As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 13, 2022
Registration No. 333-264894
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
2836 | ||||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
(Address, including zip code and telephone number,
including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Kenneth Berlin
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Name, address, including zip code and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)
With copies to:
Justin W. Chairman, Esq. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP 1701 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 Telephone: (215) 963-5000 Facsimile: (215) 963-5001 |
Ron Ben-Bassat, Esq. Eric Victorson, Esq. Sullivan & Worcester LLP 1633 Broadway New York, New York 10019 Telephone: (212) 660-5003 Facsimile: (212) 660-3000 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box: ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:
Large accelerated filer ☐ | Accelerated filer ☐ | |
Smaller
reporting company | ||
Emerging
growth company |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act, or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JUNE 13, 2022 |
ADVAXIS, INC.
2,500,000 Shares of Common Stock and Warrants to Purchase
2,500,000 Shares of Common Stock
$ per Unit
We are offering 2,500,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value, and warrants (“Common Stock Purchase Warrants”) to purchase 2,500,000 shares of common stock pursuant to this prospectus. Each whole Common Stock Purchase Warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $ , will be exercisable upon issuance and will expire five years from the date of issuance. The shares of common stock and the Common Stock Purchase Warrants will be issued and sold to purchasers in the ratio of one-to-one.
The shares of common stock and the accompanying Common Stock Purchase Warrants will be sold in units (each, a “common stock unit” or the “units”), with each common stock unit consisting of one share of common stock and one Common Stock Purchase Warrant to purchase one share of our common stock. The shares of common stock and Common Stock Purchase Warrants will be immediately separable on issuance. Each common stock unit will be sold at a price of $ per common stock unit.
We have applied to list our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “ADXS”. Although we believe that as of the consummation of this offering, we will meet the listing criteria for listing of our common stock on Nasdaq, there is no assurance that our application will be approved. On March 31, 2022, our stockholders approved a proposal giving our board of directors the authorization to effect a reverse split (the “reverse split”) of our outstanding shares of common stock at a specific ratio within a range of one-for-20 to one-for-80 (or any number in between), with the exact ratio to be set within such range in the discretion of our board of directors without further approval or authorization of our stockholders, with our board of directors having the ultimate discretion as to whether or not to proceed with the reverse split. On June 3, 2022, our board of directors approved the reverse split at a ratio of one-for-80, which took effect on June 6, 2022. Prior to this offering, our common stock has traded on the OTCQX® Best Market under the symbol “ADXSD.” As of June 8, 2022, the last reported sale price of our common stock was $3.70. The Common Stock Purchase Warrants will not be listed on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 4.
Per Common Stock Unit | Total | |||||||
Public offering price | $ | $ | ||||||
Underwriting discount and commissions(1) | $ | $ | ||||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | $ | $ |
(1) | We have agreed to pay certain expenses of the underwriter, as well as a non-accountable expense allowance to the underwriter equal to 0.5% of the gross proceeds received in this offering (excluding proceeds received from exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option) which is not included in the underwriting discounts and commission. See “Underwriting” on page 86 for additional information regarding underwriters’ compensation. |
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
We have granted the underwriter an option, exercisable within 45 days after the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 375,000 additional shares of our common stock and/or Common Stock Purchase Warrants upon the same terms and conditions as the shares offered by this prospectus to cover over-allotments, if any.
The underwriter expects to deliver the securities to purchasers on or about , 2022.
Sole Book-Running Manager
A.G.P.
The date of this prospectus is , 2022.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus and in any free-writing prospectus we prepare or authorize. We have not, and the underwriter has not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information, and we take no responsibility for any other information others may give you. We are not, and the underwriter is not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the cover page of this prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
Some of the industry and market data contained in this prospectus are based on independent industry publications or other publicly available information, while other information is based on our internal sources. Although we believe that each source is reliable as of its respective date, the information contained in such sources has not been independently verified, and neither we nor the underwriter can assure you as to the accuracy or completeness of this information.
For investors outside the United States: We have not, and the underwriter has not, done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the shares of common stock and Common Stock Purchase Warrants and the distribution of this prospectus outside the United States.
TRADEMARKS, TRADE NAMES AND SERVICE MARKS
This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference contain references to our trademarks and to trademarks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus, including logos, artwork and other visual displays, may appear without the ® or TM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names or trademarks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this prospectus may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about:
● | the success and timing of our clinical trials, including patient accrual; |
● | our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval and/or reimbursement of our product candidates for marketing; |
● | our ability to obtain the appropriate labeling of our products under any regulatory approval; |
● | our plans to develop and commercialize our products; |
● | the successful development and implementation of future sales and marketing campaigns; |
● | the change of key scientific or management personnel; |
● | the size and growth of the potential markets for our product candidates and our ability to serve those markets; |
● | our ability to successfully compete in the potential markets for our product candidates, if commercialized; |
● | regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; |
● | the rate and degree of market acceptance of any of our product candidates; |
● | new products, product candidates or new uses for existing products or technologies introduced or announced by our competitors and the timing of these introductions or announcements; |
● | market conditions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors; |
● | our available cash; |
● | the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenues, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; |
● | our ability to obtain additional funding; |
● | any outcomes from our review of strategic transactions and options to maximize stockholder value; |
● | the ability of our product candidates to successfully perform in clinical trials and to resolve any clinical holds that may occur; |
● | our ability to obtain and maintain approval of our product candidates for trial initiation; |
● | our ability to manufacture and the performance of third-party manufacturers; |
● | our ability to identify license and collaboration partners and to maintain existing relationships; |
● | the performance of our clinical research organizations, clinical trial sponsors and clinical trial investigators, and collaboration partners for any clinical trials we conduct; |
● | our ability to successfully implement our strategy; |
● | our ability to maintain the listing of the shares of our common stock on the OTCQX® Best Market (“OTCQX”), from which we received a notification on May 10, 2022 that by virtue of closing below $0.10 for more than 30 consecutive calendar days, our common stock no longer meets the Standards for Continued Qualification for the OTCQX U.S. tier, and that if we do not regain qualification by November 7, 2022, our common stock will be moved from OTCQX to the OTC Pink market; and |
● | our ability to meet Nasdaq listing requirements, have our listing application accepted by Nasdaq and maintain our listing on Nasdaq. |
This list is only an example of the risks that may affect the forward-looking statements. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize or fail to materialize, or if the underlying assumptions are incorrect, then actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.
Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, those discussed elsewhere in this prospectus. It is important not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect our analysis, judgment, belief or expectation only as of the date of this prospectus. We undertake no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this prospectus.
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights information contained elsewhere or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making your investment decision. Before investing in our common stock, purchase warrants or pre-funded warrants, you should read the entire prospectus carefully, including the section entitled “Risk Factors” and the information in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Unless the context otherwise requires, we use the terms “Advaxis,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” “our” and similar designations in this prospectus to refer to Advaxis, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries.
Overview
We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary Lm Technology antigen delivery products based on a platform technology that utilizes live attenuated Listeria monocytogenes, or Lm, bioengineered to secrete antigen/adjuvant fusion proteins. These Lm-based strains are believed to be a significant advancement in immunotherapy as they integrate multiple functions into a single immunotherapy by accessing and directing antigen-presenting cells (“APCs”) to stimulate anti-tumor T cell immunity, stimulate and activate the innate immune system with the equivalent of multiple adjuvants, and simultaneously reduce tumor protection in the tumor micro-environment, or TME, to enable the T cells to attack tumor cells.
We believe that its current pipeline evaluating off-the shelf, neoantigen-directed immunotherapies (i.e., our HOT program) can address significant unmet needs in the current oncology treatment landscape. Specifically, our first drug construct from the HOT program is ADXS-503 (HOT Lung), which has been designed to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and has the potential to optimize checkpoint inhibitors’ performance in NSCLC, while having a generally well-tolerated safety profile. On July 15, 2021, the Company announced the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical study evaluating the second drug construct from our HOT program, ADXS-504 (HOT Prostate), in patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer. The study, being conducted at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, is the first clinical evaluation of ADXS-504 for the treatment of early prostate cancer.
We have completed and closed out clinical studies of Lm Technology immunotherapies in several program areas including the following:
● | Human Papilloma Virus (“HPV”) associated cancers | |
● | Personalized neoantigen-directed therapies | |
● | Prostate-specific antigen (“PSA”) directed therapy |
While we have been winding down clinical studies of Lm Technology immunotherapies in these program areas, our license agreements continue with OS Therapies, LLC for ADXS-HER2 and with Global BioPharma, or GBP, for the exclusive license for the development and commercialization of ADXS-HPV or AXAL in Asia, Africa, and the former USSR territory, exclusive of India and certain other countries.
Changes to Our Capital Structure
Reverse Stock Split
On March 31, 2022, we received the approval of the requisite number of holders of the shares of our common stock to amend our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, or Charter, to effect a reverse split of the shares of our common stock at a ratio of one-for-20 to one-for-80 (or any number in between), with the exact ratio to be set within such range in the discretion of our board of directors without further approval or authorization of our stockholders, with our board of directors having the ultimate discretion as to whether or not to proceed with the reverse split. On June 3, 2022, our board of directors approved the reverse split at a ratio of one-for-80, which took effect on June 6, 2022. All references in this prospectus to number of shares, price per share and weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding prior to this reverse stock split have been adjusted to reflect the reverse stock split on a retroactive basis, unless otherwise noted.
Corporate Information
We were organized as a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware.
Throughout this prospectus, we refer to various service marks and trade names that we use in our business. Other trademarks and service marks appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective holders.
In this prospectus, the terms “Advaxis,” “we,” “us,” “our” and “the Company” refer to Advaxis, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
Our principal executive offices are located at 9 Deer Park Drive, Suite K-1, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey 08852 and our telephone number is (609) 452-9813. Our website address is www.advaxis.com. The information contained therein or connected thereto shall not be deemed to be incorporated into this prospectus or the registration statement of which it forms a part.
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The Offering
Common stock offered by us | 2,500,000 Shares | |
Common Stock Units | The shares of common stock and accompanying Common Stock Purchase Warrants will be sold in units, with each unit consisting of one share of common stock and one warrant to purchase one share of common stock. Each common stock unit will be sold at a price of $ per unit. The common stock units will be separable immediately upon issuance. | |
Common Stock Purchase Warrants offered by us | Common Stock Purchase Warrants to purchase an aggregate of 2,500,000 shares of common stock. Each Common Stock Purchase Warrant will have an exercise price of $ per share, will be immediately exercisable and will expire on the five-year anniversary of the original issuance date. The shares of common stock and Common Stock Purchase Warrants will be issued separately and will be immediately separable upon issuance. This prospectus also relates to the offering of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants. For additional information, see “Description of Securities — Common Stock Purchase Warrants to be Issued as Part of this Offering” on page 83 of this prospectus. | |
Common stock outstanding immediately after this offering |
4,320,480 shares(1) | |
Use of proceeds | The proceeds from the sale of securities offered by this prospectus will be used for working capital and other general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds.” | |
Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board trading symbol |
“ADXSD” | |
Proposed Nasdaq Capital Market trading symbol | We have applied to list our common stock on Nasdaq under the symbol “ADXS”. Although we believe that as of the consummation of this offering, we will meet the listing criteria for listing of our common stock on Nasdaq, there is no assurance that our application will be approved. | |
No Listing of Warrants | We do not intend to apply for listing of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants on any national securities exchange or trading system. | |
Risk factors | See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 4 for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our securities. |
(1) The number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 1.82 million shares outstanding as of June 9, 2022 and excludes shares issuable pursuant to the underwriter’s over-allotment option.
Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus reflects or assumes: (i) no exercise of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants; and (ii) no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to an additional shares of common stock and/or Common Stock Purchase Warrants in this offering.
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SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, any one of which could materially adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition or business. These risks include, but are not limited to, those listed below. This list is not complete, and should be read together with the section titled “Risk Factors” below:
● | We have incurred significant losses since our inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future. |
● | We will require additional capital to fund our operations and if we fail to obtain necessary financing, we will not be able to complete the development and commercialization of our product candidates. |
● | We are significantly dependent on the success of our Lm Technology platform and our product candidates based on this platform. |
● | If we are unable to establish, manage or maintain strategic collaborations in the future, our revenue and drug development may be limited. |
● | We are subject to certain U.S. and foreign anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions and other trade laws and regulations. We can face serious consequences for violations. |
● | We need to attract and retain highly skilled personnel; we may be unable to effectively manage growth with our limited resources. |
● | We depend upon our senior management and key consultants and their loss or unavailability could put us at a competitive disadvantage. |
● | The biotechnology and immunotherapy industries are characterized by rapid technological developments and a high degree of competition. We may be unable to compete with more substantial enterprises. |
● | As a matter of course, we are reviewing strategic transactions for our company. We may not be successful in identifying or completing any strategic transaction and any such strategic transaction completed may not yield additional value for stockholders. |
● | We can provide no assurance that our clinical product candidates will obtain regulatory approval or that the results of clinical studies will be favorable. |
● | Drug discovery and development is a complex, time-consuming and expensive process that is fraught with risk and a high rate of failure. |
● | We may face legal claims; legal disputes are expensive and we may not be able to afford the costs. |
● | We can provide no assurance of the successful and timely development of new products. |
● | Our employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial partners, principal investigators, or CROs may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. |
● | We must comply with significant government regulations. |
● | Ongoing healthcare legislative and regulatory reform measures may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. |
● | We rely upon patents to protect our technology. We may be unable to protect our intellectual property rights and we may be liable for infringing the intellectual property rights of others. |
● | The price of the shares of our common stock may be volatile. |
● | A limited public trading market may cause volatility in the price of the shares of our common stock. |
● | We may be at an increased risk of securities litigation, which is expensive and could divert management attention. |
● | Our certificate of incorporation, bylaws and Delaware law have anti-takeover provisions that could discourage, delay or prevent a change in control, which may cause our stock price to decline. |
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RISK FACTORS
Investing in the shares of our common stock and our Common Stock Warrants involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below together with all of the other information contained in this prospectus before deciding to invest in the shares of our common stock and our Common Stock Warrants. If any of these risks occur, our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition could suffer materially. In such event, the trading price of the shares of our common stock could decline and you might lose all or part of your investment. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial may also adversely affect our business. Certain statements below are forward-looking statements. See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this prospectus.
Risks Related to Our Financial Position, Capital Needs and Strategic Considerations
We have incurred significant losses since our inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future.
We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company. Investment in biotechnology product development is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront capital expenditures and significant risk that a product candidate will fail to gain regulatory approval or become commercially viable. We have not generated any revenue from product sales to date, and we continue to incur significant development and other expenses related to our ongoing operations. As a result, we are not profitable and have incurred losses in each period since our inception.
We expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future, and we expect these losses to increase as we continue our development of, and seek regulatory approvals for, our product candidates, and begin to commercialize any approved products. We may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other unknown factors that may adversely affect our business. The size of our future net losses will depend, in part, on the rate of future growth of our expenses and our ability to generate revenues. If any of our product candidates fails in clinical studies or do not gain regulatory approval, or if approved, fails to achieve market acceptance, we may never become profitable. Even if we achieve profitability in the future, we may not be able to sustain profitability in subsequent periods. Our prior losses and expected future losses have had and will continue to have an adverse effect on our stockholders’ (deficit) equity and working capital.
We will require additional capital to fund our operations and if we fail to obtain necessary financing, we will not be able to complete the development and commercialization of our product candidates.
The research and development of our products has consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception. We expect to continue to invest in advancing the clinical development of our product candidates and to commercialize any product candidates for which we receive regulatory approval. As of April 30, 2022, we had cash and cash equivalents of $32.1 million. We will require additional capital for the further development of our product candidates. We are pursuing various ways to support our development efforts including debt and/or equity financing as well as targeting potential collaborators of our products.
We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development or commercialization of one or more of our products or product candidates or one or more of our other research and development initiatives. Our forecast of the period of time through which our financial resources will be adequate to support our operations is a forward-looking statement and involves risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary as a result of a number of factors, including the factors discussed elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section. 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. Our future funding requirements, both near and long-term, will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:
● | The progress, timing, costs and results of the clinical studies underway; |
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● | future clinical development plans we establish for our product candidates; | |
● | the number and characteristics of product candidates that we develop or may in-license; | |
● | the outcome, timing and cost of meeting regulatory requirements established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and comparable foreign regulatory authorities, including the potential for the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities to require that we perform more studies than those that we currently expect; | |
● | the cost of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing our patent claims and other intellectual property rights; | |
● | the cost of defending intellectual property disputes, including patent infringement actions brought by third parties against us or our product candidates; | |
● | the effect of competing technological and market developments; | |
● | the cost and timing of completion of commercial-scale outsourced manufacturing activities; and | |
● | the cost of establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities for any product candidates for which we may receive regulatory approval in regions where we choose to commercialize our products on our own. |
As we recently announced in connection with the termination of the Merger Agreement for our planned merger with Biosight, we are continuing to explore options to maximize stockholder value, including reviewing strategic transactions for our company. We may not be successful in identifying or completing any strategic transaction and any such strategic transaction completed may not yield additional value for stockholders.
In December 2021, we announced that we had terminated our merger agreement with Biosight. We also announced in December 2021 that we plan to continue to explore additional options to maximize stockholder value. As such, we are reviewing strategic transactions and alternatives. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in identifying or completing any strategic transactions, that any such strategic transaction will result in additional value for our stockholders or that the process will not have an adverse impact on our business. These transactions could include, but are not limited to, collaboration agreements, co-development agreements, strategic mergers, reverse mergers, the issuance of securities (in addition to this offering) or buyback of public shares, or the purchase, in-license or out-license or sale of specific assets, in addition to other potential actions aimed at increasing stockholder value. There can be no assurance that the review of strategic transactions will result in the identification or consummation of any transaction. Our Board of Directors may also determine that our most effective strategy is to continue to effectuate our current business plan. The process of reviewing strategic transactions may be time consuming and disruptive to our business operations and, if we are unable to effectively manage the process, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. We could incur substantial expenses associated with identifying and evaluating potential strategic alternatives. No decision has been made with respect to any transaction and we cannot assure you that we will be able to identify and undertake any transaction that allows our shareholders to realize an increase in the value of their shares of common stock or provide any guidance on the timing of such action, if any.
We also cannot assure you that any potential strategic transaction or other alternative transaction, if identified, evaluated and consummated, will provide greater value to our stockholders than that reflected in the current price of the shares of our common stock. Any potential transaction would be dependent upon a number of factors that may be beyond our control, including, but not limited to, market conditions, industry trends, the interest of third parties in our business and the availability of financing to potential buyers on reasonable terms. We do not intend to comment regarding the evaluation of strategic alternatives until such time as our Board of Directors has determined the outcome of the process or otherwise has deemed that disclosure is appropriate or required by applicable law. As a consequence, perceived uncertainties related to our future may result in the loss of potential business opportunities and volatility in the market price of the shares of our common stock and may make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified personnel and business partners.
Risks Related to Our Business, Industry and Strategy
We are a clinical stage company.
We are a clinical stage biotechnology company with a history of losses and can provide no assurance as to future operating results. As a result of losses that will continue throughout our clinical stage, we may exhaust our financial resources and be unable to complete the development of our products. We anticipate that we will continue to incur significant operational costs as we execute on our clinical development strategy. Our deficit will continue to grow during our drug development period.
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We have sustained losses from operations in each fiscal year since our inception, and we expect losses to continue for the foreseeable future due to our substantial investment in research and development. As of April 30, 2022, we had an accumulated deficit of $431.4 million and stockholders’ equity of $35.2 million. We expect to spend substantial additional sums on the continued administration and research and development of proprietary products and technologies with no certainty that our immunotherapies will become commercially viable or profitable as a result of these expenditures. If we fail to raise a significant amount of capital, we may need to significantly curtail operations or cease operations in the near future. If any of our product candidates fail in clinical trials or does not gain regulatory approval, we may never become profitable. Even if we achieve profitability in the future, we may not be able to sustain profitability in subsequent periods.
We are significantly dependent on the success of our Lm Technology platform and our product candidates based on this platform.
We have invested, and we expect to continue to invest, significant efforts and financial resources in the development of product candidates based on our Lm Technology. Our ability to generate meaningful revenue, which may not occur for the foreseeable future, if ever, will depend heavily on the successful development, regulatory approval and commercialization of one or more of these product candidates, and such regulatory approval and commercialization may never occur.
The successful development of immunotherapies is highly uncertain.
Successful development of immunotherapies is highly uncertain and is dependent on numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control. Immunotherapies that appear promising in the early phases of development may fail to reach, or be delayed in reaching, the market for several reasons including:
● | preclinical study results that may show the immunotherapy to be less effective than desired (e.g., the study failed to meet its primary objectives) or to have harmful or problematic side effects; | |
● | clinical study results that may show the immunotherapy to be less effective than expected (e.g., the study failed to meet its primary endpoint) or to have unacceptable side effects; | |
● | failure to receive the necessary regulatory approvals or a delay in receiving such approvals. Among other things, such delays may be caused by slow enrollment in clinical studies, length of time to achieve study endpoints, delays in receiving the necessary products or supplies for the conduct of clinical or pre-clinical trials, additional time requirements for data analysis, or Biologics License Application preparation, discussions with the FDA, an FDA request for additional preclinical or clinical data, FDA delays in inspecting manufacturing establishments, failure to receive FDA approval for manufacturing processes or facilities, or unexpected safety or manufacturing issues; |
● | manufacturing costs, formulation issues, pricing or reimbursement issues, or other factors that make the immunotherapy uneconomical; and | |
● | the proprietary rights of others and their competing products and technologies that may prevent the immunotherapy from being commercialized. |
Success in preclinical and early clinical studies does not ensure that large-scale clinical studies will be successful. Clinical results are frequently susceptible to varying interpretations that may delay, limit or prevent regulatory approvals. The length of time necessary to complete clinical studies and to submit an application for marketing approval for a final decision by a regulatory authority varies significantly from one immunotherapy to the next and may be difficult to predict.
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Even if our product candidates are approved, they may be subject to limitations on the indicated uses and populations for which they may be marketed. They may also be subject to other conditions of approval, may contain significant safety warnings, including boxed warnings, contraindications, and precautions, may not be approved with label statements necessary or desirable for successful commercialization, or may contain requirements for costly post-market testing and surveillance, or other requirements, including the submission of a REMS, to monitor the safety or efficacy of the products. If we do not receive FDA approval for, and successfully commercialize our product candidates, we will not be able to generate revenue from these product candidates in the United States in the foreseeable future, or at all. Any significant delays in obtaining approval for and commercializing our product candidates will have a material adverse impact on our business and financial condition.
We must rely upon third parties for manufacturing.
We currently have agreements with third party manufacturing facilities for production of many of our immunotherapies for research and development and testing purposes. We depend on third-party manufacturers to supply all of our clinical materials, but we do not have direct control over their personnel or operations. Third-party manufacturers must be able to meet our deadlines as well as adhere to quality standards and specifications. Our reliance on third parties for the manufacturing of our drug substance, investigational new drugs and, in the future, any approved products, creates a dependency that could severely disrupt our research and development, our clinical testing, and ultimately our sales and marketing efforts if the source of such supply proves to be unreliable or unavailable. For instance, manufacturers may experience unforeseen problems, such as material or personnel shortages, temporary or permanent facility closures, or scale up challenges. If any contracted manufacturing operation is unreliable or unavailable, we may not be able to manufacture clinical drug supplies of our immunotherapies, and our preclinical and clinical testing programs may not be able to move forward and our entire business plan could fail. If we are able to commercialize our products in the future, there is no assurance that any third-party manufacturers will be able to meet commercialized scale production requirements in a timely manner.
There is also no guarantee that our third-party manufacturers will be able to manufacture our product candidates in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMPs”). Poor control of production processes can lead to the introduction of adventitious agents or other contaminants, or to inadvertent changes in the properties or stability of a product candidate that may not be detectable in final product testing. If these third-party manufacturers are not able to comply with cGMPs, we may not be able to conduct clinical trials, may need to conduct additional studies, and may not, eventually, receive and maintain FDA approval for those products. Deviations from manufacturing requirements may also require remedial measures that may be costly and/or time-consuming for a third party to implement and that may include the temporary or permanent suspension of a clinical trial or commercial sales or the temporary or permanent closure of a facility. Any such remedial measures imposed upon or by third parties with whom we contract could materially harm our business. A failure to comply with the applicable regulatory requirements may also result in regulatory enforcement actions against our manufacturers.
While we are ultimately responsible for the manufacturing of our product candidates, other than through our contractual arrangements, we have little control over our manufacturers’ compliance with these regulations and standards. If our manufacturers encounter manufacturing difficulties, including cGMP compliance, we may need to find alternative manufacturing facilities, which we may not be able to on favorable terms or at all, and which would significantly impact our ability to develop, obtain and maintain regulatory approval for or market our product candidates, if approved. Any new manufacturers would need to either obtain or develop the necessary manufacturing know-how, and obtain the necessary equipment and materials, which may take substantial time and investment. We must also receive FDA approval for the use of any new manufacturers for commercial supply.
If we are unable to establish, manage or maintain strategic collaborations in the future, our revenue and drug development may be limited.
Our strategy includes eventual substantial reliance upon strategic collaborations for marketing and commercialization of our clinical product candidates, and we may rely even more on strategic collaborations for research, development, marketing and commercialization for some of our immunotherapies. To date, we have been heavily reliant upon third party outsourcing for our clinical trials execution and production of drug supplies for use in clinical trials. Establishing strategic collaborations is difficult and time-consuming. Our discussions with potential collaborators may not lead to the establishment of collaborations on favorable terms, if at all. For example, potential collaborators may reject collaborations based upon their assessment of our financial, clinical, regulatory or intellectual property position. Our current collaborations, as well as any future new collaborations, may never result in the successful development or commercialization of our immunotherapies or the generation of sales revenue. To the extent that we have entered or will enter into co-promotion or other collaborative arrangements, our product revenues are likely to be lower than if we directly marketed and sold any products that we may develop.
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Management of our relationships with our collaborators will require:
● | significant time and effort from our management team; | |
● | financial funding to support said collaboration; | |
● | coordination of our research and development programs with the research and development priorities of our collaborators; and | |
● | effective allocation of our resources to multiple projects. |
If we continue to enter into research and development collaborations at the early phases of drug development, our success will in part depend on the performance of our corporate collaborators. We will not directly control the amount or timing of resources devoted by our corporate collaborators to activities related to our immunotherapies and our collaborations may terminate at any time. Our corporate collaborators may not commit sufficient resources to our research and development programs or the commercialization, marketing or distribution of our immunotherapies. If any corporate collaborator fails to commit sufficient resources or terminate their collaborations with us, our preclinical or clinical development programs related to this collaboration could be delayed or terminated.
Further, our collaborators may pursue existing or other development-stage products or alternative technologies in preference to those being developed in collaboration with us. Collaborators may also fail to comply with the applicable regulatory requirements, which may subject them or us to regulatory enforcement actions. Finally, if we fail to make required milestone or royalty payments to our collaborators or to observe other obligations in our agreements with them, our collaborators may have the right to terminate those agreements.
Changes in product candidate manufacturing or formulation may result in additional costs or delay.
In an effort to optimize processes and results, it is common that various aspects of the development program, such as manufacturing methods, manufacturing sites, and formulation, are altered as product candidates are developed from preclinical studies to late-stage clinical trials toward approval and commercialization. Any of these changes could cause our product candidates to perform differently and affect the results of planned clinical trials or other future clinical trials conducted with the altered materials. Such changes may also require additional testing, regulatory disclosure, or prior approval from the FDA. For instance, the FDA may require that we conduct a comparability study that evaluates the potential differences in the product candidate resulting from the change. Delays in designing and completing such a study to the satisfaction of the FDA could delay or preclude our development and commercialization plans, and the regulatory approval of our product candidates. It may also require the repetition of one or more clinical trials, increase clinical trial costs, delay approval of our product candidates and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenue. Any of the foregoing could limit our future revenues and growth. Any changes would also require that we devote time and resources to manufacturing development, including with third-party manufacturers, and would also likely require additional testing and regulatory actions on our part, which may delay the development of our product candidates.
We may incur significant costs complying with environmental laws and regulations.
We and our contracted third parties use hazardous materials, including chemicals and biological agents and compounds that could be dangerous to human health and safety or the environment. As appropriate, we store these materials and wastes resulting from their use at our or our outsourced laboratory facility pending their ultimate use or disposal. We contract with a third party to properly dispose of these materials and wastes. We are subject to a variety of federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the use, generation, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of these materials and wastes. Compliance with such laws and regulations may be costly.
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Additional laws and regulations governing international operations could negatively impact or restrict our operations.
If we further expand our operations outside of the United States, we must dedicate additional resources to comply with numerous laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which we plan to operate. The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, prohibits any U.S. individual or business from paying, offering, authorizing payment or offering anything of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign official, political party or candidate for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of the foreign entity in order to assist the individual or business in obtaining or retaining business. The FCPA also obligates companies whose securities are listed in the United States to comply with certain accounting provisions requiring the company to maintain books and records that accurately and fairly reflect all transactions of the corporation, including international subsidiaries, and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls for international operations.
Compliance with the FCPA is expensive and difficult, particularly in countries in which corruption is a recognized problem. In addition, the FCPA presents particular challenges in the pharmaceutical industry, because, in many countries, hospitals are operated by the government, and doctors and other hospital employees are considered foreign officials. Certain payments to hospitals in connection with clinical trials and other work have been deemed to be improper payments to government officials and have led to FCPA enforcement actions.
Various laws, regulations and executive orders also restrict the use and dissemination outside of the United States, or the sharing with certain non-U.S. nationals, of information classified for national security purposes, as well as certain products and technical data relating to those products. If we expand our presence outside of the United States, it will require us to dedicate additional resources to comply with these laws, and these laws may preclude us from developing, manufacturing or selling certain products and product candidates outside of the United States, which could limit our growth potential and increase our development costs.
The failure to comply with laws governing international business practices may result in substantial civil and criminal penalties and suspension or debarment from government contracting. The SEC also may suspend or bar issuers from trading securities on U.S. exchanges for violations of the FCPA’s accounting provisions.
We are subject to certain U.S. and foreign anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions and other trade laws and regulations. We can face serious consequences for violations.
Among other matters, U.S. and foreign anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions and other trade laws and regulations, which are collectively referred to as Trade Laws, prohibit companies and their employees, agents, clinical research organizations, legal counsel, accountants, consultants, contractors and other partners from authorizing, promising, offering, providing, soliciting or receiving, directly or indirectly, corrupt or improper payments or anything else of value to or from recipients in the public or private sector. Violations of Trade Laws can result in substantial criminal fines and civil penalties, imprisonment, the loss of trade privileges, debarment, tax reassessments, breach of contract and fraud litigation, exclusion from public tenders, reputational harm and other consequences. We have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or government-affiliated hospitals, universities and other organizations. We plan to engage third parties for clinical trials and/or to obtain necessary permits, licenses, patent registrations and other regulatory approvals and we can be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of our personnel, agents or partners, even if we do not explicitly authorize or have prior knowledge of such activities.
If we use biological materials in a manner that causes injury, we may be liable for damages.
Our research and development activities involve the use of biological and hazardous materials. Although we believe our safety procedures for handling and disposing of these materials complies with federal, state and local laws and regulations, we cannot entirely eliminate the risk of accidental injury or contamination from the use, storage, handling or disposal of these materials. We do not carry specific biological waste or pollution liability or remediation insurance coverage, nor do our workers’ compensation, general liability, and property and casualty insurance policies provide coverage for damages and fines/penalties arising from biological exposure or contamination. Accordingly, in the event of contamination or injury, we could be held liable for damages or penalized with fines in an amount exceeding our resources, and our clinical trials or regulatory approvals could be suspended or terminated.
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We need to attract and retain highly skilled personnel; we may be unable to effectively manage growth with our limited resources.
As of April 30, 2022, we had 15 employees, 14 of which were full time employees. Our ability to attract and retain highly skilled personnel is critical to our operations and expansion. We face competition for these types of personnel from other technology companies and more established organizations, many of which have significantly larger operations and greater financial, technical, human and other resources than we have. We may not be successful in attracting and retaining qualified personnel on a timely basis, on competitive terms, or at all. If we are not successful in attracting and retaining these personnel, or integrating them into our operations, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations will be materially adversely affected. In such circumstances we may be unable to conduct certain research and development programs, unable to adequately manage our clinical trials and other products, unable to commercialize any products, and unable to adequately address our management needs.
We depend upon our senior management and key consultants and their loss or unavailability could put us at a competitive disadvantage.
We depend upon the efforts and abilities of our senior executives, as well as the services of several key consultants. The loss or unavailability of the services of any of these individuals for any significant period of time could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. We have not obtained, do not own, nor are we the beneficiary of, key-person life insurance.
The biotechnology and immunotherapy industries are characterized by rapid technological developments and a high degree of competition. We may be unable to compete with more substantial enterprises.
The biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries are characterized by rapid technological developments and a high degree of competition. As a result, our actual or proposed immunotherapies could become obsolete before we recoup any portion of our related research and development and commercialization expenses. Competition in the biopharmaceutical industry is based significantly on scientific and technological factors. These factors include the availability of patent and other protection for technology and products, the ability to commercialize technological developments and the ability to obtain governmental approval for testing, manufacturing and marketing. We compete with specialized biopharmaceutical firms in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, as well as a growing number of large pharmaceutical companies that are applying biotechnology to their operations. Many biopharmaceutical companies have focused their development efforts in the human therapeutics area, including cancer. Many major pharmaceutical companies have developed or acquired internal biotechnology capabilities or made commercial arrangements with other biopharmaceutical companies. These companies, as well as academic institutions and governmental agencies and private research organizations, also compete with us in recruiting and retaining highly qualified scientific personnel and consultants. Our ability to compete successfully with other companies in the pharmaceutical field will also depend to a considerable degree on the continuing availability of capital to us.
We are aware of certain investigational new products under development or approved products by competitors that are used for the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of certain diseases we have targeted for product development. Various companies are developing biopharmaceutical products that have the potential to directly compete with our immunotherapies even though their approach may be different. The biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries are highly competitive, and this competition comes from both biotechnology firms and major pharmaceutical companies, including companies like: Gritstone, Moderna, BMS, Merck and Neon Therapeutics, among others, each of which is pursuing cancer vaccines and/or immunotherapies. Many of these companies have substantially greater financial, marketing, and human resources than we do (including, in some cases, substantially greater experience in clinical testing, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceutical products). We also experience competition in the development of our immunotherapies from universities and other research institutions and compete with others in acquiring technology from such universities and institutions.
In addition, certain of our immunotherapies may be subject to competition from investigational new drugs and/or products developed using other technologies, some of which have completed numerous clinical trials.
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A global health crisis such as a pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease, such as the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”), may materially and adversely affect our business and operations.
The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the United States and global economies and has affected, and may continue to affect, our operations and those of third parties on which we rely, including by causing disruptions in our raw material supply and the manufacturing of our product candidates. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the operations of the FDA and other health authorities, which can result in delays of reviews and approvals, including with respect to our product candidates. The evolving COVID-19 pandemic has, and may continue to, directly or indirectly affect the pace of enrollment in our clinical trials as patients may avoid or may not be able to travel to healthcare facilities and physicians’ offices unless due to a health emergency and clinical trial staff can no longer get to the clinic. Additionally, such facilities and offices have been and may continue to be required to focus limited resources on non-clinical trial matters, including treatment of COVID-19 patients, thereby decreasing availability, in whole or in part, for clinical trial services. In addition, employee disruptions and remote working environments related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the federal, state and local responses to such virus, could materially affect the efficiency and pace with which we work and develop our product candidates and the manufacturing of our product candidates. In addition, COVID-19 infection of our workforce could result in a temporary disruption in our business activities, including manufacturing and other functions. Further, while the potential economic impact brought by, and the duration of, the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult to assess or predict, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global financial markets may reduce our ability to access capital, which could negatively affect our short-term and long-term liquidity. Additionally, the stock market has been unusually volatile during the COVID-19 outbreak and such volatility may continue. The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is highly uncertain and subject to change. We do not yet know the full extent of potential delays or impacts on our business, financing or clinical trial activities, or on healthcare systems or the global economy as a whole. However, these effects could have a material impact on our liquidity, capital resources, operations and business and those of the third parties on which we rely.
Risks Related to Russia – Ukraine
We are currently operating in a period of economic uncertainty and capital markets disruption, which has been significantly impacted by geopolitical instability due to the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any negative impact on the global economy and capital markets resulting from the conflict in Ukraine or any other geopolitical tensions.
U.S. and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the escalation of geopolitical tensions and the start of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops was reported. Although the length and impact of the ongoing military conflict is highly unpredictable, the conflict in Ukraine could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions. We are continuing to monitor the situation in Ukraine and globally and assessing its potential impact on our business.
Additionally, the recent military conflict in Ukraine has led to sanctions and other penalties being levied by the United States, European Union and other countries against Russia and Russian nationals. Additional potential sanctions and penalties have also been proposed or threatened. Russian military actions and the resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets, potentially making it more difficult for us to raise additional financing.
Although our business has not been materially impacted by the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine to date, it is impossible to predict the extent to which our operations, or those of our suppliers and manufacturers, will be impacted in the short and long term, or the ways in which the conflict may impact our business. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial. Any such disruptions may also magnify the impact of other risks described in this prospectus.
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Risks Related to the Development and Regulatory Approval of Our Product Candidates
We can provide no assurance that our clinical product candidates will obtain regulatory approval or that the results of clinical studies will be favorable.
We are currently evaluating the safety and efficacy of our product candidates in clinical trials. However, even though the initiation and conduct of the clinical trials is in accordance with the governing regulatory authorities in each country, as with any investigational new drug (under an IND in the United States, or the equivalent in countries outside of the United States), we are at risk of a clinical hold at any time based on the evaluation of the data and information submitted to the governing regulatory authorities.
There can be delays in obtaining FDA and/or other necessary regulatory approvals in the United States and in countries outside the United States for any investigational new drug and failure to receive such approvals would have an adverse effect on the investigational new drug’s potential commercial success and on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. The time required to obtain approval by the FDA and non-U.S. regulatory authorities is unpredictable but typically takes many years following the commencement of clinical trials and depends upon numerous factors, including the substantial discretion of the regulatory authorities. For example, the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities may disagree with the design or implementation of our clinical trials or study endpoints; or we may be unable to demonstrate that a product candidate’s clinical and other benefits outweigh its safety risks. In addition, the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities may disagree with our interpretation of data from preclinical studies or clinical trials or the data collected from clinical trials of our product candidates may not be sufficient to support the submission of a BLA or New Drug Application, or NDA or other submission or to obtain regulatory approval in the United States or elsewhere. The FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities may fail to approve the manufacturing processes or facilities of third-party manufacturers with which we contract for clinical and commercial supplies; and the approval policies or regulations of the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities may significantly change in a manner rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval.
In addition to the foregoing, approval policies, regulations, or the type and amount of clinical data necessary to gain approval may change during the course of a product candidate’s clinical development and may vary among jurisdictions. We have not submitted for nor obtained regulatory approval for any product candidate in-humans (US & EU) and it is possible that none of our existing product candidates or any product candidates we may seek to develop in the future will ever obtain regulatory approval.
Drug discovery and development is a complex, time-consuming and expensive process that is fraught with risk and a high rate of failure.
Product candidates are subject to extensive pre-clinical testing and clinical trials to demonstrate their safety and efficacy in humans. Conducting pre-clinical testing and clinical trials is a lengthy, time-consuming and expensive process that takes many years. We cannot be sure that pre-clinical testing or clinical trials of any of our product candidates will demonstrate the safety, efficacy and benefit-to-risk profile necessary to obtain marketing approvals. In addition, product candidates that experience success in pre-clinical testing and early-stage clinical trials will not necessarily experience the same success in larger or late-stage clinical trials, which are required for marketing approval.
Even if we are successful in advancing a product candidate into the clinical development stage, before obtaining regulatory and marketing approvals, we must demonstrate through extensive human clinical trials that the product candidate is safe and effective for its intended use. Human clinical trials must be carried out under protocols that are acceptable to regulatory authorities and to the independent committees responsible for the ethical review of clinical studies. There may be delays in preparing protocols or receiving approval for them that may delay the start or completion of the clinical trials. In addition, clinical practices vary globally, and there is a lack of harmonization among the guidance provided by various regulatory bodies of different regions and countries with respect to the data that is required to receive marketing approval, which makes designing global trials increasingly complex. There are a number of additional factors that may cause our clinical trials to be delayed, prematurely terminated or deemed inadequate to support regulatory approval, such as:
● | safety issues up to and including patient death (whether arising with respect to trials by third parties for compounds in a similar class as tour product or product candidate), inadequate efficacy, or an unacceptable risk-benefit profile observed at any point during or after completion of the trials; | |
● | slower than expected rates of patient enrollment, which could be due to any number of factors, including failure of our third-party vendors, including our CROs, to effectively perform their obligations to us, a lack of patients who meet the enrollment criteria or competition from clinical trials in similar product classes or patient populations, or onerous treatment administration requirements; |
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● | subjects may drop out of our clinical trials, be lost to follow-up at a higher rate than we anticipate, or not comply with the required clinical trial procedures; | |
● | we may experience delays in reaching, or fail to reach, agreement on acceptable clinical trial contracts or clinical trial protocols with prospective trial sites and our CROs; |
● | the cost of clinical trials may be greater than we anticipate or we may have insufficient funds for a clinical trial or to pay the substantial FDA user fees; | |
● | the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with our study design, including endpoints, our intended indications, or our interpretation of data; | |
● | the risk of failure of our clinical investigational sites and related facilities, including our suppliers and CROs, to maintain compliance with the FDA’s cGMP and GCP regulations or similar regulations in countries outside of the U.S., including the risk that these sites fail to pass inspections by the appropriate governmental authority, which could invalidate the data collected at that site or place the entire clinical trial at risk; | |
● | any inability to reach agreement or lengthy discussions with the FDA, equivalent regulatory authorities, or ethical review committees on trial design that we are able to execute or we may be required to modify our trial design such that studies are impracticable; | |
● | regulators may require us to perform additional or unanticipated clinical trials to obtain approval or we may be subject to additional post-marketing testing, surveillance, or REMS requirements to maintain regulatory approval; | |
● | FDA refusal to accept the data from foreign clinical trial sites, to the extent we use such sites; | |
● | changes in laws, regulations, regulatory policy or clinical practices, especially if they occur during ongoing clinical trials or shortly after completion of such trials; and | |
● | clinical trial record keeping or data quality and accuracy issues. |
Any deficiency in the design, implementation or oversight of our development programs could cause us to incur significant additional costs, conduct additional trials, experience significant delays, prevent us from obtaining marketing approval for any product candidate or abandon development of certain product candidates, any of which could harm our business and cause our stock price to decline.
We may face legal claims; legal disputes are expensive and we may not be able to afford the costs.
We may face legal claims involving stockholders, consumers, clinical trial subjects, competitors, regulators and other parties. As described in the section entitled “Business – Legal Proceedings” of this prospectus, we are engaged in legal proceedings. Litigation and other legal proceedings are inherently uncertain, and adverse rulings could occur, including monetary damages, or an injunction stopping us from engaging in business practices, or requiring other remedies, including, but not limited to, compulsory licensing of patents.
The costs of litigation or any proceeding, including, but not limited to, those relating to our intellectual property or contractual rights, could be substantial, even if resolved in our favor. Some of our competitors or financial funding sources have far greater resources than we do and may be better able to afford the costs of complex litigation. Also, a lawsuit, even if frivolous, will require considerable time commitments on the part of management, our attorneys and consultants. Defending these types of proceedings or legal actions involve considerable expense and could negatively affect our financial results. Legal claims may also adversely impact us in other ways, such as the withdrawal or slower enrollment in or from our clinical trials, regulatory enforcement actions, and negative media attention, any of which could materially and negatively harm us and our operations.
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We can provide no assurance of the successful and timely development of new products.
Our immunotherapies are at various stages of development. Further development and extensive testing will be required to determine their technical feasibility and commercial viability. We will need to complete significant additional clinical trials demonstrating that our product candidates are safe and effective to the satisfaction of the FDA and other non-U.S. regulatory authorities. The drug approval process is time-consuming, involves substantial expenditures of resources, and depends upon a number of factors, including the severity of the illness in question, the availability of alternative treatments, and the risks and benefits demonstrated in the clinical trials. Our success will depend on our ability to achieve scientific and technological advances and to translate such advances into licensable, FDA-approvable, commercially competitive products on a timely basis. Failure can occur at any stage of the process. If such programs are not successful, we may invest substantial amounts of time and money without developing revenue-producing products. As we enter a more extensive clinical program for our product candidates, the data generated in these studies may not be as compelling as the earlier results.
