As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 13, 2024
Registration No. 333-277016
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
TO
FORM
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
State of Israel |
| 2834 |
| Not Applicable |
(State or other jurisdiction of | (Primary Standard Industrial | (I.R.S. Employer | ||
incorporation or organization) |
| Classification Code Number) |
| Identification No.) |
42127 Pleasant Forest Court
Ashburn, VA 20148-7349
(703) 980-4182
(Address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
Dr. Michael Myers
Chief Executive Officer
Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
42127 Pleasant Forest Ct
Ashburn, VA 20148
Tel: 703-980-4182
(Name, address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code of agent for service)
Copies to:
Peter I. Tsoflias |
| Jonathan Irom, Adv. Matthew Rudolph, Adv. Meitar | Law Offices |
| Faith L. Charles 300 Madison Avenue, 27th Floor |
One Logan Square | 16 Abba Hillel Silver Rd. | New York, NY 10017 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this Registration Statement becomes effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, or Securities Act, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer | ☐ |
| Accelerated filer | ☐ |
☒ | Smaller reporting company | |||
Emerging growth company |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Preliminary Prospectus |
| Subject to Completion, Dated February 13, 2024 |
Up to 2,089,552 Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares
Up to 2,089,552 Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase Up to 2,089,552 Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares
Up to 2,089,552 Series D Warrants to Purchase Up to 2,089,552 Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares
Up to 2,089,552 Series E Warrants to Purchase Up to 2,089,552 Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares
Up to 6,268,656 Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares Issuable Upon Exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, Series D Warrants and Series E Warrants
We are offering on a “reasonable best efforts” basis up to 2,089,552 ordinary shares of Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. represented by American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) together with Series D warrants to purchase an aggregate of up to 2,089,552 ordinary shares represented by ADSs (the “Series D Warrants”) and Series E warrants to purchase an aggregate of up to 2,089,552 ordinary shares represented by ADSs (the “Series E Warrants,” and together with the Series D Warrants, the “Warrants”).The assumed combined public offering price for each ADS and accompanying Warrants is $3.35, which was the last sale price of ADSs as reported by The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) on February 8, 2024. Each ADS represents one ordinary share. Each Series D Warrant will have an exercise price equal to 100% of the public offering price per ADS and accompanying Warrants, will be exercisable upon issuance, and will expire two years from the date of issuance. Each Series E Warrant will have an exercise price of equal to 100% of the public offering price per ADS and accompanying Warrants, will be exercisable upon issuance, and will expire five years from the date of issuance. The ADSs and Warrants will be issued separately and will be immediately separable upon issuance but will be sold together in this offering. This prospectus also relates to the ADSs issuable upon exercise of the Warrants sold in this offering.
We are also offering to each purchaser, if any, whose purchase of ADSs in this offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the election of such purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding ordinary shares immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, if the purchaser so chooses, pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) in lieu of ADSs that would otherwise result in the purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% (or, at the election of such purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding ordinary shares. Each Pre-Funded Warrant will be immediately exercisable for one ADS and may be exercised at any time until all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. The purchase price of each Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Warrants will equal the price at which each ADS and accompanying Warrants are being sold to the public in this offering, minus $0.0001, and the exercise price of each Pre-Funded Warrant will be $0.0001, per ADS. The Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrants will be issued separately and will be immediately separable upon issuance but will be purchased together in this offering. For each Pre-Funded Warrant we sell, the number of ADSs we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis. This offering also relates to the ADSs issuable upon exercise of any Pre-Funded Warrants sold in this offering. We refer to the ADSs, Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants to be sold in this offering collectively as the “Securities.”
For purposes of clarity, each ADS or Pre-Funded Warrant to purchase one ADS is being sold together with a Series D Warrant to purchase one ADS and a Series E Warrant to purchase one ADS.
Our ADSs are listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “QNRX.” We have assumed a public offering price of $3.35 per ADS and accompanying Warrants, which was the last reported sale price on Nasdaq of our ADSs on February 8, 2024. The actual offering price
per ADS and accompanying Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Warrants, will be negotiated between us and the investors, in consultation with the placement agent based on, among other things, the trading price of our ADS prior to the offering and may be at a discount to the current market price. Therefore, the assumed public offering price used throughout this prospectus may not be indicative of the final offering price. In addition, there is no established public trading market for the Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants and we do not expect a market to develop. We do not intend to apply for a listing of the Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants on any national securities exchange.
We have engaged A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners to act as our exclusive placement agent (the “Placement Agent”) in connection with this offering. The Placement Agent has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of the Securities offered by this prospectus. The Placement Agent is not purchasing or selling any of the Securities we are offering, and the Placement Agent is not required to arrange the purchase or sale of any specific number of Securities or dollar amount. We have agreed to pay to the Placement Agent the placement agent fees set forth in the table below, which assumes that we sell all of the securities offered by this prospectus.
The Securities are expected to be issued in a single closing and the public offering price per ADS or Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Warrants will be fixed for the duration of this offering. We will deliver all Securities to be issued in connection with this offering delivery versus payment (“DVP”)/receipt versus payment (“RVP”) upon receipt of investor funds received by us. Accordingly, neither we nor the Placement Agent have made any arrangements to place investor funds in an escrow account or trust account since the Placement Agent will not receive investor funds in connection with the sale of the securities offered hereunder. There is no minimum offering requirement as a condition of closing of this offering. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to closing this offering, we may sell fewer than all of the securities offered hereby, which may significantly reduce the amount of proceeds received by us, and investors in this offering will not receive a refund in the event that we do not sell an amount of securities sufficient to pursue our business goals described in this prospectus. Any proceeds from the sale of Securities offered by us will be available for our immediate use, despite uncertainty about whether we would be able to use such funds to effectively implement our business plan. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” on page 8 of this prospectus for more information.
This offering will terminate on February 28, 2024, unless the offering is fully subscribed before that date or we decide to terminate the offering (which we may do at any time in our discretion) prior to that date. We will bear all costs associated with the offering.
The securities offered in this prospectus involve a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our securities, you should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page 8 of this prospectus.
| Per ADS and Accompanying |
| Per Pre-Funded Warrant and |
| Total | ||||
Public offering price | $ | $ | $ | ||||||
Placement Agent’s fees (1) | $ | $ | $ | ||||||
Proceeds to us, before expenses (2) | $ | $ | $ |
(1) | We have agreed to pay the Placement Agent a cash fee equal to 7.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this offering. We have also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent for certain of its offering-related expenses. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 111 of this prospectus for a description of the compensation to be received by the Placement Agent. |
(2) | The amount of the proceeds to us presented in this table does not give effect to any exercise of the Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants. |
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Delivery of the Securities is expected to be made on or about , 2024, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Sole Placement Agent
A.G.P.
The date of this prospectus is , 2024.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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42 | ||
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS | 43 | |
57 | ||
68 | ||
85 | ||
86 | ||
87 | ||
92 | ||
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102 | ||
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114 |
F-1 |
We have not authorized anyone to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained in this prospectus. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained in this prospectus (as supplemented or amended) as having been authorized by us. We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, our securities only in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of our securities, nor does this prospectus constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy our securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction.
You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus (as supplemented or amended) is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of the document, even though this prospectus (as supplemented or amended) is delivered, or securities are sold, on a later date.
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references in this prospectus to the terms “Quoin,” “Quoin Ltd.,” the “Company,” “us,” “we”, “our” and the “Registrant” refer to Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd., an Israeli company, and its consolidated subsidiaries.
The Quoin logo and other trademarks or service marks of Quoin Ltd. appearing in this prospectus are the property of Quoin Ltd. or Quoin Inc., as applicable. This prospectus contains references to our trademarks and to trademarks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus, including logos, artwork and other visual displays, may appear without the ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and trade names.
For investors outside the United States: We have not done anything that would permit the offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the securities described herein and the distribution of this prospectus outside the United States.
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary is not complete and does not contain all the information that you should consider before deciding whether to invest in our securities. You should carefully read this summary together with the entire prospectus, including the risks that we describe under “Risk Factors” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in this prospectus before making an investment in our securities.
Company Overview
We are a clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of therapeutic products that treat rare and orphan diseases for which there are currently no approved treatments or cures. Our initial focus is on the development of products, using our proprietary owned and in-licensed drug delivery technologies, that could help address rare skin diseases. Our first lead product is QRX003, a topical lotion comprised of a broad-spectrum serine protease inhibitor, formulated with the proprietary in-licensed Invisicare® technology, under development as a potential treatment for Netherton Syndrome (“NS”), a rare hereditary genetic disease. QRX003 is currently being tested in two on-going clinical studies in the United States (“U.S.”) under an open Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application with the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Both studies are actively recruiting subjects, initially in five clinical sites acrossin the U.S. The opening of additional clinical sites in Europe and elsewhere is currently being evaluated. We plan to pursue the development of QRX003 for additional rare disease indications including, among others, Peeling Skin Syndrome, SAM Syndrome and Palmoplantar Keratoderma. Other pipeline products include QRX004 as a potential treatment for Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (“RDEB”). In addition, we entered into Research Agreements with the Queensland University of Technology (“QUT”), under which we have obtained an option for global licenses to QRX007 and QRX008 as potential treatments of NS scleroderma respectfully.
We were incorporated under the laws of the State of Israel in 1986 under the name Montiger Ltd. Between 1986 and 2021, we underwent several name changes, including the name change to Cellect Biotechnology Ltd. (“Cellect”). On October 28, 2021, Cellect completed the business combination with Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Quoin Inc.”), in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization, dated as of March 24, 2021 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Cellect, Quoin Inc. and CellMSC, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Cellect (“Merger Sub”), pursuant to which Merger Sub merged with and into Quoin Inc., with Quoin Inc. surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cellect (the “Merger”). Immediately after completion of the Merger, Cellect changed its name to “Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd.”
Recent Developments
Amendment to Authorized Registered Share Capital
On October 26, 2023, the Company held an Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, at which the shareholders approved, among other items, the increase of authorized share capital to 100,000,000 ordinary shares from 8,333,334 ordinary shares.
ADS Ratio Change and Ordinary Share Reverse Split
Effective July 18, 2023, the ratio of ADSs evidencing ordinary shares changed from 1 ADS representing five thousand (5,000) ordinary shares to 1 ADS representing sixty thousand (60,000) ordinary shares, which resulted in a 1 for 12 reverse split of the issued and outstanding ADSs. Effective November 8, 2023, the Company completed a 1 for 60,000 reverse split of the ordinary shares which resulted in the ratio of ADSs evidencing ordinary shares to be changed from 1 ADS representing sixty thousand (60,000) ordinary shares to 1 ADS representing one (1) ordinary share. All ordinary share, ADSs and related option and warrant information presented in this prospectus has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the number of ordinary shares and ADSs resulting from the aforementioned ordinary share reverse split and ADS ratio changes.
Alumni Equity Line and Purchase Agreement
On January 25, 2024, we entered into a Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Alumni Capital LP (“Alumni”). Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, we have has the right to sell to Alumni up to $8,000,000 (the “Commitment Amount”) of newly issued ordinary shares that are represented by ADS (the “Purchase Notice Securities”), subject to certain conditions and limitations, from time to time during the term of the Purchase Agreement.
1
We do not have the right to commence any sales of ordinary shares represented by ADSs to Alumni under the Purchase Agreement until the date, which we refer to as the Commencement Date, that all of the conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement have been satisfied, including that the registration statement we agreed to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) pursuant to the Purchase Agreement is declared effective by the SEC, and our shareholders have approved of the issuance of ADSs under the Purchase Agreement. If shareholder approval of the issuance of ADSs under the Purchase Agreement is not obtained by April 30, 2024, the Company may terminate the Purchase Agreement by written notice to Alumni and neither party shall have any obligation or liability to the other party.
From and after the Commencement Date, we may, from time to time and at our sole discretion for a period of three months, which we at our sole discretion may increase by an additional three months (such period, including any extension, the “Commitment Period”), on any business day that we select, direct Alumni to purchase ordinary shares represented by ADSs. We will control the timing and amount of any sales of our ordinary shares represented by ADSs to Alumni under the Purchase Agreement. The purchase price for the ordinary shares represented by ADSs we may sell to Alumni will be based upon formulas set forth in the Purchase Agreement based on the then current market price of the ADSs as computed under the Purchase Agreement and will depend on the type of purchase notice we submit to Alumni from time to time. The Company has agreed to issue purchase notices for an aggregate of at least $4,000,000 of the Commitment Amount prior to the end of the Commitment Period.
There is no upper limit on the price per share that Alumni could be obligated to pay for the ADSs under the Purchase Agreement; provided, however at no time can the purchase price be below a floor price of $1.00 per share (subject to adjustment as provided in the Purchase Agreement for any stock dividend or distribution of equivalent securities, subdivision, combination or reclassification of our ordinary shares or ADSs, occurring after the date of the Purchase Agreement).
As consideration for Alumni’s irrevocable commitment to purchase ADSs under the Purchase Agreement, we agreed to issue to Alumni, at the times set forth in the Purchase Agreement beginning with the trading day after the Commencement Date, a number of ADSs with a value at the time of issuance not to exceed $240,000 in the aggregate (the “Commitment Securities”). The ADSs to be issued will be valued at the average of the closing prices of the ADSs on Nasdaq for the five trading days immediately prior to the date such ADSs are issued. The Company may pay cash in lieu of issuing all or any portion of the Commitment Securities.
Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, we have agreed to file a registration statement with the SEC to register for resale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, our ADSs that may be issued to Alumni under the Purchase Agreement, including the Commitment Securities. The Purchase Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, conditions and indemnification obligations of the parties. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Purchase Agreement were made only for purposes of such agreement and as of specific dates, were solely for the benefit of the parties to the Purchase Agreement and may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties.
Risks Associated with Our Business
An investment in our securities is subject to a number of risks, including risks related to this offering, our business and industry, as well as risks related to our ADSs. You should carefully consider all of the information in this prospectus before making an investment in our securities. The following list summarizes some, but not all, of these risks. Please read the information in the section entitled “Risk Factors” on page 8 of this prospectus for a more thorough description of these and other risks.
Risks Related to This Offering
● | Resales of our ADSs in the public market by our shareholders as a result of this offering may cause the market price of our ADSs to fall. |
● | This offering may cause the trading price of our ADSs to decrease. |
● | You will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value per share of the ADSs you purchase. |
● | You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings. |
● | Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from this offering, you may not agree with how we use the proceeds, and the proceeds may not be invested successfully. |
2
● | This is a reasonable best efforts offering, in which no minimum number or dollar amount of securities is required to be sold, and we may not raise the amount of capital we believe is required for our business plans. |
● | We will need to raise additional funding to fund our working capital needs or consummate potential future acquisitions. Additional financing may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Failure to obtain additional capital may force us to limit or terminate our operations. |
● | There is no public market for the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Warrants being offered in this offering. |
● | Holders of our Pre-Funded Warrants or the Warrants will have no rights as holders of ordinary shares represented by ADSs until such warrants are exercised. |
● | The Pre-Funded Warrants are speculative in nature. |
● | The Warrants may not have any value. |
● | Provisions of the Warrants offered by this prospectus could discourage an acquisition of us by a third party. |
Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Capital Requirements
● | We have a limited operating history that you can use to evaluate us, and the likelihood of our success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays frequently encountered by a small developing company. |
● | We have incurred significant losses since our inception and have limited cash available for our operations. |
● | We have never generated any revenue from product sales or any other sources since inception, and may never be profitable. |
● | We expect that we will need to raise additional capital, which may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. |
Risks Related to the Discovery and Development of Product Candidates
● | Preclinical and clinical studies of our product candidates may not be successful. If we are unable to generate successful results from preclinical and clinical studies of our product candidates, or experience significant delays in doing so, our business may be materially harmed. |
● | We may not be successful in our efforts to identify or develop potential product candidates. |
● | If clinical trials of our product candidates fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of regulatory authorities or do not otherwise produce positive results, we may incur additional costs or experience delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete, the development and commercialization of our product candidates. |
● | Any of our product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties impacting safety that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval or limit the scope of any approved label or market acceptance. |
● | Even if we complete the necessary preclinical studies and clinical trials, we cannot predict whether or when we will obtain regulatory approval to commercialize a product candidate and we cannot, therefore, predict the timing of any revenue from a future product. |
● | Even if we obtain regulatory approval for a product candidate, we will still face extensive regulatory requirements and our products may face future development and regulatory challenges. |
● | We may not be able to obtain or maintain orphan drug designation or exclusivity for our product candidates. |
3
● | We may pursue Rare Pediatric Disease designation for QRX003 for the treatment of NS or other of our product candidates. There is no assurance that we will obtain such designation. Moreover, a Rare Pediatric Disease designation by the FDA does not guarantee that the NDA for the product will qualify for a priority review voucher upon approval, and it does not lead to a faster development or regulatory review process, or increase the likelihood that any of our product candidates will receive marketing approval. |
● | We may use our financial and human resources to pursue a particular research program or product candidate and fail to capitalize on programs or product candidates that may be more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success. |
Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties
● | We rely on third parties to conduct some aspects of our compound formulation, research and preclinical studies, and those third parties may not perform satisfactorily, including failing to meet deadlines for the completion of such formulation, research or testing. |
● | We rely on third-party manufacturers to produce the supply of our preclinical product, clinical product candidates and commercial supplies of any approved product candidates. |
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
● | If we are unable to obtain or protect intellectual property rights related to our future products and product candidates, we may not be able to compete effectively in our markets. |
● | Third-party claims of intellectual property infringement may prevent or delay our development and commercialization efforts. |
Other Risks Related to Our Business Operations and Industry
● | Our future success depends on our ability to attract and retain key executives and to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel. |
● | We may need to expand our organization and may experience difficulties in managing our growth, which could disrupt our operations. |
Risks Related to Us Being an Israeli Company
● | Shareholders may have difficulties enforcing a U.S. judgment, including judgments based upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws, against us or our executive officers and directors, or asserting U.S. securities laws claims in Israel. |
● | Your rights and responsibilities as our shareholder will be governed by Israeli law, which may differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders of U.S. corporations. |
● | Provisions of Israeli law may delay, prevent or otherwise impede a merger with, or an acquisition of, our company, which could prevent a change of control, even when the terms of such a transaction are favorable to us and our shareholders. |
Risks Related to Ownership of Our ADSs and Ordinary Shares
● | We do not know whether a market for our securities will be sustained or what the trading price of our securities will be and as a result it may be difficult for you to sell our securities held by you. |
● | The requirements of being a publicly traded company may strain our resources and divert management’s attention. |
● | Failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation or financial condition. In addition, current and potential |
4
shareholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which could have a material adverse effect on the price of the ADSs. |
● | We may be unable to comply with the applicable continued listing requirements of Nasdaq. |
● | The market price for our ADSs may be volatile. |
● | We have not paid, and do not intend to pay, dividends on our ordinary shares and, therefore, unless our traded securities appreciate in value, our investors may not benefit from holding our securities. |
● | Holders of ADSs must act through the depositary to exercise their rights. |
● | You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs. |
Company Information
Prior to January 1, 2023, we qualified as a “foreign private issuer” as such term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act. Effective January 1, 2023, we are obligated to file or furnish reports, proxy statements, and other information on U.S. domestic issuer forms with the SEC, which are more detailed and extensive in certain respects, and which must be filed more promptly, than the forms available to a foreign private issuer.
The address of our executive corporate offices is 42127 Pleasant Forest Ct., Ashburn, VA 20148, and our telephone number is (703) 980-4182. Our website is www.quoinpharma.com. Information contained on or accessible through this website is not incorporated by reference in, or otherwise a part of, this prospectus, and any references to this website are intended to be inactive textual references only.
5
THE OFFERING
Issuer |
| Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. |
ADSs offered by us | Up to 2,089,552 ADSs at an assumed public offering price of $3.35 per ADS and accompanying Warrants, which represents the closing price of our ADSs on Nasdaq on February 8, 2024. | |
Pre-Funded Warrants offererd by us | We are also offering up to 2,089,552 Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase up to 2,089,552 ADSs in lieu of ADSs to any purchaser whose purchase of shares of ADSs in this offering would otherwise result in such purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the purchaser’s election, 9.99%) of our outstanding ordinary shares immediately following the consummation of this offering. Each Pre-Funded Warrant will be exercisable for one ADS, will have an exercise price of $0.0001 per ADS, will be immediately exercisable, and will not expire until exercised in full. This prospectus also relates to the offering of the ADSs issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants. For each Pre-Funded Warrant that we sell, the number of ADSs that we are selling will be decreased on a one-for-one basis | |
Warrants offered by us | We are also offering (i) up to 2,089,552 Series D Warrants to purchase up to 2,089,552 ADSs and (ii) up to 2,089,552 Series E Warrants to purchase up to 2,089,552 ADSs. Each Series D Warrant will be exercisable for one ADS, will have an exercise price equal to 100% of the combined public offering price per share of ADSs and accompanying Warrants, will be exercisable immediately, and will expire two years from the date of issuance. Each Series E Warrant will be exercisable for one ADS, will have an exercise price equal to 100% of the combined public offering price per share of ADSs and accompanying Warrants, will be exercisable immediately, and will expire five years from the date of issuance. This prospectus also relates to the offering of the ADSs issuable upon exercise of the Warrants. Because we will issue a Series D Warrant and a Series E Warrant for each ADS and for each Pre-Funded Warrant sold in this offering, the number of Warrants sold in this offering will not change as a result of a change in the mix of ADSs and Pre-Funded Warrants sold. | |
ADSs outstanding prior to this offering | 987,220 ADSs (assuming all ordinary shares are represented by ADSs) | |
ADSs to be outstanding after this offering | 3,076,772 ADSs (assuming all ordinary shares are represented by ADSs, all of the ADSs we are offering under this prospectus are sold, and assuming no sale of Pre-Funded Warrants, which, if sold, would reduce the number of ADSs that we are offering on a one-for-one basis, and no exercise of the Warrants issued in this offering) | |
Reasonable best efforts offering | We have agreed to offer and sell the Securities offered hereby to the purchasers through the Placement Agent. The Placement Agent is not required to buy or sell any specific number or dollar amount of the Securities offered hereby but will use its reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the Securities offered by this prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution” on page 111 of this prospectus. |
Use of proceeds | Assuming 2,089,552 ADSs are sold in this offering at an assumed combined public offering price of $3.35 per ADS and accompanying Warrants, which represents the closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on February 8, 2024, and assuming no issuance of Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of Warrants issued in connection with this offering, we estimate that our net proceeds from the this offering will be approximately $6.1 million, after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. However, this is a best efforts offering with no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds as a condition to closing, and we may not sell all or any of these securities offered pursuant to this prospectus; as a result, we may receive significantly less in net proceeds. | |
We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities under this prospectus for general corporate purposes, which may include operating expenses, research and development, including clinical and pre-clinical testing of our product candidates, working capital, future acquisitions and general capital expenditures. See “Use of Proceeds” on page 40 of this prospectus. |
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Depositary | The Bank of New York Mellon | |
Transfer Agent and Registrar | Computershare Trust Company, N.A. | |
Risk factors | See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 8 of this prospectus for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our securities. |
Listing | Our ADSs are listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “QNRX.” We do not intend to apply for a listing of the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Warrants on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system. |
The information above is based on 987,220 ordinary shares represented by 987,220 ADSs outstanding as of February 8, 2024 (assuming all ordinary shares are represented by ADSs), and excludes the following:
● | 278,011 ordinary shares represented by 278,011 ADSs issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options at a weighted-average exercise price of $25.34 per ADS; and |
● | 864,081 ordinary shares represented by 864,081 ADSs issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at a weighted-average exercise price of $16.13 per ADS. |
Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus assumes no exercise of the outstanding options or warrants described above after February 8, 2024, including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Pre-Funded Warrants or Warrants.
We may enter into privately negotiated agreements with the holders of certain existing outstanding warrants to purchase up to 864,081 ADSs (the “Prior Warrants”) to, among other things, reduce the exercise price of such Prior Warrants and to extend the current expiration date of the Prior Warrants. There can be no assurance that we will amend the Prior Warrants or as to the final terms of any amendments to the Prior Warrants.
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RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment in our securities, you should carefully consider the risk factors discussed below as well as other information we include in this prospectus. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that case, the market price of our securities could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also materially harm our business, operating results and financial condition and could result in a complete loss of your investment.
Risks Related to this Offering
This is a reasonable best efforts offering, in which no minimum number or dollar amount of securities is required to be sold, and we may not raise the amount of capital we believe is required for our business plans.
The Placement Agent has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the securities in this offering. The Placement Agent has no obligation to buy any of the securities from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of the securities. There is no required minimum number of securities that must be sold as a condition to completion of this offering, and there can be no assurance that the offering contemplated hereby will ultimately be consummated. Even if we sell securities offered hereby, because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to the closing of this offering, the actual offering amount is not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the maximum amount set forth above. We may sell fewer than all of the securities offered hereby, which may significantly reduce the amount of proceeds received by us. Thus, we may not raise the amount of capital we believe is required for our operations in the short-term and may need to raise additional funds, which may not be available or available on terms acceptable to us.
Because there is no minimum required for the offering to close, investors in this offering will not receive a refund in the event that we do not sell an amount of securities sufficient to pursue the business goals outlined in this prospectus.
We have not specified a minimum offering amount nor have or will we establish an escrow account in connection with this offering. Because there is no escrow account and no minimum offering amount, investors could be in a position where they have invested in our company, but we are unable to fulfill our objectives due to a lack of interest in this offering. Further, because there is no escrow account in operation and no minimum investment amount, any proceeds from the sale of securities offered by us will be available for our immediate use, despite uncertainty about whether we would be able to use such funds to effectively implement our business plan. Investor funds will not be returned under any circumstances whether during or after the offering.
This offering may cause the trading price of our ADSs to decrease.
The price per ADS, together with the number of ADSs we propose to issue and ultimately will issue if this offering is completed, may result in an immediate decrease in the market price of our ADSs. This decrease may continue after the completion of this offering. Sales of substantial amounts of our ADSs in the public market, or the perception that such sales might occur, could adversely affect the market price of our ADSs.
You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings.
In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional ADSs or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our ADSs that could result in further dilution to investors purchasing our ordinary shares represented by ADSs in this offering or result in downward pressure on the price of our ADSs. We may sell ADSs or other securities in any other offering at prices that are higher or lower than the prices paid by investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing shareholders.
In addition, we may enter into privately negotiated agreements with the holders of certain existing outstanding warrants to purchase up to 864,081 ADSs to, among other things, reduce the exercise price of such Prior Warrants and to extend the current expiration date of the Prior Warrants. There can be no assurance that we will amend the Prior Warrants or as to the final terms of any amendments to the Prior Warrants.
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Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from this offering, you may not agree with how we use the proceeds, and the proceeds may not be invested successfully.
We have not designated any portion of the net proceeds from this offering to be used for any particular purpose. Accordingly, our management will have broad discretion as to the use of the net proceeds from this offering and could use them for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of commencement of this offering. Accordingly, you will be relying on the judgment of our management with regard to the use of these net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately. It is possible that, pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds in a way that does not yield a favorable, or any, return for our company. Our management’s judgment may not result in positive returns on your investment and you will not have the opportunity to evaluate the economic, financial or other information upon which our management bases its decisions.
We will need to raise additional funding to fund our working capital needs or consummate potential future acquisitions. Additional financing may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Failure to obtain additional capital may force us to limit or terminate our operations.
Even if we sell all securities offered hereby, the expected net proceeds of this offering may not be sufficient for us to fund the working capital needs of our business or potential strategic acquisitions we may pursue in the future. We may continue to seek funds through equity or debt financings, collaborative or other arrangements with corporate sources, or through other sources of financing. Additional funding may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Any failure to raise capital as and when needed could have a negative impact on our financial condition and on our ability to pursue our business plans and strategies.
There is no public market for the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Warrants being offered in this offering.
There is no established public trading market for the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Warrants being offered in this offering, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. Without an active market, the liquidity of the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Warrants will be limited.
Holders of our Pre-Funded Warrants or the Warrants will have no rights as holders of ordinary shares represented by ADSs until such warrants are exercised.
Until you acquire ordinary shares represented by ADSs upon exercise of your Pre-Funded Warrants or Warrants, you will have no rights with respect to ADSs issuable upon exercise of your Pre-Funded Warrants or Warrants. Upon exercise of your Pre-Funded Warrants or Warrants, you will be entitled to exercise the rights of a holder of ordinary shares represented by ADSs only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise date.
The Pre-Funded Warrants are speculative in nature.
The Pre-Funded Warrants offered hereby do not confer any rights of ownership of our ordinary shares represented by ADSs on their holders, such as voting rights or the right to receive dividends, but rather merely represent the right to acquire ordinary shares represented by ADSs at a fixed price. Specifically, commencing on the date of issuance, holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants may acquire ordinary shares represented by ADSs issuable upon exercise of such warrants at an exercise price of $0.0001 per ADS. Moreover, following this offering, the market value of the Pre-Funded Warrants is uncertain, and there can be no assurance that the market value of the Pre-Funded Warrants will equal or exceed their public offering price.
The Warrants may not have any value.
Each Warrant has an exercise price per ADS equal to the public offering price of ADS in this offering. In the event the market price per our ADS does not exceed the exercise price of the Warrants during the period when the warrants are exercisable, the Warrants may not have any value.
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Provisions of the Warrants offered by this prospectus could discourage an acquisition of us by a third party.
Certain provisions of the Warrants offered by this prospectus could make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire us. The Warrants prohibit us from engaging in certain transactions constituting “fundamental transactions” unless, among other things, the surviving entity assumes our obligations under the Warrants. Further, the Warrants provide that, in the event of certain transactions constituting “fundamental transactions,” with some exceptions, holders of such warrants will have the right, at their option, to require us to purchase such Warrants from the holders for consideration of the same type as that offered to the holders of ordinary shares in such transaction in an amount determined pursuant to a formula set forth in such warrants. These and other provisions of the Warrants offered by this prospectus could prevent or deter a third party from acquiring us even where the acquisition could be beneficial to you.
Purchasers who purchase our securities in this offering pursuant to a securities purchase agreement may have rights not available to purchasers that purchase without the benefit of a securities purchase agreement.
In addition to rights and remedies available to all purchasers in this offering under federal securities and state law, the purchasers that enter into a securities purchase agreement will also be able to bring claims of breach of contract against us. The ability to pursue a claim for breach of contract provides those investors with the means to enforce the covenants uniquely available to them under the securities purchase agreement including, but not limited to: (i) a covenant to not enter into variable rate financings for a period of 180 days following the closing of the offering, subject to certain exceptions; (ii) a covenant to not enter into any equity financings for 90 days from closing of the offering, subject to certain exceptions.
Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Capital Requirements
We have a limited operating history that you can use to evaluate us, and the likelihood of our success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays frequently encountered by a small developing company.
Our wholly owned subsidiary, Quoin Inc., commenced operations in 2018. As such, we have a limited operating history and our operations are subject to all of the risks inherent in the establishment of a new business enterprise, including a lack of operating history. Since inception, our operations have been primarily limited to acquiring and licensing intellectual property rights, undertaking research and conducting preclinical and clinical studies for our initial programs and negotiating and executing the Merger and financings. We have not yet obtained regulatory approval for any product candidates. Consequently, any predictions about our future success or viability, or any evaluation of our business and prospects, may not be accurate. The likelihood of our success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays frequently encountered by a small developing company starting a new business enterprise and the highly competitive environment in which we will operate. Since we have a limited operating history, we cannot assure you that our business will be profitable or that we will ever generate sufficient revenues to meet our expenses and support our anticipated activities. In addition, there is no guarantee that any of our product candidates with ever receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the “FDA.” We cannot be certain that our business strategy will be successful or that we will be solvent at any particular time. Our likelihood of success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays frequently encountered in connection with the early stages of the development of any company. If we fail to address any of these risks or difficulties adequately, our business will likely suffer. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing and commercializing our products, we are unable to predict the extent of any future losses or when we will become profitable, if ever. We may never become profitable and you may never receive a return on an investment in our securities. An investor in our securities must carefully consider the substantial challenges, risks and uncertainties inherent in the attempted development and commercialization of products in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. We may never successfully commercialize our products and our business may fail.
We have incurred significant losses since our inception and have limited cash available for our operations.
To date, we have not commercialized any products and have not generated any revenue. We have cash for operating our business for the next twelve months. We have devoted most of our financial resources to research and development, including our preclinical and ongoing clinical development activities. To date, we have funded our operations primarily through our founders’ funding expenditures and the sale of equity and convertible securities.
We do not expect to generate revenue from product sales unless and until we successfully complete development and obtain marketing approval for one or more of our product candidates, which we expect will take a number of years and is subject to significant uncertainty. Additional financing will be required to complete the research and development of our therapeutic targets and our other operating requirements, which may not be available at acceptable terms, if at all. We have filed a registration statement on
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Form S-1, of which this prospectus forms a part, related to an offering of securities on a “reasonable best efforts” basis, as described in this prospectus. However there is no assurance of the successful consummation of such offering. If we are unable to obtain additional funding when it becomes necessary, the development of our product candidates will be impacted and we would likely be forced to delay, reduce, or terminate some or all of our development programs, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future. The net losses we incur may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if and as we:
● | have initiated clinical development of our product candidates, including our first lead product—QRX003—a once daily, topical lotion comprised of a broad-spectrum serine protease inhibitor, formulated with the proprietary Invisicare® technology, to treat Netherton Syndrome (“NS”); |
● | further enhance our internal control systems; |
● | initiate the development of additional product candidates for other rare disease indications; |
● | acquire or in-license other products and technologies and advance those product candidates into clinical trials; |
● | seek marketing approvals for our product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials; |
● | ultimately establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure to commercialize any products for which we may obtain marketing approval; |
● | maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; |
● | hire additional clinical, regulatory, research, executive and administrative personnel; and |
● | create additional infrastructure to support our operations and our product development and planned future commercialization efforts. |
We have never generated any revenue from product sales or any other sources since inception, and may never be profitable.
Our ability to generate revenue and achieve profitability depends on our ability, alone or with strategic alliance partners, to successfully complete the development of, obtain the necessary regulatory approvals for and commercialize our product candidates. We do not anticipate generating revenues from sales of our products until regulatory approval has been obtained, if ever. Our ability to generate future revenues from product sales depends heavily on our success in:
● | completing our research and preclinical development of product candidates; |
● | initiating and completing clinical trials for product candidates with favorable results; |
● | seeking, obtaining, and maintaining marketing approvals for product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials; |
● | establishing and maintaining supply and manufacturing relationships with third parties; |
● | launching and commercializing product candidates for which we may obtain marketing approval, with an alliance partner or, if launched independently, successfully establishing a sales force, marketing and distribution infrastructure; |
● | maintaining, protecting and expanding our intellectual property portfolio; and |
● | attracting, hiring and retaining qualified personnel. |
Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with pharmaceutical product development, we are unable to predict the timing or amount of increased expenses and when we will be able to achieve or maintain profitability, if ever. In addition, our
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expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the FDA or other foreign regulatory agencies to perform studies and trials in addition to those that we currently anticipate.
Even if one or more of the product candidates that we independently develop is approved for commercial sale, we may incur significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product. Even if we are able to generate revenues from the sale of any approved products, we may not become profitable and may need to obtain additional funding to continue operations.
We expect that we will need to raise additional capital, which may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all.
Developing pharmaceutical products, including conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials, is expensive. We expect our research and development expenses to substantially increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we advance our product candidates towards or through clinical trials. We may need to raise additional capital to support our operations and such funding may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. We cannot provide assurances that our plans will not change or that changed circumstances will not result in the depletion of our capital resources more rapidly than we currently anticipate. For example, our preclinical or clinical trials may encounter technical difficulties or be subject to delays or other issues. Any of these events may increase our development costs more than we expect. In order to support our long-term plans, we may need to raise additional capital or otherwise obtain funding through additional strategic alliances if we choose to initiate preclinical or clinical trials for new product candidates other than programs currently partnered. In any event, we will require additional capital to obtain regulatory approval for, and to commercialize, future product candidates.
Any additional fundraising efforts may divert our management from our day-to-day activities, which may adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize future product candidates. In addition, we cannot guarantee that future financing will be available in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital when required or on acceptable terms, we may be required to:
● | significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development or commercialization of any future product candidates; |
● | seek strategic alliances for research and development programs at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable or on terms that are less favorable than might otherwise be available; or |
● | relinquish or license on unfavorable terms, our rights to technologies or any future product candidates that we otherwise would seek to develop or commercialize ourselves. |
If we are unable to raise additional capital in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, we will be prevented from pursuing development and commercialization efforts, which will have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and prospects.
Changes in U.S. tax laws or regulations may increase tax uncertainty and adversely affect results of our operations and our effective tax rate.
We may be subject to the Excise Tax (as defined below) included in the IRA in connection with redemptions of our ordinary shares or ADSs after December 31, 2022. In particular, an excise tax is imposed on “covered corporations” (generally, publicly-traded domestic corporations and publicly-traded foreign corporations treated as domestic corporations pursuant to Section 7874 of the Code) equal to 1% of the fair market value of certain stock repurchased after December 31, 2022 (the “Excise Tax”). As a result of the consummation of the Merger, we should be treated as a domestic corporation and therefore as a covered corporation. Consequently, it is likely that the Excise Tax will generally apply to any redemptions of our ordinary shares or ADSs after December 31, 2022. The Excise Tax base is reduced by the fair market value of any issuances of the covered corporation’s stock during its taxable year. The fair market value of any of our ordinary shares or ADSs that are redeemed may exceed the fair market value of any of our stock issued during the same taxable year. Consequently, the Excise Tax may reduce the amount of cash we have available to shareholders.
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Risks Related to the Discovery and Development of Product Candidates
Preclinical and clinical studies of our product candidates may not be successful. If we are unable to generate successful results from preclinical and clinical studies of our product candidates, or experience significant delays in doing so, our business may be materially harmed.
We have no products approved for commercial marketing and most of our product candidates are in preclinical development and clinical testing as is the case with our lead asset for NS, which is currently being tested in two separate clinical studies in NS patients. Moreover, the clinical development process can take several years, and there is no assurance that our clinical trials will be successful or that we will obtain marketing approvals for any of our product candidates from either the FDA or the EMA. Our ability to achieve and sustain profitability depends on obtaining regulatory approvals for and, if approved, successfully commercializing our product candidates, either alone or with third parties. Before obtaining regulatory approval for the commercial distribution of our product candidates, we or an existing or future collaborator must conduct extensive preclinical tests and clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates.
The success of our product candidates will depend on several factors, including the following:
● | successfully implementing preclinical studies which may be predictive of clinical outcomes; |
● | successful enrollment in clinical trials and completion of those trials with favorable results; |
● | receipt of marketing approvals from applicable regulatory authorities; |
● | obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protection for current and future product candidates; |
● | establishing and maintaining manufacturing relationships with third parties or establishing our own manufacturing capability; and |
● | successfully commercializing our products, if approved, including successfully establishing a sales force, marketing and distribution infrastructure, whether alone or in collaboration with others. |
If we do not achieve one or more of these factors in a timely manner or at all, we could experience significant delays or an inability to successfully complete the development or commercialization of our product candidates, which would materially harm our business.
We may not be successful in our efforts to identify or develop potential product candidates.
The success of our business depends primarily upon our ability to identify, develop and commercialize our product candidates. Our research programs may initially show promise in identifying potential product candidates, yet fail to yield product candidates for clinical development for a number of reasons, including:
● | our research methodology may be unsuccessful in identifying potential product candidates; or |
● | potential product candidates may be shown to have harmful side effects or may have other characteristics that may make the products unsuitable for administration in patients in clinical trials, unlikely to receive marketing approval or unmarketable. |
If any of these events occur, we may be forced to abandon our development efforts for a program or programs, which would have a material adverse effect on our business and could potentially cause us to cease operations. Research programs to identify new product candidates require substantial technical, financial and human resources. We may focus our efforts and resources on potential programs or product candidates that ultimately prove to be unsuccessful.
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If clinical trials of our product candidates fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of regulatory authorities or do not otherwise produce positive results, we may incur additional costs or experience delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete, the development and commercialization of our product candidates.
Before obtaining marketing approval from regulatory authorities for the sale of product candidates, we must conduct extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the product candidates in humans. Clinical trials are expensive, difficult to design and implement, can take many years to complete and are uncertain as to the outcome. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing. The outcome of preclinical studies and early clinical trials may not be predictive of the success of later clinical trials, and preliminary results or planned interim analyses of a clinical trial do not necessarily predict final results. Moreover, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that have believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain marketing approval for their products.
Events which may result in a delay or unsuccessful completion of clinical development include:
● | delays in reaching an agreement with the FDA or other regulatory authorities on final trial design, including selection of dose and clinical outcome assessments and related efficacy endpoints |
● | delays in obtaining from the FDA, or comparable foreign regulatory authority, authorization to administer an investigational new drug product to humans through the submission or acceptance of an IND or similar foreign application; |
● | imposition of a clinical hold of our clinical trial operations or trial sites by the FDA or other regulatory authorities; |
● | delays in reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective contract research organizations (“CROs”) and clinical trial sites; |
● | our inability to adhere to clinical trial requirements directly or with third parties such as CROs; |
● | clinical trial site or CRO non-compliance with good clinical practices (“GCPs”), good laboratory practices, or other regulatory requirements; |
● | inability or failure of clinical trial sites to adhere to the clinical trial protocol; |
● | delays in obtaining required IRB approval at each clinical trial site, or an IRB reversing such approval resulting in the suspension or termination of a trial at that; |
● | delays in recruiting and retaining suitable patients to participate in a trial particularly for a rare disease such as NS; |
● | delays in the testing, validation, manufacturing and delivery of the product candidates to the clinical sites; |
● | delays in having patients complete participation in a trial or return for post-treatment follow-up; |
● | delays caused by patients dropping out of a trial due to protocol procedures or requirements, product side effects or disease progression; |
● | clinical sites dropping out of a trial to the detriment of enrollment; |
● | time required to add new clinical sites; or |
● | delays by our contract manufacturers to produce and deliver sufficient supply of clinical trial materials. |
Accordingly, we cannot be sure that we will submit INDs on the expected timelines and we cannot be certain the FDA or foreign regulatory agencies such as the EMA, will allow us to progress into clinical trials based on the submission of any IND.
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If we are required to conduct additional clinical trials or other testing of any product candidates beyond those that are currently contemplated, are unable to successfully complete clinical trials of any such product candidates or other testing, or if the results of these trials or tests are not positive, are only modestly positive or if there are safety concerns, we may:
● | be delayed in obtaining marketing approval for our future product candidates; |
● | not obtain marketing approval at all; |
● | obtain approval for indications or patient populations that are not as broad as originally intended or desired; |
● | obtain approval with labeling that includes significant use or distribution restrictions or safety warnings; |
● | be subject to additional post-marketing testing requirements; or |
● | have the product removed from the market after obtaining marketing approval. |
Our product development costs will also increase if we experience delays in testing or marketing approvals. We do not know whether any clinical trials will begin as planned, will need to be restructured or will be completed on schedule, or at all. Significant clinical trial delays also could shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize our product candidates or allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do, which would impair our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates and may harm our business and results of operations. Any inability to successfully complete preclinical and clinical development could result in additional costs to us or impair our ability to generate revenues from product sales.
Any of our product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties impacting safety that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval or limit the scope of any approved label or market acceptance.
Undesirable side effects caused by our product candidates could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA or other regulatory authorities. While we have not yet initiated clinical trials for any of our product candidates, it is possible that there will be side effects associated with their use. Results of our trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of side effects. In such an event, our trials could be suspended or terminated and the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities could order us to cease further development of or deny approval of our product candidates for any or all targeted indications. Such side effects could also affect patient recruitment, the ability of enrolled patients to complete the trial or result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Further, clinical trials by their nature test product candidates in only small samples of the potential patient populations. With a limited number of patients and limited duration of exposure in such trials, rare and potentially severe side effects of our product candidates may not be uncovered until a significantly larger number of patients are exposed to the product candidate.
If any of our product candidates receive marketing approval, and causes serious, unexpected, or undesired side effects, a number of potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:
● | regulatory authorities may withdraw, suspend, or limit their approval of the product or impose restrictions on its distribution in the form of a modified risk evaluation and mitigation strategy; |
● | regulatory authorities may require the addition of labeling statements, such as black box warnings or contraindications; |
● | we may be required to change the way the product is administered or conduct additional clinical trials or post-marketing surveillance; |
● | we could be sued and held liable for harm caused to patients; or |
● | our reputation may suffer. |
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Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the affected product and could substantially increase the costs of commercializing our future products and impair our ability to generate revenues from the commercialization of these products.
Even if we complete the necessary preclinical studies and clinical trials, we cannot predict whether or when we will obtain regulatory approval to commercialize a product candidate and we cannot, therefore, predict the timing of any revenue from a future product.
We cannot commercialize a product until the appropriate regulatory authorities, such as the FDA, have reviewed and approved the product candidate. The regulatory authorities may not complete their review processes in a timely manner, or we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for many reasons including:
● | regulatory authorities disagreeing with the design or implementation of our clinical trials; |
● | such authorities may disagree with our interpretation of data from preclinical studies or clinical trials; |
● | such authorities may not accept clinical data from trials which are conducted at clinical facilities or in countries where the standard of care is potentially different from that of the United States; |
● | unfavorable or unclear results from our clinical trials or results that may not meet the level of statistical significance required by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory agencies for approval; |
● | serious and unexpected drug-related side effects experienced by participants in our clinical trials or by individuals using drugs similar to our product candidates; |
● | the population studied in the clinical trial may not be sufficiently broad or representative to assure safety in the full population for which we seek approval; |
● | we may be unable to demonstrate that a product candidate’s clinical and other benefits outweigh its safety risks; |
● | such authorities may not agree that the data collected from clinical trials of our product candidates are acceptable or sufficient to support the submission of a New Drug Application (“NDA”) or other submission or to obtain regulatory approval in the United States or elsewhere, and such authorities may impose requirements for additional preclinical studies or clinical trials; |
● | such authorities may disagree regarding the formulation, labeling and/or the specifications of our product candidates; |
● | such authorities may find deficiencies in the manufacturing processes, testing systems or facilities of our third-party manufacturers with which we contract for clinical and commercial supplies; or |
● | regulations of such authorities may significantly change in a manner rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval. |
Additional delays may result if an FDA advisory committee recommends restrictions on approval or recommends non-approval. In addition, we may experience delays or rejections based upon additional government regulation from future legislation or administrative action, or changes in regulatory agency policy during the period of product development, clinical trials and the review process.
Even if we obtain regulatory approval for a product candidate, we will still face extensive regulatory requirements and our products may face future development and regulatory challenges.
Even if we obtain regulatory approval in the United States, the FDA may still impose significant restrictions on the indicated uses or marketing of our product candidates, or impose ongoing requirements for potentially costly post-approval studies or post-market surveillance. The FDA may also require risk evaluation and mitigation strategies as a condition of approval of our product candidates, which could include requirements for a medication guide, physician communication plans or additional elements to ensure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. Additionally, the manufacturing processes, packaging, distribution, adverse event reporting, labeling, advertising, promotion, and recordkeeping for the product will be subject to
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extensive and ongoing FDA regulatory requirements, in addition to other potentially applicable federal and state laws. These requirements include monitoring and reporting of adverse events (“AEs”) and other post-marketing information and reports, registration, as well as continued compliance with current good manufacturing practice (“cGMP”) regulations. The holder of an approved NDA must also submit new or supplemental applications and obtain FDA approval for certain changes to the approved product, product labeling or manufacturing process. If we or a regulatory agency discovers previously unknown problems with a product such as AEs of unanticipated severity or frequency, or problems with the facility where the product is manufactured, a regulatory agency may impose restrictions relative to that product or the manufacturing facility, including requiring recall or withdrawal of the product from the market or suspension of manufacturing.
If we fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements following approval of any of our product candidates, a regulatory agency may:
● | issue a warning or untitled letter asserting that we are in violation of the law; |
● | seek an injunction or impose civil or criminal penalties or monetary fines; |
● | suspend or withdraw regulatory approval; |
● | suspend any ongoing clinical trials; |
● | refuse to approve a pending NDA or supplements to an NDA submitted by us; |
● | seize product or require a product recall; or |
● | refuse to allow us to enter into supply contracts, including government contracts. |
Any government investigation of alleged violations of law could require us to expend significant time and resources in response and could generate negative publicity. The occurrence of any event or penalty described above may inhibit our ability to commercialize our future products, if approved, and generate revenues.
We may not be able to obtain or maintain orphan drug designation or exclusivity for our product candidates.
Regulatory authorities in some jurisdictions, including the United States, may designate drugs for relatively small patient populations as orphan drugs. Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may designate a drug as an orphan drug if it is intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally defined as a patient population of fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or if the disease or condition affects more than 200,000 individuals in the United States and there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing the drug for the type of disease or condition will be recovered from sales of the product in the United States.
Orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives, such as tax advantages and user fee waivers. Additionally, if a product that has orphan designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease or condition for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan drug exclusivity, which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same drug for the same indication for seven years, except in certain circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority (i.e., another product is safer, more effective or makes a major contribution to patient care) over the product with orphan exclusivity or where the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient product quantity. Competitors, however, may receive approval of different products for the same indication for which the orphan product has exclusivity, or obtain approval for the same product but for a different indication than that for which the orphan product has exclusivity.
We intend to apply for orphan drug designation in the United States for QRX003 for the treatment of NS. However, obtaining an orphan drug designation can be difficult, and we may not be successful in doing so. Even if we obtain orphan drug designation for a product candidate in specific indications, we may not be the first to obtain regulatory approval of the product candidate for the orphan-designated indication. In addition, exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be limited if we seek approval for an indication broader than the orphan-designated indication or may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for orphan designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition. Orphan drug designation does not ensure that we will receive marketing exclusivity in a particular market, and we cannot assure you that any future application for orphan drug designation in any other geography or with respect to any other
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future product candidate will be granted. Orphan drug designation neither shortens the development time or regulatory review time of a drug, nor gives the drug any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process.
We may pursue Rare Pediatric Disease designation for QRX003 for the treatment of NS or other of our product candidates. There is no assurance that we will obtain such designation. Moreover, a Rare Pediatric Disease designation by the FDA does not guarantee that the NDA for the product will qualify for a priority review voucher upon approval, and it does not lead to a faster development or regulatory review process, or increase the likelihood that any of our product candidates will receive marketing approval.
Under the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher program, upon the approval of a qualifying NDA for the treatment of a rare pediatric disease, the sponsor of such an application may be awarded a transferable rare pediatric disease priority review voucher that can be used to obtain priority review for a subsequent NDA or BLA. We intend to pursue Rare Pediatric Disease designation for QRX003 for the treatment of NS, but there is no assurance that we will receive such designation. On December 27, 2020, the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act extended the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher Program, and after September 30, 2024, the FDA may only award a voucher for an approved rare pediatric disease product application if the sponsor has rare pediatric disease designation for the drug, and that designation was granted by September 30, 2024. After September 30, 2026, the FDA may not award any rare pediatric disease priority review vouchers. However, there is no guarantee that any of our product candidates will be approved by that date, or at all, and, therefore, we may not be in a position to obtain a priority review voucher prior to expiration of the program, unless Congress further reauthorizes the program. Additionally, designation of a drug for a rare pediatric disease does not guarantee that an NDA will meet the other eligibility criteria for a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher at the time the application is approved. Finally, a Rare Pediatric Disease designation does not lead to faster development or regulatory review of the product, or increase the likelihood that it will receive marketing approval.
We may use our financial and human resources to pursue a particular research program or product candidate and fail to capitalize on programs or product candidates that may be more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.
As a result of our limited financial and human resources, we will have to make strategic decisions as to which product candidates to pursue and may forego or delay pursuit of opportunities with other product candidates or for other indications that later prove to have greater commercial potential. Our resource allocation decisions may cause us to fail to capitalize on viable commercial products or profitable market opportunities. Our spending on research and development programs and product candidates for specific indications may not yield any commercially viable products. If we do not accurately evaluate the commercial potential or target market for a particular product candidate, we may relinquish valuable rights to that product candidate through strategic alliance, licensing or other royalty arrangements in cases in which it would have been more advantageous for us to retain sole development and commercialization rights to such product candidate, or we may allocate internal resources to a product candidate in a therapeutic area in which it would have been more advantageous to enter into a partnering arrangement.
We expect competition in the marketplace for our product candidates, should any of them receive regulatory approval.
If successfully developed and approved, our product candidates may face competition. We may not be able to compete successfully against organizations with competitive products, particularly large pharmaceutical companies. Many of our potential competitors have significantly greater financial, technical and human resources than us, and may be better equipped to develop, manufacture, market and distribute products. Many of these companies operate large, well-funded research, development and commercialization programs, have extensive experience in nonclinical and clinical studies, obtaining FDA and other regulatory approvals and manufacturing and marketing products, and have multiple products that have been approved or are in late-stage development. These advantages may enable them to receive approval from the FDA or any foreign regulatory agency before us.
Currently, there are no approved products to treat NS. However, to our knowledge, there are a number of therapeutic products at various stages of development for the treatment of NS, including candidates from LifeMax Laboratories, Inc., Krystal Biotech, Inc., Sixera Pharmaceuticals, ResVita Bio, and Azitra Inc. Currently, to the best of our knowledge, there are no active studies on NS patients being conducted under an open IND by any of these companies.
We face significant competition from other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and our operating results will suffer if we fail to compete effectively.
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are intensely competitive. We have competitors both in the United States and internationally, including major multinational pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies and universities and other
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research institutions. Our competitors may have substantially greater financial, technical and other resources, such as larger research and development staff and experienced marketing and manufacturing organizations. Additional mergers and acquisitions in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries may result in even more resources being concentrated in our competitors. Competition may increase further as a result of advances in the commercial applicability of technologies and greater availability of capital for investment in these industries. Our competitors may succeed in developing, acquiring or licensing on an exclusive basis, drug products that are more effective or less costly than any product candidate that we may develop.
All of our programs are in either preclinical or clinical development and targeted toward indications for which there may be other product candidates in clinical development. We may face competition from other drugs currently approved or that may be approved in the future for the same therapeutic indications as our product candidates. Our ability to compete successfully will depend largely on our ability to leverage our experience in drug development to:
● | develop therapeutics that are superior to other products in the market; |
● | attract qualified scientific, product development and commercial personnel; |
● | obtain patent and/or other proprietary protection for our product candidates; |
● | obtain required regulatory approvals; and |
● | successfully collaborate with pharmaceutical companies in the discovery, development and commercialization of new therapeutics. |
The availability of our competitors’ products could limit the demand, and the price we are able to charge, for any products that we may develop and commercialize. We will not achieve our business plan if the acceptance of any of these products is inhibited by price competition or the reluctance of physicians to switch from existing drug products to our products, or if physicians switch to other new drug products or choose to reserve our future products for use in limited circumstances. The inability to compete with existing or subsequently introduced drug products would have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and prospects.
Established pharmaceutical companies may invest heavily to accelerate discovery and development of novel compounds or to in-license novel compounds that could make our product candidates less competitive. In addition, any new product that competes with an approved product must demonstrate compelling advantages in efficacy, convenience, tolerability and safety in order to overcome price competition and to be commercially successful. Accordingly, our competitors may succeed in obtaining patent protection, receiving FDA approval or discovering, developing and commercializing product candidates before we do, which would have a material adverse impact on our business.
The commercial success of our product candidates will depend upon the acceptance of these product candidates by the medical community, including physicians, patients and healthcare payors.
The degree of market acceptance of any product candidates will depend on a number of factors, including:
● | demonstration of clinical safety and efficacy compared to other products; |
● | the relative convenience, ease of administration and acceptance by physicians, patients and healthcare payors; |
● | the prevalence and severity of any AEs; |
● | limitations or warnings contained in the FDA-approved label for such products; |
● | availability of alternative treatments; |
● | pricing and cost-effectiveness; |
● | the effectiveness of our, or any of our collaborators’, sales and marketing strategies; |
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● | our ability to obtain hospital or payor formulary approval; |
● | our ability to obtain and maintain sufficient third-party coverage and adequate reimbursement; and |
● | the willingness of patients to pay out-of-pocket in the absence of third-party coverage. |
If a product is approved but does not achieve an adequate level of acceptance by physicians, patients and healthcare payors, we may not generate sufficient revenues from such product and we may not become or remain profitable. Such increased competition may decrease any future potential revenue for future product candidates due to increasing pressure for lower pricing and higher discounts in the commercialization of our product.
If we are unable to establish sales and marketing capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to market and sell our product candidates, we may be unable to generate any revenues.
We currently do not have an organization for the sales, marketing and distribution of pharmaceutical products and the cost of establishing and maintaining such an organization may exceed the cost-effectiveness of doing so. In order to market any products that may be approved, we must build our sales, marketing, managerial and other non-technical capabilities or make arrangements with third parties to perform these services. With respect to future programs, we may rely completely on an alliance partner for sales and marketing. In addition, we may enter into strategic alliances with third parties to commercialize other product candidates, if approved, including in markets outside of the United States and Europe or for other large markets that are beyond our resources. Although we intend to establish a sales organization if we are able to obtain approval to market any product candidates in the United States, and Europe we will also consider the option to enter into strategic alliances for future product candidates in the United States and Europe if commercialization requirements exceed our available resources. This will reduce the revenue generated from the sales of these products.
Any future strategic alliance partners may not dedicate sufficient resources to the commercialization of our product candidates, if approved, or may otherwise fail in their commercialization due to factors beyond our control. If we are unable to establish effective alliances to enable the sale of our product candidates, if approved, to healthcare professionals and in geographical regions, including the United States and Europe, that will not be covered by our own marketing and sales force, or if our potential future strategic alliance partners do not successfully commercialize the product candidates that may be approved, our ability to generate revenues from product sales will be adversely affected.
If we are unable to establish adequate sales, marketing and distribution capabilities, whether independently or with third parties, we may not be able to generate sufficient product revenue and may not become profitable. We will be competing with many companies that currently have extensive and well-funded marketing and sales operations. Without an internal team or the support of a third party to perform marketing and sales functions, we may be unable to compete successfully against these more established companies.
If we obtain approval to commercialize any approved products outside of the United States and Europe, a variety of risks associated with international operations could materially adversely affect our business.
If we obtain approval to commercialize any approved products outside of the United States and Europe, we expect that we will be subject to additional risks related to entering into international business relationships, including:
● | different regulatory requirements for drug approvals in foreign countries; |
● | differing payor reimbursement regimes, governmental payors or patient self-pay systems and price controls; |
● | reduced protection for intellectual property rights; |
● | unexpected changes in tariffs, trade barriers and regulatory requirements; |
● | economic weakness, including inflation, or political instability in particular foreign economies and markets; |
● | compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labor laws for employees living or traveling abroad; |
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● | foreign taxes, including withholding of payroll taxes; |
● | foreign currency fluctuations, which could result in increased operating expenses and reduced revenues, and other obligations incident to doing business in another country; |
● | workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the United States; |
● | production shortages resulting from any events affecting raw material supply or manufacturing capabilities abroad; and |
● | business interruptions resulting from geopolitical actions, including war and terrorism, or natural disasters including earthquakes, typhoons, floods and fires. |
Coverage and adequate reimbursement may not be available for our product candidates, if approved, which could make it difficult for us to sell products profitably.
Market acceptance and sales of any product candidates that we develop will depend on coverage and reimbursement policies and may be affected by future healthcare reform measures. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers, government payors and health maintenance organizations, decide which drugs they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels. We cannot be sure that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be available for any future product candidates. In the United States, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, decides whether and to what extent a new drug will be covered and reimbursed under Medicare. Private payors tend to follow the coverage reimbursement policies established by CMS to a substantial degree. It is difficult to predict what CMS will decide with respect to reimbursement for novel product candidates. Inadequate reimbursement amounts may reduce the demand for, or the price of, our future products. Further, one payor’s determination to provide coverage for a product does not assure that other payors will also provide coverage for the product. If reimbursement is not available, or is available only at limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize product candidates that we develop and that may be approved. Thus, even if we succeed in bringing a product to market, it may not be considered medically necessary or cost-effective, and the amount reimbursed for any products may be insufficient to allow us to sell our products on a competitive basis.
There have been a number of legislative and regulatory proposals to change the healthcare system in the United States and in some foreign jurisdictions that could affect our ability to sell products profitably. These legislative and/or regulatory changes may negatively impact the reimbursement for drug products, following approval. The availability of numerous generic treatments may also substantially reduce the likelihood of reimbursement for our future products. We expect to experience pricing pressures in connection with the sale of any products that we develop, due to the trend toward managed healthcare, the increasing influence of health maintenance organizations and additional legislative changes. The downward pressure on healthcare costs in general, and prescription drugs in particular, has and is expected to continue to increase in the future. For instance, government and private payors who reimburse patients or healthcare providers are increasingly seeking greater upfront discounts, additional rebates and other concessions to reduce prices for pharmaceutical products. If we fail to successfully secure and maintain reimbursement coverage for our future products or are significantly delayed in doing so, we will have difficulty achieving market acceptance of our future products and our business will be harmed.
In addition, in some non-U.S. jurisdictions, the proposed pricing for a drug must be approved before it may be lawfully marketed. The requirements governing drug pricing vary widely from country to country. For example, the EU provides options for its member states to restrict the range of medicinal products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of medicinal products for human use. A member state may approve a specific price for the medicinal product or it may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the medicinal product on the market. There can be no assurance that any country that has price controls or reimbursement limitations for pharmaceutical products will allow favorable reimbursement and pricing arrangements for any of our products. Historically, products launched in the EU do not follow price structures of the U.S. and generally tend to be priced significantly lower.
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Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties
We rely on third parties to conduct some aspects of our compound formulation, research and preclinical studies, and those third parties may not perform satisfactorily, including failing to meet deadlines for the completion of such formulation, research or testing.
We do not expect to independently conduct all aspects of our drug development activities, compound formulation research or preclinical studies of product candidates. We currently rely and expect to continue to rely on third parties to conduct some or all aspects of our preclinical studies and formulation development.
Any of these third parties may terminate their engagements with us at any time. If we need to enter into alternative arrangements, it could delay our product development activities. Our reliance on these third parties for research and development activities will reduce our control over these activities but will not relieve us of our responsibilities.
If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, meet expected deadlines or conduct our studies in accordance with regulatory requirements or our stated study plans and protocols, we will not be able to complete, or may be delayed in completing, the necessary preclinical studies to enable us to select viable product candidates for IND submissions and will not be able to, or may be delayed in our efforts to, successfully develop and commercialize such product candidates.
We rely on third-party manufacturers to produce the supply of our preclinical product, clinical product candidates and commercial supplies of any approved product candidates.
Reliance on third-party manufacturers entails risks, including risks that we would not be subject to if we manufactured the product candidates ourselves.
Third-party manufacturers may not be able to comply with cGMP regulations or similar regulatory requirements outside of the United States. If the FDA determines that our third-party manufacturers are not in compliance with FDA laws and regulations, including those governing cGMPs, the FDA may not approve an NDA until the deficiencies are corrected or we replace the manufacturer in our application with a manufacturer that is in compliance. Moreover, our failure, or the failure of our third-party manufacturers and suppliers, to comply with applicable regulations could result in sanctions being imposed on us, including clinical holds, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, seizures or recalls of product candidates or products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly and adversely affect supplies of our products. In addition, approved products and the facilities at which they are manufactured are required to maintain ongoing compliance with extensive FDA requirements and the requirements of other similar agencies, including ensuring that quality control and manufacturing procedures conform to cGMP requirements. As such, our third-party manufacturers are subject to continual review and periodic inspections to assess compliance with cGMPs. Furthermore, although we do not have day-to-day control over the operations of our third-party manufacturers, we are responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including cGMPs.
Other risks of reliance on third-party manufacturers include:
● | the inability to meet any product specifications and quality requirements consistently; |
● | a delay or inability to procure or expand sufficient manufacturing capacity; |
● | manufacturing and product quality issues related to scale-up of manufacturing; |
● | costs and validation of new equipment and facilities required for scale-up; |
● | the inability to negotiate manufacturing or supply agreements with third parties under commercially reasonable terms; |
● | termination or nonrenewal of manufacturing agreements with third parties in a manner or at a time that is costly or damaging to us; |
● | the reliance on a limited number of sources, and in some cases, single sources for raw materials, such that if we are unable to secure a sufficient supply of these product components, we will be unable to manufacture and sell future product candidates in a timely fashion, in sufficient quantities or under acceptable terms; |
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● | the lack of qualified backup suppliers for any raw materials that are currently purchased from a single source supplier; |
● | operations of our third-party manufacturers or suppliers could be disrupted by conditions unrelated to our business or operations, including the bankruptcy of the manufacturer or supplier; |
● | carrier disruptions or increased costs that are beyond our control; and |
● | the failure to deliver products under specified storage conditions and in a timely manner. |
Any of these events could lead to clinical study delays or failure to obtain regulatory approval, or impact our ability to successfully commercialize future products, if approved. Some of these events could be the basis for FDA action, including injunction, recall, seizure or total or partial suspension of production.
We rely on limited sources of supply for the drug substance of product candidates and any disruption in the chain of supply may cause a delay in developing and commercializing these product candidates.
We have established manufacturing relationships with a limited number of suppliers to manufacture raw materials and the drug substance used to create our product candidates. The availability of such suppliers to manufacture raw materials and drug substance for our product candidates in sufficient quantities for evaluation in preclinical or clinical studies or, if our product candidates are approved, for commercial supple may be limited. Further, each supplier may require licenses to manufacture such components if such processes are not owned by the supplier or in the public domain. Our ability to obtain the necessary drug substance of product candidates could be adversely impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. As part of any marketing approval, a manufacturer and its processes are required to be qualified by the FDA prior to commercialization. If supply from any vendor approved in the NDA is interrupted, there could be a significant disruption in commercial supply. An alternative vendor would need to be qualified through an NDA supplement which could result in further delay. The FDA or other regulatory agencies outside of the United States may also require additional studies if a new supplier is relied upon for commercial production. Switching vendors may involve substantial costs and is likely to result in a delay in our desired clinical and commercial timelines.
These factors could cause the delay of clinical trials, regulatory submissions, required approvals or commercialization of our product candidates, cause us to incur higher costs and prevent us from commercializing our products successfully. Furthermore, if our suppliers fail to deliver the required commercial quantities of active pharmaceutical ingredients on a timely basis and at commercially reasonable prices, and we are unable to secure one or more replacement suppliers capable of production in a timely manner at a substantially equivalent cost, our clinical trials may be delayed or we could lose potential revenue.
Manufacturing issues may arise that could increase product and regulatory approval costs or delay commercialization.
Manufacturing of product candidates and conducting required stability testing, product, packaging, equipment and process-related issues may require refinement or resolution in order to proceed with any clinical trials and obtain regulatory approval for commercial marketing. We may identify significant impurities, which could result in increased scrutiny by the regulatory agencies, delays in clinical programs and regulatory approval, increases in our operating expenses, or failure to obtain or maintain approval for product candidates or any approved products.
We intend to rely on third parties to conduct, supervise and monitor our clinical trials, and if those third parties perform in an unsatisfactory manner, it may harm our business.
We intend to rely on CROs and clinical trial sites to ensure the proper and timely conduct of our clinical trials. While we will have agreements governing their activities, we have limited influence over their actual performance. We will control only certain aspects of our CROs’ activities. Nevertheless, we will be responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical trials are conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory and scientific standards and our reliance on the CROs will not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities.
We and our CROs will be required to comply with the FDA’s or other regulatory agency’s GCPs, for conducting, recording and reporting the results of IND-enabling studies and clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of clinical trial participants are protected. The FDA and non-U.S. regulatory agencies enforce these GCPs through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, CROs, principal investigators and clinical trial sites. If we or our CROs fail to comply with applicable GCPs, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA or
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applicable non-U.S. regulatory agency may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving any marketing applications for the relevant jurisdiction. Upon inspection, the FDA or applicable non-U.S. regulatory agency may determine that our clinical trials did not comply with GCPs. In addition, our clinical trials will require a sufficiently large number of test subjects to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a potential drug product. Accordingly, if our CROs fail to comply with these regulations or fail to recruit a sufficient number of patients, we may be required to repeat such clinical trials, which would delay the regulatory approval process.
Our CROs will not be our employees, and we will not be able to control whether or not they devote sufficient time and resources to our clinical and nonclinical programs. These CROs may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting clinical trials, or other drug development activities which could harm our competitive position. If our CROs do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations, fail to meet expected deadlines, or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols or regulatory requirements, or for any other reasons, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for, or successfully commercialize our product candidates. As a result, our financial results and the commercial prospects for such products and any product candidates that we develop would be harmed, our costs could increase, and our ability to generate revenues could be delayed.
We intend to rely on other third parties to package, store and deliver drug products to the clinical trial sites for any clinical trials that we may conduct. Any performance failure on the part of these third parties could delay clinical development or marketing approval of our product candidates or commercialization of our products, if approved, producing additional losses and depriving us of potential product revenue.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
If we are unable to obtain or protect intellectual property rights related to our future products and product candidates, we may not be able to compete effectively in our markets.
Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain patents and other forms of intellectual property rights, including in-licenses of intellectual property rights of others, for our product candidates, methods used to develop and manufacture our product candidates and methods for treating patients using our product candidates, as well as our ability to preserve our trade secrets, to prevent third parties from infringing upon our proprietary rights and to operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others. The strength of patents in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical field involves complex legal and scientific questions and can be uncertain. Our patent applications may fail to result in patents with claims that cover the products in the United States or in other countries. There is no assurance that all of the potentially relevant prior art relating to patents and patent applications that we use in our business has been found; such prior art can invalidate a patent or prevent a patent from issuing based on a pending patent application. Even if patents do successfully issue, third parties may challenge their validity, enforceability or scope, which may result in such patents being narrowed or invalidated. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, our patents and patent applications may not adequately protect our intellectual property or prevent others from designing around our claims.
If the patent applications we hold or patents we have in-licensed with respect to our programs or product candidates fail to issue or if their breadth or strength of protection is threatened, as applicable, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to develop product candidates, and threaten our ability to commercialize, future products. We cannot offer any assurances about which, if any, patents will issue or whether any issued patents will be found invalid and unenforceable or will be threatened by third parties. A patent may be challenged through one or more of several administrative proceedings including post-grant challenges, re-examination or opposition before the USPTO or foreign patent offices. Any successful challenge of patents or any other patents owned by or licensed to us could deprive us of rights necessary for the successful commercialization of any product candidates that we may develop.
Since patent applications in the United States and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing, and some remain so until issued, we cannot be certain that we were the first to file any patent application related to a product candidate. Furthermore, in certain situations, if we and one or more third parties have filed patent applications in the United States and claiming the same subject matter, an administrative proceeding, known as an interference, can be initiated to determine which applicant is entitled to the patent on that subject matter. Such an interference proceeding provoked by third parties or brought by us may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patents or patent applications, or those of our licensors. An unfavorable outcome could require us to cease using the related technology or to require us to license rights to it from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed if the prevailing party does not offer us a license at all, or on commercially reasonable terms. Our
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defense of a patent or patent application in such a proceeding may not be successful and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees.
In addition, patents have a limited lifespan. In the United States, the natural expiration of a patent is generally 20 years after it is filed. Various extensions may be available however the life of a patent, and the protection it affords is limited. Once the patent life has expired for a product, we may be open to competition from generic medications. Further, if we encounter delays in regulatory approvals, the period of time during which we could market a product candidate under patent protection could be reduced.
In addition to the protection afforded by patents, we rely on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect proprietary know-how that is not patentable, including processes for which patents are difficult to enforce and any other elements of our drug discovery and development processes that involve proprietary know-how, information or technology that is not covered by patents. Although each of our employees agrees to assign their inventions to us through an employee inventions agreement, and all of our employees, consultants, advisors and any third parties who have access to our proprietary know-how, information or technology are required to enter into confidentiality agreements, we cannot provide any assurances that all such agreements have been duly executed, that our trade secrets and other confidential proprietary information will not be disclosed or that competitors will not otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or independently develop substantially equivalent information and techniques. In addition, others may independently discover our trade secrets and proprietary information. For example, the FDA, as part of its Transparency Initiative, is currently considering whether to make additional information publicly available on a routine basis, including information that we may consider to be trade secrets or other proprietary information, and it is not clear at the present time how the FDA’s disclosure policies may change in the future, if at all.
Further, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent or in the same manner as the laws of the United States. As a result, we may encounter significant problems in protecting and defending our intellectual property both in the United States and abroad. If we are unable to prevent material disclosure of the non-patented intellectual property related to our technologies to third parties, and there is no guarantee that we will have any such enforceable trade secret protection, we may not be able to establish or maintain a competitive advantage in our market, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Third-party claims of intellectual property infringement may prevent or delay our development and commercialization efforts.
Our commercial success depends in part on our avoiding infringement of the patents and proprietary rights of third parties. There is a substantial amount of litigation, both within and outside the United States, involving patent and other intellectual property rights in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, including patent infringement lawsuits. Numerous U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications, which are owned by third parties, exist in the fields in which we are pursuing development candidates. As the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries expand and more patents are issued, the risk increases that our product candidates may be subject to claims of infringement of the patent rights of third parties.
Third parties may assert that we are employing their proprietary technology without authorization. There may be third-party patents or patent applications with claims to materials, formulations, methods of manufacture or methods for treatment related to the use or manufacture of our product candidates. Because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending patent applications which may later result in patents that our product candidates may infringe. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of our technologies infringes upon these patents. If any third-party patents were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover the manufacturing process of any of our product candidates, any molecules formed during the manufacturing process or any final product itself, the holders of any such patents may be able to block our ability to commercialize such product candidate unless we obtained a license under the applicable patents, or until such patents expire. Similarly, if any third-party patents were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover aspects of our formulations, processes for manufacture or methods of use, including combination therapy, the holders of any such patents may be able to block our ability to develop and commercialize the applicable product candidate unless we obtained a license or until such patent expires. In either case, such a license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
Parties making claims against us may obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to further develop and commercialize one or more of our product candidates. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of management or employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us, we may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees for willful infringement, pay royalties, redesign our infringing products or obtain one or more licenses from third parties, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure.
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If we fail to obtain licenses or comply with our obligations in these agreements under which we license intellectual property rights from third parties or otherwise experience disruptions to our business relationships with our licensors, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.
We are a party to intellectual property license agreements that are important to our business and expect to enter into additional license agreements in the future. Our existing license agreements impose, and we expect that future license agreements will impose, various obligations on us.
We may need to obtain licenses from third parties to advance our research or allow commercialization of our product candidates, and we have done so from time to time. We may fail to obtain any of these licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. In that event, we would be unable to further develop and commercialize one or more of our product candidates, which could harm our business significantly. We cannot provide any assurances that third-party patents do not exist which might be enforced against our future products, resulting in either an injunction prohibiting our sales, or, with respect to our sales, an obligation on our part to pay royalties and/or other forms of compensation to third parties.
We may be involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents or the patents of our licensors, which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful.
Competitors may infringe our patents or the patents of our licensors. To counter infringement or unauthorized use, we may be required to file infringement claims, which can be expensive and time-consuming. In addition, in an infringement proceeding, a court may decide that a patent of ours or of our licensors is not valid or is unenforceable, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patents do not cover the technology in question. An adverse result in any litigation or defense proceedings could put one or more of our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and could put our patent applications at risk of not issuing.
Our defense in a lawsuit may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees. We may not be able to prevent, alone or with our licensors, misappropriation of our intellectual property rights, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect those rights as fully as in the United States.
Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation. There could also be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments. If securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a material adverse effect on the price of our ordinary shares.
We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants or independent contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information of third parties.
We employ individuals who were previously employed at other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies. We may be subject to claims that we or our employees, consultants or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed confidential information of our employees’ former employers or other third parties. We may also be subject to claims that former employers or other third parties have an ownership interest in our patents. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. There is no guarantee of success in defending these claims, and if we are successful, litigation could result in substantial cost and be a distraction to our management and other employees.
Other Risks Related to Our Business Operations and Industry
Our future success depends on our ability to attract and retain key executives and to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel.
We are highly dependent on principal members of our executive team, and any reduction or loss of their services may adversely impact the achievement of our objectives. While we have entered into employment agreements with each of our executive officers, any of them could leave our employment at any time. Recruiting and retaining other qualified employees for our business, including scientific and technical personnel, will also be critical to our success. There is currently a shortage of skilled executives in our industry, which is likely to continue. As a result, competition for skilled personnel is intense and the turnover rate can be high. We may not be able to attract and retain personnel on acceptable terms given the competition among numerous pharmaceutical companies for individuals with similar skill sets. In addition, failure to succeed in preclinical studies and clinical trials may make it more
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challenging to recruit and retain qualified personnel. The inability to recruit any executive or key employee or the loss of the services of any executive or key employee might impede the progress of our research, development and commercialization objectives.
We may need to expand our organization and may experience difficulties in managing our growth, which could disrupt our operations.
In the future we may expand our employee base to increase our managerial, scientific, operational, commercial, financial and other resources and we may hire more consultants and contractors. Future growth would impose significant additional responsibilities on our management, including the need to identify, recruit, maintain, motivate and integrate additional employees, consultants and contractors. Also, our management may need to divert a disproportionate amount of its attention away from our day-to-day activities and devote a substantial amount of time to managing these growth activities. We may not be able to effectively manage the expansion of our operations, which may result in weaknesses in our infrastructure or give rise to operational mistakes, loss of business opportunities, loss of employees or reduced productivity among remaining employees. Our expected growth could require significant capital expenditures and may divert financial resources from other projects, such as the development of additional product candidates. Moreover, if our management is unable to effectively manage our growth, our expenses may increase more than expected, our ability to generate and/or grow revenues could be reduced, and we may not be able to implement our business strategy. Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize product candidates and compete effectively will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively manage any future growth.
Our employees may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements and insider trading.
We are exposed to the risk of employee fraud or other misconduct. Misconduct by employees could include intentional or nonintentional failures to comply with the regulations of the FDA and non-U.S. regulators, to provide accurate information to the FDA and non-U.S. regulators, to comply with healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations in the United States and abroad, to report financial information or data accurately or to disclose unauthorized activities to us. In particular, sales, marketing and business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud, misconduct, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements.
Employee misconduct could also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and cause serious harm to our reputation. We have adopted a code of conduct, but it is not always possible to identify and deter employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to comply with these laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, possible exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other government healthcare programs, additional reporting requirements and/or oversight, particularly if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance, disgorgement, imprisonment, and contractual damages. Even if we are ultimately successful in defending against any such action, we could be required to divert financial and managerial resources in doing so and adverse publicity could result, all of which could harm our business.
Future relationships with customers and third-party payors as well as certain of our business operations may be subject, directly or indirectly, to federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws, false claims laws and health information privacy and security laws. If we are unable to comply, or have not fully complied, with such laws, we could face criminal sanctions, civil penalties, contractual damages, reputational harm and diminished profits and future earnings.
If we obtain FDA approval for any of our product candidates and begin commercializing those products in the United States, our operations may be directly, or indirectly through our customers, further subject to various federal and state fraud and abuse laws, including, without limitation, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and the federal False Claims Act. These laws may impact, among other things, our proposed sales, marketing and education programs. In addition, we may be subject to patient privacy regulation by the federal government and by the U.S. states and foreign jurisdictions in which we conduct our business. The healthcare laws and regulations that may affect our ability to operate include:
● | The federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, persons and entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or paying remuneration, directly or indirectly, to induce, or in return for, either the referral of an |
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individual, or the purchase or recommendation of an item or service for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Remuneration has been interpreted broadly to include anything of value. Although there are a number of statutory exemptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting certain common activities from prosecution, the exemptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly, and those activities may be subject to scrutiny or penalty if they do not qualify for an exemption or safe harbor. A conviction for violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute requires mandatory exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs. This statute has been applied to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers and those in a position to purchase products or refer others, including prescribers, patients, purchasers and formulary managers. In addition, the Affordable Care Act amended the Social Security Act to provide that the U.S. government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal civil False Claims Act penalties for which are described below. |
● | Federal civil and criminal false claims laws and civil monetary penalty laws, including the federal False Claims Act (“FCA”), which imposes criminal or civil penalties, including through civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, against individuals or entities for, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, claims for payment to the federal government, including Medicare or Medicaid, that are false or fraudulent or making a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. FCA liability is potentially significant in the healthcare industry because the statute provides for treble damages and mandatory penalties per false claim or statement. |
● | The civil monetary penalties statute, which imposes penalties against any person or entity who, among other things, is determined to have presented or caused to be presented a claim to a federal healthcare program that the person knows or should know is for an item or service that was not provided as claimed or is false or fraudulent. |
● | The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), which imposes civil and criminal penalties for, among other things, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises, any money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, any healthcare benefit program, regardless of the payor (e.g., public or private), knowingly and willfully embezzling or stealing from a health care benefit program, willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a healthcare offense and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false statements in connection with the delivery of, or payment for, healthcare benefits, items or services relating to healthcare. |
● | HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (“HITECH”), and its implementing regulations, which imposes certain requirements on certain types of individuals and entities, such as healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearing houses, known as “covered entities,” as well as their “business associates,” independent contractors or agents of covered entities that receive or obtain individually identifiable health information in connection with providing a service on behalf of a covered entity, relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. |
● | The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, with specific exceptions, to report annually to CMS, information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians, physician assistants, certain types of advance practice nurses and teaching hospitals, and further requires applicable manufacturers and applicable group purchasing organizations to report annually to CMS ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Failure to submit timely, accurately and completely the required information for all covered payments, transfers of value and ownership or investment interests may result in civil monetary penalties; and |
● | Many state and foreign law equivalents of each of the above federal laws, such as: anti-kickback and false claims laws which may apply to items or services reimbursed by any third party payor, including commercial insurers; state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government; state laws that require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures; state and local laws that require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives; and state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts. |
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In addition, the European Union (“EU”) has established its own data security and privacy legal framework, including but not limited to Directive 95/46/EC (the “Data Protection Directive”). The European General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) contains new provisions specifically directed at the processing of health information, higher sanctions and extra-territoriality measures intended to bring non-EU companies under the regulation. We anticipate that over time we may expand our business operations to include additional operations in the EU, including potentially conducting preclinical and clinical trials. With such expansion, we would be subject to increased governmental regulation in the EU countries in which we might operate, including regulation due to the GDPR.
If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other governmental regulations or laws that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including, without limitation, civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, possible exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other government healthcare programs, additional reporting requirements and/or oversight, particularly if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance, disgorgement, imprisonment, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations.
Recent and future healthcare legislation may further impact our business operations.
The United States and some foreign jurisdictions are considering or have enacted a number of legislative and regulatory proposals to change the healthcare system in ways that could affect our ability to sell our products profitably. Among policy makers and payors in the United States and elsewhere, there is significant interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality or expanding access. In the United States, the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by major legislative initiatives. For example, in March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (the “ACA”) was enacted, which made a number of substantial changes in the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers. The ACA included a number of provisions that may reduce the profitability of drug products, including revising the rebate methodology for covered outpatient drugs under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, extending Medicaid rebates to individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care plans, and requiring drug manufacturers to pay an annual fee based on their market share of prior year total sales of branded programs to certain federal health care programs.
Since its passage, there have been judicial and Congressional challenges to certain aspects of the ACA, as well as recent efforts to repeal or replace certain aspects of the ACA. Former President Trump signed two Executive Orders and other directives designed to delay the implementation of certain provisions of the ACA or otherwise circumvent some of the requirements for health insurance mandated by the ACA. Concurrently, Congress has considered legislation that would repeal or replace all or part of the ACA. While Congress has not passed comprehensive repeal legislation, two bills affecting the implementation of certain taxes under the ACA have been signed into law. On December 22, 2017, former President Trump signed into law H.R. 1, “An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018,” informally titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which significantly revises the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 includes a provision repealing, effective January 1, 2019, the tax-based shared responsibility payment imposed by the ACA on certain individuals who fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year that is commonly referred to as the “individual mandate.” Additionally, on December 23, 2019, former President Trump signed a spending bill that repealed the implementation of certain ACA-mandated fees, including the so-called “Cadillac” tax on certain high cost employer-sponsored insurance plans, the annual fee imposed on certain health insurance providers based on market share, and the medical device excise tax on non-exempt medical devices. On June 17, 2021, the United States Supreme Court dismissed a challenge on procedural grounds that argued the ACA is unconstitutional in its entirety because the “individual mandate” was repealed by Congress. Thus, the ACA will remain in effect in its current form. It is possible that the ACA will be subject to judicial or Congressional challenges in the future. It is uncertain how any such challenges and the healthcare measures of the Biden administration will impact the ACA and our business.
In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the Affordable Care Act was enacted. On August 2, 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011 among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress. A Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, tasked with recommending a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2013 through 2021, was unable to reach required goals, thereby triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programs. This includes aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which started in April 2013, and, due to subsequent legislative amendments, will remain in effect through 2031 with the exception of a temporary suspension from May 1, 2020 through March 31, 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, unless additional Congressional action is taken. The Medicare reductions were phased back in starting with a 1% reduction in effect from April 1, 2022 to June 30,
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2022 before increasing to the full 2% reduction. On January 2, 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law, which, among other things, also reduced Medicare payments to several categories of healthcare providers.
Further, there has been heightened governmental scrutiny in the United States of pharmaceutical pricing practices in light of the rising cost of prescription drugs and biologics. Such scrutiny has resulted in several recent Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for products. Recently, healthcare reform initiatives culminated in the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act (the “IRA”), in August 2022, which will, among other things, allow U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) to negotiate the selling price of certain drugs and biologics that CMS reimburses under Medicare Part B and Part D, although only high-expenditure single-source drugs that have been approved for at least 7 years (11 years for biologics) can be selected by CMS for negotiation, with the negotiated price taking effect two years after the selection year. The negotiated prices, which will first become effective in 2026, will be capped at a statutory ceiling price. Beginning in October 2023, the IRA will also penalize drug manufacturers that increase prices of Medicare Part B and Part D drugs at a rate greater than the rate of inflation. The IRA permits the Secretary of HHS to implement many of these provisions through guidance, as opposed to regulation, for the initial years. Manufacturers that fail to comply with the IRA may be subject to various penalties, including civil monetary penalties. The IRA also extends enhanced subsidies for individuals purchasing health insurance coverage in ACA marketplaces through plan year 2025. These provisions will take effect progressively starting in 2023, although they may be subject to legal challenges.
The IRA also made changes to Medicare Part D, which provides prescription drug benefits for seniors and people with disabilities. Medicare Part D enrollees once had a gap in their coverage (between the initial coverage limit and the point at which catastrophic coverage begins) where Medicare did not cover their prescription drug costs, known as the coverage gap. However, beginning in 2019, Medicare Part D enrollees paid 25% of brand drug costs after they reached the initial coverage limit - the same percentage they were responsible for before they reached that limit - thereby closing the coverage gap from the enrollee’s point of view. Most of the cost of closing the coverage gap is being borne by innovator companies and the government through subsidies. Each manufacturer of an approved drug or biologic is required to enter into a Medicare Part D coverage gap discount agreement and provide a 70% discount on those drugs dispensed to Medicare Part D enrollees in the coverage gap, in order for its drugs to be reimbursed by Medicare Part D. Beginning in 2025, the IRA eliminates the coverage gap under Medicare Part D by significantly lowering the enrollee maximum out-of-pocket cost and requiring manufacturers to subsidize, through a newly established manufacturer discount program, 10% of Part D enrollees’ prescription costs for brand drugs below the out-of-pocket maximum, and 20% once the out-of-pocket maximum has been reached. Although these discounts represent a lower percentage of enrollees’ costs than the current discounts required below the out-of-pocket maximum (that is, in the coverage gap phase of Part D coverage), the new manufacturer contribution required above the out-of-pocket maximum could be considerable for very high-cost patients and the total contributions by manufacturers to a Part D enrollee’s drug expenses may exceed those currently provided.
We expect that healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and lower reimbursement, and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government-funded programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors.
We cannot predict what healthcare reform initiatives may be adopted in the future. Further federal, state and foreign legislative and regulatory developments are likely, and we expect ongoing initiatives to increase pressure on drug pricing. Such reforms could have an adverse effect on anticipated revenues from product candidates that we may successfully develop and for which we may obtain regulatory approval and may affect our overall financial condition and ability to develop product candidates.
We face potential product liability, and, if successful claims are brought against us, we may incur substantial liability and costs.
The use of our product candidates in clinical trials and the sale of any products for which we obtain marketing approval exposes us to the risk of product liability claims. Product liability claims might be brought against us by consumers, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies or others selling or otherwise coming into contact with our products. For example, unanticipated adverse effects could result from the use of our future products or product candidates which may result in a potential product liability claim. If we cannot successfully defend against product liability claims, we could incur substantial liability and costs. In addition, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, product liability claims may result in:
● | impairment of our business reputation; |
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● | withdrawal of clinical trial participants; |
● | costs due to related litigation; |
● | distraction of management’s attention from our primary business; |
● | substantial monetary awards to patients or other claimants; |
● | the inability to commercialize our product candidates; and |
● | decreased demand for our product candidates, if approved for commercial sale. |
We plan to obtain product liability insurance relating to the use of our therapeutics in clinical trials. However, such insurance coverage may not be sufficient to reimburse us for any expenses or losses we may suffer. Moreover, insurance coverage is becoming increasingly expensive and in the future we may not be able to obtain or maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in sufficient amounts to protect us against losses due to liability. If and when we obtain marketing approval for product candidates, we intend to expand our insurance coverage to include the sale of commercial products; however, we may be unable to obtain product liability insurance on commercially reasonable terms or in adequate amounts. On occasion, large judgments have been awarded in class action lawsuits based on drugs that had unanticipated adverse effects. A successful product liability claim or series of claims brought against us could cause our share price to decline and, if judgments exceed our insurance coverage, could adversely affect our results of operations and business.
Cyber security risks and the failure to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our computer hardware, software, and Internet applications and related tools and functions could result in damage to our reputation and/or subject us to costs, fines or lawsuits.
Our business and operations would suffer in the event of computer system failures, cyber-attacks or a deficiency in our cyber-security. Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal computer systems, and those of third parties on which we rely, are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, malware, supply chain attacks, ransomware attacks, natural disasters, terrorism, war, telecommunication and electrical failures, cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusions over the Internet, attachments to emails, persons inside our organization or inside external organizations on which we rely for support, systems, or hardware. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments, and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. If such an event were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material disruption of business. Maintaining safeguards to comply with evolving security laws and to protect our systems and data may increase our operating costs. To the extent that any disruption or security breach was to result in a loss of or damage to our data or applications, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur material legal claims and liability, damage to our reputation, and a delay in development of our drug candidates.
We have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by health epidemics and pandemics, including COVID-19, which may significantly harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
We face risks related to health epidemics and other outbreaks, including the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus and the disease caused by it, COVID-19. During 2020, the spread of the novel coronavirus led to disruption and volatility in the global capital markets. If such disruption and volatility recurs, there could be an increase to our cost of capital and an adverse effect on our ability to access the capital markets. In addition, efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic led to implementing numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders, and business shutdowns. The extent to which a pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease impacts our operations, including our clinical trials, will depend on future occurrences, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the duration of any outbreak and the actions to contain or treat its impact, among others. Any negative impact infectious diseases have on patient enrollment or treatment or the execution of our product candidates could cause costly delays to clinical trial activities, which could adversely affect our ability to obtain regulatory approval for and to commercialize our product candidates, increase our operating expenses, and have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
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Business interruptions could delay us in the process of developing our future products.
We are vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes and wild fires, as well as other events that could disrupt our operations. We do not carry insurance for earthquakes or other natural disasters and we may not carry sufficient business interruption insurance to compensate us for losses that may occur. Any losses or damages we incur could have a material adverse effect on our business operations.
Risks Related to Us Being an Israeli Company
Shareholders may have difficulties enforcing a U.S. judgment, including judgments based upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws, against us or our executive officers and directors, or asserting U.S. securities laws claims in Israel.
Service of process upon us in Israel or upon our non-U.S. resident directors and officers may be difficult to obtain within the United States and it may be difficult to enforce judgments obtained in the United States against our non-U.S. directors and executive officers. In addition, we have been informed by our legal counsel in Israel that it may be difficult to assert claims under U.S. securities laws in original actions instituted in Israel or obtain a judgment based on the civil liability provisions of U.S. federal securities laws. Israeli courts may refuse to hear a claim based on a violation of U.S. securities laws against us or our officers and directors because Israel may not be the most appropriate forum to bring such a claim. In addition, even if an Israeli court agrees to hear a claim, it may determine that Israeli law and not U.S. law is applicable to the claim. If U.S. law is found to be applicable, the content of applicable U.S. law must be proved as a fact, which can be a time-consuming and costly process. Certain matters of procedure will also be governed by Israeli law. There is little binding case law in Israel addressing the matters described above. Israeli courts might not enforce judgments rendered outside Israel, which may make it difficult to collect on judgments rendered against us or our officers and directors in Israel.
Moreover, an Israeli court will not enforce a foreign judgment if it was given in a state whose laws do not provide for the enforcement of judgments of Israeli courts (subject to exceptional cases) or if its enforcement is likely to prejudice the sovereignty or security of the State of Israel or due to, among other reasons, absence of due process, or the existence of a judgment which is at variance with another judgment that was given in the same matter if a suit in the same matter between the same parties was pending before a court or tribunal in Israel.
Your rights and responsibilities as our shareholder will be governed by Israeli law, which may differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders of U.S. corporations.
Since we are incorporated under Israeli law, the rights and responsibilities of our shareholders are governed by our articles of association and Israeli law. These rights and responsibilities differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders of U.S.-based corporations. In particular, a shareholder of an Israeli company, such as us, has a duty to act in good faith and in a customary manner in exercising its rights and performing its obligations towards us and other shareholders and to refrain from abusing its power in us, including, among other things, in voting at the general meeting of shareholders on certain matters, such as an amendment to our articles of association, an increase of our authorized share capital, a merger, and approval of related party transactions that require shareholder approval. A shareholder also has a general duty to refrain from taking advantage of other shareholders. In addition, a controlling shareholder (as defined below), or any shareholder who knows that it possesses the power to determine the outcome of a shareholders’ vote, or who has the power to appoint or prevent the appointment of one of our office holders (as defined below), or who holds any other power in our regard, has a duty to act in fairness towards us. However, Israeli law does not define the substance of this duty of fairness. There is limited case law available to assist in understanding the implications of these provisions that govern shareholder behavior.
Provisions of Israeli law may delay, prevent or otherwise impede a merger with, or an acquisition of, our company, which could prevent a change of control, even when the terms of such a transaction are favorable to us and our shareholders.
Israeli corporate law regulates mergers, requires tender offers for acquisitions of shares above specified thresholds, requires special approvals for transactions involving directors, officers or significant shareholders, and regulates other matters that may be relevant to these types of transactions. For example, a merger may not be consummated unless at least 50 days have passed from the date that a merger proposal was filed by each merging company with the Israel Registrar of Companies, and at least 30 days from the date that the shareholders of both merging companies approved the merger. In addition, the holder of a majority of each class of securities of the target company must approve a merger. Moreover, a full tender offer can only be completed if the acquirer receives at least 95% of the issued share capital (provided that a majority of the offerees that do not have a personal interest in such tender offer
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shall have approved the tender offer, except that if the total votes to reject the tender offer represent less than 2% of the company’s issued and outstanding share capital, in the aggregate, approval by a majority of the offerees that do not have a personal interest in such tender offer is not required to complete the tender offer), and the shareholders, including those who indicated their acceptance of the tender offer, may, at any time within six months following the completion of the tender offer, petition the court to alter the consideration for the acquisition (unless the acquirer stipulated in the tender offer that a shareholder that accepts the offer may not seek appraisal rights).
Furthermore, Israeli tax considerations may make potential transactions unappealing to us or to those of our shareholders whose country of residence does not have a tax treaty with Israel exempting such shareholders from Israeli tax. For example, Israeli tax law does not recognize tax-free share exchanges to the same extent as U.S. tax law. With respect to mergers, Israeli tax law allows for tax deferral in certain circumstances, but makes the deferral contingent on the fulfillment of numerous conditions, including a holding period of two years from the date of the transaction during which sales and dispositions of shares of the participating companies are restricted. Moreover, with respect to certain share swap transactions, the tax deferral is limited in time, and when such time expires, the tax becomes payable even if no actual disposition of the shares has occurred. Additional tax considerations or exemptions from the foregoing may apply to certain non-Israeli tax resident shareholders.
These and other similar provisions could delay, prevent or impede an acquisition of us or our merger with another company, even if such an acquisition or merger would be beneficial to us or to our shareholders.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our ADSs and Ordinary Shares
We do not know whether a market for our securities will be sustained or what the trading price of our securities will be and as a result it may be difficult for you to sell our securities held by you.
Although our ADSs trade on Nasdaq, an active trading market for the ADSs may not be sustained. It may be difficult for you to sell your ADSs without depressing the market price for the ADSs. As a result of these and other factors, you may not be able to sell your ADSs. Further, an inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by issuing securities and may impair our ability to enter into strategic partnerships or acquire companies or products by using our equity as consideration.
The requirements of being a publicly traded company may strain our resources and divert management’s attention.
As a publicly traded company, we have incurred, and will continue to incur, significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq under such acts have imposed various requirements on public companies. Shareholder activism, the current political environment and the current high level of government regulatory reform may lead to substantial new regulations and disclosure obligations, which may lead to additional compliance costs and impact the manner in which we operate our business in ways we cannot currently anticipate. Our management will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, we expect these rules and regulations to make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and we may be required to incur substantial costs to maintain our current levels of such coverage.
Failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation or financial condition. In addition, current and potential shareholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which could have a material adverse effect on the price of the ADSs.
Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and effectively prevent fraud. We will be required to document and test our internal control procedures in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, as such standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, we may not be able to ensure that we can conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404. Disclosing deficiencies or weaknesses in our internal controls, failing to remediate these deficiencies or weaknesses in a timely fashion or failing to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment may cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a material adverse effect on the price of the ADSs. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our operating results could be harmed.
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We may be unable to comply with the applicable continued listing requirements of Nasdaq.
ADSs representing our ordinary shares are currently listed on Nasdaq. In order to maintain this listing, we must satisfy minimum financial and other continued listing requirements and standards, including a minimum closing bid price requirement for our ADSs of $1.00 per ADS. There can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the applicable listing standards. For example, if we were to fail to meet the minimum bid price requirement for 30 consecutive business days, we could become subject to delisting. Although Nasdaq may provide us with a compliance period in which to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement, we cannot assure you that we would be able to regain compliance within the period provided by Nasdaq. In order to regain compliance with such requirement, the closing bid price of our ADSs would need to meet or exceed $1.00 per share for at least 10 consecutive business days during the compliance period. If we were not able to regain compliance within the allotted compliance period for this requirement or any other applicable listing standard, including any extensions that may be granted by Nasdaq, our ADSs would be subject to delisting. In the event that our ADSs are delisted from Nasdaq and are not eligible for quotation or listing on another market or exchange, trading of our ADSs could be conducted only in the over-the-counter market established for unlisted securities such as OTC Markets. In such event, it could become more difficult to dispose of, or obtain accurate price quotations for our ADSs, which could cause the price of our ADSs to decline further.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our market, or if they adversely change their recommendations or publish negative reports regarding our business or our traded securities, our securities price and trading volume could be negatively impacted.
The trading market for our securities will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. We do not have any control over these analysts, and we cannot provide any assurance that analysts will cover us or provide favorable coverage. If any of the analysts who may cover us adversely change their recommendation regarding the ADSs, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of the ADSs would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could negatively impact the price of the ADSs or their trading volume.
The market price for our ADSs may be volatile.
The market price for our ADSs is likely to be highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to numerous factors including the following:
● | our failure to obtain the approvals necessary to commence clinical trials; |
● | results of clinical and preclinical studies; |
● | announcements of regulatory approval or the failure to obtain it, or changes or delays in the regulatory review process; |
● | announcements of new products or product enhancements by us or others; |
● | adverse actions taken by regulatory agencies with respect to our clinical trials, manufacturing supply chain or sales and marketing activities; |
● | changes or developments in laws, regulations or decisions applicable to our product candidates or patents; |
● | any adverse changes to our relationship with manufacturers or suppliers; |
● | announcements concerning our competitors or healthcare industries in general; |
● | achievement of expected product sales and profitability or our failure to meet expectations; |
● | our commencement of or results of, or involvement in, litigation, including, but not limited to, any product liability actions or intellectual property infringement actions; |
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● | any major changes in our board of directors, management or other key personnel; |
● | announcements by us of significant strategic partnerships, out-licensing, in-licensing, joint ventures, acquisitions or capital commitments; |
● | expiration or terminations of licenses, research contracts or other collaboration agreements; |
● | public concern as to the safety of our products that we, our licensors or others develop; |
● | success of research and development projects; |
● | developments concerning intellectual property rights or regulatory approvals; |
● | variations in our and our competitors’ results of operations; |
● | changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by securities analysts, if our ordinary shares or the ADSs are covered by analysts; |
● | future issuances of ordinary shares, ADSs or other securities; |
● | general market conditions and other factors, including factors unrelated to our operating performance, such as natural disasters and political and economic instability, including wars, terrorism, political unrest, results of certain elections and votes, emergence of a pandemic, or other widespread health emergencies (or concerns over the possibility of such an emergency, including for example, the COVID-19 pandemic), boycotts, adoption or expansion of government trade restrictions, and other business restrictions; and |
● | the other factors described in this “Risk Factors” section. |
These factors and any corresponding price fluctuations may materially and adversely affect the market price of the ADSs, which would result in substantial losses by our investors. In addition, the securities market has from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are not related to the operating performance of any particular company. These market fluctuations may also have a material adverse effect on the market price of the ADSs.
We may be at risk of securities class action litigation.
We may be at risk of securities class action litigation. This risk is especially relevant for us due to our dependence on positive clinical trial outcomes and regulatory approvals of our product candidates. In the past, medical, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies have experienced significant stock price volatility, particularly when associated with such events such as clinical trials and product approvals. If we face such litigation, it could result in substantial costs, divert management’s attention and resources, and have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and prospects.
Substantial future sales or perceived potential sales of our ordinary shares or ADSs in the public market could cause the price of our ADSs decline.
Substantial sales of our ADSs on Nasdaq may cause the market price of our ADSs to decline. Sales by us or our security holders of substantial amounts of our ADSs or the perception that these sales may occur in the future, could cause a reduction in the market price of our shares ADSs. The issuance of any additional ordinary shares or any additional ADSs, or any securities that are exercisable for or convertible into our ordinary shares or ADSs, may have an adverse effect on the market price of our ADSs and will have a dilutive effect on our existing shareholders and holders of ADSs.
Your percentage ownership in us may be diluted by future issuances of share capital, which could reduce your influence over matters on which shareholders vote.
We expect that significant additional capital will be needed in the future to continue our planned operations. To the extent we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities, our shareholders may experience substantial dilution. Pursuant to our equity
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incentive plan, our management may grant options to our employees, directors and consultants. We may sell ordinary shares represented by ADSs, convertible securities or other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in a manner we determine from time to time, any of which may result in material dilution to our existing shareholders. New investors could also be issued securities with rights superior to those of our existing shareholders.
We have not paid, and do not intend to pay, dividends on our ordinary shares and, therefore, unless our traded securities appreciate in value, our investors may not benefit from holding our securities.
We have not paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our ordinary shares in the foreseeable future. Moreover, the Israeli Companies Law, 5759-1999 (the “Companies Law”) imposes certain restrictions on our ability to declare and pay dividends. As a result, investors in our ADSs or ordinary shares will not be able to benefit from owning these securities unless their market price becomes greater than the price paid by such investors and they are able to sell such securities. We cannot assure you that you will ever be able to resell our securities at a price in excess of the price paid.
If we pay dividends or other distributions, an ADS holder may not receive the same distributions or dividends as those we make to the holders of our ordinary shares, and, in some limited circumstances, you may not receive dividends or other distributions on our ordinary shares and you may not receive any value for them, if it is illegal or impractical to make them available to you.
The depositary for the ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on ordinary shares or other deposited securities underlying the ADSs, after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions, if any, in proportion to the number of ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, the depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, it would be unlawful to make a distribution to a holder of ADSs if it consists of securities that require registration under the Securities Act, but that are not properly registered or distributed under an applicable exemption from registration. In these cases, the depositary may determine not to distribute such property and hold it as “deposited securities” or may seek to effect a substitute dividend or distribution, including net cash proceeds from the sale of the dividends that the depositary deems an equitable and practicable substitute. We have no obligation to register under U.S. securities laws any ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or other securities received through such distributions. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of ADSs. In addition, the depositary may withhold from such dividends or distributions its fees and an amount on account of taxes or other governmental charges to the extent the depositary believes it is required to make such withholding. This means that you may not receive the same distributions or dividends as those we make to the holders of our ordinary shares, and, in some limited circumstances, you may not receive any value for such distributions or dividends if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you. These restrictions may cause a material decline in the value of the ADSs.
Holders of ADSs must act through the depositary to exercise their rights.
Holders of the ADSs do not have the same rights as our shareholders and may only exercise the voting rights with respect to the underlying ordinary shares in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement for the ADSs. Under Israeli law and our articles of association, the minimum notice period required to convene a shareholders meeting is not less than 35 or 14 calendar days, depending on the proposals on the agenda for the shareholders meeting. When a shareholder meeting is convened, holders of the ADSs may not receive sufficient notice of a shareholders meeting to permit them to withdraw their ordinary shares to allow them to cast their vote with respect to any specific matter. In addition, the depositary and its agents may not be able to send voting instructions to holders of the ADSs or carry out their voting instructions in a timely manner. We will make all reasonable efforts to cause the depositary to extend voting rights to holders of the ADSs in a timely manner, but we cannot assure holders that they will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that they can instruct the depositary to vote their ADSs. Furthermore, the depositary and its agents will not be responsible for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote, for the manner in which any vote is cast or for the effect of any such vote. As a result, holders of the ADSs may not be able to exercise their right to vote and they may lack recourse if their ADSs are not voted as they requested. In addition, in the capacity as a holder of ADSs, they will not be able to call a shareholders meeting.
You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs.
Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its transfer books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. In addition, the depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of ADSs generally when our books or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we
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or the depositary deems it advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement.
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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain information included in this prospectus may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other securities laws. Forward-looking statements are often characterized by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue,” “believe,” “should,” “intend,” “project” or other similar words, but are not the only way these statements are identified.
These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to our objectives, plans and strategies, statements that contain projections of results of operations or of financial condition, expected capital needs and expenses, statements relating to the research, development, completion and use of our products, and all statements (other than statements of historical facts) that address activities, events or developments that we intend, expect, project, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties. We have based these forward-looking statements on assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate.
Important factors that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include, among other things:
● | our limited operating history and the difficulties encountered by a small developing company; |
● | our history of losses and needs for additional capital to fund our operations and our inability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all; |
● | our lack of revenue generated from product sales since inception, and potential inability to be profitable; |
● | uncertainties of cash flows and inability to meet working capital needs; |
● | our ability to obtain regulatory approvals; |
● | our ability to generate favorable pre-clinical and clinical trial results; |
● | our ability to identify and develop potential product candidates; |
● | additional costs or delays associated with unsuccessful clinical trials; |
● | the inability to predict the timing of revenue from sales of a future product; |
● | the extensive regulatory requirements and future developmental and regulatory challenges we will still face even if we obtain approval for a product candidate; |
● | our ability to obtain or maintain orphan drug designation or data exclusivity for our product candidates; |
● | our ability to obtain Orphan Disease and Rare Pediatric Disease designations for our product candidates; |
● | the potential oversight of programs or product candidates that may be more profitable or more successful; |
● | our manufacturing processes may not be validated and our methodology may not be accepted by the scientific community; |
● | the ability to conduct clinical trials, because of difficulties enrolling patients or other reasons; |
● | the requirements of being a publicly traded company may strain our resources; |
● | potential adverse effects resulting from failure to maintain effective internal controls; |
● | our ability to comply with the applicable continued listing requirements of Nasdaq; |
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● | the potential negative impact on our securities price and trading volume if securities or industry analysts do not publish reports about us or if they adversely change their recommendations about our business; |
● | the potential volatility of the market price for our ADSs; |
● | the potential dilution of our shareholders’ potential ownership due to future issuances of share capital; |
● | the requirement for holders of ADSs to act through the depositary to exercise their rights; |
● | the potential limitations on ADS holders with respect to the transfer of their ADSs; |
● | the risks of securities class action litigation; and |
● | other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under “Risk Factors” in this prospectus. |
You are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made throughout this prospectus which are designed to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements in this prospectus are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations, taking into account all information currently available to us, we cannot guarantee future transactions, results, performance, achievements or outcomes. No assurance can be made to any investor by anyone that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements will be attained, or that deviations from them will not be material and adverse. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
In addition, certain sections of this prospectus contain information obtained from independent industry sources and other sources that we have not independently verified.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $6.1 million (assuming the sale of the maximum number of securities offered hereby), based upon an assumed public offering price of $3.35 per ADS and accompanying Warrants (which is the last reported sale price of our ADS on Nasdaq on February 8, 2024), after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming no issuance of any Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of the Warrants. However, because this is a reasonable best efforts offering with no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds as a condition to closing, the actual offering amount, placement agent fees, and net proceeds to us are not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the maximum amounts set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and we may not sell all or any of the securities we are offering. As a result, we may receive significantly less in net proceeds. Based on the assumed offering price set forth above, we estimate that our net proceeds from the sale of 75%, 50%, and 25% of the securities offered in this offering would be approximately $4.5 million, $2.9 million, and $1.2 million, respectively, after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, and assuming no issuance of any Pre-Funded Warrants and assuming no exercise of the Warrants. We will only receive additional proceeds from the exercise of the Warrants we are selling in this offering if the Warrants are exercised for cash. We cannot predict when or if these Warrants will be exercised. It is possible that these Warrants may expire and may never be exercised.
These estimates exclude the proceeds, if any, from the exercise of the Warrants offered hereby. If all of the Warrants offered hereby were to be exercised in cash, we would receive additional proceeds of approximately $[•] million. We cannot predict when or if these Warrants will be exercised. It is possible that these Warrants may expire and may never be exercised. Additionally, these Warrants contain a cashless exercise provision that permit exercise of such Warrants on a cashless basis at any time when there is no effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the underlying shares.
We currently intend to use these net proceeds for general corporate purposes, which may include operating expenses, research and development, including clinical and pre-clinical testing of our product candidates, working capital, future acquisitions and general capital expenditures. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for any of such purposes.
The expected use of net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions, which could change in the future as our plans and business conditions evolve and change. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures, specifically with respect to working capital, may vary significantly depending on numerous factors. As a result, our management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the net proceeds from this offering. We have no current agreements, commitments or understandings for any material acquisitions or licenses of any products, businesses or technologies that are definitive or probable to close. Unforeseen events or changed business conditions may result in application of the proceeds of the offering in a manner other than as described in this prospectus. Our shareholders may not agree with the manner in which our management chooses to allocate and spend the net proceeds. Moreover, our management may use the net proceeds for corporate purposes that may not result in our being profitable or increase our market value.
Pending our use of the net proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation investments, including short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments and U.S. government securities.
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MARKET INFORMATION FOR SECURITIES AND DIVIDEND POLICY
Our ADSs are currently listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol“QNRX,” with each ADS representing one ordinary share.
Holders of Record
As of February 8, 2024, our ADSs were held by 7 holders of record, and our ordinary shares were held by five holders of record. Bank of New York Mellon (“BNY”) is the depositary for our ADR program, and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. is our transfer agent. The number of record holders was determined from the records of our depositary and transfer agent and does not include beneficial owners of ADSs or ordinary shares whose shares are held in the names of various securities brokers, dealers and registered clearing agencies.
Dividends
We have never declared or paid any dividends on our ordinary shares. We do not anticipate paying any dividends in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain future earnings, if any, to finance operations and expand our business. Our board of directors has sole discretion whether to pay dividends. If our board of directors decides to pay dividends, the form, frequency and amount will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements and surplus, general financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors that our directors may deem relevant. The Companies Law imposes restrictions on our ability to declare and pay dividends. See “Description of Share Capital” for additional information. Payment of dividends may be subject to Israeli withholding taxes. See “Certain Material Israeli Tax Considerations” for additional information.
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CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our cash and capitalization as of September 30, 2023 on:
● | an actual basis; |
● | on a pro forma basis to give effect to the amendment to our articles of association in October 2023 which increased the number of authorized ordinary shares from 8,333,334 to 100,000,000 shares and the cancellation of 45 treasury shares subsequent to September 30, 2023; and |
● | an as adjusted basis, assuming our sale of the maximum number of securities offered hereby in this offering at an assumed combined public offering price of $3.35 per ADS and accompanying Warrants, based on the last reported sale price for our ADSs on Nasdaq on February 8, 2024, resulting in net proceeds to us of $6.1 million, after deducting the placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, and assuming no sale of Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of Warrants. |
You should read this table in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus and the sections of this prospectus titled “Use of Proceeds” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
As of September 30, 2023 | |||||||||
| Actual |
| Pro Forma |
| Pro Forma | ||||
(Unaudited) | |||||||||
Cash and Short-Term Investments | $ | 13,981,477 | $ | 13,981,477 | $ | 20,061,017 | |||
Liabilities: | |||||||||
Non-Current Liabilities | 3,073,733 | 3,073,733 | 3,073,733 | ||||||
Shareholders’ Equity: | |||||||||
Ordinary shares, no par value per share, 8,333,334 ordinary shares authorized* and 987,220 ordinary shares (represented by 987,220 ADSs) issued and outstanding actual and 3,076,772 ordinary shares (represented by 3,076,772 ADSs) issued and outstanding pro forma and pro forma as adjusted | — | — | — | ||||||
Treasury Stock, 45 ordinary shares issued actual, 0 ordinary shares issued pro forma | $ | (2,932,000) | $ | — | $ | — | |||
Additional paid-in capital | 54,499,138 | 51,567,138 | 57,646,678 | ||||||
Accumulated deficit | (44,153,442) | (44,153,442) | (44,153,442) | ||||||
Total shareholders’ equity | $ | 7,413,696 | $ | 7,413,696 | $ | 13,493,236 | |||
Total capitalization | $ | 10,487,429 | $ | 10,487,429 | $ | 16,566,969 |
*Authorized ordinary shares were increased to 100,000,000 in October 2023.
The information above is based on 987,220 ordinary shares, represented by 987,220 ADSs outstanding (assuming all ordinary shares are represented by ADSs) as of September 30, 2023 and excludes the following:
● | 26,666 ordinary shares represented by 26,666 ADSs issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options at a weighted-average exercise price of $210 per ADS; and |
● | 864,081 ordinary shares represented by 864,081 ADSs issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at a weighted-average exercise price of $16.13 per ADS. |
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion together with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion contains forward-looking statements regarding our expectations regarding our future performance, liquidity and capital resources, as well as other non-historical statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties described in “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Our actual results may differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statements.
Overview
We are a clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of therapeutic products that treat rare and orphan diseases for which there are currently no approved treatments or cures. Our initial focus is on the development of products, using our proprietary owned and in-licensed drug delivery technologies, that could help address rare skin diseases. Our first lead product is QRX003, a once daily, topical lotion comprised of a broad-spectrum serine protease inhibitor, formulated with the proprietary in-licensed Invisicare® technology, is under development as a potential treatment for Netherton Syndrome (“NS”), a rare hereditary genetic disease. QRX003 is currently being tested in two clinical studies in the United States (“U.S.”) under an open Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application with the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). We are also developing QRX004 as a potential treatment for Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (“RDEB”). In addition, we entered into Research Agreements with the Queensland University of Technology (“QUT”), under which we have obtained an option for global licenses to QRX007 for the potential treatment of NS and QRX008 for the potential treatment of scleroderma.
Our objective is to develop and commercialize proprietary therapeutic drug products. To this effect, we intend to develop and seek marketing approvals from the FDA and other worldwide regulatory bodies for rare and orphan diseases. To achieve these objectives, we plan to:
● | complete the late-stage clinical testing of QRX003 and, if successful, file for marketing approval in the United States and other territories; |
● | prepare to commercialize QRX003 by establishing our own sales infrastructure in the U.S. and Europe and entering into distribution partnerships in other territories such as those currently established for Canada, Australia/New Zealand, the Middle East, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey and Singapore; and |
● | pursue business development activities by seeking partnering, licensing, merger and acquisition opportunities or other transactions to further expand our pipeline and drug-development capabilities. |
We do not expect to generate revenue from product sales unless and until we successfully complete development and obtain marketing approval for one or more of our product candidates, which we expect will take a number of years and is subject to significant uncertainty. Accordingly, we will need to raise additional capital prior to the commercialization of QRX003 or any other product candidate. Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial revenue from product sales, we expect to finance our operating activities through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, government or other third-party funding, commercialization, marketing and distribution arrangements and other collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. However, we may be unable to raise additional funds or enter into such other arrangements when needed on favorable terms or at all. Our failure to raise capital or enter into such other arrangements as and when needed would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to continue our operations. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources”.
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ADS Ratio Change and Ordinary Share Reverse Split
Effective August 1, 2022, the ratio of ADSs evidencing ordinary shares changed from 1 ADS representing four hundred (400) ordinary shares to 1 ADS representing five thousand (5,000) ordinary shares, which resulted in a one for 12.5 reverse split of the issued and outstanding ADSs. Effective July 18, 2023, the ratio of ADSs evidencing ordinary shares changed from 1 ADS representing five thousand (5,000) ordinary shares to 1 ADS representing sixty thousand (60,000) ordinary shares, which resulted in a 1 for 12 reverse split of the issued and outstanding ADSs. Effective November 8, 2023, the Company completed a 1 for 60,000 reverse split of the ordinary shares which resulted in the ratio ADSs evidencing ordinary shares to be changed from 1 ADS representing sixty thousand (60,000) ordinary shares to 1 ADS representing one (1) ordinary share. All ordinary share, ADSs and related option and warrant information presented in this section, as well as our financial statements and accompanying footnotes, has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the number of ordinary shares and ADSs resulting from the aforementioned ordinary share reverse split and ADS ratio changes.
Key Events
Merger
On October 28, 2021, Cellect completed the business combination with Quoin Inc. in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, by and among Cellect, Quoin Inc. and Merger Sub, which was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cellect, pursuant to which Merger Sub merged with and into Quoin Inc., with Quoin Inc. surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cellect (the “Merger”). Immediately after completion of the Merger, Cellect changed its name to “Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.”
We have accounted for the transaction as a reverse recapitalization with Quoin Inc. as the accounting acquirer. Because Quoin Inc. is the accounting acquirer, its historical financial statements became our historical financial statements and such assets and liabilities continued to be recorded at their historical carrying values. The impact of the recapitalization has been retroactively applied to all periods presented.
In addition, on October 28, 2021, Cellect sold the entire share capital of its subsidiary, Cellect Biotherapeutics Ltd., which essentially included all of Cellect’s then existing net assets, to EnCellX Inc. (“EnCellX”), a newly formed U.S. privately held company based in San Diego, CA (the “Share Transfer”), pursuant to an Amended and Restated Share Transfer Agreement. We have no interests in EnCellX subsequent to the closing of the Merger.
Clinical Development
Quoin’s lead asset, QRX003, is currently in late-stage clinical development in the U.S. under an open IND application with the FDA. Five clinical sites in the U.S. have been opened for this study, patients are actively being screened and recruited into the study and dosing commenced in December 2022. This study is a randomized, double blinded assessment of two different doses of QRX003 versus a placebo vehicle in NS patients. The test materials are applied once daily, over a twelve-week period, to pre-selected areas of the patient’s body. Based on discussions with the FDA, a number of different clinical endpoints are being assessed in the study, including but not limited to, an Investigators Global Assessment (IGA), Patient’s Global Assessment (PaGA) and Pruritis.
In November 2022, we submitted a protocol for our second clinical study in NS patients to the FDA under our currently open IND (the “Open Label Study”). This study was cleared by the FDA to initiate in December 2022. Dosing commenced in March 2023, patients are actively being screened and recruited into the study,. This study is being conducted in ten NS patients who are currently receiving off-label systemic therapy, primarily systemic biologic therapy. This is an open-label study with no placebo control. While there is no assurance regarding the final results of the Open Label Study, we have received the initial positive clinical data based on the available data from six evaluable subjects completing the Open Label Study. Both of our NS clinical studies are running concurrently and utilize the same clinical trial sites and investigators.
Agreements with Altium Growth Fund, LP and Warrant Exercises
On October 28, 2021, we completed the private placement transaction with Altium Growth Fund, LP (“Altium” or the “Investor”) for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $17.0 million (comprised of the set off of approximately $5.0 million of bridge notes from bridge financing earlier in 2021 (the “Bridge Notes”), and approximately $12.0 million in cash) (the “Primary Financing”), which resulted in the net proceeds of approximately $10.1 million. We issued 28,508 ADSs to the Investor.
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We also issued to the Investor, effective as of March 13, 2022, the 136th day following the consummation of the Merger (i) Series A Warrant to purchase 28,508 ADSs (the “Series A Warrant”) (ii) Series B Warrant to purchase 28,508 ADSs (the “Series B Warrant”) and (iii) Series C Warrant to purchase 15,931 ADSs (“Series C Warrant” and, together with the Series A Warrant and Series B Warrant, the “Investor Warrants”). The exercise price for the Investor Warrants is $597 per ADS, with Series A Warrant having a five-year maturity, and Series B Warrant and Series C Warrant having a two-year maturity.
We had the right to require the mandatory exercise of the Series C Warrant, subject to an effective registration statement being in place for the resale of the shares underlying such warrant and the satisfaction of equity market conditions, as defined in the Series C Warrant. On April 22, 2022, a registration statement for the resale of the shares underlying Investor Warrants was declared effective by the SEC. In the period from April 22, 2022 to June 30, 2022, the Investor exercised the Series B Warrant in full pursuant to the alternate cashless exercise rights of such warrant, which gives the Investor the sole option as elected by the Investor to receive 1.0 ADS for each warrant ADS underlying such warrant, resulting in the issuance of a total of 28,508 ADSs to the Investor. The market related conditions to require the mandatory exercise of the Series C Warrant were not met during the period up to July 14, 2022.
On July 14, 2022, we entered into an agreement with Quoin Inc. and Altium (the “Altium Agreement”), pursuant to which the parties agreed to, among other things, (i) amend certain terms of the Series A Warrant and Investor Exchange Warrants previously issued to Altium to reduce the exercise price to $0.00 per ADS with respect to a total of 33,333 ADSs, (ii) cancel the Series C Warrant and the remaining portion of the Series A Warrant previously issued to Altium, and (iii) terminate the Purchase Agreements, pursuant to which the warrants were previously issued to Altium. The incremental fair value of the modified warrants was approximately $491,000, which was charged against the gross proceeds of the August Offering (see below). From July 15, 2022 to August 2, 2022, Altium exercised all of its Series A Warrant to purchase 25,077 ADSs and all of its Investor Exchange Warrants to purchase 8,256 ADSs at $0.00 per ADS exercise price, and we issued a total of 33,333 ADSs.
Noteholder Warrant Exercises
Commencing in October 2020, Quoin Inc. issued promissory notes (the “2020 Notes”) to five noteholders, including our directors, Messrs. Langer and Culverwell (collectively, “2020 Noteholders”). The 2020 Notes were issued at a 25% original issue discount with an aggregate face value of $1,213,313 with an interest at a rate of 20% per annum. The 2020 Notes were mandatorily convertible into ADSs based on the valuation negotiated in the Primary Financing. The 2020 Noteholders also received warrants exercisable at any time after the issuance date for a number of shares of Quoin Inc.’s common stock equal to 100% of the “as if converted” shares as if the 2020 Notes principal and interest were convertible at the lowest price any securities are sold, convertible, or exercisable into in the Primary Financing or the next round of financing (whichever is lower). At the closing of the Merger, ADSs were issued to the 2020 Noteholders upon the conversion of the principal of the 2020 Notes. In addition, effective as of March 13, 2022, Quoin Ltd. exchanged Quoin Inc. warrants held by the 2020 Noteholders for warrants on substantially the same terms as the Investor Exchange Warrants, exercisable for 2,449 ADSs, in the aggregate, at the exercise price of $597 per ADS (the “Noteholder Warrants”). The Noteholder Warrants became exercisable immediately upon issuance and expire five years from March 13, 2022. The exercise price of the warrants held by the 2020 Noteholders was also reduced to $0.00 as of July 14, 2022 as a result of the Altium Agreement. The change in the exercise price of the Noteholder Warrants resulted in a deemed dividend of approximately $65,000. From July to September 2022, the 2020 Noteholders exercised all their warrants to purchase ADSs at $0.00 per ADS exercise price, and a total of 2,449 ADSs were issued to such noteholders.
Public Offering
On August 9, 2022 (the “August Closing Date”), we completed an offering (the “August Offering”) of 184,167 ordinary shares represented by 184,167 ADSs at a purchase price of $60.00 per ADS and a pre-funded warrant (the “August Pre-Funded Warrant”) to purchase 95,833 ordinary shares represented by 95,833 ADSs at a per pre-funded warrant price of $59.9988, with each ADS and August Pre-Funded Warrant accompanied by an ordinary warrant (the “August Common Warrant”), for aggregate gross proceeds of $16.8 million, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $14.9 million, after deducting the placement agent’s fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, and excluding the proceeds, if any, from the subsequent exercise of the August Common Warrants. Each August Common Warrant had an exercise price of $60.00 per ADS and was to expire on the fifth anniversary of the August Closing Date. On the August Closing Date, the holder of the August Pre-Funded Warrant exercised its Pre-Funded Warrant in full.
On February 24, 2023 (the “February Closing Date”), we completed an offering (the “February Offering”) of 412,500 ordinary shares represented by 412,500 ADSs at a purchase price of $12.00 per ADS and a pre-funded warrant (the “February Pre-Funded Warrant”) to purchase 170,833 ordinary shares represented by 170,833 ADSs at a per pre-funded warrant price of $11.9988, with each ADS and February Pre-Funded Warrant accompanied by an ordinary warrant (the “February Common Warrant”) for aggregate gross
45
proceeds of $7.0 million, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $5.8 million, after deducting the placement agent’s fees and offering expenses paid by us, and excluding the proceeds, if any, from the subsequent exercise of the February Common Warrants. Each February Common Warrant has an exercise price of $12.00 per ADS and expires on the fifth anniversary of the February Closing Date. On the February Closing Date, the holder of the February Pre-Funded Warrant exercised its Pre-Funded Warrant in full.
In connection with the February Offering, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “February Purchase Agreement”) with certain institutional investors. Under the February Purchase Agreement, subject to certain exemptions, we agreed not to: (i) for a period of ninety (90) days after the closing date of the February Offering, issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any ADSs, ordinary shares or ordinary share equivalents or (ii) file any registration statement or amendment or supplement thereto, other than a registration statement on Form S-8 in connection with any employee benefit plan or any post-effective amendment to a registration statement declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and (ii) for a period of 180 days after the closing date of the February Offering, enter into an agreement to effect a “variable rate transaction” as defined in the February Purchase Agreement.
In connection with the February Offering, we entered into an Amendment No. 1 to Warrant to Purchase Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares, dated February 24, 2023 (collectively, the “Warrant Amendments”), with each of the purchasers (the “2022 Purchasers”) who participated in both August Offering and the February Offering. The Warrant Amendments amended certain terms of the common warrants issued to such 2022 Purchasers in the August Offering. Specifically, the Warrant Amendments reduced the exercise price of such warrants to $13.20 and extended the term during which those warrants could remain exercisable until February 24, 2028.
Nasdaq Listing
On April 5, 2023, we received a letter from Listing Qualifications staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying us that the closing bid price per ADS was below the required minimum of $1.00 for a period of 30 consecutive business days and that the we did not meet the minimum bid price requirements set forth in Nasdaq Rule 5550(a)(2). Pursuant to Nasdaq Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we had a period of one hundred eighty (180) calendar days, or until October 2, 2023 (the “Compliance Period”), to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement. On August 1, 2023, we received a letter from Nasdaq stating that the closing bid price per ADS was at $1.00 or greater for the last 10 consecutive business days. Accordingly, we regained compliance with Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) and the matter was closed.
There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid-price requirement for continued listing. If our ADSs are delisted from Nasdaq, it will have a material negative impact on the actual and potential liquidity our securities, as well as a material negative impact on our ability to raise future capital.
Components of Our Results of Operations
Operating Expenses
Our current operating expenses consist of two components - research and development expenses, and general and administrative expenses.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses include personnel costs associated with research and development activities, including third-party contractors to perform research, conduct clinical trials and manufacture drug supplies and materials. We utilize outside consultants and third parties to conduct the majority of our research and development, under the supervision of our management team.
Future research and development expenses may include:
● | employee-related expenses, such as salaries, bonuses and benefits, consultant-related expenses, share-based compensation, overhead related expenses and travel related expenses for our research and development personnel; |
● | expenses incurred under agreements with CROs, as well as consultants that support the implementation of the clinical studies described above; |
46
● | manufacturing and packaging costs in connection with conducting clinical trials and for stability and other studies required to support the NDA filing as well as manufacturing drug product for commercial launch; |
● | formulation, research and development expenses related to QRX003; and other products we may choose to develop; and |
● | costs for sponsored research. |
Research and development activities will continue to be central to our business plan. Products in later stages of clinical development generally have higher development costs than those in earlier stages of clinical development, primarily due to the increased size and duration of later-stage clinical trials. We expect our research and development expenses to be significant over the next several years as personnel and compensation costs increase and we conduct late-stage clinical studies and prepare to seek regulatory approval for QRX003 and any other future product.
The duration, costs and timing of clinical trials of QRX003 and any other future product will depend on a variety of factors that include, but are not limited to:
● | the number of trials required for approval; |
● | the per patient trial costs; |
● | the number of patients that participate in the trials; |
● | the number of sites included in the trials; |
● | the countries in which the trial is conducted; |
● | the length of time required to enroll eligible patients; |
● | the number of doses that patients receive; |
● | the drop-out or discontinuation rates of patients; |
● | the potential additional safety monitoring or other studies requested by regulatory agencies; |
● | the duration of patient follow-up; |
● | the timing and receipt of regulatory approvals; and |
● | the efficacy and safety profile of our product candidates. |
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and employee related expenses including non-cash stock-based compensation, professional fees and other corporate expenses.
We anticipate that our general and administrative expenses may increase during the remainder of 2023 to support our continued research and development activities. These increases will include compensation and employee-related expenses including stock-based compensation, increased costs related to the potential hiring of personnel, travel costs and fees to outside consultants, lawyers and accountants.
Other Expenses (income)
Other expenses (income) consist primarily of non cash fair value adjustments of warrants, forgiveness of trade payable, interest income and unrealized loss on investments.
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Results of Operations – Three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022
The following table sets forth our results of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022:
Three months ended September 30, | |||||||||
2023 | 2022 | Change | |||||||
Operating expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
General and administrative | $ | 1,366,464 | $ | 1,582,059 |
| $ | (215,595) | ||
Research and development |
| 758,759 |
| 745,506 |
|
| 13,253 | ||
Total operating expenses |
| 2,125,223 |
| 2,327,565 |
|
| (202,342) | ||
Other (income) and expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
Unrealized loss and (gain) |
| (2,119) |
| 3,053 |
|
| (5,172) | ||
Interest income |
| (196,425) |
| (15,132) |
|
| (181,293) | ||
Interest expense | — | 714,081 | (714,081) | ||||||
Total other (income) expense |
| (198,544) |
| 702,002 |
|
| (900,546) | ||
Net loss | $ | (1,926,679) | $ | (3,029,567) |
| $ | 1,102,888 |
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses were approximately $1,366,000 and $1,582,000, in the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, representing a decrease of approximately $216,000, or approximately 14%. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in public company costs of $73,000, decreased travel costs for $41,000 and a decrease in insurance costs of $53,000.
Research and Development Expenses
Our research and development expenses during the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 were approximately $759,000 and $746,000, respectively, representing an increase of approximately $13,000, or approximately 2%. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $303,000 worth of expenditures on our development programs, including work related to the clinical studies for the development of QRX003 and our research collaborations with Queensland University of Technology, offset by an approximately $278,000 credit for prior expenses incurred during the period of March 2023 to July 2023. We expect to increase our research and development efforts during the remainder of 2023 as we continue to conducting the studies necessary for the development and approval of QRX003, see “Components of Our Results of Operations - Research and Development Expenses” above.
We amortize licensed or acquired intellectual property over its expected useful life, included in research and development expenses set forth above. The license from Skinvisible was obtained in October 2019. Amortization of intangible assets was approximately $26,000 in each of the three month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022.
Other (Income) and Expenses:
Interest income and unrealized loss
We earned approximately $196,000 in interest income and approximately $2,000 in unrealized gain, and earned approximately $15,000 in interest income and incurred approximately $3,000 in unrealized loss in the three months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022, respectively, from our cash and cash equivalents and investments in marketable debt securities.
Interest expense on promissory notes we issued in 2020 “the 2020 Notes” was $714,000 in the three months ended September 30, 2022.
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Results of Operations – Nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022
The following table sets forth our results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022:
Nine months ended September 30, | |||||||||
2023 | 2022 | Change | |||||||
Operating expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
General and administrative | $ | 4,685,241 | $ | 5,112,002 |
| $ | (426,761) | ||
Research and development |
| 2,475,596 |
| 2,059,769 |
|
| 415,827 | ||
Total operating expenses |
| 7,160,837 |
| 7,171,771 |
|
| (10,934) | ||
Other (income) and expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
Forgiveness of trade payable | — | (416,000) | 416,000 | ||||||
Warrant liability (income) expense |
| — |
| (77,237) |
|
| 77,237 | ||
Unrealized loss |
| 11,926 | 3,053 | 8,873 | |||||
Interest income |
| (536,068) |
| (15,132) |
|
| (520,936) | ||
Interest expense | — |
| 714,081 |
|
| (714,081) | |||
Total other (income) expense |
| (524,142) |
| 208,765 |
| (732,907) | |||
Net loss | $ | (6,636,695) | $ | (7,380,536) | $ | 743,841 |
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses were approximately $4,685,000 and $5,112,000, in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, representing a decrease of approximately $427,000, or approximately 8%. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in legal fees and other public company expenses of $528,000, a decrease in insurance of $156,000, offset by an increase of $259,000 in non-cash stock-based compensation expense.
Research and Development Expenses
Our research and development expenses during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 were approximately $2,476,000 and $2,060,000, respectively, representing an increase of approximately $416,000, or approximately 20%. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $668,000 worth of expenditures on our development programs, including work related to the clinical studies for the development of QRX003 and our research collaborations with Queensland University of Technology, offset by an approximately $278,000 credit for prior expenses incurred during the period of March 2023 to July 2023. We expect to increase our research and development efforts during the remainder of 2023 as we continue to conduct the studies necessary for the development and approval of QRX003, see “Components of Our Results of Operations - Research and Development Expenses” above.
We amortize licensed or acquired intellectual property over its expected useful life, included in research and development expenses set out above. The license from Skinvisible was obtained in October 2019. Amortization of intangible assets was approximately $78,000 in each of the nine month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022.
Other (Income) and Expenses:
Interest and unrealized loss
We earned approximately $536,000 in interest income and incurred approximately $12,000 in unrealized loss, and earned approximately $15,000 in interest income and incurred approximately $3,000 in unrealized loss, in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30 2022, respectively, from our cash and cash equivalents and investments in marketable debt securities.
Interest expense on the 2020 Notes was approximately $714,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2022.
Warrant liability income
We determined our warrants issued to investors in our 2020 Notes (the “2020 Noteholder Warrants”) required liability treatment at fair value, which was remeasured at each reporting period up to March 2022. The 2020 Noteholder Warrants were exchanged for
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new warrants and reclassified as an equity instrument in March 2022. In the nine months ended September 30, 2022, we incurred a fair value gain of ($77,000) related to the 2020 Noteholder Warrants.
Forgiveness of trade payable
In our balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 we had a liability of $584,000 representing amounts due to an investor relations firm for services commencing in 2017. Effective March 31, 2022, we entered into a settlement with such firm to decrease the liability to $168,000 which resulted in approximately $416,000 of income recognized in the nine months ended September 30, 2022.
Results of Operations - Year ended December 31, 2022 compared to Year ended December 31, 2021
The following table sets forth our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021:
Year ended December 31, | |||||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| Change | ||||
Operating Expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
General and administrative | $ | 6,584,868 | $ | 4,499,923 | $ | 2,084,945 | |||
Research and development |
| 2,672,836 |
| 1,562,927 |
| 1,109,909 | |||
Total operating expenses |
| 9,257,704 |
| 6,062,850 |
| 3,194,854 | |||
Other Expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
Forgiveness of trade payable | (416,000) | — | (416,000) | ||||||
Fair value adjustments to convertible notes payable |
| — |
| 1,250,000 |
| (1,250,000) | |||
Warrant liability (income) expense |
| (77,237) |
| 12,784,329 |
| (12,861,566) | |||
Financing expense |
| — |
| 275,000 |
| (275,000) | |||
Unrealized income | (1,307) | — | (1,307) | ||||||
Interest income |
| (95,745) |
| — |
| (95,745) | |||
Interest and financing expense | 714,081 | 1,090,409 | (376,328) | ||||||
Total other expense |
| 123,792 |
| 15,399,738 |
| (15,275,946) | |||
Net loss | $ | (9,381,496) | $ | (21,462,588) | $ | 12,081,092 |
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses were approximately $6,585,000 and $4,500,000, in the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, representing an increase of $2,085,000, or 46%. The increase was primarily due to the build-up of the company infrastructure post the Merger which included, $810,000 in increased costs of becoming a public company related to professional services, filing and insurance costs, $318,000 in increased salary and benefits expenses, $283,000 in travel related expenses and stock-based compensation expense of $664,000 following the issuance of options under the Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan (the “Amended Plan”) in April 2022.
Research and Development Expenses
Our research and development expenses during the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were approximately $2,673,000 and $1,563,000, respectively, representing an increase of $1,110,000, or approximately 71%. The increase was primarily due to $1,110,000 in increased expenditures on our development programs following the completion of our financings in October 2021, including work related to the filing of our IND for QRX003 in March 2022, work related to commencing the clinical studies for the development of QRX003 following the FDA clearance of our IND in April 2022. Also, included in the 2022 expenses were approximately $100,000 of stock-based compensation expense following the issuance of options under the Amended Plan. We expect to significantly increase our research and development efforts by conducting the remaining studies necessary for the development and approval of QRX003, see “Components of Our Results of Operations - Research and Development Expenses” above.
We amortize licensed or acquired intellectual property over its expected useful life, included in research and development expenses set out above. The license from Skinvisible was obtained in October 2019, see “Research and Development, Patents and Licenses.” Amortization of intangible assets was approximately $104,000 in each of the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
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Other Expenses:
Interest and financing expense
Interest expense on the 2020 Notes and bridge noted (the “Bridge Notes”) issued to Altium Growth Fund LLP (“Altium”) was $714,000 and $1,090,000 in the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 respectively. Interest on the Bridge Notes was paid in October 2021 upon closing of the Primary Financing, and interest on the 2020 Notes did not accrue after October 2021 but remained unpaid and included as a liability on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 a portion of which was paid in the year ended December 31, 2022. Approximately $312,000 was paid to two of the five 2020 Noteholders during the year ended December 31, 2022. Based on the terms of the cash settlement with these two 2020 Noteholders, our estimate of the liability to the remaining three 2020 Noteholders was increased to $1,146,000 as of December 31, 2022. We earned $96,000 in interest income in the year ended December 31, 2022 from our cash and investments in marketable securities. In the year ended December 31, 2021 we incurred $275,000 in finance expenses in connection with the Primary Financing.
Fair value adjustment to convertible notes payable
We elected to value the 2020 Notes and the Bridge Notes at fair value, which was remeasured at each reporting period. In the year ended December 31, 2021 we incurred a fair value adjustment of $1,250,000 related to the Bridge Notes. The Bridge Notes and 2020 Notes were converted into equity in October 2021 on the closing of the Primary Financing.
Warrant liability expense
We determined our warrants required liability treatment at fair value, which was remeasured at each reporting period. In the year ended December 31, 2022, and December 31, 2021 we incurred a fair value gain of ($77,000) related to the warrants associated with the 2020 Notes, and expense of $12,784,000 related to the warrants associated with the 2020 Notes and the Bridge Notes, respectively. The Bridge Note warrants which were exchanged for the Investor Exchange Warrants with a fixed exercise price of $597 per ADS and reclassified as an equity instrument in October 2021 upon closing of the Primary Financing. The 2020 Note warrants were exchanged for warrants on the same terms as warrents issued to Altium in the Primary Financing (the “Investor Exchange Warrants”) and reclassified as an equity instrument in March 2022.
Forgiveness of Trade Payable
In our balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 we had a liability of $584,000 representing amounts due to an investor relations firm for services commencing in 2017. In May 2022, we entered into a settlement with such firm to decrease the liability to $168,000 which resulted in $416,000 of income recognized in the year ended December 31, 2022.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We have incurred net losses every year since inception. We believe that we have sufficient resources to effect our business plan for at least one year from the date of this prospectus; however, the Company is subject to risks common to development stage biopharmaceutical companies including, but not limited to, unanticipated clinical trial costs and the ability to estimate such occurrences, if any, on the Company’s cash, liquidity, additional financing requirements, and availability. Accordingly, we may to raise additional funds sooner than planned. We do not expect to generate revenue from product sales unless and until we successfully complete development and obtain marketing approval for one or more of our product candidates, which we expect will take a number of years and is subject to significant uncertainty. Additional financing will be required to complete the research and development of our therapeutic targets and our other operating requirements, which may not be available at acceptable terms, if at all. If we are unable to obtain additional funding when it becomes necessary, the development of our product candidates will be impacted and we would likely be forced to delay, reduce, or terminate some or all of our development programs, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year, depending on the timing of planned clinical trials and our expenditures on other research and development activities.
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Future Funding Requirements
We will need to obtain further funding through public or private offerings of our capital stock, debt financing, collaboration and licensing arrangements or other sources, the requirements for which will depend on many factors, including:
● | the scope, timing, rate of progress and costs of our drug development efforts, preclinical development activities, the timing of laboratory testing and clinical trials for our product candidates; |
● | the number and scope of clinical programs we decide to pursue; |
● | the cost, timing and outcome of preparing for and undergoing regulatory review of our product candidates; |
● | the scope and costs of development and commercial manufacturing activities; |
● | the cost and timing associated with commercializing our product candidates, if they receive marketing approval; |
● | the extent to which we acquire or in-license other product candidates and technologies; |
● | the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending intellectual property-related claims; |
● | our ability to establish and maintain collaborations on favorable terms, if at all; |
● | our efforts to enhance operational systems and our ability to attract, hire and retain qualified personnel, including personnel to support the development of our product candidates and, ultimately, the sale of our products, following FDA approval; |
● | our implementation of operational, financial and management systems; and |
● | the costs associated with being a public company. |
Adequate additional funding may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to raise capital in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development or commercialization of QRX003, any future product, or potentially discontinue operations.
To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of our equity or convertible debt securities, and pursuant to the exercise of the Warrants issued in this Offering and the warrants issued to our investors in the August Offering and the February Offering, the ownership interest of our equity holders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of our equity holders. Debt financing and preferred equity financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends.
If we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may be required to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or proposed products, or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our drug development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market any future product that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
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Summary Statement of Cash Flows – Nine Months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022
As of September 30, 2023, we had approximately $3,163,000 in cash and cash equivalents and $10,818,000 in investments in marketable securities. The table below presents our cash flows for the nine month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022:
Nine months ended September 30, | ||||||
| 2023 |
| 2022 | |||
Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (4,640,784) | $ | (6,538,390) | ||
Net cash used in investing activities |
| (455,684) |
| (10,149,121) | ||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
| 5,399,266 |
| 14,454,570 | ||
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $ | 302,798 | $ | (2,232,941) |
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was approximately $4,641,000 and $6,538,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The decrease in 2023 was primarily due to a decrease in prepaid expenses and increase in accrued expenses, offset by a decrease in accounts payable.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was approximately $456,000 and $10,149,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 consisted of net purchases of short maturity US Treasury Bills from the proceeds of the February Offering, and the cash used in investing activities in the nine months ended September 30, 2022 consisted consisted of net purchases of short maturity US Treasury Bills from the proceeds of the August Offering and payments of remaining amounts due under our license agreement with Skinvisible, see “Research and Development Commitments” below.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was approximately $5,399,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The net cash provided increased due to the receipt of approximately $5,849,000 in net proceeds from the February Offering partially offset by repayments of amounts due to officers of $450,000. Net cash provided by financing activities in the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $14,545,000, representing net proceeds of $14.9 million from the August 2022 Offering, offset by repayments of amounts due to officers of $450,000.
Summary Statement of Cash Flows – Years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021
As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $12,854,000 in cash and investments in marketable securities. The table below presents our cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||
Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (8,480,732) | $ | (5,720,090) | ||
Net cash used in investing activities |
| (10,149,121) |
| (625,000) | ||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
| 14,007,708 |
| 13,504,031 | ||
Net increase (decrease) in cash | $ | (4,622,145) | $ | 7,158,941 |
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was approximately $8,481,000 and $5,750,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The increase in 2022 was primarily due to the increase in research and development and general and administrative expenses, including significant expenses incurred in connection with becoming a public company and increased compensation costs.
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Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $10,149,000 and $625,000 in the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The increase in cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily due to the purchases of short maturity US Treasury Bills from the proceeds of the August Offering, offset by a decrease of $375,000 in license acquisition costs.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was $14,008,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The net cash provided increased due to the receipt of $14.9 million in net proceeds from our August Offering partially offset by repayments of amounts due to officers at the aggregate rate of $50,000 per month and approximately $312,000 partial pay-down of accrued interest on the 2020 Notes. Net cash from financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2021 was $13,504,000, primarily representing net proceeds received from the issuance of Bridge Notes and the Primary Financing.
Research and Development Commitments
In October 2019, Quoin Inc. entered into the Exclusive Licensing Agreement (as amended from time to time, the “License Agreement”) with Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Skinvisible”), under which Skinvisible granted us an exclusive royalty-bearing license relating to the production and manufacture of prescription drug products related to certain patents held by Skinvisible, including those related to QRX003 and QRX004. We made Skinvisible a one-time non-refundable, non-creditable license fee of $1 million (the “License Fee”). In addition, we agreed to pay Skinvisible a single digit royalty percentage of our net sales revenues for any licensed product covered by the patent rights licensed under the License Agreement. We also agreed to pay Skinvisible 25% of any revenues we receive as royalties in the event that we sublicense any licensed products to a third party. The License Agreement also requires that we make a $5 million payment to Skinvisible upon receiving approval in the U.S. or European Union, whichever occurs first, for the first drug product developed using intellectual property licensed thereunder.
In November 2020, Quoin Inc. entered into a Master Service Agreement for an initial term of three years with Therapeutics Inc. for managing preclinical and clinical development for new products in the field of dermatology. The agreement required the execution of individual work orders. Quoin Inc. may terminate any work order for any reason with 90 days written notice subject to costs incurred through termination and a defined termination fee, unless there is a material breach by Therapeutics Inc. A work order was entered into in June 2022 for the first QRX003 clinical study at an expected estimated cost of approximately $4.4 million through 2024. A further work order was entered into in December 2022 for the second QRX003 clinical study at an expected estimated cost of approximately $830,000 through 2024. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, we incurred a research and development expense under these agreements of approximately $155,000 and $1,113,000, and $423,000 and $904,000, respectively. During the three months ended September 30, 2023, we received a credit of approximately $278,000 applied to prior expenses incurred during the period of March 2023 to July 2023. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we incurred a research and development expense under these agreements of approximately $1.2 million and $340,000 respectively.
In November 2021, we entered into a commitment with Queensland University of Technology for research related services associated with Netherton Syndrome of approximately $250,000 for an initial expected period of eighteen months. In May 2022, we entered into a commitment with Queensland University of Technology for research related services associated with Scleroderma of approximately $610,000 for an initial expected period of eighteen months. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, we incurred research and development costs related to these agreements of approximately $85,000 and $361,000, and $173,000 and $250,000, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we incurred a research and development expense under the November 2021 agreement of approximately $77,000 and $25,000 respectively. We incurred research and development expenses of approximately $276,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022 under the May 2022 agreement.
Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates
The preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to accrued expenses, valuation allowance on deferred tax assets and valuation of intangible assets. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Results may differ from these estimates due to actual outcomes being different from those on
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which we based our assumptions. These estimates and judgments are regularly reviewed by management on an ongoing basis at the end of each quarter prior to the public release of our financial results.
Critical accounting policies are those that, in management’s view, are most important to the portrayal of a company’s financial condition and results of operations and most demanding on their calls on judgment, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain and may change in subsequent periods. We believe our most critical accounting policies and estimates relate to:
Use of estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. Management considers many factors in developing the estimates and assumptions that are used in the preparation of these financial statements including: expected business and operational changes, sensitivity and volatility associated with the assumptions used in developing estimates, and whether historical trends are expected to be representative of future trends. The estimation process often may yield a range of potentially reasonable estimates of the ultimate future outcomes and management must select an amount that falls within that range of reasonable estimates. Estimates are used in the following areas, among others: settlement of debt or other obligations, fair value of debt instruments, stock-based compensation and warrants, research and development expense recognition, intangible asset estimated useful lives and impairment assessments, allowances of deferred tax assets, contingency recognition, and cash flow assumptions regarding going concern considerations.
Research and Development
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses include personnel costs associated with research and development activities, including third-party contractors to perform research, conduct clinical trials and manufacture drug supplies and materials. We accrue for costs incurred by external service providers, including contract research organizations and clinical investigators, based on its estimates of service performed and costs incurred. These estimates include the level of services performed by third parties, patient enrollment in clinical trials when applicable, administrative costs incurred by third parties, and other indicators of the services completed. Based on the timing of amounts invoiced by service providers, we may also record payments made to those providers as prepaid expenses that will be recognized as expense in future periods as the related services are rendered.
Warrants
We classify as equity any contracts that (i) require physical settlement or net-share settlement or (ii) provide the us with a choice of net-cash settlement or settlement in its own shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement) provided that such contracts are indexed to our own stock. We classify as assets or liabilities any contracts that (i) require net-cash settlement (including a requirement to net cash settle the contract if an event occurs and if that event is outside of our control) or (ii) give the counterparty a choice of net-cash settlement or settlement in shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement).
We assess classification of our warrants and other free-standing derivatives at each reporting date to determine whether a change in classification between assets, liabilities and equity is required. We evaluated our warrants to assess their proper classification using the applicable criteria enumerated under U.S. GAAP and determined that such warrants meet the criteria for equity classification in the accompanying balance sheets as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
Long-lived assets
Long-lived assets are comprised of acquired technology and licensed rights to use technology, which are considered platform technology with alternative future uses beyond the current products in development. Such intangible assets are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their expected useful life of 10 years.
We assess the impairment for long-lived assets whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors we consider that could trigger an impairment review include the following:
● | Significant changes in the manner of our use of the acquired assets or the strategy for our overall business; |
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● | Significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected development milestones; |
● | Significant negative regulatory or economic trends, and |
● | Significant technological changes which could render the platform technology obsolete. |
We recognize impairment when the sum of the expected undiscounted future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset. Impairment losses, if any, are measured as the excess of the carrying amount of the asset over its estimated fair value. During the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the nine months ended September 30, 2023, there were no impairment indicators which required an impairment loss measurement.
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BUSINESS
Company Overview
We are a clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of therapeutic products that treat rare and orphan diseases for which there are currently no approved treatments or cures. Our initial focus is on the development of products, using our proprietary owned and in-licensed drug delivery technologies, that could help address rare skin diseases, particularly those where there are currently no approved treatments or cures. Our first lead product is QRX003, atopical lotion comprised of a broad-spectrum serine protease inhibitor active ingredient and formulated with the proprietary in-licensed Invisicare® technology, is under development as a potential treatment for Netherton Syndrome (“NS”), a rare hereditary genetic disease. QRX003 is currently being tested in two ongoing clinical studies in the United States (“U.S.”) under an open Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application with the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Both studies are actively recruiting patients in five clinical sites across the US. The opening of additional clinical sites in Europe and elsewhere is currently under evaluation. We also intend to pursue the development of QRX for additional rare diseases including, among others, Peeling Skin Syndrome, SAM Syndrome and Palmoplantar Keratoderma. Other development products in our pipeline include QRX004 as a potential treatment for Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (“RDEB”). In addition, we entered into Research Agreements with the Queensland University of Technology (“QUT”), under which we have obtained an option for global licenses to QRX007 and QRX008 as potential treatments of NS and scleroderma respectively.
We were incorporated under the laws of the State of Israel in 1986 under the name Montiger Ltd. Between 1986 and 2021, we underwent several name changes, including the name change to Cellect Biotechnology Ltd. (“Cellect”). On October 28, 2021, Cellect completed the business combination with Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Quoin Inc.”), in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization, dated as of March 24, 2021 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Cellect, Quoin Inc. and CellMSC, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Cellect (“Merger Sub”), pursuant to which Merger Sub merged with and into Quoin Inc., with Quoin Inc. surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cellect (the “Merger”). Immediately after completion of the Merger, Cellect changed its name to “Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.” In addition, on October 28, 2021, Cellect sold the entire share capital of its subsidiary, Cellect Biotherapeutics Ltd., which retained all of Cellect’s then existing assets, to EnCellX Inc. (“EnCellX”), a newly formed U.S. privately held company.
Netherton Syndrome
NS is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by a mutation in the SPINK5 gene and has an incidence of approximately 1/200,000 births. The SPINK5 gene encodes a protein, called lympho-epithelial kazal type related inhibitor (“LEKTI”) that serves as a brake system on the activity of certain proteases (enzymes that digest proteins) in the skin called Kallikreins. The absence of the LEKTI protein, as a result of the genetic defect that causes NS, leads to unregulated protease activity in the skin by the Kallikreins, resulting in too few layers of the outer skin (stratum corneum), thereby leading to a highly defective and compromised skin barrier. As a result, patients with NS suffer from a variety of medical issues including regular, severe infections, skin cancer, pruritis, asthma, and severe allergies among others.
Newborns with NS have reddened skin (erythroderma) and sometimes a thick parchment-like covering of skin (collodion membrane). The skin is red and scaly all over. Hair shafts are fragile and break easily due to trichorrhexis or “bamboo hair,” resulting in short sparse hair. In older children and adults the scaling may have a distinctive circular pattern (ichthyosis linearis circumflexa). Babies with NS may be born prematurely. Trouble gaining weight in infancy and childhood is common and can be severe. Infants may also have recurrent skin infections and septicemia. They may develop hypernatremia (elevated sodium levels in the blood) due to excessive loss of fluid from the skin surface. Because hairs may not be affected at birth, and then may be sparse in all babies in the first months of life, the characteristic hair defect that is diagnostic of NS may not be detected initially. Infants with NS may be misdiagnosed as having congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, atopic dermatitis or psoriasis. Atopic dermatitis (red, itchy patches of skin) may be present and a cradle cap-like scale and redness may appear on the face, scalp and eyebrows.
There are currently no approved therapies to treat NS. In the absence of an approved therapeutic product, patients can only obtain minor symptomatic relief, generally by the regular use of emollients and moisturizing creams and lotions. Other topical agents must be used with caution because the highly compromised skin in NS patients may allow ingredients from some topically applied medications to be excessively absorbed into the bloodstream, which may pose a danger to the patient. Use of topical keratolytic agents, such as urea or lactic acid derivatives, may be limited by skin irritation and is generally be reserved for older children or adults. Base line treatment may also include oral antihistamines, which can help to control the itchy, eczematous component, and topical or systemic antibiotics as needed. Oral and topical steroids and systemic biologics may be beneficial in reducing inflammation and the eczematous
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component of the disease. However, the well-documented side effects of long-term steroid use need to be carefully considered. There is a critical need for a new and effective treatment for NS.
Our Product Candidates
QRX003
QRX003 is a topical lotion being developed for the treatment of NS. The active ingredient in QRX003 is a competitive broad-spectrum serine protease inhibitor whose mechanism of action is to target the kallikreins responsible for the process of skin shedding. Due to the genetic mutation of the SPINK5 gene, these kallikreins go unregulated and become hyperactive resulting in the uncontrolled desquamation that leads to the highly defective skin barrier in NS patients. When applied to the skin, QRX003 is designed to perform the function of the missing LEKTI protein and down regulate, but not completely stop, the activity of kallikreins, leading to a more normalized skin shedding process and the formation of a stronger and more effective skin barrier.
While several other companies are pursuing the development of products to treat NS, we believe, to date we are the only company that is actively dosing subjects in NS clinical studies under an open IND with the FDA. QRX003 was developed using Invisicare® polymer delivery technology licensed from Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Skinvisible”). See “—Intellectual Property—License Agreement with Skinvisible.” The Invisicare® polymer delivery technology is an optimized topical delivery system that moisturizes the skin whilst simultaneously providing a protective barrier against allergens, toxins and other environmental agents.
QRX004
QRX004 contains two active ingredients as a potential treatment for RDEB. One active ingredient induces a read-through of nonsense mutations and leads to creation of robust and sustained type VII collagen, which is designed to improve wound closure, reduce blistering and stronger skin. This product is being developed using Invisicare® delivery technology in-licensed from Skinvisible. See “—Intellectual Property—License Agreement with Skinvisible.”
QRX007 and QRX008
In November 2021, we entered into the Research Agreement with QUT, pursuant to which we have an option to in-license the QRX007 product. QRX007 is a bi-functional protein designed to be highly selective and potent inhibitor of the KLK5 and KLK7 kallikreins as a potential treatment for NS. QRX007 is in pre-clinical testing for NS. In May 2022, we entered into another Research Agreement with QUT, pursuant to which we have an option to in-license a small molecule VLA-4 inhibitor, the QRX008 product. QRX008 is a potential treatment for scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease for which there is currently no approved treatment, and it is under early-stage development by QUT.
Regulatory Status of QRX003 for the Treatment of NS
On November 29, 2019, we submitted a pre-IND meeting request to the FDA regarding the proposed development of QRX003 as a potential treatment for NS. On January 30, 2020, we received feedback from the FDA, which we believe has provided us with a clear path forward for the development of QRX003 as a potential treatment for NS.
With regard to the proposed clinical program, the agency confirmed that in the case of a rare disease, findings from a single Phase 3 trial along with supportive data could be used to establish efficacy. In response to our query, the agency stated that QRX003 may be a candidate for one or more expedited regulatory approval pathways.
We submitted an IND in March 2022 to the FDA to initiate a clinical study of QRX003 in adult NS patients. We received a ‘Study May Proceed’ notification from the FDA on June 13, 2022, which cleared us to initiate clinical testing of QRX003 in NS patients. This study is fully up and running and five clinical sites in the U.S. have been opened and are actively recruiting and dosing patients. This study originally was designed as a randomized, double blinded assessment of two different doses of QRX003 versus a placebo vehicle in 18 adult NS patients. The test materials are applied once daily, over a twelve-week period, to pre-selected areas of the patient’s body. Based on discussions with the FDA, a number of different clinical endpoints are being assessed in the study, including but not limited to, an Investigators Global Assessment (IGA), Patient’s Global Assessment (PaGA) and Pruritis. In its communication allowing our study to proceed, the FDA provided further feedback on our development program providing guidance on this initial study that could better inform future studies.
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In November 2022, we submitted a protocol for our second clinical study in NS patients under our currently open IND and we were cleared by the FDA to initiate testing in NS patients in December 2022. This study originally was designed to be conducted in ten adult NS patients who are currently receiving, and will continue to do so throughout the study, off-label systemic therapy, primarily systemic biologic therapy. This is an open-label study with no placebo control and is being conducted at the same clinical sites as our other ongoing study.
On October 24, 2023, we released positive initial clinical results obtained from the first six evaluable subjects in our open-label study. Upon completion of dosing, five of the six patients reported that their pruritis or itch was either absent or negligible. In addition, according to the IGA assessment, three of the six subjects demonstrated positive improvement in skin appearance on completion of the study while the other three subjects demonstrated improvements in skin appearance at various points throughout the study, though not necessarily on completion of the study. In addition, all six subjects reported a favorable impression of QRX003 across a number of key metrics.
As a result of this positive initial data and the absence of any safety concerns from both studies, on November 8, 2023 we submitted a number of protocol amendments to the FDA, under our open IND, with a view to optimizing both studies and potentially leading to even better clinical outcomes and a more rapid regulatory approval. These protocol amendments included eliminating the lower dose from the double-blinded study, modifying the dosing frequency from once-daily to twice-daily and increasing the number of subjects from 18 to 30. For the open-label study, the number of subjects was increased from 10 to 20 and dosing was modified from once-daily to twice-daily. On December 13, 2023, we announced that we were cleared by the FDA to implement these protocol amendments
In March 2022, we submitted a briefing document to the EMA seeking guidance regarding the clinical and regulatory development of QRX003 for the European Union (“EU”), to which we received comprehensive and constructive feedback. We also intend to apply for Orphan Drug status in the U.S. and Europe as well as Rare Pediatric Disease designation in the U.S. for QRX003.
Commercial Strategy
QRX003 has the potential to become the first approved treatment for NS to reach the market both in the U.S. and Europe and may therefore likely be used in a large proportion of patients. We currently anticipate that QRX003, if approved, would be applied once or twice daily over the patient’s entire body. Because NS is a chronic disease and does not spontaneously resolve, we believe there is an opportunity for the product, should it be approved, for long-term chronic use.
We intend to self-commercialize QRX003, and other rare disease products the company may develop, if approved, in both the U.S. and Europe. Because of the very low number of patients and the fact that diagnosis and treatment are generally provided by a relatively small number of board-certified dermatologists in major urban areas, this concentration of care will enable us to market QRX003 with a small, dedicated salesforce to target patients and caregivers in the U.S. Outside of the U.S., we have currently established nine separate marketing partnerships for QRX003 that cover 61 different countries including Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey, Canada, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the major countries in Latin America.
Once the commercial infrastructure has been established for QRX003 for NS, the subsequent approval and addition of new rare disease indications or products will not result in a significant increase in the size of that infrastructure. In particular, it is highly likely that physicians who treat patients with NS would also treat patients with Peeling Skin Syndrome, SAM Syndrome, Palmoplantar Keratoderma and Epidermolysis Bullosa, enabling our sales personnel to discuss several products, once approved, with each treating physician.
A key element of our commercial strategy will be to add new products to our portfolio beyond those which we develop ourselves. This will be achieved through in-licensing, acquisition or the establishment of research partnerships with universities or other institutions. While it is intended that these products will treat rare and orphan diseases, we may widen our scope of interest beyond rare skin diseases as we believe this will not add significant incremental burden to an already established commercial infrastructure.
Pricing
We have not conducted a formal pricing analysis of QRX003 in NS. We anticipate that pricing at launch may be influenced by the product label negotiated with the FDA, pharmacoeconomic data developed to support pricing and the potential for greater sales under negotiated government contracts.
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Competition
Currently, there are no approved products to treat NS. However, to our knowledge, there are a number of therapeutic products at various stages of development for the treatment of NS, including candidates from LifeMax Laboratories, Inc., Krystal Biotech, Inc., Sixera Pharmaceuticals, ResVita Bio, and Azitra Inc. Currently, to the best of our knowledge, there are no active studies on NS patients being conducted under an open IND by any of these companies.
Manufacturing
Our manufacturing strategy is to contract with third parties to manufacture our clinical and commercial active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and drug product supplies. The formulation and processes used to manufacture our products are proprietary, and we have agreements with various third-party manufacturers and suppliers, such as Ferndale Contract Manufacturing and TopChem Pharmaceuticals Limited, that are intended to restrict these manufacturers from using or revealing any unpublished proprietary information.
Intellectual Property
Patents and Trademarks
Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain patents and other forms of intellectual property rights, including in-licenses of intellectual property rights of others, for our product candidates, methods used to develop and manufacture our product candidates and methods for treating patients using our product candidates, as well as our ability to preserve our trade secrets, to prevent third parties from infringing upon our proprietary rights and to operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others. The strength of patents in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical field involves complex legal and scientific questions and can be uncertain.
The following table lists patents and trademarks that we use in our business.
Patents | Trademarks |
U.S. Patent No. 7,674,471 (exp. March 10, 2024) and U.S. Patent No. 8,318,818 (exp. July 10, 2025) directed to Invisicare® technology licensed from Skinvisible. | U.S. Trademark Registration No. 6918421 for word mark “RARE DISEASES ARE ONLY RARE IF YOU DON’T LIVE WITH ONE” filed by Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
U.S. and PCT patent applications directed to adjunctive therapy for NS with QRX003 filed by Quoin Pharmaceuticals Inc. | U.S. Trademark Registration No. 7071539 for design and words “Quoin Pharmaceuticals” filed by Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
U.S. Trademark Application No. 98/184,357 for word mark “QELTIQ” filed by Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
License Agreement with Skinvisible
In October 2019, we entered into the Exclusive Licensing Agreement (as amended from time to time, the “License Agreement”) with Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Skinvisible”), under which Skinvisible granted us an exclusive royalty-bearing license relating to the production and manufacture of prescription drug products related to certain patents held by Skinvisible, including those related to QRX003 and QRX004. We made Skinvisible a one-time non-refundable, non-creditable license fee of $1 million (the “License Fee”). In addition, we agreed to pay Skinvisible a single digit royalty percentage of our net sales revenues for any licensed product covered by the patent rights licensed to us under the License Agreement. We also agreed to pay Skinvisible 25% of any revenues we receive as royalties in the event that we sublicense any licensed products to a third party. The License Agreement also requires that we make a $5 million payment to Skinvisible upon receiving approval in the U.S. for the first drug product developed using intellectual property licensed thereunder.
Trade Secrets
In addition to the protection afforded by patents, we rely on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect proprietary know-how that is not patentable, including processes for which patents are difficult to enforce and any other elements of our drug discovery and development processes that involve proprietary know-how, information or technology that is not covered by patents. Although each of our employees agrees to assign their inventions to us through an employee inventions agreement, and all of our employees, consultants, advisors and any third parties who have access to our proprietary know-how, information or technology
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are required to enter into confidentiality agreements, we cannot provide any assurances that all such agreements have been duly executed, that our trade secrets and other confidential proprietary information will not be disclosed or that competitors will not otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or independently develop substantially equivalent information and techniques.
Regulatory
General
Government authorities in the United States and other countries extensively regulate, among other things, the pre-clinical and clinical testing, manufacturing, labeling, storage, record-keeping, advertising, promotion, export, marketing and distribution of pharmaceutical products. In the United States, pharmaceutical products are subject to rigorous review under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and other federal statutes and regulations.
FDA Approval Process
To obtain approval of our product candidates from the FDA, we must, among other requirements, demonstrate in preclinical studies and well-controlled clinical trials that the product is safe and effective for its intended use and that the manufacturing facilities, processes and controls are adequate to preserve the drug’s identity, strength, quality and purity. The drug approval process generally includes:
● | preclinical laboratory tests, in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies and formulation and stability studies; |
● | the submission to the FDA of an application for human clinical testing, which is known as an IND application; |
● | adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the drug; |
● | the submission to the FDA of a new drug application (“NDA”) for a drug; and |
● | satisfactory completion of an FDA inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the drug is produced to assess compliance with current GMP (“cGMP”) requirements to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the drug’s identity, strength, quality and purity; |
● | the approval by the FDA of an NDA. |
Preclinical tests include laboratory evaluations of product chemistry, toxicity and formulation, as well as animal studies. Preclinical trials must also be conducted in accordance with FDA and comparable foreign authorities’ legal requirements, regulations or guidelines, including Good Laboratory Practice. Violations of these regulations can, in some cases, lead to invalidation of the studies, requiring them to be replicated. Before human clinical testing can begin, a sponsor must submit the results of the preclinical tests, together with manufacturing information and analytical data, to the FDA as part of the IND, a request for authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational new drug product to humans.
A 30-day waiting period after the submission of each IND is required prior to the commencement of clinical testing in humans. If the FDA has neither commented on nor questioned the IND within this 30-day period, the clinical trial proposed in the IND may begin. Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational drug to healthy volunteers or patients under the supervision of a qualified investigator. Clinical trials must be conducted: (i) in compliance with federal regulations; (ii) in compliance with good clinical practices (“GCP”), an international standard meant to protect the rights and health of patients and to define the roles of clinical trial sponsors, administrators, and monitors; as well as (iii) under protocols detailing the objectives of the trial, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety, and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. Each protocol involving testing on U.S. patients and subsequent protocol amendments must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND. Clinical trials must be conducted under the supervision of one or more qualified investigators pursuant to protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the trial, dosing procedures, subject selection and exclusion criteria and the safety and effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. For each institution where a clinical trial will be conducted, an institutional review board (“IRB”) must review and approve the clinical trial protocol and informed consent form required to be provided to each trial subject or his or her legal representative prior to a clinical trial commencing, and conduct on-going monitoring of the study until completed or termination to assure that appropriate steps are taken to protect the human subjects participating in the research.
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The FDA may order the temporary or permanent discontinuation of a clinical trial at any time, or impose other sanctions, if it believes that the clinical trial either is not being conducted in accordance with FDA regulations or presents an unacceptable risk to the clinical trial patients. Imposition of a clinical hold may be full or partial. The IRB will also monitor the clinical trial until completed. An IRB may also require the clinical trial at the site to be halted, either temporarily or permanently, for failure to comply with the IRB’s requirements, or may impose other conditions. Additionally, some clinical trials are overseen by an independent group of qualified experts organized by the clinical trial sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring board or committee. This group provides authorization for whether a trial may move forward at designated checkpoints based on access to certain data from the trial.
Human clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap or be combined:
Phase 1: In Phase 1 studies, the product candidate is initially introduced into healthy human volunteers and tested for safety, dosage and tolerability, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion and, effect on the body.
Phase 2: Phase 2 studies are conducted in a limited patient population. These studies continue to evaluate safety while gathering preliminary data on effectiveness in patients with the targeted disease or condition.
Phase 3: Phase 3 trials further evaluate efficacy and safety in an expanded patient population, generally at geographically dispersed clinical study sites. These clinical trials are intended to establish the overall risk-benefit ratio of the product candidate and provide, if appropriate, an adequate basis for product labeling. In most cases, the FDA requires two adequate and well-controlled Phase 3 clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the drug. In rare instances, a single Phase 3 trial may be sufficient when either (1) the trial is a large, multicenter trial demonstrating internal consistency and a statistically very persuasive finding of a clinically meaningful effect on mortality, irreversible morbidity or prevention of a disease with a potentially serious outcome and confirmation of the result in a second trial would be practically or ethically impossible or (2) the single trial is supported by other confirmatory evidence.
Post-approval studies, sometimes referred to as Phase 4 studies, may be conducted after initial marketing approval. These studies are used to gather additional information about a product’s safety and/or efficacy in patients affected by the therapeutic indication.
After completion of the required clinical testing, an NDA is prepared and submitted to the FDA. FDA approval of the NDA is required before marketing and distribution of the product may begin in the United States. The NDA must include the results of all preclinical, clinical, and other testing and a compilation of data relating to the product’s pharmacology, chemistry, manufacture, and controls. The submission of most NDAs is subject to the payment of a substantial application user fee. Under an approved NDA, the applicant is also subject to an annual program fee. These fees typically increase annually. An NDA for a drug that has been designated as an orphan drug is not subject to an application fee, unless the NDA includes an indication for other than a rare disease or condition.
Pursuant to the current Prescription Drug User Fee Act (“PDUFA”) goals, FDA’s goal for acting on the submission of an NDA for a new molecular entity is ten months from the date the FDA files the NDA. The FDA conducts a preliminary review of an NDA within 60 days after submission to determine whether it is sufficiently complete to permit substantive review, before determining whether to file the NDA. This two-month preliminary review effectively extends the typical NDA review period to twelve months. In rare cases, the FDA may request additional information rather than file an NDA. In this event, the NDA must be resubmitted with the additional information. The resubmitted application also is subject to review before the FDA accepts it for filing.
The FDA may also refer applications for novel pharmaceutical products, as well as pharmaceutical products that present difficult questions of safety or efficacy, to be reviewed by an advisory committee, typically a panel that includes clinicians, statisticians and other experts, for review, evaluation, and a recommendation as to whether the NDA should be approved. The FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, but generally follows such recommendations. Before approving an NDA, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with GCP. Additionally, the FDA will inspect the facility or the facilities at which the pharmaceutical product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve the product unless compliance with cGMP is satisfactory and the NDA contains data that provide substantial evidence that the drug is safe and effective in the respective claimed indication.
Following the FDA’s evaluation of an NDA, it will issue an approval letter or a complete response letter (“CRL”). An approval letter authorizes the sponsor to begin commercial marketing of the drug for specific indications. A CRL means that the review cycle of the application is complete and the application will not be approved in its present form. A CRL describes the specific deficiencies in the NDA identified by the FDA and may recommend actions that the applicant might take, including providing additional clinical data, such as an additional Phase 3 trial or other significant and time-consuming requirements related to clinical trials, nonclinical
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studies or manufacturing, to resolve the deficiencies. If a CRL is issued, the sponsor must resubmit the NDA addressing all of the deficiencies identified in the letter, or withdraw the application. Even if the sponsor submits the recommended data and information, the FDA may decide that the NDA does not satisfy the criteria for approval.
As condition to a product’s regulatory approval, the FDA may require a sponsor to conduct Phase 4 studies designed to further assess the drug’s safety and effectiveness after NDA approval, or may require other testing and surveillance programs to monitor the safety of the approved product. The FDA may also place other conditions on approval including the requirement for a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (“REMS”) to assure the safe use of the drug. A REMS could include medication guides, communication plans to healthcare professionals or other elements to assure safe use, such as provider certification or training, restricted distribution methods, and patient registries.
