Lipocine Inc 10-Q for FY2020 Q3
Lipocine Inc. (LPCN)
About this 10-Q
Lipocine Inc filed this 10-Q on November 10, 2020, covering the quarter ended September 30, 2020 (FY2020 Q3).
Headline figures
Quarter ended September 30, 2020, as reported in this filing, compared with the same period a year earlier where the filing states it.
- Revenue
- $0
- compared with $164.99K a year earlier
- Net loss
- $4.31M
- compared with a net loss of $3.06M a year earlier
- Diluted EPS
- -$0.07
- compared with -$0.12 a year earlier
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
| x | Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 |
For Quarterly Period ended September 30, 2020
| ¨ | Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 |
For the transition period from to .
Commission File Number: 001-36357
LIPOCINE INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 99-0370688 | |
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) | |
675 Arapeen Drive, Suite 202, Salt Lake City, Utah | 84108 | |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
801-994-7383
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
| Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share | LPCN | The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes: x No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one):
| Large accelerated filer | ¨ |
| Accelerated filer | ¨ |
| Non-accelerated filer | x |
| Smaller reporting company | x |
| Emerging growth company | ¨ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x
Outstanding Shares
As of November 9, 2020, the registrant had 65,686,150 shares of common stock outstanding.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2
LIPOCINE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Unaudited)
| September 30, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | |||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Current assets: | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 12,938,186 | $ | 9,728,523 | ||||
| Restricted cash | 5,000,000 | 5,000,000 | ||||||
| Marketable investment securities | 5,861,797 | 4,340,041 | ||||||
| Accrued interest income | 11,216 | 16,522 | ||||||
| Prepaid and other current assets | 915,575 | 545,887 | ||||||
| Total current assets | 24,726,774 | 19,630,973 | ||||||
| Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $1,142,540 and $1,140,143, respectively | 1,157 | 3,554 | ||||||
| Other assets | 23,753 | 23,753 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 24,751,684 | $ | 19,658,280 | ||||
| Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity | ||||||||
| Current liabilities: | ||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 1,047,729 | $ | 1,182,241 | ||||
| Accrued expenses | 1,534,495 | 449,303 | ||||||
| Debt - current portion | 3,206,290 | 3,333,333 | ||||||
| Total current liabilities | 5,788,514 | 4,964,877 | ||||||
| Debt - non-current portion | 3,151,010 | 3,814,407 | ||||||
| Warrant liability | 1,303,859 | 4,591,200 | ||||||
| Total liabilities | 10,243,383 | 13,370,484 | ||||||
| Commitments and contingencies (notes 5, 7, 8 and 10) | ||||||||
| Stockholders' equity: | ||||||||
| Preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 10,000,000 shares authorized; zero issued and outstanding | - | - | ||||||
| Common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 100,000,000 shares authorized; 65,691,860 and 37,655,175 issued and 65,686,150 and 37,649,465 outstanding | 6,569 | 3,766 | ||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 182,062,701 | 157,391,969 | ||||||
| Treasury stock at cost, 5,710 shares | (40,712 | ) | (40,712 | ) | ||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss) | 475 | (38 | ) | |||||
| Accumulated deficit | (167,520,732 | ) | (151,067,189 | ) | ||||
| Total stockholders' equity | 14,508,301 | 6,287,796 | ||||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders' equity | $ | 24,751,684 | $ | 19,658,280 | ||||
See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
3
LIPOCINE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(Unaudited)
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||||
| License revenue | $ | - | $ | 164,990 | $ | - | $ | 164,990 | ||||||||
| Total revenues | - | 164,990 | - | 164,990 | ||||||||||||
| Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||||||
| Research and development | $ | 2,487,861 | $ | 1,713,417 | $ | 7,268,599 | $ | 5,627,383 | ||||||||
| General and administrative | 1,887,195 | 1,427,261 | 5,925,991 | 3,989,645 | ||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | 4,375,056 | 3,140,678 | 13,194,590 | 9,617,028 | ||||||||||||
| Operating loss | (4,375,056 | ) | (2,975,688 | ) | (13,194,590 | ) | (9,452,038 | ) | ||||||||
| Other income (expense): | ||||||||||||||||
| Interest and investment income | 5,614 | 98,988 | 72,729 | 348,833 | ||||||||||||
| Interest expense | (84,293 | ) | (183,500 | ) | (305,485 | ) | (611,864 | ) | ||||||||
| Gain (loss) on warrant liability | 140,477 | - | (3,025,997 | ) | - | |||||||||||
| Total other expense, net | 61,798 | (84,512 | ) | (3,258,753 | ) | (263,031 | ) | |||||||||
| Loss before income tax expense | (4,313,258 | ) | (3,060,200 | ) | (16,453,343 | ) | (9,715,069 | ) | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | - | - | (200 | ) | (200 | ) | ||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (4,313,258 | ) | $ | (3,060,200 | ) | $ | (16,453,543 | ) | $ | (9,715,269 | ) | ||||
| Basic loss per share attributable to common stock | $ | (0.07 | ) | $ | (0.12 | ) | $ | (0.32 | ) | $ | (0.40 | ) | ||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic | 64,833,714 | 24,911,908 | 52,030,431 | 24,301,045 | ||||||||||||
| Diluted loss per share attributable to common stock | $ | (0.07 | ) | $ | (0.12 | ) | $ | (0.32 | ) | $ | (0.40 | ) | ||||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding, diluted | 64,833,714 | 24,911,908 | 52,030,431 | 24,301,045 | ||||||||||||
| Comprehensive loss: | ||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (4,313,258 | ) | $ | (3,060,200 | ) | $ | (16,453,543 | ) | $ | (9,715,269 | ) | ||||
| Net unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities | 579 | (2,656 | ) | 513 | 1,224 | |||||||||||
| Comprehensive loss | $ | (4,312,679 | ) | $ | (3,062,856 | ) | $ | (16,453,030 | ) | $ | (9,714,045 | ) | ||||
See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
4
LIPOCINE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity
For the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 and 2019
(Unaudited)
| Common Stock | Treasury Stock | Additional | Accumulated Other | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number
of Shares | Amount | Number
of Shares | Amount | Paid-In
Capital | Comprehensive Gain (Loss) | Accumulated Deficit | Stockholders' Equity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balances at June 30, 2019 | 24,723,990 | $ | 2,473 | 5,710 | $ | (40,712 | ) | $ | 154,600,442 | $ | 2,917 | $ | (144,714,914 | ) | $ | 9,850,206 | ||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | - | - | - | - | - | - | (3,060,200 | ) | (3,060,200 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unrealized net loss on marketable investment securities | - | - | - | - | - | (2,656 | ) | - | (2,656 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | - | - | - | - | 58,113 | - | - | 58,113 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common stock sold through ATM offering | 283,782 | 28 | - | - | 603,649 | - | - | 603,677 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Option exercises | 20,000 | 2 | - | - | 56,198 | - | - | 56,200 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balances at September 30, 2019 | 25,027,772 | $ | 2,503 | 5,710 | $ | (40,712 | ) | $ | 155,318,402 | $ | 261 | $ | (147,775,114 | ) | $ | 7,505,340 | ||||||||||||||||
| Common Stock | Treasury Stock | Additional | Accumulated Other | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number
of Shares | Amount | Number
of Shares | Amount | Paid-In Capital | Comprehensive Gain (Loss) | Accumulated Deficit | Stockholders' Equity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balances at December 31, 2018 | 21,731,486 | $ | 2,174 | 5,710 | $ | (40,712 | ) | $ | 147,533,019 | $ | (963 | ) | $ | (138,059,845 | ) | $ | 9,433,673 | |||||||||||||||
| Net loss | - | - | - | - | - | - | (9,715,269 | ) | (9,715,269 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unrealized net gain on marketable investment securities | - | - | - | - | - | 1,224 | - | 1,224 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | - | - | - | - | 781,390 | - | - | 781,390 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common stock sold through ATM offering | 3,276,286 | 327 | - | - | 6,947,795 | - | - | 6,948,122 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Option exercises | 20,000 | 2 | - | - | 56,198 | - | - | 56,200 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balances at September 30, 2019 | 25,027,772 | $ | 2,503 | 5,710 | $ | (40,712 | ) | $ | 155,318,402 | $ | 261 | $ | (147,775,114 | ) | $ | 7,505,340 | ||||||||||||||||
| Common Stock | Treasury Stock | Additional | Accumulated Other | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number
of Shares | Amount | Number
of Shares | Amount | Paid-In Capital | Comprehensive Gain (Loss) | Accumulated Deficit | Stockholders' Equity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balances at June 30, 2020 | 61,377,306 | $ | 6,138 | 5,710 | $ | (40,712 | ) | $ | 176,327,120 | $ | (104 | ) | $ | (163,207,474 | ) | $ | 13,084,968 | |||||||||||||||
| Net loss | - | - | - | - | - | - | (4,313,258 | ) | (4,313,258 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unrealized net gain on marketable investment securities | - | - | - | - | - | 579 | - | 579 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | - | - | - | - | 351,623 | - | - | 351,623 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vesting of restricted stock units | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common stock issued for warrant exercises | 1,478,844 | 148 | - | - | 760,570 | - | - | 760,718 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Settlement of warrant liability on warrant exercises | - | - | - | - | 721,976 | - | - | 721,976 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common stock sold through ATM offering | 2,830,000 | 283 | - | - | 3,901,412 | - | - | 3,901,695 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balances at September 30, 2020 | 65,686,150 | $ | 6,569 | 5,710 | $ | (40,712 | ) | $ | 182,062,701 | $ | 475 | $ | (167,520,732 | ) | $ | 14,508,301 | ||||||||||||||||
| Common Stock | Treasury Stock | Additional | Accumulated | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number
of Shares | Amount | Number
of Shares | Amount | Paid-In Capital | Comprehensive Gain (Loss) | Accumulated Deficit | Stockholders' Equity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balances at December 31, 2019 | 37,649,465 | $ | 3,766 | 5,710 | $ | (40,712 | ) | $ | 157,391,969 | $ | (38 | ) | $ | (151,067,189 | ) | $ | 6,287,796 | |||||||||||||||
| Net loss | - | - | - | - | - | - | (16,453,543 | ) | (16,453,543 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unrealized net gain on marketable investment securities | - | - | - | - | - | 513 | - | 513 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | - | - | - | - | 1,138,594 | - | - | 1,138,594 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vesting of restricted stock units | 25,000 | 2 | - | - | (2 | ) | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common stock sold through equity offering | 10,084,034 | 1,008 | - | - | 5,652,132 | - | - | 5,653,140 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common stock issued for warrant exercises | 15,097,651 | 1,510 | - | - | 7,673,366 | - | - | 7,674,876 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Settlement of warrant liability on warrant exercises | - | - | - | - | 6,313,338 | - | - | 6,313,338 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common stock sold through ATM offering | 2,830,000 | 283 | - | - | 3,893,304 | - | - | 3,893,587 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balances at September 30, 2020 | 65,686,150 | $ | 6,569 | 5,710 | $ | (40,712 | ) | $ | 182,062,701 | $ | 475 | $ | (167,520,732 | ) | $ | 14,508,301 | ||||||||||||||||
See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
5
LIPOCINE INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)
| Nine Months Ended September 30, | ||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | |||||||
| Cash flows from operating activities: | ||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (16,453,543 | ) | $ | (9,715,269 | ) | ||
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
| Depreciation expense | 2,397 | 11,582 | ||||||
| Stock-based compensation expense | 1,138,594 | 781,390 | ||||||
| Non-cash interest expense | 87,134 | 175,305 | ||||||
| Non-cash loss on change in fair value of warrant liability | 3,025,997 | - | ||||||
| Amortization of discount on marketable investment securities | (5,946 | ) | (147,437 | ) | ||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
| Accrued interest income | 5,306 | 27,660 | ||||||
| Prepaid and other current assets | (369,688 | ) | (234,391 | ) | ||||
| Accounts payable | (134,512 | ) | 689,166 | |||||
| Accrued expenses | 1,085,192 | 53,819 | ||||||
| Cash used in operating activities | (11,619,069 | ) | (8,358,175 | ) | ||||
| Cash flows from investing activities: | ||||||||
| Purchases of marketable investment securities | (6,315,297 | ) | (15,108,973 | ) | ||||
| Maturities of marketable investment securities | 4,800,000 | 17,549,795 | ||||||
| Cash provided by (used in) investing activities | (1,515,297 | ) | 2,440,822 | |||||
| Cash flows from financing activities: | ||||||||
| Debt repayments | (1,111,111 | ) | (2,500,000 | ) | ||||
| Proceeds from debt | 233,537 | - | ||||||
| Proceeds from stock option exercises | - | 56,200 | ||||||
| Net proceeds from common stock offering | 5,653,140 | - | ||||||
| Net proceeds from sale of common stock through ATM | 3,893,587 | 6,948,122 | ||||||
| Net proceeds from exercise of warrants | 7,674,876 | - | ||||||
| Cash provided by financing activities | 16,344,029 | 4,504,322 | ||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | 3,209,663 | (1,413,031 | ) | |||||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period | 14,728,523 | 13,077,539 | ||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period | $ | 17,938,186 | $ | 11,664,508 | ||||
| Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: | ||||||||
| Interest paid | $ | 217,319 | $ | 436,559 | ||||
| Income taxes paid | 200 | 200 | ||||||
| Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activity: | ||||||||
| Settlement of warrant liability on warrant exercises | $ | 6,313,338 | $ | - | ||||
| Net unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities | 513 | 1,224 | ||||||
| Accrued final payment charge on debt | 87,134 | 175,305 | ||||||
| Other accrued interest | 1,032 | - | ||||||
See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
6
LIPOCINE INC.
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
| (1) | Basis of Presentation |
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by Lipocine Inc. (“Lipocine” or the “Company”) in accordance with the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are comprised of the financial statements of Lipocine and its subsidiaries, collectively referred to as the Company. In management's opinion, the interim financial data presented includes all adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring items) necessary for fair presentation. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Certain information required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles has been condensed or omitted in accordance with rules and regulations of the SEC. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future period or for the year ending December 31, 2020.
These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company's audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2019.
The preparation of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions relating to reporting of the assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities to prepare these condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current year presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on the previously reported net loss.
The Company believes that its existing capital resources, together with interest thereon, will be sufficient to meet its projected operating requirements through at least September 30, 2021 which includes an on-going clinical study for LPCN 1144, compliance with regulatory requirements and on-going litigation activities. The Company has based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and the Company could utilize its available capital resources sooner than it currently expects if additional activities are performed by the Company including pre-commercial and commercial activities for TLANDO and new clinical studies for LPCN 1144, TLANDO XR and LPCN 1148 .While the Company believes it has sufficient liquidity and capital resources to fund our projected operating requirements through at least September 30, 2021, the Company will need to raise additional capital at some point through the equity or debt markets or through out-licensing activities, before or after September 30, 2021, to support its operations. If the Company is unsuccessful in raising additional capital, its ability to continue as a going concern will become a risk. Further, the Company’s operating plan may change, and the Company may need additional funds to meet operational needs and capital requirements for product development, regulatory compliance and clinical trial activities sooner than planned. In addition, the Company’s capital resources may be consumed more rapidly if it pursues additional clinical studies for LPCN 1144, TLANDO XR and LPCN 1148. Conversely, the Company’s capital resources could last longer if it reduces expenses, reduces the number of activities currently contemplated under our operating plan, if it terminates, modifies the design or suspends on-going clinical studies, or if it terminates or settles any on-going litigation activities.
| (2) | Earnings (Loss) per Share |
Basic earnings (loss) per share is calculated by dividing net income (loss) available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus, where applicable, the additional potential common shares that would have been outstanding related to dilutive options, warrants and, unvested restricted stock units to the extent such shares are dilutive.
