UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Mark One)
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
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Table of Contents
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PART I
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
All statements other than statements of historical fact or relating to present facts or current conditions included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding 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. These statements may include words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “may,” “should,” “can have,” “likely” and other words and terms of similar meaning, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.
The forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described in “Risk Factors.” Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future events and trends discussed in this form may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.
You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we are under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or to confirm these statements to actual results or revised expectations.
In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “Company,” or “INBS” refer to Intelligent Bio Solutions Inc. together with its wholly owned subsidiaries.
ITEM 1. BUSINESS.
Intelligent Bio Solutions Inc. and its wholly owned Delaware subsidiary, GBS Operations Inc., were each formed on December 5, 2016, under the laws of the state of Delaware. The Company’s Australian subsidiary, Intelligent Bio Solutions (APAC) Pty Ltd, was formed on August 4, 2016, under the laws of New South Wales, Australia and was renamed to Intelligent Bio Solutions (APAC) Pty Ltd on January 6, 2023. On October 4, 2022, INBS acquired Intelligent Fingerprinting Limited (“IFP”), a company registered in England and Wales (the “IFP Acquisition”). The Company’s headquarters are in New York, New York.
Intelligent Bio Solutions Inc. is a medical technology company focused on developing and delivering intelligent, rapid, non-invasive testing and screening solutions. The Company operates globally with the objective of providing innovative and accessible solutions that improve the quality of life.
The Company’s current product portfolio includes:
● | Intelligent Fingerprinting Platform: A proprietary portable platform that analyzes fingerprint sweat using a one-time cartridge and portable handheld reader. The flagship product from this platform, which is commercially available in certain countries outside of the United States, is the Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System (the “IFP System” or “IFP Products”), a two-part system that consists of non-invasive, fingerprint sweat-based diagnostic testing products designed to detect drugs of abuse including opiates, cocaine, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines, cannabis, methadone, and buprenorphine. The system comprises a small, tamper-evident drug screening cartridge onto which ten fingerprint sweat samples are collected in under a minute before the portable analysis unit provides an on-screen result in under ten minutes. Samples collected with a confirmatory kit can also be sent to a third-party laboratory service provider for confirmation testing. Customers include safety-critical industries such as construction, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, engineering, drug treatment organizations in the rehabilitation sector, and judicial organizations. | |
● | The Biosensor Platform – A biosensor platform we refer to as the Biosensor Platform Technology (“BPT”), or simply the “Biosensor Platform,” consists of a small, printable modified organic thin-film transistor strip that we license across the Asia Pacific Region (“APAC Region”) from Life Science Biosensor Diagnostics Pty Ltd (“LSBD” or “Licensor”). The Biosensor Platform is designed to detect multiple biological analytes by substituting the top enzyme layer of the biosensor to suit each analyte. This platform technology has the potential to develop a range of Point of Care Tests (“POCT”), including the modalities of clinical chemistry, immunology, tumor markers, allergens, and endocrinology. We understand that following the appointment of a liquidator to LSBD, the intellectual property rights licensed by us from the Licensor (LSBD) have reverted to the University of Newcastle. The Company is in early-stage discussions regarding the potential restructuring of future licensing of BPT and products with the University of Newcastle. A timeline for these discussions has not yet been established. |
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Highlights of Achievements and Developments
Our major highlights of achievements for the fiscal year 2024:
● | As of June 30, 2024, the Company had a cash balance of approximately $6.30 million after raising approximately $14.56 million throughout the fiscal year (after deducting fees, discounts, closing costs, and other expenses payable by the Company), through an underwritten public offering, a warrant inducement transaction, and a private placement of the Company’s securities.
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● | On June 28, 2024, the Company announced the successful completion of the in-clinic portion of its Pharmacokinetic (PK) study, a core component of the Company’s clinical study plan for its 510(k) pathway for clearance by the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). The Company expects to complete the full PK study in the third calendar quarter of 2024.
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● | On April 11, 2024, the Company announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Intelligent Fingerprinting Limited, had been granted a new European patent with unitary effect for its DSR-Plus Cartridge Reader, bringing the patent into effect in 17 European countries. | |
● | On February 28, 2024, the Company announced its partnership with Cliantha Research to perform a pharmacokinetic (PK) study as part of its FDA 510(k) clinical study plan. Initiating the clinical studies plan represented a critical milestone for the Company. | |
● | In December 2023, the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited the Company’s laboratory partner, Racing Analytical Services Limited (RASL), to perform its fingerprint confirmatory drug testing procedure. This accreditation serves as an independent benchmark for technical validation, demonstrating the Company’s commitment to product quality, safety, and reliability for its customers. |
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● | During the year, the Company announced new partnerships with Robinson Brothers, DGP Plc and James Jones & Sons, VKVP Haulage, State Road Constructions, Titan Cranes and Rigging Pty Ltd. and P&O Ferries. Additionally, the Company reported the successful completion of 25,000 Intelligent Fingerprinting tests by its existing customer, Auctus Management Group. Continued customer account growth demonstrates the strength of the Company’s proprietary fingerprint sweat-based technology in the market. The Company looks to continue this momentum and expand into new customer segments and geographical regions throughout the APAC Region, Europe, South America and the United Arab Emirates. | |
● | On October 24, 2023, the Company announced its expansion into the New Zealand market, expanding its global footprint and extending the reach of its drug screening product. Expansion into New Zealand demonstrates the Company’s ability to introduce its product in new markets. The Company aims to continue growth in new markets, offering an alternative and innovative solution that places a strong emphasis on operational efficiency, fitness for duty, employee privacy and dignity. | |
● | On October 4, 2023, the Company raised approximately $4.38 million, prior to deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and offering expenses, via a registered underwritten public offering of the Company’s securities. Net proceeds to the Company, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, were approximately $3.79 million. | |
● | On September 27, 2023, the Company announced that its Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening business had obtained recertification for the latest ISO 13485: 2016 harmonized quality management system standard for the medical device industry. The recertification took effect on October 14, 2023, and is valid for three years. ISO 13485:2016 is the international standard for medical devices quality management system certification and is a requirement for medical device manufacturers operating across key regions, including the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. | |
● | On September 21, 2023, the Company announced the successful debut of its Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System at the 2023 Workplace Health & Safety Show in Sydney, Australia. | |
● | On September 8, 2023, the Company announced the successful completion of a key development milestone in its plans to add ketamine and tramadol to its Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System. New assays for testing both drugs have passed the Company’s initial design phase and are ready for scale-up and transfer to manufacture in preparation for potential clinical trials. After completing these activities and successful clinical trials, the assays can be added to the panel of substances detected by the Company’s proprietary drug screening system. | |
● | On August 1, 2023, the Company announced that it had secured 8 new customers across various locations throughout Australia, which collectively employ over 10,000 individuals, within just two months of launching its Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System in Australia. | |
● | On July 6, 2023, the Company announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with Chile-based company TSCOM SPA for its Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System, increasing the product’s availability across South America. The Company further announced that it received its first order under this agreement, from a Chile-based electrical distribution company. |
Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System
The Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Intelligent Fingerprinting Limited (IFP), is the developer and owner of a proprietary and commercially available portable drug screening system designed to detect common drugs of abuse through fingerprint sweat. The Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System consists of a small, tamper-evident drug screening cartridge that collects ten fingerprint sweat samples, which are then analyzed in a portable handheld reader for precise on-screen results in minutes. This system eliminates the need for invasive urine, saliva, or blood collection to test for substance abuse. The ten samples are collected in under a minute before the portable analysis unit provides an on-screen result in under ten minutes. The system is currently designed to detect opioids, cocaine, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines, cannabis, methadone, and buprenorphine. In addition, samples collected via confirmatory kits can be sent to a third-party laboratory service provider for confirmation testing.
Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System Functionality
The Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System consists of single-use, tamper-evident Intelligent Fingerprinting Cartridges for sample collection and the portable Intelligent Fingerprinting DSR-Plus portable analysis unit. The Cartridge is inserted into a reader, and within 10 minutes, the results are displayed, with options to print and save anonymized data for further use.
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Results can also be downloaded to a computer and be used for, among other things, and to the extent legally permissible, integration with employee medical records or for general statistical analysis.
History and Background of the Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System
Founded in 2007, IFP is a spin-out company from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and is based in Cambridge, England. IFP developed and commercialized the patented Intelligent Fingerprinting DSR-Plus Reader and Cartridge system, which has been predominantly sold in the United Kingdom, mainland Europe and the Middle East. IFP continues to manufacture the cartridges for the Fingerprinting Drug Screening System in its factory in Cambridge, England.
Research and Development
The Company’s research and development (R&D) team collaborates with external specialist organizations across jurisdictions to conduct comprehensive R&D initiatives. These collaborative efforts are currently driven by the following primary objectives:
1. | Enhancing the Reader: This involves integrating wireless connectivity, data collection capabilities, and important system architecture improvements such as miniaturization, extended battery life, and a refined touch-screen interface for a seamless user experience. | |
2. | Expanding testing capabilities: The focus is on enabling the current cartridges to detect highly relevant substances in today’s pharmaceutical landscape, such as fentanyl and oxycodone. | |
3. | Exploring new tests in the medical point of care domain: This initiative aims to explore potential new tests within the medical point of care domain, resulting in a broader range of diagnostic tools for healthcare providers. |
To facilitate the expansion of point-of-care testing into additional areas of interest, such as tumor markers, hormones, and allergies, the core team will collaborate with external research specialists. This joint exploration aims to unlock the untapped potential applications of the existing lateral flow assay technology on which the Intelligent Fingerprinting Platform has been developed. By expanding the capabilities of this platform, the Company will be better equipped to address diverse diagnostic needs and contribute to improved patient outcomes.
Regulatory Matters
The Company’s R&D, manufacturing facilities and operations for drug screening products adhere to stringent quality criteria, complying with ISO 13485 for In Vitro Diagnostic Devices and Medical Devices, as well as ISO 9001. The Company has quality and regulatory oversight of sub-contracted reference laboratories, where its methodology is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), ensuring that the laboratory operates according to the ISO 17025 standard.
Australia: In December 2023, the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited the Company’s laboratory partner, Racing Analytical Services Limited (RASL), to perform its fingerprint confirmatory drug testing procedure. This accreditation serves as an independent benchmark for technical validation, demonstrating the Company’s commitment to product quality, safety, and reliability for its customers. This achievement positions INBS as a trusted and reliable partner, catering to the evolving compliance and safety needs of organizations across Asia-Pacific and beyond.
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United States of America: In February 2024, the Company entered into a partnership with Cliantha Research to conduct the pharmacokinetic (PK) study. In addition, the Company entered into agreement with CenExel in August 2024 to perform a method comparison clinical study. Both of these clinical studies form part of the Company’s FDA 510(k) clinical study plan and pathway for clearance by the FDA. Initiating the clinical studies plan represents a critical milestone and the Company believes it remains on track for planned submission by the end of 2024 and planned entry into the United States market in 2025.
Other Regions: Distributors in other countries and jurisdictions will be responsible for obtaining all necessary approvals within their respective territories.
Manufacturing
The equipment and facilities required to produce the Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening Cartridge and DSR-Plus Reader are in place at the Company’s manufacturing facility in Cambridge, UK, which is used for fabrication and quality control. The facility operates a Quality Management System that complies with the requirements of ISO 13486 for the design, development, manufacture, distribution, servicing and supply of devices and readers designed to screen for drugs of abuse using fingerprint diagnostic technology; design, development, manufacture, distribution, servicing and supply of devices for collection of fingerprint samples used to detect drugs of abuse; and the design, development, manufacture, distribution, servicing and supply of in vitro diagnostic kits for the detection of viral infection antigens in human saliva and anterior nares samples. The facility further operates a quality management system that complies with the requirements of ISO 9001 for the design, development, manufacture, distribution, servicing and supply of devices and readers designed to screen for drugs of abuse using fingerprint diagnostic technology and the design, development, manufacture, distribution, servicing, and supply of devices for collection of fingerprint samples used to detect drugs of abuse.
Distribution and Sales
The Company serves over 400 active customer accounts, primarily in the United Kingdom, with additional customers across various global locations. The Company intends to expand its account base by strengthening its presence in existing markets and, subject to receiving necessary regulatory approvals and clearances, venture into new regions. The Company plans to tailor its strategy to the targeted region, establishing direct sales and marketing teams or utilizing distribution networks. In some cases, a combination of these strategies may be appropriate.
Distributors: Through buy-sell agreements, distributors will purchase the IFP Products and resell them to customers. These distributors can be exclusive or non-exclusive, depending on the agreed arrangement. The Company plans to focus on distributors with existing customer networks in the drug screening segment and a proven track record in their territories. The Company also plans to utilize exclusive distributors who will be the sole providers within certain defined territories and will need to satisfy certain minimum quarterly purchase requirements.
United Kingdom: Our direct sales team consists of four sales representatives and a National Sales Manager under the direction of the Global Vice President of Sales. The team utilizes telemarketing leads and a variety of other inbound lead-generation tactics to connect with new businesses and schedule on-site and virtual product demonstrations. The UK team includes a Customer Experience Team that manages account relationships, product support, training and sales administration. New customer accounts are assigned to sales representatives based on geographic territories.
Australia: The Company utilizes a third-party sales agency under the direction of the Global Vice President of Sales. The agency’s primary area of focus is the east coast of Australia, comprising approximately 72% of the country’s population. The agency’s team utilizes their extensive network of existing contacts and relationships to introduce the IFP products through in-person demonstrations. The Company further intends to utilize distributor partnerships to cover regions such as Western Australia, South Australia, and more remote areas.
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United States: During the Company’s 510(k) premarket submission and subject to receiving appropriate approvals/ clearance from the FDA, the Company plans to appoint a dedicated distribution leader to spearhead market entry strategies by identifying and selecting distributors and partners. The Company plans to focus on identifying distributors and partners already operating within the U.S. drug screening market.
European Expansion: The Company plans to appoint a dedicated European representative to identify, negotiate, and sign distributor agreements and maximize sales in targeted territories.
Expanding into the Middle East and Africa (“MEA”): The Company’s Vice President of Global Sales and the dedicated European representative will initially manage MEA operations. Depending on market opportunities and sales volume, the Company may appoint a dedicated distribution leader for MEA operations at a later stage.
Market Analysis and Opportunity
The Drug Screening Market
The drug screening market encompasses various sectors, including workplaces, drug rehabilitation, drug testing labs, criminal justice, law enforcement, schools and colleges, pain management centers, the military, medical examiners, individual users, and sporting organizations. We intend to aggressively market IFP Products to different geographical regions outside the UK, with a focus on the industries and segments noted above.
Drug misuse is a global concern, and while the approach to this problem varies depending on the legal and regulatory landscape of each country, what remains constant is the need for regular testing, particularly in areas and industries of concern. Even in regions where certain drugs, such as cannabis, have been decriminalized (such as in various states across the United States, Canada, and Europe), social and workplace challenges persist relating to impairment, drug dependency and associated criminal activity, which increase the need for testing.
The Recreational Drug Industry
There are four principal categories of recreational drugs - analgesics, depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. Analgesics include narcotics like heroin, morphine, fentanyl, and codeine. Depressants include alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers, and nicotine. Stimulants include cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy (MDMA).
According to the World Drug Report 2023 (“WDR”) published by the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime, around 296 million people used drugs worldwide in 2021, a 23% increase over the previous decade. The WDR states that cannabis remains the world’s most-used drug, with 219 million users in 2021, representing 4% of the global population. The WDR also reports that opioids remain the most lethal group of drugs, accounting for two-thirds of drug-related deaths, with 60 million users in 2021. Additionally, according to the WDR, there were 36 million users of amphetamines, 22 million users of cocaine, and 20 million users of ecstasy in 2021. The WDR also reported that there were 39.5 million people with drug use disorders in 2021, an increase of 45% over the past ten years.
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Point of Care/Rapid Diagnostics Market
According to the MarketsandMarkets study, Point of Care/Rapid Diagnostics Market by Product, Platform, Purchase, Sample, User - Global Forecast to 2027, published in December 2022, the global market for Point of Care medical diagnostics was estimated to be $45.36bn in 2022, rising to $75.46bn in 2027 with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.7% from 2022 to 2027. According to the study, this market growth is expected to be driven by several factors, including the increasing prevalence of infectious diseases, supportive government policies, the rising demand for over the counter (OTC) and home-based POCT testing products, and technological advancements in diagnostic devices. The Company intends to develop pathways into areas of medical diagnostics utilizing existing technology and techniques to exploit a competitive advantage against traditional testing methodologies.
Intellectual Property
The following patents are owned by IFP.
Patent Families | ||||
Primary Patent Families - technologies that are either used in the commercial products or closely related to the commercial products. | ||||
Patent Numbers and Geographical Coverage | Description | Expiry | ||
UK (GB 2528657) Germany (via Europe) (DE 602015039916.1) France (via Europe) (EP(FR) 3172566) UK (via Europe) (EP(GB) 3172566) Netherlands (via Europe) (EP(NL) 3172566) Australia (AU 2015293652) Canada (CA 2956026) Japan (JP 6621462) US (US 15/328799) (Pending) |
The lateral flow – broad concept – is directed to a lateral flow strip that are being used in the commercial product | This family was filed in 2014 and is estimated to expire in 2034-2035. | ||
Germany (via Europe) (DE 602016018952.6) France (via Europe) (EP(FR) 3262413) UK (via Europe) (EP(GB) 3262413) Netherlands (via Europe) (EP(NL) 3262413) Australia (AU 2016225217) Canada (CA 2977891) China (CN ZL201680012388.4) Japan (JP 6694892) US (US 11150243) |
The lateral flow cartridge family- is directed to the lateral flow-based fingerprint cartridge used in the commercial product | This family was filed in 2015 and is estimated to expire in 2035-2036. | ||
UK (GB 2561165) Australia (AU 2018247080) European Unitary (EP 3600034) UK (via Europe) (EP 3600034) US (US 11227140) |
The confirmation cartridge family - is directed to the confirmation cartridge used in the commercial product | This family was filed in 2017 and is estimated to expire in 2037-2038. | ||
UK (GB 2592432) Australia (AU 2021225394) (Pending) European Unitary (EP 4111173) UK (via Europe (EP 4111173) US (US 17/904887) (Pending) |
The lateral flow test strip reader family - is directed to the DSR-Plus reader used in the commercial product | This family was filed in 2020 and is estimated to expire in 2040-2041. |
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Secondary / Tertiary Patent Families | ||||
UK (GB 2517737) Australia (AU 2014313919) US (US 10617397) |
The first cartridge family - is directed to a sample cartridge that is no longer being sold or used. | This family was filed in 2013 and is estimated to expire in 2033-2034. | ||
UK (GB 2520063) Germany (via Europe) (EP(DE) 3065640) France (via Europe) (EP(FR) 3065640) UK (via Europe) (EP(GB) 3065640) Netherlands (via Europe) (EP(NL) 3065640) Australia (AU 2014345356) Japan (JP 6568063) US (US 10254277) |
The microfluidics family - is directed to a reagent cartridge component that is not used in the commercial product. | This family was filed in 2006 and is estimated to expire in 2026-2027. | ||
UK (GB 2528654) Germany (via Europe) (DE 602015039053.9) France (via Europe) (EP(FR) 3171847) UK (via Europe) (EP(GB) 3171847) Netherlands (via Europe) (EP(NL) 3171847) Australia (AU 2015293654) US (US 10675222) |
The medication dispenser family - is directed to a reagent cartridge that is not used in the commercial product. | This family was filed in 2014 and is estimated to expire in 2034-2035. | ||
UK (GB 2552823) Europe (EP 17752467.5) (Pending) |
The project ridgeway family is directed to a waveguide device that is not used in the commercial product. | This family was filed in 2016 and is estimated to expire in 2036-2037. | ||
UK (GB 2570944) Europe (EP 19707068.3) (Pending) |
The ecosystem family is directed to a method for chemical analysis that is not used in the commercial product | This family was filed in 2019 and is estimated to expire in 2039. | ||
UK (GB 2570945) Europe (EP 19707069.1) (Pending) |
The project ridgeway with calibration family is directed to an improved waveguide device that is not used in the commercial product | This family was filed in 2018 and is estimated to expire in 2038-2039. | ||
UK (GB 2577237) | The project matchbox family is directed to a method for quantifying a skinprint that is not used in the commercial product. | This family was filed in 2018 and is estimated to expire in 2038. |
The patents listed above cover virtually all aspects of fingerprint diagnostics including chemistry, screening cartridge technology, collection cartridge technology, fingerprint quantitation, fingerprint controlled medication dispenser, lab testing of fingerprints, accessories, and lateral flow test strip reader.
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Competition
IFP has developed a Point of Care (POC) drug screening test system and a drug laboratory-based confirmation testing service. Both of these involve the collection of fingerprint sweat samples for analysis. For many years, competitor POC and confirmation tests relied on collecting either urine or oral fluid (saliva) samples. There are several competitive advantages of analyzing fingerprint sweat over urine and oral fluid drug testing:
1. | Non-Invasive sample collection: Fingerprint sweat can be collected within seconds from any location without needing trained specialists, gender-specific collectors or prepared collection areas. The sweat from the fingerprints is collected simply by pressing each finger onto a disposable sample collection cartridge for five seconds. In contrast, the collection of urine and oral fluid samples can take several hours and requires trained collectors. Collection areas must be specially prepared, and sample collection should be observed directly to avoid cheating tests. This is highly invasive, particularly in the case of urine. |
2. | Hygienic and non-biohazardous: Fingerprint sweat samples are non-biohazardous, so the screening and collection kit material can be disposed of in routine waste or recycled. Kits used to collect urine and saliva are a potential biohazard and must be treated as such – either incinerated or into landfill. |
3. | Accurate Results: The results of conventional urine and oral fluid POC drug screening tests require reading the test results by interpreting the presence or absence of colored test lines using the naked eye. Often these test lines are weak and difficult to see, leading to inaccuracy in reading the test result. In contrast, the results of the IFP screening test are provided automatically by the DSR-Plus reader unit, providing an unambiguous test result that does not require any user interpretation, increasing the accuracy of the test. |
The combination of these benefits shows that fingerprint drug testing provides a more cost-effective, less invasive and more dignified method when compared to urine and oral fluid-based tests.