The proposed development schedules for our immunotherapies may be affected by a variety of factors, including technological difficulties, clinical trial failures, regulatory hurdles, clinical holds, competitive products, intellectual property challenges and/or changes in governmental regulation, many of which will not be within our control. Any delay in the development, introduction or marketing of our products could result either in such products being marketed at a time when their cost and performance characteristics would not be competitive in the marketplace or in the shortening of their commercial lives. In light of the long-term nature of our projects, the unproven technology involved and the other factors described elsewhere in this section, there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully complete the development or marketing of any new products which could materially harm our business, results of operations and prospects.
Our research and development expenses are subject to uncertainty.
Factors affecting our research and development expenses include, but are not limited to:
● | competition from companies that have substantially greater assets and financial resources than we have; | |
● | need for market acceptance of our immunotherapies if we receive regulatory approval; | |
● | ability to anticipate and adapt to a competitive market and rapid technological developments; | |
● | ability to raise sufficient capital to fund our research and development activities; | |
● | amount and timing of operating costs and capital expenditures relating to expansion of our business, operations and infrastructure; | |
● | need to rely on multiple levels of outside funding due to the length of drug development cycles and governmental approved protocols associated with the pharmaceutical industry; and | |
● | dependence upon key personnel including key independent consultants and advisors. |
There can be no guarantee that our research and development expenses will be consistent from period to period. We may be required to accelerate or delay incurring certain expenses depending on the results of our studies and the availability of adequate funding.
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We may be required to suspend or discontinue clinical trials for a number of reasons, which could preclude approval of any of our product candidates.
Our clinical trials may be suspended at any time for a number of reasons. A clinical trial may be suspended or terminated by us, an IRB, the FDA or other regulatory authorities due to a failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, presentation or identification of unforeseen safety signals or issues, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using the investigational drug, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions, lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial, or for other business-related reasons. For example, in June 2019, we announced that we were closing our AIM2CERV Phase 3 clinical trial with AXAL in cervical cancer due to the delays we incurred as a result of the recent FDA partial clinical hold on the trial, as well as the estimated cost and time to completion of the trial. Furthermore, the Company has completed the clinical study report from Part A of the ADXS-NEO study and plans to close its ADXS-NEO program IND as next step. In addition, clinical trials for our product candidates could be suspended due to adverse side effects. Drug-related side effects could affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled patients to complete the trial or result in potential product liability claims. We may also voluntarily suspend or terminate our clinical trials if at any time we believe that they present an unacceptable risk to patients or do not demonstrate clinical benefit. If we elect or are forced to suspend or terminate any clinical trial of any product candidates that we develop, the commercial prospects of such product candidates will be harmed and our ability to generate product revenues from any of these product candidates will be delayed or eliminated. Any of these occurrences may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Preliminary or interim results of a clinical trial are not necessarily predictive of future or final results.
Interim or preliminary data from clinical trials that we may conduct may not be indicative of the final results of the trial and are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more patient data become available. Interim or preliminary data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the interim or preliminary data. As a result, interim or preliminary data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available. Even if our clinical trials are completed as planned, we cannot be certain that their results will support our proposed indications.
We are subject to numerous risks inherent in conducting clinical trials.
We outsource the management of our clinical trials to third parties. Agreements with CROs, clinical investigators and medical institutions for clinical testing and data management services, place substantial responsibilities on these parties that, if unmet, could result in delays in, or termination of, our clinical trials. For example, if any of our clinical trial sites or CROs fail to comply with FDA-approved good clinical practices, we may be unable to use the data gathered at those sites. If these clinical investigators, medical institutions or other third parties do not carry out their contractual duties or regulatory obligations or fail to meet expected deadlines, or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to their failure to adhere to our clinical protocols or for other reasons, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated, and we may be unable to obtain regulatory approval for, or successfully commercialize, our agents. We are not certain that we will successfully recruit enough patients to complete our clinical trials nor that we will reach our primary endpoints. Delays in recruitment, lack of clinical benefit or unacceptable side effects would delay or prevent the initiation of future development of our agents.
While we have agreements governing the activities of such third parties and are responsible for our third party service provider’s activities and regulatory compliance, we have limited influence and control over their actual performance and activities and cannot control whether or not they devote sufficient time and resources to our ongoing clinical, non-clinical, and preclinical programs and cannot control whether they maintain regulatory compliance. Our third-party service providers may also have relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting trials or other therapeutic development activities that could harm our competitive position.
Agreements with third parties conducting or otherwise assisting with our clinical or preclinical studies might terminate for a variety of reasons, including a failure to perform by the third parties. If any of our relationships with these third parties terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative providers or to do so on commercially reasonable terms. Switching or adding additional third parties involves additional cost and requires management time and focus. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a new third party commences work. As a result, if we need to enter into alternative arrangements, it could delay our product development activities and adversely affect our business. Though we carefully manage our relationships with our third parties, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and prospects, and results of operations.
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We or our regulators may suspend or terminate our clinical trials for a number of reasons. We may voluntarily suspend or terminate our clinical trials if at any time we believe they present an unacceptable risk to the patients enrolled in our clinical trials or do not demonstrate clinical benefit. In addition, regulatory agencies may order the temporary or permanent discontinuation of our clinical trials, or place our products on temporary or permanent hold, at any time if they believe that the clinical trials are not being conducted in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements or that they present an unacceptable safety risk to the patients enrolled in our clinical trials.
Our clinical trial operations are subject to regulatory inspections at any time. If regulatory inspectors conclude that we or our clinical trial sites are not in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements for conducting clinical trials, we may receive reports of observations or warning letters detailing deficiencies, and we will be required to implement corrective actions. If regulatory agencies deem our responses to be inadequate or are dissatisfied with the corrective actions we or our clinical trial sites have implemented, our clinical trials may be temporarily or permanently discontinued, we may be fined, we or our investigators may be precluded from conducting any ongoing or any future clinical trials, the government may refuse to approve our marketing applications or allow us to manufacture or market our products, and we may be criminally prosecuted.
The lengthy approval process as well as the unpredictability of future clinical trial results may result in our failing to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates, which would materially harm our business, results of operations and prospects.
Our employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial partners, principal investigators, or CROs may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We are exposed to the risk of employee and third-party fraud or other misconduct. Misconduct by employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial partners, manufacturers, investigators, or CROs could include intentional, reckless, negligent, or unintentional failures to comply with FDA regulations, comply with applicable fraud and abuse laws, provide accurate information to the FDA, properly calculate pricing information required by federal programs, comply with federal procurement rules or contract terms, report financial information or data accurately or disclose unauthorized activities to us. This misconduct could also involve the improper use or misrepresentation of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. It is not always possible to identify and deter this type of misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws or regulations. Moreover, it is possible for a whistleblower to pursue a False Claims Act case against us even if the government considers the claim unmeritorious and declines to intervene, which could require us to incur costs defending against such a claim. Further, due to the risk that a judgment in an FCA case could result in exclusion from federal health programs or debarment from government contracts, whistleblower cases often result in large settlements. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, including the imposition of significant fines or other sanctions.
We must comply with significant government regulations.
The research and development, manufacturing and marketing of human therapeutic and diagnostic products are subject to regulation, primarily by the FDA in the United States and by comparable authorities in other countries. These national agencies and other federal, state, local and foreign entities regulate, among other things, research and development activities (including testing in animals and in humans) and the testing, manufacturing, handling, labeling, storage, record keeping, approval, distribution, advertising and promotion of the products that we are developing. If we obtain approval for any of our product candidates, our operations will be directly or indirectly through our customers, subject to various federal and state fraud and abuse laws, including, without limitation, the federal Anti-Kickback Statue and the federal False Claims Act, and privacy laws. We, our product candidates, and our products, if we receive marketing approval are and will continue to be subject to extensive governmental regulation and regulatory authorities do and will continue to closely monitor our and our contractor’s compliance through, among other methods, inspections. Noncompliance with applicable laws and requirements can result in various adverse consequences and regulatory enforcement actions, including delay in approving or refusal to approve product licenses or other applications, suspension or termination of clinical investigations, revocation of approvals previously granted, fines, criminal prosecution, civil and criminal penalties, restitution or disgorgement of profits, recall or seizure of products, exclusion from having our products reimbursed by federal health care programs, the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, corporate integrity agreements or consent decrees, refusal to permit product import or export, modifications to labeling or promotional materials, issuance of corrective information, regulatory authority public statements, warning, untitled, or cyber letters, requirements for post-market studies or REMS, injunctions against shipping products and total or partial suspension of production and/or refusal to allow a company to enter into governmental supply contracts. Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining product approval and market acceptance of the particular product candidate, if approved, or could substantially increase the costs and expenses of developing and commercializing such product, which in turn could delay or prevent us from generating significant revenues from its sale. Any of these events could further have other material and adverse effects on our operations and business and could adversely impact our stock price and could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
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The process of obtaining requisite FDA approval has historically been costly and time-consuming. Current FDA requirements for a new human biological product to be marketed in the United States include: (1) the successful conclusion of preclinical laboratory and animal tests, if appropriate, to gain preliminary information on the product’s safety; (2) filing with the FDA of an IND to conduct human clinical trials for drugs or biologics; (3) the successful completion of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the investigational new drug for its recommended use; and (4) filing by a company and acceptance and approval by the FDA of a BLA for marketing approval of a biologic, to allow commercial distribution of a biologic product. The FDA also requires that any drug or formulation to be tested in humans be manufactured in accordance with its cGMP regulations. This has been extended to include any drug that will be tested for safety in animals in support of human testing. The cGMPs set certain minimum requirements for procedures, record-keeping and the physical characteristics of the laboratories used in the production of these drugs. A delay in one or more of the procedural steps outlined above could be harmful to us in terms of getting our immunotherapies through clinical testing and to market.
We may not obtain or maintain the benefits associated with orphan drug designation, including market exclusivity.
Although we have been granted FDA orphan drug designation for AXAL for use in the treatment of anal cancer, HPV-associated head and neck cancer, Stage II-IV invasive cervical cancer and for ADXS-HER2 for the treatment of osteosarcoma in the United States, as well as EMA orphan drug designation for AXAL for the treatment of anal cancer and for ADXS-HER2 for the treatment of osteosarcoma in the EU, we may not receive the benefits associated with orphan drug designation. This may result from a failure to maintain orphan drug status or result from a competing product reaching the market that has an orphan designation for the same disease indication. Moreover, while orphan drug designation does provide us with certain advantages, it neither shortens the development time or regulatory review time of a product candidate nor gives the product candidate any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process.
Under U.S. rules for orphan drugs, if such a competing product reaches the market before ours does, if such product is considered by FDA to be the same as ours, and if such product is intended for the same orphan indication, the competing product could potentially obtain a scope of market exclusivity that limits or precludes our product from being sold in the United States for seven years unless we can demonstrate that our product is clinically superior. Even if we obtain exclusivity, the FDA could subsequently approve the same drug for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the later drug is clinically superior to ours in that it is shown to be safer, more effective or makes a major contribution to patient care. A competitor also may receive approval of different products for the same indication for which our orphan product has exclusivity or obtain approval for the same product but for a different indication for which the orphan product has exclusivity. Moreover, we may not be able to maintain our orphan drug designation or exclusivity and our product candidates would not be eligible for exclusivity if the approved indication is broader than the orphan drug designation.
In addition, if and when we request orphan drug designation in Europe, the European exclusivity period is ten years but can be reduced to six years if the drug no longer meets the criteria for orphan drug designation or if the drug is sufficiently profitable so that market exclusivity is no longer justified. Orphan drug exclusivity may be lost if the FDA or EMEA determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantity of the drug to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition.
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We may incur substantial liabilities from any product liability claims if our insurance coverage for those claims is inadequate.
We face an inherent risk of product liability exposure related to the testing of our immunotherapies in human clinical trials and will face an even greater risk if the approved products are sold commercially. An individual may bring a liability claim against us if one of the immunotherapies causes, or merely appears to have caused, an injury. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against the product liability claim, we will incur substantial liabilities. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:
● | decreased demand for our immunotherapies; | |
● | damage to our reputation; | |
● | withdrawal of clinical trial participants; | |
● | costs of related litigation; | |
● | substantial monetary awards to patients or other claimants; | |
● | loss of revenues; | |
● | the inability to commercialize immunotherapies; and | |
● | increased difficulty in raising required additional funds in the private and public capital markets. |
We have Product Liability and Clinical Trial Liability insurance coverage for each clinical trial. We do not have product liability insurance for sold commercial products because we do not have products on the market. We plan to expand such coverage to include the sale of commercial products if marketing approval is obtained for any of our immunotherapies. However, insurance coverage is increasingly expensive and we may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost. Further, we may not be able to obtain insurance coverage that will be adequate to satisfy any liability that may arise.
We may not receive Fast Track Designation, Breakthrough Therapy Designation or any other designation that we may apply for from the FDA and, if granted, such designations may not actually lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process.
The FDA has granted Fast Track Designation for AXAL for adjuvant therapy for high-risk locally advanced cervical cancer patients, and has granted Fast Track Designation for ADXS-HER2 for patients with newly-diagnosed, non-metastatic, surgically-resectable osteosarcoma. We may seek Breakthrough Therapy Designation for our product candidates or Fast Track Designation for certain of our other product candidates. There is no guarantee, however, that we will be able to obtain or maintain such designations.
The FDA has broad discretion whether or not to grant any special designation, so even if we believe one of our product candidates is eligible for this designation, we cannot assure you that the FDA would decide to grant it. Additionally, even if we do receive a special designation, we may not experience a faster development process, review or approval compared to conventional FDA procedures. The FDA may also withdraw the designation if it believes that the designation is no longer supported by data from our clinical development program.
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The results of clinical trials conducted at clinical trial sites outside the United States might not be accepted by the FDA, and data developed outside of a foreign jurisdiction similarly might not be accepted by such foreign regulatory authority.
Some of the clinical trials for our product candidates that are being or will be conducted through our partnerships and collaborations may be conducted outside the United States, and we intend in the future to conduct additional clinical trials outside the United States. Although the FDA, European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may accept data from clinical trials conducted outside the relevant jurisdiction, acceptance of these data is subject to certain conditions. For example, the FDA requires that the clinical trial must be well designed and conducted and performed by qualified investigators in accordance with ethical principles such as IRB or ethics committee approval and informed consent, the trial population must adequately represent the U.S. population, and the data must be applicable to the U.S. population and U.S. medical practice in ways that the FDA deems clinically meaningful. In addition, while these clinical trials are subject to the applicable local laws, acceptance of the data by the FDA will be dependent upon its determination that the trials were conducted consistent with all applicable U.S. laws and regulations. There can be no assurance that the FDA will accept data from trials conducted outside of the United States as adequate support of a marketing application. Similarly, we must also ensure that any data submitted to foreign regulatory authorities adheres to their standards and requirements for clinical trials and there can be no assurance a comparable foreign regulatory authority would accept data from trials conducted outside of its jurisdiction.
Our relationships with healthcare providers and physicians and third-party payors will be subject to applicable anti-kickback, fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations, which could expose us to criminal sanctions, civil penalties, contractual damages, reputational harm and diminished profits and future earnings.
Healthcare providers, physicians and third-party payors in the United States and elsewhere play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of pharmaceutical products. Arrangements with third-party payors and customers can expose pharmaceutical manufacturers to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations, including, without limitation, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and the federal False Claims Act, or FCA, which may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which such companies sell, market and distribute pharmaceutical products. In particular, the research of our product candidates, as well as the promotion, sales and marketing of healthcare items and services, as well as certain business arrangements in the healthcare industry, are subject to extensive laws designed to prevent fraud, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, structuring and commission(s), certain customer incentive programs and other business arrangements generally. Activities subject to these laws also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of patient recruitment for clinical trials. The applicable federal, state and foreign healthcare laws and regulations that may affect our ability to operate include, but are not limited to:
● | the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or paying any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe or rebate), directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce, or in return for, either the referral of an individual, or the purchase, lease, order or recommendation of any good, facility, item or service for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. A person or entity can be found guilty of violating the statute without actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it. In addition, a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA. The Anti-Kickback Statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on the one hand and prescribers, purchasers, and formulary managers on the other. There are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution; | |
● | the federal civil and criminal false claims laws and civil monetary penalty laws, including the FCA, which prohibit, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, false or fraudulent claims for payment to, or approval by Medicare, Medicaid or other federal healthcare programs, knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim or an obligation to pay or transmit money to the federal government, or knowingly concealing or knowingly and improperly avoiding or decreasing or concealing an obligation to pay money to the federal government. Manufacturers can be held liable under the FCA even when they do not submit claims directly to government payors if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent claims. The government may deem manufacturers to have “caused” the submission of false or fraudulent claims by, for example, providing inaccurate billing or coding information to customers or promoting a product off-label. The FCA also permits a private individual acting as a “whistleblower” to bring actions on behalf of the federal government alleging violations of the FCA and to share in any monetary recovery; |
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● | the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, which created additional federal criminal statutes that prohibit knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises, any of the money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, any healthcare benefit program, regardless of the payor (e.g., public or private) and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by any trick or device a material fact or making any materially false statements in connection with the delivery of, or payment for, healthcare benefits, items or services relating to healthcare matters. Similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity can be found guilty of violating HIPAA without actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it; |
● | HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, or HITECH, and their respective implementing regulations, which impose, among other things, requirements on certain healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouses, known as covered entities, as well as their respective business associates, independent contractors that perform services for covered entities that involve the use, or disclosure of, individually identifiable health information, relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. HITECH also created new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions; | |
● | the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended, or ACA, and its implementing regulations, which require some manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologicals and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (with certain exceptions) to report annually to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members; and | |
● | analogous state and foreign laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third-party payors, including private insurers, and may be broader in scope than their federal equivalents; state and foreign laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers; state and foreign laws that require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers, marketing expenditures or drug pricing; state and local laws that require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives; and state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts. |
The distribution of pharmaceutical products is subject to additional requirements and regulations, including extensive record-keeping, licensing, storage and security requirements intended to prevent the unauthorized sale of pharmaceutical products. Pharmaceutical companies may also be subject to federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm consumers.
The scope and enforcement of each of these laws is uncertain and subject to rapid change in the current environment of healthcare reform, especially in light of the lack of applicable precedent and regulations. Federal and state enforcement bodies continue to closely scrutinize interactions between healthcare companies and healthcare providers, which has led to a number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and settlements in the healthcare industry. Ensuring business arrangements comply with applicable healthcare laws, as well as responding to possible investigations by government authorities, can be time and resource-consuming and can divert a company’s attention from the business.
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It is possible that governmental and enforcement authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law interpreting applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in federal and state funded healthcare programs, contractual damages and the curtailment or restricting of our operations, as well as additional reporting obligations and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws. Further, if any of the physicians or other healthcare providers or entities with whom we expect to do business is found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to significant criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs. Any action for violation of these laws, even if successfully defended, could cause a biopharmaceutical manufacturer to incur significant legal expenses and divert management’s attention from the operation of the business. Prohibitions or restrictions on sales or withdrawal of future marketed products could materially affect business in an adverse way.
Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in one jurisdiction does not mean that we will be successful in obtaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in other jurisdictions.
Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in one jurisdiction does not guarantee that we will be able to obtain or maintain regulatory approval in any other jurisdiction, while a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory approval process in others. For example, even if the FDA grants marketing approval of a product candidate, the EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities must also approve the manufacturing, marketing and promotion of the product candidate in those countries. Approval procedures vary among jurisdictions and can involve requirements and administrative review periods different from, and greater than, those in the United States, including additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, as clinical trials conducted in one jurisdiction may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions. In many jurisdictions outside the United States, a product candidate must be approved for reimbursement before it can be approved for sale in that jurisdiction. In some cases, the price that we intend to charge for our products is also subject to approval.
We may also submit marketing applications in other countries. Regulatory authorities in jurisdictions outside of the United States have requirements for approval of product candidates with which we must comply prior to marketing in those jurisdictions. Obtaining foreign regulatory approvals and compliance with foreign regulatory requirements could result in significant delays, difficulties and costs for us and could delay or prevent the introduction of our products in certain countries. If we fail to comply with the regulatory requirements in international markets and/or receive applicable marketing approvals, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of our product candidates will be harmed.
Even if we receive regulatory approval of any product candidates, we will be subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or experience unanticipated problems with our product candidates.
If any of our product candidates are approved, they will be subject to ongoing regulatory requirements for manufacturing, labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, distribution, sampling, record-keeping, conduct of post-marketing studies and submission of safety, efficacy and other post-market information, including both federal and state requirements in the United States and requirements of comparable foreign regulatory authorities. In addition, we will be subject to continued compliance with cGMP and GCP requirements for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval.
Manufacturers and manufacturers’ facilities are required to comply with extensive FDA, EMA and comparable foreign regulatory authority requirements, including ensuring that quality control and manufacturing procedures conform to cGMP regulations. As such, we and our contract manufacturers will be subject to continual review and inspections to assess compliance with cGMP and adherence to commitments made in any BLA, other marketing application and previous responses to inspection observations. Accordingly, we and others with whom we work must continue to expend time, money and effort in all areas of regulatory compliance, including manufacturing, production and quality control.
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Any regulatory approvals that we receive for our product candidates may be subject to limitations on the approved indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or to the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing testing, including Phase 4 clinical trials and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product candidate. Certain endpoint data we hope to include in any approved product labeling also may not make it into such labeling, including exploratory or secondary endpoint data such as patient-reported outcome measures. The FDA may also require a risk evaluation and mitigation strategies, or REMS, program as a condition of approval of our product candidates, which could entail requirements for long-term patient follow-up, a medication guide, physician communication plans or additional elements to ensure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. In addition, if the FDA, EMA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority approves our product candidates, we will have to comply with requirements including submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports and registration.
The FDA may impose consent decrees or withdraw approval if compliance with regulatory requirements and standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with our product candidates, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information, imposition of post-market studies or clinical trials to assess new safety risks or imposition of distribution restrictions or other restrictions under a REMS program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
● | restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of our products, withdrawal of the product from the market or voluntary or mandatory product recalls; | |
● | fines, warning letters or holds on clinical trials; | |
● | refusal by the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us or suspension or revocation of license approvals; | |
● | product seizure or detention or refusal to permit the import or export of our product candidates; and | |
● | injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties. |
The FDA strictly regulates marketing, labeling, advertising and promotion of products that are placed on the market. Products may be promoted only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. The policies of the FDA, EMA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of our product candidates. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.
Coverage and reimbursement may be limited or unavailable in certain market segments for our product candidates, if approved, which could make it difficult for us to sell any product candidates profitably.
The success of our product candidates, if approved, depends on the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors. We cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for, or accurately estimate the potential revenue from, our product candidates or assure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that we may develop.
Patients who are provided medical treatment for their conditions generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their treatment. Coverage and adequate reimbursement from governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and commercial payors is critical to new product acceptance.
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Government authorities and other third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which drugs and treatments they will cover and the amount of reimbursement. Coverage and reimbursement by a third-party payor may depend upon a number of factors, including the third-party payor’s determination that use of a product is:
● | a covered benefit under its health plan; | |
● | safe, effective and medically necessary; | |
● | appropriate for the specific patient; | |
● | cost-effective; and | |
● | neither experimental nor investigational. |
In the United States, no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for products exists among third-party payors. As a result, obtaining coverage and reimbursement approval of a product from a government or other third-party payor is a time-consuming and costly process that could require us to provide to each payor supporting scientific, clinical and cost-effectiveness data for the use of our products on a payor-by-payor basis, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be obtained. Even if we obtain coverage for a given product, the resulting reimbursement payment rates might not be adequate for us to achieve or sustain profitability or may require co-payments that patients find unacceptably high. Additionally, third-party payors may not cover, or provide adequate reimbursement for, long-term follow-up evaluations required following the use of product candidates, once approved. Patients are unlikely to use our product candidates, once approved, unless coverage is provided and reimbursement is adequate
Ongoing healthcare legislative and regulatory reform measures may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Changes in regulations, statutes or the interpretation of existing regulations could impact our business in the future by requiring, for example: (i) changes to our manufacturing arrangements; (ii) additions or modifications to product labeling; (iii) the recall or discontinuation of our products; or (iv) additional record-keeping requirements. If any such changes were to be imposed, they could adversely affect the operation of our business.
In the United States, there have been and continue to be a number of legislative initiatives to contain healthcare costs. For example, in March 2010, the ACA was passed, which substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers, and significantly impacted the U.S. biopharmaceutical industry. The ACA, among other things, addressed a new methodology by which rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program are calculated for drugs that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted or injected, increased the minimum Medicaid rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and extended the rebate program to individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations, established annual fees and taxes on manufacturers of certain branded prescription drugs and created a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 70% point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D.
Some of the provisions of the ACA have yet to be fully implemented, while certain provisions have been subject to judicial and Congressional challenges, as well as efforts by the Trump administration to repeal or replace certain aspects of the ACA. However, following several years of litigation in the federal courts, in June 2021, the United States Supreme Court upheld the ACA when it dismissed a legal challenge to the ACA’s constitutionality. Further legislative and regulatory changes under the ACA remain possible, although the Biden presidential administration has been taking steps to strengthen the ACA and the 117th Congress is not expected to have the same interest in repealing the law, in part due to the healthcare economic impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on many subsets of the U.S. population. In addition to the ACA, there have been and will likely continue to be other federal and state changes that affect the provision of healthcare goods and services in the United States. While we are unable to predict what changes may ultimately be enacted, to the extent that future changes affect how our products and services are paid for and reimbursed by government and private payers, our business could be adversely impacted. Moreover, complying with any new legislation or reversing changes implemented under the ACA could be time-intensive and expensive, resulting in a material adverse effect on our business. Litigation and legislation over the ACA are likely to continue, with unpredictable and uncertain results. We will continue to evaluate the effect that the ACA and possible changes and challenges to it has on our business.
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Inadequate funding for the FDA and other government agencies could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, prevent new products and services from being developed or commercialized in a timely manner or otherwise prevent those agencies from performing normal business functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our business.
The ability of the FDA to review and approve new products can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, and statutory, regulatory, and policy changes. Average review times at the agency have fluctuated in recent years as a result.
Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new drugs to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, over the last several years, the U.S. government has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, have had to furlough critical employees and stop critical activities. If a prolonged government shutdown occurs, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, upon completion of this offering and in our operations as a public company, future government shutdowns could impact our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital in order to properly capitalize and continue our operations.
Approval of our product candidates does not ensure successful commercialization and reimbursement.
We are not currently marketing our product candidates, nor can we until they are approved; however, we are seeking partnering and commercial opportunities for our products. We cannot assure you that we will be able to commercialize any of our product candidates ourselves or find a commercialization partner or that we will be able to agree to acceptable terms with any partner to launch and commercialize our products.
The commercial success of our product candidates is subject to risks in both the United States and European countries. In addition, in European countries, pricing and payment of prescription pharmaceuticals is subject to more extensive governmental control than in the United States. Pricing negotiations with European governmental authorities can take six to 12 months or longer after the receipt of regulatory approval and product launch. If reimbursement is unavailable in any country in which reimbursement is sought, limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at or reduced to unsatisfactory levels, our ability or any potential partner’s ability to successfully commercialize in such a country would be impacted negatively. Furthermore, if these measures prevent us or any potential partner from selling on a profitable basis in a particular country, they could prevent the commercial launch or continued sale in that country and could adversely impact the commercialization market opportunity in other countries.
Moreover, as a condition of approval, the regulatory authorities may require that we conduct post-approval studies. Those studies may reveal new safety or efficacy findings regarding our drug that could adversely impact the continued commercialization or future market opportunity in other countries.
In addition, we predominantly rely on a network of suppliers and vendors to manufacture our products. Should a regulatory authority make any significant findings on an inspection of our own operations or the operations of those companies, the ability for us to continue producing our products could be adversely impacted and further production could cease. Regulatory GMP requirements are extensive and can present a risk of injury or recall, among other risks, if not manufactured or labeled properly under GMPs.
Our potential revenues from the commercialization of our product candidates are subject to these and other factors, and therefore we may never reach or maintain profitability.
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Even if we are successful in obtaining market approval, commercial success of any of our product candidates will also depend in large part on the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payers, including government payers such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs and managed care organizations, which may be affected by existing and future health care reform measures designed to reduce the cost of health care. Third-party payers could require us to conduct additional studies, including post-marketing studies related to the cost effectiveness of a product, to qualify for reimbursement, which could be costly and divert our resources. If government and other health care payers were not to provide adequate coverage and reimbursement levels for one any of our products once approved, market acceptance and commercial success would be reduced.
In addition, if one of our products is approved for marketing, we will be subject to significant regulatory obligations regarding product promotion, the submission of safety and other post-marketing information and reports and registration, and will need to continue to comply (or ensure that our third party providers comply) with cGMPs, and Good Clinical Practices, or GCPs, for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. In addition, there is always the risk that we or a regulatory authority might identify previously unknown problems with a product post-approval, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency. Compliance with these requirements is costly, and any failure to comply or other issues with our product candidates’ post-market approval could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to our Intellectual Property
We rely upon patents to protect our technology. We may be unable to protect our intellectual property rights and we may be liable for infringing the intellectual property rights of others.
Our ability to compete effectively will depend on our ability to maintain the proprietary nature of our technologies, including the Lm-LLO based immunotherapy platform technology, and the proprietary technology of others with whom we have entered into collaboration and licensing agreements.
Currently, we own or have rights to several hundred patents and applications, which are owned, licensed from, or co-owned with Penn and Merck. We have obtained the rights to all future patent applications in this field originating in the laboratories of Dr. Yvonne Paterson and Dr. Fred Frankel, at the University of Pennsylvania.
We own or hold licenses to a number of issued patents and U.S. pending patent applications, as well as foreign patents and foreign counterparts. Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain patent protection both in the United States and in other countries for our product candidates, as well as the methods for treating patients in the product indications using these product candidates. Such patent protection is costly to obtain and maintain, and we cannot guarantee that sufficient funds will be available. Our ability to protect our product candidates from unauthorized or infringing use by third parties depends in substantial part on our ability to obtain and maintain valid and enforceable patents. Due to evolving legal standards relating to the patentability, validity and enforceability of patents covering pharmaceutical inventions and the scope of claims made under these patents, our ability to obtain, maintain and enforce patents is uncertain and involves complex legal and factual questions. Even if our product candidates, as well as methods for treating patients for prescribed indications using these product candidates are covered by valid and enforceable patents and have claims with sufficient scope, disclosure and support in the specification, the patents will provide protection only for a limited amount of time. Accordingly, rights under any issued patents may not provide us with sufficient protection for our product candidates or provide sufficient protection to afford us a commercial advantage against competitive products or processes.
In addition, we cannot guarantee that any patents will issue from any pending or future patent applications owned by or licensed to us. Even if patents have issued or will issue, we cannot guarantee that the claims of these patents are or will be valid or enforceable or will provide us with any significant protection against competitive products or otherwise be commercially valuable to us. The laws of some foreign jurisdictions do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as in the United States and many companies have encountered significant difficulties in protecting and defending such rights in foreign jurisdictions. Furthermore, different countries have different procedures for obtaining patents, and patents issued in different countries offer different degrees of protection against use of the patented invention by others. If we encounter such difficulties in protecting or are otherwise precluded from effectively protecting our intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions, our business prospects could be substantially harmed.
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The patent positions of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including our patent position, involve complex legal and factual questions, and, therefore, validity and enforceability cannot be predicted with certainty. Patents may be challenged, deemed unenforceable, invalidated, or circumvented as a result of laws, rules and guidelines that are changed due to legislative, judicial or administrative actions, or review, which render our patents unenforceable or invalid. Our patents can be challenged by our competitors who can argue that our patents are invalid, unenforceable, lack utility, sufficient written description or enablement, or that the claims of the issued patents should be limited or narrowly construed. Patents also will not protect our product candidates if competitors devise ways of making or using these product candidates without infringing our patents.
We will be able to protect our proprietary rights from unauthorized use by third parties only to the extent that our technologies, methods of treatment, product candidates, and any future products are covered by valid and enforceable patents or are effectively maintained as trade secrets and we have the funds to enforce our rights, if necessary.
The expiration of our owned or licensed patents before completing the research and development of our product candidates and receiving all required approvals in order to sell and distribute the products on a commercial scale can adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Litigation regarding patents, patent applications and other proprietary rights may be expensive and time consuming. If we are involved in such litigation, it could cause delays in bringing product candidates to market and harm our ability to operate.
Our success will depend in part on our ability to operate without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. The pharmaceutical industry is characterized by extensive litigation regarding patents and other intellectual property rights. Other parties may obtain patents in the future and allege that the products or use of our technologies infringe these patent claims or that we are employing their proprietary technology without authorization.
In addition, third parties may challenge or infringe upon our existing or future patents. Proceedings involving our patents or patent applications or those of others could result in adverse decisions regarding:
● | the patentability of our inventions relating to our product candidates; and/or | |
● | the enforceability, validity or scope of protection offered by our patents relating to our product candidates. |
Even if we are successful in these proceedings, we may incur substantial costs and divert management time and attention in pursuing these proceedings, which could have a material adverse effect on us. If we are unable to avoid infringing the patent rights of others, we may be required to seek a license, defend an infringement action or challenge the validity of the patents in court. Patent litigation is costly and time consuming. We may not have sufficient resources to bring these actions to a successful conclusion. In addition, if we do not obtain a license, develop or obtain non-infringing technology, fail to defend an infringement action successfully or have infringed patents declared valid, we may:
● | incur substantial monetary damages; | |
● | encounter significant delays in bringing our product candidates to market; and/or | |
● | be precluded from participating in the manufacture, use or sale of our product candidates or methods of treatment requiring licenses. |
We may be unable to adequately prevent disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information.
We also rely on trade secrets to protect our proprietary technologies, especially where we do not believe patent protection is appropriate or obtainable. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. We rely in part on confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers, and other advisors to protect our trade secrets and other proprietary information. These agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of confidential information and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. In addition, others may independently discover our trade secrets and proprietary information. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights, and failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive business position.
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Some of our products are dependent upon our license agreement with Penn; if we breach the license agreement and/or fail to make payments due and owing to Penn under our license agreement, our business may be materially and adversely affected.
Pursuant to the terms of our license agreement with Penn, which has been amended from time to time, we have acquired exclusive worldwide licenses for patents and patent applications related to our proprietary Listeria vaccine technology. The license provides us with the exclusive commercial rights to the patent portfolio developed at Penn as of the effective date of the license, in connection with Dr. Paterson and requires us to pay various milestone, legal, filing and licensing payments to commercialize the technology. As of April 30, 2022, we did not have outstanding payables to Penn. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to make all future payments due and owing thereunder, that such licenses will not be terminated or expire during critical periods, that we will be able to obtain licenses from Penn for other rights that may be important to us, or, if obtained, that such licenses will be obtained on commercially reasonable terms. The loss of any current or future licenses from Penn or the exclusivity rights provided therein could materially harm our business, financial condition and operating results.
If we are unable to obtain licenses needed for the development of our product candidates, or if we breach any of the agreements under which we license rights to patents or other intellectual property from third parties, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.
If we are unable to maintain and/or obtain licenses needed for the development of our product candidates in the future, we may have to develop alternatives to avoid infringing on the patents of others, potentially causing increased costs and delays in drug development and introduction or precluding the development, manufacture, or sale of planned products. Some of our licenses provide for limited periods of exclusivity that require minimum license fees and payments and/or may be extended only with the consent of the licensor. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to meet these minimum license fees in the future or that these third parties will grant extensions on any or all such licenses. This same restriction may be contained in licenses obtained in the future.
Additionally, we can provide no assurance that the patents underlying any licenses will be valid and enforceable. To the extent any products developed by us are based on licensed technology, royalty payments on the licenses will reduce our gross profit from such product sales and may render the sales of such products uneconomical. In addition, the loss of any current or future licenses or the exclusivity rights provided therein could materially harm our business, financial condition and our operations.
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Risks Related to Ownership of our Securities and this Offering
Because we are quoted on the OTCQX instead of an exchange or national quotation system, our investors find it more difficult to trade in our stock, or might experience volatility in the market price of the shares of our common stock.
Shares of our common stock is quoted on the OTCQX. The OTCQX is often highly illiquid, in part because it does not have a national quotation system by which potential investors can follow the market price of shares except through information received and generated by a limited number of broker-dealers that make markets in particular stocks. There is a greater chance of volatility for securities that are quoted on the OTCQX as compared to a national exchange or quotation system. This volatility may be caused by a variety of factors, including the lack of readily available price quotations, the absence of consistent administrative supervision of bid and ask quotations, lower trading volume, and market conditions. Investors in the shares of our common stock may experience high fluctuations in the market price and volume of the trading market for our securities. These fluctuations, when they occur, have a negative effect on the market price for our securities. Accordingly, our stockholders may not be able to realize a fair price from their shares when they determine to sell them or may have to hold them for a substantial period of time until the market for the shares of our common stock improves.
We have applied to list our common stock on Nasdaq under the symbol “ADXS”. Subject to approval of listing on Nasdaq, our common stock will be listed on Nasdaq or, if Nasdaq approval is not obtained, then we expect our common stock to remain listed on the OTCQX. No assurance can be given that our listing application will be approved by Nasdaq or that a liquid trading market for our common stock will develop.
Our stock is listed on the OTCQX, if we fail to remain current on our reporting requirements or are unable to regain compliance with the OTCQX bid price requirements in a timely fashion, we could be removed from the OTCQX which would limit the ability of broker-dealers to sell our securities in the secondary market.
Companies trading on the OTCQX, must be reporting issuers under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and must be current in their reports under Section 13, in order to maintain price quotation privileges on the OTCQX. As a result, the market liquidity for our securities could be severely adversely affected by limiting the ability of broker-dealers to sell our securities and the ability of stockholders to sell their securities in the secondary market. In addition, on May 10, 2022, we were notified by the OTCQX that our common stock closed below $0.10 for more than 30 consecutive calendar days and no longer meets the Standards for Continued Qualification for the OTCQX U.S. tier as per the OTCQX Rules for U.S. Companies. If the bid price for the common stock has not stayed at or above the $0.10 minimum for ten consecutive trading days by November 7, 2022, then our common stock will be moved from OTCQX to the OTC Pink market. If we fail to remain current on our reporting requirements, we may be unable to get relisted on the OTCQX and if we are unable to regain compliance with the OTCQX bid price requirements our common stock will no longer be listed on OTCQX, either of which may have a material adverse effect on the Company.
We could issue additional “blank check” preferred stock without stockholder approval with the effect of diluting then current stockholder interests and impairing their voting rights, and provisions in our charter documents and under Delaware law could discourage a takeover that stockholders may consider favorable.
Our certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides that we may authorize and issue up to 5,000,000 shares of “blank check” preferred stock with designations, rights, and preferences as may be determined from time to time by our Board. Our Board is empowered, without stockholder approval, to issue one or more series of preferred stock with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting, or other rights, which could dilute the interest of or impair the voting power of our holders of shares of common stock. The issuance of a series of preferred stock could be used as a method of discouraging, delaying, or preventing a change in control. For example, it would be possible for our Board to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of our Company.
Sales of additional equity securities may adversely affect the market price of the shares of our common stock and your rights may be reduced.
We expect to continue to incur drug development and selling, general and administrative costs, and to satisfy our funding requirements, we will need to sell additional equity securities, which may be subject to registration rights and warrants with anti-dilutive protective provisions. The sale or the proposed sale of substantial amounts of the shares of our common stock or other equity securities in the public markets may adversely affect the market price of the shares of our common stock and our stock price may decline substantially. Our shareholders may experience substantial dilution and a reduction in the price that they are able to obtain upon sale of their shares. Also, new equity securities issued may have greater rights, preferences or privileges than our existing shares of common stock.
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The price of the shares of our common stock may be volatile.
The trading price of the shares of our common stock may fluctuate substantially. The price of the shares of our common stock that will prevail in the market may be higher or lower than the price you have paid, depending on many factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be related to our operating performance. These fluctuations could cause you to lose part or all of your investment in the shares of our common stock and warrants. Those factors that could cause fluctuations include, but are not limited to, the following:
● | price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time; | |
● | variations in our quarterly operating results; | |
● | fluctuations in stock market prices and trading volumes of similar companies; | |
● | actual or anticipated changes in our net loss or fluctuations in our operating results or in the expectations of securities analysts; | |
● | the issuance of new equity securities pursuant to a future offering, including issuances of preferred stock; | |
● | general economic conditions and trends, including changes in interest rates; | |
● | positive and negative events relating to healthcare and the overall pharmaceutical and biotech sector; | |
● | major catastrophic events; | |
● | sales of large blocks of our stock; | |
● | significant dilution caused by the anti-dilutive clauses in our financial agreements; | |
● | departures of key personnel; | |
● | changes in the regulatory status of our immunotherapies, including results of our clinical trials; | |
● | events affecting Penn or any current or future collaborators; | |
● | announcements of new products or technologies, commercial relationships or other events by us or our competitors; | |
● | regulatory developments in the United States and other countries; | |
● | failure of the shares of our common stock or warrants to be listed or quoted on the OTCQX Best Market or on a national market system; on May 10, 2022, we received a notification from the OTCQX that by virtue of closing below $0.10 for more than 30 consecutive calendar days, our common stock no longer meets the Standards for Continued Qualification for the OTCQX U.S. tier, and that if we do not regain qualification by November 7, 2022, our common stock will be moved from OTCQX to the OTC Pink market; | |
● | changes in financial estimates by securities analysts who cover our company; | |
● | changes in accounting principles; and | |
● | perceptions of our company and discussion of us or our stock price by the financial and scientific press and in online investor communities. |
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In addition, the stock market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of small companies. Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. Further, a systemic decline in the financial markets and related factors beyond our control may cause our share price to decline rapidly and unexpectedly.
So long as the shares of our common stock continue to be listed on the OTCQX, they could be subject to the so-called “penny stock” rules that impose restrictive sales practice requirements.
As the shares of our common stock have been de-listed from the Nasdaq Capital Market and are now listed on the OTCQX, which is not a “national securities exchange” as defined by the Exchange Act, and thus the shares of our common stock will be become subject to the so-called “penny stock” rules if the shares have a market value of less than $5.00 per share. The SEC has adopted regulations that define a penny stock to include any stock that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions, including an exception for stock traded on a national securities exchange. The SEC regulations impose restrictive sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell penny stocks to persons other than established customers and accredited investors. An accredited investor generally is a person whose individual annual income exceeded $200,000, or whose joint annual income with a spouse exceeded $300,000 during the past two years and who expects their annual income to exceed the applicable level during the current year, or a person with net worth in excess of $1.0 million, not including the value of the investor’s principal residence and excluding mortgage debt secured by the investor’s principal residence up to the estimated fair market value of the home, except that any mortgage debt incurred by the investor within 60 days prior to the date of the transaction shall not be excluded from the determination of the investor’s net worth unless the mortgage debt was incurred to acquire the residence. For transactions covered by this rule, the broker-dealer must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser and must have received the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to sale. This means that so long as the shares of our common stock are not listed on a national securities exchange, the ability of stockholders to sell their shares of common stock in the secondary market could be adversely affected.
If a transaction involving a penny stock is not exempt from the SEC’s rule, a broker-dealer must deliver a disclosure schedule relating to the penny stock market to each investor prior to a transaction. The broker-dealer also must disclose the commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and its registered representative, current quotations for the penny stock, and, if the broker-dealer is the sole market-maker, the broker-dealer must disclose this fact and the broker-dealer’s presumed control over the market. Finally, monthly statements must be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock held in the customer’s account and information on the limited market in penny stocks.
There is no public market for the Common Stock Purchase Warrants being offered by us in this offering.
There is no established public trading market for the Common Stock Purchase Warrants and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the Common Stock Purchase Warrants on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system, including the QTCQX or Nasdaq. Without an active market, the liquidity of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants will be limited, which may adversely affect their value.
Holders of Common Stock Purchase Warrants purchased in this offering will have no rights as common stockholders until such holders exercise their Common Stock Purchase Warrants and acquire the shares of our common stock.
Until holders of Common Stock Purchase Warrants acquire the shares of our common stock upon exercise thereof, such holders will have no rights with respect to the shares of common stock underlying the Common Stock Purchase Warrants. Upon exercise of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants, the holders will be entitled to exercise the rights of a common stockholder only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise date.
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The Common Stock Purchase Warrants are speculative in nature.