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019:
7
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||
| Basic loss per share attributable to common stock: | ||||||||||||||||
| Numerator | ||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (4,313,258 | ) | $ | (3,060,200 | ) | $ | (16,453,543 | ) | $ | (9,715,269 | ) | ||||
| Denominator | ||||||||||||||||
| Weighted avg. common shares outstanding | 64,833,714 | 24,911,908 | 52,030,431 | 24,301,045 | ||||||||||||
| Basic loss per share attributable to common stock | $ | (0.07 | ) | $ | (0.12 | ) | $ | (0.32 | ) | $ | (0.40 | ) | ||||
| Diluted loss per share attributable to common stock: | ||||||||||||||||
| Numerator | ||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (4,313,258 | ) | $ | (3,060,200 | ) | $ | (16,453,543 | ) | $ | (9,715,269 | ) | ||||
| Denominator | ||||||||||||||||
| Weighted avg. common shares outstanding | 64,833,714 | 24,911,908 | 52,030,431 | 24,301,045 | ||||||||||||
| Diluted loss per share attributable to common stock | $ | (0.07 | ) | $ | (0.12 | ) | $ | (0.32 | ) | $ | (0.40 | ) | ||||
The computation of diluted loss per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 does not include the following stock options and warrants to purchase shares or unvested restricted stock units in the computation of diluted loss per share because these instruments were antidilutive:
| September 30, | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||||
| Stock options | 2,958,485 | 2,310,485 | ||||||||||||||
| Unvested restricted stock units | 605,682 | 678,687 | ||||||||||||||
| Warrants | 1,944,366 | - | ||||||||||||||
| (3) | Marketable Investment Securities |
The Company has classified its marketable investment securities as available-for-sale securities, all of which are debt securities. These securities are carried at fair value with unrealized holding gains and losses, net of the related tax effect, included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity until realized. Gains and losses on investment security transactions are reported on the specific-identification method. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date and interest income is recognized on an accrual basis. The amortized cost, gross unrealized holding gains, gross unrealized holding losses, and fair value for available-for-sale securities by major security type and class of security at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 were as follows:
8
| September 30, 2020 | Amortized Cost | Gross unrealized holding gains | Gross unrealized holding losses | Aggregate fair value | ||||||||||||
| Government treasury bills | $ | 1,999,426 | $ | 274 | $ | - | $ | 1,999,700 | ||||||||
| Corporate bonds, notes and commercial paper | 3,861,896 | 201 | - | 3,862,097 | ||||||||||||
| $ | 5,861,322 | $ | 475 | $ | - | $ | 5,861,797 | |||||||||
| December 31, 2019 | Amortized Cost | Gross unrealized holding gains | Gross unrealized holding losses | Aggregate fair value | ||||||||||||
| Corporate bonds, notes and commercial paper | 4,340,079 | - | (38 | ) | 4,340,041 | |||||||||||
| $ | 4,340,079 | $ | - | $ | (38 | ) | $ | 4,340,041 | ||||||||
Maturities of debt securities classified as available-for-sale securities at September 30, 2020 are as follows:
| September 30, 2020 | Amortized Cost | Aggregate fair value | ||||||||||||||
| Due within one year | $ | 5,861,322 | $ | 5,861,797 | ||||||||||||
| $ | 5,861,322 | $ | 5,861,797 | |||||||||||||
There were no sales of marketable investment securities during the three and nine months ended September 31, 2020 and 2019 and therefore no realized gains or losses. Additionally, $450,000 and $8.5 million of marketable investment securities matured during the three months ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, respectively, and $4.8 million and $17.5 million of marketable investment securities matured during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company determined there were no other-than-temporary impairments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019.
| (4) | Fair Value |
The Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible. The Company determines fair value based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability in the principal or most advantageous market. When considering market participant assumptions in fair value measurements, the following fair value hierarchy distinguishes between observable and unobservable inputs, which are categorized in one of the following levels:
| • | Level 1 Inputs: Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. |
| • | Level 2 Inputs: Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuation in which all significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets. |
| • | Level 3 Inputs: Valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. |
9
All of the Company’s financial instruments are valued using quoted prices in active markets or based on other observable inputs. For accrued interest income, prepaid and other current assets, accounts payable, and accrued expenses, the carrying amounts approximate fair value because of the short maturity of these instruments. The following table presents the placement in the fair value hierarchy of assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019:
| September 30, | Fair value measurements at reporting date using | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Level 1 inputs | Level 2 inputs | Level 3 inputs | |||||||||||||
| Assets: | ||||||||||||||||
| Cash equivalents - money market funds and commercial paper | $ | 12,447,182 | $ | 12,447,182 | $ | - | $ | - | ||||||||
| Government treasury bills | 1,999,700 | 1,999,700 | - | - | ||||||||||||
| Corporate bonds, notes and commercial paper | 3,862,097 | - | 3,862,097 | - | ||||||||||||
| $ | 18,308,979 | $ | 14,446,882 | $ | 3,862,097 | $ | - | |||||||||
| Liabilities: | ||||||||||||||||
| Warrant liability | $ | 1,303,859 | - | - | 1,303,859 | |||||||||||
| $ | 19,612,838 | $ | 14,446,882 | $ | 3,862,097 | $ | 1,303,859 | |||||||||
| December 31, | Fair value measurements at reporting date using | |||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Level 1 inputs | Level 2 inputs | Level 3 inputs | |||||||||||||
| Assets: | ||||||||||||||||
| Cash equivalents - money market funds and commercial paper | $ | 8,921,249 | $ | 6,575,862 | $ | 2,345,387 | $ | - | ||||||||
| Corporate bonds, notes and commercial paper | 4,340,041 | - | 4,340,041 | - | ||||||||||||
| $ | 13,261,290 | $ | 6,575,862 | $ | 6,685,428 | $ | - | |||||||||
| Liabilities: | ||||||||||||||||
| Warrant liability | $ | 4,591,200 | - | - | 4,591,200 | |||||||||||
| $ | 17,852,490 | $ | 6,575,862 | $ | 6,685,428 | $ | 4,591,200 | |||||||||
The following methods and assumptions were used to determine the fair value of each class of assets and liabilities recorded at fair value in the balance sheets:
Cash equivalents: Cash equivalents primarily consist of highly-rated money market funds, commercial paper and treasury bills with original maturities to the Company of three months or less and are purchased daily at par value with specified yield rates. Cash equivalents related to money market funds and treasury bills are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices or broker or dealer quotations for similar assets. Cash equivalents related to commercial paper are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using broker/dealer quotes, bids and offers, benchmark yields and credit spreads and other observable inputs.
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Government treasury bills: The Company uses a third-party pricing service to value these investments. United States treasury bills are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets and reportable trades.
Corporate bonds, notes, and commercial paper: The Company uses a third-party pricing service to value these investments. Corporate bonds, notes and commercial paper are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using broker/dealer quotes, bids and offers, benchmark yields and credit spreads and other observable inputs.
Warrant liability: The warrant liability (which relates to warrants to purchase shares of common stock) is marked-to-market each reporting period with the change in fair value recorded to other income (expense) in the accompanying statements of operations until the warrants are exercised, expire or other facts and circumstances lead the warrant liability to be reclassified to stockholders’ equity. The fair value of the warrant liability is estimated using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The significant assumptions used in preparing the option pricing model for valuing the warrant liability as of September 30, 2020, include (i) volatility of 103.45%, (ii) risk free interest rate of 0.22%, (iii) strike price of $0.50, (iv) fair value of common stock of $1.41, and (v) expected life of 4.13 years. The significant assumptions used in preparing the option pricing model for valuing the warrant liability as of December 31, 2019, include (i) volatility of 225.93%, (ii) risk free interest rate of 1.69%, (iii) strike price of $0.50, (iv) fair value of common stock of $0.385, and (v) expected life of 4.9 years.
The Company’s accounting policy is to recognize transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy on the date of the event or change in circumstances that caused the transfer. There were no transfers into or out of Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020.
| (5) | Loan and Security Agreements |
Silicon Valley Bank Loan
On January 5, 2018, the Company entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Loan and Security Agreement”) with Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) pursuant to which SVB agreed to lend the Company $10.0 million. The principal borrowed under the Loan and Security Agreement bears interest at a rate equal to the Prime Rate, as reported in the money rates section of The Wall Street Journal or any successor publication representing the rate of interest per annum then in effect, plus one percent per annum (4.25% as of September 30, 2020), which interest is payable monthly. Additionally on April 1, 2020, the Company and SVB entered into a Deferral Agreement. Under the Deferral Agreement, principal repayments are deferred by six months and the Company is only required to make monthly interest payments. The loan matures on June 1, 2022. Previously, the Company only made monthly interest payments until December 31, 2018, following which the Company also made equal monthly payments of principal and interest until the signing of the Deferral Agreement. The Company will also be required to pay an additional final payment at maturity equal to $650,000 (the “Final Payment Charge”). The Final Payment Charge will be due on the scheduled maturity date and to date approximately $568,000 has been recognized as an increase to the principal balance with a corresponding charge to interest expense with the remaining final payment charge to be recognized over the term of the facility using the effective interest method. At its option, the Company may prepay all amounts owed under the Loan and Security Agreement (including all accrued and unpaid interest and the Final Payment Charge).
In connection with the Loan and Security Agreement, the Company granted to SVB a security interest in substantially all of the Company’s assets now owned or hereafter acquired, excluding intellectual property and certain other assets. In addition, as TLANDO was not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) prior to May 31, 2018, the Company maintains $5.0 million of cash collateral at SVB as required under the Loan and Security Agreement until such time as TLANDO is approved by the FDA.
While any amounts are outstanding under the Loan and Security Agreement, the Company is subject to a number of affirmative and negative covenants, including covenants regarding dispositions of property, business combinations or acquisitions, incurrence of additional indebtedness and transactions with affiliates, among other customary covenants. The credit facility also includes events of default, the occurrence and continuation of which could cause interest to be charged at the rate that is otherwise applicable plus 5.0% and would provide SVB, as collateral agent, with the right to exercise remedies against the Company and the collateral securing the credit facility, including foreclosure against the property securing the credit facilities, including its cash. These events of default include, among other things, any failure by the Company to pay principal or interest due under the credit facility, a breach of certain covenants under the credit facility, the Company’s insolvency, a material adverse change, and one or more judgments against the Company in an amount greater than $100,000 individually or in the aggregate.
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Future maturities of principal payments on the Loan and Security Agreement at September 30, 2020, are as follows:
| Years Ending December 31, | Amount | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | $ | 556 | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 3,333 | |||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 1,667 | |||||||||||||||
| Thereafter | — | |||||||||||||||
| $ | 5,556 | |||||||||||||||
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheet that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the statement of cash flows.
| September 30, 2020 | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 12,938,186 | ||
| Restricted cash | 5,000,000 | |||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in the statement of cash flows | $ | 17,938,186 | ||
Amounts included in restricted cash represent those required to be set aside by the Loan and Security Agreement. The restriction will lapse if and when TLANDO is approved by the FDA.
Payroll Protection Program Loan
On April 21, 2020, the Company was granted a loan from SVB in the aggregate amount of $233,537, pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) under Division A, Title I of the CARES Act, which was enacted March 27, 2020.
The PPP loan, which was in the form of a note dated April 21, 2020 issued by SVB, matures on April 21, 2022 and bears interest at a rate of 1.0% per annum, payable monthly commencing on November 21, 2020 (“Note”). The Note may be prepaid by the Company at any time prior to maturity with no prepayment penalties. Funds from the PPP loan may only be used for payroll costs, costs used to continue group health care benefits, mortgage payments, rent, utilities, and interest on other debt obligations incurred before February 15, 2020. The Company intends to use the entire PPP loan amount for qualifying expenses. Under the terms of the PPP loan, certain amounts of the PPP loan may be forgiven if they are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act. The Company has requested forgiveness of the PPP loan and is awaiting a final decision from the Small Business Administration.
Future maturities of principal payments on the PPP Loan at September 30, 2020, are as follows:
| Years Ending December 31, | Amount | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | $ | 27 | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 165 | |||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 42 | |||||||||||||||
| Thereafter | — | |||||||||||||||
| $ | 234 | |||||||||||||||
Other
Effective June 15, 2020, the Company began deferring Federal Insurance Contributions Act (“FICA”) taxes under the CARES Act Section 2302. Payment of these tax deferrals are delayed to December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022.
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| (6) | Income Taxes |
The tax provision for interim periods is determined using an estimate of the Company’s effective tax rate for the full year adjusted for discrete items, if any, that are taken into account in the relevant period. Each quarter the Company updates its estimate of the annual effective tax rate, and if the estimated tax rate changes, the Company makes a cumulative adjustment.
At September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had a full valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets, net of expected reversals of existing deferred tax liabilities, as it believes it is more likely than not that these benefits will not be realized.
| (7) | Contractual Agreements |
| (a) | Abbott Products, Inc. |
On March 29, 2012, the Company terminated its collaborative agreement with Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (later acquired by Abbott Products, Inc.) for TLANDO. As part of the termination, the Company reacquired the rights to the intellectual property from Abbott. All obligations under the prior license agreement have been completed except that Lipocine will owe Abbott a perpetual 1% royalty on net sales. Such royalties are limited to $1.0 million in the first two calendar years following product launch, after which period there is not a cap on royalties and no maximum aggregate amount. If generic versions of any such product are introduced, then royalties are reduced by 50%. The Company did not incur any royalties during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019.
| (b) | Contract Research and Development |
The Company has entered into agreements with various contract organizations that conduct preclinical, clinical, analytical and manufacturing development work on behalf of the Company as well as a number of independent contractors and primarily clinical researchers who serve as advisors to the Company. The Company incurred expenses of $1.8 million and $1.2 million, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 and $5.1 million and $4.0 million, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 under these agreements and has recorded these expenses in research and development expenses.
13
| (8) | Leases |
On August 6, 2004, the Company assumed a non-cancelable operating lease for office space and laboratory facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah. On May 6, 2014, the Company modified and extended the lease through February 28, 2018. On February 8, 2018, the Company extended the lease through February 28, 2019, on January 2, 2019, the Company extended the lease through February 29, 2020, and on February 24, 2020, the Company extended the lease through February 28, 2021.
Future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases as of September 30, 2020 are:
| Year ending December 31: | |||||
| 2020 | $ | 82,596 | |||
| 2021 | 55,064 | ||||
| Total minimum lease payments | $ | 137,660 | |||
The Company’s rent expense was $83,000 for each of the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 and was $248,000 and $246,000, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019.
| (9) | Stockholders’ Equity |
| (a) | Issuance of Common Stock |
On February 27, 2020, the Company completed a registered direct offering of securities registered under an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“February 2020 Offering”). The gross proceeds from the February 2020 Offering were approximately $6.0 million, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses of approximately $347,000. In the February 2020 Offering, the Company sold 10,084,034 Class A Units at an offering price of $0.595 per unit, with each Class A Unit consisting of one share of its common stock and one-half of a common warrant to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $0.53 per share of common stock. Additionally, the common stock warrants were immediately exercisable and expire on February 27, 2025. By their terms, however, the common stock warrants cannot be exercised at any time that the common stock warrant holder would beneficially own, after such exercise, more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, 9.99%) of the shares of common stock then outstanding after giving effect to such exercise.
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On November 18, 2019, the Company completed a public offering of securities registered under an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“November 2019 Offering”). The gross proceeds from the November 2019 Offering were approximately $6.0 million, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses of $404,000. In the November 2019 Offering, the Company sold (i) 10,450,000 Class A Units, with each Class A Unit consisting of one share of its common stock and a common warrant to purchase one share of its common stock, and (ii) 1,550,000 Class B Units, with each Class B Unit consisting of one pre-funded warrant to purchase one share of its common stock and a common warrant to purchase one share of its common stock, at a price of $0.50 per Class A Unit and $0.4999 per Class B Unit. The pre-funded warrants, which were exercised for common stock in December 2019, were issued in lieu of common stock in order to ensure the purchaser did not exceed certain beneficial ownership limitations. The pre-funded warrants were immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $.0001 per share, subject to adjustment. Additionally, the common stock warrants were immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $0.50 per share, subject to adjustment, and expire on November 17, 2024. By their terms, however, neither the pre-funded warrants nor the common stock warrants can be exercised at any time that the pre-funded warrant holder or the common stock warrant holder would beneficially own, after such exercise, more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, 9.99%) of the shares of common stock then outstanding after giving effect to such exercise. On the date of the November 2019 Offering, the Company allocated approximately $768,000 and $4.8 million to common stock/additional paid-in capital and warrant liability, respectively.
In March 2017, the Company entered into a Controlled Equity Offering Sales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. (“Cantor”), to sell shares of our common stock, with aggregate gross sales proceeds of up to $20.0 million, from time to time, through an “at the market” (“ATM”), equity offering program, under which Cantor acts as sales agent. The shares of common stock to be sold under the Sales Agreement were originally sold and issued pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-199093) (the “Prior Form S-3”), which was previously declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the related prospectus and one or more prospectus supplements. On October 13, 2017, the Company filed a Form S-3 (File No. 333-220942) (the “New Form S-3”) to replace the Prior Form S-3. The New Form S-3 has been declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Prior Form S-3 has been terminated. The New Form S-3 registered the sale of up to $150.0 million of any combination of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and units pursuant to a shelf registration statement. The New Form S-3 also contains a prospectus pursuant to which we may sell, from time to time, shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $25.0 million through Cantor as our sales agent, pursuant to the Sales Agreement. On August 21, 2020, the Company filed a prospectus supplement in which the Company increased the aggregate offering price in which shares of our common stock can be sold through Cantor as our sales agent, pursuant to the Sales Agreement to a total of $63.0 million of which $13.0 million of our common stock has already been sold under the Sales Agreement.