The below table compares the IFP System to other drug testing systems:
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The IFP System eliminates the need for highly trained technicians or personal protective equipment, providing a non-invasive and objective testing experience. Its unique 16-hour detection window makes it ideal for assessing an individual’s fitness for work at the time of testing. Based on research commissioned by the Company, the system has the ability to achieve sensitivity and accuracy levels, as demonstrated by the performance characteristics in the table below.
The Company believes that the lateral flow assay technology used in the IFP Products has the potential to also deliver significant benefits in other areas of medical diagnostics. For example, the potential exists to use the technology to detect biomarkers of health and disease and provide non-invasive monitoring of therapeutic drug levels via fingerprint analysis. IFP is also researching a pipeline of development projects with the vision that fingerprint-based diagnostic tests could provide rapid health/disease triage and wellness tests, meeting the requirements of a post-COVID medical diagnostics world. The Company seeks to broaden development pathways into other areas of medical diagnostics utilizing existing technology and techniques to exploit a competitive advantage against traditional testing methodologies. Some examples of potential target assays are fentanyl and other opiate pain medications, epilepsy management medications, anti-psychotic medications, cortisol (stress marker for wellbeing determination), protein targets, diabetes markers (c-peptide, fructosamine, insulin and proinsulin), infectious diseases (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa), Lyme disease, dengue, measles and German measles) and food contamination / infection from animals (brucella, salmonella, proteus).
Biosensor Platform Technology
The Biosensor Platform Technology (BPT), or simply the “Biosensor Platform,” consists of a small, printable modified organic thin-film transistor strip that we license across the APAC Region from LSBD. The Biosensor Platform is designed to detect multiple biological analytes by substituting the top enzyme layer of the biosensor to suit each analyte. This platform technology has the potential to develop a range of Point of Care Tests (POCTs), including the modalities of clinical chemistry, immunology, tumor markers, allergens, and endocrinology.
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Technology License Agreements
We understand that following the appointment of a liquidator to Life Science Biosensor Diagnostics Pty Ltd, (LSBD), the intellectual property rights licensed by us from the Licensor have reverted to the University of Newcastle. The Company is in early-stage discussions regarding the potential restructuring of future licensing of BPT and products with the University of Newcastle. A timeline for these discussions has not yet been established. As the liquidation of LSBD has not been finalized, and the post-liquidation status of our licensing arrangements with LSBD has not been determined as of the date of this report, below is a description of our existing licensing arrangements with LSBD prior to the liquidation of LSBD.
We are party to following technology license agreements.
1. | The Amended and Restated License Agreement dated September 12, 2019, which amends and restates all previous license agreements (the “BPT License Agreement”) is limited to the APAC Region. | |
2. | The technology license agreement dated June 23, 2020 (the “COV2 License Agreement”), for COV2 diagnostic test globally. |
In addition to the above, we have a 50% equity interest in BiosensX (North America) Inc., which has a separate technology license agreement with the Licensor covering glucose/diabetes management field in the North America Territory.
BPT License Agreement
On September 12, 2019, we entered into an Amended and Restated Technology License Agreement, or the “BPT License Agreement,” with LSBD amending and restating all the previous BPT license agreements with LSBD. The BPT License Agreement sets forth our contractual rights and responsibilities relating to the Licensed Products in the APAC Region. The “Licensed Products” are products consisting of a biosensor strip and smart device application or dedicated reader device that use the biosensor technology owned by the Licensor relating to measuring, or otherwise determining, the amount or concentration of glucose, the existence of biological markers of cancer, allergy/immunology and hormones, in a bodily fluid. The Licensed Products only include products that are supplied by an authorized supplier. We do not currently intend to manufacture the Licensed Products in-house.
Pursuant to the BPT License Agreement, the Licensor granted to us an exclusive license to the Licensor’s proprietary rights to the biosensor technology used in the Licensed Products, solely in the APAC Region and solely to:
● | act as the authorized party for the purpose of prosecuting the application of, and obtaining any, regulatory approval for the Licensed Product, including being authorized to prosecute the approval for an investigational device required for the purpose of carrying out clinical studies; | |
● | manufacture, promote, market, import, offer, sell and distribute the Licensed Products; | |
● | provide reasonable customer support services on the use of the Licensed Products to end users of, and health care practitioners referring end users to, the Licensed Products; | |
● | use the Licensed Products only for the purposes identified and permitted pursuant to regulatory approval; and | |
● | collect data acquired from the Licensed Products. |
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The license is non-transferable, non-assignable and non-sublicensable, except that the Licensor will in good faith consider any request by us for any sublicense. We may not exploit or seek to exploit any rights in respect of the Licensed Product outside of the APAC Region through any means, including digitally or online where the end user is not physically resident in the APAC Region. We must do all things necessary in turn to ensure that any distributors of Licensed Products in the APAC Region do not exploit or seek to exploit any rights in respect of the Licensed Product outside of the distributor’s territorial boundary.
The BPT License Agreement requires, among other material provisions, that commencing after the receipt of regulatory approval in a jurisdiction, we will pay the Licensor a minimum royalty with respect to such jurisdiction for each year, in four equal quarterly instalments. The minimum royalty will be 13% of the projected net sales in such jurisdiction for each such year. The projected net sales will be an amount mutually agreed between us and the Licensor for the first such year. For each ensuing year after the first year, the projected net sales will be the number of certain licensed products sold in the prior year, as adjusted for the expected market growth and, for each year through the tenth year, as increased by up to an additional 7%. At the end of each quarter, if the quarterly instalment of the minimum royalty is less than the actual royalty (13% of the actual net sales of the licensed products for such quarter) in such jurisdiction, we will pay Licensor the difference between the quarterly instalment of the minimum royalty and the actual royalty. The royalty fee rate will be reduced from 13% to 3% upon the expiration of the patent portfolio covered by the BPT License Agreement.
There is no set expiration date for the BPT License Agreement. However, the exclusivity of the license granted under the BPT License Agreement runs until the expiration of the patent portfolio covered by the BPT License Agreement, which is currently until 2033. We expect that the patent portfolio will be extended as new patents are created throughout product development, thereby extending the exclusivity of the BPT License Agreement. For instance, we expect to seek additional patents in connection with the development of the Prostate Specific Antigen test, the Peanut Kernel Allergen test and the Luteinizing Hormone test. The BPT License Agreement may be terminated by us in the event of a material breach by the Licensor, if the Licensor does not cure the breach within 30 days after receiving notice of the breach; or in the event the Licensor discontinues its business operations or in the case of certain events related to insolvency or bankruptcy. The BPT License Agreement also may be terminated by us after July 3, 2029 upon 180 days’ prior written notice. The BPT License Agreement may not be terminated by the Licensor unless we permanently discontinue our business operations in relation to the Licensed Products, or if we dissolve or cease to exist.
After the expiration of the exclusivity period under the BPT License Agreement, we may continue to market and sell the Licensed Products. We believe the non-invasive nature of our product may establish us as a significant participant in the POCT testing market in the APAC Region and, therefore, by the time the patents expire, and by the time the exclusivity period under the BPT License Agreement expires, we expect to hold a meaningful share in the market, and brand awareness that will ensure we continue to operate successfully. No assurance can be given that there will not be significant direct competition for our products in the APAC Region following the expiration of patent protection.
COV2 License Agreement
On June 23, 2020, we entered into a COV2 License Agreement with LSBD. The COV2 License Agreement sets forth our contractual rights and responsibilities relating to the COV2 Products. The “COV2 Products” include: (i) a biosensor strip for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2; (ii) a proprietary smartphone application for the purpose reading, storing, analyzing and providing patient support programs for any one or more of the indicators for the purpose of measuring the amount or concentration of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA) specific to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); and/or (iii) a dedicated sensor strip reading device for any one or more of the indicators for the purpose of measuring the amount or concentration of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA) specific to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) The COV2 Products only include products that are supplied by an authorized supplier.
As a result of the significant global progress made in mitigating the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the significantly diminished demand for COVID-19 testing products, we have redirected our resources and efforts away from developing products related to COVID testing to instead acquire and develop drug testing and screening systems, notwithstanding the license held by us under the COV2 License Agreement.
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Pursuant to the COV2 License Agreement, the Licensor granted to us an exclusive license to the Licensor’s proprietary rights to the biosensor technology used in the COV2 Products, worldwide and solely to:
● | act as the authorized party for the purpose of prosecuting the application of, and obtaining any, regulatory approval for the COV2 Products, including being authorized to prosecute the approval for an investigational device required for the purpose of carrying out clinical studies; | |
● | manufacture, promote, market, import, offer, sell and distribute the COV2 Products; | |
● | provide reasonable customer support services on the use of the COV2 Products to end users of, and health care practitioners referring end users to, the COV2 Products; | |
● | use the COV2 Products only for the purposes identified and permitted pursuant to regulatory approval; and | |
● | collect data acquired from the COV2 Products. |
The license is non-transferable, non-assignable and non-sublicensable, except that the Licensor will in good faith consider any request by us for any sublicense.
Under the COV2 License Agreement, commencing after the receipt of regulatory approval in a jurisdiction, and the earning of revenue we will be required to pay the Licensor a minimum royalty fee with respect to such jurisdiction for each year, or the “COV2 Minimum Royalty,” in four equal quarterly installments. The COV2 Minimum Royalty will be 13% of the projected net sales in such jurisdiction for each such year. The projected net sales will be an amount mutually agreed between us and the Licensor for the first such year. For each ensuing year after the first year, the projected net sales will be the number of COV2 Products sold in such jurisdiction in the prior year, as adjusted for the mutually agreed expected market growth. In addition to the expected market growth, there will be an additional growth rate percentage of 7% for each year through the tenth year. In the event of a dispute between us and the Licensor regarding the determination of the expected market growth or the additional growth percentage, the COV2 License Agreement provides for resolution by an independent third party. At the end of each quarter, if the quarterly installment of the COV2 Minimum Royalty is less than 13% of the actual net sales of COV2 Products in such jurisdiction for such quarter, or the “COV2 Actual Royalty,” we will pay Licensor the difference between the quarterly installment of the COV2 Minimum Royalty and the COV2 Actual Royalty. The royalty fee rate will be reduced from 13% to 3% upon the expiration of the patent portfolio covered by the COV2 License Agreement.
As between us and the Licensor, the Licensor solely owns all right, title and interest to, among other items of intellectual property, the biosensor technology (including any improvements made to the biosensor technology by us), the anonymized data collected by us and any other technology of the Licensor, and all derivations based on, and all proprietary rights in, the foregoing. The Licensor will have the right to decide whether to protect or enforce, and the right to control any action relating to the protection and enforcement of, any of the foregoing intellectual property and proprietary rights.
There is no set expiration date for the COV2 License Agreement. However, the exclusivity of the license granted under the COV2 License Agreement runs until the expiration of the patent portfolio covered by the COV2 License Agreement, which is currently until 2033. We expect that the patent portfolio will be extended as new patents are created throughout product development, thereby extending the exclusivity of the COV2 License Agreement. The COV2 License Agreement may be terminated by us in the event of a material breach by the Licensor, if the Licensor does not cure the breach within 30 days after receiving notice of the breach; or in the event the Licensor discontinues its business operations or in the case of certain events related to insolvency or bankruptcy. The COV2 License Agreement also may be terminated by us at any time after the tenth anniversary of the COV2 License Agreement upon 180 days’ prior written notice.
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Intellectual Property
Our biosensor business is dependent on the proprietary biosensor technology we license from LSBD. The original patent application, which claims a priority date of March 2012, has been granted in the United States (9,766,199) and China (ZL201380022888.2). A second patent application for a different iteration of the device design has been filed with a priority date of June 2016 and is granted in the United States (10,978,653) and Australia (2016412541). A third patent application for a further iteration of the device has been filed with a priority date of May 15, 2018. Further patents may yet be issued based on all three applications.
The Chinese and the United States patents belong to the same patent family and relate to the same invention. The United States and Australian patents originating with the second application are similarly of the same patent family and relate to the same invention. The exact wording of the patent claims varies between countries.
The patents protect the following technological claims of the BPT: the architecture of a biofunctional organic thin film transistor device comprising a gate electrode, a dielectric layer, a partially organic semiconducting layer, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a substrate and an enzyme; the method for producing the organic thin film transistor device; and methods of using the device to detect glucose levels. A similar device with no dielectric layer. Further devices including a porous wicking layer to facilitate onset of device function.
Licensor is responsible for prosecuting these patent applications and file further applications, as appropriate, to protect the proprietary biosensor technologies, including improvements thereon, in the United States as well as in the APAC Region, and to take any necessary action to maintain and enforce its patent and other intellectual property rights. There can be no assurance, however, that the Licensor will take such actions, and under the License Agreement, we have no right to compel them to do so. If the Licensor elects not to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights, we would be permitted to take action to protect or enforce these rights in the APAC Region, but any such action would be at our cost and expense.
The Company intends to vigorously protect its intellectual property rights for any technologies owned through patents and copyrights, both in the United States and internationally. Additionally, the Company plans to leverage trade secrets, know-how, and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain its competitive position. The Company intends to protect its proprietary rights through a variety of methods, including confidentiality agreements and/or proprietary information agreements with suppliers, employees, consultants, independent contractors and other entities who may have access to proprietary information. The Company will generally require employees to assign patents and other intellectual property to it as a condition of employment. All consulting agreements will pre-emptively assign all new and improved intellectual property that arise during the term of the agreement to the Company. In addition, the Company may license additional technologies from the Licensor or third parties. Prior to any further acquisition or licensing of technology from a third party, the Company will evaluate the existing proprietary rights, its ability to obtain and protect these rights, and the likelihood or possibility of infringement upon competing rights of others.
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The issuance of a patent does not ensure that it is valid or enforceable. The term of individual patents depends upon the legal term of the patents in the countries where they are obtained. In most countries where the Company files patents, the patent term is 20 years from the earliest date of filing a non-provisional patent application. In the United States, a patent’s term may be shortened if a patent is terminally disclaimed over another patent or as a result of delays in patent prosecution by the patentee, and a patent’s term may be lengthened by patent term adjustment, which compensates a patentee for administrative delays by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in granting a patent.
Competition
The medical device industry is highly competitive, subject to rapid change, and significantly affected by new product introductions and other activities of industry participants. We face potential competition from major medical device companies worldwide, many of which have longer, more established operating histories and significantly greater financial, technical, marketing, sales, distribution, and other resources. Our overall competitive position depends upon several factors, including product performance and reliability, connectivity, manufacturing cost, and customer support.
Government Regulation
The Company operates in a highly regulated industry. Its current and future business has been and will continue to be subject to a variety of laws globally regarding quality, safety, efficacy, and governing, among other things, clinical evaluations, marketing authorization, commercial sales, and distribution of our products.
Internationally, various regulatory bodies monitor and supervise the administration of pharmaceutical products and medical devices and equipment. Their primary responsibilities include evaluating, registering and approving new drugs, generic drugs and imported drugs; approving and issuing permits for the manufacture, export and import of pharmaceutical products and medical appliances; approving the establishment of enterprises for pharmaceutical manufacture and distribution; formulating administrative rules and policies concerning the supervision and administration of food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals; and handling significant accidents involving these products.
The Company will be subject to numerous post-marketing regulatory requirements, which may include labelling regulations and medical device reporting regulations, and which may require it to report to different regulatory agencies if its device causes or contributes to a death or serious injury or malfunctions in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury. The Company may be subject to further regulations regarding import and export restrictions, tariff regulations, and duties and tax requirements. These regulatory requirements may change in the future.
The Company’s research, development and manufacturing operations, including its product assembly line in Cambridge, UK, involve the use of hazardous substances, and consequently, it is subject to a variety of foreign environmental laws and regulations relating to the storage, use, handling, generation, manufacture, treatment, discharge and disposal of hazardous substances. The Company’s products may also contain hazardous substances and they are subject to laws and regulations relating to labelling and to their sale, collection, recycling, treatment, storage, and disposal. Compliance with these laws and regulations may be expensive and noncompliance could result in substantial fines and penalties. Environmental laws and regulations also impose liability for the remediation of releases of hazardous substances into the environment and for personal injuries resulting from exposure to hazardous substances, and they can give rise to substantial remediation costs and to third-party claims, including for property damage and personal injury. Liability under environmental laws and regulations can be joint and several and without regard to fault or negligence, and they tend to become more stringent over time, imposing greater compliance costs and increased risks and penalties associated with violations.
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Human Capital
As of September 16, we have 11 full-time employees in Australia and 2 in the United States. Our subsidiary, IFP, has 37 employees in the United Kingdom.
Our team, including our employees, contractors, and collaborators, comprises multiple cross-functional units, including strategy, project management, technical engineering, manufacturing and supply chain, quality assurance, legal and compliance, regulatory affairs, clinical affairs, product management, marketing, systems engineering, human resources, IT, investor relations, and finance. Our team collectively possesses the experience and capabilities to build a robust medical technology company that develops next-generation non-invasive medical devices and solutions.
Available Information
Our website is at www.ibs.inc. We make available, free of charge, on our corporate website, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov. Information contained on our website does not, and shall not be deemed to, constitute part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our reference to the URL for our website is intended to be an inactive textual reference only.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.
Our business involves certain risks and uncertainties. The following is a description of significant risks that might cause our future financial condition or results of operations to differ materially from those expected. In addition to the risks and uncertainties described below, we may face other risks and uncertainties, some of which may be unknown to us and some of which we may deem immaterial. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. A summary of our risk factors is as follows:
Summary of Risk Factors
The summary below provides a non-exhaustive overview of the risks that if realized could materially harm our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. This summary is qualified by reference to the full set of risk factors set forth in this Item.
● | We may need to raise additional capital to fund our operations in the future. If we are unsuccessful in attracting new capital, we may not be able to continue operations or may be forced to sell assets to do so. Alternatively, capital may not be available to us on favorable terms, or at all. If available, financing terms may lead to significant dilution of our stockholders’ equity. |
● | Our independent registered public accounting firm has included an explanatory paragraph relating to our ability to continue as a going concern in its report on our audited financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. |
● | Neither we nor the Licensor have yet launched the BPT and the ability to do so will depend on the acceptance of the BPT in the global healthcare market. |
● | We have incurred significant losses since inception and continue to incur losses, and we may not be able to achieve significant revenues or profitability. |
● | We rely on third parties to perform certain confirmatory tests for our IFP Drug Screening System. |
● | We depend on a limited number of single-source suppliers to manufacture certain components of IFP Drug Screening System, which makes us vulnerable to supply shortages and price fluctuations that could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. |
● | Our results may be impacted by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. |
● | If we fail to retain marketing and sales personnel, or if we fail to increase our marketing and sales capabilities as we grow, or if we fail to develop broad awareness of our product in a cost-effective manner, we may not be able to generate revenue growth. |
● | The license agreement with the Licensor, which covers the license of the core technology used in our Biosensor Platform products, contains significant risks that may have a material adverse effect on us and our business, assets and prospects |
● | If the BPT fails to satisfy current or future customer requirements, we may be required to make significant expenditures to redesign the product candidate, and we may have insufficient resources to do so. |
● | We are yet to finalize the manufacturing plan for the production of the BPT on a mass market commercial scale, and may be dependent upon third-party manufacturers and suppliers, making us vulnerable to contractual relationships and market forces, supply problems and price fluctuations, which could harm our business. |
● | We expect to rely in part on third-party distributors to effectively distribute our products, if our distributors fail to effectively market and sell the BPT and IFP products in full compliance with applicable laws, our operating results and business may suffer. |
● | As we intend to conduct business internationally, we are susceptible to risks associated with international relationships, which could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition. |
● | If third-party payors do not provide coverage and reimbursement for the use of the BPT and IFP products, our business and prospects may be negatively impacted. |
● | Non-United States governments often impose price controls, which may adversely affect our profitability. |
● | The BPT and IFP Drug Screening System may contain undetected errors, which could limit our ability to provide our products and services and diminish the attractiveness of our service offerings. |
● | We will rely on the proper function, security and availability of our information technology systems and data to operate our business, and a breach, cyber-attack or other disruption to these systems or data could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, reputation or competitive position. |
● | If we are not able to attract and retain highly skilled managerial, scientific and technical personnel, we may not be able to implement our business model successfully. |
● | If we or our manufacturers fail to comply with applicable regulations, our proposed operations could be interrupted, and our operating results may be negatively impacted. |
● | We may be subject to healthcare laws and regulations which, if violated, could subject us to substantial penalties. |
● | Product liability suits, whether or not meritorious, could be brought against us due to an alleged defective product or for the misuse of the BPT and IFP Drug Screening System. |
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● | If we are found to have violated laws protecting the confidentiality of patient health information, we could be subject to penalties, which could increase our liabilities and harm our reputation or our business. |
● | The regulatory clearance/approval process which we may be required to navigate may be expensive, time-consuming, and uncertain and may prevent us from obtaining clearance for any product launch by the Company of the BPT and IFP products in certain jurisdiction or our any future product. |
● | Clinical data obtained subsequent to the implementation of the clinical evidence module may not meet the required objectives, which could delay, limit or prevent additional regulatory clearance or approval. |
● | We may be unable to complete required clinical evaluations, or we may experience significant delays in completing such clinical evaluations, which could prevent or significantly delay our targeted product launch timeframe and impair our business plan. |
● | We are subject to the risk of reliance on third parties to conduct our clinical evaluation work, their inability to comply with good clinical practice and relevant regulation could adversely affect the clinical development of our product candidates and harm our business. |
● | Our success will depend on our ability to obtain, maintain and protect our intellectual property rights. |
● | We are subject to risk related to the possibility of modifications to our rights to, or the Company’s ability to use, the Licensed Products in relation to the Biosensor Platform due to liquidation of the Licensor, which could materially and adversely affect the Company’s planned business, financial condition, and operating results. |
● | We depend on intellectual property licensed from the Licensor for our BPT related products, and any absence of legal effect of the license or dispute over the license would significantly harm our BPT related business. |
● | We will depend primarily on the Licensor to file, prosecute, maintain, defend and enforce intellectual property that we license from it and that is material to our business. |
● | We and the Licensor may be unable to protect or enforce the intellectual property rights licensed to us, which could impair our competitive position. |
● | We and where applicable, the Licensor of our products have limited foreign intellectual property rights and may not be able to protect those intellectual property rights, which means that we and/or Licensor may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions or from selling or importing products made using those inventions. |
● | We and the Licensor may be subject to claims challenging the invention of the intellectual property we license. |
● | Our products and operations are subject to extensive government regulation. If we fail to obtain and maintain necessary regulatory approvals current IFP products, or if approvals for future products and indications are delayed or not issued, it will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. |
● | Compliance with environmental laws and regulations could be expensive, and the failure to comply with these laws and regulations could subject us to significant liability. |
● | If we or our suppliers fail to comply The United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS), FDA’s Quality System Regulation (QSR) and CE (European Conformity) markings and other relevant regulations regulation, our manufacturing or distribution operations could be delayed or shut down and our revenue could suffer. |
● | If we or the Licensor fail to respond quickly to technological or other developments, our products may become uncompetitive and obsolete. |
● | Changes in the economic, political or social conditions or government policies in our target markets could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations. |
● | We may not be able to satisfy the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market in order to maintain the listing of our common stock. |
● | We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If our remediation of the material weaknesses is not effective, or if we experience additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our common stock. |
● | We are obligated to maintain a system of effective internal control over financial reporting. We may not complete our analysis of our internal control over financial reporting in a timely manner, or these internal controls may not be determined to be effective, which may harm investor confidence in our company and the value of our common stock. |
● | We are an emerging growth company and currently have limited accounting personnel and other supervisory resources. |
● | Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or products. |
● | The sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock and other securities convertible into or exercisable for our common stock, such as those securities sold in the October 2023 Offering, the Warrant Inducement Transaction and March 2024 Offerings, could depress the market price of our shares of common stock and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. |
● | If we are unable to achieve certain agreed milestones for the government grant we received, we may become liable to refund the grant we received. |
● | We may have difficulties integrating acquired businesses and as a result, our business, results of operations and/or financial condition may be materially adversely affected. |
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Risks Related to Our Business
We may need to raise additional capital to fund our operations in the future. If we are unsuccessful in attracting new capital, we may not be able to continue operations or may be forced to sell assets to do so. Alternatively, capital may not be available to us on favorable terms, or at all. If available, financing terms may lead to significant dilution of our stockholders’ equity.