The Common Stock Purchase Warrants do not confer any rights of common stock ownership on its holders, such as voting rights or the right to receive dividends, but rather merely represent the right to acquire shares of common stock at a fixed price for a limited period of time. Following this offering, the market value of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants, if any, is uncertain and there can be no assurance that the market value of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants will equal or exceed their imputed offering price. The Common Stock Purchase Warrants will not be listed or quoted for trading on any market or exchange. There can be no assurance that the market price of the shares of common stock will ever equal or exceed the exercise price of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants, and consequently, it may not ever be profitable for holders of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants to exercise the Common Stock Purchase Warrants.
We may be at an increased risk of securities litigation, which is expensive and could divert management attention.
The market price of the shares of our common stock may be volatile, and in the past companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation. We may be the target of this type of litigation in the future. Securities litigation against us could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, which could seriously harm our business.
We do not intend to pay cash dividends.
We have not declared or paid any cash dividends on the shares of our common stock, and we do not anticipate declaring or paying cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Any future determination as to the payment of cash dividends on the shares of our common stock will be at our Board of Directors’ discretion and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements and other factors that our Board of Directors considers to be relevant.
Our certificate of incorporation, bylaws and Delaware law have anti-takeover provisions that could discourage, delay or prevent a change in control, which may cause our stock price to decline.
Our certificate of incorporation, Bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions which could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if closing such a transaction would be beneficial to our shareholders. We are authorized to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock. This preferred stock may be issued in one or more series, the terms of which may be determined at the time of issuance by our Board of Directors without further action by shareholders. The terms of any series of preferred stock may include voting rights (including the right to vote as a series on particular matters), preferences as to dividend, liquidation, conversion and redemption rights and sinking fund provisions. The issuance of any preferred stock could materially adversely affect the rights of the holders of the shares of our common stock, and therefore, reduce the value of the shares of our common stock. In the past, our Series D convertible redeemable preferred stock included voting rights superior to those of our common stock which had a dispositive effect on certain matters put to a vote of all shareholders. While this series of preferred stock has since been redeemed, the terms of one or more series of preferred stock may allow the holders of such preferred stock to exert significant control over our management and approvals requiring stockholder approval. In particular, specific rights granted to future holders of preferred stock could be used to restrict our ability to merge with, or sell our assets to, a third party and thereby preserve control by the present management.
Provisions of our certificate of incorporation, Bylaws and Delaware law also could have the effect of discouraging potential acquisition proposals or making a tender offer or delaying or preventing a change in control, including changes a shareholder might consider favorable. Such provisions may also prevent or frustrate attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our management. In particular, the certificate of incorporation, Bylaws and Delaware law, as applicable, among other things; provide the Board of Directors with the ability to alter the Bylaws without shareholder approval and provide those vacancies on the Board of Directors may be filled by a majority of directors in office, and less than a quorum.
These provisions are expected to discourage certain types of coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of our company to first negotiate with its board. These provisions may delay or prevent someone from acquiring or merging with us, which may cause the market price of the shares of our common stock to decline.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering will be approximately $8.200 million, assuming a public offering price of $3.70 per common stock unit, the last reported sale price for the shares of our common stock on June 8, 2022, as reported by the OTCQX, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming none of the warrants issued in this offering are exercised. If the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, we estimate that we will receive additional net proceeds of approximately $1.290 million.
A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us by $2.325 million, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. An increase (decrease) of 500,000 in the number of shares offered by us would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us by $1.721 million.
We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of shares by us for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
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INFORMATION REGARDING THE SHARES OF OUR COMMON STOCK
The shares of our common stock are currently quoted on the OTCQX under the symbol “ADXSD.” Concurrently with the consummation of this offering, we expect that the shares of our common stock will trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “ADXS.”
Our stock has experienced periods, including extended periods, of limited or sporadic quotations.
As of April 30, 2022, there were approximately 30,000 holders of record of the shares of our common stock.
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DIVIDEND POLICY
We have not declared or paid any dividends since inception on the shares of our common stock. We do not anticipate that we will declare or pay dividends in the foreseeable future on the shares of our common stock.
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CAPITALIZATION
The following table describes our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of April 30, 2022:
● | on an actual basis; | |
● | on an pro forma basis to reflect our sale of shares of common stock in this offering at an assumed offering price of $3.70 per share. |
You should read this capitalization table together with the consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, as well as “Use of Proceeds,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the other financial information included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Actual | Pro Forma(1) | |||||||
(amounts in thousands, except per share data) | ||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 32,085 | $ | 40,285 | ||||
Stockholders’ equity: | ||||||||
Common Stock - par value $0.001 per share, 170,000,000 shares authorized, 1,820,480 shares issued and outstanding at April 30, 2022 and October 31, 2021, actual; $0.001 par value, 170,000,000 shares authorized, 3,290,480 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma | 2 | 4 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital | 466,554 | 474,752 | ||||||
Accumulated deficit | (431,405 | ) | (431,405 | ) | ||||
Total stockholders’ equity | 35,151 | 43,351 | ||||||
Total capitalization | $ | 35,151 | $ | 43,351 |
(1) A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $3.70 per share, would increase (decrease) each of cash and cash equivalents, total stockholders’ equity and total capitalization by $2.325 million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. An increase (decrease) of 500,000 in the number of shares offered by us would increase (decrease) each of cash and cash equivalents, total stockholders’ equity and total capitalization by $1.721 million.
The number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 1,820,480 shares outstanding as of April 30, 2022. Pro forma as adjusted does not give effect to the impact of Common Stock Purchase Warrants or the Underwriter’s over-allotment option.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements for the period ended October 31, 2021, and 2020, and notes thereto, and our unaudited financial statements for the three and six months ended April 30, 2022, and 2021, and notes thereto, included elsewhere in this prospectus. This report contains forward-looking information that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking information. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, availability and cost of financial resources, product demand, market acceptance and other factors discussed in this report under the heading “Risk Factors”. All amounts presented herein are expressed in thousands, except share and per-share data, unless otherwise specifically noted.
Overview
The Company is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary Lm Technology antigen delivery products based on a platform technology that utilizes live attenuated Listeria monocytogenes, or Lm, bioengineered to secrete antigen/adjuvant fusion proteins. These Lm-based strains are believed to be a significant advancement in immunotherapy as they integrate multiple functions into a single immunotherapy by accessing and directing antigen presenting cells to stimulate anti-tumor T cell immunity, stimulate and activate the innate immune system with the equivalent of multiple adjuvants, and simultaneously reduce tumor protection in the Tumor Microenvironment, or TME, to enable the T cells to attack tumor cells.
The Company believes that Lm Technology immunotherapies can complement and address significant unmet needs in the current oncology treatment landscape. Specifically, our product candidates (i.e., ADXS-PSA, ADXS-503 and ADXS-504) have the potential to optimize checkpoint performance, while having a generally well-tolerated safety profile, and most of our product candidates have an expected low cost of goods.
Advaxis is currently winding down or has wound down clinical studies of Lm Technology immunotherapies in three program areas:
● | Human Papilloma Virus (“HPV”)-associated cancers | |
● | Personalized neoantigen-directed therapies | |
● | Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) associated cancers |
All these clinical program areas are anchored in the Company’s Lm TechnologyTM, a unique platform designed for its ability to safely and effectively target various cancers in multiple ways. While we are currently winding down clinical studies of Lm Technology immunotherapies in these three program areas, our license agreements continue with OS Therapies, LLC for ADXS-HER2 and with Global BioPharma, or GBP, for the exclusive license for the development and commercialization of AXAL in Asia, Africa, and the former USSR territory, exclusive of India and certain other countries.
Recent Developments
COVID-19 Impact
The global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its resurgences has and may continue to negatively impact global economic activity, which, despite progress in vaccination efforts, remains uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence. In addition, a new Omicron variant of COVID-19, which appears to be the most transmissible variant to date, has spread globally. The continued impact of the pandemic cannot be predicted at this time, and could depend on numerous factors, including vaccination rates among the population, the occurrence and spread of additional variants of COVID-19, the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against current or future variants and the response by governmental bodies and regulators.
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In response to COVID-19, the Company implemented remote working and thus far, has not experienced a significant disruption or delay in its operations as it relates to the clinical development or drug production of our drug candidates by third parties. We continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and take steps intended to mitigate the potential risks to our workforce and our operations. The COVID-19 pandemic has, and may continue to, directly or indirectly affect the pace of enrollment in our clinical trials as patients may avoid or may not be able to travel to healthcare facilities and physicians’ offices unless due to a health emergency and clinical trial staff can no longer get to the clinic. Nonetheless, thus far, the COVID-19 pandemic has not had a significant impact on our business or results of operations. However, we remain in contact with the clinical sites in our study and are in discussion with additional sites to combat any potential impact in enrollment. We are unable to determine or predict the extent, duration or scope of the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, operations, financial condition or liquidity.
Termination of Merger Agreement; Strategic Considerations
On July 4, 2021, the Company entered into a Merger Agreement (the “Merger Agreement”), subject to shareholder approval, with Biosight Ltd. (“Biosight”) and Advaxis Ltd. (“Merger Sub”), a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of Advaxis. Under the terms of the agreement, Biosight was to merge with and into Merger Sub, with Biosight continuing as the surviving company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Advaxis (the “Merger”). Immediately after the merger, Advaxis stockholders as of immediately prior to the merger were expected to own approximately 25% of the outstanding shares of the combined company and former Biosight shareholders were expected to own approximately 75% of the outstanding shares of the combined company.
On December 30, 2021, the Company terminated the Merger Agreement, as the Company was unable to obtain shareholder approval to complete the transaction. As announced in December 2021, the Company plans to continue to explore additional options to maximize stockholder value in addition to this offering.
Financing
On January 31, 2022, the Company consummated an offering with certain institutional investors for the private placement of 1,000,000 shares of Series D convertible redeemable preferred stock (the “Series D Preferred Stock”). The shares, which have since been redeemed in accordance with their terms as described below, and are thus no longer outstanding as of the date of this prospectus, had an aggregate stated value of $5,000,000. Each share of the Series D preferred stock had a purchase price of $4.75, representing an original issue discount of 5% of the stated value. The shares of Series D Preferred Stock were convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock, upon the occurrence of certain events, at a conversion price of $20.00 per share. The conversion, at the option of the stockholder, could occur at any time following the receipt of the stockholders’ approval for a reverse stock split. The Company was permitted to compel conversion of the Series D Preferred Stock after the fulfillment of certain conditions and subject to certain limitations. The Series D Preferred Stock also had a liquidation preference over the shares of common stock, and could be redeemed by the investors, in accordance with certain terms, for a redemption price equal to 105% of the stated value, or in certain circumstances, 110% of the stated value. Total net proceeds from the offering, after deducting the financial advisor’s fees and other estimated offering expenses, were approximately $4.3 million.
On April 6, 2022, the holders of all 1,000,000 outstanding shares of the Series D Preferred Stock exercised their right to cause the Company to redeem all of such shares at a price per share equal to 105% of the stated value per share of $5.00, and such shares were redeemed accordingly.
Results of Operations for the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2021 Compared to the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2020
Revenue
Revenue increased $3.0 million for the year ended October 31, 2021 compared to $0.3 million for the year ended October 31, 2020. In the current period, we recognized royalty payments from OST.
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Research and Development Expenses
We invest in research and development to advance our Lm technology through our preclinical and clinical development programs. Research and development expenses for the years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020 were categorized as follows (in thousands):
Fiscal Years Ended October 31, | Increase (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||
2021 | 2020 | $ | % | |||||||||||||
Hotspot/Off-the-Shelf therapies | $ | 4,261 | $ | 3,515 | $ | 746 | 21 | % | ||||||||
Prostate cancer | 30 | 948 | (918 | ) | (97 | )% | ||||||||||
HPV-associated cancers | 2,069 | 3,667 | (1,598 | ) | (44 | )% | ||||||||||
Personalized neoantigen-directed therapies | 495 | 1,266 | (771 | ) | (61 | )% | ||||||||||
Other expenses | 3,707 | 6,216 | (2,509 | ) | (40 | )% | ||||||||||
Total research & development expense | $ | 10,562 | $ | 15,612 | $ | (5,050 | ) | (32 | )% | |||||||
Stock-based compensation expense included in research and development expense | $ | 164 | $ | 308 | $ | (144 | ) | (47 | )% |
Hotspot/Off-the-Shelf Therapies (ADXS-HOT)
Research and development costs associated with our hotspot mutation-based therapy for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 increased 21% to $4.3 million compared to the same period in 2020. The increase is attributable to the costs associated with the increase in patient enrollment in the HOT-503 study and the commencement of our investigator-sponsored HOT-504 study.
Prostate Cancer (ADXS-PSA)
Research and development costs associated with our prostate cancer therapy for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 decreased $0.9 million, or 97%, compared to the same period in 2020. The decrease is attributable to the winding down of the Phase 1/2 study of our ADXS-PSA compound in combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), Merck’s humanized monoclonal antibody. We do not anticipate that we will continue to incur significant costs associated with the wind down of the study.
HPV-Associated Cancers (AXAL)
The majority of the HPV-associated research and development costs include clinical trial and other related costs associated with our AXAL programs in cervical and head and neck cancers. HPV-associated costs for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 decreased $1.6 million, or 44%, compared to the same period in 2020. The decrease is attributable to wind down costs associated with the closure of our Phase 3 AIM2CERV study in high-risk locally advanced cervical cancer. We do not anticipate that we will continue to incur significant costs associated with the wind down of the study.
Personalized Neoantigen-Directed Therapies (ADXS-NEO)
Research and development costs associated with personalized neoantigen-directed therapies for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 decreased $0.8 million, or 61%, compared to the same period in 2020. The decrease is attributable to wind down costs associated with the termination of our ADXS-NEO study. We do not anticipate that we will continue to incur significant costs associated with the wind down of the study.
Other Expenses
Other expenses include salary and benefit costs, stock-based compensation expense, professional fees, laboratory costs and other internal and external costs associated with our research & development activities. Other expenses for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 decreased $2.5 million, or 40%, compared to the same period in 2020. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in salary related expenses, temporary worker expenses and consulting expenses due to a change in focus on the clinical development of our HOT-503 and HOT-504 programs and substantially less on our early research programs.
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General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses primarily include salary and benefit costs and stock-based compensation expense for employees included in our finance, legal and administrative organizations, outside legal and professional services, and facilities costs. General and administrative expenses for the years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020 were as follows (in thousands):
Years Ended October 31, | Increase (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||
2021 | 2020 | $ | % | |||||||||||||
General and administrative expense | $ | 11,464 | $ | 11,090 | $ | 374 | 3 | % | ||||||||
Stock-based compensation expense included in general and administrative expense | $ | 402 | $ | 583 | $ | (181 | ) | (31 | )% |
General and administrative expenses for the year ended October 31, 2021 increased $0.4 million, or 3%, compared to the same period in 2020. This increase primarily relates to increases in (1) legal and consulting fees, including $1.4 million in legal and consulting fees related to the merger with Biosight (2) sublicense fees (3) proxy solicitation fees related to both the annual shareholder meeting and the merger with Biosight, (4) amounts paid in settlement of a shareholder demand letter and (5) losses on disposal of property and equipment in connection with the termination of our office lease at our former location. These increases were partially offset by decreases in (1) rent and utilities due to the termination of our office lease at our former location, (2) personnel costs and (3) charges related to the abandonment of non-strategic intellectual property.
Changes in Fair Values
For the year ended October 31, 2021, we recorded non-cash income from changes in the fair value of the warrant liability of approximately $1.0 million. The decrease in the fair value of liability warrants resulted primarily from the issuance of warrants in the April 2021 Offering. The warrants issued in the April 2021 Private Placement decreased in fair value from date of issuance to October 31, 2021 due to a decrease in our share price from $45.60 at April 14, 2021 to $38.80 at October 31, 2021.
For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020, we recorded non-cash expense from changes in the fair value of the warrant liability of $0.
Loss on shares issued in settlement of warrants
On October 16, 2020, the Company entered into private exchange agreements with certain holders of warrants issued in connection with the Company’s January 2020 public offering of shares of common stock and warrants. The warrants being exchanged provide for the purchase of up to an aggregate of 62,500 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $100.00 per share. The warrants became exercisable on July 21, 2020 and have an expiration date of July 21, 2025. Pursuant to such exchange agreements, the Company agreed to issue 37,500 shares of common stock to the investors in exchange for the warrants. In connection with the exchange of warrants for shares of common stock, the Company recorded a loss of approximately $77,000 as the fair value of the shares issued exceeded the fair value of warrants exchanged.
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Results of Operations for the Three Months Ended April 30, 2022 and 2021 (Unaudited)
Revenue
Revenue was $250,000 for the three months ended April 30, 2022 compared to $1,375,000 for the three months ended April 30, 2021. In the current period, we received the annual licensing fee from GBP. In the prior period, we recognized royalty payments from OST.
Research and Development Expenses
We invest in research and development to advance our Lm technology through our pre-clinical and clinical development programs. Research and development expenses for the three months ended April 30, 2022 and April 30, 2021 were categorized as follows (in thousands):
Three Months Ended April 30, | Increase (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||
2022 | 2021 | $ | % | |||||||||||||
Hotspot/Off-the-Shelf therapies | $ | 805 | $ | 786 | $ | 19 | 2 | % | ||||||||
Prostate cancer | - | 52 | (52 | ) | (100 | )% | ||||||||||
HPV-associated cancers | 125 | 914 | (789 | ) | (86 | )% | ||||||||||
Personalized neoantigen-directed therapies | 8 | 260 | (252 | ) | (97 | )% | ||||||||||
Other expenses | 546 | 2,332 | (1,786 | ) | (77 | )% | ||||||||||
Total research & development expense | $ | 1,484 | $ | 4,344 | $ | (2,860 | ) | (66 | )% | |||||||
Stock-based compensation expense included in research and development expense | $ | 11 | $ | 56 | $ | (45 | ) | (80 | )% |
Hotspot/Off-the-Shelf Therapies (ADXS-HOT)
Research and development costs associated with our hotspot mutation-based therapy for the three months ended April 30, 2022 increased approximately 2% to $805,000 compared to the same period in 2021. The increase is not material.
Prostate Cancer (ADXS-PSA)
Research and development costs associated with our prostate cancer therapy for the three months ended April 30, 2022 decreased 100% to $0 compared to the same period in 2021. The study has been completed and we do not anticipate that we will continue to incur significant costs associated with the wind down of the study.
HPV-Associated Cancers (AXAL)
The majority of the HPV-associated research and development costs include clinical trial and other related costs associated with our AXAL programs in cervical and head and neck cancers. HPV-associated costs for the three months ended April 30, 2022 decreased approximately $789,000, or 86%, compared to the same period in 2021. The decrease is attributable to wind down costs associated with the closure of our Phase 3 AIM2CERV study in high-risk locally advanced cervical cancer. We do not anticipate that we will continue to incur significant costs associated with the wind down of our Phase 3 AIM2CERV study.
Personalized Neoantigen-Directed Therapies (ADXS-NEO)
Research and development costs associated with personalized neoantigen-directed therapies for the three months ended April 30, 2022 decreased approximately $252,000, or 97%, compared to the same period in 2021. The study has been completed and we do not anticipate that we will continue to incur significant costs associated with the wind down of the study.
Other Expenses
Other expenses include salary and benefit costs, stock-based compensation expense, professional fees, laboratory costs and other internal and external costs associated with our research & development activities. Other expenses for the three months ended April 30, 2022 decreased approximately $1,786,000, or 77%, compared to the same period in 2021. The decrease is attributable to (1) prior period losses on disposal of property and equipment in connection with the termination of our office lease at our former location, (2) decrease in personnel costs due to decreases in headcount, stock compensation and bonus accruals, and (3) decrease in depreciation expense.
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General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses primarily include salary and benefit costs and stock-based compensation expense for employees included in our finance, legal and administrative organizations, outside legal and professional services, and facilities costs. General and administrative expenses for the three months ended April 30, 2022 and April 30, 2021 were as follows (in thousands):
Three Months Ended April 30, | Increase (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||
2022 | 2021 | $ | % | |||||||||||||
General and administrative expense | $ | 1,768 | $ | 3,352 | $ | (1,584 | ) | (47 | )% | |||||||
Stock-based compensation expense included in general and administrative expense | $ | 12 | $ | 159 | $ | (147 | ) | (92 | )% |
General and administrative expenses for the three months ended April 30, 2022 decreased approximately $1,584,000, or 47%, compared to the same period in 2021. This decrease primarily relates to (1) prior period losses on disposal of property and equipment in connection with the termination of our office lease at our former location, (2) prior period sublicense fees paid to the University of Pennsylvania for the OST milestones reached, (3) prior period amounts paid in settlement of a shareholder demand letter, (4) decrease in personnel costs due to decreases in stock compensation and bonus accruals, (5) decrease in consulting fees, and (6) decreases in rent, utilities and depreciation due to the termination of our office lease at our former location.
Changes in Fair Values
For the three months ended April 30, 2022, we recorded non-cash income from changes in the fair value of derivative liabilities of approximately $607,000. The decrease in the derivative liabilities is attributable to a decrease in our share price from $10.88 at January 31, 2022 to $6.56 at April 30, 2022.
For the three months ended April 30, 2021, we recorded non-cash income from changes in the fair value of derivative liabilities of approximately $995,000. The decrease in the derivative liabilities resulted from the issuance of Private Placement Offering warrants on April 14, 2021. The Private Placement Offering warrants had a decrease in fair value of approximately $980,000 from April 14, 2021 to April 30, 2021 due to a decrease in our share price from $45.36 at April 14, 2021 to $39.12 at April 30, 2021.
Results of Operations for the Six Months Ended April 30, 2022 and 2021
Revenue
Revenue was $250,000 for the six months ended April 30, 2022 compared to $2,990,000 for the six months ended April 30, 2021. In the current period, we received the annual licensing fee from GBP. In the prior period, we recognized royalty payments from OST.
Research and Development Expenses
We invest in research and development to advance our Lm technology through our pre-clinical and clinical development programs. Research and development expenses for the six months ended April 30, 2022 and April 30, 2021 were categorized as follows (in thousands):
Six Months Ended April 30, | Increase (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||
2022 | 2021 | $ | % | |||||||||||||
Hotspot/Off-the-Shelf therapies | $ | 1,805 | $ | 1,986 | $ | (181 | ) | (9 | )% | |||||||
Prostate cancer | 54 | 95 | (41 | ) | (43 | )% | ||||||||||
HPV-associated cancers | 85 | 1,445 | (1,360 | ) | (94 | )% | ||||||||||
Personalized neoantigen-directed therapies | 8 | 392 | (384 | ) | (98 | )% | ||||||||||
Other expenses | 1,186 | 2,996 | (1,810 | ) | (60 | )% | ||||||||||
Total research & development expense | $ | 3,138 | $ | 6,914 | $ | (3,776 | ) | (55 | )% | |||||||
Stock-based compensation expense included in research and development expense | $ | 24 | $ | 113 | $ | (89 | ) | (79 | )% |
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Hotspot/Off-the-Shelf Therapies (ADXS-HOT)
Research and development costs associated with our hotspot mutation-based therapy for the six months ended April 30, 2022 decreased approximately 9% to $1,805,000 compared to the same period in 2021. The decrease is attributable to a slowdown in patient enrollment in the HOT-503 study.
Prostate Cancer (ADXS-PSA)
Research and development costs associated with our prostate cancer therapy for the six months ended April 30, 2022 decreased approximately $41,000, or 43%, compared to the same period in 2021. The study has been completed and we do not anticipate that we will continue to incur significant costs associated with the wind down of the study.
HPV-Associated Cancers (AXAL)
The majority of the HPV-associated research and development costs include clinical trial and other related costs associated with our AXAL programs in cervical and head and neck cancers. HPV-associated costs for the six months ended April 30, 2022 decreased approximately $1,360,000, or 94%, compared to the same period in 2021. The decrease is attributable to wind down costs associated with the closure of our Phase 3 AIM2CERV study in high-risk locally advanced cervical cancer. We do not anticipate that we will continue to incur significant costs associated with the wind down of our Phase 3 AIM2CERV study.
Personalized Neoantigen-Directed Therapies (ADXS-NEO)
Research and development costs associated with personalized neoantigen-directed therapies for the six months ended April 30, 2022 decreased approximately $384,000, or 98%, compared to the same period in 2021. The study has been completed and we do not anticipate that we will continue to incur significant costs associated with the wind down of the study.
Other Expenses
Other expenses include salary and benefit costs, stock-based compensation expense, professional fees, laboratory costs and other internal and external costs associated with our research & development activities. Other expenses for the six months ended April 30, 2022 decreased approximately $1,810,000, or 60%, compared to the same period in 2021. The decrease is attributable to (1) prior period losses on disposal of property and equipment in connection with the termination of our office lease at our former location, (2) decrease in personnel costs due to decreases in headcount, stock compensation and bonus accruals, and (3) decrease in depreciation expense.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses primarily include salary and benefit costs and stock-based compensation expense for employees included in our finance, legal and administrative organizations, outside legal and professional services, and facilities costs. General and administrative expenses for the six months ended April 30, 2022 and April 30, 2021 were as follows (in thousands):
Six Months Ended April 30, | Increase (Decrease) | |||||||||||||||
2022 | 2021 | $ | % | |||||||||||||
General and administrative expense | $ | 4,278 | $ | 6,360 | $ | (2,082 | ) | (33 | )% | |||||||
Stock-based compensation expense included in general and administrative expense | $ | 25 | $ | 338 | $ | (313 | ) | (93 | )% |
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General and administrative expenses for the six months ended April 30, 2022 decreased approximately $2,082,000, or 33%, compared to the same period in 2021. This decrease primarily relates to (1) prior period losses on disposal of property and equipment in connection with the termination of our office lease at our former location, (2) prior period sublicense fees paid to the University of Pennsylvania for the OST milestones reached, (3) prior period amounts paid in settlement of a shareholder demand letter, (4) decrease in personnel costs due to decreases in stock compensation and bonus accruals, and (5) decreases in rent, utilities and depreciation due to the termination of our office lease at our former location. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in proxy solicitation fees related to the Previously Proposed Merger and the reverse stock split.
Changes in Fair Values
For the six months ended April 30, 2022, we recorded non-cash income from changes in the fair value of derivative liabilities of approximately $4,409,000. The decrease in the derivative liabilities was attributable to a decrease in our share price from $38.80 at October 31, 2021 to $6.56 at April 30, 2022.
For the six months ended April 30, 2021, we recorded non-cash income from changes in the fair value of derivative liabilities of approximately $968,000. The decrease in the derivative liabilities resulted from the issuance of Private Placement Offering warrants on April 14, 2021. The Private Placement Offering warrants had a decrease in fair value of approximately $980,000 from April 14, 2021 to April 30, 2021 due to a decrease in our share price from $45.36 at April 14, 2021 to $39.12 at April 30, 2021.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Management’s Plans
Similar to other development stage biotechnology companies, our products that are being developed have not generated significant revenue. As a result, we have historically suffered recurring losses and we have required significant cash resources to execute our business plans. These losses are expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
Historically, the Company’s major sources of cash have comprised proceeds from various public and private offerings of its securities (including common stock), debt financings, clinical collaborations, option and warrant exercises, income earned on investments and grants, and interest income. From October 2013 through April 30, 2022, the Company raised approximately $339.4 million in gross proceeds from various public and private offerings of our common stock. The Company has sustained losses from operations in each fiscal year since our inception, and we expect losses to continue for the indefinite future. As of April 30, 2022 and October 31, 2021, the Company had an accumulated deficit of approximately $431.4 million and $428.6 million, respectively, and stockholders’ equity of approximately $35.2 million and $38.9 million, respectively.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the global economy and created significant volatility and disruption of financial markets. An extended period of economic disruption could negatively affect the Company’s business, financial condition, and access to sources of liquidity. As of April 30, 2022, the Company had approximately $32.1 million in cash and cash equivalents. The actual amount of cash that the Company will need to continue operating is subject to many factors.
The Company recognizes that it will need to raise additional capital in order to continue to execute its business plan in the future. There is no assurance that additional financing will be available when needed or that the Company will be able to obtain financing on terms acceptable to it or whether the Company will become profitable and generate positive operating cash flow. If the Company is unable to raise sufficient additional funds, it will have to further scale back its operations. The Company believes it has sufficient capital to fund its obligations, as they become due, in the ordinary course of business into the second fiscal quarter of 2024. The Company based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, and we could use available capital resources sooner than currently expected.
Cash Flows
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was $15.4 million for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 compared to $21.9 million for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020. Net cash used in operating activities includes reduced spending associated with our clinical trial programs and general and administrative activities. The decrease was due to measures to control costs for non-essential items in areas that did not support our strategic direction, and as a result, we have continued to reduce non-strategic operating expenditures over the past several quarters.
Net cash used in operating activities includes spending associated with our clinical trial programs and general and administrative activities. Net cash used in operating activities was approximately $8,456,000 for the six months ended April 30, 2022 compared to $8,900,000 for the six months ended April 30, 2021. The variance is due to fluctuations in cash collected from revenue generated, as well as timing of disbursements relating to accounts payable and accrued expenses.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $11,000 for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 compared to $0.7 million for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020. The decrease is a result of proceeds on disposal of property and equipment and the abandonment of certain non-strategic intellectual property in the prior period that led to less patent costs in the current period.
Net cash used in investing activities was approximately $135,000 for six months ended April 30, 2022 compared to $54,000 for the six months ended April 30, 2021. The increase is the result of proceeds on a prior period disposal of property and equipment partially offset by reductions in purchases for intangible assets.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was $31.9 million for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 as compared to $15.5 million for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020. In April 2021, the Company completed an offering of (i) 219,718 shares of common stock, (ii) 95,899 pre-funded warrants to purchase 95,899 shares of common stock and (iii) registered common share purchase warrants to purchase 140,552 shares of common stock (the “Registered Direct Offering”) with two healthcare focused, institutional investors. The Company also issued to the investors, in a concurrent private placement, unregistered common share purchase warrants to purchase 175,065 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Private Placement” and together with the Registered Direct Offering, the “April 2021 Offering”). We received gross proceeds of approximately $20 million, before deducting the fees and expenses payable by us in connection with the April 2021 Offering.
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Net cash used in financing activities was approximately $938,000 for the six months ended April 30, 2022 compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $31,886,000 for the six months ended April 30, 2021. On January 31, 2022, the Company closed on an offering with certain institutional investors for the private placement of 1,000,000 shares of Series D Preferred Stock. The shares sold had an aggregate stated value of $5,000,000. Each share of the Series D Preferred Stock was sold for a purchase price of $4.75, representing an original issue discount of 5% of the stated value. Total net proceeds from the offering, after deducting the financial advisor’s fees and other estimated offering expenses, were approximately $4.3 million. The Series D preferred stock also had a liquidation preference over the shares of common stock, and could be redeemed by the investors, in accordance with certain terms, for a redemption price equal to 105% of the stated value, or in certain circumstances, 110% of the stated value. On April 6, 2022, the holders of all 1,000,000 outstanding shares of the Series D Preferred Stock exercised their right to cause the Company to redeem all of such shares at a price per share equal to 105% of the stated value per share of $5.00, and such shares were redeemed accordingly.
In January 2020, we completed a public offering of 125,000 shares of our common stock, which resulted in net proceeds of approximately $9.7 million. Additionally, during the year end October 31, 2020, we sold 31,113 shares under the ATM program for net proceeds of $1.531 million, and we sold 140,525 shares of common stock under the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement for net proceeds of approximately $5.1 million.
In November 2020, the Company closed on a public offering of 383,333 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $24.00 per share. After deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, the net proceeds from the offering were approximately $8.5 million. In addition, the Company also undertook a concurrent private placement of warrants to purchase up to 191,667 shares of common stock. The warrants have an exercise price per share of $28.00, are exercisable immediately and will expire five years from the date of issuance.
On April 12, 2021, the Company completed an offering of (i) 219,718 shares of common stock, (ii) 95,899 pre-funded warrants to purchase 95,899 shares of common stock and (iii) registered common share purchase warrants to purchase 140,552 shares of common stock with two healthcare focused, institutional investors. The Company also issued to the investors, in a concurrent private placement, unregistered common share purchase warrants to purchase 175,065 shares of the Company’s common stock. We received gross proceeds of approximately $20 million, before deducting the fees and expenses payable by us in connection with the offering.
During the six months ended April 30, 2021, warrant holders from the Company’s November 2020 and April 2021 offerings exercised 230,343 warrants in exchange for 230,343 shares of the Company’s common stock. Pursuant to these warrant exercises, the Company received aggregate proceeds of approximately $3.8 million
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of April 30, 2022, we had no off-balance sheet arrangements.
Critical Accounting Policies
Revenue Recognition
Under ASC 606, an entity recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that an entity determines are within the scope of ASC 606, the entity performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the entity will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer. At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of ASC 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract, determines those that are performance obligations and assesses whether each promised good or service is distinct. The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied.
The Company enters into licensing agreements that are within the scope of ASC 606, under which it may exclusively license rights to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize its product candidates to third parties. The terms of these arrangements typically include payment to the Company of one or more of the following: non-refundable, upfront license fees; reimbursement of certain costs; customer option exercise fees; development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments; and royalties on net sales of licensed products.
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In determining the appropriate amount of revenue to be recognized as it fulfills its obligations under its agreements, the Company performs the following steps: (i) identification of the promised goods or services in the contract; (ii) determination of whether the promised goods or services are performance obligations including whether they are distinct in the context of the contract; (iii) measurement of the transaction price, including the constraint on variable consideration; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations; and (v) recognition of revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies each performance obligation. As part of the accounting for these arrangements, the Company must use significant judgment to determine: (a) the number of performance obligations based on the determination under step (ii) above; (b) the transaction price under step (iii) above; and (c) the stand-alone selling price for each performance obligation identified in the contract for the allocation of transaction price in step (iv) above. The Company uses judgment to determine whether milestones or other variable consideration, except for royalties, should be included in the transaction price as described further below. The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation on a relative stand-alone selling price basis, for which the Company recognizes revenue as or when the performance obligations under the contract are satisfied.
Amounts received prior to revenue recognition are recorded as deferred revenue. Amounts expected to be recognized as revenue within the 12 months following the balance sheet date are classified as current portion of deferred revenue in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Amounts not expected to be recognized as revenue within the 12 months following the balance sheet date are classified as deferred revenue, net of current portion.
Exclusive Licenses. If the license to the Company’s intellectual property is determined to be distinct from the other performance obligations identified in the arrangement, the Company recognizes revenue from non-refundable, upfront fees allocated to the license when the license is transferred to the customer and the customer is able to use and benefit from the license. In assessing whether a performance obligation is distinct from the other performance obligations, the Company considers factors such as the research, development, manufacturing and commercialization capabilities of the collaboration partner and the availability of the associated expertise in the general marketplace. In addition, the Company considers whether the collaboration partner can benefit from a performance obligation for its intended purpose without the receipt of the remaining performance obligation, whether the value of the performance obligation is dependent on the unsatisfied performance obligation, whether there are other vendors that could provide the remaining performance obligation, and whether it is separately identifiable from the remaining performance obligation. For licenses that are combined with other performance obligation, the Company utilizes judgment to assess the nature of the combined performance obligation to determine whether the combined performance obligation is satisfied over time or at a point in time and, if over time, the appropriate method of measuring progress for purposes of recognizing revenue. The Company evaluates the measure of progress each reporting period and, if necessary, adjusts the measure of performance and related revenue recognition. The measure of progress, and thereby periods over which revenue should be recognized, are subject to estimates by management and may change over the course of the research and development and licensing agreement. Such a change could have a material impact on the amount of revenue the Company records in future periods.
Milestone Payments. At the inception of each arrangement that includes research or development milestone payments, the Company evaluates whether the milestones are considered probable of being achieved and estimates the amount to be included in the transaction price using the most likely amount method. If it is probable that a significant revenue reversal would not occur, the associated milestone value is included in the transaction price. An output method is generally used to measure progress toward complete satisfaction of a milestone. Milestone payments that are not within the control of the Company or the licensee, such as regulatory approvals, are not considered probable of being achieved until those approvals are received. The Company evaluates factors such as the scientific, clinical, regulatory, commercial, and other risks that must be overcome to achieve the particular milestone in making this assessment. There is considerable judgment involved in determining whether it is probable that a significant revenue reversal would not occur. At the end of each subsequent reporting period, the Company re-evaluates the probability of achievement of all milestones subject to constraint and, if necessary, adjusts its estimate of the overall transaction price. Any such adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis, which would affect revenue and earnings in the period of adjustment.
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Stock Based Compensation
The Company has an equity plan which allows for the granting of stock options to its employees, directors and consultants for a fixed number of shares with an exercise price equal to the fair value of the shares at date of grant. The Company measures the cost of services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award. The fair value of the award is measured on the grant date and is then recognized over the requisite service period, usually the vesting period, in both research and development expenses and general and administrative expenses on the consolidated statement of operations, depending on the nature of the services provided by the employees or consultants.
The process of estimating the fair value of stock-based compensation awards and recognizing stock-based compensation cost over their requisite service period involves significant assumptions and judgments. The Company estimates the fair value of stock option awards on the date of grant using the Black Scholes Model (“BSM”) for the remaining awards, which requires that the Company makes certain assumptions regarding: (i) the expected volatility in the market price of its shares of common stock; (ii) dividend yield; (iii) risk-free interest rates; and (iv) the period of time employees are expected to hold the award prior to exercise (referred to as the expected holding period). As a result, if the Company revises its assumptions and estimates, stock-based compensation expense could change materially for future grants.
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation using fair value recognition and records forfeitures as they occur. As such, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation cost only for those stock-based awards that vest over their requisite service period, based on the vesting provisions of the individual grants.
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market or foreign currency risks. The Company evaluates all of its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations. For stock-based derivative financial instruments, the Company used the Monte Carlo simulation model and the Black-Scholes model to value the derivative instruments at inception and on subsequent valuation dates. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative liabilities are classified in the consolidated balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement of the instrument could be required within 12 months of the balance sheet date.
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets primarily consist of legal and filing costs associated with obtaining patents and licenses and are amortized on a straight-line basis over their remaining useful lives which are estimated to be twenty years from the effective dates of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) License Agreements, beginning in July 1, 2002. These legal and filing costs are invoiced to the Company through Penn and its patent attorneys.
Management has reviewed its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset might not be recoverable and its carrying amount exceeds its fair value, which is based upon estimated undiscounted future cash flows. Net assets are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet for patents and licenses related to AXAL, ADXS-HOT and ADXS-PSA and other products that are in development. However, if a competitor were to gain FDA approval for a treatment before us or if future clinical trials fail to meet the targeted endpoints, the Company would likely record an impairment related to these assets. In addition, if an application is rejected or fails to be issued, the Company would record an impairment of its estimated book value.
Leases
Effective November 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASC Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”) using the modified retrospective transition approach by applying the new standard to all leases existing as of the date of initial application. Results and disclosure requirements for reporting periods beginning after November 1, 2019 are presented under ASC 842, while prior period amounts have not been adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with the previous guidance in ASC 840, Leases.
At the inception of an arrangement, the Company determines whether an arrangement is or contains a lease based on the facts and circumstances present in the arrangement. An arrangement is or contains a lease if the arrangement conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. Most leases with a term greater than one year are recognized on the consolidated balance sheet as operating lease right-of-use assets and current and long-term operating lease liabilities, as applicable. The Company has elected not to recognize on the consolidated balance sheet leases with terms of 12 months or less. The Company typically only includes the initial lease term in its assessment of a lease arrangement. Options to extend a lease are not included in the Company’s assessment unless there is reasonable certainty that the Company will renew.
Operating lease liabilities and their corresponding right-of-use assets are recorded based on the present value of lease payments over the expected remaining lease term. Certain adjustments to the right-of-use asset may be required for items such as prepaid or accrued rent. The interest rate implicit in the Company’s leases is typically not readily determinable. As a result, the Company utilizes its incremental borrowing rate, which reflects the fixed rate at which the Company could borrow on a collateralized basis the amount of the lease payments in the same currency, for a similar term, in a similar economic environment. In transition to ASC 842, the Company utilized the remaining lease term of its leases in determining the appropriate incremental borrowing rates.
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BUSINESS
Overview
Advaxis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary Listeria monocytogenes, or Lm, Technology antigen delivery products based on a platform technology that utilizes live attenuated Lm bioengineered to secrete antigen/adjuvant fusion proteins. These Lm-based strains are believed to be a significant advancement in immunotherapy as they integrate multiple functions into a single immunotherapy and are designed to access and direct antigen presenting cells to stimulate anti-tumor T cell immunity, activate the immune system with the equivalent of multiple adjuvants, and simultaneously reduce tumor protection in the Tumor Microenvironment, or TME, to enable T cells to eliminate tumors. The Company believes that Lm Technology immunotherapies can complement and address significant unmet needs in the current oncology treatment landscape. Specifically, the Company’s product candidates have the potential to optimize the clinical impact of checkpoint inhibitors while having a generally well-tolerated safety profile. The Company’s passion for the clinical potential of Lm Technology is balanced by focus and fiscal discipline which is directed towards improving treatment options for cancer patients and increasing shareholder value.
Advaxis is focused on single antigen and multiple antigen delivery products and is in various stages of clinical development. All of the Company’s products are anchored in the Company’s Lm TechnologyTM, a unique platform designed for its ability to target various cancers in multiple ways. As an intracellular bacterium, Lm is an effective vector for the presentation of antigens through both the Major Histocompatibility Complex, or MHC, I and II pathways, due to its active phagocytosis by Antigen Presenting Cells, or APCs. Within the APCs, Lm produces virulence factors which allow survival in the host cytosol and potently stimulate the immune system.
Through a license from the University of Pennsylvania and through its own development efforts, Advaxis has exclusive access to a proprietary formulation of attenuated Lm that we call Lm Technology. Lm Technology is designed to optimize this natural system, and one of the keys to the enhanced immunogenicity of Lm Technology is the tLLO-fusion protein, which is made up of tumor associated antigen, or TAA, fused to a highly immunogenic bacterial protein that triggers potent cellular immunity. The tLLO-fusion protein is also designed to help reduce immune tolerance in the TME and to promote antigen spreading, thereby improving activity in the TME. Multiple copies of the tLLO-fusion protein within each construct may increase antigen presentation and TME impact.
As the field of immunotherapy continues to evolve, the flexibility of the Lm Technology platform has allowed Advaxis to develop highly innovative products. To date, Lm Technology has demonstrated preclinical synergy with multiple checkpoint inhibitors, co-stimulatory agents and radiation therapy. The safety profile of all Lm Technology constructs seen to date across over 470 patients has been generally predictable and manageable, consisting mostly of mild to moderate flu-like symptoms that have been transient and associated with infusion.
The Advaxis Corporate Strategy and Strategic Considerations
Our strategy is to advance the Lm Technology platform and leverage its unique capabilities to design and develop an array of cancer treatments. We are currently conducting or planning clinical studies of Lm Technology immunotherapies in non-small cell lung cancer and other solid tumor types, prostate cancer and HPV-associated cancers. We are working with, or are in the process of identifying, collaborators and potential licensees for these programs.
Advaxis is currently mainly concentrating on its disease-focused, hotspot/”off-the-shelf” neoantigen-directed therapies called ADXS-HOT. ADXS-HOT is a program that leverages the Company’s proprietary Lm technology to target hotspot mutations that commonly occur in specific cancer types. ADXS-HOT drug candidates are designed to target acquired shared or “public” mutations in tumor driver genes along with other cancer-associated antigens that also commonly occur in specific cancer types.
We expect that we will continue to invest in our core clinical program areas and will also remain opportunistic in evaluating Investigator Sponsored Trials, or ISTs, as well as licensing opportunities as we are actively looking for partners and/or licensees for these programs. The Lm Technology platform is protected by a range of patents, covering both product and process, some of which we believe can be maintained into 2039.
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In December 2021, we announced that we had terminated our merger agreement with Biosight Ltd. (“Biosight”), pursuant to which Biosight was to merge with and into Advaxis Ltd. (“Merger Sub”), a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of Advaxis, with Biosight continuing as the surviving company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Advaxis (the “Merger”). As also announced in December 2021, we plan to continue to explore additional options to maximize stockholder value.