As of September 30, 2020, we had sold an aggregate of 9,465,535 shares at a weighted-average sales price of $2.54 per share under the ATM for aggregate gross proceeds of $24.1 million and net proceeds of $23.2 million, after deducting sales agent commission and discounts and our other offering costs. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company sold 2,830,000 shares at a weighted-average sales price of $1.43 per share under the ATM for aggregate gross proceeds of $4.0 million and net proceeds of $3.9 million. During the three months ended September 30, 2019, the Company sold an aggregate of 283,782 shares at a weighted-average sales price of $2.22 per share under the ATM for aggregate gross proceeds of $629,000 and $604,000 in net proceeds. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company sold an aggregate of 3,276,286 shares at a weighted-average sales price of $2.19 per share under the ATM for aggregate gross proceeds of $7.2 million and $6.9 million in net proceeds.
| (b) | Rights Agreement |
On November 13, 2015, the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as Rights Agent, entered into a Rights Agreement. Also on November 12, 2015, the board of directors of the Company authorized and the Company declared a dividend of one preferred stock purchase right (each a “Right” and collectively, the “Rights”) for each outstanding share of common stock of the Company. The dividend was payable to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 30, 2015 and entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company at a price of $63.96 per one-thousandth share (the “Purchase Price”). The Rights will generally become exercisable upon the earlier to occur of (i) 10 business days following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons has become an Acquiring Person (as defined below) or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be determined by action of the board of directors prior to such time as any person or group of affiliated or associated persons becomes an Acquiring Person) following the commencement of, or announcement of an intention to make, a tender offer or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of 15% or more of the outstanding common stock of the Company. Except in certain situations, a person or group of affiliated or associated persons becomes an “Acquiring Person” upon acquiring beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company.
15
In general, in the event a person becomes an Acquiring Person, then each Right not owned by such Acquiring Person will entitle its holder to purchase from the Company, at the Right’s then current exercise price, in lieu of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, common stock of the Company with a market value of twice the Purchase Price. In addition, if after any person has become an Acquiring Person, (a) the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination, or (b) 50% or more of the Company’s assets, or assets accounting for 50% or more of its earning power, are sold, leased, exchanged or otherwise transferred (in one or more transactions), proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a Right (other than the Acquiring Person, its affiliates and associates and certain transferees thereof, whose Rights became void) shall thereafter have the right to purchase from the acquiring corporation, for the Purchase Price, that number of shares of common stock of the acquiring corporation which at the time of such transaction would have a market value of twice the Purchase Price.
The Company will be entitled to redeem the Rights at $0.001 per Right at any time prior to the time an Acquiring Person becomes such. The terms of the Rights are set forth in the Rights Agreement, which is summarized in the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K dated November 13, 2015. The rights plan was originally set to expire on November 12, 2018; however, on November 5, 2018 our Board of Directors approved an Amended and Restated Rights Agreement pursuant to which the expiration date was extended to November 5, 2021, unless the rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company.
| (c) | Share-Based Payments |
The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense for grants of stock option awards, restricted stock units and restricted stock under the Company’s Incentive Plan to employees and nonemployee members of the Company’s board of directors based on the grant-date fair value of those awards. The grant-date fair value of an award is generally recognized as compensation expense over the award’s requisite service period. In addition, the Company grants stock options to nonemployee consultants from time to time in exchange for services performed for the Company.
The Company uses the Black-Scholes model to compute the estimated fair value of stock option awards. Using this model, fair value is calculated based on assumptions with respect to (i) expected volatility of the Company’s common stock price, (ii) the periods of time over which employees and members of the board of directors are expected to hold their options prior to exercise (expected term), (iii) expected dividend yield on the Common Stock, and (iv) risk-free interest rates. Stock-based compensation expense also includes an estimate, which is made at the time of grant, of the number of awards that are expected to be forfeited. This estimate is revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Stock-based compensation cost that has been expensed in the statements of operations amounted to approximately $352,000 and $58,000, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 and amounted to $1.1 million and $781,000, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, and is allocated as follows:
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||
| Research and development | $ | 150,435 | $ | 27,072 | $ | 484,876 | $ | 313,247 | ||||||||
| General and administrative | 201,188 | 31,041 | 653,718 | 468,143 | ||||||||||||
| $ | 351,623 | $ | 58,113 | $ | 1,138,594 | $ | 781,390 | |||||||||
The Company did not issue any stock options during the three months ended September 30, 2020 and issued 24,000 stock options during the three months ended September 30, 2019. Additionally, during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, the Company issued 739,000 and 79,000 stock options, respectively.
Key assumptions used in the determination of the fair value of stock options granted are as follows:
| 2020 | 2019 | |||||||
| Expected term | 5.81 years | 5.67 years | ||||||
| Risk-free interest rate | 1.33 | % | 1.82 | % | ||||
| Expected dividend yield | — | — | ||||||
| Expected volatility | 99.52 | % | 80.38 | % | ||||
Expected Term: The expected term represents the period that the stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding. Due to limited historical experience of similar awards, the expected term was estimated using the simplified method in accordance with the provisions of Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) No. 107, Share-Based Payment, for awards with stated or implied service periods. The simplified method defines the expected term as the average of the contractual term and the vesting period of the stock option. For awards with performance conditions, and that have the contractual term to satisfy the performance condition, the contractual term was used.
Risk-Free Interest Rate: The risk-free interest rate used was based on the implied yield currently available on U.S. Treasury issues with an equivalent remaining term.
Expected Dividend: The expected dividend assumption is based on management’s current expectation about the Company’s anticipated dividend policy. The Company does not anticipate declaring dividends in the foreseeable future.
Expected Volatility: The volatility factor is based solely on the Company’s trading history since March 2014.
FASB ASC 718, Stock Compensation, requires the Company to recognize compensation expense for the portion of options that are expected to vest. Therefore, the Company applied estimated forfeiture rates that were derived from historical employee termination behavior. If the actual number of forfeitures differs from those estimated by management, additional adjustments to compensation expense may be required in future periods.
As of September 30, 2020, there was $430,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested share-based compensation arrangements granted under the Company’s stock option plan. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.59 years and will be adjusted for subsequent changes in estimated forfeitures. Additionally, as of September 30, 2020, there was $118,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock units that have either time-based or performance vesting.
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| (d) | Stock Option Plan |
In April 2014, the board of directors adopted the 2014 Stock and Incentive Plan ("2014 Plan") subject to shareholder approval which was received in June 2014. The 2014 Plan provides for the granting of nonqualified and incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units, restricted stock and dividend equivalents. An aggregate of 1,000,000 shares were authorized for issuance under the 2014 Plan. Additionally, 271,906 remaining authorized shares under the 2011 Equity Incentive Plan ("2011 Plan") were issuable under the 2014 Plan at the time of the 2014 Plan adoption. Upon receiving shareholder approval in June 2016, the 2014 Plan was amended and restated to increase the authorized number of shares of common stock of the Company issuable under all awards granted under the 2014 Plan from 1,271,906 to 2,471,906. Additionally, upon receiving shareholder approval in June 2018, the 2014 Plan was further amended and restated to increase the authorized number of shares of common stock of the Company issuable under all awards granted under the 2014 Plan from 2,471,906 to 3,221,906. Finally, upon receiving shareholder approval in June 2020, the 2014 Plan was further amended and restated to increase the authorized number of shares of common stock of the Company issuable under all awards granted under the 2014 Plan from 3,221,906 to 5,721,906. The board of directors, on an option-by-option basis, determines the number of shares, exercise price, term, and vesting period for options granted. Options granted generally have a ten-year contractual life. The Company issues shares of common stock upon the exercise of options with the source of those shares of common stock being either newly issued shares or shares held in treasury. An aggregate of 5,721,906 shares are authorized for issuance under the 2014 Plan, with 2,544,888 shares remaining available for grant as of September 30, 2020.
A summary of stock option activity is as follows:
| Outstanding stock options | ||||||||
| Number of shares | Weighted average exercise price | |||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2019 | 2,310,485 | $ | 4.81 | |||||
| Options granted | 739,000 | 0.54 | ||||||
| Options exercised | - | - | ||||||
| Options forfeited | (37,444 | ) | 0.94 | |||||
| Options cancelled | (53,556 | ) | 6.32 | |||||
| Balance at September 30, 2020 | 2,958,485 | 3.77 | ||||||
| Options exercisable at September 30, 2020 | 2,070,073 | 5.04 | ||||||
17
The following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding and exercisable at September 30, 2020:
| Options outstanding | Options exercisable | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number outstanding | Weighted average remaining contractual life (Years) | Weighted average exercise price | Aggregate intrinsic value | Number exerciseable | Weighted average remaining contractual life (Years) | Weighted average exercise price | Aggregate intrinsic value | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2,958,485 | 6.26 | $ | 3.77 | $ | 627,210 | 2,070,073 | 5.02 | $ | 5.04 | $ | 9,084 | ||||||||||||||||||
The intrinsic value for stock options is defined as the difference between the current market value and the exercise price. There were no stock options exercised during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and there were 20,000 stock options exercised during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019.
| (e) | Restricted Stock Units |
A summary of restricted stock unit activity is as follows:
| Number of unvested restricted stock units | ||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2019 | 661,307 | |||||||||||||||
| Granted | - | |||||||||||||||
| Vested | (25,000 | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Forfeited | (30,625 | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Balance at September 30, 2020 | 605,682 | |||||||||||||||
| (f) | Common Stock Warrants |
The Company accounts for its common stock warrants under ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, which requires any financial instrument, other than an outstanding share, that, at inception, embodies an obligation to repurchase the issuer’s equity shares, or is indexed to such an obligation, and requires or may require the issuer to settle the obligation by transferring assets, to be classified as a liability. In accordance with ASC 480, the Company’s outstanding warrants from the November 2019 Offering are classified as a liability. The liability is adjusted to fair value at each reporting period, with the changes in fair value recognized as gain (loss) on change in fair value of warranty liability in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The warrants issued in the November 2019 Offering allow the warrant holder, if certain change in control events occur, the option to receive an amount of cash equal to the value of the warrants as determined in accordance with the Black-Scholes option pricing model with certain defined assumptions upon a fundamental transaction.
As of September 30, 2020, the Company had 1,104,030 common stock warrants outstanding from the November 2019 Offering to purchase an equal number of shares of common stock. The fair value of these warrants on September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 was determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following Level 3 inputs (as defined in the November 2019 Offering):
| September 30, 2020 | December 31, 2019 | |||||||||||||||
| Expected life in years | 4.13 | 4.88 | ||||||||||||||
| Risk-free interest rate | 0.22 | % | 1.69 | % | ||||||||||||
| Dividend yield | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Volatility | 103.45 | % | 225.93 | % | ||||||||||||
| Stock price | $ | 1.41 | $ | 0.39 | ||||||||||||
18
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company recorded a non-cash gain of approximately $140,000 and a non-cash loss of approximately $3.0 million, respectively, from the change in fair value of the November 2019 Offering warrants. The following table is a reconciliation of the warrant liability measured at fair value using level 3 inputs:
| Warrant Liability | ||||
| Balance at December 31, 2019 | $ | 4,591,200 | ||
| Settlement of liabilty on warrant exercise | (6,313,338 | ) | ||
| Change in fair value of common stock warrants | 3,025,997 | |||
| Balance at September 30, 2020 | $ | 1,303,859 | ||
Additionally, in the February 2020 Offering, the Company issued 5,042,017 common stock warrants. However, the February 2020 Offering warrants do not provide the warrant holder the option to receive an amount of cash equal to the Black-Scholes value of the warrants upon a fundamental transaction. Therefore, the Company has not recorded a warrant liability with respect to the warrants issued in the February 2020 Offering.
The following table summarizes the number of common stock warrants outstanding and the weighted average exercise price:
| Common Stock Warrants | Weighted Average Exercise Price | |||||||
| Outstanding at December 31, 2019 | 12,000,000 | $ | 0.50 | |||||
| Issued | 5,042,017 | 0.53 | ||||||
| Exercised | (15,097,651 | ) | 0.51 | |||||
| Expired | - | - | ||||||
| Cancelled | - | - | ||||||
| Forfeited | - | - | ||||||
| Balance at September 30, 2020 | 1,944,366 | $ | 0.51 | |||||
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, 1,478,844, and 15,097,651 common stock warrants to purchase one share of our common stock were exercised, respectively, resulting in proceeds of approximately $761,000 and $7.7 million, respectively, in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020.
The following table summarizes information about common stock warrants outstanding at September 30, 2020:
| Warrants outstanding | ||||||||||||
| Number exercisable | Weighted average remaining contractual life (Years) | Weighted average exercise price | Aggregate intrinsic value | |||||||||
| 1,944,366 | 4.25 | $ | 0.51 | $ | 1,744,163 | |||||||
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| (10) | Commitments and Contingencies |
Litigation
The Company is involved in various lawsuits, claims and other legal matters from time to time that arise in the ordinary course of conducting business. The Company records a liability when a particular contingency is probable and estimable.
On February 15, 2019, a purported shareholder filed a shareholder derivative complaint in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, John Wajda, derivatively on behalf of Lipocine Inc. v. Mahesh Patel, et al., against certain of the Company’s current and former officers and directors as well as the Company as a nominal defendant. The complaint asserts claims for alleged breaches of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment arising out of the Company’s dissemination of purportedly false and misleading statements relating to the filing of the New Drug Application (“NDA”) for TLANDO. The relief sought in the complaint includes unspecified damages, changes to the Company’s corporate governance procedures, equitable and/or injunctive relief, restitution, and attorneys’ fees. On August 16, 2019, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. In response, the plaintiff’s filed an amended stockholder derivative complaint. Defendants’ motion to dismiss the amended complaint was filed on December 12, 2019; plaintiff’s response was filed on January 27, 2020 and defendants’ reply was filed on February 26, 2020. Oral arguments on the motion to dismiss were held on July 28, 2020. On July 30, 2020, the court entered an order dismissing the complaint in its entirety.
On April 2, 2019, the Company filed a lawsuit against Clarus in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware alleging that Clarus’s JATENZO® product infringes six of Lipocine’s issued U.S. patents: 9,034,858; 9,205,057; 9,480,690; 9,757,390; 6,569,463; and 6,923,988. Clarus has answered the complaint and asserted counterclaims of non-infringement and invalidity. The Company answered Clarus’s counterclaims on April 29, 2019. The Court held a scheduling conference on August 15, 2019, a claim construction hearing on February 11, 2020 and scheduled a five-day jury trial beginning on February 8, 2021. On February 11, 2020, the Company voluntarily dismissed allegations of patent infringement for expired U.S. Patent Nos. 6,569,463 and 6,923,988 in an effort to streamline the issues and associated costs for dispute. The parties are currently engaged in the fact discovery and expert testimony phase of the lawsuit.
On November 14, 2019, the Company and certain of its officers were named as defendants in a purported shareholder class action lawsuit, Solomon Abady v. Lipocine Inc. et al., 2:19-cv-00906-PMW, filed in the United District Court for the District of Utah. The complaint alleges that the defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that our filing of the NDA for TLANDO to the FDA contained deficiencies and as a result the defendants’ statements about our business and operations were false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis in violation of federal securities laws. The lawsuit seeks certification as a class action (for a purported class of purchasers of the Company’s securities from March 27, 2019 through November 8, 2019), compensatory damages in an unspecified amount, and unspecified equitable or injunctive relief. The Company has insurance that covers claims of this nature. The retention amount payable by the Company under our policy is $1.25 million. The Company filed a motion to dismiss the class action lawsuit on July 24, 2020. In response, the plaintiff’s filed their response to the motion to dismiss the class action lawsuit on September 22, 2020. Further, the Company intends to vigorously defend itself and its current and former officers and directors against these allegations and has not recorded a liability related to this shareholder class action lawsuit as the outcome is not probable nor can an estimate be made of loss, if any.
Beyond Solomon Abady v. Lipocine Inc. et al., 2:19-cv-00906-PM, management does not currently believe that any other matter, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity or results of operations.
Guarantees and Indemnifications
In the ordinary course of business, the Company enters into agreements, such as lease agreements, licensing agreements, clinical trial agreements, and certain services agreements, containing standard guarantee and / or indemnification provisions. Additionally, the Company has indemnified its directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted under the laws of the State of Delaware.