We are not profitable and have had negative cash flow from operations since our inception. To fund our operations and to develop and commercialize our products (including the BPT and planned applications of IFP Drug Screening System), we have relied primarily on equity and some debt financing and government support income. The Company believes there is material risk that its cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2024, of $6,304,098 may be insufficient to allow the Company to fund its current operating plan through at least the next twelve months from the issuance of its audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2024. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least one year from the date these financial statements were issued. Accordingly, the Company may be required to raise additional funds during the next 12 months. However, there can be no assurance that when the Company requires additional financing, such financing will be available on terms which are favorable to the Company, or at all. If the Company is unable to raise additional funding to meet its working capital needs in the future, it will be forced to delay or reduce the scope of its research programs and/or limit or cease its operations. In addition, the Company may be unable to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business.
To obtain the additional capital necessary to fund our operations, we expect to finance our cash needs through public or private equity offerings, debt financing and/or other capital sources. Even if capital is available, it might be available only on unfavorable terms. Any additional equity or convertible debt financing into which we enter could be dilutive to our existing stockholders. Any future debt financing into which we enter may impose covenants upon us that restrict our operations, including limitations on our ability to incur liens or additional debt, pay dividends, repurchase our stock, make certain investments and engage in certain merger, consolidation or asset sale transactions. Any debt financing or additional equity that we raise may contain terms that are not favorable to us or our stockholders. If we raise additional funds through collaboration and licensing arrangements with third parties, we may need to relinquish rights to our technologies or our products or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. If access to sufficient capital is not available as and when needed, our business will be materially impaired and we may be required to cease operations, curtail one or more product development or commercialization programs, scale back or eliminate the development of business opportunities, or significantly reduce expenses, sell assets, seek a merger or joint venture partner, file for protection from creditors or liquidate all of our assets. Any of these factors could harm our operating results.
Our independent registered public accounting firm has included an explanatory paragraph relating to our ability to continue as a going concern in its report on our audited financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.
The report from our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended June 30, 2024, includes an explanatory paragraph stating that our losses from operations and required additional funding to finance our operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year after the date the financial statements are issued. If we are unable to obtain sufficient funding, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected, and we may be unable to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, we may have to liquidate our assets and may receive less than the value at which those assets are carried on our audited financial statements, and it is likely that investors will lose all or a part of their investment. If we seek additional financing to fund our business activities in the future and there remains substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, investors or other financing sources may be unwilling to provide additional funding to us on commercially reasonable terms or at all. There can be no assurance that the current operating plan will be achieved in the time frame anticipated by us, or that our cash resources will fund our operating plan for the period anticipated by the Company or that additional funding will be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all.
Neither we nor the Licensor have yet launched the BPT and the ability to do so will depend on the acceptance of the BPT in the global healthcare market.
Neither we nor the Licensor have yet launched the BPT or finalized its specific application, nor has it received regulatory approvals in any country or territory. We are faced with the risk that the BPT will not be accepted in their respective jurisdictions over competing products and that we will be unable to enter the marketplace or compete effectively. Factors that could affect our ability to establish the BPT include:
● | sales of the BPT products across their respective jurisdictions may be limited due to the complex nature of the healthcare system in each country and territory in the region, low average personal income, lack of patient cost reimbursement and pricing controls; | |
● | the development of products or devices which could result in a shift of customer preferences away from our device and services and significantly decrease revenue; | |
● | the increased use of improved diabetes drugs that could encourage certain diabetics to test less often, resulting in less usage of self-monitoring (saliva-based, blood-based or otherwise) test device for certain types of diabetics; |
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● | the challenges of developing (or acquiring externally developed) technology solutions that are adequate and competitive in meeting the requirements of next-generation design challenges; | |
● | the significant number of current competitors in the glucose monitoring market who have significantly greater brand recognition and more recognizable trademarks and who have established relationships with diabetes healthcare providers and payors; and | |
● | intense competition to attract acquisition targets, which may make it more difficult for us to acquire companies or technologies at an acceptable price or at all. |
We cannot assure you that the BPT will gain market acceptance. If the market for the BPT or any future test fails to develop, or develops more slowly than expected, or if any of the technology and standards supported by us do not achieve or sustain market acceptance, our business and operating results would be materially and adversely affected.
We are subject to the risks associated with new businesses generally.
We were formed in December 2016 as a new business with a plan to commercialize our licensed technology. Our limited operating history may not be adequate to enable you to fully assess our ability to develop and market the BPT and tests based on the Biosensor Platform, achieve market acceptance of the BPT and such other tests and respond to competition. Our efforts to date have related to the organization and formation of our company, strategic planning, product research and development and preparation for commencing regulatory trials. We acquired IFP in October 2022, which generates minimal revenue. Prior to the acquisition of IFP, the Company’s operations generated no revenue other than income classified as governmental support income received in connection with grants from the Australian Government. As at the date of this filing, the revenue generated from the sales of IFP products is not enough to cover our operational costs. Therefore, we are, and expect for the foreseeable future to be, subject to all the risks and uncertainties inherent in a new business focused on the development and sale of new medical devices and related software applications. As a result, we may be unable to further develop, obtain regulatory approval for, manufacture, market, sell and derive revenues from the BPT and the other products in our pipeline based on the Biosensor Platform, and our inability to do so would materially and adversely impact our business. In addition, we still must optimize many functions necessary to operate a business, including expanding our managerial, personnel and administrative structure, continuing product research and development, and assessing and commencing our marketing activities.
In addition, in connection with our recent acquisition of IFP, there are risks relating to the integration of IFP with the Company, including with regard to integrating technology, processes, information systems and other matters that can lead to challenges in economies of scale and leadership.
Accordingly, you should consider our prospects in light of the costs, uncertainties, delays and difficulties frequently encountered by companies that have not yet commercialized their products or services, particularly those in the medical device and digital health fields. In particular, potential investors should consider that there is a significant risk that we will not be able to:
● | implement or execute our current business plan, or that our business plan is sound; | |
● | maintain our management team and Board of Directors; | |
● | determine that the technologies that have been developed are commercially viable; | |
● | attract, enter into or maintain contracts with, and retain customers; and | |
● | raise any necessary additional funds in the capital markets or otherwise to effectuate our business plan. |
In the event that we do not successfully address these risks, our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
We have incurred significant losses since inception and continue to incur losses, and we may not be able to achieve significant revenues or profitability.
Since our inception, we have engaged primarily in development activities. We have financed our operations primarily through financing from the issuance of common stock, convertible preferred stock, convertible notes and the incurrence of debt and have incurred losses since inception, including a net loss of $10,631,720 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 and a net loss of $10,156,759 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. The unaudited pro-forma result was prepared as if we closed the IFP Acquisition (defined below) on July 1, 2021 (and including adjustments for amortization related to the valuation of acquired intangibles), we incurred a net loss of $11,873,274 for the fiscal year ended June 30 2023, and a net loss of $10,156,759 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. We do not know whether or when we will become profitable.
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Our ability to generate higher revenue and achieve profitability depends upon our ability, alone or with others, to complete the development process of our products, including regulatory approvals, and achieve substantial acceptance in the marketplace for our existing IFP products. We may be unable to achieve any or all of these goals.
We rely on third parties to perform certain confirmatory tests for our IFP Drug Screening System.
We rely on third-party service providers to analyze samples collected from our confirmatory kit of the IFP Drug Screening System. We contract with third-party laboratory service providers to perform confirmation testing on the samples collected. This service is critical and there are relatively few alternatives. These third-party service providers may be unwilling or unable to provide the necessary services reliably and at the levels we anticipate or that are required by the market. While these third-party service providers have generally met our demand for their services on a timely basis in the past, we cannot guarantee that they will in the future be able to meet our demand for their services or our service providers may decide in the future to discontinue or reduce the level of business they conduct with us. If we are required to change service providers for any reason, including due to any change in or termination of our relationships with these third parties, we may lose sales, experience delays, incur increased costs or otherwise experience impairment to our customer relationships. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to establish alternative relationships on similar terms, without delay or at all.
We depend on a limited number of single-source suppliers to manufacture certain components of IFP Drug Screening System, which makes us vulnerable to supply shortages and price fluctuations that could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We rely on single-source suppliers for certain components of our IFP Drug Screening System and materials for our other current products. These components and materials are critical and there are no or relatively few alternative sources of supply. These single-source suppliers may be unwilling or unable to supply the necessary materials and components or manufacture and assemble our products reliably and at the levels we anticipate or that are required by the market. While our suppliers have generally met our demand for their products and services on a timely basis in the past, we cannot guarantee that they will in the future be able to meet our demand for their products or our suppliers may decide in the future to discontinue or reduce the level of business they conduct with us. If we are required to change suppliers due to any change in or termination of our relationships with these third parties, or if our suppliers are unable to obtain the materials, they need to produce our products at consistent prices or at all, we may lose sales, experience manufacturing or other delays, incur increased costs or otherwise experience impairment to our customer relationships. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to establish alternative relationships on similar terms, without delay or at all.
Our results may be impacted by changes in foreign currency exchange rates.
A significant proportion of our sales are outside of the United States, and a majority of those are denominated in foreign currencies, which exposes us to foreign currency risks, including changes in currency exchange rates. We do not currently engage in any hedging transactions. If we are unable to address these risks and challenges effectively, our international operations may not be successful, and our business could be harmed.
If we fail to retain marketing and sales personnel, or if we fail to increase our marketing and sales capabilities as we grow, or if we fail to develop broad awareness of our product in a cost-effective manner, we may not be able to generate revenue growth.
We have limited experience marketing and selling our products. We currently primarily rely on our direct sales force to sell our products in targeted geographic regions and distributors in certain regions including the United Kingdom, and any failure to maintain and grow our direct sales force will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The members of our direct sales force are highly trained and possess substantial technical expertise, which we believe is critical in increasing adoption of our products. The members of our U.K. sales force are at-will employees. The loss of these personnel to competitors, or otherwise, will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we are unable to retain our direct sales force personnel or replace them with individuals of equivalent technical expertise and qualifications, or if we are unable to successfully install such technical expertise in replacement personnel, it may negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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In order to generate future growth, we plan to continue to expand and leverage our sales and marketing infrastructure to increase the number of customers. Identifying and recruiting qualified sales and marketing personnel and training them on our product, on applicable laws and regulations and on our internal policies and procedures requires significant time, expense and attention. It often takes several months or more before a sales representative is fully trained and productive. Our sales force may subject us to higher fixed costs than those of companies with competing techniques or products that utilize independent third parties, which could place us at a competitive disadvantage. It will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations if our efforts to expand and train our sales force do not generate a corresponding increase in revenue, and our higher fixed costs may slow our ability to reduce costs in the face of a sudden decline in demand for our products. Any failure to hire, develop and retain talented sales personnel, to achieve desired productivity levels in a reasonable period of time or timely reduce fixed costs, could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our ability to increase our customer base and achieve broader market acceptance of our product will depend to a significant extent on our ability to expand our marketing efforts. We plan to dedicate significant resources to our marketing programs, as we plan to further expand our geographical reach especially in the APAC Region and the North America region. It will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations if our marketing efforts and expenditure do not generate a corresponding increase in revenue. In addition, we believe that developing and maintaining broad awareness of our product in a cost-effective manner is critical to achieving broad acceptance of our product and expanding domestically and internationally.
Our results of operations will be materially harmed if we are unable to accurately forecast customer demand for our products and manage our inventory.
To ensure adequate inventory supply, we must forecast inventory needs and manufacture our products based on our estimates of future demand for our solution. Our ability to accurately forecast demand for our solution could be negatively affected by many factors, including our failure to accurately manage our expansion strategy, product introductions by competitors, an increase or decrease in customer demand for our products or products of our competitors, our failure to accurately forecast customer acceptance of new products, unanticipated changes in general market conditions or regulatory matters and weakening of economic conditions or consumer confidence in future economic conditions.
Inventory levels in excess of customer demand may result in inventory write-downs or write-offs, which would cause our gross margin to be adversely affected and could impair the strength of our brand. Conversely, if we underestimate customer demand for our products, our internal manufacturing team may not be able to deliver products to meet our requirements, and this could result in damage to our reputation and customer relationships. In addition, if we experience a significant increase in demand, additional supplies of raw materials or additional manufacturing capacity may not be available when required on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all, or suppliers may not be able to allocate sufficient capacity in order to meet our increased requirements, which will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We seek to maintain sufficient levels of inventory in order to protect ourselves from supply interruptions. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portion of our inventory will become obsolete or expire, which could have a material adverse effect on our earnings and cash flows due to the resulting costs associated with the inventory impairment charges and costs required to replace such inventory.
If our facilities become damaged or inoperable, we will be unable to continue to research, develop and supply our product which could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations until we are able to secure a new facility and rebuild our inventory.
We do not have redundant facilities. We perform substantially all of our manufacturing, research and development and back office activity for our IFP products in a single location at our Cambridge facility in the United Kingdom. We store our finished goods inventory at the same facility. Our facilities, equipment and inventory would be costly to replace and could require substantial lead time to repair or replace. The facilities could be harmed or rendered inoperable by natural or man-made disasters, including, but not limited to, earthquakes, flooding, fire and power outages, which may render it difficult or impossible for us to perform our research, development and commercialization activities for some period of time for IFP Drug Screening System. The inability to perform those activities, combined with the time it may take to rebuild our manufacturing capabilities, inventory of finished product, may result in the loss of customers or harm to our reputation. Although we possess insurance for damage to our property and the disruption of our business, this insurance may not be sufficient to cover all of our potential losses and this insurance may not continue to be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.
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Our ability to achieve profitability depends in part on maintaining or increasing our gross margins on product sales which we may not be able to achieve.
A number of factors may adversely impact our gross margins on product sales and services, including:
● | lower than expected manufacturing yields of high-cost components leading to increased manufacturing costs; | |
● | shortages of electric components resulting in higher prices or an inability to supply key parts; | |
● | low production volume which will result in high levels of overhead cost per unit of production; | |
● | the timing of revenue recognition and revenue deferrals; | |
● | increased material or labor costs; | |
● | increased service or warranty costs or the failure to reduce service or warranty costs; | |
● | increased price competition; | |
● | variation in the margins across products in a particular period; and | |
● | how well we execute on our strategic and operating plans. |
If we are unable to maintain or increase our gross margins on product sales, our results of operations could be adversely impacted, we may not achieve profitability and our stock price could decline.
The license agreement with the Licensor, which covers the license of the core technology used in our Biosensor Platform products, contains significant risks that may have a material adverse effect on us and our business, assets and prospects.
The Amended and Restated Technology License Agreement dated September 12, 2019, which amends and restates all previous license agreements (the “BPT License Agreement”) is limited to the APAC Region. We have no contractual rights to the intellectual property covered in the BPT License Agreement other than as expressly set forth therein. Our plans, business, prospects are substantially dependent on that intellectual property and subject to the limitations relating thereto as set forth in the BPT License Agreement:
● | The BPT license granted to us is limited in territorial scope. The Licensor granted us a license to its proprietary rights in the biosensor technology used in the products from Licensor (the “Licensed Products”) solely in the APAC Region, and primarily to act as authorized party for obtaining regulatory approval and to manufacture (subject to being approved as an Authorized Supplier by the Licensor) for use in the APAC Region, and to promote, market, import, offer, sell and distribute the Licensed Products in the APAC Region. We may not exploit or seek to exploit any rights in respect of the Licensed Product outside of the APAC Region through any means, including digitally or online where the end user is not physically resident in the APAC Region. Accordingly, to the extent that such users are prohibited, we will be unable to realize any commercialization from such users and ensure that such users do not do business with us, even as such commercialization and business might be appropriate, related, synergistic or enhanced by our operations. In addition, we may be responsible for costs and other liabilities that might arise to the extent that users outside the APAC Region obtain such access and may incur costs to comply with these prohibitions. Further, the non-coverage of digital or online use for users not physically in the APAC Region may constitute a material limitation on our ability to freely conduct business digitally, online or through any other medium that may reach outside of the APAC Region. This limitation may have a material adverse effect on our marketing, sales, operational and other business efforts. |
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● | After the receipt of regulatory approval in a jurisdiction, we may be required to pay the Minimum Royalty with respect to such jurisdiction regardless of the actual amount of sales by us of Licensed Products. Accordingly, although the Minimum Royalty is based on our projected sales in each such jurisdiction, and although the determination of the Minimum Royalty is subject to agreement between us and the Licensor as to certain parameters, as described elsewhere in this report, with disputes generally resolved by an independent third-party, we could be obligated to pay royalties even though we have generated no or limited revenue. Such payments could materially and adversely affect our profitability and could limit our investment in our business. | |
● | The Licensed Products include only products that are supplied by an Authorized Supplier. Accordingly, we will not have unfettered right to select our suppliers, regardless of whether an unauthorized supplier could provide products on better pricing, delivery, quality or other terms, thus potentially materially and adversely impacting those aspects of our business, economies, profitability and prospects. |
● | We are required to collect and anonymize demographic information about the end users of the Licensed Products, as well as data acquired from the Licensed Products. The data collection and retention may be expensive in cost, resources, legal and regulatory compliance and other ways, none of which costs can be quantified at this time. Further, changing regulations with respect to medical and similar such data may make such compliance beyond the scope of our capabilities. Any failure to comply may result in financial liability, as well as reputational harm. | |
● | The license is non-transferable, non-assignable and non-sublicensable, except that the Licensor will in good faith consider any request by us for any sublicense. The Licensor is not obligated to agree to any such sub-license. These restrictions may limit our flexibility to structure our operations in the most advantageous manner. | |
● | We must manufacture, promote, market, import, offer, sell, distribute and supply the Licensed Products in accordance with certain distribution requirements set forth in the License Agreement. For instance, we may not package the Licensed Products with other products, and we may deliver them only as supplied by an Authorized Supplier. Accordingly, the limitations imposed by the License Agreement may impact our ability to pursue certain marketing strategies and distribution channels, which may have a material adverse effect on us and our business, assets and prospects. | |
● | The Licensor may require any change to any Licensed Product by any Authorized Supplier and may make any change to any sales or promotional literature made available by the Licensor, provided that such changes do not affect any regulatory approvals we obtain. This right of the Licensor may create material expense for us, may be practically difficult to accomplish and may cause relationship, reputational and other adverse harm to us, our business and our prospects, without our having any control over these changes. Further, the Licensor is not liable for any of the costs to us of such changes. | |
● | We must file for, prosecute the application for, and obtain all regulatory approvals for each of the Licensed Products and all legal permits necessary for promoting, marketing, offering or selling each Licensed Product. The regulatory approval process can be expensive and time consuming, and there can be no assurances that we will be able to obtain or maintain any or all required permits. | |
● | Except with respect to the Licensor’s ownership of all intellectual property rights in respect of the licensed property and the non-infringement by our exercise of those rights, the Licensor provides no, and disclaims all, representations, warranties or covenants relating to the licensed intellectual property or any other matters under the License Agreement and in particular disclaims any fitness of the property for any purpose. These provisions limit our recourse in the event that the licensed intellectual property is flawed, defective, inadequate, incomplete, uncommercial, wrongly described or otherwise not useful for our purposes. We have not independently verified any of the technical, scientific, commercial, legal, medical or other circumstances or nature of the licensed intellectual property and therefore there can be no assurances that any of the foregoing risks have been reduced or eliminated. These provisions represent a significant risk of a material adverse impact on us, our business and our prospects. |
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We cannot accurately predict the volume or timing of any sales of any of our products, making the timing of any associated revenues uncertain and difficult to forecast.