Lm Technology and the Immunotherapy Landscape
The challenge of cancer immunotherapy has been to find the best overall balance between efficacy and side effects when mobilizing the body’s immune system to fight against cancer. The development of immune checkpoint inhibitors was a significant step forward, particularly with anti-PD-1 therapies, and brought with it impressive clinical activity in many different types of cancers, including melanoma, lung, head and neck and urothelial cancers. However, a literature review published in Science in 2018 noted that anti-PD-1 monotherapy response rates are only in the 15-25% range, and rise to ≥50% only in selected groups of patients with desmoplastic melanoma, Merkel carcinoma or tumors with mismatch-repair deficiency. Development of secondary resistance with disease progression is yet another common limitation of these therapies. Therefore, for most cancer patients, there is room for improvement. Checkpoint inhibitors can expand existing cancer fighting cells that may already be present in low numbers and support their activity against cancer cells, but if the right cancer-fighting cells are not present, checkpoint inhibitors may not provide clinical benefit. Similarly, there are many mechanisms of immune tolerance that are distinct from the checkpoints which may also be blocking the immune system from fighting cancer. Based on both pre-clinical and early clinical data, Advaxis believes that checkpoint inhibitors, when combined with treatments such as Lm Technology, can have an amplified anti-tumor effect. Lm Technology incorporates several complementary elements that include innate immune stimulation, potent generation of cancer-targeted T cells, ability to boost immunity through multiple treatments, enhancing lymphocyte infiltration into tumors, reduction of non-checkpoint mediated immune tolerance within the tumor microenvironment, and promotion of antigen spreading which may amplify the effects of treatment. These results provide rationale for further testing of Lm Technology agents alone and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors.
Traditional cancer vaccines were another development within immunotherapy and have a history beginning over 30 years ago. Unfortunately, these vaccines have largely been unsuccessful for a variety of potential reasons. These include poor selection of targets, imbalanced antigen presentation by inclusion of certain immune enhancing agents (adjuvants), failure to consider the blocking actions of immune tolerance, and choice of vaccine vectors. In some cases, patients may develop neutralizing antibodies, preventing further treatments. In contrast to traditional cancer vaccines, Lm Technology takes advantage of a natural pathway in the immune system that evolved to protect us against Listeria infections, that also happens to generate the same type of immunity that is required when fighting cancer. The live but weakened (attenuated) bacteria stimulate a balanced concert of innate immune triggers and present the tumor antigen target precisely where it needs to be able to generate potent cancer fighting cells from within the immune system itself. The multitude of accompanying signals serves to broadly mobilize most of the immune system in support of fighting what seems to be a Listeria infection, and is then “re-directed” against cancer cell targets. Additionally, the unique intracellular lifecycle of Listeria avoids the creation of neutralizing antibodies, thereby allowing for repeat administration as a chronic therapy with a sustained enhancing of tumor antigen-specific T cell immunity.
Looking back on the last two decades, there have been promising technology advancements to harness and activate killer T cells against cancers and every day more is learned about the interplay between immunity and cancer that can lead to improved treatments. However, there are still significant unmet needs in the immunotherapy landscape that Advaxis feels Lm Technology may be able to address and complement. Specifically, Lm Technology has the potential to optimize and expand checkpoint inhibitor activity in combination. It also avoids many of the limitations of previous cancer vaccine attempts by tapping into the pathway reserved for defense against Listeria infection while incorporating the best cancer targets science can identify, including neoantigens that result from mutations in the cancer. To date, Lm Technology products have a manageable safety profile, do not generate neutralizing antibodies lending themselves to retreatments, and most of the products are designed to be immediately available for treatment without the complication and expense of modifying a patient’s own cells in a laboratory.
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Lm Technology: An optimized Listeria -based antigen delivery system
Advaxis’ Listeria -based immunotherapies are designed for antigen delivery through a process of insertion of multiple copies of the proprietary tLLO-fusion protein into each extrachromosomal protein expression and secretion plasmid that makes and secretes the target protein right inside the patient’s antigen presenting cells to initiate and/or boost their immune response. The tLLO-fusion protein approach was developed at the University of Pennsylvania as an improvement over insertion of a single copy of the target gene, as an ACT-A (or other Lm peptide) fusion, within the bacterial genome for four key reasons:
1. | Multiple copies of the DNA in the plasmids per bacteria can result in larger amounts of tLLO -fusion protein being expressed simultaneously, versus a single copy. This is designed to improve antigen presentation and immunologic priming and increases the number of T cells generated for a particular treatment. | |
2. | tLLO expressed on plasmids (with or without a tumor target protein attached) has been shown preclinically to reduce numbers and immune suppressive function of Tregs and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, or MDSCs, in the tumor microenvironment. Presented preclinical data demonstrates that Tregs are destroyed as soon as five days after the first Lm Technology treatment and that suppressive M2 tumor-associated macrophages, or TAMs, are replaced by M1 macrophages which support antigen presentation and adoptive immunity. | |
3. | The extrachromosal DNA plasmids themselves also contain CpG sequence patterns that trigger TLR-9, which confers additional innate immune stimulation beyond a listeria without the plasmids. | |
4. | The multiple copies of bacterial DNA plasmids (up to 80-100 per bacteria) confers additional stimulation of the STING receptor within APC’s which has been associated with enhancing anti-cancer immunity in patients. |
Clinical Pipeline
Advaxis is focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary Lm Technology antigen delivery products. Advaxis has completed and closed out clinical studies of Lm Technology immunotherapies in three program areas:
● | HPV associated cancers | |
● | Personalized neoantigen-directed therapies | |
● | PSA directed therapy |
All these clinical program areas are anchored in the Company’s Lm TechnologyTM, a unique platform designed for its ability to safely and effectively target various cancers in multiple ways. The Phase 1/2 study with ADXS-PSA ± pembrolizumab in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients was closed on January 25, 2021. The MEDI Phase 2 combo study (AZ) with AXAL ± durvalumab in Cervical and Head and Neck Cancer and the AIM2CERV Phase 3 clinical trial with ADXS-HPV (AXAL) in cervical cancer were closed on August 22, 2019 and June 11, 2021, respectively. The study with personalized neoantigen-directed therapies (ADXS-NEO) was closed on May 22, 2020 and the NEO program-IND inactivation request was submitted to the FDA on May 10, 2021.
While we are currently winding down clinical studies of Lm Technology immunotherapies in these program areas, our license agreements continue with OS Therapies, LLC, for ADXS-HER2, and with GBP for the exclusive license for the development and commercialization of ADXS-HPV or AXAL in Asia, Africa, and the former USSR territory, exclusive of India and certain other countries.
Advaxis Pipeline of Product Candidates
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Disease-focused hotspot/’off -the-shelf’ neoantigen therapies (ADXS-HOT)
Advaxis is creating a new group of immunotherapy constructs for major solid tumor cancers that combines our optimized Lm Technology vector with promising targets designed to generate potent anti-cancer immunity. The ADXS-HOT program is a series of novel cancer immunotherapies that will target somatic mutations, or hotspots; cancer testis antigens, or CTAs; and oncofetal antigens, or OFAs. These three types of targets form the basis of the ADXS-HOT program because they are designed to be more capable of generating potent, tumor-specific, and high-strength killer T cells, versus more traditional over-expressed native sequence tumor associated antigens. Most hotspot mutations and OFA/CTA proteins play critical roles in oncogenesis; targeting both at once could significantly impair cancer proliferation. The ADXS-HOT products will combine many of the potential high avidity targets that are expressed in all patients with the target disease into one “off-the-shelf,” ready-to-administer treatment. The ADXS-HOT technology has a strong intellectual property, or IP, position, with potential protection into 2037, and an IP filing strategy providing for broad coverage opportunities across multiple disease platforms and combination therapies. In July 2018, the Company announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, allowed the Company’s investigational new drug, or IND, application for its ADXS-HOT drug candidate (ADXS-503) for non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC.
The Phase 1/2 clinical trial of ADXS-503 is seeking to establish the recommended dose, safety, tolerability and clinical activity of ADXS-503 administered alone and in combination with a KEYTRUDA® in approximately 50 patients with NSCLC, in at least five sites across the U.S. The two dose levels with monotherapy in Part A, (1 x108 CFU and 5 x108 CFU) have been completed. Part B with ADXS-503 (1 x108 CFU) in combination with KEYTRUDA® is currently enrolling its efficacy expansion for up to 18 patients at dose level 1 (1 x108 CFU + KEYTRUDA®) with the potential to proceed to dose level 2 (5 x108 CFU + KEYTRUDA®) at a later date. Part C, which is evaluating ADXS-503 in combination with KEYTRUDA® (1 x108 CFU + KEYTRUDA®) as a first-line treatment for patients with NSCLC with PD-L1 expression ≥ 1% or who are unfit for chemotherapy, is currently enrolling patients.
Initial results from Part A and Part B were presented in a poster titled, “Phase 1/2 Study of an Off-the-Shelf, Multi-Neoantigen Vector (ADXS-503) Alone and in Combination with Pembrolizumab in Subjects with Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)” at the 2020 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Annual Meeting. ADXS-503 alone (Part A) and in combination with pembrolizumab (Part B-DL1 and Part C) appeared safe and tolerable. There were no added toxicities from combining ADXS-503 with pembrolizumab.
In Part A, ADXS-503 alone achieved stable disease in 50% (n=6) of heavily pre-treated patients including prior treatment with checkpoint inhibitors in all but one patient. In Part B, the overall response rate (17%) and disease control rate (67%) (n=6) suggest that adding on ADXS-503 after immediate prior progression on pembrolizumab may re-sensitize or enhance response to pembrolizumab. The first two patients treated in the Part B achieved SD and PR for more than 10 months. Another patient with squamous histology in Part B also achieved stable disease, suggesting this regimen may be broadly applicable across NSCLC. Patients with known KRAS mutations in tumor samples have achieved stable disease in the study, including KRAS G12D in two out of six patients in Part A and KRAS G12V in one out of three in Part B DL1. Mutational analysis is ongoing across all patients. Biomarker data from nine patients to date, six from Part A and three from Part B, showed (a) activation of cytotoxic- and/or memory-CD8+ T cells in patients treated with monotherapy and in combination therapy and (b) 100% efficient priming by ADXS-503 with generation of CD8+ T cells against neoantigens in the vector as well as antigen spreading observed.
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The Company presented updated clinical data from Part B of the ADXS-503 clinical study at ASCO Annual Meeting 2021. The poster presentation titled “A phase 1 study of an off-the-shelf, multi-neoantigen vector (ADXS-503) in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progressing on pembrolizumab as last therapy” presented data on 10 patients who have been treated with ADXS-503 as an add-on therapy to patients failing pembrolizumab as last therapy with 10 patients evaluable for safety and nine patients evaluable for efficacy. Combination therapy was well tolerated with no dose limiting toxicity or added toxicity of the two drugs. Grades 1 and 2, transient and reversible events included chills, fever, and fatigue, in approximately half of the patients. The Overall Response Rate (“ORR”) was 11% (1/9) and Disease Control Rate (“DCR”) was 44% (4/9). Clinical benefit was durable, with an observed partial response (“PR”) and stable disease (“SD”) sustained for over a year, and another observed SD lasting over six months. An additional PR was maintained for approximately four months. Biomarker data demonstrate that patients who seem to achieve clinical benefit include those with PD-L1 expression ≥50%, secondary resistance disease to pembrolizumab and those who show proliferation and/or activation of NK and CD8+ T cells within the first weeks of therapy. Translational studies showed (a) antitumoral T cell responses elicited against hot-spot mutation antigens and/or tumor-associated antigens (“TAAs”); (b) emergence of naive CD8+ T cell clones, suggesting reactivity against novel antigens; and (c) induction of proliferation and/or activation of pre-existing CD8+ T cell clones, including PD-1 upregulation.
Enrollment in Part B of the ongoing study will continue to further evaluate the clinical benefit and immune effects of adding on ADXS-503 to patients progressing on pembrolizumab. An update of the clinical and translational results is expected to be presented at a medical conference in 2Q2022.
Advaxis also entered into an agreement with Columbia University Irving Medical Center in April 2021 to fund a phase 1 clinical study evaluating ADXS-504 in patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer. The study started early in 3Q 2021 and it will be the first clinical evaluation of ADXS-504, Advaxis’ off-the-shelf neoantigen immunotherapy drug candidate for early prostate cancer.
Nearly 248,530 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2021. It has been estimated that ~135,000 new cases undergo radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiotherapy (RT). Of these cases, 20–40% of pts with RP and 30–50% with RT will experience rising prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels following local therapy (BCR) within 10 years, a condition known as biochemical recurrence (BCR). BCR is not typically associated with imminent death, and biochemical progression may occur over a prolonged period. Clinicians treating men with BCR thus face a difficult set of decisions in attempting to delay the onset of metastatic disease and death while avoiding over-treating patients whose disease may never affect their overall survival or quality of life.
The phase 1 open-label study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of ADXS-504 monotherapy, administered via infusion, in 9-18 patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer, i.e., those with elevation of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood after radical prostatectomy or radical radiotherapy (external beam or brachytherapy) and who are not currently receiving androgen ablation therapy. The study will also evaluate if the body’s immune system can control the prostate cancer following treatment with ADXS-504 monotherapy.
HPV-Related Cancers
The Company conducted several studies evaluating axalimogene filolisbac, or AXAL, for HPV-related cancers. AXAL is an Lm-based antigen delivery product directed against HPV and designed to target cells expressing HPV.
In June 2019, the Company announced the closing of its AIM2CERV Phase 3 clinical trial with axalimogene filolisbac (AXAL) in high-risk locally advanced cervical cancer. Company estimates showed that the remaining cost to complete the AIM2CERV trial ranged from $80 million to $90 million, and initial efficacy data was not anticipated for at least three years. Therefore, results from the clinical trial were not the basis for the decision to close the study, nor was safety as the trial recently underwent its third Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) review with no safety issues noted. The Company has unblinded the AIM2CERV clinical data generated to date and currently has no plans to present it at any medical conference as the data set is incomplete and inconclusive. The Company will complete the clinical study report of the AIM2CERV Phase 3 study in 1Q 2022.
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In 2014, Advaxis granted Global BioPharma, or GBP, an exclusive license for the development and commercialization of AXAL in Asia, Africa, and the former USSR territory, exclusive of India and certain other countries. GBP is responsible for all development and commercial costs and activities associated with the development in their territories.
Other HPV Program Licensing Agreements
Biocon Limited, or Biocon, our co-development and commercialization partner for AXAL in India and key emerging markets, filed a MAA for licensure of this immunotherapy in India. The companies will evaluate next steps regarding potential registration in India.
Especificos Stendhal SA de CV, or Stendhal, the Company’s co-development and commercialization partner for AXAL in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and other Latin American countries, agreed to pay $10 million in support payment towards the expense of AIM2CERV over the duration of the trial, contingent upon Advaxis achieving annual project milestones, pursuant to a Co-Development and Commercialization Agreement, or the Stendhal Agreement. The Company was in arbitration proceedings with Stendhal. For more information see the section entitled “Business – Legal Proceedings.”
Knight Therapeutics Inc., or Knight, holds an exclusive license to commercialize AXAL in Canada, as well as other product candidates.
Personalized Neoantigen-directed Therapies (ADXS-NEO)
ADXS-NEO is an individualized Lm Technology antigen delivery product developed using whole-exome sequencing of a patient’s tumor to identify neoantigens. ADXS-NEO is designed to work by presenting a large payload of neoantigens directly into dendritic cells within the patient’s immune system and stimulating a T cell response against cancerous cells. In October 2019, the Company announced that it has dosed its last patient in Part A, in monotherapy, and does not intend to continue into Part B, in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor. As a result, Advaxis has closed this study. The Company has completed the clinical study report from Part A of the ADXS-NEO study and the NEO program-IND inactivation request has been submitted to FDA.
Prostate Cancer (ADXS-PSA)
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer found in American men and is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, behind only lung cancer. More than 160,000 men are estimated to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018, with approximately 30,000 deaths each year. Unfortunately, in about 10-20% of cases, men with prostate cancer will go on to develop castration-resistant prostate cancer, or CRPC, which refers to prostate cancer that progresses despite androgen deprivation therapy. Metastatic CRPC, or mCRPC, occurs when the cancer spreads to other parts of the body and there is a rising prostate-specific antigen, PSA, level. This stage of prostate cancer has an average survival of 9-13 months, is associated with deterioration in quality of life, and has few therapeutic options available.
Recent data regarding checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy has shown some antitumor activity that provides disease control in a subset of patients with bone predominant mCRPC previously treated with next generation hormonal agents and docetaxel. Data from the KEYNOTE-199 trial in bone predominant-mCRPC patients treated with KEYTRUDA®, or pembrolizumab, was updated at the ASCO GU meeting in 2019. In this trial, the total stable disease/disease stabilization rate was 39% with no responses reported so far, and only one patient with ≥50% decrease in the post-baseline PSA value. It is hypothesized that the limited activity in mCRPC may be due to 1) the inability of the checkpoint inhibitor to infiltrate the tumor microenvironment and 2) the presence of an immunosuppressive tumor micro-environment, or TME. The combination therapy with agents—like Lm constructs—that induce T cell infiltration within the tumor and decrease negative regulators in the TME may improve performance of checkpoints in prostate cancer.
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Lm Technology constructs demonstrated the ability to induce anti-tumor T cell responses and T cell infiltration in the TME and to reduce the number and suppressive function of Tregs and MDSCs in the TME. For example, destruction of Tregs in the TME has been documented as soon as five days after dosing Lm constructs in models. This reduction of immune suppression in the tumors has been attributed to our proprietary tLLO-fusion peptides expressed by multiple copies of the plasmids in each bacteria. Because of all these effects, it is hypothesized that Lm constructs can turn “cold prostate tumors” into “hot tumors” that better respond to checkpoint inhibitors. Advaxis believes that the combination of ADXS-PSA, its immunotherapy designed to target the PSA antigen, with a checkpoint inhibitor may provide an alternative treatment option for patients with mCRPC.
Advaxis has entered into a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ADXS-PSA as monotherapy and in combination with KEYTRUDA®, Merck’s anti PD-1 antibody, in a Phase 1/2, open-label, multicenter, dose determination and expansion trial in patients with previously treated metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer (KEYNOTE-046). ADXS-PSA was tested alone or in combination with KEYTRUDA in an advanced and heavily pretreated patient population who had progressed on androgen deprivation therapy. A total of 13 and 37 patients were evaluated on monotherapy and combination therapy, respectively. For the ADXS-PSA monotherapy dose escalation and determination portion of the trial, cohorts were started at a dose of 1 x 109 cfu (n=7) and successfully escalated to higher dose levels of 5x109 cfu (n=3) and 1x1010 cfu (n=3) without achieving a maximum tolerated dose. TEAEs noted at these higher dose levels were generally consistent with those observed at the lower dose level (1 x 109 cfu) other than a higher occurrence rate of Grade 2/3 hypotension. The Recommended Phase II Dose of ADXS-PSA monotherapy was determined to be 1x 109 cfu based on a review of the totality of the clinical data. This dose was used in combination with 200mg of pembrolizumab in a cohort of six patients to evaluate the safety of the combination before moving into an expanded cohort of patients. The safety of the combination was confirmed and enrollment in the expansion cohort phase was initiated. Enrollment in the study was completed in January 2017.
At the final data cutoff of September 16, 2019, median overall survival for 37 patients in the combination arm was 33.6 months (95% CI, range 15.4-33.6 months). This updated median overall survival is an increase from the previous data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in April 2019, where median overall survival was 21.1 months in the combination arm. The combination of ADXS-PSA with KEYTRUDA®, might be associated with prolonged OS in this population, particularly in patients with unmet medical needs like visceral metastasis (16.4 months, range 4.0 - not reached) and those with prior docetaxel (16 months, range 6.4-34.6). The majority of TEAEs consisted of transient and reversible Grade 1-2 chills/rigors, fever, hypotension, nausea and fatigue. The combination of ADXS-PSA and KEYTRUDA® has appeared to be well-tolerated to date, with no additive toxicity observed. The Company presented these new data at the ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco, CA. on February 2020 and the final results were submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal in 4Q 2021 Advaxis has completed the clinical study report for the ADXS-PSA study. The Company is currently seeking potential partners regarding opportunities to expand or advance this mCRPC program.
Other Lm Technology Products
HER2 Expressing Solid Tumors
HER2 is overexpressed in a percentage of solid tumors including osteosarcoma. According to published literature, up to 60% of osteosarcomas are HER2 positive, and this overexpression is associated with poor outcomes for patients. ADXS-HER2 is an Lm Technology antigen delivery product candidate designed to target HER2 expressing solid tumors including human and canine osteosarcoma. ADXS-HER2 has received FDA and EMA orphan drug designation for osteosarcoma and has received Fast Track designation from the FDA for patients with newly-diagnosed, non-metastatic, surgically-resectable osteosarcoma.
A phase 1B dose escalation study of ADXS31-164 in subjects with HER-2 expressing tumors was completed, and the database lock was completed in November 2018. Overall, ADXS31-164 IV infusion at the dose of 1×109 CFU appeared to be safe and well tolerated in 12 subjects treated and evaluable. No objective responses were observed in this late stage heavily pre-treated patient cohort. The results of this study were primarily intended to describe the safety and tolerability of ADXS31-164. This study was not intended to contribute to the evaluation of the effectiveness of ADXS31-164 for the treatment of patients with a history of HER2 expressing tumors. Advaxis has completed the clinical study report and it has been transferred along with the ADXS31-164 program-IND to OS Therapies, as described below.
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In September 2018, the Company announced that it had granted a license to OS Therapies, LLC, or OS Therapies, for the use of ADXS31-164, also known as ADXS-HER2, for evaluation in the treatment of osteosarcoma in humans. Under the terms of the license agreement, OS Therapies, in collaboration with the Children’s Oncology Group, will be responsible for the conduct and funding of a clinical study evaluating ADXS-HER2 in recurrent, completely resected osteosarcoma. In December 2020 and January 2021, we received an aggregate of $1,415,000 from OS Therapies upon achievement of the $1,550,000 funding milestone set forth in the license agreement. In April 2021, the Company achieved the second milestone set forth in the license agreement for evaluation in the treatment of osteosarcoma in humans and received the amount due from OS Therapies of $1,375,000 in May 2021. For more information, see Note 10 “Licensing Agreements” to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 and 2020 on page F-23 and Note 12 “Licensing Agreements” to our unaudited interim financial statements for the three and six months ended April 30, 2022 and 2021 on page F-43.
Canine Osteosarcoma
On March 19, 2014, we entered into a definitive Exclusive License Agreement, or Aratana Agreement, with Aratana Therapeutics, Inc., or Aratana, where we granted Aratana an exclusive, worldwide, royalty-bearing license, with the right to sublicense, certain of our proprietary technology that enables Aratana to develop and commercialize animal health products that will be targeted for treatment of osteosarcoma and other cancer indications in animals. A product license request was filed by Aratana for ADXS-HER2 (also known as AT-014 by Aratana) for the treatment of canine osteosarcoma with the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA. Aratana received communication in December 2017 that the USDA granted Aratana conditional licensure for AT-014 for the treatment of dogs diagnosed with osteosarcoma, one year of age or older. Initially, Aratana plans to make the therapeutic available for purchase at approximately two dozen veterinary oncology practice groups across the United States who participate in the study. Aratana received communication in December 2017 that the USDA granted Aratana conditional licensure for AT-014 for the treatment of dogs diagnosed with osteosarcoma, one year of age or older. Aratana is currently conducting an extended field study which is a requirement for full USDA licensure. Initially, Aratana plans to make the therapeutic available for purchase at approximately two dozen veterinary oncology practice groups across the United States who participate in the study.
Under the terms of the Aratana Agreement, Aratana paid an upfront payment to Advaxis in the amount of $1,000,000 upon signing of the Aratana Agreement. Aratana will also pay Advaxis: (a) up to $36.5 million based on the achievement of milestone relating to the advancement of products through the approval process with the USDA in the United States and the relevant regulatory authorities in the European Union, or E.U., in all four therapeutic areas and up to an additional $15 million in cumulative sales milestones based on achievement of gross sales revenue targets for sales of any and all products for use in non-human animal health applications, or the Aratana Field, (regardless of therapeutic area), and (b) tiered royalties starting at 5% and going up to 10%, which will be paid based on net sales of any and all products (regardless of therapeutic area) in the Aratana Field in the United States. Royalties for sales of products outside of the United States will be paid at a rate equal to half of the royalty rate payable by Aratana on net sales of products in the United States (starting at 2.5% and going up to 5%). Royalties will be payable on a product-by-product and country-by-country basis from first commercial sale of a product in a country until the later of (a) the 10th anniversary of first commercial sale of such product by Aratana, its affiliates or sub licensees in such country or (b) the expiration of the last-to-expire valid claim of our patents or joint patents claiming or covering the composition of matter, formulation or method of use of such product in such country. Aratana will also pay us 50% of all sublicense royalties received by Aratana and its affiliates. In fiscal year 2019, the Company received approximately $8,000 in royalty revenue from Aratana. Additionally, in July 2019, Aratana announced that their shareholders approved a merger agreement with Elanco Animal Health, or Elanco, whereby Elanco is now the majority shareholder of Aratana. On October 6, 2020, the Company received a notice from Aratana, dated September 17, 2020, indicating that Aratana was terminating the Exclusive License Agreement effective December 21, 2020. The Company did not incur any early termination penalties as a result of the termination. Aratana was required to make all payments to the Company that were otherwise payable under the Exclusive License Agreement through the effective date of termination.
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Corporate Information
We were originally incorporated in the State of Colorado on June 5, 1987 under the name Great Expectations, Inc. We were a publicly-traded “shell” company without any business until November 12, 2004 when we acquired Advaxis, Inc., a Delaware corporation, through a Share Exchange and Reorganization Agreement, dated as of August 25, 2004, which we refer to as the Share Exchange, by and among Advaxis, the stockholders of Advaxis and us. As a result of the Share Exchange, Advaxis became our wholly-owned subsidiary and our sole operating company. On December 23, 2004, we amended and restated our articles of incorporation and changed our name to Advaxis, Inc. On June 6, 2006, our stockholders approved the reincorporation of our company from Colorado to Delaware by merging the Colorado entity into our wholly-owned Delaware subsidiary. Our date of inception, for financial statement purposes, is March 1, 2002 and the Company was listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) in 2014. In December 2021, the Company was delisted from Nasdaq and accepted onto the OTCQX. On June 6, 2022 our 1 for 80 reverse stock split took effect.
Our principal executive offices are located at 9 Deer Park Drive, Suite K-1, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey 08852, and our telephone number is (609) 452-9813. We maintain a corporate website at www.advaxis.com which contains descriptions of our technology, our product candidates and the development status of each drug. We make available free of charge through our internet website our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to these reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish such material to, the SEC. We are not including the information on our website as a part of, nor incorporating it by reference into, this report. The SEC maintains a website that contains annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements, and other information that issuers (including us) file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s website address is http://www.sec.gov.
Intellectual Property
Protection of our intellectual property is important to our business. We have a robust patent portfolio that protects our product candidates and Lm -based immunotherapy technology. Currently, we own or have rights to several hundred patents and applications, which are owned, licensed from, or co-owned with University of Pennsylvania, or Penn, Merck, National Institute of Health, or NIH, and/or Augusta University. We aggressively prosecute and defend our patents and proprietary technology. Our patents and applications are directed to the compositions of matter, use, and methods thereof, of our Lm-LLO immunotherapies for our product candidates, including AXAL, ADXS-PSA, ADXS-HOT, ADXS-HER2. We have and may continue to abandon prosecuting certain patents that are not strategically aligned with the direction of the Company.
Our approach to the intellectual property portfolio is to create, maintain, protect, enforce and defend our proprietary rights for the products we develop from our immunotherapy technology platform. We endeavor to maintain a coherent and aggressive strategic approach to building our patent portfolio with an emphasis in the field of cancer vaccines. Issued patents which are directed to AXAL, ADXS-PSA, and ADXS-HER2 in the United States, will expire between 2021 and 2032. Issued patents directed to our product candidates AXAL, ADXS-PSA, and ADXS-HER2 outside of the United States, will expire in 2032. Issued patents directed to our Lm -based immunotherapy platform in the United States, will expire between 2021 and 2031. Issued patents directed to our Lm-based immunotherapy platform outside of the United States, will expire between 2021 and 2033.
We have pending patent applications directed to our product candidates AXAL, ADXS-PSA, ADXS-HER2, and ADXS-HOT that, if issued would expire in the United States and in countries outside of the United States between 2021 and 2037. We have pending patent applications directed to methods of using of our product candidates AXAL, ADXS-PSA, ADXS-HOT, ADXS-HER2 directed to the following indications and others: prostate cancer and her2/neu-expressing cancer, that, if issued would expire in the United States and in countries outside of the United States between 2021 and 2037, depending on the specific indications.
We will be able to protect our technology from unauthorized use by third parties only to the extent it is covered by valid and enforceable patents or is effectively maintained as trade secrets. Patents and other proprietary rights are an essential element of our business.
Our success will depend in part on our ability to obtain and maintain proprietary protection for our product candidates, technology, and know-how, to operate without infringing on the proprietary rights of others, and to prevent others from infringing our proprietary rights. Our policy is to seek to protect our proprietary position by, among other methods, filing U.S. and foreign patent applications related to our proprietary technology, inventions, and improvements that are important to the development of our business. We also rely on trade secrets, know-how, continuing technological innovation, and in-licensing opportunities to develop and maintain our proprietary position.
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Any patent applications which we have filed or will file or to which we have or will have license rights may not issue, and patents that do issue may not contain commercially valuable claims. In addition, any patents issued to us or our licensors may not afford meaningful protection for our products or technology, or may be subsequently circumvented, invalidated, narrowed, or found unenforceable. Our processes and potential products may also conflict with patents which have been or may be granted to competitors, academic institutions or others. As the pharmaceutical industry expands and more patents are issued, the risk increases that our processes and potential products may give rise to interferences filed by others in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or to claims of patent infringement by other companies, institutions or individuals. These entities or persons could bring legal actions against us claiming damages and seeking to enjoin clinical testing, manufacturing and marketing of the related product or process. In recent years, several companies have been extremely aggressive in challenging patents covering pharmaceutical products, and the challenges have often been successful. If any of these actions are successful, in addition to any potential liability for damages, we could be required to cease the infringing activity or obtain a license in order to continue to manufacture or market the relevant product or process. We may not prevail in any such action and any license required under any such patent may not be made available on acceptable terms, if at all. Our failure to successfully defend a patent challenge or to obtain a license to any technology that we may require to commercialize our technologies or potential products could have a materially adverse effect on our business. In addition, changes in either patent laws or in interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may materially diminish the value of our intellectual property or narrow the scope of our patent protection.
We also rely upon unpatented proprietary technology, and in the future may determine in some cases that our interests would be better served by reliance on trade secrets or confidentiality agreements rather than patents or licenses. We may not be able to protect our rights to such unpatented proprietary technology and others may independently develop substantially equivalent technologies. If we are unable to obtain strong proprietary rights to our processes or products after obtaining regulatory clearance, competitors may be able to market competing processes and products.
Others may obtain patents having claims which cover aspects of our products or processes which are necessary for, or useful to, the development, use or manufacture of our services or products. Should any other group obtain patent protection with respect to our discoveries, our commercialization of potential therapeutic products and methods could be limited or prohibited.
The Drug Development Process
The product candidates in our pipeline are at various stages of clinical development. The path to regulatory approval includes multiple phases of clinical trials in which we collect data that will ultimately support an application to regulatory authorities to allow us to market a product for the treatment, of a specific type of cancer. There are many difficulties and uncertainties inherent in research and development of new products, resulting in high costs and variable success rates. Bringing a drug from discovery to regulatory approval, and ultimately to market, takes many years and significant costs.
The process required by the FDA before product candidates may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:
● | completion of preclinical laboratory tests, animal studies, and formulation studies in compliance with the FDA’s Good Laboratory Practice, or GLP, regulations; | |
● | submission to the FDA of an Investigational New Drug Application, or IND, which must become effective before human clinical trials may begin at United States clinical trial sites; | |
● | approval by an Institutional Review Board, or IRB for each clinical site, or centrally, before each trial may be initiated; | |
● | adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the product candidate’s safety, purity, and potency for its intended use, performed in accordance with Good Clinical Practices, or GCPs; |
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● | development of manufacturing processes to ensure the product candidate’s identity, strength, quality, purity, and potency; |
● | submission to the FDA of a Biologics License Application, or BLA; |
● | satisfactory completion of an FDA advisory committee review, if applicable; |
● | satisfactory completion of an FDA inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the products are produced to assess compliance with current cGMPs, and to assure that the facilities, methods, and controls are adequate to preserve the therapeutics’ identity, strength, quality, purity, and potency as well as satisfactory completion of an FDA inspection of selected clinical sites and selected clinical investigators to determine GCP compliance; and |
● | FDA review and approval of the BLA to permit commercial marketing for particular indications for use. |
Preclinical studies include laboratory evaluation of chemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, and product formulation, as well as animal studies to assess potential safety and efficacy. Such studies must generally be conducted in accordance with the FDA’s GLPs. Prior to commencing the first clinical trial at a United States investigational site with a product candidate, an IND sponsor must submit the results of the preclinical tests and preclinical literature, together with manufacturing information, analytical data, any available clinical data or literature, and proposed clinical study protocols among other things, to the FDA as part of an IND. An IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA notifies the applicant of safety concerns or questions related to one or more proposed clinical trials and places the trial on a clinical hold. In such a case, the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns before the clinical trial can begin. Clinical holds also may be imposed by the FDA at any time before or during trials due to safety concerns or non-compliance. A separate submission to an existing IND must also be made for each successive clinical trial conducted during product development.
Clinical testing, known as clinical trials or clinical studies, is either conducted internally by pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies or managed on behalf of these companies by Clinical Research Organizations, or CROs. The process of conducting clinical studies is highly regulated by the FDA, as well as by other governmental and professional bodies. In a clinical trial, participants receive specific interventions according to the research plan or protocol created by the study sponsor and implemented by study investigators. Clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with federal regulations and GCP requirements, which include the requirements that all research subjects provide their informed consent in writing for their participation in any clinical trial, as well as review and approval of the study by an IRB. Additionally, some clinical trials are overseen by an independent data safety monitoring board, which reviews data and advises the study sponsor on study continuation. A protocol for each clinical trial, and any subsequent protocol amendments, must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND.
Clinical trials may compare a new medical approach to a standard one that is already available or to a placebo that contains no active ingredients or to no intervention. Some clinical trials compare interventions that are already available to each other. When a new product or approach is being studied, it is not usually known whether it will be helpful, harmful, or no different than available alternatives. The investigators try to determine the safety and efficacy of the intervention by measuring certain clinical outcomes in the participants.
Phase 1. Phase 1 clinical trials begin when regulatory agencies allow initiation of clinical investigation of a new drug or product candidate. They typically involve testing an investigational new drug on a limited number of patients. Phase 1 studies determine a drug’s basic safety, maximum tolerated dose, mechanism of action and how the drug is absorbed by, and eliminated from, the body. Typically, cancer therapies are initially tested on late-stage cancer patients.
Phase 2. Phase 2 clinical trials involve larger numbers of patients that have been diagnosed with the targeted disease or condition. Phase 2 clinical trials gather preliminary data on effectiveness (where the drug works in people who have a certain disease or condition) and to determine the common short-term side effects and risks associated with the drug. If Phase 2 clinical trials show that an investigational new drug has an acceptable range of safety risks and probable effectiveness, a company will continue to evaluate the investigational new drug in Phase 3 studies.
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Phase 3. Phase 3 clinical trials are typically controlled multi-center trials that involve a larger number of patients to ensure the study results are statistically significant. The purpose is to confirm effectiveness and safety on a large scale and to provide an adequate basis for physician labeling. These trials are generally global in nature and are designed to generate clinical data necessary to submit an application for marketing approval to regulatory agencies. Typically, two Phase 3 trials are required for product approval. Under limited circumstances, however, approval may be based upon a single adequate and well-controlled clinical trial plus confirmatory evidence or a single large multicenter trial without confirmatory evidence.
The FDA may also consider additional kinds of data in support of a BLA, such as patient experience data and real-world evidence. For genetically targeted populations and variant protein targeted products intended to address an unmet medical need in one or more patient subgroups with a serious or life threatening rare disease or condition, the FDA may allow a sponsor to rely upon data and information previously developed by the sponsor or for which the sponsor has a right of reference, that was submitted previously to support an approved application for a product that incorporates or utilizes the same or similar genetically targeted technology or a product that is the same or utilizes the same variant protein targeted drug as the product that is the subject of the application.
Reports regarding clinical study progress must be submitted to the FDA and IRB on an annual basis. Additional reports are required if serious adverse events or other significant safety information is found. Certain reports may also be required to be submitted to the IBC. Investigational biologics must additionally be manufactured in accordance with cGMPs, imported in accordance with FDA requirements, and exported in accordance with the requirements of the receiving country as well as FDA.
Additionally, under the Pediatric Research Equity Act, or PREA, BLAs or BLA supplements for a new active ingredient, dosage form, dosage regimen, or route of administration, unless subject to the below requirement for molecularly targeted cancer products, must contain data to assess the safety and effectiveness of the product in all relevant pediatric subpopulations. The FDA may, however, grant deferrals or full or partial waivers of this requirement. PREA does not apply to orphan designated products approved solely for the orphan indication.
If a product is intended for the treatment of adult cancer and is directed at molecular targets that the FDA determines to be substantially relevant to the growth or progression of pediatric cancer, even if the product has orphan designation, the application sponsors must submit, reports from molecularly targeted pediatric cancer investigations designed to yield clinically meaningful pediatric study data, gathered using appropriate formulations for each applicable age group, to inform potential pediatric labeling. Like PREA, FDA may grant deferrals or waivers of some or all of this data requirement.
Certain gene therapy studies are also subject to the National Institutes of Health’s Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules, or NIH Guidelines. The NIH Guidelines include the review of the study by a local institutional committee called an institutional biosafety committee, or IBC. The IBC assesses the compliance of the research with the NIH Guidelines, assesses the safety of the research and identifies any potential risk to public health or the environment.
In addition to the regulations discussed above, there are a number of additional standards that apply to clinical trials involving the use of gene therapy. The FDA has issued various guidance documents regarding gene therapies, which outline additional factors that the FDA will consider during product development. These include guidance regarding preclinical studies; chemistry, manufacturing, and controls; the measurement of product potency; how FDA will determine whether a gene therapy product is the same as another product for the purpose of the agency’s orphan drug regulations; and long term patient and clinical study subject follow up and regulatory reporting.
To lessen the burden of subjects being required to travel to the clinic for an onsite visit during the Lm surveillance phase of the studies, the Lm surveillance period was reduced to 1 year instead of 3 years based on an agreement with the FDA in November 2020.
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Biologic License Application (BLA). During clinical trials, companies usually also complete additional preclinical studies. Companies further develop additional information about the product candidate’s physical characteristics and finalize the cGMP manufacturing process. The results of the clinical trials using biologics are submitted to the FDA as part of a BLA. Following the completion of Phase 3 studies, if the sponsor of a potential product in the United States believes it has sufficient information to support the safety and effectiveness of the investigational biologic, the sponsor submits a BLA to the FDA requesting marketing approval. The application is a comprehensive filing that includes the results of all preclinical and clinical studies, information about the product’s composition, and the sponsor’s plans for manufacturing, packaging, labeling and testing the investigational new product
Subject to certain exceptions, the BLA must be accompanied by a substantial user fee at the time of the first submission. FDA has 60 days from its receipt of a BLA to determine whether the application is sufficiently complete for filing and for a substantive review. If the FDA determines that the NDA is incomplete, the FDA may refuse to file the application, in which case the applicant must address the FDA identified deficiencies before refiling. After the BLA is accepted for filing, the FDA reviews the application to determine whether the product meets FDA’s approval standards. The FDA aims to complete its review within ten months of the 60-day filing date. For products that present significant improvements in the safety or effectiveness of the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of serious conditions FDA aims to complete its review within 6 months of the 60-day filing date. The FDA, however, does not always meet its review goal. The review goal date may also be extended if FDA requests or the sponsor provides additional information regarding the application. As part of the approval process, FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites, as well as the facility or the facilities at which the product is manufactured to ensure GCP and cGMP compliance.
FDA may also refer an application for review by an independent advisory committee. Specifically, for a product candidate for which no active ingredient (including any ester or salt of active ingredients) has previously been approved by the FDA, the FDA must either refer that product candidate to an advisory committee or provide in an action letter, a summary of the reasons why the FDA did not refer the product candidate to an advisory committee. While FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, it does carefully consider the committee’s recommendations.
After evaluating the application, FDA may issue an approval letter, authorizing product marketing, or a Complete Response Letter, or CRL, indicating that the application is not ready for approval. The CRL describes the application’s deficiencies and conditions that must be met for product approval. If a CRL is issued, the applicant may resubmit the application, addressing the deficiencies, withdraw the application, or request a hearing. Even with submission of additional information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the application is not approvable.
If approval is granted, the FDA may limit the indications for use, including the indicated population, require contraindications, warnings or precautions be included in the product labeling, including black box warnings, or may not approve label statements necessary for successful commercialization. FDA may also require, or companies may conduct, additional clinical trials following approval, called Phase 4 studies, which can confirm or refute the effectiveness of a product candidate, and can provide important safety information. FDA may also require the implementation of a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, or REMS, which may include requirements for a medication guide or patient package insert, a communication plan on product risks, or other elements to assure safe use.
After approval, some types of changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications or label claims, which may themselves require further clinical testing, or changing the manufacturing process are subject to further FDA review and approval. FDA can also require the implementation REMS or the conduct of phase 4 studies after product approval.
Government Regulations
General
Government authorities in the United States and other countries extensively regulate, among other things, the preclinical and clinical testing, manufacturing, labeling, storage, record-keeping, advertising, promotion, import, export, marketing and distribution of biopharmaceutical and drug products. In the United States, the FDA subjects drugs to rigorous review under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, the Public Health Service Act, or PHSA, and implementing regulations.
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Orphan Drug Designation
Under the Orphan Drug Act, or ODA, the FDA may grant Orphan Drug Designation, or ODD, to a drug or biological product intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which means a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or more than 200,000 individuals in the United States, but for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making a drug or biological product available in the United States will be recovered from domestic sales of the product. Additionally, sponsors must present a plausible hypothesis for clinical superiority to obtain ODD if there is a product already approved by the FDA that that is considered by the FDA to be the same as the already approved product and is intended for the same indication. This hypothesis must be demonstrated to obtain orphan exclusivity.
The benefits of ODD can be substantial, including research and development tax credits, grants and exemption from user fees. The tax advantages, however, were limited in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Moreover, if there is no other product that the FDA considers to be the same product that is approve for the orphan indication, the orphan designated product is eligible for 7 years of orphan market exclusivity once the product is approved. During that period, the FDA generally may not approve any other application for the same product for the same indication, although there are exceptions, most notably when the later product is shown to be clinically superior to the product with exclusivity. Other applicants, however, may receive approval of different products for the orphan indication or the same product for a different indication during the orphan exclusivity period. In order to qualify for these incentives, a company must apply for designation of its product as an “Orphan Drug” and obtain approval from the FDA. Orphan product designation does not convey any advantage in or shorten the duration of the regulatory review and approval process.
We currently have ODD with the FDA for AXAL for treatment of anal cancer (granted August 2013), HPV-associated head and neck cancer (granted November 2013); and treatment of Stage II-IV invasive cervical cancer (granted May 2014). We also have ODD with the FDA for ADXS-HER2 for the treatment of osteosarcoma (granted May 2014).
In Europe, the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products, COMP, has issued a positive opinion on the application for ODD of AXAL for the treatment of anal cancer (December 2015) and on the application for ODD of ADXS-HER2 for osteosarcoma (November 2015).
Expedited Review and Approval Programs for Serious Conditions
Four core FDA programs are intended to facilitate and expedite development and review of new biologics to address unmet medical need in the treatment of serious or life-threatening conditions: fast track designation, breakthrough therapy designation, accelerated approval, and priority review. We intend to avail ourselves of any and all of these programs as applicable to our products.
FDA is required to facilitate the development, and expedite the review, of products that are intended for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening disease or condition, and which demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the condition. Under the fast track program, the sponsor of a new biologic product candidate may request that FDA designate the drug candidate for a specific indication as a fast track drug concurrent with, or after, the filing of the IND for the product candidate. FDA must determine if the product candidate qualifies for Fast Track Designation within 60 days of receipt of the sponsor’s request. If Fast Track Designation is obtained, sponsors may be eligible for more frequent development meetings and correspondence with the FDA. FDA may also initiate review of sections of a fast track product’s BLA before the application is complete. This rolling review is available if the applicant provides, and FDA approves, a schedule for the submission of the remaining information and the applicant pays applicable user fees. However, FDA’s time period goal for reviewing an application does not begin until the last section of the BLA is submitted.