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| (11) | Spriaso, LLC |
On July 23, 2013, the Company entered into an assignment/license and a services agreement with Spriaso, a related-party that is majority-owned by certain current and former directors of Lipocine Inc. and their affiliates. Under the license agreement, the Company assigned and transferred to Spriaso all of the Company’s rights, title and interest in its intellectual property to develop products for the cough and cold field. In addition, Spriaso received all rights and obligations under the Company’s product development agreement with a third-party. In exchange, the Company will receive a royalty of 20 percent of the net proceeds received by Spriaso, up to a maximum of $10.0 million. Spriaso also granted back to the Company an exclusive license to such intellectual property to develop products outside of the cough and cold field. Under the service agreement, the Company provided facilities and up to 10 percent of the services of certain employees to Spriaso for a period of 18 months which expired January 23, 2015. Effective January 23, 2015, the Company entered into an amended services agreement with Spriaso in which the Company agreed to continue providing up to 10 percent of the services of certain employees to Spriaso at a rate of $230/hour for a period of six months. The agreement was further amended on July 23, 2015, on January 23, 2016, on July 23, 2016, on January 23, 2017, on July 23, 2017, on January 23, 2018, on July 23, 2018 and again on January 23, 2019 to extend the term of the agreement for an additional six months. The agreement was further amended on July 23, 2019 and again on July 23, 2020 to extend the term of the agreement for an additional twelve months. The agreement may be extended upon written agreement of Spriaso and the Company. The Company did not receive any reimbursements during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Additionally, the Company did not receive any royalty payments from Spriaso during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020. The Company received $165,000 during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019. Spriaso filed its first NDA and as an affiliated entity of the Company, it used up the one-time waiver for user fees for a small business submitting its first human drug application to the FDA. Spriaso is considered a variable interest entity under the FASB ASC Topic 810-10, Consolidations, however the Company is not the primary beneficiary and has therefore not consolidated Spriaso.
| (12) | Recent Accounting Pronouncements |
Accounting Pronouncements Issued Not Yet Adopted
In 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”). This standard replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology in current GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses on instruments within its scope, including trade receivables, and requires entities to measure all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The original effective date for ASU 2016-13 was for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019.
However, in October 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-10, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses, Derivatives and Hedging, and Leases: Effective Dates, which deferred the effective date of ASU 2016-13 for certain entities, including those that are eligible to be smaller reporting companies. A company’s determination about whether it is eligible for the deferral is a one-time assessment as of November 15, 2019 based on its most recent determination of its small reporting company eligibility as of the last business day of the most recently completed second quarter. Based on this determination, the Company qualifies as a smaller reporting entity and is therefore eligible for the deferral of adoption of ASU 2016-13, resulting in a new effective date of January 1, 2023. The Company has historically not had credit losses on financial instruments and is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-13 will have on its consolidated financial statements
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| ITEM 2. | MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS |
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto and other financial information included elsewhere in this report. For additional context with which to understand our financial condition and results of operations, see the management’s discussion and analysis included in our Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 13, 2020 as well as the financial statements and related notes contained therein.
As used in the discussion below, “we,” “our,” and “us” refers to Lipocine.
Forward-Looking Statements
This section and other parts of this report contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements may refer to such matters as products, product benefits, pre-clinical and clinical development timelines, clinical and regulatory expectations and plans, expected responses to regulatory actions, anticipated financial performance, future revenues or earnings, business prospects, projected ventures, new products and services, anticipated market performance, expected research and development and other expenses, future expectations for liquidity and capital resources needs and similar matters. Such words as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “continue”, “estimate”, “project”, and “intend” and similar terms and expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and our actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in Part II, Item 1A (Risk Factors) of our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on May 7, 2020, in Part II, Item 1A (Risk Factors) of our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 filed with the SEC on August 6, 2020, in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of this Form 10-Q, or in Part I, Item 1A (Risk Factors) of our Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 13, 2020. Except as required by applicable law, we assume no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Overview of Our Business
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on applying our oral drug delivery technology for the development of pharmaceutical products focusing on metabolic and endocrine disorders. Our proprietary delivery technologies are designed to improve patient compliance and safety through orally available treatment options. Our primary development programs are based on oral delivery solutions for poorly bioavailable drugs. We have a portfolio of proprietary product candidates designed to produce favorable pharmacokinetic (“PK”) characteristics and facilitate lower dosing requirements, bypass first-pass metabolism in certain cases, reduce side effects, and eliminate gastrointestinal interactions that limit bioavailability.
Our most advanced product candidate, TLANDO™, is an oral testosterone replacement therapy (“TRT”). On November 8, 2019 we received a Complete Response Letter ("CRL") from the United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") regarding our New Drug Application ("NDA") filed in May 2019 for TLANDO as a TRT in adult males for conditions associated with a deficiency of endogenous testosterone, also known as hypogonadism. A CRL is a communication from the FDA that informs companies that an application cannot be approved in its present form. The CRL identified one deficiency stating the efficacy trial did not meet the three secondary endpoints for maximal testosterone concentrations (“Cmax”). The CRL did not identify any specific issues relating to chemistry, manufacturing and controls (“CMC”) of TLANDO. We had our Post Action meeting with the FDA in January 2020 and discussed a potential path forward for the approval of TLANDO. Based on the Post Action meeting and written feedback, the FDA indicated our approach to addressing the deficiency through the reanalysis of existing data in accordance with FDA feedback appears to be a reasonable path forward. The FDA requested that the information generated by the reanalysis be submitted as part of an NDA resubmission with a six-month Prescription Drug User Fee Act (“PDUFA”) clock. We resubmitted the NDA on February 28, 2020 and it was assigned a PDUFA date of August 28, 2020. However, on August 28, 2020 the FDA informed us that it needed additional time to complete its review of the NDA. On November 5, 2020, the FDA informed us that it is working towards taking action on the TLANDO NDA on or about the week of November 30, 2020. However, the Company cannot assure that the FDA will act in that time frame. The FDA has not asked for any additional data and we have provided the FDA with all information requested to date.
Additional pipeline candidates include LPCN 1144, an oral prodrug of bioidentical testosterone comprised of TU for the treatment of non-cirrhotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (“NASH”), TLANDO XR, a next generation oral TRT product with the potential for once daily dosing which has completed Phase 2 testing, LPCN 1148, an oral prodrug of bioidentical testosterone for the treatment of cirrhosis, and LPCN 1107, potentially the first oral hydroxyprogesterone caproate product indicated for the prevention of recurrent preterm birth, which has completed an End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA.
LPCN 1144 is currently being tested in the LiFT (“Liver Fat intervention with oral Testosterone”) Phase 2 clinical study, a paired-biopsy study in confirmed pre-cirrhotic NASH subjects. Study enrollment has been completed and top-line primary endpoint results are expected in January 2021. Additionally, LPCN 1144 recently completed a Proof-Of-Concept (“POC”) liver imaging clinical study which demonstrated substantial liver fat reductions in hypogonadal males at risk of developing NASH as assessed using magnetic resonance imaging, proton density fat fraction (“MRI-PDFF”) technique.
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To date, we have funded our operations primarily through the sale of equity securities, debt and convertible debt and through up-front payments, research funding and royalty and milestone payments from our license and collaboration arrangements. We have not generated any revenues from product sales and we do not expect to generate revenue from product sales unless and until we obtain regulatory approval of TLANDO or other products and (ii), if such approval is obtained, we are able to successfully commercialize such products.
We have incurred losses in most years since our inception. As of September 30, 2020, we had an accumulated deficit of $168 million. Income and losses fluctuate year to year, primarily depending on the nature and timing of research and development occurring on our product candidates. Our net loss was $16.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and $9.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. Substantially all of our operating losses resulted from expenses incurred in connection with our product candidate development programs, our research activities and general and administrative costs, including on-going litigation activities, associated with our operations.
We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we:
| • | conduct any other pre or post-approval clinical studies required in support of TLANDO; |
| • | perform pre-commercialization and commercialization activities in support of TLANDO; |
| • | conduct further development of our other product candidates, including LPCN 1144; |
| • | continue our research efforts; |
| • | research new products or new uses for our existing products; |
| • | maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; and |
| • | provide general and administrative support for our operations, including on-going litigation. |
To fund future long-term operations, including the potential commercialization of TLANDO or other products, we will need to raise additional capital. The amount and timing of future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including capital market conditions, regulatory requirements and outcomes related to TLANDO, regulatory requirements related to our other product development programs, the timing and results of our ongoing development efforts, the potential expansion of our current development programs, potential new development programs, our ability to license our products to third parties, the pursuit of various potential commercial activities and strategies associated with our development programs and related general and administrative support. We anticipate that we will seek to fund our operations through public or private equity or debt financings or other sources, such as potential license, partnering and collaboration agreements. We cannot be certain that anticipated additional financing will be available to us on favorable terms, in amounts sufficient to fund our operations (including the commercialization of TLANDO if we receive FDA approval), or at all. Although we have previously been successful in obtaining financing through public and private equity securities offerings and our license and collaboration agreements, there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so in the future.
Our Product Candidates
Our current portfolio includes our most advanced product candidate, TLANDO, an oral testosterone replacement therapy product candidate, that is currently under review by the FDA. Additionally, we are in the process of establishing our pipeline of other clinical candidates including LPCN 1144, an oral androgen therapy for the treatment of non-cirrhotic NASH, , TLANDO XR, a next-generation potential once daily oral testosterone replacement therapy, LPCN 1148, an androgen therapy for the treatment of cirrhosis, and LPCN 1107, an oral therapy for the prevention of preterm birth.
Our Development Pipeline
TLANDO: An Oral Product Candidate for Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Our most advanced product, TLANDO, is an oral formulation of the chemical, TU, which is an eleven-carbon side chain attached to T. TU is an ester prodrug of T. An ester is chemically formed by bonding an acid and an alcohol. Upon the cleavage, or breaking, of the ester bond, T is formed. TU has been approved for use outside the United States for many years for delivery via intra-muscular injection and in oral dosage form and recently TU has received regulatory approval in the United States for delivery via intra-muscular injection. We are using our proprietary technology to facilitate steady gastrointestinal solubilization and absorption of TU. Proof of concept was initially established in 2006, and subsequently TLANDO was licensed in 2009 to Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. which was then acquired by Abbott Products, Inc. ("Abbott"). Following a portfolio review associated with the spin-off of AbbVie by Abbott in 2011, the rights to TLANDO were reacquired by us. All obligations under the prior license agreement have been completed except that Lipocine will owe Abbott a perpetual 1% royalty on net sales. Such royalties are limited to $1 million in the first two calendar years following product launch, after which period there is not a cap on royalties and no maximum aggregate amount. If generic versions of any such product are introduced, then royalties are reduced by 50%.
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NDA PDUFA Outcome
On November 8, 2019 we received a CRL from the FDA regarding our NDA filed in May 2019 for TLANDO as a TRT in adult males for conditions associated with a deficiency of endogenous testosterone, also known as hypogonadism. The CRL identified one deficiency stating the efficacy trial did not meet the three Cmax secondary endpoints. The CRL does not identify any specific issues relating to CMC of TLANDO. We had a Post Action meeting with the FDA in January 2020 and discussed a potential path forward for the approval of TLANDO. Based on the Post Action meeting and written feedback, the FDA indicated our approach to addressing the deficiency through the reanalysis of existing data in accordance with FDA feedback appears to be a reasonable path forward. The FDA requested that the information generated by the reanalysis be submitted as part of an NDA resubmission with a six-month PDUFA clock. We resubmitted the NDA on February 28, 2020 and it was assigned a PDUFA date of August 28, 2020. However, on August 28, 2020 the FDA informed us that it needed additional time to complete its review of the NDA. On November 5, 2020, the FDA informed us that it is working towards taking action on the TLANDO NDA on or about the week of November 30, 2020. However, the Company cannot assure that the FDA will act in that time frame. The FDA has not asked for any additional data and we have provided the FDA with all information requested to date. Previously, we have received two other CRL’s from the FDA on TLANDO NDA submissions. The first CRL was received on June 28, 2016 and the second CRL was received on May 8, 2018. We are exploring the possibility of licensing TLANDO to a third party should it receive approval, although no licensing agreement has been entered into by us yet. We are unable to estimate whether or when we will be able to out-license TLANDO, should it be approved. Additionally, the timing of the potential commercial launch of TLANDO should it receive approval, is uncertain. The timing of any commercial launch of TLANDO is contingent upon numerous factors including FDA approval, the availability of commercial launch supplies, the impact of COVID-19, our financial resources and our ability to license TLANDO to a third party or build out a commercial sales and marketing team/organization.
Results from the ABPM Study
The ABPM Study was an open label, single arm study that enrolled 144 male hypogonadal subjects undergoing four months of treatment with TLANDO, 225 mg BID dosing, with 24-hour blood pressure measurements taken at baseline and at the end of the study. There were 138 subjects who received at least one dose of study drug and 126 subjects completed the study. There were 118 subjects enrolled in the ABPM Study with evaluable weighted average 24-hour ABPM data at both baseline and at the end of the study.
Subjects receiving treatment in the ABPM Study had the following baseline parameters:
| Baseline Parameters | Mean (SD) | |||
| Age (years) | 53.8 (10.2) | |||
| BMI (kg/m2) | 33.1 (5.8) | |||
| 24h SBP (mm Hg) | 127 (16) | |||
| 24h DBP (mm Hg) | 79 (6) |
SD = Standard Deviation, BMI = Body Mass Index, SBP = Systolic Blood Pressure, DBP = Diastolic Blood Pressure
Additionally, among the subjects enrolled in the ABPM Study, 48% of the subjects were hypertensive and 24% of subjects were type 2 diabetic.
Top-line results from the ABPM Study are as follows:
| Parameter | Mean Change, mm Hg (95% CI) | |
| 24-hour SBP | 3.82 (1.69, 5.96) | |
| 24-hour DBP | 1.20 (0.31, 2.08) |
CI = Confidence Interval, SBP = Systolic Blood Pressure, DBP = Diastolic Blood Pressure
Of the subjects (n=25) with baseline 24-hour average systolic blood pressure (“SBP”) greater than 140 mm Hg, 32% of the subjects were less than or equal to 140 mm Hg at the end of study. Additionally, of the subjects (n=93) with baseline 24-hour average SBP of less than or equal to 140 mm Hg, 9.7% of the subjects were greater than 140 mm Hg at the end of study.
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Results from the Definitive Phlebotomy Study
The definitive phlebotomy study was designed based on the FDA’s protocol recommendations and conducted in response to a deficiency cited in the TLANDO CRL by the FDA to confirm the reliability of TLANDO Phase 3 study results and to assess the impact of any material deviation from instructions on sample collection/processing times by clinical sites.
The definitive phlebotomy study measured testosterone concentrations in blood samples collected in plain serum separation tubes (“SST”) at three-hour and five-hour time points (N=24) post dose and processed within 30 minutes of sample collection under the tube manufacturer’s recommended conditions and consistent with Phase 3 instructions. The definitive phlebotomy study enrolled 12 hypogonadal male subjects and dosed subjects with a single oral 225 mg TU dose of TLANDO. The testosterone measurements in SST were compared against the FDA’s recommended time zero control (processed immediately) measurement of testosterone concentrations in blood samples in plasma tubes with EDTA (“PT”) to assess ex vivo conversion, if any.
The top-line results of the definitive phlebotomy study demonstrated that the overall (N=24) mean percentage difference and the associated percentage standard deviation post dose of testosterone concentrations measured between SST samples and PT samples are -1.0% and 9.2%, respectively.
Results from DV and DF Studies
The DV and DF studies were both an open-label, fixed dose (no titration), single treatment clinical study of oral TRT in hypogonadal males with low testosterone (T) (< 300 ng/dL) that assessed TLANDO in hypogonadal males on a fixed daily dose of 450 mg divided into two equal doses (“BID”) in the DV study and into three equal doses (“TID”) in the DF study. In total, 95 and 100 subjects were enrolled into DV and DF studies, respectively, with 94 and 98 subjects completing the DV and DF studies, respectively.
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We believe the results from the DV study confirm the validity of a fixed dose approach without the need for dose titration to orally administering TLANDO although there is no guarantee of FDA approval of TLANDO. The DV study is considered our pivotal efficacy clinical study. TLANDO successfully met the FDA primary efficacy guidelines in the DV study safety statistical analysis set (“SS”) where 80% of the subjects achieved average testosterone levels (“Cavg”) within the normal range with a lower bound confidence interval (“CI”) of 72%. The DF study restored 70% of the subjects’ average testosterone levels within the normal range (Cavg) confirming that twice daily (“BID”) dosing is the appropriate dosing regimen for TLANDO and was the basis for resubmission. The safety set is defined as any subject that was randomized into the study and took at least one dose (N=95 subjects in the DV study and N=100 in the DF study). A baseline carried forward approach was used to account for missing data as a result of subject discontinuation.
The primary efficacy endpoint is the percentage of subjects with Cavg within the normal range, which is defined as 300-1080 ng/dL. The FDA guidelines for primary efficacy success is that at least 75% of the subjects on active treatment achieve a testosterone Cavg within the normal range; and the lower bound of the 95% CI must be greater than or equal to 65%.
The adverse event profile of TLANDO in both the DV and DF studies was consistent with the previously conducted 52-week Phase 3 Study of Androgen Replacement (“SOAR”) clinical trial. All drug related adverse events (“AEs”) were either mild or moderate in intensity and none were severe. To date, the safety database of TLANDO includes ~591 subjects demonstrating a profile consistent with other TRT products.