We may face with lengthy and unpredictable customer evaluation and approval processes associated with the BPT and our other products. Consequently, we may incur substantial expenses and devote significant management effort and expense in developing customer adoption of our products, which may not result in revenue generation for those products. We must also obtain regulatory approvals for our products in the respective jurisdiction, which is subject to risk and potential delays, and may actually occur. The same risks apply to other tests we may develop based on the Biosensor Platform and planned tests from IFP Drug Screening System. As such, we cannot accurately predict the volume, if any, or timing of any future sales.
If the BPT fails to satisfy current or future customer requirements, we may be required to make significant expenditures to redesign the product candidate, and we may have insufficient resources to do so.
The BPT is being designed to address an existing marketplace and must comply with current and evolving customer requirements in order to gain market acceptance. There is a risk that the BPT will not meet anticipated customer requirements or desires. If we are required to redesign our products to address customer demands or otherwise modify our business model, we may incur significant unanticipated expenses and losses, and we may be left with insufficient resources to engage in such activities. If we are unable to redesign our products, develop new products or modify our business model to meet customer desires or any other customer requirements that may emerge, our operating results would be materially adversely affected, and our business might fail.
We are yet to finalize the manufacturing plan for the production of the BPT and its components on a mass market commercial scale, and may be dependent upon third-party manufacturers and suppliers, making us vulnerable to contractual relationships and market forces, supply shortages and problems and price fluctuations, which could harm our business.
While we have been using the facilities of Australian National Fabrication Facility to manufacture the BPT for clinical evaluation, we are yet to finalize the manufacturing plan for the production of the BPT and its components on a mass market commercial scale. We presently do not possess the manufacturing and processing capacity to meet the production requirements of consumer demand in a timely manner. Accordingly, we may rely on outsourcing the manufacturing of the BPT or its components. Our capacity to conduct clinical evaluation and launch our products in the market will depend in part on our ability or the ability of third-party manufacturers to provide our products on a large scale, at a competitive cost and in accordance with regulatory requirements. We cannot guarantee that we or our third-party manufacturers or suppliers will be able to provide the BPT and its components in mass-market quantities in a timely or cost-effective manner, or at all. Delays in providing or increasing production or processing capacity could result in additional expense or delays in our clinical evaluation, regulatory submissions and the market launch of our products. In addition, we or our third-party manufacturers or suppliers could make errors that could adversely affect the efficacy or safety of the BPT or cause delays in shipment. Any third-party party manufacturers or suppliers may encounter problems for a variety of reasons, including, for example, failure to follow specific protocols and procedures, failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, equipment malfunction and environmental factors, failure to properly conduct their own business affairs, and infringement of third-party intellectual property rights, any of which could delay or impede their ability to meet our requirements. Reliance on these third-party manufacturers or suppliers also subjects us to other risks where:
● | we may have difficulty locating and qualifying alternative manufacturers or suppliers; | |
● | switching manufacturers or suppliers may require product redesign and possibly submission to regulatory bodies, which could significantly impede or delay our commercial activities; | |
● | sole-source manufacturers or suppliers could fail to supply the BPT or components of the BPT; and | |
● | manufacturers or suppliers could encounter financial or other business hardships unrelated to us, interfering with their fulfilment of our orders and requirements. |
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We may not be able to quickly establish additional or alternative manufacturers or suppliers, if necessary, in part because we may need to undertake additional activities to establish such manufacturers or suppliers as required by the regulatory approval process. We potentially will rely on certain single-source manufacturers or suppliers, and to the extent we do so, these risks will be intensified. Any interruption or delay in obtaining products or components from our third-party manufacturers or suppliers, or shortages of products or components, could impair our ability to meet the demand of our customers and cause them to switch to competing products.
We expect to rely in part on third-party distributors to effectively distribute our products, if our distributors fail to effectively market and sell the BPT and IFP products in full compliance with applicable laws, our operating results and business may suffer.
We will depend in part on qualified distributors for the marketing and selling of our products. We will depend on these distributors’ efforts to market our products, yet we will be unable to control their efforts completely. While we entered into non-binding memoranda of understanding with two large distributors in China for the BPT, we have not yet executed any definitive distribution agreements in this regard and there can be no assurances that suitable distributors will be engaged on terms acceptable to us. These distributors typically would sell a variety of other, non-competing products that may limit the resources they dedicate to selling our products. In addition, we are unable to ensure that our distributors will comply with all applicable laws regarding the sale of our products. If our distributors fail to effectively market and sell our products in full compliance with applicable laws, our operating results and business may suffer. Recruiting and retaining qualified third-party distributors and training them in our technology and product offering will require significant time and resources. To develop and expand our distribution, we will be required to scale and improve our processes and procedures that support our distributors. Further, if our relationship with a successful distributor terminates, we may be unable to replace that distributor without disruption to our business. If we fail to develop or maintain positive relationships with our distributors, including in new markets, fail to manage, train or incentivize these distributors effectively, or fail to provide distributors with competitive products on attractive terms, or if these distributors are not successful in their sales efforts, we may not achieve or may have a reduction in revenue and our operating results, reputation and business would be harmed.
Failure in our conventional, online and digital marketing efforts could impact our ability to generate sales.
We intend to engage in conventional marketing strategies and also may utilize online and digital marketing in order to create awareness to the BPT and the IFP products. Our management believes that using a wide variety of marketing strategies, including online advertisement and a variety of other pay-for-performance methods may be effective for marketing and generating sales of the BPT and the IFP products, as opposed to relying exclusively on traditional, expensive retail channels. In any event, there is a risk that any or all of our marketing strategies could fail. We cannot predict whether the use of traditional and/or non-traditional retail sales tools, in combination with reliance on healthcare providers to educate our customers about the BPT and the IFP products, will be successful in effectively marketing the BPT and the IFP products. The failure of our marketing efforts could negatively impact our ability to generate sales.
As we intend to conduct business internationally, we are susceptible to risks associated with international relationships, which could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
We are based in the United States, and expect to market, promote and sell our products globally. The international nature of our business requires significant management attention, which could negatively affect our business if it diverts their attention from their other responsibilities. In addition, doing business with foreign customers subjects us to additional risks that companies do not generally face if they operate exclusively within a single jurisdiction. These risks and uncertainties include:
● | different regulatory requirements for medical product approvals in foreign countries; | |
● | different standards of care in various countries that could complicate the evaluation of our product candidates; | |
● | different medical product import and export rules; | |
● | different labor laws; | |
● | reduced protection for intellectual property rights in certain countries; | |
● | unexpected changes in tariffs, trade barriers and regulatory requirements; | |
● | different reimbursement systems and different competitive medical products indicated for glucose testing; |
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● | localization of products and services, including translation of foreign languages; | |
● | delivery, logistics and storage costs; | |
● | longer accounts receivable payment cycles and difficulties in collecting accounts receivable; | |
● | difficulties providing customer services; | |
● | economic weakness, including inflation, or political instability in particular foreign economies and markets; | |
● | compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labor laws for employees living or traveling abroad; | |
● | compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or the “FCPA,” and other anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws; | |
● | foreign taxes, including withholding of payroll taxes; | |
● | foreign currency fluctuations, which could result in increased operating expenses and reduced revenues, and other obligations incident to doing business in another country; | |
● | restrictions on the repatriation of earnings; | |
● | workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the United States; | |
● | potential liability resulting from development work conducted by third-party foreign distributors; and | |
● | business interruptions resulting from geopolitical actions, including war and terrorism, or natural disasters, management, communication, and integration problems resulting from cultural differences and geographic dispersion. |
The occurrence of any or all of these risks could adversely affect our business. In the event that we are unable to manage the complications associated with international operations, our results of operations, financial condition and business prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
If third-party payors do not provide coverage and reimbursement for the use of the BPT and IFP products, our business and prospects may be negatively impacted.
Third-party payors, whether governmental or commercial, are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling healthcare costs. In addition, in certain countries, no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for medical device products and services exists among third-party payors. Therefore, coverage and reimbursement for medical device products and services can differ significantly from payor to payor. In addition, payors continually review new technologies for possible coverage and can, without notice, deny coverage for these new products and procedures. As a result, the coverage determination process is often a time-consuming and costly process that will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our products to each payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be obtained or maintained if obtained. Reimbursement systems in international markets vary significantly by country and by region within some countries, and reimbursement approvals must be obtained on a country-by-country basis. In many international markets, a product must be approved for reimbursement before it can be approved for sale in that country. Further, many international markets have government-managed healthcare systems that control reimbursement for new devices and procedures. For example, no government in the areas where we hold our license has approved reimbursement of the BPT or the IFP Drug Screening System. If sufficient coverage and reimbursement is not available for our current or future products, in any country where our license operates, the demand for our products and our revenues will be adversely affected.
Non-United States governments often impose strict price controls, which may adversely affect our future profitability.
We intend to seek approval to market the BPT across the APAC Region and expand IFP products offerings in the APAC region. If we obtain approval for BPT in one or more of the jurisdictions within our License Agreement, we will be subject to rules and regulations in those jurisdictions relating to our products. In some countries, pricing may be subject to governmental control under certain circumstances, which may vary country by country. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after the receipt of requisite marketing approval. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical evaluation that compares the cost-effectiveness of our product to other available products. If reimbursement of our products or product candidates is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, we may be unable to achieve or sustain profitability. Price controls may reduce prices to levels significantly below those that would prevail in less regulated markets or limit the volume of products which may be sold, either of which may have a material and adverse effect on potential revenues from sales of the BPT and IFP products. Moreover, the process and timing for the implementation of price restrictions is unpredictable, which may cause potential revenues from the sales of the BPT and IFP products to fluctuate from period to period.
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The BPT and IFP Drug Screening System, including its software and systems, may contain undetected errors, which could limit our ability to provide our products and services and diminish the attractiveness of our service offerings.
The BPT and IFP Drug Screening System may contain undetected errors, defects or bugs. As a result, our customers or end users may discover errors or defects in our products, software or systems, or our products, software or systems may not operate as expected. We may discover significant errors or defects in the future that we may not be able to fix. Our inability to fix any of those errors could limit our ability to provide our products and services, impair the reputation of our brand and diminish the attractiveness of our product and service offerings to our customers. In addition, we may utilize third-party technology or components in our products, and we rely on those third parties to provide support services to us. The existence of errors, defects or bugs in third-party technology or components, or the failure of those third parties to provide necessary support services to us, could materially adversely impact our business.
We will rely on the proper function, security and availability of our information technology systems and data to operate our business, and a breach, cyber-attack or other disruption to these systems or data could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, reputation or competitive position.
We will depend on sophisticated software and other information technology systems to operate our business, including to process, transmit and store sensitive data, and our products and services will include information technology systems that collect data regarding patients. We could experience attempted or actual interference with the integrity of, and interruptions in, our technology systems, as well as data breaches, such as cyber-attacks, malicious intrusions, breakdowns, interference with the integrity of our products and data or other significant disruptions. Furthermore, we may rely on third-party vendors to supply and/or support certain aspects of our information technology systems. These third-party systems could also become vulnerable to cyber-attack, malicious intrusions, breakdowns, interference or other significant disruptions, and may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that could result in system disruption or compromise the information security of our own systems. Our international operations mean that we are subject to laws and regulations, including data protection and cybersecurity laws and regulations, in many jurisdictions. Furthermore, there has been a developing trend of civil lawsuits and class actions relating to breaches of consumer data held by large companies or incidents arising from other cyber-attacks. Any data security breaches, cyber-attacks, malicious intrusions or significant disruptions could result in actions by regulatory bodies and/or civil litigation, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, reputation or competitive position. In addition, our information technology systems require an ongoing commitment of significant resources to maintain, protect, and enhance existing systems and develop new systems to keep pace with continuing changes in information processing technology, evolving legal and regulatory standards, the increasing need to protect patient and customer information, changes in the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to data and information systems, and the information technology needs associated any new products and services. There can be no assurance that our process of consolidating, protecting, upgrading and expanding our systems and capabilities, continuing to build security into the design of our products, and developing new systems to keep pace with continuing changes in information processing technology will be successful or that additional systems issues will not arise in the future. If our information technology systems, products or services or sensitive data are compromised, patients or employees could be exposed to financial or medical identity theft or suffer a loss of product functionality, and we could lose existing customers, have difficulty attracting new customers, have difficulty preventing, detecting, and controlling fraud, be exposed to the loss or misuse of confidential information, have disputes with customers, physicians, and other health care professionals, suffer regulatory sanctions or penalties, experience increases in operating expenses or an impairment in our ability to conduct our operations, incur expenses or lose revenues as a result of a data privacy breach, product failure, information technology outages or disruptions, or suffer other adverse consequences including lawsuits or other legal action and damage to our reputation.
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Our future performance will depend on the continued engagement of key members of our management team, and the loss of one or more of the key members of our management team could have a negative impact on our business.
Our future performance depends to a large extent on the continued services of members of our current management including, in particular, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. In the event that we lose the continued services of such key personnel for any reason, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and prospects.
If we are not able to attract and retain highly skilled managerial, scientific and technical personnel, we may not be able to implement our business model successfully.
We believe that our management team must be able to act decisively to apply and adapt our business model in the markets in which we will compete. In addition, we will rely upon technical and scientific employees or third-party contractors to effectively establish, manage and grow our business. Consequently, we believe that our future viability will depend largely on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled managerial, sales, scientific and technical personnel. In order to do so, we may need to pay higher compensation or fees to our employees or consultants than we currently expect, and such higher compensation payments would have a negative effect on our operating results. Competition for experienced, high-quality personnel is intense and we cannot assure that we will be able to recruit and retain such personnel. We may not be able to hire or retain the necessary personnel to implement our business strategy. Our failure to hire and retain such personnel could impair our ability to develop new products and manage our business effectively.
If we or our manufacturers fail to comply with applicable regulations, our proposed operations could be interrupted, and our operating results may be negatively impacted.
We and any third-party manufacturers and suppliers of ours will be required, to the extent of applicable regulation, to follow the quality system regulations of each jurisdiction we will seek to penetrate and also will be subject to the regulations of these jurisdictions regarding the manufacturing processes. If we or any third-party manufacturers or suppliers of ours are found to be in significant non-compliance or fail to take satisfactory corrective action in response to adverse regulatory findings in this regard, regulatory agencies could take enforcement actions against us and such manufacturers or suppliers, which could impair or prevent our ability to produce our products in a cost-effective and timely manner in order to meet customers’ demands. Accordingly, our operating results would suffer.
We may be subject to healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations which, if violated, could subject us to substantial penalties. Additionally, any challenge to or investigation into our practices under these laws could cause adverse publicity and be costly to respond to, and thus could harm our business.
There are numerous U.S. federal and state, as well as foreign, laws pertaining to healthcare fraud and abuse, including anti-kickback, false claims and transparency laws. Many international healthcare laws and regulations apply to the BPT businesses and medical devices. We will be subject to certain regulations regarding commercial practices false claims. The federal civil and criminal false claims laws, including the federal civil False Claims Act, which prohibit, among other things, individuals, or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, claims for payment from Medicare, Medicaid or other federal healthcare programs that are false or fraudulent. Private individuals can bring False Claims Act “qui tam” actions, on behalf of the government and such individuals, commonly known as “whistleblowers,” may share in amounts paid by the entity to the government in fines or settlement. When an entity is determined to have violated the federal civil False Claims Act, the government may impose substantial penalties plus three times the amount of damages which the government sustains because of the submission of a false claim, and exclude the entity from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs.
If our operations or arrangements are found to be in violation of governmental regulations, we may be subject to civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines and the curtailment of our operations. All of these penalties could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results.
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Product liability suits, whether or not meritorious, could be brought against us due to an alleged defective product or for the misuse of the BPT and IFP Drug Screening System. These suits could result in expensive and time-consuming litigation, payment of substantial damages, and an increase in our insurance rates.
If the BPT and IFP Drug Screening System or any future diagnostic test based on the Biosensor Platform or IFP Drug Screening System is defectively designed or manufactured, contains defective components or is misused, or if someone claims any of the foregoing, whether or not meritorious, we may become subject to substantial and costly litigation. Misusing our devices or failing to adhere to the operating guidelines or our devices producing inaccurate meter readings could cause significant harm to patients, including death. In addition, if our operating guidelines are found to be inadequate, we may be subject to liability. Product liability claims could divert management’s attention from our core business, be expensive to defend and result in sizable damage awards against us. While we expect to maintain product liability insurance, we may not have sufficient insurance coverage for all future claims. Any product liability claims brought against us, with or without merit, could increase our product liability insurance rates or prevent us from securing continuing coverage, could harm our reputation in the industry and could reduce revenue. Product liability claims in excess of our insurance coverage would be paid out of cash reserves harming our financial condition and adversely affecting our results of operations.
If we are found to have violated laws protecting the confidentiality of patient health information, we could be subject to penalties, which could increase our liabilities and harm our reputation or our business.
Part of our business plan includes the storage and potential monetization of data of users of the BPT. There are several laws around the world protecting the confidentiality of certain patient health information, including patient records, and restricting the use and disclosure of that protected information. Privacy rules protect medical records and other personal health information by limiting their use and disclosure, giving individuals the right to access, amend and seek accounting of their own health information and limiting most use and disclosures of health information to the minimum amount reasonably necessary to accomplish the intended purpose. We may face difficulties in holding such information in compliance with applicable law. If we are found to be in violation of the privacy rules, we could be subject to civil or criminal penalties, which could increase our liabilities, harm our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We could be party to litigation or other legal proceedings that could adversely affect our business, results of operations and reputation.
We may be subject to litigation and other legal proceedings that may adversely affect our business. These legal proceedings may involve claims brought by employees, government agencies, suppliers, shareholders or others through private actions, class actions, administrative proceedings, regulatory actions, or other litigation. These legal proceedings may involve allegations of illegal, unfair or inconsistent employment practices, including wage and hour, employment of minors, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and vacation and family leave laws; data security or privacy breaches; violation of the federal securities laws or other concerns.
We could be involved in litigation and legal proceedings in the future. Even if the allegations against us in future legal matters are unfounded or we ultimately are not held liable, the costs to defend ourselves may be significant and the litigation may subject us to substantial settlements, fines, penalties or judgments against us and may consume management’s bandwidth and attention, some or all of which may negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations. Litigation also may generate negative publicity, regardless of whether the allegations are valid, or we ultimately are liable, which could damage our reputation, and adversely impact our sales and our relationship with our employees, clients, and guests.
Risks Related to Product Development and Regulatory Approval
The regulatory clearance/approval process which we may be required to navigate may be expensive, time-consuming, and uncertain and may prevent us from obtaining clearance for any product launch by the Company of the BPT and IFP products in certain jurisdiction or our any future product.
The Company intends to market the BPT following regulatory clearance or approval. The IFP products may require regulatory clearance or approval in certain jurisdictions to market. The Company has commenced its 510(k) studies and documentation for entry into United States markets that require FDA clearance. The Company currently sells IFP products throughout parts of Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, the Middle East and North America, specifically the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, Nepal, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Canada.
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The research, design, testing, manufacturing, labelling, selling, marketing and distribution of medical devices are subject to extensive regulation by country-specific regulatory authorities, which regulations differ from country to country. There can be no assurance that, even after such time and expenditures, we will be able to obtain necessary regulatory clearance or approvals for clinical testing or for the manufacturing or marketing of any products. In addition, during the regulatory process, other companies may develop other technologies with the same intended use as our products. We also will be subject to numerous post-marketing regulatory requirements, which may include labelling regulations and medical device reporting regulations, which may require us to report to different regulatory agencies if our device causes or contributes to a death or serious injury, or malfunctions in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury. In addition, these regulatory requirements may change in the future in a way that adversely affects us. If we fail to comply with present or future regulatory requirements that are applicable to us, we may be subject to enforcement action by regulatory agencies, which may include, among others, any of the following sanctions:
● | untitled letters, warning letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties; | |
● | customer notification, or orders for repair, replacement or refunds; | |
● | voluntary or mandatory recall or seizure of our current or future products; | |
● | imposing operating restrictions, suspension or shutdown of production; | |
● | refusing our requests for clearance or pre-market approval of new products, new intended uses or modifications to the BPT, IFP products or future products; | |
● | rescinding clearance or suspending or withdrawing pre-market approvals that have already been granted; and | |
● | criminal prosecution. |
The occurrence of any of these events may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Clinical data obtained subsequent to the implementation of the clinical evidence module may not meet the required objectives, which could delay, limit or prevent additional regulatory clearance or approval.
There can be no assurance that we will successfully complete any clinical evaluations necessary to receive regulatory clearance or approvals. The preliminary results that are indicative of the potential performance of the BPT, data already obtained, or to be obtained in future, from clinical studies do not necessarily predict the results that will be obtained from later clinical evaluations.
We market IFP products as a screening device. The clinical studies undertaken to date may not meet the requirements of certain regulatory bodies for us to market in those jurisdictions. The failure to adequately demonstrate the analytical performance characteristics of the device under development could delay or prevent regulatory clearance or approval of the device, which could prevent or result in delays to market launch and could materially harm our business. There can be no assurance that we will be able to receive approval for any potential applications of our principal technology, or that we will receive regulatory clearances from targeted regions or countries.
We may be unable to complete required clinical evaluations, or we may experience significant delays in completing such clinical evaluations, which could prevent or significantly delay our targeted product launch timeframe and impair our business plan.
The completion of any future clinical evaluations for the BPT and IFP products, or other studies that we may be required to undertake in the future for the BPT and IFP Drug Screening System could be delayed, suspended or terminated for several reasons, including:
● | we may fail to or be unable to conduct the clinical evaluation in accordance with regulatory requirements; | |
● | sites participating in the trial may drop out of the trial, which may require us to engage new sites for an expansion of the number of sites that are permitted to be involved in the trial; | |
● | patients may not enroll in, remain in or complete, the clinical evaluation at the rates we expect; and | |
● | clinical investigators may not perform our clinical evaluation on our anticipated schedule or consistent with the clinical evaluation protocol and good clinical practices. |
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If our clinical evaluations are delayed it will take us longer to ultimately launch the BPT, IFP and other products in the relevant markets requiring regulatory approval and generate revenues. Moreover, our development costs will increase if we have material delays in our clinical evaluation or if we need to perform more or larger clinical evaluations than planned.
