellectual property rights.
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries
have been characterized by extensive litigation regarding patents
and other intellectual property rights, and companies have employed
intellectual property litigation to gain a competitive advantage.
We may initiate or become subject to infringement claims or
litigation arising out of patents and pending applications of our
competitors, or we may become subject to proceedings initiated by
our competitors or other third parties or the PTO or applicable
foreign bodies to reexamine the patentability of our licensed or
owned patents. In addition, litigation may be necessary to enforce
our issued patents, to protect our trade secrets and know-how, or
to determine the enforceability, scope, and validity of the
proprietary rights of others.
We initiated court proceedings in Germany for
patent infringement and unfair use of our proprietary information
related to Neutrolin (as described below). We also have had
opposition proceedings brought against the European Patent and the
German utility model patent which are the basis of our infringement
proceedings (as described below). The defense and prosecution of
these ongoing and any future intellectual property suits, PTO or
foreign proceedings, and related legal and administrative
proceedings are costly and time-consuming to pursue, and their
outcome is uncertain. An adverse determination in litigation or PTO
or foreign proceedings to which we may become a party could subject
us to significant liabilities, including damages, require us to
obtain licenses from third parties, restrict or prevent us from
selling our products in certain markets, or invalidate or render
unenforceable our licensed or owned patents. Although patent and
intellectual property disputes might be settled through licensing
or similar arrangements, the costs associated with such
arrangements may be substantial and could include our paying large
fixed payments and ongoing royalties. Furthermore, the necessary
licenses may not be available on satisfactory terms or at
all.
On
September 9, 2014, we filed in the District Court of Mannheim,
Germany a patent infringement action against TauroPharm GmbH and
Tauro-Implant GmbH as well as their respective CEOs (the
“Defendants”) claiming infringement of our European
Patent EP 1 814 562 B1, which was granted by the EPO on January 8,
2014 (the “Prosl European Patent”). The Prosl European
Patent covers a low dose heparin catheter lock solution for
maintaining patency and preventing infection in a hemodialysis
catheter. In this action, we claim that the Defendants
infringe on the Prosl European Patent by manufacturing and
distributing catheter locking solutions to the extent they are
covered by the claims of the Prosl European Patent. We
believe that our patent is sound, and are seeking injunctive relief
and raising claims for information, rendering of accounts, calling
back, destruction and damages. Separately, TauroPharm has filed an
opposition with the EPO against the Prosl European Patent alleging
that it lacks novelty and inventive step. We cannot
predict what other defenses the Defendants may raise, or the
ultimate outcome of either of these related
matters.
In the
same complaint against the same Defendants, we also alleged an
infringement (requesting the same remedies) of NDP’s utility
model DE 20 2005 022 124 U1 (the “Utility Model”),
which we believe is fundamentally identical to the Prosl European
Patent in its main aspects and
claims. The Court separated the two proceedings and the Prosl
European Patent and the Utility Model claims are now being tried
separately. TauroPharm has filed a cancellation action
against the Utility Model before the German Patent and Trademark
Office (the “German PTO”) based on the similar
arguments as those in the opposition against the Prosl European
Patent.
On
March 27, 2015, the District Court held a hearing to evaluate
whether the Utility Model has been infringed by TauroPharm in
connection with the manufacture, sale and distribution of its
TauroLock-HEP100TM and TauroLock-HEP500TM products. A hearing before the same court was held on
January 30, 2015 on the separate, but related, question of
infringement of the Prosl European Patent by
TauroPharm.
The
Court issued its decisions on May 8, 2015, staying both
proceedings. In its decisions, the Court found that the
commercialization by TauroPharm in Germany of its TauroLock
catheter lock solutions Hep100 and Hep500 infringes both the
Prosl European Patent and the Utility Model and further that there
is no prior use right that would allow TauroPharm to continue to make, use or sell its product
in Germany. However, the Court declined to issue an injunction in
favor of us that would preclude the continued commercialization by
TauroPharm based upon its finding that there is a sufficient
likelihood that the EPO, in the case of the Prosl European Patent,
or the German PTO, in the case of the Utility Model, may find that
such patent or utility model is invalid. Specifically, the Court
noted the possible publication of certain instructions for
product use that may be deemed to constitute prior art. As such,
the District Court determined that it will defer any consideration
of the request by us for injunctive and other relief until such
time as the EPO or the German PTO has ruled on the underlying
validity of the Prosl European Patent and the Utility
Model.
The
opposition proceeding against the Prosl European Patent before the
EPO is ongoing. In its preliminary consideration of the matter, the
EPO (and the German PTO) regarded the patent as not inventive or
novel due to publication of prior art. Oral proceedings
before the Opposition Division at the EPO were held on November 25,
2015, at which the three judge patent examiner panel considered
arguments related to the validity of the Prosl European Patent. The
hearing was adjourned due to the fact that the panel was of the
view that Claus Herdeis, one of the managing directors of
TauroPharm, has to be heard as a witness in a further hearing in
order to close some gaps in the documentation presented by
TauroPharm as regards the publication of prior art.
The
German PTO held a hearing in the validity proceedings relating to
the Utility Model on June 29, 2016, at which the panel affirmed its
preliminary finding that the Utility Model was invalid based upon
prior publication of a reference to the benefits that may be
associated with adding heparin to a taurolidine based solution. The
decision is subject to appeal and has only a declaratory effect, as the Utility Model
had expired in November 2015. Furthermore, it has no bearing on the
ongoing consideration of the validity and possible infringement of
the Prosl Patent by the EPO. We filed an appeal against the ruling
on September 7, 2016.
In
October 2016, TauroPharm submitted a further writ to the EPO
requesting a date for the hearing and bringing forward further
arguments, in particular in view of the June 2016
decision of the German PTO on the invalidity of the utility model,
which we have appealed. On November 22, 2017, the EPO in Munich,
Germany held a further oral hearing in this matter. At the hearing,
the panel held that the Prosl European Patent would be invalidated
because it did not meet the requirements of novelty based on a
technical aspect of the European intellectual property law. We
disagree with this decision and plan to appeal. Our appeal will be
based, in part, on the written opinion to be issued by the
Opposition Division, which is expected during the
second quarter of 2018. We continue to
believe that the Prosl European Patent is indeed novel and that its
validity should be maintained. There can be no assurance that we
will prevail in this matter with either the German PTO or the
EPO. In addition, the
ongoing Unfair Competition litigation against TauroPharm is not
affected and will continue.
On
January 16, 2015, we filed a complaint against TauroPharm GmbH and
its managing directors in the District Court of Cologne,
Germany. In the complaint, we allege violation of the
German Unfair Competition Act by TauroPharm for the unauthorized
use of its proprietary information obtained in confidence by
TauroPharm. We allege that TauroPharm is improperly and
unfairly using its proprietary
information relating to the composition and manufacture of
Neutrolin, in the manufacture and sale of TauroPharm’s
products TauroLockTM, TauroLock-HEP100 and
TauroLock-HEP500. We seek a cease and desist order
against TauroPharm from continuing to manufacture and sell any
product containing taurolidine (the active pharmaceutical
ingredient (“API”) of Neutrolin) and citric acid in
addition to possible other components, damages for any sales in the
past and the removal of all such products from the market. An
initial hearing in the District Court of Cologne, Germany was held
on November 19, 2015 to consider our claims. The judge made no
decision on the merits of our complaint. On January 14, 2016,
the court issued an interim decision in the form of a court order
outlining several issues of concern that relate primarily to
court's interest in clarifying the facts and reviewing any and all
available documentation, in particular with regard to the question
which specific know-how was provided to TauroPharm by whom and
when. We have prepared the requested reply and produced the
respective documentation. TauroPharm has also filed another writ
within the same deadline and both parties have filed further writs
at the end of April setting out their respective argumentation in
more detail. A furtheroral hearing in this matter was held on
November 15, 2016. In this hearing, the court heard arguments from
us and TauroPharm concerning the allegations of unfair competition.
The court made no rulings from the bench, and indicated that it is
prepared to further examine the underlying facts of our
allegations. On March 7, 2017, the court issued another interim
decision in the form of a court order outlining again several
issues relating to the argumentation of both sides in the
proceedings. In particular the court requested us to further
specify our requests and to further substantiate in even more
detail which know know-how was provided by Biolink to TauroPharm by
whom and when. The court also raised the question whether the
know-how provided at the time toTauroPharm could still be
considered to be secret know-how or may have become public in the
meantime. The court granted both sides the opportunity to reply to
this court order and provide additional facts and evidence until
May 15, 2017. Both parties have submitted further writs in this
matter and the court had scheduled a further hearing for May 8,
2018. After having been rescheduled
several times, the hearing is now scheduled to take place on
November 20, 2018. We intend to continue to pursue this
matter, and to provide additional supplemental documentary and
other evidence as may be necessary to support its
claims.
If we infringe the rights of third parties we could be prevented
from selling products and forced to pay damages and defend against
litigation.
If our products, methods, processes and other
technologies infringe the proprietary rights of other parties, we
could incur substantial costs
and we may have to do one or more of the
following:
●
obtain licenses, which may not be available
on commercially reasonable terms, if
at all;
●
abandon an infringing product
candidate;
●
redesign
our products or processes to avoid infringement;
●
stop using the subject matter claimed in
the patents held by
others;
●
defend litigation or administrative proceedings, which may be costly
whether we win or lose, and which could result in a substantial
diversion of our financial and management
resources.
Risks Related to Dependence on Third Parties
If we are not able to develop and maintain collaborative marketing
relationships with licensees or partners, or create an effective
sales, marketing, and distribution capability, we may be unable to
market our products or market them
successfully.
Our business strategy for Neutrolin relies on
collaborating with larger firms with experience in marketing and
selling medical devices and pharmaceutical products; for other
products we may also rely on such marketing collaborations or
out-licensing of our product candidates. Specifically, for
Neutrolin, we have a distributor agreement with each of a Saudi
Arabian, an Emirati, and a South Korean company for
sales and marketing (upon receipt of approval to market in South
Korea). In April 2017, we announced a commercial collaboration with
Hemotech SAS covering France and certain overseas territories.
Assuming we receive applicable regulatory approval for other
markets, we plan to enter into distribution agreements with one or
more third parties for the sale of Neutrolin in various European,
Middle East and other markets. However, there can be no assurance
that we will be able to successfully maintain those relationships
or establish and maintain additional marketing, sales, or
distribution relationships, nor can there be assurance that such
relationships will be successful, or that we will be successful in
gaining market acceptance for our products. To the extent that we
enter into any marketing, sales, or distribution arrangements with
third parties, our product revenues will be lower than if we
marketed and sold our products directly, and any revenues we
receive will depend upon the efforts of such
third-parties.
If
we are unable to establish and maintain such third-party sales and
marketing relationships, or choose not to do so, we will have to
establish our own in-house capabilities. We currently have no
sales, marketing, or distribution infrastructure. To market any of
our products directly, we would need to develop a marketing, sales,
and distribution force that has both technical expertise and the
ability to support a distribution capability. The establishment of
a marketing, sales, and distribution capability would take time and
significantly increase our costs, possibly requiring substantial
additional capital. In addition, there is intense competition for
proficient sales and marketing personnel, and we may not be able to
attract individuals who have the qualifications necessary to
market, sell, and distribute our products. There can be no
assurance that we will be able to establish internal marketing,
sales, or distribution capabilities. If we are unable to, or choose
not to establish these capabilities, or if the capabilities we
establish are not sufficient to meet our needs, we will be required
to establish collaborative marketing, sales, or distribution
relationships with third parties, which we might not be able to do
on acceptable terms or at all.
We currently have no internal marketing and sales organization and
currently rely and intend to continue to rely on third parties to
market and
sell Neutrolin.
If we are unable to enter into or maintain agreements with third
parties to market and sell Neutrolin or any other product after
approval or are unable to establish our own marketing and sales
capabilities, we may not be able to generate significant or any
product revenues.
We do
not have an internal sales organization. To date we have relied,
and intend to continue to rely, on third parties for the marketing,
sales and distribution of Neutrolin and any other product we might
develop. However, we may not be able to maintain current and future
arrangements or enter into new arrangements with third parties to
sell Neutrolin or any other product on favorable terms or at all.
In that event, we would have to develop our own marketing and sales
force. The establishment and development of our own sales force
would be expensive and time consuming and could delay any
product launch, and we cannot
be certain that we would be able to successfully develop this
capability. In addition, the use of third parties to commercialize
our approved products reduces the revenues that we would receive if
we commercialized these products ourselves.
We have
entered into agreements with independent companies to market
Neutrolin in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and France,
and, upon regulatory approval, South Korea. We may seek a sales
partner in the U.S. if Neutrolin receives FDA approval.
Consequently, we will be dependent on these firms and individuals
for the success of sales in these and any other countries in which
approval is granted. If these firms or individuals do not perform
for whatever reason, our business, prospects and results of operations may be
materially adversely affected. Finding a new or replacement
organization for sales and marketing could be difficult, which
would further harm our business, prospects and results of
operations.
If we or our collaborators are unable to manufacture our products
in sufficient quantities or are unable to obtain regulatory
approvals for a manufacturing facility, we may be unable to meet
demand for our products and we may lose potential
revenues.
Completion of our clinical trials and
commercialization of Neutrolin and any other product candidate
require access to, or development of, facilities to manufacture a
sufficient supply of our product candidates. All of our
manufacturing processes currently are, and we expect them to
continue to be, outsourced to third parties. Specifically, we will
rely on one or more manufacturers to supply us and/or our
distribution partners with commercialquantities of Neutrolin. If,
for any reason, we become unable to rely on our current sources for
the manufacture of Neutrolin or any other product candidates or for
active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, either for clinical
trials or for commercial quantities, then we would need to identify
and contract with additional or replacement third-party
manufacturers to manufacture compounds for pre-clinical, clinical,
and commercial purposes. We may not be successful in identifying
such additional or replacement third-party manufacturers, or in
negotiating acceptable terms with any that we do identify. Such
third-party manufacturers must receive FDA or applicable foreign
approval before they can produce clinical material or commercial
product, and any that are identified may not receive such approval
or may fail to maintain such approval. In addition, we may be in
competition with other companies for access to these
manufacturers’ facilities and may be subject to delays in
manufacturing if the manufacturers give other clients higher
priority than they give to us. If we are unable to secure and
maintain third-party manufacturing capacity, the development and
sales of our products and our financial performance may be
materially affected.
Before we could begin to commercially manufacture
Neutrolin or any other product candidate on our own, we must obtain
regulatory approval of the manufacturing facility and process. The
manufacture of drugs for clinical and commercial purposes must
comply with cGMP and applicable non-U.S. regulatory requirements.
The cGMP requirements govern quality control and documentation
policies and procedures. Complying with cGMP and non-U.S.
regulatory requirements would require that we expend time, money,
and effort in production, recordkeeping, and quality control to
assure that the product meets applicable specifications and other
requirements. We would also have to pass a pre-approval inspection
prior to FDA or non-U.S. regulatory agency approval. Failure to
pass a pre-approval inspection may significantly delay regulatory
approval of our products. If we fail to comply with these
requirements, we would be subject to possible regulatory action and
may be limited in the jurisdictions in which we are permitted to
sell our products. As a result, our business, financial condition,
and results of operations could be materially adversely
affected.
Corporate and academic collaborators may take actions that delay,
prevent, or undermine the success of our
products.
Our operating and financial strategy for the
development, clinical testing, manufacture, and commercialization
of our product candidates is heavily dependent on our entering into
collaborations with corporations, academic institutions, licensors,
licensees, and other parties. Our current strategy assumes that we
will successfully establish and maintain these collaborations or
similar relationships. However, there can be no assurance that we
will be successful establishing or maintaining such collaborations.
Some of our existing collaborations, such as our licensing
agreements, are, and future collaborations may be, terminable at
the sole discretion of the collaborator in certain circumstances.
Replacement collaborators might not be available on attractive
terms, or at all.
In addition, the activities of any collaborator
will not be within our control and may not be within our power to
influence. There can be no assurance that any collaborator will
perform its obligations to our satisfaction or at all, that we will
derive any revenue or profits from such collaborations, or that any
collaborator will not compete with us. If any collaboration is not
pursued, we may require substantially greater capital to undertake
on our own the development and marketing of our product candidates
and may not beable to develop and market such products
successfully, if at all. In addition, a lack of development and
marketing collaborations may lead to significant delays in
introducing product candidates into certain markets and/or reduced
sales of products in such markets.
Data provided by collaborators and others upon which we rely that
has not been independently verified could turn out to be false,
misleading, or incomplete.
We rely on third-party vendors, scientists, and
collaborators to provide us with significant data and other
information related to our projects, clinical trials, and business.
If such third parties provide inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete
data, our business, prospects, and results of operations could be
materially adversely affected.
Risks Related to our Common Stock
Prior to fiscal 2015, we had identified a material weakness in our
internal control over financial reporting, and our current internal
control over
financial
reporting and our disclosure controls and procedures may not
prevent all possible errors that could
occur.
In the
several years prior to fiscal 2015, we had identified a material
weakness in our internal control over financial reporting that was
related to our limited finance staff and the resulting ineffective
management review over financial reporting, coupled with
increasingly complex accounting
treatments associated with our financing activities and European
expansion. While we remediated this material weakness in 2015, we
cannot be certain that material weaknesses will not arise
again.
A
control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can
provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control
system’s objectives will be satisfied. Internal control over
financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures are
designed to give a reasonable assurance that they are effective to
achieve their objectives. We cannot provide absolute assurance that
all of our possible future control issues will be detected. These
inherent limitations include the possibility that judgments in our
decision making can be faulty, and that isolated breakdowns can
occur because of simple human
error or mistake. The design of our system of controls is based in
part upon assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and
there can be no assurance that any design will succeed absolutely
in achieving our stated goals under all potential future or
unforeseeable conditions. Because of the inherent limitations in a
cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error could
occur and not be detected. This and any future failures could cause
investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information,
which could have a negative impact on our financial condition and
stock price.
Our common stock price has fluctuated considerably and is likely to
remain volatile, in part due to the limited market for our common
stock and you could lose all or a part of your
investment.
During the period from the completion of our
initial public offering, or IPO, on March 30, 2010 through
April 9, 2018, the high and low sales prices for our
common stock were $10.40 and $0.15, respectively. There is a limited public
market for our common stock and we cannot provide assurances that
an active trading market will develop or continue. As a result of
low trading volume in our common stock, the purchase or sale of a
relatively small number of shares could result in significant share
price fluctuations.
Additionally, the market price of our common stock
may continue to fluctuate significantly in response to a number of
factors, some of which are beyond our control, including the
following:
●
market acceptance of Neutrolin in those markets
in which it is approved for
sale;
●
our need for additional capital;
●
the
receipt of or failure to obtain additional regulatory approvals for
Neutrolin, including FDA approval in the U.S.;
●
results of clinical trials of our product candidates, including our ongoing
and planned Phase 3 trials for Neutrolin in the U.S., or those of
our competitors;
●
our entry into or the loss of a significant
collaboration;
●
regulatory
or legal developments in the United States and other countries,
including changes in the healthcare payment systems;
●
changes in financial estimates or investment recommendations by
securities analysts relating to our common
stock;
●
announcements
by our competitors of significant developments, strategic
partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments;
●
changes in key personnel;
●
variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived
to be similar to us;
●
market conditions in the pharmaceutical
and medical device sectors and
issuance of new or changed securities analysts’ reports or
recommendations;
●
general economic, industry and market conditions;
●
developments
or disputes concerning patents or other proprietary
rights;
●
future sales or anticipated sales of our securities by us or our stockholders;
and
●
any other factors described in this “Risk Factors”
section.
In addition, the stock markets in general, and the
stock of pharmaceutical and medical device companies in particular,
have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have
often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating
performance of these companies. Broad market and industry factors
may negatively affect the market price of our common stock,
regardless of our actual operating
performance.
For these reasons and others, an investment in our
securities is risky and invest only if you can withstand a
significant loss and wide fluctuations in the value of your
investment.
A significant number of additional shares of our common stock may
be issued at a later date, and their sale could depress the market
price of our common stock.
As of March 31, 2018, we had
outstanding the following securities that are convertible into or
exercisable for shares of our common
stock:
●
warrants
for 227,273 shares of common stock issued in July 2013 with an
exercise price of $1.50 that expire on July 30, 2018;
●
warrants
for 500,000 shares of common stock issued in May 2013 with an
exercise price of $0.65 per share that expire on May 30,
2019;
●
warrants for 125,000 shares issued
to ND Partners in April 2013 in
connection with the amendment to the license and assignment
agreement with an exercise price of $1.50 per share that expire on
April 11, 2018;
●
options to purchase an aggregate of 120,000 shares
of our common stock issued to our officers, directors, employees
and non-employee consultants under our Amended and Restated 2006 Stock Incentive
Plan, or the 2006 Stock Plan, with a weighted average exercise
price of $1.44 per share;
●
options
to purchase an aggregate of 5,381,613 shares of our
common stock issued to our officers, directors and non-employee
consultants under our 2013 Stock Plan, with a weighted average
exercise price of $1.88 per share;
●
warrants
for 750,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $0.90
that expire on October 22, 2019;
●
warrants for 725,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $0.90
that expire on January 8, 2020;
●
Series C-2
Preferred Stock convertible into 1,500,000 shares of common
stock;
●
Series C-3
Preferred Stock convertible into 1,040,000 shares of common
stock;
●
Series D Preferred
Stock convertible into 1,479,240 shares of common
stock;
●
Series E Preferred
Stock convertible into 1,959,759 shares of common
stock;
●
Series F Preferred
Stock convertible into 3,157,562 shares of common stock, subject to
adjustment;
●
warrants for
682,500 shares of common stock issued in March 2014 with an
exercise price of $2.50 per shares that expire on September 10,
2019;
●
warrants for
200,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $7.00 that
expire on March 3, 2020;
●
warrants for 83,400
shares of common stock with an exercise price of $7.00 that expire
on March 25, 2020;
●
Series A warrants
for 4,078,226 shares of common stock with an exercise price of
$0.75 that expire on September 10, 2018;
●
Series B warrants
for 13,964,476 shares of common stock with an exercise price of
$1.05 that expire on August 10, 2022;
●
underwriter
warrants for 1,117,158 shares of common stock with an exercise
price of $0.9375 that expire on August 10, 2022;
●
warrants for
564,858 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $0.001
that expire on November 16, 2020; and
●
restricted stock
units for 97,529 shares of common stock with an
average grant date fair value of $0.57 per
share.
The possibility of the issuance of these shares,
as well as the actual sale of such shares, could substantially
reduce the market price for our common stock and impede our ability
to obtain future financing.
We will need additional financing to fund our activities in the
future, which likely will dilute our
stockholders.
To
date, our commercial operations have not generated sufficient
revenues to enable profitability. As of December 31,
2017, we had an accumulated deficit of $152.2
million, and incurred net losses from operations of
$33.0 million for the year then
ended. Based on the current
development plans for Neutrolin in both the U.S. and foreign
markets (including the ongoing hemodialysis Phase 3 clinical trial
in the U.S.) and our other operating requirements, management
believes that the existing cash at December 31, 2017 plus
funding raised through March 9, 2018 and a proposed new $3 million
backstop facility, for which a binding term sheet was recently
signed by us and Elliott Management Corporation, will be sufficient
to fund operations into the third quarter of 2018. If a definitive
agreement can be negotiated and executed, we anticipate that the
proposed backstop facility would be available for drawing between
April 16, 2018 and July 31, 2018. Further, we will need
additional funding to complete the hemodialysis clinical trial in
the U.S. which commenced in December 2015 and to continue the
Neutrolin development program through the NDA filing and marketing
approval. We anticipate that we
will incur operating losses for the foreseeable future.
Additionally, we will require substantial funds in the future to
support our operations. We expect to seek equity or debt financings
in the future to fund our operations. The issuance of additional
equity securities, or convertible debt or other derivative
securities, likely will dilute some if not all of our then existing
stockholders, depending on the financing terms.
Future sales and issuances of our equity securities or rights to
purchase our equity securities, including pursuant to equity
incentive plans, would result in additional dilution of the
percentage ownership of our stockholders and could cause our stock
price to fall.