The secondary endpoints assessed the maximum total testosterone concentration (“Cmax”) post dosing using predetermined limits developed by the FDA for transdermals. The FDA guidelines for secondary efficacy success is that at least 85% of the subjects achieve Cmax less than 1500 ng/dL; no greater than 5% of the subjects have Cmax between 1800 ng/dl and 2500 ng/dL; and zero percent of the subjects have Cmax greater than 2500 ng/dL. Consistent with the definition of Cmax and the pharmacokinetic profile of multiple times a day dosing, two pre-specified analyses were performed, Cmax per dose and Cmax per day.
In the DV study SS Cmax per dose analysis, the percentage of subjects with Cmax less than 1500 ng/dL and between 1800 ng/dL and 2500 ng/dL were 85% and 7%, respectively. Deviations from the predetermined limits in the DV study were observed in the Cmax per day dose analysis for these thresholds. As such, this efficacy trial did not meet the three Cmax per day secondary endpoints. Only one subject, who was a major protocol violator, exceeded the 2500 ng/dL limit independent of per dose or per day dose analyses. Through reanalysis of Cmax data in the DV study, we resubmitted the NDA to the FDA on February 28, 2020 and have a PDUFA date of August 28, 2020. However, on August 28, 2020 the FDA informed us that it needed additional time to complete its review of the NDA. On November 5, 2020, the FDA informed us that it is working towards taking action on the TLANDO NDA on or about the week of November 30, 2020. However, the Company cannot assure that the FDA will act in that time frame.
The DF study SS met all Cmax thresholds in per dose and per day dose analyses.
Prior to conducting the DV study and the DF study, we completed our SOAR pivotal Phase 3 clinical study evaluating efficacy and 52-week safety of TLANDO. The SOAR study is considered our pivotal safety clinical study for the NDA resubmission.
Results from SOAR
SOAR was a randomized, open-label, parallel-group, active-controlled, Phase 3 clinical study of TLANDO in hypogonadal males with low testosterone (< 300 ng/dL). In total, 315 subjects at 40 active sites were assigned, such that 210 were randomized to TLANDO and 105 were randomized to the active control, AndroGel 1.62%®, for 52 weeks of treatment. The active control is included for safety assessment. TLANDO subjects were started at 225 mg TU (equivalent to ~ 142 mg of T) twice daily (“BID”) with a standard meal and then dose titrated, if needed, based on average T levels during the day, Cavg, and peak serumT levels, Cmax, up to 300 mg TU BID or down to 150 mg TU BID based on serum testosterone measured at weeks 3 and 7 based on PK profile with multiple blood samples drawn at each time period. The mean age of the subjects in the trial was ~53 years with ~91% of the patients < 65 years of age. The discontinuation rate for TLANDO was 38% compared to 32% for AndroGel 1.62%.
Primary statistical analysis was conducted using the Efficacy Population Set ("EPS"). The EPS is defined as subjects randomized into the study with at least one PK profile and no significant protocol deviations and includes imputed missing data by last observation carried forward, N=151. Further analysis was performed using the full analysis set ("FAS") (any subject randomized into the study with at least one post-baseline efficacy variable response, N=193) and the SS (any subject that was randomized into the study and took at least one dose, N=210).
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Safety
The safety component of the SOAR trial was completed the last week of April 2015. The safety extension phase was designed to assess safety based on information such as metabolites, biomarkers, laboratory values, serious adverse events SAEs and AEs, with subjects on their stable dose regimen in both the treatment arm and the active control arm. TLANDO treatment was well tolerated in there were no hepatic, cardiac or drug related SAEs.
TLANDO safety highlights include:
| · | TLANDO was well tolerated during 52 weeks of dosing; |
| · | Overall AE profile for TLANDO was comparable to the active control; |
| · | Cardiac AE profiles were consistent between treatment groups and none of the observed cardiac AEs occurred in greater than 1.0% of the subjects in the TLANDO arm and none were classified as severe; and |
| · | All observed adverse drug reactions (“ADRs”) were classified as mild or moderate in severity and no serious ADRs occurred during the 52-week treatment period. |
Food Effect Study
We also completed our labeling "food effect" study in May 2015. Results from the labeling "food effect" study indicate that bioavailability of testosterone from TLANDO is not affected by changes in meal fat content. The results demonstrate comparable testosterone levels between the standard fat meal (similar to the meal instruction provided in the Phase 3 clinical study) and both the low and high fat meals. The labeling “food effect” study was conducted per the FDA requirement and we submitted preliminary results from this study to the FDA in the second quarter of 2015 prior to submitting the NDA.
Other Safety Requirements
Based on our meetings with the FDA, we do not expect to be required to conduct a heart attack and stroke risk study prior to the potential approval of TLANDO. We may, however, be required to conduct a heart attack and stroke risk study on our own or with a consortium of sponsors that have an approved TRT product subsequent to the potential approval of TLANDO.
Recent Competition Update
On March 27, 2019, Clarus Therapeutics, Inc.’s (“Clarus”) product JATENZO®, an oral testosterone undecanoate product, was approved by the FDA and also received three years of data exclusivity. It is unclear how Jatenzo’s three years of data exclusivity will impact the potential full approvability of TLANDO. The potential exists that, as a result of Clarus’ data exclusivity, the approval of TLANDO by the FDA, if received, could be delayed until March 27, 2022. On February 10, 2020, Clarus announced that JATENZO® has been launched and is commercially available.
LPCN 1144: An Oral Prodrug of Bioidentical Testosterone Product Candidate for the Treatment of NASH
We are currently evaluating LPCN 1144, an oral prodrug of bioidentical testosterone comprised of TU, for the treatment of non-cirrhotic NASH. NASH is a more advanced state of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (“NAFLD”) and can progress to a cirrhotic liver and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma or liver cancer. Twenty to thirty percent of the U.S. population is estimated to suffer from NAFLD and fifteen to twenty percent of this group progress to NASH, which is a substantially large population that lacks effective therapy. Currently, there are no FDA approved treatments for NASH. Approximately 50% of NASH patients are in adult males and the number of NASH cases is projected to increase 63% from 16.5 million cases in 2015 to 27.0 million cases in 2030. NAFLD/NASH is becoming more common due to its strong correlation with obesity and metabolic syndrome, including components of metabolic syndrome such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. In men, especially with comorbidities associated with NAFLD/NASH, testosterone deficiency has been associated with an increased accumulation of visceral adipose tissue and insulin resistance, which could be factors contributing to NAFLD/NASH.
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History of Liver Disease
The liver is the largest internal organ in the human body and its proper function is indispensable for many critical metabolic functions, including the regulation of lipid and sugar metabolism, the production of important proteins, including those involved in blood clotting, and purification of blood. There are over 100 described diseases of the liver, and because of its many functions, these can be highly debilitating and life-threatening unless effectively treated. Liver diseases can result from injury to the liver caused by a variety of insults, including hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), obesity, chronic excessive alcohol use or autoimmune diseases. Regardless of the underlying cause of the disease, there are important similarities in the disease progression including increased inflammatory activity and excessive liver cell apoptosis, which if unresolved leads to fibrosis. Fibrosis, if allowed to progress, will lead to cirrhosis, or excessive scarring of the liver, and eventually reduced liver function. Some patients with liver cirrhosis have a partially functioning liver and may appear asymptomatic for long periods of time, which is referred to as decompensated liver disease. Decompensated liver disease is when the liver is unable to perform its normal functions. Many people with active liver disease remain undiagnosed largely because liver disease patients are often asymptomatic for many years.
Markers of Liver Cell Death
Alanine aminotransferase (“ALT”) is an enzyme that is produced in liver cells and is naturally found in the blood of healthy individuals. In liver disease, liver cells are damaged and as a consequence, ALT is released into the blood, increasing ALT levels above the normal range. Physicians routinely test blood levels of ALT to monitor the health of a patient's liver. ALT level is a clinically important biochemical marker of the severity of liver inflammation and ongoing liver disease. Elevated levels of ALT represent general markers of liver cell death and inflammation without regard to any specific mechanism. Aspartate aminotransferase (“AST”) is a second enzyme found in the blood that is produced in the liver and routinely measured by physicians along with ALT. As with ALT, AST is often elevated in liver disease and, like ALT, is considered an overall marker of liver inflammation.
Relationship between Hypogonadism and NAFLD
Preclinical and clinical studies in the NAFLD/NASH literature have shown the prevalence of testosterone deficiency across the NAFLD/NASH histological spectrum wherein low testosterone was independently associated with NAFLD/NASH with an inverse relationship between testosterone and NAFLD/NASH symptom severity. A recent National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (“NIDDK”) report suggests that 75% of biopsy confirmed NASH subjects have less than 372 ng/dL of total testosterone and that the degree of fibrosis severity is inversely related to free testosterone levels; thus, providing a good rationale for testing LPCN 1144 in adult NASH patients regardless of their hypogonadal status. Recently, we received clearance from the FDA to clinically investigate LPCN 1144 in an expanded target population of adult male NASH patients. Specifically, the FDA waived the limitation of only testing LPCN 1144 in NASH subjects with total testosterone levels below 300 ng/dL (threshold for hypogonadism).
Post hoc analyses of our existing clinical trials in subjects with comorbidities typically associated with NASH comorbidities indicate that testosterone therapy significantly and consistently reduced elevated levels of key serum biomarkers (liver function enzymes and serum triglyceride) generally associated with NAFLD/NASH.
Current Status
We have completed a 16-week POC liver imaging clinical study to assess liver fat changes in hypogonadal men at risk of developing NASH using MRI-PDFF technique. Treatment results from the POC liver imaging study demonstrated that 48% of the treated NAFLD subjects, defined as baseline liver fat of at least 5%, had NAFLD resolution, defined as liver fat <5% post treatment. Additionally, 100% of the subjects experiencing NAFLD resolution had at least a 35% relative liver fat reduction from baseline with a relative mean liver fat reduction of 55% in this group. Further results from the POC liver fat clinical study after 16 weeks of treatment are as follows:
| Baseline Liver Fat % | Mean Liver Fat % at | Relative Reductions at EOS | Responder Rate** at | ||||||
| Category, n | Baseline | Mean % | Median % | EOS, % | |||||
| At least 10%, n=8 | 20.5 | 40 | 39 | 75 | |||||
| At least 8%, n=10 | 18.3 | 42 | 42 | 80 | |||||
| At least 5%, n=21 | 12.1 | 33 | 41 | 71 | |||||
**Based on subjects who experienced at least a 30% reduction in liver fat from baseline.
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We have also investigated the pharmacological effect of LPCN 1144 in a validated, non-genomic, multiple arm, 12-week high fat diet (“HFD”)-induced, rabbit animal model of NASH and hepatic fibrosis. NASH, induced by the HFD, lowered circulating T and free T levels. The results from this pre-clinical model demonstrate that LPCN 1144 treatment restores circulating T and free T levels. Additionally, the histological and biomarker results suggest LPCN 1144 decreases liver inflammation, ballooning, fibrosis, and visceral fat that were all increased due to the HFD, while normalizing insulin sensitivity, prostate and seminal vesicle weight.
Additionally, we have initiated the LiFT (“Liver Fat intervention with oral Testosterone”) Phase 2 clinical study, a paired-biopsy study in confirmed pre-cirrhotic NASH subjects with the first subject being dosed in the third quarter of 2019. The formulations being studied in the Phase 2 clinical trial are differentiated from TLANDO. The LiFT Phase 2 clinical study is a prospective, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multiple-arm study in biopsy-confirmed hypogonadal or eugonadal male NASH subjects with grade F2/F3 fibrosis and a NAFLD Activity Score (“NAS”) ≥ 4 with a 36-week treatment period. The LiFT clinical study has completed enrollment of 56 biopsy confirmed NASH male subjects, randomized into one of three arms (two test arms and one placebo arm) with a 1:1:1 randomization ratio. We currently expect top-line liver fat reduction data in January 2021 as measured by MRI-PDFF at 12 weeks, followed by 36-week biopsy data which is expected in mid-2021. Due to COVID-19, we believe that subject drop-out rates and the number of subjects that ultimately complete the clinical study could be negatively impacted.
TLANDO XR: A Next-Generation Long-Acting Oral Product Candidate for TRT
TLANDO XR is a next-generation, novel ester prodrug of testosterone which uses the Lip’ral technology to enhance solubility and improve systemic absorption. We completed a Phase 2b dose finding study in hypogonadal men in the third quarter of 2016. The primary objectives of the Phase 2b clinical study were to determine the starting Phase 3 dose of TLANDO XR along with safety and tolerability of TLANDO XR and its metabolites following oral administration of single and multiple doses in hypogonadal men. The Phase 2b clinical trial was a randomized, open label, two-period, multi-dose PK study that enrolled hypogonadal males into five treatment groups. Each of the 12 subjects in a group received treatment for 14 days. Results of the Phase 2b study suggest that the primary objectives were met, including identifying the dose expected to be tested in a Phase 3 study. Good dose-response relationship was observed over the tested dose range in the Phase 2b study. Additionally, the target Phase 3 dose met primary and secondary end points. Overall, TLANDO XR was well tolerated with no drug-related severe or serious adverse events reported in the Phase 2b study.
Additionally in October 2014, we completed a Phase 2a proof-of-concept study in hypogonadal men. The Phase 2a open-label, dose-escalating single and multiple dose study enrolled 12 males. Results from the Phase 2a clinical study demonstrated the feasibility of a once daily dosing with TLANDO XR in hypogonadal men and a good dose response. Additionally, the study confirmed that steady state is achieved by day 14 with consistent inter-day performance observed on day 14, 21 and 28. No subjects exceeded Cmax of 1500 ng/dL at any time during the 28-day dosing period on multi-dose exposure. Overall, TLANDO XR was well tolerated with no serious AE’s reported.
We have also completed a preclinical toxicology study with TLANDO XR in dogs.
In February 2018 we had a meeting with the FDA to discuss these pre-clinical results and to discuss the Phase 3 clinical study and path forward for TLANDO XR. Based on the results of the FDA meeting and additional pre-clinical trials conducted after the FDA meeting, we have designed a Phase 3 protocol for TLANDO XR and have solicited FDA feedback. Based on initial FDA feedback, we expect the Phase 3 clinical trial design to follow the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (“ICH”) guidelines and will include a three-month efficacy treatment period and a one-year safety component for up to 100 subjects. We continue to refine the Phase 3 protocol and plan to request FDA approval of the protocol once it is finalized. Additionally, the FDA previously requested that a food effect study be completed, and that ABPM be included as part of the Phase 3 clinical study. Based on our capital resources and the clinical status of our product candidates, we plan to primarily focus our efforts in 2020 on TLANDO and LPCN 1144. We do not anticipate the initiation of a Phase 3 study with TLANDO XR to occur in 2020 unless and until additional capital is secured or the product candidate is out-licensed. We are exploring the possibility of licensing TLANDO XR to a third party, although no licensing agreement has been entered into by the Company.
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LPCN 1148: An Oral Prodrug of Bioidentical Testosterone Product Candidate for the Treatment of Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is an end stage NAFLD for which there is no FDA approved drug treatment. Liver cirrhosis is estimated to affect in excess of 600,000 Americans, with men affected at twice the rate of women, and results in approximately 45,000 deaths every year. Due to a lack of available organs, only a third of waitlisted patients are getting liver transplants, and patients that do receive a transplant are increasingly being described as frail. Low testosterone affects up to 90% of cirrhotic men, and is a predictor of mortality and increased adverse events including ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, and clinically significant portal hypertension.
We are currently formulating plans to conduct a proof-of-concept study in male cirrhotic subjects through consultations with the FDA and key opinion leaders to evaluate the therapeutic potential of LPCN 1148 for the treatment of cirrhotic subjects. On May 5, 2020 the FDA accepted our Investigational New Drug application ("IND") to initiate a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study to evaluate the therapeutic potential of LPCN 1148 for the treatment of liver cirrhosis in adult male cirrhotic patients. The planned Phase 2 clinical study is a prospective, multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled 52-week study in male cirrhotic patients that are on the liver transplant list. Based on our capital resources and the clinical status of our product candidates, we plan to primarily focus our efforts in 2020 on TLANDO and LPCN 1144. We do not anticipate the initiation of a Phase 2 study with LPCN 1148 in 2020 unless and until additional capital is secured or the product candidate is out-licensed. We are exploring the possibility of licensing LPCN 1148 to a third party, although no licensing agreement has been entered into by the Company
LPCN 1107: An Oral Product Candidate for the Prevention of Preterm Birth
We believe LPCN 1107 has the potential to become the first oral hydroxyprogesterone caproate (“HPC”) product indicated for the reduction of risk of preterm birth (delivery less than 37 weeks) (“PTB”) in women with singleton pregnancy who have a history of singleton spontaneous PTB. Prevention of PTB is a significant unmet need as approximately 11.7% of all U.S. pregnancies result in PTB, a leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity.