Under FDA’s accelerated approval programs, FDA may approve a product for a serious or life-threatening illness that provides meaningful therapeutic benefit to patients over existing treatments based upon a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than irreversible morbidity or mortality, that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments.
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In clinical trials, a surrogate endpoint is a measurement of laboratory or clinical signs of a disease or condition that substitutes for a direct measurement of how a patient feels, functions or survives. Surrogate endpoints can often be measured more easily or more rapidly than clinical endpoints. A product candidate approved on this basis is subject to rigorous post-marketing compliance requirements, including the completion of Phase 4 or post-approval clinical trials to confirm the effect on the clinical endpoint. Failure to conduct required post-approval studies, or confirm a clinical benefit during post-marketing studies, will allow FDA to withdraw the product from the market on an expedited basis. All promotional materials for product candidates approved under accelerated regulations are subject to prior review by FDA.
Under the provisions of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, or FDASIA, enacted in 2012, a sponsor can request designation of a product candidate as a “breakthrough therapy.” A breakthrough therapy is defined as a product that is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other products, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition, and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. Products designated as breakthrough therapies are eligible for intensive guidance on an efficient development program beginning as early as Phase 1 trials, a commitment from the FDA to involve senior managers and experienced review staff in a proactive collaborative and cross-disciplinary review, rolling review, and the facilitation of cross-disciplinary review.
Another expedited pathway is the Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy, or RMAT, designation. Qualifying products must be a cell therapy, therapeutic tissue engineering product, human cell and tissue product, or a combination of such products, and not a product solely regulated as a human cell and tissue product. The product must be intended to treat, modify, reverse, or cure a serious or life-threatening disease or condition, and preliminary clinical evidence must indicate that the product has the potential to address an unmet need for such disease or condition. Advantages of the RMAT designation include all the benefits of the Fast Track and breakthrough therapy designation programs, including early interactions with the FDA. These early interactions may be used to discuss potential surrogate or intermediate endpoints to support accelerated approval.
Even if a product qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification or decide that the time period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened.
Disclosure of Clinical Trial Information
Sponsors of clinical trials of FDA regulated products, including biologics, are required to register and submit certain clinical trial information within specific timeframes to the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, for public dissemination on their clinicaltrials.gov website. Information related to the product, patient population, phase of investigation, Trial sites and investigators and other aspects of the clinical trial is then made public as part of the registration. Sponsors are also obligated to discuss the results of their clinical trials after completion. Disclosure of the results of these trials can be delayed in certain circumstances for up to two years, depending on the circumstances, after the date of completion of the trial. Competitors may use this publicly available information to gain knowledge regarding the progress of development programs.
Coverage, Pricing and Reimbursement
Successful commercialization of new drug products depends in part on the extent to which reimbursement for those drug products will be available from government health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which drug products they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels. The availability and extent of reimbursement by governmental and private payors is essential for most patients to be able to afford a drug product. Sales of drug products depend substantially, both domestically and abroad, on the extent to which the costs of drugs products are paid for by health maintenance, managed care, pharmacy benefit and similar healthcare management organizations, or reimbursed by government health administration authorities, private health coverage insurers and other third-party payors.
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A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Government authorities and other third-party payors have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular drug products. In many countries, the prices of drug products are subject to varying price control mechanisms as part of national health systems. In general, the prices of drug products under such systems are substantially lower than in the United States. Other countries allow companies to fix their own prices for drug products, but monitor and control company profits. Accordingly, in markets outside the United States, the reimbursement for drug products may be reduced compared with the United States. In the United States, the principal decisions about reimbursement for new drug products are typically made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS. CMS decides whether and to what extent a new drug product will be covered and reimbursed under certain federal governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare, and private payors tend to follow CMS to a substantial degree. However, no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for drug products exists among third-party payors and coverage and reimbursement levels for drug products can differ significantly from payor to payor. In the United States, the process for determining whether a third-party payor will provide coverage for a biological product typically is separate from the process for setting the price of such product or for establishing the reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the product once coverage is approved. With respect to biologics, third-party payors may limit coverage to specific products on an approved list, also known as a formulary, which might not include all of the FDA-approved products for a particular indication, or place products at certain formulary levels that result in lower reimbursement levels and higher cost sharing obligation imposed on patients. A decision by a third-party payor not to cover our product candidates could reduce physician utilization of a product. Moreover, a third-party payor’s decision to provide coverage for a product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved. Adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available to enable a manufacturer to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on its investment in product development. Additionally, coverage and reimbursement for products can differ significantly from payor to payor. One third-party payor’s decision to cover a particular medical product does not ensure that other payors will also provide coverage for the medical product, or will provide coverage at an adequate reimbursement rate. As a result, the coverage determination process usually requires manufacturers to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of their products to each payor separately and is a time-consuming process.
Coverage policies and third-party reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more products for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future. Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and services, examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost-effectiveness of pharmaceutical products, in addition to questioning safety and efficacy. If third-party payors do not consider a product to be cost-effective compared to other available therapies, they may not cover that product after FDA approval or, if they do, the level of payment may not be sufficient to allow a manufacturer to sell its product at a profit.
In addition, in many foreign countries, the proposed pricing for a drug must be approved before it may be lawfully marketed. The requirements governing drug pricing and reimbursement vary widely from country to country. In the European Union, governments influence the price of products through their pricing and reimbursement rules and control of national healthcare systems that fund a large part of the cost of those products to consumers. Some jurisdictions operate positive and negative list systems under which products may only be marketed once a reimbursement price has been agreed to by the government. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval, some of these countries may require the completion of clinical trials that compare the cost effectiveness of a particular product to currently available therapies. Other member states allow companies to fix their own prices for medicines, but monitor and control company profits. There can be no assurance that any country that has price controls or reimbursement limitations for pharmaceutical products will allow favorable reimbursement and pricing arrangements for any of our products. The downward pressure on healthcare costs in general, particularly prescription products, has become very intense. As a result, increasingly high barriers are being erected to the entry of new products. In addition, in some countries, cross border imports from low-priced markets exert a commercial pressure on pricing within a country (particularly in the EEA where it is illegal to impede such imports from elsewhere within the EEA).
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Other Healthcare Laws
Manufacturing, sales, promotion and other activities following product approval are also subject to regulation by numerous regulatory authorities in the United States in addition to the FDA, including CMS, the HHS Office of Inspector General and HHS Office for Civil Rights, other divisions of the HHS and the Department of Justice.
Healthcare providers, physicians, and third-party payors will play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of any products for which we obtain marketing approval. Our current and future arrangements with third-party payors, healthcare providers and physicians may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we market, sell and distribute any drugs for which we obtain marketing approval. In the United States, these laws include, without limitation, state and federal anti-kickback, false claims, physician transparency, and patient data privacy and security laws and regulations, including but not limited to those described below.
The U.S. federal Anti-Kickback Statute, or AKS, prohibits, among other things, any person or entity from knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting, receiving or providing any remuneration, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, to induce or in return for purchasing, leasing, ordering or arranging for or recommending the purchase, lease or order of any good, facility, item or service reimbursable, in whole or in part, under Medicare, Medicaid or other federal healthcare programs. The term “remuneration” has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value. The AKS has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers on the one hand and prescribers, purchasers, formulary managers and beneficiaries on the other hand. Although there are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution, the exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly. Failure to meet all of the requirements of a particular applicable statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor does not make the conduct per se illegal under the AKS. Instead, the legality of the arrangement will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on a cumulative review of all its facts and circumstances. Several courts have interpreted the statute’s intent requirement to mean that if any one purpose of an arrangement involving remuneration is to induce referrals of federal healthcare covered business, the statute has been violated. In addition, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation. Moreover, a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the AKS constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal civil False Claims Act.
Although we would not submit claims directly to payors, drug manufacturers can be held liable under the federal False Claims Act, which imposes civil penalties, including through civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, against individuals or entities (including manufacturers) for, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented to federal programs (including Medicare and Medicaid) claims for items or services, including drugs, that are false or fraudulent, claims for items or services not provided as claimed, or claims for medically unnecessary items or services. The government may deem manufacturers to have “caused” the submission of false or fraudulent claims by, for example, providing inaccurate billing or coding information to customers or promoting a product off-label. Several biopharmaceutical, medical device and other healthcare companies have been prosecuted under federal false claims and civil monetary penalty laws for, among other things, allegedly providing free product to customers with the expectation that the customers would bill federal programs for the product. Other companies have been prosecuted for causing false claims to be submitted because of the companies’ marketing of products for unapproved (e.g., or off-label), and thus non-covered, uses. In addition, the civil monetary penalties statute imposes penalties against any person who is determined to have presented or caused to be presented a claim to a federal health program that the person knows or should know is for an item or service that was not provided as claimed or is false or fraudulent. Claims which include items or services resulting from a violation of the federal AKS are false or fraudulent claims for purposes of the False Claims Act.
Our future marketing and activities relating to the reporting of wholesaler or estimated retail prices for our products, if approved, the reporting of prices used to calculate Medicaid rebate information and other information affecting federal, state and third-party reimbursement for our products, and the sale and marketing of our product candidates, are subject to scrutiny under these laws.
The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, created additional federal criminal statutes that prohibit, among other actions, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud or to obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises, any money or property owned by, or under the control or custody of, any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors, knowingly and willfully embezzling or stealing from a healthcare benefit program, willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a healthcare offense and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. Similar to the U.S. federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation.
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In addition, there has been a recent trend of increased federal and state regulation of payments made to physicians and certain other healthcare providers. The Affordable Care Act, or the ACA, imposed, among other things, new annual reporting requirements through the Physician Payments Sunshine Act for covered manufacturers for certain payments and “transfers of value” provided to physicians and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Failure to submit timely, accurately and completely the required information for all payments, transfers of value and ownership or investment interests may result in civil monetary penalties. Covered manufacturers must submit reports by the 90th day of each subsequent calendar year and the reported information is publicly made available on a searchable website.
We may also be subject to data privacy and security regulation by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business. HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, and their respective implementing regulations, including the Final HIPAA Omnibus Rule published on January 25, 2013, impose specified requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information held by covered entities and their business associates. Among other things, HITECH made HIPAAs security standards directly applicable to “business associates,” defined as independent contractors or agents of covered entities that create, receive, maintain or transmit protected health information in connection with providing a service for or on behalf of a covered entity, although it is unclear that we would be considered a “business associate” in the normal course of our business. HITECH also increased the civil and criminal penalties that may be imposed against covered entities, business associates and possibly other persons, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorney’s fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. In addition, state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same requirements, thus complicating compliance efforts.
Similar state and foreign fraud and abuse laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services. Such laws are generally broad and are enforced by various state agencies and private actions. Also, many states have similar fraud and abuse statutes or regulations that may be broader in scope and may apply regardless of payor, in addition to items and services reimbursed under Medicaid and other state programs. Some state laws require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant federal government compliance guidance, and require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers, marketing expenditures or drug pricing.
In order to distribute products commercially, we must comply with state laws that require the registration of manufacturers and wholesale distributors of drug and biological products in a state, including, in certain states, manufacturers and distributors who ship products into the state even if such manufacturers or distributors have no place of business within the state. Some states also impose requirements on manufacturers and distributors to establish the pedigree of product in the chain of distribution, including some states that require manufacturers and others to adopt new technology capable of tracking and tracing product as it moves through the distribution chain. Several states have enacted legislation requiring pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to establish marketing compliance programs, file periodic reports with the state, make periodic public disclosures on sales, marketing, pricing, clinical trials and other activities, and/or register their sales representatives, as well as to prohibit pharmacies and other healthcare entities from providing certain physician prescribing data to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for use in sales and marketing, and to prohibit certain other sales and marketing practices. All of our activities are potentially subject to federal and state consumer protection and unfair competition laws.
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The scope and enforcement of each of these laws is uncertain and subject to rapid change in the current environment of healthcare reform, especially in light of the lack of applicable precedent and regulations. Federal and state enforcement bodies have recently increased their scrutiny of interactions between healthcare companies and healthcare providers, which has led to a number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and settlements in the healthcare industry. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, imprisonment, exclusion of drugs from government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, as well as additional reporting obligations and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results. If any of the physicians or other healthcare providers or entities with whom we expect to do business is found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to significant criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs. Ensuring business arrangements comply with applicable healthcare laws, as well as responding to possible investigations by government authorities, can be time- and resource-consuming and can divert a company’s attention from the business.
Current and Future Legislation
In the United States and foreign jurisdictions, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system that could prevent or delay marketing approval of our product candidates, restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect our ability to profitably sell any product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. We expect that current laws, as well as other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and additional downward pressure on the price that we, or any collaborators, may receive for any approved products.
The ACA, for example, contains provisions that subject biological products to potential competition by lower-cost biosimilars and may reduce the profitability of drug products through increased rebates for drugs reimbursed by Medicaid programs, extend Medicaid rebates to Medicaid managed care plans, provide for mandatory discounts for certain Medicare Part D beneficiaries and annual fees based on pharmaceutical companies’ share of sales to federal healthcare programs. With the President Trump administration and current Congress, there will likely be additional administrative or legislative changes, including modification, repeal or replacement of all, or certain provisions of the ACA, which may impact reimbursement for drugs and biologics. On January 20, 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing federal agencies with authorities and responsibilities under the ACA to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision of the ACA that would impose a fiscal or regulatory burden on states, individuals, healthcare providers, health insurers, or manufacturers of pharmaceuticals or medical devices. On October 13, 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order terminating the cost-sharing subsidies that reimburse insurers under the ACA. Several state Attorneys General filed suit to stop the administration from terminating the subsidies, but their lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge in California on July 18, 2018. In addition, CMS has recently finalized regulations that would give states greater flexibility in setting benchmarks for insurers in the individual and small group marketplaces, which may have the effect of relaxing the essential health benefits required under the ACA for plans sold through such marketplaces. Further, each chamber of Congress has put forth multiple bills, and may do so again in the future, designed to repeal or repeal and replace portions of the ACA.
While Congress has not passed repeal legislation, the Tax Reform Act includes a provision that repealed, effective January 1, 2019, the tax-based shared responsibility payment imposed by the ACA on certain individuals who fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year that is commonly referred to as the “individual mandate.” Further, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, or the BBA, among other things, amended the ACA, effective January 1, 2019, to increase from 50 percent to 70 percent the point-of-sale discount that is owed by pharmaceutical manufacturers who participate in Medicare Part D and to close the coverage gap in most Medicare drug plans, commonly referred to as the “donut hole.” Congress may consider other legislation to repeal and replace elements of the ACA. On December 14, 2018, a U.S. District Court judge in the Northern District of Texas ruled that the individual mandate portion of the ACA is an essential and inseverable feature of the ACA, and therefore because the mandate was repealed as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the remaining provisions of the ACA are invalid as well. The Trump administration and CMS have both stated that the ruling will have no immediate effect, and on December 30, 2018 the same judge issued an order staying the judgment pending appeal. A Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals hearing to determine whether certain states and the House of Representatives have standing to appeal the lower court decision was held on July 9, 2019, but it is unclear when a Court will render its decision on this hearing, and what effect it will have on the status of the ACA. Litigation and legislation over the ACA are likely to continue, with unpredictable and uncertain results.
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Additionally, other federal health reform measures have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted:
● | The Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress. A Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, tasked with recommending a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2013 through 2021, was unable to reach required goals, thereby triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programs. These changes included aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of up to 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect in April 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, including the BBA, will remain in effect through 2027, unless additional Congressional action is taken. | |
● | The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, reduced Medicare payments to several providers, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. | |
● | The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 required that CMS reduce the Medicare clinical laboratory fee schedule by 2% in 2013, which served as a base for 2014 and subsequent years. In addition, effective January 1, 2014, CMS also began bundling the Medicare payments for certain laboratory tests ordered while a patient received services in a hospital outpatient setting. |
Further, there has been heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which have resulted in several recent Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted bills designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for products. In addition, the U.S. government, state legislatures, and foreign governments have shown significant interest in implementing cost containment programs, including price-controls, restrictions on reimbursement and requirements for substitution of generic products for branded prescription drugs to limit the growth of government paid healthcare costs. For example, the U.S. government has passed legislation requiring pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide rebates and discounts to certain entities and governmental payors to participate in federal healthcare programs. Further, Congress and the current administration have each indicated that it will continue to seek new legislative and/or administrative measures to control drug costs, and the current administration recently released a “Blueprint”, or plan, to reduce the cost of drugs. The Blueprint contains certain measures that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is already working to implement. For example, in May 2019, CMS issued a final rule to allow Medicare Advantage Plans the option of using step therapy for Part B drugs beginning January 1, 2020. This final rule codified CMS’s policy change that was effective January 1, 2019. Congress and the Trump administration have each indicated that it will continue to seek new legislative and/or administrative measures to control drug costs. Individual states in the United States have also been increasingly passing legislation and implementing regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing.
Non-U.S. Regulation
Before our products can be marketed outside the United States, they are subject to regulatory approval of the respective authorities in the country in which the product should be marketed. The requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary widely from country to country. No action can be taken to market any product in a country until an appropriate application has been approved by the regulatory authorities in that country. The time spent in gaining approval varies from that required for FDA approval, and in certain countries, the sales price of a product must also be approved. The pricing review period often begins after market approval is granted. Even if a product is approved by a regulatory authority, satisfactory prices might not be approved for such product.
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Collaborations, Partnerships and Agreements
Collaborations, partnerships and agreements are a key component of Advaxis’ corporate strategy. As a clinical stage biotechnology company without sales revenue, partnerships are an essential part of the ongoing strategy. Additionally, the evolution of the field of immunotherapy has resulted in combination treatments becoming ubiquitous; ongoing clinical studies and agreements with many of the leading, large oncology pharmaceutical companies helps validate that Lm Technology may play a key role in the cancer treatment protocols of the future.
Our collaborators and partners include Merck, OS Therapies, Biocon, Global BioPharma, Knight, and others. For more information, see Note 10, “Licensing Agreements” to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 and 2020 on page F-23 and Note 12 “Licensing Agreements” to our unaudited interim financial statements for the three and six months ended April 30, 2022 and 2021 on page F-43.
We entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Penn, on July 1, 2002 with respect to the innovative work of Yvonne Paterson, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research at the School of Nursing at Penn, and former Professor of Microbiology at Penn, in the area of innate immunity, or the immune response attributed to immune cells, including dendritic cells, macrophages and natural killer cells, that respond to pathogens non-specifically (subject to certain U.S. government rights). This agreement was amended and restated as of February 13, 2007, and, thereafter, has been amended from time to time.
This license, unless sooner terminated in accordance with its terms, terminates upon the latter of (a) the expiration of the last to expire of the Penn patent rights; or (b) twenty years after the effective date of the license. Penn may terminate the license agreement early upon the occurrence of certain defaults by us, including, but not limited to, a material breach by us of the Penn license agreement that is not cured within 60 days after notice of the breach is provided to us.
The license provides us with the exclusive commercial rights to the patent portfolio developed by Penn as of the effective date of the license, in connection with Dr. Paterson and requires us to pay various milestone, legal, filing and licensing payments to commercialize the technology. In exchange for the license, Penn received shares of our common stock. In addition, Penn is entitled to receive a non-refundable initial license fee, royalty payments and milestone payments based on net sales and percentages of sublicense fees and certain commercial milestones. Under the amended licensing agreement, Penn is entitled to receive 2.5% of net sales in the territory. Should annual net sales exceed $250 million, the royalty rate will increase to 2.75%, but only with respect to those annual net sales in excess of $250 million. Additionally, Penn will receive tiered sales milestone payments upon the achievement of cumulative global sales ranging between $250 million and $2 billion, with the maximum aggregate amounts payable to Penn in the event that maximum sales milestones are achieved is $40 million. Notwithstanding these royalty rates, upon first in-human commercial sale (U.S. & E.U.), we have agreed to pay Penn a total of $775,000 over a four-year period as an advance minimum royalty, which shall serve as an advance royalty in conjunction with the above terms. In addition, under the license, we are obligated to pay an annual maintenance fee of $100,000 commencing on December 31, 2010, and each December 31st thereafter for the remainder of the term of the agreement until the first commercial sale of a Penn licensed product. We are responsible for filing new patents and maintaining and defending the existing patents licensed to us and we are obligated to reimburse Penn for all attorney’s fees, expenses, official fees and other charges incurred in the preparation, prosecution and maintenance of the patents licensed from Penn.
Upon first regulatory approval in humans (US or EU), Penn will be entitled to a milestone payment of $600,000. Furthermore, upon the achievement of the first sale of a product in certain fields, Penn will be entitled to certain milestone payments, as follows: $2.5 million will be due upon the first in-human commercial sale (US or EU) of the first product in the cancer field and $1.0 million will be due upon the date of first in-human commercial sale (US or EU) of a product in each of the secondary strategic fields sold.
Manufacturing
cGMPs, are the standards identified to conform to requirements by governmental agencies that control authorization and licensure for manufacture and distribution of biologic products for either clinical investigations or commercial sale. GMPs identify the requirements for procurement, manufacturing, testing, storage, distribution and the supporting quality systems to ensure that a drug product is safe for its intended application. cGMPs are enforced in the United States by the FDA, under the authorities of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and its implementing regulations and use the phrase “current good manufacturing practices” to describe these standards.
Each of Advaxis’ wholly owned product candidates is manufactured using a platform process, with uniform methods and testing procedures. This allows for an expedited pathway from construct discovery to clinical product delivery, while helping to keep cost of goods low.
Advaxis has entered into agreements with multiple third-party organizations, or CMOs, to handle the manufacturing, testing, and distribution of product candidates. These organizations have extensive experience within the biologics space and with the production of clinical and commercial GMP supplies.
Advaxis has constructed a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and laboratory to develop and manufacture clinical-grade products, supporting the clinical trials and future potential commercialization of the Company’s therapeutics. Increased manufacturing capability and capacity allows Advaxis to manufacture its own material and reduce reliance on CMOs, and improve supply flexibility, scalability, lead times, and costs of goods. The Company’s long-term manufacturing strategy is to leverage both their partners’ capabilities and their internal capabilities in order to build a supply chain that is reliable, flexible, and cost competitive.
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Competition
The biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries are characterized by rapid technological developments and a high degree of competition. As a result, our actual or proposed immunotherapies could become obsolete before we recoup any portion of our related research and development expenses. While we believe that our product candidates, technology, knowledge and experience provide us with competitive advantages, we face competition from established and emerging pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, among others. The biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries are highly competitive, and this competition comes from both biotechnology firms and from major pharmaceutical companies, including: BioNtech, Moderna, Gritstone, BMS, AstraZeneca, Merck, Neon Therapeutics, et al., each of which is pursuing cancer vaccines and/or immunotherapies.
Many of these companies have substantially greater financial, marketing, and human resources than we do (including, in some cases, substantially greater experience in clinical testing, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceutical products). We also experience competition in the development of our immunotherapies from universities and other research institutions and compete with others in acquiring technology from such universities and institutions. In addition, certain of our immunotherapies may be subject to competition from investigational new drugs and/or products developed using other technologies, some of which have completed numerous clinical trials.
Our competition will be determined in part by the potential indications for which drugs are developed and ultimately approved by regulatory authorities. Additionally, the timing of market introduction of some of our potential immunotherapies or of competitors’ products may be an important competitive factor. Accordingly, the speed with which we can develop immunotherapies, complete preclinical testing, clinical trials and approval processes and supply commercial quantities to market are expected to be important competitive factors. We expect that competition among products approved for sale will be based on various factors, including product efficacy, safety, administration, reliability, acceptance, availability, price and patent position.
Experience and Expertise
Our management team has extensive experience in oncology development, including contract research, development, manufacturing and commercialization across a board range of science, technologies, and process operations. We have built internal capabilities supporting research, clinical, medical, manufacturing and compliance operations and have extended our expertise with collaborations.
Employees
As of April 30, 2022, we had 15 employees, 14 of which were full time employees. Of our full-time employees, 1 holds a Ph.D. degree. None of our employees are represented by a labor union, and we consider our relationship with our employees to be good.
We will continue to rent necessary offices and laboratories to support our business.
Legal Proceedings
Atachbarian
On November 15, 2021, a purported stockholder of the Company commenced an action against the Company and certain of its directors in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, entitled Atachbarian v. Advaxis, Inc., et al., No. 3:21-cv-20006. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties and violated Section 14(a) and Rule 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 14A-9 promulgated thereunder by allegedly failing to disclose certain matters in the Registration Statement. On December 15, 2021, pursuant to an understanding reached with the plaintiff, the Company filed a Form 8-K with the SEC in which it made certain other additional disclosures that mooted the demands asserted in the complaint. On December 17, 2021, the plaintiff filed a notice of voluntary dismissal with prejudice. On February 7, 2022, the Company reached a settlement agreement, which is recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated income statement.
Purported Stockholder Claims Related to Biosight Transaction
Between September 16, 2021, and November 4, 2021, the Company received demand letters on behalf of six purported stockholders of the Company, alleging that the Company failed to disclose certain matters in the Registration Statement, and demanding that the Company disclose such information in a supplemental disclosure filed with the SEC. On October 14, 2021, the Company filed an Amendment to the Registration Statement and on November 8, 2021, the Company filed a Form 8-K with the SEC in which it made certain other additional disclosures that mooted the demands asserted in the above-referenced letters. The six plaintiffs have made a settlement demand. The Company believes it has adequately accrued for a settlement, which is recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated income statement.
In addition, the Company received certain additional demands from stockholders asserting that the proxy materials filed by the Company in connection with the Merger contained alleged material misstatements and/or omissions in violation of federal law. In response to these demands, the Company agreed to make, and did make, certain supplemental disclosures to the proxy materials. At this time, the Company is unable to predict the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome.
Stendhal
On September 19, 2018, Stendhal filed a Demand for Arbitration before the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (Case No. 01-18-0003-5013) relating to the Co-development and Commercialization Agreement with Especificos Stendhal SA de CV (the “Stendhal Agreement”). In the demand, Stendhal alleged that (i) the Company breached the Stendhal Agreement when it made certain statements regarding its AIM2CERV program, (ii) that Stendhal was subsequently entitled to terminate the Agreement for cause, which it did so at the time and (iii) that the Company owes Stendhal damages pursuant to the terms of the Stendhal Agreement. Stendhal is seeking to recover $3 million paid to the Company in 2017 as support payments for the AIM2CERV clinical trial along with approximately $0.3 million in expenses incurred. Stendhal is also seeking fees associated with the arbitration and interest. The Company has answered Stendhal’s Demand for Arbitration and denied that it breached the Stendhal Agreement. The Company also alleges that Stendhal breached its obligations to the Company by, among other things, failing to make support payments that became due in 2018 and that Stendhal therefore owes the Company $3 million. Advaxis is also seeking fees associated with the arbitration and interest.
From October 21-23, 2019, an evidentiary hearing for the arbitration was conducted. On April 1, 2020, the Arbitrator issued a final award denying Stendhal’s claim in full. The Arbitrator found that the Company had not repudiated the Agreement and did not owe Stendhal damages, fees, or interest associated with the arbitration. The Arbitrator also denied the Company’s claim that Stendhal breached its obligations to the Company. The parties were ordered to bear their own attorneys’ fees and evenly split administrative fees and expenses for the arbitration.
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MANAGEMENT
The following table set forth certain information regarding our officers and directors as of the date of this prospectus.
Name | Age | Position | ||
Dr. David Sidransky (2)(3)(4)(5) | 61 | Chairman of our Board of Directors | ||
Dr. James P. Patton (1)(4)(5) | 64 | Vice Chairman of our Board of Directors | ||
Roni A. Appel (1)(5) | 55 | Director | ||
Kenneth A. Berlin | 57 | President and Chief Executive Officer, Director | ||
Richard J. Berman (1)(2)(3)(5) | 79 | Director | ||
Dr. Samir N. Khleif (2)(3)(4)(5) | 59 | Director | ||
Andres Gutierrez | 61 | Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President | ||
Igor Gitelman | 46 | Interim Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, VP of Finance |
(1) | Member of our Audit Committee. |
(2) | Member of our Compensation Committee. |
(3) | Member of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. |
(4) | Member of our Research and Development Committee. |
(5) | Independent director under Nasdaq listing rules. |
Dr. David Sidransky
Dr. Sidransky currently serves as the Chairman of our Board of Directors and has served as a member of our Board of Directors since July 2013. He is a renowned oncologist and research scientist named and profiled by TIME magazine in 2001 as one of the top physicians and scientists in America, recognized for his work with early detection of cancer. Since 1994, Dr. Sidransky has been the Director of the Head and Neck Cancer Research Division and Professor of Oncology, Otolaryngology, Genetics, and Pathology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has served as Chairman or Lead of the Board of Directors of Champions Oncology since October 2007 and was a director and Vice-Chairman of ImClone Systems until its merger with Eli Lilly Inc. He is the Chairman of Tamir Biotechnology and Ayala and serves on the Board of Directors of Galmed and Orgenesis. He has served on scientific advisory boards of MedImmune, Roche, Amgen, and Veridex, LLC (a Johnson & Johnson diagnostic company), among others. Dr. Sidransky served as Director (2005-2008) of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). He earned his B.S. from Brandeis University and his Medical Doctorate from Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Sidransky’s experience in life science companies, as well as his scientific knowledge, qualify him to service as our director and non-executive chairman.
Dr. James P. Patton
Dr. Patton currently serves as the Vice Chairman of our Board of Directors, has served as the Chairman of our Board and has been a member of our Board of Directors since February 2002. Furthermore, Dr. Patton was the Chairman of our Board of Directors from November 2004 until December 2005, as well as a period from July 2013 until May 2015, and was our Chief Executive Officer from February 2002 to November 2002. Since February 1999, Dr. Patton has been the Vice President of Millennium Oncology Management, Inc., which is a consulting company in the field of oncology services delivery. Dr. Patton was a trustee of Dundee Wealth US, a mutual fund family, from October 2006 through September 2014. He is a founder and has been chairman of VAL Health, LLC, a health care consultancy, from 2011 to the present. In addition, he was President of Comprehensive Oncology Care, LLC, a company that owned and operated a cancer treatment facility in Exton, Pennsylvania from 1999 until its sale in 2008. From February 1999 to September 2003, Dr. Patton also served as a consultant to LibertyView Equity Partners SBIC, LP, a venture capital fund based in Jersey City, New Jersey. From July 2000 to December 2002, Dr. Patton served as a director of Pinpoint Data Corp. From February 2000 to November 2000, Dr. Patton served as a director of Healthware Solutions. From June 2000 to June 2003, Dr. Patton served as a director of LifeStar Response. He earned his B.S. from the University of Michigan, his Medical Doctorate from Medical College of Pennsylvania, and his M.B.A. from Penn’s Wharton School. Dr. Patton was also a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar. He has published papers regarding scientific research in human genetics, diagnostic test performance and medical economic analysis. Dr. Patton’s experience as a trustee and consultant to funds that invest in life science companies provide him with the perspective from which we benefit. Additionally, Dr. Patton’s medical experience and service as a principal and director of other life science companies make Dr. Patton particularly qualified to serve as our director and non-executive vice chairman.
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Roni A. Appel
Mr. Appel has served as a member of our Board of Directors since November 2004. He was our President and Chief Executive Officer from January 1, 2006 until December 2006 and Secretary and Chief Financial Officer from November 2004 to September 2006. From December 15, 2006 to December 2007, Mr. Appel served as a consultant to us. Mr. Appel currently is a self-employed consultant and the Co-Founder and President of Spirify Pharma Inc. Previously, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Anima Biotech Inc., from 2008 through January 31, 2013. From 1999 to 2004, he was a partner and managing director of LV Equity Partners (f/k/a LibertyView Equity Partners). From 1998 until 1999, he was a director of business development at Americana Financial Services, Inc. From 1994 to 1996, he worked as an attorney. Mr. Appel holds an M.B.A from Columbia University (1998) and an LL.B. from Haifa University (1994). Mr. Appel’s longstanding service with us and his entrepreneurial investment career in early stage biotech businesses qualify him to serve as our director.
Kenneth Berlin
Mr. Berlin has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board of Directors since April 2018. Mr. Berlin previously served as our Interim Chief Financial Officer from September 2020 to May 2022. Prior to joining Advaxis, Mr. Berlin served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Rosetta Genomics from November 2009 until April 2018. Prior to Rosetta Genomics, Mr. Berlin was Worldwide General Manager at cellular and molecular cancer diagnostics developer Veridex, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company. At Veridex he grew the organization to over 100 employees, launched three cancer diagnostic products, led the acquisition of its cellular diagnostics partner, and delivered significant growth in sales as Veridex transitioned from an R&D entity to a commercial provider of oncology diagnostic products and services. Mr. Berlin joined Johnson & Johnson in 1994 and served as corporate counsel for six years. From 2001 until 2004 he served as Vice President, Licensing and New Business Development in the pharmaceuticals group, and from 2004 until 2007 served as Worldwide Vice President, Franchise Development, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics. Mr. Berlin holds an A.B. degree from Princeton University and a J.D. from the University of California Los Angeles School of Law. Mr. Berlin’s experience in life science companies, as well as his business experience in general qualify him to service as our director.
Richard J. Berman
Mr. Berman has served as a member of our Board of Directors since September 1, 2005. Richard Berman’s business career spans over 35 years of venture capital, senior management and merger and acquisitions experience. In the past 5 years, Mr. Berman has served as a director and/or officer of over a dozen public and private companies. From 2006-2011, he was Chairman of National Investment Managers, a company with $12 billion in pension administration assets. Mr. Berman currently serves as a director of four public healthcare companies Cryoport Inc., Advaxis, Inc., BioVie, Inc. and BriaCell Therapeutics. Recently, he became a director of Comsovereign Holding Corp, a leader in the drone market. From 2002 to 2010, he was a director at Nexmed Inc. (now Apricus Biosciences, Inc.) where he also served as Chairman/CEO in 2008 and 2009. From 1998-2000, he was employed by Internet Commerce Corporation (now Easylink Services) as Chairman and CEO and served as director from 1998-2012. Previously, Mr. Berman worked at Goldman Sachs, was Senior Vice President of Bankers Trust Company, where he started the M&A and Leveraged Buyout Departments, created the largest battery company in the world in the 1980s by merging Prestolite, General Battery and Exide to form Exide Technologies (XIDE), helped to create what is now Soho (NYC) by developing five buildings, and advised on over $4 billion of M&A transactions (completed over 300 deals). He is a past Director of the Stern School of Business of NYU where he obtained his B.S. and M.B.A. He also has US and foreign law degrees from Boston College and The Hague Academy of International Law, respectively. Mr. Berman’s extensive knowledge of our industry, his role in the governance of publicly held companies and his directorships in other life science companies qualify him to serve as our director.
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Dr. Samir Khleif
Dr. Khleif has served as a member of our Board of Directors since October 2014. He currently serves as the Director of the State of Georgia Cancer Center, Georgia Regents University Cancer Center and the Cancer Service Line. Dr. Khleif was formerly Chief of the Cancer Vaccine Section at the NCI, and also served as a Special Assistant to the Commissioner of the FDA leading the Critical Path Initiative for oncology. Dr. Khleif is a Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Cancer Scientist and Clinician and holds a professorship in Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Graduate Studies at Georgia Regents University. Dr. Khleif’s research program at Georgia Regents University Cancer Center focuses on understanding the mechanisms of cancer-induced immune suppression, and utilizing this knowledge for the development of novel immune therapeutics and vaccines against cancer. His research group designed and performed some of the first cancer vaccine clinical trials targeting specific genetic changes in cancer cells. He led many national efforts and committees on the development of biomarkers and integration of biomarkers in clinical trials, including the AACR-NCI-FDA Cancer Biomarker Collaborative and the ASCO Alternative Clinical Trial Design. Dr. Khleif is the author of many book chapters and scientific articles on tumor immunology and biomarkers process development, and he is the editor for two textbooks on cancer therapeutics, tumor immunology, and cancer vaccines. Dr. Khleif was inducted into the American Society for Clinical Investigation, received the National Cancer Institute’s Director Golden Star Award, the National Institutes of Health Award for Merit, the Commendation Medal of the US Public Health Service, and he was recently appointed to the Institute of Medicine National Cancer Policy Forum. Dr. Khleif’s distinguished career as well as his extensive expertise in vaccines and immunotherapies qualify him to serve as our director.
Andres Gutierrez, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Gutierrez has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer since April 2018. Prior to joining Advaxis, Dr. Gutierrez served as Chief Medical Officer for Oncolytics Biotech, Inc. from November 2016 to April 2018. Prior to Oncolytics, Dr. Gutierrez was Chief Medical Officer at SELLAS Life Sciences Group from November 2015 to September 2016 and was Medical Director, Early Development Immuno-Oncology at Bristol-Myers Squibb from October 2012 to November 2015, where he oversaw the development of translational and clinical development of immuno-oncology programs in solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Earlier, Dr. Gutierrez was Medical Director for several biotechnology companies, including Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Proteolix and Oculus Innovative Sciences, leading key programs with talazoparib and carfilzomib, among others. Prior to Oculus, he served as Director of the Gene & Cell Therapy Unit at the National Institutes of Health in Mexico City and as a consultant physician at the Hospital Angeles del Pedregal.
Igor Gitelman
Mr. Gitelman has served as the Company’s Interim Chief Financial Officers since May 2022, VP of Finance since November 2020 and Chief Accounting Officer since February 2021. Before joining the Company, Mr. Gitelman served as CFO Executive Financial Consultant for Accu Reference Medical Labs, a clinical diagnostic laboratory. Before that, from February 2017 through November 2018, Mr. Gitelman served as a chief accounting officer of Cancer Genetics, Inc., a drug discovery, preclinical oncology, and immuno-oncology services company. Prior to that, Mr. Gitelman served as an Assistant to Vice President (AVP) of Finance and Tax at clinical diagnostic laboratory, BioReference Laboratories, Inc., from October 2005 to October 2016. During this time at BioReference Laboratories, Inc., Mr. Gitelman held various positions of increasing responsibility managing the company’s internal audit function, SEC financial reporting, tax and corporate finance functions.
Director Independence
Each of our incumbent non-employee directors is independent in accordance with the definition set forth in the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, though our shares of common stock are not currently listed on that exchange. Each nominated member of each of our Board committees is an independent director under the Nasdaq standards applicable to such committees. The Board considered the information included in transactions with related parties as outlined below along with other information the Board considered relevant, when considering the independence of each director.
The Audit Committee
The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors is currently composed of three directors, all of whom satisfy the independence and other standards for Audit Committee members under the Nasdaq rules and the Exchange Act rules. The Audit Committee is responsible for recommending the engagement of auditors to the full Board, reviewing the results of the audit engagement with the independent registered public accounting firm, identifying irregularities in the management of our business in consultation with our independent accountants, and suggesting an appropriate course of action, reviewing the adequacy, scope, and results of the internal accounting controls and procedures, reviewing the degree of independence of the auditors, as well as the nature and scope of our relationship with our independent registered public accounting firm, and reviewing the auditors’ fees. As of the date of this prospectus, the Audit Committee is composed of Messrs. Berman and Appel and Dr. Patton, with Mr. Berman serving as the Audit Committee’s financial expert as defined under Item 407 of Regulation S-K and Nasdaq listing rules.
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Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors currently consists of Mr. Berman, and Drs. Khleif and Sidransky. The Compensation Committee determines the salaries, bonuses, and incentive and equity compensation of our officers subject to applicable employment agreements, provides recommendations for the salaries and incentive compensation of our other employees and consultants, and reviews and oversees our compensation programs and policies generally. For executives other than the Chief Executive Officer, the Compensation Committee receives and considers performance evaluations and compensation recommendations submitted to the Committee by the Chief Executive Officer. In the case of the Chief Executive Officer, the evaluation of his performance is conducted by the Compensation Committee, which determines any adjustments to his compensation as well as awards to be granted. The agenda for meetings of the Compensation Committee is usually determined by its Chairman, with the assistance of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of our Board of Directors currently consists of Mr. Berman, and Drs. Patton, Khleif and Sidransky. The functions of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee include identifying and recommending to the Board individuals qualified to serve as members of the Board and on the committees of the Board, advising the Board with respect to matters of board composition, procedures and committees, developing and recommending to the Board a set of corporate governance principles applicable to us and overseeing corporate governance matters generally including review of possible conflicts and transactions with persons affiliated with directors or members of management, and overseeing the annual evaluation of the Board and our management.
Research and Development Committee
The Research and Development Committee was established in August 2013 with the purpose of providing advice and guidance to the Board on scientific and medical matters and development. The Research and Development Committee currently consists of Drs. Sidransky, Khleif and Patton. The functions of the Research and Development Committee include providing advice and guidance to the Board on scientific matters and providing advice and guidance to the Board on medical matters.
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COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS
The table below summarizes the compensation that was earned by our non-employee directors for fiscal year 2021:
Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) (1) | Option Awards ($) (2) | Total ($) | |||||||||
Dr. David Sidransky | 105,000 | - | 105,000 | |||||||||
Dr. James Patton | 87,500 | - | 87,500 | |||||||||
Roni A. Appel | 62,500 | - | 62,500 | |||||||||
Richard J. Berman | 72,500 | - | 72,500 | |||||||||
Dr. Samir N. Khleif | 67,500 | - | 67,500 |
(1) | Represents the annual retainers paid in cash for director services in fiscal year 2021. | |
(2) | Reflects the aggregate grant date fair value of stock options determined in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. The assumptions used in determining the grant date fair values of the stock options are set forth in Note 8 to the Company’s financial statements. |
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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following table sets forth the compensation of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, and our “named executive officers,” for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020:
Summary Compensation Table
Name and Principal Position | Fiscal Year | Salary | Bonus (1) | Stock Award(s) | Option Award(s) (2) | All Other Compensation (3) | Total | |||||||||||||||||||
Kenneth Berlin (4) | 2021 | $ | 569,670 | $ | - | - | $ | - | $ | 55,728 | $ | 625,398 | ||||||||||||||
President, Chief Executive Officer | 2020 | $ | 554,320 | $ | 554,320 | - | $ | 26,000 | $ | 53,809 | $ | 1,188,449 | ||||||||||||||
Igor Gitelman (4) | 2021 | $ | 259,135 | $ | - | - | $ | 15,777 | $ | 38,733 | $ | 313,645 | ||||||||||||||
Interim Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, VP of Finance | 2020 | $ | - | $ | - | - | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | ||||||||||||||
Andres Gutierrez (4) | 2021 | $ | 438,208 | $ | - | - | $ | - | $ | 33,824 | $ | 472,032 | ||||||||||||||
Senior VP, Chief Medical Officer | 2020 | $ | 426,130 | $ | 170,560 | - | $ | 26,000 | $ | 27,575 | $ | 650,265 |
(1) Represents annual incentive bonuses for services performed during fiscal 2020, which in each case were paid in the following fiscal year. In fiscal 2020, the NEOs received bonuses approximating 100% for Mr. Berlin and 40% for Dr. Gutierrez. These bonuses reflect achievement of corporate goals and objectives for fiscal 2020. | |
(2) Reflects the aggregate grant date fair value of stock options determined in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. The assumptions used in determining the grant date fair values of the stock options are set forth in Note 8 to the Company’s financial statements. | |
(3) All Other Compensation is more fully described in the table under “All Other Compensation – Supplemental” below. | |
(4) Mr. Berlin and Mr. Gutierrez began their employment with the Company as the CEO and the CMO, respectively, in April 2018. Mr. Gitelman began his employment with the Company as VP of Finance in November 2020 and has been our Chief Accounting Officer since February 2021 and our Interim Chief Financial Officer since May 2022. |
All Other Compensation – Supplemental
Fiscal | Health Insurance Premiums | Life and AD&D Insurance | Matching Contributions to 401(k) Plan | Other | Total | |||||||||||||||||
Name and Principal Position | Year | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||
Kenneth Berlin | 2021 | 32,526 | 696 | 21,906 | 600 | 55,728 | ||||||||||||||||
President, Chief Executive Officer | 2020 | 26,402 | 5,568 | 21,239 | 600 | 53,809 | ||||||||||||||||
Igor Gitelman | 2021 | 29,442 | 665 | 8,049 | 577 | 38,733 | ||||||||||||||||
Interim Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, VP of Finance | 2020 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
Andres Gutierrez | 2021 | 32,526 | 698 | - | 600 | 33,824 | ||||||||||||||||
Senior VP, Chief Medical Officer | 2020 | 26,399 | 576 | - | 600 | 27,575 |
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Employment Agreements with Named Executive Officers
The Company appointed Mr. Berlin as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 23, 2018. The Company and Mr. Berlin entered into an employment agreement, effective April 23, 2018, which provides for an initial three-year term, after which it will be automatically renewed for one year periods, unless otherwise terminated by either party upon ninety (90) days’ written notice. The employment agreement provides that Mr. Berlin will receive a base salary of $576,493 per year, as adjusted for annual increases by the Compensation Committee since entry of the agreement, and he is eligible for an annual bonus targeted at 55% of his base salary based on achievement of performance goals in the discretion of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Berlin also received a one-time lump-sum bonus equal to $150,000 that was paid within fifteen (15) days following the effective date of the agreement. Mr. Berlin also received 625 stock options and 208 restricted stock units, which vest in equal instalments over the first three years of his employment. In May 2020, Mr. Berlin received an additional 208 stock options, which vest in equal instalments on the first three anniversary dates of the grant.