To the extent we raise additional capital by
issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience
substantial dilution. We may, as we have in the past, sell common
stock, convertible securities or other equity securities in
one or more transactions at
prices and in a manner we determine from time to time. If we sell
common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities in
more than one transaction, investors may be further diluted by
subsequent sales. Such sales may also result in material dilution
to our existing stockholders, and new investors could gain rights
superior to existing stockholders.
Pursuant to our 2013 Stock Plan, our Board of
Directors is authorized to award up to a total of 11,000,000 shares
of common stock or options to purchase shares of common stock to
our officers, directors, employees and non-employee consultants. As
of December 31, 2017, options to purchase 120,000 shares of common
stock issued under our 2006 Stock Plan at a weighted average
exercise price of $1.44 per share, and options to purchase
4,842,495 shares of common stock issued under our 2013 Stock Plan
at a weighted average exercise price of $2.05 per share were
outstanding. In addition, at December 31, 2017, there were
outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 23,417,891 shares
of our common stock at prices ranging from $0.001 to $7.00, and
shares of our outstanding Series C-2, C-3, D, E and F preferred
stock convertible into an aggregate of 9,136,560 shares of our
common stock. Stockholders will experience dilution in the event
that additional shares of common stock are issued under our 2006
Stock Plan or 2013 Stock Plan, or options issued under our 2006
Stock Plan or 2013 Stock Plan are exercised, or any warrants are
exercised for, or preferred stock shares are converted to, common
stock.
Provisions in our corporate charter documents and under Delaware
law could make an acquisition of us, which may be beneficial to our
stockholders, more difficult.
Provisions in our Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation, as amended, and our Amended and Restated Bylaws,
as well as provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State
of Delaware, or DGCL, may discourage, delay or prevent a merger,
acquisition or other change in control of our company, even if such
a change in control would be beneficial to our stockholders. These
provisions include the following:
●
authorizing
the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock, the
terms of which may be established and shares of which may be issued
without stockholder approval;
●
prohibiting our stockholders from
fixing the number of our directors;
and
●
establishing advance notice requirements
for stockholder proposals that can be
acted on at stockholder meetings and nominations to our Board of
Directors.
These provisions may frustrate or prevent any
attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current
management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace
members of our board of directors, which is responsible for
appointing the members of our management. In addition,we are
subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, which generally prohibits a
Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of
business combinations with an interested stockholder for a period
of three years following the date on which the stockholder became
an interested stockholder, unless such transactions are approved by
the board of directors. This provision could have the effect of
discouraging, delaying or preventing someone from acquiring us or
merging with us, whether or not it is desired by, or beneficial to,
our stockholders. Any provision of our Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or Amended and Restated
Bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying or deterring
a change in control could limit the opportunity for our
stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common
stock and could also affect the price that some investors are
willing to pay for our common
stock.
If we fail to comply with the continued listing standards of the
NYSE American, it may result in a delisting of our common stock
from the exchange.
Our
common stock is currently listed for trading on the NYSE American,
and the continued listing of our common stock on the NYSE American
is subject to our compliance with a number of listing standards.
These listing standards include the requirement for avoiding
sustained losses and
maintaining a minimum level of stockholders’
equity. In 2012 and 2014, we received notices from the
NYSE American that we did not meet continued listing standards of
the NYSE American as set forth in Part 10 of the Company
Guide. Specifically, we were not in compliance with
Section 1003(a)(i) and Section 1003(a)(ii) of the Company Guide
because we reported stockholders’ equity of less than the
required amounts. As a result, we became subject to the
procedures and requirements of Section 1009 of the Company Guide
and were subject to possible delisting. In March 2015, we regained
compliance with the NYSE American listing requirements due to our
market capitalization, pursuant to Section 1003(a) of the Company
Guide. However, there can be no assurance that we will continue to
meet the continued listing standards of the NYSE
American.
If our common stock were no longer listed on the
NYSE American, investors might only be able to trade on one of the
over-the-counter markets, including the OTC Bulletin Board
® or in the Pink Sheets ® (a
quotation medium operated by Pink Sheets LLC). This would impair
the liquidity of our common stock not only in the number of shares
that could be bought and sold at a given price, which might be
depressed by the relative illiquidity, but also through delays in
the timing of transactions and reduction in media
coverage.
Because the average daily trading volume of our common stock has
been low historically, the ability to sell our shares in the
secondary trading market may be limited.
Because the average daily trading volume of our
common stock on the NYSE American has been low historically, the
liquidity of our common stock may be impaired. As a result, prices
for shares of our common stock may be lower than might otherwise
prevail if the average daily trading volume of our common stock was
higher. The average daily trading volume of our common stock may be
low relative to the stocks of other exchange-listed companies,
which could limit investors’ ability to sell shares in the
secondary trading market.
Penny stock regulations may impose certain restrictions on
marketability of our securities.
The SEC has adopted regulations which generally
define a “penny stock” to be any equity security that
has a market price of less than $5.00 per share or an exercise
price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions.
A security listed on a national securities exchange is exempt from
the definition of a penny stock. Our common stock is listed on the
NYSE American and so is not considered a penny stock. However, if
we fail to maintain our common stock’s listing on the NYSE
American, our common stock would be considered a penny stock. In
that event, our common stock would be subject to rules that impose
additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell
such securities to persons other than established customers and
accredited investors (generally those with assets in excess of
$1,000,000 or annual income exceeding $200,000, or $300,000
together with their spouse). For transactions covered by such
rules, the broker-dealer must make a special suitability
determination for the purchase of such securities and have received
the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to
the purchase. Additionally, for any transaction involving a penny
stock, unless exempt, the rules require the delivery, prior to the
transaction, of a risk disclosure document mandated by the SEC
relating to the penny stock market. The broker-dealer must also
disclose the commission payable to both the broker-dealer and the
registered representative, current quotations for the securities
and, if the broker-dealer is the sole market maker, the
broker-dealer must disclose this fact and the broker-dealer’s
presumed control over the market. Finally, monthly statements must
be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock
held in the account and information on the limited market in penny
stocks. Broker-dealers must wait two business days after providing
buyers with disclosure materials regarding a security before
effecting a transaction in such security. Consequently, the
“penny stock” rules restrict the ability of
broker-dealers to sell our securities and affect the ability of
investors to sell our securities in the secondary market and the
price at which such purchasers can sell any such securities,
thereby affecting the liquidity of the market for our common
stock.
Stockholders should be aware that, according to
the SEC, the market for penny stocks has suffered in recent years
from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns
include:
●
control of the market for the security by
one or more broker-dealers that are
often related to the promoter or issuer;
●
manipulation of prices through prearranged
matching of purchases and sales and
false and misleading press releases;
●
“boiler room” practices
involving high pressure sales
tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales
persons;
●
excessive and undisclosed bid-ask
differentials and markups by selling
broker-dealers; and
●
the
wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and
broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired
level, along with the inevitable collapse of those prices with
consequent investor losses.
We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock so any
returns on our common stock will be limited to the value of our
common stock.
We
have never declared dividends on our common stock, and currently do
not plan to declare dividends on shares of our common stock in the
foreseeable future. Pursuant to the terms of our Series D, E and F
Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock, we may not declare or pay
any dividends or make any distributions on any of our shares or
other equity securities as long as any of those preferred shares
remain outstanding. We currently expect to retain future earnings,
if any, for use in the operation and expansion of our business. The
payment of cash dividends inthe future, if any, will be at the
discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon such
factors as earnings levels, capital requirements, our overall
financial condition and any other factors deemed relevant by our
board of directors. Any return to holders of our common stock will
be limited to the value of their common stock.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
The
SEC encourages companies to disclose forward-looking information so
that investors can better understand a company’s future
prospects and make informed investment decisions. This prospectus,
any applicable prospectus supplement and the documents we have
filed with the SEC that are incorporated herein and therein by
reference contain such “forward-looking statements”
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995.
Words such as “may,”
“might,” “should,”
“anticipate,” “estimate,”
“expect,” “projects,”
“intends,” “plans,” “believes”
and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with
any discussion of future operating or financial performance,
identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
represent management’s current judgment regarding future
events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
described in the forward-looking statements. These risks include,
but are not limited to: CorMedix’s ability to
obtain financing to support its research and development and
clinical activities and operations, including its LOCK-IT 100
clinical trial for Neutrolin; the cost, timing and results
of the planned and ongoing Phase 3 trials for Neutrolin® in
the U.S., including variances in the expected rate of
catheter-related bloodstream infection events and the resources
needed to commence and complete those trials; the risks and
uncertainties associated with CorMedix’s ability to manage
its limited cash resources; CorMedix’s ability to continue as
a going concern; later developments with the FDA that may be
inconsistent with the FDA’s acceptance of any
interim analyses of the LOCK-IT 100 trial; obtaining regulatory
approvals to conduct clinical trials and to commercialize
CorMedix’s product candidates, including the anticipated
second Phase 3 trial of Neutrolin and the marketing of Neutrolin in
countries other than Europe; the outcome of clinical trials of
CorMedix’s product candidates and whether they demonstrate
these candidates’ safety and effectiveness; the risks
associated with the launch of Neutrolin in new markets;
CorMedix’s ability to enter into, execute upon and maintain
collaborations with third parties for its development and marketing
programs; CorMedix’s dependence on its collaborations and its
license relationships; CorMedix’s ability to maintain its
listing on the NYSE American; achieving milestones under
CorMedix’s collaborations; CorMedix’s dependence on
preclinical and clinical investigators, preclinical and clinical
research organizations, manufacturers, sales and marketing
organizations, and consultants; and protecting the intellectual
property developed by or licensed to CorMedix. Please also see the discussion of risks and
uncertainties under “Risk Factors” above and otherwise
incorporated by reference herein, and in our most recent annual
report on Form 10-K, as revised or supplemented by any of our
subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, as well as
any amendments thereto, as filed with the SEC and which are
incorporated herein by reference.
In
light of these assumptions, risks and uncertainties, the results
and events discussed in the forward-looking statements contained in
this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or in any
document incorporated herein or therein by reference might not
occur. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the respective
dates of this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement or
the date of the document incorporated by reference in this
prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. We are not
under any obligation, and we expressly disclaim any obligation, to
update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise. All subsequent
forward-looking statements attributable to us or to any person
acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by
the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this
section.
USE OF PROCEEDS
We
cannot assure you that we will receive any proceeds in connection
with securities offered by us pursuant to this prospectus. Unless
otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, we
intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of our securities by
us under this prospectus for general corporate purposes, including
clinical trials, research and development expenses, and general and
administrative expenses. We will set forth in the applicable
prospectus supplement our intended use for the net proceeds
received from the sale of any securities by us. Pending the
application of the net proceeds, we intend to invest the net
proceeds generally in short-term, investment grade,
interest-bearing securities.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may
sell the securities from time to time pursuant to underwritten
public offerings, negotiated transactions, block trades or a
combination of these methods. We may sell the securities to or
through underwriters or dealers, through agents, or directly to one
or more purchasers. We may distribute securities from time to time
in one or more transactions:
●
at a fixed price or
prices, which may be changed;
●
at market prices
prevailing at the time of sale;
●
at prices related
to such prevailing market prices; or
A
prospectus supplement or supplements (and any related free writing
prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you) will
describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including, to
the extent applicable:
●
the name or names
of the underwriters, if any;
●
the purchase price
of the securities or other consideration therefor, and the
proceeds, if any, we will receive from the sale;
●
any over-allotment
options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities
from us;
●
any agency fees or
underwriting discounts and other items constituting agents’
or underwriters’ compensation;
●
any public offering
price;
●
any discounts or
concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers;
and
●
any securities
exchange or market on which the securities may be
listed.
Only
underwriters named in the prospectus supplement will be
underwriters of the securities offered by the prospectus
supplement.
If
underwriters are used in the sale, they will acquire the securities
for their own account and may resell the securities from time to
time in one or more transactions at a fixed public offering price
or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. The
obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be
subject to the conditions set forth in the applicable underwriting
agreement. We may offer the securities to the public through
underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or by
underwriters without a syndicate. Subject to certain conditions,
the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the
securities offered by the prospectus supplement, other than
securities covered by any over-allotment option. Any public
offering price and any discountsor concessions allowed or reallowed
or paid to dealers may change from time to time. We may use
underwriters with whom we have a material relationship. We will
describe in the prospectus supplement, naming the underwriter, the
nature of any such relationship.
We may
sell securities directly or through agents we designate from time
to time. We will name any agent involved in the offering and sale
of securities and we will describe any commissions we will pay the
agent in the prospectus supplement. Unless the prospectus
supplement states otherwise, our agent will act on a best-efforts
basis for the period of its appointment.
We may
authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by certain types
of institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the
public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement
pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and
delivery on a specified date in the future. We will describe the
conditions to these contracts and the commissions we must pay for
solicitation of these contracts in the prospectus
supplement.
We may
provide agents and underwriters with indemnification against civil
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or
contribution with respect to payments that the agents or
underwriters may make with respect to these liabilities. Agents and
underwriters may engage in transactions with, or perform services
for, us in the ordinary course of business.
All
securities we may offer, other than common stock, will be new
issues of securities with no established trading market. Any
underwriters may make a market in these securities, but will not be
obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any
time without notice. We cannot guarantee the liquidity of the
trading markets for any securities.
Any
underwriter may engage in over-allotment, stabilizing transactions,
short-covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with
Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Over-allotment involves
sales in excess of the offering size, which create a short
position. Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the
underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a
specified maximum price. Syndicate-covering or other short-covering
transactions involve purchases of the securities, either through
exercise of the over-allotment option or in the open market after
the distribution is completed, to cover short positions. Penalty
bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a
dealer when the securities originally sold by the dealer are
purchased in a stabilizing or covering transaction to cover short
positions. Those activities may cause the price of the securities
to be higher than it would otherwise be. If commenced, the
underwriters may discontinue any of the activities at any
time.
Any
underwriters that are qualified market makers on the NYSE American
may engage in passive market making transactions in the common
stock on the NYSE American in accordance with Regulation M
under the Exchange Act, during the business day prior to the
pricing of the offering, before the commencement of offers or sales
of the common stock. Passive market makers must comply with
applicable volume and price limitations and must be identified as
passive market makers. In general, a passive market maker must
display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent
bid for such security; if all independent bids are lowered below
the passive market maker’s bid, however, the passive market
maker’s bid must then be lowered when certain purchase limits
are exceeded. Passive market making may stabilize the market price
of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise
prevail in the open market and, if commenced, may be discontinued
at any time.
DESCRIPTION OF OUR CAPITAL STOCK
Common Stock
Pursuant to our Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation, as amended, we are authorized to issue
160,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share. As
of March 31, 2018, we had
81,786,902 shares
of common stock outstanding.
The
following summary of certain provisions of our common stock does
not purport to be complete. You should refer to our Amended and
Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and our Amended
and Restated Bylaws. We filed our Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation as an exhibit to our registration statement on
Form S-1/A filed with the SEC on March 1, 2010, and filed
amendments to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
as exhibits to our registration statement on Form S-1/A filed with
the SEC on March 19, 2010, our annual report on Form 10-K filed
with the SEC on March 27, 2013, and our current report on Form 8-K
filed with the SEC on August 10, 2017. We filed an Amended and
Restated Certificate of Designation for each of our Series C-2,
C-3, D and E non-voting preferred stock as exhibits to our current
report on Form 8-K on September 16, 2014, and the Amended and
Restated Certificate of Designation for our Series F non-voting
preferred stock on December 11, 2017. We filed our Amended and
Restated Bylaws as an exhibit to our quarterly report on Form 10-Q
filed with the SEC on May 10, 2016. The summary below is also
qualified by provisions of applicable law.
The
holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share on
all matters to be voted on by the stockholders, and there are no
cumulative voting rights. Generally, all matters to be voted on by
stockholders must be approved by a majority (or, in the case of
election of directors, by a plurality) of the votes entitled to be
cast by all shares of common stock present in person or represented
by proxy, subject to any voting rights granted to holders of any
preferred stock.
The
holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratable dividends,
if any, payable in cash, in stock or otherwise if, as and when
declared from time to time by our board of directors out of funds
legally available for the payment of dividends, subject to any
preferential rights that may be applicable to any outstanding
preferred stock. In the event of a liquidation, dissolution, or
winding up of our company, after payment in full of all outstanding
debts and other liabilities, theholders of common stock are
entitled to share ratably in all remaining assets, subject to prior
distribution rights of preferred stock, if any, then outstanding.
No shares of common stock have preemptive rights or other
subscription rights to purchase additional shares of common stock.
There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to
the common stock. All outstanding shares of common stock are fully
paid and nonassessable, and the shares of common stock included in
this registration statement will be fully paid and nonassessable.
The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our common
stock will be subject to, and might be adversely affected by, the
rights of holders of any preferred stock that we may issue in the
future. All shares of common stock that are acquired by us shall be
available for reissuance by us at any time.
Issued and Outstanding Preferred Stock
Under
the terms of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation,
as amended, our board of directors is authorized to issue up to
2,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series without
stockholder approval. Our board of directors has the discretion to
determine the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions,
including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights,
redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, of each series
of preferred stock. As of March 31, 2018, of the
2,000,000 shares of preferred stock authorized, our board of
directors has designated (all with par value of $0.001 per share):
150,000 shares as Series C-2 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred
Stock; 200,000 shares as Series C-3 Non-Voting Convertible
Preferred Stock; 73,962 shares as Series D Non-Voting Convertible
Preferred Stock; 92,440 shares as Series E Non-Voting Convertible
Preferred Stock; and 5,000 shares as Series F Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock. At December 31, 2017, we had
outstanding: 150,000 shares as Series C-2 Non-Voting Convertible
Preferred Stock; 104,000 shares as Series C-3 Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock; 73,962 shares as Series D Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock; 89,623 shares as Series E Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock; and 2,000 shares as Series F
Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock. The Series A Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock, Series B Non-Voting Convertible
Preferred Stock and Series C-1 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred
Stock that were previously designated have all been converted to
shares of common stock.
Series C-2 and C-3 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred
Stock
The
Series C-2 and C-3 Preferred Stock, referred to collectively as the
Series C Preferred Stock, have identical rights, privileges and
terms, as described below.
Rank.
The Series C Preferred Stock will
rank:
●
senior
to our common stock;
●
senior to any class or series of capital stock created
after the issuance of the Series C Preferred Stock (subject
to the Company obtaining any consent, waiver or other authorization
from the holders of the Series C-3 Convertible Preferred Stock
necessary for the subordination of the Series C-3 Convertible
Preferred Stock to the Series F Preferred Stock); and
●
junior to the Series D Non-Voting Convertible
Preferred Stock, Series E Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock
and Series F Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock (subject
to the Company obtaining any consent, waiver or other authorization
from the holders of the Series C-3 Convertible Preferred Stock
necessary for the subordination of the Series C-3 Convertible
Preferred Stock to the Series F Preferred Stock).
in
each case, as to dividends or distributions of assets upon our
liquidation, dissolution or winding up whether voluntarily or
involuntarily.
Conversion.
Each share of Series C Preferred Stock
is convertible into 10 shares of our common stock (subject to
adjustment in the event of stock dividends and
distributions, stock splits, stock combinations, or
reclassifications affecting our common stock) at a per share price of $1.00 at any time at the
option of the holder, except that a holder will be prohibited from
converting shares of Series C Preferred Stock into shares of common
stock if, as a result of such conversion, such holder, together
with its affiliates, would beneficially own more than 9.99% of the
total number of shares of our common stock then issued and
outstanding.
Liquidation
Preference. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or
winding up, holders of Series C Preferred Stock will receive a
payment equal to $10.00 per share of Series C Preferred Stock
before any proceeds are distributed to the holders of our common
stock. After the payment of this preferential amount, and subject
to the rights of holders of anyclass or series of our capital stock
hereafter created specifically ranking by its terms senior to the
Series C Preferred Stock, holders of Series C Preferred Stock will
participate ratably in the distribution of any remaining assets
with the common stock and any other class or series of our capital
stock hereafter created that participates with the common stock in
such distributions.
Voting
Rights. Shares of Series C Preferred Stock will generally
have no voting rights, except as required by law and except that
the consent of holders of two thirds of the outstanding Series C-2
and Series C-3 Preferred Stock, respectively, will be required to
amend the terms of the Series C-2 and C-3 Preferred Stock or the
certificate of designation for the Series C-2 and C-3 Preferred
Stock, respectively.
Dividends.
Holders of Series C Preferred Stock
are entitled to receive, and we are required to pay, dividends on
shares of the Series C Preferred Stock equal (on an
as-if-converted-to-common-stock basis) to and in the same form as
dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock)
actually paid on shares of the common stock when, as and if such
dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock) are
paid on shares of the common stock.
Redemption.
We are not obligated to redeem or
repurchase any shares of Series C Preferred Stock. Shares of Series
C Preferred Stock are not otherwise entitled to any redemption
rights, or mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund
provisions.
Listing.
There is no established public trading
market for the Series C Preferred Stock, and we do not expect a
market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for
listing of the Series C Preferred Stock on any national securities
exchange or trading system.
Fundamental
Transactions. If, at any time that shares of Series C Preferred
Stock are outstanding, we effect a merger or other change of
control transaction, as described in the certificate of designation
and referred to as a fundamental transaction, then a holder will
have the right to receive, upon any subsequent conversion of a
share of Series C Preferred Stock (in lieu of conversion shares)
for each issuable conversion share, the same kind and amount of
securities, cash or property as such holder would have been
entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such fundamental
transaction if such holder had been, immediately prior to such
fundamental transaction, the holder of a share of common
stock.
Debt
Restriction. As long as any the Series C-2 Preferred Stock is
outstanding, we cannot incur any indebtedness other than
indebtedness existing prior to September 15, 2014, trade payables
incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice, and letters of credit incurred in an aggregate amount of
$3.0 million at any point in time.
Series D Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock
Rank.
The Series D Preferred Stock will
rank:
●
junior
to the Series F Non-Voting Convertible Preferred
Stock;
●
senior
to our common stock;
●
senior
to any class or series of capital stock created after the issuance
of the Series D Preferred Stock;
●
senior
to the Series C-2 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock and the
Series C-3 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock; and
●
on
parity with the Series E Non-Voting Convertible Preferred
Stock.
in
each case, as to dividends or distributions of assets upon our
liquidation, dissolution or winding up whether voluntarily or
involuntarily.
Conversion.
Each share of Series D Preferred Stock
is convertible into 20 shares of our common stock (subject to
adjustment in the event of stock dividends and
distributions, stock splits, stock combinations, or
reclassifications affecting our common stock ) at a per share price of $0.35 at any time at the
option of the holder, except that a holder will be prohibited from
converting shares of Series D Preferred Stock into shares of common
stock if, as a result of such conversion, such holder, together
with its affiliates, would beneficially own more than 9.99% of the
total number of shares of our common stock then issued and
outstanding.
Liquidation
Preference. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or
winding up, holders of Series D Preferred Stock will receive a
payment equal to $21.00 per share of Series D Preferred Stock on
parity with the payment of the liquidation preference due the
Series E Preferred Stock, but before any proceeds are distributed
to the holders of common stock, the Series C-2 Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock and the Series C-3 Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock. After the payment of this preferential
amount, holders of Series D Preferred Stock will participate
ratably in the distribution of any remaining assets with the common
stock and any other class or series of our capital stock that
participates with the common stock in such
distributions.
Voting
Rights. Shares of Series D Preferred Stock will generally
have no voting rights, except as required by law and except that
the consent of holders of a majority of the outstanding Series D
Preferred Stock will be required to amend the terms of the Series D
Preferred Stock or the certificate of designation for the Series D
Preferred Stock.
Dividends.
Holders of Series D Preferred Stock
are entitled to receive, and we are required to pay, dividends on
shares of the Series D Preferred Stock equal (on an
as-if-converted-to-common-stock basis) to and in the same form as
dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock)
actually paid on shares of the common stock when, as and if such
dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock) are
paid on shares of the common stock.
Redemption.
We are not obligated to redeem or
repurchase any shares of Series D Preferred Stock. Shares of Series
D Preferred Stock are not otherwise entitled to any redemption
rights, or mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund
provisions.
Listing.
There is no established public trading
market for the Series D Preferred Stock, and we do not expect a
market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for
listing of the Series D Preferred Stock on any national securities
exchange or trading system.
Fundamental
Transactions. If, at any time that shares of Series D Preferred
Stock are outstanding, we effect a merger or other change of
control transaction, as described in the certificate of designation
and referred to as a fundamental transaction, then a holder will
have the right to receive, upon any subsequent conversion of a
share of Series D Preferred Stock (in lieu of conversion shares)
for each issuable conversion share, the same kind and amount of
securities, cash or property as such holder would have been
entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such fundamental
transaction if such holder had been, immediately prior to such
fundamental transaction, the holder of a share of common
stock.
Debt
Restriction. As long as any the Series D Preferred Stock is
outstanding, we cannot incur any indebtedness other than
indebtedness existing prior to September 15, 2014, trade payables
incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice, and letters of credit incurred in an aggregate amount of
$3.0 million at any point in time.
Series E Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock
Rank.
The Series E Preferred Stock will
rank:
●
junior
to the Series F Non-Voting Convertible Preferred
Stock;
●
senior
to our common stock;
●
senior
to any class or series of capital stock created after the issuance
of the Series E Preferred Stock;
●
senior
to the Series C-2 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock and the
Series C-3 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock; and
●
on
parity with the Series D Non-Voting Convertible Preferred
Stock.
in
each case, as to dividends or distributions of assets upon our
liquidation, dissolution or winding up whether voluntarily or
involuntarily.
Conversion.
Each share of Series E Preferred Stock
is convertible into 21.8667 shares of our common stock (subject to
adjustment as provided in the certificates of designation for the
Series E Preferred Stock) at a per share price of $0.75 at any time
at the option of the holder, except that a holder will be
prohibited from converting shares of Series E Preferred Stock into
shares of common stock if, as a result of such conversion, such
holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own more
than 9.99% of the total number of shares of our common stock then
issued and outstanding.
Liquidation
Preference. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or
winding up, holders of Series E Preferred Stock will receive a
payment equal to $49.20 per share of Series E Preferred Stock on
parity with the payment of the liquidation preference due the
Series D Preferred Stock, but before anyproceeds are distributed to
the holders of common stock, the Series C-2 Non-Voting Convertible
Preferred Stock and the Series C-3 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred
Stock. After the payment of this preferential amount, holders of
Series E Preferred Stock will participate ratably in the
distribution of any remaining assets with the common stock and any
other class or series of our capital stock that participates with
the common stock in such distributions.
Voting
Rights. Shares of Series E Preferred Stock will generally
have no voting rights, except as required by law and except that
the consent of holders of a majority of the outstanding Series E
Preferred Stock will be required to amend the terms of the Series E
Preferred Stock or the certificate of designation for the Series E
Preferred Stock.
Dividends.
Holders of Series E Preferred Stock
are entitled to receive, and we are required to pay, dividends on
shares of the Series E Preferred Stock equal (on an
as-if-converted-to-common-stock basis) to and in the same form as
dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock)
actually paid on shares of the common stock when, as and if such
dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock) are
paid on shares of the common stock.
Redemption.
We are not obligated to redeem or
repurchase any shares of Series E Preferred Stock. Shares of Series
E Preferred Stock are not otherwise entitled to any redemption
rights, or mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund
provisions.
Listing.
There is no established public trading
market for the Series E Preferred Stock, and we do not expect a
market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for
listing of the Series E Preferred Stock on any national securities
exchange or trading system.
Fundamental
Transactions. If, at any time that shares of Series E Preferred
Stock are outstanding, we effect a merger or other change of
control transaction, as described in the certificate of designation
and referred to as a fundamental transaction, then a holder will
have the right to receive, upon any subsequent conversion of a
share of Series E Preferred Stock (in lieu of conversion shares)
for each issuable conversion share, the same kind and amount of
securities, cash or property as such holder would have been
entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such fundamental
transaction if such holder had been, immediately prior to such
fundamental transaction, the holder of a share of common
stock.
Debt
Restriction. As long as any the Series E Preferred Stock is
outstanding, we cannot incur any indebtedness other than
indebtedness existing prior to September 15, 2014, trade payables
incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice, and letters of credit incurred in an aggregate amount of
$3.0 million at any point in time.
Other
Covenants. In addition to the debt restrictions above, as
long as any the Series E Preferred Stock is outstanding , we
cannot, among others things: create, incur, assume or suffer to
exist any encumbrances on any of our assets or property; redeem,
repurchase or pay any cash dividend or distribution on any of our
capital stock (other than as permitted, which includes the
dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock and the Series E
Preferred Stock); redeem, repurchase or prepay any indebtedness; or
engage in any material line of business substantially different
from our current lines of business.
Purchase
Rights. In the event
we issue any options, convertible securities or rights to purchase
stock or other securities pro rata to the holders of common stock,
then the a holder of Series E Preferred Stock will be entitled to
acquire, upon the same terms a pro rata amount of such stock or
securities as if the Series E Preferred Stock had been converted to
common stock.
Series F Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock
Rank.
The Series F Preferred Stock will
rank:
●
senior
to our common stock;
●
senior
to any class or series of capital stock created after the issuance
of the Series F Preferred Stock; and
●
senior to the Series B Non-Voting Convertible
Preferred Stock, the Series C-2 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred
Stock, the Series C-3 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock
(subject to the us obtaining any consent, waiver or other
authorization from the holders of the Series C-3 Convertible
Preferred Stock necessary for the subordination of the Series C-3
Convertible Preferred Stock to the Series F Preferred Stock), the
Series D Non-Voting Convertible
Preferred Stock and the Series E Non-Voting Convertible Preferred
Stock;
in
each case, as to dividends or distributions of assets upon our
liquidation, dissolution or winding up whether voluntarily or
involuntarily.
Conversion.
Each share of Series F Preferred Stock
is convertible into one share of our common stock at a per
share price of $0.6334 per share (subject to adjustment as provided in the
certificates of designation for the Series F Preferred Stock) at
any time at the option of the holder, except that a holder will be
prohibited from converting shares of Series F Preferred Stock into
shares of common stock if, as a result of such conversion, such
holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own more
than 9.99% of the total number of shares of our common stock then
issued and outstanding.
Liquidation
Preference. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or
winding up, holders of Series F Preferred Stock will receive a
payment equal to $1,000.00 per share of Series F Preferred Stock,
but before any proceeds are distributed to the holders of common
stock, Series B Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock, the Series
C-2 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock, the Series C-3
Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock, the Series D Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock and the Series E Non-Voting Convertible
Preferred Stock. After the payment of this preferential amount,
holders of Series F Preferred Stock will participate ratably in the
distribution of any remaining assets with the common stock and any
other class or series of our capital stock that participates with
the common stock in such distributions.
Voting
Rights. Shares of Series F Preferred Stock will generally
have no voting rights, except as required by law and except that
the consent of holders of a majority of the outstanding Series F
Preferred Stock will be required to amend the terms of the Series F
Preferred Stock or the certificate of designation for the Series F
Preferred Stock.
Dividends.
Holders of Series F Preferred Stock
are entitled to receive, and we are required to pay, dividends on
shares of the Series F Preferred Stock equal (on an
as-if-converted-to-common-stock basis) to and in the same form as
dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock)
actually paid on shares of the common stock when, as and if such
dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock) are
paid on shares of the common stock.
Redemption.
We are not obligated to redeem or
repurchase any shares of Series F Preferred Stock. Shares of Series
F Preferred Stock are not otherwise entitled to any redemption
rights, or mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund
provisions.
Listing.
There is no established public trading
market for the Series F Preferred Stock, and we do not expect a
market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for
listing of the Series F Preferred Stock on any national securities
exchange or trading system.
Fundamental
Transactions. If, at any time that shares of Series F Preferred
Stock are outstanding, we effect a merger or other change of
control transaction, as described in the certificate of designation
and referred to as a fundamental transaction, then a holder will
have the right to receive, upon any subsequent conversion of a
share of Series F Preferred Stock (in lieu of conversion shares)
for each issuable conversion share, the same kind and amount of
securities, cash or property as such holder would have been
entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such fundamental
transaction if such holder had been, immediately prior to such
fundamental transaction, the holder of a share of common
stock.
Debt
Restriction. As long as any the Series F Preferred Stock is
outstanding, we cannot incur any indebtedness other than
indebtedness existing prior to November 9, 2017, trade payables
incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice, and letters of credit incurred in an aggregate amount of
$3.0 million at any point in time.
Other
Covenants. In addition to the debt restrictions above, as
long as any the Series F Preferred Stock is outstanding , we
cannot, among others things: create, incur, assume or suffer to
exist any encumbrances on any of our assets or property; redeem,
repurchase or pay any cash dividend or distribution on any of our
capital stock (other than as permitted, which includes the
dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock and the Series E
Preferred Stock); redeem, repurchase or prepay any indebtedness; or
engage in any material line of business substantially different
from our current lines of business.
Purchase
Rights. In the event
we issue any options, convertible securities or rights to purchase
stock or other securities pro rata to the holders of common stock,
then a holder of Series F Preferred Stock will be entitled to
acquire, upon the same terms a pro rata amount of such stock or
securities as if the Series F Preferred Stock had been converted to
common stock.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common
stock is VStock Transfer, LLC.
The transfer agent’s address is 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere,
New York 11598 and its telephone number is (212)
828-8436.
We
act as our own transfer agent and registrar for the Series C-2,
C-3, D, E and F Preferred Stock.
Description of Preferred Stock That May Be
Offered
Our
board of directors has the authority,
without further action by the stockholders, to issue up to
2,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to
fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof,
including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms
of redemption, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms and the
number of shares constituting any series or the designation of such
series, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. The
shares of preferred stock outstanding are described above. The
issuance of new or additional preferred stock could adversely
affect the voting power of holders of common stock and the
likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and
payments upon liquidation and could have the effect of delaying,
deferring or preventing a change in control of our
company.
We will fix the rights, preferences, privileges
and restrictions of any new series of preferred stock in the
certificate of designation relating to that series. We will file as
an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus
is a part, orwill incorporate by reference from reports that we
file with the SEC, the form of any certificate of designation that
describes the terms of the series of preferred stock we are
offering before the issuance of the related series of preferred
stock. This description will include any or all of the
following, as required:
●
the title and
stated value;
●
the number of
shares we are offering;
●
the liquidation
preference per share;
●
the dividend rate,
period and payment date and method of calculation for
dividends;
●
whether dividends
will be cumulative or non-cumulative and, if cumulative, the date
from which dividends will accumulate;
●
the procedures for
any auction and remarketing, if any;
●
the provisions for
a sinking fund, if any;
●
the provisions for
redemption or repurchase, if applicable, and any restrictions on
our ability to exercise those redemption and repurchase
rights;
●
any listing of the
preferred stock on any securities exchange or market;
●
whether the
preferred stock will be convertible into our common stock, and, if
applicable, the conversion price, or how it will be calculated, and
the conversion period;
●
whether the
preferred stock will be exchangeable into debt securities, and, if
applicable, the exchange price, or how it will be calculated, and
the exchange period;
●
voting rights, if
any, of the preferred stock;
●
preemptive rights,
if any;
●
restrictions on
transfer, sale or other assignment, if any;
●
whether interests
in the preferred stock will be represented by depositary
shares;
●
a discussion of any
material or special United States federal income tax considerations
applicable to the preferred stock;
●
the relative
ranking and preferences of the preferred stock as to dividend
rights and rights if we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our
affairs;
●
any limitations on
issuance of any class or series of preferred stock ranking senior
to or on a parity with the series of preferred stock as to dividend
rights and rights if we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our affairs;
and
●
any other specific
terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on,
the preferred stock.
If we
issue shares of preferred stock under this prospectus, the shares
will be fully paid and non-assessable.
The
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the state of our
incorporation, provides that the holders of preferred stock will
have the right to vote separately as a class on any proposal
involving fundamental changes in the rights of holders of that
preferred stock. This right is in addition to any voting rights
that may be provided for in the applicable certificate of
designation.
Our
board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock
with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the
voting power or other rights of the holders of our common stock.
Preferred stock could be issued quickly with terms designed to
delay or prevent a change in control of our company or make removal
of management more difficult. Additionally, the issuance of
preferred stock may have the effect of decreasing the market price
of our common stock.
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The
following description, together with the additional information we
include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the
material terms and provisions of any debt securities that we may
offer under this prospectus. While the terms we have summarized
below will apply generally to any future debt securities we may
offer, we will describe the particular terms of any debt securities
that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus
supplement. The terms of any debt securities we may offer under a
prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below.
For any debt securities that we may offer, an indenture (and any
relevant supplemental indenture), if required, will contain
additional important terms and provisions, the form of which we
filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this
prospectus is a part and is incorporated therein by reference. We
will file any definitive indenture as an exhibit to reports that we
file with the SEC and incorporate by reference in this prospectus
and the applicable prospectus supplement. Any indenture would be
qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
With
respect to any debt securities that we issue, we will describe in
each prospectus supplement the following terms relating to a series
of debt securities:
●
the
principal amount being offered, and if a series, the total amount
authorized and the total amount outstanding;
●
any
limit on the amount that may be issued;
●
whether
or not we will issue the series of debt securities in global form,
and if so, the terms and who the depository will be;
●
the
principal amount due at maturity;
●
whether
and under what circumstances, if any, we will pay additional
amounts on any debt securities held by a person who is not a United
States person for tax purposes, and whether we can redeem the debt
securities if we have to pay such additional amounts;
●
the
annual interest rate, which may be fixed or variable, or the method
for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to
accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record
dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such
dates;
●
whether
or not the debt securities will be convertible into shares of our
common stock or our preferred stock and, if so, the terms of such
conversion;
●
whether
or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured by some or
all of our assets, and the terms of any secured debt;
●
the
terms of the subordination of any series of subordinated
debt;
●
the
place where payments will be payable;
●
restrictions on transfer, sale or other assignment,
if any;
●
our
right, if any, to defer payment or interest and the maximum length
of any such deferral period;
●
the
date, if any, after which and the conditions upon which, and the
price at which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt
securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption
provisions and the terms of those redemptions
provisions;
●
the
date, if any, on which, and the price at which we are obligated,
pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions
or otherwise, to redeem, or at the holder’s option to
purchase, the series of debt securities and the currency or
currency unit in which the debt securities are
payable;
●
whether
the indenture will restrict our ability to pay dividends, or will
require us to maintain any asset ratios or reserves;
●
whether
we will be restricted from incurring any additional indebtedness,
issuing additional securities, or entering into a merger,
consolidation or sale of our business;
●
a
discussion of any material or special United States federal income
tax considerations applicable to the debt securities;
●
information
describing any book-entry features;
●
any
provisions for payment of additional amounts for
taxes;
●
whether
the debt securities are to be offered at a price such that they
will be deemed to be offered at an “original issue
discount” as defined in paragraph (a) of
Section 1273 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended;
●
the
denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities,
if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple
thereof;
●
whether
we and/or the indenture trustee may change an indenture without the
consent of any holders;
●
the
form of debt security and how it may be exchanged and
transferred;
●
description
of the indenture trustee and paying agent, and the method of
payments; and
●
any
other specified terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or
restrictions on, the debt securities and any terms that may be
required by us or advisable under applicable laws or
regulations.
We
summarize below the material terms of the form of indenture, if
required, or indicate which material terms will be described in the
applicable prospectus supplement. The indenture:
●
does not limit the
amount of debt securities that we may issue;
●
allows us to issue
debt securities in one or more series;
●
does not require us
to issue all of the debt securities of a series at the same
time;
●
allows us to reopen
a series to issue additional debt securities without the consent of
the holders of the debt securities of such series; and
●
provides that the
debt securities will be unsecured, except as may be set forth in
the applicable prospectus supplement.
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS
The
following description, together with the additional information we
may include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the
material terms and provisions of any warrants that we may offer
under this prospectus and the related warrant agreements and
warrant certificates. While the terms summarized below will apply
generally to any warrants that we may offer, we will describe the
particular terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the
applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any warrants offered
under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described
below. With respect to any warrants that we offer, specific warrant
agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions
and will be incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the
registration statement that includes this prospectus or as an
exhibit to reports that we file with the SEC and incorporated by
reference in this prospectus:
●
the
specific designation and aggregate number of, and the price at
which we will issue, the warrants;
●
the
currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and
the exercise price are payable;
●
if
applicable, the exercise price for shares of our common stock or
preferred stock and the number of shares of common stock or
preferred stock to be received upon exercise of the
warrants;
●
in the case of
warrants to purchase debt securities, the principal amount of debt
securities purchasable upon exercise of one warrant and the price
at, and currency in which, this principal amount of debt securities
may be purchased upon such exercise;
●
the
date on which the right to exercise the warrants will begin and the
date on which that right will expire or, if you may not
continuously exercise the warrants throughout that period, the
specific date or dates on which you may exercise the
warrants;
●
whether the warrants will be issued in fully
registered form or bearer form, in definitive or global form or in
any combination of these forms, although, in any case, the form of
a warrant included in a unit will correspond to the form of the
unit and of any security included in that unit;
●
any
applicable material U.S. federal income tax
consequences;
●
the
identity of the warrant agent for the warrants and of any other
depositaries, execution or paying agents, transfer agents,
registrars or other agents;
●
the
proposed listing, if any, of the warrants or the common stock
issuable upon exercise of the warrants on any securities
exchange;
●
if
applicable, the date from and after which the warrants and the
common stock will be separately transferable;
●
if
applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may
be exercised at any one time;
●
information
with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;
●
the
anti-dilution provisions of the warrants, if any;
●
any
redemption or call provisions;
●
whether
the warrants are to be sold separately or with other securities as
parts of units; and
●
any
additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and
limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the
warrants.
Before
exercising their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of
the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon such
exercise, including:
●
in
the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the right to
receive payments of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest
on, the debt securities purchasable upon exercise or to enforce
covenants in the applicable indenture; or
●
in the case of warrants to purchase common stock
or preferred stock, the right to receive dividends, if any, or,
payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or
to exercise voting rights, if any.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The
transfer agent and registrar for any warrants will be set forth in
the applicable prospectus supplement.
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS
We
might issue units composed of one or more debt securities, shares
of common stock, shares of preferred stock and warrants in any
combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the
unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit.
Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of
a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which
a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the
unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at
any time before a specified date. We will file as exhibits to the
registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will
incorporate by reference from reports that we file with the SEC,
the form of unit agreement, warrant and any supplemental agreements
that describe the terms of the series of units we are offering
before the issuance of the related series of units.
We
may choose to evidence each series of units by unit certificates
that we would issue under a separate agreement. If we choose to
evidence the units by unit certificates, we will enter into the
unit agreements with a unit agent and will indicate the name and
address of the unit agent in the applicable prospectus supplement
relating to the particular series of units.
CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF DELAWARE LAW AND OF OUR AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION AND AMENDED AND RESTATED
BYLAWS
Certain
provisions of DGCL and our Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, and our Amended and Restated Bylaws
discussed below may have the effect of making more difficult or
discouraging a tender offer, proxy contest or other takeover
attempt. These provisions are expected to encourage persons seeking
to acquire control of our company to first negotiate with our board
of directors. We believe that the benefits of increasing our
ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or
unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure our company outweigh
the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because
negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of
their terms.
Delaware Anti-takeover Law
We are
subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, an anti-takeover law. In
general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation
from engaging in a “business combination” with an
“interested stockholder” for a period of three years
following the date the person became an interested stockholder,
unless:
●
the board of
directors approves the transaction in which the stockholder became
an interested stockholder prior to the date the interested
stockholder attained that status;
●
when the
stockholder became an interested stockholder, he or she owned at
least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the
time the transaction commenced, excluding shares owned by persons
who are directors and also officers and certain shares owned by
employee benefits plans; or
●
on or subsequent to
the date the business combination is approved by the board of
directors, the business combination is authorized by the
affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the voting stock of the
corporation at an annual or special meeting of
stockholders.
Generally,
a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or
stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit
to the interested stockholder. Generally, an “interested
stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and
associates, owns, or is an affiliate or associate of the
corporation and within three years prior to the determination of
interested stockholder status did own, 15% or more of a
corporation’s voting stock.
The
existence of Section 203 of the DGCL would be expected to have an
anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in
advance by our board of directors, including discouraging attempts
that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares
of our common stock.
Charter Documents
Our
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and
Amended and Restated Bylaws include a number of provisions that may
have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying or
preventing changes in control or management of our company. First,
our Amended and Restated Bylaws limit who may call special meetings
of the stockholders, such meetings may only be called by the
chairman of the board, the chief executive officer, the board of
directors or holders of an aggregate of at least 15% of our
outstanding entitled to vote. Second, our Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation does not include a provision for
cumulative voting for directors. Under cumulative voting, a
minority stockholder holding a sufficient percentage of a class of
shares may be able to ensure the election of one or more directors.
Third, our Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that the number of
directors on our board, which may range from five to nine
directors, shall be exclusively fixed by our board, which has set
the number of directors at seven. Fourth, newly created
directorships resulting from any increase in our authorized number
of directors and any vacancies in our board resulting from death,
resignation, retirement, disqualification or other cause (including
removal from office by a vote of the shareholders) will be filled
by a majority of our board then in office. Finally, our Amended and
Restated Bylaws establish procedures, including 90-day advance
notice requirement, with regard to the nomination of candidates for
election as directors and stockholder proposals. These and other
provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
and Amended and Restated Bylaws and Delaware law could discourage
potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change
in control or management of our company.
LEGAL MATTERS
The
validity of the securities being offered hereby will be passed upon
by Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, Raleigh, North
Carolina.
EXPERTS
The
financial statements of CorMedix Inc. as of December 31, 2017 and
2016 and for the years then ended have been incorporated herein by
reference in reliance on the report (which report expresses an
unqualified opinion on the financial statements and includes an
emphasis of matter paragraph referring to the substantial doubt
regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going
concern) of Friedman LLP, independent registered public accounting
firm, given upon their authority as experts in accounting and
auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We
are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and
file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and
other information with the SEC. You may read and copy these
reports, proxy statements and other information at the SEC’s
public reference facilities at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580,
Washington, D.C. 20549. You can request copies of these documents
by writing to the SEC and paying a fee for the copying cost. Please
call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for more information about the
operation of the public reference facilities. SEC filings are also
available at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. Our
common stock is listed on the NYSE American, and you can read and
inspect our filings at the offices of the NYSE American at 20 Broad
Street, New York, NY 10005.
This
prospectus is only part of a registration statement on Form S-3
that we have filed with the SEC under the Securities Act and
therefore omits certain information contained in the registration
statement. We have also filed exhibits and schedules with the
registration statement that are excluded from this prospectus, and
you should refer to the applicable exhibit or schedule for a
complete description of any statement referring to any contract or
other document. You may inspect a copy of the registration
statement, including the exhibits and schedules, without charge, at
the public reference room or obtain a copy from the SEC upon
payment of the fees prescribed by the SEC.
INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY
REFERENCE
The
SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information
that we file with them. Incorporation by reference allows us to
disclose important information to you by referring you to those
other documents. The information incorporated by reference is an
important part of this prospectus and any applicable accompanying
prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will
automatically update and supersede this information. We filed a
registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, with the SEC with respect to the securities being
offered pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable accompanying
prospectus. This prospectus omits certain information contained in
the registration statement, as permitted by the SEC. You should
refer to the registration statement, including the exhibits, for
further information about us and the securities being offered
pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable accompanying
prospectus. Statements in this prospectus and any applicable
accompanying prospectus regarding the provisions of certain
documents filed with, or incorporated by reference in, the
registration statement are not necessarily complete and each
statement is qualified in all respects by that reference. Copies of
all or any part of the registration statement, including the
documents incorporated by reference or the exhibits, may be
obtained upon payment of the prescribed rates at the offices of the
SEC listed above in “Where You Can Find More
Information.” The documents we are incorporating by reference
into this prospectus are:
●
our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2017, filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 of
the Exchange Act on March 19, 2018;
●
our
Amendment to the Annual Report on Form
10-K/A for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2017, filed with the SEC pursuant to
Section 13 of the Exchange Act on April 11,
2018;
●
our
Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC pursuant to
Section 13 of the Exchange Act on February 10, March 3, April 20,
April 28, May 3, June 13, June 27, July 12, August 1, August 2,
August 7, August 9 (Form 8-K/A), August 10, August 28, August 30,
September 1, September 5, November 13, November 20, December 4,
December 5, December 8 and December 11, 2017, and February 20,
February 26, February 27, and March 22,
2018;
●
the description of our common stock contained on Form 8-A (File No.
333-163380) filed with the SEC on March 19, 2010, including any
amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such
description; and
●
all
of the filings pursuant to the Exchange Act after the date of the
filing of the registration statement and prior to the effectiveness
of the registration statement.
In
addition, all documents subsequently filed by us pursuant to
Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act before
the date our offering is terminated or completed are deemed to be
incorporated by reference into, and to be a part of, this
prospectus.
Any
statement contained in this prospectus and any applicable
prospectus supplement or in a document incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any applicable
prospectus supplement will be deemed to be modified or superseded
for purposes of this prospectus and any prospectus supplement to
the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus and any
applicable prospectus supplement or any other subsequently filed
document that is deemed to be incorporated by reference into this
prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement modifies or
supersedes the statement. Any statement so modified or superseded
will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to
constitute a part of this prospectus and any applicable prospectus
supplement.
We
will furnish without charge to you, on written or oral request, a
copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference,
including exhibits to these documents. You should direct any
requests for documents to CorMedix, Inc., Attention: Secretary, 400
Connell Drive, Suite 5000, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey 07922,
(908) 517-9500.
You should rely only on information contained in,
or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus and any
applicable prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to
provide you with information different from that contained in this
prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or incorporated
by reference in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus
supplement. We are not making offers to sell the securities in any
jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not
authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation
is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to
make such offer or solicitation.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be
changed. We may not sell these securities or accept an offer to buy
these securities until the registration statement filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is
not an offer to sell these securities, and we are not soliciting an
offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale
is not permitted.
Subject to completion, dated April 11,
2018
Prospectus
$14,700,000
Common Stock
We have
entered into an At Market Issuance Sales Agreement, dated
March 9, 2018, with B. Riley FBR, Inc., or B. Riley
FBR, as sales agent. The sales agreement relates to the sale of
shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus supplement.
In accordance with the terms of the sales agreement, under this
prospectus supplement we may offer and sell shares of our common
stock, $0.001 par value per share, having an aggregate offering
price of up to $14,700,000 from time to time through
B. Riley FBR, acting as agent, which is an amount equal to
one-third of our public float as of April 6,
2018.
Our
common stock is traded on the NYSE American under the symbol
“CRMD.” The last reported sale price of our common
stock on April 9, 2018 was $0.23 per
share.
Sales
of our common stock, if any, under this prospectus will be made by
any method permitted that is deemed an “at the market
offering” as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. B. Riley FBR is not
required to sell any specific amount, but will act as our sales
agent using commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its
normal trading and sales practices. There is no arrangement for
funds to be received in any escrow, trust or similar
arrangement.
B.
Riley FBR will be entitled to compensation at a commission rate
equal to 3% of the gross sales price per share sold. In connection
with the sale of the common stock on our behalf, B. Riley FBR will
be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of
the Securities Act and the compensation of B. Riley FBR will be
deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have also
agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to B. Riley FBR
with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities under
the Securities Act.
As of
April 6, 2018, the aggregate market value of our
outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates, or the public
float, was approximately $44,400,000, which was
calculated based on 81,903,027 shares of our
outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates and on a price of
$0.57 per share, the last reported sale price for our common stock
on February 16, 2018. Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form
S-3, in no event will we sell our common stock in a public primary
offering with a value exceeding one-third of our public float in
any 12-month period unless our public float subsequently rises to
$75.0 million or more. We have not offered any securities pursuant
to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3 during the 12 calendar
months prior to and including the date of this
prospectus.
Investing
in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Please read the
information contained in and incorporated by reference under the
heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page 6 of this
prospectus, the section captioned “Item 1A—Risk
Factors” in our most recently filed annual report on Form
10-K, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and
under similar headings in the other documents that are filed after
the date hereof and incorporated by reference into this
prospectus.
Neither
the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities
commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or
determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any
representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
B. Riley FBR
The
date of this prospectus is ______, 2018.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
Page
|
About this Prospectus
|
1
|
Prospectus Summary
|
2
|
Risk Factors
|
6
|
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
|
26
|
Use of Proceeds
|
28
|
Dilution
|
29
|
Market for Common Stock
|
31
|
Plan of Distribution
|
32
|
Description of our Common Stock
|
33
|
Certain Provisions of Delaware Law and of Our Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated
Bylaws
|
33
|
Legal Matters
|
34
|
Experts
|
34
|
Where You Can Find More Information
|
35
|
Incorporation of Documents by Reference
|
35
|
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This
prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on Form S-3
utilizing a shelf registration process relating to the securities
described in this prospectus. Under this shelf registration
process, we may, from time to time, sell up to $70.0 million in the
aggregate of common stock, preferred stock, warrants, various
series of debt securities and/or warrants to purchase any of such
securities, either individually or in units, of which up to an
aggregate of $14.7 million may be sold in this
offering in the form of shares of common stock, which is an amount
equal to one-third of our public float as of April 6,
2018, as limited by General Instruction I.B.6 of Form
S-3.
This
prospectus relates to the offering of our common stock. Before
buying any of the common stock that we are offering, we urge you to
carefully read this prospectus, together with the information
incorporated by reference as described under the headings
“Where You Can Find More Information” and
“Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” in
this prospectus. These documents contain important information that
you should consider when making your investment
decision.
This
prospectus describes the specific terms of the common stock we are
offering and also adds to, and updates information in any document
incorporated by reference into this prospectus. To the extent there
is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus,
on the one hand, and the information contained any document
incorporated by reference into this prospectus that was filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, before the date of
this prospectus, on the other hand, you should rely on the
information in this prospectus. If any statement in one of these
documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document
having a later date — for example, a document incorporated by
reference into this prospectus— the statement in the document
having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier
statement.
You
should rely only on the information contained in, or incorporated
by reference into, this prospectus and in any free writing
prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with this
offering. We have not, and B. Riley FBR has not, authorized any
other person to provide you with different information. If anyone
provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should
not rely on it. We are not, and B. Riley FBR is not, making an
offer to sell or soliciting an offer to buy our securities in any
jurisdiction in which an offer or solicitation is not authorized or
in which the person making that offer or solicitation is not
qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make an
offer or solicitation. You should assume that the information
appearing into this prospectus, the documents incorporated by
reference into this prospectus, and in any free writing prospectus
that we may authorize for use in connection with this offering, is
accurate only as of the date of those respective documents. Our
business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects
may have changed since those dates. You should read this
prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference into this
prospectus,and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize
for use in connection with this offering, in their entirety before
making an investment decision. You should also read and consider
the information in the documents to which we have referred you in
the sections of this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find
More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain
Information by Reference.”
We are
offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, shares of common stock
only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The
distribution of this prospectus and the offering of the common
stock in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons
outside the United States who come into possession of this
prospectus must inform themselves about, and observeany
restrictions relating to, the offering of the common stock and the
distribution of this prospectus outside the United States. This
prospectus does not constitute, and may not be used in connection
with, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any
securities offered by this prospectus by any person in any
jurisdiction in which it is unlawful for such person to make such
an offer or solicitation.
Our primary executive offices are located at 400
Connell Drive, Suite 5000, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922, and our
telephone number is (908) 517-9500. Our website address
is www.cormedix.com. The
information contained on our website is not a part of, and should
not be construed as being incorporated by reference into, this
prospectus.
Unless
the context otherwise requires, “CorMedix,” the
“company,” “we,” “us,”
“our” and similar names refer to CorMedix
Inc.
Neutrolin®
is our registered trademark and the
CorMedix logo is our trademark. All other trade names, trademarks
and service marks appearing in this prospectus are the property of
their respective owners. We have assumed that the reader
understands that all such terms are source-indicating. Accordingly,
such terms, when first mentioned in this prospectus, appear with
the trade name, trademark or service mark notice and then
throughout the remainder of this prospectus without trade name,
trademark or service mark notices for convenience only and should
not be construed as being used in a descriptive or generic
sense.
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights certain information about us, this offering
and selected information contained elsewhere in or incorporated by
reference into this prospectus. This summary is not complete and
does not contain all of the information that you should consider
before deciding whether to invest in our common stock. For a more
complete understanding of our company and this offering, we
encourage you to read and consider carefully the more detailed
information in this prospectus, including the information
incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and the information
referred to under the heading “Risk Factors” in this
prospectus beginning on page 6, and in the documents
incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
OUR COMPANY
Overview
We
are a biopharmaceutical
company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic
products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and
inflammatory diseases.
Our
primary focus is to develop our lead product candidate,
Neutrolin® (also known as
CRMD003), for potential commercialization in the U.S. and other key
markets. We have in-licensed the worldwide rights to develop and
commercialize Neutrolin, which is a novel anti-infective solution
(a formulation of taurolidine, citrate and heparin 1000 u/ml) under
development in the U.S. for the reduction and prevention of
catheter-related infections and thrombosis in patients requiring
central venous catheters in clinical settings such as dialysis,
critical/intensive care, and oncology. Infection and thrombosis
represent key complications among critical care/ intensive care and
cancer patients with central venous catheters. These complications
can lead to treatment delays and increased costs to the healthcare
system when they occur due to hospitalizations, need for IV
antibiotic treatment, long-term anticoagulation therapy,
removal/replacement of the central venous catheter, related
treatment costs and increased mortality. We believe Neutrolin has
the potential to address a significant unmet medical need and
represents a potential large market opportunity.
In
July 2013, we received CE Mark approval for Neutrolin. As a result,
in December 2013, we commercially launched Neutrolin in
Germany for the prevention of catheter-related bloodstream
infections and maintenance of catheter patency in hemodialysis
patients using a tunneled, cuffed central venous catheter for
vascular access. To date, Neutrolin is registered and
may be sold in certain European Union and Middle Eastern countries
for such treatment. In
April 2017, we entered into a commercial collaboration with
Hemotech SAS covering France and French overseas
territories.
We
initiated one Phase 3 clinical trial in hemodialysis patients with
a central venous catheter (“LOCK-IT-100”) in December
2015. The FDA has indicated that two pivotal trials to demonstrate
safety and effectiveness of Neutrolin will be required by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to secure
marketing approval in the United States.
In
April 2017, a safety review by an independent Data and Safety
Monitoring Board, or DSMB was completed. The DSMB unanimously
concluded that it is safe to continue the LOCK-IT-100 clinical
trial as designed based on its evaluation of data from the first
279 patients randomized on trial.
On
August 2, 2017, we announced that the FDA had agreed to key changes
to the LOCK-IT-100 clinical trial. We sought guidance from the FDA
to address, in part, the apparent overall lower rate of
catheter-related blood stream infection (CRBSI) events as announced
in April 2017. Changes made to the protocol were 1) the utilization
of a Clinical Adjudication Committee (CAC) to assess suspected
CRBSIs; 2) the use of the CAC to critically and independently
assess suspected CRBSIs in a blinded fashion based on a single
positive blood culture and supporting documentation, rather than
two positive blood cultures as previously required; 3) the ability
to capture cases occurring outside of dialysis centers to
facilitate more complete capture of CRBSI events in the study,
particularly when patients present with CRBSI events outside of the
dialysis center setting (emergency rooms or urgent care centers);
and 4) a revision of the design of the study to detect a treatment
effect of 55% or greater when comparing the Neutrolin and heparin
control arms. The FDA agreed that cases adjudicated by the CAC to
be CRBSI events and the per protocol definition of CRBSI events
will be included in the primary analysis of the primary efficacy
endpoint of the LOCK-IT-100 study. The amended study assumptions
including a reduction in statistical power have resulted in a
reduction in the total number of CRBSI events required from 161
events to 56 events to complete the study. We believe that these
changes have allowed the identification of more
infections, enabling a single interim analysis.
|
On
February 20, 2018, we announced that the CAC had
reviewed potential cases of CRBSI in the LOCK-IT 100 study that
occurred through early December 2017, and identified 28 such cases.
As previously agreed with FDA, an interim analysis will be
performed when the first 28 CRBSIs case have been identified. The
primary endpoint for the study is the reduction of CRBSI by
Neutrolin in comparison to a heparin catheter lock solution. We are
currently directing standard procedures to ensure the accuracy and
completeness of the data required for conducting the interim
analysis. This review includes data for all subjects in the study
needed to assess the two secondary endpoints related to a reduction
in catheter removal and catheter blockage, as well as the primary
endpoint and safety information. Before the full dataset can be
locked and the interim analysis can proceed, a number of weeks will
be required to complete the quality assurance procedures
appropriate for the amount of data generated inthe trial. The
interim analysis will be provided to the Data Safety Monitoring
Board for its review and recommendation upon completion. We
project to complete patient enrollment in mid-year 2018,
and anticipate that we will accumulate the requisite
number of CRBSI events around the end of 2018.
We
are evaluating opportunities for
the possible expansion of taurolidine as a platform compound.
Patent applications have been filed in wound closure, surgical
meshes, wound management, and osteoarthritis, including
visco-supplementation. We have had
dialogue with the FDA on the regulatory pathway for these
indications. The FDA has recently informed us that it regards
taurolidine as a new chemical entity and therefore an unapproved
drug. Consequently, there is no appropriate predicate device
currently marketed in the U.S. on which a 510k approval process
could be based. As a result, we will be required to submit a
premarket approval application for marketing authorization for
these indications. In the event that the New Drug Application for
Neutrolin is approved by the FDA, the regulatory pathway can be
revisited with the FDA. Although there will presumably still
be no appropriate predicate, de novo Class II designation can
be proposed, based on a risk assessment and a reasonable assurance
of safety and effectiveness. We
believe taurolidine can also provide benefits not currently
available in marketed antimicrobial medical devices, including
devices for burn victims and use in less sterile
environments.
We are also involved in a pre-clinical
research collaboration for the use of taurolidine as a possible
combination treatment for rare orphan pediatric tumors. In
February 2018, the FDA granted orphan drug designation to
taurolidine for the treatment of neuroblastoma.
Corporate History and Information
We
were organized as a Delaware corporation on July 28, 2006 under the
name “Picton Holding Company, Inc.” and we changed our
corporate name to “CorMedix Inc.” on January 18, 2007.
Our operations to date have been primarily limited to organizing
and staffing, licensing product candidates, developing clinical
trials for our product candidates, seeking regulatory approvals for
Neutrolin, establishing manufacturing for our product candidates
and maintaining and improving our patent portfolio and launching
Neutrolin in the E.U and other foreign countries.
Our
executive offices are located at 400 Connell Drive, Suite 5000,
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922. Our telephone number is (908) 517-9500.
Our website address is www.cormedix.com. Information contained in,
or accessible through, our website does not constitute part of this
prospectus supplement.
|
THE OFFERING
|
Common
stock offered by us
|
Shares
having an aggregate offering price of up to $14.7
million.
|
Common
stock to be outstanding after this
offering
(1)
|
Up to
140,586,902 shares, assuming sales at a price of
$0.25 per share, which was the closing price on the
NYSE American on April 5, 2018. Actual number of
shares issued will vary depending on the sales price under this
offering.
|
Manner
of offering
|
“At
the market offering” that may be made from time to time
through our sales agent, B. Riley FBR. See “Plan of
Distribution” on page 32.
|
Use of
proceeds
|
We
intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, if any, for
general corporate purposes, including clinical trials, research and
development expenses and general and administrative expenses. See
“Use of Proceeds” on page 28.
|
NYSE
American symbol
|
“CRMD”
|
Risk
factors
|
Investing
in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Please read the
information contained in and incorporated by reference under the
heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page
6, the section captioned “Item 1A—Risk
Factors” in our most recently filed annual report on Form
10-K, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and
under similar headings in the other documents that are filed after
the date hereof and incorporated by reference into this
prospectus.
|
_____________________________
(1) The number of shares of our common stock that will
be outstanding immediately after this offering as shown above is
based on 81,786,902 shares outstanding as of March 31,
2018. The number of shares outstanding as of December 31,
2017, as used throughout this prospectus, unless otherwise
indicated, excludes:
●
warrants
for 227,273 shares of common stock issued in July 2013 with an
exercise price of $1.50 that expire on July 30, 2018;
●
warrants
for 500,000 shares of common stock issued in May 2013 with an
exercise price of $0.65 per share that expire on May 30,
2019;
●
warrants
for 125,000 shares issued to ND Partners in April 2013 in
connection with the amendment to the license and assignment
agreement with an exercise price of $1.50 per share that expire on
April 11, 2018;
●
options
to purchase an aggregate of 120,000 shares of our common stock
issued to our officers, directors, employees and non-employee
consultants under our Amended and Restated 2006 Stock Incentive
Plan, or the 2006 Stock Plan, with a weighted average exercise
price of $1.44 per share;
●
options
to purchase an aggregate of 4,842,495 shares of our common stock
issued to our officers, directors and non-employee consultants
under our 2013 Stock Plan, with a weighted average exercise price
of $2.05 per share;
●
warrants
for 750,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $0.90
that expire on October 22, 2019;
|
●
warrants
for 725,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $0.90
that expire on January 8, 2020;
●
Series C-2
Preferred Stock convertible into 1,500,000 shares of
common;
●
Series C-3
Preferred Stock convertible into 1,040,000 shares of common
stock;
●
Series D
Preferred Stock convertible into 1,479,240 shares of common
stock;
●
Series E
Preferred Stock convertible into 1,959,759 shares of common
stock;
●
Series F
Preferred Stock convertible into 3,157,562 shares of common stock,
subject to adjustment;
●
warrants for
682,500 shares of common stock issued in March 2014 with an
exercise price of $2.50 per shares that expire on September 10,
2019;
●
warrants for
200,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $7.00 that
expire on March 3, 2020;
●
warrants for
83,400 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $7.00 that
expire on March 25, 2020;
●
Series A
warrants for 4,078,226 shares of common stock with an exercise
price of $0.75 that expire on September 10, 2018;
●
Series B
warrants for 13,964,476 shares of common stock with an exercise
price of $1.05 that expire on August 10, 2022;
●
underwriter
warrants for 1,117,158 shares of common stock with an exercise
price of $0.9375 that expire on August 10, 2022;
●
warrants for
564,858 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $0.001
that expire on November 16, 2020; and
●
restricted stock
units for 97,529 shares of common stock with an
average grant date fair value of $0.57 per
share.
|
RISK FACTORS
Investing in our common stock involves risk. Prior
to making a decision about investing in our common stock, you
should carefully consider the specific factors discussed below
together with all of the other information contained or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You should also
consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed under
the heading “Risk Factors” included in our most recent
annual report on Form 10-K which is on file with the SEC and
is incorporated herein by reference, and which may be amended,
supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we
have subsequently filed or may file with the SEC in the
future.
Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need for Additional
Capital
We have a history of operating losses, expect to incur additional
operating losses in the future and may never be
profitable.
Our
prospects must be considered in light of the uncertainties, risks,
expenses, and difficulties frequently encountered by companies in
the early stages of operation. We incurred net losses of
approximately $33
million and
$24.6 million for the years ended December 31,
2017 and 2016, respectively. As of December 31,
2017, we had an
accumulated deficit of approximately $152.2 million. We expect to incur
substantial additional operating expenses over the next several
years as our research, development, pre-clinical testing, clinical
trial and commercialization activities increase as we develop and
commercialize Neutrolin. As a result, we expect to experience
negative cash flow as we fund our operating losses and capital
expenditures. The amount of future losses and when, if ever, we
will achieve profitability are uncertain. Neutrolin was launched in
December 2013 and is currently available for distribution in
certain European Union and Middle East countries. We have not
generated any significant commercial revenue and do not expect to
generate substantial revenues from Neutrolin until it is approved
by the FDA and launched in the U.S. market,and might never generate
significant revenues from the sale of Neutrolin or any other
products. Our ability to generate revenue and achieve profitability
will depend on, among other things, the following: successfully
marketing Neutrolin in Germany and other countries in which it is
approved for sale; obtaining necessary regulatory approvals for
Neutrolin from the other applicable European and Middle East
agencies, other foreign agencies and the FDA and international
regulatory agencies for any other products; establishing
manufacturing, sales, and marketing arrangements, either alone or
with third parties; and raising sufficient funds to finance our
activities. We might not succeed at any of these undertakings. If
we are unsuccessful at some or all of these undertakings, our
business, prospects, and results of operations may be materially
adversely affected.
We have
received a
going concern opinion from our independent registered
public accounting firm.
Our
operations are subject to a number of factors that can affect our
operating results and financial condition. Such factors
include, but are not limited
to: the results of clinical testing and trial activities of our
product candidates; the ability to obtain regulatory approval to
market our products; ability to manufacture successfully;
competition from products manufactured and sold or being developed
by other companies; the price of, and demand for, our products; our
ability to negotiate favorable licensing or other manufacturing and
marketing agreements for our products; and our ability to raise
capital to support our operations.
To
date, our commercial operations have not generated sufficient
revenues to enable profitability. As of December 31,
2017, we had an accumulated deficit of $152.2
million, and incurred net losses from operations of
$33.0 million for the year then ended.
Based on the current development plans for Neutrolin in both the
U.S. and foreign markets
(including the ongoing hemodialysis Phase 3 clinical trial in the
U.S.) and our other operating requirements, management believes
that the existing cash at December 31, 2017 plus funding
raised through March 9, 2018 and a proposed new $3 million backstop
facility, for which a binding term sheet was recently signed by us
and Elliott Management Corporation,will be sufficient to fund
operations into the third quarter of 2018. If a definitive
agreement can be negotiated and executed, we anticipate that the
proposed backstop facility would be available for drawing between
April 16, 2018 and July 31, 2018. These factors raise
substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going
concern. We will need additional funding to complete the
ongoing hemodialysis clinical trial in the U.S. which
commenced in December 2015 and to continue the Neutrolin
development program through to NDA filing and marketing
approval.
As a
result of the above matters, our independent auditors
have indicated in their report on our December
31, 2017 financial statements that there is
substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
A “going concern” opinion indicates that the financial
statements have been prepared assuming we will continue as a going
concern and do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible
future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets, or the amounts
and classification of liabilities that may result if we do not
continue as a going concern. Therefore, you should not rely on our
consolidated balance sheet as an indication of the amount of
proceeds that would be available to satisfy claims of our
creditors, and potentially be available for distribution to our
stockholders, in the event of liquidation.
Our
continued operations will ultimately depend on our ability to raise
additional capital through various potential sources, such as
equity and/or debt financings, strategic relationships, or
out-licensing of our products in order to complete our ongoing and planned Phase 3 clinical trials
and until we achieve profitability, if ever. We can provide no
assurances that such financing or strategic relationships will be
available on acceptable terms, or at all. Without this funding, we
could be required to delay, scale back or eliminate some or all of
our research and development programs which would likely have a
material adverse effect on our business.
We will need to finance our future cash needs through public or
private equity offerings, debt financings or corporate
collaboration and licensing arrangements. Any additional funds that
we obtain may not be on terms favorable to us or our stockholders
and may require us to relinquish valuable
rights.
We have launched Neutrolin in certain European
Union and Middle East countries, but to date have no other approved
product on the market and have not generated significant product
revenue from Neutrolin to date. Unless and until we receive
applicable regulatory approval for Neutrolin in the U.S., we cannot
sell Neutrolin in the U.S. Therefore, for the foreseeable future,
we will have to fund all of our operations and capital expenditures
from Neutrolin sales in Europe and other foreign markets, if
approved, cash on hand, additional financings, licensing fees and
grants.
We believe that our cash resources as of
December 31, 2017, plus funding raised through March 9, 2018
and a proposed new $3 million backstop facility, for which a
binding term sheet was recently signed by us and Elliott Management
Corporation, will be sufficient to fund operations
into the third quarter of 2018. If a definitive agreement can be
negotiated and executed, we anticipate that the proposed backstop
facility would be available for drawing between April 16, 2018 and
July 31, 2018. We will need additional funding thereafter to
complete our ongoing and anticipated Phase 3
clinical trials in the U.S., and to continue the
Neutrolin development program through to NDA filing and
approval. If we are unable to raise additional funds when
needed, we may not be able to complete our ongoing Phase 3 clinical
trial, to complete the Neutrolin development program through
to NDA filing and marketing approval or commercialize
Neutrolin and we could be required to delay, scale back or
eliminate some or all of our research and development programs. We
can provide no assurances that any financing or strategic
relationships will be available to us on acceptable terms, or at
all. We expect to incur increases in our cash used in operations as
we continue to conduct our ongoing Phase 3 clinical
trial and prepare for additional Phase 3 clinical
trials, seek FDA approval of Neutrolin in the U.S.,
commercialize Neutrolin in Europe and other markets, pursue
development of our medical devices and other business
development activities, and incur additional legal costs to defend
our intellectual property.
To raise needed capital, we may sell additional
equity or debt securities, obtain a bank credit facility, or enter
into a corporate collaboration or licensing arrangement.
The sale of additional equity or debt
securities, if convertible, could result in dilution to our
stockholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in fixed
obligations and could also result in covenants that would restrict
our operations. Raising additional funds through collaboration or
licensing arrangements with third parties may require us to
relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue
streams, research programs or product candidates, or to grant
licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us or our
stockholders.
At the time that we may need additional financing, we may not have
sufficient authorized shares of common stock available, depending
on the amount of the financing, the price of our common stock and
our obligations to reserve shares for our outstanding convertible
preferred stock, warrants and options. We currently have
160,000,000 shares of common stock authorized and at March 31,
2018, we had 81,786,902 shares outstanding and 37,753,594 shares
reserved for issuance upon the exercise and conversion of our
outstanding convertible preferred stock, warrants and options. To
increase our authorized common stock, we would need stockholder
approval to amend our certificate of incorporation, which approval
may not be obtained.
Until
the date that none of the shares of common stock or warrants that
we issued to Elliott Associates, L.P. and Elliott International,
L.P in November 2017 as part of the backstop financing are
outstanding, we are prohibited from issuing or selling any
securities convertible into common stock on terms more favorable
than the backstop financing terms and with a conversion, exchange
or exercise price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading
prices of or quotations for the shares of our common stock or that
is subject to being reset at some future date or upon the
occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly
related to our business (other than pursuant to a customary
“weighted average” anti-dilution provision) or the
market for our common stock or enter into any agreement to sell
securities at a future determined price (other than standard and
customary “preemptive” or “participation”
rights and other than pursuant to an at-the-market offering through
a registered broker-dealer). This restriction could make raising
capital through the sale of equity securities very difficult and
could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial
condition and prospects.
Risks Related to the Development and Commercialization of Our
Product Candidates
If we are unable to successfully complete our Phase 3 LOCK-IT-100
clinical trial, or if such clinical trial takes longer to complete
than we project, our ability to execute our current business
strategy will be adversely affected.
Whether or not and how quickly we complete the
Phase 3 LOCK-IT-100 clinical trial is dependent in part upon the
rate of enrollment of patients, the rate we collect, clean, lock
and analyze the clinical trial database, and the frequency with
which CRBSI events occur. Patient enrollment is a function of many
factors, including the size of the patient population, the
proximity of patients to clinical sites, the eligibility criteria
for the study, the existence of competitive clinical trials, and
whether existing or new products are approved for the indication we
are studying. In addition, the LOCK-IT-100 clinical trial is
designed to continue until a pre-determined number of events have
occurred in the patients enrolled. Event-driven trials such as
LOCK-IT-100 are subject to delays and other risks stemming from
patient withdrawal and from lower than expected event rates.
A lower event rate will require that
we enroll more patients than initially anticipated, which would
require us to incur additional costs and extend the anticipated time for
completion of the trial
in order to achieve the desired number
of events. If we experience delays in patient enrollment in our
clinical trial, or if we experience other issues related to the
number of events or other trial results, we may incur additional
costs and delays in the trial, and may not be able to complete the
clinical trial in a cost-effective or timely manner, which would
have an adverse effect on our development program for Neutrolin as
a treatment for catheter related bloodstream
infections.
Our only product Neutrolin is only approved in Europe and is still
in development in the U. S.
Neutrolin currently and for at least the near
future is our only current product as well as product candidate.
Neutrolin has received CE Mark approval in Europe, and we launched
it in Germany in December 2013. We also are pursuing development of
Neutrolin in the U.S. Our product commercialization and development
efforts may not lead to commercially viable products for any of
several reasons. For example, our product candidates may fail to be
proven safe and effective in clinical trials, or we mayhave
inadequate financial or other resources to pursue development
efforts for our product candidates. Even if approved, our products
may not be accepted in the marketplace. Neutrolin will require
significant additional development, clinical trials, regulatory
clearances and/or investment by us or our collaborators as we
continue its commercialization, as will any of our other products.
Specifically, we plan to expand marketing of Neutrolin in other
foreign countries and to develop Neutrolin for sale in the U.S.,
which will take time and capital.
In
April 2017, we entered into a commercial collaboration with
Hemotech SAS covering France and certain overseas territories. We
have entered into agreements with a Saudi Arabian company to market
and sell Neutrolin in Saudi Arabia, and with a South Korean company
to market, sell and distribute Neutrolin in South Korea upon
receipt of regulatory approval in that country. We also have a
commercial presence in Germany and the United Arab Emirates.
Consequently, we will be dependent on these companies and
individuals for the success of sales in those countries and any
other countries in which we
receive regulatory approval and in which we contract with third
parties for the marketing, sale and/or distribution of Neutrolin.
If these companies or individuals do not perform for whatever
reason, our business, prospects and results of operations will be
materially adversely affected. Finding a suitable replacement
organization or individual for these or any other companies or
individuals with whom we might contract could be difficult, which
would further harm our business, prospects and results of
operations.
Successful development and commercialization of our products is
uncertain.
Our development and commercialization of current and future
product candidates is subject to the risks of failure and delay
inherent in the development of new pharmaceutical products,
including but not limited to the
following:
●
inability
to produce positive data in pre-clinical and clinical
trials;
●
delays in product development, pre-clinical and clinical testing, or
manufacturing;
●
unplanned expenditures in product
development, clinical testing, or
manufacturing;
●
failure
to receive regulatory approvals;
●
emergence of superior or equivalent
products;
●
inability to manufacture our product
candidates on a commercial scale on
our own, or in collaboration with third parties;
and
●
failure to achieve market
acceptance.
Because of these risks, our development efforts
may not result in any commercially viable products. If a
significant portion of these development efforts are not
successfully completed, required regulatory approvals are not
obtained or any approved products are not commercialized
successfully, our business, financial condition, and results of
operations will be materially harmed.
Clinical trials required for our product candidates are expensive
and time-consuming, and their outcome is
uncertain.
In order to obtain FDA or foreign approval to
market a new drug or device product, we must demonstrate proof of
safety and effectiveness in humans. Foreign regulations and
requirements are similar to those of the FDA. To meet FDA
requirements, we must conduct “adequate and
well-controlled” clinical trials. Conducting clinical trials
is a lengthy, time-consuming, and expensive process. The length of
time may vary substantially according to the type, complexity,
novelty, and intended use of the product candidate, and often can
be several years or more per trial. Delays associated with products
for which we are directly conducting clinical trials may cause us
to incur additional operating expenses. The commencement and rate
of completion of clinical trials may be delayed by many factors,
including, for example:
●
inability
to manufacture sufficient quantities of qualified materials under
the FDA’s cGMP requirements for use in clinical
trials;
●
slower than expected rates of patient
recruitment;
●
failure to recruit a sufficient number
of patients;
●
modification of clinical trial
protocols;
●
changes in regulatory requirements
for clinical
trials;
●
lack of effectiveness during clinical
trials;
●
emergence of unforeseen safety issues;
●
delays, suspension, or termination
of clinical trials due to the
institutional review board responsible for overseeing the study at
a particular study site; and
●
government or regulatory delays
or “clinical holds”
requiring suspension or termination of the
trials.
The results from early pre-clinical and clinical
trials are not necessarily predictive of results to be obtained in
later clinical trials. Accordingly, even if we obtain positive
results from early pre-clinical or clinical trials, we may not
achieve the same success in later clinical
trials.
Our clinical trials may be conducted in patients
with serious or life-threatening diseases for whom conventional
treatments have been unsuccessful or for whom no conventional
treatment exists, and in some cases, our product is expected to be
used in combination with approved therapies that themselves have
significant adverse event profiles. During the course of treatment,
these patients could suffer adverse medical events or die for
reasons that may or may not be related to our products. We cannot
ensure that safety issues will not arise with respect to our
products in clinical development.
Clinical trials may not demonstrate statistically
significant safety and effectiveness to obtain the requisite
regulatory approvals for product candidates. The failure of
clinical trials to demonstrate safety and effectiveness for the
desired indications could harm the development of our product
candidates. Such a failure could cause us to abandon a product
candidate and could delay development of other product candidates.
Any delay in, or termination of, our clinical trials would delay
the filing of any NDA or any Premarket Approval Application, or
PMA, with the FDA and, ultimately, our ability to commercialize our
product candidates and generate product revenues. Any change in, or
termination of, our clinical trials could materially harm our
business, financial condition, and results of
operations.
If we fail to comply with international regulatory
requirements we could be subject to regulatory delays,
fines or other penalties.
Regulatory requirements in foreign countries for
international sales of medical devices often vary from country to
country. The occurrence and related impact of the following factors
would harm our business:
●
delays in receipt of, or failure to
receive, foreign regulatory
approvals or clearances;
●
the loss of previously obtained approvals
or clearances; or
●
the failure to comply with existing or
future regulatory
requirements.
The CE Mark is a mandatory conformity mark for
products to be sold in the European Economic Area. Currently, 28
countries in Europe require products to bear CE Marking. To market
in Europe, a product must first obtain the certifications
necessary to affix the CE Mark. The CE Mark is an international
symbol of adherence to the Medical Device Directives and the
manufacturer’s declaration that the product complies with
essential requirements. Compliance with these requirements is
ascertained within a certified Quality Management System (QMS)
pursuant to ISO 13485. In order to obtain and to maintain a CE
Mark, a product must be in compliance with the applicable
quality assurance provisions of the aforementioned ISO and obtain
certification of its quality assurance systems by a recognized
European Union notified body. We received CE Mark approval for
Neutrolin on July 5, 2013. However, certain individual countries
within the European Union require further approval by their
national regulatory agencies. Failure to receive or
maintain these other requisite approvals could prohibit us
from marketing and selling Neutrolin in the entire
European Economic Area or elsewhere.
We do not have, and may never obtain, the regulatory approvals we
need to market our product candidates outside of the European
Union.
While
we have received the CE Mark approval for Neutrolin in Europe,
certain individual countries within the European Union require
further approval by their national regulatory
agencies. Failure to receive or maintain these other
requisite approvals could prohibit us from marketing and
selling Neutrolin in the entire European Economic Area. In
addition, we will need regulatory approval to market and sell
Neutrolin in foreign countries outside of Europe. We have received
regulatory approval in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and
Bahrain.
In
the United States, we have no current application for, and have not
received the regulatory approvals required for, the commercial sale
of any of our products. We have not submitted an NDA, PMA or 510(K)
to the FDA for any product. We have received approval from the FDA
to proceed with our ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial for Neutrolin in
hemodialysis catheters as the first of our required two Phase 3
studies. The design of our required
second Phase 3 clinical trial has not been determined.
Financing will be required to complete our current Phase 3 trial
and to begin and execute our anticipated second Phase 3 trial.
However, we might not obtain any financing and may never start the
second Phase 3 trial.
The
FDA recently informed us that it regards taurolidine as a new
chemical entity and therefore an unapproved drug. Consequently,
there is no appropriate predicate device currently marketed in the
U.S. on which a 510k approval process could be based. As a result,
we will be required to submit a premarket approval application for
marketing authorization for these indications. In the event that
the New Drug Application for Neutrolin is approved by the FDA, the
regulatory pathway can be revisited with the FDA. Although there
will presumably still be no appropriate predicate,
de novo
Class II designation can be proposed,
based on a risk assessment and a reasonable assurance of safety and
effectiveness.
It is possible that Neutrolin will not receive any
further approval or that any of our other product candidates will
be approved for marketing. Failure to obtain regulatory approvals,
or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals, would adversely affect
the successful commercialization of Neutrolin or any other drugs or
products that we or our partners develop, impose additional costs
on us or our collaborators, diminish any competitive advantages
that we or our partners may attain, and/or adversely affect our
cash flow.
Even if approved, our products will be subject to extensive
post-approval regulation.
Once a product is approved, numerous post-approval
requirements apply in the United States and abroad. Depending on
the circumstances, failure to meet these post-approval requirements
can result in criminal prosecution, fines, injunctions, recall or
seizure of products, total or partial suspension of production,
denial or withdrawal of pre-marketing product approvals, or refusal
to allow us to enter into supply contracts, including government
contracts. In addition, even if we comply with FDA, foreign and
other requirements, new information regarding the safety or
effectiveness of a product could lead the FDA or a foreign
regulatory body to modify or withdraw product
approval.
The successful commercialization of Neutrolin will depend on
obtaining coverage and reimbursement for use of Neutrolin from
third-party payors.
Sales of pharmaceutical products largely depend on
the reimbursement of patients’ medical expenses by government
health care programs and/or private health insurers, both in the
U.S. and abroad. Further, significant uncertainty exists as to the
reimbursement status of newly approved health care products.
We initially expect to sell Neutrolin directly to hospitals and key
dialysis center operators, but also plan to expand its usage into
intensive care, oncology and total parenteral nutrition
patients needing catheters,
including Medicare patients. All of these potential customers are
healthcare providers who depend upon reimbursement by government
and commercial insurance payors for dialysis and other treatments.
Reimbursement is strictly governed by these insurance payors. We
believe that Neutrolin would be eligible for coverage under various
reimbursement programs, including hospital inpatient
diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), outpatient ambulatory payment
classification (APCs) and the End-Stage Renal Disease Prospective
Payment System (ESRD PPS) or under the Durable Medical Equipment,
Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Fee Schedule,
depending on the treatment setting. However, coverage by any of
these reimbursement programs is not assured, and even if coverage
is granted it could later berevoked or modified under future
regulations. Further, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS), which administers Medicare and works with states to
administer Medicaid, has adopted and will continue to adopt and/or
amend rules governing reimbursement for specific treatments,
including those we intend to address such as dialysis and ESRD PPS.
We anticipate that CMS and private insurers will increasingly
demand that manufacturers demonstrate the cost effectiveness of
their products as part ofthe reimbursement review and approval
process. Rising healthcare costs have also lead many European and
other foreign countries to adopt healthcare reform proposals and
medical cost containment measures. Any measures affecting the
reimbursement programs of these governmental and private insurance
payors, including any uncertainty in the medical community
regarding their nature and effect on reimbursement programs, could
have an adverse effect on purchasing decisions regarding Neutrolin,
as well as limit the prices we may charge for Neutrolin.
The failure to obtain or maintain
reimbursement coverage for Neutrolin or any other products could
materially harm our operations.
In
anticipation that the CMS and private payers will demand that we
demonstrate the cost effectiveness of Neutrolin as part of the
reimbursement review and
approval process, we have incorporated health economic evaluations
into our ongoing clinical studies to support this review in the
context of the prospective use of Neutrolin in dialysis, the ICU
and oncology settings. However, our studies might not be
sufficient to support coverage or reimbursement at levels that
allow providers to use Neutrolin.
Physicians and patients may not accept and use our
products.
Even with the CE Mark approval of Neutrolin, and even if we
receive FDA or other foreign regulatory approval for Neutrolin or
other product candidates, physicians and patients may not accept
and use our products. Acceptance and use of our products will
depend upon a number of factors including the
following:
●
perceptions
by members of the health care community, including physicians,
about the safety and effectiveness of our drug or device
product;
●
cost-effectiveness
of our product relative to competing products;
●
availability of reimbursement for our
product from government or other
healthcare payors; and
●
effectiveness of marketing and distribution
efforts by us and our licensees and
distributors, if any.
Because
we expect sales of Neutrolin to generate substantially all of our
product revenues for the foreseeable future, the failure of
Neutrolin to find market acceptance would harm our business and
would require us to seek additional financing.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
Competition and technological change may make our product
candidates and technologies less attractive or
obsolete.
We compete with established pharmaceutical and
medical device companies that are pursuing other forms of
prevention or treatment for the same indications we are pursuing
and that have greater financial and other resources. Other
companies may succeed in developing products earlier than we do,
obtaining FDA or any other regulatory agency approval for products
more rapidly, or developing products that are more effective than
our product candidates. Research and development by others may
render our technology or product candidates obsolete or
noncompetitive, or result in processes, treatments or cures
superior to any therapy we develop. We face competition from
companies that internally develop competing technology or acquire
competing technology from universities and other research
institutions. As these companies develop their technologies, they
may develop competitive positions that may prevent, make futile, or
limit our product commercialization efforts, which would result in
a decrease in the revenue we would be able to derive from the sale
of any products.
There can be no assurance that Neutrolin or any
other product candidate will be accepted by the marketplace as
readily as these or other competing treatments. Furthermore, if our
competitors’ products are approved before ours, it could be
more difficult for us to obtain approval from the FDA or any other
regulatory agency. Even if our products are successfully developed
and approved for use by all governing regulatory bodies, there can
be no assurance that physicians and patients will accept any of our
products as a treatment of choice.
Furthermore, the pharmaceutical and medical device
industry is diverse, complex, and rapidly changing. By its nature,
the business risks associated with the industry are numerous and
significant. The effects of competition, intellectual property
disputes, market acceptance, and FDA or other regulatory agency
regulations preclude us from forecasting revenues or income with
certainty or even confidence.
We face the risk of product liability claims and the amount of
insurance coverage we hold now or in the future may not be adequate
to cover all liabilities we might incur.
Our business exposes us to the risk of product
liability claims that are inherent in the development of drugs. If
the use of one or more of our or our collaborators’ drugs or
devices harms people, we may be subject to costly and damaging
product liability claims brought against us by clinical trial
participants, consumers, health care providers, pharmaceutical
companies or others selling our products.
We currently carry product liability insurance
that covers our clinical trials. We cannot predict all of the
possible harms or side effects that may result and, therefore, the
amount of insurance coverage we hold may not be adequate to cover
all liabilities we might incur. Our insurance covers bodily injury
and property damage arising from our clinical trials, subject to
industry-standard terms,conditions and exclusions. This coverage
includes the sale of commercial products. We have expanded our
insurance coverage to include the sale of commercial products due
to the receipt of the CE Mark approval, but we may be unable to
maintain such coverage or obtain commercially reasonable product
liability insurance for any other products approved for
marketing.
If
we are unable to obtain insurance at an acceptable cost or
otherwise protect against potential product liability claims, we
may be exposed to significant liabilities, which may materially and
adversely affect our business and financial position. If we are
sued for any injury allegedly caused by our or our
collaborators’ products and do not have sufficient insurance
coverage, our liability could exceed our total assets and our
ability to pay the liability. A successful product liability claim
or series of claims brought against us would decrease our cash and
could cause the value of our capital stock to
decrease.
We may be exposed to liability claims associated with the use of
hazardous materials and chemicals.
Our
research, development and manufacturing activities and/or those of
our third-party contractors may involve the controlled use of
hazardous materials and chemicals. Although we believe that our
safety procedures for using, storing, handling and disposing of
these materials comply with federal, state and local, as well as
foreign, laws and regulations, we cannot completely eliminate the
risk of accidental injury or contamination from these materials. In
the event of such an accident, we could be held liable for any
resulting damages and any liability could materially adversely
affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, the federal, state and local, as well as foreign, laws
and regulations governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling
and disposal of hazardous or radioactive materials and waste
products may require us to incur substantial compliance costs that
could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
Healthcare policy changes, including reimbursement policies for
drugs and medical devices, may have an adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and results of
operations.
Market acceptance and sales of Neutrolin or any
other product candidates that we develop will depend on
reimbursement policies and may be affected by health care reform
measures in the United States and abroad. Government authorities
and other third-party payors, such as private health insurers and
health maintenance organizations, decide which drugs they will pay
for and establish reimbursement levels. We cannot be sure that
reimbursement will be available for Neutrolin or any other product
candidates that we develop. Also, we cannot be sure that the amount
of reimbursement available, if any, will not reduce the demand for,
or the price of, our products. If reimbursement is not available or
is available only at limited levels, we may not be able to
successfully commercialize Neutrolin or any other product
candidates that we develop.
In
the United States, there have been a number of legislative and
regulatory proposals to change the health care system in ways that
could affect our ability to sell our products profitably. The
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or
collectively, the Healthcare Reform Act, substantially changes the
way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private
insurers, and significantly impacts the pharmaceutical industry.
The Healthcare Reform Act contains a number of provisions,
including those governing enrollment in federal healthcare
programs, reimbursement changes and fraud and abuse, which will
impact existing government healthcare programs and will result in
the development of new programs, including Medicare payment for
performance initiatives and improvements to the physician quality
reporting system and feedback program. We anticipate that if we
obtain approval for our products, some of our revenue may be
derived from U.S. government healthcare programs, including
Medicare.
Some of
the provisions of the Healthcare Reform Act have yet to be
implemented, and there have been judicial and Congressional
challenges to certain aspects of the Healthcare Reform Act. Since
January 2017, President Trump has signed two Executive Orders and
other directives designed to delay, circumvent or loosen the
implementation of certain provisions requirements mandated by the
HealthcareReform Act or otherwise circumvent some of the
requirements for health insurance mandated by the Healthcare Reform
Act. Concurrently, Congress has considered legislation that would
repeal or repeal and replace all or part of the Healthcare Reform
Act. While Congress has not passed repeal legislation, the Tax Cuts
and Jobs Act of 2017 includes a provision repealing, effective
January 1, 2019, the tax-based shared responsibility payment
imposed by the Healthcare Reform Act on certain individuals who
fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a
year that is commonly referred to as the “individual
mandate.” Additionally, on January 23, 2018, President
Trump signed a continuing resolution on appropriations for fiscal
year 2018 that delayed the implementation of certain Healthcare
Reform Act-mandated fees, including the so-called
“Cadillac” tax on certain high cost employer-sponsored
insurance plans. Congress may consider other legislation to repeal
or replace elements of the Healthcare Reform Act.
In addition to the Healthcare Reform Act, we
expect that there will continue to be proposals by legislators at
both the federal and state levels, regulators and third-party
payors to keep healthcare costs down while expanding individual
healthcare benefits. Certain of these changes could impose
limitations on the prices we will be able to charge for any
products that are approved or the amounts of reimbursement
available for these products from governmental agencies or other
third-party payors or may increase the tax requirements for life
sciences companies such as ours. While it is too early to predict
what effect the Healthcare Reform Act or any future legislation or
regulation will have on us, such laws could have an adverse effect
on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
Health administration authorities in countries
other than the United States may not provide reimbursement for
Neutrolin or any of our other product candidates at rates
sufficient for us to achieve profitability, or at all. Like the
United States, these countries could adopt health care reform
proposals and could materially alter their government-sponsored
health care programs by reducing reimbursement
rates.
Any reduction in reimbursement rates under
Medicare or private insurers or foreign health care programs could
negatively affect the pricing of our products. If we are not able
to charge a sufficient amount for our products, then our margins
and our profitability will be adversely
affected.
If we lose key management or scientific personnel, cannot recruit
qualified employees, directors, officers, or other personnel or
experience increases in compensation costs, our business may
materially suffer.
We are highly dependent on the principal members
of our management and scientific staff, specifically, Khoso Baluch,
a director and our Chief Executive Officer, Robert Cook, our Chief
Financial Officer, and John Armstrong, our Executive Vice President
for Technical Operations. Our future success will depend in parton
our ability to identify, hire, and retain current and additional
personnel. We experience intense competition for qualified
personnel and may be unable to attract and retain the personnel
necessary for the development of our business. Moreover, our work
force is located in the New York metropolitan area, where
competition for personnel with the scientific and technical skills
that we seek is extremely high and is likely to remain high.
Because of this competition, our compensation costs may increase
significantly. In addition, we have only limited ability to prevent
former employees from competing with
us.
If we are unable to hire additional qualified personnel, our
ability to grow our business may be
harmed.
Over
time, we expect to hire additional qualified personnel with
expertise in clinical testing, clinical research and testing,
government regulation, formulation and manufacturing, and sales and
marketing. We compete for qualified individuals with numerous
pharmaceutical companies, universities and other research
institutions. Competition for such individuals is intense, and we
cannot be certain that our search for such personnel will be
successful. Attracting and retaining such qualified personnel will
be critical to our success.
We may not successfully manage our growth.
Our
success will depend upon the expansion of our operations to
commercialize Neutrolin and the effective management of any growth,
which could place a significant strain on our management and our
administrative, operational and financial resources. To manage this
growth, we may need to expand our facilities, augment our
operational, financial and management systems and hire and train
additional qualified personnel. If we are unable to manage our
growth effectively, our business may be materially
harmed.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
If we materially breach or default under any of our license
agreements, the licensor party to such agreement will have the
right to terminate the license agreement, which termination may
materially harm our business.
Our
commercial success will depend in part on the maintenance of our
license agreements. Each of our license agreements provides the
licensor with a right to terminate the license agreement for our
material breach or default under the agreement, including the
failure to make any required milestone or other payments. Should
the licensor under any of our license agreements exercise such a
termination right, we would lose our right to the intellectual
property under the respective license agreement, which loss may
materially harm our business.
If we and our licensors do not obtain protection for and
successfully defend our respective intellectual property rights,
our competitors may be able to take advantage of our research and
development efforts to develop competing
products.
Our commercial success will depend in part on
obtaining further patent protection for our products and other
technologies and successfully defending any patents that we
currently have or will obtain against third-party challenges. The
patents which we currently believe are most material to our
business are as follows:
●
U.S. Patent No. 8,541,393 (expiring
in November 2024) (the “Prosl
Patent”) - use of Neutrolin for preventing infection and
maintenance of catheter patency in hemodialysis
catheters;
●
U.S.
Patent No. 6,166,007 (expiring May 2019) (the “Sodemann
Patent”) - a method of inhibiting or preventing infection and
blood coagulation at a medical prosthetic device; and
●
European Patent EP 1 814 562 B1 (expiring
October 12, 2025) (the “Prosl
European Patent”) - a low heparin catheter lock solution for
maintaining and preventing infection in a hemodialysis
catheter.
We are currently seeking further patent protection
for our compounds and methods of treating diseases. However, the
patent process is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, and
there can be no assurance that we will be successful in protecting
our products by obtaining and defending patents. These risks and
uncertainties include the
following:
●
patents
that may be issued or licensed may be challenged, invalidated, or
circumvented, or otherwise may not provide any competitive
advantage;
●
our competitors, many of which have
substantially greater resources than
we have and many of which have made significant investments in
competing technologies, may seek, or may already have obtained,
patents that will limit, interfere with, or eliminate our ability
to make, use, and sell our potential products either in the United
States or in international markets;
●
there
may be significant pressure on the United States government and
other international governmental bodies to limit the scope of
patent protection both inside and outside the United States for
treatments that prove successful as a matter of public policy
regarding worldwide health concerns; and
●
countries other than the United States may
have less restrictive patent laws than
those upheld by United States courts, allowing foreign competitors
the ability to exploit these laws to create, develop, and market
competing products.
In addition, the United States Patent and
Trademark Office, or PTO, and patent offices in other jurisdictions
have often required that patent applications concerning
pharmaceutical and/or biotechnology-related inventions be limited
or narrowed substantially to cover only the specific innovations
exemplified in the patent application, thereby limiting the scope
of protection against competitive challenges. Thus, even if we or
our licensors are able to obtain patents, the patents may be
substantially narrower than
anticipated.
The above mentioned patents and patent
applications are exclusively licensed to us. To support our patent
strategy, we have engaged in a review of patentability and certain
freedom to operate issues, including performing certain searches.
However, patentability and certain freedom to operate issues are
inherently complex, and we cannot provide assurances that a
relevant patent office and/or relevant court will agree with our
conclusions regarding patentability issues or with our conclusions
regarding freedom to operate issues, which can involve subtle
issues of claim interpretation and/or claim liability. Furthermore,
we may not be aware of all patents, published applications or
published literature that may affect our business either by
blocking our ability to commercialize our product candidates,
preventing the patentability of our product candidates to us or our
licensors, or covering the same or similar technologies that may
invalidate our patents, limit the scope of our future patent claims
or adversely affect our ability to market our product
candidates. Additionally, it is also possible that prior art
of which we are aware, but which we do not believe affects the
validity or enforceability of a claim, may, nonetheless, ultimately
be found by a court of law or an administration panel to affect the
validity or enforceability of a claim. If a third party were to
prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity and/or unenforceability,
we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent
protection on our product candidates. Such loss of patent
protection could have a material adverse impact on our
business.
In addition to patents, we also rely on trade
secrets and proprietary know-how. Although we take measures to
protect this information by entering into confidentiality and
inventions agreements with our employees and some, but not all, of
our scientific advisors, consultants, and
collaborators, we cannot
provide any assurances that these agreements will not be breached,
that we will be able to protect ourselves from the harmful effects
of disclosure or dispute ownership if they are breached, or that
our trade secrets will not otherwise become known or be
independently discovered by competitors. If any of these events
occurs, or we otherwise lose protection for our trade secrets or
proprietary know-how, the value of our intellectual property may be
greatly reduced.
Ongoing and future intellectual property disputes could require us
to spend time and money to address such disputes and could limit
our intellectual property rights.
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries
have been characterized by extensive litigation regarding patents
and other intellectual property rights, and companies have employed
intellectual property litigation to gain a competitive advantage.
We may initiate or become subject to infringement claims or
litigation arising out of patents and pending applications of our
competitors, or we may become subject to proceedings initiated by
our competitors or other third parties or the PTO or applicable
foreign bodies to reexamine the patentability of our licensed or
owned patents. In addition, litigation may be necessary to enforce
our issued patents, to protect our trade secrets and know-how, or
to determine the enforceability, scope, and validity of the
proprietary rights of others.
We initiated court proceedings in Germany for
patent infringement and unfair use of our proprietary information
related to Neutrolin (as described below). We also have had
opposition proceedings brought against the European Patent and the
German utility model patent which are the basis of our infringement
proceedings (as described below). The defense and prosecution of
these ongoing and any future intellectual property suits, PTO or
foreign proceedings, and related legal and administrative
proceedings are costly and time-consuming to pursue, and their
outcome is uncertain. An adverse determination in litigation or PTO
or foreign proceedings to which we maybecome a party could subject
us to significant liabilities, including damages, require us to
obtain licenses from third parties, restrict or prevent us from
selling our products in certain markets, or invalidate or render
unenforceable our licensed or owned patents. Although patent and
intellectual property disputes might be settled through licensing
or similar arrangements, the costs associated with such
arrangements may be substantial and could include our paying large
fixed payments and ongoing royalties. Furthermore, the necessary
licenses may not be available on satisfactory terms or at
all.
On
September 9, 2014, we filed in the District Court of Mannheim,
Germany a patent infringement action against TauroPharm GmbH and
Tauro-Implant GmbH as well as their respective CEOs (the
“Defendants”) claiming infringement of our European
Patent EP 1 814 562 B1, which was granted by the EPO on January 8,
2014 (the “Prosl European Patent”). The Prosl European
Patent covers a low dose heparin catheter lock solution for
maintaining patency and preventing infection in a hemodialysis
catheter. In this action, we claim that the Defendants
infringe on the Prosl European Patent by manufacturing and
distributing catheter locking solutions to the extent they are
covered by the claims of the Prosl European Patent. We
believe that our patent is sound, and are seeking injunctive relief
and raising claims for information, rendering of accounts, calling
back, destruction and damages. Separately, TauroPharm has filed an
opposition with the EPO against the Prosl European Patent alleging
that it lacks novelty and inventive step. We cannot
predict what other defenses the Defendants may raise, or the
ultimate outcome of either of these related
matters.
In the
same complaint against the same Defendants, we also alleged an
infringement (requesting the same remedies) of NDP’s utility
model DE 20 2005 022 124 U1 (the “Utility Model”),
which we believe is fundamentally identical to the Prosl European
Patent in its main aspects and
claims. The Court separated the two proceedings and the Prosl
European Patent and the Utility Model claims are now being tried
separately. TauroPharm has filed a cancellation action
against the Utility Model before the German Patent and Trademark
Office (the “German PTO”) based on the similar
arguments as those in the opposition against the Prosl European
Patent.
On
March 27, 2015, the District Court held a hearing to evaluate
whether the Utility Model has been infringed by TauroPharm in
connection with the manufacture, sale and distribution of its
TauroLock-HEP100TM and TauroLock-HEP500TM products. A hearing before the same court was held on
January 30, 2015 on the separate, but related, question of
infringement of the Prosl European Patent by
TauroPharm.
The
Court issued its decisions on May 8, 2015, staying both
proceedings. In its decisions, the Court found that the
commercialization by TauroPharm in Germany of its TauroLock
catheter lock solutions Hep100 and Hep500 infringes both the
Prosl European Patent and the Utility Model and further that there
is no prior use right that would allow TauroPharm to continue to make, use or sell its product
in Germany. However, the Court declined to issue an injunction in
favor of us that would preclude the continued commercialization by
TauroPharm based upon its finding that there is a sufficient
likelihood that the EPO, in the case of the Prosl European Patent,
or the German PTO, in the case of the Utility Model, may find that
such patent or utility model is invalid. Specifically, the Court
noted the possible publication of certain instructions for
product use that may be deemed to constitute prior art. As such,
the District Court determined that it will defer any consideration
of the request by us for injunctive and other relief until such
time as the EPO or the German PTO has ruled on the underlying
validity of the Prosl European Patent and the Utility
Model.
The
opposition proceeding against the Prosl European Patent before the
EPO is ongoing. In its preliminary consideration of the matter, the
EPO (and the German PTO) regarded the patent as not inventive or
novel due to publication of prior art. Oral proceedings
before the Opposition Division at the EPO were held on November 25,
2015, at which the three judge patent examiner panel considered
arguments related to the validity of the Prosl European Patent. The
hearing was adjourned due to the fact that the panel was of the
view that Claus Herdeis, one of the managing directors of
TauroPharm, has to be heard as a witness in a further hearing in
order to close some gaps in the documentation presented by
TauroPharm as regards the publication of prior art.
The
German PTO held a hearing in the validity proceedings relating to
the Utility Model on June 29, 2016, at which the panel affirmed its
preliminary finding that the Utility Model was invalid based upon
prior publication of a reference to the benefits that may be
associated with adding heparin to a taurolidine based solution. The
decision is subject to appeal and has only a declaratory effect, as the Utility Model
had expired in November 2015. Furthermore, it has no bearing on the
ongoing consideration of the validity and possible infringement of
the Prosl Patent by the EPO. We filed an appeal against the ruling
on September 7, 2016.
In
October 2016, TauroPharm submitted a further writ to the EPO
requesting a date for the hearing and bringing forward further
arguments, in particular in view of the June 2016
decision of the German PTO on the invalidity of the utility model,
which we have appealed. On November 22, 2017, the EPO in Munich,
Germany held a further oral hearing in this matter. At the hearing,
the panel held that the Prosl European Patent would be invalidated
because it did not meet the requirements of novelty based on a
technical aspect of the European intellectual property law. We
disagree with this decision and plan to appeal. Our appeal will be
based, in part, on the written opinion to be issued by the
Opposition Division, which is expected during the
second quarter of 2018. We continue to
believe that the Prosl European Patent is indeed novel and that its
validity should be maintained. There can be no assurance that we
will prevail in this matter with either the German PTO or the
EPO. In addition, the
ongoing Unfair Competition litigation against TauroPharm is not
affected and will continue.
On
January 16, 2015, we filed a complaint against TauroPharm GmbH and
its managing directors in the District Court of Cologne,
Germany. In the complaint, we allege violation of the
German Unfair Competition Act by TauroPharm for the unauthorized
use of its proprietary information obtained in confidence by
TauroPharm. We allege that TauroPharm is improperly and
unfairly using its proprietary
information relating to the composition and manufacture of
Neutrolin, in the manufacture and sale of TauroPharm’s
products TauroLockTM, TauroLock-HEP100 and
TauroLock-HEP500. We seek a cease and desist order
against TauroPharm from continuing to manufacture and sell any
product containing taurolidine (the active pharmaceutical
ingredient (“API”) of Neutrolin) and citric acid in
addition to possible other components, damages for any sales in the
past and the removal of all such products from the market. An
initial hearing in the District Court of Cologne, Germany was held
on November 19, 2015 to consider our claims. The judge made no
decision on the merits of our complaint. On January 14, 2016,
the court issued an interim decision in the form of a court order
outlining several issues of concern that relate primarily to
court's interest in clarifying the facts and reviewing any and all
available documentation, in particular with regard to the question
which specific know-how was provided to TauroPharm by whom and
when. We have prepared the requested reply and produced the
respective documentation. TauroPharm has also filed another writ
within the same deadline and both parties have filed further writs
at the end of April setting out their respective argumentation in
more detail. A further oral hearing in this matter was held on
November 15, 2016. In this hearing, the court heard arguments from
us and TauroPharm concerning the allegations of unfair competition.
The court made no rulings from the bench, and indicated that it is
prepared to further examine the underlying facts of our
allegations. On March 7, 2017, the court issued another interim
decision in the form of a court order outlining again several
issues relating to the argumentation of both sides in the
proceedings. In particular the court requested us to further
specify our requests and to further substantiate in even more
detail which know know-how was provided by Biolink to TauroPharm by
whom and when. The court also raised the question whether the
know-how provided at the time to TauroPharm could still be
considered to be secret know-how or may have become public in the
meantime. The court granted both sides the opportunity to reply to
this court order and provide additional facts and evidence until
May 15, 2017. Both parties have submitted further writs in this
matter and the court had scheduled a further hearing for May 8,
2018. After having been rescheduled
several times, the hearing is now scheduled to take place on
November 20, 2018. We intend to continue to pursue this
matter, and to provide additional supplemental documentary and
other evidence as may be necessary to support its
claims.
If we infringe the rights of third parties we could be prevented
from selling products and forced to pay damages and defend against
litigation.
If our products, methods, processes and other
technologies infringe the proprietary rights of other parties, we
could incur substantial costs
and we may have to do one or more of the
following:
●
obtain licenses, which may not be available
on commercially reasonable terms, if
at all;
●
abandon an infringing product
candidate;
●
redesign
our products or processes to avoid infringement;
●
stop using the subject matter claimed in
the patents held by
others;
●
defend litigation or administrative proceedings, which may be costly
whether we win or lose, and which could result in a substantial
diversion of our financial and management
resources.
Risks Related to Dependence on Third Parties
If we are not able to develop and maintain collaborative marketing
relationships with licensees or partners, or create an effective
sales, marketing, and distribution capability, we may be unable to
market our products or market them
successfully.
Our business strategy for Neutrolin relies on
collaborating with larger firms with experience in marketing and
selling medical devices and pharmaceutical products; for other
products we may also rely on such marketing collaborations or
out-licensing of our product candidates. Specifically, for
Neutrolin, we have a distributor agreement with each of a Saudi
Arabian, an Emirati, and a South Korean company for
sales and marketing (upon receipt of approval to market in South
Korea). In April 2017, we announced a commercial collaboration with
Hemotech SAS covering France and certain overseas territories.
Assuming we receive applicable regulatory approval for other
markets, we plan to enter into distribution agreements with one or
more third parties for the sale of Neutrolin in various European,
Middle East and other markets. However, there can be no assurance
that we will be able to successfully maintain those relationships
or establish and maintain additional marketing, sales, or
distribution relationships, nor can there be assurance that such
relationships will be successful, or that we will be successful in
gaining market acceptance for our products. To the extent that we
enter into any marketing, sales, or distribution arrangements with
third parties, our product revenues will be lower than if we
marketed and sold our products directly, and any revenues we
receive will depend upon the efforts of such
third-parties.
If
we are unable to establish and maintain such third-party sales and
marketing relationships, or choose not to do so, we will have to
establish our own in-house capabilities. We currently have no
sales, marketing, or distribution infrastructure. To market any of
our products directly, we would need to develop a marketing, sales,
and distribution force that has both technical expertise and the
ability to support a distribution capability. The establishment of
a marketing, sales, and distribution capability would take time and
significantly increase our costs, possibly requiring substantial
additional capital. In addition, there is intense competition for
proficient salesand marketing personnel, and we may not be able to
attract individuals who have the qualifications necessary to
market, sell, and distribute our products. There can be no
assurance that we will be able to establish internal marketing,
sales, or distribution capabilities. If we are unable to, or choose
not to establish these capabilities, or if the capabilities we
establish are not sufficient to meet our needs, we will be required
to establish collaborative marketing, sales, or distribution
relationships with third parties, which we might not be able to do
on acceptable terms or at all.
We currently have no internal marketing and sales organization and
currently rely and intend to continue to rely on third parties to
market and
sell Neutrolin.
If we are unable to enter into or maintain agreements with third
parties to market and sell Neutrolin or any other product after
approval or are unable to establish our own marketing and sales
capabilities, we may not be able to generate significant or any
product revenues.
We do
not have an internal sales organization. To date we have relied,
and intend to continue to rely, on third parties for the marketing,
sales and distribution of Neutrolin and any other product we might
develop. However, we may not be able to maintain current and future
arrangements or enter into new arrangements with third parties to
sell Neutrolin or any other product on favorable terms or at all.
In that event, we would have to develop our own marketing and sales
force. The establishment and development of our own sales force
would be expensive and time consuming and could delay any
product launch, and we cannot
be certain that we would be able to successfully develop this
capability. In addition, the use of third parties to commercialize
our approved products reduces the revenues that we would receive if
we commercialized these products ourselves.
We have
entered into agreements with independent companies to market
Neutrolin in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and France,
and, upon regulatory approval, South Korea. We may seek a sales
partner in the U.S. if Neutrolin receives FDA approval.
Consequently, we will be dependent on these firms and individuals
for the success of sales in these and any other countries in which
approval is granted. If these firms or individuals do not perform
for whatever reason, our business, prospects and results of operations may be
materially adversely affected. Finding a new or replacement
organization for sales and marketing could be difficult, which
would further harm our business, prospects and results of
operations.
If we or our collaborators are unable to manufacture our products
in sufficient quantities or are unable to obtain regulatory
approvals for a manufacturing facility, we may be unable to meet
demand for our products and we may lose potential
revenues.
Completion of our clinical trials and
commercialization of Neutrolin and any other product candidate
require access to, or development of, facilities to manufacture a
sufficient supply of our product candidates. All of our
manufacturing processes currently are, and we expect them to
continue to be, outsourced to third parties. Specifically, we will
rely on one or more manufacturers to supply us and/or our
distribution partners with commercial quantities of Neutrolin. If,
for any reason, we become unable to rely on our current sources for
the manufacture of Neutrolin or any other product candidates or for
active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, either for clinical
trials or for commercial quantities, then we would need to identify
and contract with additional or replacement third-party
manufacturers to manufacture compounds for pre-clinical, clinical,
and commercial purposes. We may not be successful in identifying
such additional or replacement third-party manufacturers, or in
negotiating acceptable terms with any that we do identify. Such
third-party manufacturers must receive FDA or applicable foreign
approval before they can produce clinical material or commercial
product, and any that are identified may not receive such approval
or may fail to maintain such approval. In addition, we may be in
competition with other companies for access to these
manufacturers’ facilities and may be subject to delays in
manufacturing if the manufacturers give other clients higher
priority than they give to us. If we are unable to secure and
maintain third-party manufacturing capacity, the development and
sales of our products and our financial performance may be
materially affected.
Before we could begin to commercially manufacture
Neutrolin or any other product candidate on our own, we must obtain
regulatory approval of the manufacturing facility and process. The
manufacture of drugs for clinical and commercial purposes must
comply with cGMP and applicable non-U.S. regulatory requirements.
The cGMP requirements govern quality control and documentation
policies and procedures. Complying with cGMP and non-U.S.
regulatory requirements would require that we expend time, money,
and effort in production, recordkeeping,and quality control to
assure that the product meets applicable specifications and other
requirements. We would also have to pass a pre-approval inspection
prior to FDA or non-U.S. regulatory agency approval. Failure to
pass a pre-approval inspection may significantly delay regulatory
approval of our products. If we fail to comply with these
requirements, we would be subject to possible regulatory action and
may be limited in the jurisdictions in which we are permitted to
sell our products. As a result, our business, financial condition,
and results of operations could be materially adversely
affected.
Corporate and academic collaborators may take actions that delay,
prevent, or undermine the success of our
products.
Our operating and financial strategy for the
development, clinical testing, manufacture, and commercialization
of our product candidates is heavily dependent on our entering into
collaborations with corporations, academic institutions, licensors,
licensees, and other parties. Our current strategy assumes that we
will successfully establish and maintain these collaborations or
similar relationships. However, there can be no assurance that we
will be successful establishing or maintaining such collaborations.
Some of our existing collaborations, such as our licensing
agreements, are, and future collaborations may be, terminable at
the sole discretion of the collaborator in certain circumstances.
Replacement collaborators might not be available on attractive
terms, or at all.
In addition, the activities of any collaborator
will not be within our control and may not be within our power to
influence. There can be no assurance that any collaborator will
perform its obligations to our satisfaction or at all, that we will
derive any revenue or profitsfrom such collaborations, or that any
collaborator will not compete with us. If any collaboration is not
pursued, we may require substantially greater capital to undertake
on our own the development and marketing of our product candidates
and may not be able to develop and market such products
successfully, if at all. In addition, a lack of development and
marketing collaborations may lead to significant delays in
introducing product candidates into certain markets and/or reduced
sales of products in such markets.
Data provided by collaborators and others upon which we rely that
has not been independently verified could turn out to be false,
misleading, or incomplete.
We rely on third-party vendors, scientists, and
collaborators to provide us with significant data and other
information related to our projects, clinical trials, and business.
If such third parties provide inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete
data, our business, prospects, and results of operations could be
materially adversely affected.
Risks Related to our Common Stock
Prior to fiscal 2015, we had identified a material weakness in our
internal control over financial reporting, and our current internal
control over
financial
reporting and our disclosure controls and procedures may not
prevent all possible errors that could
occur.
In the
several years prior to fiscal 2015, we had identified a material
weakness in our internal control over financial reporting that was
related to our limited finance staff and the resulting ineffective
management review over financial reporting, coupled with
increasingly complex accounting
treatments associated with our financing activities and European
expansion. While we remediated this material weakness in 2015, we
cannot be certain that material weaknesses will not arise
again.
A
control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can
provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control
system’s objectives will be satisfied. Internal control over
financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures are
designed to give a reasonable assurance that they are effective to
achieve their objectives. We cannot provide absolute assurance that
all of our possible future control issues will be detected. These
inherent limitations include the possibility that judgments in our
decision making can be faulty, and that isolated breakdowns can
occur because of simple human
error or mistake. The design of our system of controls is based in
part upon assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and
there can be no assurance that any design will succeed absolutely
in achieving our stated goals under all potential future or
unforeseeable conditions. Because of the inherent limitations in a
cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error could
occur and not be detected. This and any future failures could cause
investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information,
which could have a negative impact on our financial condition and
stock price.
Our common stock price has fluctuated considerably and is likely to
remain volatile, in part due to the limited market for our common
stock and you could lose all or a part of your
investment.
During the period from the completion of our
initial public offering, or IPO, on March 30, 2010 through
April 9, 2018, the high and low sales prices for our
common stock were $10.40 and $0.15, respectively. There is a
limited public market for our common stock and we cannot provide
assurances that an active trading market will develop or continue.
As a result of low trading volume in our common stock, the purchase
or sale of a relatively small number of shares could result in
significant share price fluctuations.
Additionally, the market price of our common stock
may continue to fluctuate significantly in response to a number of
factors, some of which are beyond our control, including the
following:
●
market acceptance of Neutrolin in those markets
in which it is approved for
sale;
●
our need for additional capital;
●
the
receipt of or failure to obtain additional regulatory approvals for
Neutrolin, including FDA approval in the U.S.;
●
results of clinical trials of our product candidates, including our ongoing
and planned Phase 3 trials for Neutrolin in the U.S., or those of
our competitors;
●
our entry into or the loss of a significant
collaboration;
●
regulatory
or legal developments in the United States and other countries,
including changes in the healthcare payment systems;
●
changes in financial estimates or investment recommendations by
securities analysts relating to our common
stock;
●
announcements
by our competitors of significant developments, strategic
partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments;
●
changes in key personnel;
●
variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived
to be similar to us;
●
market conditions in the pharmaceutical
and medical device sectors and
issuance of new or changed securities analysts’ reports or
recommendations;
●
general economic, industry and market conditions;
●
developments
or disputes concerning patents or other proprietary
rights;
●
future sales or anticipated sales of our securities by us or our stockholders;
and
●
any other factors described in this “Risk Factors”
section.
In addition, the stock markets in general, and the
stock of pharmaceutical and medical device companies in particular,
have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have
often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating
performance of these companies. Broad market and industry factors
may negatively affect the market price of our common stock,
regardless of our actual operating
performance.
For these reasons and others, an investment in our
securities is risky and invest only if you can withstand a
significant loss and wide fluctuations in the value of your
investment.
A significant number of additional shares of our common stock may
be issued at a later date, and their sale could depress the market
price of our common stock.
As of March 31, 2018, we had
outstanding the following securities that are convertible into or
exercisable for shares of our common
stock:
●
warrants
for 227,273 shares of common stock issued in July 2013 with an
exercise price of $1.50 that expire on July 30, 2018;
●
warrants
for 500,000 shares of common stock issued in May 2013 with an
exercise price of $0.65 per share that expire on May 30,
2019;
●
warrants for 125,000 shares issued
to ND Partners in April 2013 in
connection with the amendment to the license and assignment
agreement with an exercise price of $1.50 per share that expire on
April 11, 2018;
●
options to purchase an aggregate of 120,000 shares
of our common stock issued to our officers, directors, employees
and non-employee consultants under our Amended and Restated 2006 Stock Incentive
Plan, or the 2006 Stock Plan, with a weighted average exercise
price of $1.44 per share;
●
options
to purchase an aggregate of 5,381,613 shares of our
common stock issued to our officers, directors and non-employee
consultants under our 2013 Stock Plan, with a weighted average
exercise price of $1.88 per share;
●
warrants
for 750,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $0.90
that expire on October 22, 2019;
●
warrants for 725,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $0.90
that expire on January 8, 2020;
●
Series C-2
Preferred Stock convertible into 1,500,000 shares of common
stock;
●
Series C-3
Preferred Stock convertible into 1,040,000 shares of common
stock;
●
Series D Preferred
Stock convertible into 1,479,240 shares of common
stock;
●
Series E Preferred
Stock convertible into 1,959,759 shares of common
stock;
●
Series F Preferred
Stock convertible into 3,157,562 shares of common stock, subject to
adjustment;
●
warrants for
682,500 shares of common stock issued in March 2014 with an
exercise price of $2.50 per shares that expire on September 10,
2019;
●
warrants for
200,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $7.00 that
expire on March 3, 2020;
●
warrants for 83,400
shares of common stock with an exercise price of $7.00 that expire
on March 25, 2020;
●
Series A warrants
for 4,078,226 shares of common stock with an exercise price of
$0.75 that expire on September 10, 2018;
●
Series B warrants
for 13,964,476 shares of common stock with an exercise price of
$1.05 that expire on August 10, 2022;
●
underwriter
warrants for 1,117,158 shares of common stock with an exercise
price of $0.9375 that expire on August 10, 2022;
●
warrants for
564,858 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $0.001
that expire on November 16, 2020; and
●
restricted stock
units for 97,529 shares of common stock with an
average grant date fair value of $0.57 per
share.
The possibility of the issuance of these shares,
as well as the actual sale of such shares, could substantially
reduce the market price for our common stock and impede our ability
to obtain future financing.
We will need additional financing to fund our activities in the
future, which likely will dilute our
stockholders.
To
date, our commercial operations have not generated sufficient
revenues to enable profitability. As of December 31,
2017, we had an accumulated deficit of $152.2 million,
and incurred net losses from operations of $33.0
million for the year then ended. Based on the current development
plans for Neutrolin in both the U.S. and foreign markets (including
the ongoing hemodialysis Phase 3 clinical trial in the U.S.) and
our other operating requirements, management believes that
the existing cash at December 31, 2017 plus funding raised
through March 9, 2018 and a proposed new $3 million backstop
facility, for which a binding term sheet was recently signed by us
and Elliott Management Corporation, will be sufficient to fund
operations into the third quarter of 2018. If a definitive
agreement can be negotiated and executed, we anticipate that the
proposed backstop facility would be available for drawing between
April 16, 2018 and July 31, 2018. Further, we will need
additional funding to complete the hemodialysis clinical trial in
the U.S. which commenced in December 2015 and to continue the
Neutrolin development program through the NDA filing and marketing
approval. We anticipate that we
will incur operating losses for the foreseeable future.
Additionally, we will require substantial funds in the future to
support our operations. We expect to seek equity or debt financings
in the future to fund our operations. The issuance of additional
equity securities, or convertible debt or other derivative
securities, likely will dilute some if not all of our then existing
stockholders, depending on the financing terms.
Future sales and issuances of our equity securities or rights to
purchase our equity securities, including pursuant to equity
incentive plans, would result in additional dilution of the
percentage ownership of our stockholders and could cause our stock
price to fall.
To the extent we raise additional capital by
issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience
substantial dilution. We may, as we have in the past, sell common
stock, convertible securities or other equity securities in
one or more transactions at
prices and in a manner we determine from time to time. If we sell
common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities in
more than one transaction, investors may be further diluted by
subsequent sales. Such sales may also result in material dilution
to our existing stockholders, and new investors could gain rights
superior to existing stockholders.
Pursuant to our 2013 Stock Plan, our Board of
Directors is authorized to award up to a total of 11,000,000 shares
of common stock or options to purchase shares of common stock to
our officers, directors, employees and non-employee consultants. As
of December 31, 2017, options to purchase 120,000 shares of common
stock issued under our 2006 Stock Plan at a weighted average
exercise price of $1.44 per share, and options to purchase
4,842,495 shares of common stock issued under our 2013 Stock Plan
at a weighted average exercise price of $2.05 per share were
outstanding. In addition, at December 31, 2017, there were
outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 23,417,891 shares
of our common stock at prices ranging from $0.001 to $7.00, and
shares of our outstanding Series C-2, C-3, D, E and F preferred
stock convertible into an aggregate of 9,136,560 shares of our
common stock. Stockholders will experience dilution in the event
that additional shares of common stock are issued under our 2006
Stock Plan or 2013 Stock Plan, or options issued under our 2006
Stock Plan or 2013 Stock Plan are exercised, or any warrants are
exercised for, or preferred stock shares are converted to, common
stock.
Provisions in our corporate charter documents and under Delaware
law could make an acquisition of us, which may be beneficial to our
stockholders, more difficult.
Provisions in our Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation, as amended, and our Amended and Restated Bylaws,
as well as provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State
of Delaware, or DGCL, may discourage, delay or prevent a merger,
acquisition or other change in control of our company, even if such
a change in control would be beneficial to our stockholders. These
provisions include the following:
●
authorizing
the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock, the
terms of which may be established and shares of which may be issued
without stockholder approval;
●
prohibiting our stockholders from
fixing the number of our directors;
and
●
establishing advance notice requirements
for stockholder proposals that can be
acted on at stockholder meetings and nominations to our Board of
Directors.
These provisions may frustrate or prevent any
attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current
management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace
members of our board of directors, which is responsible for
appointing the members of our management. In addition, weare
subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, which generally prohibits a
Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of
business combinations with an interested stockholder for a period
of three years following the date on which the stockholder became
an interested stockholder, unless such transactions are approved by
the board of directors. This provision could have the effect of
discouraging, delaying or preventing someone from acquiring us or
merging with us, whether or not it is desired by, or beneficial to,
our stockholders. Any provision of our Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or Amended and Restated
Bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying or deterring
a change in control could limit the opportunity for our
stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common
stock and could also affect the price that some investors are
willing to pay for our common
stock.
If we fail to comply with the continued listing standards of the
NYSE American, it may result in a delisting of our common stock
from the exchange.
Our
common stock is currently listed for trading on the NYSE American,
and the continued listing of our common stock on the NYSE American
is subject to our compliance with a number of listing standards.
These listing standards include the requirement for avoiding
sustained losses and
maintaining a minimum level of stockholders’
equity. In 2012 and 2014, we received notices from the
NYSE American that we did not meet continued listing standards of
the NYSE American as set forth in Part 10 of the Company
Guide. Specifically, we were not in compliance with
Section 1003(a)(i) and Section 1003(a)(ii) of the Company Guide
because we reported stockholders’ equity of less than the
required amounts. As a result, we became subject to the
procedures and requirements of Section 1009 of the Company Guide
and were subject to possible delisting. In March 2015, we regained
compliance with the NYSE American listing requirements due to our
market capitalization, pursuant to Section 1003(a) of the Company
Guide. However, there can be no assurance that we will continue to
meet the continued listing standards of the NYSE
American.
If our common stock were no longer listed on the
NYSE American, investors might only be able to trade on one of the
over-the-counter markets, including the OTC Bulletin Board
® or in the Pink Sheets ® (a
quotation medium operated by Pink Sheets LLC). This would impair
the liquidity of our common stock not only in the number of shares
that could be bought and sold at a given price, which might be
depressed by the relative illiquidity, but also through delays in
the timing of transactions and reduction in media
coverage.
Because the average daily trading volume of our common stock has
been low historically, the ability to sell our shares in the
secondary trading market may be limited.
Because the average daily trading volume of our
common stock on the NYSE American has been low historically, the
liquidity of our common stock may be impaired. As a result, prices
for shares of our common stock may be lower than might otherwise
prevail if the average daily trading volume of our common stock was
higher. The average daily trading volume of our common stock may be
low relative to the stocks of other exchange-listed companies,
which could limit investors’ ability to sell shares in the
secondary trading market.
Penny stock regulations may impose certain restrictions on
marketability of our securities.
The SEC has adopted regulations which generally
define a “penny stock” to be any equity security that
has a market price of less than $5.00 per share or an exercise
price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions.
A security listed on a national securities exchange is exempt from
the definition of a penny stock. Our common stock is listed on the
NYSE American and so is not considered a penny stock. However, if
we fail to maintain our common stock’s listing on the NYSE
American, our common stock would be considered a penny stock. In
that event, our common stock would be subject to rules that impose
additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell
such securities to persons other than established customers and
accredited investors (generally those with assets in excess of
$1,000,000 or annual income exceeding $200,000, or $300,000
together with their spouse). For transactions covered by such
rules, the broker-dealer must make a special suitability
determination for the purchase of such securities and have received
the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to
the purchase. Additionally, for any transaction involving a penny
stock, unless exempt, the rules require the delivery, prior to the
transaction, of a risk disclosure document mandated by the SEC
relating to the penny stock market. The broker-dealer must also
disclose the commission payable to both the broker-dealer and the
registered representative, current quotations for the securities
and, if the broker-dealer is the sole market maker, the
broker-dealer must disclose this fact and the broker-dealer’s
presumed control over the market. Finally, monthly statements must
be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock
held in the account and information on the limited market in penny
stocks. Broker-dealers must wait two business days after providing
buyers with disclosure materials regarding a security before
effecting a transaction in such security. Consequently, the
“penny stock” rules restrict the ability of
broker-dealers to sell our securities and affect the ability of
investors to sell our securities in the secondary market and the
price at which such purchasers can sell any such securities,
thereby affecting the liquidity of the market for our common
stock.
Stockholders should be aware that, according to
the SEC, the market for penny stocks has suffered in recent years
from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns
include:
●
control of the market for the security by
one or more broker-dealers that are
often related to the promoter or issuer;
●
manipulation of prices through prearranged
matching of purchases and sales and
false and misleading press releases;
●
“boiler room” practices
involving high pressure sales
tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales
persons;
●
excessive and undisclosed bid-ask
differentials and markups by selling
broker-dealers; and
●
the
wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and
broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired
level, along with the inevitable collapse of those prices with
consequent investor losses.
We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock so any
returns on our common stock will be limited to the value of our
common stock.
We
have never declared dividends on our common stock, and currently do
not plan to declare dividends on shares of our common stock in the
foreseeable future. Pursuant to the terms of our Series D, E and F
Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock, we may not declare or pay
any dividends or make any distributions on any of our shares or
other equity securities as long as any of those preferred shares
remain outstanding. We currently expect to retain future earnings,
if any, for use in the operation and expansion of our business. The
payment of cash dividends in thefuture, if any, will be at the
discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon such
factors as earnings levels, capital requirements, our overall
financial condition and any other factors deemed relevant by our
board of directors. Any return to holders of our common stock will
be limited to the value of their common stock.
Additional Risks Related to This Offering
Management will have broad discretion as to the use of the proceeds
from this offering, and may not use the proceeds
effectively.
Because
we have not designated the amount of net proceeds from this
offering to be used for any particular purpose, our management will
have broad discretion as to the application of the net proceeds
from this offering and could use them for purposes other than those
contemplated at the time of the offering. Our management may use
the net proceeds for corporate purposes that may not improve our
financial condition or market value. The failure by management to
apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that
could have a material adverse effect on our business, cause the
price of our common stock to decline and delay the development and
commercialization of our product candidates.
You may experience immediate and substantial dilution.
The
offering price per share in this offering may exceed the net
tangible book value per share of our common stock outstanding prior
to this offering. Assuming that an aggregate
of 58,800,000 shares of our common stock are sold
during the term of the sales agreement with B. Riley FBR at a price
of $0.25 per share, the last reported sale price of
our common stock on the NYSE American on April 5,
2018, for aggregate gross proceeds of $14.7 million,
after deducting commissions and estimated aggregate offering
expenses payable by us, you will experience immediate dilution of
$0.09 per
share, representing the difference between our as-adjusted net
tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2017,
after giving effect to this offering and the assumed offering
price. The exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants may
result in further dilution of your investment. See the section
entitled “Dilution” below for a more detailed
illustration of the dilution you would incur if you participate in
this offering.
You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity
offerings.
We will
need significant additional funds to complete the U.S development
of Neutrolin. In order to raise additional capital, we plan to
offer in the future additional shares of our common stock or other
securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock at
prices that may not be the same as the price per share in this
offering. We may sell shares or other securities in any other
offering at a price per share that is less than the price per share
paid by investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares
or other securities in the future could have rights superior to
existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell
additional shares of our common stock, or securities convertible or
exchangeable into common stock, in future transactions may be
higher or lower than the price per share paid by investors in this
offering.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The
SEC encourages companies to disclose forward-looking information so
that investors can better understand a company’s future
prospects and make informed investment decisions. This prospectus,
any applicable prospectus supplement and the documents we have
filed with the SEC that are incorporated herein and therein by
reference contain such “forward-looking statements”
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995.
Words such as “may,”
“might,” “should,”
“anticipate,” “estimate,”
“expect,” “projects,”
“intends,” “plans,” “believes”
and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with
any discussion of future operating or financial performance,
identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
represent management’s current judgment regarding future
events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
described in the forward-looking statements. These risks include,
but are not limited to: CorMedix’s ability to
obtain financing to support its research and development and
clinical activities and operations, including its LOCK-IT 100
clinical trial for Neutrolin; the cost, timing and results
of the planned and ongoing Phase 3 trials for Neutrolin® in
the U.S., including variances in the expected rate of
catheter-related bloodstream infection events and the resources
needed to commence and complete those trials; the risks and
uncertainties associated with CorMedix’s ability to manage
its limited cash resources; CorMedix’s ability to continue as
a going concern; later developments with the FDA that may be
inconsistent with the FDA’s acceptance of any
interim analyses of the LOCK-IT 100 trial; obtaining regulatory
approvals to conduct clinical trials and to commercialize
CorMedix’s product candidates, including the
anticipated second Phase 3 trial of Neutrolin and the
marketing of Neutrolin in countries other than Europe; the outcome
of clinical trials of CorMedix’s product candidates and
whether they demonstrate these candidates’ safety and
effectiveness; the risks associated with the launch of Neutrolin in
new markets; CorMedix’s ability to enter into, execute upon
and maintain collaborations with third parties for its development
and marketing programs; CorMedix’s dependence on its
collaborations and its license relationships; CorMedix’s
ability to maintain its listing on the NYSE American; achieving
milestones under CorMedix’s collaborations; CorMedix’s
dependence on preclinical and clinical investigators, preclinical
and clinical research organizations, manufacturers, sales and
marketing organizations, and consultants; and protecting the
intellectual property developed by or licensed to CorMedix.
Please also see the discussion of
risks and uncertainties under “Risk Factors” above and
otherwise incorporated by reference herein, and in our most recent
annual report on Form 10-K, as revised or supplemented by any
of our subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, as
well as any amendments thereto, as filed with the SEC and which are
incorporated herein by reference.
In
light of these assumptions, risks and uncertainties, the results
and events discussed in the forward-looking statements contained in
this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or in any
document incorporated herein or therein by reference might not
occur. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the respective
dates of this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement or
the date of the document incorporated by reference in this
prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. We are not
under any obligation, and we expressly disclaim any obligation, to
update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise. All subsequent
forward-looking statements attributable to us or to any person
acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by
the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this
section.
USE OF PROCEEDS
We
currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, if
any, for general corporate purposes, including clinical trials,
research and development expenses, and general and administrative
expenses.
The
amounts and timing of our use of the net proceeds from this
offering will depend on a number of factors, such as the timing and
progress of our research and development efforts, the timing and
progress of any collaborative or strategic partnering efforts, and
the competitive environment for our planned products. As of the
date of this prospectus, we cannot specify with certainty all of
the particular uses for the net proceeds to us from this offering.
Accordingly, our management will have broad discretion in the
timing and application of these proceeds. Pending application of
the net proceeds as described above, we intend to temporarily
invest the proceeds in short-term, interest-bearing
instruments.
DILUTION
Our net tangible book value as of December
31, 2017 was approximately $7,193,351, or
$0.10 per share of common stock. Net tangible book value
per share is calculated by subtracting our total liabilities from
our total tangible assets, which is total assets less intangible
assets, and dividing this amount by the number of shares of common
stock outstanding. After giving effect to the sale by us of the
full $14.7 million of common stock that may be offered
in this offering at an assumed offering price of
$0.25 per share, which was the closing price of our
common stock on the NYSE American on April 5, 2018,
and after deducting estimated offering commissions and expenses
payable by us, our as-adjusted net tangible book value as of
December 31, 2017 would have been approximately
$21,340,351, or
$0.16 per share of common stock. This represents an
immediate increase in the net tangible book value of
$0.06 per share to our existing stockholders and an
immediate and substantial dilution in net tangible book value of
$0.09 per share to new investors. The following table
illustrates this hypothetical per share
dilution:
Assumed public
offering price per share
|
|
$ 0.25
|
Net tangible book
value per share as of December 31, 2017
|
$0.10
|
|
Increase in net
tangible book value per share attributable to this
offering
|
0.06
|
|
As adjusted net
tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2017,
after giving effect to this offering
|
|
0.16
|
Dilution per share
to new investors purchasing shares in this offering
|
|
$ 0.09
|
The table above assumes for illustrative purposes
that an aggregate of 58,800,000 shares of our common
stock are sold at a price of $0.25 per share, the last
reported sale price of our common stock on the NYSE American on
April 5, 2018, for aggregate gross proceeds of
$14.7 million. The shares sold in this offering, if
any, will be sold from time to time at various prices. An increase
of $0.06 per share in the price at which the shares are
sold from the assumed offering price of $0.25 per
share shown in the table above, assuming all of our common stock in
the aggregate amount of $14.7
million is sold at that price, would increase our adjusted
net tangible book value per share after the offering to
$0.18 per share and would increase the dilution in net
tangible book value per share to new investors in this offering to
$0.13 per share, after deducting commissions and
estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us. A decrease of
$0.06 per share in the price at which the shares are
sold from the assumed offering price of $0.25 per
share shown in the table above, assuming all of our common stock in
the aggregate amount of $14.7 million is sold at that
price, would decrease our adjusted net tangible book value per
share after the offering to $0.15 per share and would decrease the dilution in net
tangible book value per share to new investors in this offering to
$0.04 per share, after deducting commissions and
estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us. This
information is supplied for illustrative purposes
only.
To
the extent that any outstanding options or warrants are exercised,
new options are issued under our 2006 Stock Incentive Plan or our
2013 Stock Incentive Plan or we otherwise issue additional shares
of common stock in the future, there will be further dilution to
new investors.
The
above discussion and table are based on 71,413,790
shares of our common stock outstanding as of December
31, 2017 and excludes the following securities outstanding
on December 31, 2017:
●
warrants
for 227,273 shares of common stock issued in July 2013 with an
exercise price of $1.50 that expire on July 30, 2018;
●
warrants
for 500,000 shares of common stock issued in May 2013 with an
exercise price of $0.65 per share that expire on May 30,
2019;
●
warrants
for 125,000 shares issued to ND Partners in April 2013 in
connection with the amendment to the license and assignment
agreement with an exercise price of $1.50 per share that expire on
April 11, 2018;
●
options
to purchase an aggregate of 120,000 shares of our common stock
issued to our officers, directors, employees and non-employee
consultants under our Amended and Restated 2006 Stock Incentive
Plan, or the 2006 Stock Plan, with a weighted average exercise
price of $1.44 per share;
●
options
to purchase an aggregate of 4,842,495 shares of our
common stock issued to our officers, directors and non-employee
consultants under our 2013 Stock Plan, with a weighted average
exercise price of $2.05 per share;
●
a
warrant to purchase 400,000 shares of our common stock issued on
February 19, 2013 with an exercise price of $1.50 that expire on
February 19, 2018;
●
warrants
for 750,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $0.90
that expire on October 22, 2019;
●
warrants
for 725,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $0.90
that expire on January 8, 2020;
●
Series C-2
Preferred Stock convertible into 1,500,000 shares of
common;
●
Series C-3
Preferred Stock convertible into 1,040,000 shares of
common stock;
●
Series D Preferred
Stock convertible into 1,479,240 shares of common
stock;
●
Series E Preferred
Stock convertible into 1,959,759 shares of common
stock;
●
Series F
Preferred Stock convertible into 3,157,562 shares of common stock,
subject to adjustment;
●
warrants for
682,500 shares of common stock issued in March 2014 with an
exercise price of $2.50 per shares that expire on September 10,
2019;
●
warrants for
200,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $7.00 that
expire on March 3, 2020;
●
warrants for 83,400
shares of common stock with an exercise price of $7.00 that expire
on March 25, 2020;
●
Series A warrants
for 4,078,226 shares of common stock with an exercise
price of $0.75 that expire on September10, 2018;
●
Series B warrants
for 13,964,476 shares of common stock with an exercise price of
$1.05 that expire on August 10, 2022;
●
underwriter
warrants for 1,117,158 shares of common stock with an exercise
price of $0.9375 that expire on August 10, 2022;
●
warrants
for 564,858 shares of common stock issued on November 16, 2017 with
an exercise price of $0.001 that expire on November 16, 2020;
and
●
restricted
stock units for 66,414 shares of common stock with an average grant
date fair value of $2.08 per share.
MARKET FOR COMMON STOCK
Our
common stock trades on the NYSE American under the symbol
“CRMD.” The following table sets forth the high and low
sales prices for our common stock for the periods indicated as
reported by NYSE American:
Fiscal
Year ending 2018
|
|
|
First
Quarter
|
$ 0.59
|
$ 0.17
|
Second Quarter
(through April ___, 2018)
|
$0.30
|
$0.18
|
|
|
|
Fiscal
Year 2017
|
|
|
First
Quarter
|
$2.48
|
$1.44
|
Second
Quarter
|
$1.64
|
$0.36
|
Third
Quarter
|
$0.54
|
$0.32
|
Fourth
Quarter
|
$0.77
|
$0.45
|
|
|
|
Fiscal
Year 2016
|
|
|
First
Quarter
|
$2.88
|
$1.15
|
Second
Quarter
|
$4.54
|
$1.83
|
Third
Quarter
|
$3.12
|
$1.35
|
Fourth
Quarter
|
$3.26
|
$1.46
|
Based
upon information furnished by our transfer agent, at April
5, 2018, we had 61 holders of record of our common
stock.
We have
never declared dividends on our equity securities, and currently do
not plan to declare dividends on shares of our common stock in the
foreseeable future. We expect to retain our future earnings, if
any, for use in the operation and expansion of our business.
Further, pursuant to the terms of our
Series D, Series E and Series F Non-Voting Convertible Preferred
Stock, we may not declare or pay any dividends or make any
distributions on any of our shares of common stock or other equity
securities as long as any of those preferred shares remain
outstanding. Subject to the foregoing, the payment of cash
dividends in the future, if any, will be at the discretion of our
Board of Directors and will depend upon such factors as earnings
levels, capital requirements, our overall financial condition and
any other factors deemed relevant by our Board of
Directors.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We have
entered into an At-Market Issuance Sales Agreement, referred to as
the sales agreement, with B. Riley FBR, Inc., or. B. Riley FBR.
Pursuant to the sales agreement, we may issue and sell up to
$14,700,000 of our common stock from time to time
through B. Riley FBR acting as agent, subject to certain
limitations, including the number or
dollar amount of shares registered under the
registration statement to which the offering relates, The form of
the sales agreement was filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this
prospectus is a part and is incorporated by reference in
this prospectus. The sales, if any, of shares made under the sales
agreement will be made by any method that is deemed an “at
the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under
the Securities Act. We may instruct B. Riley FBR not to sell common
stock if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price
designated by us from time to time. We or B. Riley FBR may suspend
the offering of common stock upon notice and subject to other
conditions.
Each
time we wish to issue and sell common stock under the sales
agreement, we will notify B. Riley FBR of the number or dollar
value of shares to be issued, the dates on which such sales are
anticipated to be made, any minimum price below which sales may not
be made and other sales parameters as we deem appropriate. Once we
have so instructed B. Riley FBR, unless B. Riley FBR declines to
accept the terms of the notice, B. Riley FBR has agreed to use its
commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading
and sales practices to sell such shares up to the amount specified
on such terms. The obligations of B. Riley FBR under the sales
agreement to sell our common stock is subject to a number of
conditions that we must meet.
We will
pay B. Riley FBR commissions for its services in acting as agent in
the sale of common stock. B. Riley FBR will be entitled to a
commission equal to 3% of the gross proceeds from the sale of
common stock offered hereby. In addition, we have agreed to
reimburse certain expenses of B. Riley FBR in an amount not to
exceed $25,000. We estimate that the total expenses for the
offering, excluding compensation payable to B. Riley FBR under the
terms of the sales agreement, will be approximately
$100,000.
Settlement for
sales of common stock will generally occur on the second business
day following the date on which any sales are made, or on some
other date that is agreed upon by us and B. Riley FBR in connection
with a particular transaction, in return for payment of the net
proceeds to us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in
an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.
In
connection with the sale of the common stock on our behalf, B.
Riley FBR will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within
the meaning of the Securities Act and the compensation of B. Riley
FBR will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We
have agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to B. Riley
FBR against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under
the Securities Act. We have also agreed to reimburse B. Riley FBR
for certain other specified expenses.
The
offering of our common stock pursuant to the sales agreement will
terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sale of all of our common
stock provided for in this prospectus or (ii) termination of the
sales agreement as provided therein.
B.
Riley FBR and its affiliates may in the future provide various
investment banking and other financial services for us and our
affiliates, for which services they may in the future receive
customary fees. To the extent required by Regulation M, B. Riley
FBR will not engage in any market making activities involving our
common stock while the offering is ongoing under this
prospectus.
The
$14,700,000 equals one-third of our public float as of
April 6, 2018 (which was approximately
$44,400,000), as limited by General Instruction I.B.6
of Form S-3.
DESCRIPTION OF OUR COMMON STOCK
Pursuant
to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as
amended, we are authorized to issue 160,000,000 shares of common
stock, $0.001 par value per share. As of March 31,
2018, we had 81,786,902 shares of common stock
outstanding.
The
following summary of certain provisions of our common stock does
not purport to be complete. You should refer to our Amended and
Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and our Amended
and Restated Bylaws. We filed our Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation as an exhibit to our registration statement on
Form S-1/A filed with the SEC on March 1, 2010, and filed
amendments to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
as exhibits to our registration statement on Form S-1/A filed with
the SEC on March 19, 2010, our annual report on Form 10-K filed
with the SEC on March 27, 2013, and our current report on Form 8-K
filed with the SEC on August 10, 2017. We filed an Amended and
Restated Certificate of Designation for each of our Series C-2,
C-3, D and E non-voting preferred stock as exhibits to our current
report on Form 8-K on September 16, 2014, and the Amended and
Restated Certificate of Designation for our Series F non-voting
preferred stock on December 11, 2017. We filed our Amended and
Restated Bylaws as an exhibit to our quarterly report on Form 10-Q
filed with the SEC on May 10, 2016. The summary below is also
qualified by provisions of applicable law.
The
holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share on
all matters to be voted on by the stockholders, and there are no
cumulative voting rights. Generally, all matters to be voted on by
stockholders must be approved by a majority (or, in the case of
election of directors, by a plurality) of the votes entitled to be
cast by all shares of common stock present in person or represented
by proxy, subject to any voting rights granted to holders of any
preferred stock.
The
holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratable dividends,
if any, payable in cash, in stock or otherwise if, as and when
declared from time to time by our board of directors out of funds
legally available for the payment of dividends, subject to any
preferential rights that may be applicable to any outstanding
preferred stock. In the event of a liquidation, dissolution, or
winding up of our company, after payment in full of all outstanding
debts and other liabilities, the holders of common stock are
entitled to share ratably in all remaining assets, subject to prior
distribution rights of preferred stock, if any, then outstanding.
No shares of common stock have preemptive rights or other
subscription rights to purchase additional shares of common stock.
There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to
the common stock. All outstanding shares of common stock are fully
paid and nonassessable, and the shares of common stock included in
this registration statement will be fully paid and nonassessable.
The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our common
stock will be subject to, and might be adversely affected by, the
rights of holders of any preferred stock that we may issue in the
future. All shares of common stock that are acquired by us shall be
available for reissuance by us at any time.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The
transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is VStock
Transfer, LLC. The transfer agent’s address is 18 Lafayette
Place, Woodmere, New York 11598 and its telephone number is (212)
828-8436.
CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF DELAWARE LAW AND OF OUR AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION AND AMENDED AND RESTATED
BYLAWS
Certain
provisions of DGCL and our Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, and our Amended and Restated Bylaws
discussed below may have the effect of making more difficult or
discouraging a tender offer, proxy contest or other takeover
attempt. These provisions areexpected to encourage persons seeking
to acquire control of our company to first negotiate with our board
of directors. We believe that the benefits of increasing our
ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or
unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure our company outweigh
the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because
negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of
their terms.
Delaware Anti-takeover Law
We are
subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, an anti-takeover law. In
general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation
from engaging in a “business combination” with an
“interested stockholder” for a period of three years
following the date the person became an interested stockholder,
unless:
●
the board of
directors approves the transaction in which the stockholder became
an interested stockholder prior to the date the interested
stockholder attained that status;
●
when the
stockholder became an interested stockholder, he or she owned at
least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the
time the transaction commenced, excluding shares owned by persons
who are directors and also officers and certain shares owned by
employee benefits plans; or
●
on or subsequent to
the date the business combination is approved by the board of
directors, the business combination is authorized by the
affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the voting stock of the
corporation at an annual or special meeting of
stockholders.
Generally,
a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or
stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit
to the interested stockholder. Generally, an “interested
stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and
associates, owns, or is an affiliate or associate of the
corporation and within three years prior to the determination of
interested stockholder status did own, 15% or more of a
corporation’s voting stock.
The
existence of Section 203 of the DGCL would be expected to have an
anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in
advance by our board of directors, including discouraging attempts
that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares
of our common stock.
Charter Documents
Our
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and
Amended and Restated Bylaws include a number of provisions that may
have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying or
preventing changes in control or management of our company. First,
our Amended and Restated Bylaws limit who may call special meetings
of the stockholders, such meetings may only be called by the
chairman of the board, the chief executive officer, the board of
directors or holders of an aggregate of at least 15% of our
outstanding entitled to vote. Second, our Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation does not include a provision for
cumulative voting for directors. Under cumulative voting, a
minority stockholder holding a sufficient percentage of a class of
shares may beable to ensure the election of one or more directors.
Third, our Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that the number of
directors on our board, which may range from five to nine
directors, shall be exclusively fixed by our board, which has set
the number of directors at seven. Fourth, newly created
directorships resulting from any increase in our authorized number
of directors and any vacancies in our board resulting from death,
resignation, retirement, disqualification or other cause (including
removal from office by a vote of the shareholders) will be filled
by a majority of our board then in office. Finally, our Amended and
Restated Bylaws establish procedures, including 90-day advance
notice requirement, with regard to the nomination of candidates for
election as directors and stockholder proposals. These and other
provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
and Amended and Restated Bylaws and Delaware law could discourage
potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change
in control or management of our company.
LEGAL MATTERS
Wyrick
Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, Raleigh, North Carolina, will pass
upon the validity of the common stock offered by this prospectus.
B. Riley FBR is being represented in connection with this offering
by Duane Morris LLP, Newark, New Jersey.
EXPERTS
The
financial statements of CorMedix Inc. as of December 31, 2017 and
2016 and for the years then ended have been incorporated herein by
reference in reliance on the report (which report expresses an
unqualified opinion on the financial statements and includes an
emphasis of matter paragraph referring to the substantial doubt
regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going
concern) of Friedman LLP, independent registered public accounting
firm, given upon their authority as experts in accounting and
auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This
prospectus is part of the registration statement on Form S-3 we
filed with the SEC under the Securities Act and does not contain
all the information set forth in the registration statement.
Whenever a reference is made in this prospectus to any of our
contracts, agreements or other documents, the reference may not be
complete and you should refer to the exhibits that are a part of
the registration statement or the exhibits to the reports or other
documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus for a copy
of such contract, agreement or other document. Because we are
subject to the information and reporting requirements of the
Exchange Act, 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. You may also read and copy any
document we file at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F
Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the
Public Reference Room.
INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The SEC
allows us to “incorporate by reference” information
from other documents that we file with it, which means that we can
disclose important information to you by referring you to those
documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered
to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus
supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with
the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus, while information
that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and
supersede the information in this prospectus. The
documents we are incorporating by reference are:
●
our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2017, filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 of
the Exchange Act on March 19, 2018;
●
our
Amendment to the Annual Report on Form
10-K/A for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2017, filed with the SEC pursuant to
Section 13 of the Exchange Act on April 11,
2018;
●
our
Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC pursuant to
Section 13 of the Exchange Act on February 10, March 3, April 20,
April 28, May 3, June 13, June 27, July 12, August 1, August 2,
August 7, August 9 (Form 8-K/A), August 10, August 28, August 30,
September 1, September 5, November 13, November 20, December 4,
December 5, December 8 and December 11, 2017, and February 20,
February 26, February 27, and March 22,
2018;
●
the description of our common stock contained on Form 8-A (File No.
333-163380) filed with the SEC on March 19, 2010, including any
amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such
description; and
●
all
of the filings pursuant to the Exchange Act after the date of the
filing of the registration statement and prior to the effectiveness
of the registration statement.
We also
incorporate by reference any future filings (other than current
reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form
8-K and exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items
unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary) made with
the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act, including those made after the date of the initial
filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a
part and prior to effectiveness of such registration statement,
until we file a post-effective amendment that indicates the
termination of the offering of the common stock made by this
prospectus and will become a part of this prospectus from the date
that such documents are filed with the SEC. Information in such
future filings updates and the information provided in this
prospectus.
Any
statements in any such future filings will automatically be deemed
to modify and supersede any information in any document we
previously filed with the SEC that is incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated herein by reference to the extent that statements in
the later filed document modify or replace such earlier
statements.
The information relating to us contained in this prospectus should
be read together with the documents incorporated herein by
reference.
Upon
oral or written request and at no cost to the requester, we will
provide to any person, including a beneficial owner, to whom a
prospectus is delivered, a copy of any or all of the information
that has been incorporated by reference in this prospectus but not
delivered with this prospectus. All requests should be made
to: CorMedix Inc., Attention: Secretary, 400 Connell
Drive, Suite 5000, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922, (908)
517-9500.
You
should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or
provided in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to
provide you with different information. You should not assume that
the information in this prospectus or the documents incorporated
herein by reference is accurate as of any date other than the date
on the front of this prospectus or those documents.
$14,700,000
Common
Stock
PROSPECTUS
B. Riley FBR
__________, 2018
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14.
Other
Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
We
estimate that expenses payable by us in connection with the
offering described in this registration statement will be as
follows:
SEC registration
fee
|
$8,715
|
FINRA
fee
|
$11,000
|
Legal fees and
expenses
|
50,000*
|
Accounting fees and
expenses
|
20,000*
|
Printing
expenses
|
10,000*
|
Miscellaneous
|
12,285*
|
Total
|
112,000*
|
*Estimated as
permitted under Rule 511 of Regulation S-K.
Item 15.
Indemnification
of Directors and Officers.
Section
145 of the DGCL permits a corporation, under specified
circumstances, to indemnify its directors, officers, employees or
agents against expenses (including attorneys’ fees),
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlements actually and
reasonably incurred by them in connection with any action, suit or
proceeding brought by third parties by reason of the fact that they
were or are directors, officers, employees or agents of the
corporation, if such directors, officers, employees or agents acted
in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in or
not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with
respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reason to
believe their conduct was unlawful. In a derivative action, that is
one by or in the right of the corporation, indemnification may be
made only for expenses actually and reasonably incurred by
directors, officers, employees or agents in connection with the
defense or settlement of an action or suit, and only with respect
to a matter as to which they will have acted in good faith and in a
manner they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification will
be made if such person will have been adjudged liable to the
corporation, unless and only to the extent that the court in which
the action or suit was brought will determine upon application that
the defendant directors, officers, employees or agents are fairly
and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses despite such
adjudication of liability.
Pursuant to the
DGCL, our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as
amended provides that no director will be personally liable to our
company or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of
fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any
breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to our company or
our stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or
which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law,
(iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction
from which the director derived any improper personal benefit. Our
Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that we will generally
indemnify our directors, officers, employees or agents to the
fullest extent permitted by the law against all losses, claims,
damages or similar events. We have obtained liability insurance for
each director and officer for certain losses arising from claims or
charges made against them while acting in their capacities as
directors or officers of our Company.
Item 16. Exhibits.
(a) The following
exhibits are filed as part of this Registration
Statement:
Exhibit
Number
|
|
Description of
Document
|
|
Registrant’s
Form
|
|
Dated
|
|
Exhibit
Number
|
|
Filed
Herewith
|
|
|
At
Market Issuance Sales Agreement, dated March 9, 2018, between
CorMedix Inc. and B. Riley FBR, Inc.
|
|
S-3
|
|
3/09/2018
|
|
1.1
|
|
|
|
|
Form of
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.
|
|
S-1/A
|
|
3/01/2010
|
|
3.3
|
|
|
|
|
Certificate
of Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation,
dated February 24, 2010.
|
|
S-1/A
|
|
3/19/2010
|
|
3.5
|
|
|
|
|
Form of
Amended and Restated Bylaws as amended April 19, 2016.
|
|
10-Q
|
|
5/10/2016
|
|
3.1
|
|
|
|
|
Certificate
of Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation,
dated December 3, 2012.
|
|
10-K
|
|
3/27/2013
|
|
3.3
|
|
|
|
|
Certificate
of Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation,
dated August 9, 2017.
|
|
8-K
|
|
8/10/2017
|
|
3.1
|
|
|
|
|
Certificate
of Designation of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock
of CorMedix Inc., filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on
February 18, 2013, as corrected on February 19, 2013.
|
|
8-K
|
|
2/19/2013
|
|
3.3
|
|
|
|
|
Certificate
of Designation of Series B Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock
of CorMedix Inc., filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on
July 26, 2013.
|
|
8-K
|
|
7/26/2013
|
|
3.4
|
|
|
|
|
Certificate
of Designation of Series C-1 Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock
of CorMedix Inc., filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on
October 21, 2013.
|
|
8-K
|
|
10/23/2013
|
|
3.5
|
|
|
|
|
Amended
and Restated Certificate of Designation of Series C-2 Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock of CorMedix Inc., filed with the
Delaware Secretary of State on September 15, 2014.
|
|
8-K
|
|
9/16/2014
|
|
3.15
|
|
|
|
|
Amended
and Restated Certificate of Designation of Series C-3 Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock of CorMedix Inc., filed with the
Delaware Secretary of State on September 15, 2014.
|
|
8-K
|
|
9/16/2014
|
|
3.16
|
|
|
|
|
Amended
and Restated Certificate of Designation of Series D Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock of CorMedix Inc., filed with the
Delaware Secretary of State on September 15, 2014.
|
|
8-K
|
|
9/16/2014
|
|
3.17
|
|
|
|
|
Amended
and Restated Certificate of Designation of Series E Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock of CorMedix Inc., filed with the
Delaware Secretary of State on September 15, 2014.
|
|
8-K
|
|
9/16/2014
|
|
3.18
|
|
|
|
|
Amended
and Restated Certificate of Designation of Series F Non-Voting
Convertible Preferred Stock of CorMedix Inc., filed with the
Delaware Secretary of State on December 11, 2017.
|
|
8-K
|
|
12/11/2017
|
|
3.1
|
|
|
|
|
Specimen
of Common Stock Certificate.
|
|
S-1/A
|
|
3/19/2010
|
|
4.1
|
|
|
|
|
Form of
Warrant issued on February 19, 2013.
|
|
8-K
|
|
2/19/2013
|
|
4.13
|
|
|
|
|
Form of
Warrant issued to ND Partners on April 11, 2013.
|
|
10-K
|
|
5/15/2013
|
|
4.18
|
|
|
|
|
Form of
Warrant issued on July 30, 2013.
|
|
8-K
|
|
7/26/2013
|
|
4.21
|
|
|
|
|
Form of
Warrant issued on October 22, 2013.
|
|
8-K
|
|
10/18/2013
|
|
4.22
|
|
|
|
|
Form of
Warrant issued on January 8, 2014.
|
|
8-K
|
|
1/09/2014
|
|
4.23
|
|
|
|
|
Form of
Warrant issued on March 10, 2014
|
|
8-K
|
|
03/05/2014
|
|
4.24
|
|
|
|
|
Warrant
issued March 3, 2015.
|
|
8-K
|
|
03/04/2015
|
|
4.1
|
|
|
|
|
Amended
and Restated Warrant originally issued May 30, 2013.
|
|
8-K
|
|
03/04/2015
|
|
4.2
|
|
|
|
|
Amended
and Restated Warrant originally issued March 24, 2010.
|
|
8-K
|
|
03/04/2015
|
|
4.3
|
|
|
|
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated March 3, 2015, by and between CorMedix Inc.
and Manchester Securities Corp.
|
|
8-K
|
|
03/04/2015
|
|
4.5
|
|
|
|
|
Form of Series A Warrant to Purchase Common Stock of CorMedix Inc.
issued on May 3, 2017.
|
|
8-K
|
|
5/03/2017
|
|
4.1
|
|
|
|
|
Form of Series B Warrant to Purchase Common Stock of CorMedix Inc.
issued on May 3, 2017.
|
|
8-K
|
|
5/03/2017
|
|
4.2
|
|
|
|
|
Form of Underwriter’s Warrant to Purchase Common Stock of
CorMedix Inc., issued May 3, 2017.
|
|
8-K
|
|
5/03/2017
|
|
4.3
|
|
|
|
|
Form of Warrant issued on November 16, 2017.
|
|
8-K
|
|
11/13/2017
|
|
4.15
|
|
|
|
|
Form of Indenture.
|
|
S-3
|
|
3/09/2018
|
|
4.16
|
|
|
4.17*
|
|
Form of Note.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.18*
|
|
Form of
Common Stock Warrant Agreement and Warrant
Certificate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.19*
|
|
Form of
Preferred Stock Warrant Agreement and Warrant
Certificate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.20*
|
|
Form of
Debt Securities Warrant Agreement and Warrant
Certificate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.21*
|
|
Form of
Unit Agreement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Opinion
of Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Consent
of Friedman LLP, Independent Registered Accounting
Firm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Consent
of Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP (included as part of
Exhibit 5.1).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Power
of Attorney (included in the signature page hereto).
|
|
S-3
|
|
3/09/2018
|
|
24.1
|
|
|
25.1*
|
|
Statement
of Eligibility of Trustee
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
To be filed by
amendment or as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K and
incorporated herein by reference, if applicable.
(b) Financial
statement schedule.
None.
Item 17. Undertakings
(a) The
undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To
file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
post-effective amendment to this Registration
Statement:
(i) To
include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
Securities Act of 1933;
(ii) To
reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the
effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent
post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set
forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the
total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that
which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of
the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form
of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the
aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a
20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
“Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the
effective registration statement;
(iii) To
include any material information with respect to the plan of
distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement
or any material change to such information in the registration
statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and
(1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be
included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is
contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by
Registrant pursuant to Section 13 and Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference
in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of
prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the
registration statement.
(2) That,
for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities
Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To
remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.
(4) That,
for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act
of 1933 to any purchaser:
(i) Each
prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the
date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the
registration statement; and
(ii) Each
prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2),
(b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on
Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule
415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing
the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of
1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration
statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is
first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of
sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As
provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer
and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall
be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement
relating to the securities in the registration statement to which
that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at
that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a
registration statement or prospectus that is part of the
registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed
incorporated by reference into the registration statement or
prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a
purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective
date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the
registration statement or prospectus that was part of the
registration statement or made in any such document immediately
prior to such effective date.
(5) That,
for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under
the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial
distribution of the securities:
The
undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of
securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this
Registration Statement, regardless of the underwriting method used
to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are
offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following
communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the
purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities
to such purchaser:
(i) Any
preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant
relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to
Rule 424;
(ii)
Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or
on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by
the undersigned Registrant;
(iii)
The portion of any other free writing prospectus
relating to the offering containing material information about the
undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf
of the undersigned Registrant; and
(iv)
Any other communication that is an offer in the
offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the
purchaser.
(b) The
undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each
filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section
13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and,
where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration
statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of
such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar
as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or
otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of
the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is
against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore,
unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant
of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its
counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in
the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
(d) The
undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For
purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of
1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as
part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A
and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant
pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the
Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration
statement as of the time it was declared effective;
and
(2) For
the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act
of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of
prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of
such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.
(e) The
undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for
the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act
under subsection (a) of section 310 of the
Trust Indenture Act (“Act”) in accordance with the
rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under
section 305(b)(2) of the Act.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the
requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly
caused this Registration Statement on Form S-3 to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City
of Berkeley Heights, State of New Jersey, on April 11,
2018.
|
CORMEDIX
INC.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Khoso
Baluch
|
|
|
|
Khoso
Baluch
|
|
|
|
Chief Executive
Officer
|
|
Pursuant to the
requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement on
Form S-3 has been signed by the following persons in the capacities
and on the dates indicated.
Signature
|
|
Capacity
|
|
Date
|
/s/
Khoso Baluch
|
|
Director
and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive
Officer)
|
|
April 11,
2018
|
Khoso
Baluch
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Robert Cook
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal
Accounting Officer)
|
|
April 11,
2018
|
Robert
Cook
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Janet Dillione*
|
|
|
|
|
Janet
Dillione
|
|
Director
|
|
April 11,
2018
|
/s/
Gary Gelbfish*
|
|
|
|
|
Gary
Gelbfish
|
|
Director
|
|
April 11,
2018
|
/s/
Myron Kaplan*
|
|
|
|
|
Myron
Kaplan
|
|
Director
|
|
April 11,
2018
|
/s/
Mehmood Khan*
|
|
|
|
|
Mehmood
Khan
|
|
Director
|
|
April 11,
2018
|
/s/
Steven Lefkowitz*
|
|
|
|
|
Steven
Lefkowitz
|
|
Director
|
|
April 11,
2018
|
*By:
/s/ Khoso
Baluch
Khoso Baluch,
Attorney-in-Fact