We have completed a multi-dose PK dose selection study in pregnant women. The objective of the multi-dose PK selection study was to assess HPC blood levels in order to identify the appropriate LPCN 1107 Phase 3 dose. The multi-dose PK dose selection study was an open-label, four-period, four-treatment, randomized, single and multiple dose, PK study in pregnant women of three dose levels of LPCN 1107 and the injectable intramuscular ("IM") HPC (Makena®). The study enrolled 12 healthy pregnant women (average age of 27 years) with a gestational age of approximately 16 to 19 weeks. Subjects received three dose levels of LPCN 1107 (400 mg BID, 600 mg BID, or 800 mg BID) in a randomized, crossover manner during the first three treatment periods and then received five weekly injections of HPC during the fourth treatment period. During each of the LPCN 1107 treatment periods, subjects received a single dose of LPCN 1107 on Day 1 followed by twice daily administration from Day 2 to Day 8. Following completion of the three LPCN 1107 treatment periods and a washout period, all subjects received five weekly injections of HPC. Results from this study demonstrated that average steady state HPC levels (Cavg0-24) were comparable or higher for all three LPCN 1107 doses than for injectable HPC. Additionally, HPC levels as a function of daily dose were linear for the three LPCN 1107 doses. Also, unlike the injectable HPC, steady state exposure was achieved for all three LPCN 1107 doses within seven days. We have also completed a proof-of-concept Phase 1b clinical study of LPCN 1107 in healthy pregnant women in January 2015 and a proof-of-concept Phase 1a clinical study of LPCN 1107 in healthy non-pregnant women in May 2014. These studies were designed to determine the PK and bioavailability of LPCN 1107 relative to an IM HPC, as well as safety and tolerability.
A traditional pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (“PK/PD”) based Phase 2 clinical study in the intended patient population is not expected to occur prior to entering into Phase 3. Therefore, based on the results of our multi-dose PK study we had an End-of-Phase 2 meeting and subsequent guidance meetings with the FDA to define a Phase 3 development plan for LPCN 1107. However, these discussions will need to be updated based on recent developments with AMAG Pharmaceuticals’ (“AMAG”) Makena. We plan to resume our interactions with the FDA to discuss Phase 3 clinical trial design and better understand next steps to advance LPCN 1107. Additionally, a Phase 3 study will not occur until the results from a planned food-effect study with LPCN 1107 are reviewed by the FDA, though manufacturing scale-up work for LPCN 1107 has been completed.
Based on our capital resources and the clinical status of our product candidates, we plan to primarily focus our efforts in 2020 on TLANDO and LPCN 1144. We do not anticipate the initiation of a Phase 3 study with LPCN 1107 to occur in 2020 unless and until additional capital is secured or the product candidate is out-licensed. We are exploring the possibility of licensing LPCN 1107 to a third party, although no licensing agreement has been entered into by the Company. No assurance can be given that any license agreement will be completed, or, if an agreement is completed, that such an agreement would be on acceptable terms.
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The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to LPCN 1107 based on a major contribution to patient care. Orphan designation qualifies Lipocine for various development incentives, including tax credits for qualified clinical testing, and a waiver of the prescription drug user fee when we file our NDA.
Recent Competition Update
On October 5, 2020, the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (“CDER”) proposed that Makena be withdrawn from the market because the PROLONG trial failed to verify the clinical benefit of Makena and concluded that the available evidence does not show Makena is effective for its approved use.
CDER issued a notice of opportunity for a hearing (“NOOH”) to AMAG, the application holder of Makena. The FDA also sent the NOOH to the application holders for the approved generics to Makena for an opportunity to comment. The process that follows will depend, in part, on these companies’ decisions. AMAG could voluntarily agree to let the FDA withdraw approval of Makena and waive the opportunity for a hearing or it may request a public hearing. The FDA Commissioner would decide whether to grant a hearing, if requested by AMAG, would conduct the hearing and ultimately decide on whether to allow Makena to be marketed or withdraw approval. The process is expected to take months and during this time, Makena and the approved generics of Makena will remain on the market until the FDA makes a final decision about these products.
Currently, Makena and the approved generics of Makena are the only products approved for the prevention of recurrent preterm birth.
The FDA also indicated that it intends to hold a meeting with experts in obstetrics, neonatal care, and clinical trial design to discuss how to facilitate development of effective and safe therapies to treat preterm birth.
Financial Operations Overview
Revenue
To date, we have not generated any revenues from product sales and do not expect to do so until one of our product candidates receives approval from the FDA. Revenues to date have been generated substantially from license fees, royalty and milestone payments and research support from our licensees. Since our inception through September 30, 2020, we have generated $28.1 million in revenue under our various license and collaboration arrangements and from government grants. We may never generate revenues from TLANDO or any of our other clinical or preclinical development programs or licensed products as we may never succeed in obtaining regulatory approval or commercializing any of these product candidates.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses consist primarily of salaries, benefits, stock-based compensation and related personnel costs, fees paid to external service providers such as contract research organizations and contract manufacturing organizations, contractual obligations for clinical development, clinical sites, manufacturing and scale-up for late-stage clinical trials, formulation of clinical drug supplies, and expenses associated with regulatory submissions. Research and development expenses also include an allocation of indirect costs, such as those for facilities, office expense, travel, and depreciation of equipment based on the ratio of direct labor hours for research and development personnel to total direct labor hours for all personnel. We expense research and development expenses as incurred. Since our inception, we have spent approximately $118.4 million in research and development expenses through September 30, 2020.
As a result of the CRL we received from the FDA on TLANDO’s NDA, we are uncertain as to whether we will incur additional research and developments costs for TLANDO. On January 16, 2020, we met with the FDA in a Post Action Meeting to review our CRL, and based on these discussions, we do not expect to conduct any additional clinical trials with TLANDO for TRT. However, any further expenditures, if needed, are subject to numerous uncertainties regarding timing and cost to completion.
We expect to continue to incur significant costs as we develop our other product candidates, including the ongoing LiFT Phase 2 clinical study with LPCN 1144.
In general, the cost of clinical trials may vary significantly over the life of a project as a result of uncertainties in clinical development, including, among others:
| • | the number of sites included in the trials; |
| • | the length of time required to enroll suitable subjects; |
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| • | the duration of subject follow-ups; |
| • | the length of time required to collect, analyze and report trial results; |
| • | the cost, timing and outcome of regulatory review; and |
| • | potential changes by the FDA in clinical trial and NDA filing requirements for testosterone replacement therapies. |
We have also incurred significant manufacturing costs to prepare launch supplies for TLANDO and additional expenditures will be required to prepare for a commercial launch of TLANDO, should it be approved. However, future expenditures are subject to numerous uncertainties regarding timing and cost to completion, including, among others:
| • | the timing and outcome of regulatory filings and FDA reviews and actions for TLANDO; |
| • | our dependence on third-party manufacturers for the production of satisfactory finished product for registration and launch should regulatory approval be obtained; |
| • | the potential for future license or co-promote arrangements for TLANDO, when such arrangements will be secured, if at all, and to what degree such arrangements would affect our future plans and capital requirements; and |
| • | the effect on our product development activities of actions taken by the FDA or other regulatory authorities. |
A change of outcome for any of these variables with respect to the development of TLANDO and our other product development candidates could mean a substantial change in the costs and timing associated with these efforts, will require us to raise additional capital, and may require us to reduce operations.
Given the stage of clinical development and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in the clinical development, manufacturing and regulatory approval process, we are unable to estimate with any certainty the time or cost to complete the development of LPCN 1144, TLANDO XR, LPCN 1148, LPCN 1107 and other product candidates. Clinical development timelines, the probability of success and development costs can differ materially from expectations and results from our clinical trials may not be favorable. If we are successful in progressing LPCN 1144, TLANDO XR, LPCN 1148, LPCN 1107 or other product candidates into later stage development, we will require additional capital. The amount and timing of our future research and development expenses for these product candidates will depend on the preclinical and clinical success of both our current development activities and potential development of new product candidates, as well as ongoing assessments of the commercial potential of such activities.
Summary of Research and Development Expense
We are conducting on-going clinical and regulatory activities with most of our product candidates. Additionally, we incur costs for our other research programs. The following table summarizes our research and development expenses:
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||
| External service provider costs: | ||||||||||||||||
| TLANDO | $ | 471,874 | $ | 193,826 | $ | 679,351 | $ | 2,350,409 | ||||||||
| LPCN 1144 | 1,223,863 | 943,865 | 4,284,302 | 1,354,800 | ||||||||||||
| TLANDO XR | - | 600 | 71,898 | 118,242 | ||||||||||||
| LPCN 1107 | 1,500 | 15,715 | 3,860 | 55,175 | ||||||||||||
| Total external service provider costs | 1,697,237 | 1,154,006 | 5,039,411 | 3,878,626 | ||||||||||||
| Internal personnel costs | 561,461 | 400,999 | 1,736,167 | 1,305,822 | ||||||||||||
| Other research and development costs | 229,163 | 158,412 | 493,021 | 442,935 | ||||||||||||
| Total research and development | $ | 2,487,861 | $ | 1,713,417 | $ | 7,268,599 | $ | 5,627,383 | ||||||||
We expect research and development expenses to increase in the future as we complete on-going clinical studies, including the LiFT Phase 2 clinical study with LPCN 1144, as we conduct future clinical studies, including when and if we conduct Phase 2 clinical studies with LPCN 1148 and Phase 3 clinical studies with TLANDO XR and LPCN 1107, and as we manufacture commercial supplies of TLANDO pre-approval. However, if we are unable to raise additional capital, we may need to reduce research and development expenses in order to extend our ability to continue as a going concern.
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General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and related benefits, including stock-based compensation related to our executive, finance, business development, marketing, sales and support functions. Other general and administrative expenses include rent and utilities, travel expenses, professional fees for auditing, tax and legal services, litigation settlement and market research and market analytics.
General and administrative expenses also include expenses for the cost of preparing, filling and prosecuting patent applications and maintaining, enforcing and defending intellectual property-related claims, including our on-going patent interference and patent infringement lawsuits against Clarus.
We expect that general and administrative expenses will increase in the future as we incur additional legal fees in the on-going court cases with Clarus. Additional areas that may see increases as we mature as a public company include legal and consulting fees, accounting and audit fees, director fees, increased directors’ and officers’ insurance premiums, fees for investor relations services and enhanced business and accounting systems, litigation costs, professional fees and other costs. If TLANDO is approved by the FDA, we expect we will incur significant additional expenses relating to the commercialization of TLANDO, including, among other things, expenses relating to building out sales and marketing teams, manufacturing expenses, expenses relating to licensing TLANDO to third parties, and other expenses. However, if we are unable to raise additional capital, we may need to reduce general and administrative expenses in order to extend our ability to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to raise additional capital, we may be unable to effectively commercialize TLANDO after receiving FDA approval.
Other Expense (Income), Net
Other expense (income), net consists primarily of interest income earned on our cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment securities and interest expense incurred on our outstanding Loan and Security Agreement and losses (gains) on our warrant liability.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 and 2019
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019:
| Three Months Ended September 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | Variance | ||||||||||
| License revenue | $ | - | $ | (164,990 | ) | $ | (164,990 | ) | ||||
| Research and development expenses | 2,487,861 | 1,713,417 | 774,444 | |||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 1,887,195 | 1,427,261 | 459,934 | |||||||||
| Interest and investment income | (5,614 | ) | (98,988 | ) | (93,374 | ) | ||||||
| Interest expense | 84,293 | 183,500 | (99,207 | ) | ||||||||
| Gain on warrant liability | (140,477 | ) | - | (140,477 | ) | |||||||
Revenue
We recognized no license revenue during the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $165,000 of license revenue during the three months ended September 30, 2019. License revenue in 2019 relates to royalty payments received from Spriaso, LLC (“Spriaso”) under a licensing agreement in the cough and cold field.
Research and Development Expenses
The increase in research and development expenses during the three months ended September 30, 2020 was primarily due to a $280,000 increase in contract research organization and outside consulting and manufacturing costs related to the LPCN 1144 LiFT Phase 2 clinical study in NASH subjects, a $278,000 increase in commercial manufacturing costs related to TLANDO, a $160,000 increase in personnel expense mainly due to stock compensation expense on performance based RSU’s and increased bonus expense, as well as increases in other R&D expenses of $56,000.
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General and Administrative Expenses
The increase in general and administrative expenses during the three months ended September 30, 2020 was primarily due to a $259,000 increase in legal costs associated with the following activities: lawsuit filed against Clarus Therapeutics Inc. for patent infringement in April 2019, patent interference cases filed against Clarus and the on-going class action lawsuit defense. In addition, there was a $240,000 increase in personnel costs mainly due to stock compensation expense on performance based RSU’s and increased bonus expense, and a $6,000 increase in other general and administrative expenses. These increases were offset by a $28,000 decrease marketing expense and a $17,000 decrease in administrative travel expenses.
Interest and Investment Income
The decrease in interest and investment income during the three months ended September 30, 2020 was due to lower interest rates and lower average balances of marketable securities in 2020 compared to 2019.
Interest Expense
The decrease in interest expense during the three months ended September 30, 2020 was due to a decrease in interest expense on our Loan and Security Agreement with SVB, as a result of lower principal balances and lower interest rates in 2020 compared to 2019.
Gain on Warrant Liability
We recorded a $140,000 gain on warrant liability during the three months ended September 30, 2020 related to the change in the fair value of outstanding common stock warrants issued in the November 2019 Offering. We did not record a similar change during the three months ended September 30, 2019 as there were no similar warrants outstanding during this period. The gain during the three months ended September 30, 2020 was mainly attributable to an decrease in the value of warrants exercised during the period offset by an increase in value of warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2020 as compared to June 30, 2020 due to an increase in our stock price. There were 769,000 common stock warrants exercised during the three months ended September 30, 2020. The warrants are classified as a liability due to a provision contained within the warrant agreement which allows the warrant holder the option to elect to receive an amount of cash equal to the value of the warrants as determined in accordance with the Black-Scholes option pricing model with certain defined assumptions upon a change of control. The warrant liability will continue to fluctuate in the future based on inputs to the Black-Scholes model including our current stock price, the remaining life of the warrants, the volatility of our stock price, the risk-free interest rate and the number of common stock warrants outstanding.
Comparison of the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 and 2019
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019:
| Nine months ended September 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | Variance | ||||||||||
| License revenue | $ | - | $ | (164,990 | ) | $ | (164,990 | ) | ||||
| Research and development expenses | 7,268,599 | 5,627,383 | 1,641,216 | |||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 5,925,991 | 3,989,645 | 1,936,346 | |||||||||
| Interest and investment income | (72,729 | ) | (348,833 | ) | (276,104 | ) | ||||||
| Interest expense | 305,485 | 611,864 | (306,379 | ) | ||||||||
| Loss on warrant liability | 3,025,997 | - | 3,025,997 | |||||||||
| Income tax expense | 200 | 200 | - | |||||||||
Revenue
We recognized no license revenue during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $165,000 of license revenue during the nine months ended September 30, 2019. License revenue in 2019 relates to royalty payments received from Spriaso, LLC (“Spriaso”) under a licensing agreement in the cough and cold field.
Research and Development Expenses
The increase in research and development expenses during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was primarily due to a $2.9 million increase in contract research organization and outside consulting and manufacturing costs related to the LPCN 1144 LiFT Phase 2 clinical study in NASH subjects, a $430,000 increase in personnel expense mainly due to stock compensation expense on performance based RSU’s and increased bonus expense, and a $50,000 increase in other research and development expenses. These increases were offset by a $1.7 million decrease in costs incurred in conjunction with TLANDO with the completion of the ABPM study in the first half of 2019, a $51,000 decrease in contract manufacturing costs for LPCN 1107, and a $46,000 decrease in costs for TLANDO XR.
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General and Administrative Expenses
The increase in general and administrative expenses during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was primarily due to a $1.9 million increase in legal costs associated with the with the following activities: lawsuit filed against Clarus for patent infringement in April 2019, interference cases filed against Clarus and the on-going class action lawsuit defense and a $228,000 increase in personnel costs mainly due to stock compensation expense on performance based RSU’s and increased bonus expense. These increases were offset by a $77,000 decrease in administrative travel expense, a $68,000 decrease in marketing expense and a $43,000 decrease in other general and administrative expenses.
Interest and Investment Income
The decrease in interest and investment income during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was due to lower average balances of marketable securities and lower interest rates in 2020 compared to 2019.
Interest Expense
The decrease in interest expense during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was due to a decrease in interest expense on our Loan and Security Agreement with SVB, as a result of lower principal balances and lower interest rates in 2020 compared to 2019.
