20-F 1 f20f2021_procapsgroup.htm ANNUAL REPORT

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 20-F

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

OR

 

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the

 

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021

 

OR

 

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For

 

the transition period from __________ to ___________

 

OR

 

SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of event requiring this shell company report ______________

 

Commission file number 001-38354

 

PROCAPS GROUP S.A.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
 
Not Applicable
(Translation of Registrant’s name into English) 
 
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
 

9 rue de Bitbourg, L-1273

Luxembourg

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

R.C.S. Luxembourg: B253360

Tel : +356 7995-6138

(Name, Telephone, E-mail and or Facsimile number and Address Company Contact Person)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading Symbol

 

Name of each exchange in which registered

Ordinary Shares, U.S.$0.01 nominal value per share   PROC   The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Warrants   PROCW   The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None

 

 

 

 

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report:

 

112,824,183 Ordinary Shares, as of December 31, 2021

 23,375,000 Warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares, as of December 31, 2021

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes No

 

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Yes No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Yes No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer Accelerated filer Non-accelerated filer
    Emerging growth company

 

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

 

U.S. GAAP   International Financial Reporting Standards as issued
by the International Accounting Standards Board
  Other

 

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.

Item 17 Item 18

 

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes No

 

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

FREQUENTLY USED TERMS   ii
     
CERTAIN CONVENTIONS   vii
     
Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements   vii
     
CURRENCY PRESENTATION   viii
     
PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION   viii
     
Non-IFRS Information   viii
     
PRESENTATION OF INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA   ix
     
  Item 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS   1
  Item 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE   1
  Item 3. KEY INFORMATION   1
  Item 4. COMPANY INFORMATION   28
  Item 4A. UNRESOLVED SEC STAFF COMMENTS   50
  Item 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS   51
  Item 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES   80
  Item 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS   87
  Item 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION   92
  Item 9. THE OFFER AND LISTING   93
  Item 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION   93
  Item 11. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES REGARDING MARKET RISK   104
  Item 12. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES   105
  Item 13. DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES   106
  Item 14. MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS   106
  Item 15. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES   106
  ITEM 16. RESERVED   107
  Item 16A. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT   107
  Item 16B. CODE OF ETHICS   107
  Item 16C. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES   108
  Item 16D. EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES   109
  Item 16E. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS   109
  Item 16F. CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT.   109
  Item 16G. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE   109
  Item 16H. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE   109
  ITEM 16I. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS   109
  Item 17. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS   109
  Item 18. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS   109
  Item 19. EXHIBITS   110
         
SIGNATURES   111

 

i

 

 

FREQUENTLY USED TERMS

In this annual report:

 

“1915 Law” means the Luxembourg law of August 10, 1915 on commercial companies, as amended.

 

“Adjusted EBITDA” means EBITDA further adjusted to exclude certain isolated costs incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain transaction costs incurred in connection with the Business Combination, certain listing expenses incurred in connection with the Business Combination, certain costs related to business transformation initiatives, certain foreign currency translation adjustments, and certain other finance costs and other nonrecurring, nonoperational or unordinary items as the Company may deem appropriate from time to time.

 

“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.

 

“Business Combination” means the transactions consummated pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement.

 

“Business Combination Agreement” means the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of March 31, 2021, as amended on September 29, 2021, by and among Union, Crynssen, the Company and Merger Sub.

 

“Closing” means the consummation of the Business Combination.

 

“Closing Date” means September 29, 2021.

 

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

“Company” means Procaps Group, S.A., a public limited liability company (société anonyme) governed by the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, having its registered office at 9, rue de Bitbourg, L-1273 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and registered with the Luxembourg Trade and Companies’ Register (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés, Luxembourg) under number B 253360.

 

“COVID-19” means the novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, and any evolutions, mutations thereof or related or associated epidemics, pandemic or disease outbreaks.

 

“Crynssen” means Crynssen Pharma Group Limited, a private limited liability company registered and incorporated under the laws of Malta and, particularly, the Companies Act Cap. 386 with company registration number C 59671.

 

“Crynssen Ordinary Shares” means ordinary shares of Crynssen, with a nominal value of $1.00 per share.

 

“Crynssen Shareholders” means the shareholders of Crynssen prior to the consummation of the Business Combination.

 

“Deseja” means the Deseja Trust, a trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware and a Crynssen Shareholder.

 

“EBITDA” means profit (loss) for the year before interest expense, net, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization.

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

“FDA” means the United States Food and Drug Administration.

 

“GAAP” means with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.

 

“IASB” means the International Accounting Standards Board.

 

ii

 

 

“IFC” means the International Finance Corporation, an international organization established by Articles of Agreement among its member countries, and a Crynssen Shareholder.

 

“IFC Redemption Agreement” means that certain Share Redemption Agreement entered into by and between the Company and IFC on March 31, 2021, and subsequently amended on September 29, 2021, pursuant to which the Company agreed to redeem 4,500,000 Redeemable B Shares from IFC for a total purchase price of $45,000,000 in accordance with the terms thereunder.

 

“IFRS” means the International Financial Reporting Standards, as issued by the IASB.

 

“IPO” means Union’s initial public offering of units, consummated on October 22, 2019.

 

“INVIMA” means the Colombian Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos (National Food and Drug Surveillance Institute).

 

“JOBS Act” means the U.S. Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended.

 

“Merger” means the merging of Merger Sub with and into Union pursuant to the laws of the Cayman Islands, with Union surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

 

“Merger Effective Time” means the time at which the merger certificate was filed on September 29, 2021.

 

“Merger Sub” means OZLEM Limited, an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands with registration number 373625.

 

“Nasdaq” means The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC.

 

“Nomination Agreement” means that certain nomination agreement by and among the Company, certain Crynssen Shareholders and the Sponsors dated September 29, 2021.

 

“Ordinary Shares” means the ordinary shares of the Company, nominal value $0.01 per share.

 

“PIPE” means the private placement pursuant to which the PIPE Investors purchased 10,000,000 SPAC Ordinary Shares, for a purchase price of $10.00 per share, which were converted into Ordinary Shares in connection with the Closing.

 

“PIPE Investors” means persons that entered into Subscription Agreements to purchase for cash SPAC Ordinary Shares which became Ordinary Shares in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination on the Closing Date.

 

“Redeemable A Shares” means the redeemable A shares of the Company, nominal value $0.01 per share.

 

“Redeemable B Shares” means the redeemable B shares of the Company, nominal value $0.01 per share.

 

“Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement” means that certain registration rights and lock-up agreement entered into on September 29, 2021 by and among the Company, the Sponsors, certain other shareholders of Union and the Crynssen Shareholders.

 

“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

iii

 

 

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

“Simphony” means the Simphony Trust, a trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware and a Crynssen Shareholder.

 

“Sognatore” means the Sognatore Trust, a trust organized under the laws of New Zealand and a Crynssen Shareholder.

 

“SPAC” or “Union” means Union Acquisition Corp. II, a Cayman Islands exempted company limited by shares with registration number 345887.

 

“SPAC Ordinary Shares” means the ordinary shares of Union, par value $0.0001 per share.

 

“SPAC Warrants” means warrants to purchase SPAC Ordinary Shares as contemplated under the Warrant Agreement, with each warrant exercisable for the number of SPAC Ordinary Shares stated in the applicable SPAC Warrant at an exercise price per SPAC Ordinary Share of $11.50.

 

“Sponsors” means Union Group International Holdings Limited and Union Acquisition Associates II, LLC.

 

“Subscription Agreements” means the subscription agreements entered into by Union and a number of qualified institutional buyers and institutional and individual accredited investors, in connection with the execution of the Business Combination Agreement, pursuant to which such investors agreed to purchase, and Union agreed to sell to such investors, an aggregate of 10,000,000 SPAC Ordinary Shares for a purchase price of $10.00 per share and an aggregate purchase price of $100,000,000, which SPAC Ordinary Shares were automatically exchanged with the Company for Ordinary Shares at the Closing.

 

“Transaction Support Agreement” means the Transaction Support Agreement, dated as of March 31, 2021, by and among Union, Crynssen, the Company, certain Crynssen Shareholders, the Sponsors, certain other shareholders of Union prior to the Closing of the Business Combination and certain officers and directors of Union, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

 

“Warrant Amendment” means that certain Assignment, Assumption and Amendment Agreement entered into on September 29, 2021 by the Company, Union and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company as warrant agent.

 

“Warrant Agreement” means the warrant agreement, dated October 17, 2019, by and between Union and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, governing Union’s warrants.

 

“Warrants” mean the former warrants of Union converted at the Merger Effective Time into a right to acquire one Ordinary Share on substantially the same terms as were in effect immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time under the terms of the Warrant Agreement, which was assigned to and assumed by the Company pursuant to the Warrant Amendment.

 

iv

 

 

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT WITH RESPECT TO FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This annual report contains forward-looking statements about our expectations, beliefs and intentions regarding, among other things, our products and services, development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies, plans and prospects. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “seek,” “target,” “will,” “project,” “forecast,” “continue” or “anticipate” or their negatives or variations of these words or other comparable words or by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical matters. Forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results as of the date they are made. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause our actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the factors listed below:

 

  the financial performance of Procaps following the Business Combination;

 

  changes to our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans;

 

  our ability to develop and launch new products and services;

 

  our ability to successfully and efficiently integrate future acquisitions or execute on dispositions;

 

  the availability of raw materials used in our products and our ability to source such raw materials, or find adequate substitutes, in a cost-effective manner;

 

  our product development timeline and estimated research and development (“R&D”) costs;

 

  developments and projections relating to our competitors and industry;

 

  our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection and not infringe on the rights of others;

 

  the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business;

 

  changes in applicable laws or regulations; and

 

  the outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings.

 

We believe these forward-looking statements are reasonable; however, these statements speak only as of the date of this annual report and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. We discuss these risks in this annual report in greater detail under the heading “Risk Factors.” Given these uncertainties, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. 

 

Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or developments or otherwise.

 

As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, our actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include:

 

our ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition and our ability to grow and manage growth profitably following the Business Combination;
   
changes in applicable laws or regulations;
   
any identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting which, if not corrected, could adversely affect the reliability of our financial reporting;

v

 

 

the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business;
   
the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of any future acquisition, and identify and realize additional opportunities;
   
the risk of failure or delay in the development of new pharmaceutical products and the costs involved;
   
the risk that delays in regulatory reviews and approvals of new products could delay our ability to market such products, and that post-approval requirements, including additional clinical trials, could result in increased costs;
   
 the risk associated with the markets and countries in which we operate, including, Colombia, El Salvador and Brazil;
   
 our ability to identify and materialize acquisition opportunities;
   
the risk associated with fluctuations in the costs, availability, and suitability of the components of the products we manufacture, including active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, purchased components, and raw materials;
   
 failure to comply with existing or future regulatory requirements, standards and ethical expectations, including environmental, tax, labor, anticorruption, health and safety regulations;
   
 the risk associated with global supply chain crisis could interfere with the operations of certain of our direct or indirect suppliers;
   
 our ability to adequately enhance our products and services or introduce new technology;
   
 the risk associated with the restatement of our financial statements for prior periods which may affect investor confidence, the price of our securities, our ability to raise capital in the future, our results of operations and financial condition, and which may result in stockholder litigation;
   
the risk of a change in demand for our products and services, consumer preferences and the possibility of rapid technological change in the highly competitive industry in which we operate;
   
 the risk associated with the loss of, or failure to attract and retain, our key employees and specialized sales representatives;
   
the risk that changes to price control regulations could negatively affect our margins and its ability to pass on cost increases to our customers;
   
 the dependency of our integral contract development and manufacturing organization services on customer’s research and success of their products;
   
the risks associated with the effect of our products on our customers and potential exposure to product and other liability risks;
   
the risk of disruption at any of our manufacturing facilities or disruption of the relationship with our key customers;
   
the risks associated with exchange rate volatility of the currencies in which we do business;
   
the risk of any breach, disruption or misuse of our, or our external business partners’, information systems or cyber security efforts;
   
the risk of changes in market access or healthcare reimbursement for, or public sentiment towards our, or our customers’, products, or other changes in applicable policies regarding the healthcare industry;
   
the risk that we or our customers are unable to secure or protect our respective intellectual property or that we or our customers may infringe on the intellectual property rights of others;
   
 the loss of customers’ confidence in the integrity of pharmaceutical products due to illegal trade;
   
the possibility that we may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and
   
other risks and uncertainties described in this annual report, including those under the heading “Risk Factors.”

 

vi

 

 

CERTAIN CONVENTIONS

 

The Company was incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on March 29, 2021. The Company owns no material assets other than its direct ownership of the issued share capital in Crynssen, a private limited liability company registered and incorporated under the laws of Malta. Except where the context otherwise requires or where otherwise indicated, all references to “Procaps,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Crynssen and its consolidated subsidiaries, including Crynssen, with respect to periods prior to the Closing and to the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries with respect to periods following the Closing, as well as those businesses we account for using the equity method.

 

Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements

 

During the preparation of this annual report and our Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements (as defined below), we revisited the classification of our factoring and reverse factoring arrangements between Trade and other payables (current) and Borrowings (current).

 

We enter into reverse factoring arrangements with several factors. Under these arrangements, certain suppliers sell their receivables in Procaps to a factor. When a supplier sells an invoice to a factor, the factor will advance the payment with a discount to the supplier. While we do not have a contractual obligation to reimburse the supplier for the discount (i.e., interest), in practice, and in order to maintain a good business relationship with suppliers and in exchange for longer payment terms, we may agree to reimburse the discount to the supplier, hence assuming the discount as a result of extending the payment terms. Inversely, we also enter into factoring arrangements where we sell or assign trade receivables to factors at a discount. These arrangements can be structured with or without recourse. In some instances, we may have both factoring and reverse factoring arrangements in place with the same factor.

 

Our reverse factoring arrangements have characteristics of both operating and financing debt. Under IFRS 9 there is no explicit guidance as to when to classify a reverse factoring arrangement as operating or financing debt. The assessment of such classification involves judgment and careful consideration of all relevant facts and circumstances of each arrangements. Previously, we classified all reverse factoring arrangements as Trade and other payables (current). Upon reassessing the facts and circumstances of each reverse factoring arrangement, we determined that certain reverse factoring arrangements have the characteristics of a financing arrangement due to Procaps reimbursing certain suppliers for the discount charged by the factor to the supplier, which consists of interest, late and/or other charges that are being invoiced to Procaps by the supplier. As a result of our re-assessment, we have reclassified such reverse factoring arrangements from Trade and other payables (current) to Borrowings (current).

 

Additionally, we had sold trade receivables to certain factors with recourse, thereby not transferring substantially all risks associated with such factoring arrangements. As a result, such factoring arrangements should have been classified as ‘secured borrowings’ within Borrowings (current) instead of Trade and other payables (current).

 

Furthermore, the reclassification of such factoring and reverse factoring arrangements from Trade and other payables (current) to Borrowings (current) has impacted “trade and other payables” and “payments on borrowings” in our statement of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, thereby reducing cash from operating activities and increasing cash from financing activities.

 

Our management has concluded that in light of the error described above, a material weakness exists in our internal control over financial reporting and that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective. For a discussion on remediation plan with respect to such material weakness, see Item 15.B under the heading “Management’s Annual Assessment of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting –– Remediation Efforts” in this annual report.

 

The Company and its Audit Committee, after discussion with its independent registered public accounting firm and legal advisors, determined that we will be required to restate our previously issued unaudited consolidated interim financial statements as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, and its consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, included in its Registration Statement on Form F-1 (Registration No. 333-261366).

 

For more information, see Note 2.4 “Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” to the Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this annual report.

 

vii

 

 

Trademarks and Trade Names

 

This annual report contains references to our trademarks and to trademarks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this annual report, including logos, artwork and other visual displays may appear without the ® or TM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade name or trademarks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.

 

CURRENCY PRESENTATION

 

In this annual report, unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires:

 

“U.S.$”, “$” and “U.S. dollar” each refers to the United States dollar;

 

“COP” refers to the Colombian peso, the lawful currency of Colombia; and

 

“Reais” and “R$” refers to the Brazilian real, the lawful currency of Brazil.

 

We have translated some of the local currency amounts contained in this annual report into U.S. dollars for convenience purposes only. The U.S. dollar-equivalent information presented in this annual report is provided solely for convenience and should not be construed as implying that the amounts represent, or could have been or could be converted into, U.S. dollars at such rates or at any other rate.

 

Certain numbers and percentages included in this annual report have been subject to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, figures shown for the same category presented in various tables or other sections of this annual report may vary slightly, and figures shown as totals in certain tables may not be the arithmetic aggregation of the figures that precede them.

 

PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

This annual report contains the annual audited consolidated financial statements of Procaps Group S.A. as of December 31, 2021, 2020 and January 1, 2020, and for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 (the “Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements”).

 

The Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the IFRS as issued by the IASB and in its presentation currency of the U.S. dollar.

 

Our Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements are presented in U.S. dollars. Our fiscal year ends on December 31 of each year. Accordingly, all references to a particular year are to the year ended December 31 of that year.

 

Non-IFRS Information

 

Our management uses certain non-IFRS financial information to assess our operating performance across periods and for business planning purposes. We believe the presentation of these non-IFRS financial measures is useful to investors as it provides additional information to facilitate comparisons of historical operating results, identify trends in our underlying operating results and provide additional insight and transparency on how we evaluate our business.

 

We use non-IFRS financial measures to budget, make operating and strategic decisions, and evaluate our performance. Below is a description of the non-IFRS financial measures we have used in this annual report, including any adjustments to the IFRS financial measures derived therefrom. We believe the non-IFRS measures should always be considered along with the related IFRS financial measures. We have provided the reconciliations between the IFRS and non-IFRS financial measures below under the heading “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects––Non-IFRS Financial Measures” in this annual report.

 

The primary non-IFRS financial measures utilized by our management is described below and reflects how we evaluate our current and prior-year operating results. As new events or circumstances arise, our management may alter the definitions of such measures to better reflect our financial performance or adopt new measures in the future. In the event any of these definitions change, or if new non-IFRS financial measures are adopted by our management, we will provide the updated definitions and present the related non-IFRS historical results on a comparable basis.

 

viii

 

 

Use of Constant Currency

 

As exchange rates are an important factor in understanding period-to-period comparisons, we believe the presentation of certain financial metrics and results on a constant currency basis in addition to the IFRS reported results helps improve investors’ ability to understand our operating results and evaluate our performance in comparison to prior periods. Constant currency information is non-IFRS financial information that compares results between periods as if exchange rates had remained constant period-over-period. We use results on a constant currency basis as one measure to evaluate our performance. We currently present revenue, cost of sales, gross profit, sales and marketing expenses, administrative expenses, Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA on a constant currency basis. We calculate constant currency by calculating year-end period results using prior-period foreign currency exchange rates. We generally refer to such amounts calculated on a constant currency basis as excluding the impact of foreign exchange. These results should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, results reported in accordance with IFRS. Results on a constant currency basis, as we present them, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies and are not measures of performance presented in accordance with IFRS.

 

For more information, see the discussion on constant currency in Item 5.A under the heading “Operating Results––Non-IFRS Financial Measures––Use of Constant Currency” in this annual report.

 

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin

 

We define EBITDA as profit (loss) for the year before interest expense, net, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA further adjusted to exclude certain isolated costs incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain transaction costs incurred in connection with the Business Combination, certain listing expenses incurred in connection with the Business Combination, certain costs related to business transformation initiatives, certain foreign currency translation adjustments, and certain other finance costs and other nonrecurring, nonoperational or unordinary items as the Company may deem appropriate from time to time. Adjusted EBITDA is one of the key performance indicators we use in evaluating our operating performance and in making financial, operating, and planning decisions. We believe EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance compared to other companies in the pharmaceutical industry, as similar measures are commonly used by companies in this industry. We also report Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue as an additional measure so investors may evaluate our Adjusted EBITDA margins on revenue.

 

For more information and a reconciliation of profit (loss) for the year to EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin, see Item 5.A under the heading “Operating Results––Non-IFRS Financial Measures––EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin” in this annual report.

 

Contribution Margin

 

We define Contribution Margin as gross profit less selling expenses. Contribution Margin is one of the key performance indicators we use in evaluating our profitability. We believe Contribution Margin is useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance compared to other companies in the pharmaceutical industry, as similar measures are commonly used by companies in this industry.

 

For more information and a reconciliation of gross profit to Contribution Margin, see Item 5.A under the heading “Operating Results––Non-IFRS Financial Measures–– Contribution Margin” in this annual report.

 

PRESENTATION OF INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA

 

In this annual report, we rely on, and refer to, information regarding our business and the markets in which we operate and compete. The market data and certain economic and industry data and forecasts used in this annual report were obtained from internal surveys, market research, governmental and other publicly available information and independent industry publications. Industry publications, surveys and forecasts generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but that the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed. We believe that these industry publications, surveys and forecasts are reliable, but we have not independently verified them and cannot guarantee their accuracy or completeness. 

 

Certain market share information and other statements presented herein regarding our position relative to our competitors are not based on published statistical data or information obtained from independent third parties, but reflects our best estimates. We have based these estimates upon information obtained from publicly available information from our competitors in the industry in which we operate.

 

ix

 

 

Item 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 3. KEY INFORMATION

 

A. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

 

The information presented below is derived from our Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements. The information presented below should be read alongside our Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying footnotes included elsewhere in this annual report. You should read the following financial data together with “Risk Factors” and Item 5 under the heading “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” of this annual report.

 

The following table highlights key measures of Procaps’ financial condition and results of operations (in thousands of U.S. dollars, except for per share amounts):

 

   For the Year ended December 31, 
Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income:  2021   2020   2019 
Revenue  $409,742    331,467    324,792 
Cost of sales   (174,029)   (140,153)   (142,294)
Gross profit   235,713    191,314    182,498 
Sales and marketing expenses   (83,057)   (69,629)   (84,810)
Administrative expenses   (82,187)   (58,631)   (60,257)
Finance expenses, net   (78,636)   (54,489)   (42,983)
Other expenses, net   (78,991)   (7,716)   (4,426)
(Loss)/Income before tax   (87,158)   849    (9,978)
Income tax expense   (13,705)   (11,296)   (7,035)
Loss for the year  $(100,863)   (10,447)   (17,013)

 

1

 

 

   As of
December 31,
   As of
January 1,
 
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position (at period end)  2021  

2020

(as restated)

  

2020

(as restated)

 
Assets:            
Non-current assets:            
Property, plant and equipment, net  $72,638    70,335    74,915 
Right-of-use assets   40,167    43,195    38,296 
Intangible assets   30,171    27,583    23,201 
Deferred tax assets   7,067    21,769    16,215 
Total non-current assets   164,076    174,836    165,279 
Current assets:               
Cash   72,112    4,229    2,042 
Trade and other receivables, net   117,449    96,493    96,466 
Inventories, net   79,430    64,284    65,002 
Current tax assets   22,082    16,774    6,697 
Total current assets   298,059    184,702    172,449 
Total assets   462,135    359,538    337,728 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit):               
Equity (Deficit):               
Share premium  $377,677    54,412    54,412 
Reserves   42,749    39,897    28,681 
Accumulated deficit   (431,059)   (327,344)   (305,634)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (27,778)   (24,421)   (23,753)
Total equity (deficit)   (38,340)   (254,678)   (243,947)
Non-current liabilities:               
Borrowings   178,720    339,738    320,462 
Amounts owed to related parties       12,163     
Warrant liabilities   23,112         
Shares held in escrow   101,859         
Deferred tax liabilities   6,070    18,890    7,659 
Other liabilities   2,750    3,797    5,077 
Total non-current liabilities   312,511    374,588    333,198 
Current liabilities:               
Borrowings   74,646    114,780    99,975 
Trade and other payables, net   85,381    94,116    104,608 
Amounts owed to related parties   8,450    8,459    25,091 
Current tax liabilities   11,756    9,393    7,542 
Other liabilities   7,230    11,051    8,985 
Total current liabilities   187,964    239,628    248,477 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficit)   462,135    359,538    337,728 

  

Comparative figures as of the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were restated to reflect the revised classification of certain factoring and reverse factoring arrangements previously classified as part of Trade and other payables (current) into Borrowings (current). For further information, see under the heading “Certain Conventions ––Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” in this annual report and Note 2.4 “Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” to the Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this annual report.

 

   For the Year ended December 31, 
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows:  2021   2020
(as restated)
   2019 (as restated) 
Cash flow provided by operating activities  $37,303    70,920    68,286
Cash flow used in investing activities   (23,703)   (17,091)   (12,069)
Cash flow generated from (used in) financing activities   58,044    (40,509)   (46,949)
Net increase in cash   71,644    13,320    9,268 

 

2

 

 

Comparative figures for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were restated to reflect the revised classification of certain factoring and reverse factoring arrangements previously classified as part of Trade and other payables (current) into Borrowings (current) on “trade and other payables” and “payments on borrowings” in the statement of cash flows. Additionally, certain reclassifications have been made to the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 statement of cash flows to conform to the current year’s presentation, which include the separate disclosure for payment of lease liabilities, reclassification of interest paid on lease liabilities to operating activities and presentation of cash flow to/from related parties regarding loans to such entities in investing activities, which had no impact on previously reported loss for the years and accumulated losses. For further information, see under the heading “Certain Conventions ––Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” in this annual report and Note 2.4 “Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” to the Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this annual report.

 

   For the Year ended December 31, 
Other Financial Data  2021   2020   2019 
Contribution Margin(1)(2)  $152,656    121,685    97,688 
Adjusted EBITDA(1)(3)   99,678    84,619    59,136 
Revenue on a constant currency basis(4)   416,383    363,537    - 
Contribution Margin on a constant currency basis(1)(2)(4)   154,256    134,585    - 
Adjusted EBITDA on a constant currency basis(1)(3)(4)   100,384    93,455    - 

 

 

(1)Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS measures. We include these metrics as supplemental disclosures because we believe they are useful indicators of our operating performance. Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA are well recognized performance measures in the pharmaceutical industry that are frequently used by investors, securities analysts and other interested parties in comparing the operating performance of companies in our industry. However, because Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS measures and their calculation is not determined in accordance with IFRS, such measures are susceptible to varying calculations and not all companies calculate the measures in the same manner. As a result, our calculation of Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA as presented may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures by other companies.
(2)We define Contribution Margin as gross profit less selling expenses. For a reconciliation of gross profits to Contribution Margin, see Item 5.A under the heading “Operating Results––Non-IFRS Financial Measures–– Contribution Margin” in this annual report.
(3) We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA (which is defined as profit (loss) for the year before interest expense, net, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization) as further adjusted to exclude certain isolated costs incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain transaction costs incurred in connection with the Business Combination, certain listing expenses incurred in connection with the Business Combination, certain costs related to business transformation initiatives, certain foreign currency translation adjustments, and certain other finance costs and other nonrecurring, nonoperational or unordinary items as the Company may deem appropriate from time to time. For a reconciliation of profit (loss) for the year to Adjusted EBITDA, see Item 5.A under the heading “Operating Results––Non-IFRS Financial Measures–– EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin” in this annual report.
(4)

As exchange rates are an important factor in understanding period-to-period comparisons, we believe the presentation of results on a constant currency basis helps improve investors’ ability to understand our operating results and evaluate our performance in comparison to prior periods. Constant currency information is non-IFRS financial information that compares results between periods as if exchange rates had remained constant period-over-period. We calculate constant currency by calculating current year-end results using the prior years foreign currency exchange rates. These results should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, results reported in accordance with IFRS. Results on a constant currency basis, as we present them, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies and are not measures of performance presented in accordance with IFRS. For additional information on constant currency results and metrics, see Item 5.A under the heading “Operating Results––Non-IFRS Financial Measures––Use of Constant Currency” in this annual report.

 

3

 

 

B. CAPITALIZATION AND INDEBTEDNESS

 

Not applicable.

 

C. REASONS FOR THE OFFER AND USE OF PROCEEDS

 

Not applicable.

 

D. RISK FACTORS

 

You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with the other information contained in this annual report, before making any investment decision. Any of the following risks and uncertainties could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. The market price of our Ordinary Shares and Warrants could decline due to any of these risks and uncertainties, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risks described below are those that we currently believe may materially affect us.

 

4

 

 

Risks Related to Product Development and Manufacturing

 

The development of new pharmaceutical products is a complex, risky and lengthy process involving significant financial, research and development and other resources, which may be delayed due to various factors. Such delays can result in increased costs or the emergence of competing products, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We develop advanced pharmaceutical oral delivery systems technologies primarily in the form of soft gelatin capsules (“Softgel”) that are used in the manufacturing of prescription pharmaceutical drugs (“Rx”) and over the counter (“OTC”) pharmaceutical products, as well as high-complexity drugs for hospital use, personal protective equipment, immunosuppressant, oncology and analgesics products and syringes, among other products. The development of new pharmaceutical products, including our advanced oral delivery systems, is a complex, inherently risky and lengthy process involving significant financial, R&D and other resources, and may not result in a commercially viable product. We must successfully develop, test, manufacture and launch our products as well as successfully register our products in each relevant jurisdiction, in advance of our competitors. A project may be delayed at any stage of the process due to various factors, including failure to obtain the required regulatory approvals for the product being developed or for its manufacturing facilities in a timely manner. Our products currently under development, if and when fully developed and tested, may not perform as we expect, or competitors may already occupy the market opportunity.

 

Decisions on the launch of a new oral delivery system and the timing of such launches are primarily driven by our R&D development team. Once the development of the product is completed and the results and appropriate documentation is submitted to the applicable health authority, investments made in the manufacture of pre-launch product, marketing materials and sales force training, may result in additional expenses if the product is not approved in a timely manner. Additionally, other factors such as price negotiation, large-scale natural disasters or global pandemics, and competitor activity may significantly delay the launch of a new product.

 

All of our products must meet and continue to comply with regulatory and safety standards and receive regulatory approvals in each of the markets in which they are to be commercialized. If health or safety concerns arise with respect to a product, we may be forced to withdraw it from the market and could face legal action if any harm came from the use of our products.

 

Significant delays in the development and anticipated launch dates of new products could hinder our achievement of development targets, adversely affect the reputation of our R&D capabilities, allow our competitors to bring competing products to the market before we do, significantly reduce the return on costs incurred in preparing for the launch of seasonal products that are launched off-season, and result in increased costs if marketing and sales efforts need to be rescheduled, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

In addition, product development requires the accurate assessment of market trends and market acceptance among consumers and the medical community, particularly physicians and hospitals, in each of our target markets. Although hospitals often use generic products to reduce their costs, procurement departments of hospitals may not purchase our products. Physicians may not prescribe or recommend our products to patients, and pharmacists may not respect the prescription. Despite our track record of success in certain markets, the acceptance of any of our products among the medical community depends upon several factors, including the reputation of the brand, the safety and efficacy of the product, the effectiveness of our sales force, the product’s price, the product’s perceived advantages and disadvantages relative to competing products or treatments, and the prevalence and severity of side effects. Our overall profitability depends on, among other things, our ability to introduce new products in a timely manner, to differentiate our products with innovative formulations, to continue to manufacture products cost- efficiently and to manage the life cycle, including market acceptance, of our product portfolio.

 

We are subject to strict controls on the commercialization processes for our pharmaceutical products, including their development, manufacture, distribution and marketing, which vary by country and by region. Any delays in regulatory reviews or approvals could delay our ability to market our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We are subject to strict controls and approvals on the commercialization processes for our pharmaceutical products, including their development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing. The criteria for establishing safety, efficacy and quality, which are essential for securing marketing approvals, vary by country and by region. Obtaining approval for our products and manufacturing processes requires us to submit a dossier in respect of each international non-proprietary name (“INN”) and each formulation and dosage variation for such INN in each country in which we wish to market such product. Regulators delay approvals and require additional data before approval is granted, even though the pharmaceutical products may already be approved or launched in other countries.

 

Factors including advances in science and technology, evolving regulatory science and new laws and policies, can result in delays in the approval of new pharmaceutical products, including new advanced oral delivery systems. While we seek to manage most of these risks, unanticipated and unpredictable policymaking by governments and regulators, limited regulatory authority resources or conflicting priorities can often lead to delays in regulatory approvals. Any such delays in regulatory reviews and approvals could delay the marketing of our products, resulting in increased costs as described above, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

5

 

 

Our future results of operations are subject to fluctuations in the costs, availability, and suitability of the components of the products we manufacture, including active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, purchased components, and raw materials. In addition, the global supply chain crisis may interfere with the operations of certain of our direct or indirect suppliers or with international trade for these supplies, which could raise our costs or reduce the productivity or slow the timing of our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We depend on various active pharmaceutical ingredients, components, compounds, raw materials, and energy supplied primarily by others for our offerings. This includes, but is not limited to, pharmaceutical and biologic ingredients, gelatin, starch, and iota carrageenan for our Softgel products, packaging films for our Rx and OTC products, and glass vials and syringes for injectable fill-finish for certain of our Rx and Diabetrics (as defined below) products. Also, certain of our customers provide to us their active pharmaceutical or biologic ingredient for formulation or incorporation in the finished product and may supply other raw materials as well. It is possible that any of our or our customers’ supplier relationships could be interrupted due to changing regulatory requirements, import or export restrictions, natural disasters, international supply disruptions, whether caused by pandemics or otherwise, geopolitical issues, operational or quality issues at the suppliers’ facilities, and other events, or could be terminated in the future.

 

For example, gelatin is a critical component in most of our Softgel products produced by our NextGel segment. Gelatin is available from only a limited number of sources. In addition, much of the gelatin we use is bovine-derived. Past concerns of contamination from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (“BSE”), have narrowed the number of possible sources of particular types of gelatin. If there were a future disruption in the supply of gelatin from any one or more key suppliers, we may not be able to obtain an adequate alternative supply from our other suppliers. If future restrictions were to emerge on the use of bovine-derived gelatin due to concerns of contamination from BSE or otherwise, any such restriction could hinder our ability to timely supply our customers with products and the use of alternative non-bovine-derived gelatin could be subject to lengthy formulation, testing, and regulatory approval.

 

A disruption at any of our main manufacturing facilities could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our manufacturing operations are concentrated in six locations throughout Colombia, Brazil and El Salvador. Additionally, on December 31, 2021 we acquired an FDA approved 86,000 square feet pharmaceutical production facility located in West Palm Beach, Florida; our first US-based Softgel production facility and R&D center, which is expected to begin operations in May of 2022. A significant disruption at one or more of these facilities, whether it be due to fire, natural disaster, power loss, intentional acts of vandalism, climate change, war, terrorism, insufficient quality, cyber-attacks, or pandemic could materially and adversely affect our business.

 

Additionally, regulatory authorities routinely inspect all of our manufacturing facilities for compliance with applicable laws, rules, regulations and practices. While our manufacturing sites are compliant, if a regulatory authority were to identify serious adverse findings not corrected upon follow up inspections, we may be required to issue product recalls, shut down manufacturing facilities, and take other remedial actions. If any manufacturing facility were forced to cease or limit production, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

 

Risks Related to Our Business and Financial Condition

 

We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results in a timely manner, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

In connection with the audit of our Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements, we identified material weaknesses in our internal controls related to (i) our manual consolidation process which lacks the appropriate internal controls to prevent or detect material misstatements in a timely manner and to ensure that financial data recorded was complete and accurate, (ii) our information technology controls not being sufficiently designed and implemented to address certain information technology risks, (iii) the sufficiency of technical accounting resources with an appropriate level of technical experience required for timely and accurate financial reporting in accordance with IFRS, (iv) lack of system controls and effective processes to ensure that all manual journal entries are properly reviewed and approved prior to posting to the general ledger, and (v) our monitoring activities not being effective to ascertain whether the components of our internal control are present and functioning. 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 annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. We believe certain of the material weaknesses identified above contributed to the misclassification of certain of our factoring and reverse factoring arrangements as Trade and other payables (current) instead of Borrowings (current), as discussed in more detail under the heading “Certain Conventions ––Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” in this annual report and Note 2.4 “Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” to the Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this annual report.

 

6

 

 

Our remediation activities are ongoing, and we will continue to implement our initiatives to effectively implement our internal controls over financial reporting and further document our policies, procedures and internal controls, including, among others, (i) implementing corporate standardization of accounting for period-end consolidation, control of manual journal entries, strengthening of accounting organization, and implementing automated consolidation, (ii) redesigning and executing information technology controls, such as access controls, information technology security and operation, change management and segregation of duties, (iii) recruiting additional personnel in our finance and accounting departments to ensure that we have a sufficient complement of personnel with the appropriate level of knowledge and experience required for the timely and accurate financial reporting in accordance with IFRS, (iv) designing and implementing procedures over the preparation and review of journal entries to establish that manual journal entries are properly prepared, supported by adequate documentation, and independently reviewed and approved, and (v) implementing actions to strengthen the monitoring activities of internal controls. However, if our remedial measures are insufficient to address the material weaknesses, or if additional material weakness or significant deficiencies in our internal control are discovered or occur in the future, our financial statements may contain material misstatements. If our financial statements are not accurate, investors may not have a complete understanding of our operations. Likewise, if our financial statements are not filed on a timely basis in the future, we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by Nasdaq, or any other stock exchange on which the Ordinary Shares are listed, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. Either case could adversely affect investor confidence in us and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. For a discussion on our remedial measures, see Item 15.B under the heading “Management’s Annual Assessment of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting –– Remediation Efforts” in this annual report.

 

We have restated our financial statements for several prior periods, which may affect investor confidence, the price of our securities, our ability to raise capital in the future, our results of operations and financial condition, and which may result in stockholder litigation.

 

We have filed restated financial statements for several prior periods. Such restatements may have the effect of eroding investor confidence in the Company and our financial reporting and accounting practices and processes, and may negatively impact the trading price of our securities, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, and may make it more difficult for us to raise capital on acceptable terms, if at all. The restatement and related material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting may also result in stockholder litigation.

 

If we do not enhance our existing products and services, or introduce new technology or service offerings in a timely manner, our products and services may become uncompetitive over time, or customers may not buy our products or buy less of them, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

The healthcare industry is characterized by rapid technological change. Demand for our Rx and OTC pharmaceutical products, Diabetrics products and services, and our integral contract development and manufacturing organization (“iCDMO”) services may change in ways we may not anticipate because of evolving industry standards as well as a result of evolving customer needs that are increasingly sophisticated and varied and the introduction by others of new offerings and technologies that provide alternatives to our products and services. Approximately 60% of our sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 are linked to products and services based on our proprietary technologies. To the extent that such technologies are protected by patents, their related offerings may become subject to competition as the patents expire. Without the timely introduction of enhanced or new products and services, and technologies, our offerings may become uncompetitive over time, in which case our revenue and operating results would suffer. For example, if we are unable to respond to changes in the nature or extent of the technological or other needs of our pharmaceutical customers through enhancing our pharmaceutical products and services offerings, our competition may develop offerings that are more competitive than ours and we could find it more difficult to renew or expand existing agreements or obtain new agreements. Potential innovations intended to facilitate enhanced or new offerings generally will require a substantial investment before we can determine their commercial viability, and we may not have financial resources sufficient to fund all desired innovations.

 

The success of enhanced or new pharmaceutical products and services will depend on several factors, including our ability to:

 

properly anticipate and satisfy customer needs, including increasing demand for lower cost products;

 

enhance, innovate, develop, and manufacture new offerings in an economical and timely manner;

 

differentiate our products and services from competitors’ offerings;

 

achieve positive clinical outcomes for our and our customers’ new products;

 

meet safety requirements and other regulatory requirements of governmental agencies;

 

obtain valid and enforceable intellectual property rights; and

 

avoid infringing the proprietary rights of third parties.

 

7

 

 

Even if we succeed in creating enhanced or new pharmaceutical products and services from these innovations, they may still fail to result in commercially successful offerings or may not produce revenue in excess of the costs of development, and they may become uncompetitive due to changing customer preferences or the introduction by our competitors of offerings embodying new technologies or features. Finally, innovations may not be accepted quickly in the marketplace because of, among other things, entrenched patterns of clinical practice, the need for regulatory clearance, and uncertainty over market access or government or third-party reimbursement.

 

The demand for OTC products may be impacted by changes in consumer preferences. If we are unable to adapt to these changes, we may lose market share and our net sales may be negatively impacted, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Consumer preferences related to health concerns may change, which could negatively impact demand for our OTC products or cause us to incur additional costs to change our OTC products or product packaging. The success of certain our OTC products such as gastrointestinal, skin care and vitamins, minerals and supplements, is dependent on the continued growth in demand for overall health related products. If demand for products in this category decreases, our financial condition and results of operations would be negatively impacted.

 

Furthermore, our OTC consumer products customers may request changes in packaging to meet consumer demands, which could cause us to incur inventory obsolescence charges and redesign costs, which in turn could negatively impact our results of operations.

 

Our business depends upon certain customers for a significant portion of our sales, therefore, a disruption of our relationship with these customers or any material adverse change in these customers’ businesses could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Sales to the five largest economic groups that form part of our customer base comprised approximately 26% of our net sales for the year ended December 31, 2021. While no other customer individually comprised more than 6.5% of net sales for the year ended December 31, 2021. If our relationship with one of the five largest economic groups that form part of our customer base, including the terms of doing business with such customers, changes significantly, it could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Many of our customers, which include major global, national, and regional retail drug, supermarket, and mass merchandise chains, major wholesalers, sourcing groups, hospitals and grocery stores located primarily in Latin America and the United States, continue to merge or consolidate. Such consolidation has provided, and may continue to provide, customers with additional purchasing leverage, and consequently may increase the pricing pressures we face. The emergence of large buying groups representing independent retail pharmacies enable those groups to extract price discounts on our products.

 

Additionally, if we are unable to maintain adequately high levels of customer service over time, customers may choose to obtain alternate sources for products and/or end their relationships with us.

 

We depend on key personnel to operate and grow our business and to develop new and enhanced offerings and technologies and the loss of, or the failure to attract and retain, such key personnel could adversely affect our operations.

 

We depend on key personnel to operate and grow our business and to develop new and enhanced products, services and technologies and the loss of, or the failure to attract and retain, such key personnel could adversely affect our operations.

 

We depend on our executive officers and other key personnel, including our technical personnel, to operate and grow our business and to develop new and enhanced products, services and technologies. The loss of any of these officers or other key personnel or a failure to attract and retain suitably skilled technical personnel could adversely affect our operations.

 

8

 

 

In addition to our executive officers, we rely on seven senior vice presidents and senior management personnel to lead and direct our business. The members of the senior leadership team hold positions in areas such as corporate finance, audit and internal controls, human resources, corporate and legal affairs, international marketing and R&D, investor relations and mergers and acquisitions. Furthermore, each of our business segments (NextGel, Procaps Colombia, CAN (as defined below), CASAND (as defined below) and Diabetrics) is managed by a Vice-President that reports directly to the President.

 

With respect to our technical talent, we employ more than 305 scientists, technicians and skilled personnel in R&D and innovation. Many of our facilities are located in competitive labor markets like those in which our Colombia, Brazil, El Salvador and United States - Florida facilities are located. Global and regional competitors and, in some cases, customers and suppliers compete for the same skills and talent as we do.

 

We depend on our specialized sales representatives to generate the net sales and the levels of product and brand name awareness we desire.

 

We rely on our network of specialized sales representatives to create greater awareness of our products and brand names. As a result, our operations involve certain risks, including that our sales representatives may fail to comply with local requirements, to devote the resources necessary to achieve physician confidence or loyalty, to otherwise effectively market our products, and/or to provide us with accurate or timely information about product sales. In addition, we invest in the formation and specialization of each sales representative and have no assurance of their continued employment with us. During the year ended December 31, 2021, this sales force made approximately 734,000 visits to private practitioners. Our future growth and profitability will depend in part on the effectiveness and efficiency of our sales force.

 

Our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected by global health epidemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Our business, financial condition, and results of operations have been and may continue to be adversely affected by global health epidemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

In January 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic to be a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” COVID-19 has spread across the globe and is affecting worldwide economic activity. Any public health epidemic, including the COVID-19 pandemic, may affect our operations and those of third parties on which we rely, including our customers and suppliers. Our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be affected by: disruptions in our customers’ abilities to fund, develop, or bring to market products as anticipated; delays in or disruptions to the conduct of clinical trials; cancellations of contracts or confirmed orders from our customers; decreased demand for categories of products in certain affected regions; and inability, difficulty, or additional cost or delays in obtaining key raw materials, components, and other supplies from our existing supply chain; among other factors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic may affect the operations of INVIMA, the FDA, and other drug regulatory authorities, which could result in delays of inspections, reviews, and approvals of our customers’ products. Our operations could be disrupted if our employees become ill or are otherwise absent from work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governmental restrictions, including travel restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place orders, business closures, new safety requirements or regulations, or restrictions on the import or export of certain materials, or other operational issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic have had, and may continue to have, an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, while the potential economic impact brought by and the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic are difficult to assess or predict, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global financial markets may reduce our ability to access capital, which could negatively affect our short- and long-term liquidity.

 

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on our business. It has caused complications in logistics and personnel transport during mandatory quarantine periods. Also, we had to hire additional personnel to substitute unavailable staff due to quarantine for potential exposure to COVID-19. We also incurred additional expenses by purchasing COVID-19 vaccines from the Colombian government for our employees, implementing a bus fleet to transport our employees to and from the plants, implementing COVID-19 testing, contracting third parties to substitute unavailable personnel and purchasing personal protective equipment. Price changes in raw materials also impacted our business, however, we were able to mitigate the impact of these effects by launching new products, training our sales forces to capitalize on opportunities, implementing fewer discount promotions, generating demand in markets such as Colombia and Central America, and by growing our generic drug business. However, the extent to which COVID-19 may affect our future results will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain, including the duration of the pandemic, new information that may emerge concerning the severity of the virus, and the actions governments, the pharmaceutical industry, competitors, suppliers, customers, patients, and others may take to contain or address its direct and indirect effects. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation measures may also have an adverse impact on healthcare systems, global economic conditions, or economic conditions in one or more regions where we or our customers operate, which could have an adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

 

In addition, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could exacerbate other risks we face, including those described elsewhere in “Risk Factors.” For more information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on us, see Item 5.A under the heading “Operating Results––Impact of COVID-19” and Item 4.B under the heading “Recent Developments.”

 

Any breach, disruption or misuse of our, or our external business partners’, information systems or cyber security efforts could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We are increasingly dependent upon information technology systems to operate our business. Our systems, information and operations are highly complex and interrelated with our external business partners. These systems may contain confidential information (including personal data, trade secrets or other intellectual property, or proprietary business information). The nature of digital systems, both internally and externally, makes them potentially vulnerable to disruption or damage from human error and/or security breaches, which include, but are not limited to, ransomware, data theft, denial of service attacks, sabotage, industrial espionage, and computer viruses. Such events may be difficult to detect, and once detected, their impact may be difficult to assess and address.

 

We and our external business partners have been subject to cyber-attacks in the past, and we have experienced immaterial business disruption and data loss as a result of phishing, business email compromise and other types of attacks on our information technology systems and those of our external business partners. While we continue to employ resources to monitor our systems and protect our infrastructure, these measures may prove insufficient depending upon the attack or threat posed, and that could subject us to significant risks, including ransomware attacks, other cyber breaches and disruptions that (i) cause system issues, (ii) cause the loss, misappropriation or unauthorized access, use or disclosure of confidential information, (iii) impair our operations, (iv) cause us to lose customers or experience lower sales volume, or (v) causes us to incur significant liabilities or expenses to remediate such risks, which, individually or collectively, could result in financial, legal, business or reputational harm to us and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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In addition, our information technology systems may be vulnerable to damage or interruption from circumstances beyond our control, including fire, natural disasters, power outages, systems failures and viruses. If we are unable to execute our disaster recovery and business if our plans prove insufficient for a particular situation or take longer than expected to implement in a crisis situation, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, and our business interruption insurance may not adequately compensate us for losses that may occur.

 

We are also subject to numerous laws and regulations designed to protect personal data, such as the European national laws implementing the General Data Protection Regulation and Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados). These data protection laws introduced more stringent data protection requirements and significant potential fines, as well as increased our responsibility and potential liability in relation to personal data that we process. We have put mechanisms in place to ensure compliance with applicable data protection laws but there can be no guarantee of their effectiveness.

 

We may be unable to identify acquisition opportunities and successfully execute and close acquisitions, which could limit our potential for growth.

 

We have made several acquisitions in recent years, such as the recently acquired US-based Softgel production facility and R&D center located in West Palm Beach, Florida, and expect to actively seek new acquisitions that management believes will provide meaningful opportunities for growth by increasing our existing capabilities and expanding into new areas and markets of operations. However, we may not be able to identify suitable acquisition candidates or complete acquisitions on acceptable terms and conditions. Other companies in our industry have similar investment and acquisition strategies to ours, and competition for acquisitions may intensify. If we are unable to identify acquisition candidates that meet our criteria, or complete acquisitions on acceptable terms and condition, our potential for growth may be restricted. Additionally, because we may pursue acquisitions around the world and may actively pursue a number of opportunities simultaneously, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, complications and delays in connection with identifying or acquiring suitable acquisition targets.

 

We may not be able to realize the benefits of business acquisitions and divestitures we enter into, including being unable to successfully and efficiently integrate acquisitions or execute on dispositions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, and we may use our Ordinary Shares or other securities as consideration for future business acquisitions which could result in significant dilution to our shareholders.

 

We engage from time to time in acquisitions and other transactions that may complement or expand our business or in divestments of non-strategic businesses or assets. These transactions, including our recently acquired US-based Softgel production facility and R&D center, which is expected to begin operations in May of 2022, are accompanied by risks, many of which are beyond our control, and any one of them could result in increased cost, decreased net sales and diversion of management’s time and energy, any or all of which could materially impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Such risks include, among others, risks relating to our ability to successfully and efficiently integrate acquisitions or execute on dispositions and realize anticipated benefits therefrom.

 

In order to implement our growth strategy, we evaluate opportunities to buy or otherwise acquire rights to other businesses or technologies, enter into joint ventures or otherwise enter into strategic arrangements with business partners that could complement, enhance, or expand our current business or offerings and services or that might otherwise offer us growth opportunities, or divest assets or an ongoing business. We may face competition from other companies in pursuing acquisitions and similar transactions in the pharmaceutical industry. Our ability to complete transactions may also be limited by applicable antitrust and trade laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we or the operations or assets we seek to acquire carry on business. To the extent that we are successful in making acquisitions, we expend substantial amounts of cash, incur debt, or assume loss-making divisions as consideration. We or the purchaser of a divested asset or business may not be able to complete a desired transaction for any number of reasons, including a failure to secure financing.

 

Any acquisition that we are able to identify and complete may involve a number of risks, including, but not limited to (i) the diversion of management’s attention to integrate the acquired businesses or joint ventures, (ii) the possible adverse effects on our operating results during the integration process, (iii) the potential loss of customers or employees in connection with the acquisition, (iv) delays or reduction in realizing expected synergies, (v) unexpected liabilities, (vi) exposure to compliance, intellectual property, environmental, legal or other issues, not uncovered by a limited due diligence review of the target or otherwise, and (vii) our potential inability to achieve our intended objectives for the transaction.

 

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To the extent that we are not successful in completing desired divestitures, as such may be determined by future strategic plans and business performance, we may have to expend substantial amounts of cash, incur debt, or continue to absorb the costs of loss-making or under-performing assets. Any divestiture, whether we are able to complete it or not, may involve a number of risks, including diversion of management’s attention, a negative impact on our customer relationships, costs associated with maintaining the business of the targeted divestiture during the disposition process, and the costs of closing and disposing of the affected business or transferring remaining portions of the operations of the business to other facilities.

 

Additionally, we may use our securities as consideration, in part or whole, for the purchase of acquired businesses as part of our business acquisition strategy. Such securities may carry rights or preferences different from or superior to those of our Ordinary Shares. Moreover, if such securities include our Ordinary Shares or securities senior to or pari passu to or convertible or exchangeable into our Ordinary Shares, the relative ownership interest of the holders of Ordinary Shares would be subject to dilution.

 

The demand for our iCDMO services depends in part on our customers’ research and development and the clinical and market success of their products. In the event our customers spend less on, or are less successful in, these activities for any reason, including as a result of decrease in spending due to the COVID-19 pandemic or recessionary economic conditions caused in whole or in part by the pandemic, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

 

The demand for our iCDMO offerings depends in part on our customers’ research and development and the clinical and market success of their products. Our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be negatively affected if our customers spend less on, or are less successful in, these activities. In addition, customer spending may be affected by, among other things, the COVID-19 pandemic or recessionary economic conditions caused in whole or in part by the pandemic.

 

Our customers are engaged in research, development, production, and marketing of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and consumer health products. The amount of customer spending on research, development, production, and marketing, as well as the outcomes of such research, development, and marketing activities, have a large impact on our sales and profitability, particularly the amount our customers choose to spend on our iCDMO offerings. Our customers determine the amounts that they will spend based upon, among other things, available resources and their need to develop new products, which, in turn, are dependent upon a number of factors, including their competitors’ research, development, and production initiatives, and the anticipated market uptake, clinical, and reimbursement scenarios for specific products and therapeutic areas. In addition, consolidation in the industries in which our customers operate may have an impact on such spending as customers integrate acquired operations, including research and development departments and their budgets. Our customers finance their research and development spending from private and public sources. A reduction in spending by our customers, for these reasons or because of the COVID-19 pandemic or its direct or indirect effects, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. If our customers are not successful in attaining or retaining product sales due to market conditions, reimbursement issues, or other factors, our results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

 

Risks Related to Our Industry

 

We participate in a highly competitive market, and increased competition may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We operate in a market that is highly competitive. We compete with multiple companies as to each of our offerings and in every region of the globe in which we operate, including competing with other companies that offer advanced delivery technologies, outsourced dose form, or development services to pharmaceutical and consumer health companies based in North America, South America, Europe, and the Asia- Pacific region. We also compete in some cases with the internal operations of those pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and consumer health customers that also have manufacturing capabilities and choose to source these services internally.

 

We face substantial competition in each of our markets. Competition is driven by proprietary technologies and know-how, capabilities, consistency of operational performance, quality, price, value, responsiveness, and speed. Some competitors have greater financial, R&D, operational, and marketing resources than we do. Competition may also increase as additional companies enter our markets or use their existing resources to compete directly with ours. Expanded competition from companies in low-cost jurisdictions, such as India and China, may in the future adversely affect our results of operations or limit our growth. Greater financial, research and development, operational, and marketing resources may allow our competitors to respond more quickly with new, alternative, or emerging technologies. Changes in the nature or extent of our customers’ requirements may render our offerings obsolete or non-competitive and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Changes in market access or healthcare reimbursement for, or public sentiment towards our, or our customers’, products in Latin America, the United States and other countries in which we operate, or other changes in applicable policies regarding the healthcare industry, could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations by affecting demand for our products and services.

 

The healthcare industry has changed significantly over time, and we expect the industry to continue to evolve. Some of these changes, such as ongoing healthcare reform, adverse changes in governmental or private funding of healthcare products and services, legislation or regulations governing patient access to care and privacy, or the delivery, pricing, or reimbursement approval of pharmaceuticals and healthcare services or mandated benefits, may cause healthcare industry participants to change the amount of our products and services that they purchase or the price they are willing to pay for these offerings. In particular, there is significant uncertainty about the likelihood of changes to the Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”) in the United States and healthcare laws in general in the United States, including future legislation that may affect or put a cap on future pricing of pharmaceutical products. While we are unable to predict the likelihood of changes to healthcare legislation, any substantial revisions in these legislations, including in the ACA, could have a material adverse effect on the demand for our or our customers’ products, which in turn could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Changes in the healthcare industry’s pricing, selling, inventory, distribution, or supply policies or practices, or in public or government sentiment for the industry as a whole, could also significantly reduce our revenue and results of operations. In particular, volatility in individual product demand may result from changes in public or private payer reimbursement or coverage.

 

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Our Rx products business in particular could be materially adversely impacted by measures taken by governmental entities or private payers to restrict patients’ access to our products or increase pressure on drug pricing, including denial of price increases, prospective and retrospective price decreases, and increased mandatory discounts or rebates. These actions may drive us and our competitors to decrease prices or may reduce the ability of customers to pay for our products, which could materially negatively impact our Rx products business’ results of operations.

 

The illegal trade in pharmaceutical products, including counterfeiting, theft and illegal diversion, is widely recognized. Public loss of confidence in the integrity of pharmaceutical products as a result of illegal trade could materially adversely affect our reputation, financial condition and results of operation.

 

The illegal trade in pharmaceutical products is widely recognized by the industry, non-governmental organizations and governmental authorities to be increasing. Illegal trade includes counterfeiting, theft and illegal diversion (that is, when our products are found in a market where we did not send them and where they are not approved to be sold). There is a risk to public health when illegally traded products enter the supply chain, as well as associated financial risk. Authorities and the public expect us to help reduce opportunities for illegal trade in our products through securing our supply chains, surveillance, investigation and supporting legal action against those found to be engaged in illegal trade.

 

Public loss of confidence in the integrity of pharmaceutical products as a result of illegal trade could materially adversely affect our reputation and financial performance. In addition, undue or misplaced concern about this issue may cause some patients to stop taking their medications, with consequential risks to their health.

 

If we are found liable for breaches in our supply chains, authorities may take action, financial or otherwise, that could adversely impact the distribution of our products. Counterfeit and/or illegally diverted products replacing sales of genuine products in a market can have a direct financial impact on our global markets as well as being a risk to patient safety.

 

Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

 

We and our customers depend on patents, copyrights, trademarks, know-how, trade secrets, and other forms of intellectual property protections, but these protections may not be adequate.

 

We rely on a combination of know-how, trade secrets, patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property laws, nondisclosure and other contractual provisions, and technical measures to protect many of our products, services and intangible assets. These proprietary rights are important to our ongoing operations. There can be no assurance that these protections will provide uniqueness or meaningful competitive differentiation in our offerings or otherwise be commercially valuable or that we will be successful in obtaining additional intellectual property or enforcing our intellectual property rights against unauthorized users. Our exclusive rights under certain of our products and services are protected by patents, some of which will expire in the near term. When patents covering a product or service expire, loss of exclusivity may occur, which may force us to compete with third parties, thereby negatively affecting our revenue and profitability. We do not currently expect any material loss of revenue to occur as a result of the expiration of any patent currently protecting our business.

 

Our proprietary rights may be invalidated, circumvented, or challenged. We may in the future be subject to proceedings seeking to oppose or limit the scope of our patent applications or issued patents. In addition, in the future, we may need to take legal actions to enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets, or to determine the validity or scope of the proprietary rights of others. Legal proceedings are inherently uncertain, and the outcome of such proceedings may be unfavorable to us.

 

Any legal action regardless of outcome might result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Although we use reasonable efforts to protect our proprietary and confidential information, there can be no assurance that our confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements will not be breached, our trade secrets will not otherwise become known by competitors, or that we will have adequate remedies in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of proprietary information. Even if the validity and enforceability of our intellectual property is upheld, an adjudicator might construe our intellectual property not to cover the alleged infringement. In addition, intellectual property enforcement may be unavailable or practically ineffective in some countries. There can be no assurance that our competitors will not independently develop technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to our technology or that third parties will not design around our intellectual property claims to produce competitive offerings. The use of our technology or similar technology by others could reduce or eliminate any competitive advantage we have developed, cause us to lose sales, or otherwise harm our business.

 

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We have applied in the United States, Colombia and certain other countries for registration of a number of trademarks, service marks, and patents, some of which have been registered or issued, and also claim common law rights in various trademarks and service marks. In the past, third parties have occasionally opposed our applications to register intellectual property, and there can be no assurance that they will not do so in the future. It is possible that in some cases we may be unable to obtain the registrations for trademarks, service marks, and patents for which we have applied, and a failure to obtain trademark and patent registrations in the United States, Colombia or other countries could limit our ability to protect our trademarks and proprietary technologies and impede our marketing efforts in those jurisdictions.

 

License agreements with third parties control our rights to use certain patents, software, and information technology systems and proprietary technologies owned by third parties, some of which are important to our business. Termination of these license agreements for any reason could result in the loss of our rights to this intellectual property, causing an adverse change in our operations or the inability to commercialize certain offerings.

 

In addition, many of our branded pharmaceutical customers rely on patents to protect their products from generic competition. Because incentives exist in some countries, including the United States, for generic pharmaceutical companies to challenge these patents, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are under the ongoing threat of challenges to their patents. If the patents on which our customers rely were successfully challenged and, as a result, the affected products become subject to generic competition, the market for our customers’ products could be significantly adversely affected, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We attempt to mitigate these risks by making our offerings available to generic manufacturers and distributors in the United States, as well as branded manufacturers and distributors world-wide, but there can be no assurance that we will be successful in marketing these offerings.

 

Our products and services, or our customers’ products, may infringe on the intellectual property rights of third parties and any such infringement could have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

From time to time, third parties have asserted intellectual property infringement claims against us and our customers, and there can be no assurance that third parties will not assert infringement claims against either us or our customers in the future. While we believe that our products and services do not infringe in any material respect upon proprietary rights of other parties, and that meritorious defenses would exist with respect to any assertion to the contrary, there can be no assurance that we could successfully avoid being found to infringe on the proprietary rights of others. Patent applications in the United States, Colombia and certain other countries are generally not publicly disclosed until the patent is issued or published, and we and our customers may not be aware of currently filed patent applications that relate to our or their products, services, or processes. If patents later issue on these applications, we or they may be found liable for subsequent infringement. There has been substantial litigation in the pharmaceutical industry with respect to the manufacture, use, and sale of products that are the subject of conflicting patent rights.

 

Any claim that our products, services or processes infringe third-party intellectual property rights (including claims arising through our contractual indemnification of our customers), regardless of the claim’s merit or resolution, could be costly and may divert the efforts and attention of our management and technical personnel. We may not prevail against any such claim given the complex technical issues and inherent uncertainties in intellectual property matters. If any such claim results in an adverse outcome, we could, among other things, be required to:

 

pay substantial damages (potentially including treble damages in the United States);

 

cease the manufacture, use, or sale of the infringing offerings or processes;

 

discontinue the use of the infringing technology;

 

expend significant resources to develop non-infringing technology;

 

license technology from the third-party claiming infringement, which license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all; and

 

lose the opportunity to license our technology to others or to collect royalty payments based upon successful protection and assertion of our intellectual property against others.

 

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In addition, our customers’ products may be subject to claims of intellectual property infringement and such claims could materially affect our business if their products cease to be manufactured or they have to discontinue the use of the infringing technology.

 

Any of the foregoing could affect our ability to compete or have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

Risks Related to the Countries We Operate In

 

We are an international company with operations primarily in Latin America and are subject to the market risks of the countries in which we manufacture and/or sell our products, and to risks associated with foreign exchange rates.

 

We currently maintain production facilities in Colombia, Brazil, El Salvador and recently in the United States. On December 31, 2021 we acquired an FDA approved 86,000 square feet pharmaceutical production facility located in West Palm Beach, Florida; our first US-based Softgel production facility and R&D center, which is expected to begin operations in May of 2022. Our ability to conduct and expand our business and our financial performance are subject to the risks inherent to international operations, such as currency controls, currency fluctuations, trade barriers, increases in duties, taxes and governmental royalties, nationalization, forced negotiation, changes in local labor conditions, labor strikes, price instability, interest rates, modification of existing contracts and changes in local laws and policies, regulation, taxation, social instability and other political, social and economic developments affecting the countries in which we operate. We have no control over these factors and they may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

We report our financial results in U.S. dollars. However, a significant portion of our net sales, assets, indebtedness and other liabilities, and costs are denominated in foreign currencies. These currencies include, among others, the Colombian Peso, the Brazilian Real, and the Peruvian Soles. Approximately 41% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 was U.S. dollar denominated. Our results of operations and, in some cases, cash flows, have in the past been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by movements in exchange rates. Although a significant portion of our operating costs are denominated in foreign (non-U.S.) currency, naturally reducing our exposure to changes in certain foreign currency exchange rates, we may implement currency hedges or take other actions intended to further reduce our exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. If we are not successful in mitigating the effects of changes in exchange rates on our business, any such changes could materially impact our results.

 

Additionally, our operations may be adversely affected by trade barriers, increases in duties, taxes and governmental royalties, social unrest, labor strikes, expropriation, nationalization, forced negotiation or modification of existing contracts, and changes in the local laws and policies of the countries in which we conduct our business. We are also exposed to risks related to social instability and other political, economic or social events in these countries, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as our ability to comply with our financial obligations in a timely manner.

 

In addition, several emerging market economies are particularly vulnerable to the impact of rising interest rates, inflationary pressures, higher oil and other commodity prices, and large external deficits. Risks in one country can limit our opportunities for portfolio growth and negatively affect our operations in another country or countries. As a result, any such unfavorable conditions or developments could have an adverse impact on our operations.

 

Many of our assets are located in, and a large part of our income is earned in, Colombia and, thus, we are dependent on economic and political conditions in Colombia.

 

Several of our subsidiaries, such as Procaps, S.A., organized as a capital stock corporation (sociedad anónima), and Diabetrics Healthcare S.A.S., organized as simplified stock corporation (sociedad por acciones simplificada), are organized under the laws of Colombia. Many of our assets are located in Colombia and a portion of our income is earned in Colombia. Our assets and income are subject to political, economic, regulatory and other uncertainties, including expropriation, nationalization, renegotiation or voiding of existing contracts, currency exchange restrictions and international monetary fluctuations. Accordingly, our financial condition and results of operations depend significantly on macroeconomic and political conditions prevailing in Colombia.

 

In Colombia, inflation rates have fluctuated significantly in recent years. The inflation rate reached 5.62% and 1.61% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. We cannot assure you that inflation rates will remain stable or that inflation rates will not increase significantly in the future.

 

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Changes in economic policies in Colombia could affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.

 

Our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by changes in the political climate of Colombia to the extent that such changes affect the economic policies, growth, stability, outlook or regulatory environment.

 

The Colombian Government has historically exercised substantial influence on the local economy, and governmental policies are likely to continue to have an important effect on companies operating in Colombia like us, market conditions and the prices of securities of issuers operating in Colombia, including the Notes. The President of Colombia has considerable power to determine governmental policies and actions relating to the economy and may adopt policies that may negatively affect us. We cannot predict which policies will be adopted by the new government and whether those policies would have a negative impact on the Colombian economy, on the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry or on our business, financial performance and results of operations.

 

We cannot provide any assurances that political or social developments in Colombia over which we have no control, will not have an adverse effect on our respective economic situations and will not adversely affect the business, financial condition and results of operations of our subsidiaries and their ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and ability to make payments on the Notes.

 

Pursuant to the peace agreements negotiated between the FARC and the Colombian Government in 2016, the FARC occupies five seats in the Colombian Senate and five seats in the Colombian House of Representatives. We cannot predict which policies will be adopted by the Colombian Government and whether the policies would have a negative impact on the Colombian economy, on the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry or on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that the peso will not depreciate or appreciate relative to the U.S. dollar and other currencies in the future.

 

The Colombian Government and the Colombian Central Bank exercise significant influence on the Colombian economy. Political and economic conditions may have an impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

The Colombian Government and the Colombian Central Bank can intervene in Colombia’s economy and make significant changes in monetary, fiscal and regulatory policy, which could result in currency devaluation and the changes in international reserves. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by changes in government or fiscal policies, and other political, diplomatic, social and economic developments that may affect Colombia or the international markets. Possible developments include fluctuations in exchange rates, inflation, instability of prices, changes in interest rates, liquidity of domestic capital and debt markets, exchange controls, deposit requirements on foreign borrowings, controls on capital flows, and limits on foreign trade.

 

Although the Colombian Government has not imposed foreign exchange restrictions since 1990, Colombia’s foreign currency markets have historically been extremely regulated. Colombian law permits the Colombian Central Bank to impose foreign exchange controls to regulate the remittance of dividends and/or foreign investments in the event that the foreign currency reserves of the Colombian Central Bank fall below a level equal to the value of three months of imports of goods and services into Colombia. Please see “Exchange Rates and Controls” for actions the Colombian Central Bank could take to intervene in the exchange market. An intervention that precludes us from possessing, utilizing or remitting dollars would impair our financial condition and results of operations, and would impair the shareholders’ ability to convert any dividend payments to U.S. dollars.

 

The Colombian Government has considerable power to shape the Colombian economy and, consequently, affect the operations and financial performance of businesses. The Colombian Government may seek to implement new policies aimed at controlling further fluctuation of the peso against the U.S. dollar and fostering domestic price stability. The president of Colombia has considerable power to determine governmental policies and actions relating to the economy and may adopt policies that are inconsistent with those of the prior government or that negatively affect us.

 

Many of our assets are located in, and a large part of our income is earned in, El Salvador and, thus, we are dependent on economic and political conditions in El Salvador.

 

We have two manufacturing facilities in El Salvador and a large part of our income is earned in El Salvador. The assets and income of our subsidiaries in El Salvador are subject to political, economic, regulatory and other uncertainties, including expropriation, nationalization and renegotiation or voiding of existing contracts. Accordingly, our financial condition and results of operations depend significantly on macroeconomic and political conditions prevailing in El Salvador.

 

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An emerging country such as El Salvador is subject to many different factors that may affect its economic results, including the following:

 

financial regulation in the United States;

 

changes in economic or tax policies in El Salvador;

 

the ability of El Salvador to effect key economic reforms;

 

the impact of hostilities or political unrest in other countries that may affect international trade, commodity prices and the global economy;

 

internal security issues relating to crime and violence; and

 

low GDP growth rate in El Salvador;

 

El Salvador’s economy remains vulnerable to external shocks, including global economic crises that could be caused by future significant economic difficulties of its major regional trading partners or by more general “contagion” effects, which could have a material adverse effect on El Salvador’s economic growth and therefore our operations in the country.

 

A significant decline in the economic growth of any of El Salvador’s major trading partners could adversely affect El Salvador’s economic growth. In particular, a decline in economic growth in the United States could affect the level of remittances received in El Salvador, which in turn could affect El Salvador’s balance of payments and domestic demand. In addition, because international investors’ reactions to the events occurring in one emerging market country sometimes appear to demonstrate a “contagion” effect, in which an entire region or class of investment is disfavored by international investors, El Salvador could be adversely affected by negative economic or financial developments in other emerging market countries.

 

There can be no assurance that any crises such as those described above or similar events will not negatively affect investor confidence in emerging markets or the economies of the principal countries in Latin America, including El Salvador.

 

We have significant assets in Brazil, and a large part of our income is earned in Brazil and, thus, we are dependent on economic and political conditions in Brazil.

 

We have a manufacturing facility in Brazil and a large part of our income is earned in Brazil. As are all assets and income located or earned in emerging market countries, the assets and income of our subsidiaries in Brazil are subject to political, economic, regulatory and other uncertainties, including expropriation, nationalization, renegotiation or voiding of existing contracts, currency exchange restrictions and international monetary fluctuations. Accordingly, our financial condition and results of operations depend significantly on macroeconomic and political conditions prevailing in Brazil.

 

The Brazilian government has exercised and continues to exercise significant influence on the Brazilian economy. This influence, as well as Brazilian political and economic conditions, could adversely affect us.

 

The Brazilian economy has been characterized by intervention by the Brazilian government, which has often changed monetary, credit and other policies to influence Brazil’s economy. The Brazilian government’s actions to control inflation and affect other policies have often involved wage and price controls, depreciation of the real, controls on remittances abroad, fluctuations of the Brazilian Central Bank’s base interest rate, as well as other measures. We do not have any control over what measures or policies the Brazilian government may adopt in the future and we cannot foresee them. Our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects may suffer from significant changes in policies or regulations involving or affecting factors such as:

 

expansion or contraction of the global or Brazilian economy;

 

currency exchange controls and restrictions on remittances abroad;

 

economic and social instability;

 

political elections;

 

import and export controls;

 

significant exchange rate fluctuations;

 

changes in tax regimes and taxation;

 

changes in labor regulations;

 

liquidity of financial and domestic capital markets;

 

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interest rates;

 

inflation;

 

monetary policy;

 

the regulatory environment applicable to our activities;

 

fiscal policy; and

 

other political, diplomatic, social, and economic events that may take place in Brazil or may affect it.

 

The Brazilian Central Bank has intervened occasionally to control unstable movements in the foreign exchange rate. We cannot predict whether the Brazilian Central Bank will continue to let the real float freely. Accordingly, it is not possible to predict what impact the Brazilian government’s exchange rate policies may have on us. We cannot assure that in the future the Brazilian government will not impose a band within which the real U.S. dollar-real exchange rate could fluctuate or set fixed exchange rates, nor can we predict what impact such an event might have on our business, financial position or operating results.

 

Uncertainty regarding the Brazilian government’s implementation of changes in policies or regulations that may affect these or other factors in the future could contribute to economic uncertainty in Brazil and to heightened volatility in the market for Brazilian securities and for securities issued abroad by Brazilian companies. Such uncertainties and other future developments in the Brazilian economy and governmental policies in respect of the above may materially and adversely affect us.

 

Brazilian politics have historically affected the performance of the Brazilian economy, and past political crises have affected the confidence of investors and the public, generally resulting in an economic slowdown and volatility of securities issued by Brazilian companies. The impeachment of former President Dilma Rouseff, opposition to current President Jair Bolsonaro, as well as wide-scale protests throughout Brazil focused on economic and political reform, have led to a climate of growing uncertainty. Brazilian presidents have substantial power to determine public policy, as well as to introduce measures affecting the Brazilian economy and the operations and financial results of companies such as ours. The conviction, imprisonment and release of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his potential presidential candidacy in 2022 has further increased political and economic instability.

 

New and amended Brazilian policies and regulations, whether in response to further protests, as a result of the upcoming 2022 general elections or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

In addition, uncertainty over whether the acting Brazilian government will have the political power or will to implement other needed policies or regulations affecting the above or other factors in the future may also contribute to economic uncertainty in Brazil.

 

Risks Related to Laws and Regulations

 

A significant portion of medication on the market, including ours, is subject to price control regulations. This control may limit our margins and our ability to pass on cost increases to our customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We are subject to a variety of legislation that imposes price controls over certain pharmaceutical products that we manufacture and sell. Among these laws are Colombian regulations that establish price controls for certain drugs or groups of medication, which take into consideration factors such as the number of manufactures of such drugs and competitors in the market, and the impact on the private sector or commercial channels, as defined by Colombia’s National Drug and Medical Devices Pricing Commission (Comisión Nacional de Precios de Medicamentos y Dispositivos Médicos), which applies a methodology based on a price comparison in international markets that are comparable with the Colombian market. In Brazil there is legislation which limits price increases and inflation adjustments to once per year, according to a cap based on the National Broad Consumer Price Index (Índice Nacional de Preços aos Consumidores Amplo), a productivity factor and an adjustment factor, all calculated as percentages per year. These price controls, among others, have resulted in lower profit margins. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to maintain our profit margins in the future or that the governments in the jurisdictions in which we operate will not impose additional or more restrictive price controls, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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We may be held liable if a consumer has an adverse health reaction to a product we sell or manufacture.

 

The use or misuse of our products may result in adverse health reactions in our consumers. Incidents involving our products may have a material adverse effect on us. Lawsuits, including product liability or administrative cases, may be filed against us claiming that our products were spoiled, tampered with, contaminated, did not meet the product descriptions, or did not contain appropriate disclosure information on possible side-effects or risks, among other things. These cases may result in significant expenses due to product recalls. Any real or potential health risk associated with our products, including negative publicity, may cause our consumers to lose their trust in the safety, efficiency and quality of our products. Even if products manufactured by third-parties harm consumers, our industry may suffer from negative publicity, which could decrease demand for our products. Any claim of this type against our products may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We are subject to product and other liability risks that could exceed our anticipated costs or adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.

 

We are subject to potentially significant product liability and other liability risks that are inherent in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of our products and services. We may be named as a defendant in product liability lawsuits, which may allege that our products and services have resulted or could result in an unsafe condition or injury to consumers. Such lawsuits could be costly to defend and could result in reduced sales, significant liabilities, and diversion of management’s time, attention, and resources. Even claims without merit could subject us to adverse publicity and require us to incur significant legal fees.

 

Furthermore, product liability claims and lawsuits, regardless of their ultimate outcome, could have a material adverse effect on our business operations, financial condition, and reputation and on our ability to attract and retain customers. We have historically sought to manage this risk through the combination of product liability insurance and contractual indemnities and liability limitations in our agreements with customers and vendors. The availability of product liability insurance for companies in the pharmaceutical industry is generally more limited than insurance available to companies in other industries. Insurance carriers providing product liability insurance to those in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries generally limit the amount of available policy limits, require larger self-insured retentions, and exclude coverage for certain products and claims. We maintain product liability insurance with annual aggregate limits in excess of $15 million. There can be no assurance that a successful product liability or other claim would be adequately covered by our applicable insurance policies or by any applicable contractual indemnity or liability limitations.

 

Failure to comply with existing and future regulatory requirements could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, or result in claims from customers.

 

The healthcare industry is highly regulated. We, and our customers, are subject to various local, state, federal, national, and transnational laws and regulations, which include the operating, quality, and security standards of INVIMA, the FDA, Brazil’s Health Regulatory Agency (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, or “ANVISA”), Health Canada, the United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (the “MHRA”), Australia’s Department of Health Therapeutic Goods Administration (the “TGA”), Mexico’s Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk (Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios, or “Cofepris”) and various state boards of pharmacy, state health departments, and other similar bodies and agencies of the jurisdictions in which we operate, and, in the future, any change to such laws and regulations could adversely affect us. Among other rules affecting us, we are subject to laws and regulations concerning manufacturing practices and drug safety. Our subsidiaries may be required to register for permits or licenses, and may be required to comply, with the laws and regulations of such agencies, boards of pharmacy, health departments, or other comparable agencies in various jurisdictions around the world, as well as certain accrediting bodies, such as the International Organization for Standardization (“ISO”), depending upon the type of operations and locations of distribution and sale of the products manufactured or services provided by those subsidiaries.

 

The manufacture, distribution, and marketing of our products and services are subject to extensive ongoing regulation by INVIMA, FDA, ANVISA, Health Canada, MHRA, TGA, Cofepris and other equivalent local, state, federal, national, and transnational regulatory authorities. Failure by us or by our customers to comply with the requirements of these regulatory authorities could result in warning letters, product recalls or seizures, monetary sanctions, injunctions to halt manufacture or distribution, restrictions on our operations, civil or criminal sanctions, or withdrawal of existing or denial of pending approvals, permits, or registrations, including those relating to products or facilities. In addition, any such failure relating to the products or services we provide could expose us to contractual or product liability claims as well as claims from our customers, including claims for reimbursement for lost or damaged active pharmaceutical ingredients, which cost could be significant.

 

In addition, any new products or services classified as pharmaceutical must undergo lengthy and rigorous clinical testing and other extensive, costly, and time-consuming procedures mandated by the regulatory authorities in the jurisdictions that regulate our products or services. We or our customers may elect to delay or cancel anticipated regulatory submissions for current or proposed new products or services for any number of reasons.

 

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Although we believe that we comply in all material respects with applicable laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that a regulatory agency or tribunal would not reach a different conclusion concerning the compliance of our operations with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain or renew existing permits, licenses, or other regulatory approvals or obtain, without significant delay, future permits, licenses, or other approvals needed for the operation of our businesses. Any noncompliance by us or our customers with applicable law or regulation or the failure to maintain, renew, or obtain necessary permits and licenses could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, loss of a permit, license, or other approval in any one portion of our business may have indirect consequences in another portion of our business if regulators or customers adjust their reviews of such other portion as a result or customers cease business with such other portion due to fears that such loss is a sign of broader concerns about our ability to deliver products or services of sufficient quality.

 

We are subject to environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations, which could increase our costs and restrict our operations in the future.

 

Our operations are subject to a variety of environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. These laws and regulations govern, among other things, air emissions, wastewater discharges, the use, handling, and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, soil and groundwater contamination, and employee health and safety. Any failure by us to comply with environmental, health, and safety requirements could result in the limitation or suspension of production or subject us to monetary fines, civil or criminal sanctions, or other future liabilities in excess of our reserves. We are also subject to laws and regulations governing the destruction and disposal of raw materials and non-compliant products, the handling of regulated material included in our products, and the disposal of our products or their components at the end of their useful lives. In addition, compliance with environmental, health, and safety requirements could restrict our ability to expand our facilities or require us to acquire costly environmental or safety control equipment, incur other significant expenses, or modify our manufacturing processes. Our manufacturing facilities may use, in varying degrees, hazardous substances in their processes. Any contamination at our current facilities, or at formerly owned or operated properties, can result in liability to us.

 

In the event of the discovery of new or previously unknown contamination either at our facilities or at third-party locations, including facilities we formerly owned or operated, or the imposition of cleanup obligations for which we are responsible, we may be required to take additional, unplanned remedial measures for which we have not recorded reserves, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Failure to meet regulatory or ethical expectations on environmental impact, including climate change, could affect our ability to market and sell our products if other products with a better carbon footprint are available.

 

The physical risks that climate change poses to our business have been analyzed and we expect exposure to periods of extreme heat, floods and water scarcity to become more frequent and severe in some regions where we operate, in the medium to longer term. These conditions may pose physical risks to our business and supply chain. Among our initiatives to mitigate our impact on the planet and the climate crisis, we have recently designed a carbon neutrality strategy which we launched at the end of 2021. Our strategy has the goal of, among others, (i) calculating our baseline carbon footprint and comparing it to the footprint of similar businesses to identify a benchmark, (ii) identifying greenhouse gas emissions mitigation opportunities, and (iii) developing a strategy combining mitigation and offsetting to become carbon neutral by a date to be determined. If global temperatures continue to rise and we are unable to adapt to such risks, our business and supply chain may be adversely affected, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. For more information on our carbon neutrality strategy, see Item 4.B under the heading “Corporate Responsibilities and Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) –– Carbon Neutrality Strategy” in this annual report.

 

Furthermore, there is an increasing global focus from regulators, investors, healthcare providers and broader society regarding measures needed to transition to a low carbon economy and the impact that this transition will have on businesses. In some markets, regulators or healthcare providers may choose not to approve or reimburse our products if other products with a better carbon footprint are available. In addition, carbon taxes and fees may be imposed on us and our suppliers as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Our global operations are subject to economic, political, and regulatory risks, including the risks of changing regulatory standards or changing interpretations of existing standards that could affect our financial condition and results of operation or require costly changes to our business.

 

We conduct our operations in various regions of the world, including South America, Central America, North America and Europe. Global and regional economic and regulatory developments affect businesses such as ours in many ways. Our operations are subject to the effects of global and regional competition, including potential competition from manufacturers in low-cost jurisdictions such as India and China. Local jurisdiction risks include regulatory risks arising from local laws. Our global operations are also affected by local economic environments, including inflation and recession. Political changes, some of which may be disruptive, and related hostilities can interfere with our supply chain, our customers, and some or all of our activities in a particular location. While some of these risks can be hedged using derivatives or other financial instruments and some are insurable, such mitigating measures may be unavailable, costly, or unsuccessful.

 

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Tax legislative or regulatory initiatives, such as the 2021 Colombian Tax Reform, new interpretations or developments concerning existing tax laws, or challenges to our tax positions could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

 

We are a large multinational enterprise with operations in 13 countries throughout the world, including Colombia, Brazil, El Salvador and the United States, and we do business with suppliers and customers in over 50 countries. As such, we are subject to the tax laws and regulations of various jurisdictions, including U.S. federal, state, and local governments. From time to time, various legislative initiatives, such as Colombia’s Social Investment Law (Ley de Inversión Social, or the “2021 Colombian Tax Reform”), may be proposed that could adversely affect our tax positions, and existing legislation, such as the 2017 U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, may be subject to additional regulatory changes or new interpretations.

 

The 2021 Colombian Tax Reform includes certain tax measures intended to generate additional tax revenues to fund social programs and promote public spending to mitigate the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. These tax measures include increasing the corporate tax rate from 30% to 35%, while maintaining the rates for the special tax regime and free-trade zones at 20% and continuing to limit the amount of turnover tax that taxpayers may claim as a corporate income tax credit to 50%, among others. The 2021 Colombian Tax Reform took effect beginning in 2022. We cannot anticipate the impact that the 2021 Colombia Tax Reform may have, nor the measures that could be adopted by the current administration in order to meet its financial obligations, which might negatively affect Colombia’s economy and, in turn, our business, financial condition and results of operations. There can be no assurance that our effective tax rate or tax payments will not be adversely affected by the 2021 Colombian Tax Reform or these other initiatives. For a discussion on the 2021 Colombian Tax Reform, see Item 4 under the heading “Business Overview––2021 Colombian Tax Reform” in this annual report.

 

In addition, the tax laws of several of the countries we operate in, including Brazilian and U.S. federal, state and local tax laws and regulations are extremely complex and subject to varying interpretations. We are subject to regular examination of our income tax returns by various tax authorities. Examinations or changes in laws, rules, regulations, or interpretations by taxing authorities could result in adverse impacts to tax years open under statute or to our operating structures currently in place. We regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations or changes in laws, rules, regulations, or interpretations to determine the reasonableness of our provision for taxes. It is possible that the outcomes from these examinations or changes in laws, rules, regulations, or interpretations by taxing authorities will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

 

We are subject to labor and employment laws and regulations, which could increase our costs and restrict our operations in the future.

 

As of December 31, 2021, we employed more than 4,900 individuals worldwide, primarily in South and Central America. Our management believes that our employee relations are satisfactory. Approximately 41 of our employees in our Rymco and Softgel manufacturing facilities are currently represented by industry labor union organizations. However, further organizing activities, collective bargaining, or changes in the regulatory framework for employment may increase our employment-related costs or may result in work stoppages or other labor disruptions. Moreover, as employers are subject to various employment-related claims, such as individual and class actions relating to alleged employment discrimination and wage-hour and labor standards issues, such actions, if brought against us and successful in whole or in part, may affect our ability to compete or have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

We are subject to governmental export and import controls that could impair our ability to compete in international markets and subject us to liability if we are not in compliance with applicable laws.

 

Our products are subject to export control and import laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which we operate. Exports of our products must be made in compliance with these laws and regulations. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations, we and certain of our employees could be subject to substantial civil or criminal penalties, including the possible loss of export or import privileges; fines, which may be imposed on us and responsible employees or managers; and, in extreme cases, the incarceration of responsible employees or managers.

 

In addition, changes in our products or changes in applicable export or import laws and regulations may create delays in the introduction, provision, or sale of our products in international markets, prevent customers from using our products or, in some cases, prevent the export or import of our products to certain countries, governments or persons altogether. Any limitation on our ability to export, provide, or sell our products could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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Failure to comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar laws associated with our activities in other jurisdictions could subject us to penalties and other adverse consequences.

 

As a substantial portion of our revenues is, and we expect will continue to be, from jurisdictions outside of the United States, we face significant risks if we fail to comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and other laws that prohibit improper payments or offers of payment to governments and their officials and political parties by us and other business entities for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. In many countries, particularly in countries with developing economies, some of which represent significant markets in which we operate, it may be a local custom that businesses operating in such countries engage in business practices that are prohibited by the FCPA or other laws and regulations. Although we have implemented company policy requiring employees and consultants to comply with the FCPA and similar laws, such policy may not be effective at preventing all potential FCPA or other violations. In addition, we cannot guarantee the compliance by our partners, resellers, suppliers and agents with applicable laws, including the FCPA. Therefore, there can be no assurance that none of our employees or agents will take actions in violation of our policies or of applicable laws, for which we may be ultimately held responsible. Any violation of the FCPA and related policies could result in severe criminal or civil sanctions, which could have a material and adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Risks Related to Our Status as a Publicly Traded Company

 

Our management has limited experience in operating a public company.

 

Our executive officers have limited experience in the management of a publicly traded company. Our senior management team may not successfully or effectively manage our transition to a public company that will be subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under federal securities laws. Their limited experience in dealing with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies could be a significant disadvantage in that it is likely that an increasing amount of their time may be devoted to these activities which will result in less time being devoted to the management and growth of our company. We may not have adequate personnel with the appropriate level of knowledge, experience, and training in the accounting policies, practices or internal controls over financial reporting required of public companies in the United States. The development and implementation of the standards and controls necessary for us to achieve the level of accounting standards required of a public company in the United States may require costs greater than expected. It is possible that we will be required to expand our employee base and hire additional employees to support our operations as a public company, which will increase our operating costs in future periods.

 

We are controlled by the Minski Family, whose interests may conflict with our interests and the interests of our other shareholders.

 

The Minski Family, through Deseja, Sognatore and Simphony, owns 59.6% of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares, including 10,464,612 Ordinary Shares that is held in escrow subject to release pursuant to the terms of the Transaction Support Agreement and the related escrow agreement. As long as the Minski Family owns at least 50% of the outstanding Ordinary Shares, the Minski Family will have the ability to determine all ordinary corporate actions requiring shareholder approval, including the election and removal of directors and the size of our Board of Directors (within the limits provided for in the Company’s amended and restated articles of association). Our Board of Directors may, without any approval required by our shareholders, decide upon, under certain circumstances, a sale of substantially all of our assets. If any shareholder or group of shareholders were to own 2/3 or more of the outstanding Ordinary Shares, such shareholder or group of shareholders would have the required majority pursuant to Luxembourg law and the Company’s amended and restated articles of association to amend the Company’s amended and restated articles of association and take all other shareholder resolutions which require at least 2/3 of the outstanding Ordinary Shares. In addition, pursuant to the Nomination Agreement, the Minski Family has the right to propose for appointment a majority of the Board of Directors, at least one-half of whom must be independent under Nasdaq rules, and the right to appoint a director to each committee of the Board of Directors. Such rights of the Minski Family shall terminate upon the earlier of (i) 20 years from the date of the Nomination Agreement and (ii) the date on which the Minski Family, or its affiliates, cease to beneficially own, in the aggregate, 30% of the outstanding Ordinary Shares. This could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control or otherwise discouraging a potential acquirer from attempting to obtain control of the company, which could cause the market price of Ordinary Shares to decline or prevent shareholders from realizing a premium over the market price for Ordinary Shares. The Minski Family’s interests may conflict with our interests as a company or the interests of our other shareholders.

 

A market for our securities may not continue, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.

 

The price of our securities may fluctuate significantly due to the market’s reaction to general market and economic conditions. An active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. In addition, the price of our securities can vary due to general economic conditions and forecasts, our general business condition and the release of financial reports. Additionally, if our securities become delisted from Nasdaq for any reason, and are quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board, an inter-dealer automated quotation system for equity securities that is not a national securities exchange, the liquidity and price of our securities may be more limited than if it were quoted or listed on Nasdaq or another national securities exchange. Shareholders may be unable to sell our securities unless a market can be established or sustained.

 

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If securities or industry analysts cease publishing research or reports about us, our business, or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding the Ordinary Shares adversely, then the price and trading volume of Ordinary Shares could decline.

 

The trading market for the Ordinary Shares will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us, our business, our market, or our competitors. If any of the analysts who cover us change their recommendation regarding the Ordinary Shares adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of the Ordinary Shares would likely decline.

 

The JOBS Act permits “emerging growth companies” like us to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

 

We currently qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, which we refer to as the “JOBS Act.” As such, we take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies for as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, including the exemption from the auditor attestation requirements with respect to internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. As a result, our shareholders may not have access to certain information they deem important. We expect to remain an emerging growth company until December 31, 2022.

 

We cannot predict if investors will find the Ordinary Shares less attractive because we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find the Ordinary Shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market and the share price for the Ordinary Shares may be more volatile.

 

Risks Related to Investment in a Luxembourg Company and Our Status as a Foreign Private Issuer

 

As a foreign private issuer, the Company is exempt from a number of U.S. securities laws and rules promulgated thereunder and will be permitted to publicly disclose less information than U.S. public companies must. This may limit the information available to holders of the Ordinary Shares.

 

The Company qualifies as a “foreign private issuer,” as defined in the SEC’s rules and regulations, and, consequently, it will not be subject to all of the disclosure requirements applicable to public companies organized within the United States. For example, the Company is exempt from certain rules under the Exchange Act that regulate disclosure obligations and procedural requirements related to the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations applicable to a security registered under the Exchange Act. In addition, our officers and directors are exempt from the reporting and “short-swing” profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and related rules with respect to their purchases and sales of our securities. For example, some of our key executives may sell a significant number of Ordinary Shares and such sales will not be required to be disclosed as promptly as public companies organized within the United States would have to disclose. Accordingly, once such sales are eventually disclosed, the price of Ordinary Shares may decline significantly. Moreover, we will not be required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. public companies. We will also not be subject to Regulation FD under the Exchange Act, which would prohibit us from selectively disclosing material nonpublic information to certain persons without concurrently making a widespread public disclosure of such information. Accordingly, there may be less publicly available information concerning us than there is for U.S. public companies.

 

The Company may lose its foreign private issuer status in the future, which could result in significant additional costs and expenses. This would subject us to GAAP reporting requirements which may be difficult for it to comply with.

 

As a “foreign private issuer,” the Company is not required to comply with all of the periodic disclosure and current reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and related rules and regulations. Under those rules, the determination of foreign private issuer status is made annually on the last business day of an issuer’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and, accordingly, the next determination will be made on June 30, 2022.

 

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In the future, the Company could lose its foreign private issuer status if a majority of the Ordinary Shares are held by residents in the United States and we fail to meet any one of the additional “business contacts” requirements. Although we intend to follow certain practices that are consistent with U.S. regulatory provisions applicable to U.S. companies, the loss of our foreign private issuer status would make such provisions mandatory. The regulatory and compliance costs under U.S. securities laws if we are deemed a U.S. domestic issuer may be significantly higher. If the Company is not a foreign private issuer, we will be required to file periodic reports and prospectuses on U.S. domestic issuer forms with the SEC, which are more detailed and extensive than the forms available to a foreign private issuer. For example, the Company would become subject to the Regulation FD, aimed at preventing issuers from making selective disclosures of material information. We may also be required to modify certain of our policies to comply with good governance practices associated with U.S. domestic issuers. Such conversion and modifications will involve additional costs. In addition, we may lose our ability to rely upon exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq that are available to foreign private issuers. For example, Nasdaq’s corporate governance rules require listed companies to have, among other things, a majority of independent board members and independent director oversight of executive compensation, nomination of directors, and corporate governance matters. As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to follow home country practice in lieu of the above requirements. We intend to follow Luxembourg practice with respect to quorum requirements for shareholder meetings in lieu of the requirement under Nasdaq Listing Rules that the quorum be not less than 33 1/3% of the outstanding voting shares. Under the Company’s amended and restated articles of association, at an ordinary general meeting, there is no quorum requirement and resolutions are adopted by a simple majority of validly cast votes. In addition, under the Company’s amended and restated articles of association, for any resolutions to be considered at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, the quorum shall be at least one half of our issued share capital unless otherwise mandatorily required by law. As long as we rely on the foreign private issuer exemption to certain of Nasdaq’s corporate governance standards, a majority of the directors on our Board of Directors are not required to be independent directors, our compensation committee is not required to be comprised entirely of independent directors, and we will not be required to have a nominating committee. Also, we would be required to change our basis of accounting from IFRS as issued by the IASB to GAAP, which may be difficult and costly for us to comply with. If we lose our foreign private issuer status and fail to comply with U.S. securities laws applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, we may have to de-list from Nasdaq and could be subject to investigation by the SEC, Nasdaq and other regulators, among other materially adverse consequences.

 

If the Company no longer qualifies as a foreign private issuer, we may be eligible to take advantage of exemptions from Nasdaq’s corporate governance standards if we continue to qualify as a “controlled company.” The Minski Family owns 59.6% of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares, including 10,464,612 Ordinary Shares held in escrow subject to release pursuant to the terms of the Transaction Support Agreement and the related escrow agreement. As a result, we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq rules. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the election of directors is held by an individual, a group, or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including:

 

the requirement that a majority of its board of directors consist of independent directors;

 

the requirement that compensation of its executive officers be determined by a majority of the independent directors of the board or a compensation committee comprised solely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; and

 

the requirement that director nominees be selected, or recommended for the board’s selection, either by a majority of the independent directors of the board or a nominating committee comprised solely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities.

 

If we elect to take advantage of these exemptions, shareholders would not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all the Nasdaq corporate governance standards.

 

The Company is organized under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and a substantial amount of our assets are not located in the United States. It may be difficult for you to obtain or enforce judgments or bring original actions against us or the members of our Board of Directors in the United States.

 

The Company is incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. In addition, a substantial amount of our assets is located outside the United States. Furthermore, some of the members of our Board of Directors and officers reside outside the United States and a substantial portion of our assets are located outside the United States. Investors may not be able to effect service of process within the United States upon us or these persons or enforce judgments obtained against us or these persons in U.S. courts, including judgments in actions predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. Likewise, it also may be difficult for an investor to enforce in U.S. courts judgments obtained against us or these persons in courts located in jurisdictions outside the United States, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. Awards of punitive damages in actions brought in the United States or elsewhere are generally not enforceable in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

 

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As there is no treaty in force on the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters between the United States and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, courts in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg will not automatically recognize and enforce a final judgment rendered by a U.S. court. However, a party who received such favorable judgment in a U.S. Court may initiate enforcement proceedings in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (exequatur) by requesting enforcement of the U.S. judgment by the District Court (Tribunal d’Arrondissement) pursuant to Section 678 of the New Luxembourg Code of Civil Procedure. The District Court will authorize the enforcement in Luxembourg of the U.S. judgment if it is satisfied that all of the following conditions are met:

 

the U.S. judgment is enforceable (exécutoire) in the United States;

 

the U.S. court awarding the judgment had jurisdiction to adjudicate the applicable matter under applicable U.S. federal or state jurisdictions rules, and the jurisdiction of the U.S. court is recognized by Luxembourg private international and local law;

 

the U.S. court has applied the substantive law as designated by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg conflict of laws rules according to certain Luxembourg case law, it is admitted that the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg courts which are asked to grant an exequatur do not have to verify whether the substantive law actually applied by the U.S. court awarding the judgment was the law which would have been applied;

 

the U.S. judgment does not contravene international public policy or order as understood under the laws of Luxembourg;

 

the U.S. court has acted in accordance with its own procedural rules and laws;

 

the U.S. judgment was granted following proceedings where the counterparty had the opportunity to appear, and if it appeared, to present a defense; and

 

the U.S. judgment was not granted pursuant to an evasion of Grand Duchy of Luxembourg law (fraude à la loi luxembourgeoise).

 

Please note that the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg case law is constantly evolving. Some of the conditions of admissibility described above may change, and additional conditions could be required to be fulfilled by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg courts while other conditions may not be required by Luxembourg courts in the future.

 

Subject to the conditions described above, courts of the Grandy Duchy of Luxembourg tend not to review the merits of a foreign judgment, although such a review is not statutorily prohibited.

 

If an original action is brought in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg courts may refuse to apply the law designated and applied in the original action if (i) the choice of such law was not bona fide or if the foreign law was not pleaded or proved or if pleaded and proved, the foreign law was contrary to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg mandatory provisions (lois impératives) or incompatible with the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg public policy rules, and (ii) its application is manifestly incompatible with the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg international policy rules. In an action brought in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on the basis of U.S. federal or state securities laws, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg courts may not have the requisite power to grant the remedies sought. Also, an exequatur may be refused if it involves punitive damages.

 

Litigation in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg also is subject to rules of procedure that differ from the U.S. rules, including, with respect to the taking and admissibility of evidence, the conduct of the proceedings and the allocation of costs. Proceedings in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg would in principle have to be conducted in the French or German language, and all documents submitted to the court would, in principle, have to be translated into French or German. For these reasons, it may be difficult for a U.S. investor to bring an original action in a Grand Duchy of Luxembourg court predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us, the members of our Board of Directors, our officers, or the experts named herein. In addition, even if a judgment against us, the non-U.S. members of our Board of Directors, our officers, or the experts named in this annual report based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws is obtained, a U.S. investor may not be able to enforce it in U.S. or the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg courts.

 

Further, in the event of any proceedings being brought in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg court in respect of a monetary obligation expressed to be payable in a currency other than the Euro, a Grand Duchy of Luxembourg court would have power to give judgment expressed as an order to pay a currency other than the Euro. However, enforcement of the judgment against any party in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg would be available only in Euros and for such purposes all claims or debts would be converted into Euros.

 

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Our amended and restated articles of association adopted in connection with the Business Combination contain specific indemnification provisions stating that every person who is, or has been, a member of our Board of Directors or officer (mandataire) shall be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by Luxembourg law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by such director or officer in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which such director or officer becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his or her being or having been a director or officer and against amounts paid or incurred by him or her in the settlement thereof.

 

Luxembourg and European insolvency and bankruptcy laws are substantially different from U.S. insolvency and bankruptcy laws and may offer our shareholders less protection than they would have under U.S. insolvency and bankruptcy laws.

 

As a company organized under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and with our registered office in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Company is subject to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg insolvency and bankruptcy laws in the event any insolvency proceedings are initiated against it including, among other things, Council and European Parliament Regulation (EU) 2015/848 of 20 May 2015 on insolvency proceedings (recast). Should courts in another European country determine that the insolvency and bankruptcy laws of that country apply to us in accordance with and subject to such European Union (“EU”) regulations, the courts in that country could have jurisdiction over the insolvency proceedings initiated against us. Insolvency and bankruptcy laws in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg or the relevant other European country, if any, may offer our shareholders less protection than they would have under U.S. insolvency and bankruptcy laws and make it more difficult for them to recover the amount they could expect to recover in a liquidation under U.S. insolvency and bankruptcy laws.

 

The rights of our shareholders may differ from the rights they would have as shareholders of a United States corporation, which could adversely impact trading in Ordinary Shares and our ability to conduct equity financings.

 

Our corporate affairs are governed by the Company’s amended and restated articles of association and the laws of Luxembourg, including the Luxembourg Company Law (loi du 10 août 1915 sur les sociétés commerciales, telle que modifiée). The rights of our shareholders and the responsibilities of our directors and officers under Luxembourg law are different from those applicable to a corporation incorporated in the United States. For example, under Delaware law, the board of directors of a Delaware corporation bears the ultimate responsibility for managing the business and affairs of a corporation. In discharging this function, directors of a Delaware corporation owe fiduciary duties of care and loyalty to the corporation and its shareholders. Luxembourg law imposes a duty on directors of a Luxembourg company to: (i) act in good faith with a view to the best interests of a company; and (ii) exercise the care, diligence, and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in a similar position and under comparable circumstances. Additionally, under Delaware law, a shareholder may bring a derivative action on behalf of a company to enforce a company’s rights. Under Luxembourg law, the board of directors has sole authority to decide whether to initiate legal action to enforce a company’s rights (other than, in certain circumstances, an action against members of the board of directors, which may be initiated by the general meeting of the shareholders, or, subject to certain conditions, by minority shareholders holding together at least 10% of the voting rights in the company). Further, under Luxembourg law, there may be less publicly available information about us than is regularly published by or about U.S. issuers. In addition, Luxembourg laws governing the securities of Luxembourg companies may not be as extensive as those in effect in the United States, and Luxembourg laws and regulations in respect of corporate governance matters might not be as protective of minority shareholders as are state corporation laws in the United States. Therefore, our shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in connection with actions taken by our directors, officers or principal shareholders than they would as shareholders of a corporation incorporated in the United States. As a result of these differences, our shareholders may have more difficulty protecting their interests than they would as shareholders of a U.S. issuer.

 

Non-Luxembourg resident holders of Ordinary Shares could be subject to adverse Grand Duchy of Luxembourg income tax consequences.

 

The tax position of the holders of Ordinary Shares may vary according to their particular financial and tax situation. Our tax structuring and/or our investments may not be tax-efficient for a particular prospective holder of Ordinary Shares. No assurances can be given that amounts distributed or allocated to the holders of Ordinary Shares will have any particular characteristics or that any specific tax treatment will apply. Furthermore, no assurances can be given that any particular investment structure in which we have a direct or indirect interest will be suitable for all holders of Ordinary Shares and, in certain circumstances, such structures may lead to additional costs or reporting obligations for some or all of the holders of Ordinary Shares.

 

Non-Luxembourg resident holders of Ordinary Shares that have neither a permanent establishment nor a permanent representative in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to which or whom the Ordinary Shares are attributable, are generally not subject to any income tax in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on gains realized upon the sale, repurchase or redemption of the Ordinary Shares.

 

Non-Luxembourg resident holders of Ordinary Shares will only be subject to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg income tax on capital gains in the event they hold a substantial participation in us (i.e. more than 10% of our issued shares, either alone or together with certain close relatives, at any time during the five-year period preceding the disposition of Ordinary Shares) and (a) the disposition of Ordinary Shares (including liquidation) takes place within six months after acquisition or (b) in case of a disposition of Ordinary Shares after six months or more, such holder had been a Grand Duchy of Luxembourg resident taxpayer for more than fifteen years and has become a non-Luxembourg taxpayer less than five years before the disposition of Ordinary Shares occurs. Nevertheless, holders should consult their own tax advisors to determine which double tax treaties concluded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, if any, apply in order to determine which state (residency state or the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) has the right to tax any such capital gains.

 

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U.S. Tax Risk Factors

 

If a United States person is treated as owning at least 10% of our shares, such person may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.

 

If a United States person is treated as owning (directly, indirectly or constructively) at least 10% of the value or voting power of our shares, such person may be treated as a “United States shareholder” with respect to us. If United States shareholders own more than 50% of the value or voting power of our shares, then we will be considered a controlled foreign corporation. Additionally, as a result of complex attribution rules, a direct or indirect subsidiary of us may be considered a “controlled foreign corporation” and a United States shareholder may be subject to the controlled foreign corporation rules with respect to such subsidiary even if we ourselves are not a controlled foreign corporation.

 

A United States shareholder of a controlled foreign corporation may be required to report annually and include in its U.S. taxable income its pro rata share of the controlled foreign corporation’s “Subpart F income” and (in computing its “global intangible low-taxed income”) “tested income” and a pro rata share of the amount of U.S. property (including certain stock in U.S. corporations and certain tangible assets located in the United States) held by the controlled foreign corporation regardless of whether such controlled foreign corporation makes any distributions. Failure to comply with these reporting obligations (or related tax payment obligations) may subject such United States shareholder to significant monetary penalties and may prevent the statute of limitations with respect to such United States shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax return for the year for which reporting (or payment of tax) was due from starting. An individual that is a United States shareholder with respect to a controlled foreign corporation generally would not be allowed certain tax deductions or foreign tax credits that would be allowed to a United States shareholder that is a U.S. corporation. We cannot provide any assurances that it will assist holders in determining whether it, or any of our non-U.S. subsidiaries, are treated as a controlled foreign corporation or whether any holder is treated as a United States shareholder with respect to any of such controlled foreign corporations or furnish to any holder information that may be necessary to comply with reporting and tax paying obligations. 

 

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Item 4. COMPANY INFORMATION

 

The Company makes its filings in electronic form under the EDGAR filing system of the SEC. Its filings are available through the EDGAR system at www.sec.gov. The Company’s filings are also available to the public through the Internet at Procaps’s website at https://www.procapsgroup.com/home.

 

A. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPANY

 

The Company was incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on March 29, 2021 as a public limited liability company (société anonyme) governed by the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for an unlimited duration and registered with the Luxembourg Trade and Companies’ Register (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés, Luxembourg) under number B 253360. The Company was incorporated solely for the purpose of effectuating the Business Combination, which was consummated on September 29, 2021. The Company owned no material assets other than its interests in Crynssen acquired in the Business Combination and did not operate any business. Crynssen is a private limited liability company registered and incorporated under the laws of Malta and, particularly, the Companies Act Cap. 386. See Item 5 under the heading “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” for a discussion of our principal capital expenditures and divestitures for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

 

The Company’s mailing address and registered office is 9, rue de Bitbourg, L-1273 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and its telephone number is +356 7995-6138. The Company’s principal website address is https://www.procapsgroup.com. The information contained on, or accessible through, the Company’s websites is not incorporated by reference into this annual report, and you should not consider it a part of this annual report.

 

The Company is subject to certain of the informational filing requirements of the Exchange Act. Since the Company is a “foreign private issuer”, it is exempt from the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and the officers, directors and principal shareholders of the Company are exempt from the reporting and “short-swing” profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act with respect to their purchase and sale of Ordinary Shares. In addition, the Company is not required to file reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. public companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act. However, the Company is required to file with the SEC an Annual Report on Form 20-F containing financial statements audited by an independent accounting firm. The SEC also maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports and other information that the Company files with or furnishes electronically to the SEC.

 

The Business Combination

 

On September 29, 2021, the Business Combination was consummated. As part of the Business Combination, on the Closing Date, pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement:

 

Merger Sub merged with and into SPAC, with SPAC surviving such merger and becoming a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and, in the context of the Merger, (a) all SPAC Ordinary Shares outstanding were exchanged with for Ordinary Shares pursuant to a share capital increase, (b) each SPAC Warrant became a Warrant exercisable for Ordinary Shares, on substantially the same terms as the SPAC Warrants, and (c) the Company entered into the Warrant Amendment to amend and assume SPAC’s obligations under the SPAC Warrant Agreement to give effect to the conversion of SPAC Warrants to Warrants;

 

immediately following the consummation of the Merger and prior to the Exchange (as defined below), the Company redeemed all 4,000,000 Redeemable A Shares held by Crynssen for a total purchase price of $40,000 (corresponding to their nominal value of $0.01 per share);

 

immediately following the consummation of the Merger and the redemption of all the Redeemable A Shares, pursuant to those certain individual contribution and exchange agreements, each dated as of March 31, 2021, as amended, and entered into by and among the Company, Crynssen and each of the Crynssen Shareholders, each of the Crynssen Shareholders, contributed its respective Crynssen Ordinary Shares to the Company in exchange for Ordinary Shares, and, in the case of IFC, for Ordinary Shares and 4,500,000 Redeemable B Shares, which were subscribed for by each such Crynssen Shareholder (such contributions and exchanges of Crynssen Ordinary Shares for Ordinary Shares and, in the case of IFC, Ordinary Shares and Redeemable B Shares, collectively, the “Exchange”);

 

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as a result of the Exchange, Crynssen became a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and the Crynssen Shareholders became holders of issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares and, in the case of IFC, Ordinary Shares and Redeemable B Shares; and

 

immediately following the Exchange, the Company redeemed 4,500,000 Redeemable B Shares from IFC for a total purchase price of $45,000,000 (corresponding to a purchase price of $10.00 per Redeemable B Share) in accordance with the IFC Redemption Agreement.

 

Certain Agreements Related to the Business Combination

 

Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement

 

In connection with the Closing of the Business Combination, Crynssen, the Sponsors, certain other persons and entities (“Original Holders”) holding SPAC Ordinary Shares issued by Union prior to its IPO (the “Founder Shares”) and the Crynssen Shareholders entered into the Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement which provides customary demand and piggyback registration rights. Additionally, the Ordinary Shares held by the Sponsors and the Original Holders which were previously Founder Shares will be locked-up until the earliest of: (i) the date that is one year from the Closing Date, (ii) the date on which the closing price of the Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq equals or exceeds $12.50 per Ordinary Share for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing 150 days after the Closing Date, or (iii) such date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction that results in all of our shareholders having the right to exchange their Ordinary Shares for cash, securities or other property.

 

The Ordinary Shares held by the Crynssen Shareholders were also subject to a lock-up which has expired.

 

The Ordinary Shares and Warrants began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “PROC” and “PROCW”, respectively, on September 30, 2021. A copy of the Business Combination Agreement is included as Exhibit 4.1 to this annual report and the amendment to the Business Combination Agreement, which is included as Exhibit 4.2 to this annual report.

 

Assignment, Assumption and Amendment Agreement

 

On the Closing Date, the Company entered into the Warrant Amendment to amend and assume Union’s obligations under the existing Warrant Agreement to give effect to the conversion of SPAC Warrants to Warrants.

 

Nomination Agreement

 

On the Closing Date, the Company, the Sponsors, certain Original Holders and certain Crynssen Shareholders entered into the Nomination Agreement pursuant to which, in connection with any general meeting at which the Company’s directors are to be elected, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, Deseja, Sognatore and Simphony (collectively, the “Minski Family Shareholders”) shall collectively have the right to propose for appointment a number of directors that equals a majority of our Board of Directors (each, a “Majority Shareholder Director”). For as long as Hoche Partners Pharma Holding S.A. (“Hoche”) owns no less than 7% of the Company’s issued and outstanding share capital, Hoche shall have the right to propose for appointment one director (such director, the “Hoche Shareholder Director” and collectively with the Majority Shareholder Directors, each a “Shareholder Director” and collectively, the “Shareholder Directors”). On the Closing and until the one-year anniversary of the preceding annual general shareholders’ meeting of the Company, Alejandro Weinstein shall be the Hoche Shareholder Director. In connection with our first two consecutive general shareholders’ meetings following September 1, 2021 at which directors are to be elected, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the Sponsors shall have the right to propose for appointment Daniel W. Fink and Kyle P. Bransfield as directors of our Board of Directors. At least one-half of the Shareholder Directors must qualify as independent directors (“Independent Directors”) under applicable stock exchange rules, subject to any independence requirements established by the listing rules of the stock exchange on which the Ordinary Shares are listed that would require a greater number of Shareholder Directors to qualify as Independent Directors, provided that the Minski Family Shareholders will not be required to nominate any additional Independent Directors unless and until all of the directors, other than the Majority Shareholder Directors, qualify as Independent Directors. In addition, for so long as we maintain any committee, such committees shall each include at least one Majority Shareholder Director so long as he or she is independent. The Nomination Agreement will automatically terminate upon the earlier of (i) the date on which the Minski Family Shareholders or their affiliates cease to beneficially own, in the aggregate, 30% of our outstanding shares and (ii) 20 years from the date of the Nomination Agreement.

 

Share Forfeiture Agreement

 

On the Closing Date, the Sponsors entered into a share forfeiture agreement by and among the Sponsors, the Company, Crynssen and Union (the “Share Forfeiture Agreement”), pursuant to which, the Sponsors forfeited a combined 700,000 SPAC Ordinary Shares prior to the consummation of the Business Combination.

 

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Senior Notes Offering

 

On November 12, 2021, we closed a private placement offering of $115 million aggregate principal amount of 4.75% guaranteed senior notes (the “Senior Notes”) issued by Procaps, S.A., our subsidiary, due November 12, 2031, pursuant to a note purchase agreement entered into on November 5, 2021 with The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Healthspring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. and Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company Inc. The Senior Notes are the senior unsecured obligations of Procaps, S.A. and unconditionally guaranteed by the Company and the following subsidiaries: Crynssen Pharma Group Limited, C.I. Procaps, S.A., Diabetrics Healthcare S.A.S., Pharmayect S.A., Procaps, S.A. de C.V., Biokemical, S.A. de C.V., Colbras Indústria e Comércio Ltda., and Sofgen Pharmaceuticals LLC.

 

The Senior Notes were issued in a single tranche, with a final maturity of 10 years and a principal amortization schedule of five annual equal payments commencing on the sixth anniversary of the closing (i.e. years 6 to 10), resulting in a weighted average life of 8 years. Procaps, S.A. used the net proceeds from the issuance of the Senior Notes primarily to repay certain of its and its subsidiaries existing indebtedness in full, as well as for general corporate purposes. The Senior Notes also contain change-of-control provisions and certain customary affirmative and negative covenants and events of default. In addition, the Senior Notes require Procaps, S.A., the Company and the other obligors thereunder to comply with certain financial ratios. For more information on the Senior Notes, see Item 5.B under the heading “Liquidity and Capital Resources ––Debt Financing and Borrowing ––Senior Notes” in this annual report.

 

B. BUSINESS OVERVIEW

 

Overview:

 

Founded in 1977 by the Minski family, we are a leading integrated international healthcare and pharmaceutical company that develops pharmaceutical and nutraceutical solutions, medicines and hospital supplies. Our customers are located in over 50 countries, in six out of the seven continents, and we have a direct presence in 13 countries in the Americas and over 4,900 employees working under our sustainable model. We develop, manufacture and market OTC and Rx pharmaceutical products, nutritional supplements and clinical solutions.

 

Our business model focuses on four strategic cornerstones to drive growth. First, we have state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities that allow us to provide innovative delivery technologies. Our corporate culture focuses on innovation and R&D, which has enabled us to offer extensive scientific expertise with more than 305 scientists, technicians and skilled personnel and over 500 formulations as of December 31, 2021, allowing us to develop an average of over 150 new products, including more than 50 first time launch products, per year over the last three years. Second, our regional footprint and vertical integration enables organic growth opportunities and synergies. We currently operate six manufacturing facilities in Latin America, including the first FDA-approved pharmaceutical plant in South America and Central America, and sell and distribute products to over fifty distinct markets. Additionally, on December 31, 2021, we acquired an FDA approved 86,000 square feet pharmaceutical production facility located in West Palm Beach, Florida from Strides Pharma, Inc., our first US-based Softgel production facility and R&D center, which is expected to begin operations in May, 2022. Third, our Rx and OTC pharmaceutical product portfolio is driven by our proprietary delivery systems, allowing us to focus on the development and sale of high-growth and premium pharmaceutical products which we believe are subject to less pricing pressures when compared to more generic pharmaceutical products. Finally, we have an extensive track record of developing new businesses and growing via mergers and acquisitions, which is evidenced by the development of one of our in-house business incubation, Diabetrics, which took place in 2015, and several successful acquisitions throughout Latin America (including the acquisitions of Rymco S.A., Laboratorios Lopez and Biokemical S.A. de C.V.) which took place between 2012 and 2016. On September 29, 2021, we consummated the Business Combination with Union, which resulted in our Ordinary Shares and warrants being listed on the Nasdaq Global Market on September 30, 2021 under the symbols “PROC” and “PROCW”, respectively.

 

We are primarily engaged in developing, producing and marketing pharmaceutical solutions consisting of the following four products and services categories: (i) iCDMO, (ii) Rx pharmaceutical products, (iii) OTC products, and (iv) Diabetrics. For more information, see “— Products and Services” below.

 

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Our Strengths and Competitive Advantages

 

Innovation in Delivery Systems.  We are one of the leading global providers of advanced delivery technologies and development and manufacturing solutions for pharmaceutical and consumer health products. In particular, we are the number one Softgel manufacturer in South and Central America and top five in the world in terms of Softgel production capacity, according to an independent third-party industry analysis report. We have extensive expertise in developing and manufacturing Softgel capsules and related dosage forms as evidenced by our development of over 500 pharmaceutical products formulations as of December 31, 2021, resulting in the development of an average of over 150 new products, including more than 50 first time launch products per year over the last three years. Furthermore, as of December 31, 2021, we have been granted 39 patents and have 38 patents pending approval. Our innovative oral delivery mechanisms allow us to transform branded generics into differentiated products for the pharmaceutical market. For more information, see “–– Research and Development” and “–– Intellectual Property” below.

 

Flexibility & Adaptability. Our NextGel business segment’s Softigel iCDMO platform provides an extensive set of solutions designed to serve our clients’ unique needs, with the goal of ultimately improving product time to market, which is primarily accomplished through our ability to adapt to a diverse set of customer business structures and our experience servicing different markets. For more information, see “–– Products and Services –– iCDMO––NextGel (Sofitgel band)” below.

 

Cost Competitiveness. We are able to maintain a competitive price and cost structure due to a combination of the geographic location of our facilities, our expertise in R&D, our skilled labor force, our ability to manufacture in-house several of the equipment used in the production of Softgel and the flexible nature of our equipment. These factors allow us to produce a wide variety of products, and our ability to purchase raw materials at scale. For more information, see “–– Manufacturing and Distribution”, “–– Raw Materials and Material Sourcing”, and “–– Research and Development” below.

 

Specialized Facilities.  Our state-of-the-art facilities are segregated and highly adaptable, enabling Procaps to undertake the manufacturing of highly complex products. Our manufacturing facilities include the first FDA-approved Rx pharmaceutical plant in South and Central America and one of only five hormonal Softgel plants in the world. Additionally, our manufacturing facilities are certified, where required, by several regulatory entities including the FDA, Health Canada, the MHRA, the TGA, Cofepris and ISO. For more information, see “–– Manufacturing and Distribution — Manufacturing Facilities” below.

 

Integration into Clients’ Value Chain. We strive to be part of our customers’ value chain by adapting to their logistics’ processes by adopting and integrating with our customers’ manufacturing resource planning software and other processes. For more information, see “— Manufacturing and Distribution — Distribution and Logistics” below.

 

Recent Developments

 

The consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic have continued to affect Latin America through 2021, including the pharmaceutical industry. We believe pharmaceutical companies which offered positive solutions to consumer demands during the COVID-19 pandemic continue to thrive in both local and regional markets. The personal physician workforce has begun to return to work after periods of quarantine, resulting in an increased demand for Rx drugs during the year ended December 31, 2021, in particular for those related to chronic and certain acute therapies. Sales of COVID-19 related products declined to pre-pandemic levels during 2021, and other sales of non-COVID-19 related products increased during the year ended December 31, 2021, such as OTC pharmaceutical products. Although supplements and analgesics continued to thrive, OTC products such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, Ibuprofen, and Paracetamol have experienced a decline in sales.

 

In-person physician consultations have returned to pre-pandemic levels during 2021, with much focus on medical training. In-person meetings and events involving physician groups and associations began in Colombia during the first half of 2021 through in-person medical events, allowing us to exhibit our brands more effectively. These events were primarily initiated regionally but have an international presence. Nonetheless, continuous efforts to deploy new technologies such as tele-health and other innovative technological solutions are a priority, for enabling open and better ways of communication between patients and doctors.

 

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Despite these challenges, we believe our ability to respond to the changes in consumer demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, efforts to maintain close communications with physicians, and our reinforcement of key brands has allowed us to increase our market share of certain Farma Procaps and Colmed OTC products during 2021 in terms of total sales within product category. This increase in market share has been primarily driven by the growth in Rx products sales, and Procaps having outperformed its competitors in terms of OTC product sales.

 

As a reflection of our policy of innovation and focus on R&D, we have continued to introduce new products into the market. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we have launched several new products such as (i) Epapure (icosapent-ethyl) the first branded product available in Latin America that is equivalent to Vascepa, the first FDA-approved drug to reduce cardiovascular risk among patients with elevated triglyceride levels; (ii) RENESTEX (Levocetirizine + Montelukast), which offers a dual use solution for both allergies and asthma patients based on our Unigel technology; (iii) ECLAMP (acetylsalicylic acid) designed for high risk pregnant patients with preeclampsia; (iv) a liquid topical-use Minoxidil OTC product introduced to compete in the expanding hair-loss treatment market; (v) a new line of anesthetics for hospital use in intensive care units; (vi) a new line of disposable syringes in Colombia for use in government vaccination programs; and (vii) insulin disposable pens, to complement the holistic treatment for diabetic patients that require insulin along with other sources of treatment for their needs.

 

Our iCDMO services have experienced increased demand and our B-to-B Colombian operations continue to attract new clients in highly regulated markets such as the United States, Europe and Australia. New generic Softgel products have been introduced in the United States and Australia. Furthermore, we have continued our geographic expansion efforts in the US and Europe, which we expect will continue to increase as a result of our recently acquired FDA approved 86,000 square feet pharmaceutical production facility located in West Palm Beach, Florida. Our Funtrition product offerings have also increased, expanding its geographical reach to more than 10 countries. Procaps’ Brazilian operations continue to grow through OTC product alliances and inhouse specialty supplement developments.

 

New Products and First Time Launch Products

 

We consider a product to be a “first time launch product” if it was reformulated; was a product line extension due to changes in characteristics such as strength, flavor, or color; had a change in product status from Rx to OTC; was a new store brand or branded launch; or was provided in a new dosage form, in all cases, within 36 months prior to the end of the period for which net sales are being measured.

 

We consider a product to be a “new product” if it was a “first time launch product” (i.e. if it was reformulated; was a product line extension due to changes in characteristics such as strength, flavor, or color; had a change in product status from Rx to OTC; was a new store brand or branded launch; or was provided in a new dosage form); or if it was sold to a new geographic area with different regulatory authorities, in all cases, within 36 months prior to the end of the period for which net sales are being measured.

 

On average, we develop and introduce more than 150 new products, including more than 50 first time launch products, per year over the last three years. New product sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 totaled $96.3 million in net revenues, accounting for approximately 23.5% of our net revenue for the period, and for the year ended December 31, 2020, totaled $78.7 million in net revenue, accounting for approximately 23.7% of our net revenue for the period.

 

On average, over the last three years, 25% of our new products are developed for our third-party iCDMO customers and 10% of our new products require clinical testing and regulatory approval prior to commercialization.

 

The table below sets forth the number of new product applications, and of applications of certain products developed that have not yet been commercialized, that have been approved per jurisdiction and regulatory agency for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

 

   Number of product applications approved
for the year ended December 31
 
Jurisdiction/Regulatory Agency  2021   2020   2019 
Bolivia (AGEMED)   6    3    9 
Brazil (ANVISA)   1    1     
Colombia (INVIMA)   29    10    20 
Costa Rica (Health Ministry)   3    4    5 
Ecuador (ARSCA)   8    14    7 
El Salvador (DNM)   20    14    12 
Guatemala (Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance)   32    10    13 
Honduras (ARSA)   21    16    11 
Nicaragua (Health Ministry)   6    6    5 
Panama (National Directorate of Pharmacies and Drugs)   8    3    12 
Peru (DIGEMID)   13    2    10 
Dominican Republic (Health Ministry)   13    7    6 
Venezuela (INHRR)   1    5    2 
Total   162    95    112 

 

As of December 31, 2021, we had over 159 drug registrations pending approval.

 

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Products and Services

 

iCDMO — NextGel (Softigel brand)

 

Our NextGel business segment, operated under our Softigel brand, is the iCDMO arm of Procaps which offers services specializing in Softgel and operates globally in the B-to-B market, more specifically in Brazil, Colombia and the United States. We are the top Softgel manufacturer in South and Central America and top five in the world in terms of Softgel production capacity, according to an independent third-party industry analysis report. The iCDMO agreements with our top-tier customers range from five to ten-year terms. Our NextGel business segment has 126 clients across more than 35 countries and the key products that we manufacture in this segment include Softgel pharmaceutical products such as Advil, Apronax Liquidgels, multivitamins, Vitamin D and Dolex ActivGel.

 

Through our Softigel brand, we provide formulation, development, and manufacturing services for Softgel for global pharmaceutical and consumer health and nutraceutical markets and supporting ancillary services.

 

Our Softgel technology was first commercialized in 1978 with the launch of our Dolofen brand, and we have continually enhanced the platform since then. Our principal Softgel technologies include Versagel, Chewgel, Unigel and G-tabs. Softgel capsules are used in a broad range of customer products, including Rx drugs, OTC medications, dietary supplements, unit-dose cosmetics, and animal health medicinal preparations. Softgel capsules encapsulate liquid, paste, or oil-based formulations of active compounds in solution or suspension within an outer shell. In the manufacturing process, the capsules are formed, filled, and sealed simultaneously. We typically perform encapsulation for a product within one of our Softgel manufacturing facilities, with active ingredients provided by customers or sourced directly by us. Softgels have historically been used to solve formulation challenges or technical issues for a specific drug, to help improve the clinical performance of compounds, to provide for a more exact dose, to provide important market differentiation, particularly for OTC medications, and to provide safe handling of hormonal, highly potent, and cytotoxic drugs. We also participate in the Softgel vitamin, mineral, and supplement business in selected regions around the world.

 

In 2010, we introduced a smart Softgel capsule technology called Unigel, which incorporates other delivery systems such as tablets, capsules, microgranules or pellets into one single Softgel capsule. Our Unigel capsules combine two different active pharmaceutical ingredients (“API”) that were not previously compatible in a tablet dosage form, by use of a barrier that avoids permeation from the liquid phase into the tablet core without affecting the dissolution rate of the API contained in this dosage form, encapsulating a smaller tablet into a Softgel capsule.

 

In 2012 we introduced our versatile plant-based Softgel shell called Versagel, allowing us to extend the Softgel dose form to a broader range of active ingredients that due to their natural potential of hydrogen (PH) levels, are impossible to encapsule in more traditional gelatin, and serve patient/consumer populations that were previously inaccessible due to religious, dietary, or cultural preferences.

 

In 2014, we introduced a chewable Softgel capsule technology called Chewgel, providing a new solution for children and consumers who have difficulty swallowing standard Softgel capsules.

 

In 2014, we introduced our G-tabs technology which consist of gelatin coated tablets that are easy to swallow, and we believe, based on current technology, to be impossible to counterfeit. G-tabs are coated with one- or two-toned color gelatin (which can be printed on not printed) and helps mask unpleasant odors and flavors. In addition, our G-tabs technology helps enhance product stability, provides protection for photosensitive pharmaceutical ingredients, reduces degradation due to exposure to air, and is available in a variety of shapes and colors.

 

Products

 

The table below sets forth our primary Softigel products by category and the percentage of the NextGel segment’s gross revenue attributed to the sale of such product for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

        Percentage of NextGel’s gross revenues for the year ended December 31  
Softigel Product   Category   2021     2020  
Gummies   Food/Supplements     23 %     10 %
Advil   Analgesics     17 %     14 %
Isotretinoin   Skin Care     7 %     4 %
Progesterone   Hormonal     5 %     6 %
Umbral   Analgesics     1 %     7 %

 

Our NextGel segment launched 30 new brands and 49 new products in 2021, most notably Eye Mojo gummies, Turmeric gummies, Zinc gummies, No Filter sleep gummies, Mulgatol, Deferol and Fortzkink gummies, Feminis DHA, Provicta D, Ogestan Blues, Vidyn D3, Nutragesta, Novagesic, Lemoflu, Benet Man & Woman MultiVitamin, and 38 new brands and over 45 new products in 2020, most notably Quelatus gest (prenatal multivitamins), Vitamin D3, Lufbem (Simeticona), Agar immunity gummy, Agar sleep gummy, and Agar stress gummy.

 

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Marketing and Sales

 

The table below sets forth our primary customers for our iCDMO Softgel technology, including percentage of sales for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 and average relationship years by category.

 

   Percentage of NextGel Segment Sales for the year ended December 31,  

Average
Relationship

   
Category  2021   2020   Years(1)  Selected Clients
Big Pharma(2)   26%   33%  18  Bayer, Abbott, GlaxoSmithKline, P&G, Sanofi, Bausch + Lomb, Akorn and Perrigo
Regional Pharma(3)   52%   50%  8  Eurofarma, Biolab, Roemmers, PharmaScience, Liomont, Consilient Health and Hypera Pharma
Large Suppliers(4)   22%   17%  9  Amway, Unilever and Nestlé

 

 

(1)Average relationship years is based on revenue weighted average.
(2)Consists of pharmaceutical companies that have a global presence and are among the top 30 worldwide in terms of revenues.
(3)Consists of pharmaceutical companies that have a presence in more than three countries and are among the top 20 in such markets in terms of revenues.
(4)Consists of suppliers of medical equipment and supplements that are not pharmaceutical companies.

 

We seek to establish customer loyalty through superior customer service by providing a comprehensive assortment of high-quality products; timely processing, shipment and delivery of orders; assistance in managing customer inventories; and support in managing and building the customer’s store brand business.

 

We are specialized in advanced oral drug delivery technologies, particularly Softgel capsules providing integrated, end-to solutions across development to delivery by working closely with customers providing “Idea to Market” solutions, from the initial conception of a product idea to marketing strategy, sales team training and promotional plans. As a value-added service to product development, we provide sales and marketing assistance for customers that are not familiar with the pharmaceutical industry, or have a limited presence, in Latin America. In addition to pharmaceutical clients, our NextGel segment works closely with consumer healthcare companies on the development and commercialization of nutritional and health supplements in novel formats.

 

The sales efforts for our NextGel segment is focused on assisting and participating in world-wide fairs for the CDMO segment (such as CPhI Worldwide), as well as by strengthening existing relationships with our B-to-B client base.

 

The NextGel segment’s product development proposals are highly detailed, involving a significant amount of preparatory work in market and business intelligence, R&D, manufacturing and marketing efforts. Once a specific opportunity to apply one of our proprietary Softgel technologies is identified (such as converting an existing product to a Softgel dosage form), the commercial and marketing teams prepare a presentation outlining the benefits of the Softgel format and illustrating the end-product’s “look and feel”. The proposal will show the anticipated pricing impact of the Softgel dosage form on the existing products. Proposals also include concept art on product packaging and illustrative shelf presence, and occasionally we prepare pilot sample batches of real capsules to present to the clients. In certain cases, our brand proposals are by Procaps and then transferred to the client.

 

Our NextGel iCDMO segment represented 30%, 31% and 29% of our gross revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

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Competition

 

The market for CDMO services is highly competitive. Our primary competitors in this area include Catalent, Aenova and Patheon. Procaps is the number one Softgel manufacturer in South and Central America and top five in the world in terms of Softgel production capacity, according to an independent third-party industry analysis report.

 

Rx Pharmaceutical Products — Farma Procaps and Clinical Specialties

 

Our Rx product line comprises the Farma Procaps and the Clinical Specialties brands/business units, and forms part of three of Procaps’ business segments; Procaps Colombia, CAN and CASAND. For more information on our business segments, see Item 5.A under the heading “Operating Results––Business Segments” in this annual report.

 

Farma Procaps formulates, manufactures and markets branded prescription drugs. It represents a high growth portfolio that focuses on nine therapeutic areas (feminine care products, pain relief, skin care, digestive health, growth and development, cardiology, vision care, central nervous system and respiratory). As of December 31, 2021, Farma Procaps formulates and manufactures more than 465 products for over 200 brands.

 

Clinical Specialties is a leading provider of high-complexity care treatments to private institutions regionally. Its diverse product portfolio, including more than 150 products and over 30 brands, targets various in-demand therapeutic areas and develops, manufactures and markets personal protective equipment, high-complexity drugs for hospital use such as antibiotic, blood clot, immunosuppressant, oncology and analgesics products.

 

Products

 

The table below sets forth our primary Farma Procaps products by category and the percentage of Farma Procaps’ gross revenue attributed to the sale of such product for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

       

Percentage of Farma
Procaps’ gross revenues
for the year ended
December 31

 
Farma Procaps Product  Category   2021    2020 
Gestavit Dha  Feminine Care   7%   7%
Isoface  Skin Care   7%   6%
Citragel  Feminine Care   6%   7%
Muvett  Digestive Health   6%   5%
Betaduo  Pain   5%   4%
Fortzink  Growth & Development   3%   5%

 

The table below sets forth our primary Clinical Specialties products by category and the percentage of Clinical Specialties’ gross revenue attributed to the sale of such product for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

       

Percentage of Clinical
Specialties’ gross revenues
for the year ended
December 31

 
Clinical Specialties Product  Category   2021    2020 
Clenox  Blood clot   47%   35%
Tracurion  Anesthetic   10%   6%
Hypodermic needles  Hypodermic   10%   5%

Merobac

 

Antibiotic

   

6

%   4%
Tapectam  Antibiotic   5%   6%
Surgical masks  Masks   2%   17%

 

We launched a number of new Rx products during the year ended December 31, 2021, most notably Nutrigel, Deferol and Mabal. During the year ended December 31, 2021, new product sales of our Rx products were $45.3 million, representing 21% of the segment’s total sales. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we launched several new Rx products, most notably Kimod (Ivermectin). During the year ended December 31, 2020, new product sales of our Rx products were $29.4 million, representing 18% of the segment’s total sales.

 

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The table below sets forth the number of Rx drug applications approved per jurisdiction and regulatory agency for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

 

   Number of Rx drug applications approved for the year ended December 31 
Jurisdiction/Regulatory Agency  2021   2020   2019 
Bolivia (AGEMED)   3    3    5 
Brazil (ANVISA)       1     
Colombia (INVIMA)   11    9    17 
Costa Rica (Health Ministry)       4    5 
Ecuador (ARSCA)   5    11    5 
El Salvador (DNM)   6    11    4 
Guatemala (Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance)   17    5    12 
Honduras (ARSA)   6    11    7 
Nicaragua (Health Ministry)   2    3    3 
Panama (National Directorate of Pharmacies and Drugs)       3    12 
Peru (DIGEMID)   2    1    9 
Dominican Republic (Health Ministry)   10    6    5 
Venezuela (INHRR)   1    5    2 
Total   63    73    86 

 

As of December 31, 2021, we had 79 Rx drug applications pending approval.

 

Marketing and Sales

 

Our Rx pharmaceutical products customers include Coopidrogas — Cooperativa Nacional de Drogas, Drogueria Cruz Verde S.A.S., Droguerías Colsubsidio, Copservir Ltda and Unidrogas S.A, among others.

 

We seek to establish customer loyalty through superior customer service by providing a comprehensive assortment of high-quality products and timely processing, shipment and delivery of orders.

 

The demand for our Farma Procaps products is largely generated by doctors and physicians. We analyze the doctors and physicians by specialty that we believe would be most beneficial to directly market our products to and schedule strategic visits once or twice a month to present our product portfolio specifically targeting their practice. We also offer technical and scientific information on our products and product samples for the exclusive use of the doctors and physicians to provide to their patients. Our sales force is segmented by medical specialties and receive periodic technical training on the brands and products we sell, as well as sales and relationship training techniques to better enable them to market and sell our products.

 

We directly target our marketing and sales effort for our Clinical Specialties products to clinics and hospital. We work together with in-hospital medical specialties to provide primarily medium and high complexity products for use with their patients, which are supported by technical or clinical studies to guarantee their safety.

 

Our Rx pharmaceutical products sales represented 45%, 45% and 47% of our gross revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

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Competition

 

The market for Rx pharmaceutical products is subject to intense competition from generic drug manufacturers, brand-name pharmaceutical companies launching their own or generic version of their branded products (known as an authorized generic), manufacturers of branded drug products that continue to produce those products after patent expirations, and manufacturers of therapeutically similar drugs. Among our primary competitors are Genfar S.A., Abbott Laboratories — Lafrancol S.A.S, Tecnoquimicas S.A., a Santé Pharmaceutique SA, Bayer AG, Merck & Co. Inc., Sanofi S.A.

 

OTC Products — VitalCare

 

Our OTC product line primarily consists of the VitalCare brand/business unit, and forms part of three of Procaps’ business segments; Procaps Colombia, CAN and CASAND. For more information on our business segments, see Item 5.A under the heading “Operating Results––Business Segments” in this annual report.

 

VitalCare develops, manufactures and markets OTC consumer healthcare products through an extensive portfolio focused on over eight high-prevalence therapeutic areas (including gastrointestinal, skin care, cough and cold, analgesics, urological, and vitamin, minerals and supplements) at what we believe to be accessible and appealing price points and includes more than 150 brands. Our Colmed OTC product line, which is part of our VitalCare business unit, consists of products in the following categories: antibiotics, anti-infective, anti-parasitic, cardiovascular, feminine care, cutaneous antimycotic, pain killers, gastrointestinal, hormonals, metabolic, endocrine, nervous system, ophthalmic, osteoarticular, respiratory, diet supplements and vitamins and minerals.

 

We market and sell our OTC products in the following key regional markets: Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and the United States.

 

Products

 

The table below sets forth our primary VitalCare OTC products by category and the percentage of the VitalCare’s gross revenue attributed to the sale of such product for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

       Percentage of VitalCare’s gross revenues for the year ended December 31 
VitalCare Product  Category   2021    2020 
Esomeprazole  Gastrointestinal   7%   8%
Vitamin E  Vitamins   7%   5%
Levothyroxine  Metabolic   4%   6%
Orlistat  Metabolic   4%   4%
Calcitrol  Metabolic   4%   3%

 

We launched a number of new OTC products during the year ended December 31, 2021, most notably Minoxidil and Betahistina. During the year ended December 31, 2021, new product sales of our OTC products were $10.3 million, representing 12% of the segment’s total sales. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we launched several new OTC products, most notably Colagen and Vitamin D3. During the year ended December 31, 2020, new product sales of our OTC products were $6.8 million, representing 10% of the segment’s total sales.

 

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The table below sets forth the number of OTC drug applications approved per jurisdiction and regulatory agency for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

 

   Number of OTC drug applications approved for the
year ended December 31
 
Jurisdiction/Regulatory Agency  2021   2020   2019 
Aruba (Health Ministry)   1         
Bolivia (AGEMED)   1        4 
Colombia (INVIMA)   2    1    3 
Ecuador (ARSCA)       3    2 
El Salvador (DNM)   2    3    5 
Guatemala (Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance)   7    2    1 
Honduras (ARSA)   6    5    4 
Nicaragua (Health Ministry)   4    3    2 
Peru (DIGEMID)       1    1 
Dominican Republic (Health Ministry)   1    1    1 
Total   24    19    23 

 

As of December 31, 2021, we had seven OTC drug applications pending approval.

 

Marketing and Sales

 

Our OTC products customers include Coopidrogas — Cooperativa Nacional de Drogas, Pricesmart S.A.S., Drogueria Cruz Verde S.A.S., Olimpica S.A, and Sodimac Colombia S.A., among others.

 

Demand for our VitalCare OTC products and generics is generated by the end consumer. We target the end consumer through traditional advertising means, and increasingly though social media in order to more specifically target individual end consumer segments in order to highlight the attributes and differentials of our brands and products. We work with several points of sale customers such as global, national, and regional retail drug, supermarket, and mass merchandise chains, major wholesalers, sourcing groups, hospitals and grocery stores to ensure the homogeneous distribution of our products. We seek to establish customer loyalty through superior customer service by providing a comprehensive assortment of high-quality products and timely processing, shipment and delivery of orders.

 

Our OTC products sales represented 18%, 16% and 16% of our gross revenue for each of the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

Competition

 

The markets for our OTC products are highly competitive and differ for each product line and geographic region. Our primary competitors include manufacturers, such as GlaxoSmithKline plc, Bayer AG, Sanofi S.A., Tecnoquimicas S.A., Pfizer Inc., Lafrancol S.A.S, Genomma Lab Internacional S.A.B. de C.V., McKesson Corporation, The Procter & Gamble Company and Abbott Laboratories, among others. The various major categories of our OTC products each have certain key competitors, such that a competitor generally does not compete across all product lines. However, some competitors do have larger sales volumes in certain of our categories. Additionally, national brand companies tend to have more resources committed to marketing their products and could in the future manufacture store brand versions of their products at lower prices than their national brand products. Competition is based on a variety of factors, including price, quality, assortment of products, customer service, marketing support, and approvals for new products.

 

Diabetrics Solutions

 

With approximately 6% of the global population living with diabetes and 10% of global health expenditures spent on diabetes each year, we believe our Diabetrics business segment, which is comprised of our Diabetrics brand/business unit, is an attractive regional B-to-C diabetes-focused treatment and management platform that focuses primarily on the Colombian market. It has experienced significant growth since it began its operations in 2015. It has a unique business model when compared to our competitors, as it aims to cover the full spectrum of needs of patients with diabetes by providing products and services such as blood glucose meters, telemonitoring, Rx oral anti-diabetics products, cosmeceuticals (cosmetics that have medicinal properties for diabetic care), insulin delivery systems and other diabetes solutions.

 

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Procaps currently has a leading position in the Colombian market in two Diabetrics product categories with over a 60% market share for blood glucose monitors (strips, meters and lancets) and over a 50% market share for insulin delivery systems (pen needles), based on the total number of patients diagnosed with diabetes that require insulin in Colombia (all individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and 20% of individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes) that use such products. In addition, we have increased our market share by over 60%, based on total sales within product category, in the Rx oral -anti-diabetics products category in the Colombian market through the sale of our Metformin products (GMet and Predial Lex) and other Rx products to manage diabetic patient complications.

 

As part of our Diabetrics segment’s integral product strategy and holistic approach, we offer products in other product categories such as insulin (Glaritus- Glargine Insulin, launched in the beginning of 2021) and supplements (Cromega and Preventia), among others.

 

Products

 

The table below sets forth our primary Diabetrics products by category and the percentage of the Diabetrics segment’s gross revenue attributed to the sale of such product for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

        Percentage of Diabetrics’ gross
revenues for the year ended
December 31
 
Diabetrics Product   Category   2021     2020  
Glucoquick(1)   Blood Glucose Monitor     42 %     44 %
Predial Lex   Rx oral anti-diabetics     17 %     7 %
Glucoquick Agujas   Insulin Delivery Systems     16 %     20 %
GMet   Rx oral anti-diabetics     10 %     15 %
Lipotic   Rx oral anti-diabetics     4 %     3 %

 

 

(1)Includes all Glucoquick blood glucose monitor family products.

 

We launched a number of new Diabetrics products during the year ended December 31, 2021, most notably insulin Glaritus (Glargine Insulin) and Tiras Diamond (BGMs). During the year ended December 31, 2021, new product sales in the Diabetrics segments were $4.3 million, representing 15% of the segment's total sales. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we launched several new Diabetrics products, most notably Preventia Complex. During the year ended December 31, 2020, new product sales in the Diabetrics segments were $3.3 million, representing 14.5% of the segment’s total sales.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we received approval from INVIMA for six Diabetrics products. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we received approval from the Guatemala National Directorate of Pharmacies and Drugs for three Diabetrics drug applications. As of December 31, 2021, we had 17 Diabetrics products pending approval.

 

Marketing and Sales

 

Our Diabetrics products and services are marketed directly to consumers through a comprehensive offering of innovative products and differentiated services with the goal of providing the optimal cost-benefit ratio. We also focus our efforts on developing prevention, education and self-management strategies with our partners in order to provide value-based-healthcare. Our sales efforts are focused on private and governmental channels, and involve participating in government contract bidding, primarily through Colombia’s public health insurance plan (Entidades Promotoras de Salud).

 

Our Diabetrics products and services sales represented 7%, 7% and 6% of our gross revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

Competition

 

We market our Diabetrics products and services primarily in Colombia. Our primary competitors include: (i) F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Abbot Laboratories, and Johnson & Johnson in the blood glucose monitor product category; (ii) Becton, Dickinson and Company, Novo Nordisk A/S and Nortstray Nuart SAS in the insulin delivery system product category; (iii) Merck & Co. Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Mckesson Corporation and Siegfried Holding in the Rx oral-anti-diabetics product category; and (iv) Abbot Laboratories in the nutrition products category. We recently entered the insulin product category and will compete primarily with Sanofi S.A.

 

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Manufacturing and Distribution

 

We currently operate six manufacturing facilities in Colombia, Brazil and El Salvador and sales offices throughout 13 different countries, which coordinate the sale of our products to six out of the seven continents. Additionally, on December 31, 2021, we completed the acquisition of an FDA approved 86,000 square feet pharmaceutical production facility located in West Palm Beach, Florida from Strides Pharma, Inc. The newly acquired facility has a production capacity of approximately 1.8 billion capsules per year for our iCDMO business unit. We expect this facility to begin operations in May of 2022.

 

The map below illustrates our global geographical footprint, setting forth the location of our manufacturing facilities and sales offices, and the countries in which we commercialize our products and services.

 

Manufacturing Facilities

 

Our manufacturing facilities include the first FDA-approved Rx pharmaceutical plant in South and Central America and one of only five hormonal Softgel plants in the world. Additionally, our manufacturing facilities are certified, where required, by several regulatory entities including the FDA, Health Canada, the United Kingdom’s MHRA, Australia’s TGA, Mexico’s Cofepris and the ISO under its 14000 standards.

 

 

 

We have invested approximately $10.4 million in our manufacturing facilities during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, combined, for improvements and expansions. We believe that our sites and equipment are in good condition, are well-maintained, and are able to operate at present levels in all material respects; however, we intend to make additional investments to expand our production capacity in the near future.

 

Our manufacturing operations are focused on employee health and safety, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, continuous improvement, and process standardization across our organization. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we achieved approximately 91% and 90%, respectively, on-time shipment delivery versus customer request date across our network as a result of this focus. Our manufacturing operations are structured around an enterprise management philosophy and methodology that utilizes principles and tools common to a number of quality management programs, including “current Good Manufacturing Practices” (“cGMP”), ISO under its 9000 and 14000 standards, the Business Alliance for Secure Commerce and Authorized Economic Operator (Operador Económico Autorizado).

 

Procaps Barranquilla — Barranquilla, Colombia

 

Our Procaps Barranquilla manufacturing facility is located in the city of Barranquilla, in Colombia, with approximately 35,200 square meters of total built area and approximately 8,200 square meters of manufacturing plant floor space. This is our primary manufacturing facility and it was the first FDA-approved Rx pharmaceutical plant in South America and Central America. This facility produces products associated with our Softigel, Farma Procaps and VitalCare brands, including Softgel capsules, hormonal soft capsules, nutritional products, tablets, powders, blisters, liquids and hard capsule products. The installed capacity of this facility is 360 million units of Softgel, 7 million units of Farmix and 57 million units of hormonal products per month. The utilization rates, measured as the programmed manufacturing hours divided by the facility’s manufacturing capacity in terms of hours (“Utilization Rate”) for production of our Softigel, Farma Procaps and VitalCare products at this facility were 65%, 68% and 69%, respectively, for each of the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

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Our Procaps Barranquilla manufacturing facility is certified by the FDA, Good Manufacturing Practices (Buenas Prácticas de Manufactura, “BPM”), MHRA, the Business Alliance for Secure Commerce, the Colombian Institute of Technical Standards and Certification (Instituto Colombiano de Normas Técnicas y Certificación, or “ICONTEC”), ANVISA, Cofepris, Health Canada and ISO under its 14000 standard.

 

Rymco — Barranquilla, Colombia

 

Our Rymco manufacturing facility is located in the city of Barranquilla, in Colombia, on an approximately 10,300 square meter lot, with approximately 11,650 square meters of floor space. This facility was acquired as part of Procaps’ acquisition of Rymco S.A. in 2015 and currently produces products associated with our Clinical Specialties brand, including single-use medical products such as syringes, needles, infusion equipment, face masks, and surgical clothing (personal protective equipment). The installed capacity of this facility is 67.1 million units per month. The Utilization Rate for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, for production of our Clinical Specialties products at this facility was 29% and 40%, respectively.

 

Our Rymco manufacturing facility is certified by Argentine National Administration of Drugs, Foods and Medical Devices (Administración Nacional de Medicamentos, Alimentos y Tecnología Médica), ISO under its 13485 medical standard and TÜV SÜD America.

 

Funtrition — Bogotá, Colombia

 

Our Funtrition manufacturing facility is located in the city of Bogotá, in Colombia, on an approximately 2,900 square meter lot, with approximately 1,400 square meters of floor space. This facility produces products associated with our Softigel brand, including gummies related technologies for OTC products and nutraceuticals. The installed capacity of this facility is 250 tons, or approximately 1.3 million units per month. The Utilization Rate for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, for production of our gummy products at this facility was 95% and 69%, respectively.

 

Our Funtrition manufacturing facility is certified by INVIMA.

 

Pharmayect — Bogotá, Colombia

 

Our Pharmayect manufacturing facility is located in the city of Bogotá, in Colombia, on a 18,700 square meter lot, with approximately 13,070 square meters of floor space. This facility produces associated with our Clinical Specialties brand, including syringes, injection vials, sterilized powder products, blisters and vials. The installed capacity of this facility is 11.5 million units per month. The Utilization Rate for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 for production of our Clinical Specialties products at this facility was 69% for each year.

 

Our Phamayect manufacturing facility is certified by BPM, ISO under its 9001-2015 standard and ICONTEC.

 

Softcaps — São Paulo, Brazil

 

Our Softcaps manufacturing facility is located in an industrial complex in the city of Cotia, state of São Paulo in Brazil, on a 9,034 square meter lot, with approximately 5,560 square meters of floor space. There are two buildings; one includes the administrative offices, warehouse and quality control laboratory and the other includes the production areas and cafeteria. This facility produces products associated with our Softigel brand, including Softgel capsule products. The installed capacity of this facility is 180 million units per month. The Utilization Rate for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, for production of our Softigel products at this facility was 75% and 60%, respectively.

 

Our Softcaps manufacturing facility is certified by ANVISA.

 

The operating license (licença de operação) in connection with the warehouse and quality control laboratory located at our Softgel manufacturing facility was denied, however, such facilities are still being permitted to operate by the State of São Paulo’s Environmental Agency (Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo, or “CETESB”). For more information, see Item 8.A under the heading “Legal Proceedings— Operating License” below.

 

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Laboratorios López — El Salvador

 

Our Laboratorios López manufacturing facility, which include both the Procaps Salvador, S.A. de C.V. (formerly Laboratorios López) and Biokemical S.A. de C.V. manufacturing plants, is located in the city of San Salvador, in El Salvador, on an approximately 20,270 square meter lot, with approximately 7,950 square meters of floor space. This facility was acquired as part of Procaps’ acquisition of Laboratorios López and Biokemical S.A. de C.V. in 2014 and currently produces products associated with our Farma Procaps and VitalCare brands, including multiple dosage form products. The installed capacity of this facility is approximately 15,300 kilograms of solids, 61,600 liters of liquids, 5,000 kilograms of semisolids, 3,300 kilograms of semisolids beta-lactams and 400 kilograms of solids beta-lactams per month. The Utilization Rate for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, for the production of our Farma Procaps and VitalCare products combined at this facility was 89% and 65%, respectively.

 

Our Laboratorios López manufacturing facility is certified by DNM.

 

Sofgen Facility – West Palm Beach

 

On December 31, 2021, we completed the acquisition of an 86,000 square feet pharmaceutical production facility located in West Palm Beach, Florida from Strides Pharma, Inc. The newly acquired facility has an annual production capacity of approximately 1.8 billion capsules. In addition, this facility also has development and analytical testing capabilities. The primary assets included in the acquisition were several Softgel encapsulation lines, critical support systems, automated packaging line capabilities, as well as development facilities including pilot and scale up capabilities. We expect this facility to begin operations in May of 2022.

 

Distribution and Logistics

 

Our logistics team is centralized by line of business in order to enable us to better capture the synergies of our businesses and maintain our operational focus. They operate throughout all countries in which we have a presence and assist us with the transportation of our products, delivering approximately 3,785 tons per year worldwide.

 

We use a network of third-party transportation companies for customized services, which are regulated by INVIMA, ANVISA, the International Air Transport Association, World Customs Organization (Organización Mundial de Aduanas), the International Chamber of Shipping and other applicable regulatory agencies where we operate.

 

In total, we make approximately 110 international shipments per month directly from our manufacturing facilities.

 

Our products are stored in self-owned storages in Barranquilla and Bogota in Colombia, El Salvador and Brazil, and with third-party storage facilities that meet all of the requirements of our products in terms of space and environmental conditions.

 

Raw Materials and Material Sourcing

 

Affordable, high-quality raw materials and packaging components are essential to all of our business segments due to the nature of the products we manufacture. We use a broad and diverse range of raw materials in the design, development, and manufacturing of our products. This includes, but is not limited to, key materials such as gelatin, starch and iota carrageenan for our Softgel products, packaging films for our Rx and OTC products, and glass vials and syringes for injectable fill-finish for certain of our Rx and Diabetrics products. The raw materials that we use are sourced externally on a global basis and are generally available from multiple suppliers. Supplies of certain raw materials and product delivery systems may be more limited, as they are available from one or only a few suppliers and may require extensive compatibility testing before we can use them. For more information on the risks associated with the raw materials we use and their sourcing, please see Item 3.D under the heading “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Product Development and Manufacturing — Our future results of operations are subject to fluctuations in the costs, availability, and suitability of the components of the products we manufacture, including active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, purchased components, and raw materials. In addition, the global supply chain crisis may interfere with the operations of certain of our direct or indirect suppliers or with international trade for these supplies, which could raise our costs or reduce the productivity or slow the timing of our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations” of this annual report.

 

Globally, our supplier relationships could be interrupted due to natural disasters and international supply disruptions, including those caused by pandemics or geopolitical and other issues. For example, commercially usable gelatin is available from a limited number of sources. In addition, much of the gelatin we use is bovine derived. Past concerns of contamination from BSE have narrowed the number of possible sources of particular types of gelatin. If there were a future disruption in the supply of gelatin from any one or more key suppliers, there can be no assurance that we could obtain an alternative supply from our other suppliers. Any future restrictions that were to emerge on the use of bovine-derived gelatin from certain geographic sources due to concerns of contamination from BSE could hinder our ability to timely supply our customers with products and the use of alternative non- bovine-derived gelatin for specific customer products could be subject to lengthy formulation, testing and regulatory approval periods.

 

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We work very closely with our suppliers to assure continuity of supply while maintaining excellence in material quality and reliability. We continually evaluate alternate sources of supply, although we do not frequently pursue regulatory qualification of alternative sources for key raw materials due to the strength of our existing supplier relationships, the reliability of our current supplier base, and the time and expense associated with the regulatory process. Although a change in suppliers could require significant effort or investment by us in circumstances where the items supplied are integral to the performance of our products or incorporate specialized material such as gelatin, we do not believe that the loss of any existing supply arrangement would have a material adverse effect on our business. see Item 3.D under the heading “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Product Development and Manufacturing — Our future results of operations are subject to fluctuations in the costs, availability, and suitability of the components of the products we manufacture, including active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, purchased components, and raw materials. In addition, the global supply chain crisis may interfere with the operations of certain of our direct or indirect suppliers or with international trade for these supplies, which could raise our costs or reduce the productivity or slow the timing of our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations” of this annual report.

 

Research and Development

 

Our R&D activities are directed primarily toward the development of new products and services, and the improvement of our manufacturing processes and delivery technologies. Our R&D platform is decentralized with research centers in Barranquilla, Colombia, Cotia, Brazil, and West Palm Beach, Florida. We employ more than 305 scientists, technicians and skilled personnel in R&D and innovation. Our main R&D operation is in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia, which employs over 270 scientists, technicians and skilled personnel in R&D and technological innovation. Our R&D team has developed over 500 pharmaceutical products formulations as of December 31, 2021, resulting in the development of an average of over 150 new products, including more than 50 first time launch products per year over the last three years. Procaps has invested $16.0 million, $15.8 million and $13.2 million in R&D for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

Our R&D capabilities have led to the development of our Softgel proprietary delivery systems which drives our NextGel business segment and our Rx and OTC product portfolio, allowing us to focus on the development and sale of high-growth and premium pharmaceutical products which we believe are subject to less pricing pressures when compared to more generic pharmaceutical products. The NextGel business segment’s product development proposals involve a significant amount of R&D, among other efforts, which enables Procaps to apply its proprietary Softgel technologies to existing products (such as converting an existing product to a Softgel dosage form). Some of our Softgel technologies include our standard Softgel capsule; Versagel, our versatile plant-based Softgel shell; Chewgel, a chewable Softgel capsule; Unigel, a smart Softgel capsule which incorporates other delivery systems into a single Softgel capsule; and G-tabs, gelatin coated tablets that are easy to swallow and we believe, based on current technology, to be impossible to counterfeit. In addition, our R&D capabilities have allowed us to develop gummies related technologies for our Funtrition OTC products. For more information on such products and technologies, see “— Products and Services.”

 

Intellectual Property

 

Our corporate culture focuses on innovation and R&D, which has resulted in the development of over 500 pharmaceutical product formulations as of December 31, 2021. We rely on a combination of know-how, trade secrets, patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property, nondisclosure and other contractual provisions, and technical measures to protect a number of our products, services, processes and intangible assets. These proprietary rights are important to our ongoing operations as 99% of our current Rx and OTC product portfolio is proprietary.

 

We have applied in Colombia, the United States and certain other countries for registration of a number of trademarks, service marks, and patents, some of which have been registered and issued, and also hold common law rights in various trademarks and service marks. As of December 31, 2021, we have been granted 39 patents and have 38 patents pending approval.

 

The table below sets forth the product type/technology for which our patents granted relate, the jurisdiction of registration, the expiration date and the type of patent. None of our patents listed below have been licensed from third parties or have expired.

 

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Patents Granted as of December 31, 2021

Product Type/Technology   Type of Patent   Jurisdiction of Registration   Expiry Date
Unigel Technology   Patent   Colombia   18/07/2031
Blefadex Composition   Patent   Costa Rica   30/12/2034
Ribbon Printing (used to print capsules in a continuous process)   Utility Model   Colombia   30/07/2027
Isoface Formulation   Patent   Colombia   24/07/2023
Ophthalmic containers   Design Patent   Ecuador   07/08/2022
Nasal Spray Container   Design Patent   Ecuador   07/08/2022
Unigel Technology   Patent   Mexico   18/07/2031
Degassing apparatus for dissolution media in analytical process   Utility Model   Colombia   03/06/2026
Cytogel Process   Patent   Colombia   13/04/2025
Unigel Technology   Patent   Europe   18/07/2031
Unigel Technology   Patent   Colombia   18/07/2031
Ribbon Printing (used to print capsules in a continuous process)   Patent   Canada   30/07/2027
Electronic Dosage Dispensing System   Patent   United States   05/25/2023
Extended under
35 U.S.C.154
(b) by 715 days
Unigel Technology   Patent   United States   18/07/2031
Unigel Technology   Patent   United States   07/18/2031
Extended under
35 U.S.C.154
(b) by 97 days
Unigel Technology   Patent   United States   18/07/2031
Ribbon Printing (used to print capsules in a continuous process)   Patent   United States   07/30/2027
Extended under
35 U.S.C.154
(b) by 694 days
Unigel Technology   Patent   Korea   18/07/2031
Unigel Technology   Patent   Japan   18/07/2031
Blefadex Composition   Patent   Colombia   30/12/2034
Cynclor Project   Patent   United States   29/08/2034
Blefadex Composition   Patent   United States   30/12/2034
Unigel Technology   Patent   United States   18/07/2031
Blefadex Composition   Patent   Japan   30/12/2034
Laboratory-scale encapsulation device   Utility Models   Colombia   28/02/2029
Unigel Technology   Patent   Brazil   18/07/2031
Unigel Technology   Patent   Canada   18/07/2031
Blefadex Composition   Patent   Mexico   30/12/2034
Unigel Technology   Patent   Spain   18/07/2031
Unigel Technology   Patent   Germany   18/07/2031
Unigel Technology   Patent   Switzerland   18/07/2031
Unigel Technology   Patent   France   18/07/2031
Unigel Technology   Patent   United Kingdom   18/07/2031
Unigel Technology   Patent   Italy   18/07/2031
Unigel Technology   Patent   Poland   18/07/2031
Unigel Technology   Patent   Portugal   18/07/2031
Unigel Technology   Patent   Sweden   18/07/2031
Cynclor Project   Patent   United States   29/08/2034
Blefadex Composition   Patent   Brazil   30/12/2034

 

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The table below sets forth the product type/technology for which our patent applications relate, the jurisdiction in which the registration was applied for, the application date and the type of patent.

 

Patent Applications Pending Approval as of December 31, 2021

Product Type/Technology   Type of Patent   Jurisdiction of Registration   Filing Date/
Publication Date
Unigel Technology   Patent   Japan   01/12/2016
HME Technology   Patent   United States   01/06/2015
09/09/2015
07/07/2016
Unigel Technology   Patent   United States   19/08/2019
HME Technology   Patent   Europe   09/10/2015
11/15/2017
HME Technology   Patent   Canada   14/07/2016
Blefadex Composition   Patent   Ecuador   11/23/2016
12/30/2016
Blefadex Composition   Patent   Peru   06/27/2017
09/15/2017
Blefadex Composition   Patent   El Salvador   29/06/2017
Blefadex Composition   Patent   Dominican Republic   06/29/2017
06/15/2019
Blefadex Composition   Patent   Guatemala   03/07/2017
HME Technology   Patent   El Salvador   05/07/2017
HME Technology   Patent   Guatemala   05/07/2017
HME Technology   Patent   Mexico   07/05/2017
11/09/2018
HME Technology   Patent   Peru   07/05/2017
09/05/2017
HME Technology   Patent   Brazil   09/10/2015
03/13/2018
HME Technology   Patent   Dominican Republic   07/06/2017
11/15/2018
HME Technology   Patent   Ecuador   19/07/2017
Blefadex Composition   Patent   Europe   07/27/2017
12/06/2017
Sweetener Composition for Gummies   Patent   United States   07/21/2021
Face Mask   Patent   United States   06/26/2020
HME Technology   Patent   Korea   08/02/2017
09/17/2018
Unigel Technology   Patent   United States   13/02/2019
Unigel Technology   Patent   United States   13/02/2019
Unigel Technology   Patent   United States   13/02/2020
SGC Drying System   Patent   United States   12/21/2016
12/21/2017
08/19/2018
03/28/2019
10/21/2019
06/06/2020
01/14/2021
Electronic Dosage Dispensing System   Patent   United States   05/25/2012
05/28/2013
06/12/2017
04/03/2020
11/11/2020
Vegan Gummies   Patent   PCT   30/08/2019
Face Mask   Patent   PCT   06/25/2021
Unigel Products (Diclofenac)   Patent   United States   23/07/2020

 

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Ivermectin SGC Formula   Patent   PCT   30/09/2020
Device for Gummies   Utility Model   Colombia   11/09/2021
Ivermectin Oral Solution   Patent   PCT   30/12/2020
Unigel Technology   Patent   United States   19/03/2021
Unigel Technology   Patent   Mexico   05/11/2015
22/06/2021
Poole Sample   Utility Model   Colombia   07/28/2021
Clean Device for Soft gelatin capsules   Utility Model   Colombia   08/13/2021
Vegan Gummies   Patent   Colombia   10/22/2021
Unigel Products (Diclofenac)   Patent   PCT   09/23/2021

 

Furthermore, as of December 31, 2021, we hold over 5,193 trademarks, with 369 pending approval. Additionally, as of December 31, 2021, we have over 162 drug registrations, with over 150 pending approval.

 

We do not consider any individual patent, trademark or license to be material to our overall business.

 

Corporate Responsibilities and Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”)

 

Compliance Standards

 

Our facilities and operations are subject to various environmental laws and regulations. We undergo periodic internal audits relating to environmental, health and safety requirements in order to maintain compliance with applicable laws and regulations in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. Additionally, pursuant to an agreement with one of our shareholders, IFC, we are required to comply with IFC’s Performance Standards on Social & Environmental Sustainability, permit environmental and social representatives of IFC to visit our facilities on an annual basis and provide IFC with an annual sustainability report, among other requirements. As part of this agreement, we have committed to adhere to the processes and compliance mechanisms of IFC’s Performance Standards on Social & Environmental Sustainability in order to improve our environmental and social risk management, including the preparation of an Annual Sustainability Report that follows the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards.

 

We have made, and continue to make, expenditures necessary to comply with applicable environmental laws; however, we do not believe that the costs for complying with such laws and regulations have been or will be material to our business. We do not have any material remediation liabilities outstanding.

 

While we believe that climate change could present risks to our business, including increased operating costs due to additional regulatory requirements, physical risks to our facilities, water limitations and disruptions to our supply chain, we do not believe these risks are material to our business in the near term.

 

ESG Commitments and Strategy

 

We are committed to doing business in an ethical manner. We have a long history of environmentally sound and efficient operations, safe and healthy working conditions, and active participation in the communities where we are located. We have sought to strengthen our long-term ESG goals by incorporating environmental and social management into strategic business decisions, aligned with sustainable development goals with the aim of generating shared value and a positive impact on the communities we serve.

 

We seek to strengthen our value creation in the pharmaceutical industry by addressing the challenges of developing cost-efficient products and providing accessible products to the population in the regions we operate in, while seeking to reduce the environmental impact of our activities. Our ESG strategy can classified into four pillars: (i) access to medicine, (ii) social impact and community engagement, (iii) efficient use of natural resources and (iv) climate strategy and innovation and R&D.

 

Workforce ESG Commitments

 

As reflected in our Social Responsibility, Quality of Life and Integrated Management Policies, we are, and remain, committed to maintaining an environment that motivates all employees to achieve personal development (physical, mental, social and emotional), acquire new competencies, skills and abilities, and promote the proper attitudes to improve their interpersonal skills and enhance their future employment prospects in the changing and competitive market we operate. Our human development, hiring and training process includes:

 

selecting qualified personnel for each position that show potential for development and that identify with our organizational moto of “Vision, Mission, Values, Policies, Key Strategic Objectives and Structure”;

 

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assimilation into our corporate culture;

 

training in processes and procedures;

 

job-specific training;

 

continuous training and educational programs on new or updated standards, and key and strategic competencies;

 

promoting activities and training to improve the health of our employees and protection from occupational risk factors; and

 

encouraging and supporting self-development, self-monitoring, individual and collective learning, and promoting continuous self-improvement.

 

Carbon Neutrality Strategy

 

In addition, Procaps has recently designed a carbon neutrality strategy which we officially launched at the end of 2021. Our strategy has the goal of, among others, (i) calculating our baseline carbon footprint and comparing it to the footprint of similar businesses to identify a benchmark, (ii) identifying greenhouse gas emissions mitigation opportunities, and (iii) developing a strategy combining mitigation and offsetting to become carbon neutral by a date to be determined.

 

The first phase of our strategy consists of measuring the carbon footprint of our facilities. We measured the carbon footprint of our Barranquilla, Colombia facility, which has the highest production volume and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions in its three scopes. The results were obtained at the beginning of 2022 and will be published in the 2021 sustainability report, which is expected to be released during the first half of 2022. In 2022, we expect to measure the carbon footprint of our other facilities in El Salvador and Brazil, which will provide us with a full dimension of our carbon footprint. Although we have not yet defined a corporate baseline, the measuring of the carbon footprint of our Barranquilla facility has provided us with a reference point that will allow us to make carbon footprint comparisons with our other facilities, and with other similar businesses.

 

We have also identified viable opportunities for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, some of which are currently in progress while others are under review for inclusion in our ESG initiatives in 2022. We have classified these opportunities into three scopes:

 

Scope 1: (i) Replacement of refrigerant gases by less polluting alternative gases; and (ii) optimization of personnel routes with driver role.

 

Scope 2: (i) enhancement of the self-generation plant; and (ii) renewable energy consumption projects (solar panels).

 

Scope 3: optimization of transport routes for raw materials and company products.

 

Our corporate strategy to achieve carbon neutrality is still under review. Options have been identified both to reduce and offset, however we have to have a complete baseline in order to measure the effort needed to reduce and offset emissions to be able to commit to targets and timeframes. We are establishing goals for 2022 in different environmental indicators that contribute to reducing emissions and, in general, our environmental impact. These goals are expected to be published in our 2021 sustainability report which we expect will be released during the first half of 2022.

 

Emissions goals at the corporate level will be defined once we have the complete baseline, which we expect will be completed in 2022. We are in the process of reviewing carbon footprint measurement proposals. Once we have the baseline, we intend to define reduction and compensation goals in order to approve our commitment.

 

Regulatory Matters

 

The manufacturing, processing, formulation, packaging, labeling, testing, storing, distributing, advertising, and sale of our products and services are subject to regulation by a variety of agencies in the localities in which our products are sold. In addition, we manufacture and market certain of our products in accordance with standards set by various organizations, including the FDA, Health Canada, MHRA, TGA, Cofepris and ISO. We believe that our policies, operations, and products comply in all material respects with existing regulations to which we are subject.

 

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The manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of healthcare products and the provision of certain services for development-stage pharmaceutical products are subject to extensive ongoing regulation by INVIMA, ANVISA, the FDA, other regulatory authorities in the countries in which we operate.

 

Colombian Regulations

 

A majority of our products are manufactured in our four manufacturing facilities in Colombia. INVIMA is the Colombian regulatory authority charged with inspecting and supervising the marketing and manufacturing of health products, identifying and evaluating the violation of health standards or procedures, and implementing best practices and providing medical approval for the import and export of products.

 

INVIMA carries out periodic inspections of our facilities, processes and products to verify compliance with cGMP and Good Laboratory Practices in accordance with the regulations established by the World Health Organization (“WHO”) in the Technical Report Series 823 — 32nd Report of the WHO Expert Committee on Specifications for Pharmaceutical Preparations (the “WHO Report 32”). In addition, our facilities are also subject to regulation and inspection by the Colombian Agricultural Institute (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario, or “ICA”), a public entity attached to the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural), responsible for controlling agricultural health in Colombia. The ICA is charged with inspecting our plants to verify compliance with cGMP for the production of products for veterinary use, also in accordance with the provisions of the WHO Report 32.

 

United States Regulations

 

The FDA has jurisdiction over certain of our Rx, OTC pharmaceutical products and API. The FDA’s jurisdiction extends to the manufacturing, testing, labeling, packaging, storage, distribution, and promotion of these products. We are committed to consistently provide our customers with high quality products that adhere to cGMP regulations promulgated by the FDA.

 

All facilities where Rx and OTC products are manufactured, tested, packaged, stored, or distributed for the U.S. market must comply with FDA, cGMPs and regulations promulgated by competent authorities in the countries, states and localities where our manufacturing facilities are located. All of our drug products destined for the U.S. market are manufactured, tested, packaged, stored, and distributed according to cGMP regulations. The FDA performs periodic audits to ensure that our FDA registered manufacturing facility remains in compliance with all appropriate regulations.

 

In addition, certain of our subsidiaries are subject to other healthcare laws, including the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Public Health Service Act, the Controlled Substances Act, and comparable state and foreign laws and regulations in certain of their activities.

 

Third parties develop and manufacture APIs for use in certain of our pharmaceutical products that are sold in the U.S. and other global markets. API manufacturers typically submit a drug master file to the regulatory authority that provides the proprietary information related to the manufacturing process. The FDA inspects the manufacturing facilities to assess cGMP compliance, and the facilities and procedures must be cGMP compliant before API may be exported to the United States.

 

Brazilian Regulations

 

Certain of our products are manufactured in our Brazil manufacturing facilities. ANVISA is the Brazilian regulatory agency that is responsible for the approval and supervision of food, cosmetics, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, health services, and medical devices, among other products, and carries out sanitary control and inspection activities in ports, airports and the border regions.

 

ANVISA is charged with the protection of the Brazilian population’s health through sanitary control over the production and marketing of products and services, including facilities, processes, materials and technologies related thereto. We may only operate our facilities subject to the jurisdiction of ANVISA once we have received ANVISA’s approval. In addition, all of our pharmaceutical products must be submitted to ANVISA for approval before being offered to our customers in Brazil. As a governmental agency, ANVISA has police power over sanitary controls, as a result, in the event an inspection reveals non-compliance with its regulations, it may shut down businesses, suspend the sale of products, appropriate and seize items, or issue fines.

 

In addition to approvals from ANVISA, we also require the approval of CETESB, an agency of the government of the State of São Paulo responsible for the control, inspection, monitoring and licensing of activities that generate pollution, to operate our facilities in Brazil. CETESB is responsible for granting operating licenses for our facilities and carries out frequent inspections to assess whether there have been any changes to the environmental impact caused by our activities. For information on current regulatory proceedings involving CETESB, please see Item 8.A under the heading “Legal Proceedings — Operating License.”

 

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El Salvador Regulations

 

Certain of our products are manufactured in our El Salvador manufacturing facilities. DNM is the El Salvadorian regulatory agency that is responsible for safeguarding the health of the country’s population through the regulation and surveillance of pharmaceutical, cosmetic, hygienic, chemical products, medical devices and raw materials.

 

The DNM is the competent health authority in El Salvador charged with authorizing and registering all pharmaceutical products in El Salvador and is responsible for regulating the importation and manufacturing of pharmaceutical products, implementing price controls, and controlling of distribution chains. The DNM acts based on the guidelines established by the Central American Technical Regulation (Reglamento Técnico Centroamericano) which is a guide based on the WHO Report 32, to implement the best practices in the manufacturing, storage, distribution and sale of pharmaceutical products. The DNM is also responsible for certifying that pharmaceutical laboratories in El Salvador comply with cGMP.

 

Other Regulatory Requirements

 

We are also subject to various federal, state, local, national and transnational laws, regulations, and requirements in Colombia, Brazil, the United States and other countries in which we operate, relating to safe working conditions, laboratory and distribution practices, and the use, transportation and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances. In addition, applicable import and export laws and regulations require us to abide by certain standards relating to the cross-border transit of finished goods, raw materials and supplies and the handling of information. We are also subject to various other laws and regulations concerning the conduct of our non-U.S. operations, including FCPA and other anti-bribery laws and laws pertaining to the accuracy of our internal books and records.

 

The costs associated with our continued compliance with the various applicable federal, state, local, national and transnational regulations to which we are subject could be significant, and the failure to comply with such legal requirements could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. See Item 3.D under the heading “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Laws and Regulations — Failure to comply with existing and future regulatory requirements could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, or result in claims from customers” in this annual report for additional discussion of the costs associated with complying with the various regulations.

 

For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, we were subject to seven regulatory audits by INVIMA, ANVISA, the FDA, Health Canada, MHRA, the Saudi Arabia Food and Drug Administration, and the TGA, all of which were successfully completed.

 

2021 Colombian Tax Reform

 

On September 14, 2021, Colombia’s President approved the 2021 Colombian Tax Reform, which includes certain tax measures intended to generate additional tax revenues to fund social programs for purposes of mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These tax measures include, among other things:

 

(i)increasing the corporate tax rate from 30% to 35% for both domestic and foreign entities, permanent establishments and branches;

 

(ii)maintaining the rates for the special tax regime and free-trade zones at 20%;

 

(iii)continuing to limit the amount of turnover tax that taxpayers may claim as a corporate income tax credit to 50% by repealing a previously enacted law change that would have allowed taxpayers to claim 100% of the turnover tax effectively paid as an income tax credit;

 

(iv)increasing the carry forward period of profits subject to taxation at the corporate level exceeding the profits recorded in the company’s accounting records in the same year, from 5 to 10 years for taxpayers engaged in concession and public-private agreements;

 

(v)establishing a new normalization tax (i.e., tax amnesty) applicable to income taxpayers that did not declare certain assets or claimed non-existent liabilities for tax purposes, taxing such amounts at a rate of 17%, as of January 1, 2022.; and

 

(vi)eliminating the value added tax (“VAT”) exclusion for imports of goods with a value of $200 or less that enter Colombia through postal services. The exclusion, however, continues for imports from countries with which Colombia has signed a free trade agreement, by virtue of which the non-collection of VAT has been expressly agreed. For imports from countries with a free trade agreement with Colombia, the exclusion will not apply if the imports are for commercial purposes.

 

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We are evaluating the potential impact of the 2021 Colombia Tax Reform on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We cannot anticipate the impact that the 2021 Colombia Tax Reform may have, nor the measures that could be adopted by the current administration in order to meet its financial obligations, which might negatively affect Colombian’s economy and, in turn, our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Quality Assurance

 

We are committed to ensuring and maintaining the highest standard of regulatory compliance while providing high quality products to our customers. To meet these commitments, we have developed and implemented a company-wide quality management system. We have approximately 640 employees focusing on quality and regulatory compliance. Our senior management team is actively involved in setting quality policies and standards, as well as managing internal and external quality performance. Our quality assurance department provides quality leadership and supervises our quality systems programs. An internal audit program monitors compliance with applicable regulations, standards, and internal policies. In addition, our facilities are subject to periodic inspection by the INVIMA, ANVISA, the FDA, and other equivalent local, state, and foreign regulatory authorities, as applicable, as well as IFC. All INVIMA, ANVISA, FDA and other regulatory inspectional observations have been resolved or are on track to be completed at the prescribed timeframe provided in commitments to the applicable agency in all material respects. We believe that our operations are in compliance in all material respects with the regulations under which our facilities are governed.

 

Environmental Matters

 

Our operations are subject to a variety of environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations, including those of the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible), the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis), and equivalent state, local, and national regulatory agencies in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. These laws and regulations govern, among other things, air emissions, wastewater discharges, the use, handling, and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, soil and groundwater contamination, and employee health and safety. Our manufacturing facilities use, in varying degrees, hazardous substances in their processes. We believe that our operations are in compliance in all material respects with the environment, health, and safety regulations applicable to our facilities. Additionally, we are required to comply with IFC’s Performance Standards on Social & Environmental Sustainability, among other requirements. For more information, see “— Corporate Responsibilities and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)”.

 

C. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

 

The following diagram reflects a simplified summary of our organizational structure as of April 28, 2022:

 

 

(1)The diagram above only shows selected subsidiaries of Procaps.

 

We do not have any established branches. For a complete list of the Company’s subsidiaries, see Exhibit 8.1 to this annual report.

 

Item 4A. UNRESOLVED SEC STAFF COMMENTS

 

The Company has no unresolved comments from the staff of the SEC with respect to its periodic reports under the Exchange Act.

 

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Item 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS

 

Our discussion and analysis of our results of operations and financial condition are based upon our Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with IFRS. Our operating and financial review and prospects should be read in conjunction with our Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements, the accompanying notes thereto and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this annual report.

 

A. Operating Results

 

Overview

 

Founded in 1977 by the Minski family, we are a leading integrated international healthcare and pharmaceutical company that develops pharmaceutical and nutraceutical solutions, medicines and hospital supplies. Our customers are located in over 50 countries, in six out of the seven continents, and we have a direct presence in 13 countries in the Americas and over 4,900 employees working under our sustainable model. We develop, manufacture and market OTC and Rx pharmaceutical products, nutritional supplements and clinical solutions.

 

Our business model focuses on four strategic cornerstones to drive growth. First, we have state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities that allow us to provide innovative delivery technologies. Our corporate culture focuses on innovation and R&D, which has enabled us to offer extensive scientific expertise with more than 305 scientists, technicians and skilled personnel and over 500 formulations as of December 31, 2021, allowing us to develop an average of over 150 new products, including more than 50 first time launch products, per year over the last three years. Second, our regional footprint and vertical integration enables organic growth opportunities and synergies. We currently operate six manufacturing facilities in Latin America, including the first FDA-approved pharmaceutical plant in South America and Central America, and sell and distribute products to over fifty distinct markets. Additionally, on December 31, 2021, we acquired an FDA approved 86,000 square feet pharmaceutical production facility located in West Palm Beach, Florida from Strides Pharma, Inc., our first US-based Softgel production facility and R&D center, which is expected to begin operations in May 2022. Third, our Rx and OTC pharmaceutical product portfolio is driven by our proprietary delivery systems, allowing us to focus on the development and sale of high-growth and premium pharmaceutical products which we believe are subject to less pricing pressures when compared to more generic pharmaceutical products. Finally, we have an extensive track record of developing new businesses and growing via mergers and acquisitions, which is evidenced by the development of one of our in-house business incubations, Diabetrics, which took place in 2015, and several successful acquisitions throughout Latin America (including the acquisitions of Rymco S.A., Laboratorios Lopez and Biokemical S.A. de C.V.) which took place between 2012 and 2016. On September 29, 2021, we consummated the Business Combination with Union, which resulted in our Ordinary Shares and warrants being listed on the Nasdaq Global Market on September 30, 2021 under the symbols “PROC” and “PROCW”, respectively.

 

We are primarily engaged in developing, producing and marketing pharmaceutical solutions and our operations consist of the following five business segments: NextGel, Procaps Colombia, Central America North (“CAN”), Central America South and the Andean Region (“CASAND”) and Diabetrics. These segments operate in both the B-to-B and the B-to-C market.

 

Business Segments

 

NextGel

 

Our NextGel business segment, operated under our Softigel brand, is the iCDMO arm of Procaps which offers services specializing in Softgel and operates globally in the B-to-B market, more specifically in Brazil, Colombia and the United States. We are the top Softgel manufacturer in South and Central America and top five in the world in terms of Softgel production capacity, according to an independent third-party industry analysis report. The iCDMO agreements with our top-tier customers range from five to ten-year terms. Our NextGel business segment has 126 clients across more than 35 countries and the key products that we manufacture in this segment includes Softgel pharmaceutical products such as Advil, Apronax Liquidgels, multivitamins, Vitamin D and Dolex ActivGel.

 

Procaps Colombia, CAN and CASAND

 

These three business segments serve each of its respective regional B-to-C markets by offering the following key product lines/business units:

 

Rx Pharmaceutical Products

 

Our Rx product line comprises the Farma Procaps and the Clinical Specialties brands/business units.

 

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Farma Procaps formulates, manufactures and markets branded prescription drugs. It represents a high growth portfolio that focuses on nine therapeutic areas (feminine care products, pain relief, skin care, digestive health, growth and development, cardiology, vision care, central nervous system and respiratory). As of December 31, 2021, Farma Procaps formulates and manufactures more than 465 products for over 200 brands.

 

Clinical Specialties is a leading provider of high-complexity care treatments to private institutions regionally. Its diverse product portfolio, including more than 150 products, and over 30 brands, targets various in-demand therapeutic areas and develops, manufactures and markets personal protective equipment, high-complexity drugs for hospital use such as antibiotic, blood clot, immunosuppressant, oncology and analgesics products.

 

OTC Product Line

 

Our OTC product line primarily consists of the VitalCare brand/business unit. VitalCare develops, manufactures and markets OTC consumer healthcare products through an extensive portfolio focused on over eight high-prevalence therapeutic areas (including gastrointestinal, skin care, cough and cold, analgesics, urological, and vitamin, minerals and supplements) at what we believe to be accessible and appealing price points and includes more than 150 brands. Our Colmed OTC product line, which is part of our VitalCare business unit, consists of products in the following categories: antibiotics, anti-infective, anti-parasitic, cardiovascular, feminine care, cutaneous antimycotic, pain killers, gastrointestinal, hormonals, metabolic, endocrine, nervous system, ophthalmic, osteoarticular, respiratory, diet supplements and vitamins and minerals.

 

We market and sell our OTC products in the following key regional markets: Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and the United States.

 

Procaps Colombia primarily serves the Colombian market, CAN primarily serves the Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, United States and Guatemala markets, and CASAND primarily serves the Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Peru and Bolivia markets.

 

Diabetrics

 

With approximately 6% of the global population living with diabetes and 10% of global health expenditures spent on diabetes each year, we believe our Diabetrics business segment, which is comprised of our Diabetrics brand/business unit, is an attractive regional B-to-C diabetes-focused treatment and management platform that focuses primarily on the Colombian market. It has experienced significant growth since it began its operations in 2015. It has a unique business model when compared to our competitors, as it aims to cover the full spectrum of needs of patients with diabetes by providing products and services such as blood glucose meters, telemonitoring, Rx oral anti-diabetics products, cosmeceuticals (cosmetics that have medicinal properties for diabetic care), insulin delivery systems and other diabetes solutions.

 

The Business Combination

 

On March 31, 2021, Union, Crynssen, the Company and Merger Sub entered into the Business Combination Agreement, and subsequently amended the Business Combination Agreement on September 29, 2021. As a result of the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, each of Union and Crynssen became direct wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company and each Crynssen Shareholder and shareholder of Union were issued Ordinary Shares, and, in the case of IFC, Ordinary Shares and Redeemable B Shares.

 

Union also entered into separate Subscription Agreements, each dated March 31, 2021, with the PIPE Investors, pursuant to which, and subject to the terms and conditions thereto, the PIPE Investors collectively subscribed for an aggregate of 10,000,000 SPAC Ordinary Shares for an aggregate purchase price of $100,000,000. The PIPE investment was consummated immediately prior to the Closing of the Business Combination, and each SPAC Ordinary Share subscribed for by the PIPE Investors were exchanged for one Ordinary Share, substantially concurrently with the closing of the Business Combination.

 

On April 16, 2021, in connection with the vote to approve the amendment to the then current amended and restated articles of association of Union to extend the date by which Union was required to consummate its initial business combination from April 22, 2021 to October 22, 2021 , certain shareholders of Union exercised their right to redeem 6,446,836 SPAC Ordinary Shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.07 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $64.9 million.

 

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Prior to the Closing, on September 22, 2021, in connection with the vote to approve the Business Combination and other related proposals, at Union’s extraordinary general meeting, certain shareholders of Union exercised their right to redeem 7,657,670 SPAC Ordinary Shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.19 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $78.0 million.

 

Additionally, on September 29, 2021, the Sponsors entered into the Share Forfeiture Agreement, pursuant to which, the Sponsors forfeited a combined 700,000 SPAC Ordinary Shares prior to the consummation of the Business Combination.

 

For a description of the Business Combination, see under the heading “Certain Conventions––The Business Combination” in this annual report.

 

Going Concern Update

 

Previously, we had identified certain conditions and events that our management considered in the aggregate, to result in substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, including having negative equity of $254.7 million as of December 31, 2020. However, as a result of the reverse reorganization following the Business Combination with Union on September 29, 2021, we had a net “capital contribution” through the net assets obtained from Union and the termination of the put options with IFC and Hoche, resulting in total negative equity of $38.3 million as of December 31, 2021. The negative equity balance as of December 31, 2021 is primarily driven by the classification of the Ordinary Shares held in escrow pursuant to the terms of the Transaction Support Agreement and the related escrow agreements as a financial liability and does not impact our future operations.

 

Additionally, as of December 31, 2021, we reported positive working capital of $110.1 million, compared to a deficit of $54.9 million as of December 31, 2020. Furthermore, as a result of the Business Combination, we had cash inflow of approximately $160.0 million, of which $72.1 million was still on hand as of December 31, 2021, compared to $4.2 million as of December 31, 2020. Currently, we maintain uncommitted financing lines, which we believe, together with the expected internal generation of funds, will allow us to finance our growth and working capital needs for the next twelve months. Additionally, we improved our funding conditions, through the issuance of the Senior Notes, the proceeds of which were primarily used to repay certain existing indebtedness (approximately $102 million), resulting in a significant reduction in financing rates (from a 9% average to 4.75% in U.S. dollars), and an amortization schedule of five annual equal payments commencing on the sixth anniversary of the closing.

 

Based on the above, management believes that our cash position, together with forecasted results, cash flow from operating activities, available debt financing arrangements and financial support from our shareholders as a result of the Company entering the capital markets and listing on the Nasdaq, we will be able to meet our anticipated cash needs for working capital, capital expenditures and general and administrative expenses for at least the next twelve months.

 

For more information, see Note 2.1 to our Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements, included elsewhere in this annual report.

 

Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements

 

As described in more detail under the heading “Certain Conventions ––Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” in this annual report and in Note 2.4 to the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements, included elsewhere in this annual report, the Company, in consultation with its Audit Committee and its principal external auditor, determined that we will be required to restate our consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. The restatement is related to the revised classification of certain factoring and reverse factoring arrangements previously classified as part of Trade and other payables (current) into Borrowings (current). The impact of the restatement is reflected in our balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 included in Item 3.A under the heading “Selected Financial Data” in this annual report and our statement of cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 included under the heading “Liquidity and Capital Resources” below.

 

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Results of Operations

 

Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020

 

The following table sets forth historical operating results for the periods indicated, which were not impacted by the restatement described above:

 

   For the year ended
December 31,
   Increase/(Decrease)   For the year ended
December 31,
   Constant Currency Increase/(Decrease) 
   2021   2020   $ Change   % Change   2021 -
Constant
Currency
Adjustment(2)
   2021 -
Constant
Currency
Basis(2)
   $ Change   % Change 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars except percentages) 
Revenue   409,742    331,467    78,275    23.6%   6,641    416,383    84,916    25.6%
Cost of sales   (174,029)   (140,153)   (33,876)   24.2%   (4,224)   (178,253)   (38,100)   27.2%
Gross profit   235,713    191,314    44,399    23.2%   2,417   238,130    46,816    24.5%
                                         
Sales and marketing expenses   (83,057)   (69,629)   (13,428)   19.3%   (817)   (83,874)   (14,245)   20.5%
Administrative expenses   (82,187)   (58,631)   (23,556)   40.2%   (959)   (83,146)   (24,515)   41.8%
Finance expenses, net   (78,636)   (54,489)   (24,147)   44.3%                    
Other expenses, net   (78,991)   (7,716)   (71,275)   923.7%                    
(Loss)/Income before tax   (87,158)   849    (88,007)   10,366.0%                    
Income tax expense   (13,705)   (11,296)   (2,409)   21.3%                    
Loss for the year   (100,863)   (10,447)   (90,416)   865.5%                    
Adjusted EBITDA(1)   99,678    84,619    15,059    17.8%   706    100,384    15,765    18.6%
Contribution Margin(1)   152,656    121,685    30,971    25.5%   1,600    154,256    32,571    26.8%

 

(1)Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS measures. We include these metrics as supplemental disclosures because we believe they are useful indicators of our operating performance. Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA are well recognized performance measures in the pharmaceutical industry that are frequently used by investors, securities analysts and other interested parties in comparing the operating performance of companies in our industry. However, because Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS measures and their calculation is not determined in accordance with IFRS, such measures are susceptible to varying calculations and not all companies calculate the measures in the same manner. As a result, our calculation of Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA as presented may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures by other companies. For more information on Contribution Margin, Adjusted EBITDA and other non-IFRS financial measures, please see below under the heading “— Non-IFRS Financial Measures” in this annual report.

 

(2)As exchange rates are an important factor in understanding period-to-period comparisons, we believe the presentation of certain financial metrics and results on a constant currency basis in addition to the IFRS reported results helps improve investors’ ability to understand our operating results and evaluate our performance in comparison to prior periods. Constant currency information is non-IFRS financial information that compares results between periods as if exchange rates had remained constant period-over-period. We calculate constant currency by calculating year-end period results (year ended December 31, 2021) using prior-period (year ended December 31, 2020) foreign currency exchange rates. Results on a constant currency basis, as we present them, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies and are not measures of performance presented in accordance with IFRS. For more information on constant currency adjustments, please see below under the heading “— Non-IFRS Financial Measures” in this annual report.

 

Revenue

 

Procaps recognizes revenue from the sale of pharmaceutical products and licensing revenue. Revenue increased by $78.3 million, or 23.6%, from $331.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $409.7 million for 2021. On a constant currency basis, revenue increased by $84.92 million, or 25.6%, from $331.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $416.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

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The increase in revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to an increase in demand for our products and services across all strategic business segments (Procaps Colombia, NextGel, CAN, CASAND and Diabetrics), including (i) an increase of approximately $60.7 million in sales from existing brands in several therapeutic categories, such as gastrointestinal, respiratory, anesthetics and wellness products, among others, and (ii) an increase in revenue from the sales of new products of approximately $17.6 million, or 22.3%, from $78.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $96.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 amounting to 23.5% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

Cost of sales and gross profit

 

The cost of sales represents the direct costs of producing the goods sold by Procaps, such as cost of the materials and labor directly used to create the goods. Gross profit is revenue less cost of sales.

 

Cost of sales increased by $33.9 million, or 24.2%, from $140.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $174.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Gross profit increased by $44.4 million, or 23.2%, from $191.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $235.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

On a constant currency basis, cost of sales increased by $38.1 million, or 27.2%, from $140.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $178.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Gross profit increased by $46.8 million, or 24.5%, from $191.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $238.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

The increase in cost of sales for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to the strong increase in the volume of products sold as described in the “Revenue” section above.

 

The increase in gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 was also primarily attributable to strong increase in our sales volume of products sold as described above.

 

Sales and marketing expenses

 

Sales and marketing expenses include primarily expenses incurred for promotional activities, such as marketing expenses, sales force and logistics expenses. Sales and marketing expenses increased by $13.4 million, or 19.3%, from $69.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, which represents approximately 21.0% of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020, to $83.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, which represents approximately 20.3% of the revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021. On a constant currency basis, sales and marketing expenses increased by $14.2 million, or 20.5%, from $69.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $83.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

The increase in sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to the increase in expenditures in the amount of $12.1 million related to advertising and marketing activities, and an increase in expenses related to in-person sales events and travel, which returned as the COVID-19 pandemic situation improved worldwide and travel and gathering restrictions were eased, permitting such events and activities.

 

Administrative expenses

 

Administrative expenses include costs incurred for administrative and certain corporate departments, such as payroll, power and utilities, and certain legal and professional expenses. Administrative expenses increased by $23.6 million, or 40.2%, from $58.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $82.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. On a constant currency basis, administrative expenses increased by $24.5 million, or 41.8%, from $58.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $83.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

The increase in administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to (i) the transaction expenses incurred in connection with the Business Combination which amounted to $10.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, (ii) an increase in expenditures related to employee safety in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, such as transportation, personal protection equipment, COVID-19 testing for employees, vaccination, among other expenditures, in the amount of $3.8 million, (iii) an increase in travel expenses as most countries relaxed lockdowns and travel restrictions as the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has gradually improved during the year ended December 31, 2021, and (iv) an increase in costs and other expenses to accommodate new, emerging roles within the administrative and finance departments of the Company as a result of our growth and becoming a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq. In addition, certain of our departments have also initiated a plan to return to work at our facilities, which has also contributed to the increase in administrative expenses.

 

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Finance expenses, net

 

Finance expenses, net include certain banking expenses and bank fees, financing interest expenses, interest recognized on the financial liabilities associated with certain put options held by IFC and Hoche, and a one-time loss on the termination of such put options. On the Closing of the Business Combination, the IFC Put Option Agreement and the Hoche Put Option Agreement (both as defined below) were cancelled as part of the Business Combination in exchange for a portion of the Ordinary Shares issued to IFC and Hoche, respectively, in the Exchange. The one-time loss on termination of the Hoche put option in the amount of $35.9 million, aligns the carrying value of such put option on the termination date to the fair value of the Ordinary Shares issued.

 

Finance expenses, net increased by $24.1 million, or 44.3%, from $54.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $78.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in finance expenses, net was primarily due to the increase of the one-time extinguishment loss of the Hoche put option in the amount of $35.9 million. The increase was partially offset by (i) a decrease of approximately $3.8 million, or 14.0%, in interest expenses related to the put options financial liabilities, from $27.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $23.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, and (ii) a net fair value gain related to warrants liabilities and shares held in escrow.

 

Other expenses, net

 

Other expenses, net include: (i) currency exchange rate differences, (ii) economic emergency contribution expenses, (iii) fines, penalties, and assumed taxes, (iv) donations, (v) listing expenses, (vi) the change in the fair value of the warrant liability, and (vii) other expenses.

 

Other expenses increased by $71.3 million, or 923.7%, from $7.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $79.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in other expenses was primarily due to the recording of non-cash listing expenses of $73.9 million associated with the deemed listing services received by Procaps from Union, which is the difference between the deemed costs of the Ordinary Shares issued by the Company to Union shareholders in connection with the Business Combination, in excess of the net assets obtained from Union.

 

Income tax expense

 

Income tax expense includes two components: (i) current tax and (ii) deferred tax. Current tax is calculated based on the tax rate of each jurisdiction. Deferred tax corresponds to the differences generated between the accounting figures and tax figures, which can result in a future income or expense.

 

Income tax expense increased by $2.4 million, or 21.3%, from $11.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $13.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in income tax expense was primarily due to (i) higher profits before taxes in some jurisdictions, and an increase in deferred tax liabilities due to the increase in the tax rate in Colombia, resulting in an increase in income tax expenses of approximately $1.7 million, and (ii) certain amendments to the tax returns of certain of our subsidiaries during the year ended December 31, 2021, resulting in $0.7 million in penalties and related nondeductible interest expenses, resulting in higher tax expenses recognized in the period.

 

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Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019

 

The following table sets forth historical operating results for the periods indicated, which were not impacted by the restatement described above:

 

    For the year ended
December 31
    Increase/(Decrease)     For the year ended
December 31
    Constant Currency
Increase/(Decrease)
 
  2020     2019     $ Change     % Change     2020 -
Constant
Currency
Adjustment(2)
    2020 -
Constant
Currency
Basis(2)
    $ Change   % Change  
      (in thousands of U.S. dollars except percentages)  
Revenue    331,467     324,792     6,675      2.1%    32,070       363,537     38,745      11.9%
Cost of sales    (140,153)    (142,294)    2,141      (1.5)%    (13,808 )     (153,961)    (11,667 )    8.2%
Gross profit    191,314     182,498     8,816      4.8%    18,262       209,576     27,078      14.8%
                                                     
Sales and marketing expenses    (69,629)    (84,810)    15,181      (17.9)%    (5,362 )     (74,991)    9,819      (11.6)%
Administrative expenses    (58,631)    (60,257)    1,626      (2.7)%    (5,759 )     (64,390)    (4,133 )    6.9%
Finance expenses, net    (54,489)    (42,983)    (11,506 )    26.8%                           
Other expenses    (7,716)    (4,426)    (3,290 )    74.3%                           
Income (loss) before tax    849     (9,978)    10,827      (108.5)%                           
Income tax expense    (11,296)    (7,035)    (4,261 )    60.6%                           
Loss for the year    (10,447)    (17,013)    6,566      (38.6)%                           
Adjusted EBITDA(1)    84,619     59,136     25,483      43.1%    8,836       93,455     34,319      58.0%
Contribution Margin(1)    121,685     97,688     23,997      24.6%    12,900       134,585     36,897      37.8%

 

(1)Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS measures. We include these metrics as supplemental disclosures because we believe they are useful indicators of our operating performance. Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA are well recognized performance measures in the pharmaceutical industry that are frequently used by investors, securities analysts and other interested parties in comparing the operating performance of companies in our industry. However, because Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS measures and their calculation is not determined in accordance with IFRS, such measures are susceptible to varying calculations and not all companies calculate the measures in the same manner. As a result, our calculation of Contribution Margin and Adjusted EBITDA as presented may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures by other companies. For more information on Contribution Margin, Adjusted EBITDA and other non-IFRS financial measures, please see below under the heading “— Non-IFRS Financial Measures” in this annual report.

 

(2)

As exchange rates are an important factor in understanding period-to-period comparisons, we believe the presentation of certain financial metrics and results on a constant currency basis in addition to the IFRS reported results helps improve investors’ ability to understand our operating results and evaluate our performance in comparison to prior periods. Constant currency information is non-IFRS financial information that compares results between periods as if exchange rates had remained constant period-over-period. We calculate constant currency by calculating year-end period results (year ended December 31, 2020) using prior-period (year ended December 31, 2019) foreign currency exchange rates. Results on a constant currency basis, as we present them, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies and are not measures of performance presented in accordance with IFRS. Certain constant currency figures for the year ended December 31, 2020 have been updated to correct amounts reflected in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (Registration No. 333-261366). For more information on constant currency adjustments, please see below under the heading “— Non-IFRS Financial Measures” in this annual report.

 

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Revenue

 

Procaps recognizes revenue from the sale of pharmaceutical products and licensing revenue. Net revenue increased by $6.7 million, or 2.1%, from $324.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $331.5 million in December 31, 2020. On a constant currency basis, net revenue increased by $38.7 million, or 11.9%, from $324.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $363.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

The increase in revenue in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily due to the launch of certain new innovative products and the increase in demand for certain existing products due to promotional and marketing activities, as well as consumers’ increased health awareness.

 

Products such as Levothyroxine, Azithromycin, Esomeprazole and Deferon experienced increased sales, resulting in an increase in sales of $3.5 million from $8.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $12.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Additionally, the sale of new products in our Diabetrics segment (primarily Preventia complex and Atovarol 80) increased sales revenue in the segment by $0.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Furthermore, the roll out of new products (such as Gestavid DHA, Ezolium and Clenox) in the CASAND region generated an additional $3.4 million in sales in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Also, our Funtrition product line increased its sales by approximately $7.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily from an increase in sales of its gummies and probiotics line (including sleep, stress, focus, mood, turmeric and immunity gummies). The increase in sales of vitamin D in Brazil and Acetaminophen in Ecuador contributed to an increase in revenue of $3.2 million and $3.0 million, respectively, in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

The increase in revenue was partially offset by the revenues generated by our divestiture of certain product brands in 2019, which generated revenues of approximately $7.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, which did not occur in 2020 as we did not divest itself of any product brands that year, resulting in no revenue from product brand divestitures for the year ended December 31, 2020. Additionally, we have observed an increase in demand for our products due to our implementation of marketing strategies focused on adapting to mandatory lockdowns imposed by several countries, which prevented sales representatives from operating within hospitals and clinics, by increasing the promotional presence of our products through attractive pricing and increased investment in digital advertising, all of which enabled us to directly promote our products to the general public. We also initiated a strategy to more efficiently manage our sales to distributors to reduce such distributors’ inventory on hand (the “Trade Day Reduction Strategy”). The Trade Day Reduction Strategy has mainly been implemented by us in Colombia and the CASAND region. The strategy has decreased our revenue growth for the year ended December 31, 2020 but increased our bargaining power vis-a-vis distributors and reduced distributors’ bargained discount, resulting in improved product margins. The Trade Day Reduction Strategy reduced the distributors’ days of inventory on hand (i.e., “trade days”) by 33 days in CASAND and 25 days in Colombia.

 

Cost of sales and gross profit

 

The cost of sales represents the direct costs of producing the goods sold by Procaps, such as cost of the materials and labor directly used to create the goods. Gross profit is revenue less cost of sales.

 

Cost of sales decreased by $2.1 million, or 1.5%, from $142.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $140.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Gross profit increased by $8.8 million, or 4.8%, from $182.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $191.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. On a constant currency basis, cost of sales increased by $11.7 million, or 8.2%, from $142.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $154.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Gross profit increased by $27.1 million, or 14.8%, from $182.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $209.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

The decrease in cost of sales in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily due to the increase in efficiency as a result of certain strategic planning activities for Procaps. Strategic planning activities focused marketing and sales efforts on customers and products that have higher margins due to lower production costs, which decreased cost of sales by approximately $1.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, Furthermore, we increased our production efficiencies through process automation and improvements in batch production management. For example, we started a project in our Northern Central America operations to standardize packaging for similar products that in turn reduces unit manufacturing costs and expenses. Optimized batch production management allows us to manufacture our products in increased batch sizes which in turn reduces per-unit production costs and resulted in a decrease in costs of approximately $2 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

We have also invested in certain technologies in our production plants that reduces cost of production, such as technology to shorten the drying time of gummies in our Funtrition product line, which is traditionally one of the more expensive processes for gummy production, resulting in an increase in production of approximately 255 tons in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, and a decrease in costs and expenses associated with production of approximately $1.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

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Sales and marketing expenses

 

Sales and marketing expenses include primarily expenses incurred for promotional activities, such as marketing expenses, sales force and logistics expenses. Sales and marketing expense decreased by $15.2 million, or 17.9%, from $84.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $69.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. On a constant currency basis, sales and marketing expense decreased by $9.8 million, or 11.6%, from $84.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $75.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

The decrease in sales and marketing expenses in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. was primarily due to the increase in usage of the digital marketing channels, which is a new trend in the market that is more cost effective than traditional advertising and promotional activities, and a decrease in usage of traditional advertising and promotional activities, resulting in a decrease in sales and marketing expense of approximately $3.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. In the year ended December 31, 2020, we initiated a staggered process for migrating to a demand-generating digital scheme, achieving a reduction in the total investment amount needed to obtain certain market presence levels while continuing to expose the market to a wide range of product advertising. The use of digital marketing channels requires certain initial set-up costs and maintenance costs, however, our investment in digital marketing channels has allowed us to substantially reduce expenses, such as transportation and lodging, that are incurred for traditional non-digital advertising activities that would typically require in-person interaction. For example, virtual conferences organized by technical subjects and regions allow participants to participate without the need to travel, reducing costs and generating a better return on investment and marketing, and increasing attendance.

 

Administrative expenses

 

Administrative expenses include costs incurred for administrative and certain corporate departments, such as payroll, power and utilities, and certain legal and professional expenses. Administrative expenses decreased by $1.6 million, or 2.7%, from $60.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $58.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

The decrease in administrative expenses in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily due to the reduction in expenses due to less business travel and associated lodging and the reduction in office and utility expenses due to some of our employees working from home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is anticipated to be an ongoing trend even after the pandemic. The decrease in administrative expenses was partially offset by certain administrative expenses that were incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as expenses incurred for safety precautions during the pandemic to maintain a safe work and production environment for our employees and expenses incurred for certain logistic arrangements to minimize our employees’ exposure to COVID-19 through arranging transportation from home to work, lodgings, face masks and PPE, all of which resulted in an increase in administrative expenses of approximately $5 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

Finance expenses, net

 

Finance expenses, net includes certain banking expenses and bank fees, financing interest expenses and interest recognized on the financial liabilities associated with certain put options held by IFC and Hoche and the underlying financial instruments. Finance expenses, net increased by $11.5 million, or 26.8%, from $43.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $54.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in finance expenses, net was primarily due to the increase in interest recognized for the put options financial liabilities, which resulted in increased finance expenses of approximately $11.2 million from $10.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $22.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The put options held by IFC and Hoche were cancelled upon the Closing of the Business Combination as described above, and these associated finance expenses will no longer be incurred. Excluding the finance expenses associated with the put options, finance expenses increased by $0.3 million from $32.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $32.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

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Income tax expense

 

Income tax expense includes two components: (i) current tax and (ii) deferred tax. The current tax is calculated based on the tax rate of each jurisdiction. The deferred tax corresponds to the differences generated between the accounting figures and tax figures, which can result as a future income or expense.

 

Income tax expense increased by $4.3 million, or 60.6%, from $7.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $11.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in income tax expense was primarily due to the increase in tax expenses due to the increase in profit before taxes (excluding the interest recognized on the financial liabilities associated with the Hoche and IFC put options) from a loss of $5.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to an income before taxes of $15.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was offset by the increase in tax benefits of $1.2 million due to certain R&D activities, and the increase in deductions from Colombia’s Industry and Commerce Tax (Impuesto de Industria, Comercio, Avisos y Tableros) of $0.6 million.

 

Results by Segments After Inter-Segment Elimination, Excluding Corporate for the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020

 

   Reportable segments 
Results for the year ended December 31, 2021  NextGel   Procaps
Colombia
   CAN   CASAND   Diabetrics 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars) 
Revenue   120,827    155,327    50,937    53,956    28,695 
Gross profit   64,879    81,165    33,869    43,236    12,564 
Contribution Margin   54,106    51,921    18,536    21,703    6,848 
                          
Constant currency basis                         
Revenue   123,681    157,890    51,658    54,027    29,081 
Gross profit   65,951    81,956    34,205    43,264    12,720 
Contribution Margin   54,528    52,025    18,742    21,713    6,923 

 

   Reportable segments 
Results for the year ended December 31, 2020(1)  NextGel   Procaps
Colombia
   CAN   CASAND   Diabetrics 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars) 
Revenue   105,979    114,895    45,613    38,556    22,789 
Gross profit   57,577    63,303    29,606    27,331    9,863 
Contribution Margin   46,889    42,231    15,521    9,814    5,487 

 

   Reportable segments 
Comparison of results for the 
years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020(1)
  NextGel   Procaps Colombia   CAN   CASAND   Diabetics 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars) 
Revenue   14,848    40,432    5,324    15,400    5,906 
Gross profit   7,302    17,862    4,263    15,905    2,701 
Contribution Margin   7,217    9,690    3,015    11,889    1,361 
                          
Constant currency basis                         
Revenue   17,702    42,995    6,045    15,471    6,292 
Gross profit   8,374    18,653    4,599    15,934    2,857 
Contribution Margin   7,639    9,794    3,221    11,900    1,436 

 

(1)During the year ended December 31, 2021, we changed our methodology for calculating our internal measurement of segment profit and loss. We revised how cost of goods sold is measured in our businesses segments by revising the allocation of standard cost inventory variances. As a result of such changes, the segment results for the year ended December 31, 2020 have been recast to conform with the new methodology adopted for the year ended December 31, 2021. This change did not have any impact on our consolidated results of operations, EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2020. For further information, see Note 8 “Segment reporting” to the Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this annual report.

 

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NextGel

 

Revenue of the NextGel segment increased by $14.8 million, or 14.0%, from $106.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $120.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of (i) an increase in sales in our Funtrition (gummies) product line of approximately $8.8 million due to increased demand for our immunity gummies and probiotics product lines, the launch of new products such as Kids Multi Pro and an increase in the numbers of product portfolio offered to important clients such as Olly, Amway, and Trace among others, and (ii) an increase in sales of approximately $6.0 million of our iCDMO products such as Advil and Dronabinol, as well as an increase in sales in Brazil primarily due to the launch of new products in the country.

 

Gross profit of the NextGel segment increased by $7.3 million, or 12.7%, from $57.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $64.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily driven by the increase in sales volume and partially offset by changes in our portfolio product mix.

 

Contribution Margin of the NextGel segment increased by $7.2 million, or 15.4%, from $46.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, to $54.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of the increase in sales volume described above and better management of our sales and marketing expenses.

 

On a constant currency basis, revenue attributable to the NextGel segment increased by $17.7 million, or 16.7%, from $106.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $123.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Gross profit attributable to the NextGel segment increased by $8.4 million, or 14.5%, from $57.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $66.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, and Contribution Margin attributable to the NextGel segment increased by $7.6 million, or 16.3%, from $46.9 million gain for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $54.5 million loss for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

Procaps Colombia

 

Revenue of the Procaps Colombia segment increased by $40.4 million, or 35.2%, from $114.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $155.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of (i) increased demand for existing Rx and OTC products resulting in an increase in sales of approximately $21.7 million, including $8.2 million from Clenox, $2.9 million from Tracurion, and $1.6 million from B-Vit, among other existing brands, and (ii) an increase of approximately $18.7 million in sales from new products, which includes $3.9 million in sales from new products launched during 2021, such as Minoxidil and Maball.

 

Gross profit of the Procaps Colombia segment increased by $17.9 million, or 28.3%, from $63.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $81.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of the increase in sales volume as described above which was partially offset by a change in the product portfolio mix sold.

 

Contribution Margin of the Procaps Colombia segment increased by $9.7 million, or 23.0%, from $42.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $51.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, as a result of the increase in sales as described above, which was partially offset by an increase in sales and marketing expenses and a change in the product portfolio mix sold.

 

On a constant currency basis, revenue attributable to Procaps Colombia increased by $43.0 million, or 37.4%, from $114.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $157.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, gross profit attributable to Procaps Colombia increased by $18.7 million, or 29.5%, from $63.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $82.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, and Contribution Margin attributable to Procaps Colombia increased by $9.8 million, or 23.3%, from $42.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $52.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

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CAN

 

Revenue of the CAN segment increased by $5.3 million, or 11.6%, from $45.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $50.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, due to (i) an increase of approximately $4.2 million in sales of existing brands and new products launched in 2019 and 2020, which includes an increase of approximately $1.8 million in sales from Testiton and $1.5 million in sales from Artribion, among other products, and (ii) an increase of approximately $1.1 million in sales of new products launched during 2021, such as Glucoquick, Dolantag and Alercet.

 

Gross profit of the CAN segment increased by $4.3 million, or 14.5%, from $29.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $33.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of (i) an increase in the revenue described above, (ii) greater inventory turnover of Farma Procaps products, which yielded a higher margin sales mix as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 and (iii) increased production efficiencies through process automation and improvement in batch production management in our El Salvador facilities by standardizing packaging for similar products, reducing unit manufacturing costs and expenses, and eliminating import tariff duties for most products imported from Colombia.

 

Contribution Margin of the CAN segment increased by $3.0 million, or 19.4%, from $15.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $18.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, as a result of the increase in gross profit described above and a better management of sales and marketing expenses.

 

On a constant currency basis, revenue attributable to the CAN segment increased by $6.1 million, or 13.3%, from $45.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $51.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, gross profit attributable to the CAN segment increased by $4.6 million, or 15.6%, from $29.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $34.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, and Contribution Margin attributable to the CAN segment increased by $3.2 million, or 20.9%, from $15.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $18.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

CASAND

 

Revenue of the CASAND segment increased by $15.4 million, or 39.9%, from $38.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $54.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of (i) an increase of approximately $10.5 million in sales of existing brands and new products launched in 2019 and 2020, (ii) an increase of approximately $2.8 million in sales of new products launched during 2021, such as Tapectam, Ezolium, Cuticlin and Vitybelle, (iii) an increase in sales of approximately $1.6 million as a result of successful negotiations with distributors in the Dominican Republic which expanded our business with new product launches and higher profitability in the country, and (iv) an increase in revenue of approximately $0.5 million as a result of an increase in prices.

 

Gross profit of the CASAND segment increased by $15.9 million, or 58.2%, from $27.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $43.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of the increase in sales explained above, and successful price negotiations with distributors.

 

Contribution Margin of the CASAND segment increased by $11.9 million, or 121.4%, from $9.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $21.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of (i) the increase in revenue and gross profit described above, and (ii) our investment in product launches and digital marketing during the year ended December 31, 2020, which started ramping up during the year ended December 31, 2021, which resulted in decreasing sales and marketing expenses while strengthening our sales for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

On a constant currency basis, revenue attributable to the CASAND segment increased by $15.4 million, or 40.0%, from $38.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $54.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, gross profit attributable to the CASAND segment increased by $16.0 million, or 58.5%, from $27.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $43.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, and Contribution Margin attributable to the CASAND segment increased by $11.9 million, or 121.6%, from $9.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $21.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

Diabetrics

 

Revenue of the Diabetrics segment increased by $5.9 million, or 25.9%, from $22.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $28.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of the increase in the demand for our product portfolio as a result of the expansion of our products offering in this segment to a more complete diabetes solution focus. In particular, demand for blood glucose meters, Rx, oral antidiabetic medicine and insulin in the form of Glargine,a new product launched during the year ended December 31, 2021, continue to be our focus and were the largest growth areas for our Diabetrics segment, enabling us to work with Entidad Promotora de Salud, one of the largest government sponsored health insurance available in Colombia, and reach more patients during the year ended December 31, 2021. Additionally, we launched diabetes therapeutic solutions and medical devices in El Salvador in April 2021, which contributed to our increased sales for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

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Gross profit of the Diabetrics segment increased by $2.7 million, or 27.3%, from $9.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, to $12.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of a shift in sales to a more profitable product portfolio mix focused on Rx products, which was partially offset by a devaluation of the Colombian peso of approximately 15% which we were able to mitigate due to the efficiencies we were able to generate.

 

Contribution Margin of the Diabetrics segment increased by $1.3 million, or 23.6%, from $5.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $6.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of the increase in revenue and the shift to a more profitable product mix described above, which was partially offset by the increase in sales and marketing expenses due to such activities gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels, as well as the launching of our new insulin product Insulin Glargine (Glaritus).

 

On a constant currency basis, revenue attributable to the Diabetrics segment increased by $6.3 million, or 27.5%, from $22.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $29.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, gross profit attributable to the Diabetrics segment increased by $2.8 million, or 28.5%, from $9.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $12.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, and Contribution Margin attributable to the Diabetrics segment increased by $1.4 million, or 25.9%, from $5.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $6.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

Results by Segments After Inter-Segment Elimination Excluding Corporate for the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019

 

  Reportable segments 
Results for the year ended December 31, 2020(1)  NextGel   Procaps Colombia   CAN   CASAND   Diabetrics 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars) 
Revenue   105,979    114,895    45,613    38,556    22,789 
Gross profit   57,577    63,303    29,606    27,331    9,863 
Contribution Margin   46,889    42,231    15,521    9,814    5,487 
                          
Constant currency basis(2)                         
Revenue   120,250    129,331    45,996    39,028    25,653 
Gross profit   65,028    72,199    30,045    27,927    11,098 
Contribution Margin   53,007    48,480    15,527    10,366    6,172 

 

  Reportable segments 
Results for the year ended December 31, 2019(1)  NextGel   Procaps Colombia   CAN   CASAND   Diabetrics 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars) 
Revenue   97,289    120,112    49,679    40,061    22,228 
Gross profit   50,328    66,482    32,256    28,300    9,711 
Contribution Margin   39,196    37,420    17,002    10,422    4,846 

 

  Reportable segments 
Comparison of results for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019(1)  NextGel   Procaps Colombia   CAN   CASAND   Diabetrics 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars) 
Revenue   8,690    (5,217)   (4,066)   (1,505)   561 
Gross profit   7,249    (3,179)   (2,650)   (969)   151 
Contribution Margin   7,693    4,811    (1,481)   (609)   640 
                          
Constant currency basis(2)                         
Revenue   22,961    9,219    (3,683)   (1,033)   3,425 
Gross profit   14,700    5,717    (2,210)   (372)   1,387 
Contribution Margin   13,811    11,060    (1,474)   (56)   1,326 

 

(1)During the year ended December 31, 2021, we changed our methodology for calculating our internal measurement of segment profit and loss. We revised how cost of goods sold is measured in our businesses segments by revising the allocation of standard cost inventory variances. As a result of such changes, the segment results for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 have been recast to conform with the new methodology adopted for the year ended December 31, 2021. This change did not have any impact on our consolidated results of operations, EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. For further information, see Note 8 “Segment reporting” to the Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this annual report.

(2)Certain constant currency figures for the year ended December 31, 2020 have been updated to correct amounts reflected in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (Registration No. 333-261366).

 

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NextGel

 

Revenue of the NextGel segment increased by $8.7 million, or 8.9%, from $97.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $106.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of an increase in revenue attributable to Procaps Funtrition product line of approximately $7 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. The vitamin D supplement iCDMO product was launched in Brazil, resulting in an increase in sales of approximately $3.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Production capacity was also expanded as a result of the increase in market opportunities. In addition, certain new analgesic products, such as Acetaminophen and Naproxen, were launched in Ecuador and Australia, resulting in an increase in revenue of approximately $3.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

Gross profit of the NextGel segment increased by $7.3 million, or 14.5%, from $50.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $57.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of the increase in revenues described above and certain investments in new technology to shorten the drying time of gummies in our Funtrition product line, which is traditionally one of the more expensive processes for gummy production, resulting in a decrease in costs and expenses associated with production of approximately $1.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

Contribution Margin of the NextGel segment increased by $7.7 million, or 19.6%, from $39.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $46.9 for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of the increase in gross profit that was discussion above and our successful transition to increase digital marketing discussed above in “——Results of Operations” that resulted in a decrease in selling expenses of approximately $1.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

On a constant currency basis, net revenue attributable to the NextGel segment increased by $23.0 million, or 23.6%, from $97.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $120.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, gross profit attributable to the NextGel segment increased by $14.7 million, or 29.3%, from $50.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $65.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, and contribution margin attributable to the NextGel segment increased by $13.8 million, or 35.2%, from $39.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $53.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

Procaps Colombia

 

Revenue of the Procaps Colombia segment decreased by $5.2 million, or 4.3%, from $120.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $114.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of the devaluation of the Colombian Peso when compared to the U.S. dollar that contributed to a decrease in net revenue of approximately $14.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Furthermore, the Trade Day Reduction Strategy in connection with the Farma Procaps and VitalCare product lines decreased our revenue growth for the year ended December 31, 2020. The Trade Day Reduction Strategy reduced the distributor’s trade days for the Farma Procaps and VitalCare product lines by 25 days and 7 days, respectively.

 

The decrease in net revenue was partially offset by (i) increased demand for certain of our’ products due to our digital advertising strategy referenced above, and (ii) our initiative to focus resources on customers and products that generate higher margins and require less working capital. Products such as Levothyroxine, Azithromycin, Esomeprazole and Deferon experienced an increase in sales, resulting in an increase in sales of $3.5 million from $8.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $12.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The production capacity of our Rymco manufacturing facilities was expanded as a result of the increase in demand for these products.

 

Gross profit of the Procaps Colombia segment decreased by $3.2 million, or 4.8%, from $66.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $63.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of the decrease in net revenues as discussed above. Procaps Colombia was able to negotiate higher discounts for certain raw materials (such as Enoxaparin, Menoperen, Tapectam and glass) used in the manufacturing of certain products due to an increase in purchase quantities, resulting in a decrease in raw material costs of approximately $1.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Furthermore, we have increased our production efficiencies through process automation and improvements in batch production management that reduce per-unit production costs.

 

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Contribution Margin of the Procaps Colombia segment increased by $4.8 million, or 12.8%, from $37.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $42.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of our successful transition to increase digital marketing discussed above in “——Results of Operations” that resulted in a decrease in selling expenses of approximately $8.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 and as a result of increased sales due to the roll out of new products during the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

On a constant currency basis, net revenue attributable to Procaps Colombia increased by $9.2 million, or 7.7%, from $120.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $129.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, gross profit attributable to Procaps Colombia increased by $5.7 million, or 8.6%, from $66.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $72.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, and contribution margin attributable to Procaps Colombia increased by $11.1 million, or 29.6%, from $37.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $48.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

CAN

 

Revenue of the CAN segment decreased by $4.1 million, or 8.2%, from $49.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $45.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result the divestiture of certain product brands that were no longer strategic, which generated revenues of approximately $3.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, which did not occur in 2020 as we did not divest itself of any product brands that year, resulting in no revenue from product brand divestitures for the year ended December 31, 2020. Furthermore, as part of the corporate strategy, CAN discontinued a portfolio of renal failure and hemodialysis treatment products during the year ended December 31, 2020, which had generated revenues of $4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

Excluding the divestiture of product brands in 2019 and the discontinuing of its portfolio of renal failure and hemodialysis treatment products, CAN would have had an increase in net revenue of $3.0 million, primarily due to an increase in sales and distribution of VitalCare products for El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras due to an increase in the number of distributors in those countries, allowing us to increase the number of sales points in products are sold and the sales quota in each single one of the pharmacies where our products are present.

 

Gross profit of the CAN segment decreased by $2.7 million, or 8.4%, from $32.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $29.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of the divestiture of certain product brands in 2019 and the discontinuing of our portfolio of renal failure and hemodialysis treatment products described above. This decrease in gross profit was partially offset by increasing our media presence by changing our advertisement contracts from individual to a more regional approach, resulting in lower costs, and a restructuring of the management for CAN segment by introducing new regional management for every business unit, resulting in cost reductions of approximately $2.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. Furthermore, we increased our production efficiencies through process automation and improvement in batch production management in our El Salvador facilities by standardizing packaging for similar products, reducing unit manufacturing costs and expenses.

 

Contribution Margin of the CAN segment decreased by $1.5 million, or 8.8%, from $17.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $15.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of the decrease in gross profit described above, despite of our successful transition to increase digital marketing discussed above in “—Results of Operations” that resulted in a decrease in selling expenses of approximately $1.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

On a constant currency basis, net revenue attributable to the CAN segment decreased by $3.7 million, or 7.5%, from $49.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $46.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, gross profit attributable to the CAN segment decreased by $2.3 million, or 7.0%, from $32.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $30.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, and contribution margin attributable to the CAN segment decreased by $1.5 million, or 8.7%, from $17.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $15.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

CASAND

 

Revenue of the CASAND segment decreased by $1.5 million, or 3.7%, from $40.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $38.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily due to the adoption of the Trade Day Reduction Strategy as discussed above, which resulted in distributors’ trade days decreasing by 33 days for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in net revenue was partially offset by (i) the launch of certain new products, such as Gestavid DHA, Ezolimum and Clenox that resulted in an increase in revenue of $3.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, and (ii) the implementation of a new policy to lower product discounts, which resulted in additional net revenues of $1.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

Gross profit of the CASAND segment decreased by $1.0 million, or 3.5%, from $28.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $27.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of the reduction in net revenue as discussed above.

 

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Contribution Margin of the CASAND segment decreased by $0.6 million, or 5.8%, from $10.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $9.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of our successful transition to increase digital marketing discussed above in “——Results of Operations” that resulted in a decrease in selling expenses of approximately $2.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

On a constant currency basis, net revenue attributable to the CASAND segment decreased by $1.1 million, or 2.7%, from $40.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $39.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, gross profit attributable to the CASAND segment decreased by $0.4 million, or 1.3%, from $28.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $27.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, and contribution margin attributable to the CASAND segment decreased by $56,200, or 0.3%, from $10.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $10.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

  

Diabetrics

 

Revenue of the Diabetrics segment increased by $0.6 million, or 2.7%, from $22.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $22.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of the increase in demand for certain products and integral solutions for diabetes due to the increase in the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes. In Colombia, generally between 35% and 40% of patients with diabetes are diagnosed every year by the Colombia healthcare system, which usually results in an increase in the number of diabetes patients every year. Furthermore, we launched several new products including Preventia complex, an insulin needle, which resulted in an increase in sales revenue of approximately $0.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase in net revenue was partially offset by a decrease in revenue of $3.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 due to the devaluation of the Colombian Peso when compared to the U.S. dollar.

 

Gross profit of the Diabetrics segment increased by $0.2 million, or 2.1%, from $9.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $9.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of the increase in net revenue as discussed above.

 

Contribution Margin of the Diabetrics segment increased by $0.7 million, or 14.6%, from $4.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $5.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of our successful transition to increase digital marketing discussed above in “——Results of Operations” that resulted in a decrease in selling expenses of approximately $0.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

On a constant currency basis, net revenue attributable to the Diabetrics segment increased by $3.5 million, or 15.6%, from $22.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $25.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, gross profit attributable to the Diabetrics segment increased by $1.4 million, or 14.4%, from $9.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $11.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, and contribution margin attributable to the Diabetrics segment increased by $1.4 million, or 28.6%, from $4.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $6.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

Non-IFRS Financial Measures

 

Our management uses certain non-IFRS financial information to assess our operating performance across periods and for business planning purposes. We believe the presentation of these non-IFRS financial measures is useful to investors as it provides additional information to facilitate comparisons of historical operating results, identify trends in our underlying operating results and provide additional insight and transparency on how we evaluate our business. We use non-IFRS financial measures to budget, make operating and strategic decisions, and evaluate our performance. Below is a description of the non-IFRS financial measures we have used in this annual report, including any adjustments to the IFRS financial measures derived therefrom. We believe the non-IFRS measures should always be considered along with the related IFRS financial measures. We have provided the reconciliations between the IFRS and non-IFRS financial measures below, and we also discuss our underlying IFRS results throughout Item 5 of this annual report.

 

The primary non-IFRS financial measures utilized by our management is described below and reflects how we evaluate our current and prior-year operating results. As new events or circumstances arise, our management may alter the definitions of such measures to better reflect our financial performance or adopt new measures in the future. In the event any of these definitions change, or if new non-IFRS financial measures are adopted by our management, we will provide the updated definitions and present the related non-IFRS historical results on a comparable basis.

 

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Use of Constant Currency

 

As exchange rates are an important factor in understanding period-to-period comparisons, we believe the presentation of certain financial metrics and results on a constant currency basis in addition to the IFRS reported results helps improve investors’ ability to understand our operating results and evaluate our performance in comparison to prior periods. Constant currency information is non-IFRS financial information that compares results between periods as if exchange rates had remained constant period-over-period. We use results on a constant currency basis as one measure to evaluate our performance. We currently present revenue, cost of sales, gross profit, sales and marketing expenses, administrative expenses, Contribution Margin (consolidated and by segment) and Adjusted EBITDA on a constant currency basis. We calculate constant currency by calculating year-end period for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 using prior-periods (year ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively) foreign currency exchange rates. The functional foreign currencies for the primary regional markets where we operate, such as the Colombian Peso and the Brazilian Real, were adjusted on a constant currency basis at the exchange rates of COP $3,693.36 per U.S. $1.00 and R$5.1578 per U.S. $1.00, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2021, and COP $3,281.09 per U.S. $1.00 and R$3.9443 per U.S. $1.00, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2020. We generally refer to such amounts calculated on a constant currency basis as excluding the impact of foreign exchange. These results should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, results reported in accordance with IFRS. Results on a constant currency basis, as we present them, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies and are not measures of performance presented in accordance with IFRS.

 

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin

 

We define EBITDA as profit (loss) for the year before interest expense, net, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA further adjusted to exclude certain isolated costs incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain transaction costs incurred in connection with the Business Combination, certain listing expenses incurred in connection with the Business Combination, certain costs related to business transformation initiatives, certain foreign currency translation adjustments, and certain other finance costs and other nonrecurring, nonoperational or unordinary items as the Company may deem appropriate from time to time. Adjusted EBITDA is one of the key performance indicators we use in evaluating our operating performance and in making financial, operating, and planning decisions. We believe EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance compared to other companies in the pharmaceutical industry, as similar measures are commonly used by companies in this industry. We also report Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue as an additional measure so investors may evaluate our Adjusted EBITDA margins on revenue.

 

The following table provides a reconciliation from profit (loss) for the year to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA margins for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

   For the year ended
December 31,
   Increase/(Decrease) 
   2021   2020   $ Change   % Change 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars except percentages) 
Loss for the year   (100,863)   (10,447)   (90,416)   865%
Interest expense, net   78,636    54,489    24,147    44%
Income tax expense   13,705    11,296    2,409    21%
Depreciation and amortization   15,111    16,477    (1,366)   (8)%
EBITDA   6,589    71,815    (65,226)   (91)%
COVID-19 impact adjustments(1)   3,788    5,180    (1,392)   (27)%
Business transformation initiatives(2)       1,723    (1,723)   (100)%
Foreign currency translation adjustments(3)   4,026    3,905    121    3%
Other finance costs adjustments(4)   696    1,996    (1,300)   (65)%
Transactions expenses(5)   10,662        10,662    100%
Listing expense(6)   73,917        73,917    100%
Adjusted EBITDA   99,678    84,619    15,059    18%
Constant Currency Adjustments   

706

       

706

   100%
Adjusted EBITDA on Constant Currency Basis   

100,384

    84,619    

15,765

    19%
                     
Adjusted EBITDA margin   24.3%   25.5%        (1.2)%
Adjusted EBITDA margin (on Constant Currency Basis)   24.1%               

 

(1)COVID-19 impact adjustments primarily include: (i) for the year ended December 31, 2021, $1.7 million ($0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020) expenses incurred for safety precautions during the pandemic, such as employees COVID-19 testing, vaccination, office and production infrastructure adaptation to practice social distancing, to maintain a safe work and production environment for the employees, (ii) for the year ended December 31, 2021, $0.6 million ($1.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020) operating and production expenses incurred in connection with hiring of additional employees and costs paid to third party agencies for such hiring, contractors and production sub-contractors in order to mitigate any decrease in production and operating capabilities of Procaps as a result of employees absenteeism or attrition as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, (iii) for the year ended December 31, 2021, $1.2 million ($0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020) expense incurred for certain logistic arrangements to minimize Procaps employees’ exposure to COVID-19 through arranging transportation from home to work, lodgings, face masks and PPE, (iv) for the year ended December 31, 2020, $1.4 million additional costs incurred to acquire certain raw materials that are essential to production due to the lockdowns of suppliers’ factories and ports of entry worldwide, and additional logistic costs due to delays, (v) for the year ended December 31, 2020, $0.9 million expense of certain one-off financial discounts that Procaps provided to its customers, such as medicine distributors, during the COVID-19 pandemic due to financial and liquidity difficulties and customers’ inability to settle invoices as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and governmental restrictions such as lockdowns, and (vi) for the year ended December 31, 2021, $0.4 million ($0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020) of other miscellaneous expenses resulted from COVID-19 pandemic.

 

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(2)Business transformation initiatives consists of costs and expenses in connection with severance payments made to separate our employees for certain business transformation initiatives implemented during the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

(3)Foreign currency translation adjustments represent the reversal of exchange losses we recorded due to foreign currency translation of monetary balances of certain of our subsidiaries’ from U.S. dollars into the functional currency of those subsidiaries as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

(4)Other finance costs adjustments represent non-operating expenses we incurred, primarily including additional interests incurred due to the withholding tax obligations of certain financial institutions outside of Colombia.

 

(5)Transactions expenses primarily include: (i) capital markets advisory fees of $4.5 million incurred in connection with the Business Combination, (ii) incremental audit fees of $2.7 million incurred in connection with the Business Combination, (iii) consulting, accounting and legal expenses of $0.4 million incurred in connection with the Business Combination, (iv) management bonuses of $0.7 million paid in connection with the closing of the Business Combination and the listing of the Company on the Nasdaq, (v) tail policy insurance costs incurred of $1.6 million in connection with the Business Combination, (vi) incremental director & officer policy insurance costs incurred of $0.3 million in connection with the Business Combination, (vii) incurred audit fees of $0.2 million to comply with the Syndicated Loan requirements that will not be necessary in the future, and (viii) consulting and legal fees and expenses related to asset acquisitions and other transaction in the amount of $0.3 million.

 

(6)Listing expense of $73.9 million associated with the deemed listing services received by Procaps from Union, which is the difference between the deemed costs of the Ordinary Shares issued by the Company to Union shareholders in connection with the Business Combination, in excess of the net assets obtained from Union, as required by IFRS 2 Share-based payments.

 

The following table provides a reconciliation from profit (loss) for the year to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA margins for the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31 2019:

 

   For the year ended
December 31
   Increase / (Decrease) 
   2020   2019   $ Change   % Change 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars except percentages) 
Loss for the year   (10,447)   (17,013)   6,566    (38.6)%
Interest expense, net   54,489    42,983    11,506    26.8%
Income tax expense   11,296    7,035    4,261    60.6%
Depreciation and amortization   16,477    16,466    11    0.1%
EBITDA   71,815    49,471    22,344    45.2%
COVID-19 impact adjustments (1)   5,180        5,180    100%
Business transformation initiatives (2)   1,723    676    1,047    154.9%
Foreign currency translation adjustments (3)   3,905    1,827    2,078    113.7%
Other finance costs adjustments (4)   1,996    1,883    113    6.0%
Colombia VAT tax reform (5)       5,279    (5,279)   (100.0)%
Adjusted EBITDA   84,619    59,136    25,483    43.1%
Constant Currency Adjustments   8,836        8,836    100%
Adjusted EBITDA on Constant Currency Basis   93,455    59,136    34,319    58.0%
                     
Adjusted EBITDA margin   25.5%   18.2%        7.3%
Adjusted EBITDA margin (on Constant Currency Basis)   25.7%               

 

(1)COVID-19 impact adjustments primarily include: (i) $0.5 million expenses incurred for safety pre-cautions during the pandemic, such as office and production infrastructure adaptation to practice social distancing, to maintain a safe work and production environment for the employees, (ii) $1.2 million operating and production expenses incurred in connection with hiring of additional employees and costs paid to third party agencies for such hiring, contractors and production sub-contractors in order to mitigate any decrease in our production and operating capabilities as a result of employees absenteeism or attrition as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, (iii) $0.9 million expense incurred for certain logistic arrangements to minimize our employees’ exposure to COVID-19 through arranging transportation from home to work, lodgings, face masks and PPE, (iv) $1.4 million additional costs incurred to acquire certain raw materials that are essential to production due to the lockdowns of suppliers’ factories and ports of entry worldwide, and additional logistic costs due to delays, (v) $0.9 million expenses of certain one-off financial discounts that we provided to our customers, such as medicine distributors, during the COVID-19 pandemic due to financial and liquidity difficulties and customers’ inability to settle invoices as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and governmental restrictions such as lockdowns, and (vi) $0.2 million of other miscellaneous expenses resulted from COVID-19 pandemic.

 

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(2)Business transformation initiatives consists of costs and expenses in connection with severance payments made to separate our employees for certain business transformation initiatives implemented during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.

 

(3)Foreign currency translation adjustments represent the reversal of exchange losses we recorded due to foreign currency translation of monetary balances of certain of our subsidiaries from U.S. dollars into the functional currency of those subsidiaries as of December 31, 2020 and 2019.

 

(4)Other finance costs adjustments represent non-operating expenses we incurred, primarily including additional interests incurred due to the withholding tax obligations of certain financial institutions outside of Colombia.

 

(5)The Colombian government implemented a tax reform in 2019 to exempt value-added tax (“VAT”) from the purchase and sale of drugs within Colombia starting in 2020. The impact from the Colombian tax reform consists of the VAT tax expense due to drug sales incurred in 2019 and that will not occur going forward.

 

Contribution Margin

 

We define Contribution Margin as gross profit less selling expenses. Contribution Margin is one of the key performance indicators we use in evaluating our profitability. We believe Contribution Margin is useful to investors in the evaluating our operating performance compared to other companies in the pharmaceutical industry, as similar measures are commonly used by companies in this industry.

 

The following table provides a reconciliation from gross profit to Contribution Margin for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

   For the year ended
December 31
   Increase / (Decrease) 
   2021   2020   $ Change   % Change 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars except percentages) 
Gross Profit   235,713    191,314    44,399    23.2%
Selling Expenses   (83,057)   (69,629)   (13,428)   19.3%
Contribution Margin   152,656    121,685    30,971    25.5%
Constant Currency Adjustments   

1,600

       

1,600

   100.0%
Contribution Margin (on Constant Currency Basis)   154,256    121,685    32,571    26.8%

 

The following table provides a reconciliation from gross profit to Contribution Margin for the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31 2019.

 

   For the year ended
December 31
   Increase/(Decrease) 
   2020   2019   $ Change   % Change 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars except percentages) 
Gross Profit   191,314    182,498    8,816    4.8%
Selling Expenses   (69,629)   (84,810)   15,181    (17.9)%
Contribution Margin   121,685    97,688    23,997    24.6%
Constant Currency Adjustments   12,900        12,900    100%
Contribution Margin (on Constant Currency Basis)   134,585    97,688    36,897    37.8%

 

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B. LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

 

Our principal source of liquidity has been cash flow generated from operations, supplemented by credit arrangements with third parties. The principal uses of cash are to fund operating and capital expenditures, business or asset acquisitions, interest payments on debt, any mandatory or discretionary principal payment on our debt and investments in R&D.

 

As of December 31, 2021, our cash and cash equivalents amounted to $72.1 million. The Business Combination was consummated on September 29, 2021, resulting in gross cash proceeds of $160.0 million, (comprised of $100.0 million gross proceeds from the PIPE investment and $60.0 million cash in trust), which was offset by the cash payment for the redemption of 4.5 million Redeemable B Shares for a total purchase price of $45.0 million, the payment of certain transaction expenses of $33.6 million. Our cash and cash equivalents were approximately $91.6 million higher immediately following the Closing of the Business Combination. We expect our capital expenditures to substantially increase in the near future as we seek to execute our strategic objectives, including the possibility of expanding our businesses into new markets and making strategic investments and acquisitions.

 

We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents, cash inflows from operations, current uncommitted lines of credit and the net proceeds to us from the Business Combination will be adequate to meet our anticipated cash needs for the next twelve months and that the net proceeds from the Business Combination will provide us with additional financial flexibility to execute our strategic objectives. We routinely monitor current and expected operational requirements and financial market conditions to evaluate other available financing sources including term and revolving bank credit. In determining our future capital requirements, we regularly consider, among other factors, known trends and uncertainties, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, and other contingencies.

 

Our ability to generate cash is subject to our performance, general economic conditions, industry trends and other factors. To the extent that the funds received from the Business Combination, combined with existing cash and cash equivalents are insufficient to fund our future activities and requirements, we may need to raise additional funds through public or private equity or debt financing. Although certain of our lenders have made commitments to make funds available to us in a timely fashion under our revolving credit agreements and overdraft facilities, if economic conditions worsen, including due to current geopolitical issues, or new information becomes publicly available impacting the institutions’ credit rating or capital ratios, these lenders may be unable or unwilling to lend money pursuant to our existing credit facilities. Should our outlook on liquidity requirements change substantially from current projections, we may seek additional sources of liquidity in the future. If we issue equity securities in order to raise additional funds, substantial dilution to existing shareholders may occur. If we raise cash through the issuance of indebtedness, we may be subject to additional contractual restrictions on our business. We cannot assure the investor that we would be able to raise additional funds on favorable terms or at all.

 

Cash Flow for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020

 

The following table summarizes our consolidated statements of cash flows from operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

 

   For the Year Ended
December 31,
   Increase/(Decrease) 
   2021  

2020

(as restated)(1)

   $ Change 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars) 
Cash flow provided by operating activities   37,303    70,920    (33,617)
Cash flow used in investing activities   (23,703)   (17,091)   (6,612)
Cash flow generated from (used in) financing activities   58,044    (40,509)   98,553 
Net increase in cash   71,644    13,320    58,324 

  

(1)Comparative figures for the year ended December 31, 2020 were restated to reflect the revised classification of certain factoring and reverse factoring arrangements previously classified as part of Trade and other payables (current) into Borrowings (current) on “trade and other payables” and “payments on borrowings” in the statement of cash flows. Additionally, certain reclassifications have been made to the years ended December 31, 2020 statement of cash flows to conform to the current year’s presentation, which include the separate disclosure for payment of lease liabilities, reclassification of interest paid on lease liabilities to operating activities and presentation of cash flow to/from related parties regarding loans to such entities in investing activities, which had no impact on previously reported loss for the years and accumulated losses. For further information, see under the heading “Certain Conventions ––Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” in this annual report and Note 2.4 “Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” to the Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this annual report.

 

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Cash flow provided by operating activities

 

For the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash provided by operating activities was $37.3 million, compared to $70.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, a decrease of $33.6 million. The decrease was primarily the result of (i) an increase in trade receivables together with a reduction in the collectability of certain trade receivables between the periods, (ii) an increase inventory held as of December 31, 2021 compared to December 31, 2020 as a result of an increase in production in anticipation of an expected increase in demand, and (iii) a decrease in other liabilities due to the payment of certain aged payables that became due.

 

Cash flow used in investing activities

 

For the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash used in investing activities was $23.7 million compared to $17.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of $6.6 million. Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 consisted primarily of $14.1 million in cash used in the acquisition of property, plant and equipment for certain strategic capacity expansion, including, the acquisition of an FDA approved 86,000 square feet pharmaceutical production facility located in West Palm Beach, Florida, which increased when compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. Furthermore, we invested $8.0 million in R&D during the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

Cash flow generated from (used in) financing activities

 

For the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash generated from financing activities increased by $98.6 million from net cash used in financing activities of $40.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to net cash generated from financing activities of $58.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase was primarily due to (i) the closing of the private placement of the Senior Notes in the amount of $112.9 million, (ii) entering into other term loans in the amount of $193.1 million, and (iii) the consummation of the Business Combination resulting in gross cash proceeds of $160.0 million as described above. The increase in net cash generated from financing activities was partially offset by (i) the prepayment of a portion of the Syndicated Loan facility (as defined below) in the amount of $28.2 million, (ii) the payment of other term loans in the amount of $224.4 million, and (iii) factoring obligations in the amount of $18.8 million.

 

Cash Flow for the Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2019

 

The following table summarizes our consolidated statements of cash flows from operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared with the year ended December 31, 2019:

 

   For the year ended
December 31
   Increase/(Decrease) 
   2020
(as restated)(1)
   2019
(as restated)(1)
   $ Change 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars) 
Cash flow provided by operating activities   70,920    68,286    2,634 
Cash flow used in investing activities   (17,091)   (12,069)   (5,022)
Cash flow used in financing activities   (40,509)   (46,949)   6,440 
Net increase in cash   13,320    9,268    4,052 

 

(1)Comparative figures for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were restated to reflect the revised classification of certain factoring and reverse factoring arrangements previously classified as part of Trade and other payables (current) into Borrowings (current) on “trade and other payables” and “payments on borrowings” in the statement of cash flows. Additionally, certain reclassifications have been made to the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 statement of cash flows to conform to the current year’s presentation, which include the separate disclosure for payment of lease liabilities, reclassification of interest paid on lease liabilities to operating activities and presentation of cash flow to/from related parties regarding loans to such entities in investing activities, which had no impact on previously reported loss for the years and accumulated losses. For further information, see under the heading “Certain Conventions ––Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” in this annual report and Note 2.4 “Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements” to the Annual Audited Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this annual report.

 

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Cash flows provided by operating activities

 

For the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash provided by operating activities was $70.9 million compared to $68.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, an increase of $2.6 million. The increase was primarily the result of an increase in net income excluding non-cash expenses and gains of $29.5 million. This increase was partially offset by an increase in income tax paid for the year ended December 31, 2020 in the amount of $7.0 million.

 

Cash flows used in investing activities

 

For the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash used in investing activities was $17.1 million compared to $12.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2019. Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 consisted primarily of $7.7 million in cash used to acquire property, plant and equipment for certain strategic capacity expansion efforts. Furthermore, we invested $10.2 million in R&D during the year ended December 31, 2020. Net cash used in investing activities increased by $5.0 million primarily as a result of the sale of certain intangible assets in the amount of $7.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, which did not occur for the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

Cash flows used in financing activities

 

For the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash used in financing activities increased by $6.4 million from $46.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $40.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. This increase was primarily driven by an increase in payments on borrowings by $2.2 million, from $118.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $120.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Such increase in payments was driven by the expansion of reverse factoring activities in 2020. The increase in net cash used in financing activities was partially offset by an increase in proceeds from borrowings in the amount of $10.3 million and an increase in accessible working capital lines of credit from $96.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $106.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

Financial Resources

 

Our capital structure consists of net debt (loans offset by cash and bank balances) and consolidated equity (comprised of issued and paid-in capital, reserves, retained earnings and non-controlling interests). We are not subject to any externally imposed capital requirement.

 

Our primary indebtedness consists of the outstanding balance of the Senior Notes and Syndicated Loan (defined below). The Senior Notes include certain covenants that obligate the borrower and guarantors thereunder to comply with a series of financial ratios, consisting of a debt to EBITDA ratio and EBITDA interest coverage ratio as described below under the heading “— Debt Financing and Borrowings — Senior Notes — Covenants”. The Syndicated Loan includes certain covenants that obligate the borrower and co-debtors thereunder to comply with a series of financial ratios, consisting of a debt to EBITDA ratio, short-term leverage ratio and EBITDA interest coverage ratio as described below under the heading “— Debt Financing and Borrowings — Syndicated Loan — Covenants”. These financial ratios serve as local management parameters for both arrangements.

 

We analyze and review our capital structure on a quarterly basis. As part of this review, we consider the cost of capital and the risks associated with each class of capital.

 

As of December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 we had total borrowings of $253.4 million, $454.5 million and $420.4 million, respectively.

 

Debt Financing and Borrowings

 

The table below summarizes our outstanding interest-bearing liabilities for year ended December 31, 2021.

 

   For the Year
Ended
December  31,
2021
 
   (in thousands of U.S. dollars) 
Syndicated Loan   46,505 
Other term loan   51,593 
Lease liabilities   31,747 
Factoring obligations   10,609 
Put option agreements    
Bank overdrafts   55 
Senior Notes   112,857 
Total Interest bearing liabilities   253,366 

 

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Syndicated Loan

 

On November 20, 2018, the following entities: (i) Procaps S.A., a subsidiary of the Company, as borrower; (ii) Laboratorios López S.A. de C.V., C.I. Procaps S.A., Biokemical S.A. de C.V., Pharmarketing Salvador S.A. de C.V., Corporación Distribuidora Internacional S.A. de C.V., CDI Nicaragua S.A., CDI Guatemala S.A., Pharmarketing S.A. (Guatemala), Pharmarketing S.A. (Panama), Pharmarketing Dominicana SRL, Pharmarketing Costa Rica S.A., Diabetrics S.A.S and Crynssen Pharma S.A.S., all of which are subsidiaries of the Company, as co-debtors; and (iii) Inversiones Crynseen S.A.S., Inversiones Ganeden S.A.S., Inversiones Henia S.A.S., Inversiones Jades S.A.S., Industrias Kadima S.A.S. and Pharmayect S.A all of which are subsidiaries of the Company, as guarantors; entered into that certain Loan Agreement (Contrato de Crédito) with the following financial institutions: Bancolombia S.A., Bancolombia S.A. (Panama), Banco Davivienda S.A., Banco de Sabadell S.A. Miami Beach and Banco de Crédito del Perú, as lenders, and Fiduciaria Bancolombia S.A., as administrative agent, which was subsequently amended by Amendment No. 1 to the Loan Agreement (Otrosí No. 1 al Contrato de Crédito) dated December 12, 2018, and Amendment No. 2 to the Loan Agreement (Otrosí No. 2 al Contrato de Crédito) dated June 15, 2020 (collectively, the “Syndicated Loan”).

 

The Syndicated Loan is comprised of two tranches; tranche A, which is denominated in Colombian Pesos and tranche B, which is denominated in U.S. dollars. Pursuant to the terms of the Syndicated Loan, the borrower can borrow up to (i) COP $131,848,000,000 plus the equivalent of U.S. $21,100,000 in Colombian Pesos, calculated as of the disbursement date, under tranche A and (ii) U.S. $35,000,0000 in U.S. dollars under tranche B. The Syndicated Loan will mature on the seventh anniversary of the initial disbursement to the borrower and shall accrue interest at a rate of IBR (as defined below) plus a spread of 5.30% on the amounts owed under the Colombian Peso denominated tranche A and LIBOR (as defined below) plus a spread of 4.80% on the amounts owed under the U.S. dollar denominated tranche B. The proceeds of the Syndicated Loan are to be used for the pre-payment or refinancing of certain debt obligations of the borrower enumerated in the Syndicate Loan agreement.

 

Effective as of November 12, 2021, the syndicated loans granted by Banco de Sabadell S.A. Miami Beach and Banco de Crédito del Perú, were paid in full and terminated with the proceeds from the Senior Notes. As of December 31, 2021, the total amount outstanding under the Syndicated Loan was U.S. $46.5 million, divided as follows: (i) $38.6 million (or COP $153,493.6 million) outstanding under tranche A, and (ii) $7.9 million outstanding under tranche B.

 

Covenants

 

The Syndicated Loan contains covenants that, among other things, restrict, subject to certain exceptions, the borrower and co-debtors’ ability to change its line of business; incur additional indebtedness resulting in a Debt/EBITDA Ratio (as defined below) above 3.0; enter into derivative transactions (except for those in connection with the purchase of raw materials or for the purpose of mitigating interest or exchange rate risks); sell or transfer title to operating assets; pay dividends and distributions; engage in mergers and consolidations; amend agreements material to the operations of the borrower and co-debtors; enter into any financial or operating lease obligation with an option to purchase in an aggregate amount of over COP $85,000,0000,0000 (approximately $24,763,292); change our fiscal year reporting; engage in certain transactions with affiliates; enter into any joint venture or similar agreements. For purposes of the Syndicated Loan, EBITDA is calculated as income from sales and services, less (i) sales and production costs, less (ii) operating expenses, less (iii) administrative expenses, plus (iv) depreciation, plus (ii) amortizations, plus (iii) provisions, and less (iv) portfolio write-offs.

 

The Syndicated Loan also contains change-of-control provisions and certain customary affirmative covenants and events of default. The Syndicated Loan also requires compliance with the following ratios: (i) a pro forma consolidated debt of the borrower and the co-debtors to pro forma consolidated EBITDA for the last twelve months of the borrower and co-debtors ratio (“Debt/EBITDA Ratio”) of 3.5 or less, measured every June 30 and December 30; (ii) a short-term leverage ratio (calculated as the pro forma consolidated short-term debt of the borrower and the co-debtors divided by pro forma consolidated EBITDA for the last twelve months of the borrower and co-debtors) of less than 1.0, calculated at the end of each semester; and (iii) an EBITDA interest coverage ratio (calculated as the pro forma consolidated EBITDA for the last twelve months of the borrower and co-debtors divided by the pro forma consolidated interest expenses of the borrower and the co-debtors) of greater than or equal to 3.0, calculated at the end of each semester.

 

We continuously monitor our covenants obligations and requirements and, as of the date of the issuance of the Annual Audited Financial Statements, we were in compliance with the covenants of the Syndicated Loan.

 

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Other Term Loans

 

The table below summarizes the terms of our other term loans as of December 31, 2021.

 

Currency   Range of Interest  Maturity Year   Outstanding
Balance for
the year
ended December 31, 2021
 
           (in thousands of U.S. dollars) 
COP   IBR+ 2.25%-5.0% (Variable)   2022-2024   $9,442 
COP   DTF + 6.74%   2022   $3,154 
SOL   5.00% - 10.01% (Fixed)   2021-2024