We are subject to the risk of reliance on third parties to conduct our clinical evaluation work, their inability to comply with good clinical practice and relevant regulation could adversely affect the clinical development of our product candidates and harm our business.
We will depend on independent clinical investigators to conduct our clinical evaluations. Contract research organizations may also assist us in the collection and analysis of data. These investigators and contract research organizations will not be our employees and we will not be able to control, other than by contract, the amount of resources, including time that they devote to products that we develop. If independent investigators fail to devote sufficient resources to our clinical evaluations, or if their performance is substandard, it will delay the approval or clearance and ultimately the market launch of any products that we develop. Further, regulatory bodies require that we comply with standards, commonly referred to as good clinical practice, for conducting, recording and reporting clinical evaluations to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of trial subjects are protected. If our independent clinical investigators and contract research organizations fail to comply with good clinical practice, the results of our clinical evaluations could be called into question and the clinical development of our product candidates could be delayed. Failure of clinical investigators or contract research organizations to meet their obligations to us or comply with applicable regulations could adversely affect the clinical development of our product candidates and harm our business. Moreover, we intend to have several clinical evaluations in order to support our marketing efforts and business development purposes. Such clinical evaluations will be conducted by third parties as well. Failure of such clinical evaluations to meet their primary endpoints could adversely affect our marketing efforts.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
Our success will depend on our ability to obtain, maintain and protect our intellectual property rights.
In order to remain competitive, we must develop, maintain and protect the proprietary aspects of our brands, technologies and data. We rely on a combination of contractual provisions, confidentiality procedures and patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret and other intellectual property laws to protect the proprietary aspects of our brands, technologies and data. These legal measures afford only limited protection, and competitors or others may gain access to or use our intellectual property and proprietary information. Our success will depend, in part, on preserving our trade secrets, maintaining the security of our data and know-how and obtaining and maintaining other intellectual property rights by us. We may not be able to obtain or maintain intellectual property or other proprietary rights necessary to our business or in a form that provides us with a competitive advantage.
In addition, our trade secrets, data and know-how could be subject to unauthorized use, misappropriation, or disclosure to unauthorized parties, despite our efforts to enter into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, clients and other vendors who have access to such information and could otherwise become known or be independently discovered by third parties. Our intellectual property, including trademarks, could be challenged, invalidated, infringed, and circumvented by third parties, and our trademarks could also be diluted, declared generic or found to be infringing on other marks. If any of the foregoing occurs, we could be forced to re-brand our products, resulting in loss of brand recognition and requiring us to devote resources to advertising and marketing new brands, and suffer other competitive harm. Third parties may also adopt trademarks similar to ours, which could harm our brand identity and lead to market confusion. Failure to obtain and maintain intellectual property rights necessary to our business and failure to protect, monitor and control the use of our intellectual property rights could negatively impact our ability to compete and cause us to incur significant expenses. The intellectual property laws and other statutory and contractual arrangements in the United States and other jurisdictions we depend upon may not provide sufficient protection in the future to prevent the infringement, use, violation or misappropriation of our trademarks, data, technology and other intellectual property and services, and may not provide an adequate remedy if our intellectual property rights are infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated.
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We rely, in part, on our ability to obtain, maintain, expand, enforce, and defend the scope of our intellectual property portfolio or other proprietary rights, including the amount and timing of any payments we may be required to make in connection to the filing, defence and enforcement of any patents or other intellectual property rights. The process of applying for and obtaining a patent is expensive, time consuming and complex, and we may not be able to file, prosecute, maintain, enforce all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost, in a timely manner, or in all jurisdictions where protection may be commercially advantageous, or we may not be able to protect our proprietary rights at all. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may be able to obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary. In addition, the issuance of a patent does not ensure that it is valid or enforceable, so even if we obtain patents, they may not be valid or enforceable against third parties. Our patent applications may not result in issued patents and our patents may not be sufficiently broad to protect our technology.
The degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain, and we cannot ensure that:
● | any of our patents, or any of our pending patent applications, if issued, will include claims having a scope sufficient to protect our products; | |
● | any of our pending patent applications will issue as patents; | |
● | we will be able to successfully commercialize our products on a substantial scale, if approved, before our relevant patents we may have expire; | |
● | we were the first to make the inventions covered by each of our patents and pending patent applications; | |
● | we were the first to file patent applications for these inventions; | |
● | others will not develop similar or alternative technologies that do not infringe our patents; any of our patents will be found to ultimately be valid and enforceable; | |
● | any patents issued to us will provide a basis for an exclusive market for our commercially viable products, will provide us with any competitive advantages or will not be challenged by third parties; | |
● | we will develop additional proprietary technologies or products that are separately patentable; or | |
● | our commercial activities or products will not infringe upon the patents of others. |
Moreover, even if we are able to obtain patent protection, such patent protection may be of insufficient scope to achieve our business objectives. Issued patents may be challenged, narrowed, invalidated or circumvented. Decisions by courts and governmental patent agencies may introduce uncertainty in the enforceability or scope of patents owned by or licensed to us. Furthermore, the issuance of a patent does not give us the right to practice the patented invention. Third parties may have blocking patents that could prevent us from marketing our own products and practicing our own technology. Alternatively, third parties may seek approval to market their own products similar to or otherwise competitive with our products. In these circumstances, we may need to defend or assert our patents, including by filing lawsuits alleging patent infringement. In any of these types of proceedings, a court or agency with jurisdiction may find our patents invalid, unenforceable or not infringed; competitors may then be able to market products and use manufacturing and analytical processes that are substantially similar to ours. Even if we have valid and enforceable patents, these patents still may not provide protection against competing products or processes sufficient to achieve our business objectives.
Obtaining and maintaining patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”) and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. In addition, periodic maintenance fees on issued patents often must be paid to the USPTO and foreign patent agencies over the lifetime of the patent. While an unintentional lapse can in many cases be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules, there are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. Non-compliance events that could result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application include, but are not limited to, failure to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non-payment of fees and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. If we fail to maintain the patents and patent applications covering our products, we may not be able to stop a competitor from marketing products that are the same as or similar to our products, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.
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Patent terms may not be able to protect our competitive position for an adequate period of time with respect to our current or future technologies.
Patents have a limited lifespan. In the United States, the standard patent term is typically 20 years after filing. Various extensions may be available. Even so, the life of a patent and the protection it affords are limited. As a result, our patent portfolio provides us with limited rights that may not last for a sufficient period of time to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours. For example, given the large amount of time required for the research, development, testing and regulatory review of medical devices, patents protecting our products might expire before or shortly after they are commercialized.
Extensions of patent term may be available, but there is no guarantee that we would succeed in obtaining any particular extension and no guarantee any such extension would confer patent term for a sufficient period of time to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours.
Additionally, an extension may not be granted or may be limited where there is, for example, a failure to exercise due diligence during the testing phase or regulatory review process, failure to apply within applicable deadlines, failure to apply before expiration of relevant patents, or some other failure to satisfy applicable requirements. If this occurs, our competitors may be able to launch their products earlier by taking advantage of our investment in development and clinical trials along with our clinical and pre-clinical data. This could have a material adverse effect on our business and ability to achieve profitability.
We and/or the Licensor may be subject to claims alleging the violation of the intellectual property rights of others, which could involve in lawsuits to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful.
We may face significant expense and liability as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to intellectual property rights of others. In the event that another party has intellectual property protection relating to an invention or technologies licensed by us from the Licensor, we and/or the Licensor may be required to participate in an interference proceeding declared by the regulatory authorities to determine priority of invention, which could result in substantial uncertainties and costs for us, even if the eventual outcome was favorable to us. We and/or the Licensor also could be required to participate in interference proceedings involving intellectual property of another entity. An adverse outcome in an interference proceeding could require us and/or the Licensor to cease using the technology, to substantially modify it or to license rights from prevailing third parties, which could delay or prevent the launch of our products in the market or adversely affect our profitability. The cost to us of any intellectual property litigation or other proceeding relating to the intellectual property licensed by us from the Licensor, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial, especially given our early stage of development. A third-party may claim that we and/or the Licensor are using inventions claimed by their intellectual property and may go to court to stop us and/or the Licensor from engaging in our normal operations and activities, such as research, development and the sale of any future products. Such lawsuits are expensive and would consume significant time and other resources. There is a risk that a court will decide that we and/or the Licensor are infringing the third-party’s intellectual property and will order us to stop the activities claimed by the intellectual property. In addition, there is a risk that a court will order us and/or the Licensor to pay the other party damages for having infringed their intellectual property. While the Licensor is required to indemnify us for certain losses in connection with such proceedings, there can be no assurance that the Licensor will be able to satisfy any such obligation. Moreover, there is no guarantee that any prevailing intellectual property owner would offer us a license so that we could continue to engage in activities claimed by the intellectual property, or that such a license, if made available to us, could be acquired on commercially acceptable terms.
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We are subject to risk related to the possibility of modifications to our rights to, or the Company’s ability to use, the Licensed Products in relation to the Biosensor Platform due to liquidation of the Licensor, which could materially and adversely affect the Company’s planned business, financial condition, and operating results.
We understand that the External Administrator of LSBD, the Licensor of the BPT technology, sent a notice to the creditors on July 24, 2023, stating that LSBD had appointed a liquidator on July 21, 2023. Our understanding is that the ownership of the intellectual property rights licensed by us from the Licensor have reverted to the University of Newcastle. The Company is in early-stage discussions regarding the potential restructuring of future licensing of BPT and products with the University of Newcastle. A timeline for these discussions has not yet been established. There is an inherent risk related to the possibility of modifications to our rights to, or the Company’s ability to use, the Licensed Products, which could materially and adversely affect the Company’s planned business, financial condition, and operating results.
We depend on intellectual property licensed from the Licensor for our BPT related products, and any absence of legal effect of the license or dispute over the license would significantly harm our BPT related business.
We are dependent on the intellectual property licensed from the Licensor for our BPT products. Although the License Agreement may not be terminated by the Licensor as long as we are continuing our operations, any absence of legal effect of the license could result in the loss of significant rights and could harm our ability to launch the BPT in the market. Disputes may also arise between us and the Licensor regarding intellectual property subject to the License Agreement. If disputes over intellectual property that we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangements on acceptable terms or are insufficient to provide us the necessary rights to use the intellectual property, we may be unable to successfully develop and launch the BPT and our other product candidates from Biosensor Platform. If we or the Licensor fail to adequately protect this intellectual property, our ability to launch our products in the market also could suffer. For so long as we are dependent on the intellectual property covered by the License Agreement for the pursuit of our business, any such disputes relating to the License Agreement or failure to protect the intellectual property could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We will depend primarily on the Licensor to file, prosecute, maintain, defend and enforce intellectual property that we license from it and that is material to our business.
The intellectual property relating to the COV2T and/or BPT is owned by the Licensor. Under the License Agreement, the Licensor generally has the right to file, prosecute, maintain and defend the intellectual property we have licensed from the Licensor. If the Licensor fails to conduct these activities for intellectual property protection covering any of our product candidates, our ability to develop and launch those product candidates may be adversely affected and we may not be able to prevent competitors from making, using or selling competing products. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the License Agreement with the Licensor, the Licensor generally has the right to control the enforcement of our licensed intellectual property and the defense of any claims asserting the invalidity of that intellectual property. We cannot be certain that the Licensor will allocate sufficient resources to and otherwise prioritize the enforcement of such intellectual property or the defense of such claims to protect our interests in the licensed intellectual property. In the absence of action by the Licensor, we may be unable to protect and enforce the proprietary rights on which our business relies. Even if we are not a party to these legal actions, an adverse outcome could harm our business because it might prevent us from continuing to use the licensed intellectual property that we need to operate our business. In addition, even if we take control of the prosecution of licensed intellectual property and related applications, enforcement of licensed intellectual property, or defence of claims asserting the invalidity of that intellectual property, we may still be adversely affected or prejudiced by actions or inactions of the Licensor and its counsel that took place prior to or after our assuming control, and we cannot ensure the cooperation of the Licensor in any such action. Furthermore, if we take action to protect, enforce or defend the licensed intellectual property, we may incur significant costs and the attention of our management may be diverted from our normal business operations. As a result, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
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We and the Licensor may be unable to protect or enforce the intellectual property rights licensed to us, which could impair our competitive position.
For our business to be viable and to compete effectively, the proprietary rights with respect to the technologies and intellectual property used in our products must be developed and maintained. The Licensor relies primarily on patent protection and trade secrets, as well as a combination of copyright and trademark laws and non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements to protect its technology and intellectual property rights. There are significant risks associated with the Licensor’s ability (or our ability, in the absence of action by the Licensor) to protect the intellectual property licensed to us, including:
● | pending intellectual property applications may not be approved or may take longer than expected to result in approval in one or more of the countries in which we operate; | |
● | the Licensor’s intellectual property rights may not provide meaningful protection; | |
● | other companies may challenge the validity or extent of the Licensor’s patents and other proprietary intellectual property rights through litigation, oppositions and other proceedings. These proceedings can be protracted as well as unpredictable; | |
● | other companies may have independently developed (or may in the future independently develop) similar or alternative technologies, may duplicate the Licensor’s technologies or may design their technologies around the Licensor’s technologies; | |
● | enforcement of intellectual property rights is complex, uncertain and expensive, and may be subject to lengthy delays. In the event we take control of any such action under the License Agreement, our ability to enforce our intellectual property protection could be limited by our financial resources; and | |
● | the other risks described under “Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property.” |
If any of the Licensor’s patents or other intellectual property rights fail to protect the technologies licensed by us, it would make it easier for our competitors to offer similar products. Any inability on the Licensor’s part (or on our part, in the absence of action by the Licensor) to adequately protect its intellectual property may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We and where applicable, the Licensor of our products have limited foreign intellectual property rights and may not be able to protect those intellectual property rights, which means that we and/or Licensor may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions or from selling or importing products made using those inventions.
Our intellectual property rights include intellectual property licensed from the Licensor for our BPT Products and rights related to the IFP products. We and the Licensor have determined that filing, prosecuting and defending intellectual property rights in all countries globally would be prohibitively expensive, and intellectual property rights in some countries can be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property to the same extent as laws in the United States. Consequently, we and/or the Licensor may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions or from selling or importing products made using our inventions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained intellectual property rights to develop their own products and further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have intellectual property protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. Policing unauthorized use of proprietary technology is difficult and expensive. The legal systems of certain countries do not favor the enforcement of trade secrets and other intellectual property, particularly those relating to medical device products, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our intellectual property or marketing of competing products industry of our proprietary rights generally. An adverse determination or an insufficient damage award in any such litigation could materially impair our intellectual property rights and may otherwise harm our business. In addition, some developing countries in the APAC Region have compulsory licensing laws under which an intellectual property owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In those countries, we and/or the Licensor may have limited remedies if our intellectual property is infringed or if we and/or the Licensor are compelled to grant a license to a third-party, which could materially diminish the value of that intellectual property. Furthermore, we may not be able to register or otherwise protect the trademark “Glucose Biosensor” in developing countries in the APAC Region.
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We and the Licensor rely on confidentiality agreements that could be breached and may be difficult to enforce, which could result in third parties using our intellectual property to compete against us.
Although we believe that we and the Licensor take reasonable steps to protect our intellectual property, including the use of agreements relating to the non-disclosure of confidential information to third parties, as well as agreements that purport to require the disclosure and assignment to us of the rights to the ideas, developments, discoveries and inventions of our employees and consultants while we or the Licensor employ them, the agreements can be difficult and costly to enforce. Although we and the Licensor seek to enter into these types of agreements with contractors, consultants, advisors and research collaborators, to the extent that employees and consultants utilize or independently develop intellectual property in connection with any of our projects, disputes may arise as to the intellectual property rights associated with our technology. If a dispute arises, a court may determine that the right belongs to a third-party. In addition, enforcement of our rights and the rights of the Licensor can be costly and unpredictable. We and the Licensor also rely on trade secrets and proprietary know-how that we and the Licensor may seek to protect in part by confidentiality agreements with employees, contractors, consultants, advisors or others. Despite the protective measures we employ, we and the Licensor still face the risk that:
● | these agreements may be breached; | |
● | these agreements may not provide adequate remedies for the applicable type of breach; | |
● | our proprietary know-how will otherwise become known; or | |
● | our competitors will independently develop similar technology or proprietary information. |
We and the Licensor may be subject to claims challenging the invention of the intellectual property we license.
We and the Licensor may be subject to claims that former employees, collaborators or other third parties have an interest in intellectual property as an inventor or co-inventor. For example, we and the Licensor may have inventorship disputes arising from conflicting obligations of consultants or others who are involved in developing our product candidates. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship. If we and the Licensor fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we and the Licensor may lose valuable intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, valuable intellectual property. Such an outcome could have a material adverse effect on our business. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees. As a result, it is unclear whether and, if so, to what extent employees of ours and the Licensor may be able to claim compensation with respect to our future revenue. We may receive less revenue from future products if any of employees of the Licensor or us successfully claim compensation for their work in developing our intellectual property, which in turn could impact our future profitability.
Risks Related to Our Industry
Our products and operations are subject to extensive government regulation. If we fail to obtain and maintain necessary regulatory approvals current IFP products, or if approvals for future products and indications are delayed or not issued, it will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our proprietary IFP Drug Screening System is subject to extensive regulation in the United States and abroad, including the European Union, our largest market for the IFP Drug Screening System. Government regulations specific to medical devices are wide ranging and govern, among other things:
● | Product design, development, manufacture, and release; | |
● | Laboratory, pre-clinical and clinical testing, labeling, packaging, storage and distribution; | |
● | Product safety and efficacy; | |
● | Premarketing clearance or approval; | |
● | Service operations; | |
● | Record keeping; | |
● | Product marketing, promotion and advertising, sales and distribution; | |
● | Post-marketing surveillance, including reporting of deaths or serious injuries and recalls and correction and removals; | |
● | Post-market approval studies; and | |
● | Product import and export. |
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If we fail to remain in compliance with applicable European laws and directives, we would be unable to continue to affix the CE mark to our products, which would prevent us from selling them within the European Economic Area (“EEA”).
We have commenced the required regulatory approval process with FDA in the United States, which may be an expensive, lengthy and unpredictable process. We may not be able to obtain any necessary clearances or approval or may be unduly delayed in doing so, which will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, even if we are granted regulatory clearances or approvals, they may include significant limitations on the indicated uses for the product, which may limit the market for the product.
The FDA can delay, limit or deny clearance or approval of a device for many reasons, including:
● | Our inability to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA or the applicable regulatory entity or notified body that our products are safe or effective for their intended uses; | |
● | The disagreement of the FDA or the applicable foreign regulatory body with the design or implementation of our clinical trials or the interpretation of data from pre-clinical studies or clinical trials; | |
● | Serious and unexpected adverse effects experienced by participants in our clinical trials; | |
● | The data from our pre-clinical studies and clinical trials may be insufficient to support clearance or approval, where required; | |
● | Our inability to demonstrate that the clinical and other benefits of the product outweigh the risks; | |
● | The manufacturing process or facilities we use may not meet applicable requirements; and | |
● | The potential for approval policies or regulations of the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory bodies to change significantly in a manner rendering our clinical data or regulatory filings insufficient for clearance or approval. |
Furthermore, the FDA and state and international authorities have broad enforcement powers. Our failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements could result in enforcement action by any such agency, which may include any of the following sanctions:
● | Adverse publicity, warning letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties; | |
● | Repair, replacement, refunds, recall or seizure of our products; | |
● | Operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of production; | |
● | Denial of our requests for regulatory clearance or premarket approval of new products or services, new intended uses or modifications to existing products or services; | |
● | Withdrawal of regulatory clearance or premarket approvals that have already been granted; or | |
● | Criminal prosecution. |
If any of these events were to occur, it will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, the medical device and other medical product industries in the APAC Region, where we plan to expand our product offering in the near future are generally subject to comprehensive government regulation and supervision, encompassing the approval, registration, manufacturing, packaging, licensing and marketing of new products. In addition, the regulatory frameworks in the APAC Region regarding our industry are subject to change. Any such changes may result in increased compliance costs on our business or cause delays in or prevent the successful development or launch of our product candidates in the APAC Region. The regulatory authorities in the countries and territories constituting the APAC Region also may launch investigations of individual companies or on an industry-wide basis. The costs and time necessary to respond to an investigation can be material. Any failure by us or our partners to maintain compliance with applicable laws and regulations or obtain and maintain required licenses and permits may result in the suspension or termination of our business activities in certain countries and territories in the APAC Region or in the region as a whole.
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Compliance with environmental laws and regulations could be expensive, and the failure to comply with these laws and regulations could subject us to significant liability.
Our research, development and manufacturing operations including product assembly line at Cambridge, UK involve the use of hazardous substances, and we are subject to a variety foreign environmental laws and regulations relating to the storage, use, handling, generation, manufacture, treatment, discharge and disposal of hazardous substances. Our products may also contain hazardous substances, and they are subject to laws and regulations relating to labelling requirements and to their sale, collection, recycling, treatment, storage and disposal. Compliance with these laws and regulations may be expensive and noncompliance could result in substantial fines and penalties. Environmental laws and regulations also impose liability for the remediation of releases of hazardous substances into the environment and for personal injuries resulting from exposure to hazardous substances, and they can give rise to substantial remediation costs and to third-party claims, including for property damage and personal injury. Liability under environmental laws and regulations can be joint and several and without regard to fault or negligence, and they tend to become more stringent over time, imposing greater compliance costs and increased risks and penalties associated with violations. We cannot assure you that violations of these laws and regulations, or releases of or exposure to hazardous substances, will not occur in the future or have not occurred in the past, including as a result of human error, accidents, equipment failure or other causes. The costs of complying with environmental laws and regulations, and liabilities that may be imposed for violating them, or for remediation obligations or responding to third-party claims, could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we or our suppliers fail to comply The United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS), FDA’s Quality System Regulation (QSR) and CE (European Conformity) markings and other relevant regulations regulation, our manufacturing or distribution operations could be delayed or shut down and our revenue could suffer.
Our manufacturing and design processes for certain of our products and those of certain of our third-party suppliers are required to comply with The United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS), FDA’s QSR and CE markings in the European Union. This covers procedures and documentation of the design, testing, production, control, quality assurance, labelling, packaging, storage and shipping of our IFP Drug Screening System. We are also subject to ongoing International Organization for Standardization (“ISO 13485”) compliance in all operations, including design, manufacturing, and service, to maintain our CE Mark. In addition, we must engage in extensive recordkeeping and reporting and must make available our facilities and records for periodic unannounced inspections by governmental agencies, including the FDA, state authorities, European Union Notified Bodies and comparable agencies in other countries. If we fail a regulatory inspection, our operations could be disrupted and our manufacturing interrupted. Failure to take adequate corrective action in response to an adverse regulatory inspection could result in, among other things, a shutdown of our manufacturing or product distribution operations, significant fines, suspension of marketing clearances and approvals, seizures or recalls of our device, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which would negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, our key component suppliers may not currently be or may not continue to be in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, which may result in manufacturing delays for our product and cause our revenue to decline.
We can provide no assurance that we will continue to remain in compliance with the UKAS, QSR and European Union Notified Bodies. If the FDA, UKAS and European Union of Notified Bodies inspect any of our facilities and discover compliance problems, we may have to cease manufacturing and product distribution until we can take the appropriate remedial steps to correct the audit findings. Taking corrective action may be expensive, time consuming and a distraction for management and if we experience a delay at our manufacturing facility, we may be unable to produce our solutions, which will negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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If we or the Licensor fail to respond quickly to technological or other developments, our products may become uncompetitive and obsolete.
The drug screening, medical testing and biosensor related markets may experience rapid technology developments, changes in industry standards, changes in customer requirements, changes in demand, and frequent new product introductions and improvements. If we or the Licensor (where relevant) are unable to respond to these developments, we may lose competitive position, and our other products may become uncompetitive or obsolete, causing our business and prospects to suffer.
In order to compete, we and the Licensor (where relevant) need to adjust, develop, license or acquire new technology on a schedule that keeps pace with technological and other developments and the requirements for products addressing a broad spectrum of needs.
Fluctuation in the value of foreign currencies may have a material adverse effect on your investment.
A substantial portion of our revenues and costs may be denominated in foreign currencies, such as the British Pound, Australian Dollar or Japanese Yen. Any significant change in value of these foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar may materially affect our cash flows, net revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our common stock in U.S. dollars. For example, an appreciation of any such foreign currency against the U.S. dollar would make any new investments or expenditures denominated in the foreign currency costlier to us, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into the foreign currency for such purposes. Conversely, a significant depreciation of any such foreign currency against the U.S. dollar may significantly reduce the U.S. dollar equivalent of our earnings, which in turn could adversely affect the price of our common stock. If we decide to convert any such foreign currency into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our common stock, strategic acquisitions or investments or other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the foreign currency would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. We do not expect to hedge against the risks associated with fluctuations in exchange rates and, therefore, exchange rate fluctuations could have an adverse impact on our future operating results. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates may have a material adverse effect on your investment.
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We are subject to laws and regulations governing business conduct, which will require us to develop and implement costly compliance programs.
We must comply with a wide range of laws and regulations to prevent corruption, bribery, and other unethical business practices, including the FCPA, anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws in other countries. The creation and implementation of international business practices compliance programs is costly and such programs are difficult to enforce, particularly where reliance on third parties is required. Anti-bribery laws prohibit us, our employees, and some of our agents or representatives from offering or providing any personal benefit to covered government officials to influence their performance of their duties or induce them to serve interests other than the missions of the public organizations in which they serve. Certain commercial bribery rules also prohibit offering or providing any personal benefit to employees and representatives of commercial companies to influence their performance of their duties or induce them to serve interests other than their employers. The FCPA also obligates companies whose securities are listed in the United States to comply with certain accounting provisions requiring us to maintain books and records that accurately and fairly reflect all transactions of the corporation, including international subsidiaries, and devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls for international operations. The anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA are enforced primarily by the Department of Justice. The SEC is involved with enforcement of the books and records provisions of the FCPA. Compliance with these anti-bribery laws is expensive and difficult, particularly in countries in which corruption is a recognized problem. In addition, the anti-bribery laws present particular challenges in the medical products industries because in many countries, a majority of hospitals are state-owned or operated by the government, and doctors and other hospital employees are considered civil servants. Furthermore, in certain countries, hospitals and clinics are permitted to sell medical devices to their patients and are primary or significant distributors of medical devices. Certain payments to hospitals in connection with clinical studies, procurement of medical devices and other work have been deemed to be improper payments to government officials that have led to vigorous anti-bribery law enforcement actions and heavy fines in multiple jurisdictions, particularly in the United States and China. It is not always possible to identify and deter violations, 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. In the medical products industries, corrupt practices include, among others, acceptance of kickbacks, bribes or other illegal gains or benefits by the hospitals and medical practitioners from medical device manufacturers, distributors or their third-party agents in connection with the prescription of certain medical devices or disposables. If our employees, affiliates, distributors or third-party marketing firms violate these laws or otherwise engage in illegal practices with respect to their sales or marketing of our products or other activities involving our products, we could be required to pay damages or heavy fines by multiple jurisdictions where we operate, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Our potential customers also may deny access to sales representatives from medical device companies because the potential customers want to avoid the perception of corruption, which could adversely affect our ability to promote our products. As we expand our operations in the APAC Region, we will need to increase the scope of our compliance programs to address the risks relating to the potential for violations of the FCPA and other anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws. Our compliance programs will need to include policies addressing not only the FCPA, but also the provisions of a variety of anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws in multiple jurisdictions, including provisions relating to books and records that apply to us as a public company, and will need to include effective training for our personnel throughout our organization. The creation and implementation of anti-corruption compliance programs is costly and such programs are difficult to enforce, particularly where reliance on third parties is required. Violation of the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws can result in significant administrative and criminal penalties for us and our employees, including substantial fines, suspension or debarment from government contracting, prison sentences, or even the death penalty in extremely serious cases in certain countries. The SEC also may suspend or bar us from trading securities on United States exchanges for violation of the FCPA’s accounting provisions. Even if we are not ultimately punished by government authorities, the costs of investigation and review, distraction of company personnel, legal defense costs, and harm to our reputation could be substantial and could limit our profitability or our ability to develop or launch our product candidates. In addition, if any of our competitors are not subject to the FCPA, they may engage in practices that will lead to their receipt of preferential treatment from potential customers and enable them to secure business from potential customers in ways that are unavailable to us.
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Changes in the economic, political or social conditions or government policies in our target markets could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.
The economies and societies of certain countries and territories of our target markets, continue to undergo significant change. Adverse changes in the political and economic policies in these countries and territories could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of these countries and territories, which could adversely affect our ability to conduct business in these countries and territories. The governments of these countries and territories continue to adjust economic policies to promote economic growth. Some of these measures may benefit the overall economy but may also have a negative effect on us. As the medical product industry grows and evolves in these countries and territories, the governments may also implement measures to change the structure of foreign investment in this industry. We are unable to predict any such policy changes, any of which could materially and adversely affect our ability to finance or conduct our business in these countries and territories. Any failure on our part to comply with changing government regulations and policies could result in the loss of our ability to develop and launch our product candidates in these countries and territories.
Risks Related to the Ownership of Our Common Stock
We may not be able to satisfy the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market in order to maintain the listing of our common stock.
Minimum Bid Price Requirement
On November 16, 2023 the Company received a letter (the “Bid Price Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq notifying the Company that the minimum closing bid price per share for our common stock was below $1.00 for 30 consecutive business days preceding the date of the Bid Price Notice, and that the Company did not meet the $1.00 per share minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2).
At our annual meeting of stockholders held on December 13, 2023, the stockholders of the Company approved an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation (the “January Amendment”) to effect the reverse stock split at a ratio of not less than 1-for-2 and not more than l-for-12 at any time within 12 months following the date of stockholder approval, with the exact ratio to be set within this range by the Company’s Board at its sole discretion without further approval or authorization of our stockholders. The primary purpose of the reverse stock split was to increase the per share market price of our common stock.
Pursuant to the authority granted by the Company’s stockholders, the Board approved a l-for-12 reverse stock split (the “January 2024 Reverse Stock Split”) of the Company’s common stock and the filing of the January Amendment to effectuate the reverse stock split. The January Amendment was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and the January 2024 Reverse Stock Split became effective at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on January 26, 2024, and the Company’s common stock began trading on a reverse stock split-adjusted basis on the Nasdaq Capital Market on January 29, 2024.
Although the January 2024 Reverse Stock Split brought the price of our common stock back above $1.00 per share in order to meet the requirements for the continued listing of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market, there can be no assurance that the closing bid price of our common stock will remain at or above $1.00 following the January 2024 Reverse Stock Split. If we fail to satisfy any of Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, Nasdaq may take steps to delist our common stock, which could have a materially adverse effect on our ability to raise additional funds as well as the price and liquidity of our common stock.
Stockholders’ Equity Requirement
On November 16, 2023, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq (the “Stockholder Equity Letter”), regarding its non-compliance with the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The letter notified the Company that its stockholders’ equity, reported at $1,236,558 in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ending September 30, 2023, did not meet the Nasdaq Capital Market’s minimum stockholders’ equity requirement of $2,500,000 for continued listing as per Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) (the “Stockholders’ Equity Requirement”). Nasdaq gave the Company until January 2, 2024, to submit a plan to regain compliance with the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1).
On December 15, 2023, the Company submitted a compliance plan to Nasdaq that included a pro-forma balance sheet as of October 31, 2023 (the “Balance Sheet”). The Balance Sheet showed that the Company’s stockholders’ equity as of October 31, 2023, was $4,240,629, which was primarily the result of the of a public offering of the Company’s securities that closed on October 4, 2023. The Balance Sheet was also attached to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company on December 18, 2023 (the “December 8-K”).
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On January 2, 2024, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq (the “January Letter”) stating that based on the December 8-K, the Staff had determined that the Company complies with the Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), but that if the Company failed to evidence compliance upon filing its Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2023, the Company may be subject to delisting. The January Letter also noted, as did the Stockholder Equity Letter, that as of November 15, 2023, the Company did not meet either alternative to the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement, which alternatives require either a $35 million market value of listed securities or $500,000 of net income from continuing operations, as set forth in Listing Rules 5550(b)(2) or 5550(b)(3), respectively.
On February 13, 2024, Nasdaq confirmed that upon filing of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2023, the Company had for that period evidenced compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement; and that the condition to remain in compliance with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement was met, as per Nasdaq’s compliance determination of in the January Letter.
Although Nasdaq confirmed that Company had for the period ended December 31, 2023, evidenced compliance with the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement, there can be no assurance that the Company will continue to have a minimum stockholders’ equity of $2,500,000 and satisfy Nasdaq’s requirements for continued listing under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), the Stockholders’ Equity Requirement. If we fail to satisfy any of Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, Nasdaq may take steps to delist our common stock, which could have a materially adverse effect on our ability to raise additional funds as well as the price and liquidity of our common stock.
We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If our remediation of the material weaknesses is not effective, or if we experience additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our common stock.
In connection with the preparation of our financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, we identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal controls such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
The material weaknesses related to the fact that the Company has not yet designed and maintained an effective control environment commensurate with its financial reporting requirements, including (a) that the Company had not yet completed the formally documented policies and procedures with respect to the review, supervision and monitoring of the Company’s accounting and reporting functions, (b) the lack of evidence to support the performance of controls and the adequacy of review procedures, including the completeness and accuracy of information used in the performance of controls and (c) we currently have limited accounting personnel and other supervisory resources necessary to adequately execute the Company’s accounting processes and address its internal controls over financial reporting.
We have implemented and are in the process of implementing measures designed to improve our internal control over financial reporting to remediate these material weaknesses, including the hiring of additional qualified accounting and finance personnel, enhancing our controls to improve the preparation and review of complex accounting measurements and the application of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States (“US GAAP” or “GAAP”), and engaging independent experts and outside consultants.
We cannot assure you that the measures we have taken and that we intend to take will be sufficient to remediate the material weaknesses we have identified or avoid potential future material weaknesses. While we believe that our efforts will enhance our internal control, remediation of the material weaknesses will require further validation and testing of the design and operating effectiveness of internal controls over a sustained period of financial reporting cycles, and we cannot assure you that we have identified all, or that we will not in the future have additional, material weaknesses.
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We are obligated to maintain a system of effective internal control over financial reporting. We may not complete our analysis of our internal control over financial reporting in a timely manner, or these internal controls may not be determined to be effective, which may harm investor confidence in our company and the value of our common stock.
As a public company, we are required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal controls. We are required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. This assessment will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. However, our auditors will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 until we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, if we take advantage of the exemptions available to us through the JOBS Act. Even after we cease to be an “emerging growth company,” our auditors will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting unless we are an accelerated filer or a large accelerated filer (as defined under the Exchange Act). We are in the very early stages of the costly and challenging process of compiling the system and process documentation necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section 404. In this regard, we will need to continue to dedicate internal resources, engage outside consultants and adopt a detailed work plan to assess and document the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, continue steps to improve control processes as appropriate, validate through testing that controls are functioning as documented and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for internal control over financial reporting. As we transition to the requirements of reporting as a public company, we may need to add additional finance staff. We may not be able to complete our evaluation and testing in a timely fashion. During the evaluation and testing process, if we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal controls are effective. We may not be able to remediate any material weaknesses in a timely fashion. If we are unable to complete our evaluation and testing, or if we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, particularly if we have been unable to remediate any material weaknesses identified, or if or our auditors, when required to do so, are unable to express an opinion that our internal controls are effective, investors could lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which could harm our stock price.
We are an emerging growth company and currently have limited accounting personnel and other supervisory resources. This can result in a lack of necessary resources to adequately execute our accounting processes and address our internal controls over financial reporting requirements.
The Company is an emerging growth company. Prior to our initial public offering (“IPO”), which we completed in December 2020, the Company was a private corporation with limited accounting personnel and other supervisory resources necessary to adequately execute its accounting processes and address its internal controls over financial reporting requirements. As a result, previously existing internal controls are no longer sufficient, and the Company is in the process of updating these controls. The design and implementation of internal control over financial reporting for the Company’s post-IPO has required and will continue to require significant time and resources from management and other personnel.
Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or products.
Since our inception, our operations have been financed primarily by net proceeds from the sale of our convertible preferred stock and common stock, indebtedness and revenue from the sales of our products. We anticipate our future capital requirements will be substantial and that we will need to raise significant additional capital to fund our operations through equity or debt financing, or some combination thereof. We are currently exploring fundraising opportunities to meet these capital requirements. If we are unable to raise additional funding to meet our operational needs, we will be forced to limit or cease our operations.
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In addition to our current capital needs, we regularly consider fundraising opportunities and may decide, from time to time, to raise capital based on various factors, including market conditions and our plans of operation. We may seek funds through borrowings or through additional rounds of financing, including private or public equity or debt offerings. Additional capital may not be available to us on acceptable terms on a timely basis, or at all. If adequate funds are not available, or if the terms of potential funding sources are unfavorable, our business and our ability to develop our technology and our products would be harmed. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may suffer dilution and the terms of any financing may adversely affect the rights of our stockholders. In addition, as a condition to providing additional funds to us, future investors may demand, and may be granted, rights superior to those of existing stockholders. Debt financing, if available, is likely to involve restrictive covenants limiting our flexibility in conducting future business activities, and, in the event of insolvency, debt holders would be repaid before holders of our equity securities receive any distribution of our corporate assets. We also could be required to seek funds through arrangements with partners or others that may require us to relinquish rights or jointly own some aspects of our technologies or products that we would otherwise pursue on our own.
The sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock and other securities convertible into or exercisable for our common stock, such as those securities sold in the October 2023 Offering, the Warrant Inducement Transaction and March 2024 Offerings, could depress the market price of our shares of common stock and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities.
The sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock and other securities convertible into or exercisable for our common stock, such as those securities sold in the October 2023 Offering, the Warrant Inducement Transaction, and the March 2024 Offering could depress the market price of our shares of common stock and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. In addition to causing the market price of our common stock to decline, such sales could also greatly increase the volatility associated with the trading of our common stock. Furthermore, stockholders may initiate securities class action lawsuits if the market price of our common stock drops significantly, which may cause us to incur substantial costs and could divert the time and attention of our management. We cannot predict the number of these shares or warrants that might be sold nor the effect that future sales of our shares of our securities would have on the market price of our shares of common stock. See Note 13, Shareholders’ Equity for further details of the October 2023 Offering, the Warrant Inducement Transaction, and the March 2024 Offering.
The market price of our common stock may be significantly volatile.
The market price for our common stock may be significantly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to factors including the following:
● | developments prior to commercial sales relating to regulatory approval, manufacturing and distribution of our products; | |
● | actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly or annual operating results; | |
● | changes in financial or operational estimates or projections; | |
● | conditions in markets generally; | |
● | changes in the economic performance or market valuations of companies similar to ours; and | |
● | general economic or political conditions in the United States or elsewhere. |
In particular, the market prices for securities of medical device companies have historically been particularly volatile. Some of the factors that may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate include:
● | any delay in or the results of our clinical evaluations; | |
● | any delay in manufacturing of our products; | |
● | any delay with the approval for reimbursement for the patients from their insurance companies; | |
● | our failure to comply with regulatory requirements; | |
● | the announcements of clinical evaluation data, and the investment community’s perception of and reaction to those data; | |
● | the results of clinical evaluations conducted by others on products that would compete with ours; | |
● | any delay or failure to receive clearance or approval from regulatory agencies or bodies; | |
● | our inability to commercially launch products or market and generate sales of our products, including the BPT; | |
● | failure of the BPT or any other products, even if approved for marketing, to achieve any level of commercial success; |
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● | our failure to obtain intellectual property protection for any of our technologies and products (including those related to the BPT) or the issuance of third-party intellectual property that cover our proposed technologies or products; | |
● | developments or disputes concerning our product’s intellectual property rights; | |
● | our or our competitors’ technological innovations; | |
● | general and industry-specific economic conditions that may affect our expenditures; | |
● | changes in market valuations of similar companies; | |
● | announcements by us or our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, capital commitments, new technologies, or intellectual property; | |
● | failure to adequately manufacture the BPT or any other products through third parties; | |
● | future sales of our common stock or other securities, including shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants or otherwise issued pursuant to certain contractual rights; | |
● | period-to-period fluctuations in our financial results; and | |
● | low or high trading volume of our common stock due to many factors, including the terms of our financing arrangements. |
In addition, if we fail to reach an important research, development or commercialization milestone or result by a publicly expected deadline, even if by only a small margin, there could be a significant impact on the market price of our common stock. Additionally, as we approach the announcement of anticipated significant information and as we announce such information, we expect the price of our common stock to be volatile and negative results would have a substantial negative impact on the price of our common stock. In some cases, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, stockholders have often instituted class action securities litigation against those companies. Such litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management attention and resources, which could significantly harm our business operations and reputation.
If we are unable to achieve certain agreed milestones for the government grant, we received, we may become liable to refund the grant we received. The Company has only completed 4 of the 8 agreed milestones set forth in the Company’s grant agreement with the Australian Government.
On April 16, 2024 the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources provided an extension to complete the project by March 28, 2025 with certain modification in project costs. If we are unable to achieve the agreed milestones by the extended date, we may become liable to refund the grant we received.
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We may have difficulties integrating acquired businesses and as a result, our business, results of operations and/or financial condition may be materially adversely affected.
The success of the acquisition of IFP will depend on, among other things, the combined Company’s ability to realize these anticipated benefits from combining the businesses of INBS and IFP. The combined company may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition for a variety of reasons, including the following:
● | inability to efficiently operate new businesses or to integrate acquired products; | |
● | failure to successfully manage relationships with customers, distributors, and suppliers; | |
● | failure of customers to accept new products or to continue as customers of the combined company; | |
● | potential incompatibility of technologies and systems; | |
● | failure to leverage the increased scale of the combined company quickly and effectively; | |
● | potential difficulties integrating and harmonizing financial reporting systems; | |
● | difficulties in retaining key employees of the acquired business; | |
● | failure of the acquired business to produce the expected value; and | |
● | failure to effectively coordinate sales and marketing efforts to communicate the capabilities of the combined company. |
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.
None.
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY.
There have been an increasing number of cyberattacks on companies around the world, which have caused operational failures, compromised sensitive corporate or customer data, and/or resulted in significant financial damages. These attacks have occurred over the internet, through malware, viruses or attachments to e-mails, or through inside actors with access to systems within the organization.
Risk Management and Strategy
We have recently implemented additional security measures as part of an evolving cybersecurity posture and will continue to devote resources to address security vulnerabilities in an effort to prevent cyberattacks and mitigate the damage that could result from such an attack. All employees have recently (subsequent to June 30, 2024) begun receiving cybersecurity training and other education regarding their use of computers, information technology, and sensitive data including specifically how to recognize common attack strategies. As many of our applications are developed and managed by third parties, we are dependent on these providers for many functions including disaster recovery during a disaster or cyber incident. Our goal is to only utilize the most secure and trusted providers for our IT needs. To this end, we are currently reviewing the security credentials and certifications of our key application providers. Our business continuity plans are evaluated against evolving security and service level standards, which includes evaluating those cybersecurity threats associated with our use of key third party service providers.
Our current cybersecurity management strategy consists of utilizing a combination of employee education, preventative controls, detective controls, and periodic cybersecurity testing. Our process and cybersecurity posture will continue to be refined based on the results of periodic cybersecurity assessments conducted internally and with our IT consultants and service providers, as needed. We have recently begun reporting on cybersecurity in reports to the Board of Directors and will continue to do so.
Governance
The Board of Directors is responsible for oversight of cybersecurity risk. Our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer are the members of management responsible for managing and assessing our cybersecurity practices and have recently (subsequent to June 30, 2024) commenced reporting on such practices and risks. The plan for the future is that they will continue to report to the Board on cybersecurity at least quarterly. Should any cybersecurity threat or incident be detected, our senior management team would timely report such threat or incident to the Board of Directors and provide regular communications and updates throughout the incident and any subsequent investigation, in order that the impact, materiality, and reporting requirements of such incident are appropriately identified and assessed for further necessary or appropriate action to be taken. We believe we are appropriately staffed (as supported by IT consultants and service providers, as needed) to support a healthy cybersecurity posture given our size and scope.
Our Chief Financial Officer, who reports to the Chief Executive Officer, is directly responsible for IT functions and has extensive experience as a chief financial officer, chief operating officer and special projects lead, with expertise in accounting, taxation, business advisory, business risks identification and management and business systems designs across many industries, including the application of IFRS and US GAAP for the life science industry.
To date, there have been no risks identified from cybersecurity threats or previous cybersecurity incidents that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the company. However, despite all of the above aforementioned efforts, a cyberattack, if it occurred, could cause system operational problems, compromise important data or systems or result in an unintended release of confidential information. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” for additional discussion of cybersecurity risks impacting our Company.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.
Our company currently operates out of three strategically located facilities, which cater to different aspects of our business:
Sydney, Australia: We rent an office/warehouse space of approximately 2,080 Sq foot. Our office/warehouse facility serves three fundamental purposes and is used in connection with operations falling under both our IFPG and BPT segments. First, it provides dedicated office space for our administrative staff, who are responsible for managing and overseeing the Company’s operations. Second, the facility houses our new Australian sales and marketing team, offering them both office and warehouse space. Third, the location functions as a distribution hub for expanding sales across the Asia-Pacific market, optimizing our logistics and reach in the region.
Cambridge, England: We rent a multifunctional facility in the UK consisting of approximately 11,500 Sq foot, which is integral to our global operations falling under our IFPG segment. It houses office space, a warehouse, research and development (R&D), and manufacturing capabilities, catering to the UK market and our global supply needs. Currently, our manufacturing facility can produce up to 90,000 cartridges per month. Our production rate stands at approximately 12,000 cartridges per month, providing ample room for growth in the coming years.
New York City, United States: We have a small, shared office space in New York that accommodates our two US employees, fostering closer collaboration and communication. This location provides a focal point for all our global operations and solidifies our presence and commitment to the US market.
We have no immediate plans to upgrade or expand our facilities, given that they are currently adequately meeting our needs. However, we are open to establishing permanent offices for regional heads as required in the future, ensuring that we are well positioned to adapt and grow as our business evolves.
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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
From time to time, we may be subject to legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of business. We are not currently engaged in any material legal proceedings.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.
Not applicable.
PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.
Market Information
Our common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “INBS”.
Holders
As of September 16, 2024, there are approximately 534 holders of record of our common stock. As many of our shares of common stock are held by brokers or other institutions on behalf of shareholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of individual shareholders represented by the record holders.
Dividends
We have not paid any dividends on our common stock to date, and we currently expect that, for the foreseeable future, all earnings (if any) will be retained for the development of our business and no dividends will be declared or paid. In the future, our Board of Directors may decide, at their discretion, whether dividends may be declared and paid, taking into consideration, among other things, our earnings (if any), operating results, financial condition and capital requirements, general business conditions and other pertinent facts, including restrictions imposed by foreign jurisdictions on paying dividends or making other payments to us.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
Other than any sales previously reported in the Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K or Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, the Company did not sell any unregistered securities during the period covered by this report.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
See Item 12. “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management Related Stockholders Matters” for information with respect to our compensation plans under which equity securities are authorized for issuance.
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ITEM 6. RESERVED
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
In addition to historical information, this discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon management’s current expectations that are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause our actual results to differ materially from plans and results discussed herein. We encourage you to review the risks and uncertainties discussed in the sections entitled Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” included at the beginning of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements made by us, which speak only as of the date they are made. In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this report, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such. We disclaim any obligation, except as specifically required by law and the rules of the SEC, to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with US GAAP, we present contribution margin and contribution margin %, which are non-GAAP financial measures. Contribution margin and contribution margin % are presented in the section titled “Contribution Margin (non-GAAP)”.
These non-GAAP financial measures are not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, financial information prepared and presented in accordance with US GAAP. These measures may be different from non—GAAP financial measures used by other companies, limiting their usefulness for comparison purposes. Moreover, presentation of contribution and contribution margin is provided for year-over-year comparison purposes. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with useful supplemental information about the financial performance of our business, enable comparison of financial results between periods where certain items may vary independent of business performance, and allow for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in operating our business.
Unless otherwise indicated, all share and per share information in this report gives effect to the reverse stock split of our outstanding common stock, which was effected at a ratio of 1-for-12 as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on January 26, 2024.
Overview
Intelligent Bio Solutions Inc. and its wholly owned Delaware subsidiary, GBS Operations Inc., were each formed on December 5, 2016, under the laws of the state of Delaware. The Company’s Australian subsidiary, Intelligent Bio Solutions (APAC) Pty Ltd, was formed on August 4, 2016, under the laws of New South Wales, Australia and was renamed to Intelligent Bio Solutions (APAC) Pty Ltd on January 6, 2023. On October 4, 2022, INBS acquired Intelligent Fingerprinting Limited (“IFP”), a company registered in England and Wales (the “IFP Acquisition”). The Company’s headquarters are in New York, New York.
Intelligent Bio Solutions Inc. is a medical technology company focused on developing and delivering intelligent, rapid, non-invasive testing and screening solutions. The Company operates globally with the objective of providing innovative and accessible solutions that improve the quality of life.
The Company’s current product portfolio includes:
● | Intelligent Fingerprinting Platform: A proprietary portable platform that analyzes fingerprint sweat using a one-time cartridge and portable handheld reader. The flagship product from this platform, which is commercially available in certain countries outside of the United States, is the Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System (the “IFP System” or “IFP Products”), a two-part system that consists of non-invasive, fingerprint sweat-based diagnostic testing products designed to detect drugs of abuse including opiates, cocaine, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines, cannabis, methadone, and buprenorphine. The system comprises a small, tamper-evident drug screening cartridge onto which ten fingerprint sweat samples are collected in under a minute before the portable analysis unit provides an on-screen result in under ten minutes. Samples collected with a confirmatory kit can also be sent to a third-party laboratory service provider for confirmation testing. Customers include safety-critical industries such as construction, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, engineering, drug treatment organizations in the rehabilitation sector, and judicial organizations. | |
● | The Biosensor Platform – A biosensor platform we refer to as the Biosensor Platform Technology (“BPT”), or simply the “Biosensor Platform,” consists of a small, printable modified organic thin-film transistor strip that we license across the Asia Pacific Region (“APAC Region”) from Life Science Biosensor Diagnostics Pty Ltd (“LSBD” or “Licensor”). The Biosensor Platform is designed to detect multiple biological analytes by substituting the top enzyme layer of the biosensor to suit each analyte. This platform technology has the potential to develop a range of Point of Care Tests (“POCT”), including the modalities of clinical chemistry, immunology, tumor markers, allergens, and endocrinology. We understand that following the appointment of a liquidator to LSBD, the intellectual property rights licensed by us from the Licensor (LSBD) have reverted to the University of Newcastle. The Company is in early-stage discussions regarding the potential restructuring of future licensing of BPT and products with the University of Newcastle. A timeline for these discussions has not yet been established. |
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Results of Operations:
Key Financial Performance
Year Ended June 30, 2024 | Year Ended June 30, 2023 | % Change | ||||||||||
Revenue | $ | 3,111,781 | $ | 1,256,872 | +147.58 | % | ||||||
Gross Profit | $ | 1,425,626 | $ | 326,668 | +336.41 | % | ||||||
Gross Profit % | 45.81 | % | 25.99 | % | +19.82 | % |
The Company continues to meet its objectives of strong market penetration and improved margins achieved through economies of scale with enough volume to achieve growth of 147.58% in sales revenue and 336.41% growth in gross profit for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in fiscal 2023. Furthermore, the Company is set to compound this growth with the numbers of readers reaching 1,037 on customer sites, as of June 2024.
Comparison of the Years Ended June 30, 2024 and 2023
Year ended June 30, | ||||||||
2024 | 2023 | |||||||
Revenue | $ | 3,111,781 | $ | 1,256,872 | ||||
Cost of revenue (exclusive of amortization shown separately below) | (1,686,155 | ) | (930,204 | ) | ||||
Gross profit | 1,425,626 | 326,668 | ||||||
Other income: | ||||||||
Government support income | 424,776 | 737,628 | ||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||
Selling, general and administrative expenses | (9,258,496 | ) | (8,026,703 | ) | ||||
Development and regulatory approval expenses | (1,673,806 | ) | (507,424 | ) | ||||
Depreciation and amortization | (1,201,274 | ) | (966,732 | ) | ||||
Goodwill impairment | - | (4,158,670 | ) | |||||
Total operating expenses | (12,133,576 | ) | (13,659,529 | ) | ||||
Loss from operations | (10,283,174 | ) | (12,595,233 | ) | ||||
Other income (expense), net: | ||||||||
Interest expense | (167,140 | ) | (223,534 | ) | ||||
Realized foreign exchange loss | (1,178 | ) | (9,829 | ) | ||||
Fair value gain on revaluation of financial instrument | 175,738 | 2,154,365 | ||||||
Interest income | 84,822 | 9,676 | ||||||
Total other income, net | 92,242 | 1,930,678 | ||||||
Net loss | (10,190,932 | ) | (10,664,555 | ) | ||||
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest | (34,173 | ) | (32,835 | ) | ||||
Net loss attributable to Intelligent Bio Solutions Inc. | $ | (10,156,759 | ) | $ | (10,631,720 | ) | ||
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax: | ||||||||
Foreign currency translation gain/ (loss) | (137,118 | ) | 212,639 | |||||
Total other comprehensive income (loss) | (137,118 | ) | 212,639 | |||||
Comprehensive loss | (10,328,050 | ) | (10,451,916 | ) | ||||
Comprehensive loss attributable to non-controlling interest | (34,173 | ) | (32,835 | ) | ||||
Comprehensive loss attributable to Intelligent Bio Solutions Inc. | (10,293,877 | ) | (10,419,081 | ) | ||||
Net loss per share, basic and diluted* | $ | (6.38 | ) | $ | (127.00 | ) | ||
Weighted average units outstanding, basic and diluted * | 1,592,746 | 83,717 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
* Common Stock and per share amounts have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the decreased number of shares resulting from the 1-for-12 reverse stock split effected on January 26, 2024, throughout the consolidated financial statement unless otherwise stated.
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Results of Operations:
Comparison of the Years Ended June 30, 2024, and 2023
Revenue
Sales of goods
Revenue from sales of goods increased by $1,854,909 to $3,111,781 from $1,256,872 for the year ended June 30, 2024, compared to same period in 2023. This is due to the expansion of the customer base, both in the pre-existing markets and expansion into new regions. We expect this trend to continue as we expand into new markets in the future.
Revenue from the IFPG segment relates to the sale of readers, cartridges and accessories and is summarized as follows:
Year Ended June 30, | ||||||||
2024 | 2023 | |||||||
Sales of goods - cartridges | $ | 1,549,409 | $ | 724,304 | ||||
Sales of goods - readers | 938,897 | 335,863 | ||||||
Other sales | 623,475 | 196,705 | ||||||
Total revenue | $ | 3,111,781 | $ | 1,256,872 |
Cost of revenue
Cost of revenue increased by $755,951 to $1,686,155 from $930,204 for the year ended June 30, 2024, compared to same period in 2023. Cost of revenue relates to the direct labor, direct material costs and direct overhead costs incurred in the production of the goods. This is in line with expectations, as the business expands into new markets. The following table shows the composition of cost of revenue.
Cost of revenue
Year Ended June 30, | ||||||||
2024 | 2023 | |||||||
Direct material cost | 1,017,218 | 369,217 | ||||||
Direct labor cost | 646,246 | 533,618 | ||||||
Direct overhead cost | 22,691 | 27,369 | ||||||
Total cost of revenue | $ | 1,686,155 | $ | 930,204 |
Gross profit
Year Ended June 30, | ||||||||
2024 | 2023 | |||||||
Revenue | $ | 3,111,781 | $ | 1,256,872 | ||||
Direct material cost | (1,017,218 | ) | (369,217 | ) | ||||
Direct labor cost | (646,246 | ) | (533,618 | ) | ||||
Direct overhead cost | (22,691 | ) | (27,369 | ) | ||||
Cost of revenue | (1,686,155 | ) | (930,204 | ) | ||||
Gross profit | 1,425,626 | 326,668 | ||||||
Gross profit margin | 45.81 | % | 25.99 | % |
Gross profit increased by $1,098,958 to $1,425,626 from $326,668 for the year ended June 30, 2024, compared to same period in 2023. This has been driven by increased revenue from acquiring new customers.
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The gross profit is primarily attributable to the IFPG segment.
Contribution margin (non-GAAP)
Year Ended June 30, | ||||||||
2024 | 2023 | |||||||
Revenue | $ | 3,111,781 | $ | 1,256,872 | ||||
Direct material cost | (1,017,218 | ) | (369,217 | ) | ||||
Contribution margin (non-GAAP) | 2,094,563 | 887,655 | ||||||
Contribution margin % (non-GAAP) | 67.31 | % | 70.62 | % |
Contribution margin, which is a non-GAAP measure of our financial performance, increased by $1,206,908 to $2,094,563 from $887,655 for the year ended June 30, 2024, compared to same period in 2023. This has been driven by increased revenue from acquiring new customers.
Government support income
Government support income in the IFPG and BPT segments decreased by $312,852 to $424,776 from $737,628 for the year ended June 30, 2024, compared to same period in 2023. This decrease was primarily attributable to an adjustment for a potential refund of the Australian Government grant if we are unable to complete the project on time.
The grant support income is primarily attributable to INBS’s subsidiary companies recognizing an R&D tax refund as the Company believes that it is probable that the certain amount will be recovered in full through a future claim (see Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information and disclosures relating R&D tax refund).
Operating expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $1,231,793 to $9,258,496 from $8,026,703 for the year ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. This increase is primarily due to engagement of consultants for marketing, media and investor relationship management, capital raising, professional fees for legal and compliance as the Company continues to expand its business and conduct clinical study as it progresses along its 510(k) pathway for FDA clearance.
As the Company’s operating activities increase, we expect its general and administrative costs will include additional costs in overhead contribution, consultancy, as well as an increase in employee-related costs associated with a higher headcount. We aim to ensure that our cost efficiency is increased over the same period whilst we streamline the business, delivering increased value for investors.
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Development and regulatory approval expenses
Development and regulatory approval expenses increased by $1,166,382 to $1,673,806 from $507,424 for the year ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. This increase is primarily driven by amounts spent on in-house R&D staff and timing of R&D work performed by the research partners engaged by the Company.
As the Company continues its FDA 501(k) clinical study plan, we expect development and regulatory expenses to increase in future periods, as demonstrated by the results above.
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization increased by $234,542 to $1,201,274 from $966,732 for the year ended June 30, 2024, compared to same period in 2023. This is mainly due to inclusion of amortization of intangible assets for twelve months to June 30, 2024 results as compared to approximately nine months to June 30, 2023 upon the acquisition of IFP in October 2022 offset by the revaluation of the useful life of technology assets from 5 years to 7 years on April 1, 2023.
Goodwill Impairment
The goodwill impairment expenses decreased by $4,158,670 to $0 from $4,158,670 for the year ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. Refer to note 3 of our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other income and expenses
Interest expense
Interest expense decreased by $56,394 to $167,140 from $223,534 for the year ended June 30, 2024, as compared to the same period in 2023. This decrease was attributable to the conversion of the convertible notes into common stock of the Company in May 2023.
Realized foreign exchange loss
Realized foreign exchange loss decreased by $8,651 to $1,178 from $9,829 for the year ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. This decrease was largely attributable to favorable exchange rates while settling transactions in currencies other than its functional currencies.
Fair value gain on revaluation of financial instruments
The fair value gain decreased by $1,978,627 to $175,738 from $2,154,365 for the year ended June 30, 2024, as compared to the same period in 2023. This decrease is due to the revaluation gains on the convertible notes and contingent consideration for holdback Series C Preferred Stock resulting from the acquisition of IFP. The convertible notes and holdback Series C Preferred Stock shares were converted into common stock in May 2023 and October 2023, respectively.
Interest income
Interest income increased by $75,146 to $84,822 from $9,676 for the year ended June 30, 2024, as compared to the same period in 2023. This increase was attributable to the higher bank balance during the current period due to capital raising of approximately $14.56 million, net of costs during fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.
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Income tax (expense) benefit
There was no income tax expense for the years ended June 30, 2024, and 2023, respectively, as the Company has established a full valuation allowance for all its deferred tax assets.
Other comprehensive income
Foreign currency translation gain/(loss)
Unrealized foreign currency translation gain decreased by $349,757 to a loss of $137,118 from a gain of $212,639 for the year ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. It is calculated based on the Company’s unsettled transactions in currencies other than its functional currency and translation of assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries in reporting currency.
Net loss attributable to INBS
Net loss attributable to INBS decreased by $474,961 to $10,156,759 from $10,631,720 for the year ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.
This decrease is primarily driven by goodwill impairment charges of $4,158,670 and combined results of operations after the acquisition of IFP offset by a recognition of fair value gain on revaluation of convertible notes and holdback Series C Preferred Stock of $2,062,878 during the same period in 2023.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We use working capital and cash measures to evaluate the performance of our operations and our ability to meet our financial obligations. We define Working Capital as current assets less current liabilities. This measure should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for any standardized measure under US GAAP. This information is intended to provide investors with information about our liquidity. Other companies in our industry may calculate this measure differently than we do, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure.
Since our inception, our operations have primarily been financed through the issuance of our common stock, redeemable convertible preferred stock, and the incurrence of debt. As of June 30, 2024, we had $6,304,098 in cash and cash equivalents and working capital of $3,083,510.
The Company expects that its cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2024, may be insufficient to allow the Company to fund its current operating plan through at least the next twelve months from the issuance of these financial statements. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least one year from the date these financial statements are issued. There can be no assurance that, in the event that the Company requires additional financing, such financing may be available on terms which are favorable to us, or at all.
In the event we require additional capital, there can be no assurances that we will be able to raise such capital on acceptable terms, or at all. Failure to generate sufficient revenues or raise additional capital through debt or equity financings, or through collaboration agreements, strategic alliances or marketing and distribution arrangements, could have a material adverse effect on our ability to meet our long-term liquidity needs and achieve our intended long-term business plan. Our failure to obtain such funding when needed could create a negative impact on our stock price or could potentially lead to a reduction in our operations or the failure of our Company. Accordingly, these factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern unless it can successfully raise additional capital.
Cash Provided by Financing Activities
On October 4, 2023, the Company raised approximately $4.38 million, prior to deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses, via a registered underwritten public offering of the Company’s securities. Net proceeds to the Company, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, were approximately $3.79 million. See Note 13, Shareholders’ Equity, for further details.
On February 7, 2024, the Company raised approximately $1.77 million, prior to deducting closing costs and placement agent fees, via a warrant inducement transaction with holders of the Company’s Series E Warrants issued on October 4, 2023. Net proceeds to the Company, after deducting closing costs, placement agent fees, and other estimated expenses payable by the Company, was approximately $1.58 million. See Note 13, Shareholders’ Equity, for further details.
On March 12, 2024, the Company raised approximately $10.10 million, prior to deducting placement agent’s fees and other offering expenses via a private placement of common stock and warrants priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. Net proceeds to the Company, after deducting placement agent’s fees and other estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, were approximately $9.12 million. See Note 13, Shareholders’ Equity, for further details.
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Extended Transition Period for “Emerging Growth Companies”
We have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards under Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act. This election allows us to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies. As a result of this election, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates. Because our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates, investors may have difficulty evaluating or comparing our business, performance or prospects in comparison to other public companies, which may have a negative impact on the value and liquidity of our common stock.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of June 30, 2024, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that impact the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimate is revised, if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods, if the revision affects both current and future periods.
Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and incorporated herein by reference, describes the Company’s accounting policies. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Note 3, as it presents uncertainties involved in applying the accounting policies and provides insight into the quality of management’s estimates and variability in the amounts recorded for these critical accounting estimates. While all accounting policies impact the consolidated financial statements, certain policies may be viewed to be critical. Management believes that the accounting policies which involve more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements include research and development tax refunds.
We believe our most critical accounting policies and estimates relate to the following:
Revenue recognition
Revenue from contracts with customers is recognized when, or as, the Company satisfies its performance obligations by delivering the promised goods or service deliverables to the customers. A good or service deliverable is transferred to a customer when, or as, the customer obtains control of that good or service deliverable.
Grant income
Accounting for the grant income does not fall under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as the Australian Government will not benefit directly from our manufacturing facility. As there is no authoritative guidance under US GAAP on accounting for grants to for-profit business entities, we applied International Accounting Standards 20 (“IAS 20”), Accounting for Government Grants and Disclosure of Government Assistance by analogy when accounting for the Australian Government grant to the Company.
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The Australian Government grant proceeds, which will be used to reimburse construction costs incurred, meet the definition of grants related to assets as the primary purpose for the payments is to fund the construction of a capital asset. Under IAS 20, government grants related to assets are presented in the statement of financial position either by setting up the grant as deferred income that is recognized in the statement of operation on a systematic basis over the useful life of the asset or by deducting the grant in arriving at the carrying amount of the asset. Either of these two methods of presentation of grants related to assets in financial statements are regarded as acceptable alternatives under IAS 20. The Company has elected to record the grants received initially as deferred income and deducting the grant proceeds received from the gross costs of the assets or construction in progress (“CIP”) and the deferred grant income liability.
The project has been delayed due to global shortages of semiconductors that are used in manufacturing equipment and global supply chain disruption due to Covid-19 pandemic in the preceding year. As of June 30, 2024, the Company has only completed 4 of the 8 milestones in the grant agreement. On April 16, 2024, the Company entered into a Deed of Variation with Australian Government, Department of Industry, Science and Resources, extending the project completion date to March 28, 2025. The deed of variation also made certain modifications to the project costs. The overall budget of the project has been reduced by $1.65 million to account for the changes in scope of the project.
There was no deferred grant income recognized within other income during the year ended June 30, 2024. A total of $127,944 deferred grant income was recognized within other income during the year ended June 30, 2023.
Inventories, net
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, other costs that have been incurred in bringing the inventories to their present location and condition. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price less all estimated costs of completion and costs to be incurred in marketing, selling and distribution. General market conditions, as well as the Company’s research activities, can cause certain of its products to become obsolete. The Company writes down excess and obsolete inventories based upon a regular analysis of inventory on hand compared to historical and projected demand. The determination of projected demand requires the use of estimates and assumptions related to projected sales for each product. These write downs can influence results from operations.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets and Goodwill
Long-lived assets consist of property and equipment, right-of-use assets and other intangible assets. We assess impairment of assets groups, including intangible assets at least annually or more frequently if there are any indicators for impairment. The Company did not recognize any impairments of long-lived assets during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 and 2023.
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We perform an annual impairment test on goodwill in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year or when events occur or circumstances change that would, more likely than not, reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. We may first assess qualitative factors, such as general economic conditions, market capitalization, the Company’s outlook, market performance and forecasted financial performance to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If we determine it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount, an impairment test is not necessary. If an impairment test is necessary, we estimate the fair value of a related reporting unit. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the goodwill of that reporting unit is determined to be impaired, and we will record an impairment charge equal to the excess of the carrying value over the related fair value of the reporting unit. If we determine it is more likely than not that goodwill is not impaired, a quantitative test is not necessary.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, the Company recognized an impairment charge of $4.2 million in the IFPG segment, which was related to the goodwill associated with the IFP Acquisition. Following the impairment charge the goodwill balance was zero.
Business Combinations
The results of businesses acquired in a business combination are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from the date of the acquisition. The Company uses the acquisition method of accounting and allocates the purchase price to the identifiable assets and liabilities of the relevant acquired business at their acquisition date fair values. Any excess consideration over the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. The allocation of the purchase price in a business combination requires the Company to perform valuations with significant judgment and estimates, including the selection of valuation methodologies, estimates of future revenue, costs and cash flows, discount rates and selection of comparable companies. The Company engages the assistance of valuation specialists in concluding on fair value measurements in connection with determining fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, the Company records adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the values of assets acquired or liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to the consolidated statements of operations. Transaction costs associated with business combinations are expensed as incurred and are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
R&D Tax Refund
The Company measures the research and development grant income and receivable by calculating the time spent by employees and costs incurred to external service providers on eligible research and development activities. The research and development tax refund receivable is recognized as the Company believes that it is probable that the amount will be recovered in full through a future claim.
Intellectual property acquired for a particular research and development project and that have no alternative future uses (in other research and development projects or otherwise) are expensed in research and development costs at the time the costs are incurred.
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In certain circumstances, the Company may be required to make advance payments to vendors for goods or services that will be received in the future for use in R&D activities. In such circumstances, the non-refundable advance payments are deferred and capitalized, even when there is no alternative future use for the R&D, until the related goods or services are provided. In circumstances where amounts have been paid in excess of costs incurred, the Company records a prepaid expense.
Recently issued Accounting Pronouncements
For the impact of recently issued accounting pronouncements on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this item.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.
The consolidated financial statements required pursuant to this item are included in Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, beginning on page F-1, and incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES.
None.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of June 30, 2024. The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.
Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of June 30, 2024, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were ineffective due to the material weakness in internal control over financial reporting discussed below.
Notwithstanding this conclusion, we believe that our consolidated financial statements and other information contained in this annual report on Form 10-K present fairly, in all material respects, our business, financial condition and results of operations for the periods presented.
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Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a -15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our internal control was designed to provide reasonable assurance to our management and board of directors regarding the preparation and fair presentation of published financial statements.
Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to assets of the Company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
The effectiveness of any system of internal control over financial reporting, including ours, is subject to inherent limitations, including the exercise of judgment in designing, implementing, operating, and evaluating the controls and procedures, and the inability to eliminate misconduct completely. Accordingly, in designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any system of internal control over financial reporting, including ours, no matter how well designed and operated, can only provide reasonable, not absolute assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and that management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs. Moreover, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. We intend to continue to monitor and upgrade our internal controls as necessary or appropriate for our business but cannot assure you that such improvements will be sufficient to provide us with effective internal control over financial reporting.
Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of June 30, 2024, based on the Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013 Framework) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on this assessment, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of June 30, 2024, due to the material weaknesses described below.
Material Weakness
As a result of the assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of June 30, 2024, management identified material weaknesses in control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication and monitoring. Specifically, the material weaknesses identified relate to the fact that the Company has not yet designed and maintained an effective control environment commensurate with its financial reporting requirements, including (a) has not yet completed formally documenting policies and procedures with respect to review, supervision and monitoring of the Company’s accounting and reporting functions, (b) lack of evidence to support the performance of controls and the adequacy of review procedures, including the completeness and accuracy of information used in the performance of controls and (c) we have limited accounting personnel and other supervisory resources necessary to adequately execute the Company’s accounting processes and address its internal controls over financial reporting.
Ongoing Remediation Plan
Management is committed to continuing the steps necessary to remediate the control deficiencies that constituted the above material weaknesses. Since our initial public offering (“IPO”), which we completed in December 2020, we made the following enhancements and continue to make progress to enhance our control environment:
● We added accounting and finance personnel to provide additional individuals to allow for segregation of duties in the preparation and review of schedules, calculations and journal entries that support financial reporting, to provide oversight, structure and reporting lines to provide additional review over our disclosures;
● We enhanced our controls to improve the preparation and review of complex accounting measurements, the application of US GAAP to significant accounts and transactions and our financial statement disclosures;
● We engage independent experts when complex transactions are entered into;
● We have recruited and plan to recruit additional financial reporting and accounting personnel with adequate knowledge of US GAAP and SEC rules; and
● We are in the process of engaging outside consultants to assist us in our evaluation of the design, implementation and documentation of internal controls that address the relevant risks, to provide appropriate evidence of performance of our internal controls (including completeness and accuracy procedures).
Under the direction of the Audit Committee of our board of directors, management will continue to take measures to remediate the material weaknesses. As such, we will continue to enhance corporate oversight over process-level controls and structures to ensure that there is appropriate assignment of authority, responsibility and accountability to enable remediation of our material weakness.
As we continue to evaluate, and work to improve, our internal control over financial reporting, management may determine that additional measures to address control deficiencies or modifications to the remediation plan are necessary.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Other than the ongoing remediation effort, described above, there have been no changes to the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d 15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Inherent Limitation on the Effectiveness of Internal Controls
A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the internal control system are met. Because of the inherent limitations of any internal control system, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues, if any, within a company have been detected.
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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION.
During
the three-months ended June 30, 2024, none of the Company’s directors or executive officers has
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTION
Not applicable.
PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Board of Directors
The current number of directors on our Board of Directors is four. Under our Amended and Restated Bylaws, the number of directors on our Board will not be less than one, nor more than ten, and is fixed, and may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
Our business is managed under the direction of our Board, which currently consists of the individuals listed below:
Director | Age+ | Position(s) with the Company | Director Since | |||
Stephen Boyages* | 67 | Chairman
of the Board
Former Interim Chief Executive Officer (October 29, 2021 – October 26, 2022) | July 2020 | |||
Jonathan Hurd* | 53 | Director | April 2018 | |||
Jason Isenberg* | 51 | Director | October 2022 | |||
Nicola Fraser* | 48 | Director | June 2024 |
+ As of September 16, 2024
* Independent
Steven Boyages MB BS PhD
Dr. Steven Boyages, 67, is a practicing clinician in diabetes and endocrinology with more than 31 years’ experience in medicine, including multiple executive positions. Dr Boyages held the position of Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company for less than one year, from October 29, 2021, to October 26, 2022. Dr. Boyages also previously held the position of Chief Executive of the Sydney West Area Health Service (SWAHS) from February 2002 to May 2011, which is now known as Western Sydney Local Health District, covering a population of approximately 1.2 million people, SWAHS employed more than 15,000 staff and had a gross operating budget of $2 billion, managing $1.6 billion worth of assets. Dr. Boyages has also served as Medical Director for eHealth New South Wales and was the founding Chief Executive of the Clinical Education and Training Institute (CETI) New South Wales, Australia, set up to ensure the development and the delivery of clinical education and training across the NSW public health system. Previous to this, Dr. Boyages was the Director of Diabetes and Endocrinology at Westmead Hospital, from February 1990 to December 1999. During this time, Dr. Boyages’ major achievements were to define the pathophysiology of thyroid hormone deficiency on brain development secondary to iodine deficiency; to develop prevention strategies in iodine deficient communities in China, India, Indonesia and Northern Italy; to define the impact of Growth Hormone excess and deficiency in adults and to develop innovative population health models of care for people with diabetes. Dr. Boyages continues an active research career in a range of fields, but mostly in the pursuit of better models of chronic disease prevention and management. Dr. Boyages was the founding director of the Centre for Research and Clinical Policy in NSW Health in 1999, during which time he established the Priority Health Programs (receiving $15 million in funding per annum), doubled the Research Infrastructure Grants Program, established the Quality Branch of NSW Health and was appointed as Clinical Advisor to the Director General to implement the Government Action Plan for Health Reform. Additionally, Dr. Boyages was instrumental in establishing and securing funding for the NSW biotechnology strategy, BioFirst, a $150 million investment. We believe that Dr. Boyages is well-qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his medical expertise and research and development experience. He also has extensive experience in financial management, board and corporate governance, government relations and regulatory affairs.
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Jonathan S. Hurd
Mr. Hurd, 54, has been a member of our Board of Directors since April 2018 and chairs the Company’s Compensation Committee. He previously served as our Chairman of the Board from August 2018 to November 2019. Mr. Hurd has expertise in broker-dealer and investment advisory regulations and is well versed in FINRA and SEC rules and regulations. Mr. Hurd has served as Founder and CEO at Asgard Regulatory Group, or “Asgard,” since founding the firm in 2008. Asgard provides consulting, advisory and risk management services to broker-dealer, investment adviser, hedge funds, private equity, and banking clients both domestically and abroad. Prior to starting Asgard, Mr. Hurd was the Chief Compliance Officer for several financial institutions. His experience involved full-service broker-dealers, investment advisory firms, bank-broker-dealers and mortgage-backed securities. Mr. Hurd also served on the Board of Directors for many of these companies. Prior to working at these financial institutions, Mr. Hurd was a Supervisor of Examiners at FINRA, previously NASD, in the New York District Office. While with FINRA, he supervised routine examinations of FINRA member firms, and conducted large-scale enforcement cases jointly with the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigations. Mr. Hurd also assisted the District Office with its ongoing training of new examiners. In addition, from 2005 to 2011, Mr. Hurd was a Senior Adjunct Professor in the Townsend School of Business at Dowling College, where he instructed MBA students in matters relating to the United States securities markets and financial institutions. He was responsible for introducing students to the subjects of financial derivatives, foreign stock exchange, hedge transactions and risk management. Mr. Hurd is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and holds the Series 7, 14, 24, 27, 53, 57, 63, 66, 79 and 99 licenses as well as his NYS Life and Health Insurance licenses. We believe Mr. Hurd is well-qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his substantial experience in corporate finance, his expertise in the regulation and functioning of securities markets and his widespread relationships in the financial industry.
Jason Isenberg
Mr. Isenberg, 51, has been a member of our Board since October 2022. Mr. Isenberg currently serves as Assistant General Counsel for RFA Management Company, LLC in Atlanta, Georgia, where he advises a large, endowment-style portfolio of affiliated companies, trusts and foundations and their respective managers, shareholders and boards in matters including corporate governance, corporate and real estate transactions, business operations, employment law and risk mitigation, a position he has held since 2006. Jason is recognized for having successfully negotiated investment and corporate transactions totaling over $500,000,000. Jason’s prior experience includes working with and for several global law firms, focusing on areas of construction and mass-tort litigation. Mr. Isenberg holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland and his Juris Doctor from New England Law in Boston. We believe Mr. Isenberg is well-qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to his substantial experience in investments and corporate transactions.
Nicola Fraser
Nicola Fraser, age 48, has been a member of our Board of Directors since June 7, 2024, and chairs the Company’s Audit Committee. Ms. Fraser is currently the Managing Partner of NextKey Services LLC (“NextKey”), a financial consulting company she co-founded in 2019 that advises high-growth companies on strategic financial matters. From 2015 to 2018, prior to founding NextKey, Ms. Fraser served as Executive Director – Finance, Regulatory Capital at JP Morgan Chase. While at JP Morgan Chase and in her previous senior executive positions at Fannie Mae and Deloitte, she led significant financial transformations and regulatory compliance initiatives. Ms. Fraser is an active CPA, licensed in Texas, and holds an AICPA Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation. We believe Ms. Fraser is well qualified to serve on our Board of Directors due to her substantial experience in financial reporting and understanding of compliance and the audit process.
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Corporate Governance
Overview
We set high standards for the Company’s employees, officers, and directors. Implicit in this philosophy is the importance of sound corporate governance. We regularly monitor developments in the area of corporate governance and review our processes, policies and procedures in light of such developments. Key information regarding our corporate governance initiatives can be found on the Governance section of our website, www.ibs.inc, including our Code of Ethics (“Code of Ethics”) and the charters for our Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. We believe that our corporate governance policies and practices, including the majority of independent directors on our Board, empower our independent directors to effectively oversee our management—including the performance of our Chief Executive Officer—and provide an effective and appropriately balanced board governance structure and provide an effective and appropriately balanced board governance structure. The information on or accessible through our website is not part of this report.
Independence of the Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors has determined that each of our directors is an independent director (as currently defined in Rule 5605(a) of the NASDAQ listing rules).
In determining the independence of our directors, the Board considered all transactions in which the Company and any director had any interest, including those discussed under “Related Party Transactions” below. See Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
All our directors are independent. The independent directors meet as often as necessary to fulfil their responsibilities and will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Board Leadership Structure and Role in Risk Oversight
Our Board of Directors recognizes that one of its key responsibilities is to evaluate and determine its optimal leadership structure so as to provide effective oversight of management. Our Bylaws provide our Board with flexibility to combine or separate the positions of chairperson of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer.
The Board believes that our optimal leadership framework at this time is to have Harry Simeonidis serve as President and Chief Executive Officer, and to have the Board composed of a majority of independent directors. As a company in the highly regulated medical device and product industries, we and our shareholders benefit from a chief executive officer with deep experience and leadership in, and knowledge of, the medical device industry. In his role of the President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Simeonidis is responsible for handling the day-to-day management direction of the Company, serving as a leader to the management team, and formulating corporate strategy.
Although management is responsible for the day-to-day management of the risks we face, our Board of Directors and its committees take an active role in overseeing management of our risks and has the ultimate responsibility for the oversight of risk management, including with regard to cybersecurity. The Board of Directors regularly reviews information regarding our operational, financial, legal and strategic risks. Specifically, senior management attends periodic meetings of the Board of Directors, provides presentations on operations including significant risks, and is available to address any questions or concerns raised by our Board of Directors.
In addition, we expect that committees will assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities regarding risk. The Audit Committee will coordinate the Board of Directors’ oversight of our internal control over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures, related party transactions and code of conduct and corporate governance guidelines. Management will regularly report to the Audit Committee on these areas. The Compensation Committee will assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to the management of risks arising from our compensation policies and programs. When any of the committees receives a report related to material risk oversight, the chairperson of the relevant committee will report on the discussion to the full Board of Directors.
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Committees of the Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors has established an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The following table provides the current membership information for each of the Board committees.
Name* | Audit Committee | Compensation Committee | Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee | |||
Steven Boyages | X | X | X (Chairperson) | |||
Jonathan S. Hurd | X | X (Chairperson) | X | |||
Jason Isenberg | - | X | X | |||
Nicola Fraser | X (Chairperson) | - | - |
* Christopher Towers was a member of the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee prior to his resignation effective on June 7, 2024. Lawrence Fisher was a member of Audit Committee and Compensation Committee at the time of his passing on June 5, 2024.
Below is a description of each committee of the Board of Directors. The Board has adopted written charters for each of the committees, which are available on the Investors - Governance section of our website at www.ibs.inc. The information on or accessible through our website is not part of this report.
Audit Committee
We have established an Audit Committee of the Board of Directors in accordance with Section 3(a)58(A) of the Exchange Act, which consists of Ms. Fraser, Mr. Boyages and Mr. Hurd, each of whom is an independent director under the Nasdaq listing standards applicable to audit committees. Nicola Fraser qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in the rules and regulations established by the SEC. Our Audit Committee oversees our corporate accounting, financial reporting practices and the audits of financial statements. The Audit Committee’s duties, which are specified in the Audit Committee Charter, include, but not be limited to:
● | reviewing and discussing with management and the independent auditor the annual audited financial statements, and recommending to the Board of Directors whether the audited financial statements should be included in our Form 10-K; |
● | discussing with management and the independent auditor significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of our financial statements; |
● | discussing with management major risk assessment and risk management policies; |
● | monitoring the independence of the independent auditor; |
● | verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law; |
● | reviewing and approving all related-party transactions; |
● | inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
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● | pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent auditor, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed; |
● | appointing or replacing the independent auditor; |
● | determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent auditor (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work; and |
● | establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies. |
Compensation Committee
We have established a Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors that consists of Mr. Hurd, Mr. Isenberg and Mr. Boyages, each of whom is an independent director under the NASDAQ Stock Market listing standards applicable to compensation committees. The Compensation Committee’s duties, which are specified in our Compensation Committee charter, include, but are not limited to:
● | reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our principal executive officer’s compensation, evaluating our principal executive officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our principal executive officer based on such evaluation; |
● | reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other executive officers; |
● | reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans; |
● | implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans; |
● | assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements; |
● | approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our executive officers and employees; |
● | if required, producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and |
● | reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors. |
The Compensation Committee Charter also provides that the Compensation Committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the Compensation Committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by the NASDAQ Stock Market and the SEC. The Compensation Committee may delegate any or all of its responsibilities to a subcommittee of the Compensation Committee, but only to the extent consistent with the Company’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws and other applicable law and NASDAQ Stock Market rules.
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Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
We have established a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors that consists of Mr. Boyages, Mr. Hurd and Mr. Isenberg each of whom is an independent director under the NASDAQ Stock Market listing standards applicable to nominating and corporate governance committees. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for identifying individuals qualified to become members of the Company’s Board of Directors and accordingly recommends director nominees for the annual meeting of stockholders. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also recommends and implements policies and procedures intended to assist the Board operations and all obligations to the Company and its stockholders.
Guidelines for Selecting Director Nominees:
The guidelines for selecting nominees, generally provide that person to be nominated:
● | should have demonstrated notable or significant achievements in business, education or public service; |
● | should possess the requisite intelligence, education and experience to make a significant contribution to the Board of Directors and bring a range of skills, diverse perspectives and backgrounds to its deliberations; and |
● | should have the highest ethical standards, a strong sense of professionalism and intense dedication to serving the interests of the stockholders. |
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider a number of qualifications relating to management and leadership experience, background and integrity and professionalism in evaluating a person’s candidacy for membership on the Board of Directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may require certain skills or attributes, such as financial or accounting experience, to meet specific board needs that arise from time to time and will also consider the overall experience and makeup of its members to obtain a broad and diverse mix of board members. Though the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not have specific guidelines on diversity, it is one of many criteria considered by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee when evaluating candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not distinguish among nominees recommended by stockholders and other persons.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider nominees for the Board recommended by stockholders in accordance with the Company’s Bylaws. Stockholders wishing to propose Director candidates for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may do so by writing, by deadlines specified in the Bylaws, to the Secretary of the Company and providing information concerning the nominee and his or her proponent(s) required by the Bylaws. The Bylaws set forth further requirements for stockholders wishing to nominate Director candidates for consideration by stockholders including, among other things, that a stockholder must give timely written notice of an intent to make such a nomination to the Secretary of the Company.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
The Company has adopted a written Code Ethics that applies to all officers, directors, and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. The Code Ethics is available on the Investors - Governance section of our website at www.ibs.inc. If the Company makes any substantive amendments to the Code Ethics or grants any waiver from a provision of the Code Ethics to any executive officer or director, we will promptly disclose the nature of the amendment or waiver on our website. The information on or accessible through our website is not part of this report.
Insider Trading Policy
We have adopted an Insider Trading Policy that provides guidance to employees (including officers) and directors with respect to transactions in the Company’s securities. The Insider Trading Policy is designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and regulations and any listing standards applicable to the Company. The policy also prohibits directors, officers and other employees from purchasing financial instruments (including prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, and exchange funds), or otherwise engaging in transactions, that hedge or offset, or are designed to hedge or offset, any decrease in the market value of our equity securities without our prior approval.
A copy of the Intelligent Bio Solutions, Inc. Insider Trading Policy is filed as Exhibit 19.1 to this Annual Report on form 10-K.
Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s directors and executive officers, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities, to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of common stock and other equity securities of the Company. Officers, directors and greater than ten percent shareholders are required by SEC regulation to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.
To the Company’s knowledge, based on a review of the copies of such reports furnished to the Company and written representations, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to its officers, directors and greater than ten percent beneficial owners were complied with, other than the inadvertent late filings by Nicola Fraser of one report (a Form 3) reporting no transactions.
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Executive Officers
The names of our executive officers, their ages, their positions with the Company, and other biographical information as of September 16, 2024, are set forth below.
Name | Age | Positions | Officer Since | |||
Harry Simeonidis | 55 | President | October 2022- Present September 2017- October 2021 | |||
Chief Executive Officer | October 2022- Present January 2020- October 2021 | |||||
President Asia Pacific, Sales and Marketing |