Loss on Warrant Liability
We recorded a $3.0 million loss on warrant liability during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 related to the change in the fair value of outstanding common stock warrants issued in the November 2019 Offering. We did not record a similar change during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 as there were no similar warrants outstanding during this period. The loss in 2020 was mainly attributable to an increase in the value of both warrants exercised during the period and warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2020 as compared to December 31, 2019 due to an increase in our stock price. There were 10,895,970 common stock warrants exercised during the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The warrants are classified as a liability due to a provision contained within the warrant agreement which allows the warrant holder the option to elect to receive an amount of cash equal to the value of the warrants as determined in accordance with the Black-Scholes option pricing model with certain defined assumptions upon a change of control. The warrant liability will continue to fluctuate in the future based on inputs to the Black-Scholes model including our current stock price, the remaining life of the warrants, the volatility of our stock price, the risk-free interest rate and the number of common stock warrants outstanding.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Since our inception, our operations have been primarily financed through sales of our equity securities, debt and payments received under our license and collaboration arrangements. We have devoted our resources to funding research and development programs, including discovery research, preclinical and clinical development activities. We have incurred operating losses in most years since our inception and we expect to continue to incur operating losses into the foreseeable future as we evaluate our options related to TLANDO should it receive approval and as we advance clinical development of LPCN 1144, TLANDO XR, LPCN 1148, LPCN 1107 and any other product candidate, including continued research efforts.
As of September 30, 2020, we had $18.8 million of unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment securities compared to $14.1 million at December 31, 2019. Additionally, as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 we had $5.0 million of restricted cash, which is required to be maintained as cash collateral under the SVB Loan and Security Agreement until TLANDO is approved by the FDA.
On April 21, 2020, we entered into a loan (the “Loan”) from Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) in the aggregate amount of $234,000, pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) under Division A, Title I of the CARES Act, which was enacted March 27, 2020. The Loan, which was in the form of a note dated April 21, 2020 issued by us, matures on April 21, 2022 and bears interest at a rate of 1.0% per annum, payable monthly commencing on November 21, 2020. The Loan may be prepaid by us at any time prior to maturity with no prepayment penalties. Funds from the Loan may only be used for payroll costs, costs used to continue group health care benefits, mortgage payments, rent, utilities, and interest on other debt obligations incurred before February 15, 2020. We intend to use the entire Loan amount for qualifying expenses. Under the terms of the PPP, certain amounts of the Loan may be forgiven if they are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act. We have submitted the application to have the PPP Loan forgiven and are waiting for approval from the Small Business Administration.
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On February 27, 2020, we completed a registered direct offering of securities registered under an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“February 2020 Offering”). The gross proceeds from the February 2020 Offering were approximately $6.0 million, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses of approximately $347,000. In the February 2020 Offering, the Company sold 10,084,034 Class A Units, with each Class A Unit consisting of one share of common stock and a one-half of one common warrant to purchase one share of common stock, at a price of $0.595 per Class A Unit. The common stock warrants were immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $0.53 per share, subject to adjustment, and expire on February 27, 2025. By their terms, however, the common stock warrants cannot be exercised at any time that the common stock warrant holder would beneficially own, after such exercise, more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, 9.99%) of the shares of common stock then outstanding after giving effect to such exercise.
As of September 30, 2020, 4,201,681 common warrants to purchase an equivalent number of shares of our common stock from the February 2020 Offering have been exercised resulting in proceeds to us of approximately $2.2 million.
On November 18, 2019, we completed a public offering of securities registered under an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“November 2019 Offering”). The gross proceeds from the November 2019 Offering were approximately $6.0 million, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses of $404,000. In the November 2019 Offering, the Company sold (i) 10,450,000 Class A Units, with each Class A Unit consisting of one share of common stock and a common warrant to purchase one share of common stock, and (ii) 1,550,000 Class B Units, with each Class B Unit consisting of one pre-funded warrant to purchase one share of common stock and one common warrant to purchase one share of common stock, at a price of $0.50 per Class A Unit and $0.4999 per Class B Unit. The pre-funded warrants, which were exercised for common stock in December 2019, were issued in lieu of common stock in order to ensure the purchaser did not exceed certain beneficial ownership limitations. The pre-funded warrants were immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $.0001 per share, subject to adjustment. Additionally, the common stock warrants were immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $0.50 per share, subject to adjustment, and expire on November 17, 2024. By their terms, however, neither the pre-funded warrants nor the common stock warrants can be exercised at any time that the pre-funded warrant holder or the common stock warrant holder would beneficially own, after such exercise, more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, 9.99%) of the shares of common stock then outstanding after giving effect to such exercise.
As of September 30, 2020, 10,895,970 common warrants to purchase an equivalent number of shares of our common stock from the November 2019 Offering have been exercised resulting in proceeds to us of approximately $5.4 million.
On January 5, 2018, we entered into the Loan and Security Agreement with SVB pursuant to which SVB agreed to lend us $10.0 million. The principal borrowed under the Loan and Security Agreement bears interest at a rate equal to the Prime Rate, as reported in money rates section of The Wall Street Journal or any successor publication representing the rate of interest per annum then in effect, plus one percent per annum, which interest is payable monthly. Additionally on April 1, 2020, we and SVB entered into a Deferral Agreement. Under the Deferral Agreement, principal repayments are deferred by six months and we are only required to make monthly interest payments during the deferral period. The loan matures on June 1, 2022. Previously, we were only required to make monthly interest payments until December 31, 2018, following which we also made equal monthly payments of principal and interest until the signing of the Deferral Agreement. We will also be required to pay an additional final payment at maturity equal to $650,000 (the “Final Payment Charge”). At our option, we may prepay all amounts owed under the Loan and Security Agreement (including all accrued and unpaid interest and the Final Payment Charge). In connection with the Loan and Security Agreement, we granted to SVB a security interest in substantially all of our assets now owned or hereafter acquired, excluding intellectual property and certain other assets. In addition, as TLANDO was not approved by the FDA by May 31, 2018, we are required to maintain $5.0 million of cash collateral at SVB until such time as TLANDO is approved by the FDA. While any amounts are outstanding under the Loan and Security Agreement, we are subject to a number of affirmative and negative covenants, including covenants regarding dispositions of property, business combinations or acquisitions, incurrence of additional indebtedness and transactions with affiliates, among other customary covenants. The credit facility also includes events of default, the occurrence and continuation of which could cause interest to be charged at the rate that is otherwise applicable plus 5.0% and would provide SVB, as collateral agent, with the right to exercise remedies against us and the collateral securing the credit facility, including foreclosure against the property securing the credit facilities, including its cash. These events of default include, among other things, any failure by us to pay principal or interest due under the credit facility, a breach of certain covenants under the credit facility, the Company’s insolvency, a material adverse change, and one or more judgments against us in an amount greater than $100,000 individually or in the aggregate.
On March 6, 2017, we entered into the Sales Agreement with Cantor pursuant to which we may issue and sell, from time to time, shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $25.0 million through Cantor as our sales agent which was subsequently increased on August 21, 2020 to $63.0 million. Cantor may sell our common stock by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act, including sales made directly on or through the Nasdaq Capital Market or any other existing trade market for our common stock, in negotiated transactions at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at prices related to prevailing market prices, or any other method permitted by law. Cantor uses its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations to sell these shares. We pay Cantor 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from each sale of shares under the Sales Agreement. We have also provided Cantor with customary indemnification rights.
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The shares of our common stock sold under the Sales Agreement are sold and issued pursuant to our Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-220942) (the “Form S-3”), which was previously declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the related prospectus and one or more prospectus supplements.
We are not obligated to make any sales of our common stock under the Sales Agreement. The offering of our common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement will terminate upon the termination of the Sales Agreement as permitted therein. We and Cantor may each terminate the Sales Agreement at any time upon ten days’ prior notice.
As of September 30, 2020, we have sold 9,465,535 shares of our common stock resulting in net proceeds of approximately $23.2 million under the Sales Agreement which is net of $872,000 in expenses consisting of commissions paid to Cantor in connection with these sales and other offering and accounting costs.
We believe that our existing capital resources, together with interest thereon, will be sufficient to meet our projected operating requirements through at least September 30, 2021 which includes an on-going clinical study for LPCN 1144, compliance with regulatory requirements, and on-going litigation activities. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect if additional activities are performed by us including pre-commercial and commercial activities for TLANDO and new clinical studies for LPCN 1144, TLANDO XR, LPCN 1148 and LPCN 1107. While we believe we have sufficient liquidity and capital resources to fund our projected operating requirements through at least September 30, 2021, we will need to raise additional capital at some point through the equity or debt markets or through out-licensing activities, either before or after September 30, 2021, to support our operations, including, if FDA approval is received, potential commercialization activities for TLANDO. If we are unsuccessful in raising additional capital our ability to continue as a going concern will be limited. Further, our operating plan may change, and we may need additional funds to meet operational needs and capital requirements for product development, regulatory compliance and clinical trial activities sooner than planned. In addition, our capital resources may be consumed more rapidly if we pursue additional clinical studies for LPCN 1144, TLANDO XR, LPCN 1148 and LPCN 1107. Conversely, our capital resources could last longer if we reduce expenses, reduce the number of activities currently contemplated under our operating plan or if we terminate or suspend on-going clinical studies or intellectual property litigation, or if we terminate or settle any on-going litigation activities.
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We can raise capital pursuant to the Sales Agreement in the ATM when not restricted due to terms of previous financings but may choose not to issue common stock if our market price is too low to justify such sales in our discretion. There are numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the development and, subject to approval by the FDA, commercialization of our product candidates. There are numerous risks and uncertainties impacting our ability to enter into collaborations with third parties to participate in the development and potential commercialization of our product candidates. We are unable to precisely estimate the amounts of increased capital outlays and operating expenditures associated with our anticipated or unanticipated clinical studies and ongoing development and pre-commercialization efforts. All of these factors affect our need for additional capital resources. To fund future operations, we will need to ultimately raise additional capital and our requirements will depend on many factors, including the following:
| · | further clinical development requirements or other requirements of the FDA related to approval of TLANDO; | |
| · | the cost and timing of pre-commercialization and commercialization activities in support of TLANDO; | |
| · | the scope, rate of progress, results and cost of our clinical studies, preclinical testing and other related activities for all of our product candidates, including LPCN 1144, TLANDO XR, LPCN 1148 and LPCN 1107; | |
| · | the cost of manufacturing clinical supplies, and establishing commercial supplies, of our product candidates and any products that we may develop; | |
| · | the cost and timing of establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities, if any; | |
| · | the terms and timing of any collaborative, licensing and other arrangements that we may establish; |
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| · | the number and characteristics of product candidates that we pursue; | |
| · | the cost, timing and outcomes of regulatory approvals; | |
| · | the timing, receipt and amount of sales, profit sharing or royalties, if any, from our potential products; | |
| · | the cost of preparing, filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights; | |
| · | the extent to which we acquire or invest in businesses, products or technologies, although we currently have no commitments or agreements relating to any of these types of transactions; and | |
| · | the extent to which we grow significantly in the number of employees or the scope of our operations. |
Funding may not be available to us on favorable terms, or at all. Also, market conditions may prevent us from accessing the debt and equity capital markets, including sales of our common stock through the ATM. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing when needed, we may have to delay, reduce the scope of or suspend one or more of our clinical studies, research and development programs or, if any of our product candidates receive approval from the FDA, commercialization efforts. We may seek to raise any necessary additional capital through a combination of public or private equity offerings, including the ATM, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements and other marketing and distribution arrangements. These arrangements may not be available to us on favorable terms, or at all. To the extent that we raise additional capital through marketing and distribution arrangements, other collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our product candidates, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we do raise additional capital through public or private equity offerings, the ownership interest of our existing stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences, warrants or other terms that adversely affect our stockholders’ rights or further complicate raising additional capital in the future. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, we may be subject to covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we are unable, for any reason, to raise needed capital, we will have to reduce costs, delay research and development programs, liquidate assets, dispose of rights, commercialize products or product candidates earlier than planned or on less favorable terms than desired or reduce or cease operations.
Sources and Uses of Cash
The following table provides a summary of our cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019:
| Nine Months Ended September 30, | ||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | |||||||
| Cash used in operating activities | $ | (11,619,069 | ) | $ | (8,358,175 | ) | ||
| Cash provided by (used in) investing activities | (1,515,297 | ) | 2,440,822 | |||||
| Cash provided by financing activities | 16,344,029 | 4,504,322 | ||||||
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities
During the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, net cash used in operating activities was $11.6 million and $8.4 million, respectively.
Net cash used in operating activities during the nine months September 30, 2020 and 2019 was primarily attributable to cash outlays to support ongoing operations, including research and development expenses and general and administrative expenses. During 2020, we were performing activities related to the LPCN 1144 LiFT Phase 2 paired biopsy clinical study and the submission of the TLANDO NDA. During 2019, we were performing activities related to the ABPM study for TLANDO and the POC liver imaging study for LPCN 1144.
Net Cash Provided by Investing Activities
During the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, net cash used in investing activities was $1.5 million compared to net cash provided by of $2.4 million, respectively.
Net cash used in investing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was primarily the result of purchasing marketable investment securities, net, of $1.5 million. Net cash provided by investing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was primarily the result of utilizing marketable investment securities, net, of $2.4 million to fund operations. There were no capital expenditures for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019.
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Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities
During the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 net cash provided by financing activities was $16.3 million and $4.5 million, respectively.
Net cash provided by financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was attributable to the net proceeds from the sale of 10,084,034 shares of common stock pursuant to February 2020 Offering resulting in net proceeds of $5.7 million, to $7.7 million in proceeds from the exercise of warrants, $3.9 million in proceeds from the sale of 2,830,000 shares of common stock pursuant to the ATM and $234,000 in loan proceeds under the Payment Protection Program, offset by $1.1 million in debt principal repayments under the SVB Loan and Security Agreement.
Net cash provided by financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was primarily attributable to the net proceeds from the sale of 3,276,286 shares of common stock pursuant to the ATM resulting in net proceeds of $6.9 million, offset by $2.5 million in debt principal repayments under the SVB Loan and Security Agreement.
Contractual Commitments and Contingencies
Long-Term Debt Obligations and Interest on Debt
On January 5, 2018, we entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Loan and Security Agreement”) with Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) pursuant to which SVB agreed to lend us $10.0 million. The principal borrowed under the Loan and Security Agreement bears interest at a rate equal to the Prime Rate plus one percent per annum, which interest is payable monthly. The loan matures on June 1, 2022 and we are required to make equal monthly payments of principal and interest for the remaining term of the loan beginning on November 1, 2020 although there was a principal deferment period of six months beginning on April 1, 2020 due to COVID-19. We will also be required to pay an additional final payment equal to $650,000 (the “Final Payment Charge”) at maturity.
On April 21, 2020, we were granted a loan from SVB in the aggregate amount of $234,000, pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) under Division A, Title I of the CARES Act, which was enacted March 27, 2020. The PPP loan, which was in the form of a Note dated April 21, 2020 issued by us, matures on April 21, 2022 and bears interest at a rate of 1.0% per annum, payable monthly commencing on November 21, 2020. The PPP loan may be prepaid by us at any time prior to maturity with no prepayment penalties. Funds from the PPP loan may only be used for payroll costs, costs used to continue group health care benefits, mortgage payments, rent, utilities, and interest on other debt obligations incurred before February 15, 2020. We intend to use the entire loan amount for qualifying expenses. Under the terms of the PPP, certain amounts of the PPP loan may be forgiven if they are used for qualifying expenses as described in the CARES Act. We have submitted the application to have the PPP Loan forgiven and are waiting for approval from the Small Business Administration.
Purchase Obligations
We enter into contracts and issue purchase orders in the normal course of business with clinical research organizations for clinical trials and clinical and commercial supply manufacturing and with vendors for preclinical research studies, research supplies and other services and products for operating purposes. These contracts generally provide for termination on notice and are cancellable obligations.
Operating Leases
In August 2004, we entered into an agreement to lease our facility in Salt Lake City, Utah consisting of office and laboratory space which serves as our corporate headquarters. On February 24, 2020, we modified and extended the lease through February 28, 2021.
Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates
Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our financial statements which we have prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. In preparing our financial statements, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. There have been no significant and material changes in our critical accounting policies during the nine months ended September 30, 2020, as compared to those disclosed in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates” in our Form 10-K filed March 13, 2020.