There are a variety of regulations governing clinical trials and requirements for obtaining marketing approval for pharmaceutical products outside the United States. Whether or not FDA approval has been obtained, approval of a product by the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries and regions must be obtained prior to the commencement of marketing the product in those countries. The approval process varies from one regulatory authority to another and the time may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA approval. In the EU, Canada and Australia, regulatory requirements and approval processes are similar, in principle, to those in the United States.
Disclosure of Clinical Trial Information
Sponsors of clinical trials of FDA-regulated products, including drugs and biologic products, are required to register and disclose certain clinical trial information on the website www.clinicaltrials.gov. Information related to the product, patient population, phase of investigation, trial sites and investigators, and other aspects of a clinical trial are then made public as part of the registration. Sponsors are also obligated to disclose the results of their clinical trials after completion. Disclosure of the results of clinical trials can be delayed in certain circumstances for up to two years after the date of completion of the trial. Competitors may use this publicly available information to gain knowledge regarding the progress of clinical development programs as well as clinical trial design.
Pediatric Information
Under the Pediatric Research Equity Act (“PREA”), NDAs or supplements to NDAs must contain data to assess the safety and effectiveness of the drug product for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is safe and effective. The FDA may grant full or partial waivers, or deferrals, for submission of data. Unless otherwise required by regulation, PREA does not apply to any product with orphan product designation except a product with a new active ingredient that is a molecularly targeted cancer product intended for the treatment of an adult cancer and directed at a molecular target determined by FDA to be substantially relevant to the growth or progression of a pediatric cancer.
The Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (“BPCA”) provides a six-month extension of any patent or non-patent exclusivity for a drug if certain conditions are met. Conditions for exclusivity include the FDA’s determination that information relating to the use of a new drug in the pediatric population may produce health benefits in that population, FDA making a written request for pediatric studies, and the applicant agreeing to perform, and reporting on, the requested studies within the statutory timeframe. Applications under the BPCA are treated as priority applications, with all of the benefits that designation confers.
Expedited Programs
FDA is required to facilitate the development, and expedite the review, of drug products that are intended for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening disease or condition for which there is no effective treatment and which demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the condition. Fast track designation may be granted for products that are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition for which there is no effective treatment and preclinical or clinical data demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the condition. Fast track designation applies to both the product and the specific indication for which it is being studied. Any product submitted to FDA for marketing, including under a fast track program, may be eligible for other types of FDA programs intended to expedite development and review, such as priority review.
Priority review may be granted for products that are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening condition and, if approved, would provide a significant improvement in safety and effectiveness compared to available therapies. FDA will attempt to direct additional resources to the evaluation of an application designated for priority review in an effort to facilitate the review.
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FDA is also required to expedite the development and review of applications for approval of products that are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition where preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints. Under the breakthrough therapy program, the sponsor of a new product candidate may request that FDA designate the product candidate for a specific indication as a breakthrough therapy concurrent with, or after, the submission of the IND for the product candidate. FDA must determine if the product candidate qualifies for breakthrough therapy designation within 60 days of receipt of the sponsor’s request. The FDA may take certain actions with respect to breakthrough therapies, including holding meetings with the sponsor throughout the development process, providing timely advice to the product sponsor regarding development and approval, involving more senior staff in the review process, assigning a cross disciplinary project lead for the review team and taking other steps to design the clinical studies in an efficient manner.
Orphan Drug Designation
Pursuant to the Orphan Drug Act, FDA may grant special status, or orphan designation, to a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is defined as a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or there is no reasonable expectation that the sales of the product will offset the cost of developing and making the drug available in the United States. A request for orphan drug designation must be submitted before the NDA is submitted. Following the grant of orphan designation, FDA will publicly disclose the identity of the therapeutic drug candidate and its potential orphan use. Orphan designation does not shorten the duration of the regulatory review and approval process.
If a drug candidate with orphan designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease or condition for which it has orphan designation, the drug is entitled to a seven-year period of market exclusivity subject to certain exceptions (e.g., clinical superiority of a subsequent product). This means that FDA may not approve another drug application authorizing another manufacturer to market the same drug for the same indication for seven years. This does not preclude competitors from receiving approval of the same product that has orphan exclusivity for a different indication or a different product for the same indication for which the orphan product has exclusivity. The orphan designation of a drug also provides the sponsor with certain financial incentives including tax credits and waiver of PDUFA fees.
Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher Program
Under the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher program, the FDA may award a priority review voucher to the sponsor of an approved marketing application for a product that treats or prevents a rare pediatric disease. The voucher entitles the sponsor to priority review of one subsequent marketing application.
A voucher may be awarded only for an approved rare pediatric disease product application. A rare pediatric disease product application is an NDA for a product that treats or prevents a serious or life-threatening disease in which the serious or life-threatening manifestations primarily affect individuals aged from birth to 18 years; in general, the disease must affect fewer than 200,000 such individuals in the U.S.; the NDA must be deemed eligible for priority review; the NDA must not seek approval for a different adult indication (i.e., for a different disease/condition); the product must not contain an active ingredient that has been previously approved by FDA; and the NDA must rely on clinical data derived from studies examining a pediatric population such that the approved product can be adequately labeled for the pediatric population. Before NDA approval, FDA may designate a product in development as a product for a rare pediatric disease, but such designation is not required to receive a voucher.
To receive a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher, a sponsor must notify the FDA, upon submission of the NDA, of its intent to request a voucher. If the FDA determines that the NDA is a rare pediatric disease product application and grants priority review, and if the NDA is approved, the FDA will award the sponsor of the NDA a voucher upon approval of the NDA. The FDA may revoke a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher if the product for which it was awarded is not marketed in the U.S. within 365 days of the product’s approval.
The voucher, which is transferable to another sponsor, may be submitted with a subsequent NDA or biologics license application (“BLA”) and entitles the holder to priority review of the accompanying NDA or BLA. The sponsor submitting the priority review voucher must notify FDA of its intent to submit the voucher with the NDA or BLA at least 90 days prior to submission of the NDA or BLA and must pay a priority review user fee in addition to any other required user fee. FDA must take action on an NDA or BLA under priority review within six months of receipt of the NDA or BLA.
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The Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher program was reauthorized in the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act in December 2020, allowing a product that is designated as a product for a rare pediatric disease prior to October 1, 2024 to be eligible to receive a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher upon approval of a qualifying NDA or BLA prior to October 1, 2026.
Post-Marketing Obligations
All approved drug products are subject to continuing regulation by the FDA, including record-keeping requirements, reporting of adverse experiences with the product, sampling and distribution requirements, notifying the FDA and gaining approval for certain manufacturing or labeling changes, complying with certain electronic records and signature requirements, submitting periodic reports to the FDA, maintaining and providing updated safety and efficacy information to the FDA, and complying with FDA promotion and advertising requirements. Failure to comply with the statutory and regulatory requirements can subject a manufacturer to possible legal or regulatory action, such as warning letters, suspension of manufacturing, seizure of product, injunctive action, criminal prosecution, or civil penalties.
The FDA may require post-marketing studies or clinical trials to develop additional information regarding the safety of a product. These studies or trials may involve continued testing of a product and development of data, including clinical data, about the product’s effects in various populations and any side-effects associated with long-term use. The FDA may require post-marketing studies or trials to investigate known serious risks or signals of serious risks or identify unexpected serious risks and may require periodic status reports if new safety information develops. Failure to conduct these studies in a timely manner may result in substantial civil fines.
Drug manufacturers and their subcontractors are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies, and to list their products with the FDA. The FDA periodically inspects manufacturing facilities in the United States and abroad in order to assure compliance with the applicable cGMP regulations and other requirements. Facilities also are subject to inspections by other federal, foreign, state or local agencies. In complying with the cGMP regulations, manufacturers must continue to assure that the product meets applicable specifications, regulations and other post-marketing requirements. Any third-party manufacturers must also maintain compliance with all applicable regulations and requirements. Failure to comply with these requirements subjects the manufacturer to possible legal or regulatory action, such as suspension of manufacturing or recall or seizure of product.
Also, newly discovered or developed safety or efficacy data may require changes to a product’s approved labeling, including the addition of new warnings and contraindications, additional pre-clinical or clinical studies, or even in some instances, revocation or withdrawal of the approval. Violations of regulatory requirements at any stage, including after approval, may result in various adverse consequences, including the FDA’s withdrawal of an approved product from the market, other voluntary or FDA-initiated action that could delay or restrict further marketing, and the imposition of civil fines and criminal penalties against the NDA holder. In addition, later discovery of previously unknown problems may result in restrictions on the product or NDA holder, including withdrawal of the product from the market. Furthermore, new government requirements may be established that could delay or prevent regulatory approval of our products under development, or affect the conditions under which approved products are marketed.
Data Privacy
We are subject to various laws and regulations globally regarding privacy and data protection, including laws and regulations relating to the collection, storage, handling, use, disclosure, transfer and security of personal information. The legislative and regulatory environment regarding privacy and data protection is continuously evolving and developing and the subject of significant attention globally. Certain privacy and data protection laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), may not apply to us directly at this time, but those laws may apply to the investigators, health care professionals, third party payors, and business partners with whom we have relationships and so may apply to our processing of personal information that we receive from or share with such third parties. We may also engage service providers, such as contract research organizations, to process personal information on our behalf. We cannot ensure that all our contractors, vendors, licensees, business partners or collaborators will comply with all applicable privacy and data protection laws and regulations. The failure to comply with these current and future laws could result in significant penalties and reputational harm and could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Commercial Product Pricing
In the United States and some foreign jurisdictions, many of the markets in which we may do business in the future, the prices of pharmaceutical products are subject to direct price controls (by law) and to drug reimbursement programs with varying price control mechanisms.
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In the United States, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, or Medicare Modernization Act, changed the way Medicare covers and pays for pharmaceutical products. The legislation expanded Medicare coverage for drug purchases by the elderly and introduced a new reimbursement methodology based on average sales prices for physician administered drugs. In addition, this legislation provided authority for limiting the number of drugs that will be covered in any therapeutic class in certain cases. Cost reduction initiatives and other provisions of this and other more recent legislation could decrease the coverage and reimbursement that is provided for any approved products. While the Medicare Modernization Act applies only to drug benefits for Medicare beneficiaries, private payors often follow Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates. Therefore, any reduction in reimbursement that results from the Medicare Modernization Act or other more recent legislation may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors.
Healthcare Reform
Healthcare reforms that have been adopted, and that may be adopted in the future, could result in further reductions in coverage and levels of reimbursement for pharmaceutical products, increases in rebates payable under U.S. government rebate programs and additional downward pressure on pharmaceutical product prices. Recently, healthcare reform initiatives culminated in the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”) in August 2022, which will, among other things, allow U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) to negotiate the selling price of certain drugs and biologics that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) reimburses under Medicare Part B and Part D, although only high-expenditure single-source drugs that have been approved for at least 7 years (11 years for biologics) can be selected by CMS for negotiation, with the negotiated price taking effect two years after the selection year. The negotiated prices, which will first become effective in 2026, will be capped at a statutory ceiling price. Beginning in October 2023, the IRA will also penalize drug manufacturers that increase prices of Medicare Part B and Part D drugs at a rate greater than the rate of inflation. The IRA permits the Secretary of HHS to implement many of these provisions through guidance, as opposed to regulation, for the initial years. Manufacturers that fail to comply with the IRA may be subject to various penalties, including civil monetary penalties. The IRA also extends enhanced subsidies for individuals purchasing health insurance coverage in ACA marketplaces through plan year 2025. These provisions will take effect progressively starting in 2023, although they may be subject to legal challenges. It is unclear to what extent additional statutory, regulatory, and administrative initiatives will be enacted and implemented.
European Regulatory Authorities
In the European Union, governments influence the price of pharmaceutical products through their pricing and reimbursement rules and control of national healthcare systems that fund a large part of the cost of such products to consumers. The approach taken varies from member state to member state. Some jurisdictions operate positive and/or negative list systems under which products may be marketed only once a reimbursement price has been agreed. Other member states allow companies to fix their own prices for medicines, but monitor and control company profits. The downward pressure on healthcare costs in general, particularly prescription drugs, has become very intense. As a result, increasingly high barriers are being erected to the entry of new products, as exemplified by the role of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the United Kingdom, which evaluates the data supporting new medicines and passes reimbursement recommendations to the government. In addition, in some countries cross-border imports from low-priced markets (parallel imports) exert commercial pressure on pricing within a country.
Environmental and Safety Laws
We do not use, handle, store, or dispose of hazardous materials and our operations do not produce hazardous waste. Accordingly, we are not subject to federal, state and local regulations relating to the use, handling, storage and disposal of hazardous materials. Any waste generated is non-hazardous and is disposed of by third party contractors. Likewise, given that we have less than 10 employees, we are not subject to the recordkeeping requirements under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) although other OSHA regulations may apply. OSHA and/or the Environmental Protection Agency may promulgate regulations that may affect our research and development programs.
We are also subject to various laws and regulations governing laboratory practices and the experimental use of animals.
Employees
As of December 31, 2022, we had four full-time employees and no part-time employees. Our employees are not represented by any collective bargaining agreements, and we have never experienced an organized work stoppage.
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Enforceability of Civil Liabilities
To the extent any of our shareholders may seek to enforce a U.S. judgment in Israel against us or our executive officers and directors, or to assert U.S. securities law claims in Israel, shareholders may have difficulties enforcing such a U.S. judgment, including judgments based upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws, in Israel.
We have been informed by our legal counsel in Israel that it may be difficult to assert claims under U.S. securities laws in original actions instituted in Israel or obtain a judgment based on the civil liability provisions of U.S. federal securities laws. Israeli courts may refuse to hear a claim based on a violation of U.S. securities laws against us or our officers and directors because Israel may not be the most appropriate forum to bring such a claim. In addition, even if an Israeli court agrees to hear a claim, it may determine that Israeli law and not U.S. law is applicable to the claim. If U.S. law is found to be applicable, the content of applicable U.S. law must be proved as a fact, which can be a time-consuming and costly process. Certain matters of procedure will also be governed by Israeli law. There is little binding case law in Israel addressing the matters described above. Israeli courts might not enforce judgments rendered outside Israel, which may make it difficult to collect on judgments rendered against us or our officers and directors.
Moreover, among other reasons, including but not limited to fraud or absence of due process, or the existence of a judgment which is at variance with another judgment that was given in the same matter if a suit in the same matter between the same parties was pending before a court or tribunal in Israel, an Israeli court will not enforce a foreign judgment if it was given in a state whose laws do not provide for the enforcement of judgments of Israeli courts (subject to exceptional cases) or if its enforcement is likely to prejudice the sovereignty or security of the State of Israel.
Properties
We do not own any property, and we do not have any contracts or options to acquire or lease any property in the future. We are operating out of a virtual office, which is adequate for our present and planned future operations, as our corporate staff has been working remotely.
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings or be subject to claims arising in the ordinary course of our business. We are currently not a party to any material legal or administrative proceedings, and we are not aware of any pending or threatened material legal or administrative proceedings against us.
Available Information
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act. Prior to January 1, 2023, we qualified as a “foreign private issuer” as such term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act. Effective January 1, 2023, we are obligated to file or furnish reports, proxy statements, and other information on U.S. domestic issuer forms with the SEC, which are more detailed and extensive in certain respects, and which must be filed more promptly, than the forms available to a foreign private issuer. You can read our SEC filings over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Our filings with the SEC are also available free of charge on the investors section of our website at www.quoinpharma.com when such reports are available on the SEC’s website.
Information contained on or accessible through the websites referred to above is not incorporated by reference in, or otherwise a part of, this prospectus, and any references to these websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.
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MANAGEMENT
Set forth below is certain information regarding the members of our board of directors (the “Board” or the “Board of Directors”) and our executive officers. Each director is entitled to serve until the 2024 annual meeting of shareholders and until a successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier retirement, resignation or removal.
Name |
| Age |
| Position(s) |
Dr. Michael Myers |
| 62 |
| Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer |
Denise Carter |
| 55 |
| Director and Chief Operating Officer |
Joseph Cooper(1)(3) |
| 66 |
| Director |
James Culverwell(1)(2) |
| 67 |
| Director |
Dr. Dennis H. Langer(2) |
| 72 |
| Director |
Natalie Leong(1)(3) |
| 87 |
| Director |
Michael Sember(2) | 74 | Director | ||
Gordon Dunn |
| 59 |
| Chief Financial Officer |
(1) | Member of our Audit Committee. |
(2) | Member of our Compensation Committee. |
(3) | Member of our Nominating and Governance Committee. |
Set forth below is a summary of the business experience of each of our directors and executive officers.
Dr. Michael Myers, Chief Executive Officer and Director. Dr. Myers is the co-founder of Quoin Inc. and has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Quoin Inc. since its inception in 2018. Dr. Myers has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Quoin Ltd. since October 28, 2021. Dr. Myers has over 36 years of industry experience in the drug delivery and specialty pharmaceutical sectors. From 2003 to October 2015, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Innocoll AG (n/k/a Innocoll Biotherapeutics N.A. Inc.), a biotherapeutics pharmaceutical company, and was responsible for taking that company public in 2014. From 2001 to 2002, he served as President of the drug delivery division of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE: WST), a designer and manufacturer of injectable pharmaceutical packaging and delivery systems. From 1996 to 1999, Dr. Myers served as the President of Pharmaceutical Operations for Fuisz Technologies (Biovail), a developer of food and drug delivery systems and technologies. From 2000 to 2001, Dr. Myers served as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer in Flamel Technologies (n/k/a Avadel Pharmaceuticals PLC (Nasdaq: AVDL), a specialty pharmaceutical company. From 1987 to 1995, Dr. Myers served as the Head of Pharmaceutical Development for Elan Corporation, a biotechnology drug company. Since 2023, Dr. Myers has served as a director of Cranial Devices, a clinical stage medical device company. Since 2019, Dr. Myers has served as a director of Sonoran Bioscience and Wellesley Pharmaceuticals, each a specialty pharmaceutical company. Dr. Myers earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from University College Cork, Ireland. We believe Dr. Myers is qualified to serve on our Board due to his extensive knowledge as one of Quoin Inc.’s co-founders and Chief Executive Officer, and his extensive clinical development, commercial and management experience with both public and private life sciences companies.
Denise Carter, Chief Operating Officer and Director. Ms. Carter is the co-founder of Quoin Inc. and has served as a director and Chief Operating Officer of Quoin Inc. since its inception in 2018. Ms. Carter has served as a director and Chief Operating Officer of Quoin Ltd. since October 28, 2021. Ms. Denise Carter has over 30 years of experience in the drug delivery and specialty pharmaceutical industries. From June 2003 to October 2015, Ms. Carter held various positions at Innocoll AG (n/k/a Innocoll Biotherapeutics N.A. Inc.), including President of Innocoll Pharmaceuticals and Executive Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Affairs of Innocoll AG. From 2001 to 2003, Ms. Carter was the Vice President of Business Development of the drug delivery division of West Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WST). From 2000 to 2001, she was the Senior Director of Business Development of Eurand, a specialty pharmaceutical company. From 1996 to 1999, Ms. Carter was the Director of Business Development and Alliance Management of Fuisz Technologies (Biovail). From 1999 to 2000, Ms. Carter was the Director of Business Development of Cardinal Health, Inc., a multi-national health care service company. Ms. Carter earned her MBA from Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Chemistry from the College of William and Mary. We believe Ms. Carter is qualified to serve on our Board due to her extensive knowledge as one of Quoin Inc.’s co-founders and Chief Operating Officer, and her extensive business development, sales and marketing and fund raising experience in the life sciences industry.
Joseph Cooper, Director. Mr. Cooper has served as a director of Quoin Inc. since May 2021. Mr. Cooper has significant experience in finance, operation, corporate development and general management roles within the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. He currently serves as Chief Financial Officer for Hydrinity Skin Sciences, a medical aesthetics company. Since 2012,
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Mr. Cooper has served as the President of Boulder Cove LC, a pharmaceutical and healthcare consulting company. From September 2019 to December 2022, Mr. Cooper served as the Chief of Strategy and Corporate Development for Resonea, Inc., a digital health company. From August 2018 to December 2019, Mr. Cooper served as the Chief Business Officer of NuvOx Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company. From January 2015 to August 2018, Mr. Cooper served as Chief Financial and Operating Officer for First Place, AZ, a non-profit healthcare services organization. From 1996 to 2010, Mr. Cooper served as the Executive Vice President of Corporate and Product Development of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. (NYSE: MRX), a pharmaceutical and medical aesthetics company. Since January 2018, Mr. Cooper has served as a director of Sonoran Biosciences, a specialty pharmaceutical company. From 2006 to 2007, Mr. Cooper served as a director of Bioenvision (Nasdaq: BIVN) a pharmaceutical company. Mr. Cooper holds an MBA from the WP Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and a BA from Northeastern Illinois University. We believe Mr. Cooper is qualified to serve on our Board due to his extensive executive and board experience with pharmaceutical and healthcare companies.
James Culverwell, Director. Mr. Culverwell has served as a director of Quoin Inc. since April 2021. Mr. Culverwell has served as a director of Quoin Ltd. since October 28, 2021. Since May 2013, Mr. Culverwell has served as the Chief Executive Officer and is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of HOX Therapeutics, a prostate cancer research company. In 2005, Mr. Culverwell founded Sudbrook Associates, which provided strategic advice and fund raising services for life science companies. From 1992 to 2004, Mr. Culverwell was Senior Vice President and Global Coordinator Healthcare Research at Merrill Lynch. From 1982 to 1992, Mr. Culverwell was Director of Healthcare Equity Research at ABN Amro Bank N.V., a private banking company. Since February 2022, Mr. Culverwell has served as a director and Audit Committee Chairman of TC BioPharm (Holdings) plc (Nasdaq: TCBP), a cancer treatment development company. Since January 2005, Mr. Culverwell has served as a director, Audit Committee Chairman, and member of the Compensation Committee of SafeGuard Biosystems, a high throughput molecular diagnostics company. From April 2016 to September 2019, Mr. Culverwell served as a director and Audit Committee Chairman of Amryt Pharma PLC (Nasdaq: AMYT), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company. From February 2013 to July 2017, Mr. Culverwell served as a director and Audit Committee Chairman of Innocoll AG. He received an MSc with honors from the University of Aberdeen. We believe Mr. Culverwell is qualified to serve on our Board due to his extensive experience serving on the audit and compensation committees for multiple public and private life sciences and healthcare companies.
Dennis H. Langer, M.D., J.D., Director. Dr. Langer has served as a director of Quoin Inc. since 2019. Dr. Langer has served as a director of Quoin Ltd. Since October 28, 2021. From 2005 to 2010, Dr. Langer served as the Managing Partner at Phoenix IP Ventures, LLC, a private equity and venture capital fund specializing in life sciences companies. From 2004 to 2005, Dr. Langer was the President, North America for Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Inc., a multi-national pharmaceutical company. Dr. Langer was with GlaxoSmithKline, a multi-national pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, from 1994-2004, where he served as Senior Vice President, Project, Portfolio and Alliance Management, Senior Vice President, Product Development Strategy, and Senior Vice President, Healthcare Services R&D. From 1991 to 1994, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Neose Technologies, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company. From 2004 to June 2022, Dr. Langer served as a director of Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MYGN), a genetic testing and precision medicine company. From 2021 to June 2022, Dr. Langer served as a director of Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics, Inc. (n/k/a Eterna Therapeutics Inc., Nasdaq: ERNA), a biotechnology company. From 2007 to 2019, Dr. Langer served as a director of Dicerna Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: DRNA), a biopharmaceutical company. Dr. Langer serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board of Harvard Law School. He received an M.D. from Georgetown University School of Medicine, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a B.A. in Biology from Columbia University. We believe Dr. Langer is qualified to serve on our Board due to his extensive experience as an executive and board member of public and private life sciences and healthcare companies.
Natalie Leong, Director. Ms. Leong has served as a director of Quoin Inc. since April 2021. Ms. Leong has served as a director of Quoin Ltd. since October 28, 2021. Since January 2023, Ms. Leong has been the Senior Vice President of Product Management for B.S.D. Capital, Inc. (d/b/a Lendistry), a minority-led small business lender. Ms. Leong was the Head of Finance and Product Strategy (October 2019 – October 2020) and subsequently Head of Product Management (October 2020 – November 2022) for LoanStreet Inc., a financial SaaS company. From May 2016 to July 2019, Ms. Leong served as the Lead for the Asset Liability Committee for the US at RBC Capital Markets. In addition, from August 2018 to October 2019, she served as the Lead for Global Originations FP&A for RBC Capital Markets. From October 2011 to May 2016, Ms. Leong worked as the Vice President of Capital Insights at National Australia Bank. From February 2008 to October 2011, Ms. Leong served as a Senior Auditor at National Australia Bank. Ms. Leong earned her MBA at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She earned a B.Comm degree (Finance and Economics) and a B.A. degree (French and Literature) from the University of Melbourne in 2007. We believe Ms. Leong is qualified to serve on our Board of directors due to her extensive financial and business management experience.
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Michael Sember, Director. Mr. Sember has served as a director of Quoin Inc. since May 2021. Mr. Sember has served as a director of Quoin Ltd. since October 28, 2021. Previously Mr. Sember served as the Chief Executive Officer of RaeSedo, Inc., a therapeutics company. Since 2007, he has served as a Principal of Accela Advisors, a biopharmaceutical consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, business development and coaching for startups. From January 2018 to October 2020, Mr. Sember served as the Chief Executive Officer of Regulonix Holding, Inc., a drug development company. From October 2015 to March 2019, he served as the Mentor in Residence to companies formed from inventions discovered at the University of Arizona. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Sember was the Corporate Turnaround Specialist and Chief Executive Officer of Palyon Medical Corporation, a drug delivery system company. From 1991 to 2002, Mr. Sember was Executive Vice President of Corporate Business Development for Élan Corporation, responsible for strategic collaborations and mergers and acquisitions. From 1973 to 1991, Mr. Sember served as the Senior director of Global Program Management at Marion Laboratories (later Marion Merrell Dow). From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Sember was the Chairman of the Board of Paylon Medical Corporation, a drug delivery system company. From 2012 to 2013, Mr. Sember was the Chairman of the Board of BioIndustry Organization of Southern Arizona, a non-profit trade group. Mr. Sember earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA from Rockhurst University. We believe Mr. Sember is qualified to serve on our Board due to his broad executive and capital raising experience in the life sciences industry.
Gordon Dunn, Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Dunn has served as Chief Financial Officer of Quoin Ltd. since November 1, 2021. Mr. Dunn has over 30 years of finance experience. He served as Chief Financial Officer of Health Technologies Ltd. (d/b/a Qured), a UK-based healthcare provider, from March 2020 to October 2021, and as Chief Financial Officer of U-Research, an online company information platform, from July 2017 to March 2020. Mr. Dunn also served as Chief Financial Officer of Anton Corporation, a film and media finance company, from September 2016 to July 2017, and as Chief Financial Officer of Innocoll AG from 2012 to 2016. Prior to these roles, he had deep experience in investment banking and private equity, serving as Portfolio Manager of NewSmith Asset Management, a private equity fund from 2004 to 2014, and as Director of Investment Banking and Co-Head of Private Equity at Merrill Lynch, in addition to other roles, from 1994 to 2003. Mr. Dunn was an associate at Morrison & Foerster LLP from 1991 to 1993. Mr. Dunn earned his JD from New York University School of Law and a BA from Stanford University.
Family Relationships
There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
Legal Proceedings
There are no material legal proceedings to which any of our directors or executive officers, or any associate of any of our directors or executive officers, is a party adverse to us or our subsidiaries or has a material interest adverse to us or our subsidiaries.
Board of Directors
The Board determined that Joseph Cooper, James Culverwell, Dr. Dennis Langer, Natalie Leong, and Michael Sember, qualify as independent directors, as such term is defined under Nasdaq listing rules. The Board of Directors has established three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors consists of Joseph Cooper, James Culverwell, and Natalie Leong, with Mr. Culverwell chairing the committee.
Under the Nasdaq listing standards, we are required to maintain an audit committee consisting of at least three independent directors, each of whom is financially literate and one of whom has accounting or related financial management expertise. Our Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee satisfies the independence requirements under Nasdaq listing standards and Rule 10A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act, has the requisite financial sophistication as required by the Nasdaq listing standards and is an audit committee financial expert, as defined by the SEC rules.
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Our Board adopted the Amended and Restated Charter of the Audit Committee that sets forth the responsibilities of the Audit Committee under Nasdaq listing standards, as well as the requirements for such committee under the Companies Law, including the following:
● | overseeing our independent registered public accounting firm and recommending the engagement, compensation or termination of engagement of our independent registered public accounting firm to the board of directors in accordance with Israeli law; |
● | recommending the engagement or termination of the person filling the office of our internal auditor; and |
● | recommending the terms of audit and non-audit services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm for pre-approval by our board of directors; |
● | determining whether there are deficiencies in the business management practices of our company, including in consultation with our internal auditor or the independent auditor, and making recommendations to the board of directors to improve such practices; |
● | determining the approval process for transactions that are ‘non-negligible’ (i.e., transactions with a controlling shareholder that are classified by the audit committee as non-negligible, even though they are not deemed extraordinary transactions), as well as determining which types of transactions would require the approval of the audit committee, which determination may be based on annually pre-determined criteria; |
● | determining whether to approve certain related party transactions (including transactions in which an office holder (as defined below) has a personal interest and whether such transaction is extraordinary or material under the Companies Law); |
● | examining the work plan of the internal auditor before its submission to our board of directors and proposing amendments thereto or, upon a decision of the board of directors, acting as the corporate body to approve such work plan; |
● | examining our internal controls and internal auditor’s performance, including whether the internal auditor has sufficient resources and tools at his disposal to fulfill his responsibilities; |
● | examining the scope of our independent auditor’s work and compensation and submitting a recommendation with respect thereto to our board of directors; and |
● | establishing procedures for the handling of employees’ complaints as to the management of our business and the protection to be provided to such employees. |
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee of the Board consists of James Culverwell, Dennis Langer and Michael Sember, with Mr. Langer chairing the committee. The Board of Directors has determined that each member of the Compensation Committee is independent under Nasdaq listing standards.
Our Board adopted the Amended and Restated Charter of the Compensation Committee that sets forth the responsibilities of such committee under Nasdaq listing standards, as well as the requirements for such committee under the Companies Law, including the following:
● | recommending to our board of directors a policy regarding the terms of engagement of the company’s office holders, to which we refer as a “compensation policy”; |
● | recommending whether the compensation policy should continue in effect, if the then-current policy has a term of greater than three years (approval of either a new compensation policy or the continuation of an existing compensation policy must in any case occur every three years); |
● | recommending to the board of directors updates to the compensation policy from time to time; |
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● | assessing implementation of the compensation policy; |
● | resolving whether to approve arrangements with respect to the terms of office and employment of office holders, which require the approval of the compensation committee pursuant to the Companies Law; |
● | exempting, under certain circumstances, a transaction with our Chief Executive Officer from the approval of our shareholders.; |
● | making other determinations that the Companies Law assigns to a compensation committee; |
● | reviewing and recommending for approval by the board of directors the overall compensation policies with respect to our Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers; |
● | reviewing and recommending for approval by the board of directors the corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of our Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers; |
● | evaluating the performance of our Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers in light of such goals and objectives; |
● | reviewing and approving the granting of options and other incentive awards, including the exercise of authorities delegated by the board of directors regarding the grant of equity incentives under our equity compensation plans; |
● | reviewing, evaluating and making recommendations regarding the compensation and benefits for our non-employee directors; |
● | overseeing our compliance with SEC and Nasdaq rules related to shareholder approval of certain executive compensation matters and equity compensation plans; |
● | considering and implementing policies with respect to oversight, assessment and management of risks associated with our compensation polices; and |
● | reviewing and establishing appropriate insurance coverage for our office holders. |
Compensation Policy under the Companies Law
In general, under the Companies Law, a public company must have a compensation policy approved by the board of directors after receiving and considering the recommendations of the compensation committee. In addition, our compensation policy must be approved at least once every three years, first, by our board of directors, upon the recommendation of our compensation committee, and second, by a simple majority of the ordinary shares present, in person or by proxy, and voting (excluding abstentions) at a general meeting of shareholders, provided that either:
● | such majority includes at least a majority of the shares held by shareholders who are not controlling shareholders and shareholders who do not have a personal interest in such compensation policy; or |
● | the total number of shares of non-controlling shareholders and shareholders who do not have a personal interest in the compensation policy and who vote against the policy does not exceed two percent (2%) of the aggregate voting rights in the Company. |
Under special circumstances, the board of directors may approve the compensation policy despite the objection of the shareholders on the condition that the compensation committee and then the board of directors decide, on the basis of detailed grounds and after discussing again the compensation policy, that approval of the compensation policy, despite the objection of shareholders, is for the benefit of the company.
If a company that initially offers its securities to the public, like us, adopts a compensation policy in advance of its initial public offering, and describes it in its prospectus for such offering, then such compensation policy shall be deemed a validly adopted policy in accordance with the Companies Law requirements described above. Furthermore, if the compensation policy is established in
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accordance with the aforementioned relief, then it will remain in effect for a term of five years from the date such company becomes a public company.
The compensation policy must be based on certain considerations, include certain provisions and reference certain matters as set forth in the Companies Law. The compensation policy must serve as the basis for decisions concerning the financial terms of employment or engagement of office holders, including exculpation, insurance, indemnification or any monetary payment or obligation of payment in respect of employment or engagement. The compensation policy must be determined and later reevaluated according to certain factors, including: the advancement of the company’s objectives, business plan and long-term strategy; the creation of appropriate incentives for office holders, while considering, among other things, the company’s risk management policy; the size and the nature of the company’s operations; and with respect to variable compensation, the contribution of the office holder towards the achievement of the company’s long-term goals and the maximization of its profits, all with a long-term objective and according to the position of the office holder. The compensation policy must furthermore consider the following additional factors:
● | the education, skills, experience, expertise and accomplishments of the relevant office holder; |
● | the office holder’s position and responsibilities; |
● | prior compensation agreements with the office holder; |
● | the ratio between the cost of the terms of employment of an office holder and the cost of the employment of other employees of the company, including employees employed through contractors who provide services to the company, in particular the ratio between such cost to the average and median salary of such employees of the company, as well as the impact of disparities between them on the work relationships in the company; |
● | if the terms of employment include variable components — the possibility of reducing variable components at the discretion of the board of directors and the possibility of setting a limit on the value of non-cash variable equity-based components; and |
● | if the terms of employment include severance compensation — the term of employment or office of the office holder, the terms of the office holder’s compensation during such period, the company’s performance during such period, the office holder’s individual contribution to the achievement of the company goals and the maximization of its profits and the circumstances under which he or she is leaving the company. |
The compensation policy must also include, among other things:
● | with regards to variable components: |
● | with the exception of office holders who report to the chief executive officer, a means of determining the variable components on the basis of long-term performance and measurable criteria; provided that the company may determine that an immaterial part of the variable components of the compensation package of an office holder shall be awarded based on non-measurable criteria, or if such amount is not higher than three months’ salary per annum, taking into account such office holder’s contribution to the company; |
● | the ratio between variable and fixed components, as well as the limit of the values of variable components at the time of their payment, or in the case of equity-based compensation, at the time of grant; |
● | a condition under which the office holder will return to the company, according to conditions to be set forth in the compensation policy, any amounts paid as part of the office holder’s terms of employment, if such amounts were paid based on information later to be discovered to be wrong, and such information was restated in the company’s financial statements; |
● | the minimum holding or vesting period of variable equity-based components to be set in the terms of office or employment, as applicable, while taking into consideration long-term incentives; and |
● | a limit to retirement grants. |
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Our compensation policy is designed to promote retention and motivation of directors and executive officers, incentivize superior individual excellence, align the interests of our directors and executive officers with our long-term performance and provide a risk management tool. To that end, a portion of our executive officer compensation package is targeted to reflect our short and long-term goals, as well as the executive officer’s individual performance. On the other hand, our compensation policy includes measures designed to reduce the executive officer’s incentives to take excessive risks that may harm us in the long-term, such as limits on the value of cash bonuses and equity-based compensation, limitations on the ratio between the variable and the total compensation of an executive officer and minimum vesting periods for equity-based compensation.
Our compensation policy also addresses our executive officers’ individual characteristics (such as their respective position, education, scope of responsibilities and contribution to the attainment of our goals) as the basis for compensation variation among our executive officers and considers the internal ratios between compensation of our executive officers and directors and other employees. Pursuant to our compensation policy, the compensation that may be granted to an executive officer may include: base salary, annual bonuses and other cash bonuses (such as a signing bonus and special bonuses with respect to significant events, such as a significant partnership, collaboration agreement or the generation of positive clinical trial results or regulatory approval of one of the Company’s products), equity-based compensation and termination of service grants.
An annual cash bonus may be awarded to executive officers upon the attainment of pre-set periodic objectives and individual targets. The annual cash bonus that may be granted to our executive officers is based primarily on measurable short- and long-term criteria. A non-material part of variable compensation for executive officers may be based on qualitative or non-measurable criteria which focus on the executive officer’s contribution to the Company, subject to a maximum amount linked to the executive officer’s base salary.
The equity-based compensation under our compensation policy for our executive officers is designed in a manner consistent with the underlying objectives in determining the base salary and the annual cash bonus, with its main objectives being to enhance the alignment between the executive officers’ interests with our long-term interests and those of our shareholders and to strengthen the retention and the motivation of executive officers in the long term. Our compensation policy provides for equity compensation in any form permitted under our equity incentive plan then in place. The equity-based compensation shall be granted from time to time and be individually determined and awarded according to the performance, educational background, prior business experience, qualifications, role and the personal responsibilities of the executive officer.
In addition, our compensation policy contains compensation recovery provisions which allow us under certain conditions to recover bonuses paid in excess, enables our compensation committee and board of directors to approve an immaterial change in the terms of employment of an executive officer and allow us to exculpate, indemnify and insure our executive officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by Israeli law subject to certain limitations set forth therein.
Our compensation policy also provides for compensation to the members of our board of directors in accordance with market compensation trends, provided however that in the case of an external director, such compensation will be paid in accordance with the amounts provided in the Companies Regulations (Rules Regarding the Compensation and Expenses of an External Director) of 2000, as amended by the Companies Regulations (Relief for Public Companies Traded in Stock Exchange Outside of Israel) of 2000, as such regulations may be amended from time to time.
Our compensation policy was approved by our compensation committee, our board of directors and shareholders and became effective on April 12, 2022.
Nominating and Governance Committee
Our Nominating and Governance Committee consists of Natalie Leong and Joseph Cooper, with Ms. Leong chairing the committee. The Board of Directors has determined that each member of the Nominating and Governance Committee is independent under Nasdaq listing standards.
Our Board adopted the Amended and Restated Charter of the Nominating and Governance Committee that sets forth the responsibilities of such committee under Nasdaq listing standards, as well as the requirements for such committee under the Companies Law, including the following:
● | evaluating our corporate leadership structure, and reviewing important issues and developments in corporate governance, and developing appropriate recommendations for the Board; and |
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● | overseeing and assisting our board in reviewing and recommending nominees for election as directors and members of committees of our board. |
Internal Auditor
Under the Companies Law, the board of directors of a public company must appoint an internal auditor based on the recommendation of the audit committee. The role of the internal auditor is, among other things, to review the company’s compliance with applicable law and orderly business procedure. Under the Companies Law, the internal auditor cannot be an interested party, an office holder, or a relative of an interested party or an office holder. Nor may the internal auditor be the company’s independent auditor or its representative. An “interested party” is defined in the Companies Law as (i) a holder of 5% or more of the issued share capital or voting power in a company, (ii) any person or entity who has the right to designate one or more directors or to designate the chief executive officer of the company, or (iii) any person who serves as a director or as chief executive officer of the company. The role of the internal auditor is to examine, among other things, our compliance with applicable law and orderly business procedures. The audit committee is required to oversee the activities of the internal auditor and to assess his or her work plan and performance. Our internal auditor is Mr. Edo Pollack, a Certified Public Accountant and partner-in-charge of the Israel office of Eisner Advisory Group LLC.
Fiduciary Duties of Directors, Executive Officers and Shareholders
The Companies Law codifies the fiduciary duties that office holders owe to a company. An office holder is defined in the Companies Law as a general manager, chief business manager, deputy general manager, vice general manager, any other person assuming the responsibilities of any of these positions regardless of such person’s title, a director, and any other manager directly subordinate to the general manager. Each person listed in the table under “Management” is an office holder under the Companies Law.
An office holder’s fiduciary duties consist of a duty of care and a duty of loyalty. The duty of care requires an office holder to act with the level of care with which a reasonable office holder in the same position would act under the same circumstances. The duty of loyalty requires that an office holder act in good faith and in the best interests of the company.
The duty of care includes a duty to use reasonable means to obtain:
● | information on the advisability of a given action brought for the office holder’s approval or performed by virtue of his or her position; and |
● | all other important information pertaining to any such action. |
The duty of loyalty includes a duty to:
● | refrain from any conflict of interest between the performance of the office holder’s duties to the company and his or her other duties or personal affairs; |
● | refrain from any activity that is competitive with the company; |
● | refrain from exploiting any business opportunity of the company to receive a personal gain for himself or herself or others; and |
● | disclose to the company any information or documents relating to the company’s affairs which the office holder received as a result of his or her position as an office holder. |
Shareholder duties
Pursuant to the Companies Law, a shareholder has a duty to act in good faith and in a customary manner toward the company and other shareholders and to refrain from abusing his or her power with respect to the company, including, among other things, in voting at a general meeting and at shareholder class meetings with respect to the following matters:
● | an amendment to the company’s articles of association; |
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● | an increase of the company’s authorized share capital; |
● | a merger; or |
● | interested party transactions that require shareholder approval. |
In addition, a shareholder has a general duty to refrain from discriminating against other shareholders.
Certain shareholders also have a duty of fairness toward the company. These shareholders include any controlling shareholder, any shareholder who knows that it has the power to determine the outcome of a shareholder vote, and any shareholder who has the power to appoint or to prevent the appointment of an office holder of the company or exercise any other rights available to it under the company’s articles of association with respect to the company. The Companies Law does not define the substance of this duty of fairness, except to state that the remedies generally available upon a breach of contract will also apply in the event of a breach of the duty of fairness.
Disclosure of Personal Interests of an Office Holder and Approval of Certain Transactions
The Companies Law requires that an office holder promptly disclose to the board of directors any personal interest and all related material information known to such office holder concerning any existing or proposed transaction with the company. A personal interest includes an interest of any person in an act or transaction of a company, including a personal interest of one’s relative or of a corporate body in which such person or a relative of such person is a 5% or greater shareholder, director, or general manager or in which such person has the right to appoint at least one director or the general manager, but excluding a personal interest stemming solely from one’s ownership of shares in the company. A personal interest includes the personal interest of a person for whom the office holder holds a voting proxy or the personal interest of the office holder with respect to the officer holder’s vote on behalf of a person for whom he or she holds a proxy even if such shareholder has no personal interest in the matter.
If it is determined that an office holder has a personal interest in a non-extraordinary transaction (meaning any transaction that is in the ordinary course of business, on market terms or that is not likely to have a material impact on the company’s profitability, assets or liabilities), approval by the board of directors is required for the transaction unless the company’s articles of association provide for a different method of approval. Any such transaction that is adverse to the company’s interests may not be approved by the board of directors.
Approval first by the company’s audit committee and subsequently by the board of directors is required for an extraordinary transaction (meaning any transaction that is not in the ordinary course of business, not on market terms or that is likely to have a material impact on the company’s profitability, assets or liabilities) in which an office holder has a personal interest.
A director and any other office holder who has a personal interest in a transaction which is considered at a meeting of the board of directors or the audit committee may generally (unless it is with respect to a transaction which is not an extraordinary transaction) not be present at such a meeting or vote on that matter unless a majority of the directors or members of the audit committee, as applicable, have a personal interest in the matter. If a majority of the members of the audit committee or the board of directors have a personal interest in the matter, then all of the directors may participate in deliberations of the audit committee or board of directors, as applicable, with respect to such transaction and vote on the approval thereof and, in such case, shareholder approval is also required.
Certain disclosure and approval requirements apply under Israeli law to certain transactions with controlling shareholders, certain transactions in which a controlling shareholder has a personal interest, and certain arrangements regarding the terms of service or employment of a controlling shareholder. For these purposes, a controlling shareholder is any shareholder that has the ability to direct the company’s actions, including any shareholder holding 25% or more of the voting rights if no other shareholder owns more than 50% of the voting rights in the company. Two or more shareholders with a personal interest in the approval of the same transaction are deemed to be one shareholder.
Exculpation, insurance and indemnification of office holders
Under the Companies Law, a company may not exculpate an office holder from liability for a breach of the duty of loyalty. An Israeli company may exculpate an office holder in advance from liability to the company, in whole or in part, for damages caused to the company as a result of a breach of duty of care, but only if a provision authorizing such exculpation is included in its articles of association. Our articles of association include such a provision. An Israeli company may not exculpate a director from liability arising out of a prohibited dividend or distribution to shareholders.
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An Israeli company may indemnify an office holder from the following liabilities and expenses incurred for acts performed as an office holder, either in advance of an event or following an event, provided a provision authorizing such indemnification is contained in its articles of association:
● | a financial liability imposed on him or her in favor of another person pursuant to a judgment, including a settlement or arbitrator’s award approved by a court. However, if an undertaking to indemnify an office holder with respect to such liability is provided in advance, then such an undertaking must be limited to events which, in the opinion of the board of directors, can be foreseen based on the company’s activities when the undertaking to indemnify is given, and to an amount or according to criteria determined by the board of directors as reasonable under the circumstances, and such undertaking shall detail the above mentioned events and amount or criteria; |
● | reasonable litigation expenses, including legal fees, incurred by the office holder (1) as a result of an investigation or proceeding instituted against him or her by an authority authorized to conduct such investigation or proceeding, provided that (i) no indictment was filed against such office holder as a result of such investigation or proceeding; and (ii) no financial liability, such as a criminal penalty, was imposed upon him or her as a substitute for the criminal proceeding as a result of such investigation or proceeding or, if such financial liability was imposed, it was imposed with respect to an offense that does not require proof of criminal intent; and (2) in connection with a monetary sanction; |
● | reasonable litigation expenses, including legal fees, incurred by the office holder or imposed by a court in proceedings instituted against him or her by the company, on its behalf or by a third-party or in connection with criminal proceedings in which the office holder was acquitted or as a result of a conviction for an offense that does not require proof of criminal intent; |
● | expenses, including reasonable litigation expenses and legal fees, incurred by an office holder in relation to an administrative proceeding instituted against such office holder, or certain compensation payments made to an injured party imposed on an office holder by an administrative proceeding, pursuant to certain provisions of the Israeli Securities Law; and |
● | expenses, including reasonable litigation expenses and legal fees, incurred by an office holder in relation to an administrative proceeding instituted against such office holder pursuant to certain provisions of the Israeli Economic Competition Law, 5758-1988. |
An Israeli company may insure an office holder against the following liabilities incurred for acts performed as an office holder if and to the extent provided in the company’s articles of association:
● | a breach of the duty of loyalty to the company, to the extent that the office holder acted in good faith and had a reasonable basis to believe that the act would not prejudice the company; |
● | a breach of the duty of care to the company or to a third-party, including a breach arising out of the negligent conduct of the office holder; |
● | a financial liability imposed on the office holder in favor of a third-party; |
● | a financial liability imposed on the office holder in favor of a third-party harmed by a breach in an administrative proceeding, pursuant to certain provisions of the Israeli Securities Law; and |
● | expenses, including reasonable litigation expenses and legal fees, incurred by the office holder as a result of an administrative proceeding instituted against him or her, pursuant to certain provisions of the Israeli Securities Law. |
An Israeli company may not exempt, indemnify or insure an office holder against any of the following:
● | a breach of the duty of loyalty, except with respect to insurance coverage or indemnification, to the extent that the office holder acted in good faith and had a reasonable basis to believe that the act would not prejudice the company; |
● | a breach of the duty of care committed intentionally or recklessly, excluding a breach arising out of the negligent conduct of the office holder; |
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● | an act or omission committed with intent to derive illegal personal benefit; or |
● | a fine, monetary sanction, or forfeit levied against the office holder. |
Under the Companies Law, exculpation, indemnification, and insurance of office holders must be approved by the compensation committee and the board of directors (and, with respect to directors and the chief executive officer, by the shareholders). However, under regulations promulgated under the Companies Law, the insurance of office holders shall not require shareholder approval and may be approved by only the compensation committee if the engagement terms are determined in accordance with the company’s compensation policy, which was approved by the shareholders by the same special majority required to approve a compensation policy, provided that the insurance policy is on market terms and the insurance policy is not likely to materially impact the company’s profitability, assets, or obligations.
Our articles of association allow us to exculpate, indemnify, and insure our office holders to the maximum extent permitted by law. Our office holders are currently covered by a directors and officers’ liability insurance policy.
We have entered enter into agreements with each of our directors and executive officers exculpating them in advance, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from liability to us for damages caused to us as a result of a breach of duty of care, and undertaking to indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by law. This indemnification is limited to events determined as foreseeable by the board of directors based on our activities and to an amount or according to criteria determined by the board of directors as reasonable under the circumstances.
In the opinion of the SEC, indemnification of directors and office holders for liabilities arising under the Securities Act, however, is against public policy and therefore unenforceable.
Approvals Required for the Compensation of Directors and Executive Officers
Directors
Under the Companies Law, the compensation of a public company’s directors requires the approval of (i) its compensation committee, (ii) its board of directors and, unless exempted under regulations promulgated under the Companies Law, (iii) the approval of its shareholders at a general meeting. In addition, if the compensation of a public company’s directors is inconsistent with the company’s compensation policy, then those inconsistent provisions must be separately considered by the compensation committee and board of directors, and approved by the shareholders by a special vote in one of the following two ways:
● | at least a majority of the shares held by all shareholders who are not controlling shareholders and do not have a personal interest in such matter, present and voting at such meeting, vote in favor of the inconsistent provisions of the compensation package, excluding abstentions; or |
● | the total number of shares of non-controlling shareholders and shareholders who do not have a personal interest in such matter voting against the inconsistent provisions of the compensation package does not exceed two percent (2%) of the aggregate voting rights in the Company. |
Executive officers other than the chief executive officer
The Companies Law requires the compensation of a public company’s executive officers (other than the chief executive officer and who do not also serve as a director) be approved in the following order: (i) the compensation committee, (ii) the company’s board of directors, and (iii) if such compensation arrangement is inconsistent with the company’s stated compensation policy, the company’s shareholders (by a special vote as discussed above with respect to the approval of director compensation that is inconsistent with the compensation policy).
However, there are exceptions to the foregoing approval requirements with respect to such non-director executive officers. If the shareholders of the company do not approve the compensation of such a non-director executive officer, the compensation committee and board of directors may override the shareholders’ disapproval for such non-director executive officer provided that the compensation committee and the board of directors each document the basis for their decision to override the disapproval of the shareholders and approve the compensation.
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An amendment to an existing compensation arrangement with a non-director executive officer requires only the approval of the compensation committee, if the compensation committee determines that the amendment is immaterial. However, if such non-director executive officer is subordinate to the chief executive officer, an immaterial amendment to an existing compensation arrangement shall not require the approval of the compensation committee if (i) such amendment is approved by the chief executive officer, (ii) the company’s compensation policy allows for such immaterial amendments to be approved by the chief executive officer and (iii) the engagement terms are consistent with the company’s compensation policy.
Chief Executive officer
Under the Companies Law, the compensation of a public company’s chief executive officer is required to be approved by: (i) the company’s compensation committee, (ii) the company’s board of directors and (iii) the company’s shareholders (by a special vote as discussed above with respect to the approval of director compensation that is inconsistent with the compensation policy). However, if the shareholders of the company do not approve the compensation arrangement with a chief executive officer who does not serve as a director, the compensation committee and board of directors may override the shareholders’ decision provided that they each document the basis for their decision and the compensation is in accordance with the company’s compensation policy. The approval of each of the compensation committee and board of directors should be in accordance with the company’s compensation policy; however, in special circumstances, they may approve compensation terms of a chief executive officer that are inconsistent with such policy provided that they have considered those provisions that must be included in the compensation policy according to the Companies Law and that shareholder approval was obtained (by a special majority vote as discussed above with respect to the approval of director compensation that is inconsistent with the compensation policy).
In the case of a new chief executive officer, the compensation committee may waive the shareholder approval requirement with regard to the compensation of a candidate for the chief executive officer position if the compensation committee determines that: (i) the compensation arrangement is consistent with the company’s compensation policy, (ii) the chief executive officer candidate did not have, on the date of his appointment or during the two-year period preceding his appointment, an “affiliation” (including an employment relationship, a business or professional relationship or control) with the company or a controlling shareholder of the company or a relative thereof and (iii) subjecting the approval of the engagement to a shareholder vote would impede the company’s ability to employ the chief executive officer candidate. However, if the chief executive officer candidate will serve as a member of the board of directors, such candidate’s compensation terms as chief executive officer must be approved in accordance with the rules applicable to approval of compensation of directors.
Director Compensation
Under our non-employee directors’ compensation program, non-employee directors are entitled to receive the following cash compensation for their services:
● | each non-employee director receives an annual base retainer of $75,000; |
● | each committee chairperson receives an additional retainer of $15,000 for his or her service as a chairperson; and |
● | each member of a standing committee receives an additional retainer of $5,000 for such service on a standing committee. |
In addition to cash compensation, our non-employee directors are also entitled to equity awards under our director compensation policy. Each non-employee director is entitled to receive an annual award of options under the Plan valued at $44,000. In addition, each non-employee director who joins the Board is granted an inaugural award of options valued at $165,000.
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Executive Compensation
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth information concerning the compensation awarded to, earned by, or paid to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer (collectively referred to as “named executive officers” or “Covered Office Holders”) during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
|
|
|
| Option |
| All Other |
| |||||
Name and | Salary | Bonus(1) | Awards(2) | Compensation(3) | Total(4) | |||||||
Principal Position |
| Year |
| ($) |
| ($) |
| ($) |
| ($) |
| ($) |
Dr. Michael Myers |
| 2023 |
| 602,250 |
| — | 292,263 | 59,550 | 954,063 | |||
Chief Executive Officer |
| 2022 |
| 550,000 |
| 247,500 |
| 1,112,187 |
| 57,112 |
| 1,966,799 |
Denise Carter |
| 2023 |
| 481,800 |
| — | 292,266 | 56,000 | 830,066 | |||
Chief Operating Officer |
| 2022 |
| 440,000 |
| 198,000 |
| 1,112,187 |
| 55,215 |
| 1,805,402 |
Gordon Dunn(4) |
| 2023 |
| 394,200 |
| — | 184,635 | — | 578,835 | |||
Chief Financial Officer |
| 2022 |
| 360,000 |
| 162,000 |
| 926,822 |
| 1,385 |
| 1,450,207 |
(1) | For bonuses earned during the year ended December 31, 2022, represents a discretionary cash bonus under the officer’s respective employment agreement granted in recognition of the applicable officer’s promotion of our long-term goals, strategy and operating plan, the need to have appropriate incentives for our officers, and contribution to the achievement of our objectives in accordance with the applicable officer’s respective corporate role during the year ended December 31, 2022. Dr. Myers’ and Ms. Carter’s bonuses were approved by shareheholders at our Annual Meeting held October 26, 2023. The amount of bonuses earned during the year ended December 31, 2023 is not calculable through the date of this prospectus, and such amount will be disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K after we obtain applicable approvals of our shareholders under the Companies Law at our 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. |
(2) | Represents the grant date fair value of option awards granted to each of our named executive officers on April 12, 2022 and October 26, 2023, respectively, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. The 2022 options have an exercise price of $210 per ADS and vest in four equal annual installments beginning on April 12, 2023. The 2023 options have an exercise price of $5.75 per ADS and vest in in three annual installments of 20% and a fourth annual installment of 40% beginning on October 26, 2024. The option values were calculated using a Black-Scholes Model for pricing options. Stock options granted during the year ended December 31, 2023 were valued using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions: |
| December 31, |
| |||
2023 |
| ||||
Expected volatility |
| 110.6 | % | ||
Risk-free interest rate |
| 4.8 | % | ||
Expected dividend yield |
| 0.0 | % | ||
Expected life of options in years |
| 6.4 | |||
Exercise Price | $ | 5.75 | |||
Fair value of ADS | $ | 4.30 | |||
Estimated fair value of option | $ | 3.6097 |
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(3) | Represents amounts paid as office and automobile allowance to Mr. Myers and Ms. Carter under their respective employment agreements, as well as the employer matching contribution to the executive’s 401(k) plan contributions under our Section 401(k) retirement plan (the “Section 401(k) Plan”), broken down as follows: |
|
| Office |
| Car |
| 401(k) |
| |||
Allowance | Allowance | Contributions | Total | |||||||
|
| ($) |
| ($) |
| ($) |
| ($) | ||
Michael Myers |
| 2023 |
| 30,000 |
| 18,000 | 11,550 | 59,550 | ||
| 2022 |
| 30,000 |
| 18,000 |
| 9,112 |
| 57,112 | |
Denise Carter |
| 2023 |
| 30,000 |
| 18,000 | 8,000 | 56,000 | ||
| 2022 |
| 30,000 |
| 18,000 |
| 7,215 |
| 55,215 | |
Gordon Dunn |
| 2023 |
| — |
| — | — | — | ||
2022 | — |
| — |
| 1,385 |
| 1,385 |
Employment Agreements
We entered into written employment agreements with our Covered Office Holders that contain customary provisions, including non-compete and confidentiality provisions.
Dr. Myers. Pursuant to his Executive Employment Agreement with Quoin Inc., dated March 9, 2018, which was amended as of November 9, 2021 (as amended, the “Myers Agreement”), Dr. Myers is entitled to an annual base salary of $550,000, which accrued monthly until paid by Quoin Inc. Dr. Myers may also receive, subject to employment by us on the applicable date of bonus payout, an annual target discretionary bonus of not less than 45% of his annual base salary, payable at the discretion of the board of directors after approval of our compensation committee, subject to shareholder approval by a Special Majority for Compensation Matters. Pursuant to the Myers Agreement, Dr. Myers is also eligible to receive healthcare benefits as may be provided from time to time by us to our employees generally, and to receive paid time off annually in accordance with our policies in effect from time to time. Additionally, the Myers Agreement provides Dr. Myers with a monthly office allowance of $2,500 and a monthly automobile allowance of $1,500. At the annual general meeting of shareholders held on October 26, 2023, shareholders approved an amendment to Dr. Myers’ employment agreement to increase to Dr. Meyer’s annual base salary by 9.5%, retroactive to January 1, 2023, to $602,250.
Ms. Carter. Pursuant to her Executive Employment Agreement with Quoin Inc., dated March 9, 2018, which was amended as of November 9, 2021 (as amended, the “Carter Agreement”), Ms. Carter is entitled to an annual base salary of $440,000, which accrued monthly until paid by Quoin Inc. Ms. Carter may also receive, subject to employment by us on the applicable date of bonus payout, an annual target discretionary bonus of not less than 45% of her annual base salary, payable at the discretion of the board of directors after approval of our compensation committee, subject to shareholder approval by a Special Majority for Compensation Matters. Pursuant to the Carter Agreement, Ms. Carter is also eligible to receive healthcare benefits as may be provided from time to time by us to our employees generally, and to receive paid time off annually in accordance with Quoin’s policies in effect from time to time. Additionally, the Carter Agreement provides Ms. Carter with a monthly office allowance of $2,500 and a monthly automobile allowance of $1,500. At the annual general meeting of shareholders held on October 26, 2023, shareholders approved an amendment to Ms. Carter’s employment agreement to increase to Ms. Carter’s annual base salary by 9.5%, retroactive to January 1, 2023, to $481,800.
Mr. Dunn. Pursuant to his Service Agreement with Quoin Inc., dated November 1, 2021 (as amended, the “Dunn Agreement”), Mr. Dunn is entitled to an annual base salary of $360,000. In addition, Mr. Dunn is entitled to receive (i) a signing bonus equal to one-twelfth of his annual base salary, and (ii) subject to employment by us on the applicable date of bonus payout, an annual target discretionary bonus of not less than 45% of his annual base salary, payable at the discretion of the Board, which will be prorated for 2021. Under the Dunn Agreement, upon our adoption of an option plan, we are obligated to grant an option to Mr. Dunn to purchase our ordinary shares, with $1.25 million grant date value, subject to the terms of such plan. Mr. Dunn is also eligible to receive healthcare benefits as may be provided from time to time by us to our employees generally and paid time off annually in accordance with our policies in effect from time to time. Effective October 26, 2023, Mr. Dunn’s annual base salary was amended to provide for an increase to his annual base salary by 9.5%, retroactive to January 1, 2023, to $394,200.
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Health and Welfare Benefits
Our named executive officers are eligible to participate in the same employee benefit plans, and on the same terms and conditions, as all other full-time, salaried U.S. employees. These benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, an employee assistance program, health and dependent care flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, and commuter benefits.
We also maintain the “Section 401(k) Plan that provides eligible employees, including our named executive officers, with an opportunity to save for retirement on a tax-advantaged basis. Eligible employees are able to participate in the Section 401(k) Plan as of the first day of the month following the date they meet the plan’s eligibility requirements. Participants are able to defer up to 100% of their eligible compensation subject to applicable annual limits under the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”). All participants’ interests in their deferrals are 100% vested when contributed. Currently, we match up to 100% of a participant’s first 1% of his or her eligible contributions to the Section 401(k) Plan, and we match up to 50% of the next 5% of his or her eligible contributions.
Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2023
The following table sets forth information with respect to outstanding equity awards for each named executive officer as of December 31, 2023.
| Number of |
| Number of |
|
| |||
Securities | Securities | |||||||
Underlying | Underlying | Option | ||||||
Unexercised | Unexercised | Exercise | Option | |||||
Options (#) | Options (#) | Price(2) | Expiration | |||||
Name |
| Exercisable |
| Unexercisable(1) |
| ($) |
| Date |
Dr. Michael Myers |
| 1,786 |
| 5,357 |
| 210.00 |
| 04/12/2032 |
-- | 80,965 | 5.75 | 10/26/2033 | |||||
Denise Carter |
| 1,786 |
| 5,357 |
| 210.00 |
| 04/12/2032 |
80,966 | 5.75 | 10/26/2033 | ||||||
Gordon Dunn |
| 1,488 |
| 4,465 |
| 210.00 |
| 04/12/2032 |
-- | 51,149 | 5.75 | 10/26/2033 |
(1) | Represents the number of ADSs issuable upon the exercise of options. The 2022 options vest in four equal annual installments beginning on April 12, 2023. The 2023 options vest in in three annual installments of 20% and a fourth annual installment of 40% beginning on October 26, 2024. |
(2) | Represents the exercise price per ADS. |
Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan
At our annual meeting of shareholders on April 12, 2022 (“April 2022 Annual Meeting”), our shareholders approved our Amended And Restated Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which amended and restated our 2014 Global Incentive Option Scheme. The number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan is equal to 15% of our outstanding ordinary shares on a fully-diluted basis. The purpose of the Plan is to attract, retain and motivate our employees (including prospective employees), non-employee directors and consultants. The Board has the power to administer the Plan, either directly or upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee of the Board, in accordance with applicable law and the Company’s Articles. Options granted under the Plan are subject to applicable vesting schedules and generally expire ten years from the grant date.
Option Grants
At our April 2022 Annual Meeting, our shareholders approved the grant an option to purchase 7,143 ADSs under the Plan to each of Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter. In addition, our Board approved the grant of an option to purchase 5,953 ADSs under the Plan to Mr. Dunn. The 2022 option grants were each at an exercise price of $210.00 per ADS, in four equal annual installments beginning on April 12, 2023. At our October 2023 Annual Meeting, our shareholders approved the grant an option to purchase 80,956 and 80,966 ADSs under the Plan to Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter, respectively. In addition, our Board approved the grant of an option to purchase 51,149 ADSs under the Plan to Mr. Dunn. The 2023 option grants were each at an exercise price of $5.75 per ADS, vesting in three
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annual installments of 20% and a fourth annual installment of 40% beginning on October 26, 2024. Under the Companies Law, shareholder approval was not required for the option grants to Mr. Dunn.
Potential Payments Upon Termination or in Connection With a Change of Control
Employment Agreements
Pursuant to each of the Myers Agreement and the Carter Agreement, Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter, respectively, are entitled to the following benefits upon termination of their employment:
● | Termination for any reason: Upon the termination of such executive’s employment for any reason, such executive will receive (i) his or her Base Salary (as defined in the Myers Agreement or the Carter Agreement, as applicable) through the Exit Date (as defined in the Myers Agreement or the Carter Agreement, as applicable), (ii) any Bonuses (as defined in the Myers Agreement or the Carter Agreement, as applicable) to which he or she is entitled and has already earned for the prior fiscal year, and (iii) any other accrued or vested benefits or reimbursements through the Exit Date to which such executive is entitled to contractually or by operation of law. |
● | Termination upon death or Disability: In the event of the executive’s termination due to his or her death or Disability (as defined in the Myers Agreement or the Carter Agreement, as applicable), then, in addition to the payments set forth above, the executive will receive his or her pro rata portion of the Bonus such executive would have been entitled to receive for the fiscal year in which the Exit Date occurs, based upon the percentage of the fiscal year that elapsed through the Exit Date. Additionally, in the event of termination due to Disability, the executive will receive, for a period of 24 months following the Exit Date, such executive monthly COBRA premium. |
● | Termination without Cause or for Good Reason: In addition to the payments set forth in the first bullet above, if Dr. Myers or Ms. Carter is terminated by the Company without Cause (as defined in the Myers Agreement or the Carter Agreement, as applicable), or Dr. Myers or Ms. Carter terminates his or her employment for Good Reason (as defined in the Myers Agreement or the Carter Agreement, as applicable), he or she will be entitled to receive (i) his or her Base Salary for 2 years from the Exit Date and 2 times the current years’ Bonus, and (ii) continuation of such executive’s medical benefits for 2 years from the Exit Date (unless the executive becomes employed elsewhere during such 2 year period and is eligible to receive comparable medical benefits). |
As a condition precedent to receiving any of the foregoing benefits, Dr. Myers and/or Ms. Carter, as applicable, must first sign a Release (as defined in the Myers Agreement or the Carter Agreement, as applicable).
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Mr. Dunn, pursuant to the Dunn Agreement, is also entitled to the following benefits upon termination of his employment:
● | Garden Leave: During any period of notice to terminate Mr. Dunn’s employment, Mr. Dunn will continue to be entitled to his basic salary and contractual benefits in the usual course. |
● | Payment in lieu of notice: Upon the termination of Mr. Dunn’s employment at any time, Mr. Dunn will receive payment equal to his basic salary as of the termination date which he would have been entitled to receive under the Dunn Agreement during the notice period referred to in the bullet below, less income tax and national insurance contributions. Payment in lieu of notice will not include (i) any bonus or commission payments that might otherwise have been paid to Mr. Dunn during the period for which such payment in lieu of notice is made, (ii) benefits Mr. Dunn would have been entitled to during such time, and (iii) holiday entitlement that would have accrued during such time. |
● | Termination: Subject to successful completion of the probationary employment period as set forth in the Dunn Agreement, and except in connection with certain “for cause” events, as set forth in Section 20.2 of the Dunn Agreement, the Company may terminate Mr. Dunn’s employment by giving at least 12 months’ prior written notice, and is obligated to continue paying Mr. Dunn his basic salary and other benefits during such notice period. |
The foregoing descriptions of the Myers Agreement, the Carter Agreement and the Dunn Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the complete text of the Myers Agreement, the Carter Agreement and the Dunn Agreement, copies of which are attached to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”
Option Awards
Under the Plan, upon termination of employment for any reason, other than in the event of death or disability or for ”Cause” (as defined in the Plan), all unvested options will expire and all vested options at time of termination will generally be exercisable for 90 days following termination, subject to the terms of the Plan and the governing option agreement. If we terminate a grantee for Cause, the grantee’s right to exercise all vested and unvested the options granted to the grantee will expire immediately. Upon termination of employment due to death or disability, all the vested options at the time of termination will be exercisable for 12 months after date of termination, subject to the terms of the Plan and the governing option agreement.
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
In 2021, Quoin Inc. paid $100,000 of consulting expenses to a company controlled by Dennis Langer, our director, and approximately $8,000 and $48,000 and $12,000 were paid in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively, to Dr. Myers’ son, who was consulting Quoin Inc. on research and development matters from time to time. As of March 31, 2023, Dr. Myers’ son no longer provides consulting services to Quoin.
Due to the limited funding of Quoin Inc. prior to the consummation of the Merger, the compensation, including salary, office and car allowances and other benefits, due to Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter under their respective employment agreements, as well as reimbursement of expenses and other amounts paid by Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter to third parties on behalf of Quoin Inc., were not paid by Quoin Inc. to Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter, and were accrued as indebtedness to Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter. Following the closing of the Merger, Quoin Inc. began making payments of $25,000 per month to each of Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter to repay the above-described non-interest-bearing indebtedness. We repaid $125,000 and $300,000 of such indebtedness to Dr. Myers and $160,000 and $300,000 to Ms. Carter in 2021 and 2022, respectively. We repaid $300,000 and $300,000 of such indebtedness to Dr. Myers and $300,000 to Ms. Carter in 2023. As of December 31, 2023, approximately $1,959,000 and $1,565,000 of such indebtedness was outstanding to Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter, respectively.
Commencing in October 2020, Quoin Inc. issued promissory notes (the “2020 Notes”) to five noteholders, including our directors, Messrs. Langer and Culverwell (collectively, “2020 Noteholders”). The 2020 Notes were issued at a 25% original issue discount with an aggregate face value of $1,213,313 with an interest at a rate of 20% per annum. The 2020 Noteholders also received warrants exercisable at any time after the issuance date. At the closing of the Merger in October 2021, 432 ADSs were issued to the 2020 Noteholders upon the conversion of the principal of the 2020 Notes, of which 52 ADSs were issued to Mr. Langer and 47 ADSs were issued to Mr. Culverwell. In December 2021, we concluded that the calculation of ADSs due to the 2020 Noteholders did not account for accrued interest due when the ADSs were issued. We reached cash settlements with two 2020 Noteholders, who are not our directors, to account for this. Based on the terms of these cash settlements, we estimate the liability to the remaining three 2020 Noteholders, including our directors, to be $1,146,000 as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. The exercise price of the warrants held by the 2020 Noteholders was reduced to $0.00 as of July 14, 2022 as a result of agreement with Quoin’s investor. The change in the exercise price of the Noteholder Warrants resulted in a deemed dividend of approximately $65,000. From July to September 2022, the 2020 Noteholders exercised all their warrants to purchase ADSs at $0.00 per ADS exercise price, and a total of 2,449 ADSs were issued to such noteholders, of which 298 ADSs were issued to Mr. Langer and 270 ADSs were issued to Mr. Culverwell.
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PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS
The following table sets forth information relating to the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of February 8, 2024 by:
● | each person, or group of affiliated persons, known by us to own beneficially 5% or more of our outstanding ordinary shares; |
● | each of our directors and named executive officers; and |
● | all of our directors and officers as a group. |
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and generally means sole or shared power to vote or direct the voting or to dispose or direct the disposition of any ordinary shares. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes to this table, we believe that each of the persons named in this table has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares indicated as being beneficially owned.
Except as indicated by footnote, the beneficial ownership information is based upon 987,220 ordinary shares outstanding as of February 8, 2024. Ordinary shares that may be acquired by a person within 60 days of February 8, 2024, pursuant to the exercise of options are deemed to be outstanding for purpose of computing the percentage ownership of such person, but are not deemed to be outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of ordinary shares of any other person shown in the table. Each ADS represents one ordinary share of Quoin Ltd.
Unless indicated otherwise below, the address of our directors and executive officers is c/o Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd., 42127 Pleasant Forest Court, Ashburn, VA 20148-7349.
| Amount and Nature of Beneficial |
| Percentage | |
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner |
| Ownership |
| of Class |
5% Beneficial Owners: | ||||
None |
| |||
Directors and Named Executive Officers: |
|
|
|
|
Dr. Michael Myers(1) |
| 11,144 |
| 1.1 |
Denise Carter(2) |
| 11,143 |
| 1.1 |
Joseph Cooper(3) |
| 357 |
| * |
James Culverwell(4) |
| 674 |
| * |
Dr. Dennis Langer(5) |
| 707 |
| * |
Natalie Leong(6) |
| 357 |
| * |
Michael Sember(7) |
| 357 |
| * |
Gordon Dunn(8) |
| 1,488 |
| * |
All directors and officers as a group (8 persons) (9) |
| 26,227 |
| 2.7 |
* Less than 1%
(1) | Consists of (i) 9,358 ordinary shares held directly and (ii) 1,786 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of options. |
(2) | Consists of (i) 9,357 ordinary shares held directly and (ii) 1,786 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options. |
(3) | Represents 357 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options. |
(4) | Consists of (i) 317 ordinary shares held directly and (ii) 357 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options. |
(5) | Consists of (i) 350 ordinary shares held directly and (ii) 357 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options. |
(6) | Represents 357 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options. |
(7) | Represents 357 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options. |
(8) | Represents 1,488 ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options. |
(9) | Consists of (i) 19,382 ordinary shares held directly and (ii) 6,845 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of options. |
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DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL
The following are summaries of material provisions of our articles of association and the Companies Law, insofar as they relate to the material terms of our ordinary shares.
Purposes and Objects of the Company
Our purpose is set forth in Section 2 of our articles of association and includes every lawful purpose.
Voting Rights
Holders of our ordinary shares have one vote for each ordinary share held on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders at a shareholders meeting. Shareholders may vote at shareholders meetings either in person, by proxy or by written ballot. Israeli law does not allow public companies to adopt shareholder resolutions by means of written consent in lieu of a shareholders meeting. The board of directors shall determine and provide a record date for each shareholders meeting and all shareholders at such record date may vote. Unless stipulated differently in the Companies Law or in the articles of association, all shareholders’ resolutions shall be approved by a simple majority vote. As a general rule, an amendment to our articles of association requires the prior approval of a simple majority of our shares represented and voting at a general meeting.
Transfer of Shares
Our ordinary shares that are fully paid for are issued in registered form and may be freely transferred under our articles of association, unless the transfer is restricted or prohibited by applicable law or the rules of a stock exchange on which the shares are traded. The ownership or voting of our ordinary shares by non-residents of Israel is not restricted in any way by our articles of association or Israeli law, except for ownership by nationals of some countries that are, or have been, in a state of war with Israel.
Amendment of Share Capital
Our articles of association enable us to increase or reduce our share capital. Any such changes are subject to the provisions of the Companies Law and must be approved by a resolution duly passed by our shareholders at a annual or special general meeting by voting on such change in the capital. In addition, transactions that have the effect of reducing capital, such as the declaration and payment of dividends in the absence of sufficient retained earnings and profits, or an issuance of shares for less than their nominal value (which would be applicable to our company should our articles be changed so as to permit the issue of shares having a nominal value, however our shares currently have no nominal value), require a resolution of our board of directors and court approval.
Dividends
Under Israeli law, we may declare and pay dividends only if, upon the determination of our board of directors, there is no reasonable concern that the distribution will prevent us from being able to meet the terms of our existing and foreseeable obligations as they become due. Under the Companies Law, the distribution amount is further limited to the greater of retained earnings or earnings generated over the two most recent years legally available for distribution according to our then last reviewed or audited financial statements, provided that the date of the financial statements is not more than six months prior to the date of distribution. In the event that we do not have retained earnings or earnings generated over the two most recent years legally available for distribution, we may seek the approval of the court in order to distribute a dividend. The court may approve our request if it determines that there is no reasonable concern that the payment of a dividend will prevent us from satisfying our existing and foreseeable obligations as they become due.
Exchange Controls
There are currently no Israeli currency control restrictions on payments of dividends or other distributions with respect to our ordinary shares or the proceeds from the sale of the shares, except, under certain circumstances, for shareholders who are subjects of countries that are, or have been, in a state of war with Israel. Israeli residents have an obligation to file reports with the Bank of Israel regarding certain transactions. However, legislation remains in effect pursuant to which currency controls can be imposed by administrative action at any time.
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Shareholders Meetings
Under Israeli law, we are required to hold an annual general meeting of our shareholders once every calendar year and in any event no later than 15 months after the date of the previous annual general meeting. All meetings other than the annual general meeting of shareholders are referred to as special meetings. Our board of directors may call special meetings whenever it sees fit, at such time and place, within or outside of Israel, as it may determine. In addition, the Companies Law and our articles of association provide that our board of directors is required to convene a special meeting upon the written request of (1) any two or more of our directors or one quarter of the directors then in office; or (2) one or more shareholders holding, in the aggregate either (a) 5% or more of our outstanding issued share capital and 1% of our outstanding voting rights, or (b) 5% or more of our outstanding voting rights.
Under Israeli law, one or more shareholders holding at least 1% of the voting rights at the general meeting of the shareholders may request that the board of directors include a matter in the agenda of a general meeting of the shareholders to be convened in the future, provided that it is appropriate to discuss such a matter at the general meeting.
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Law and the regulations promulgated thereunder, shareholders entitled to participate and vote at general meetings of a company are the shareholders of record on a date to be decided by the board of directors which for us, as a company listed on an exchange outside Israel, may be between four and forty days prior to the date of the meeting.
The Companies Law and our articles of association require that resolutions regarding the following matters must be passed at a general meeting of our shareholders:
● | amendments to our articles of association; |
● | appointment, terms of service or termination of service of our auditors; |
● | appointment and dismissal of external directors, if and to the extent any are required to be appointed under the Companies Law; |
● | approval of acts and transactions requiring general meeting approval pursuant to the Companies Law; |
● | increases or reductions of our authorized share capital; |
● | a merger; and |
● | the exercise of our board of directors’ powers by a general meeting, if our board of directors is unable to exercise its powers and the exercise of any of its powers is required for our proper management. |
The Companies Law requires that a notice of any annual general meeting or special general meeting be provided to shareholders at least 21 days prior to the meeting and if the agenda of the meeting includes, among other things, the appointment or removal of directors, the approval of transactions with office holders or interested or related parties, or an approval of a merger, notice must be provided at least 35 days prior to the meeting. Under the Companies Law and our amended and restated articles of association, shareholders are not permitted to take action by way of written consent in lieu of a meeting.
Quorum
Our articles of association provide that the quorum required for our general meetings of shareholders consists of two or more shareholders present in person, by proxy or by other voting instrument in accordance with the Companies Law and our articles of association, who hold or represent, in the aggregate, at least 25% of the total outstanding voting rights, within half an hour from the time the meeting was designated to start.
A meeting adjourned for lack of a quorum will be adjourned for one week, to the same day in the following week and at the same time and place, or to a later date if so specified in the notice of the meeting, or to another day or place determined by our board of directors in a notice to shareholders. At the reconvened meeting, if a quorum is not present within half an hour from the scheduled time, any number of our shareholders present in person or by proxy shall constitute a lawful quorum.
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Our Board intends to place the adoption of an amendment to the quorum requirements in our articles of association on the agenda of our next annual general meeting of shareholders, which will provide, in part, that one or more shareholders present in person or by proxy holding shares conferring an aggregate of at least thirty-three and one-third per cent (33⅓%) of the voting power of our company shall constitute a quorum at our general meeting.
Vote Requirements
Our articles of association provide that all resolutions of our shareholders require a simple majority vote, unless otherwise required by the Companies Law or by our articles of association. Under the Companies Law, certain actions require the approval of a special majority, including: (i) an extraordinary transaction with a controlling shareholder or in which the controlling shareholder has a personal interest, (ii) the terms of employment or other engagement of a controlling shareholder of the company or a controlling shareholder’s relative (even if such terms are not extraordinary) and (iii) certain compensation-related matters described above under “Management—Compensation Committee—Compensation Policy under the Companies Law.” Under our articles of association, the alteration of the rights, privileges, preferences or obligations of any class of our shares (to the extent there are classes other than ordinary shares) requires the approval of a simple majority of the class so affected (or such other percentage of the relevant class that may be set forth in the governing documents relevant to such class), in addition to a majority of all classes of shares voting together as a single class at a shareholder meeting.
Dissolution
Generally under Israeli law, a resolution for the voluntary winding up of a company requires the approval of holders of 75% of the voting rights represented at the meeting, in person, by proxy or by written ballot and voting on the resolution.
In the event of our liquidation, after satisfaction of liabilities to creditors, our assets will be distributed to the holders of our ordinary shares (including holders of entitlements to shares, after deducting the nominal value (if any) of such shares and the price which would have been paid in order to exercise the right to such shares), in proportion to their shareholdings. This right, as well as the right to receive dividends, may be affected by the grant of preferential dividend or distribution rights to the holders of a class of shares with preferential rights that may be authorized in the future.
Access to Corporate Records
Under the Companies Law, all shareholders of a company generally have the right to review minutes of the company’s general meetings, its register of shareholders and material shareholders, articles of association, financial statements and any document it is required by law to file publicly with the Israeli Companies Registrar. Any of our shareholders may request to review any document in our possession that relates to any action or transaction with a related party, interested party, or office holder that requires shareholder approval under the Companies Law. We may deny a request to review a document if we determine that the request was not made in good faith, that the document contains a trade secret or patent, or that the document’s disclosure may otherwise prejudice our interests.
Acquisitions under Israeli Law
Full Tender Offer
A person wishing to acquire shares of a public Israeli company, and who would as a result hold over 90% of the target company’s issued and outstanding share capital, is required by the Companies Law to make a tender offer to all of the company’s shareholders for the purchase of all of the issued and outstanding shares of the company. A person wishing to acquire shares of a public Israeli company, and who would as a result hold over 90% of the issued and outstanding share capital of a certain class of shares, is required to make a tender offer to all of the shareholders who hold shares of that class for the purchase of all of the issued and outstanding shares of that class. If the shareholders who do not accept the offer hold less than 5% of the issued and outstanding share capital of the company or of the applicable class, all of the shares that the acquirer offered to purchase will be transferred to the acquirer by operation of law, provided that a majority of the offerees that do not have a personal interest in such tender offer, have accepted the tender offer. Alternatively, if shareholders who do not accept the tender offer represent less than 2% of the company’s issued and outstanding share capital (or less than 2% of the applicable class of shares), approval by a majority of the offerees that do not have a personal interest in such tender offer is not required to complete the tender offer. A shareholder whose shares are so transferred may petition the court regarding the fair value to be paid in consideration of such shares, within six months from the date of acceptance of the full tender offer; this right of petition applies to all offeree shareholders, unless the acquirer stipulated in the tender offer that a shareholder accepting the offer may not seek appraisal rights, and prior to the acceptance of the full tender offer, the acquirer and the
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company disclosed the information required by law in connection with a full tender offer. To the extent a court so petitioned determines that the offered value was less than the fair value per share, the court may order the difference to be paid.
Special Tender Offer
The Companies Law provides that an acquisition of shares of an Israeli public company must be made by means of a “special tender offer” complying with the relevant provisions of the Companies Law if, as a result of the acquisition, the purchaser would become a holder of 25% or more of the voting rights in the company, if there did not previously exist a holder of 25% or more of the voting rights in the company, or if, as a result of the acquisition, the purchaser would become a holder of more than 45% of the voting rights in the company, if there did not previously exist a holder of more than 45% of the voting rights in the company. This requirement does not apply if the acquisition: (a) occurs in the context of a private placement by the company that received shareholder approval as a private placement giving the offeree 25% or 45% of the company’s voting rights (as the case may be); (b) is from a holder of 25% or more of the voting rights in the company and results in the acquirer becoming a holder of 25% or more of the voting rights in the company; or (c) is from a holder of more than 45% of the voting rights in the company and results in the acquirer becoming a holder of more than 45% of the voting rights in the company.
In the event that a special tender offer is made, the target company’s board of directors is required to express its opinion on the advisability of the offer, or may abstain from expressing any opinion if it is unable to do so, provided that it gives the reasons for its abstention.
A special tender offer must be directed to all offerees, and the offerees may give notice of their agreement or opposition to the special tender offer. The special tender offer will be consummated only if: (a) at least 5% of the voting rights attached to the company’s outstanding shares will be acquired by the offeror, and (b) among those shareholders who gave notice of their position (excluding any controlling shareholders of the offeror, holders of 25% or more of the voting rights in the target company, and any person having a personal interest in the acceptance of the tender offer, including relatives or corporations under the control of any of the above), the number of shares whose holders agreed to the offer exceeds the number of shares whose holders objected to the offer.
If a special tender offer is accepted by the procedure described above, then shareholders who did not respond to or who objected the offer may accept the offer within four days of the last day set for the acceptance of the offer.
An office holder in a company which is the target of a special tender offer who, in his or her capacity as an office holder, performs an act or omits to act for in order to cause the failure of an existing or foreseeable special tender offer, or to impair the likelihood of its acceptance, is liable to the offeror and offerees for damages, unless such office holder acted in good faith and had reasonable grounds to believe that such act or omission was beneficial to the company. As a safe harbor, office holders of the target company may negotiate with a potential purchaser in order to improve the terms of a special tender offer, or negotiate with third parties in order to obtain a competing offer.
In the event that a special tender offer is accepted, the purchaser, any person or entity controlling or controlled by the purchaser, or under common control with the purchaser, may not make a subsequent tender offer for the purchase of shares of the target company, and may not enter into a merger with the target company, for a period of one year from the date of the offer, unless the purchaser or such person or entity undertakes to effect such an offer or merger as a special tender offer in compliance with the Companies Law requirements.
Merger
The Companies Law permits merger transactions if approved by each party’s board of directors and, unless certain conditions described under the Companies Law are met, by each party’s shareholders by a majority vote as described below.
For purposes of the shareholder vote, unless a court rules otherwise, the merger will not be deemed approved if a majority of the shares voted at the shareholders meeting held by shareholders who are not the other party to the merger, or held by any person who holds 25% or more of the outstanding shares or the right to appoint 25% or more of the directors of the other party to the merger (including relatives or entities in control of the above), vote against the merger. If the transaction would have been approved but for the separate approval of each class or the exclusion of the votes of certain shareholders as provided above, a court may still approve the merger upon the request of holders of at least 25% of the voting rights of a company, if the court holds that the merger is fair and reasonable, taking into account the relative value of the merger parties and the consideration offered to the shareholders. If the non-surviving entity of the merger has more than one class of shares, the merger must be approved by each class of shareholders. If a
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merger is with a company’s controlling shareholder, or if a controlling shareholder has a personal interest in the merger, then the merger will be subject to the special majority approval required for an extraordinary transaction with a controlling shareholder (see: Approval of Related Party Transactions under Israeli Law - Declaration of Personal Interest of Controlling Shareholders and Approval of Certain Transactions). In the context of mergers (as well as other related party transactions), a “controlling shareholder” under Israeli law is deemed to include any shareholder holding 25% or more of the voting rights in the company if no other shareholder owns more than 50% of the voting rights in the company, and two or more shareholders with a personal interest in the approval of the same transaction are deemed to be one shareholder for such purpose.
The Companies Law requires the board of directors of a merging company to discuss and determine whether, in its view, there exists a reasonable concern that as a result of the proposed merger, the surviving company will not be able to satisfy its obligations towards its creditors, and if not, the board of directors may not approve the merger. The Companies Law requires each merging company to inform its secured creditors of the proposed merger plan. Upon the request of a creditor of either party to the proposed merger, the court may delay or prevent the merger if it concludes that there exists a reasonable concern that, as a result of the merger, the surviving company will be unable to satisfy the obligations of any of the parties to the merger, and may further give instructions to secure the rights of creditors.
A merger may not be completed unless at least 50 days have passed from the date that a proposal for approval of the merger is filed with the Israeli Registrar of Companies, and 30 days have passed from the date the merger was approved by the shareholders of each merging company.
Antitakeover Measures
The Companies Law allows us to create and issue shares having rights different from those attached to our ordinary shares, including shares providing certain preferred rights, distributions or other matters, and shares having preemptive rights. As of the date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we do not have any authorized or issued classes of shares other than our ordinary shares. In the future, if we do create and issue a class of shares other than ordinary shares, such class of shares, depending on the specific rights that may be attached to them, may delay or prevent a takeover or otherwise prevent our shareholders from realizing a potential premium over the market value of their ordinary shares. The authorization of a new class of shares will require an amendment to our articles of association which requires the prior approval of the holders of a majority of our shares at a general meeting. Shareholders voting in such meeting will be subject to the restrictions provided in the Companies Law as described above.
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DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES
The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Depositary”), as depositary, has registered and delivered American Depositary Shares, also referred to as ADSs. Each ADS represents one ordinary share (or a right to receive one ordinary share) deposited with The Bank of New York Mellon in Manchester, United Kingdom, as custodian for the Depositary. The Depositary’s corporate trust office at which the ADSs will be administered is located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286. The Bank of New York Mellon’s principal executive office is located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286.
ADSs may be held either (a) directly (1) by having an American Depositary Receipt, also referred to as an ADR, which is a certificate evidencing a specific number of ADSs or (2) by having uncertificated ADSs, or (b) indirectly by holding a security entitlement in ADSs through a broker or other financial institution that is a direct or indirect participant in The Depository Trust Company, also called DTC. If ADSs are held directly by the holder, then that holder is registered as such, and is referred to in our description here an ADS holder. An indirect holder of ADSs indirectly must rely on the procedures of the holder’s broker or other financial institution to assert the rights of ADS holder described in this Exhibit.
Registered holders of uncertificated ADSs will receive statements from the depositary confirming their holdings.
We will not treat registered ADS holders as one of our shareholders, and they will not have shareholder rights. Israeli law governs shareholder rights. The depositary will be the holder of the ordinary shares underlying ADSs. A registered holder of ADSs will have ADS holder rights. A deposit agreement among us, the depositary, ADS holders and all other persons indirectly or beneficially holding ADSs sets out ADS holder rights as well as the rights and obligations of the depositary. New York law governs the deposit agreement and the ADSs.
The following is a summary of the material provisions of the deposit agreement. For more complete information, you should read the entire deposit agreement and the form of ADR.
Dividends and Other Distributions
How will you receive dividends and other distributions on the shares?
The depositary has agreed to pay or distribute to ADS holders the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on ordinary shares or other deposited securities, upon payment or deduction of its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of ordinary shares your ADSs represent.
Cash. The depositary will convert any cash dividend or other cash distribution we pay in non-U.S. currency on the ordinary shares into U.S. dollars, if it can do so on a reasonable basis and can transfer the U.S. dollars to the United States. If that is not possible or if any government approval is needed and cannot be obtained, the deposit agreement allows the depositary to distribute the foreign currency only to those ADS holders to whom it is possible to do so. It will hold the foreign currency it cannot convert for the account of the ADS holders who have not been paid. It will not invest the foreign currency, and it will not be liable for any interest.
Before making a distribution, the depositary will deduct any withholding taxes, or other required governmental charges. See “Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” below. The depositary will distribute only whole U.S. dollars and cents and will round fractional cents to the nearest whole cent. If the exchange rates fluctuate during a time when the depositary cannot convert the foreign currency, you may lose some or all of the value of the distribution.
Shares. The depositary may distribute additional ADSs representing any ordinary shares we distribute as a dividend or free distribution. The depositary will only distribute whole ADSs. It will sell ordinary shares which would require it to deliver a fraction of an ADS (or ADSs representing those shares) and distribute the net proceeds in the same way as it does with cash. If the depositary does not distribute additional ADSs, the outstanding ADSs will also represent the new shares. The depositary may sell a portion of the distributed ordinary shares (or ADSs representing those shares) sufficient to pay its fees and expenses in connection with that distribution.
Rights to purchase additional shares. If we offer holders of our securities any rights to subscribe for additional ordinary shares or any other rights, the depositary may (1) exercise those rights on behalf of ADS holders, (2) distribute those rights to ADS holders or (3) sell those rights and distribute the net proceeds to ADS holders, in each case after deduction or upon payment of its fees and expenses. To the extent the depositary does not do any of those things, it will allow the rights to lapse. In that case, you will receive no
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value for them. The depositary will exercise or distribute rights only if we ask it to and provide satisfactory assurances to the depositary that it is legal to do so. If the depositary will exercise rights, it will purchase the securities to which the rights relate and distribute those securities or, in the case of ordinary shares, new ADSs representing the new ordinary shares, to subscribing ADS holders, but only if ADS holders have paid the exercise price to the depositary. U.S. securities laws may restrict the ability of the depositary to distribute rights or ADSs or other securities issued on exercise of rights to all or certain ADS holders, and the securities distributed may be subject to restrictions on transfer.
Other Distributions. The depositary will send to ADS holders anything else we distribute on deposited securities by any means it thinks is legal, fair and practical. If it cannot make the distribution in that way, the depositary has a choice. It may decide to sell what we distributed and distribute the net proceeds, in the same way as it does with non-U.S. currency. Alternatively, it may decide to hold what we distributed, in which case ADSs will also represent the newly distributed property. However, the depositary is not required to distribute any securities (other than ADSs) to ADS holders unless it receives satisfactory evidence from us that it is legal to make that distribution. The depositary may sell a portion of the distributed securities or property sufficient to pay its fees and expenses in connection with that distribution. U.S. securities laws may restrict the ability of the depositary to distribute securities to all or certain ADS holders, and the securities distributed may be subject to restrictions on transfer.
The depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any ADS holders. We have no obligation to register ADSs, shares, rights or other securities under the Securities Act. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, shares, rights or anything else to ADS holders. This means that you may not receive the distributions we make on our ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you.
Deposit, Withdrawal and Cancellation
How are ADSs issued?
The depositary will deliver ADSs upon deposits of ordinary shares or evidence of rights to receive ordinary shares with the custodian. Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, the depositary will register the appropriate number of ADSs and will deliver the ADSs to or upon the order of the person or persons that made the deposit.
How can ADS holders withdraw the deposited securities?
ADS holders may surrender ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal at the Depositary’s account at DTCC (BNYM’s DTC participant #2504). Upon payment of its cancellation fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, the depositary will deliver the ordinary shares and any other deposited securities underlying the ADSs to the ADS holder or a person the ADS holder designates in accordance with the Cancellation Instruction provided to The Bank of New York Mellon.
How do ADS holders interchange between certificated ADSs and uncertificated ADSs?
ADS holders may surrender ADS to the depositary for the purpose of exchanging ADS for uncertificated ADSs. The depositary will cancel that ADS and will send to the ADS holder a statement confirming that the ADS holder is the registered holder of uncertificated ADSs. Upon receipt by the depositary of a proper instruction from a registered holder of uncertificated ADSs requesting the exchange of uncertificated ADSs for certificated ADSs, the depositary will execute and deliver to the ADS holder an ADS evidencing those ADSs.
Voting Rights
ADS holders may instruct the depositary how to vote the number of deposited ordinary shares their ADSs represent. If we request the depositary to solicit your voting instructions (and we are not required to do so), the depositary will notify you of a shareholders’ meeting and send or make voting materials available to you. Those materials will describe the matters to be voted on and explain how ADS holders may instruct the depositary how to vote. For instructions to be valid, they must reach the depositary by a date set by the depositary.
The depositary will try, as far as practical, subject to the laws of Israel and the provisions of our articles of association or similar documents, to vote or to have its agents vote the ordinary shares or other deposited securities as instructed by ADS holders. If we do
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not request the depositary to solicit your voting instructions, you can still send voting instructions, and, in that case, the depositary may try to vote as you instruct, but it is not required to do so.
Except by instructing the depositary as described above, ADS holders will not be able to exercise voting rights, unless they surrender your ADSs and withdraw the ordinary shares. However, ADS holders may not know about the meeting sufficiently in advance to withdraw the ordinary shares. In any event, the depositary will not exercise any discretion in voting deposited securities and it will only vote or attempt to vote as instructed.
We cannot assure that ADS holders will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that they can instruct the depositary to vote ordinary shares. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for the manner of carrying out voting instructions. This means that ADS holders may not be able to exercise voting rights and there may be nothing they can do if your ordinary shares are not voted as requested.
In order to give ADS holders a reasonable opportunity to instruct the depositary as to the exercise of voting rights relating to deposited securities, if we request the Depositary to act, we agree to give the depositary notice of any such meeting and details concerning the matters to be voted upon at least thirty days in advance of the meeting date.
Fees and Expenses
Persons depositing or withdrawing shares or ADS |
| For: |
$5.00 (or less) per ADS (or portion of ADS) | Issuance of ADSs, including issuances resulting from a distribution of ordinary shares or rights or other property Cancellation of ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal, including if the deposit agreement terminates | |
$0.05 (or less) per ADS | Any cash distribution to ADS holders | |
A fee equivalent to the fee that would be payable if securities distributed to you had been ordinary shares and the ordinary shares had been deposited for issuance of ADSs | Distribution of securities distributed to holders of deposited securities (including rights) that are distributed by the depositary to ADS holders | |
$0.05 (or less) per ADSs per calendar year | Depositary services | |
Registration or transfer fees | Transfer and registration of ordinary shares on our share register to or from the name of the depositary or its agent when you deposit or withdraw ordinary shares | |
Expenses of the Depositary | Cable, telex and facsimile transmissions (when expressly provided in the deposit agreement); converting foreign currency to U.S. dollars | |
Taxes and other governmental charges the Depositary or the custodian have to pay on any ADS or share underlying an ADS, for example, stock transfer taxes, stamp duty or withholding taxes | As necessary | |
Any charges incurred by the Depositary or its agents for servicing the deposited securities | As necessary |
The depositary collects its fees for delivery and surrender of ADSs directly from investors depositing ordinary shares or surrendering ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal or from intermediaries acting for them. The depositary collects fees for making distributions to investors by deducting those fees from the amounts distributed or by selling a portion of distributable property to pay the fees. The depositary may collect its annual fee for depositary services by deduction from cash distributions or by directly billing investors or by charging the book-entry system accounts of participants acting for them. The depositary may collect any of its fees by
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deduction from any cash distribution payable (or by selling a portion of securities or other property distributable) to ADS holders that are obligated to pay those fees. The depositary may generally refuse to provide fee-attracting services until its fees for those services are paid.
From time to time, the depositary may make payments to us to reimburse us for costs and expenses generally arising out of establishment and maintenance of the ADS program, waive fees and expenses for services provided to us by the depositary or share revenue from the fees collected from ADS holders. In performing its duties under the deposit agreement, the depositary may use brokers, dealers, foreign currency dealers or other service providers that are owned by or affiliated with the depositary and that may earn or share fees, spreads or commissions.
The depositary may convert currency itself or through any of its affiliates and, in those cases, acts as principal for its own account and not as agent, advisor, broker or fiduciary on behalf of any other person and earns revenue, including, without limitation, transaction spreads, that it will retain for its own account. The revenue is based on, among other things, the difference between the exchange rate assigned to the currency conversion made under the deposit agreement and the rate that the depositary or its affiliate receives when buying or selling foreign currency for its own account. The depositary makes no representation that the exchange rate used or obtained in any currency conversion under the deposit agreement will be the most favorable rate that could be obtained at the time or that the method by which that rate will be determined will be the most favorable to ADS holders, subject to the depositary’s obligations under the deposit agreement. The methodology used to determine exchange rates used in currency conversions is available upon request.
Payment of Taxes
ADS holders are responsible for any taxes or other governmental charges payable on their ADSs or on the deposited securities represented by any of their ADSs. The depositary may refuse to register any transfer of ADSs or allow a withdrawal of the deposited securities represented by your ADSs, until such taxes or other charges are paid. It may apply payments owed to the ADS holder or sell deposited securities represented by the ADSs to pay any taxes owed and the ADS holder will remain liable for any deficiency. If the depositary sells deposited securities, it will, if appropriate, reduce the number of ADSs to reflect the sale and pay to ADS holders any proceeds, or send to ADS holders any property, remaining after it has paid the taxes.
Tender and Exchange Offers; Redemption, Replacement or Cancellation of Deposited Securities
The depositary will not tender deposited securities in any voluntary tender or exchange offer unless instructed to do by an ADS holder surrendering ADSs and subject to any conditions or procedures the depositary may establish.
If deposited securities are redeemed for cash in a transaction that is mandatory for the depositary as a holder of deposited securities, the depositary will call for surrender of a corresponding number of ADSs and distribute the net redemption money to the holders of called ADSs upon surrender of those ADSs.
If there is any change in the deposited securities such as a sub-division, combination or other reclassification, or any merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization affecting the issuer of deposited securities in which the depositary receives new securities in exchange for or in lieu of the old deposited securities, the depositary will hold those replacement securities as deposited securities under the deposit agreement. However, if the depositary decides it would not be lawful and to hold the replacement securities because those securities could not be distributed to ADS holders or for any other reason, the depositary may instead sell the replacement securities and distribute the net proceeds upon surrender of the ADSs.
If there is a replacement of the deposited securities and the depositary will continue to hold the replacement securities, the depositary may distribute new ADSs representing the new deposited securities or ask you to surrender your outstanding ADRs in exchange for new ADSs identifying the new deposited securities.
If there are no deposited securities underlying ADSs, including if the deposited securities are cancelled, or if the deposited securities underlying ADSs have become apparently worthless, the depositary may call for surrender or of those ADSs or cancel those ADSs upon notice to the ADS holders.
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Amendment and Termination
How may the deposit agreement be amended?
We may agree with the depositary to amend the deposit agreement and the ADSs without consent of the ADS holders for any reason. If an amendment adds or increases fees or charges, except for taxes and other governmental charges or expenses of the depositary for registration fees, facsimile costs, delivery charges or similar items, or prejudices a substantial right of ADS holders, it will not become effective for outstanding ADSs until 30 days after the depositary notifies ADS holders of the amendment. At the time an amendment becomes effective, ADS holders are considered, by continuing to hold your ADSs, to agree to the amendment and to be bound by the ADRs and the deposit agreement as amended.
How may the deposit agreement be terminated?
The depositary will initiate termination of the deposit agreement if we instruct it to do so. The depositary may initiate termination of the deposit agreement if
● | 60 days have passed since the depositary told us it wants to resign but a successor depositary has not been appointed and accepted its appointment; |
● | we delist our ordinary shares from an exchange on which they were listed and do not list the ordinary shares on another exchange; |
● | we appear to be insolvent or enter insolvency proceedings all or substantially all the value of the deposited securities has been distributed either in cash or in the form of securities; |
● | there are no deposited securities underlying the ADSs or the underlying deposited securities have become apparently worthless; or |
● | there has been a replacement of deposited securities. |
If the deposit agreement will terminate, the depositary will notify ADS holders at least 90 days before the termination date. At any time after the termination date, the depositary may sell the deposited securities. After that, the depositary will hold the money it received on the sale, as well as any other cash it is holding under the deposit agreement, unsegregated and without liability for interest, for the pro rata benefit of the ADS holders that have not surrendered their ADSs. Normally, the depositary will sell as soon as practicable after the termination date.
After the termination date and before the depositary sells, ADS holders can still surrender their ADSs and receive delivery of deposited securities, except that the depositary may refuse to accept a surrender for the purpose of withdrawing deposited securities if it would interfere with the selling process. The depositary may refuse to accept a surrender for the purpose of withdrawing sale proceeds until all the deposited securities have been sold. The depositary will continue to collect distributions on deposited securities, but, after the termination date, the depositary is not required to register any transfer of ADSs or distribute any dividends or other distributions on deposited securities to the ADSs holder (until they surrender their ADSs) or give any notices or perform any other duties under the deposit agreement except as described in this paragraph.
Limitations on Obligations and Liability
Limits on our Obligations and the Obligations of the Depositary; Limits on Liability to Holders of ADSs
The deposit agreement expressly limits our obligations and the obligations of the depositary. It also limits our liability and the liability of the depositary. We and the depositary:
● | are only obligated to take the actions specifically set forth in the deposit agreement without negligence or bad faith; |
● | are not liable if we are or it is prevented or delayed by law or circumstances beyond our or its control from performing our or its obligations under the deposit agreement; |
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● | are not liable if we or it exercises discretion permitted under the deposit agreement; |
● | are not liable for the inability of any holder of ADSs to benefit from any distribution on deposited securities that is not made available to holders of ADSs under the terms of the deposit agreement, or for any special, consequential or punitive damages for any breach of the terms of the deposit agreement; |
● | have no obligation to become involved in a lawsuit or other proceeding related to the ADSs or the deposit agreement on your behalf or on behalf of any other person; |
● | are not liable for the acts or omissions of any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system; and |
● | may rely upon any documents we believe or it believes in good faith to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. |
In the deposit agreement, we and the depositary agree to indemnify each other under certain circumstances.
Requirements for Depositary Actions
Before the depositary will deliver or register a transfer of ADSs, make a distribution on ADSs, or permit withdrawal of shares, the depositary may require:
● | payment of stock transfer or other taxes or other governmental charges and transfer or registration fees charged by third parties for the transfer of any ordinary shares or other deposited securities; |
● | satisfactory proof of the identity and genuineness of any signature or other information it deems necessary; and |
● | compliance with regulations it may establish, from time to time, consistent with the deposit agreement, including presentation of transfer documents. |
The depositary may refuse to deliver ADSs or register transfers of ADSs when the transfer books of the depositary or our transfer books are closed or at any time if the depositary or we think it advisable to do so.
Right to Receive the Ordinary Shares Underlying ADSs
ADS holders have the right to cancel their ADSs and withdraw the underlying ordinary shares at any time except:
● | when temporary delays arise because: (1) the depositary has closed its transfer books or we have closed our transfer books; (2) the transfer of ordinary shares is blocked to permit voting at a shareholders meeting; or (3) we are paying a dividend on our shares; |
● | when you owe money to pay fees, taxes and similar charges; or |
● | when it is necessary to prohibit withdrawals in order to comply with any laws or governmental regulations that apply to ADSs or to the withdrawal of ordinary shares or other deposited securities. |
This right of withdrawal may not be limited by any other provision of the deposit agreement.
Pre-release of ADSs
The deposit agreement permits the depositary to deliver ADSs before deposit of the underlying shares. This is called a pre-release of the ADSs. The depositary may also deliver ordinary shares upon cancellation of pre-released ADSs (even if the ADSs are canceled before the pre-release transaction has been closed out). A pre-release is closed out as soon as the underlying ordinary shares are delivered to the depositary. The depositary may receive ADSs instead of ordinary shares to close out a pre-release. The depositary may pre-release ADSs only under the following conditions: (1) before or at the time of the pre-release, the person to whom the pre-release is being made represents to the depositary in writing that it or its customer owns the ordinary shares or ADSs to be deposited;
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(2) the pre-release is fully collateralized with cash or other collateral that the depositary considers appropriate; and (3) the depositary must be able to close out the pre-release on not more than five business days’ notice. In addition, the depositary will limit the number of ADSs that may be outstanding at any time as a result of pre-release, although the depositary may disregard the limit from time to time if it thinks it is appropriate to do so.
Direct Registration System
In the deposit agreement, all parties to the deposit agreement acknowledge that the Direct Registration System, or DRS, and Profile Modification System, or Profile, will apply to the ADSs. DRS is a system administered by DTC that facilitates interchange between registered holdings of uncertificated ADSs and holdings of security entitlements in ADSs through DTC and a DTC participant. Profile is a feature of DRS that allows a DTC participant, claiming to act on behalf of a registered holder of ADSs, to direct the depositary to register a transfer of those ADSs to DTC or its nominee and to deliver those ADSs to the DTC account of that DTC participant without receipt by the depositary of prior authorization from the ADS holder to register that transfer.
In connection with and in accordance with the arrangements and procedures relating to DRS/Profile, the parties to the deposit agreement understand that the depositary will not determine whether the DTC participant that is claiming to be acting on behalf of an ADS holder in requesting registration of transfer and delivery as described in the paragraph above has the actual authority to act on behalf of the ADS holder (notwithstanding any requirements under the Uniform Commercial Code). In the deposit agreement, the parties agree that the depositary’s reliance on and compliance with instructions received by the depositary through the DRS/Profile system and in accordance with the deposit agreement will not constitute negligence or bad faith on the part of the depositary.
Shareholder communications; inspection of register of holders of ADSs
The depositary will make available for your inspection at its office all communications from us that we make generally available to holders of deposited securities. The depositary will send you copies of those communications or otherwise make those communications available to you upon our request. You have a right to inspect the register of holders of ADSs, but not for the purpose of contacting those holders about a matter unrelated to our business or the ADSs.
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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS WE ARE OFFERING
The following summary of certain terms and provisions of Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrants that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the forms of such warrants, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions set forth in such forms of warrants for a complete description of the terms and conditions of the Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrants. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be issued separately from the accompanying Warrants, and may be transferred separately immediately thereafter.
Pre-Funded Warrants Being Offered in this Offering
Duration and Exercise Price
Each Pre-Funded Warrant offered hereby will have an initial exercise price equal to $0.0001 per ADS. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time until the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. The exercise price and number of ADSs issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate proportional adjustment in the event of share dividends, share splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our ADSs and the exercise price.
Exercisability
The Pre-Funded Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice and, within the earlier of (i) two trading days and (ii) the number of trading days comprising the standard settlement period with respect to the ADSs as in effect on the date of delivery of the notice of exercise thereafter, payment in full for the number of ADSs purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder may not exercise any portion of the Pre-Funded Warrant to the extent that the holder, together with its affiliates and any other persons acting as a group together with any such persons, would own more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of the number of ordinary shares outstanding immediately after exercise (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation”); provided that a holder with a Beneficial Ownership Limitation of 4.99%, upon notice to us and effective 61 days after the date such notice is delivered to us, may increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation so long as it in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of ordinary shares outstanding immediately after exercise.
Cashless Exercise
The Pre-Funded Warrants may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the holder shall be entitled to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of ADSs determined according to a formula set forth in the Pre-Funded Warrants, which generally provides for a number of ADSs equal to (A) (1) the volume weighted average price on (x) the trading day preceding the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed and delivered on a day that is not a trading day or prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” on a trading day or (y) the trading day of the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed and delivered after the close of “regular trading hours” on such trading day, or (2) the bid price on the day of the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a trading day and is delivered within two hours thereafter, less (B) the exercise price, multiplied by (C) the number of ADSs the Pre-Funded Warrant was exercisable into, with such product then divided by the number determined under clause (A) in this sentence.
Fractional Shares
No fractional ADSs will be issued upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants. Rather, we will, at our election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price or round up to the next whole ADS.
Transferability
Subject to applicable laws, a Pre-Funded Warrant may be transferred at the option of the holder upon surrender of the Pre-Funded Warrant to us together with the appropriate instruments of transfer and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon such transfer.
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Trading Market
There is no trading market available for the Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. We do not intend to list the Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. The ADSs issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants are currently listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “QNRX.”
Rights as a Shareholder
Except as otherwise provided in the Pre-Funded Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of the underlying ordinary shares represented by ADSs, the holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our ordinary shares represented by ADSs, including any voting rights, until they exercise their Pre-Funded Warrants.
Fundamental Transaction
In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the Pre-Funded Warrants and generally including any reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification of our ADSs, the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of our properties or assets, our consolidation or merger with or into another person, the acquisition of more than 50% of our outstanding ADSs, the holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that the holders would have received had they exercised the Pre-Funded Warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction.
Warrants Being Offered in this Offering
Duration and Exercise Price
Each Warrant offered hereby will be a warrant to purchase one ADS and will be immediately exercisable. The Series D Warrants will have an initial exercise price equal to $[•] per ADS and will expire on the second anniversary of the original issuance date. The Series E Warrants will have an initial exercise price equal to $[•] per ADS and will expire on the fifth anniversary of the original issuance date.The exercise price and number of ADSs issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate proportional adjustment in the event of share dividends, share splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our ADSs and the exercise price.
Exercisability
The Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice and, within the earlier of (i) two trading days and (ii) the number of trading days comprising the standard settlement period with respect to the ADSs as in effect on the date of delivery of the notice of exercise thereafter, payment in full for the number of ADSs purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder may not exercise any portion of the Warrant to the extent that the holder, together with its affiliates and any other persons acting as a group together with any such persons, would own more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of the number of ordinary shares outstanding immediately after exercise (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation”); provided that a holder with a Beneficial Ownership Limitation of 4.99%, upon notice to us and effective 61 days after the date such notice is delivered to us, may increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation so long as it in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of ordinary shares outstanding immediately after exercise.
Cashless Exercise
If, at the time a holder exercises its Warrants, a registration statement registering the issuance of the ADSs underlying the Warrants under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) is not then effective or available for the issuance of such shares, then in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of ADSs determined according to a formula set forth in the Warrants, which generally provides for a number of ADSs equal to (A) (1) the volume weighted average price on (x) the trading day preceding the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed and delivered on a day that is not a trading day or prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” on a trading day or (y) the trading day of the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed and delivered after the close of “regular trading hours” on such trading day, or (2) the bid price on the day of the notice of exercise, if the notice of exercise is executed during “regular trading hours”
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on a trading day and is delivered within two hours thereafter, less (B) the exercise price, multiplied by (C) the number of ADSs the Warrant was exercisable into, with such product then divided by the number determined under clause (A) in this sentence.
Fractional Shares
No fractional ADSs will be issued upon the exercise of the Warrants. Rather, we will, at our election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price or round up to the next whole ADS.
Transferability
Subject to applicable laws, a Warrant may be transferred at the option of the holder upon surrender of the Warrant to us together with the appropriate instruments of transfer and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon such transfer.
Trading Market
There is no trading market available for the Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. We do not intend to list the Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. The ADSs issuable upon exercise of the Warrants are currently listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “QNRX.”
Rights as a Shareholder
Except as otherwise provided in the Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of the underlying ordinary shares represented by ADSs, the holders of the Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our ordinary shares represented by ADSs, including any voting rights, until they exercise their Warrants.
Fundamental Transaction
In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the Warrants and generally including any reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification of our ADSs, the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of our properties or assets, our consolidation or merger with or into another person, the acquisition of more than 50% of our outstanding ADSs, the holders of the Warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the Warrants the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that the holders would have received had they exercised the Warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction. Additionally, in the event of a fundamental transaction, we or any successor entity will, at the option of the holder of a Warrant exercisable at any time concurrently with or within 30 days after the consummation of the fundamental transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement thereof), purchase the Warrant from the holder by paying to the holder an amount of consideration equal to the value of the remaining unexercised portion of such Warrant on the date of consummation of the fundamental transaction based on the Black-Scholes option pricing model, determined pursuant to a formula set forth in the Warrants. The consideration paid to the holder will be the same type or form of consideration that was offered and paid to the holders of ordinary shares in connection with the fundamental transaction; provided that if no such consideration was offered or paid, the holders of ordinary shares will be deemed to have received ordinary shares of the successor entity in such fundamental transaction for purposes of this provision of the Warrants.
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CERTAIN MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
THE FOLLOWING SUMMARY IS INCLUDED HEREIN FOR GENERAL INFORMATION AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED TO BE, LEGAL OR TAX ADVICE. EACH HOLDER SHOULD CONSULT WITH HIS OR HER OWN TAX ADVISOR AS TO THE PARTICULAR U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND SALE OF ORDINARY SHARES, AMERICAN DEPOSITORY SHARES AND WARRANTS, INCLUDING THE EFFECTS OF APPLICABLE STATE, LOCAL, FOREIGN OR OTHER TAX LAWS AND POSSIBLE CHANGES IN THE TAX LAWS.
Subject to the limitations described in the next paragraph, the following discussion summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences to a “U.S. Holder” arising from the purchase, ownership and disposition of the ordinary shares, ADSs and warrants. For this purpose, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants that is: (1) an individual citizen or resident of the United States, including an alien individual who is a lawful permanent resident of the United States or meets the substantial presence residency test under U.S. federal income tax laws; (2) a corporation (or entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized under the laws of the United States, any state therein, or the District of Columbia; (3) an estate, the income of which is includable in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of source; (4) a trust if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust; and (5) a trust that has a valid election in effect to be treated as a U.S. person to the extent provided in U.S. Treasury regulations. A “non-U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants that is not a U.S. Holder.
This summary is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all of the U.S. federal income tax considerations that may be relevant to a decision to purchase our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants. This summary generally considers only U.S. Holders that will own our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants as capital assets (generally, property held for investment). Except to the limited extent discussed below, this summary does not consider the U.S. federal tax consequences to a person that is a non-U.S. Holder, nor does it describe the rules applicable to determine a taxpayer’s status as a U.S. Holder. This summary is based on the provisions of the Code, final, temporary and proposed U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, and the Convention Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the State of Israel with Respect to Taxes on Income (the “U.S.-Israel Double Tax Treaty”), all as in effect as of the date hereof and all of which are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis, and all of which are open to differing interpretations. We will not seek a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, with regard to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of an investment in our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants and, therefore, can provide no assurances that the IRS will agree with the conclusions set forth below.
This discussion does not address all of the tax considerations that may be relevant to a particular U.S. Holder based on such holder’s particular circumstances, or to U.S. Holders that are subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax law, including: (1) banks, life insurance companies, regulated investment companies, or other financial institutions or “financial services entities”; (2) brokers or dealers in securities or foreign currency; (3) persons who acquired our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants in connection with employment or other performance of services; (4) U.S. Holders that are subject to the U.S. alternative minimum tax; (5) U.S. Holders that hold our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants as a hedge or as part of a hedging, straddle, conversion or constructive sale transaction or other risk-reduction transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes; (6) tax-exempt entities; (7) real estate investment trusts; (8) U.S. Holders that expatriate out of the United States or former long-term residents of the United States; or (9) U.S. Holders having a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar. This discussion does not address the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a U.S. Holder that owns, directly, indirectly or constructively, at any time, ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants representing 10% or more of our voting power or value. This discussion also does not address any U.S. state or local or non-U.S. tax considerations, any U.S. federal estate, gift, generation-skipping, transfer, or alternative minimum tax considerations, or any U.S. federal tax consequences other than U.S. federal income tax consequences.
If an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants, the tax treatment of such entity or arrangement treated as a partnership and each person treated as a partner thereof generally will depend upon the status and activities of the entity and such person. A holder that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and partners thereof should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the purchase, ownership and disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants.
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Each prospective investor is advised to consult his or her own tax adviser for the specific tax consequences to that investor of purchasing, holding or disposing of our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants, including the effects of applicable state, local, foreign or other tax laws and possible changes in the tax laws.
U.S. Tax Status of the Company
Although the Company is incorporated under Israeli law, as a result of the consummation of the Merger, the Company should be treated, pursuant to Section 7874 of the Code, as a U.S. corporation for all purposes under the Code. As a result, since the Company is and will be treated as a U.S. corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, we do not intend to treat the Company as a “passive foreign investment company,” as such rules apply only to non-U.S. corporations that are treated as such for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Since the Company is a taxable corporation in Israel, it would likely be subject to income taxation in both the United States and Israel on the same income, which could reduce the amount of income available for distribution to shareholders. The ability of the Company to take foreign tax credits against its U.S. tax liability in respect of taxes paid in Israel may be limited.
The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Company is treated as a U.S. corporation for all U.S. federal income tax purposes. If, for some reason (e.g., future repeal of Section 7874 of the Code), we were no longer treated as a U.S. corporation under the Code, the U.S. federal income tax consequences described herein could be materially and adversely affected.
Taxation of Pre-Funded Warrants
The position of the IRS is that when the holder of an option to purchase property is economically compelled to exercise the option based on all the facts and circumstances, the option holder is treated as the beneficial owner of the underlying property for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Economic compulsion to exercise an option or warrant to acquire stock can result when the exercise price of the option or warrant is nominal in relation to the value of the stock subject to the option or warrant at the time of issuance of such option or warrant.
The purchase price of each Pre-Funded Warrant will comprise substantially all of the value of the ADSs representing our ordinary shares underlying the Pre-Funded Warrant at the time the Pre-Funded Warrants are sold. As a result, the discussion of the U.S. federal income taxation of warrants in this prospectus treats holders of Pre-Funded Warrants as economically compelled to exercise the Pre-Funded Warrants and receive ordinary shares represented by ADSs. Accordingly, references to ordinary shares or ADSs in this section, “Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations”, include Pre-Funded Warrants as if the Pre-Funded Warrant holders receive ordinary shares represented by ADSs at the time such Pre-Funded Warrant holders purchase the Pre-Funded Warrants. Additionally, references to warrants in this section, “Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations”, means the Warrants only and not the Pre-Funded Warrants. There can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position on the U.S. federal income taxation of the Pre-Funded Warrants. Each prospective investor in Pre-Funded Warrants is urged to consult his or her own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Pre-Funded Warrants.
Taxation of Dividends Paid on Ordinary Shares or ADSs
We do not intend to pay dividends in the foreseeable future. In the event that we do pay dividends, a U.S. Holder will be required to include in gross income as ordinary income the amount of any distribution paid on ordinary shares or ADSs (including the amount of any Israeli tax withheld on the date of the distribution), to the extent that such distribution does not exceed our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The amount of a distribution which exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated first as a non-taxable return of capital, reducing the U.S. Holder’s tax basis for the ordinary shares or ADSs to the extent thereof, and then as capital gain. Corporate holders generally will not be allowed a deduction for dividends received.
In general, preferential tax rates for “qualified dividend income” and long-term capital gains are applicable for U.S. Holders that are individuals, estates or trusts. For this purpose, “qualified dividend income” means, inter alia, dividends received from a “domestic corporation.” As indicated above, we believe we should be treated as a domestic corporation and our dividends will therefore be qualified dividend income. A U.S. Holder will not be entitled to the preferential rate: (1) if the U.S. Holder has not held our ordinary shares or ADSs for at least 61 days of the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the ex-dividend date, or (2) to the extent the U.S. Holder is under an obligation to make related payments on substantially similar property. Any days during which the U.S. Holder has diminished its risk of loss on our ordinary shares or ADSs are not counted towards meeting the 61-day holding period. Finally, U.S. Holders who elect to treat the dividend income as “investment income” pursuant to Code section 163(d)(4) will not be eligible for the preferential rate of taxation.
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The amount of a distribution with respect to our ordinary shares or ADSs will be measured by the amount of the fair market value of any property distributed, and for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the amount of any Israeli taxes withheld therefrom. Cash distributions paid by us in NIS will be included in the income of U.S. Holders at a U.S. dollar amount based upon the spot rate of exchange in effect on the date the dividend is includible in the income of the U.S. Holder, and U.S. Holders will have a tax basis in such NIS for U.S. federal income tax purposes equal to such U.S. dollar value. If the U.S. Holder subsequently converts the NIS into U.S. dollars or otherwise disposes of it, any subsequent gain or loss in respect of such NIS arising from exchange rate fluctuations will be U.S. source ordinary exchange gain or loss.
U.S. Holders’ eligibility to claim a foreign tax credit with respect to any Israeli withholding tax imposed on dividends paid by us may be limited. The foreign tax credit rules are complex, and their application in connection with Section 7874 of the Code in the presence of the U.S.-Israel Double Tax Treaty, are not entirely clear at this time. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors with respect to any benefits they may be entitled to under the foreign tax credit rules and the U.S.-Israel Double Tax Treaty, and to determine whether, and to what extent, they are entitled to such credits.
Taxation of the Disposition of Ordinary Shares or ADSs or Warrants
Upon the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between such U.S. Holder’s tax basis for the ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants in U.S. dollars and the amount realized on the disposition in U.S. dollars (or its U.S. dollar equivalent determined by reference to the spot rate of exchange on the date of disposition, if the amount realized is denominated in a foreign currency). The gain or loss realized on the sale, exchange or other disposition of ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder has a holding period of more than one year at the time of the disposition. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of receiving currency other than U.S. dollars upon the disposition of their ordinary shares.
Gain realized by a U.S. Holder on a sale, exchange or other disposition of ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants will generally be treated as U.S. source income for U.S. foreign tax credit purposes. A loss realized by a U.S. Holder on the sale, exchange or other disposition of ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants is generally allocated to U.S. source income. The deductibility of a loss realized on the sale, exchange or other disposition of ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants is subject to limitations.
A U.S. Holder’s eligibility to claim a foreign tax credit with respect to any Israeli withholding tax imposed on gain from the sale or other disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants may be limited. The foreign tax credit rules are complex, and their application in connection with Section 7874 of the Code in the presence of the U.S.-Israel Double Tax Treaty are not entirely clear at this time. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors with respect to any benefits they may be entitled to under the foreign tax credit rules and the U.S.-Israel Double Tax Treaty.
Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant
Except as discussed below with respect to a cashless exercise of a warrant, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss upon the exercise of a warrant for cash. An ordinary share or ADS acquired pursuant to the exercise of a warrant for cash generally will have a tax basis equal to the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrant, increased by the amount paid to exercise the warrant. The holding period of such share or ADS generally begins on the day after the date of exercise of the warrant and will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrant.
The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a warrant are not clear under current tax law. A cashless exercise may be tax-free, either because the exercise is not a gain realization event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either tax-free situation, a U.S. Holder’s basis in the ordinary shares or ADSs received upon exercise of a warrant would equal the holder’s basis in the warrant. If the cashless exercise were not treated as a gain realization event, a U.S. Holder’s holding period in the ordinary shares or ADSs received upon exercise of a warrant would be treated as commencing on the date following the date of exercise (or possibly the date of exercise) of the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the ordinary shares or ADSs received upon exercise of a warrant would include the holding period of the warrant.
It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such event, a U.S. Holder would recognize gain or loss with respect to the portion of the exercised warrants treated as surrendered to pay the exercise price of the warrants (the “surrendered warrants”). The U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or
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loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the surrendered warrants and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in such warrants. In this case, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the ordinary shares or ADSs received upon exercise of a warrant would equal the sum of the fair market value of the surrendered warrants and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants exercised (except for any such tax basis allocable to the surrendered warrants). A U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares or ADSs received upon exercise of a warrant would commence on the date following the date of exercise (or possibly the date of exercise) of the warrant.
Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.
If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the warrant. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the exercise of a warrant, including with respect to whether the exercise is a taxable event, and their holding period and tax basis in the ordinary shares or ADSs received.
Tax on Investment Income
U.S. Holders who are individuals, estates or trusts will generally be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare tax on their net investment income (including dividends on and gains from the sale or other disposition of our ordinary shares and ADSs or warrants), or in the case of estates and trusts on their net investment income that is not distributed. In each case, the 3.8% Medicare tax applies only to the extent the U.S. Holder’s total adjusted income exceeds applicable thresholds.
Tax Consequences for Non-U.S. Holders of Ordinary Shares or ADSs or Warrants
Taxation of Dividends Paid on Ordinary Shares or ADSs
In general, any distributions we make to a non-U.S. Holder on ordinary shares or ADSs, to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles), will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, provided such dividends are not effectively connected with the non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States, we will be required to withhold tax from the gross amount of the dividend at a rate of 30%, unless such non-U.S. Holder is eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty and provides proper certification of its eligibility for such reduced rate (usually on an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable). Any distribution on our ordinary shares or ADSs not constituting a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes will be treated first as reducing (but not below zero) the non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of such stock and, to the extent such distribution exceeds the non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in such stock, as gain realized from the sale or other disposition of such stock, which will be treated as described under “Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Ordinary Shares, ADSs, and Warrants” below. The full amount of any distributions to you may, however, be subject to U.S. withholding tax unless the applicable withholding agent elects to withhold a lesser amount based on a reasonable estimate of the amount of the distribution that would be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, if we determine that we are classified as a “United States real property holding corporation” (see “-Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Ordinary Shares, ADSs, and Warrants” below), we will withhold 15% of any distribution that exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits.
Dividends we pay to a non-U.S. Holder that are effectively connected with such non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and if a tax treaty applies are attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. Holder) will generally not be subject to U.S. withholding tax, provided such non-U.S. Holder complies with certain certification and disclosure requirements (usually by providing an IRS Form W-8ECI). Instead, such dividends will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax, net of certain deductions, at the same graduated individual or corporate rates applicable to U.S. Holders. If the non-U.S. Holder is a corporation, dividends that are effectively connected income may also be subject to a “branch profits tax” at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty).
Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant
The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a non-U.S. Holder’s exercise of a warrant or the lapse of a warrant held by a non-U.S. Holder generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the exercise or lapse of a warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described under “Exercise of a Warrant” above. Accordingly, a non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the exercise of a warrant in exchange for ordinary shares or ADSs. However, if a cashless exercise of warrants results in a
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taxable exchange, as described above in “Exercise of a Warrant” above,” the rules described below under “- Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Ordinary Shares, ADSs, and Warrants” would apply.
Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Ordinary Shares, ADSs, and Warrants
A non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on the proceeds from the disposition of, our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants, unless:
● | the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the non-U.S. Holder within the United States (and, if an applicable tax treaty so requires, is attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. Holder); |
● | the non-U.S. Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition and certain other conditions are met; or |
● | we are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of disposition or the period that the non-U.S. Holder held our ordinary shares or ADSs, and, in the case where our ordinary shares or ADSs are regularly traded on an established securities market, the non-U.S. Holder has owned, directly or constructively, more than 5% of our regularly-traded stock at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding the disposition or such non-U.S. Holder’s holding period for the stock disposed of by the non-U.S. holder. There can be no assurance that our ordinary shares or ADSs will be treated as regularly traded on an established securities market for this purpose. |
Gain described in the first bullet point above will be subject to tax at generally applicable U.S. federal income tax rates. Any gains described in the first bullet point above of a non-U.S. Holder that is a foreign corporation may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate (or lower applicable treaty rate). Gain described in the second bullet point above will generally be subject to a flat 30% U.S. federal income tax, although the gain may be offset by some United States source capital losses realized during the same taxable year. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding possible eligibility for benefits under income tax treaties.
If the third bullet point above applies to a non-U.S. Holder, gain recognized by such holder on the sale, exchange or other disposition of our ordinary shares, ADSs, or warrants will be subject to tax at generally applicable U.S. federal income tax rates. In addition, a buyer of our ordinary shares, ADSs, or warrants from such holder may be required to withhold U.S. income tax at a rate of 15% of the amount realized upon such disposition. We will be classified as a United States real property holding corporation if the fair market value of our “United States real property interests” equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of our worldwide real property interests plus our other assets used or held for use in a trade or business, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of these rules.
Payments to Foreign Financial Institutions
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) generally provides that a 30% withholding tax may be imposed on payments of U.S. source income, such as U.S. source dividends, to certain non-U.S. entities unless such entities enter into an agreement with the IRS to disclose the name, address and taxpayer identification number of certain U.S. persons that own, directly or indirectly, interests in such entities, as well as certain other information relating to such interests. Non-U.S. Holders are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications and obligations of FATCA. While withholding under FATCA would have applied also to payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of ordinary shares or ADSs on or after January 1, 2019, proposed Treasury Regulations eliminate FATCA withholding on payments of gross proceeds entirely. Taxpayers generally may rely on these proposed Treasury Regulations until final Treasury Regulations are issued.
Information Reporting and Withholding
A U.S. Holder may be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 24% with respect to dividends and proceeds from a disposition of ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants. In general, backup withholding will apply only if a U.S. Holder fails to comply with specified identification procedures. Backup withholding will not apply with respect to payments made to designated exempt recipients, such as corporations and tax-exempt organizations.
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In general, non-U.S. Holders will not be subject to backup withholding with respect to the payment of dividends and proceeds from a disposition of ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants, provided that the applicable withholding agent does not have actual knowledge or reason to know the holder is a United States person, and the holder either certifies its non-U.S. status, such as by furnishing a valid IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E or W-8ECI, or otherwise establishes an exemption. However, information returns are required to be filed with the IRS in connection with any payments of dividends on our ordinary shares or ADSs paid to the non-U.S. holder, regardless of whether any tax was actually withheld. In addition, proceeds of the sale or other taxable disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants within the United States or conducted through certain U.S.-related brokers generally will not be subject to backup withholding or information reporting if the applicable withholding agent receives the certification described above and does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that such holder is a United States person, or the holder otherwise establishes an exemption. Proceeds of a disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants conducted through a non-U.S. office of a non-U.S. broker generally will not be subject to backup withholding or information reporting.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax and may be claimed as a credit against the U.S. federal income tax liability of a holder, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
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CERTAIN MATERIAL ISRAELI TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following description is not intended to constitute a complete analysis of all tax consequences relating to the ownership or disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs or warrants (all referred to in this section as “the Shares”). You should consult your own tax advisor concerning the tax consequences of your particular situation, as well as any tax consequences that may arise under the laws of any state, local, foreign, including Israeli, or other taxing jurisdiction.
The following is a summary of the material tax consequences under Israeli law concerning the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Shares.
This discussion does not purport to constitute a complete analysis of all potential tax consequences applicable to investors upon purchasing, owning or disposing of our Shares. In particular, this discussion does not take into account the specific circumstances of any particular investor (such as traders in securities, not for profit organizations, pension funds and other tax-exempt entities, financial institutions, certain financial companies, broker-dealers, partnerships and other transparent entities, investors that own, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of our outstanding voting rights, all of whom are subject to special tax regimes not covered under this discussion). To the extent that issues discussed herein are based on legislation that has yet to be subject to judicial or administrative interpretation, there can be no assurance that the views expressed herein will accord with any such interpretation in the future. The discussion below is subject to change, including due to amendments under Israeli law or changes to the applicable judicial or administrative interpretations of Israeli law, which change could affect the tax consequences described below. The discussion should not be construed as legal or professional tax advice and does not cover all possible tax considerations.
You are urged to consult your own tax advisors as to the Israeli or other tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, and disposition of the Shares, including, in particular, the effect of any foreign, state or local taxes.
General Corporate Tax Structure in Israel
Israeli resident companies are generally subject to corporate tax on their taxable income at the rate of 23% for the 2023 tax year. Capital gains derived by an Israeli resident company are generally subject to the prevailing corporate tax rate.
Taxation of Shareholders
Capital Gains
Capital gains tax is imposed on the disposition of capital assets by an Israeli resident and on the disposition of such assets by a non-Israeli resident if those assets are either (i) located in Israel; (ii) are shares or a right to a share in an Israeli company, or (iii) represent, directly or indirectly, rights to assets located in Israel, unless an exemption is available or unless an applicable double tax treaty between Israel and the seller’s country of residence provides otherwise. The Israeli Income Tax Ordinance distinguishes between “Real Gain” and the “Inflationary Surplus”. “Real Gain” is the excess of the total capital gain over Inflationary Surplus generally computed on the basis of the increase in the Israeli Consumer Price Index between the date of purchase and the date of disposition. Inflationary Surplus is not subject to tax.
Taxable capital gain accrued by individuals on the sale of the Shares are taxed at the rate of 25%. However, if the individual shareholder is a “Substantial Shareholder” at the time of sale or at any time during the preceding 12-month period, such gain will be taxed at the rate of 30%. In this regard, broadly, a “Substantial Shareholder” is considered to be a person who alone, or together with his relative or another person who collaborates with him on a regular basis based on a contract, holds, directly or indirectly, at least 10% of any our means of control. In this context “means of control” generally includes the right to vote, receive profits, nominate a director or an officer, receive assets upon liquidation, or instruct someone who holds any of these rights regarding the manner in which he or she is to exercise such right(s), and all regardless of the source of such rights.
The term “Israeli resident” is generally defined under Israeli tax legislation with respect to individuals as a person whose center of life is in Israel. The Israeli tax legislation provides that in order to determine the center of life of an individual, account will be taken of the individual’s family, economic and social connections, including: (a) place of permanent home; (b) place of residential dwelling of the individual and the individual’s immediate family; (c) place of the individual’s regular or permanent occupation or the place of his permanent employment; (d) place of the individual’s active and substantial economic interests; and (e) place of the individual’s activities in organizations, associations and other institutions. The center of life of an individual will be presumed to be in Israel if: (a) the individual was present in Israel for 183 days or more in the tax year; or (b) the individual was present in Israel for 30 days or
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more in the tax year, and the total period of the individual’s presence in Israel in that tax year and the two previous tax years is 425 days or more. The presumption in this paragraph may be rebutted either by the individual or by the assessing officer.
Capital gains derived by corporations are generally subject to tax at the ordinary corporate tax rate (currently 23%). Under Israeli tax legislation, a corporation will be considered as an “Israeli Resident” if it meets one of the following criteria: (a) it was incorporated in Israel; or (b) the control and management of its business are exercised in Israel.
Despite the above, capital gains generated from the sale of our Shares by a non-Israeli shareholder may be exempt from Israeli tax under the Israeli tax legislation provided that the following cumulative conditions are met: (i) the Shares were purchased by the shareholder upon or after the registration of the Shares on the non-Israeli stock exchange (i.e., July 29, 2016); (ii) the shareholder does not have a permanent establishment maintained in Israel to which the generated capital gain is attributed; and (iii) so long as neither the shareholder nor the particular capital gain is otherwise subject to the Israeli Income Tax Law (Inflationary Adjustments) 5745-1985. However, a seller of our Shares that is a non-Israeli resident corporation will not be entitled to this exemption if Israeli residents: (i) have a controlling interest, directly or indirectly, alone or together with another (i.e., together with a relative, or together with someone who is not a relative but with whom, according to an agreement, there is regular cooperation in material matters of the company, directly or indirectly), or together with another Israeli resident, of more than 25% in any of the means of control of such non-Israeli corporation or (ii) are the beneficiaries of, or are entitled to, 25% or more of the income or profits of such non-Israeli corporation, whether directly or indirectly. In addition, this exemption would not be available to a person whose gains from selling or otherwise disposing of our Shares are deemed to be business income.
Likewise, capital gains generated from the sale of our Shares by a non-Israeli shareholder who purchased the Shares before the registration of the Shares on the non-Israeli stock exchange may also be exempt from Israeli tax under the Israeli tax legislation provided that the following cumulative conditions are met: (i) the Shares were purchased on January 1, 2009 or afterwards; (ii) the Shares were not purchased from a related party (as defined for this purpose) or as part of an exempted reorganization for Israeli tax purposes; (iii) the Shares are not registered for trade on an Israeli stock exchange at the date of the sale; (iv) on the day of the purchase of the Shares and in the two preceding years - most of the value of the assets held by the Israeli company, directly or indirectly, are not rights in, or attached or related to, or in connection with the use of or proceeds from, real estate rights or a real estate corporations, as defined under the Real Estate Taxation Law 5723-1963, and any other rights to real estate, rights to use state natural resources such as minerals or rights to use benefits derived from the real estate in Israel; and (v) the capital gain is not allocated to a permanent establishment that the non-Israeli resident maintains in Israel.
In addition, the sale of the Shares may be also exempt from Israeli capital gains tax under the provisions of an applicable double tax treaty. For example, the tax treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the State of Israel with respect to Taxes on Income, as amended, (the “U.S.-Israel Double Tax Treaty”) generally exempts a shareholder who is a United States resident (for purposes of the treaty) holding the shares as a capital asset and is entitled to claim the benefits afforded to such a resident by the U.S.-Israel Double Tax Treaty (“Treaty U.S. Resident”) from Israeli capital gain tax in connection with the sale of our Shares, provided that: (i) the Treaty U.S. Resident owns, directly or indirectly, less than 10% of our voting power at any time within the 12-month period preceding such sale, subject to certain conditions; (ii) the Treaty U.S. Resident, if an individual, was present in Israel for a period or periods of less than 183 days in the aggregate during the relevant taxable year; (iii) the capital gain from the sale was not derived through a permanent establishment of the Treaty U.S. Resident which is maintained in Israel, under certain terms; (iv) the capital gain from the sale is not attributed to royalties; and (v) the capital gain from the sale is not attributed to real estate located in Israel. A Treaty U.S. Resident not exempt from Israeli capital gains tax may be limited under U.S. law in its ability to claim a credit for such taxes against the U.S. federal income tax imposed with respect to such sale, exchange or disposition even if such Treaty U.S. Resident is eligible for benefits under the U.S.-Israel Double Tax Treaty. The U.S.-Israel Double Tax Treaty does not relate to U.S. state or local taxes.
There may be some other circumstances in which exemptions (or partial exemptions) may apply, so that any non-Israeli shareholder who does not meet the aforementioned exemption criteria (whether under the Israeli internal tax law or the relevant tax treaty) should consult their own tax advisors.
Regardless of whether non-Israeli shareholders may be liable for Israeli capital gains tax on the sale of our Shares, the payment of the consideration for such sale may be subject to withholding of Israeli tax at source and holders of our Shares may be required to demonstrate that they are exempt from tax on their capital gains in order to avoid withholding at source at the time of sale. Specifically, in transactions involving a sale of all of the shares of an Israeli resident company, in the form of a merger or otherwise, the Israel Tax Authority may require shareholders who are not liable for Israeli capital gains tax on such a sale to sign declarations on forms specified by the Israel Tax Authority, provide documents (including, for example, a certificate of residency) or obtain a specific
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exemption from the Israel Tax Authority to confirm their status as non-Israeli residents and, in the absence of such declarations or exemptions, the Israel Tax Authority may require the purchaser of the shares to withhold tax at source.
The purchaser, the Israeli stockbroker or the financial institution through which the Shares are held, is obligated, subject to the abovementioned exemptions, to withhold tax on the amount of consideration paid upon the sale of Shares at a rate of 25% (for individuals) or 23% (for corporations).
Upon the sale of traded securities, a detailed return, including a computation of the tax due, generally need to be filed and an advance payment must be paid to the Israel Tax Authority on January 31 and July 31 of every calendar year in respect of sales of traded securities made within the previous six months. This will apply to the sale of our Shares. However, if all tax due was withheld at source according to applicable provisions of the Israeli Income Tax Ordinance and regulations promulgated thereunder, such return need not be filed, and no advance payment must be paid. Capital gains are also reportable on annual income tax returns.
Dividends
Dividends distributed by an Israeli company to a shareholder who is an Israeli resident individual will generally be subject to income tax at a rate of 25%. However, a 30% tax rate will apply if the dividend recipient is a Substantial Shareholder, as defined above, at the time of distribution or at any time during the preceding 12-month period. If the recipient of the dividend is an Israeli resident corporation, dividends will generally be exempted from Israeli income tax provided that the income from which such dividend is distributed was derived or accrued within Israel.
Dividends distributed by an Israeli company to a non-Israeli resident (either an individual or a corporation) are generally subject to Israeli withholding tax at the rate of 25% (30% if the dividend recipient is a Substantial Shareholder at the time of distribution or at any time during the preceding 12-month period). These rates may be reduced under the provisions of an applicable double tax treaty. For example, under the U.S.-Israel Double Tax Treaty, the following tax rates will apply in respect of dividends distributed by an Israeli resident company to a Treaty U.S. Resident: (i) if the Treaty U.S. Resident is a corporation that holds during that portion of the taxable year which precedes the date of payment of the dividend and during the whole of its prior taxable year (if any), at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the voting stock of the Israeli company paying the dividend and not more than 25% of the gross income of such Israeli company for such prior taxable year (if any) consists of certain types of interest or dividends, the maximum tax rate is 12.5%; (ii) if both the conditions mentioned in clause (i) above are met and the dividend is paid from an Israeli resident company’s income which was entitled to a reduced tax rate under the Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments, 1959, the tax rate is 15%, if a certificate for a reduced withholding tax rate would be provided in advance from the Israel Tax Authority; and (iii) in most other cases, the tax rate is 25%. The aforementioned lower rates under the U.S.-Israel Double Tax Treaty will not apply if the dividend income is attributed to a permanent establishment of the Treaty U.S. Resident maintained in Israel.
A non-Israeli resident who receives dividends from which tax was withheld is generally exempt from the obligation to file tax returns in Israel with respect to such income, provided that (i) such income was not generated from business conducted in Israel by the taxpayer, (ii) in the case of individuals, the non-Israeli resident is not subject to Surtax in Israel, and; (iii) the taxpayer has no other taxable sources of income in Israel with respect to which a tax return is required to be filed.
Surtax
Individual who are subject to tax in Israel (whether any such individual is an Israeli resident or non-Israeli resident) and who have taxable income that exceeds a certain threshold in a tax year (NIS 698,280 for 2023, linked annually to the Israeli Consumer Price Index) will be subject to an additional tax at the rate of 3% on his or her taxable income for such tax year that is in excess of such amount. For this purpose, taxable income includes taxable capital gains and taxable income from interest and dividends, subject to the provisions of an applicable double tax treaty.
Estate and Gift Tax
Israel does not currently impose estate or gift taxes if the Israel Tax Authority is satisfied that the gift was made by an Israeli resident individual in good faith and on condition that the recipient of the gift is not a non-Israeli resident. If the gift giver is a non-Israeli resident individual, then he should be exempted under the aforementioned capital gains tax exemptions provided for a regular sale of shares.
YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR OWN TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE PARTICULAR ISRAELI TAX CONSEQUENCES OF PURCHASING, HOLDING, AND DISPOSING OF OUR SHARES, INCLUDING THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY PROPOSED CHANGE IN APPLICABLE LAWS.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners has agreed to act as our exclusive Placement Agent in connection with this offering subject to the terms and conditions of the placement agency agreement dated [•], 2024. The Placement Agent is not purchasing or selling any of the securities offered by this prospectus, nor is it required to arrange the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities, but has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of the securities offered hereby. Therefore, we may not sell the entire amount of securities offered pursuant to this prospectus. We will enter into a securities purchase agreement directly with certain investors, at the investor’s option, who purchase our securities in this offering. Investors who do not enter into a securities purchase agreement shall rely solely on this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein in connection with the purchase of our securities in this offering.
We will deliver all securities to be issued in connection with this offering delivery versus payment (“DVP”)/receipt versus payment (“RVP”) upon receipt of investor funds. We expect to deliver the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus on or about , 2024.
We have agreed to indemnify the Placement Agent and specified other persons against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments the Placement Agent may be required to make in respect thereof.
Fees and Expenses
This offering is being conducted on a “reasonable best efforts” basis and the Placement Agent has no obligation to buy any of the securities from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities. We have agreed to pay the Placement Agent a fee based on the aggregate proceeds as set forth in the table below below (assuming the sale of all of the Securities we are offering):
| Per ADS and Accompanying |
| Per Pre-Funded Warrant and |
| Total | ||||
Public offering price | $ | $ | $ | ||||||
Placement Agent’s fees | $ | $ | $ | ||||||
Proceeds to us, before expenses (1) | $ | $ | $ |
(1) | The amount of the proceeds to us presented in this table does not give effect to any exercise of the Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants. |
We have agreed to pay to the Placement Agent a cash fee equal to 7% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this offering. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to closing in this offering, the actual aggregate cash placement fee, if any, is not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the maximum amount set forth above. The Placement Agent may retain other brokers or dealers to act as sub-agents on their behalf in connection with this offering and may pay any sub-agent a fee with respect to any securities placed by such placement agent.
We estimate the total expenses payable by us for this offering to be approximately $900,000, which amount includes: (i) a placement agents’ fee of $490,000, assuming the purchase of all of the securities we are offering; (ii) a non-accountable expense allowance payable to the placement agents not to exceed 1.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this offering; (iii) reimbursement of the accountable expenses of the Placement Agent of up to $125,000 related to the legal fees of the placement agents being paid by us (none of which has been paid in advance); and (iv) other estimated expenses of approximately $200,000 which include our legal, accounting, and printing costs and various fees associated with the registration and listing of our securities.
The Placement Agent may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by them and any profit realized on the resale of the shares sold by them while acting as principal might be deemed to be underwriting discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. As an underwriter, a placement agent would be required to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M under the Exchange Act. These rules and regulations may limit the timing of purchases and sales of securities by the placement agents acting as principal. Under these rules and regulations, the placement agents:
● | may not engage in any stabilization activity in connection with our securities; and |
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● | may not bid for or purchase any of our securities or attempt to induce any person to purchase any of our securities, other than as permitted under the Exchange Act, until it has completed its participation in the distribution. |
Lock-Up Agreements
Our directors and officers have entered into lock-up agreements. Under these agreements, these individuals have agreed, subject to specified exceptions, not to sell or transfer any ADSs or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, our ADSs during a period ending 90 days after the completion of this offering, without first obtaining the written consent of the placement agent, subject to certain exceptions. Specifically, these individuals have agreed, in part, not to:
● | offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of Quoin’s securities or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ordinary shares; |
● | enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of our securities, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of our securities, in cash or otherwise; |
● | make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any of our securities; and |
● | publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition of, or to enter into any transaction, swap, hedge, or other arrangement relating to any of our securities. |
Notwithstanding these limitations, our securities may be transferred under limited circumstances, including, without limitation, by gift, will or intestate succession.
We have agreed with the Placement Agent to be subject to a lock-up period of 90 days following the date of closing of the offering pursuant to this prospectus. This means that, during the applicable lock-up period, subject to certain limited exceptions, we may not, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent: (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any ADSs, ordinary shares or ordinary share equivalents, (ii) file or cause to be filed any registration statement or amendment or supplement thereto, other than the preliminary prospectus or the prospectus related to this offering, any post-effective amendment to a registration statement declared effective by the SEC, a registration statement on Form S-8 in connection with any employee benefit plan or the registration statement and amendments thereto required to be filed under the transaction with Alumni, or (iii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfer to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences or ownership of any ADSs, ordinary shares or ordinary share equivalents. In addition, subject to certain exceptions, we have agreed to not issue any securities that are subject to a price reset based on the trading prices of ADSs or upon a specified or contingent event in the future, or enter into any agreement to issue securities at a future determined price for a period of 180 days following the closing date of this offering, subject to certain exceptions.
Determination of Offering Price
The public offering price of the securities we are offering was negotiated between us and the investors, in consultation with the Placement Agent based on the trading of our ADSs prior to the offering, among other things. Other factors considered in determining the public offering price of the securities we are offering include our history and prospects, the industry in which we operate, our past and present operating results, the stage of development of our business, our business plans for the future and the extent to which they have been implemented, the previous experience of our executive officers, general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering and such other factors as were deemed relevant.
Listing
Our ADSs are listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the trading symbol “QNRX.” We do not plan to list the Pre-Funded Warrants or Warrants on The Nasdaq Capital Market or any other securities exchange or trading market.
Discretionary Accounts
The Placement Agent does not intend to confirm sales of the securities offered hereby to any accounts over which they have discretionary authority.
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Other Activities and Relationships
The Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various commercial and investment banking and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments issued by us and our affiliates. If the Placement Agent or its affiliates enter into a lending relationship with us, they will routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. The Placement Agent and its affiliates may hedge such exposure by entering into transactions that consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities or the securities of our affiliates, including potentially the ADSs offered hereby. Any such short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the ADSs offered hereby. The placement agents and certain of their affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
This prospectus in electronic format may be made available on a website maintained by the Placement Agent, and the Placement Agent may distribute this prospectus electronically.
The foregoing does not purport to be a complete statement of the terms and conditions of the placement agency agreement or the securities purchase agreement entered into in connection with this offering, copies of which have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”
Offer Restrictions Outside the United States
Other than in the United States, no action has been taken by us or the Placement Agent that would permit a public offering of the securities offered by us in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The securities offered by us in this prospectus may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the offering of the securities offered by us under this prospectus be distributed or published in any jurisdiction, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons into whose possession this prospectus comes are advised to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to the offering and the distribution of this prospectus. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities offered by us under this prospectus in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or a solicitation is unlawful.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Israel
This document does not constitute a prospectus under the Israeli Securities Law and has not been filed with or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. In the State of Israel, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer of the securities is directed only at, investors listed in the first addendum, or the Addendum, to the Israeli Securities Law, consisting primarily of joint investment in trust funds, provident funds, insurance companies, banks, portfolio managers, investment advisors, members of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, underwriters, venture capital funds, entities with equity in excess of NIS 50 million and “qualified individuals”, each as defined in the Addendum (as it may be amended from time to time), collectively referred to as qualified investors (in each case purchasing for their own account or, where permitted under the Addendum, for the accounts of their clients who are investors listed in the Addendum). Qualified investors will be required to submit written confirmation that they fall within the scope of the Addendum, are aware of the meaning of same and agree to it.
113
LEGAL MATTERS
Certain legal matters as to United States law in connection with this offering will be passed upon for us by Blank Rome LLP. The validity of the securities and other matters of Israeli law will be passed upon for us by Meitar | Law Offices, Ramat Gan, Israel. Certain legal matters related to the offering will be passed upon for the Placement Agent by Thompson Hine LLP.
EXPERTS
The financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022 included in this prospectus have been audited by Marcum LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing herein. Such financial statements are included in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
The financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021 included in this prospectus have been audited by Friedman LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing herein (the report to the financial statements contains an explanatory paragraph regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern). Such financial statements are included in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
To the extent any of our shareholders may seek to enforce a U.S. judgment in Israel against us or our executive officers and directors, or to assert U.S. securities law claims in Israel, shareholders may have difficulties enforcing such a U.S. judgment, including judgments based upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws, in Israel.
We have been informed by our legal counsel in Israel that it may be difficult to assert claims under U.S. securities laws in original actions instituted in Israel or obtain a judgment based on the civil liability provisions of U.S. federal securities laws. Israeli courts may refuse to hear a claim based on a violation of U.S. securities laws against us or our officers and directors because Israel may not be the most appropriate forum to bring such a claim. In addition, even if an Israeli court agrees to hear a claim, it may determine that Israeli law and not U.S. law is applicable to the claim. If U.S. law is found to be applicable, the content of applicable U.S. law must be proved as a fact, which can be a time-consuming and costly process. Certain matters of procedure will also be governed by Israeli law. There is little binding case law in Israel addressing the matters described above. Israeli courts might not enforce judgments rendered outside Israel, which may make it difficult to collect on judgments rendered against us or our officers and directors.
Moreover, among other reasons, including but not limited to fraud or absence of due process, or the existence of a judgment which is at variance with another judgment that was given in the same matter if a suit in the same matter between the same parties was pending before a court or tribunal in Israel, an Israeli court will not enforce a foreign judgment if it was given in a state whose laws do not provide for the enforcement of judgments of Israeli courts (subject to exceptional cases) or if its enforcement is likely to prejudice the sovereignty or security of the State of Israel.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act that registers our securities to be sold in this offering. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits and schedules filed as part of the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities offered hereby, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. Statements contained in this prospectus regarding the contents of any contract or other document that is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement are not necessarily complete, and each such statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the full text of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement. We are subject to the reporting and information requirements of the Exchange Act and as a result, we file periodic reports, proxy statements, and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information about issuers, including us, that file electronically with the SEC. The address of this site is www.sec.gov.
114
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Pages | |
Condensed Financial Statements (Unaudited) | |
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 | F-2 |
F-3 | |
F-4 | |
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 | F-5 |
F-6 | |
F-18 | |
(PCAOB Firm ID: Marcum LLP #688, PCAOB Firm ID: Friedman LLP #711) | |
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 | F-21 |
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 | F-22 |
F-23 | |
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 | F-24 |
F-25 |
F-1
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
September 30, |
| December 31, | ||||
| 2023 |
| 2022 | |||
| (Unaudited) |
| ||||
ASSETS | ||||||
Current assets: |
|
|
|
| ||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | | $ | | ||
Investments | | | ||||
Prepaid expenses |
| |
| | ||
Total current assets |
| |
| | ||
|
| |||||
Prepaid expenses - long term | ||||||
Intangible assets, net |
| |
| | ||
Total assets | $ | | $ | | ||
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY |
|
|
|
| ||
Current liabilities: |
|
|
|
| ||
Accounts payable | $ | | $ | | ||
Accrued expenses |
| |
| | ||
Accrued interest and financing expense |
| |
| | ||
| |
| | |||
Total current liabilities |
| |
| | ||
|
| |||||
| | |||||
Total liabilities | $ | | $ | | ||
Commitments and contingencies |
|
|
|
| ||
Shareholders’ equity: |
|
|
|
| ||
Ordinary shares, | $ | | $ | | ||
Treasury stock, |
| ( |
| ( | ||
Additional paid in capital |
| |
| | ||
Accumulated deficit |
| ( |
| ( | ||
Total shareholders’ equity |
| |
| | ||
|
| |||||
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | | $ | |
The accompanying footnotes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
F-2
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)
Nine months ended September 30, |
| Three months ended September 30, | ||||||||||
| 2023 |
| 2022 |
| 2023 |
| 2022 | |||||
Operating expenses | ||||||||||||
General and administrative | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | ||||
Research and development |
| |
| |
| | | |||||
|
|
|
| |||||||||
Total operating expenses |
| |
| |
| | | |||||
Other (income) and expenses | ||||||||||||
Forgiveness of accounts payable |
| — |
| ( |
| — |
| — | ||||
Warrant liability (income) expense | — | ( | — | — | ||||||||
Unrealized loss (gain) | | | ( | | ||||||||
Interest income |
| ( |
| ( |
| ( |
| ( | ||||
Interest and financing expense | — | | — | | ||||||||
Total other (income) expense |
| ( |
| |
| ( |
| | ||||
Net loss | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||
Deemed dividend on warrant modification | — | ( | — | ( | ||||||||
Net loss attributable to shareholders | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||
Loss per ADS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Loss per ADS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
Basic | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||
Fully-diluted | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||
Weighted average number of ADS’s outstanding |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
Basic |
| |
| |
| |
| | ||||
Fully-diluted |
| |
| |
| |
| |
The accompanying footnotes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
F-3
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity (Unaudited)
Three and Nine months ended September 30, 2022
|
|
| No |
|
| Additional |
|
| ||||||||||
Ordinary | Par | Treasury | Paid in | Accumulated | ||||||||||||||
| Shares |
| ADS’s |
| Value |
| Stock |
| Capital |
| Deficit |
| Total | |||||
Balance at January 1, 2022 |
| |
| |
| — | $ | ( | $ | | $ | ( | $ | | ||||
Net loss |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| ( |
| ( | ||||
Cashless exercise of warrants | | | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
Reclassification of warrant liability upon issuance of Exchange warrant | — | — | — | — | | — | | |||||||||||
Balance at March 31, 2022 | | | — | $ | ( | $ | | $ | ( | $ | ( | |||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||
Stock based compensation | — | — | — | — | | — | | |||||||||||
Cashless exercise of warrants | | | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
Balance at June 30, 2022 | | | — | $ | ( | $ | | $ | ( | $ | ( | |||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||
Stock based compensation | — | — | — | — | | — | | |||||||||||
Issuance of ADS and Pre-Funded Warrants, net | | | — | — | | — | | |||||||||||
Cashless exercise of warrants | | | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
Settlement of accrued expenses | | | — | — | | — | | |||||||||||
Deemed dividend on warrant modifcation | — | — | — | — | | ( | — | |||||||||||
Balance at September 30, 2022 | | | — | $ | ( | $ | | $ | ( | $ | |
Three and Nine months ended September 30, 2023
|
| No |
|
| Additional |
|
| |||||||||||
| Ordinary | Par | Treasury | Paid in | Accumulated | |||||||||||||
| Shares |
| ADS’s |
| Value |
| Stock |
| Capital |
| Deficit |
| Total | |||||
Balance at January 1, 2023 | — | $ | ( | $ | $ | ( | $ | |||||||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||
Issuance of ADS and Pre-Funded Warrants, net |
| |
| |
| — |
| — |
| |
| — |
| | ||||
Stock based compensation |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| |
| — |
| | ||||
Balance at March 31, 2023 |
| |
| |
| — | $ | ( | $ | | $ | ( | $ | | ||||
Net loss |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| — |
| ( |
| ( | ||||
Stock based compensation |
| — | — | — |
| — |
| |
| — |
| | ||||||
Balance at June 30, 2023 |
| |
| |
| — | $ | ( | $ | | $ | ( | $ | | ||||
Net loss | — |
| — |
| — |
| — | — | ( | ( | ||||||||
Stock based compensation | — |
| — |
| — |
| — | | — | | ||||||||
Balance at September 30, 2023 |
| |
| |
| — | $ | ( | $ | | $ | ( | $ | |
The accompanying footnotes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
F-4
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited)
| Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||||
| 2023 |
| 2022 | |||
Cash flows used in operating activities: | ||||||
Net loss | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
Change in fair value of warrant liability |
| — |
| ( | ||
Stock based compensation |
| |
| | ||
Forgiveness of trade payable |
| — |
| ( | ||
Amortization of intangibles |
| |
| | ||
Increase in accrued interest and financing expense | — | | ||||
Unrealized gain and accrued interest on investments | ( | ( | ||||
Changes in assets and liabilities: |
|
|
|
| ||
Increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses |
| |
| ( | ||
Decrease in prepaid expenses & other assets |
| |
| | ||
Net cash used in operating activities | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
Cash flows used in investing activities: |
|
|
|
| ||
Purchase of investments | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
Proceeds from maturity of investments | | — | ||||
Payment for license acquisition |
| — |
| ( | ||
Net cash used in investing activities | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
Cash flows provided by financing activities: |
|
|
|
| ||
Payment of amounts due to officers | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
Proceeds from sale of equity securities, net | | | ||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | | $ | | ||
Net change in cash and cash equivalents: |
| |
| ( | ||
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period |
| |
| | ||
Cash and cash equivalents - end of period | $ | | $ | | ||
Supplemental information - Non cash items: |
|
|
|
| ||
Reclassification of warrant liability to equity upon issuance of “Exchange warrants” | $ | — | $ | | ||
Deemed dividend on warrant modification | $ | — | $ | | ||
Offering expenses associated with warrant modification | $ | | $ | | ||
Settlement of accrued expenses | $ | — | $ | |
The accompanying footnotes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
F-5
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
September 30, 2023 and 2022
NOTE 1 – ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS
Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (“Quoin Ltd.,” or the “Company”), formerly known as Cellect Biotechnology Ltd. (“Cellect”), is the holding company for Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Quoin Inc.”). Quoin Inc. was incorporated in Delaware on March 5, 2018. On October 28, 2021, Cellect completed the business combination with Quoin Inc., with Quoin Inc. surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cellect (the “Merger”). Immediately after completion of the Merger, Cellect changed its name to “Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd.”
Effective July 18, 2023, the ratio of American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) evidencing ordinary shares changed from 1 ADS representing five thousand (
The Company is a clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of therapeutic products that treat rare and orphan diseases for which there are currently no approved treatments or cures. The Company’s initial focus is on the development of products, using proprietary owned and in-licensed drug delivery technologies, that could help address rare skin diseases. The Company’s first lead product is QRX003, a once daily, topical lotion comprised of a broad-spectrum serine protease inhibitor, formulated with the proprietary in-licensed Invisicare® technology, is under development as a potential treatment for Netherton Syndrome (“NS”), a rare hereditary genetic disease. QRX003 is currently being tested in two clinical studies in the United States (“U.S.”) under an open Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application with the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Dosing of patients commenced in December 2022 for the first study and in March 2023 for the second study. The Company is also developing QRX004 as a potential treatment for Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (“RDEB”). In addition, the Company has entered into Research Agreements with the Queensland University of Technology (“QUT”), which include an option for global licenses to QRX007 for the potential treatment of NS and QRX008 for the potential treatment of scleroderma. To date, no products have been commercialized and revenue has not been generated.
NOTE 2 - LIQUIDITY RISKS AND OTHER UNCERTAINTIES
The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”), which contemplates continuation of the Company as a going concern. The Company has incurred net losses every year since inception and has an accumulated deficit of approximately $
Additional financing will still be required to complete the research and development of the Company’s therapeutic targets and its other operating requirements until it achieves commercial profitability, if ever. Such financing may not be available at acceptable terms, if at all. If the Company is unable to obtain additional funding when it becomes necessary, the development of its product candidates will be impacted and the Company would likely be forced to delay, reduce, or terminate some or all of its development programs, all of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and financial condition.
Other risks and uncertainties:
The Company is subject to risks common to development stage biopharmaceutical companies including, but not limited to, new technological innovations, dependence on key personnel, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with government regulations, product liability, pre-clinical and clinical trial outcome risks, regulatory approval risks, uncertainty of market acceptance and additional financing requirements.
F-6
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
September 30, 2023 and 2022
The Company’s products require approval or clearance from the FDA prior to commencing commercial sales in the United States. There can be no assurance that the Company’s products will receive all of the required approvals or clearances. Approvals or clearances are also required in foreign jurisdictions in which the Company may license or sell its products.
There can be no assurance that the Company’s products, if approved, will be accepted in the marketplace, nor can there be any assurance that any future products can be developed or manufactured at an acceptable cost and with appropriate performance characteristics, or that such products will be successfully marketed.
The Company is also dependent on several third party suppliers, in some cases a single source supplier including the contract research organization managing both of the Company’s current clinical studies, the supplier of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), as well as the contract manufacturer of the drug substance for the expected clinical development.
Nasdaq Listing
On April 5, 2023, the Company received a letter from the Listing Qualifications staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that the closing bid price per ADS was below the required minimum of $
There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid-price requirement for continued listing. If the Company’s ADSs are delisted from Nasdaq, it will have a material negative impact on the actual and potential liquidity of the Company’s securities, as well as a material negative impact on the Company’s ability to raise future capital.
NOTE 3 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation:
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial information. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, such statements include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring items) which are considered necessary for a fair presentation of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company as of September 30, 2023 and for the three and nine months then ended. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the year or any other period. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and related disclosures as of December 31, 2022 and for the year then ended which are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10- K, filed with the SEC on March 15, 2023. The Company operates in
Use of estimates:
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. Management considers many factors in developing the estimates and assumptions that are used in the preparation of these financial statements including: expected business and operational changes, sensitivity and volatility associated with the assumptions used in developing estimates, and whether historical trends are expected to be representative of future trends. The estimation process often may yield a range of potentially reasonable estimates of the ultimate future outcomes and management must select an amount that falls within that range of reasonable estimates. Estimates are used in the following areas, among others: stock-based compensation research and development expense recognition, intangible asset estimated useful lives and impairment assessments, allowances of deferred tax assets, and cash flow assumptions regarding going concern considerations.
F-7
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
September 30, 2023 and 2022
Cash and cash equivalents:
The Company considers all highly liquid investments and short-term debt instruments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company, from time to time during the periods presented, has had bank account balances in excess of federally insured limits where substantially all cash is held in the United States. The Company has not experienced losses in such accounts. The Company believes that it is not subject to unusual credit risk beyond the normal credit risk associated with commercial banking relationships.
Warrants:
The Company classifies as equity any contracts that (i) require physical settlement or net-share settlement or (ii) provide the Company with a choice of net-cash settlement or settlement in its own shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement) provided that such contracts are indexed to the Company’s own stock. The Company classifies as assets or liabilities any contracts that (i) require net-cash settlement (including a requirement to net cash settle the contract if an event occurs and if that event is outside the Company’s control) or (ii) give the counterparty a choice of net-cash settlement or settlement in shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement).
The Company assesses classification of its warrants and other free-standing derivatives at each reporting date to determine whether a change in classification between assets, liabilities and equity is required. The Company evaluated the warrants to assess their proper classification using the applicable criteria enumerated under U.S. GAAP and determined that such warrants meet the criteria for equity classification in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
Investments:
Investments as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 consist of U.S. Treasury Bills, which are classified as trading securities, totaling $
Long-lived assets:
Long-lived assets are comprised of acquired technology and licensed rights to use technology, which are considered platform technology with alternative future uses beyond the current products in development. Such intangible assets are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their expected useful life of
The Company assesses the impairment for long-lived assets whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors we consider that could trigger an impairment review include the following:
● | Significant changes in the manner of the Company’s use of the acquired assets or the strategy for its overall business, |
● | Significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected development milestones, |
● | Significant negative regulatory or economic trends, and |
● | Significant technological changes which could render the platform technology obsolete. |
The Company recognizes impairment when the sum of the expected undiscounted future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset. Impairment losses, if any, are measured as the excess of the carrying amount of the asset over its estimated fair value. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, there were
F-8
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
September 30, 2023 and 2022
Research and development:
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses include personnel costs associated with research and development activities, including third-party contractors to perform research, conduct clinical trials and manufacture drug supplies and materials. The Company accrues for costs incurred by external service providers, including contract research organizations and clinical investigators, based on its estimates of service performed and costs incurred. These estimates include the level of services performed by third parties, patient enrollment in clinical trials when applicable, administrative costs incurred by third parties, and other indicators of the services completed. Based on the timing of amounts invoiced by service providers, the Company may also record payments made to those providers as prepaid expenses that will be recognized as expenses in future periods as the related services are rendered.
Income taxes:
The Company accounts for its income taxes using the asset and liability method. Accordingly, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and tax credit carry-forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company maintains a full valuation allowance on its existing deferred tax assets.
The Company also accounts for uncertain tax positions using the more-likely-than-not threshold for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken in the Company’s income tax returns. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had no uncertain tax positions which affected its financial position and its results of operations or its cash flows and will continue to evaluate for uncertain tax positions in the future. If at any time the Company should record interest and penalties in connection with income taxes, the interest and the penalties will be expensed within the interest and general and administrative expenses, respectively.
Stock based compensation:
The Company recognizes compensation costs resulting from the issuance of stock-based awards to employees, non-employees and directors as an expense in the consolidated statements of operations over the requisite service period based on a measurement of fair value for each stock-based award. The fair value of each option grant is estimated as of the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, net of actual forfeitures. The fair value is amortized as compensation cost on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards, which is generally the vesting period.
Since the Company has a limited history of trading as a public company, the Company’s expected stock volatility is based on a weighting of its historical volatility along with a group of a publicly traded set of peer companies. The Company utilizes the simplified method to estimate the expected term. The risk-free interest rate was determined by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant of the award for time periods approximately equal to the expected term of the award. The expected dividend yield was assumed to be zero as the Company has not paid and dividends since its inception and does not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future.
Fair value of financial instruments:
The Company considers its cash and cash equivalents, investments, accounts payable, accrued expenses to meet the definition of financial instruments. The carrying amounts of these financial instruments approximated their fair values due to the short maturities.
The Company measures fair value as required by ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC Topic 820”). ASC Topic 820 defines fair value, establishes a framework and gives guidance regarding the methods used for measuring fair value, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. ASC Topic 820 clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants.
F-9
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
September 30, 2023 and 2022
Earnings (loss) per share:
The Company reports loss per share in accordance with ASC 260-10, Earnings Per Share, which provides for calculation of “basic” and “diluted” earnings per share. Basic earnings per share includes no dilution and is computed by dividing net income or loss available to common shareholders by the weighted average common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share reflect the potential dilution of securities that could share in the earnings of an entity. The calculation of diluted net earnings (loss) per share gives effect to ordinary shares equivalents; however, potential common shares are excluded if their effect is anti-dilutive.
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the number of shares excluded from the diluted net earnings (loss) per share included outstanding warrants to purchase
NOTE 4 – ACCRUED INTEREST AND FINANCING EXPENSE
On October 2, 2020, Quoin Inc. issued promissory notes (the “2020 Notes”) and warrants to certain investors (“2020 Noteholders”). The 2020 Notes were mandatorily convertible into
F-10
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
September 30, 2023 and 2022
NOTE 5 - FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
The Company applies fair value accounting for all assets and liabilities that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market in which it would transact and the market-based risk measurements or assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, such as risks inherent in valuation techniques, transfer restrictions and credit risk. For certain instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable, and accrued expenses, it was estimated that the carrying amount approximated fair value because of the short maturities of these instruments.
Fair value is estimated using various valuation models, which utilize certain inputs and assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. The inputs and assumptions used in valuation models are classified in the fair value hierarchy as follows:
Level 1: Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for assets or liabilities. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1 inputs.
Level 2: Quoted market prices for similar instruments in an active market; quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations inputs of which are observable and can be corroborated by market data.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs and assumptions that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the asset and liability. The fair value hierarchy gives the lowest priority to Level 3 inputs.
In determining the appropriate hierarchy levels, the Company analyzes the assets and liabilities that are subject to fair value disclosure. Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to their fair value measurement.
The following table presents the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis by fair value hierarchy at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022:
September 30, 2023 |
| Level 1 |
| Level 2 |
| Level 3 |
| Total | ||||
US Treasury Bills |
| $ | |
| $ | — | $ | — | $ | | ||
Total US Treasury Bills Asset |
| $ | |
| $ | — | $ | — | $ | |
December 31, 2022 |
| Level 1 |
| Level 2 |
| Level 3 |
| Total | ||||
US Treasury Bills | $ | | $ | — | $ | — | $ | | ||||
Total US Treasury Bills Asset | $ | | $ | — | $ | — | $ | |
F-11
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
September 30, 2023 and 2022
NOTE 6 – STOCK BASED COMPENSATION
In March 2022, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan (the “Amended Plan”), which was approved by the shareholders at the Company’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on April 12, 2022. The Amended Plan increased the number of ordinary shares reserved for issuance under such equity incentive plan to
The following table summarizes stock-based activities under the Amended Plan:
|
| Weighted |
| Weighted | |||
Average | Average | ||||||
ADS Underlying | Exercise | Contractual | |||||
Options | Price | Terms | |||||
Outstanding at December 31, 2022 |
| | $ | |
| ||
Granted |
| | $ | |
| ||
Forfeited/Cancelled |
| — | $ | — |
| ||
Outstanding at September 30, 2023 |
| | $ | |
| ||
Exercisable options at September 30, 2023 |
| | $ | |
|
The intrinsic value of outstanding options at September 30, 2023 was $
Stock based compensation expense was approximately $
Stock based compensation expense was approximately $
At September 30, 2023, the total unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested options was approximately $
NOTE 7 – PREPAID EXPENSES
Prepaid expenses are as follows:
| September 30, |
| December 31, | |||
2023 | 2022 | |||||
Prepaid R&D costs | $ | | $ | | ||
Prepaid insurance |
| |
| | ||
Prepaid expense |
| |
| | ||
Total | $ | | $ | | ||
Less: Short-term portion | ( | ( | ||||
Long-term portion | $ | | $ | |
F-12
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
September 30, 2023 and 2022
NOTE 8 - ACCRUED EXPENSES
Accrued expenses are as follows:
| September 30, |
| December 31, | |||
2023 | 2022 | |||||
Research contract expenses (note 12) | $ | | $ | | ||
Payroll |
| |
| | ||
Payroll taxes (note 11) |
| |
| | ||
Professional fees |
| |
| | ||
Other Expenses |
| |
| | ||
Total | $ | | $ | |
NOTE 9 – IN-LICENSED TECHNOLOGY
Polytherapeutics:
On March 24, 2018, Quoin Inc. entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Acquisition Agreement”), in which it agreed to acquire all of the equity interests in Polytherapeutics, Inc. (the “Seller” or “Polytherapeutics”) for $
Skinvisible:
In October 2019, Quoin Inc. entered into the Exclusive Licensing Agreement (as amended from time to time, the “License Agreement”) with Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Skinvisible”), under which Skinvisible granted the Company an exclusive royalty-bearing license relating to the production and manufacture of prescription drug products related to certain patents held by Skinvisible, including those related to QRX003 and QRX004. The Company made Skinvisible a one-time non-refundable, non-creditable license fee of $
F-13
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
September 30, 2023 and 2022
NOTE 10 - INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Intangible assets are as follows:
| September 30, |
| December 31, | |||
2023 | 2022 | |||||
Acquired technology – Polytherapeutics | $ | | $ | | ||
Technology license – Skinvisible |
| |
| | ||
Total cost |
| |
| | ||
Accumulated amortization |
| ( |
| ( | ||
Net book value | $ | | $ | |
The Company recorded amortization expense of approximately $
NOTE 11 - RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Due to Officers/Founders:
Due to the limited funding of Quoin Inc. prior to the consummation of the Merger, the compensation, including salary, office and car allowances and other benefits, due to Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter under their respective employment agreements, as well as reimbursement of expenses and other amounts paid to third parties on behalf of Quoin Inc., were accrued as indebtedness to Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter. Following the closing of the Merger, Quoin Inc. began making payments of $
As of September 30, 2023, approximately $
Amounts due to officers at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 consisted of the following:
| September 30, |
| December 31, | |||
2023 | 2022 | |||||
$ | |
| $ | | ||
| — |
| | |||
$ | |
| $ | | ||
| ( |
| ( | |||
$ | | $ | |
Expenses:
Research and development expense, incurred in the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, was $
Interest Payable:
See Note 4 for interest payable on the 2020 Notes.
F-14
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
September 30, 2023 and 2022
NOTE 12 – RESEARCH, CONSULTING AGREEMENTS AND COMMITMENTS
Research agreements
In November 2020, Quoin Inc. entered into a Master Service Agreement for an initial term of
In November 2021, the Company entered into a commitment with Queensland University of Technology for research related services associated with Netherton Syndrome of approximately $
Consulting agreement:
Quoin Inc. entered into a consulting agreement with an Investor Relations (IR) firm, which provided for a monthly fee of $
Performance milestones and Royalties
See Note 9 for asset and in-licensed technology commitments.
NOTE 13 – SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
The Company held its Annual General Meeting on April 12, 2022, at which the Company’s shareholders approved an increase to the authorized share capital to
Holders of the Company’s ordinary shares have
Under Israeli law, the Company may declare and pay dividends only if, upon the determination of its board of directors, there is no reasonable concern that the distribution will prevent the Company from being able to meet the terms of its existing and foreseeable obligations as they become due. Under the Companies Law, the distribution amount is further limited to the greater of retained
F-15
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
September 30, 2023 and 2022
earnings or earnings generated over the
Each ADS will also represent any other securities, cash or other property which may be held by the depositary. ADSs may be held either (a) directly (1) by having an American Depositary Receipt, also referred to as an ADR, which is a certificate evidencing a specific number of ADSs or (2) by having uncertificated ADSs, or (b) indirectly by holding a security entitlement in ADSs through a broker or other financial institution that is a direct or indirect participant in The Depository Trust Company, also called DTC.
February 2023 Offering
On February 24, 2023 (the “February Closing Date”), the Company completed an offering (the “February Offering”) of
In connection with the February Offering, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “February Purchase Agreement”) with certain institutional investors. Under the February Purchase Agreement, subject to certain exemptions, the Company agreed not to: (i) for a period of ninety (
F-16
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
September 30, 2023 and 2022
In connection with the February Offering, the Company entered into an Amendment No. 1 to Warrant to Purchase Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares, dated February 24, 2023 (collectively, the “Warrant Amendments”), with each of the purchasers (the “2022 Purchasers”) who participated in both the Company’s public offering completed in August 2022 (the “August Offering”) and February Offering. The Warrant Amendments amended certain terms of the Warrants issued in the August Offering to such 2022 Purchasers. Specifically, the Warrant Amendments reduced the exercise price of Warrants to purchase
Warrants
The following table summarizes warrant activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2023:
|
| Weighted |
| |||
ADSs | Average |
| ||||
Underlying | Exercise Price |
| ||||
Warrants | Per ADS | |||||
Outstanding at December 31, 2022 |
| |
| $ | | * |
Granted Warrants |
| | | |||
Granted Pre-Funded Warrants | | — | ||||
Exercised Pre-Funded Warrants |
| ( |
| — | ||
Outstanding and exercisable at September 30, 2023 |
| | $ | |
* | Includes the reduction of the exercise price from $ |
NOTE 14 – CONTINGENCIES
From time to time, the Company may become involved in various legal matters arising in the ordinary course of business. Management is unaware of any matters requiring accrual for related losses in the financial statements.
NOTE 15 – LICENSE AGREEMENTS
As of September 30, 2023, the Company has entered into
NOTE 16 - SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
On October 26, 2023, the Company held an Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, at which the shareholders approved, among other items, the following:
● | The reverse split of the Company’s ordinary shares at a ratio of |
● | The increase of authorized share capital to |
F-17
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022, the related consolidated statements of operations, and stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We also audited adjustments to the 2021 financial statements to retroactively apply the effects of the reverse stock split as described in Note 18. In our opinion, such adjustments are appropriate and have been properly applied. We were not engaged to audit, review, or apply any procedures to the Company’s 2021 financial statements other than with respect to the application of the reverse stock split adjustments and, accordingly, we do not express an opinion or any other form of assurance on the 2021 financial statements as a whole.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
F-18
Contracted Research & Development Cost Recognition:
Critical Audit Matter Description |
| As discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements, the Company records costs for clinical trial activities based upon estimates of costs incurred through the balance sheet date for services performed by contract research organizations, clinical study sites and other vendors. | |
Auditing the recognition of pre-clinical and clinical trial costs associated with contracted organizations is challenging due to the significant judgment required to determine the nature and level of services that have been received, including determining the progress to completion of specific tasks and activities conducted in relation to what has been invoiced and recorded. | |||
How We Addressed the Matter in Our Audit | The primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter included: | ||
● Obtained an understanding of the design and operating effectiveness of internal controls for pre-clinical and clinical cost recognition | |||
● Tested the completeness and accuracy of the underlying data used in the estimates including, but not limited to, the estimated costs per project milestone and duration | |||
● Assessed the reasonableness of the significant assumptions, corroborated the progress of the pre-clinical and clinical trials with the Company’s operations personnel and to information obtained by the Company directly from third parties, and to information in contracts or statements of work including costs for those activities and project duration | |||
● Examined subsequent invoicing received from such third parties |
/s/ Marcum LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020 (such date takes into account the acquisition of certain assets of Friedman LLP effective September 1, 2022)
East Hanover, New Jersey
March 15, 2023, except for Note 18, as to which the date is February 12, 2024
F-19
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021, the related consolidated statements of operations, and stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Consideration of the Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company has a working capital deficiency, an accumulated deficit, has incurred significant losses and cash outflows from operations. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 2. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Friedman LLP
PCAOB ID 711
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020.
East Hanover, New Jersey
April 13, 2022, except for Notes 2 and 17, as to which the date is August 2, 2022 as referenced within the financial statements filed on August 2, 2022 in Form F-1.
F-20
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
December 31, | December 31, | |||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||
ASSETS |
|
|
|
| ||
Current assets: |
|
|
|
| ||
Cash | $ | | $ | | ||
Investments | | — | ||||
Prepaid expenses |
| |
| | ||
Total current assets |
| |
| | ||
Prepaid expenses - long term | | | ||||
Intangible assets, net |
| |
| | ||
Other assets |
| — |
| | ||
Total assets | $ | | $ | | ||
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY |
|
|
|
| ||
Current liabilities: |
|
|
|
| ||
Accounts payable | | $ | | |||
Accrued expenses |
| |
| | ||
Accrued license acquisition |
| — |
| | ||
Accrued interest and financing expense |
| |
| | ||
Due to officers - short term |
| |
| | ||
Warrant liability |
| — |
| | ||
Total current liabilities | | | ||||
Due to officers - long term | | | ||||
Total liabilities | $ | | $ | | ||
Commitments and contingencies |
|
|
|
| ||
Shareholders’ equity: |
|
|
|
| ||
Ordinary shares, | $ | | $ | | ||
Treasury stock, | ( | ( | ||||
Additional paid in capital |
| |
| | ||
Accumulated deficit |
| ( |
| ( | ||
Total shareholders’ equity |
| |
| | ||
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | | $ | |
The accompanying footnotes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
F-21
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Years Ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||
Operating expenses |
|
| ||||
General and administrative | $ | | $ | | ||
Research and development |
| |
| | ||
Total operating expenses |
| | | |||
|
| |||||
Other (income) and expenses |
|
|
|
| ||
Forgiveness of accounts payable | ( | — | ||||
Fair value adjustment to convertible notes payable |
| — |
| | ||
Warrant liability (income) expense |
| ( |
| | ||
Financing expense |
| — |
| | ||
Unrealized income | ( | — | ||||
Interest income | ( | — | ||||
Interest and financing expense |
| |
| | ||
Total other expense |
| |
| | ||
Net loss | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
Deemed dividend on warrant modification | ( | — | ||||
Net loss attributable to shareholders | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
Loss per ADS |
|
|
|
| ||
Loss per ADS | ||||||
Basic | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
Fully-diluted | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
Weighted average number of ADS’s outstanding |
|
|
|
| ||
Basic |
| |
| | ||
Fully-diluted | | |
The accompanying footnotes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
F-22
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity
Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
|
|
| Additional | ||||||||||||||||
Ordinary | No Par | Treasury | Paid in | Accumulated | |||||||||||||||
| Shares |
| ADS’s |
| Value |
| Stock |
| Capital |
| Deficit |
| Total | ||||||
Balance at December 31, 2020 | | | $ | — | $ | — | $ | | $ | ( | $ | ( | |||||||
Net loss |
| — | — | — |
| — |
| — |
| ( |
| ( | |||||||
Conversion of “2020 Notes” into ordinary shares |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| | ||||||||
Sale of equity securities, including conversion of “Bridge Notes” |
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
| | ||||||||
Costs associated with sale of equity securities |
|
|
|
| ( |
|
|
| ( | ||||||||||
Merger recapitalization of Cellect |
| | |
| ( |
| |
|
|
| — | ||||||||
Reclassification of warrant upon issuane of Exchange warrants |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| | ||||||||||
Balance at December 31, 2021 | | | — | ( | | ( | | ||||||||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | ||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | | — | | ||||||||||||||||
Issuance of ADS and Pre-Funded Warrants, net | | | | — | | ||||||||||||||
Cashless exercise of warrants | | | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
Settlement of accrued expenses | | | — | — | | — | | ||||||||||||
Reclassification of warrant liability upon issuance of Exchange warrant | | | |||||||||||||||||
Deemed dividend on warrant modification | — | — | — | — | | ( | — | ||||||||||||
Balance at December 31, 2022 | | | $ | — | $ | ( | $ | | $ | ( | $ | |
The accompanying footnotes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
F-23
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Years Ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||
Cash flows used in operating activities |
|
| ||||
Net loss |
| $ | ( | $ | ( | |
Fair value adjustment to convertible notes payable |
| — |
| | ||
Change in fair value of warrant liability |
| ( |
| | ||
Stock based compensation |
| |
| — | ||
Forgiveness of trade payable |
| ( |
| — | ||
Financing expense | — | | ||||
Amortization of intangibles | | | ||||
Increase in accrued interest and financing expense | | | ||||
Unrealized gain on investments | ( | — | ||||
Changes in assets and liabilities: |
|
|
|
| ||
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and accrued expenses |
| ( |
| | ||
Decrease in prepaid expenses & other assets |
| |
| ( | ||
Net cash used in operating activities |
| $ | ( | $ | ( | |
Cash flows used in investing activities |
|
|
|
| ||
Purchase of investments | ( | — | ||||
Payment for license acquisition |
| ( |
| ( | ||
Net cash used in investing activities |
| $ | ( | $ | ( | |
Cash flows provided by financing activities: |
|
|
|
| ||
Payments of offering costs |
| — |
| | ||
Payments of deferred loan costs |
| |
| ( | ||
Increase in due to officers |
| — |
| | ||
Payment of amounts due to officers |
| ( |
| ( | ||
Proceeds from issuance of “Bridge Notes”, net |
| — |
| | ||
Payment of interest on “Bridge Notes” | ( | — | ||||
Proceeds from sale of equity securities, net |
| |
| | ||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
| $ | | $ | | |
Net change in cash |
| ( |
| | ||
Cash - beginning of year |
| |
| | ||
Cash - end of year |
| $ | | $ | | |
Supplemental information - Non cash items: |
|
|
| |||
Interest paid | $ | — | $ | | ||
Exchange of “2020 Notes” for Ordinary shares | $ | — | $ | | ||
Exchange of “Bridge Notes” for Ordinary shares | $ | — | $ | | ||
Reclassification of warrant liability to equity upon issuance of “Exchange warrants” | $ | | $ | | ||
Deemed dividend on warrant modification | $ | | $ | — | ||
Offering expenses associated with warrant modification | $ | | $ | — | ||
Settlement of accrued expenses | $ | | $ | — |
The accompanying footnotes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
F-24
NOTE 1 – ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (“Quoin Ltd.,”or the “Company”), formerly known as Cellect Biotechnology Ltd. (“Cellect”), is the holding company for Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Quoin Inc.”). On October 28, 2021, Cellect completed the business combination with Quoin Inc., in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization, dated as of March 24, 2021 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Cellect, Quoin Inc. and CellMSC, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Cellect (“Merger Sub”), pursuant to which Merger Sub merged with and into Quoin Inc., with Quoin Inc. surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cellect (the “Merger”). Immediately after completion of the Merger, Cellect changed its name to “Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd.”Because Quoin Inc. was the accounting acquirer, its historical financial statements became the Company’s historical financial statements and such assets and liabilities continued to be recorded at their historical carrying values. The impact of the recapitalization has been retroactively applied to all periods presented.
Effective August 1, 2022, the ratio of American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) evidencing ordinary shares changed from 1 ADS representing four hundred (
Quoin Inc. was incorporated in Delaware on March 5, 2018. Quoin Inc. is clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of therapeutic products that treat rare and orphan diseases for which there are currently no approved treatments or cures. The Company’s initial focus is on the development of products, using proprietary owned and in-licensed drug delivery technologies, that could help address rare skin diseases. The Company’s first lead product is QRX003, a once daily, topical lotion comprised of a broad-spectrum serine protease inhibitor, formulated with the proprietary in-licensed Invisicare® technology, is under development as a potential treatment for Netherton Syndrome (“NS”), a rare hereditary genetic disease. QRX003 is currently being tested in two clinical studies in the United States (“U.S.”) under an open Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application with the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Dosing of patients has commenced for the first study, and the Company is preparing to commence enrollment into the second clinical study. The Company is also developing QRX004 as a potential treatment for Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (“RDEB”). In addition, the Company has entered into Research Agreements with the Queensland University of Technology (“QUT”), which include an option for global licenses to QRX007 for the potential treatment of NS and QRX008 for the potential treatment of scleroderma. To date, no products have been commercialized and revenue has not been generated.
NOTE 2 - LIQUIDITY RISKS AND OTHER UNCERTAINTIES
The Company has incurred net losses every year since inception and has an accumulated deficit of approximately $
Additional financing will still be required to complete the research and development of the Company’s therapeutic targets and its other operating requirements until it achieves commercial profitability, if ever. Such financing may not be available at acceptable terms, if at all. If the Company is unable to obtain additional funding when it becomes necessary, the development of its product candidates will be impacted and the Company would likely be forced to delay, reduce, or terminate some or all of its development programs, all of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
Other risks and uncertainties:
The Company is subject to risks common to development stage biopharmaceutical companies including, but not limited to, new technological innovations, dependence on key personnel, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with government regulations, product liability, pre-clinical and clinical trial outcome risks, regulatory approval risks, uncertainty of market acceptance,
F-25
as well as unanticipated clinical trial costs and the ability to estimate such occurrences, if any, on the Company’s cash, liquidity, additional financing requirements, and availability.
The Company’s products require approval or clearance from the FDA prior to commencing commercial sales in the United States. There can be no assurance that the Company’s products will receive all of the required approvals or clearances. Approvals or clearances are also required in foreign jurisdictions in which the Company may license or sell its products.
There can be no assurance that the Company’s products, if approved, will be accepted in the marketplace, nor can there be any assurance that any future products can be developed or manufactured at an acceptable cost and with appropriate performance characteristics, or that such products will be successfully marketed.
The Company is also dependent on several third party suppliers, in some cases a single-source supplier which includes the supplier of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), as well as the contract manufacturer of the drug substance for the expected clinical development.
Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) created a global pandemic, which commenced in 2020. The Company’s operations, to date, have not been dramatically affected by COVID-19. However, the extent of any future impact on the Company’s operational and financial performance will depend on the possibility of a resurgence and resulting severity with respect to the Company’s access to API and drug product for clinical testing, as well as the Company’s ability to safely and efficiently conduct planned clinical trials.
Nasdaq Listing
On April 22, 2022, the Company received a letter from the Listing Qualifications staff (the “Staff”) of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that it is no longer in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) requiring minimum stockholders’ equity of at least $
On June 10, 2022, the Company received a letter from the Staff notifying the Company that the closing bid price per ADS was below the required minimum of $
There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum stockholders’ equity requirement or minimum bid-price requirement for continued listing. If the Company’s ADSs are delisted from Nasdaq, it will have material negative impacts on the actual and potential liquidity of the Company’s securities, as well as material negative impacts on the Company’s ability to raise future capital.
NOTE 3 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation:
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”), which have been consistently applied, reflecting the operations of Quoin Inc. since inception and include the accounts of Quoin Ltd. since the date of the Merger. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of estimates:
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. Management considers many factors in developing the estimates and assumptions that are used in the preparation of these financial statements including: expected business and operational changes, sensitivity and volatility associated with the assumptions used in developing estimates, and whether historical trends are expected to be representative of future trends. The estimation process often may yield a range of potentially reasonable estimates of the ultimate future outcomes and management must select an amount
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that falls within that range of reasonable estimates. Estimates are used in the following areas, among others: settlement of debt or other obligations, fair value of debt instruments, stock-based compensation and warrants, research and development expense recognition, intangible asset estimated useful lives and impairment assessments, allowances of deferred tax assets, contingency recognition, and cash flow assumptions regarding going concern considerations.
Reclassification:
Certain 2021 amounts were reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. The amount reclassified included the short term portion of prepaid expenses from the long term portion of prepaid expenses and the short term portion from long term portion due to officers.
Cash and cash equivalents:
The Company considers all highly liquid investments and short-term debt instruments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company, from time to time during the periods presented, has had bank account balances in excess of federally insured limits where substantially all cash is held in the United States. The Company has not experienced losses in such accounts. The Company believes that it is not subject to unusual credit risk beyond the normal credit risk associated with commercial banking relationships.
Warrants:
The Company classifies as equity any contracts that (i) require physical settlement or net-share settlement or (ii) provide the Company with a choice of net-cash settlement or settlement in its own shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement) provided that such contracts are indexed to the Company’s own stock. The Company classifies as assets or liabilities any contracts that (i) require net-cash settlement (including a requirement to net cash settle the contract if an event occurs and if that event is outside the Company’s control) or (ii) give the counterparty a choice of net-cash settlement or settlement in shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement).
The Company assesses classification of its warrants and other free-standing derivatives at each reporting date to determine whether a change in classification between assets, liabilities and equity is required. The Company evaluated the warrants to assess their proper classification using the applicable criteria enumerated under U.S. GAAP and determined that such warrants meet the criteria for equity classification in the accompanying balance sheets as of December 31, 2022.
Investments:
Investments as of December 31, 2022 consist of U.S. Treasury Bills, which are classified as trading securities, totaling $
Long-lived assets:
Long-lived assets are comprised of acquired technology and licensed rights to use technology, which are considered platform technology with alternative future uses beyond the current products in development. Such intangible assets are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their expected useful life of
The Company assesses the impairment for long-lived assets whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors we consider that could trigger an impairment review include the following:
● | Significant changes in the manner of our use of the acquired assets or the strategy for our overall business, |
● | Significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected development milestones, |
● | Significant negative regulatory or economic trends, and |
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● | Significant technological changes which could render the platform technology obsolete. |
The Company recognizes impairment when the sum of the expected undiscounted future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset. Impairment losses, if any, are measured as the excess of the carrying amount of the asset over its estimated fair value. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, there were
Research and development:
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses include personnel costs associated with research and development activities, including third-party contractors to perform research, conduct clinical trials and manufacture drug supplies and materials. The Company accrues for costs incurred by external service providers, including contract research organizations and clinical investigators, based on its estimates of service performed and costs incurred. These estimates include the level of services performed by third parties, patient enrollment in clinical trials when applicable, administrative costs incurred by third parties, and other indicators of the services completed. Based on the timing of amounts invoiced by service providers, the Company may also record payments made to those providers as prepaid expenses that will be recognized as expense in future periods as the related services are rendered.
Income taxes:
The Company accounts for its income taxes using the asset and liability method. Accordingly, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and tax credit carry-forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company maintains a full valuation allowance on its existing deferred tax assets.
The Company also accounts for uncertain tax positions using the more-likely-than-not threshold for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken in the Company’s income tax returns. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had
Stock based compensation:
The Company recognizes compensation costs resulting from the issuance of stock-based awards to employees, non-employees and directors as an expense in the consolidated statements of operations over the requisite service period based on a measurement of fair value for each stock-based award. The fair value of each option grant is estimated as of the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, net of actual forfeitures. The fair value is amortized as compensation cost on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards, which is generally the vesting period.
The Company’s expected stock volatility is based on the historical data regarding the volatility of a publicly traded set of peer companies, since it has limited history of trading as a public company. The Company utilizes the simplified method to estimate the expected term. The risk-free interest rate was determined by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant of the award for time periods approximately equal to the expected term of the award. The expected dividend yield was assumed to be zero as the Company has not paid and dividends since its inception and does not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future.
Fair value of financial instruments:
The Company considers its cash, investments, accounts payable, accrued expenses and the convertible and bridge notes payable to meet the definition of financial instruments. The carrying amounts of these financial instruments approximated their fair values due to the short maturities.
The Company measures fair value as required by ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC Topic 820”). ASC Topic 820 defines fair value, establishes a framework and gives guidance regarding the methods used for measuring fair value,
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and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. ASC Topic 820 clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants.
Earnings (loss) per share:
The Company reports loss per share in accordance with ASC 260-10, Earnings Per Share, which provides for calculation of “basic” and “diluted” earnings per share. Basic earnings per share includes no dilution and is computed by dividing net income or loss available to common shareholders by the weighted average common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share reflect the potential dilution of securities that could share in the earnings of an entity. The calculation of diluted net earnings (loss) per share gives effect to ordinary shares equivalents; however, potential common shares are excluded if their effect is anti-dilutive.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the number of shares excluded from the diluted net earnings (loss) per share included outstanding warrants to purchase
For the year ended December 31, 2021, the number of shares excluded from the diluted net earnings (loss) per share included outstanding warrants to purchase
NOTE 4 – CONVERTIBLE NOTES PAYABLE
On October 2, 2020, Quoin Inc. commenced an offering of promissory notes (the “2020 Notes” or “Convertible Notes Payable”) and warrants.Based upon the terms agreed to in March 2021 in the Primary Financing (see Note 5), the 2020 Notes were mandatorily convertible into
The holders also received warrants exercisable at any time after the issuance date for
The Noteholder Warrants have been determined to have equity classification. The change in the fair value of the warrants through the exchange date was included in other income (expense) in the accompanying statement of operations, and then reclassified from liability to additional paid in capital. On July 14, 2022, as a result of the Altium Agreement (see Note 5), the exercise price of the Noteholder Warrants was reduced to $
The ADSs issued to the 2020 Noteholders did not include the accrued interest which was estimated to be approximately $
Interest expense, at the stated interest rate, recognized in the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was approximately $-
NOTE 5 – BRIDGE FINANCING AND SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (Primary Financing)
Bridge Financing
In connection with the Merger Agreement and the Securities Purchase Agreement (described below), Quoin Inc. entered into a “Bridge Purchase Agreement” on March 24, 2021 with the Investor, pursuant to which the Investor agreed to purchase notes (the “Bridge Notes”) in the aggregate principal amount of up to $
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The Bridge Notes were issued with a
The Investor and Quoin Inc. agreed that if the Primary Financing is consummated, the Investor may, at its election, offset the purchase price related to the Primary Financing, by an amount equal to the outstanding amount under this Bridge Note, and, upon such set-off, the portion of this Bridge Note shall be deemed to have been paid in its entirety and all obligations thereunder shall be deemed to be fully satisfied.
The Bridge Notes were offset against the purchase price under the Securities Purchase Agreement related to the Primary Financing and converted into
Bridge Warrants
Upon the funding of each Bridge Note tranches described above, the Investor received warrants (the “Bridge Warrants”) to purchase a number of shares of Quoin Inc.’s common stock equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Bridge Notes. The Bridge Warrants had a term of
Following the closing date of the Merger, on each of the tenth trading day, the forty-fifth day, the ninetieth day, and the one hundred thirty-fifth day thereafter (each, a “Reset Date”), if the initial exercise price of the Bridge Warrants is greater than the arithmetic average of
The Company determined that the warrants met the criteria to be recorded as a liability instrument through the exchange date on the closing of the Primary Financing. The fair value for the total issuances of these warrants was determined by a MonteCarlo simulation model to be approximately $
Upon the closing of the Primary Financing in October 2021, the Bridge Warrants were exchanged for warrants to purchase
Primary Financing
On October 28, 2021, the Company completed the private placement transaction with the Investor for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $
Quoin Ltd. also was required to issue to the Investor, effective as of March 13, 2022, the
The Company had the right to require the mandatory exercise of the Series C Warrant, subject to an effective registration statement being in place for the resale of the shares underlying such warrants and the satisfaction of equity market conditions, as defined in the Series C Warrant. On April 22, 2022, a registration statement for the resale of the shares underlying Investor Warrants was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the period from April 22, 2022 to June 30, 2022, the Investor exercised the Series B Warrant in full pursuant to the alternate cashless exercise rights of such warrant, which gives the Investor the sole option as elected by the Investor to receive
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total of
Agreements with Altium Growth Fund, LP and Warrant Exercises
On July 14, 2022, the Company, Quoin Inc. and Altium entered into an agreement (the “Altium Agreement”), pursuant to which the parties agreed to, among other things, (i) amend certain terms of the Series A Warrant and Investor Exchange Warrants previously issued to Altium to reduce the exercise price to $
The exercise price of the Noteholder Warrants was also reduced to $
NOTE 6 - FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
The Company applies fair value accounting for all assets and liabilities that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market in which it would transact and the market-based risk measurements or assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, such as risks inherent in valuation techniques, transfer restrictions and credit risk. For certain instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable, and accrued expenses, it was estimated that the carrying amount approximated fair value because of the short maturities of these instruments.
Fair value is estimated using various valuation models, which utilize certain inputs and assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. The inputs and assumptions used in valuation models are classified in the fair value hierarchy as follows:
Level 1: Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for assets or liabilities. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1 inputs.
Level 2: Quoted market prices for similar instruments in an active market; quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations inputs of which are observable and can be corroborated by market data.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs and assumptions that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the asset and liability. The fair value hierarchy gives the lowest priority to Level 3 inputs.
In determining the appropriate hierarchy levels, the Company analyzes the assets and liabilities that are subject to fair value disclosure. Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to their fair value measurement.
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The following table presents the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis by fair value hierarchy at December 31, 2022 and 2021:
December 31, 2022 |
| Level 1 |
| Level 2 |
| Level 3 |
| Total | ||||
US Treasury Bills |
| $ | |
| $ | — | $ | — | $ | | ||
Total US Treasury Bills Asset |
| $ | |
| $ | — | $ | — | $ | |
December 31, 2021 |
| Level 1 |
| Level 2 |
| Level 3 |
| Total | ||||
2020 Notes warrants | $ | — | $ | — | $ | | $ | | ||||
Total Warrant Liability | $ | — |
| — | $ | | $ | |
The following shows the movement of the warrant liability balance during the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
| Bridge Financing |
| 2020 Note | |||
Warrants | Warrants | |||||
Beginning Balance January 1, 2021 | $ | | $ | | ||
Warrant value at issuance (recorded as warrant liability expense) | | | ||||
Change in Fair value of warrants |
| |
| ( | ||
Reclassification of warrant liability to an equity instrument |
| ( |
| — | ||
Ending Balance December 31, 2021 | $ | — | $ | | ||
Change in Fair value of warrants | — | ( | ||||
Reclassification of warrant liability to an equity instrument | — | ( | ||||
Ending Balance December 31, 2022 | $ | — | $ | — |
The Investor Exchange Warrant issued to the Investor on the Merger date was determined to be an equity-classified instrument, and accordingly the warrant liability on such date of approximately $
NOTE 7 – STOCK BASED COMPENSATION
In March 2022, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan (the “Amended Plan”) which increased the number of ordinary shares reserved for issuance under such equity incentive plan to
On April 12, 2022, the Company granted options to acquire
The following table summarizes stock-based activities under the Amended Plan:
|
| Weighted |
| Weighted | |||
Average | Average | ||||||
ADS Underlying | Exercise | Contractual | |||||
Options | Price | Terms | |||||
Outstanding at December 31, 2021 |
| | $ | |
| ||
Granted |
| | $ | |
|
| |
Forfeited/Cancelled |
| ( | $ | |
|
| |
Outstanding at December 31, 2022 |
| | $ | |
| ||
Exercisable options at December 31, 2022 |
| — | $ | — |
|
The intrinsic value of outstanding options at December 31, 2022 was $
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Stock options granted during the year ended December 31, 2022 were valued using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:
| December 31, |
| ||
2022 |
| |||
Expected volatility |
| | % | |
Risk-free interest rate |
| | % | |
Expected dividend yield |
| | % | |
Expected life of options in years |
| |||
Exercise Price | $ | | ||
Fair value of ADS | $ | | ||
Estimated fair value of option | $ | |
Stock based compensation expense was approximately $
At December 31, 2022, the total unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested options was approximately $
NOTE 8 – PREPAID EXPENSES
Prepaid expenses are as follows:
| December 31, | December 31, | ||||
2022 |
| 2021 | ||||
Prepaid R&D costs | $ | | $ | | ||
Prepaid insurance |
| |
| | ||
Prepaid expense |
| |
| | ||
Total | $ | | $ | | ||
Less: Short-term portion | ( | ( | ||||
Long-term portion | $ | | $ | |
NOTE 9 – ACCRUED EXPENSES
Accrued expenses are as follows:
| December 31, | December 31, | ||||
2022 |
| 2021 | ||||
Research contract expenses (note 13) | $ | | $ | | ||
Payroll (note 12) | | | ||||
Payroll taxes (note 12) | | | ||||
Investor Relation firm fees (note 13) | | | ||||
Professional fees | | | ||||
Other Expenses |
| |
| | ||
Total | $ | | $ | |
NOTE 10 –IN-LICENSED TECHNOLOGY
Polytherapeutics:
On March 24, 2018, Quoin Inc. entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Acquisition Agreement”), in which it agreed to acquire all of the equity interests in Polytherapeutics, Inc. (the “Seller” or “Polytherapeutics”) for $
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royalty period, the royalty fees shall be reduced from
Quoin Inc. also entered into a research and consulting agreement which committed Quoin Inc. to pay the Seller for additional research and development consulting services (See Notes 13 and 15).
Skinvisible:
In October 2019, Quoin Inc. entered into the Exclusive Licensing Agreement (as amended from time to time, the “License Agreement”) with Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Skinvisible”), under which Skinvisible granted the Company a exclusive royalty-bearing license relating to the production and manufacture of prescription drug products related to certain patents held by Skinvisible, including those related to QRX003 and QRX004. The Company made Skinvisible a one-time non-refundable, non-creditable license fee of $
NOTE 11 - INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Intangible assets are as follows:
| December 31, | December 31, | ||||
2022 |
| 2021 | ||||
Acquired technology – Polytherapeutics | $ | | $ | | ||
Technology license – Skinvisible |
| |
| | ||
Total cost |
| |
| | ||
Accumulated amortization |
| ( |
| ( | ||
Net book value | $ | | $ | |
The Company recorded amortization expense of approximately
NOTE 12 – RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Employment Agreements and Due to Officers/Founders:
Due to the limited funding of Quoin Inc. prior to the consummation of the Merger, the compensation, including salary, office and car allowances and other benefits, due to Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter under their respective employment agreements, as well as reimbursement of expenses and other amounts paid by Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter to third parties on behalf of Quoin Inc., were not paid by Quoin Inc. to Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter, and were accrued as indebtedness to Dr. Myers and Ms. Carter. Following the closing of the Merger, Quoin Inc. began making
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Amounts due to officers at December 31, 2022 and 2021 consisted of the following:
| December 31, | December 31, | ||||
2022 |
| 2021 | ||||
Salaries and other compensation | $ | | $ | | ||
Invoices paid on behalf of the Company |
| |
| | ||
Total | $ | | $ | | ||
Less: Short-term portion | ( | ( | ||||
Long-term portion | $ | | $ | |
Expenses:
In 2021, the Company paid $
NOTE 13 – RESEARCH, CONSULTING AGREEMENTS AND COMMITMENTS
Research and consulting agreement
Quoin Inc. entered into a research and consulting agreement (the “Research Agreement”) which commits it to pay the former owner of Polytherapeutics (the “Consultant” or “Seller”) to transfer the technical know-how of Polytherapeutics with respect to (i) good manufacturing practices (“GMP”), clinical and commercial manufacturing of the Company’s PolyDur polymer and (ii) formulation development of products utilizing the Company’s PharmaDur polymer (See Note 10). The agreement required monthly consulting payments of $
Through December 31, 2022 and the financial statement issuance date, the Company has not made any payments, the Consultant has not performed any services and the Company has not incurred or accrued for any expenses. See Note 16 for Consultant’s notification of breach of contract.
Other research consulting agreements
Quoin Inc. entered into
In November 2020, Quoin Inc. entered into a Master Service Agreement for an initial term of
In November 2021, the Company entered into a commitment with Queensland University of Technology for research related services associated with Netherton Syndrome of approximately $
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In May 2022, the Company entered into a commitment with Queensland University of Technology for research related services associated with Scleroderma of approximately $
Consulting agreement:
Quoin Inc. entered into a consulting agreement with an Investor Relations (IR) firm, which provides for a monthly fee of $
Performance milestones and Royalties
See Note 10 for asset and in-licensed technology commitments.
Merger agreement commitment
In consideration for the Share Transfer disclosed in Note 1, the pre-closing Cellect shareholders received a contingent value right (“CVR”) entitling the holders to earnouts during the Payment Period (as such term is defined in the Share Transfer Agreement), comprised mainly of payments upon sale, milestone payments, license fees and exit fees realized by the business spun out of Cellect prior to the Merger.
Cellect entered into a CVR Agreement with Mr. Eyal Leibovitz, in the capacity of Representative for the holders of CVRs, and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., a federally chartered trust company (the “Rights Agent”). Under the terms of the CVR Agreement, the holders of the Cellect ADSs immediately prior to the Merger had the right to receive, through their ownership of CVRs, their pro-rata share of the net Share Transfer consideration, making such holders of CVRs the indirect beneficiaries of the net payments under the Share Transfer. CVRs were recorded in a register administered by the Rights Agent but were not certificated.
Since the Company will not receive any net proceeds from the CVRs, there is no asset or liability recorded in the consolidated financial statements.
NOTE 14 – SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND SHARE OWNERSHIP AND RIGHTS
The Company held a Special General Meeting on February 28, 2022, at which the Company’s shareholders adopted the Amended and Restated Articles of Association of the Company. The Company held its Annual General Meeting on April 12, 2022, at which the Company’s shareholders approved an increase to the authorized share capital to
Holders of the Company’s ordinary shares have
Under Israeli law, the Company may declare and pay dividends only if, upon the determination of our board of directors, there is no reasonable concern that the distribution will prevent the Company from being able to meet the terms of our existing and foreseeable obligations as they become due. Under the Companies Law, the distribution amount is further limited to the greater of retained earnings or earnings generated over the
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The Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary, has registered and delivered American Depositary Shares, also referred to as ADSs. Following an ADS ratio adjustment effective August 1, 2022, each ADS represented five thousand (
On August 9, 2022, the Company completed an offering (the “August Offering”) of
In connection with the August Offering, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain institutional investors. The Purchase Agreement provided that for a period of
Warrants
The following table summarizes warrant activities during the year ended December 31, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2022:
|
| Weighted | ||||
ADSs | Average | |||||
Underlying | Exercise Price | |||||
Warrants | Per Share | |||||
Outstanding at December 31, 2020 | | $ | | * | ||
Granted | | | * | |||
Outstanding at December 31, 2021 | | $ | | * | ||
Granted | | | ** | |||
Terminated | ( | | * | |||
Exercised – Cashless and Pre Funded Warrants | ( | — | ||||
Outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2022 | | $ | | ** |
As of December 31, 2022, outstanding warrants expire in 2024 and 2027, and have an intrinsic value of $
* | Note that the exercise price of certain warrants was reduced from $ |
** | Note that the exercise price of certain warrants were reduced from $ |
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NOTE 15 – INCOME TAXES
Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 are as follows:
(table in thousands) |
| 2022 |
| 2021 | ||
Net operating losses | $ | | $ | | ||
Due to Officers | — | | ||||
Accrued Expenses and Other | | | ||||
R&D Credit Carryforward | | | ||||
Debt related activities | — | | ||||
Stock Compensation | | — | ||||
R&D Capitalization | | — | ||||
Intangibles | | — | ||||
Total gross deferred tax assets/(liabilities) | $ | | $ | | ||
Less valuation allowance | ( | ( | ||||
Net deferred tax assets/(liabilities) | $ | — | $ | — |
The income tax benefit for the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 differed from the amounts computed by applying the U.S. federal income tax rate of
(table in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | ||||
Federal Statutory Rate |
| $ | ( |
| $ | ( |
Permanent Differences |
| |
| | ||
Research and Development |
| ( |
| ( | ||
State Income Tax |
| |
| | ||
Change in Valuation Allowance |
| |
| | ||
Deferred True Up |
| |
| — | ||
Effect of Tax Act |
| — |
| — | ||
Effective Tax | $ | — | $ | — |
A valuation allowance is required to reduce the deferred tax assets reported if, based on the weight of the evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. After consideration of the available evidence, both positive and negative, the Company determined that valuation allowances of $
At December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had gross U.S. Federal income tax net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforward of approximately $
The Internal Revenue Code (the “IRC”) contains limitations on the use of net operating loss carryforwards after the occurrence of a substantial ownership change as defined by IRC Section 382. The Company has not performed a detailed analysis, however utilization of such net operating loss carryforwards will likely be significantly limited due to the shares issued in the Primary Financing and the Merger.
The income tax benefit for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 differed from the amounts computed by applying the US federal income tax rate of
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) has modified the IRC 174 expenses related to research and development for the tax years beginning after December 31, 2021. Under the TCJA, the Company must now capitalize the expenditures related to research and development activities and amortize over five years for U.S. activities and 15 years for non-U.S. activities using a mid-year
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convention. Therefore, the capitalization of research and development costs in accordance with IRC 174 resulted in a gross deferred tax asset of $
NOTE 16 - CONTINGENCIES
From time to time, the Company may become involved in various legal matters arising in the ordinary course of business. Management is unaware of any matters requiring accrual for related losses in the financial statements.
In February 2020, the Seller of the equity interests in Polytherapeutics and party to the Research Agreement communicated with Quoin Inc. threatening litigation for non-payment and related breach of contract and immediate payment of all monthly payments in the total amount of $
NOTE 17 – LICENSE AGREEMENTS
During the years ended December 31 2022 and 2021 the Company entered into
NOTE 18 - SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
On February 24, 2023 (the “February Closing Date”), the Company completed an offering (the “February Offering”) of
In connection with the February Offering, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “February Purchase Agreement”) with certain institutional investors. Under the February Purchase Agreement, subject to certain exemptions, the Company agreed not to: (i) for a period of ninety (
In connection with the February Offering, the Company entered into an Amendment No. 1 to Warrant to Purchase Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares, dated February 24, 2023 (collectively, the “Warrant Amendments”), with each of the purchasers (the “2022 Purchasers”) who participated in both the August Offering and February Offering. The Warrant Amendments amended certain terms of the August Common Warrants issued to such 2022 Purchasers. Specifically, the Warrant Amendments reduced the exercise price of such warrants to $
Effective July 18, 2023, the ratio of ADSs evidencing ordinary shares changed from 1 ADS representing five thousand (
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On October 26, 2023, the Company held an Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, at which the shareholders approved, among other items, the following:
● | The reverse split of the Company’s ordinary shares at a ratio of 1 for |
● | The increase of authorized share capital to |
All ADS and related option and warrant information has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the reduced number of ADSs resulting from the ratio change.
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Up to 2,089,552 Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares
Up to 2,089,552 Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase Up to 2,089,552 Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares
Up to 2,089,552 Series D Warrants to Purchase Up to 2,089,552 Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares
Up to 2,089,552 Series E Warrants to Purchase Up to 2,089,552 Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares
Up to 6,268,656 Ordinary Shares Represented by American Depositary Shares Issuable Upon Exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, Series D Warrants and Series E Warrants
________________________________________________________________________
Preliminary Prospectus
________________________________________________________________________
Sole Placement Agent
A.G.P.
The date of this prospectus is , 2024.
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. | Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution |
The following table sets forth all expenses, other than the selling commissions, payable by the registrant in connection with the sale of the securities being registered. All the amounts shown are estimates except the SEC registration fee.
| |||
SEC registration fee | $ | 3,102 | |
Printing and engraving expenses | $ | 50,000 | |
Legal fees and expenses | $ | 200,000 | |
Accounting fees and expenses | $ | 50,000 | |
Transfer agent and registrar fees | $ | 50,000 | |
Miscellaneous | $ | 70,103 | |
Total | $ | 423,205 |
Item 14. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers |
Under the Companies Law, a company may not exculpate an Office Holder from liability for a breach of the duty of loyalty. An Israeli company may exculpate an Office Holder in advance from liability to the company, in whole or in part, for damages caused to the company as a result of a breach of duty of care but only if a provision authorizing such exculpation is included in its articles of association. Our articles of association include such a provision. An Israeli company may not exculpate in advance a director from liability arising out of a prohibited dividend or distribution to shareholders.
Under the Companies Law, an Israeli company may indemnify an Office Holder in respect of the following liabilities and expenses incurred for acts performed by him or her as an Office Holder, either pursuant to an undertaking made in advance of an event or following an event, provided its articles of association include a provision authorizing such indemnification, which ours do:
● | financial liability imposed on him or her in favor of another person pursuant to a judgment, including a settlement or arbitrator’s award approved by a court. However, if an undertaking to indemnify an Office Holder with respect to such liability is provided in advance, then such an undertaking must be limited to events which, in the opinion of the board of directors, can be reasonably foreseen based on the company’s activities when the undertaking to indemnify is given, and to an amount or according to criteria determined by the board of directors as reasonable under the circumstances, and such undertaking shall detail the abovementioned foreseen events and amount or criteria; |
● | reasonable litigation expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred by the Office Holder (1) as a result of an investigation or proceeding instituted against him or her by an authority authorized to conduct such investigation or proceeding, provided that (a) no indictment was filed against such Office Holder as a result of such investigation or proceeding; and (b) no financial liability, such as a criminal penalty, was imposed upon him or her as a substitute for the criminal proceeding as a result of such investigation or proceeding or, if such financial liability was imposed, it was imposed with respect to an offense that does not require proof of criminal intent; and (2) in connection with a monetary sanction; |
● | reasonable litigation expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred by the Office Holder or imposed by a court in proceedings instituted against him or her by the company, on its behalf, or by a third party, or in connection with criminal proceedings in which the Office Holder was acquitted, or as a result of a conviction for an offense that does not require proof of criminal intent; and |
● | expenses, including reasonable litigation expenses and legal fees, incurred by an Office Holder in relation to an administrative proceeding instituted against such Office Holder, or certain compensation payments made to an injured party imposed on an Office Holder by an administrative proceeding, pursuant to certain provisions of the Israeli Securities Law, 1968 (the “Israeli Securities Law”). |
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Under the Companies Law and the Israeli Securities Law, a company may insure an Office Holder against the following liabilities incurred for acts performed by him or her as an Office Holder if and to the extent provided in the company’s articles of association:
● | a breach of the duty of loyalty to the company, provided that the Office Holder acted in good faith and had a reasonable basis to believe that the act would not harm the company; |
● | a breach of duty of care to the company or to a third party, including a breach arising out of the negligent conduct of the Office Holder; and |
● | a financial liability imposed on the Office Holder in favor of a third party. |
Under our articles of association, we may insure an Office Holder against the aforementioned liabilities as well as the following liabilities:
● | a breach of duty of care to the company or to a third party; |
● | any other action against which we are permitted by law to insure an Office Holder; |
● | expenses incurred and/or paid by the Office Holder in connection with an administrative enforcement procedure under any applicable law including Parts 8(3), 8(4) and 9(1) of the Israeli Securities Law, and a proceeding according to Section D of Chapter 4 in Part 9 of the Companies Law, including reasonable litigation expenses and attorney fees; |
● | a payment to a person injured by a violation of Section 52BBB(a)(1)(a) of the Israeli Securities Law; and |
● | expenses incurred in connection with a proceeding under the Economic Competition Law 5748-1988, including reasonable litigation expenses and attorney fees. |
Under the Companies Law, an Israeli company may not indemnify, exculpate or insure an Office Holder against any of the following:
● | a breach of the duty of loyalty, except for indemnification and insurance for a breach of the duty of loyalty to the company to the extent that the Office Holder acted in good faith and had a reasonable basis to believe that the act would not harm the company; |
● | a breach of duty of care committed intentionally or recklessly, excluding a breach arising solely out of the negligent conduct of the Office Holder; |
● | an act or omission committed with intent to derive illegal personal benefit; or |
● | a fine, civil fine, or other financial sanction levied against the Office Holder. |
Under the Companies Law, exculpation, indemnification and insurance of Office Holders in a public company must be approved by the compensation committee and the board of directors and, with respect to directors and the Chief Executive Officers or under certain circumstances, also by the shareholders. See “-Approval of Related Party Transactions under Israeli Law.” However, under regulations promulgated under the Companies Law, the insurance of Office Holders does not require shareholder approval and may be approved by only the compensation committee, if the engagement terms are determined in accordance with the limitations set forth in the company’s compensation policy, which was approved by the shareholders by the requiste special majority, provided that the insurance policy is on market terms and the insurance policy is not likely to materially impact the company’s profitability, assets or obligations.
Our articles of association permit us to exculpate, indemnify and insure our Office Holders to the fullest extent permitted or to be permitted by the Companies Law and the Israeli Securities Law.
Upon the recommendation of our compensation committee, our board of directors has approved, and our shareholders have approved, at the annual general meeting held on April 12, 2022, the form of indemnification and release agreements to be entered into
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with each of our current and future directors and executive officers exculpating them, to the fullest extent permitted by law and our articles of association, and undertaking to indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by law and our articles of association. This indemnification will be limited to events determined as foreseeable by the board of directors based on our activities, and to an amount or according to criteria determined by the board of directors and our compensation committee as reasonable under the circumstances.
The maximum indemnification amount set forth in our indemnification and release agreements during any period of three years in the aggregate for all of the covered directors and executive officers, is limited to an amount equal to the higher of: (i) $35,000,000 and (ii) 25% of our total shareholders’ equity as reflected in our most recent financial statements as of the time of the actual payment of indemnification is made.
In the opinion of the SEC, indemnification of directors and other Office Holders for liabilities arising under the Securities Act, however, is against public policy and therefore unenforceable.
We have obtained directors’ and officers’ liability insurance for the benefit of our Office Holders and intend to continue to maintain such coverage and pay all premiums thereunder to the fullest extent permitted by the Companies Law.
Item 15. | Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities |
Please see the disclosure under the headings “—Key Events—Noteholder Warrant Exercises,” “—Bridge Financing” and “—Primary Financing” in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for a description of transactions during the past three years involving sales of our securities that were not registered under the Securities Act. In addition, in August 2022, we issued 44,187 ADSs to one of the principals of Axella Research LLC (“Axella”), a provider of regulatory and pre- clinical/clinical services to us with respect to QRX003 and QRX004, to settle in full the outstanding liability to Axella for accrued fees under our consulting agreements with Axella.
We believe that each of such issuances was exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act or Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act. No underwriter or underwriting discount or commission was involved in any such transaction.
Item 16. | Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules |
(a) Exhibits.
The exhibits to the registration statement are listed in the Exhibit Index to this registration statement and are incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Financial Statement Schedules
All schedules have been omitted because either they are not required, are not applicable or the information is otherwise set forth in the consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto.
Item 17. | Undertakings |
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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The Registrant hereby undertakes that:
(a) | (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
(i) | To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”); |
(ii) | To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in the volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and |
(iii) | To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement. |
provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
(2) | That, for the purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at the time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
(3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
(4) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
(5) | That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act: |
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(b) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the indemnification provisions described herein, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
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3.1 | ||
3.2 | ||
3.3 | ||
3.4 | ||
4.1 | ||
4.2 | Specimen American Depositary Receipt (included in Exhibit 2.1). | |
4.3 | ||
4.4 | ||
4.5 | ||
4.6 | ||
4.7 | ||
4.8 | ||
4.9 | ||
4.10 | ||
4.11 | ||
4.12 | ||
4.13 |
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4.14 | ||
4.15 | ||
4.16 | ||
4.17Ù | ||
4.18Ù | ||
4.19Ù | ||
5.1Ù | Legal Opinion of Meitar | Law Offices, Israeli legal counsel to Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. | |
5.2* | Legal Opinion of Blank Rome LLP, US legal counsel to Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. |
10.1# | ||
10.2# | ||
10.3# | ||
10.4# | ||
10.5# | ||
10.6# | ||
10.7 | ||
10.8 | ||
10.9 | ||
10.10 | ||
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10.11 | ||
10.12 | ||
10.13 | ||
10.14 | ||
10.15 | ||
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10.23 | ||
10.24 | ||
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10.25 | ||
10.26 | ||
10.27 | ||
10.28 | ||
10.29 | ||
10.30 | ||
10.31 | ||
10.32 | ||
10.33 | ||
10.34# | ||
10.35# | ||
10.36* |
10.37# | ||
10.38 | ||
10.39 | ||
21.1 | ||
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23.1* | ||
23.2* | ||
23.3Ù | ||
23.4* | ||
24.1Ù |
101* | Information formatted in Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL): (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations, (iii) Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity, (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (v) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. | |
107Ù |
* | Filed herewith |
Ù | Previously filed |
# | Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Ashburn, Commonwealth of Virginia on February 13, 2024.
Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. | |||
By: | /s/ Michael Myers | ||
Name: | Dr. Michael Myers | ||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Dr. Michael Myers or Denise Carter, his or her true and lawful agent, proxy and attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to (i) act on, sign and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement together with all schedules and exhibits thereto and any subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with all schedules and exhibits thereto, (ii) act on, sign and file such certificates, instruments, agreements and other documents as may be necessary or appropriate in connection therewith, (iii) act on and file any supplement to any prospectus included in this registration statement or any such amendment or any subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and (iv) take any and all actions which may be necessary or appropriate to be done, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby approving, ratifying and confirming all that such agent, proxy and attorney-in-fact or any of his or her substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement on Form S-1 has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature |
| Title |
| Date |
/s/ Michael Myers | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | February 13, 2024 | ||
Dr. Michael Myers | ||||
/s/ Gordon Dunn | Chief Financial Officer | February 13, 2024 | ||
Gordon Dunn | ||||
/s/ Denise Carter | ||||
Denise Carter | Director and Chief Operating Officer | February 13, 2024 | ||
* | ||||
Joseph Cooper | Director | February 13, 2024 | ||
* | ||||
James Culverwell | Director | February 13, 2024 | ||
* | ||||
Dennis Langer | Director | February 13, 2024 | ||
* | ||||
Natalie Leong | Director | February 13, 2024 | ||
* | ||||
Mike Sember | Director | February 13, 2024 |
*By: | /s/ Michael Myers |
| |
Dr. Michael Myers | |||
Attorney-in-Fact |
SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd., has signed this registration statement in the City of Ashburn, Commonwealth of Virginia on February 13, 2024.
Authorized U.S. Representative | ||
Dr. Michael Myers | ||
By: | /s/ Michael Myers | |
Name: | Dr. Michael Myers | |
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
Exhibit 1.1
[ ], 2024
Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. |
Attention: Gordon Dunn |
42127 Pleasant Forest Court |
Ashburn, VA 20148-7349 |
Dear Mr. Gordon Dunn:
Subject to the terms and conditions of this letter agreement (the “Agreement”) between A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, as the lead placement agent (“A.G.P.”) (A.G.P. is also referred to herein as the “Placement Agent”), and Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a company organized under the laws of Israel (the “Company”), the parties hereby agree that the Placement Agent shall serve as the placement agent for the Company, on a “reasonable best efforts” basis, in connection with the proposed placement (the “Placement”) of up to $[•] million of registered securities of the Company, consisting of: (i) ordinary shares, no par value (the “Ordinary Shares”) represented by American Depositary Shares (the “ADSs”), with each ADS representing one Ordinary Share, (ii) pre-funded warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”), and (iii) warrants to purchase ADSs (the “Common Warrants” and collectively with the Pre-Funded Warrants, the “Warrants”). The ADSs and Warrants actually placed by the Placement Agent are referred to herein as the “Placement Agent Securities.” The Placement Agent Securities and Ordinary Shares Represented by ADSs issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants shall be offered and sold under the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-[•]), which was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on [•], 2024. The documents executed and delivered by the Company and the Purchasers (as defined below) in connection with the Placement, including, without limitation, a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), shall be collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.”
The terms of the Placement shall be mutually agreed upon by the Company and the purchasers listed in the Purchase Agreement (each, a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers”), and nothing herein constitutes that the Placement Agent would have the power or authority to bind the Company or any Purchaser, or an obligation for the Company to issue any Placement Agent Securities or complete the Placement. The Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent’s obligations hereunder are on a reasonable best efforts basis only and that the execution of this Agreement does not constitute a commitment by the Placement Agent to purchase the Placement Agent Securities and does not ensure the successful placement of the Placement Agent Securities or any portion thereof or the success of the Placement Agent with respect to securing any other financing on behalf of the Company. The Placement Agent may retain other brokers or dealers to act as sub-agents or selected-dealers on its behalf in connection with the Placement. Certain affiliates of the Placement Agent may participate in the Placement by purchasing some of the Placement Agent Securities. The sale of Placement Agent Securities to any Purchaser will be evidenced by the Purchase Agreement between the Company and such Purchaser, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company and the Purchaser. Capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to such terms in the Purchase Agreement. Prior to the signing of any Purchase Agreement, officers of the Company will be available to answer inquiries from prospective Purchasers.
SECTION 1.REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY; COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.
A.Representations of the Company. With respect to the Placement Agent Securities, each of the representations and warranties (together with any related disclosure schedules thereto) and covenants made by the Company to the Purchasers in the Purchase Agreement in connection with the Placement, is hereby incorporated herein by reference into this Agreement (as though fully restated herein) and is, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the date of the sale of the Placement Agents Securities (the “Closing Date”), hereby made to, and in favor of, the Placement Agent. In addition to the foregoing, the Company represents and warrants that there are no affiliations with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) member firm participating in the Placement among the Company’s officers, directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any five percent (5.0%) or greater stockholder of the Company.
B.Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees to continue to retain (i) a firm of Public Company Accounting Oversight Board independent registered public accountants for a period of at least two (2) years after the Closing Date and (ii) a reputable depositary with respect to the ADSs for a period of two (2) years after the Closing Date, provided the Company is then subject to the reporting requirement of the Exchange Act (as defined below). Furthermore, for ninety (90) days after the Closing Date, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any ADSs, Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share Equivalents of the Company; (ii) file or cause to be filed any registration statement or amendment or supplement thereto relating to the offering of any Ordinary Shares, ADSs or Ordinary Share Equivalents, other than the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any post-effective amendment to a registration statement declared effective by the Commission, a registration statement on Form S-8 in connection with any employee benefit plan or the registration statement and amendments thereto required to be filed under the transaction with Alumni Capital LP (the “Alumni ELOC”); or (iii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfer to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences or ownership of ADSs, Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share Equivalents, in each case whether any such transaction described in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) above is to be settled by delivery of ADSs, Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share Equivalents or other such securities, in cash or otherwise; provided, however, such restrictions shall not apply with respect to an Exempt Issuance. In addition, for one-hundred eighty (180) days after the Closing Date, the Company shall not effect or enter into an agreement to effect any issuance of ADSs, Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share Equivalents involving a Variable Rate Transaction. “Variable Rate Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive additional ADSs or Ordinary Shares either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price or exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the ADSs and Ordinary Shares at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities, or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for ADSs or Ordinary Shares or (ii) enters into, or effects a transaction under, any agreement, including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit or an “at-the-market” offering”, whereby the Company may issue securities at a future determined price, regardless of whether shares pursuant to such agreement have actually been issued and regardless of whether such agreement is subsequently cancelled. Provided, however, that if on the Trading Days from the date hereof until 60 days following the Closing Date (the “Measurement Dates”), the aggregate trading volume of the ADSs is in excess of [·], then on the 61st date following the Closing Date, the Company may make transactions under the Alumni ELOC in an amount not to exceed [·]% of the average daily trading volume of the ADSs for the [x] days prior to the date of the Alumni ELOC transaction. The Company may not make transactions under the Alumni ELOC under any circumstances for 60 days following the Closing Date.
SECTION 2.REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PLACEMENT AGENT. The Placement Agent represents and warrants that it (i) is a member in good standing of the FINRA, (ii) is registered as a broker/dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), (iii) is licensed as a broker/dealer under the laws of the United States of America, applicable to the offers and sales of the Placement Agent Securities by the Placement Agent, (iv) is and will be a corporate body validly existing under the laws of its place of incorporation, and (v) has full power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Placement Agent will immediately notify the Company in writing of any change in its status with respect to subsections (i) through (v) above. The Placement Agent covenants that it will use its reasonable best efforts to conduct the Placement hereunder in compliance with the provisions of this Agreement and the requirements of applicable law.
SECTION 3.COMPENSATION. In consideration of the services to be provided for hereunder, the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent and/or its respective designees the following compensation:
A.A cash fee of 7.0% of the aggregate purchase price paid by Purchasers at the Closing (the “Cash Fee”). The Placement Agent reserves the right to reduce any item of compensation or adjust the terms thereof as specified herein in the event that a determination is made by FINRA to the effect of the Placement Agent’s aggregate compensation is in excess of that permitted by FINRA Rules or that the terms thereof require adjustment.
SECTION 4.EXPENSES. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation: (i) all expenses incident to the issuance, delivery and qualification of the Placement Agent Securities (including all printing and engraving costs); (ii) all fees and expenses of the depositary of the ADSs; (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Placement Agent Securities; (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors; (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement; (vi) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Placement Agent Securities for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the securities laws of any other country; (vii) the fees and expenses associated with including the Placement Agent Securities on the Trading Market; (viii) up to $125,000 for accountable expenses related to legal fees of counsel to the Placement Agent; and (ix) non-accountable expenses, including IPREO software related expenses, background check expenses, tombstones and marketing related expenses, including road show expenses, and any other non-accountable expenses incurred by the Placement Agent in connection with the Placement, provided, however, that such reimbursement for non-accountable expenses shall not exceed 1.0% of the gross proceeds raised in the Placement.
SECTION 5.INDEMNIFICATION.
A.To the extent permitted by law, with respect to the Placement Agent Securities, the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the Placement Agent and its affiliates, agents, stockholders, directors, officers, employees, members and controlling persons (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) (each such entity or person, an “Indemnified Person”) from and against all claims, actions, suits, proceedings (including those of stockholders), damages, costs and liabilities (collectively, “Claims”), and shall reimburse each Indemnified Person for all reasonable fees and expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) (collectively, the “Expenses”) as they are incurred by an Indemnified Person in investigating, preparing, pursuing or defending any Claim, whether or not an Indemnified Person is a party thereto, that is caused by, arises out of, or is based upon (i) any untrue statements made or any statements omitted to be made in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (other than untrue statements or alleged untrue statements in, or omissions or alleged omissions from, information relating to an Indemnified Person furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person expressly for use in the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus or any Prospectus) or (ii) any other actions taken or omitted to be taken by the Company or any Indemnified Person in connection with this Agreement; provided, however, the Company will not be responsible for any Claims or Expenses of any Indemnified Person that are judicially determined to have resulted primarily from such Indemnified Person’s (x) willful misconduct, violation of law or gross negligence in connection with any of the action, inaction or the services described herein, or (y) use of any offering materials or information concerning the Company in connection with the offer or sale of the Placement Agent’s Securities in the Placement, which were not authorized for such use by the Company and which use constitutes gross negligence, violation of law or willful misconduct.
B.Promptly after receipt by the Placement Agent of notice of any claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding with respect to which any Indemnified Person is entitled to indemnity hereunder, the Placement Agent will notify the Company in writing of such claim or of the commencement of such
action or proceeding, but failure to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any obligation it may have hereunder, except and only to the extent such failure results in the forfeiture by the Company of substantial rights and defenses. If the Company so elects or is requested by the Placement Agent, the Company will assume the defense of such action or proceeding and will employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and will pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the Placement Agent will be entitled to employ its own counsel separate from counsel for the Company and from any other party in such action if counsel for the Placement Agent reasonably determines that it would be inappropriate under the applicable rules of professional responsibility for the same counsel to represent both the Company and the Placement Agent. In such event, the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of no more than one such separate counsel will be paid by the Company, in addition to fees of local counsel.
C.The Company may not settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened Claim, in which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not any Indemnified Person is an actual or potential party thereto), without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent (which will not be unreasonably delayed or withheld) unless such settlement, compromise or consent provides for an unconditional and irrevocable release of each Indemnified Person from any and all liability arising out of such Claim.
D.The Company agrees to notify the Placement Agent promptly of the assertion against it or any other person of any Claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding relating to a transaction contemplated by this Agreement.
E.If for any reason the foregoing indemnity is unavailable to the Placement Agent or insufficient to hold the Placement Agent harmless, then the Company shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Placement Agent as a result of such Claim or Expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect (a) the relative benefits to the Company on the one hand, and the Placement Agent on the other hand, in connection with the Placement, (b) the relative fault of the parties, and (c) other equitable considerations; provided, however, that in no event shall the amount to be contributed by the Placement Agent exceed the fees actually received by the Placement Agent under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, to the extent the exception to indemnification contemplated by Paragraph A of this Section applies with respect to the Placement Agent, the Company shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Placement Agent as a result of such Claim or Expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent, on the other hand, in connection with the matters contemplated by the Agreement; provided, however, that in no event shall the amount to be contributed by Placement Agent exceed the fees actually received by Placement Agent under the Agreement. The Company agrees that for the purposes of this paragraph the relative benefits to the Company and the Placement Agent of the contemplated transaction (whether or not such transaction is consummated) shall be deemed to be in the same proportion that the aggregate cash consideration payable (or contemplated to be payable) in such transaction bears to the fees paid or payable to the Placement Agent under the Agreement.
F.These indemnification provisions shall remain in full force and effect whether or not the transaction contemplated by this Agreement is completed, survive the termination of this Agreement, and be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have to any Indemnified Person.
SECTION 6.ENGAGEMENT TERM. The Placement Agent’s engagement hereunder will be until the earlier of the Closing Date and May 14, 2024. The date of termination of this Agreement is referred to herein as the “Termination Date.” In the event, however, in the course of the Placement Agent’s performance of due diligence it deems, it necessary to terminate the engagement, the Placement Agent may do so prior to the Termination Date. The Company may elect to terminate the engagement hereunder for any reason prior to the Termination Date but will remain responsible for fees pursuant to Section 3 hereof with respect to the Placement Agent Securities if sold in the Placement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions concerning the Company’s obligation to pay any fees actually earned pursuant to Section 3 hereof and the provisions concerning confidentiality, indemnification and contribution contained herein, as well as provisions in Sections 10 – 14 hereof will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated prior to the completion
of the Placement, all fees due to the Placement Agent as set forth in Section 3 and Section 4 shall be paid by the Company to the Placement Agent on or before the Termination Date (in the event such fees are earned or owed as of the Termination Date). The Placement Agent agrees not to use any confidential information concerning the Company provided to the Placement Agent by the Company for any purposes other than those contemplated under this Agreement.
SECTION 7.PLACEMENT AGENT INFORMATION. The Company agrees that any information or advice rendered by the Placement Agent in connection with this engagement is for the confidential use of the Company only in its evaluation of the Placement and, except as otherwise required by law, the Company will not disclose or otherwise refer to the advice or information in any manner without the Placement Agent’s prior written consent.
SECTION 8.NO FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP. This Agreement does not create, and shall not be construed as creating rights enforceable by any person or entity not a party hereto, except those entitled hereto by virtue of the indemnification provisions hereof. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent is not and shall not be construed as a fiduciary of the Company and shall have no duties or liabilities to the equity holders or the creditors of the Company or any other person by virtue of this Agreement or the retention of the Placement Agent hereunder, all of which are hereby expressly waived.
SECTION 9.CLOSING. The obligations of the Placement Agent, and the closing of the sale of the Placement Agent Securities hereunder are subject to the accuracy, when made and on the Closing Date, of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein and in the Purchase Agreement, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions, except as otherwise disclosed to and acknowledged and waived by the Placement Agent:
A.All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form, execution, delivery and validity of each of this Agreement, the Placement Agent Securities, and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby with respect to the Placement Agent Securities shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to the Placement Agent.
B.The Placement Agent shall have received from each of the Company’s U.S. Counsel, Blank Rome LLP, and Israeli Counsel, Meitar Law Offices., such counsel’s written opinion with respect to the Placement Agent Securities, addressed to the Placement Agent and dated as of the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent.
C.The Placement Agent shall have received an executed FINRA questionnaire from each of the Company and the Company’s executive officers, directors and 5% or greater securityholders as well as executed Lock-Up Agreements from the Company’s executive officers and directors.
D.ADSs sold in the Placement, including ADSs issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants, must be registered under the Exchange Act. The Company shall have taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the ADSs under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the ADSs from the Trading Market or other applicable U.S. national exchange, nor has the Company received any information suggesting that the Commission or the Trading Market or other U.S. applicable national exchange is contemplating terminating such registration or listing, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.
E.No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency or body which would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Placement Agent Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; and no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Placement Agent Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company.
F.The Company shall have entered into a Purchase Agreement with each of the Purchasers of the Placement Agent Securities that at their option choose to enter into a Purchase Agreement and such agreements shall be in full force and effect and shall contain representations, warranties and covenants of the Company as agreed upon between the Company and the Purchasers.
G.FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms and arrangements of this Agreement. In addition, the Company shall, if requested by the Placement Agent, make or authorize Placement Agent’s counsel to make on the Company’s behalf, any filing with the FINRA Corporate Financing Department pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 with respect to the Placement and pay all filing fees required in connection therewith.
H.The Placement Agent shall have received from Marcum LLP, or such other independent registered public accounting firm of the Company, letters dated as of the date hereof and the Closing Date, respectively, in each case addressed to the Placement Agent in forms and substance satisfactory in all respects to the Placement Agent and its counsel.
I.The Placement Agent shall have received customary certificates of the Company’s executive officers, as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties contained in the Purchase Agreement, and a certificate of the Company’s secretary certifying (i) that the Company’s charter documents are true and complete, have not been modified and are in full force and effect; (ii) that the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors relating to the Placement are in full force and effect and have not been modified; and (iii) as to the incumbency of the officers of the Company.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 9 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement, all obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder may be cancelled by the Placement Agent at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or orally. Any such oral notice shall be confirmed promptly thereafter in writing.
SECTION 10.GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed entirely in such State, without regard to principles of conflicts of law. This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent of the other party. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Any right to trial by jury with respect to any dispute arising under this Agreement or any transaction or conduct in connection herewith is waived. Any dispute arising under this Agreement may be brought into the courts of the State of New York or into the Federal Court located in New York, New York and, by execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company hereby accepts for itself and in respect of its property, generally and unconditionally, the jurisdiction of aforesaid courts. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by delivering a copy thereof via overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Agreement, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorney's fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
SECTION 11.ENTIRE AGREEMENT/MISCELLANEOUS. This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, relating to the subject matter hereof. If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such determination will not affect such provision in any other respect or any other provision of this Agreement, which will remain in full force and effect. This Agreement may not be amended or otherwise modified or waived except by an instrument in writing signed by both the Placement Agent and the Company. The representations,
warranties, agreements and covenants contained herein shall survive the Closing Date of the Placement and delivery of the Placement Agent Securities for the applicable statute of limitations. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or a .pdf format file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or .pdf signature page were an original thereof.
SECTION 12.NOTICES. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is sent to the email address specified on the signature pages attached hereto prior to 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a business day, (b) the next business day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is sent to the email address on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a business day or later than 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any business day, (c) the third business day following the date of mailing, if sent by an internationally recognized air courier service, or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages hereto.
SECTION 13.PRESS ANNOUNCEMENTS. The Company agrees that the Placement Agent shall, on and after the Closing Date, have the right to reference the Placement and the Placement Agent’s role in connection therewith in the Placement Agent’s marketing materials and on its website and to place advertisements in financial and other newspapers and journals, in each case at its own expense.
SECTION 14.PAYMENTS. All payments made or deemed to be made by the Company to the Placement Agent, its affiliates, stockholders, directors, officers, employees, members and controlling persons (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) (each, a “Payee”), if any, will be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatever nature (other than taxes on net income or similar taxes) imposed or levied by or on behalf of the State of Israel or any political subdivision or any taxing authority thereof or therein unless the Company is or becomes required by law to withhold or deduct such taxes, duties, assessments or other governmental charges. In such event, the Company will pay such additional amounts as will result, after such withholding or deduction, in the receipt by the Payee of the amounts that would otherwise have been receivable in respect thereof. For the avoidance of doubt, all sums payable, paid or deemed payable under this Agreement shall be considered exclusive of value added tax, sales tax or other similar taxes which shall be borne by, paid, collected and remitted by the Company in accordance with applicable law.
Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth our agreement by signing and returning to the Placement Agent the enclosed copy of this Agreement.
The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed to as of the date first written above.
| A.G.P./ALLIANCE GLOBAL PARTNERS | |
| | |
| By: | |
| Name: | Thomas Higgins |
| Title: | Managing Director |
| | |
| Address for Notice: | |
| 590 Madison Avenue 28th Floor | |
| New York, New York 10022 | |
| Attn: Thomas J. Higgins | |
| Email: thiggins@allianceg.com |
[Signature Page to Placement Agency Agreement]
Accepted and Agreed to as of
the date first written above:
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD. | | |
| | |
By: | | |
Name: | Gordon Dunn | |
Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
| | |
Address for Notice: | | |
42127 Pleasant Forest Court Ashburn, VA 20148-7349 | | |
Attn: Gordon Dunn | | |
Email: gdunn@quoinpharma.com | | |
| | |
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice) | | |
| | |
Blank Rome LLP | | |
One Logan Square | | |
130 North 18th Street | | |
Philadelphia, PA 19103 | | |
Attn: Melissa Palat Murawsky | | |
Email: melissa.murawsky@blankrome.com | |
[Signature Page to Placement Agency Agreement]
Exhibit 5.2
1271 Avenue of the Americas |New York, NY 10020
blankrome.com
Phone: | (212) 885-5565 | |
Fax: | (212) 885-5001 | |
February 13, 2024
Via Electronic Mail | |
| |
Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. | |
Azrieli Center, Round Tower, 30th Floor | |
132 Menachem Begin Blvd | |
Tel Aviv 6701101 | |
Israel | |
Re: | Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd. |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as U.S. counsel to Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a company organized under the laws of the State of Israel (the “Company”), in connection with the filing by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Registration Statement”) for the purpose of registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the sale of the following securities (the “Offering”):ordinary shares, no par value, of the Company (“Ordinary Shares”) represented by American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) and/or pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs(the Pre-Funded Warrant ADSs”),, Series D warrants (the“Series D Warrants”) to purchase Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs (the “Series D Warrant ADSs”), and Series E warrants (the “Series E Warrants,” and, together with the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Series D Warrants, the “Warrants”) to purchase Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs (the “Series E Warrant ADSs, and, together with the Pre-Funded Warrant ADSs and the Series D Warrant ADSs, the “Warrant ADSs”). The proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the Warrant ADSs is $21,000,000. This opinion is being delivered at the request of the Company and in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the Commission.
In our capacity as U.S. counsel to the Company, we have reviewed the Registration Statement and the forms of the Warrants filed as exhibits thereto and the original or certified copies of such records of the Company and such agreements, certificates of public officials, certificates of officers or representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents as we deem
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February 13, 2024
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relevant and necessary as a basis for the opinion hereinafter expressed. In such examination we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures on original documents and the conformity to original documents of all copies submitted to us as conformed or photostat copies. As to various questions of fact material to such opinion, we have relied upon statements or certificates of officials and representatives of the Company and others.
We have assumed further that the Company is a company duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is organized and has all requisite power, authority and legal right to issue the Warrants. We have assumed further that the Warrants will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
In rendering this opinion, we have assumed, without inquiry, (i) the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals; (ii) the conformity to the original documents of all documents submitted to us as facsimile, electronic, certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such copies; (iii) the legal capacity of all natural persons and the genuineness of all signatures on the Registration Statement and all documents submitted to us; and (iv) that the books and records of the Company are maintained in accordance with proper corporate procedures. As to various questions of fact material to such opinions, we have relied upon statements or certificates of officials and representatives of the Company and others.
We have also assumed that the total number of Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs issuable upon exercise of the Warrants will not exceed the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company is then authorized to issue under its governing documents.
We have relied as to certain matters on information obtained from public officials, officers of the Company, and other sources believed by us to be responsible.
Based upon the foregoing, it is our opinion that, when the Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and when the Warrants have been duly executed and delivered in accordance with their terms and have been duly issued and sold as contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Warrants will be the valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium, conservatorship and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general principles of equity.
We express no opinion as to: (i) waivers of defenses, subrogation and related rights, rights to trial by jury, rights to object to venue, or other rights or benefits bestowed by operation of law; (ii) releases or waivers of unmatured claims or rights; (iii) indemnification, contribution, exculpation, or arbitration provisions, or provisions for the non-survival of representations, to the extent they purport to indemnify any party against, or release or limit any party’s liability for, its
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February 13, 2024
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own breach or failure to comply with statutory obligations, or to the extent such provisions are contrary to public policy; or (iv) provisions for liquidated damages and penalties, penalty interest and interest on interest. Our opinion is subject to the qualification that the availability of specific performance, an injunction or other equitable remedies is subject to the discretion of the court before which the request is brought.
Our opinion herein reflects only the application of applicable laws of the State of New York, and we have not considered, and we express no opinion as to, the laws of any other jurisdiction. This opinion is limited to the laws of the State of New York as in effect on the date hereof.
We consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.2 to the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the prospectus which is part of said Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder. This opinion letter is limited to the matters set forth herein, and no opinion may be inferred or implied beyond the matters expressly set forth herein. This opinion letter is not a guaranty nor may one be inferred or implied.
| Very truly yours, |
| |
| |
| /s/ Blank Rome LLP |
| |
| BLANK ROME LLP |
Exhibit 10.36
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of __________, 2024, between Quoin Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a company organized under the laws of Israel (the “Company”), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively the “Purchasers”).
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act (as defined below), the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company, securities of the Company as more fully described in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:
“Acquiring Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.5.
“Action” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(j).
“ADS(s)” means American Depositary Shares issued pursuant to the Deposit Agreement (as defined below), each representing one Ordinary Share.
“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday, or other day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed.
“Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.
“Closing Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount at the Closing and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities, in each case, at the Closing have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than the 2nd Trading Day following the date hereof.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Companies Law” means the Israeli Companies Law, 5759-1999, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Company Israeli Counsel” means Meitar | Law Offices with offices located at 16 Abba Hillel Rd. Ramat Gan 5250608, Israel.
“Company U.S. Counsel” means Blank Rome LLP with offices located at One Logan Square, 130 North 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
“Deposit Agreement” means the Deposit Agreement dated as of July 28, 2016 among the Company, the Depositary and the owners and holders of ADSs from time to time, as such agreement may be amended or supplemented.
“Depositary” means The Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary under the Deposit Agreement.
“Disclosure Schedules” means the Disclosure Schedules of the Company delivered concurrently herewith.
“Disclosure Time” means, (i) if this Agreement is signed on a day that is not a Trading Day or after 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) and before midnight (New York City time) on any Trading Day, 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof, unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Placement Agent, and (ii) if this Agreement is signed between midnight (New York City time) and 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, no later than 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof, unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Placement Agent.
“DWAC” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(v).
“Evaluation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(r).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) ADSs, Ordinary Shares, restricted share units or options to employees, consultants, officers, or directors of the Company pursuant to any share or option plan in existence as of the date hereof, (b) ADSs or Ordinary Shares upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into ADSs or Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities or to extend the term of such securities (other than in connection with ordinary share splits or combinations), (c) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the prohibition period in Section 4.10(a) herein, and provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equityholders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities (for avoidance of doubt, securities issued to a venture arm of a strategic investor shall be deemed an “Exempt Issuance”), (d) issuances of ADSs or Ordinary Shares to consultants or vendors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights; and (e) issuances of ADSs or Ordinary Shares to existing holders of the Company’s securities in compliance with the terms of agreements entered into with, or instruments issued to, such holders, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities or to extend the term of such securities and, that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights (other than Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs
2
issuable to holders of the Company’s outstanding warrants upon the exercise of such warrants, as registered under the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-269543)).
“FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.
“Indebtedness” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(z).
“Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(o).
“Liens” means a lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.
“Lock-Up Agreement” means the Lock-Up Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Placement Agent and the directors and officers of the Company, in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto.
“Material Adverse Effect” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(b).
“Material Permits” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(m).
“Ordinary Share(s)” means the ordinary shares of the Company, no par value per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
“Ordinary Share Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Ordinary Shares or ADSs, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred share, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Ordinary Shares or ADSs.
“Per ADS Purchase Price” equals $____, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward share splits, share dividends, share combinations and other similar transactions of ADSs and/or the Ordinary Shares that occur between the date hereof and the Closing Date.
“Per Pre-Funded Warrant Purchase Price” equals the Per ADS Purchase Price minus $0.0001, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward share splits, share dividends, share combinations and other similar transactions of ADSs and/or the Ordinary Shares that occur after the date of this Agreement.
“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Placement Agent” means A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners.
“Pre-Funded Warrant Shares” means the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants.
“Pre-Funded Warrants” means, collectively, the warrants delivered to the Purchasers at Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Pre-Funded Warrants shall be exercisable immediately upon issuance and shall expire in accordance with the terms thereof, in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto.
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“Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement, as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act.
“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.
“Prospectus” means the final prospectus filed pursuant to the Registration Statement.
“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.8.
“Qualified Investor” means any person that falls within the scope of one of the criteria of being a qualified investor pursuant to the First Addendum of the Securities Law.
“Registration Statement” means the effective registration statement with the Commission on Form S-1 (File No. [●]), as amended, which registers the sale of the Securities and includes any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.
“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” means any registration statement prepared by the Company registering additional Securities, which was filed with the Commission on or prior to the date hereof and became automatically effective pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act.
“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Securities” means the Shares, the Warrants, the Warrant ADSs, the Warrant Shares and ADSs.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Securities Law” means the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Series D Common Warrants” means, collectively, the warrants delivered to the Purchasers at Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Series D Common Warrants shall be exercisable for ADSs immediately upon issuance of such Series D Common Warrants and may be exercised during a period of 2 years commencing from their issuance, in the form of Exhibit A-1 attached hereto.
“Series E Common Warrants” means, collectively, the warrants delivered to the Purchasers at Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Series E Common Warrants shall be exercisable for ADSs immediately upon issuance of such Series E Common Warrants and may be exercised during a period of 5 years commencing from their issuance, in the form of Exhibit A-2 attached hereto.
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“Shares” means the Ordinary Shares, as represented by ADSs issued pursuant to the Deposit Agreement, each ADS representing one Ordinary Share issued and issuable to each Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement.
“Short Sales” means all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act (but shall not be deemed to include locating and/or borrowing shares of Ordinary Shares and/or ADSs).
“Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for ADSs, each ADS representing one Ordinary Share, and Pre-Funded Warrants, purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount,” in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company as set forth in the SEC Reports and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which ADSs and/or the Ordinary Shares are listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, The Nasdaq Capital Market, The Nasdaq Global Market, The Nasdaq Global Select Market, or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Warrants, and the Lock-Up Agreements, and all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
“Variable Rate Transaction” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.10(b).
“Warrants” means, collectively, the Series D Common Warrants, the Series E Common Warrants, and the Pre-Funded Warrants.
“Warrant ADSs” means ADSs representing Warrant Shares.
“Warrant Shares” means the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
ARTICLE II.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1Closing. On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, substantially concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, (i) the number of Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs set forth under the heading “Subscription Amount” on the Purchaser’s signature page hereto, at the Per ADS Purchase Price and (ii) Series D Common Warrants and Series E Common Warrants exercisable for ADSs as calculated pursuant to 2.2(a); provided, however, that, to the extent that a Purchaser determines, in its sole discretion, that such Purchaser (together with such Purchaser’s Affiliates, and any Person acting as a group together with such purchaser or any of such Holder’s Affiliates) would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, or as such Purchaser may otherwise choose, in lieu of purchasing ADSs, such Purchaser may elect to purchase Pre-Funded Warrants in lieu of ADSs in such manner to result in the full Subscription Amount being paid by such Purchaser to the Company. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, at the election of the Purchaser, 9.99%) of the number of Ordinary Shares, in each case, outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of the Securities on the Closing Date. In each case, the election to receive Pre-Funded Warrants is solely at the option of the
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Purchaser; provided, however, the Purchaser shall receive Pre-Funded Warrants at the option of the Company if necessary to avoid a shareholder vote in connection with the purchase.
Each Purchaser’s Subscription Amount as set forth on the signature page hereto executed by such Purchaser shall be made available for Delivery Versus Payment (“DVP”) settlement with the Company or its designees. The Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective Shares and Warrants as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a), and the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall occur remotely via the exchange of documents and signatures or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree. Unless otherwise directed by the Placement Agent, settlement of the Shares shall occur via DVP (i.e., on the Closing Date, the Company shall issue the Shares registered in the Purchasers’ names and addresses and released by the Depositary directly to the account(s) at the Placement Agent identified by each Purchaser; upon receipt of such Shares, the Placement Agent shall promptly electronically deliver such Shares to the applicable Purchaser, and payment therefor shall be made by the Placement Agent (or its clearing firm) by wire transfer to the Company). Unless otherwise directed by the Placement Agent, the Warrants shall be issued to each Purchaser in originally signed form.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time on or after the time of execution of this Agreement by the Company and an applicable Purchaser through, and including the time immediately prior to, the Closing (the “Pre-Settlement Period”), such Purchaser sells to any Person all, or any portion, of any Shares to be issued hereunder to such Purchaser at the Closing (collectively, the “Pre-Settlement Shares”), such Person shall, automatically hereunder (without any additional required actions by such Purchaser or the Company), be deemed to be a Purchaser under this Agreement unconditionally bound to purchase, and the Company shall be deemed unconditionally bound to sell, such Pre-Settlement Shares to such Person at the Closing; provided, that the Company shall not be required to deliver any Pre-Settlement Shares to such Purchaser prior to the Company’s receipt of the Subscription Amount for such Pre-Settlement Shares hereunder; provided, further, that the Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the forgoing shall not constitute a representation or covenant by such Purchaser as to whether or not such Purchaser will elect to sell any Pre-Settlement Shares during the Pre-Settlement Period. The decision to sell any Shares will be made in the sole discretion of such Purchaser from time to time, including during the Pre-Settlement Period.
2.2Deliveries.
(a)On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by the Company;
(ii) the Company’s wire instructions, on Company letterhead and executed by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer;
(iii) subject to the last sentence in Section 2.1, a copy of the irrevocable instructions to the Depositary instructing the Depositary to deliver on an expedited basis via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) ADSs equal to the portion of such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount applicable to ADSs divided by the Per ADS Purchase Price, registered in the name of such Purchaser;
(iv) for each Purchaser of Pre-Funded Warrants pursuant to Section 2.1, a Pre-Funded Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs equal to the portion of such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount applicable to Pre-Funded Warrants divided by the sum of the Per Pre-Funded Warrant Purchase Price and an exercise price equal to $0.0001, subject to adjustment therein;
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(v) the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (which may be delivered in accordance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act);
(vi) a Series D Common Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs equal to 100% of such Purchaser’s Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs or Pre-Funded Warrants, as applicable, with an exercise price per ADS equal to $____, subject to adjustment therein;
(vii) a Series E Common Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs equal to 100% of such Purchaser’s Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs or Pre-Funded Warrants, as applicable, with an exercise price per ADS equal to $____, subject to adjustment therein;
(viii) the duly executed Lock-Up Agreements;
(ix) a legal opinion of Company U.S. Counsel, in form reasonably acceptable to the Placement Agent;
(x) a legal opinion of Company Israeli Counsel, in form reasonably acceptable to the Placement Agent;
(xi) an Officer’s Certificate, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent; and
(xii) a Secretary’s Certificate, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent.
(b)On or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company, the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; and
(ii) such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount with respect to the Securities purchased by such Purchaser, which shall be made available for DVP settlement with the Company or its designees.
2.3Closing Conditions.
(a)The obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless such representation or warranty as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed;
(iii) with respect to a Purchaser in the State of Israel, written confirmation that as of the date of any offer of securities, and as of the Closing Date, such Purchase is a Qualified Investor), that such Purchaser is
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fully aware of the significance of being a Qualified Investor pursuant to such criteria and that it has given its consent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory in all respects to the Company; and
(iv) the delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement.
(b)The respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless such representation or warranty is as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed;
(iii) the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement;
(iv) there shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the date hereof; and
(v) from the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the ADSs and Company’s securities shall not have been suspended by the Commission or the Company’s principal Trading Market, and, at any time prior to the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by Bloomberg L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred after the date of this Agreement any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the reasonable judgment of such Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to purchase the Securities at the Closing.
ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the Disclosure Schedules, which Disclosure Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof and shall qualify any representation made herein, or as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Preliminary Prospectus, the Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser:
(a) Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are as set forth in the SEC Reports. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital shares or other equity interests of each Subsidiary, free and clear of any Liens, except as set forth in the SEC Reports, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital shares of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. rights. There are no outstanding options, warrants, scrips or rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any capital shares or equity interests, as applicable, of any Subsidiary, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue capital shares or equity interests, as
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applicable. If the Company has no subsidiaries, all other references to the Subsidiaries or any of them in the Transaction Documents shall be disregarded.
(b) Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing, and, if applicable under the laws of the jurisdiction in which they are formed, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. No proceedings have been instituted in the State of Israel for the dissolution of the Company or any of its Israeli Subsidiaries. The Company is not currently designated as a “breaching company” (within the meaning of the Israeli Companies Law, 5759-1999) by the Registrar of Companies of the State of Israel, nor has a proceeding been instituted by the Registrar of Companies in Israel for the dissolution of the Company or Subsidiaries. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective memorandum of association, articles of association, certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and no Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
(c) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors, a committee of the Board of Directors or the Company’s shareholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(d) No Conflicts. Except as set forth in Schedule 3.1(d), the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s memorandum of association, articles of association, certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, anti-dilution or similar adjustments acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction
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of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Filings, Consents and Approvals. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state (including state blue sky laws), local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.4 of this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus, (iii) notices and/or application(s) to and approvals by each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the applicable Securities for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, (iv) filings required by the Israeli Registrar of Companies, (v) filings required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and (vi) such other filings required to be made under applicable state securities laws, the Israeli Securities Authority, the Securities Law and the Companies Law (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
(f) Issuance of the Securities; Registration. The Shares and Warrant Shares are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Warrants are duly authorized and, when issued in accordance with this Agreement, will be binding obligations of the Company under the law of the jurisdiction governing the Warrants, duly and validly issued, and free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized share capital the maximum number of Ordinary Shares issuable pursuant to this Agreement and the Warrants. The Securities are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company, except as have been waived. The Company has prepared and filed the Registration Statement in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, which became effective on [ ], 2024, including the Prospectus, and such amendments and supplements thereto as may have been required to the date of this Agreement. The Company and the Depositary have prepared and filed with the Commission a registration statement relating to ADSs on Form F-6 (File No. 333-212698) for registration under the Securities Act (the “ADS Registration Statement”). The Registration Statement and ADS Registration Statement are effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission. The Company, if required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, shall file the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). At the time the Registration Statement, ADS Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective as determined under the Securities Act, at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto was issued and at the Closing Date, conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
Any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) relating to the Securities is hereafter referred to as an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”. Any reference herein to the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein as of the date of filing thereof; and any reference herein to any “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to any of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include (i) the filing of any document with the Commission incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference after the date of filing of such
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Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus and (ii) any such document so filed. All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall be deemed to include any copy thereof filed with the Commission on EDGAR.
(g) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company as of the date hereof is as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g). The Company has not issued any shares since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g) and as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any ADSs, Ordinary Shares, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional ADSs, Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share Equivalents. The issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company to issue ADSs or Ordinary Shares or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. Except as set forth on Schedule [·], there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary with any provision that adjusts the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price of such security or instrument upon an issuance of securities by the Company (other than in connection with a stock split, recapitalization, or similar transaction). Except as set forth on Schedule [·], there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or such Subsidiary. The Company does not have any share appreciation rights or “phantom share” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. All of the outstanding shares of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws where applicable, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. Except for the Required Approvals, no further approval or authorization of any shareholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. There are no shareholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s share capital to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s shareholders.
(h) SEC Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the 1 year preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such materials) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.
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(i) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the date hereof, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and strategic acquisitions and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its shareholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any of its shares and (v) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company share option plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth on Schedule 3.1(i), no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, prospects, properties, operations, assets or financial condition that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least one (1) Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made.
(j) Litigation. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(j), there is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents, the Shares or the Warrant Shares (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(j), neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty, which could result in a Material Adverse Effect. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Israel Securities Authority or the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
(k) Labor Relations. No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable U.S. federal, state, local and foreign (including Israeli) laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Compliance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by
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the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case of (i), (ii) and (iii) as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such certificates, authorizations or permits could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.
(n) Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and (ii) Liens for the payment of Israeli, federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with GAAP and, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects.
(o) Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as could not have or reasonably be expected to not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in their respective businesses has been obtained or is being used by the Company or such Subsidiary in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any of its subsidiaries in violation of the rights of any person. The Company and its subsidiaries have taken all reasonable steps in accordance with normal industry practice to protect and maintain the Intellectual Property Rights including, without limitation, the execution of appropriate nondisclosure and invention assignment agreements. The consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not result in the loss or impairment of, or payment of, and additional amounts with respect to, nor require the consent of, any other person regarding the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ right to own or use any of the Intellectual Property Rights as owned or used in the conduct of such party’s business as currently conducted. To the knowledge of the Company and its Subsidiaries, no employee of any of the Company or its subsidiaries is the subject of any
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pending claim or proceeding involving a violation of any term of any employment contract, invention disclosure agreement, patent disclosure agreement, noncompetition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, nondisclosure agreement or restrictive covenant to or with a former employer, where the basis of such violation relates to such employee’s employment with the Company or its subsidiaries or actions undertaken by the employee while employed with the Company or its Subsidiaries. The Company has no knowledge of any facts that would preclude it from having valid license rights or clear title to the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company has no knowledge that it lacks or will be unable to obtain any rights or licenses to use all Intellectual Property Rights that are necessary to conduct its business.
(p) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage at least equal to the aggregate Subscription Amount. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.
(q) Transactions with Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(q), none of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, shareholder, member or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company or a Subsidiary and (iii) other employee benefits, including share option agreements under any share option plan of the Company.
(r) Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in material compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company and the Subsidiaries have established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by the most recently filed Form 20-F under the Exchange Act (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed Form 20-F under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
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(s) Certain Fees. Except for fees payable to the Placement Agent, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiary to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (for the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing shall not include any fees and/or commissions owed to the Depositary). Other than for Persons engaged by any Purchaser, if any, the Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(t) Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(u) Registration Rights. No Person has any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(v) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The ADSs are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the ADSs under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the ADSs are or have been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. The ADSs are currently eligible for electronic transfer through The Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to The Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.
(w) Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and the Board of Directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s memorandum of association, articles of association or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities.
(x) Disclosure. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information which is not otherwise disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries, their respective businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct in all material respects and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The press releases disseminated by the Company during the twelve (12) months preceding the date of this Agreement taken as a whole do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made
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and when made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
(y) No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(z) Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date. Schedule 3.1(z) sets forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed by the Company in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others to third parties, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.
(aa) Tax Compliance. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all Israeli and United States federal, state and local income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges, fines or penalties that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations, other than those listed on Schedule [·] hereto which are being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been provided and (iii) has set aside on its financial statements provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material tax liability of which has not been finally determined and all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim.
(bb) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government
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officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company or any Subsidiary (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of FCPA.
(cc) Accountants. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm is as set forth in the Prospectus. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
(dd) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby. The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.
(ee) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(f) and 4.12 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company that: (i) none of the Purchasers has been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Shares for any specified term; (ii) past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities; (iii) any Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Ordinary Shares and/or ADSs, and (iv) each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction. The Company further understands and acknowledges that (y) one or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities at various times during the period that the ADSs and Shares are outstanding, and (z) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing shareholders’ equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents.
(ff) Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the ADSs or Shares, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the ADSs or Shares, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Company’s placement agent in connection with the placement of the ADSs and Shares.
(gg) FDA. The Company does not have any pharmaceutical products approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended, and the regulations thereunder (“FDCA”). The properties, business and operations of the Company have been and are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with the FDCA. The Company has not been informed by the FDA
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that the FDA will not approve an application for any product proposed to be marketed by the Company in the United States.
(hh)Stock Option Plans. Each stock option granted by the Company under the Company’s stock option plan was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the Company’s stock option plan and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Ordinary Share on the date such stock option would be considered granted under GAAP and applicable law. No stock option granted under the Company’s stock option plan has been backdated. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no Company policy or practice to knowingly grant, stock options prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of stock options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or the Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects.
(ii)Cybersecurity. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including the data of its respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained by or on behalf of it), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification; (ii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable safeguards to maintain and protect its material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and Data; and (iii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with commercially reasonable industry standards and practices.
(jj) Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”).
(kk) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon Purchaser’s request.
(ll) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
(mm) Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the Israeli Prohibition on Money Laundering Law, 2000, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.
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(nn)Securities Act Compliance. The Registration Statement complies, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus will comply, in all material respects, with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act. Each part of the Registration Statement, when such part became effective, did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as of its filing date, and any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(oo)Environmental Law. There has been no storage, generation, transportation, handling, use, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission, contamination, release or other activity involving any kind of hazardous, toxic or other wastes, pollutants, contaminants, petroleum products or other hazardous or toxic substances, chemicals or materials (“Hazardous Substances”) by, due to, on behalf of, or caused by the Company or any Subsidiary (or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or omissions the Company is or may be liable) upon any property now or previously owned, operated, used or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary, or upon any other property, that would be a violation of or give rise to any liability under any applicable law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit, common law provision or other legally binding standard relating to pollution or protection of human health and the environment (“Environmental Law”), except for violations and liabilities which, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no disposal, discharge, emission contamination or other release of any kind at, onto or from any such property or into the environment surrounding any such property of any Hazardous Substances with respect to which the Company or any Subsidiary has knowledge, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial action, claim or notice of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any Subsidiary, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. No property of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject to any Lien under any Environmental Law. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is subject to any order, decree, agreement or other individualized legal requirement related to any Environmental Law, that, in any case (individually or in the aggregate), would have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and each Subsidiary has all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. In the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and the Subsidiaries and identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure or remediation of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(pp)Regulatory. Except as described on Schedule 3.1(qq), the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are and at all times have been in material compliance with all statutes, rules and regulations applicable to the ownership, testing, development, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, marketing, advertising, labeling, promotion, sale, offer for sale, storage, import, export or disposal of any product manufactured or distributed by the Company including, without limitation the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.), the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, the regulations promulgated pursuant to such laws, and any successor government programs and comparable state laws, regulations relating to Good Clinical Practices and Good Laboratory Practices and all other local, state, federal, national, supranational and foreign laws, manual provisions, policies and administrative guidance relating to the regulation of the Company (collectively, the “Applicable Laws”); (ii) have not received any notice from any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority or third party alleging or
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asserting noncompliance with any Applicable Laws or any licenses, exemptions, certificates, approvals, clearances, authorizations, permits, registrations and supplements or amendments thereto required by any such Applicable Laws (“Authorizations”); (iii) possess all material Authorizations and such Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and are not in violation of any term of any such Authorizations; (iv) have not received written notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation arbitration or other action from any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority or third party alleging that any product operation or activity is in violation of any Applicable Laws or Authorizations nor is any such claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action threatened; (v) have not received any written notice that any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority has taken, is taking or intends to take, action to limit, suspend, materially modify or revoke any Authorizations nor is any such limitation, suspension, modification or revocation threatened; (vi) have filed, obtained, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and that all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were complete and accurate on the date filed (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission); and (vii) are not a party to any corporate integrity agreements, monitoring agreements, consent decrees, settlement orders, or similar agreements with or imposed by any governmental or regulatory authority.
(qq)Promotional Stock Activities. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary of the Company and none of their respective officers, directors, managers, affiliates or agents have engaged in any stock promotional activity that could give rise to a complaint, inquiry, or trading suspension by the SEC alleging: (i) a violation of the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws; (ii) violations of the anti-touting provisions; (iii) improper “gun-jumping”; or (iv) promotion without proper disclosure of compensation.
3.2 Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser, for itself and for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows (unless as of a specific date therein, in which case they shall be accurate as of such date):
(a) Organization; Authority. Such Purchaser is either an individual or an entity duly incorporated or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation with full right, corporate, partnership limited liability company or similar power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar action, as applicable, on the part of such Purchaser. Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(b) Understandings or Arrangements. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities as principal for its own account and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Securities (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell the Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws).
(c) Purchaser Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Securities, it was, and as of the date hereof it is, and on each date on which it exercises any Warrants, it will be: (A) if such Purchaser is located outside of
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the State of Israel, either (i) an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7) or (a)(8) under the Securities Act, or (ii) a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A(a) under the Securities Act; or, (B) if the Purchaser is located in the State of Israel, (i) an Israeli investor which falls within the scope of one of the criteria of Qualified Investor pursuant to the First Addendum of the Securities Law; and (ii) located outside the United States and not a “U.S. Person” as defined in Rule 902 under the Securities Act.
At the time such Purchaser was offered the Securities, it was not, and as of the date hereof it is not, and on each date on which it exercises any Warrants, it will not be: (x) an Enemy of Israel (as such term is defined under the Israeli Trading with the Enemy Ordinance of 1939) nor acting on behalf of or for the benefit of such; or (y) be entitled to hold 25% or more of the voting power in the Company, unless by means prescribed under the Companies Law pertaining to tender offering rules and restrictions.
(d) Experience of Such Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment. Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.
(e) Access to Information. Such Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the Transaction Documents (including all exhibits and schedules thereto) and the SEC Reports and has been afforded (i) the opportunity to ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of the offering of the Securities and the merits and risks of investing in the Securities; (ii) access to information about the Company and its financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that the Company possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the investment. Such Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that neither the Placement Agent nor any Affiliate of the Placement Agent has provided such Purchaser with any information or advice with respect to the Securities nor is such information or advice necessary or desired. Neither the Placement Agent nor any Affiliate has made or makes any representation as to the Company or the quality of the Securities and the Placement Agent and any Affiliate may have acquired non-public information with respect to the Company which such Purchaser agrees need not be provided to it. In connection with the issuance of the Securities to such Purchaser, neither the Placement Agent nor any of its Affiliates has acted as a financial advisor or fiduciary to such Purchaser.
(f) Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, directly or indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral) from the Company or any other Person representing the Company setting forth the definitive pricing and other material terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately prior to the execution hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement or to such Purchaser’s representatives, including, without limitation, its officers, directors, partners, legal and other advisors, employees, agents and Affiliates, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to locating or borrowing shares order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
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(g) No Voting Agreements. The Purchaser is not a party to any agreement or arrangement, whether written or oral, between the Purchaser and any other Purchaser and any of the Company’s shareholders as of the date hereof or a corporation in which the Company’s shareholders are an Interested Party (as defined in the Companies Law) as of the date hereof, regulating the management of the Company, the shareholders’ rights in the Company, the transfer of shares in the Company, including any voting agreements, shareholder agreements or any other similar agreement even if its title is different or has any other relations or agreements with any of the Company’s shareholders, directors or officers.
(h) No Governmental Review. Such Purchaser understands that no Israeli or United States federal or state agency or any other government or governmental agency has passed on or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Securities or the fairness or suitability of the investment in the Securities nor have such authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Securities.
(i) Brokers. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.2(i) or in the Prospectus, no agent, broker, investment banker, person or firm acting in a similar capacity on behalf of or under the authority of the Purchaser is or will be entitled to any broker’s or finder’s fee or any other commission or similar fee, directly or indirectly, for which the Company or any of its Affiliates after the Closing could have any liabilities in connection with this Agreement, any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, or on account of any action taken by the Purchaser in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(j) Independent Advice. Each Purchaser understands that nothing in this Agreement or any other materials presented by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchaser in connection with the purchase of the Securities constitutes legal, tax or investment advice.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in this Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, except as set forth in this Agreement, with respect to locating or borrowing shares in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Legends. The Shares, the Warrants, the Warrant ADSs and the Warrant Shares shall be issued free of legends. If at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement is not effective or is not otherwise available for the sale of the Shares, the Warrants, the Warrant ADSs or the Warrant Shares, the Company shall immediately notify the holders of the Warrants in writing that such registration statement is not then effective and thereafter shall promptly notify such holders when the registration statement is effective again and available for the sale of the Shares, the Warrants, the Warrant ADSs or the Warrant Shares (it being understood and agreed that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Company to issue, or any Purchaser to sell, any of the Shares, the Warrants, the Warrant ADSs or the Warrant Shares in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). The Company shall use commercially reasonable best efforts to keep a registration statement (including the Registration Statement) registering the issuance of the Warrant Shares effective during the term of the Warrants.
4.2 Furnishing of Information; Public Information. Until the earliest of the time that (i) no Purchaser owns Securities, or (ii) the Series D Common Warrants and the Series E Common Warrants have expired, the Company covenants to maintain the registration of the ADSs under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and to timely
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file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act, even if the Company is not then subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, except in the event that the Company consummates: (i) any transaction or series of related transactions as a result of which any Person (together with its Affiliates) acquires then outstanding securities of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting control of the Company; (ii) a merger or reorganization of the Company with one or more other entities in which the Company is not the surviving entity; or (iii) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, where the consummation of such transaction results in the Company no longer being subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, provided, however, only in connection with subsections (i) and (iii) of this Section 4.2, that such limitation shall not apply on or after the date as of which the Purchasers may sell all of their Securities without restriction or limitation pursuant to Rule 144.
4.3 Integration. The Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require shareholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless shareholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.
4.4 Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. The Company shall (a) by the Disclosure Time, issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and (b) file a Report on Form 8-K, including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto, with the Commission within the time required by the Exchange Act. From and after the issuance of such press release, the Company represents to the Purchasers that it shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to any of the Purchasers by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. In addition, effective upon the issuance of such press release, the Company acknowledges and agrees that any and all confidentiality or similar obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, between the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates on the one hand, and any of the Purchasers or any of their Affiliates on the other hand, shall terminate. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any press release of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except (a) as required by federal securities law in connection with the filing of final Transaction Documents with the Commission, and (b) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b).
4.5 Shareholder Rights Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an “Acquiring Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction Documents or under any other agreement between the Company and the Purchasers.
4.6 Non-Public Information. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, which shall be disclosed pursuant to Section 4.4, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person acting on its behalf will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information that constitutes, or that the Company reasonably believes constitutes, material non-public
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information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have entered into a written agreement with the Company regarding the confidentiality and use of such information including to keep such information confidential. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. To the extent that the Company delivers any material, non-public information to a Purchaser without such Purchaser’s consent, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that such Purchaser shall not have any duty of confidentiality to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates, or a duty to the Company, and of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates not to trade on the basis of, such material, non-public information, provided that the Purchaser shall remain subject to applicable law. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
4.7 Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the net proceeds as disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.
4.8 Indemnification of Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.8, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders, agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against a Purchaser Party in any capacity, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any shareholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is based upon a material breach of such Purchaser Party’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser Party may have with any such shareholder or any violations by such Purchaser Party of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser Party which is finally judicially determined to constitute fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct). The Company shall indemnify each Purchaser Party, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses, as incurred, caused by or based upon (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by or based upon any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any prospectus or supplement thereto, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statements or omissions are based solely upon information regarding such Purchaser Party furnished in writing to the Company by such Purchaser Party expressly for use therein, or (ii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law, or any rule or regulation thereunder in connection therewith. If any action shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such
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defense and to employ counsel or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel. The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (y) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (z) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Purchaser Party in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents. The indemnification required by this Section 4.8 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred. The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others and any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.
4.9 Listing of Shares. The Company hereby agrees to use commercially reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the ADSs and Warrant ADSs on each Trading Market on which each is currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall apply to list or quote all of the Warrant ADSs and/or ADSs on such Trading Markets and promptly secure the listing of all of the Warrant ADSs and ADSs on such Trading Markets except in the case of a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, a merger or reorganization of the Company with one or more other entities in which the Company is not the surviving entity or any transaction or series of related transactions as a result of which any Person (together with its Affiliates) acquires then outstanding securities of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting control of the Company. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the ADSs traded on any other Trading Market, it will then include in such application all of the ADSs and Warrant ADSs, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the ADSs and Warrant ADSs to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing and trading of its ADSs on a Trading Market and will comply in all material respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market. The Company agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the eligibility of the ADSs for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation, by timely payment of fees to the Depository Trust Company or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such electronic transfer.
4.10 Subsequent Equity Sales.
(a) From the date hereof until 90 days after the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall (i) issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any ADSs, Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share Equivalents or (ii) file any registration statement or amendment or supplement thereto, other than the Prospectus, a registration statement on Form S-8 in connection with any employee benefit plan, any post-effective amendment to a registration statement declared effective by the Commission, or the registration statement and amendments thereto required to be filed under the transaction with Alumni Capital LP (the "Alumni ELOC").
(b) From the date hereof until 180 days following the Closing Date, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of ADSs, Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share Equivalents (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction. “Variable Rate Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive additional ADSs or Ordinary Shares either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price or exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the ADSs and Ordinary Shares at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities, or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for ADSs or Ordinary Shares or (ii) enters into, or effects a transaction under, any agreement, including, but not limited to, an
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equity line of credit or an “at-the-market” offering”, whereby the Company may issue securities at a future determined price, regardless of whether shares pursuant to such agreement have actually been issued and regardless of whether such agreement is subsequently cancelled. Provided, however, that if on the Trading Days from the date hereof until 60 days following the Closing Date (the “Measurement Dates”), the aggregate trading volume of the ADSs is in excess of [·], then on the 61st date following the Closing Date, the Company may make transactions under the Alumni ELOC in an amount not to exceed [·]% of the average daily trading volume of the ADSs for the [x] days prior to the date of the Alumni ELOC transaction. The Company may not make transactions under the Alumni ELOC under any circumstances for 60 days following the Closing Date. Any Purchaser shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.10 shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance, except that no Variable Rate Transaction shall be an Exempt Issuance.
4.11 Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration (including any modification of the Transaction Documents) shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the parties to the Transaction Documents. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of the ADSs, the Shares or otherwise.
4.12 Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that neither it nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or sales, including Short Sales of any of the Company’s securities during the period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending at such time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the information included in the Disclosure Schedules. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, (ii) no Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4 and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality or duty not to trade in the securities of the Company to the Company or its Subsidiaries after the issuance of the initial press release as described in Section 4.4. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.
4.13 Exercise Procedures. The form of Notice of Exercise included in the Warrants set forth the totality of the procedures required of the Purchasers in order to exercise the Warrants. No additional legal opinion, other information or instructions shall be required of the Purchasers to exercise their Warrants. Without limiting the preceding sentences, no ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise form be required in order to exercise the Warrants. The Company shall honor
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exercises of the Warrants and shall deliver Warrant ADSs and/or Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set forth in the Transaction Documents.
4.14 Reservations of Shares. As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of Ordinary Shares for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue Ordinary Shares pursuant to this Agreement and Warrant Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Warrant ADSs.
4.15. Lock-Up Agreements. The Company shall not amend, modify, waive or terminate any provision of any of the Lock-Up Agreements without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, except to extend the term of the lock-up period, and shall enforce the provisions of each Lock-Up Agreement in accordance with its terms. If any party to a Lock-Up Agreement breaches any provision of a Lock-Up Agreement, the Company shall promptly use its best efforts to seek specific performance of the terms of such Lock-Up Agreement.
4.16Capital Changes. From the date hereof until 90 days after the Closing Date, the Company shall not undertake a reverse or forward share split or reclassification of the Ordinary Shares without the prior written consent of the Purchasers holding a majority in interest of the sum of (i) the Ordinary Shares plus (ii) the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares initially issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants based on the initial Subscription Amounts hereunder, except for any reverse or forward share split or reclassification previously approved by the Company’s shareholders and expressly contemplated by the SEC Filings.
ARTICLE V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other parties, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before the 5th Trading Day following the date hereof; provided, however, that no such termination will affect the right of any party to sue for any breach by any other party (or parties).
5.2 Fees and Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all Depositary Fees (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company and any exercise notice delivered by a Purchaser), stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.
5.3 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.
5.4 Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (a) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email attachment at the email address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email attachment at the email address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or (d) upon
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actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Report on Form 8-K.
5.5 Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Purchasers who purchased at least 50.1% in interest of the sum of (i) the Shares and (ii) the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares initially issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants based on the initial Subscription Amounts hereunder (or, prior to the Closing the Company and each Purchaser), or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought; provided, that if any amendment, modification or waiver disproportionately and adversely impacts a Purchaser (or group of Purchasers), the consent of at least 50.1% in interest of such disproportionately impacted Purchaser (or group of Purchasers) shall also be required. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right. Any proposed amendment or waiver that disproportionately, materially and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Purchaser relative to the comparable rights and obligations of the other Purchasers shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Purchaser. Any amendment effected in accordance with this Section 5.5 shall be binding upon each Purchaser and holder of Securities and the Company.
5.6 Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
5.7 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser (other than by merger). Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction Documents that apply to the “Purchasers.”
5.8 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Placement Agent shall be the third party beneficiary of the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3.1 and the representations and warranties of the Purchasers in Section 3.2. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.8 and this Section 5.8.
5.9 Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit,
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action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.8, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
5.10 Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Securities for the applicable statute of limitations.
5.11 Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to each other party, it being understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, by other electronic signing created on an electronic platform (such as DocuSign), or by digital signing (such as Adobe Sign), such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” or other electronic or digital signature page were an original thereof.
5.12 Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
5.13 Rescission and Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) any of the other Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights.
5.14 Replacement of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof (in the case of mutilation), or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction. The applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity) associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.
5.15 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
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5.16Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or a Purchaser enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other Person under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.
5.17 Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance or non-performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. Each Purchaser has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in its review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents. For reasons of administrative convenience only, each Purchaser and its respective counsel have chosen to communicate with the Company through Thompson Hine LLP, the legal counsel of the Placement Agent. Thompson Hine LLP does not represent any of the Purchasers and only represents the Placement Agent. The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any of the Purchasers. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between and among the Purchasers.
5.18 Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
5.19 Liquidated Damages. The Company’s obligations to pay any partial liquidated damages or other amounts owing under the Transaction Documents is a continuing obligation of the Company and shall not terminate until all unpaid partial liquidated damages and other amounts have been paid notwithstanding the fact that the instrument or security pursuant to which such partial liquidated damages or other amounts are due and payable shall have been canceled.
5.20 Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel have reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments thereto. In addition, each and every reference to share prices, ADSs, and shares of Ordinary Shares in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward share splits, share dividends, share combinations and other similar transactions of the ADSs and Ordinary Shares that occur after the date of this Agreement.
5.21Currency. Unless otherwise stated, all dollar amounts and references to “$” in this Agreement refer to the lawful currency of the United States.
5.22 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND
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INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.
(Signature Pages Follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
QUOIN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD. |
| Address for Notice: | ||
| | 42127 Pleasant Forest Court | ||
| | Ashburn, VA 20148-7349 | ||
By: | | | | |
Name: | Michael Myers | | Email: | mmyers@quoinpharma.com |
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | | | |
| | | ||
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice): | | | ||
| | | ||
Blank Rome LLP | | | ||
One Logan Square | | | ||
130 North 18th Street | | | ||
Philadelphia, PA 19103 | | | ||
Attn: Melissa Palat Murawsky | | | ||
Email: melissa.murawsky@blankrome.com | | |
[COMPANY SIGNATURE PAGE TO QNRX SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]
[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO QNRX SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
Name of Purchaser: |
| |
| | |
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser: | | |
Name of Authorized Signatory: | | |
Title of Authorized Signatory: | | |
Email Address of Authorized Signatory: | | |
Facsimile Number of Authorized Signatory: | | |
Address for Notice to Purchaser: | | |
Address for Delivery of Warrant ADSs to the Purchaser (if not same address for notice):
DWAC for ADSs: ________________
Subscription Amount: $
ADSs: _________________________
ADSs underlying the Pre-Funded Warrants:
ADSs underlying the Series D Common Warrants:
ADSs underlying the Series E Common Warrants:
Beneficial Ownership Limitation: ☐4.99% ☐9.99%
EIN Number: ____________________
☐ Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, by checking this box (i) the obligations of the above-signed to purchase the securities set forth in this Agreement to be purchased from the Company by the above-signed, and the obligations of the Company to sell such securities to the above-signed, shall be unconditional and all conditions to Closing shall be disregarded, (ii) the Closing shall occur on the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of this Agreement and (iii) any condition to Closing contemplated by this Agreement (but prior to being disregarded by clause (i) above) that required delivery by the Company or the above-signed of any agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) shall no longer be a condition and shall instead be an unconditional obligation of the Company or the above-signed (as applicable) to deliver such agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) to such other party on the Closing Date.
[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]
Exhibit A-1
Form of Series D Common Warrant
(See Attached)
Exhibit A-2
Form of Series E Common Warrant
(See Attached)
Exhibit B
Form of Pre-Funded Warrant
(See Attached)
Exhibit C
Form of Lock-Up Agreement
(See Attached)
Exhibit 23.1
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM’S CONSENT
We consent to the inclusion in this Registration Statement of Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. on Amendment No. 1 to Form S-1 (File No. 333-277016) of our report dated March 15, 2023, except for Note 18, as to which the date is February 12, 2024, with respect to our audit of the consolidated financial statements of Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022, which report appears in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our Firm under the heading “Experts” in such Prospectus.
/s/ Marcum LLP | |
| |
Marcum LLP | |
East Hanover, New Jersey | |
February 13, 2024 | |
Exhibit 23.2
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM’S CONSENT
We consent to the inclusion in this Registration Statement of Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. on Amendment No. 1 to Form S-1 (File No. 333-277016) of our report dated April 13, 2022 (except for Notes 2 and 17 as to which the date is August 2, 2022 as referenced within the financial statements filed on August 2, 2022 in Form F-1), which includes an emphasis of a matter regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, with respect to our audit of the consolidated financial statements of Quoin Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021 which report appears in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our Firm under the heading “Experts” in such Prospectus. We were dismissed as auditors on September 21, 2022 and, accordingly, we have not performed any audit or review procedures with respect to any financial statements appearing in such Prospectus for the periods after the date of our dismissal.
/s/ Friedman LLP | |
| |
Friedman LLP | |
East Hanover, New Jersey | |
February 13, 2024 | |