The Company appointed Mr. Gitelman as Chief Accounting Officer, effective February 11, 2021. Mr. Gitelman does not have an employment agreement with the Company. In November 2020, Mr. Gitelman received 625 stock options, which vest in equal instalments on the first three anniversary dates of the grant.
The Company appointed Mr. Gutierrez as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, effective April 23, 2018. The Company and Mr. Gutierrez entered into an employment agreement, effective April 23, 2018, which provides for an initial three-year term, after which it will be automatically renewed for one year periods, unless otherwise terminated by either party upon ninety (90) days’ written notice. The employment agreement provides that Mr. Gutierrez will receive a base salary of $443,456 per year, as adjusted for annual increases by the Compensation Committee since entry of the agreement, and eligible for an annual bonus based on achievement of performance goals at the discretion of the Compensation Committee. Mr. Gutierrez also received a one-time lump-sum bonus equal to $40,000 that was paid within the first ninety (90) days following the effective date of the agreement. Mr. Gutierrez also received 208 stock options, which vest annually on the first three anniversaries of his employment as an equity incentive award. In May 2020, Mr. Gutierrez received an additional 625 stock options, which vest in equal installments on the first three anniversary dates of the grant.
In the event Mr. Gutierrez employment is terminated without Just Cause, or if he voluntarily resigns with Good Reason, or if his employment is terminated due to disability (all as defined in their respective employment agreements), and so long as he executes a confidential separation and release agreement, in addition to the applicable base salary, plus any accrued but unused vacation time and unpaid expenses that have been earned as of the date of such termination, he is entitled to the following severance benefits: (i) twelve months of base salary payable in in equal monthly installments, (ii) a bonus payment for the year in which the employment is terminated equal to the target bonus percentage, multiplied by the base salary in effect at the time of termination, (iii) continued health and welfare benefits for 12 months, and (iv) full vesting of all stock options and stock awards (with extension of the exercise period for stock options by two years).
In the event Mr. Berlin’s employment is terminated without Just Cause during the period beginning 3 months prior to a Change in Control (as defined in Mr. Berlin’s employment agreement) and ending 18 months after the Change in Control (such period, the “CIC Protection Period”), or if Mr. Berlin voluntarily resigns with Good Reason, during the CIC Protection Period, and provided that Mr. Berlin continues to comply with certain covenants set forth in his employment agreement, in addition to the applicable base salary and any earned but unpaid bonus for the prior fiscal year, plus any accrued but unused vacation time and unpaid expenses that have been earned as of the date of such termination, Mr. Berlin is entitled to the following severance benefits: (i) an amount equal to 1.75 times the sum of the applicable base salary plus an amount equal to Mr. Berlin’s target bonus, payable in a single lump sum within sixty (60) days of the termination, (ii) a bonus payment for the year in which the employment is terminated equal to the target bonus percentage, multiplied by the base salary in effect at the time of termination, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of calendar days Mr. Berlin was employed during such year and the denominator is 365, (iii) continued health and welfare benefits for 21 months, and (iv) full vesting and exercisability of all stock options and stock awards.
The named executive officer employment agreements contain customary covenants regarding non-solicitation, non-compete, confidentiality and works for hire.
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Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change-in-Control
Termination of Employment
As described above under “Employment Agreements with Named Executive Officers,” the Company has entered into employment agreements with two of the named executive officers that provide for certain severance payments and benefits in the event the named executive officer’s employment with the Company is terminated under certain circumstances.
In addition, upon a Change in Control of the Company, unvested equity awards held by two of the executive officers will be accelerated as follows: (i) outstanding stock options and other awards in the nature of rights that may be exercised shall become fully vested and exercisable, (ii) time-based restrictions on restricted stock, restricted stock units and other equity awards shall lapse and the awards shall become fully vested, and (iii) performance-based equity awards, if any, shall become vested and shall be deemed earned based on an assumed achievement of all relevant performance goals at “target” levels, and shall payout pro rata to reflect the portion of the performance period that had elapsed prior to the Change in Control.
The table below shows the estimated value of benefits to each of the named executive officers if their employment had been terminated under various circumstances as of October 31, 2021. The amounts shown in the table exclude accrued but unpaid base salary, unreimbursed employment-related expenses, accrued but unpaid vacation pay, and the value of equity awards that were vested by their terms as of October 31, 2021.
Involuntary Termination without a Change in Control ($) | Involuntary Termination in connection with a Change in Control ($) | Death ($) | Disability ($) | Termination for Cause; Voluntary Resignation ($) | ||||||||||||||||
Kenneth Berlin | ||||||||||||||||||||
Cash severance | 576,493 | (1) | 1,563,737 | (5) | - | 576,493 | (1) | - | ||||||||||||
Bonus | 317,071 | (7) | 317,071 | (2) | 317,071 | (2) | 317,071 | (7) | - | |||||||||||
Health benefits | 34,885 | (3) | 61,049 | (6) | - | 34,885 | (3) | - | ||||||||||||
Value of equity Acceleration | 2,917 | (4) | 2,917 | (4) | 2,917 | (4) | 2,917 | (4) | - | |||||||||||
Total | 931,366 | 1,944,774 | 319,988 | 931,366 | - | |||||||||||||||
Andres Gutierrez | ||||||||||||||||||||
Cash severance | 443,456 | (1) | 443,456 | (1) | - | 443,456 | (1) | - | ||||||||||||
Bonus | 177,382 | (7) | 177,382 | (7) | 177,382 | (7) | 177,382 | (7) | - | |||||||||||
Health benefits | 34,885 | (3) | 34,885 | (6) | - | 34,885 | (3) | - | ||||||||||||
Value of equity Acceleration | 1,458 | (4) | 1,458 | (4) | 1,458 | (4) | 1,458 | (4) | - | |||||||||||
Total | 657,181 | 657,181 | 178,840 | 657,181 | - | |||||||||||||||
Igor Gitelman | ||||||||||||||||||||
Cash severance | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
Bonus | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
Health benefits | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
Value of equity Acceleration | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
Total | - | - | - | - | - |
(1) | Reflects severance payment equal to one times base salary payable in equal monthly instalments for 12 months. | |
(2) | Reflects pro rata bonus determined by multiplying the target bonus amount for the year in which the termination occurs by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of calendar days the executive is employed during such year and the denominator of which is 365. Because the amounts reflected in the table assume the named executive officer’s employment was terminated on October 31, 2021 (the last day of the 2021 fiscal year), the amounts reflected are not pro-rated. |
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(3) | Reflects the Company’s cost of continued health coverage at active employee rates for 12 months. | |
(4) | Reflects the value of unvested in-the-money stock options that vest upon the designated event. | |
(5) | For Mr. Berlin, reflects 1.75 times the sum of his base salary and target bonus, payable in equal monthly installments for 21 months. For the other named executive officer, equals one times base salary, payable in equal monthly installments for 12 months. | |
(6) | Reflects the full cost of continued health coverage for 21 months for Mr. Berlin and 12 months for the other named executive officer. | |
(7) | Represents a bonus payment equal to the executive’s target bonus. |
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2021 Fiscal Year-End
The following table summarizes all outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers at fiscal year-end. The market or payout value of unearned shares, units or rights that have not vested equals $38.80, which was the closing price of Advaxis’ shares of common stock on Nasdaq on October 31, 2021 and for performance based restricted stock units presumes that the target performance goals are met.
Name | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable | Option Exercise Price ($) | Option Expiration Date | Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#) | Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested ($) | ||||||||||||||||
Kenneth Berlin | 625 | - | (1) | 1,944.00 | 4/23/2028 | - | - | |||||||||||||||
178 | 89 | (2) | 648.00 | 11/5/2028 | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
417 | 208 | (3) | 24.80 | 10/24/2029 | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
208 | 417 | (4) | 52.80 | 5/4/2030 | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
Igor Gitelman | - | 625 | (6) | 31.20 | 11/16/2030 | - | - | |||||||||||||||
Andres Gutierrez | 208 | - | (5) | 1,944.00 | 4/23/2028 | - | - | |||||||||||||||
69 | 35 | (2) | 648.00 | 11/05/2028 | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
208 | 104 | (3) | 24.80 | 10/24/2029 | - | |||||||||||||||||
208 | 417 | (4) | 52.80 | 5/4/2030 | - | - |
(1) | Of these options, one-third vested on December 31, 2018, one-third vested on April 23, 2020, and the award was fully vested on April 23, 2021. | |
(2) | Of these options, one-third vested on November 5, 2019, one-third vested on November 5, 2020, and the award will be fully vested on November 5, 2021. | |
(3) | Of these options, one-third vested on October 24, 2020, one-third vested on October 24, 2021, and the award will be fully vested on October 24, 2022. | |
(4) | Of these options, one-third vested on May 4, 2021, one-third vested on May 4, 2022, and the award will be fully vested on May 4, 2023. | |
(5) | Of these options, one-third vested on April 23, 2019, one-third vested on April 23, 2020, and the award was fully vested on April 23, 2021. | |
(6) | Of these options, one-third vested on November 16, 2021, one-third will vest on November 16, 2022, and the award will be fully vested on November 16, 2023. |
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock by (a) each person who is known to us to be the owner of more than five percent (5%) of shares of our common stock, (b) each of our directors, (c) each of the named executive officers, and (d) all directors and executive officers and executive employees as a group. For purposes of the table, a person or group of persons is deemed to have beneficial ownership of any shares that such person has the right to acquire within 60 days of June 8, 2022. The percentage of ownership is based on 1,820,480 shares outstanding as of June 8, 2022. Unless otherwise indicated by footnote, the address for each of the beneficial owners set forth in the table below is c/o Advaxis, Inc., 9 Deer Park Drive, Suite K-1, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852. Unless otherwise indicated, the persons or entities identified in this table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares shown as beneficially owned by them, subject to applicable community property laws.
Name of Beneficial Owner | Total # of Shares Beneficially Owned | Percentage of Ownership Before this | Percentage of Ownership After this Offering | |||||||||
Kenneth Berlin (1) | 1,995 | * % | * % | |||||||||
Igor Gitelman (2) | 208 | * % | * % | |||||||||
David Sidransky (3) | 416 | * % | * % | |||||||||
Roni Appel (4) | 462 | * % | * % | |||||||||
Richard Berman (5) | 355 | * % | * % | |||||||||
Samir Khleif (6) | 403 | * % | * % | |||||||||
James Patton (7) | 552 | * % | * % | |||||||||
Andres Gutierrez (8) | 984 | * % | * % | |||||||||
All Current Directors and Officers as a Group (8 People) (9) | 5,375 | * % | *% |
*Less than 1%
(1) Represents 270 issued shares of our common stock and options to purchase 1,725 shares of our Common Stock exercisable within 60 days.
(2) Represents options to purchase 208 shares of our common stock exercisable within 60 days.
(3) Represents 91 issued shares of our common stock and options to purchase 325 shares of our common stock exercisable within 60 days.
(4) Represents 130 issued shares of our common stock, options to purchase 308 shares of our common stock exercisable within 60 days and warrants to purchase 24 shares of our common stock exercisable within 60 days.
(5) Represents 46 issued shares of our common stock and options to purchase 309 shares of our common stock exercisable within 60 days.
(6) Represents 57 issued shares of our common stock and options to purchase 346 shares of our common stock exercisable within 60 days.
(7) Represents 238 issued shares of our common stock and options to purchase 314 shares of our common stock exercisable within 60 days.
(8) Represents 46 issued shares of our common stock and options to purchase 938 shares of our common stock exercisable within 60 days.
(9) Represents 878 issued shares of our common stock, options to purchase 4,473 shares of our common stock exercisable within 60 days and warrants to purchase 24 shares of our common stock exercisable within 60 days.
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Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table includes information related to shares available and outstanding awards under our equity incentive plans as of October 31, 2021:
Plan Category | Number of Securities to be issued upon Exercise of outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights (#) | Weighted-average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights ($) | Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans (#) | |||||||||
Equity Compensation Plans approved by security holders | 11,174 | 1,545.60 | 64,100 | |||||||||
Equity Compensation Plans not approved by security holders | - | - | - | |||||||||
TOTAL: | 11,174 | 1,545.60 | 64,100 |
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
The members of the Compensation Committee during the 2021 fiscal year were of Mr. Berman, and Drs. Khleif and Sidransky. During the 2021 fiscal year, no member of our Compensation Committee was an officer, former officer or employee of the Company or had any direct or indirect material interest in a transaction with us or in a business relationship with the Company that would require disclosure under the applicable rules of the SEC. In addition, no interlocking relationship existed between any member of our Compensation Committee, any member of our Board, or one of our executive officers, and any member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any other company.
Compensation Committee Report
Our Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. Based on this review and discussion, our Compensation Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The Compensation Committee | ||
Dr. David Sidransky – Chair | ||
Dr. Samir Khleif | ||
Richard Berman |
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS, DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Our policy is to enter into transactions with related parties on terms that, on the whole, are no more favorable, or no less favorable, than those available from unaffiliated third parties. Based on our experience in the business sectors in which we operate and the terms of our transactions with unaffiliated third parties, we believe that all transactions that we enter will meet this policy standard at the time they occur. Presently, we have no such related party transactions.
Director Independence
In accordance with the disclosure requirements of the SEC, we have adopted the Nasdaq listing standards for independence. Each of our non-employee directors is independent in accordance with the definition set forth in the Nasdaq rules. Each nominated member of each of our Board committees is an independent director under the Nasdaq standards applicable to such committees. The Board considered the information included in transactions with related parties as outlined below along with other information the Board considered relevant, when considering the independence of each director.
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
The following is a summary of certain rights and privileges of the shares of common stock of Advaxis, Inc. (“Advaxis,” “we,” “our,” or the “Company”).
This summary does not purport to be complete. Reference is made to the provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, and our Amended and Restated Bylaws.
Common Stock
Under our Certificate of Incorporation, our is authorized to issue 170,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 5,000,000 shares of “blank check” preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. As of June 9, 2022, we had outstanding 1,820,480 shares of common stock.
Dividends
Holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably any dividends declared by our Board of Directors (the “Board”) out of funds legally available for that purpose, subject to any preferential dividend rights of any outstanding Preferred Stock (“Preferred Stock”). All outstanding shares are fully-paid and non-assessable.
Conversion Rights
The shares of common stock are not convertible into other securities.
Sinking Fund Provisions
Shares of our common stock have no sinking fund provisions.
Redemption Provisions
Shares of our common stock have no right to redemption.
Voting Rights
The holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on each matter submitted to a vote of stockholders. Holders of shares of our common stock do not have a cumulative voting right, which means that the holders of more than one-half of the outstanding shares of common stock, subject to the rights of the holders of the Preferred Stock, if any, can elect all of our directors, if they choose to do so. In this event, the holders of the remaining shares of common stock would not be able to elect any directors. Our Board is not classified.
Except as otherwise required by Delaware law, and subject to the rights of the holders of Preferred Stock, if any, all stockholder action is taken by the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock voting as a single class present at a meeting of stockholders at which a quorum consisting of one-third of the outstanding shares of common stock is present in person or proxy.
Liquidation Rights
In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, holders of shares common stock would be entitled to share ratably in our assets that are legally available for distribution to stockholders after payment of liabilities and applicable distribution to the holders of our Preferred Stock (if any outstanding).
Preemption Rights
Shares of our common stock have no right to preemption.
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Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws Provisions
Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws contain provisions that could have the effect of discouraging potential acquisition proposals or making a tender offer or delaying or preventing a change in control, including changes a stockholder might consider favorable. In particular, the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, as applicable, among other things:
● | provide our Board with the ability to alter its Bylaws without stockholder approval; and | |
● | provide that vacancies on our Board may be filled by a majority of directors in office, although less than a quorum. |
Such provisions may have the effect of discouraging a third party from acquiring us, even if doing so would be beneficial to our stockholders. These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of our Board and in the policies formulated by them, and to discourage some types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened change in control of us. These provisions are designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited acquisition proposal and to discourage some tactics that may be used in proxy fights. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging such proposals because, among other things, negotiation of such proposals could result in an improvement of their terms. However, these provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. These provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our management.
Stock Exchange Listing
Shares of our common stock are listed on the OTCQX under the symbol “ADXSD.” We have applied to list our common stock on the Nasdaq under the symbol “ADXS”. Although we believe that as of the consummation of this offering, we will meet the listing criteria for listing of our common stock on Nasdaq, there is no assurance that our application will be approved.
On May 10, 2022, we were notified by the OTCQX that our common stock closed below $0.10 for more than 30 consecutive calendar days and no longer meets the Standards for Continued Qualification for the OTCQX U.S. tier as per the OTCQX Rules for U.S. Companies. If the bid price for the common stock has not stayed at or above the $0.10 minimum for ten consecutive trading days by November 7, 2022, then our common stock will be moved from OTCQX to the OTC Pink market.
Common Stock Purchase Warrants to be Issued as Part of this Offering
The following summary of certain terms and provisions of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions of the form of Common Stock Purchase Warrants for a complete description of the terms and conditions of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants.
Duration and Exercise Price
Each Common Stock Purchase Warrant included in the units will have an initial exercise price equal to $ per share of common stock. The Common Stock Purchase Warrants will be immediately exercisable and will expire on the five year anniversary of the original issuance date. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of stock dividends, stock splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting shares of our common stock and the exercise price. A Common Stock Purchase Warrant to purchase one share of our common stock.
Cashless Exercise
If, at the time a holder exercises its Common Stock Purchase Warrants, a registration statement registering the issuance of the shares of common stock underlying the Common Stock Purchase Warrants under the Securities Act is not then effective or available for the issuance of such shares, then in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of shares of common stock determined according to a formula set forth in the Common Stock Purchase Warrants.
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Exercisability
The Common Stock Purchase Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of shares of our common stock purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of the Common Stock Purchase Warrant to the extent that the holder would own more than 4.99% of the outstanding shares of common stock immediately after exercise, except that upon at least 61 days’ prior notice from the holder to us, the holder may increase the amount of ownership of outstanding stock after exercising the holder’s Common Stock Purchase Warrants up to 9.99% of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants. Purchasers of Common Stock Purchase Warrants in this offering may also elect prior to the issuance of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants to have the initial exercise limitation set at 9.99% of our outstanding shares common stock.
Fractional Shares
No fractional shares of common stock will be issued upon the exercise of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants. Rather, the number of shares of common stock to be issued will be rounded to the nearest whole number, or the Company shall pay a cash adjustment in respect of the fractional share.
Transferability
Subject to applicable laws, the Common Stock Purchase Warrants may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without our consent. There is currently no trading market for the Common Stock Purchase Warrants.
Exchange Listing
There is no trading market available for the Common Stock Purchase Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. We do not intend to list the Common Stock Purchase Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system.
Right as a Shareholder
Except as otherwise provided in the Common Stock Purchase Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of our common stock, the holders of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our shares of common stock, including any voting rights, until they exercise their Common Stock Purchase Warrants.
Fundamental Transaction
In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the Common Stock Purchase Warrants and generally including any reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification of our shares of common stock, the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of our properties or assets, our consolidation or merger with or into another person, the acquisition of more than 50% of our outstanding shares of common stock, or any person or group becoming the beneficial owner of 50% of the voting power represented by our outstanding common stock, the holders of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that the holders would have received had they exercised the Common Stock Purchase Warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction.
Transfer Agent, Warrant Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent, warrant agent and registrar for shares of our common stock is Continental Stock Transfer and Trust Company, 17 Battery Place, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10004.
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
The following is a general discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of shares of common stock by a beneficial owner that is a “non-U.S. holder,” other than a non-U.S. holder that owns, or has owned, actually or constructively, more than 5% of the shares of our common stock. This discussion addresses only the U.S. federal income tax considerations of non-U.S. holders that are initial purchasers of shares of our common stock pursuant to the offering. For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. holder” is a person or entity that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is not a U.S. person. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, a U.S. person includes:
● | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; | |
● | a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or of any political subdivision thereof; or | |
● | an estate the income of which is includible in gross income regardless of source; or | |
● | a trust that (A) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and the control of one or more U.S. persons, or (B) otherwise has validly elected to be treated as a U.S. domestic trust. |
If an entity that is classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds shares of common stock, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner will generally depend on the status of the partner and upon the activities of the partnership. Partnerships owning shares of common stock and partners in such partnerships should consult their tax advisers as to the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of shares of common stock.
This discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and Treasury Regulations, all as of the date hereof, changes to any of which subsequent to the date of this prospectus may affect the tax consequences described herein. This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to non-U.S. holders in light of their particular circumstances and does not address any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign jurisdiction. Prospective holders are urged to consult their tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of owning and disposing of shares of common stock, including the consequences under the laws of any state, local or foreign jurisdiction.
Dividends
Dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder of shares of common stock generally will be subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate or a reduced rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty. In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, a non-U.S. holder will be required to provide an Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, or appropriate substitute form, certifying its entitlement to benefits under a treaty.
Special certification and other requirements apply to certain non-U.S. holders that are pass-through entities rather than companies or individuals.
The withholding tax does not apply to dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder who provides an Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI, or appropriate substitute form, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the non-U.S. holder were a U.S. resident, subject to an applicable income tax treaty providing otherwise. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or a lower treaty rate).
Gain on Disposition of Shares of Common Stock
A non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain realized on a sale or other disposition of shares of common stock unless the gain is effectively connected with a trade or business of the non-U.S. holder in the United States or we are or have been a “U.S. real property holding company.” Gain that is effectively connected with a non-U.S. holder’s U.S. trade or business will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the non-U.S. holder were a U.S. person, subject to an applicable treaty providing otherwise. A non-U.S. corporation recognizing effectively connected gain may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or a lower treaty rate).
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding Requirements
Information returns will be filed with the Internal Revenue Service in connection with payments of dividends. A non-U.S. holder may have to comply with certification procedures to establish that it is not a U.S. person in order to avoid information reporting and backup withholding tax requirements with respect to payments of dividends or a sale or disposition of shares of common stock. The certification procedures required to claim a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty will satisfy the certification requirements necessary to avoid the backup withholding tax as well. The amount of any backup withholding from a payment to a non-U.S. holder will be allowed as a credit against such holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such holder to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.
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UNDERWRITING
A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, or A.G.P., is acting as the sole book-running manager in this offering. Subject to the terms and conditions in the underwriting agreement, dated , 2022, by and between us and A.G.P., A.G.P, as the underwriter, has agreed to purchase from us, and we have agreed to sell, shares of common stock and Common Stock Purchase Warrants, at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligation of the underwriter to purchase all of the shares and Common Stock Purchase Warrants being offered to the public, other than those covered by the over-allotment option, is subject to certain conditions and the underwriter is obligated to purchase all of the shares of common stock and/or Common Stock Purchase Warrants offered hereby if any of the shares are purchased.
Pursuant to the underwriting agreement, we have agreed to indemnify the underwriter against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments which the underwriter or other indemnified parties may be required to make in respect of any such liabilities.
Commissions and Expenses
The following table provides information regarding the amount of the underwriting discounts and commissions to be paid to the underwriter by us. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriter’s option to purchase additional shares and/or Common Stock Purchase Warrants to cover over-allotments, if any.
Total | ||||||||||||||||
Per Share | Per Warrant | Without Over-Allotment | With Over-Allotment | |||||||||||||
Underwriting discount (7%) | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us(1) | $ | $ | $ | $ |
(1) | Includes payment to A.G.P. of non-accountable expenses incurred in connection with this offering in an amount equal to 0.5% of the gross proceeds of the offering excluding proceeds received from exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. |
In addition, we have agreed to reimburse the underwriter for certain out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it up to an aggregate of $75,000.
We have agreed to sell the shares and/or Common Stock Purchase Warrants at the offering price less the underwriting discount set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. We cannot be sure that the offering price will correspond to the price at which shares of our common stock will trade following this offering.
Over-Allotment Option
We have granted the underwriter an over-allotment option. This option, which is exercisable for up to 45 days after the date of this prospectus, permits the underwriter to purchase a maximum of additional shares and/or Common Stock Purchase Warrants from us to cover over-allotments, if any. If the underwriter exercises all or part of this option, it will purchase shares and/or Common Stock Purchase Warrants covered by the option at the public offering price that appears on the cover page of this prospectus, less the underwriting discount and non-accountable expense reimbursement of 0.5% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such additional securities.
Lock-Up Agreements
Our executive officers, directors and certain of our significant stockholders have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, to a 90-day “lock-up” from the date of this prospectus relating to shares of our common stock that they beneficially own, including the issuance of shares of common stock upon the exercise of currently outstanding options and options which may be issued without the prior written consent of A.G.P. This means that, for a period of 90 days following the date of this prospectus, such persons may not offer, sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of these securities without the prior written consent of the underwriter, subject to certain exceptions.
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In addition, the underwriting agreement provides that we will not, for a period of 90 days following the date of this prospectus, offer, sell or distribute any of our securities, without the prior written consent of A.G.P.
Stabilization
Until the distribution of the securities offered by this prospectus is completed, rules of the SEC may limit the ability of the underwriter to bid for and to purchase shares of our common stock. As an exception to these rules, the underwriter may engage in transactions effected in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act that are intended to stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the shares of our common stock. The underwriter may engage in over-allotment sales, syndicate covering transactions, stabilizing transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M.
● | Stabilizing transactions permit bids or purchases for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the shares of common stock, so long as stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. | |
● | Over-allotment involves sales by the underwriter of securities in excess of the number of securities the underwriter are obligated to purchase, which creates a short position. The short position may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of shares of common stock over-allotted by the underwriter is not greater than the number of shares of common stock that they may purchase in the over-allotment option. In a naked short position, the number of shares of common stock involved is greater than the number of shares in the over-allotment option. The underwriter may close out any covered short position by either exercising their over-allotment option or purchasing shares of our common stock in the open market. | |
● | Covering transactions involve the purchase of securities in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover short positions. In determining the source of securities to close out the short position, the underwriter will consider, among other things, the price of securities available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase securities through the over-allotment option. If the underwriter sells more shares of common stock than could be covered by the over-allotment option, creating a naked short position, the position can only be closed out by buying securities in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriter is concerned that there could be downward pressure on the price of the securities in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering. | |
● | Penalty bids permit the underwriter to reclaim a selling concession from a selected dealer when the securities originally sold by the selected dealer are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction. |
These stabilizing transactions, covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our securities or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the shares of our common stock. As a result, the price of our securities may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market.
Neither we nor the underwriter make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the prices of our securities. These transactions may occur on any trading market. If any of these transactions are commenced, they may be discontinued without notice at any time.
This prospectus may be made available in electronic format on internet sites or through other online services maintained by the underwriter or its affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and may be allowed to place orders online. Other than this prospectus in electronic format, any information on the underwriter’s or its affiliates’ websites and any information contained in any other website maintained by the underwriter or any affiliate of the underwriter is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the underwriter and should not be relied upon by investors.
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LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the shares of common stock and Common Stock Warrants offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Certain legal matters will be passed upon for the underwriter by Sullivan & Worcester LLP, New York, New York.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of the Company as of October 31, 2021 and 2020 and for each of the two years in the period ended October 31, 2021 included in this prospectus have been so included in reliance on the report of Marcum LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of such firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We are a reporting company and file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may inspect and copy these materials at the Public Reference Room maintained by the SEC at Room 100 F Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for more information on the Public Reference Room. You can also find our SEC filings at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You may also inspect reports and other information concerning us at the offices of the Nasdaq Stock Market at 1735 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006. We intend to furnish our stockholders with annual reports containing audited financial statements and such other periodic reports as we may determine to be appropriate or as may be required by law.
Our primary website address is www.advaxis.com. Corporate information can be located by clicking on the “Investor Relations” link on the top of the home page, and then clicking on “SEC Filings” in the menu. We make our periodic SEC reports (Forms 10-Q and Forms 10-K) and current reports (Form 8-K) available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed electronically with the SEC. We may from time to time provide important disclosures to investors by posting them in the Investor Relations section of our website, as allowed by SEC’s rules. The information on the website listed above is not and should not be considered part of this prospectus and is intended to be an inactive textual reference only.
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ADVAXIS, INC.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
INDEX
Audited Consolidated Financial Statements
Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
F-1 |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of Advaxis, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Advaxis, Inc. (the “Company”) as of October 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended October 31, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of October 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended October 31, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. We determined that there are no critical audit matters.
/s/ Marcum llp | |
Marcum llp | |
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2012. | |
New York, NY | |
February 14, 2022 except, for the effects of the reverse stock split discussed in Note 3 as to which the date is June 10, 2022 |
F-2 |
ADVAXIS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
October 31, | ||||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
ASSETS | ||||||||
Current assets: | ||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | $ | ||||||
Deferred expenses | ||||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | ||||||||
Total current assets | ||||||||
Property and equipment (net of accumulated depreciation) | ||||||||
Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization) | ||||||||
Operating right-of-use asset (net of accumulated amortization) | ||||||||
Other assets | ||||||||
Total assets | $ | $ | ||||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | ||||||||
Current liabilities: | ||||||||
Accounts payable | $ | $ | ||||||
Accrued expenses | ||||||||
Current portion of operating lease liability | ||||||||
Deferred revenue | ||||||||
Common stock warrant liability | ||||||||
Total current liabilities | ||||||||
Operating lease liability, net of current portion | ||||||||
Total liabilities | ||||||||
Contingencies – Note 10 | ||||||||
Stockholders’ equity: | ||||||||
Preferred stock, $ | par value; shares authorized; Series B Preferred Stock; shares issued and outstanding at October 31, 2021 and 2020. Liquidation preference of $||||||||
Common stock - $ | par value; shares authorized, and shares issued and outstanding at October 31, 2021 and 2020.||||||||
Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||
Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Total stockholders’ equity | ||||||||
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | $ | $ |
The accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the financial statements.
F-3 |
ADVAXIS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Year Ended October 31, | ||||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
Revenue | $ | $ | ||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||
Research and development expenses | ||||||||
General and administrative expenses | ||||||||
Total operating expenses | ||||||||
Loss from operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Other income (expense): | ||||||||
Interest income | ||||||||
Net changes in fair value of derivative liabilities | ||||||||
Loss on shares issued in settlement of warrants | ( | ) | ||||||
Other expense | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net loss before income tax benefit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Income tax expense | ||||||||
Net loss | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Net loss per common share, basic and diluted | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, basic and diluted |
The accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the financial statements.
F-4 |
ADVAXIS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Preferred Stock | Common Stock | Additional Paid-In | Accumulated | Total Shareholders’ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit | Equity | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at October 31, 2019 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tax withholdings paid on equity awards | - | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Tax shares sold to pay for tax withholdings on equity awards | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of shares to employees under ESPP Plan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ESPP Expense | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Warrant exercises | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares issued in settlement of warrants | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Advaxis public offerings, net of offering costs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Commitment fee shares issued for equity line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares issued under equity line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Loss | - | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at October 31, 2020 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock option exercises | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of shares to employees under ESPP Plan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Warrant exercises | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Advaxis public offerings, net of offering costs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net Loss | - | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at October 31, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ |
The accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the financial statements.
F-5 |
ADVAXIS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Year Ended October 31, | ||||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
OPERATING ACTIVITIES | ||||||||
Net loss | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
Stock compensation | ||||||||
Employee stock purchase plan expense | ||||||||
(Gain) loss on change in value of warrant liability | ( | ) | ||||||
Loss on shares issued in settlement of warrants | ||||||||
Loss on disposal of property and equipment | ||||||||
Loss on write-down of property and equipment | ||||||||
Abandonment of intangible assets | ||||||||
Depreciation expense | ||||||||
Amortization of deferred offering costs | ||||||||
Amortization expense of intangible assets | ||||||||
Amortization expense of right-of-use assets | ||||||||
Net gain on write-off of right-of-use asset and lease liability | ( | ) | ||||||
Change in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and deferred expenses | ||||||||
Other assets | ||||||||
Accounts payable and accrued expenses | ( | ) | ||||||
Deferred revenue | ( | ) | ||||||
Operating lease liabilities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net cash used in operating activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
INVESTING ACTIVITIES | ||||||||
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment | ||||||||
Cost of intangible assets | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net cash used in investing activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
FINANCING ACTIVITIES | ||||||||
Net proceeds of issuance of common stock and warrants | ||||||||
Proceeds from warrant exercises | ||||||||
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan | ||||||||
Employee tax withholdings paid on equity awards | ( | ) | ||||||
Tax shares sold to pay for employee tax withholdings on equity awards | ||||||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | ||||||||
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | ( | ) | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year | ||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year | $ | $ |
The accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the financial statements.
F-6 |
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information
Year Ended October 31, | ||||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
Cash paid for taxes | $ | $ | ||||||
Supplemental Schedule of Noncash Investing and Financing Activities
Year Ended October 31, | ||||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
Shares issued in settlement of warrants | $ | $ | ||||||
Commitment fee shares issued for equity line | $ | $ | ||||||
Cashless exercise of warrants | $ | $ | ||||||
Reassessment of the lease term | $ | $ |
The accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the financial statements.
F-7 |
ADVAXIS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Advaxis, Inc. (“Advaxis” or the “Company”) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary Listeria monocytogenes (“Lm”)-based antigen delivery products. The Company is using its Lm platform directed against tumor-specific targets in order to engage the patient’s immune system to destroy tumor cells. Through a license from the University of Pennsylvania, Advaxis has exclusive access to this proprietary formulation of attenuated Lm called Lm TechnologyTM. Advaxis’ proprietary approach is designed to deploy a unique mechanism of action that redirects the immune system to attack cancer in three distinct ways:
● | Alerting and training the immune system by activating multiple pathways in Antigen-Presenting Cells (“APCs”) with the equivalent of multiple adjuvants; | |
● | Attacking the tumor by generating a strong, cancer-specific T cell response; and | |
● | Breaking down tumor protection through suppression of the protective cells in the tumor microenvironment (“TME”) that shields the tumor from the immune system. This enables the activated T cells to begin working to attack the tumor cells. |
Advaxis’ proprietary Lm platform technology has demonstrated clinical activity in several of its programs and has been dosed in over 470 patients across multiple clinical trials and in various tumor types. The Company believes that Lm Technology immunotherapies can complement and address significant unmet needs in the current oncology treatment landscape. Specifically, its product candidates have the potential to work synergistically with other immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibitors, while having a generally well-tolerated safety profile.
Termination of Merger Agreement; Strategic Considerations
On
July 4, 2021, the Company entered into a Merger Agreement (the “Merger Agreement”), subject to shareholder approval, with
Biosight Ltd. (“Biosight”) and Advaxis Ltd. (“Merger Sub”), a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of Advaxis. Under
the terms of the agreement, Biosight was to merge with and into Merger Sub, with Biosight continuing as the surviving company and a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Advaxis (the “Merger”). Immediately after the merger, Advaxis stockholders as of immediately prior to the merger
were expected to own approximately
On December 30, 2021, the Company terminated the Merger Agreement, as the Company was unable to obtain shareholder approval to complete the transaction. As announced in December 2021, the Company plans to continue to explore additional options to maximize stockholder value.
Liquidity and Management’s Plans
Similar to other development stage biotechnology companies, the Company’s products that are being developed have not generated significant revenue. As a result, the Company has suffered recurring losses and requires significant cash resources to execute its business plans. These losses are expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
As
of October 31, 2021, the Company had approximately $
F-8 |
In
April 2021, the Company entered into definitive agreements with two healthcare-focused, institutional investors for the purchase of (i)
shares of common stock, (ii) pre-funded warrants to purchase
On
November 27, 2020, the Company completed an underwritten public offering of shares of common stock and common stock warrants
to purchase up to
The Company recognizes it will need to raise additional capital in order to continue to execute its business plan in the future. There is no assurance that additional financing will be available when needed or that management will be able to obtain financing on terms acceptable to the Company or whether the Company will become profitable and generate positive operating cash flow. If the Company is unable to raise sufficient additional funds, it will have to further scale back its operations.
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Estimates are used when accounting for such items as the fair value and recoverability of the carrying value of property and equipment and intangible assets (patents and licenses), determining the Incremental Borrowing Rate (“IBR”) for calculating Right-Of-Use (“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities, deferred expenses, deferred revenue, the fair value of options, warrants and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that it believes are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. On an ongoing basis, the Company reviews its estimates to ensure that they appropriately reflect changes in the business or as new information becomes available. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
F-9 |
Revenue Recognition
Under ASC 606, an entity recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that an entity determines are within the scope of ASC 606, the entity performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the entity will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer. At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of ASC 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract, determines those that are performance obligations and assesses whether each promised good or service is distinct. The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied.
The Company enters into licensing agreements that are within the scope of ASC 606, under which it may exclusively license rights to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize its product candidates to third parties. The terms of these arrangements typically include payment to the Company of one or more of the following: non-refundable, upfront license fees; reimbursement of certain costs; customer option exercise fees; development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments; and royalties on net sales of licensed products.
In determining the appropriate amount of revenue to be recognized as it fulfills its obligations under its agreements, the Company performs the following steps: (i) identification of the promised goods or services in the contract; (ii) determination of whether the promised goods or services are performance obligations including whether they are distinct in the context of the contract; (iii) measurement of the transaction price, including the constraint on variable consideration; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations; and (v) recognition of revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies each performance obligation. As part of the accounting for these arrangements, the Company must use significant judgment to determine: (a) the number of performance obligations based on the determination under step (ii) above; (b) the transaction price under step (iii) above; and (c) the stand-alone selling price for each performance obligation identified in the contract for the allocation of transaction price in step (iv) above. The Company uses judgment to determine whether milestones or other variable consideration, except for royalties, should be included in the transaction price as described further below. The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation on a relative stand-alone selling price basis, for which the Company recognizes revenue as or when the performance obligations under the contract are satisfied.
Amounts received prior to revenue recognition are recorded as deferred revenue. Amounts expected to be recognized as revenue within the 12 months following the balance sheet date are classified as current portion of deferred revenue in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Amounts not expected to be recognized as revenue within the 12 months following the balance sheet date are classified as deferred revenue, net of current portion.
Exclusive Licenses. If the license to the Company’s intellectual property is determined to be distinct from the other performance obligations identified in the arrangement, the Company recognizes revenue from non-refundable, upfront fees allocated to the license when the license is transferred to the customer and the customer is able to use and benefit from the license. In assessing whether a performance obligation is distinct from the other performance obligations, the Company considers factors such as the research, development, manufacturing and commercialization capabilities of the collaboration partner and the availability of the associated expertise in the general marketplace. In addition, the Company considers whether the collaboration partner can benefit from a performance obligation for its intended purpose without the receipt of the remaining performance obligation, whether the value of the performance obligation is dependent on the unsatisfied performance obligation, whether there are other vendors that could provide the remaining performance obligation, and whether it is separately identifiable from the remaining performance obligation. For licenses that are combined with other performance obligation, the Company utilizes judgment to assess the nature of the combined performance obligation to determine whether the combined performance obligation is satisfied over time or at a point in time and, if over time, the appropriate method of measuring progress for purposes of recognizing revenue. The Company evaluates the measure of progress each reporting period and, if necessary, adjusts the measure of performance and related revenue recognition. The measure of progress, and thereby periods over which revenue should be recognized, are subject to estimates by management and may change over the course of the research and development and licensing agreement. Such a change could have a material impact on the amount of revenue the Company records in future periods.
F-10 |
Milestone Payments. At the inception of each arrangement that includes research or development milestone payments, the Company evaluates whether the milestones are considered probable of being achieved and estimates the amount to be included in the transaction price using the most likely amount method. If it is probable that a significant revenue reversal would not occur, the associated milestone value is included in the transaction price. An output method is generally used to measure progress toward complete satisfaction of a milestone. Milestone payments that are not within the control of the Company or the licensee, such as regulatory approvals, are not considered probable of being achieved until those approvals are received. The Company evaluates factors such as the scientific, clinical, regulatory, commercial, and other risks that must be overcome to achieve the particular milestone in making this assessment. There is considerable judgment involved in determining whether it is probable that a significant revenue reversal would not occur. At the end of each subsequent reporting period, the Company re-evaluates the probability of achievement of all milestones subject to constraint and, if necessary, adjusts its estimate of the overall transaction price. Any such adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis, which would affect revenue and earnings in the period of adjustment.
Collaborative Arrangements
The Company analyzes its collaboration arrangements to assess whether such arrangements involve joint operating activities performed by parties that are both active participants in the activities and exposed to significant risks and rewards dependent on the commercial success of such activities and therefore within the scope of ASC Topic 808, Collaborative Arrangements (ASC 808). This assessment is performed throughout the life of the arrangement based on changes in the responsibilities of all parties in the arrangement. For collaboration arrangements within the scope of ASC 808 that contain multiple elements, the Company first determines which elements of the collaboration are deemed to be within the scope of ASC 808 and which elements of the collaboration are more reflective of a vendor-customer relationship and therefore within the scope of ASC 606. For elements of collaboration arrangements that are accounted for pursuant to ASC 808, an appropriate recognition method is determined and applied consistently, generally by analogy to ASC 606. Amounts that are owed to collaboration partners are recognized as an offset to collaboration revenue as such amounts are incurred by the collaboration partner. For those elements of the arrangement that are accounted for pursuant to ASC 606, the Company applies the five-step model described above under ASC 606.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The
Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash
equivalents. As of October 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had cash equivalents of approximately $
Concentration of Credit Risk
The
Company maintains its cash in bank deposit accounts (checking) that at times exceed federally insured limits. Approximately $
Deferred Expenses
Deferred expenses consist of advanced payments made on research and development projects. Expense is recognized in the consolidated statement of operations as the research and development activity is performed.
F-11 |
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost. Additions and improvements that extend the lives of the assets are capitalized, while expenditures for repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the asset’s estimated useful life or the remaining lease term. Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets ranging from to .
When depreciable assets are retired or sold the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is recognized in operations.
Intangible Assets
Intangible
assets are recorded at cost and include patents and patent application costs, licenses and software. Intangible assets are amortized
on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives ranging from to
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
The Company periodically assesses the carrying value of intangible and other long-lived assets, and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset might not be recoverable. The assets are considered to be impaired if the Company determines that the carrying value may not be recoverable based upon its assessment, which includes consideration of the following events or changes in circumstances:
● | the asset’s ability to continue to generate income from operations and positive cash flow in future periods; | |
● | loss of legal ownership or title to the asset(s); | |
● | significant changes in the Company’s strategic business objectives and utilization of the asset(s); and | |
● | the impact of significant negative industry or economic trends. |
If the assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment recognized is the amount by which the carrying value of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Fair value is determined by the application of discounted cash flow models to project cash flows from the assets. In addition, the Company bases estimates of the useful lives and related amortization or depreciation expense on its subjective estimate of the period the assets will generate revenue or otherwise be used by it. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value, less selling costs. The Company also periodically reviews the lives assigned to long-lived assets to ensure that the initial estimates do not exceed any revised estimated periods from which the Company expects to realize cash flows from its assets.
Leases
At the inception of an arrangement, the Company determines whether an arrangement is or contains a lease based on the facts and circumstances present in the arrangement. An arrangement is or contains a lease if the arrangement conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. Most leases with a term greater than one year are recognized on the consolidated balance sheet as operating lease right-of-use assets and current and long-term operating lease liabilities, as applicable. The Company has elected not to recognize on the consolidated balance sheet leases with terms of 12 months or less. The Company typically only includes the initial lease term in its assessment of a lease arrangement. Options to extend a lease are not included in the Company’s assessment unless there is reasonable certainty that the Company will renew.
Operating lease liabilities and their corresponding right-of-use assets are recorded based on the present value of lease payments over the expected remaining lease term. Certain adjustments to the right-of-use asset may be required for items such as prepaid or accrued rent. The interest rate implicit in the Company’s leases is typically not readily determinable. As a result, the Company utilizes its incremental borrowing rate, which reflects the fixed rate at which the Company could borrow on a collateralized basis the amount of the lease payments in the same currency, for a similar term, in a similar economic environment.
F-12 |
Basic net income or loss per common share is computed by dividing net income or loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share give effect to dilutive options, warrants, restricted stock units and other potential common stock outstanding during the period. In the case of a net loss, the impact of the potential common stock resulting from warrants, outstanding stock options and convertible debt are not included in the computation of diluted loss per share, as the effect would be anti-dilutive. In the case of net income, the impact of the potential common stock resulting from these instruments that have intrinsic value are included in the diluted earnings per share. The table sets forth the number of potential shares of common stock that have been excluded from diluted net loss per share (as of October 31, 2020, warrants are included in the basic earnings per share computation because the exercise price is $ ):
As of October 31, | ||||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
Warrants | ||||||||
Stock options | ||||||||
Restricted stock units | ||||||||
Total |
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred and include but are not limited to clinical trial and related manufacturing costs, payroll and personnel expenses, lab expenses, and related overhead costs.
The Company has an equity plan which allows for the granting of stock options to its employees, directors and consultants for a fixed number of shares with an exercise price equal to the fair value of the shares at date of grant. The Company measures the cost of services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award. The fair value of the award is measured on the grant date and is then recognized over the requisite service period, usually the vesting period, in both research and development expenses and general and administrative expenses on the consolidated statement of operations, depending on the nature of the services provided by the employees or consultants.
The process of estimating the fair value of stock-based compensation awards and recognizing stock-based compensation cost over their requisite service period involves significant assumptions and judgments. The Company estimates the fair value of stock option awards on the date of grant using the Black Scholes Model for the remaining awards, which requires that the Company makes certain assumptions regarding: (i) the expected volatility in the market price of its common stock; (ii) dividend yield; (iii) risk-free interest rates; and (iv) the period of time employees are expected to hold the award prior to exercise (referred to as the expected holding period). As a result, if the Company revises its assumptions and estimates, stock-based compensation expense could change materially for future grants.
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation using fair value recognition and records forfeitures as they occur. As such, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation cost only for those stock-based awards that vest over their requisite service period, based on the vesting provisions of the individual grants.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The carrying value of financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents and accounts payable, approximated fair value as of the balance sheet date presented, due to their short maturities.
F-13 |
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market or foreign currency risks. The Company evaluates all of its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations. For stock-based derivative financial instruments, the Company used the Monte Carlo simulation model and the Black Scholes model to value the derivative instruments at inception and on subsequent valuation dates. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative liabilities are classified in the consolidated balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement of the instrument could be required within 12 months of the balance sheet date.
Sequencing Policy
The Company adopted a sequencing policy under ASC 815-40-35, if reclassification of contracts from equity to liabilities is necessary pursuant to ASC 815 due to the Company’s inability to demonstrate it has sufficient authorized shares. This was due to the Company committing more shares than authorized. Certain instruments are classified as liabilities, after allocating available authorized shares on the basis of the most recent grant date of potentially dilutive instruments. Pursuant to ASC 815, issuances of securities granted as compensation in a share-based payment arrangement are not subject to the sequencing policy.
Income Taxes
The Company uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes in accordance with ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes.” Under this method, income tax expense is recognized for the amount of: (i) taxes payable or refundable for the current year and (ii) deferred tax consequences of temporary differences resulting from matters that have been recognized in an entity’s financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is provided to reduce the deferred tax assets reported if based on the weight of the available positive and negative evidence, it is more likely than not some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
Recent Accounting Standards
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Simplification of Income Taxes (Topic 740) Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”). ASU 2019-12 simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740. The amendments also improve consistent application of and simplify U.S. GAAP for other areas of Topic 740 by clarifying and amending existing guidance. ASU 2019-12 is effective for public companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The standard will apply as a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the guidance is adopted and is not material to the financial results of the Company.
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity, which simplifies the accounting for certain convertible instruments, amends guidance on derivative scope exceptions for contracts in an entity’s own equity, and modifies the guidance on diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) calculations as a result of these changes. The standard will be effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and can be applied on either a fully retrospective or modified retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. We are currently evaluating the impact of this standard on our consolidated financial statements.
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective accounting pronouncements, if adopted, would have a material impact on the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
3. REVERSE STOCK SPLIT
On March 31, 2022, the Company’s
stockholders voted to approve an amendment to allow the Company to execute a reverse stock split of common stock within a range of
F-14 |
4. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):
October 31, | ||||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
Leasehold improvements | $ | $ | ||||||
Laboratory equipment | ||||||||
Furniture and fixtures | ||||||||
Computer equipment | ||||||||
Construction in progress | ||||||||
Total property and equipment | ||||||||
Accumulated depreciation and amortization | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net property and equipment | $ | $ |
Depreciation
expense for the years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020 was approximately $
Management
has reviewed its property and equipment for impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset
might not be recoverable. During the years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded impairment losses on idle laboratory
equipment of $
5. INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Intangible assets consist of the following (in thousands):
October 31, | ||||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
Patents | $ | $ | ||||||
License | ||||||||
Software | ||||||||
Total intangibles | ||||||||
Accumulated amortization | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net intangible assets | $ | $ |
Management has reviewed its intangible assets for impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset might not be recoverable. Net assets are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet for patents and licenses related to axalimogene filolisbac (AXAL), ADXS-HOT, ADXS-PSA and other products that are in development or out-licensed. However, if a competitor were to gain FDA approval for a treatment before the Company or if future clinical trials fail to meet the targeted endpoints, the Company would likely record an impairment related to these assets. In addition, if an application is rejected or fails to be issued, the Company would record an impairment of its estimated book value. Lastly, if the Company is unable to raise enough capital to continue funding our studies and developing its intellectual property, the Company would likely record an impairment to certain of these assets.
F-15 |
At October 31, 2021, the estimated amortization expense by fiscal year based on the current carrying value of intangible assets is as follows (in thousands):
2022 | $ | |||
2023 | ||||
2024 | ||||
2025 | ||||
2026 | ||||
Thereafter | ||||
Total | $ |
6. ACCRUED EXPENSES:
The following table represents the major components of accrued expenses (in thousands):
October 31, | ||||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
Salaries and other compensation | $ | $ | ||||||
Vendors | ||||||||
Professional fees | ||||||||
Total accrued expenses | $ | $ |
7. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement
On
July 30, 2020, the Company entered into a Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) and a Registration Rights Agreement
(the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (“Lincoln Park”).
As
consideration for entering into the Purchase Agreement, the Company issued shares of common stock to Lincoln Park as
a commitment fee. The shares were valued at approximately $
From
August 2020 to October 2020, Lincoln Park purchased shares of common stock for gross proceeds
of approximately $
F-16 |
Public Offerings
In
April 2021, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain investors. The
Purchase Agreement provided for the sale and issuance by the Company of an aggregate of shares (the “Shares”) of the
Company’s common stock, $par value (the “Common Stock”), at
an offering price of $per Share and pre-funded warrants to certain purchasers
whose purchase of additional Shares would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties,
beneficially owning more than
The
Purchase Agreement also provided for a concurrent private placement (the “Private Placement”) of
In
November 2020, the Company closed on a public offering of shares of its common stock at a public offering
price of $per share, for gross proceeds of approximately
$
In
May 2020, the Company entered into a sales agreement related to an ATM equity offering program pursuant to which the Company may sell,
from time to time, common stock with an aggregate offering price of up to $
In
January 2020, the Company closed on a public offering of shares of its common stock at a public offering
price of $,
for gross proceeds of $
F-17 |
8. COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANTS AND WARRANT LIABILITY
Warrants
As
of October 31, 2021, there were outstanding and exercisable warrants to purchase
Exercise Price | Number of Shares Underlying Warrants | Expiration Date | Summary of Warrants | |||||||
$ | ||||||||||
$ | * | |||||||||
$ | ||||||||||
$ | ||||||||||
$ | ||||||||||
Grand Total |
* |
As
of October 31, 2020, there were outstanding warrants to purchase
Exercise Price | Number of Shares Underlying Warrants | Expiration Date | Summary of Warrants | |||||||
$ | ||||||||||
$ | ||||||||||
Grand Total |
A summary of warrant activity was as follows (In thousands, except share and per share data):
Shares | Weighted Average Exercise Price | Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life In Years | Aggregate Intrinsic Value | |||||||||||||
Outstanding and exercisable warrants at October 31, 2019 | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Issued | ||||||||||||||||
Exercised * | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
Exchanged | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
Outstanding and exercisable warrants at October 31, 2020 | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Issued | ||||||||||||||||
Exercised | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
Outstanding and exercisable warrants at October 31, 2021 | $ | $ |
* |
As
of October 31, 2021, the Company had
F-18 |
Shares Issued for Warrants Exercises
During
the year ended October 31, 2021, warrant holders from the Company’s November 2020
offering exercised
Shares Issued in Settlement of Equity Warrants
On
October 16, 2020, the Company entered into private exchange agreements with certain holders of warrants issued in connection with the
Company’s January 2020 public offering of common stock and warrants. The warrants being exchanged provide for the purchase of up
to an aggregate of
Warrant Liability
As
of October 31, 2021, the Company had
The warrants issued in the April 2021 Private Placement will become exercisable only on such day, if ever, that is 14 days after the Company files an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock, $ par value per share from shares to shares. These warrants expire five years after the date they become exercisable. As of October 31, 2021, the Company does not have sufficient authorized common stock to allow for the issuance of common stock underlying these warrants. The Company did not receive stockholder authorization to increase the authorized shares from to shares at the stockholder’s meeting held on June 3, 2021. The Company was subsequently required to file a proxy to seek an increase in the number of authorized shares and did not file such a proxy but rather elected to seek a reverse stock split to, among other things, increase the shares available. Accordingly, based on certain indemnification provisions of the securities purchase agreement, the Company concluded that liability classification is warranted. The Company utilized the Black Scholes model to calculate the fair value of these warrants at issuance and at each subsequent reporting date.
In measuring the warrant liability for the warrants issued in the April 2021 Private Placement at October 31, 2021 and April 14, 2021 (issuance date), the Company used the following inputs in its Black Scholes model:
October 31, 2021 | April 14, 2021 | |||||||
Exercise Price | $ | $ | ||||||
Stock Price | $ | $ | ||||||
Expected Term | ||||||||
Volatility % | % | % | ||||||
Risk Free Rate | % | % |
The
September 2018 Public Offering warrants contain a down round feature, except for exempt issuances as defined in the warrant agreement,
in which the exercise price would immediately be reduced to match a dilutive issuance of common stock, options, convertible securities
and changes in option price or rate of conversion. As of October 31, 2021, the down round feature was triggered three times and the exercise
price of the warrants were reduced from $
F-19 |
In measuring the warrant liability for the September 2018 Public Offering warrants at October 31, 2021 and October 31, 2020, the Company used the following inputs in its Monte Carlo simulation model:
October 31, 2021 | October 31, 2020 | |||||||
Exercise Price | $ | $ | ||||||
Stock Price | $ | $ | ||||||
Expected Term | ||||||||
Volatility % | % | % | ||||||
Risk Free Rate | % | % |
At
October 31, 2021 and October 31, 2020, the fair value of the warrant liability was approximately $
Year Ended October 31, | ||||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
Research and development | $ | $ | ||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||
Total | $ | $ |
Amendments
The Advaxis, Inc. 2015 Incentive Plan (the “2015 Plan”) was originally ratified and approved by the Company’s stockholders on May 27, 2015. Subject to proportionate adjustment in the event of stock splits and similar events, the aggregate number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2015 Plan is shares, plus a number of additional shares (not to exceed ) underlying awards outstanding as of the effective date of the 2015 Plan under the prior plan that thereafter terminate or expire unexercised, or are cancelled, forfeited or lapse for any reason.
On
January 1, 2020,
At the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company held on May 4, 2020, the Company’s stockholders voted to approve an amendment to increase the number of shares authorized for issuance under the 2015 Plan from shares to shares.
On
January 1, 2021,
As
of October 31, 2021, there were
F-20 |
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Number of RSU’s | Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value | |||||||
Balance at October 31, 2019 | $ | |||||||
Vested | ( | ) | ||||||
Cancelled | ( | ) | ||||||
Balance at October 31, 2020 | $ | |||||||
Vested | ( | ) | ||||||
Balance at October 31, 2021 | $ |
The
fair value of the RSUs as of the respective vesting dates was approximately $
Employee Stock Awards
Common stock issued to executives and employees related to vested incentive retention awards and employment inducements totaled shares and shares during the years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Total stock compensation expense associated with these awards for the years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020 was approximately $and $million, respectively.
Stock Options
Shares | Weighted Average Exercise Price | Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life In Years | Aggregate Intrinsic Value | |||||||||||||
Outstanding as of October 31, 2019 | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Granted | ||||||||||||||||
Cancelled or expired | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
Outstanding as of October 31, 2020 | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Granted | ||||||||||||||||
Exercised | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
Cancelled or expired | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
Outstanding as of October 31, 2021 | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Vested and exercisable at October 31, 2021 | $ | $ |
During the year ended October 31, 2021, the Company granted stock options to purchase shares of its common stock to an employee. The stock options have a -year term, vest over from the date of grant, and have an exercise price of $. During the year ended October 31, 2020, the Company granted stock options to purchase and shares of its common stock to employees and directors, respectively. The stock options issued to employees have a -year term, vest over , and have an exercise price of $to $. The stock options issued to directors have a -year term, vest over , and have an exercise price of $.
The weighted average grant date fair value of options granted during the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020 was $and $, respectively.
The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020 was $ and $ .
Total compensation cost related to the Company’s outstanding stock options, recognized in the consolidated statement of operations for the years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020 was approximately $million and $million, respectively.
F-21 |
As of October 31, 2021, there was approximately $ million of unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock option awards, which is expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted average vesting period of approximately years.
Options Outstanding | Options Exercisable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weighted | Weighted | Weighted | Weighted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Average | Average | Average | Average | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Exercise | Number | Remaining | Exercise | Intrinsic | Number | Remaining | Exercise | Intrinsic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Price Range | Outstanding | Contractual | Price | Value | Exercisable | Contractual | Price | Value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
$ | -$ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
$ | -$ | $ | $ | - | $ | $ | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
$ | -$ | $ | $ | - | $ | $ | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
$ | -$ | $ | $ | - | $ | $ | - |
The fair value of each option granted from the Company’s stock option plans during the years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020 was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. 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 Board Directors are expected to hold their options prior to exercise (expected lives), (iii) expected dividend yield on the Company’s common stock, and (iv) risk-free interest rates, which are based on quoted U.S. Treasury rates for securities with maturities approximating expected lives of the options. The Company used their own historical volatility in determining the volatility to be used. The expected term of the stock option grants was calculated using the “simplified” method in accordance with the SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin 107. The “simplified” method was used since the Company believes its historical data does not provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate expected term and the Company does not have enough option exercise data from its grants issued to support its own estimate as a result of vesting terms and changes in the stock price. The expected dividend yield is zero as the Company has never paid dividends to common shareholders and does not currently anticipate paying any in the foreseeable future.
Year Ended | ||||||||
October 31, 2021 | October 31, 2020 | |||||||
Expected term | years | - years | ||||||
Expected volatility | % | - | % | |||||
Expected dividends | % | % | ||||||
Risk free interest rate | % | - | % |
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
The
Advaxis, Inc. 2018 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) was approved by
F-22 |
During the fiscal years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company issued and shares, respectively, under the 2018 ESPP. In July 2021, the ESPP was terminated.
10. LICENSING AGREEMENTS
OS Therapies LLC
On
September 4, 2018, the Company entered into a development, license and supply agreement with OS Therapies (“OST”) for the
use of ADXS31-164, also known as ADXS-HER2, for evaluation in the treatment of osteosarcoma in humans. Under the terms of the license
agreement, as amended, OST will be responsible for the conduct and funding of a clinical study evaluating ADXS-HER2 in recurrent, completely
resected osteosarcoma. Under the most recent amendment to the licensing agreement, OST agreed to pay Advaxis $
Provided that OST meets its ongoing obligation to make its Monthly Payments to Advaxis for six consecutive months, Advaxis agrees to transfer, and OST agrees to take full ownership of, the IND application for ADXS31-164 in its entirety to OST, along with agreements and promises contained therein, as well as all obligations associated with this IND or any HER2 product/program development. Until OST makes its Monthly Payments to Advaxis for six consecutive months, Advaxis will continue to bear the costs of the regulatory filing services related to the IND application for ADXS31-164.
Within
five business days of achieving the funding milestone of $
The
promises to (1) Maintain the HER2 product until transfer to OST, (2) Provide the IND application ownership for ADX321-164 to OST, (3)
Participate in the Joint Steering Committee, (4) Transfer of IP & licensing rights of ADXS31-164 and related Patents, and (5) Provide
Clinical Drug Supply represent one combined performance obligation for revenue recognition purposes. The Company concluded that the transfer
of the IP and licensing rights provides OST with a functional, or “right to use,” license, and thus the Company will recognize
the upfront fees of $
Since
OST is making $
From
May 2020 to January 2021, the Company received an aggregate of $
F-23 |
On
April 26, 2021, the Company achieved the second milestone set forth in the license agreement for evaluation in the treatment of osteosarcoma
in humans and recorded $
Global BioPharma Inc.
On
December 9, 2013, the Company entered into an exclusive licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of axalimogene
filolisbac with Global BioPharma, Inc. (GBP), a Taiwanese based biotech company funded by a group of investors led by Taiwan Biotech
Co., Ltd (TBC). During each of the years ended October 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded $
11. CONTINGENCIES
Legal Proceedings
Atachbarian
On November 15, 2021, a purported stockholder of the Company commenced an action against the Company and certain of its directors in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, entitled Atachbarian v. Advaxis, Inc., et al., No. 3:21-cv-20006. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties and violated Section 14(a) and Rule 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 14A-9 promulgated thereunder by allegedly failing to disclose certain matters in the Registration Statement. On December 15, 2021, pursuant to an understanding reached with the plaintiff, the Company filed a Form 8-K with the SEC in which it made certain other additional disclosures that mooted the demands asserted in the complaint. On December 17, 2021, the plaintiff filed a notice of voluntary dismissal with prejudice. On February 7, 2022, the Company reached a settlement agreement, which is recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated income statement.
Purported Stockholder Claims Related to Biosight Transaction
Between September 16, 2021, and November 4, 2021, the Company received demand letters on behalf of six purported stockholders of the Company, alleging that the Company failed to disclose certain matters in the Registration Statement, and demanding that the Company disclose such information in a supplemental disclosure filed with the SEC. On October 14, 2021, the Company filed an Amendment to the Registration Statement and on November 8, 2021, the Company filed a Form 8-K with the SEC in which it made certain other additional disclosures that mooted the demands asserted in the above-referenced letters. The six plaintiffs have made a settlement demand. The Company believes it has adequately accrued for a settlement, which is recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated income statement.
In addition, the Company received certain additional demands from stockholders asserting that the proxy materials filed by the Company in connection with the Merger contained alleged material misstatements and/or omissions in violation of federal law. In response to these demands, the Company agreed to make, and did make, certain supplemental disclosures to the proxy materials. At this time, the Company is unable to predict the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome.
Stendhal
On
September 19, 2018, Stendhal filed a Demand for Arbitration before the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (Case No. 01-18-0003-5013)
relating to the Co-development and Commercialization Agreement with Especificos Stendhal SA de CV (the “Stendhal Agreement”).
In the demand, Stendhal alleged that (i) the Company breached the Stendhal Agreement when it made certain statements regarding its AIM2CERV
program, (ii) that Stendhal was subsequently entitled to terminate the Agreement for cause, which it did so at the time and (iii) that
the Company owes Stendhal damages pursuant to the terms of the Stendhal Agreement. Stendhal is seeking to recover $
F-24 |
From October 21-23, 2019, an evidentiary hearing for the arbitration was conducted. On April 1, 2020, the Arbitrator issued a final award denying Stendhal’s claim in full. The Arbitrator found that the Company had not repudiated the Agreement and did not owe Stendhal damages, fees, or interest associated with the arbitration. The Arbitrator also denied the Company’s claim that Stendhal breached its obligations to the Company. The parties were ordered to bear their own attorneys’ fees and evenly split administrative fees and expenses for the arbitration.
12. LEASES
Operating Leases
The
Company leased its corporate office and manufacturing facility in Princeton, New Jersey under an operating lease that was set to expire
in .
The Company had the option to renew the lease term for two additional five-year terms. The renewal periods were not included the lease
term for purposes of determining the lease liability or right-of-use asset. The Company provided a security deposit of approximately
$
The Company identified and assessed the following significant assumptions in recognizing its right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities:
● | As the Company does not have sufficient insight to determine an implicit rate, the Company estimated the incremental borrowing rate in calculating the present value of the lease payments. The Company utilized a synthetic credit rating model to determine a benchmark for its incremental borrowing rate for its leases. The benchmark rate was adjusted to arrive at an appropriate discount rate for the lease. | |
● | Since the Company elected to account for each lease component and its associated non-lease components as a single combined component, all contract consideration was allocated to the combined lease component. | |
● | Renewal option periods have not been included in the determination of the lease terms as they are not deemed reasonably certain of exercise. | |
● | Variable lease payments, such as common area maintenance, real estate taxes, and property insurance are not included in the determination of the lease’s right-of-use asset or lease liability. |
On
March 26, 2021, the Company entered into a Lease Termination and Surrender Agreement with respect to this lease agreement. The Lease
Termination and Surrender Agreement provides for the early termination of the lease, which became effective on March 31, 2021. In connection
with the early termination of the lease, the Company was required to pay a $
On
March 25, 2021, the Company entered into a new lease agreement for its corporate office/lab with base rent of approximately $
F-25 |
Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases as of October 31 was as follows (in thousands):
October 31, 2021 | October 31, 2020 | |||||||
Operating leases: | ||||||||
Operating lease right-of-use assets | $ | $ | ||||||
Operating lease liability | $ | $ | ||||||
Operating lease liability, net of current portion | ||||||||
Total operating lease liabilities | $ | $ |
Supplemental lease expense related to leases was as follows (in thousands):
Lease Cost (in thousands) | Statements of Operations Classification | For the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2021 | For the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2020 | |||||||
Operating lease cost | General and administrative | $ | $ | |||||||
Short-term lease cost | General and administrative | |||||||||
Variable lease cost | General and administrative | |||||||||
Total lease expense | $ | $ |
Other information related to leases where the Company is the lessee is as follows:
October 31, 2021 | October 31, 2020 | |||||||
Weighted-average remaining lease term | ||||||||
Weighted-average discount rate | % | % |
Supplemental cash flow information related to operating leases was as follows:
For the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2021 | For the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2020 | |||||||
Cash paid for operating lease liabilities | $ | $ | ||||||
Future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable leases as of October 31, 2021 were as follows:
Fiscal Year ending October 31, | ||||
2022 | $ | |||
2023 | ||||
Total minimum lease payments | ||||
Less: Imputed interest | ( | ) | ||
Total | $ |
F-26 |
13. INCOME TAXES
The income tax provision (benefit) consists of the following (in thousands):
October 31, 2021 | October 31, 2020 | |||||||
Federal | ||||||||
Current | $ | $ | ||||||
Deferred | ( | ) | ||||||
State and Local | ||||||||
Current | ||||||||
Deferred | ( | ) | ||||||
Foreign | ||||||||
Current | ||||||||
Deferred | ||||||||
Change in valuation allowance | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Income tax provision (benefit) | $ | $ |
The
Company has U.S. federal net operating loss carryovers (“NOLs”) of approximately $
In assessing the realization of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon future generation for taxable income during the periods in which temporary differences representing net future deductible amounts become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. After consideration of all the information available, management believes that significant uncertainty exists with respect to future realization of the deferred tax assets and has therefore established a full valuation allowance.
The Company evaluated the provisions of ASC 740 related to the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements. ASC 740 prescribes a comprehensive model for how a company should recognize, present, and disclose uncertain positions that the company has taken or expects to take in its tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. Differences between tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return and the net benefit recognized and measured pursuant to the interpretation are referred to as “unrecognized benefits.” A liability is recognized (or amount of net operating loss carry forward or amount of tax refundable is reduced) for unrecognized tax benefit because it represents an enterprise’s potential future obligation to the taxing authority for a tax position that was not recognized as a result of applying the provisions of ASC 740.
If applicable, interest costs related to the unrecognized tax benefits are required to be calculated and would be classified as other expense in the consolidated statement of operations. Penalties would be recognized as a component of general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of operations.
The Company files tax returns in the U.S. federal and state jurisdictions and is subject to examination by tax authorities beginning with the fiscal year ended October 31, 2018.
F-27 |
The Company’s deferred tax assets (liabilities) consisted of the effects of temporary differences attributable to the following (in thousands):
Years Ended | ||||||||
October 31, 2021 | October 31, 2020 | |||||||
Deferred Tax Assets | ||||||||
Net operating loss carryovers | $ | $ | ||||||
Stock-based compensation | ||||||||
Research and development credits | ||||||||
Capitalized R&D costs | ||||||||
Adoption of ASC 842 – Lease Liability | ||||||||
Other deferred tax assets | ||||||||
Total deferred tax assets | $ | $ | ||||||
Valuation allowance | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Deferred tax asset, net of valuation allowance | $ | $ | ||||||
Deferred Tax Liabilities | ||||||||
Adoption of ASC 842 – ROU Asset | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Patent cost | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Other deferred tax liabilities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Total deferred tax liabilities | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Net deferred tax asset (liability) | $ | $ |
The expected tax (expense) benefit based on the statutory rate is reconciled with actual tax expense benefit as follows:
Years Ended | ||||||||
October 31, 2021 | October 31, 2020 | |||||||
US Federal statutory rate | % | % | ||||||
State income tax, net of federal benefit | ( | ) | ||||||
Merger costs | ( | ) | ||||||
Other permanent differences | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Research and development credits | ||||||||
Warrant Liability | ||||||||
Foreign taxes | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Change in valuation allowance | ( | ) | ||||||
Stock option expirations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Income tax (provision) benefit | ( | )% | ( | )% |
The
“Foreign taxes” income tax expense in the consolidated statement of operations for both the years ended October 31,
2021 and 2020 pertain to
14. FAIR VALUE
The authoritative guidance for fair value measurements defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or the most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Market participants are buyers and sellers in the principal market that are (i) independent, (ii) knowledgeable, (iii) able to transact, and (iv) willing to transact. The guidance describes a fair value hierarchy based on the levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value which are the following:
● Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
● Level 2— Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or corroborated by observable market data or substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
● Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the value of the assets or liabilities.
F-28 |
The following table provides the assets and liabilities carried at fair value measured on a recurring basis as of October 31, 2021 and October 31, 2020:
October 31, 2021 | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | ||||||||||||
Cash equivalents (money market funds) | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Common stock warrant liability, warrants exercisable at $ | ||||||||||||||||
Common stock warrant liability, warrants exercisable at $ | ||||||||||||||||
Total | $ | $ | $ | $ |
October 31, 2020 | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | ||||||||||||
Cash equivalents (money market funds) | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Common stock warrant liability, warrants exercisable at $ | ||||||||||||||||
$ | $ | $ | $ |
The following table sets forth a summary of the changes in the fair value of the Company’s warrant liabilities:
Year Ended October 31, | ||||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
Beginning balance | $ | $ | ||||||
Warrants issued | ||||||||
Warrant exercises | ( | ) | ||||||
Change in fair value | ( | ) | ||||||
Ending balance | $ | $ |
15. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN
The
Company sponsors a 401(k) Plan. Employees become eligible for participation upon the start of employment. Participants may elect to have
a portion of their salary deferred and contributed to the 401(k) Plan up to the limit allowed under the Internal Revenue Code. The Company
makes a matching contribution to the plan for each participant who has elected to make tax-deferred contributions for the plan year.
The Company made matching contributions which amounted to approximately $
16. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
On
January 31, 2022, the Company closed on an offering with certain institutional investors for the private placement of shares of Series D convertible redeemable preferred
stock. The shares to be sold have an aggregate stated value of $
F-29 |
ADVAXIS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
April 30, 2022 | October 31, 2021 | |||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||
ASSETS | ||||||||
Current assets: | ||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | $ | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | ||||||||
Total current assets | ||||||||
Property and equipment (net of accumulated depreciation) | ||||||||
Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization) | ||||||||
Operating right-of-use asset (net of accumulated amortization) | ||||||||
Other assets | ||||||||
Total assets | $ | $ | ||||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | ||||||||
Current liabilities: | ||||||||
Accounts payable | $ | $ | ||||||
Accrued expenses | ||||||||
Current portion of operating lease liability | ||||||||
Common stock warrant liability | ||||||||
Total current liabilities | ||||||||
Operating lease liability, net of current portion | ||||||||
Total liabilities | ||||||||
Contingencies – Note 10 | ||||||||
Series D convertible preferred stock- $ | par value; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding at April 30, 2022 and October 31, 2021.||||||||
Stockholders’ equity: | ||||||||
Preferred stock, $ | par value; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding at April 30, 2022 and October 31, 2021.||||||||
Common stock - $ | par value; shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding at April 30, 2022 and October 31, 2021.||||||||
Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||
Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Total stockholders’ equity | ||||||||
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | $ | $ |
The accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the financial statements.
F-30 |
ADVAXIS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Three Months Ended April 30, | Six Months Ended April 30, | |||||||||||||||
2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
Revenue | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||||||
Research and development expenses | ||||||||||||||||
General and administrative expenses | ||||||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | ||||||||||||||||
Loss from operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Other income (expense): | ||||||||||||||||
Interest income, net | ||||||||||||||||
Net changes in fair value of derivative liabilities | ||||||||||||||||
Other income (expense) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||
Net loss before income taxes | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Income tax expense | ||||||||||||||||
Net loss | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||
Accretion of discount and redemption feature of convertible preferred stock | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||
Income available to common stockholders | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Net loss per common share, basic and diluted | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding |
The accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the financial statements.
F-31 |
ADVAXIS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)
(In thousands)
Six Months Ended April 30, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
OPERATING ACTIVITIES | ||||||||
Net loss | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
Share based compensation | ||||||||
Gain on change in value of warrants | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Gain on change in value of preferred stock redemption liability | ( | ) | ||||||
Loss on disposal of property and equipment | ||||||||
Abandonment of intangible assets | ||||||||
Depreciation expense | ||||||||
Amortization expense of intangible assets | ||||||||
Amortization of right-of-use asset | ||||||||
Net gain on write-off of right-of-use asset and lease liability | ( | ) | ||||||
Change in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
Accounts receivable | ( | ) | ||||||
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and deferred expenses | ( | ) | ||||||
Other assets | ||||||||
Accounts payable and accrued expenses | ( | ) | ||||||
Deferred revenue | ( | ) | ||||||
Operating lease liabilities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net cash used in operating activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
INVESTING ACTIVITIES | ||||||||
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment | ||||||||
Cost of intangible assets | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net cash used in investing activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
FINANCING ACTIVITIES | ||||||||
Net proceeds of issuance of Series D preferred stock | ||||||||
Net proceeds of issuance of common stock and warrants | ||||||||
Redemption of Series D preferred stock | ( | ) | ||||||
Warrant exercises | ||||||||
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities | ( | ) | ||||||
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents | ( | ) | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year | ||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year | $ | $ | ||||||
SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION | ||||||||
Cash paid for taxes | $ | $ | ||||||
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES | ||||||||
Reclassification of preferred stock redemption liability into equity upon redemption of preferred stock | ||||||||
Accretion of discount and redemption feature of convertible preferred stock |
The accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the financial statements.
F-32 |
ADVAXIS, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
1. NATURE OF OPERATIONS
Advaxis, Inc. (“Advaxis” or the “Company”) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary Listeria monocytogenes (“Lm”)-based antigen delivery products. The Company is using its Lm platform directed against tumor-specific targets in order to engage the patient’s immune system to destroy tumor cells. Through a license from the University of Pennsylvania, Advaxis has exclusive access to this proprietary formulation of attenuated Lm called Lm TechnologyTM. Advaxis’ proprietary approach is designed to deploy a unique mechanism of action that redirects the immune system to attack cancer in three distinct ways:
● | Alerting and training the immune system by activating multiple pathways in Antigen-Presenting Cells (“APCs”) with the equivalent of multiple adjuvants; | |
● | Attacking the tumor by generating a strong, cancer-specific T cell response; and | |
● | Breaking down tumor protection through suppression of the protective cells in the tumor microenvironment (“TME”) that shields the tumor from the immune system. This enables the activated T cells to begin working to attack the tumor cells. |
Advaxis’ proprietary Lm platform technology has demonstrated clinical activity in several of its programs and has been dosed in over 470 patients across multiple clinical trials and in various tumor types. The Company believes that Lm Technology immunotherapies can complement and address significant unmet needs in the current oncology treatment landscape. Specifically, its product candidates have the potential to work synergistically with other immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibitors, while having a generally well-tolerated safety profile.
COVID-19
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) as a global pandemic and recommended containment and mitigation measures. Since then, extraordinary actions have been taken by international, federal, state, and local public health and governmental authorities to contain and combat the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 in regions throughout the world. These actions include travel bans, quarantines, “stay-at-home” orders, and similar mandates for many individuals to substantially restrict daily activities and for many businesses to curtail or cease normal operations. The continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be predicted at this time.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity and Management’s Plans
Similar to other development stage biotechnology companies, the Company’s products that are being developed have not generated significant revenue. As a result, the Company has suffered recurring losses and requires significant cash resources to execute its business plans. These losses are expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
As
of April 30, 2022, the Company had approximately $
The Company recognizes it will need to raise additional capital in order to continue to execute its business plan in the future. There is no assurance that additional financing will be available when needed or that management will be able to obtain financing on terms acceptable to the Company or whether the Company will become profitable and generate positive operating cash flow. If the Company is unable to raise sufficient additional funds, it will have to further scale back its operations.
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Basis of Presentation/Estimates
The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information, and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) with respect to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements and the accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated balance sheet as of April 30, 2022 has been derived from the Company’s October 31, 2021 audited financial statements. In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements furnished include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods presented.
F-33 |
Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and the related disclosures at the date of the financial statements and during the reporting period. Significant estimates include the timelines associated with revenue recognition on upfront payments received, fair value and recoverability of the carrying value of property and equipment and intangible assets, fair value of warrant liability, grant date fair value of options, deferred tax assets and any related valuation allowance and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an on-going basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could materially differ from these estimates.
These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements of the Company as of and for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021 and notes thereto included elsewhere in this document.
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Restricted Cash
On
January 31, 2022, the Company transferred $
Convertible Preferred Stock
Preferred shares subject to mandatory redemption are classified as liability instruments and are measured at fair value. The Company classifies conditionally redeemable preferred shares, which includes preferred shares that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control, as temporary equity (“mezzanine”) until such time as the conditions are removed or lapse.
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market or foreign currency risks. The Company evaluates all of its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations. For share-based derivative financial instruments, the Company used the Monte Carlo simulation model, the Black Scholes model and a binomial model to value the derivative instruments at inception and on subsequent valuation dates. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Derivative liabilities are classified in the consolidated balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement of the instrument could be required within 12 months after the balance sheet date.
F-34 |
Basic net income or loss per common share is computed by dividing net income or loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share give effect to dilutive options, warrants, restricted stock units and other potential common stock outstanding during the period. In the case of a net loss, the impact of the potential common stock resulting from warrants, outstanding stock options and convertible debt are not included in the computation of diluted loss per share, as the effect would be anti-dilutive. In the case of net income, the impact of the potential common stock resulting from these instruments that have intrinsic value are included in the diluted earnings per share. The table below sets forth the number of potential shares of common stock that have been excluded from diluted net loss per share:
As of April 30, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Warrants | ||||||||
Stock options | ||||||||
Total |
Recent Accounting Standards
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Simplification of Income Taxes (Topic 740) Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”). ASU 2019-12 simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740. The amendments also improve consistent application of and simplify U.S. GAAP for other areas of Topic 740 by clarifying and amending existing guidance. ASU 2019-12 is effective for public companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted this standard effective November 1, 2021 and it is not material to the financial results of the Company.
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity, which simplifies the accounting for certain convertible instruments, amends guidance on derivative scope exceptions for contracts in an entity’s own equity, and modifies the guidance on diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) calculations as a result of these changes. The standard will be effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and can be applied on either a fully retrospective or modified retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. The Company adopted this standard effective November 1, 2021 and it is not material to the financial results of the Company.
Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective accounting pronouncements, if adopted, would have a material impact on the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.
Reverse Stock Split
On
March 31, 2022, the Company’s stockholders voted to approve an amendment to allow the Company to execute a reverse stock split
of common stock within a range of 1 for 20 to 1 for 80, without reducing the authorized number of shares of the common stock, at the
discretion of the Board of Directors. On June 3, 2022, the Board of Directors approved a
3. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment, net consisted of the following (in thousands):
April 30, 2022 | October 31, 2021 | |||||||
Laboratory equipment | $ | $ | ||||||
Computer equipment | ||||||||
Total property and equipment | ||||||||
Accumulated depreciation and amortization | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net property and equipment | $ | $ |
Depreciation
expense for the three months ended April 30, 2022 and 2021 was approximately $
F-35 |
4. INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Intangible assets, net consisted of the following (in thousands):
April 30, 2022 | October 31, 2021 | |||||||
Patents | $ | $ | ||||||
Licenses | ||||||||
Software | ||||||||
Total intangibles | ||||||||
Accumulated amortization | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Intangible assets | $ | $ |
The
expiration dates of the existing patents range from 2021 to 2039 but the expiration dates can be extended based on market approval if
granted and/or based on existing laws and regulations. Capitalized costs associated with patent applications that are abandoned without
future value are charged to expense when the determination is made not to further pursue the application. Patent applications having
a net book value of approximately $
Management has reviewed its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset might not be recoverable. Net assets are recorded on the balance sheet for patents and licenses related to axalimogene filolisbac (AXAL), ADXS-HOT, ADXS-PSA and other products that are in development. However, if a competitor were to gain FDA approval for a similar treatment before the Company or if future clinical trials fail to meet the targeted endpoints, the Company will likely record an impairment related to these assets. In addition, if an application is rejected or fails to be issued, the Company would record an impairment of its estimated book value. Lastly, if the Company is unable to raise enough capital to continue funding its studies and developing its intellectual property, the Company would likely record an impairment to these assets.
As of April 30, 2022, the estimated amortization expense by fiscal year based on the current carrying value of intangible assets is as follows (in thousands):
Fiscal year ending October 31, | ||||
2022 (Remaining) | $ | |||
2023 | ||||
2024 | ||||
2025 | ||||
2026 | ||||
Thereafter | ||||
Total | $ |
F-36 |
5. ACCRUED EXPENSES:
The following table summarizes accrued expenses included in the condensed consolidated balance sheets (in thousands):
April 30, 2022 | October 31, 2021 | |||||||
Salaries and other compensation | $ | $ | ||||||
Vendors | ||||||||
Professional fees | ||||||||
Other | ||||||||
Total accrued expenses | $ | $ |
6. LEASES
Operating Leases
The
Company previously leased a corporate office and manufacturing facility in Princeton, New Jersey under an operating lease that was set
to expire in . On March 26, 2021, the Company entered into a Lease Termination and Surrender Agreement with respect to this
lease agreement. The Lease Termination and Surrender Agreement provides for the early termination of the lease, which became effective
on March 31, 2021. In connection with the early termination of the lease, the Company was required to pay a $
On
March 25, 2021, the Company entered into a new one-year lease agreement for its corporate office/lab with base rent of approximately
$
Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases was as follows (in thousands):
April 30, 2022 | October 31, 2021 | |||||||
Operating leases: | ||||||||
Operating lease right-of-use assets | $ | $ | ||||||
Operating lease liability | $ | $ | ||||||
Operating lease liability, net of current portion | ||||||||
Total operating lease liabilities | $ | $ |
Supplemental lease expense related to leases was as follows (in thousands):
Lease Cost (in thousands) | Statements of Operations Classification | For the Three Months Ended April 30, 2022 | For the Six Months Ended April 30, 2022 | |||||||
Operating lease cost | General and administrative | $ | $ | |||||||
Variable lease cost | General and administrative | |||||||||
Total lease expense | $ | $ |
Supplemental lease expense related to leases was as follows (in thousands):
Lease Cost (in thousands) | Statements of Operations Classification | For the Three Months Ended April 30, 2021 | For the Six Months Ended April 30, 2021 | |||||||
Operating lease cost | General and administrative | $ | $ | |||||||
Short-term lease cost | General and administrative | |||||||||
Variable lease cost | General and administrative | |||||||||
Total lease expense | $ | $ |
F-37 |
Other information related to leases where the Company is the lessee is as follows:
April 30, 2022 | October 31, 2021 | |||||||
Weighted-average remaining lease term | ||||||||
Weighted-average discount rate | % | % |
Supplemental cash flow information related to operating leases was as follows:
For the Six Months Ended April 30, 2022 | For the Six Months Ended April 30, 2021 | |||||||
Cash paid for operating lease liabilities | $ | $ |
Future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable leases as of April 30, 2022 were as follows:
Fiscal Year ending October 31, | ||||
2022 (Remaining) | $ | |||
2023 | ||||
Total minimum lease payments | ||||
Less: Imputed interest | ( | ) | ||
Total | $ |
7. COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANTS AND WARRANT LIABILITY
Warrants
As
of April 30, 2022 and October 31, 2021, there were outstanding and exercisable warrants to purchase
Exercise Price | Number of Shares Warrants | Expiration Date | Type of Financing | |||||||
$ | ||||||||||
$ | ||||||||||
$ | ||||||||||
$ | ||||||||||
$ | ||||||||||
Grand Total |
As
of April 30, 2022 and October 31, 2021, the Company had
Warrant Liability
As
of April 30, 2022 and October 31, 2021, the Company had
F-38 |
The warrants issued in the April 2021 Private Placement will become exercisable only on such day, if ever, that is 14 days after the Company files an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock, $ par value per share from shares to shares. These warrants expire five years after the date they become exercisable. As of April 30, 2022, the Company did not have sufficient authorized common stock to allow for the issuance of common stock underlying these warrants. The Company did not receive stockholder authorization to increase the authorized shares from to shares at the stockholder’s meeting commenced on June 3, 2021. The Company was subsequently required to file a proxy to seek an increase in the number of authorized shares and did not file such a proxy but rather elected to seek a reverse stock split to, among other things, increase the shares available. Accordingly, based on certain indemnification provisions of the securities purchase agreement, the Company concluded that liability classification is warranted. The Company utilized the Black Scholes model to calculate the fair value of these warrants at issuance and at each subsequent reporting date.
In measuring the warrant liability for the warrants issued in the April 2021 Private Placement at April 30, 2022 and October 31, 2021, the Company used the following inputs in its Black Scholes model:
April 30, 2022 | October 31, 2021 | |||||||
Exercise Price | $ | $ | ||||||
Stock Price | $ | $ | ||||||
Expected Term | | |||||||
Volatility % | % | % | ||||||
Risk Free Rate | % | % |
The
September 2018 Public Offering warrants contain a down round feature, except for exempt issuances as defined in the warrant agreement,
in which the exercise price would immediately be reduced to match a dilutive issuance of common stock, options, convertible securities
and changes in option price or rate of conversion. As of April 30, 2022, the down round feature was triggered four times and the exercise
price of the warrants were reduced from $
In measuring the warrant liability for the September 2018 Public Offering warrants at April 30, 2022 and October 31, 2021, the Company used the following inputs in its Monte Carlo simulation model:
April 30, 2022 | October 31, 2021 | |||||||
Exercise Price | $ | $ | ||||||
Stock Price | $ | $ | ||||||
Expected Term | ||||||||
Volatility % | % | % | ||||||
Risk Free Rate | % | % |
At
April 30, 2022 and October 31, 2021, the fair value of the warrant liability was approximately $
F-39 |
8. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Atachbarian
On November 15, 2021, a purported stockholder of the Company commenced an action against the Company and certain of its directors in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, entitled Atachbarian v. Advaxis, Inc., et al., No. 3:21-cv-20006. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties and violated Section 14(a) and Rule 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 14a-9 promulgated thereunder by allegedly failing to disclose certain matters in its Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Commission File No. 333-259065 (the “Registration Statement”) filed in connection with a proposed merger with Biosight Ltd. (the “Previously Proposed Merger”). On December 15, 2021, pursuant to an understanding reached with the plaintiff, the Company made certain other additional disclosures that mooted the demands asserted in the complaint. On December 17, 2021, the plaintiff filed a notice of voluntary dismissal with prejudice. On February 7, 2022, the Company and the plaintiff reached a settlement agreement, which is recorded in general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statement of operations.
Purported Stockholder Claims Related to Biosight Transaction
Between September 16, 2021, and November 4, 2021, the Company received demand letters on behalf of six purported stockholders of the Company, alleging that the Company failed to disclose certain matters in the Registration Statement, and demanding that the Company disclose such information in a supplemental disclosure filed with the SEC. On October 14, 2021, the Company filed an amendment to the Registration Statement and on November 8, 2021, the Company made certain other additional disclosures that mooted the demands asserted in the above-referenced letters. The six plaintiffs have made settlement demands and the plaintiffs and the company have reached settlements in principle to resolve all six demands, which is recorded in general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statement of operations.
In addition, the Company received certain additional demands from stockholders asserting that the proxy materials filed by the Company in connection with the Previously Proposed Merger contained alleged material misstatements and/or omissions. Certain stockholders also demanded books and records of the Company pursuant to Delaware law. In response to these demands, the Company agreed to make, and did make, certain supplemental disclosures to the proxy materials. The stockholder has made a settlement demand. At this time, the Company is unable to predict the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome.
Purported Stockholder Claims Related to Series D Convertible Preferred Stock Offering
On February 17, 2022, the Company received a letter on behalf of a purported stockholder of the Company, demanding certain books and records pursuant to Delaware law regarding the proposed issuance of super voting preferred stock. The Company agreed to provide certain books and records to the stockholder and agreed to make, and did make, a supplemental disclosure to the proxy materials. The stockholder has made a settlement demand. At this time, the Company is unable to predict the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome.
9. TEMPORARY EQUITY
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock Offering
On
January 31, 2022, the Company consummated an offering with certain institutional investors for the private placement of
F-40 |
Since
the Series D preferred stock had a redemption feature at the option of the holder, it was classified as temporary equity. At the January
31, 2022 issuance date, the Series D preferred stock was recorded on the balance sheet at approximately $
On April 6, 2022,
the holders of all outstanding shares of the Series D Preferred Stock exercised
their right to cause the Company to redeem all of such shares at a price per share equal to
Preferred Stock Redemption Liability
The Company evaluated the preferred stock redemption feature under ASC 815. Since the preferred stock redemption feature is not considered to be clearly and closely related to the preferred stock host and the redemption feature meets the four characteristics of a derivative under ASC 815, the preferred stock redemption feature is required to be bifurcated from the preferred stock host and valued as a liability. The Company utilized a binomial model to calculate the fair value of the preferred stock redemption feature at issuance.
In measuring the preferred stock redemption liability at April 6, 2021 (redemption date) and January 31, 2022 (issuance date), the Company used the following inputs in its binomial model:
April 6, 2022 | January 31, 2022 | |||||||
Exercise Price | $ | $ | ||||||
Stock Price | $ | $ | ||||||
Volatility % | % | % | ||||||
Risk Free Rate | % | % |
At
April 6, 2022 and January 31, 2022, the fair value of the preferred stock redemption liability was approximately $
F-41 |
10. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
A summary of the changes in stockholders’ equity for the six months ended April 30, 2022 and 2021 is presented below (in thousands, except share data):
Preferred Stock | Common Stock | Additional Paid-In | Accumulated | Total Shareholders’ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit | Equity | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at November 1, 2020 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Advaxis public offerings, net of offering costs | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Warrant exercises | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | - | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at January 31, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock option exercises | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Advaxis public offerings, net of offering costs | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Warrant exercises | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of shares to employees under ESPP Plan | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | - | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at April 30, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ |
Preferred Stock | Common Stock | Additional Paid-In | Accumulated | Total Shareholders’ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Capital | Deficit | Equity | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at November 1, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | | ||||||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | - | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at January 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Accretion of discount and redemption feature of convertible preferred stock | - | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Convertible preferred stock redemption | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | - | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at April 30, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ |
Three Months Ended April 30, | Six Months Ended April 30, | |||||||||||||||
2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
Research and development | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||||||||||
Total | $ | $ | $ | $ |
F-42 |
Stock Options
Shares | Weighted Average Exercise Price | Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life In Years | Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands) | |||||||||||||
Outstanding as of October 31, 2021 | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Cancelled or expired | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
Outstanding as of April 30, 2022 | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Vested and exercisable at April 30, 2022 | $ | $ |
Options Outstanding | Options Exercisable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weighted | Weighted | Weighted | Weighted | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Average | Average | Average | Average | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Exercise | Number | Remaining | Exercise | Number | Remaining | Exercise | ||||||||||||||||||||
Price Range | Outstanding | Contractual | Price | Exercisable | Contractual | Price | ||||||||||||||||||||
$ | -$ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
$ | -$ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
$ | -$ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
$ | -$ | $ | $ |
As of April 30, 2022, there was approximately $ of unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock option awards, which is expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted average vesting period of years.
Potential Acceleration of Stock Options
In the event of a merger transaction, similar to the Previously Proposed Merger Agreement, all of the Chief Executive Officer’s unvested stock options as of April 30, 2022, pursuant to his employment agreement, would accelerate.
12. LICENSING AGREEMENTS
OS Therapies LLC
On
September 4, 2018, the Company entered into a development, license and supply agreement with OS Therapies (“OST”) for the
use of ADXS31-164, also known as ADXS-HER2, for evaluation in the treatment of osteosarcoma in humans. Under the terms of the license
agreement, as amended, OST will be responsible for the conduct and funding of a clinical study evaluating ADXS-HER2 in recurrent, completely
resected osteosarcoma. Under the most recent amendment to the licensing agreement, OST agreed to pay Advaxis $
During
the three months ended January 31, 2021,
During
the three months ended April 30, 2021, the Company achieved
the second milestone set forth in the license agreement for evaluation in the treatment of osteosarcoma in humans and recorded $
F-43 |
Global BioPharma Inc.
On
December 9, 2013, the Company entered into an exclusive licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of axalimogene
filolisbac with Global BioPharma, Inc. (“GBP”), a Taiwanese based biotech company funded by a group of investors led by Taiwan
Biotech Co., Ltd (TBC). During the six months ended April 30, 2022, the Company recorded $
13. FAIR VALUE
The authoritative guidance for fair value measurements defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or the most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Market participants are buyers and sellers in the principal market that are (i) independent, (ii) knowledgeable, (iii) able to transact, and (iv) willing to transact. The guidance describes a fair value hierarchy based on the levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value which are the following:
● Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
● Level 2— Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or corroborated by observable market data or substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
● Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the value of the assets or liabilities.
The following table provides the assets and liabilities carried at fair value measured on a recurring basis as of April 30, 2022 and October 31, 2021 (in thousands):
Fair value measured at April 30, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | |||||||||||||
Financial assets at fair value: | ||||||||||||||||
Cash equivalents (money market funds) | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Total Financial Assets at Fair Value | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Financial liabilities at fair value: | ||||||||||||||||
Common stock warrant liability, warrants exercisable at $ | $ | $ | - | $ | $ | |||||||||||
Common stock warrant liability, warrants exercisable at $ | ||||||||||||||||
Total financial liabilities at fair value | $ | $ | $ | $ |
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Fair value measured at October 31, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | |||||||||||||
Financial assets at fair value: | ||||||||||||||||
Cash equivalents (money market funds) | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Total Financial Assets at Fair Value | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Financial liabilities at fair value: | ||||||||||||||||
Common stock warrant liability, warrants exercisable at $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Common stock warrant liability, warrants exercisable at $ | ||||||||||||||||
Total financial liabilities at fair value | $ | $ | $ | $ |
The following table presents changes in Level 3 liabilities measured at fair value (in thousands) for the six months ended April 30 2022. Unobservable inputs were used to determine the fair value of positions that the Company has classified within the Level 3 category.
Preferred Stock Redemption Liability | Warrant Liabilities | Total | ||||||||||
Fair value at October 31, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Additions | ||||||||||||
Change in fair value | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||
Redemption | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Fair value at April 30, 2022 | $ | $ | $ |
F-45 |
2,500,000 Shares of Common Stock
and Warrants to Purchase
2,500,000 Shares of Common Stock
ADVAXIS, INC.
PROSPECTUS
A.G.P.
, 2022
Until , 2022, (25 days after the date of this prospectus) all dealers that effect transactions in the shares of our common stock, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
The following table sets forth all expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by us in connection with the sale of the shares of common stock being registered. All of such expenses are estimates, except the fees payable to the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee | $ | 2,318 | ||
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fee | 4,250 | |||
Stock exchange fees | 55,000 | |||
Printing and mailing expenses | 10,000 | |||
Legal fees and expenses | 100,000 | |||
Accounting fees and expenses | 20,000 | |||
Transfer agent and registrar fees | 5,000 | |||
Miscellaneous fees and expenses | 10,000 | |||
Total: | $ | 206,568 |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, authorizes a corporation to indemnify its directors and officers against liabilities arising out of actions, suits and proceedings to which they are made or threatened to be made a party by reason of the fact that they have served or are currently serving as a director or officer to a corporation. The indemnity may cover expenses (including attorneys’ fees) judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the director or officer in connection with any such action, suit or proceeding. Section 145 permits corporations to pay expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by directors and officers in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding. In addition, Section 145 provides that a corporation has the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of its directors and officers against any liability asserted against them and incurred by them in their capacity as a director or officer, or arising out of their status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the director or officer against such liability under Section 145.
We have adopted provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws to be in effect at the consummation of this offering that limit or eliminate the personal liability of our directors to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it now exists or may in the future be amended. Consequently, a director will not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages or breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability for:
● | any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders; | |
● | any act or omission not in good faith or that involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; | |
● | any unlawful payments related to dividends or unlawful stock purchases, redemptions or other distributions; or | |
● | any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. |
These limitations of liability do not alter director liability under the federal securities laws and do not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as an injunction or rescission.
In addition, our bylaws provide that:
● | we will indemnify our directors, officers and, in the discretion of our board of directors, certain employees to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it now exists or may in the future be amended; and | |
● | we will advance reasonable expenses, including attorneys’ fees, to our directors and, in the discretion of our board of directors, to our officers and certain employees, in connection with legal proceedings relating to their service for or on behalf of us, subject to limited exceptions. |
II-1 |
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and intend to enter into such agreements with certain of our executive officers. These agreements provide that we will indemnify each of our directors, certain of our executive officers and, at times, their affiliates to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. We will advance expenses, including attorneys’ fees (but excluding judgments, fines and settlement amounts), to each indemnified director, executive officer or affiliate in connection with any proceeding in which indemnification is available and we will indemnify our directors and officers for any action or proceeding arising out of that person’s services as a director or officer brought on behalf of the Company and/or in furtherance of our rights. Additionally, each of our directors may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by their affiliates, which indemnification relates to and might apply to the same proceedings arising out of such director’s services as a director referenced herein. Nonetheless, we have agreed in the indemnification agreements that the Company’s obligations to those same directors are primary and any obligation of the affiliates of those directors to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the expenses or liabilities incurred by those directors are secondary.
We also maintain general liability insurance which covers certain liabilities of our directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
The underwriting agreement filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this registration statement provides for indemnification of us and our directors and officers by the underwriters against certain liabilities under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
On January 31, 2022, the Company completed the issuance and sale, in a private placement under Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of 1,000,000 shares of the Company’s Series D Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series D Preferred Stock”). The shares of Series D Preferred Stock were convertible, at a conversion price of $20.00 per share (subject in certain circumstances to adjustments), into shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share. All shares of the Series D Preferred Stock were redeemed on April 7, 2022.
Item 16. Exhibits
II-2 |
II-3 |
II-4 |
II-5 |
II-6 |
(b) Financial Statement Schedules.
Schedules not listed above have been omitted because the information required to be set forth therein is not applicable or is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto.
Item 17. Undertakings
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: (i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act; (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and (iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-1 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement;
(2) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;
(3) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;
(4) that, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser: Each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use; and
II-7 |
(5) that, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(a) | any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; | |
(b) | any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; | |
(c) | the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of an undersigned registrant; and | |
(d) | any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
II-8 |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Monmouth Junction, Middlesex County, State of New Jersey, on June 13, 2022.
Advaxis, Inc. | ||
By: | /s/ Kenneth Berlin | |
Name: | Kenneth Berlin | |
Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
SIGNATURE | TITLE | DATE | ||
/s/ Kenneth Berlin | President and Chief Executive Officer | |||
Kenneth Berlin | (Principal Executive Officer) | June 13, 2022 | ||
/s/ Igor Gitelman | Interim Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance | |||
Igor Gitelman | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | June 13, 2022 | ||
* |
||||
David Sidransky | Chairman of the Board | June 13, 2022 | ||
* |
||||
James P. Patton | Vice Chairman of the Board | June 13, 2022 | ||
* |
||||
Roni A. Appel | Director | June 13, 2022 | ||
* |
||||
Richard J. Berman | Director | June 13, 2022 | ||
* |
||||
Samir N. Khleif | Director | June 13, 2022 |
* By: | /s/ Kenneth Berlin | |
Kenneth Berlin | ||
Attorney-in-fact |
II-9 |
Exhibit 4.1
WARRANT AGREEMENT
THIS WARRANT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of [____________], 2022, is entered into by and between Advaxis, Inc. a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation (the “Warrant Agent”).
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of that certain Underwriting Agreement (“Underwriting Agreement”), dated [________] [__], 2022, by and among the Company and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, as representatives of the underwriters set forth therein, the Company is engaged in a public offering (the “Offering”) of up to 2,500,000 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), and up to 2,500,000 Warrants (the “Warrants” together with the Shares, the “Securities”) to purchase shares of Common Stock (the “Warrant Shares”), including Shares and Warrants issuable pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option; and
WHEREAS, the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-264894) (the “Registration Statement”), for the registration, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”) of, among other securities, the Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires the Warrant Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Warrant Agent is willing to so act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, redemption and exercise of the Warrants; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide for the form and provisions of the Warrants, the terms upon which they shall be issued and exercised, and the respective rights, limitation of rights, and immunities of the Company, the Warrant Agent, and the holders of the Warrants; and
WHEREAS, all acts and things have been done and performed which are necessary to make the Warrants, when executed on behalf of the Company and countersigned by or on behalf of the Warrant Agent, as provided herein, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, and to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Appointment of Warrant Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Warrant Agent to act as agent for the Company for the Warrants, and the Warrant Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the same in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
2. Warrants.
2.1 Form of Warrant. The Warrants shall be registered securities and shall be evidenced by a global certificate (“Global Certificate”) in the form of Exhibit A to this Agreement, which shall be deposited on behalf of the Company with the Warrant Agent, as a custodian for The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of DTC. If DTC subsequently ceases to make its book-entry settlement system available for the Warrants, the Company may instruct the Warrant Agent regarding making other arrangements for book-entry settlement. In the event that the Warrants are not eligible for, or it is no longer necessary to have the Warrants available in, book-entry form, the Company may instruct the Warrant Agent to provide written instructions to DTC to deliver to the Warrant Agent for cancellation the Global Certificate, and the Company shall instruct the Warrant Agent to deliver to DTC separate certificates evidencing Warrants (“Definitive Certificates” and, together with the Global Certificate, “Warrant Certificates”) registered as requested through the DTC system.
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2.2 Effect of Countersignature. Unless and until countersigned by the Warrant Agent pursuant to this Agreement, a Warrant shall be invalid and of no effect and may not be exercised by the holder thereof.
2.3 Registration.
2.3.1 Warrant Register. The Warrant Agent shall maintain books (the “Warrant Register”) for the registration of the original issuance and transfers of the Warrants. Upon the initial issuance of the Warrants, the Warrant Agent shall issue and register the Warrants in the names of the respective holders thereof in such denominations and otherwise in accordance with instructions delivered to the Warrant Agent by the Company.
2.3.2 Registered Holder. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Warrant, the Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name such Warrant shall be registered upon the Warrant Register (the “registered holder”), as the absolute owner of such Warrant and of each Warrant represented thereby (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing on the warrant certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Warrant Agent), for the purpose of any exercise thereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
2.3.3 Issuance of Warrants. Upon the initial issuance of the Warrants, the Warrant Agent shall issue the Global Certificate and deliver the Warrants in the DTC book-entry settlement system in accordance with written instructions delivered to the Warrant Agent by the Company. Ownership of security entitlements in the Warrants shall be shown on, and the transfer of such ownership shall be effected through, records maintained (i) by DTC and (ii) by institutions that have accounts with DTC (each, a “Participant”).
2.3.4 Beneficial Owner; Holder. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Warrant, the Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name that Warrant shall be registered on the Warrant Register (the “Holder”) as the absolute owner of such Warrant for purposes of any exercise thereof, and for all other purposes, and neither the Company nor the Warrant Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Warrant Agent or any agent of the Company or the Warrant Agent from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by DTC governing the exercise of the rights of a holder of a beneficial interest in any Warrant. The rights of beneficial owners in a Warrant evidenced by the Global Certificate shall be exercised by the Holder or a Participant through the DTC system, except to the extent set forth herein or in the Global Certificate.
2.3.5 Loss, Theft and Mutilation of Warrant Certificates. Upon receipt by the Company and the Warrant Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Warrant Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security in customary form and amount, and reimbursement to the Company and the Warrant Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Warrant Agent and cancellation of the Warrant Certificate if mutilated, the Warrant Agent shall, on behalf of the Company, countersign and deliver a new Warrant Certificate of like tenor to the Holder in lieu of the Warrant Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated. The Warrant Agent may charge the Holder an administrative fee for processing the replacement of lost Warrant Certificates, which shall be charged only once in instances where a single surety bond obtained covers multiple certificates. The Warrant Agent may receive compensation from the surety companies or surety agents for administrative services provided to them.
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2.3.6 Proxies. The Holder of a Warrant may grant proxies or otherwise authorize any person, including the Participants and beneficial holders that may own interests through the Participants, to take any action that a Holder is entitled to take under this Agreement or the Warrants; provided, however, that at all times that Warrants are evidenced by a Global Certificate, exercise of those Warrants shall be effected on their behalf by Participants through DTC in accordance the procedures administered by DTC.
3. Terms and Exercise of Warrants.
3.1 Warrant Price. Each Warrant shall, when countersigned by the Warrant Agent, entitle the registered holder thereof, subject to the provisions of the applicable Warrant Certificate and of this Agreement, to purchase from the Company the number of shares of Common Stock stated therein, at the price of $[__] per whole share, subject to the adjustments provided in Section 4 hereof and in the last sentence of this Section 3.1. The term “Warrant Price” as used in this Agreement shall mean the price per share at which shares of Common Stock may be purchased at the time a Warrant is exercised.
3.2 Duration of Warrants. Warrants may be exercised only during the period (“Exercise Period”) commencing on the Issuance Date and terminating at 5:00 P.M., New York City time (the “close of business”) on , 2027 (“Expiration Date”). Each Warrant not exercised on or before the Expiration Date shall become void, and all rights thereunder and all rights in respect thereof under this Agreement shall cease at the close of business on the Expiration Date. The Company, in its sole discretion, may extend the duration of the Warrants by delaying the Expiration Date.
3.3 Exercise of Warrants.
3.3.1 Exercise. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by a Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Issuance Date and on or before the Expiration Date by delivery to the Warrant Agent of an election to purchase the Warrant Shares underlying the Warrants to be exercised (i) in the form included in Exhibit A to this Agreement or (ii) via an electronic warrant exercise through the DTC system (each, an “Election to Purchase”).Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 3.3.4 herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall (i) (A) surrender the Warrant Certificate evidencing the Warrants to the Warrant Agent at its office designated for such purpose or (B) deliver the Warrants to an account of the Warrant Agent at DTC designated for such purpose in writing by the Warrant Agent to DTC from time to time, and (ii) deliver to the Warrant Agent (on behalf of the Company) the Warrant Price for each Warrant to be exercised, in lawful money of the United States of America by certified or official bank check payable to the Warrant Agent or bank wire transfer in immediately available funds to:
[Wire/payment information for Warrant Agent (on behalf of the Company)]
or such other payment information as may be provided in writing by the Warrant Agent from time to time. Any person so designated by the Holder (or a Participant or designee of a Participant on behalf of a Holder) to receive Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have become holder of record of such Warrant Shares as of the time that an appropriately completed and duly signed Election to Purchase has been delivered to the Warrant Agent, provided that the Holder (or Participant on behalf of the Holder) makes delivery of the deliverables referenced in the immediately preceding sentence by the date that is one (1) Trading Day after the delivery of the Election to Purchase. If the Holder (or Participant on behalf of the Holder) fails to make delivery of such deliverables on or prior to the Trading Day following delivery of the Election to Purchase, such Election to Purchase shall be void ab initio.
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3.3.2 If any of (i) the Warrants, (ii) the Election to Purchase, or (iii) the Warrant Price therefor, is received by the Warrant Agent on any date after 5:00 P.M., New York City time, or on a date that is not a Trading Day, the Warrants with respect thereto will be deemed to have been received and exercised on the Trading Day next succeeding such date. The “Exercise Date” will be the date on which the materials in the foregoing sentence are received by the Warrant Agent (if by 5:00 P.M., New York City time), or the following Trading Day (if after 5:00 P.M., New York City time), regardless of any earlier date written on the materials. If the Warrants are received or deemed to be received after the Expiration Date, the exercise thereof will be null and void and any funds delivered to the Company will be returned to the Holder or Participant, as the case may be, as soon as practicable. In no event will interest accrue on any funds deposited with the Company in respect of an exercise or attempted exercise of Warrants.
3.3.3 If less than all the Warrants evidenced by a surrendered Warrant Certificate are exercised, the Warrant Agent shall split up the surrendered Warrant Certificate and return to the Holder a Warrant Certificate evidencing the Warrants that were not exercised at no charge to the Holder.
3.3.4 Issuance of Warrant Shares. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Company’s transfer agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) or Depository Trust Company’s Fast Reject And Confirmation (“FRAC”) system if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) the Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Election to Purchase by the date that is the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Election to Purchase (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Election to Purchase, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Warrant Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Election to Purchase. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to an Election to Purchase by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Election to Purchase), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth Trading Day after such liquidated damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Election to Purchase. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Notice(s) of Exercise delivered by 12:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Exercise Date, the Company agrees to deliver the Warrant Shares subject to such notice(s) by 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Exercise Date.
3.3.5 Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause its transfer agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.
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3.3.6 Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Warrant Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 3.3.4 above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
3.3.7 Valid Issuance. All shares of Common Stock issued upon the proper exercise of a Warrant in conformity with this Agreement shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
3.3.8 Date of Issuance. Each person in whose name any such certificate for shares of Common Stock is issued shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of such shares on the date on which the Warrant was surrendered and payment of the Warrant Price was made, irrespective of the date of delivery of such certificate, except that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date when the stock transfer books of the Company are closed, such person shall be deemed to have become the holder of such shares at the close of business on the next succeeding date on which the stock transfer books are open.
3.3.9 Restrictive Legend Events; Cashless Exercise Under Certain Circumstances. If at any time after the Issuance Date, there is no effective registration statement registering, or no current prospectus available for, the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder (such time referred to as a “Cashless Exercise Window”), then this Warrant may only be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:
(A) | = | as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding | |
the date of the applicable Election to Purchase if such Election to Purchase is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 3.3 hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b)(64) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the option of the Holder, either (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Election to Purchase or (z) the Bid Price of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Election to Purchase if such Election to Purchase is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 3.3 hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Election to Purchase if the date of such Election to Purchase is a Trading Day and such Election to Purchase is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 3.3 hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day; | |||
(B) | = | the Warrant Price of the Warrant, as adjusted as set forth herein; and | |
(X) | = | the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of the | |
Warrant in accordance with the terms of the Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise. |
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If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this 3.3.9. For the avoidance of doubt, the Warrant may only be exercised by means of a cashless exercise during a Cashless Exercise Window.
“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Stock for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Expiration Date occurs during a Cashless Exercise Window, this Warrant shall be automatically exercised on the Expiration Date via cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 3.3.9.
3.3.10 Beneficial Ownership Limitation. A Holder shall not have the right to exercise any Warrants to the extent that after giving effect to the issuance of Warrant Shares after exercise as set forth on the applicable Election to Purchase, such Holder or a person holding through such Holder (together with such Holder’s or person’s Affiliates (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act), and any other persons acting as a group together with that Holder or person or any of that Holder’s or person’s Affiliates), would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% (“Beneficial Ownership Limitation”) of the Company’s Common Stock. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by a person shall include the number of Warrant Shares that would be owned by that person issuable upon exercise of the Warrants with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock (a) which would be issuable upon exercise of the remaining, non-exercised Warrants beneficially owned by that person or any of its Affiliates and (b) underlying any other securities of the Company held by such Holder or its Affiliates that are exercisable or convertible into Common Stock and subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise that is analogous to the limitation contained in this Section 3.3.10. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 3.3.10, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that neither the Warrant Agent nor the Company is representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder or beneficial owner is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 3.3.10 applies, the determination of whether a Warrant is exercisable and of the number of Warrants that are exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of an Election to Purchase shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether such Warrant is exercisable and of the number of Warrants that are exercisable, and neither the Warrant Agent nor the Company shall have any obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination and neither of them shall have any liability for any error made by the Holder or any other person. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 3.3.10, in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder or other person may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (a) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, (b) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (c) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Company’s transfer agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. For any reason at any time, upon the written or oral request of a person that represents that it is or is acting on behalf of a Holder, the Company shall, within two (2) Trading Days, confirm orally or in writing or by e-mail to that person the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. Upon delivery of a written notice to the Company, the Holder may from time to time increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation to any other percentage not in excess of 9.99% as specified in such notice, provided that any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such notice is delivered to the Company and any such increase or decrease will apply only to the Holder and its Affiliates and not to any other holder of Warrants. The provisions of this Section 3.3.10 shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 3.3.10 to correct this subsection (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended beneficial ownership limitation herein contained.
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4. Adjustments.
4.1 Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while the Warrants are outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Warrant Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Warrant Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 4.1 shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
4.2 Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 4.1 above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), other than a pursuant to an agreement commonly known as a “stockholder rights plan” under which the distribution of rights is triggered by the acquisition of more than a certain percentage of the Company’s Common Stock, then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
4.3 Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as the Warrants are outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
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4.4 Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while the Warrants are outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of shares of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the shares of Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the shares of Common Stock are effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, merger or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 3.3.10 on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 3.3.10 on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of shares of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4.4 pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.
4.5 [Reserved].
4.6 [Reserved].
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4.7 Notices of Changes in Warrant. Upon every adjustment of the Warrant Price or the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a Warrant, the Company shall give written notice thereof to the Warrant Agent, which notice shall state the Warrant Price resulting from such adjustment and the increase or decrease, if any, in the number of shares purchasable at such price upon the exercise of a Warrant, setting forth in reasonable detail the method of calculation and the facts upon which such calculation is based. Upon the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 or 4.4 then, in any such event, the Company shall give written notice to each Warrant holder, at the last address set forth for such holder in the Warrant Register, of the record date or the effective date of the event. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the shares of Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the shares of Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the shares of Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the shares of Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the shares of Common Stock are converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by facsimile or email to the Holder at its last facsimile number or email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register, at least 5 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the shares of Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or stock exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the shares of Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or stock exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice and provided, further that no notice shall be required if the information is disseminated in a press release or document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
4.8 No Fractional Shares. Notwithstanding any provision contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not issue fractional shares upon exercise of Warrants. If, by reason of any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 4, the holder of any Warrant would be entitled, upon the exercise of such Warrant, to receive a fractional interest in a share, the Company shall, upon such exercise, round up or down to the nearest whole number the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued to the Warrant holder.
4.9 Form of Warrant. The form of Warrant need not be changed because of any adjustment pursuant to this Section 4, and Warrants issued after such adjustment may state the same Warrant Price and the same number of shares as is stated in the Warrants initially issued pursuant to this Agreement. However, the Company may, at any time, in its sole discretion, make any change in the form of Warrant that the Company may deem appropriate and that does not affect the substance thereof, and any Warrant thereafter issued or countersigned, whether in exchange or substitution for an outstanding Warrant or otherwise, may be in the form as so changed.
5. Transfer and Exchange of Warrants.
5.1 Registration of Transfer. The Warrant Agent shall register the transfer, from time to time, of any outstanding Warrant in the Warrant Register, upon surrender of such Warrant for transfer, properly endorsed with signatures properly medallion guaranteed and accompanied by appropriate instructions for transfer. Upon any such transfer, a new Warrant representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants shall be issued and the old Warrant shall be cancelled by the Warrant Agent. The Warrants so cancelled may be delivered by the Warrant Agent to the Company from time to time upon request.
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5.2 Procedure for Surrender of Warrants. Warrants may be surrendered to the Warrant Agent, together with a written request for exchange or transfer, and thereupon the Warrant Agent shall issue in exchange therefor one or more new Warrants as requested by the registered holder of the Warrants so surrendered, representing an equal aggregate number of Warrants; provided, however, that in the event that a Warrant surrendered for transfer bears a restrictive legend, the Warrant Agent shall not cancel such Warrant and issue new Warrants in exchange therefor until the Warrant Agent has received an opinion of counsel for the Company stating that such transfer is exempt from registration under the Act and indicating whether the new Warrants must also bear a restrictive legend.
5.3 Fractional Warrants. The Warrant Agent shall not be required to effect any registration of transfer or exchange which will result in the issuance of a warrant certificate for a fraction of a warrant.
5.4 Service Charges. No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of transfer of Warrants.
5.5 Warrant Execution and Countersignature. The Warrant Agent is hereby authorized to countersign and to deliver, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Warrants required to be issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5, and the Company, whenever required by the Warrant Agent, will supply the Warrant Agent with Warrants duly executed on behalf of the Company for such purpose.
6. [Reserved].
7. Other Provisions Relating to Rights of Holders of Warrants.
7.1 No Rights as Stockholder. A Warrant does not entitle the registered holder thereof to any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to receive dividends, or other distributions, exercise any preemptive rights to vote or to consent or to receive notice as stockholders in respect of the meetings of stockholders or the election of directors of the Company or any other matter.
7.2 Lost, Stolen, Mutilated, or Destroyed Warrants. If any Warrant is lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed, the Company and the Warrant Agent may, on such terms as to indemnity or otherwise as they may in their discretion impose (which terms shall, in the case of a mutilated Warrant, include the surrender thereof), issue a new Warrant of like denomination, tenor and date as the Warrant so lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed. Any such new Warrant shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the allegedly lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed Warrant shall be at any time enforceable by anyone.
7.3 Reservation of Common Stock; Net Cash Settlement. The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available a number of its authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Warrants issued pursuant to this Agreement. In no event will the registered holder of a Warrant be entitled to receive a “net cash settlement” in lieu of physical settlement in shares of Common Stock.
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8. Concerning the Warrant Agent and Other Matters.
8.1 Payment of Taxes. The Company will from time to time promptly pay all taxes and charges that may be imposed upon the Company or the Warrant Agent in respect of the issuance or delivery of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of Warrants, but the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes in respect of the Warrants or such shares.
8.2 Resignation, Consolidation, or Merger of Warrant Agent.
8.2.1 Appointment of Successor Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent, or any successor to it hereafter appointed, may resign its duties and be discharged from all further duties and liabilities hereunder after giving sixty (60) days’ notice in writing to the Company. If the office of the Warrant Agent becomes vacant by resignation or incapacity to act or otherwise, the Company shall appoint in writing a successor Warrant Agent in place of the Warrant Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of the Warrant (who shall, with such notice, submit his, her or its Warrant for inspection by the Company), then the holder of any Warrant may apply to the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York for the appointment of a successor Warrant Agent at the Company’s cost. Any successor Warrant Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such court, shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, in good standing and having its principal office in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, and authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority. After appointment, any successor Warrant Agent shall be vested with all the authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations of its predecessor Warrant Agent with like effect as if originally named as Warrant Agent hereunder, without any further act or deed; but if for any reason it becomes necessary or appropriate, the predecessor Warrant Agent shall execute and deliver, at the expense of the Company, an instrument transferring to such successor Warrant Agent all the authority, powers, and rights of such predecessor Warrant Agent hereunder; and upon request of any successor Warrant Agent the Company shall make, execute, acknowledge, and deliver any and all instruments in writing for more fully and effectually vesting in and confirming to such successor Warrant Agent all such authority, powers, rights, immunities, duties, and obligations.
8.2.2 Notice of Successor Warrant Agent. In the event a successor Warrant Agent shall be appointed, the Company shall give notice thereof to the predecessor Warrant Agent and the transfer agent for the Common Stock not later than the effective date of any such appointment.
8.2.3 Merger or Consolidation of Warrant Agent. Any corporation into which the Warrant Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Warrant Agent shall be a party shall be the successor Warrant Agent under this Agreement without any further act.
8.3 Fees and Expenses of Warrant Agent.
8.3.1 Remuneration. The Company agrees to pay the Warrant Agent reasonable remuneration for its services as such Warrant Agent hereunder and will reimburse the Warrant Agent upon demand for all expenditures that the Warrant Agent may reasonably incur in the execution of its duties hereunder.
8.3.2 Further Assurances. The Company agrees to perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Warrant Agent for the carrying out or performing of the provisions of this Agreement.
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8.4 Liability of Warrant Agent.
8.4.1 Reliance on Company Statement. Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Warrant Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a statement signed by the President or Chairman of the Board of the Company and delivered to the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent may rely upon such statement for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.
8.4.2 Indemnity. The Warrant Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. The Company agrees to indemnify the Warrant Agent and save it harmless against any and all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees, for anything done or omitted by the Warrant Agent in the execution of this Agreement, except as a result of the Warrant Agent’s gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith.
8.4.3 Exclusions. The Warrant Agent shall have no responsibility with respect to the validity of this Agreement or with respect to the validity or execution of any Warrant (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Warrant; nor shall it be responsible to make any adjustments required under the provisions of Section 4 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment; nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Warrant or as to whether any shares of Common Stock will when issued be valid and fully paid and nonassessable.
8.5 Acceptance of Agency. The Warrant Agent hereby accepts the agency established by this Agreement and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions herein set forth and, among other things, shall account promptly to the Company with respect to Warrants exercised and concurrently account for, and pay to the Company, all moneys received by the Warrant Agent for the purchase of shares of Common Stock through the exercise of Warrants.
9. Miscellaneous Provisions.
9.1 Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Warrant Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns.
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9.2 Notices. Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Warrant Agent or by the holder of any Warrant to or on the Company shall be delivered by hand or sent by registered or certified mail or overnight courier service, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Warrant Agent) as follows:
Advaxis, Inc.
Deer Park Drive, Suite K-1
Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852801 Capitola Drive
Telephone:
Facsimile:
Email:
Attention: Kenneth A. Berlin, Chief Executive Officer
With a copy (for informational purposes only) to:
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
1701 Market Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
Telephone: (215) 963-5000
Facsimile: (215) 963-5001
E-mail: justin.chairman@morganlewis.com
Attention: Justin W. Chairman, Esq.
Any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the holder of any Warrant or by the Company to or on the Warrant Agent shall be delivered by hand or sent by registered or certified mail or overnight courier service, addressed (until another address is filed in writing by the Company with the Warrant Agent) as follows:
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street, 30 FL
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Compliance Department
with a copy in each case to:
[ ]
Any notice, sent pursuant to this Agreement shall be effective, if delivered by hand, upon receipt thereof by the party to whom it is addressed, if sent by overnight courier, on the next business day of the delivery to the courier, and if sent by registered or certified mail on the third day after registration or certification thereof.
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9.3 Applicable Law. The validity, interpretation and performance of this Agreement and of the Warrants shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive laws of another jurisdiction. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 9.2 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim.
9.4 Persons Having Rights under this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement expressed and nothing that may be implied from any of the provisions hereof is intended, or shall be construed, to confer upon, or give to, any person or corporation other than the parties hereto and the registered holders of the Warrants, any right, remedy, or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or of any covenant, condition, stipulation, promise, or agreement hereof. All covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises, and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and assigns and of the registered holders of the Warrants.
9.5 Examination of the Warrant Agreement. A copy of this Agreement shall be available at all reasonable times at the office of the Warrant Agent in the Borough of Manhattan, City and State of New York, for inspection by the registered holder of any Warrant. The Warrant Agent may require any such holder to submit his, her or its Warrant for inspection by it.
9.6 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of original or facsimile counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
9.7 Effect of Headings. The section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the interpretation thereof.
9.8 Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto without the consent of any registered holder for the purpose of curing any ambiguity, or curing, correcting or supplementing any defective provision contained herein or adding or changing any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Agreement as the parties may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the registered holders. All other modifications or amendments, including any amendment to increase the Warrant Price or shorten the Exercise Period, shall require the written consent of the registered holders of a majority of the then outstanding Warrants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may lower the Warrant Price or extend the duration of the Exercise Period pursuant to Sections 3.1 and 3.2, respectively, without the consent of the registered holders.
9.9 Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of this Agreement.
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9.10 Certain Definitions. As used herein, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
9.10.1 “Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
9.10.2 “Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time shares of Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
9.10.3 “Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
9.10.4 “Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.
9.10.5 “Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, OTCQB or OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
9.10.6 “VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed by the parties hereto as of the day and year first above written.
ADVAXIS, INC. | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
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EXHIBIT A
[TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GLOBAL CERTIFICATE]
[UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE& CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.]
Advaxis, Inc.
WARRANT CERTIFICATE
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER ____________________
This certifies that the person whose name and address appears below, or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Warrants set forth below. Each Warrant entitles its registered holder to purchase from Advaxis, Inc., a company incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Company”), at any time prior to 5:00 P.M. (New York City time) on ________________, one share of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (each, a “Warrant Share” and collectively, the “Warrant Shares”), at an exercise price of $____ per share, subject to possible adjustments as provided in the Warrant Agreement (as defined below).
This Warrant Certificate, with or without other Warrant Certificates, upon surrender at the designated office of the Warrant Agent, may be exchanged for another Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates evidencing the same number of Warrants as the Warrant Certificate or Warrant Certificates surrendered. A transfer of the Warrants evidenced hereby may be registered upon surrender of this Warrant Certificate at the designated office of the Warrant Agent by the registered holder in person or by a duly authorized attorney, properly endorsed or accompanied by proper instruments of transfer, a signature guarantee, and such other and further documentation as the Warrant Agent may reasonably request and duly stamped as may be required by the laws of the State of New York and of the United States of America.
The terms and conditions of the Warrants and the rights and obligations of the holder of this Warrant Certificate are set forth in the Warrant Agreement dated as of _________, 2022 (the “Warrant Agreement”) between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Warrant Agent”). A copy of the Warrant Agreement is available for inspection during business hours at the office of the Warrant Agent.
This Warrant Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by an authorized signatory of the Warrant Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of a proper officer of the Company.
Advaxis, Inc. | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
Dated: _______________
Countersigned:
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
PLEASE DETACH HERE |
Certificate No.:_________ Number of Warrants:__________
WARRANT CUSIP NO.: ___________
Advaxis, Inc.
A-1 |
Election to Purchase
(To Be Executed Upon Exercise Of Warrants not evidenced by a Global Certificate)
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, to receive shares of Common Stock and herewith tenders payment for such shares of Common Stock to the order of Advaxis, Inc. (the “Company”) in the amount of $ in accordance with the terms hereof. The undersigned requests that a certificate for such shares of Common Stock be registered in the name of , whose address is and that such shares of Common Stock be delivered to whose address is
. If said number of shares of Common Stock is less than all of the shares of Common Stock purchasable hereunder, the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such shares of Common Stock be registered in the name of , whose address is and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to , whose address is .
In the event that the Warrant is to be exercised on a “cashless” basis pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, the number of shares of Common Stock that this Warrant is exercisable for shall be determined in accordance with the Warrant Agreement.
In the event that the Warrant may be exercised, to the extent allowed by the Warrant Agreement, through cashless exercise (i) the number of shares of Common Stock that this Warrant is exercisable for would be determined in accordance with the relevant section of the Warrant Agreement which allows for such cashless exercise and (ii) the holder hereof shall complete the following: The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise the right, represented by this Warrant Certificate, through the cashless exercise provisions of the Warrant Agreement, to receive shares of Common Stock. If said number of shares is less than all of the shares of Common Stock purchasable hereunder (after giving effect to the cashless exercise), the undersigned requests that a new Warrant Certificate representing the remaining balance of such shares of Common Stock be registered in the name of , whose address is and that such Warrant Certificate be delivered to , whose address is .
[Signature Page Follows]
Date: , 20 | |
(Signature) | |
(Address) | |
(Tax Identification Number) | |
Signature Guaranteed: |
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15 (OR ANY SUCCESSOR RULE)).
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Exhibit 5.1
June 13 , 2022
Advaxis, Inc.
9 Deer Park Drive, Suite K-1
Monmouth Junction, New Jersey
Re: | Registration Statement on Form S-1 of Advaxis, Inc. |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Advaxis, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), on a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-264894) initially filed on May 12, 2022 (as amended thereafter, including by Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 thereto filed on May 23, 2022 and Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 thereto filed on June 13, 2022, the “Registration Statement”). The Registration Statement relates to the registration of the proposed offer and sale of a proposed maximum aggregate offering price of $25,000,000 of (A) shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock” such shares of Common Stock, collectively, the “Shares”) and (B) warrants (the “Warrants”) to purchase shares of Common Stock (the “Warrant Shares”). The Shares and the Warrant Shares are collectively referred to as the “Securities.”
As to all matters of fact (including factual conclusions and characterizations and descriptions of purpose, intention or other state of mind), we have relied, with your permission, entirely upon written actions and minutes of the board of directors of the Company and certificates of certain officers of the Company and have assumed, without independent inquiry, the accuracy of those certificates, written actions and minutes of the board of directors of the Company.
As counsel to the Company, in rendering the opinions hereinafter expressed, we have examined and relied upon originals or copies of such corporate records, agreements, documents and instruments as we have deemed necessary or advisable for purposes of this opinion, including (i) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended to date (as so amended, the “Certificate of Incorporation”); (ii) the Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”); (iii) the Registration Statement and the prospectus included therein (the “Prospectus”), (iv) the form of underwriting agreement filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement; (v) certain resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company related to the filing of the Registration Statement, the authorization and issuance of the Securities and related matters and (vi) the form of Warrants filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius llp | ||
1701 Market Street | ||
Philadelphia, PA 19103-6241 |
| |
United States |
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Advaxis, Inc.
June 13, 2022
Page 2
We have assumed:
(i) | the genuineness of all signatures, the conformity to the originals of all documents reviewed by us as copies, the authenticity and completeness of all original documents reviewed by us in original or copy form and the legal competence of each individual executing any document; | |
(ii) | that any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to the Registration Statement from time to time will not exceed the maximum authorized number of shares of Common Stock under the current Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as the same may have been amended, minus that number of shares of Common Stock that may have been issued and are outstanding, or are reserved for issuance for other purposes, at such time; | |
(iii) | that the specific terms of the sale of Securities will be duly authorized by the Board of Directors of the Company, a duly authorized committee thereof or a person or body pursuant to an authorization granted in accordance with Section 152 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. | |
(iv) | that, at the time of each issuance and sale of the Securities, the Company will continue to be validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization with the requisite corporate power and authority to issue and sell such Securities. |
This opinion is limited solely to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. We express no opinion as to the effect of events occurring, circumstances arising, or changes of law becoming effective or occurring, after the date hereof on the matters addressed in this opinion.
Based on such examination and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that (i) the Shares, when issued and sold by the Company and delivered by the Company against receipt of the purchase price therefore, in accordance with the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, (ii) provided that the Warrants have been duly executed and delivered by the Company to the purchasers thereof against payment therefor as provided in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Warrants will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms and (iii) the Warrant Shares, when issued and delivered by the Company upon exercise and payment of the exercise price of the Warrants, in accordance with the terms thereof, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
The opinion regarding enforceability set forth in the foregoing paragraph is limited by bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, moratorium and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and general equitable principles.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to this firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder. In rendering this opinion, we are opining only as to the specific legal issues expressly set forth herein, and no opinion shall be inferred as to any other matter or matters. This opinion is intended solely for use in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities subject to the Registration Statement and is not to be relied upon for any other purpose.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Exhibit 23.1
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm’s Consent
We consent to the inclusion in this Registration Statement of Advaxis, Inc. on Amendment No. 2 to Form S-1, File No.333-264894 of our report dated February 14, 2022 except, for the effects of the reverse stock split discussed in Note 3 as to which the date is June 10, 2022, with respect to our audits of the consolidated financial statements of Advaxis, Inc. as of October 31, 2021 and 2020 and for each of the two years in the period ended October 31, 2021, which report appears in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our Firm under the heading “Experts” in such Prospectus.
/s/ Marcum llp
Marcum llp
New York, NY
June 10, 2022