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New Accounting Standards
Refer to Note 12, in “Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements” for a discussion of accounting standards not yet adopted.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
None.
| ITEM 3. | QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK |
We are exposed to various market risks, which include potential losses arising from adverse changes in market rates and prices, such as interest rates. We do not enter into derivatives or other financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
Interest Rate Risk. Our interest rate risk exposure results from our investment portfolio. Our primary objectives in managing our investment portfolio are to preserve principal, maintain proper liquidity to meet operating needs and maximize yields. The securities we hold in our investment portfolio are subject to interest rate risk. At any time, sharp changes in interest rates can affect the fair value of the investment portfolio and its interest earnings. After a review of our marketable investment securities, we believe that in the event of a hypothetical ten percent increase in interest rates, the resulting decrease in fair value of our marketable investment securities would be insignificant to the consolidated financial statements. Currently, we do not hedge these interest rate exposures. We have established policies and procedures to manage exposure to fluctuations in interest rates. We place our investments with high quality issuers and limit the amount of credit exposure to any one issuer and do not use derivative financial instruments in our investment portfolio. We invest in highly liquid, investment-grade securities and money market funds of various issues, types and maturities. These securities are classified as available-for-sale and, consequently, are recorded on the balance sheet at fair value with unrealized gains or losses reported as accumulated other comprehensive income as a separate component in stockholders' deficit unless a loss is deemed other than temporary, in which case the loss is recognized in earnings.
Additionally in January 2018, we entered into the Loan and Security Agreement with SVB for $10.0 million. A one percent increase in the prime rate would result in a $50,000 increase in interest expense, while a one percent decrease in the prime rate would result in a $56,000 decrease in interest expense.
| ITEM 4. | CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES |
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain "disclosure controls and procedures" within the meaning of Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Our disclosure controls and procedures, or Disclosure Controls, are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act, such as this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's rules and forms. Our Disclosure Controls include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
As of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our Disclosure Controls, which was done under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer. Based on the controls evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our Disclosure Controls were effective as of September 30, 2020.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal quarter covered by this report, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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| ITEM 1. | LEGAL PROCEEDINGS |
On February 15, 2019, a purported shareholder filed a shareholder derivative complaint in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, John Wajda, derivatively on behalf of Lipocine Inc. v. Mahesh Patel, et al., against certain of our current and former officers and directors as well as the Company as a nominal defendant. The complaint asserts claims for alleged breaches of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment arising out of our dissemination of purportedly false and misleading statements relating to the filing of the New Drug Application (“NDA”) for TLANDO. The relief sought in the complaint includes unspecified damages, changes to our corporate governance procedures, equitable and/or injunctive relief, restitution, and attorneys’ fees. On August 16, 2019, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. In response, the plaintiff’s filed an amended stockholder derivative complaint. Defendants’ motion to dismiss the amended complaint was filed on December 12, 2019; plaintiff’s response was filed on January 27, 2020 and defendants’ reply was filed on February 26, 2020. Oral arguments on the motion to dismiss were held on July 28, 2020. On July 30, 2020, the court entered an order dismissing the complaint in its entirety.
On April 2, 2019, we filed a lawsuit against Clarus in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware alleging that Clarus’s JATENZO® product infringes six of Lipocine’s issued U.S. patents: 9,034,858; 9,205,057; 9,480,690; 9,757,390; 6,569,463; and 6,923,988. Clarus has answered the complaint and asserted counterclaims of non-infringement and invalidity. We answered Clarus’s counterclaims on April 29, 2019. The Court held a scheduling conference on August 15, 2019, a claim construction hearing on February 11, 2020 and scheduled a five-day jury trial beginning on February 8, 2021. On February 11, 2020, we voluntarily dismissed allegations of patent infringement for expired U.S. Patent Nos. 6,569,463 and 6,923,988 in an effort to streamline the issues and associated costs for dispute. The parties are currently engaged in the fact discovery and expert testimony phase of the lawsuit.
On November 14, 2019, the Company and certain of its officers were named as defendants in a purported shareholder class action lawsuit, Solomon Abady v. Lipocine Inc. et al., 2:19-cv-00906-PMW, filed in the United District Court for the District of Utah. The complaint alleges that the defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that our filing of the NDA for TLANDO to the FDA contained deficiencies and as a result the defendants’ statements about our business and operations were false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis in violation of federal securities laws. The lawsuit seeks certification as a class action (for a purported class of purchasers of the Company’s securities from March 27, 2019 through November 8, 2019), compensatory damages in an unspecified amount, and unspecified equitable or injunctive relief. We have insurance that covers claims of this nature. The retention amount payable by us under our policy is $1.25 million. We filed a motion to dismiss this class action lawsuit on July 24, 2020. In response, the plaintiff’s filed their response to the motion to dismiss the class action lawsuit on September 22, 2020. Further, we intend to vigorously defend ourselves and our current and former officers and directors against these allegations and have not recorded a liability related to this shareholder class action lawsuit as the outcome is not probable nor can an estimate be made of loss, if any.
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| ITEM 1A. | RISK FACTORS |
In addition to the other information set forth in this Report, consider the risk factors discussed in Part 1, "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report filed on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on March 13, 2020, risk factors discussed in Item 1A of the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on May 7, 2020, risk factors discussed in Item 1A of the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 filed with the SEC on August 6, 2020 and the risk factors discussed in Item 1A of this Form 10-Q, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or future results. The risks described in the aforementioned report are not the only risks facing the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to the Company or that it currently deems to be not material also may materially adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition and or operating results.
The following are the risk factors that have materially changed from our risk factors included in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on March 13, 2020, from our risk factors included in our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on May 7, 2020 and from our risk factors included in our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 filed with the SEC on August 6, 2020:
Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry
Even if we obtain FDA approval for TLANDO, our ability to commercialize TLANDO may be limited.
Our ability to commercialize TLANDO, should it receive approval, is uncertain. Our ability to commercially launch TLANDO is contingent upon numerous factors including FDA approval, the availability of commercial launch supplies, the impact of COVID-19, our financial resources, and our ability to license TLANDO to a third party or build out a commercial sales and marketing team/organization. If we are unable to launch TLANDO commercially at scale, our business and operations will be adversely affected. As an alternative to launching TLANDO directly, we are exploring the possibility of licensing TLANDO to a third party, although no licensing agreement has been entered into by us yet. We are unable to estimate whether or when we will be able to out-license TLANDO, should it be approved.
The ongoing outbreak of coronavirus around the world could adversely impact our business and operating results.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China. Since then, SARS-CoV-2, and the resulting disease COVID-19, has spread to multiple countries, including the United States and all of the primary markets where we conduct business. On March 10, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, and the U.S. government imposed travel restrictions on travel between the United States and Europe for a 30-day period. Further, on March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency, invoking powers under the Stafford Act, the legislation that directs federal emergency disaster response. Almost all U.S. states and many local jurisdictions have issued, and others in the future may issue, "shelter-in-place" orders, quarantines, executive orders and similar government orders, restrictions and recommendations for their residents to control the spread of COVID-19. Such orders, restrictions and recommendations, and the perception that additional orders, restrictions or recommendations could occur, have resulted in widespread closures of businesses not deemed “essential,” work stoppages, slowdowns and delays, work-from-home policies, travel restrictions and cancellation of events, as well as record declines in stock prices, among other effects.
The duration and extent of COVID-19's impact on our business may be difficult to assess or predict. The widespread pandemic has resulted, and may continue to result for an extended period, in significant disruption of global financial markets, reducing our ability to access capital, which would negatively affect our liquidity. Further, quarantines or government reaction or shutdowns for COVID-19 could disrupt our operations and harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our key personnel and other employees could also be affected by COVID-19, potentially reducing their availability, and an outbreak such as COVID-19 or the procedures we take to mitigate its effect on our workforce could reduce the efficiency of our operations or prove insufficient. We may delay or reduce certain capital spending and certain projects until the travel and logistical impacts of COVID-19 are lifted, which will delay the completion of such projects.
In addition, the conduct of clinical trials and studies required to obtain regulatory approvals for our products have been and we expect may continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As hospital resources are prioritized for the COVID-19 outbreak and quarantines impede patient movement or interrupt healthcare services, clinical studies may continue to be disrupted. If we are unable to successfully complete our clinical studies, our business and operating results will be harmed. Further, we believe that subject drop-out rates and the number of subjects that ultimately complete the clinical study could be negatively impacted by COVID-19. Interruptions caused by COVID-19 may also limit our ability to collect data from clinical studies. If we are unable to complete or effectively collect data from clinical studies, our business and operating results will be harmed.
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The global outbreak of COVID-19 continues to rapidly evolve. The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 outbreak is highly uncertain and subject to change. We do not yet know the full extent of potential delays or impacts on our business or the global economy as a whole. However, these effects have harmed our business, financial condition and results of operations in the near term and could have a continuing material impact on our operations, sales and ability to continue as a going concern.
We may have to dedicate resources to the defense and resolution of litigation.
Securities legislation in the United States makes it relatively easy for stockholders to sue. This can lead to frivolous law suits which take substantial time, money, resources and attention or force us to settle such claims rather than seek adequate judicial remedy or dismissal of such claims. Historically, securities class action litigation has often been brought against a company following a decline in the market price of its securities. Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including the Company, have experienced significant stock price volatility in recent years, increasing the risk of such litigation. As we defend the class action lawsuits or future patent infringement actions should they be filed, or if we are required to defend additional actions brought by other shareholders, we may be required to pay substantial litigation costs and managerial attention and financial resources may be diverted from business operations even if the outcome is in our favor. In addition, while our insurance carrier may cover the costs of settling claims, the Company’s capital resources are critical to its continued operations, and the payment of litigation settlements and associated legal fees diverts these capital resources away from our operations, even if such amounts do not have a material impact on our financial statements.
On November 14, 2019, the Company and certain of its officers were named as defendants in a purported shareholder class action lawsuit, Solomon Abady v. Lipocine Inc. et al., 2:19-cv-00906-PMW, filed in the United District Court for the District of Utah. The complaint alleges that the defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that our filing of the NDA for TLANDO to the FDA contained deficiencies and as a result the defendants’ statements about our business and operations were false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis in violation of federal securities laws. The lawsuit seeks certification as a class action (for a purported class of purchasers of the Company’s securities from March 27, 2019 through November 8, 2019), compensatory damages in an unspecified amount, and unspecified equitable or injunctive relief. We have insurance that covers claims of this nature.
Defendants intend to vigorously defend themselves against these allegations, but doing so may result in substantial litigation costs and managerial attention and financial resources may be diverted from business operations even if outcome is in favor of our current and former officers and directors and the Company.
On April 2, 2019, we filed a lawsuit against Clarus in the United States District Court in Delaware alleging that Clarus’s JATENZO® product infringes six of Lipocine’s issued U.S. patents: 9,034,858; 9,205,057; 9,480,690; 9,757,390; 6,569,463; and 6,923,988. Clarus has answered the complaint and asserted counterclaims of non-infringement and invalidity. We answered Clarus’s counterclaims on April 29, 2019. The Court held a scheduling conference on August 15, 2019 and a claim construction hearing on February 11, 2020 and scheduled a five-day jury trial beginning on February 8, 2021. On February 11, 2020, we also voluntarily dismissed allegations of patent infringement for expired U.S. Patent Nos. 6,569,463 and 6,923,988 in an effort to streamline the issues and associated costs for dispute. The parties are currently engaged in the fact discovery and expert witness phase of the lawsuit.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
The value of our warrants outstanding from the November 2019 Offering is subject to potentially material increases and decreases based on fluctuations in the price of our common stock.
In November 2019, we completed a public offering of common stock and warrants to purchase common stock (the “November 2019 Offering”). Gross proceeds from the November 2019 Offering were approximately $6.0 million. In the November 2019 Offering, the Company sold (i) 10,450,000 Class A Units, with each Class A Unit consisting of one share of common stock and a common stock warrant to purchase one share of common stock, and (ii) 1,550,000 Class B Units, with each Class B Unit consisting of one pre-funded warrant to purchase one share of a common stock and one common stock warrant to purchase one share of common stock at a price of $0.50 per Class A Unit and $0.4999 per Class B Unit. The pre-funded warrants were issued in lieu of common stock in order to ensure the purchaser did not exceed certain beneficial ownership limitations. The pre-funded warrants were immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $.0001 per share, subject to adjustment. Additionally, the common stock warrants were immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $0.50 per share and expire on November 17, 2024.
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We account for the common stock warrants as a derivative instrument, and changes in the fair value of the warrants are included under other income (expense) in the Company’s statements of operations for each reporting period. At September 30, 2020, the aggregate fair value of the warrant liability included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet was $1.3 million. We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of the warrants. As a result, the option-pricing model requires the input of several assumptions, including the stock price volatility, share price and risk-free interest rate. Changes in these assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate. While the liability may only result from a change of control at that point in time, we ultimately may incur amounts significantly different than the carrying value.
Our management and directors will be able to exert influence over our affairs.
As of September 30, 2020, our executive officers and directors beneficially owned approximately 5.5% of our common stock. These stockholders, if they act together, may be able to influence our management and affairs and all matters requiring stockholder approval, including significant corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control and might affect the market price of our common stock.
Our common stock is thinly traded, may continue to be thinly traded in the future, and our stockholders may be unable to sell at or near asking prices or at all if they need to sell their shares.
Currently, we have a low volume of daily trades in our common stock on NASDAQ. For example, the average daily trading volume in our common stock on NASDAQ during the third quarter of 2020 was approximately 4.2 million shares per day. Our stockholders may be unable to sell their common stock at or near their asking prices or at all, which may result in substantial losses to our stockholders.
The market for our common stock may be characterized by significant price volatility when compared to seasoned issuers, and we expect that our share price will be more volatile than a seasoned issuer for the indefinite future. As noted above, our common stock may be sporadically and/or thinly traded. As a consequence of this lack of liquidity, the trading of relatively small quantities of shares by our stockholders may disproportionately influence the price of those shares in either direction. The price for our shares could, for example, decline significantly in the event that a large number of shares of our common stock are sold on the market without commensurate demand, as compared to a seasoned issuer that could better absorb those sales without adverse impact on its share price.
| ITEM 2. | UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS |
None.
| ITEM 3. | DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES |
None.
| ITEM 4. | MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES |
None.
| ITEM 5. | OTHER INFORMATION |
None.
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| ITEM 6. | EXHIBITS |
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
| Exhibit | Incorporation By Reference | |||||||||
| Number | Exhibit Description | Form | SEC File No. | Exhibit | Filing Date | |||||
| 31.1* | Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |||||||||
| 31.2* | Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |||||||||
| 32.1* | Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 18 U.S.C. 1350 (1) | |||||||||
| 32.2* | Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 18 U.S.C. 1350 (1) | |||||||||
| 101.INS* | XBRL Instance Document | |||||||||
| 101.SCH* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document | |||||||||
| 101.CAL* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document | |||||||||
| 101.DEF* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document | |||||||||
| 101.LAB* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document | |||||||||
| 101.PRE* | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document | |||||||||
| * | Filed herewith | |||||||||
| (1) | This certification accompanies the Form 10-Q to which it relates, is not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Registrant under the Securities Act, or the Exchange Act (whether made before or after the date of the Form 10-Q), irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing. | |||||||||
45
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
| Lipocine Inc. | |
| (Registrant) | |
| Dated: November 10, 2020 | /s/ Mahesh V. Patel |
|
Mahesh V. Patel, President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
| |
| Dated: November 10, 2020 | /s/ Morgan R. Brown |
|
Morgan R. Brown, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
|
46
EXHIBIT 31.1
CERTIFICATIONS
I, Mahesh V. Patel, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Lipocine Inc.; |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: |
| a) | designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; | |
| b) | designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; | |
| c) | evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and | |
| d) | disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and | |
| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| a) | all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and | |
| b) | any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
| Dated: November 10, 2020 | /s/ Mahesh V. Patel |
| Mahesh V. Patel, President and Chief Executive Officer | |
| (Principal Executive Officer) |
EXHIBIT 31.2
CERTIFICATIONS
I, Morgan R. Brown, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Lipocine Inc.; |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: |
| a) | designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; | |
| b) | designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; | |
| c) | evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and | |
| d) | disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and | |
| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| a) | all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and | |
| b) | any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
| Dated: November 10, 2020 | /s/ Morgan R. Brown |
| Morgan R. Brown, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |
| (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
EXHIBIT 32.1
CERTIFICATION
In connection with the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Lipocine Inc. (the “Corporation”) for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), the undersigned, Mahesh V. Patel, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, hereby certifies, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to his knowledge:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Corporation.
| Dated: November 10, 2020 | /s/ Mahesh V. Patel |
| Mahesh V. Patel, President and Chief Executive Officer | |
| (Principal Executive Officer) |
EXHIBIT 32.2
CERTIFICATION
In connection with the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Lipocine Inc. (the “Corporation”) for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), the undersigned, Morgan R. Brown, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation, hereby certifies, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to his knowledge:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Corporation.
| Dated: November 10, 2020 | /s/ Morgan R. Brown |
| Morgan R. Brown, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |
| (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |