10KSB: Optional form for annual and transition reports of small business issuers [Section 13 or 15(d), not S-B Item 405]
Published on March 31, 2008
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM 10-KSB
x
ANNUAL
REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007
o
TRANSITION
REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from ______ to
______
Commission
file number: 000-51476
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
(Name
of
small business issuer in its charter)
Delaware
|
20-2903526
|
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
|
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
Number)
|
|
248
Route 25A, No. 2
East
Setauket,
New York
|
11733
|
|
(Address
of principal executive offices)
|
(Zip
Code)
|
|
Issuer’s
telephone number: (631)
942-7959
Securities
registered under Section 12(b) of the Act: None.
Securities
registered under Section 12(g) of the Act: Common Stock,
$0.0001
par value.
Check
whether the issuer is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or
15(d) of the Exchange Act. o
Check
whether the issuer (1) filed all reports required to be filed by
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the past 12 months (or for
such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports), and
(2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes
x No o
Check
if
there is no disclosure of delinquent filers in response to Item 405 of
Regulation S-B contained in this form, and no disclosure will be contained,
to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information
statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-KSB or any
amendment to this Form 10-KSB. x
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act): Yes o No
x
Issuer’s
revenues for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2007: $0
Aggregate
market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the Issuer as of
March 15, 2008 was approximately $9,729,352.
There
were 27,832,178 shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding on March 15,
2008.
Transitional
Small Business Disclosure Format: Yes o
No x
Introductory
Comment
Throughout
this Annual Report on Form 10-KSB, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “our company,”
“Company” and “the Registrant” refer to Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc.., a
Delaware corporation formerly known as SRKP 7, Inc.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
This
Annual Report on Form 10K-SB (the “Report”) contains certain forward-looking
statements. For example, statements regarding our financial position, business
strategy and other plans and objectives for future operations, and assumptions
and predictions about future product demand, supply, manufacturing, costs,
marketing and pricing factors are all forward-looking statements. These
statements are generally accompanied by words such as “intend,” “anticipate,”
“believe,” “estimate,” “potential(ly),” “continue,” “forecast,” “predict,”
“plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect” or the negative of
such terms or other comparable terminology. We believe that the assumptions
and
expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, based
on information available to us on the date hereof, but we cannot assure you
that
these assumptions and expectations will prove to have been correct or that
we
will take any action that we may presently be planning. However, these
forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks
and
uncertainties. Actual results or experience may differ materially from those
expected or anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could
cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to,
regulatory policies, competition from other similar businesses, and market
and
general policies, competition from other similar businesses, and market and
general economic factors. This discussion should be read in conjunction with
the
condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in this
Report.
If
one or
more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying
assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially from
what
we project. Any forward-looking statement you read in this Report reflects
our
current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other
risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of
operations, growth strategy, and liquidity. All subsequent forward-looking
statements attributable to us or individuals acting on our behalf are expressly
qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. You should specifically consider
the factors identified in this prospectus, which would cause actual results
to
differ before making an investment decision. We are under no duty to update
any
of these forward-looking statements after the date of this Report or to conform
these statements to actual results.
PART
I
ITEM
1. DESCRIPTION
OF BUSINESS
Company
Overview
We
were
organized as a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a
business combination with an operating business. On June 30, 2006, pursuant
to a
Share Exchange Agreement dated as of June 8, 2006 among us, Dr. John S. Kovach
and Lixte Biotechnology, Inc., we issued 19,021,786 shares of our common stock
to Dr. Kovach in exchange for all of the issued and outstanding shares of Lixte
Biotechnology, Inc. As a result of this transaction, Lixte is now our
wholly- owned
subsidiary, though from an historical perspective it was deemed to have been
the
acquirer in the reverse merger and the survivor of the reorganization. On
December 7, 2006, we changed our name from SRKP 7, Inc. to Lixte Biotechnology
Holdings, Inc. Throughout this Report, when we refer to Lixte, we are referring
to Lixte Biotechnology, Inc., our operating subsidiary.
Lixte
was
created to capitalize on opportunities for the Company
to
develop low cost, specific, and sensitive tests for the early detection of
cancers to better estimate prognosis, to monitor treatment response, and to
reveal targets for development of more effective treatments.
Business
The
Company is concentrating on discovering biomarkers for common cancers for which
better diagnostic and therapeutic measures are needed. For each of these
diseases, a biomarker that would enable identification of the presence of cancer
at a stage curable by surgery could possibly save thousands of lives annually.
In addition, biomarkers specific to these diseases may also provide clues as
to
processes (biological pathways) that characterize specific cancer types and
that
may be vulnerable to drug treatment targeted to the activity of the
biomarker.
The
Company is currently focusing on developing new treatments for the most common
and most aggressive type of brain cancer of adults, glioblastoma multiforme
(“GBM”). The Company has expanded the scope of its anti-cancer investigational
activities to include the most common brain tumor of children, medulloblastoma,
and also to several other types of more common cancers. This expansion of
activity is based on documentation that each of two distinct types of drugs
being developed by the Company inhibits the growth of cell lines of breast,
colon, lung, prostate, pancreas, ovary, stomach and liver cancer, as well as
the
major types of leukemias.
The
research on brain tumors is proceeding in collaboration with the National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (“NINDS”) of the National
Institutes of Health (“NIH”) under a Cooperative Research and Development
Agreement (“CRADA”) entered
into on March 22,
2006,
as
amended.
The
research at NINDS continues to be led by Dr. Zhengping Zhuang, an
internationally recognized investigator in the molecular pathology of cancer.
Dr. Zhuang is aided by two senior research technicians supported by the
Company as part of the CRADA. The goal of the CRADA is to develop more effective
drugs for the treatment of GBM through the processes required to gain Food
and
Drug Administration (“FDA”) approval for clinical trials. The Company’s
contribution to the CRADA has been $200,000 annually for two years. The
CRADAis
presently scheduled to end June 30, 2008, with current discussions exploring
a
several month extension supported by funds remaining from the original
agreement, followed
by a potential one-year extension at a cost of $200,000.
The
Company has filed a series of patent applications jointly with NIH covering
certain methods of treatment of brain tumors of adults and children. On February
14, 2007, provisional patent applications were converted to a U.S.
non-provisional patent and a patent cooperation treaty application on behalf
of
the Company and NIH.
Patent
applications filed with NIH are jointly owned by NIH and Lixte. All NIH
co-inventors assigned their rights to NIH. Under the CRADA, Lixte is entitled
to
negotiate an exclusive license from NIH to all claims in these patent
applications. The Company is continuing its negotiations on the details of
the
terms under which NIH will provide an exclusive license and anticipates
finalizing terms of the agreement with the NIH in mid-2008.
The
Company has also filed patent applications for intellectual property owned
solely by the Company. These applications identify two series of new anti-cancer
agents referred to as the LB-1 series and the LB-2 series. The applications
include identification of the structure of molecules, their synthesis, and
their
activity against GBM, medulloblastoma, and more recently, the common cancers
and
leukemias as mentioned above. At the present time, the efficacies of the LB-1
and LB-2 series are based on activity in cell culture and in animal models
of
GBM and medulloblastoma. The Company is in the process of documenting the
activities of both series of drugs against the more common tumor types in animal
models.
2
In
February 2008, the Company converted provisional patents relating to the nature
and activity of the LB-1 series of drugs with the filing of a U.S. non-provisional
and a PCT patent application.
During
2007, the Company also documented that some of its compounds have activity
against several types of fungi that cause serious infections, particularly
in
immuno-compromised individuals, such as those with HIV-AIDS and those having
bone marrow transplantations. This finding extends the potential use of some
of
Lixte’s compounds to the large and important field of therapy of
life-threatening mycotic infections.
The
Company expects that its products will derive directly from the intellectual
property from its research activities. Progress to date has borne out this
expectation. The development of lead compounds with different mechanisms of
action that have now been shown to have activity against brain tumors and
several other much more common human cancers, as well as serious fungal
infections, originated from its original focus on a biochemical defect in GBM.
The Company will continue to use discovery and/or recognition of molecular
variants characteristic of specific human cancers as a guide to drug discovery
and potentially new diagnostic tests.
The
Company elected to exercise its right to terminate the second year of an
agreement with the University of Regensburg, Germany, for collection of certain
numbers of tumors and other biological samples for research programs in the
future. Under the agreement, the University of Regensburg will complete
ascertainment of 50% of the original number of samples. Lixte estimates that
this collection will be sufficient for its needs for the next two to three
years. In addition, Lixte has identified a commercial source of such materials
that can be purchased in quantities as needed. Cancellation of the second year
of the agreement resulted in a saving of Euro 36,000 (about
$52,000).
During
2008, the Company will also start to make public presentations of some of its
data at national and international scientific meetings. A presentation was
made
at the First International Drug Discovery and Development Meeting, in Dubai,
UAE, in February 2008, and a presentation will be made at the Annual Meeting
of
the American Association of Cancer Research in San Diego, California, in April
2008.
The
Company had planned to begin its own analyses of tumor types other than GBM
for
new biomarkers by late 2008. However, in order to do this, the Company would
need to establish and operate an independent laboratory. The creation and
operation of such a laboratory for two years is estimated to cost approximately
$2,000,000. Accordingly, the Company is deferring plans to open and staff an
independent laboratory until the full intellectual property value of its initial
lead compounds for treatment of brain tumors is determined.
A
goal of
the Company is to continue the synthesis of new compounds that target other
components of molecular pathways already identified by the Company and its
CRADA
partner to be vulnerable to attack by small molecule drugs, and to explore
the
vulnerability of additional potential new targets revealed through the molecular
characterization of the effects of the Company’s lead compounds.
The
Company expects to participate in clinical trials of new therapies in
partnership with an organization experienced in such undertakings. The
partnering organization may be either a clinical branch of NIH or a
pharmaceutical company with expertise in the conduct of clinical trials. The
Company’s present position is to take one or more of its new therapies for the
treatment of glioblastoma multiforme through pre-clinical evaluation as part
of
the CRADA with the NINDS of the NIH. After completing pre-clinical evaluation,
the Company will consider partnering with the NIH to conduct a Phase I
Trial or jointly with the NIH to seek a third party, most probably a large
pharmaceutical company, to carry the new therapies into Phase I trials.
After completion of Phase I trials, the Company, potentially in partnership
with the NIH, would collaborate with the third party to carry new therapies
found to be safe for administration to humans in the Phase I trials into
Phase II trials.
3
Phase II
trials test the safety and effectiveness, as well as the best estimate of the
proper dose of the new therapies, in a group of patients with the same type
of
cancer at the same stage. For the Company’s initial studies, the focus will be
brain tumors. The duration of Phase II trials may run from 6 to 24 months.
New regimens showing beneficial activity in Phase II trials may then be
considered for evaluation in Phase III trials. Phase III trials for
the evaluation of new cancer treatments are comparative trials in which the
therapeutic benefit of a new regimen is compared to the therapeutic benefit
of
the best standard regimen in a randomized study.
Whether
the Company will participate in or be in a position to participate in any
clinical trials will depend upon partnerships and specific licensing agreements.
However, in all cases of clinical trial participation, the Company will be
subject to FDA regulation. These regulations are specific and form the basis
for
assessing the potential clinical benefit of new therapeutic regimens while
safeguarding the health of patients participating in investigational studies.
Even after a drug receives approval from the FDA for sale as a new treatment
for
a specific disease indication, the sponsors of the drug are subject to reporting
potentially adverse effects of the new regimen to the FDA.
Given
the
progress in identifying two lead compounds with activity in animal models of
GBM, the Company is devoting its resources to bring the agents to a point at
which an Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application can be submitted to the
FDA for a Phase I clinical trial. One lead compound (LB-1) is the most advanced
in the process and the Company plans to be ready for IND submission by early
2009. The other lead compound (LB-2.5), which inhibits cancer cells by a
mechanism distinct from that of LB-1, is anticipated to complete its evaluation
by the end of 2009.
The
Company faces several potential challenges to its goal of commercial success.
These include raising sufficient capital to fund its business plan, achieving
commercially applicable results from its research programs, competition from
more established, well-funded companies with competitive technologies, and
future competition from companies developing new competitive technologies.
Because of these challenges, there is substantial uncertainty as to the
Company’s ability to fund its operations and continue as a going
concern.
GLOSSARY
The
following technical terms are used in this Report:
Assay
An
assay
is a
method to determine the presence, absence, or the amount of a particular
substance in a sample. Assays
of body
fluids such as blood and urine can be used to detect specific products
(biomarkers)
that
indicate the presence of a specific type of cancer.
Biomarker
A
biomarker
is a
component of a cell that is uniquely or strongly associated with a particular
feature of that cell. The detection of the biomarker in body fluid by an
assay
indicates that a particular cell is very likely to be present in the body.
In
this Report, “biomarkers”
refer
primarily to proteins
that are
uniquely produced by specific types of cancer cells or that are produced in
excess by the cancer cells compared to non - cancer
cells of the same tissue or organ.
Cancer
A
disease
characterized by loss or enhancement of one or more mechanisms that regulate
the
growth of cells of a specific tissue. Loss of these control mechanisms or gain
of abnormal mechanisms in a single cell that put cell
growth
into
overdrive allows that cell to grow, invade local tissue, and to spread to other
regions of the body. This spreading of altered cells to distant sites is the
process called metastasis.
4
Cell
Growth
Cell
growth
is the
ability of an individual cell to reproduce by dividing into two cells. During
normal development and subsequently during the life of the adult, this process
is highly controlled. Loss of this control is the distinguishing feature of
cancer cells. Although all cancer cells gain the capacity for uncontrolled
growth, in most instances they retain many of the highly specialized features
(and associated specific molecular components) that were characteristic of
the
normal tissue before loss of growth control. For example, breast cancer cells
and brain cancer cells have lost control of growth and may be unrecognizable
by
their appearance under the microscope but
identifiable by the presence of biomarkers specific to breast or brain
cells.
CRADA
A
CRADA
(Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) is a formal contractual
mechanism by which a variety of federal government agencies may agree to work
collaboratively with a non-governmental entity to study and advance a particular
idea, observation, or process under a defined plan of work.
Gene
A
gene
is a
unit of information that specifies the structure of one or more gene
products.
Collectively, genes determine the precise composition of all molecules needed
for maintenance of the functions of life: reproduction, development,
organization, growth and metabolism. Genes
are
often referred to as units of heredity because they pass on the information
necessary for all characteristics of an individual. For mammals like ourselves,
one set of genes is received from each parent.
Gene
Products
The
products of genes are the thousands of different chemical structures, called
molecules, needed for development of all cells. Most gene products are proteins.
Most proteins are enzymes, molecules that can carry out work such as digesting
and utilizing food for energy, signaling the cell to produce other gene products
in response to changing conditions in the body, and controlling cell
growth.
When
proteins controlling cell growth are altered, as occurs in all cancers, they
become prime candidates for biomarkers
that
reveal the presence of cancer.
Glioblastoma
Multiforme (GBM)
GBM
is the
most common and most aggressive type of primary human brain cancer. The name
derives from the fact that the brain cell that loses growth control and becomes
a brain cancer cell is a glial cell (glioblastoma); as the altered glial cells
grow without restraint, they take on many different shapes (multiforme). Recent
studies suggest, however, that GBMs may arise from primitive brain stem cells
rather than from glial cells. GBM
is the
initial target of Lixte.
Metastasis
Metastasis
is the
process by which cancers acquire the ability to spread to other parts of the
body by entry and dissemination through the blood and/or lymph systems. The
devastating aspect of metastasis is the ability of the cancer cells to grow
in a
new environment (new tissue) Examples are the metastasis of breast cancer cells
to the brain and liver and prostate cancer cells to bone.
Cure
of
cancers is much more difficult to achieve after metastasis
has
occurred. A major goal of our biomarker research is to develop assays
for
detection of cancers before they have invaded extensively or metastasized,
allowing complete removal by surgery.
5
Mutation
A
mutation
is a
change in one or more building blocks of a gene. Some changes can be tolerated
without altering the integrity (function) of the product of the gene but other
changes can result in cancer.
For
the
purposes of the cancer projects described in this memorandum, it is important
to
distinguish between inherited mutations (inborn mutations) and acquired
(environmentally caused) mutations.
Some
inborn mutations predispose an individual to development of one or more kinds
of
cancer. Because these mutations are inherited, they are present in every cell
in
the body. Such mutations are responsible for the higher frequency of certain
cancers in particular families and ethnic groups. Examples are the breast cancer
predisposing genes known as BRCA I and BRCA II.
Research
on biomarkers,
however, is directed at finding the gene products (proteins) of acquired
mutations. Acquired mutations that change a single cell to a cancer cell are
present ONLY in that cell and cells arising from its uncontrolled cell growth.
If the products of the altered genes in these cancer cells are detectable in
the
body, they may reveal the presence of the cancer at a stage when it is curable
by surgery.
Prognosis
Prognosis
refers
to the likely course of a disease at specific stage of development. For example,
a breast or prostate cancer that is not confined to the tissue of origin,
e.g.,
is also
present in a lymph node when first detected, has a greater likelihood of
recurrence, a worse prognosis, than if it were confined to the tissue of
origin.
Thus,
the
presence of lymph node metastases is an indicator of poor
prognosis.
It
is
hoped that specific biomarkers
for
cancers will be found that have prognostic value. With assays for such markers,
patients with poor prognoses could consider more aggressive treatments before
obvious spread of disease and patients with good prognoses could be spared
unnecessary treatment.
Proteins
Proteins
are
molecules that have many functions important to the nature and behavior of
the
cell. Many proteins are enzymes that regulate and integrate a myriad of
biochemical processes essential to life.
Certain
enzymes are critical to an integrated system of cellular signaling that
regulates cell behavior in response to a constantly changing environment and
maintains the specialized nature of different types of cells. It is likely
that
some biomarkers of cancers have perverted signaling functions that perpetuate
the abnormal behavior of the cancer.
Thus,
discovery of biomarkers of known function that are unique or overly abundant
in
specific types of cancers may provide clues as to the biochemical
vulnerabilities of these cancers, weaknesses that can be attacked selectively
by
specific classes of drugs.
Intellectual
Property
In
February 2006, a provisional patent application was filed covering certain
methods and classes of molecules that we expect to be the foundation of our
product development and commercialization efforts with respect to human brain
tumors that are subject to the CRADA. In February 2007, a PCT international
patent covering all countries participating in the Patent Cooperation Treaty
except the United
States was
filed
containing all claims in the provisional patent plus additional claims. A
non-provisional patent application with the same claims was filed in the
United
States.
The PCT
application and the non-provisional application include data supporting the
original claims in the provisional patent and a number of new claims, including
evidence that several drugs mentioned in the provisional patent may mimic the
activity of the lead drugs named in the provisional patent, and do, in fact,
have anti-tumor activity against human glioblastoma cell lines.
6
Both
February patent 2007 filings, the PCT application and the non-provisional
application, fall under the CRADA agreement with NINDS
of
the NIH.
As such, we are entitled to obtain an exclusive license to such claims as
specified in the standard NIH CRADA.
In
addition, patents resulting from these applications will be jointly owned by
Lixte and the U.S. Government. The terms of the license (including term and
royalty) is subject to continuing negotiations between us and NINDS
of
the NIH
in
the future.
The
Company has also filed patent applications for intellectual property owned
solely by the Company. These applications identify two series of new anti-cancer
agents referred to as the LB-1 series and the LB-2 series. The applications
include identification of the structure of molecules, their synthesis, and
their
activity against GBM, medulloblastoma, and more recently, the common cancers
and
leukemias as mentioned above. At the present time, the efficacies of the LB-1
and LB-2 series are based on activity in cell culture and in animal models
of
GBM and medulloblastoma. The Company is in the process of documenting the
activities of both series of drugs against the more common tumor types in animal
models.
In
February 2008, the Company converted provisional patents relating to the nature
and activity of the LB-1 series of drugs with the filing of a U.S. non-provisional
and a PCT patent application.
During
2007, the Company also documented that some of its compounds have activity
against several types of fungi that cause serious infections, particularly
in
immuno-compromised individuals, such as those with HIV-AIDS and those having
bone marrow transplantations. This finding extends the potential use of some
of
Lixte’s compounds to the large and important field of therapy of
life-threatening mycotic infections.
The
Company expects that its products will derive directly from the intellectual
property from its research activities. Progress to date has borne out this
expectation. The development of lead compounds with different mechanisms of
action that have now been shown to have activity against brain tumors and
several other much more common human cancers, as well as serious fungal
infections, originated from its original focus on a biochemical defect in GBM.
The Company will continue to use discovery and/or recognition of molecular
variants characteristic of specific human cancers as a guide to drug discovery
and potentially new diagnostic tests.
Access
to Clinical Materials
On
January 5, 2007, Lixte entered into a Services Agreement with The Free State
of
Bavaria (Germany) represented by the University of Regensburg (the “University”)
pursuant to which Lixte retained the University to provide to it certain samples
of primary cancer tissue and related biological fluids to be obtained from
patients afflicted with specified types of cancer. The University also agreed
to
provide certain information relating to such patients. Lixte agreed to pay
the
University 72,000 Euros in two equal installments. The first installment of
36,000 Euros ($48,902) was paid on March 7, 2007. On January 12, 2008, Lixte
terminated the Services Agreement in accordance with its terms, as a result
of
which payment of the second installment of 36,000 Euros was cancelled. The
University agreed to deliver 50% of the aforementioned samples under the
terminated Services Agreement.
To
date,
the cancers studied by us are those of brain cancers and, to a lesser extent,
breast and kidney cancers, and all such studies have been done at the NIH under
the CRADA. All brain cancer cell lines and human tumor cells were provided
by
NIH.
7
Access
to Chemical Compounds
On
February 5, 2007, we entered into an agreement with Chem-Master International,
Inc. pursuant to which we engaged Chem-Master to synthesize the compound
designated LB-1 and any other compound synthesized by Chem-Master pursuant
to
our request, which has potential use in treating a disease, including, without
limitation, cancers such as glioblastomas. Pursuant to the Agreement, we agreed
to grant to Chem-Master a five-year option to purchase 100,000 shares of our
common stock with an exercise price of $0.333 per share. Additionally, provided
that the Agreement is not terminated by us without cause or by any party for
cause prior to the second anniversary of the Agreement, we agreed to grant
to
Chem-Master a five-year option to purchase an additional 100,000 shares of
the
Company’s common stock at $0.333 share. We have agreed to reimburse Chem-Master
for the cost of materials, labor and expenses in providing the
synthesis.
The
Market
We
believe that a sensitive, specific, reasonably priced assay for the detection
of
any common human cancer at an early stage could save thousands of lives
annually, reduce health care costs, and generate significant
income.
Brain
Cancer
The
most
malignant type of brain cancer, GBM, although less common than stomach, breast
and prostate cancers, is almost invariably fatal. Typically, survival after
surgery and radiation is only 12 to 18 months. A biomarker reflecting disease
progression and, most importantly, providing a method to develop more specific
and effective treatments of GBM would be an important discovery.
Stomach
Cancer
We
believe that stomach cancer (gastric cancer) is a target for biomarker
identification because of its high prevalence in certain of the world’s
population, particularly in Asia. Since gastric cancer is uncommon in the West,
development of new diagnostics and treatments is not a priority for many
pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies, providing a special opportunity for
us.
Current
screening for gastric cancer entails passing a tube into the stomach
(gastroscopy) and sampling of suspicious areas. The invasive nature and cost
of
gastroscopy with sedation limits systematic screening of large numbers of
individuals at risk. We believe that a blood test for the early detection of
stomach cancer could save many lives and significantly reduce health care costs
in countries with a high prevalence of the disease.
Ovarian
Cancer
Although
ovarian cancer is much less common than breast cancer, cancer of the ovary
is
responsible for the death of almost half as many women who die from breast
cancer. Less than 50% of women are cured of ovarian cancer because the disease
is almost always in an advanced stage before it produces symptoms. Yet, if
ovarian cancer is found early, the cure rate is 90% or better. A blood test
for
screening women at risk (all women who are 50 or older) is urgently
needed.
Marketing
Plan
Once
a
biomarker has been identified, depending on the projected cost for evaluation,
we expect to either conduct the initial assessment using our resources or seek
partners in industry for clinical development. If we have the resources, we
prefer to generate evidence of clinical value on our own to maximize financial
value of the product.
8
If
we do
not have the resources needed to develop the clinical potential of a given
biomarker ourselves, we intend to try to find partners in large diagnostic
and/or pharmaceutical companies. These companies are increasingly dependent
upon
new biomarkers discovered by academic groups and small biotechnology companies
to maintain a pipeline of promising drugs and new diagnostic tools.
We
believe
that
the
molecular approaches that led to the discovery of the biomarker for GBMs (and
the subject of the Provisional Patent Application) could also
lead
to
the discovery of equally promising new biomarkers for other cancers. If
discovered and developed, the challenge will be to decide which products to
license early and which to carry into clinical evaluation without a
pharmaceutical company partner.
Research
and Development
Our
primary objective is to develop sensitive and specific assays for identification
of potential therapeutic targets and for the early detection for several common
cancers. Most cancers produce abnormal proteins or abnormal amounts of normal
proteins. How many of these potential biomarkers are present at detectable
concentrations in the blood is not currently
known.
There
are
four steps in our biomarker detection and validation process:
1. Tissue
Acquisition
The
acquisition of well-characterized cancer tissue and blood samples from cancer
patients and control individuals is the most critical step to success. We
believe that our
recently terminated agreement with the Institute of Pathology at the University
of Regensburg in Germany has provided us with the clinical
samples needed for our program.
We understand that these
samples
were
collected
under the regulatory requirements of the European Union and of the Office of
Protection of Research Subjects in the United States. Those regulations require
that each patient be fully informed about the process, the use of the samples,
and any attendant risks. Though there is a negligible medical risk related
to
the collection of the samples for Lixte’s purposes, the consent form points out
that the tissue is not needed for clinical purposes and that the research done
will not affect the patient’s care in any way.
The
consent specifies further that the samples will be used to develop diagnostic
tests and/or treatments for cancer that may have commercial value and that
the
participants will not be entitled to any of the financial benefits from the
product’s development. All samples are coded and the privacy of all participants
is assured because personal identifiers are never shared with us by the
University of Regensburg. Obtaining consent is the responsibility of the
collaborating institution, but all consent processes and forms will be jointly
approved by the collaborating institution and by us.
Under
the
CRADA,
any
tissue that might be studied at NIH must meet the requirements of the Office
of
Protection of Research Subjects in the United States. Before any samples
collected by us would be used under the CRADA, the informed consent process
pertaining to the samples, including determination that anonymization of the
samples was carried out, would be reviewed with NIH and deemed acceptable with
respect to the requirements of NIH.
2. Tissue
Processing
For
maximum efficiency in detecting biomarkers, cancer cells must be isolated from
a
complex matrix of normal cells and other structural elements of tissue in which
the cancer has arisen under conditions that do not alter potential biomarkers.
The procedures used minimize destruction and alteration of cell components.
Once
processed, preparations can be transported without compromising their
integrity.
9
3. Detection
and Identification of Biomarkers
The
search for molecular elements with features unique to a specific cancer type
is
accomplished using highly reproducible physical techniques. These techniques
are
not proprietary but involve technologies used in sequences that are not obvious.
The most prominent biomarkers for each tumor type are identified by mass
spectrometric sequencing. We will select for patenting and clinical evaluation
biomarkers present at high frequency in all cancers of the same
type.
4. Development
of Assays for Biomarkers in the Blood
Whether
to develop an assay for selected biomarkers is an important decision point.
Assay development is an expensive component of the discovery process but
also an
essential step in establishing commercial value. For each cancer type, we
expect
to screen sera of affected and unaffected persons for the five most promising
biomarkers of known sequence for which patent protection seems achievable.
Maximum value of the product for diagnostics is achieved by demonstrating
the
presence of specific biomarkers in the serum of patients harboring the cancer
of
interest and their absence in the sera of patients without the
cancer.
Biomarkers
not useful for diagnostic assays may still have significant value as markers
of
prognosis and/or as drug targets. For example, although it is not yet clear
whether the new biomarker discovered by Dr. Zhuang will serve as a useful
diagnostic assay for GBMs, that biomarker is nevertheless valuable because
it
was demonstrated to provide a tool for identification of new drug combinations
active against GBMs in vitro.
Using
stringent criteria for biomarker selection, analysis of small numbers of a
given
type of cancer is sufficient for detection of relevant biomarkers. If potential
biomarkers for early diagnosis are discovered for several types of cancer,
such
as the one already identified for GBMs, we will prioritize their development
in
the following order: stomach, ovary, prostate, colon, bladder, and kidney.
If a
particularly compelling opportunity arises, we have the flexibility to quickly
direct resources to maximize chances of developing a clinically useful
product.
Product
Overview
Our
products will derive directly from our intellectual property consisting of
our
Provisional Patent Application and other patents we anticipate will arise from
our research activities. Those patents are expected to cover biomarkers uniquely
associated with specific types of cancer that may provide the bases for assays
suitable for cancer detection and patents on methods to identify drugs that
inhibit growth of specific tumor types and combinations of drugs as potential
therapeutic agents for the treatment of specific cancers.
We
believe that there are four main markets for potential products that may be
developed by Lixte.
1. Improved
Cancer Treatments. Improved
chemotherapy regimens for cancers not curable by surgery or
radiation;
2. Diagnostic
Assays. Improved
assays of body fluids, primarily blood, for the diagnosis of cancers at stages
when cure is possible through surgery and/or radiotherapy;
3. Estimation
of Prognosis. Improved
methods for estimation of prognosis by molecular sub-classification of
histologically indistinguishable tumor subtypes; and
4. Assessment
of Therapeutic Effectiveness. Improved
methods to assess therapeutic effectiveness by monitoring with biomarker assays
persistence or reappearance of cancer during and after treatment and during
drug
development.
Each
market is discussed below.
10
1. Improved
Cancer Treatments
We
will
seek to develop improved therapeutic regimens when biomarkers provide insight
into pathways vulnerable to chemical and/or immunological attack. Some tumor
biomarkers have specific (enzymatic) functions and are “drugable,” that is,
their function can be altered pharmacologically. For example, the identification
of the biomarker specific to regulation of GBMs has led to development of an
assay for screening compounds for anti-GBM activity.
2. Diagnostic
Assays
We
intend
to work under the CRADA with NINDS to assess the clinical potential of the
new
biomarker for GBM. Using the approach developed by Dr. Zhuang to identify
markers for GBM and for other rare tumors, we also intend to initiate searches
for biomarkers in other common cancers for which there is no highly specific
and
sensitive blood test for early detection. The initial focus, in addition
to
GBMs, is ovarian and gastric cancer. For these diseases, a reliable blood
test
for their detection at an early surgically curable stage would save many
lives.
If we are successful in increasing our resources, research will likely be
extended to the identification of biomarkers for stomach and ovarian cancer,
and
subsequently to biomarkers for breast, prostate, colon, bladder and kidney
cancers.
3. Estimation
of Prognosis
There
is
a wide spectrum of aggressiveness and responsiveness to drug treatments for
many
cancers that are clinically indistinguishable with present methods of
classification. Judgment of the aggressiveness of most cancers is currently
based on their morphologic appearance under the microscope and, for some tumors,
on a few molecular features such as hormone receptors associated with breast
cancers. There are few biomarkers sufficiently reliable to predict the prognosis
of a given cancer patient so that treatment intensity can be adjusted with
confidence toward less or more toxic regimens.
4. Assessment
of Therapeutic Effectiveness
We
believe that specific and sensitive biomarkers for any human cancer are in
great
demand by pharmaceutical companies and by the National Cancer Institute as
aids
to drug development and to the development of targeted drug treatment. In
addition, we believe that biomarkers that reflect disease progression and
regression during initial clinical evaluation of new therapeutic agents could
greatly reduce the cost of new drug development. To assess the effectiveness
of
a specific treatment, it would be less expensive and more efficient to monitor
the appearance and disappearance of a biomarker in the blood than to monitor
the
course of disease by radiological imaging.
Product
Development
We
will
become subject to FDA regulations at such time as we pursue development of
clinical trials. Additionally, any product for which we obtain marketing
approval, along with the manufacturing processes, post-approval clinical data
and promotional activities for such product, will be subject to continual review
and periodic inspections by the FDA and other regulatory bodies. Even if
regulatory approval of a product is granted, the approval may be subject to
limitations on the indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or
contain requirements for costly post-marketing testing and surveillance to
monitor the safety or efficacy of the product. Later discovery of previously
unknown problems with our products, including unanticipated adverse events
or
adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, manufacturer or
manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements,
may
result in restrictions on such products or manufacturing processes, withdrawal
of the products from the market, voluntary or mandatory recall, fines,
suspension of regulatory approvals, product seizures, injunctions or the
imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
11
Competition
The
life
sciences industry is highly competitive and subject to rapid and profound
technological change. We believe that several companies are investigating
biomarkers for every human cancer. These companies include firms seeking a
better understanding of molecular variability in human brain tumors with the
objective to be able to use such information to design better treatments. Our
present and potential competitors include major pharmaceutical companies, as
well as specialized biotechnology and life sciences firms in the United States
and in other countries. Most of these companies have considerably greater
financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. Additional mergers
and
acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result
in
even more resources being concentrated in our competitors. Our existing or
prospective competitors may develop processes or products that are more
effective than ours or be more effective at implementing their technologies
to
develop commercial products faster. Our competitors may succeed in obtaining
patent protection and/or receiving regulatory approval for commercializing
products before us. Developments by our competitors may render our product
candidates obsolete or non-competitive.
We
also
experience competition from universities and other research institutions, and
we
are likely to compete with others in acquiring technology from those sources.
There can be no assurance that others will not develop technologies with
significant advantages over those that we are seeking to develop. Any such
development could harm our business.
We
face
competition from other companies seeking to identify and commercialize cancer
biomarkers. We also compete with universities and other research institutions
engaged in research in these areas. Many of our competitors have greater
technical and financial resources than we do.
Our
ability to compete successfully is based on numerous factors,
including:
·
|
the
cost-effectiveness of any product we ultimately commercialize relative
to
competing products;
|
·
|
the
ease of use and ready availability of any product we bring to
market;
|
·
|
the
accuracy of a diagnostic test designed by us in detecting cancers,
including overcoming the propensity for “false positive” results;
and
|
·
|
the
relative speed with which we are able to bring any product resulting
from
our research to market in our target
markets.
|
If
we are
unable to distinguish our products from competing products, or if competing
products reach the market first, we may be unable to compete successfully with
current or future competitors. This would cause our revenues to decline and
affect our ability to achieve profitability.
Employees
As
of
December 31, 2007, we had no full-time employees. Dr. Kovach is a Professor
in
the Department of Preventive Medicine at SUNY, in Stony Brook, New York.
He
received approvals from the School of Medicine of Stony Brook University
and
from the New York State Ethics Commission to operate the Company (or to serve
as
CEO of the Company) and to hold greater than 5% of our outstanding
shares.
Our
investment commitments in the research efforts pursuant to the CRADA fund
two
technical assistants who work under the supervision of Dr. Zhuang on the
objectives of the CRADA. Dr. Kovach devotes approximately 30 hours per week
with
respect to his activities involving the Company, including research planning
and
design and monitoring of the research progress under the CRADA. Dr. Kovach’s
contributions are made outside of his academic responsibilities.
12
Properties
At
present, we conduct all laboratory activities at NIH under the CRADA. We
also
collected and stored samples of human tumors other than brain cancers under
a
service agreement with the University of Regensburg, Germany, which was
terminated in January 2008. The Company maintains a single office in a
designated area of Dr. Kovach's residence and receives mail at the post office
depot, 248 Route 25A, No. 2, East Setauket, New York 11733.
Government
Regulation
At
its
present stage of development, our business is not subject to any specific
government regulation with respect to its ongoing research and plan service
agreement. Our only collaborator at present is National Institute of
Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS) of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). This collaboration is defined in CRADA 2165 under which NINDS evaluates
compounds for their ability to inhibit the growth of brain tumor cells. The
NINDS laboratory that is carrying out this activity is a research laboratory
that operates in compliance with various federal and state's statutes and
regulations including the OSHA. All activities of this laboratory are monitored
by the compliance office of NINDS.
We
negotiated a service agreement with Regensburg University, Germany for access
to
“waste” samples of various human cancers and serum and urine from individuals
with cancers. The collection, preparation, storage, and transfer of these
materials are subject to the investigational review board of the University,
which operates under the requirements of the Free State of Bavaria. The
materials are anonymized by the personnel by the University of Regensburg
so
that the business has no way to link clinical samples to any individuals.
This
process is in compliance with the requirements of the CRADA and with FDA
regulations concerning the study of clinical material. This agreement was
terminated on January 12, 2008.
There
are
no other regulations affecting the pursuit of the goals of the business. In
the
future, if and when we develop
an independent laboratory, that laboratory would be subject to the same
regulations that apply to any laboratory carrying out research on biological
samples. Should we develop an independent laboratory, it will engage a
compliance expert to formally assess the status of the laboratory with respect
to federal occupational and environmental regulations and also those regulations
of the state in which the laboratory is located as these regulations pertain
to
the operation of the laboratory.
In
the
future, we anticipate that as part of the CRADA with NINDS lead compounds
identified as active in vitro by the NINDS laboratory will be assessed for
activity in animal models (mouse/rat) of human brain tumors. Such activities
by
NINDS and the business would be carried out in compliance with all applicable
Statutes, Executive Capital Orders, HHS regulations and all FDA, CDC, and
NIH
policies as specified in Article 13, 13.1 and 13.2, of the PHS
CRADA.
Our
business will become subject to the regulations of the FDA when we begin to
pursue development of clinical trials. Clinical trials are research studies
to
answer specific questions about new therapies or new ways of using known
treatments. Clinical trials are use to determine whether new drugs or treatments
are both safe and effective and the FDA has determined that carefully conducted
clinical trials are the fastest and safest way to find treatment that work
in
people.
13
The
ultimate objective of our CRADA is to identify, characterize, and bring to
clinical trial regimens for the treatment of human brain tumors (GBMs). We
estimate that we are at least one year from being in a position to begin
discussing development of a clinical trial. Such a clinical trial would most
likely be conducted by us in association with a pharmaceutical company in
association with NIH under the existing CRADA or under a new CRADA or with
a
pharmaceutical company without association with NIH. In either case, we would
be
primarily responsible for filing and obtaining approval from the FDA of an
Investigational New Drug Application (IND). In the event that we seek to raise
sufficient capital to conduct a phase I clinical trial without a partner in
the
pharmaceutical industry in collaboration with NIH or independently, we would
become subject to FDA regulation as we sought to obtain an IND for clinical
evaluation of a therapeutic regimen with the long-range goal of receiving FDA
approval of the drug for commercial use. Acquisition of an IND from the FDA
is
the process that triggers FDA review and oversight as federal law requires
that
a drug be the subject of an approved marketing application before it is
transported to clinical investigations, unless exempted. The IND is the means
through which we would obtain such exemption. During a new drug's early
preclinical development, our primary goal is to determine if the product is
reasonably safe for initial use in humans, and if the compound exhibits
pharmacological activity that justifies commercial development. When a product
is identified as a viable candidate for further development, we would then
focus
on collecting the data and information necessary to establish that the product
will not expose humans to unreasonable risks when used in limited, early-stage
clinical studies. The
FDA's
role in the development of a new drug begins when we, having screened the new
molecule for pharmacological activity and acute toxicity potential in animals,
want to test its diagnostic or therapeutic potential in humans. At that point,
the molecule changes in legal status under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act and becomes a new drug subject to specific requirements of the drug
regulatory system. Once the IND is submitted, we must wait 30 calendar days
before initiating any clinical trials. During this time, FDA has an opportunity
to review the IND for safety to assure that research subjects will not be
subjected to unreasonable risk.
The
first
phase of clinical trials, Phase I trials, are the initial studies to determine
the metabolism and pharmacologic action of drugs in humans, the side effects
associated with increasing doses, and to gain early evidence of effectiveness.
If we were to conduct clinical trials on our own, it is likely that only a
Phase
I type trial would be done. In such a trial a new investigational drug or
combination of drugs is first introduced into humans. For the evaluation of
anticancer drugs, patients entering such trials are those for whom no means
of
therapy is known to be associated with benefit. Such studies are closely
monitored and require approval from the FDA including a proposal for the conduct
of the clinical trial.
The
FDA
also requires that an independent review body consider the benefits and risks
of
a clinical trial and grant approval for the proposed study including selecting
of initial doses, plans for escalation of dose, plans for modification of dose
if toxicity is encountered, plans for monitoring the well being of individuals
participating in the study and for defining and measuring to the extent possible
any untoward effects related to drug administration. Serious adverse effects
such as life-threatening toxicities and death are immediately reportable to
the
review body and to the FDA. To minimize risk when studying a new drug, the
initial dose is well below that expected on the basis of animal studies to
cause
any toxicity. No more than three patients are entered at a given dose and in
general dose is not escalated within patients. Once safety is established by
the
absence of toxicity or low toxicity in a group of three patients, a plan high
dose is then evaluated in a subsequent group of three individuals and so on
until dose-limiting toxicity is encountered. The dose level producing definite
but acceptable toxicity is then selected as the dose level to be evaluated
in
Phase II trials. Thus, the goal of Phase I studies is to determine the
appropriate dose level for evaluation of drug efficacy in patients with the
same
type of tumor at comparable stages of progression for whom no beneficial
treatment is established. The
duration of a Phase I trial is generally from 4 to 9 months.
In
addition to regulations imposed by the FDA, depending on our future activities,
we may become subject to regulation under various federal and state statutes
and
regulations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Environmental
Protection Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Research Conservation
and
Recovery Act, national restrictions on technology transfer, and import, export
and customs regulations. From time to time, other federal agencies and
congressional committees have indicated an interest in implementing further
regulation of biotechnology applications. We are not able to predict whether
any
such regulations will be adopted or whether, if adopted, such regulations will
apply to our business, or whether we or our collaborators would be able to
comply with any applicable regulations.
In
addition, as we intend to market our products in international markets, we
may
be required to obtain separate regulatory approvals from the European Union
and
many other foreign jurisdictions. Approval by the FDA does not ensure approval
by regulatory authorities in other countries, and approval by one foreign
regulatory authority does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in
other
foreign countries or by the FDA. We may not be able to file for regulatory
approvals and may not receive necessary approvals to commercialize our products
in any market. As we are currently in the development stage, we cannot
predict
the impact on us from any such regulations.
14
RISK
FACTORS
Please
consider the following risk factors together with the other information
presented in this Report, including the financial statements and the notes
thereto.
RISKS
RELATED TO BUSINESS
We
are engaged in early stage research and as such may not be successful in our
efforts to develop a portfolio of commercially viable
products.
A
key
element of our strategy is to discover, develop and commercialize a portfolio
of
new drugs and diagnostic tests. We are seeking to do so through our internal
research programs. A significant portion of the research that we are conducting
involves new and unproven technologies. Research programs to identify new
disease targets and product candidates require substantial technical, financial
and human resources whether or not any candidates or technologies are ultimately
identified. Our research programs may initially show promise in identifying
potential product candidates, yet fail to yield product candidates for clinical
development for any of the following reasons:
·
|
the
research methodology used may not be successful in identifying potential
product candidates;
|
·
|
product
candidates for diagnostic tests may on further study be shown to
not
obtain an acceptable level of accuracy;
or
|
·
|
product
candidates for drugs may on further study be shown to have harmful
side
effects or other characteristics that indicate they are unlikely
to be
effective drugs.
|
Although
we have identified one potential product candidate in the area of brain tumors,
the work needed to demonstrate its commercial viability is at a very early
stage. The follow-up research needed to demonstrate the viability of the product
is costly and time-consuming and may reveal that the product does not function
as expected or that it is otherwise not commercially viable.
If
we are
unable to discover suitable potential product candidates, develop additional
delivery technologies through internal research programs or in-license suitable
products or delivery technologies on acceptable business terms, our business
prospects will suffer.
We
do not expect to obtain any revenues for several years and there is no assurance
that we will ever generate revenue or be profitable. If we do not generate
revenues and achieve profitability, we will be forced to cease or substantially
curtail our operations and you may lose your entire
investment.
Because
we are currently engaged in research at a very early stage, significant time
may
be required to develop any product or intellectual property capable of
generating revenues. As such, our business is unlikely to generate any revenue
in the next several years and may never do so. Even if we are able to generate
revenues in the future through licensing our technologies or through product
sales, there is no assurance that our revenues will exceed our expenses. Should
we fail to achieve profitability, you may lose your entire
investment.
We
will
need to raise additional funds in the future and these funds may not be
available on acceptable terms or at all.
15
The
funds
we raised in the private placements will not be sufficient to fully develop
and
commercialize any products that may arise from our research. We will also
need
to raise additional funds in order to satisfy our future liquidity requirements.
In the near term, we expect to require approximately $3,000,000 of additional
funding to enable us to develop our lead compounds to a point allowing for
submission of an IND to the FDA to institute Phase I trials. Additionally,
the
amount and timing of future cash requirements will depend on market acceptance
of our products, if any, and the resources we devote to developing and
supporting our products. We will need to fund these cash requirements from
a
combination of debt or equity financings and the sale, licensing or joint
venturing of our intellectual properties. Current market conditions present
uncertainty as to our ability to secure additional funds, as well as our
ability
to reach profitability. There can be no assurances that we will be able to
secure additional financing, or obtain favorable terms on such financing
if it
is available, or as to our ability to achieve positive cash flow from
operations. Continued negative cash flows and lack of liquidity create
significant uncertainty about our ability to fully implement our operating
plan
and we may have to reduce the scope of our planned operations. If cash and
cash
equivalents are insufficient to satisfy our liquidity requirements, we would
be
required to scale back or discontinue our product development program, or
obtain
funds if available through strategic alliances that may require us to relinquish
rights to certain of our technologies or discontinue our
operations.
Our
auditors have included a going concern assumption in their
opinion.
The
opinion of our auditors regarding our financial statements includes concerns
about our ability to continue as a going concern in view of the fact that
we are
in the development stage and have not generated revenues
from operations. All activity through December 31, 2007 related to our
formation, capital raising efforts and initial research and development
activities. As such, we have yet to generate any cash flows from operations,
and
are essentially dependent on debt and equity funding from both related and
unrelated parties to finance our operations. Prior to June 30 2006, cash
requirements for Lixte, our operating subsidiary, were funded by advances
from
Dr. John Kovach, Lixte’s founder, our current Chief Executive Officer. On June
30, 2006, we completed an initial closing of a private placement, selling
1,973,869 shares of common stock at a price of $0.333 per share and receiving
net proceeds of $522,939. On July 27, 2006, we completed a second closing
of a
private placement, selling 1,581,351 shares of common stock at a price of
$0.333
per share and receiving net proceeds of $446,433. On December 12, 2007, we
completed another private placement, selling 999,995 shares of common stock
at a
price of $0.65 per share and receiving net proceeds of $531,320.
Because
we are currently engaged in research at a very early stage, it will likely
take
a significant amount of time to develop any product or intellectual property
capable of generating revenues. As such, our business is unlikely to generate
any revenue in the next several years and may never do so. Even if we are able
to generate revenues in the future through licensing our technologies or through
product sales, there can be no assurance that such revenues will exceed our
expenses.
Based
on
the proceeds received from the December 2007 private placement, we may not
have
sufficient resources to completely fund our planned operations for the next
twelve months. We do not have sufficient resources to fully develop and
commercialize any products that may arise from our research. We will need
to
raise approximately $3,000,000 of additional funds in order to satisfy our
near-term working capital requirements. Additionally, the amount and timing
of
future cash requirements will depend on market acceptance of our products,
if
any, and the resources that we devote to developing and supporting our products.
We will need to fund these cash requirements from a combination of debt or
equity financings and the sale, licensing or joint venturing of our intellectual
properties.
Current
market conditions present uncertainty as to our ability to secure additional
funds, as well as our ability to reach profitability. There can be no assurances
that we will be able to secure additional financing, or obtain favorable terms
on such financing if it is available, or as to our ability to reach
profitability. There can be no assurances that we will be able to secure
additional financing, or obtain favorable terms on such financing if it is
available, or as to our ability to achieve positive cash flow from operations.
Continued negative cash flows and lack of liquidity create significant
uncertainty about our ability to fully implement our operating plan and we
may
have to reduce the scope of our planned operations. If cash and cash equivalents
are insufficient to satisfy our liquidity requirements, we would be required
to
scale back or discontinue our product development program, or obtain funds
if
available through strategic alliances that may require us to relinquish rights
to certain of our technologies or discontinue our operations.
16
If
we are unable to secure licenses to technologies or materials vital to our
business, or if the rights to technologies that we have licensed terminate,
our
commercialization efforts could be delayed or fail.
In
February 2006, a provisional patent application was filed covering certain
methods and classes of molecules that we expect to be the foundation of our
product development and commercialization efforts with respect to human brain
tumors that are subject to the CRADA. In February 2007, a PCT international
patent covering all countries participating in the Patent Cooperation Treaty
was
filed and a similar non-provisional patent was filed in the U.S, containing
all
claims in the provisional patent plus additional claims. Any patents resulting
from these applications will be jointly owned by us and the U.S.
Government. We are negotiating with the government on the terms of exclusive
commercialization rights with respect to those patents. However, should we
be
unable to reach such an agreement, or should we be unable to reach such an
agreement in the future pertaining to other technologies owned by the government
or third parties, this could harm our businesses. Additionally, if those
licenses terminate and we are unable to renew them, or must renew them only
on
unfavorable terms, such events could require us to cease providing products
or
services using such licensed technology and, therefore, would likely result
in
loss of revenue for our business.
If
we were to materially breach our present collaboration agreement or any future
license or collaboration agreements, we could lose our ability to commercialize
the related technologies, and our business could be materially and adversely
affected.
We
are
party to a research collaboration agreement and intend to enter into
intellectual property licenses and agreements, all of which will be integral
to
our business. These licenses and agreements impose various research,
development, commercialization, sublicensing, royalty, indemnification,
insurance and other obligations on us. If we or our collaborators fail to
perform under these agreements or otherwise breach obligations imposed by them,
we could lose intellectual property rights that are important to our
business.
We
may not be successful in establishing additional strategic collaborations,
which
could adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize
products.
In
the
future, we may seek opportunities to establish new collaborations, joint
ventures and strategic collaborations for the development and commercialization
of products we discover. We face significant competition in seeking appropriate
collaborators and the negotiation process is time-consuming and complex. We
may
not be successful in our efforts to establish additional strategic
collaborations or other alternative arrangements. Even if we are successful
in
our efforts to establish a collaboration or agreement, the terms that we
establish may not be favorable to us. Finally, such strategic alliances or
other
arrangements may not result in successful products and associated
revenue.
The
life sciences industry is highly competitive and subject to rapid technological
change.
The
life
sciences industry is highly competitive and subject to rapid and profound
technological change. Our present and potential competitors include major
pharmaceutical companies, as well as specialized biotechnology and life sciences
firms in the United States and in other countries. Most of these companies
have
considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do.
Additional mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology
industries may result in even more resources being concentrated in our
competitors. Our existing or prospective competitors may develop processes
or
products that are more effective than ours or be more effective at implementing
their technologies to develop commercial products faster. Our competitors may
succeed in obtaining patent protection and/or receiving regulatory approval
for
commercializing products before us. Developments by our competitors may render
our product candidates obsolete or non-competitive.
17
We
also
experience competition from universities and other research institutions, and
we
are likely to compete with others in acquiring technology from those sources.
There can be no assurance that others will not develop technologies with
significant advantages over those that we are seeking to develop. Any such
development could harm our business.
We
may be unable to compete successfully with our
competitors.
We
face
competition from other companies seeking to identify and commercialize cancer
biomarkers. We also compete with universities and other research institutions
engaged in research in these areas. Many of our competitors have greater
technical and financial resources than we do.
Our
ability to compete successfully is based on numerous factors,
including:
·
|
the
cost-effectiveness of any product we ultimately commercialize relative
to
competing products;
|
·
|
the
ease of use and ready availability of any product we bring to
market;
|
·
|
the
accuracy of a diagnostic test designed by us in detecting cancers,
including overcoming the propensity for “false positive” results;
and
|
·
|
the
relative speed with which we are able to bring any product resulting
from
our research to market in our target
markets.
|
If
we are
unable to distinguish our products from competing products, or if competing
products reach the market first, we may be unable to compete successfully with
current or future competitors. This would cause our revenues to decline and
affect our ability to achieve profitability.
We
depend on certain key scientific personnel for our success who do not work
full
time for us. The loss of any such personnel could adversely affect our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Our
success depends on the continued availability and contributions of our Chief
Executive Officer and founder, Dr. John S. Kovach, as well as the continued
availability and contributions of Dr. Zhengping Zhuang and other collaborators
at the NIH. In particular, Dr. Kovach is 71 years old, and, because of his
arrangement with the State University of New York, does not devote his full
time
to us, although Dr. Kovach generally devotes approximately 30 hours per week
to
our business activities. The loss of services of any of these persons could
delay or reduce our product development and commercialization efforts.
Furthermore, recruiting and retaining qualified scientific personnel to perform
future research and development work will be critical to our success. The
loss
of members of our scientific personnel, or our inability to attract or retain
other qualified personnel or advisors, could significant weaken our management,
harm our ability to compete effectively and harm our business.
Our
key personnel are involved in other business activities and may face a conflict
in selecting between their other business interests and our
business.
Dr.
John
Kovach, our Chief Executive Officer, also is a Professor in the Department
of
Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University, New York. He may also become
involved in the future with other business opportunities, which may become
available. Accordingly, our key personnel may face a conflict in selecting
between us and their other business interests. We have not formulated a policy
for the resolution of such conflicts. Dr. Zhengping Zhuang is a full-time
employee of NIH. Under a formal agreement with the NIH, he participates
with the Company under a CRADA that defines the scope of his collaboration,
and
he therefore does not face a conflict of interest.
18
We
expect to rely heavily on third parties for the conduct of clinical trials
of
our product candidates. If these clinical trials are not successful, or if
we or
our collaborators are not able to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals,
we
will not be able to commercialize our product
candidates.
In
order
to obtain regulatory approval for the commercial sale of our product candidates,
we and our collaborators will be required to complete extensive preclinical
studies as well as clinical trials in humans to demonstrate to the FDA and
foreign regulatory authorities that our product candidates are safe and
effective.
Dr.
Kovach is experienced in the design and conduct of early clinical cancer
trials,
having been the lead investigator for a National Cancer Institute Phase I
contract for ten years at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Lixte, however,
has no experience in conducting clinical trials and expects to rely heavily
on
collaborative partners and contract research organizations for their performance
and management of clinical trials of our product candidates.
Clinical
development, including preclinical testing, is a long, expensive and uncertain
process. Prior to conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials in
humans,
we anticipate that the following steps will be taken: identification of
lead
compounds in vitro studies, followed by documentation of activity in an
animal
model of a particular disease entity, and determination of toxicity of
the new
therapy(s) in an animal system usually consisting of the mouse and often
the
dog. For new diagnostic tests, pre-clinical studies involve demonstration
of
recognition of specific endpoints associated with the presence or progression
of
disease in a manner that suggest relevance to clinical diagnosis and/or
assessment of prognosis. It is expected that for us to carry new treatments
to
clinical trials, an agreement will be negotiated with NIH to conduct the
trial
as part of a new CRADA or a pharmaceutical company, most probably in conjunction
with NIH as co-inventor of the new therapies. Accordingly, preclinical
testing
and clinical trials, if any, of our product candidates under development
may not
be successful. We and our collaborators could experience delays in preclinical
or clinical trials of any of our product candidates, obtain unfavorable
results
in a development program, or fail to obtain regulatory approval for the
commercialization of a product. Preclinical studies or clinical trials
may
produce negative, inconsistent or inconclusive results, and we or our
collaborators may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional
preclinical studies or clinical trials. The results from early clinical
trials
may not be statistically significant or predictive of results that will
be
obtained from expanded, advanced clinical trials.
Furthermore,
the timing and completion of clinical trials, if any, of our product candidates
depend on, among other factors, the number of patients we will be required
to
enroll in the clinical trials and the rate at which those patients are enrolled.
Any increase in the required number of patients, decrease in recruitment rates
or difficulties retaining study participants may result in increased costs,
program delays or both.
Also,
our
products under development may not be effective in treating any of our targeted
disorders or may prove to have undesirable or unintended side effects,
toxicities or other characteristics that may prevent or limit their commercial
use. Institutional review boards or regulators, including the FDA, may hold,
suspend or terminate our clinical research or the clinical trials of our product
candidates for various reasons, including non-compliance with regulatory
requirements or if, in their opinion, the participating subjects are being
exposed to unacceptable health risks. Additionally, the failure of third parties
conducting or overseeing the operation of the clinical trials to perform their
contractual or regulatory obligations in a timely fashion could delay the
clinical trials. Failure of clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing.
Any of these events would adversely affect our ability to market a product
candidate.
The
development process necessary to obtain regulatory approval is lengthy, complex
and expensive. If we and our collaborative partners do not obtain necessary
regulatory approvals, then our business will be unsuccessful and the market
price of our common stock will substantially decline.
19
To
the
extent that we, or our collaborative partners, are able to successfully advance
a product candidate through the clinic, we, or such partner, will be required
to
obtain regulatory approval prior to marketing and selling such
product.
The
process of obtaining FDA and other required regulatory approvals is expensive.
The time required for FDA and other approvals is uncertain and typically takes
a
number of years, depending on the complexity and novelty of the
product.
Any
regulatory approval to market a product may be subject to limitations on the
indicated uses for which we, or our collaborative partners, may market the
product. These limitations may restrict the size of the market for the product
and affect reimbursement by third-party payors. In addition, regulatory agencies
may not grant approvals on a timely basis or may revoke or significantly modify
previously granted approvals.
We,
or
our collaborative partners, also are subject to numerous foreign regulatory
requirements governing the manufacturing and marketing of our potential future
products outside of the United States. The approval procedure varies among
countries, additional testing may be required in some jurisdictions, and the
time required to obtain foreign approvals often differs from that required
to
obtain FDA approvals. Moreover, approval by the FDA does not ensure approval
by
regulatory authorities in other countries, and vice versa.
As
a
result of these factors, we or our collaborators may not successfully begin
or
complete clinical trials in the time periods estimated, if at all. Moreover,
if
we or our collaborators incur costs and delays in development programs or fail
to successfully develop and commercialize products based upon our technologies,
we may not become profitable and our stock price could decline.
Even
if our products are approved by regulatory authorities, if we fail to comply
with ongoing regulatory requirements, or if we experience unanticipated problems
with our products, these products could be subject to restrictions or withdrawal
from the market.
Any
product for which we obtain marketing approval, along with the manufacturing
processes, post-approval clinical data and promotional activities for such
product, will be subject to continual review and periodic inspections by the
FDA
and other regulatory bodies. Even if regulatory approval of a product is
granted, the approval may be subject to limitations on the indicated uses for
which the product may be marketed or contain requirements for costly
post-marketing testing and surveillance to monitor the safety or efficacy of
the
product. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with our products,
including unanticipated adverse events or adverse events of unanticipated
severity or frequency, manufacturer or manufacturing processes, or failure
to
comply with regulatory requirements, may result in restrictions on such products
or manufacturing processes, withdrawal of the products from the market,
voluntary or mandatory recall, fines, suspension of regulatory approvals,
product seizures, injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal
penalties.
Failure
to obtain regulatory approval in foreign jurisdictions will prevent us from
marketing our products abroad.
We
intend
to market our products in international markets. In order to market our products
in the European Union and many other foreign jurisdictions, we must obtain
separate regulatory approvals. The approval procedure varies among countries
and
can involve additional testing, and the time required to obtain approval may
differ from that required to obtain FDA approval. The foreign regulatory
approval process may include all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA
approval. We may not obtain foreign regulatory approvals on a timely basis,
if
at all. Approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities
in other countries, and approval by one foreign regulatory authority does not
ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other foreign countries or by
the
FDA. We may not be able to file for regulatory approvals and may not receive
necessary approvals to commercialize our products in any market.
20
We
are subject to uncertainty relating to health care reform measures and
reimbursement policies which, if not favorable to our product candidates, could
hinder or prevent our product candidates’ commercial
success.
The
continuing efforts of the government, insurance companies, managed care
organizations and other payors of health care costs to contain or reduce costs
of health care may adversely affect:
·
|
our
ability to generate revenues and achieve
profitability;
|
·
|
the
future revenues and profitability of our potential customers, suppliers
and collaborators; and
|
·
|
the
availability of capital.
|
In
certain foreign markets, the pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is subject
to government control. In the United States, given recent federal and state
government initiatives directed at lowering the total cost of health care,
the
U.S. Congress
and state legislatures will likely continue to focus on health care reform,
the
cost of prescription pharmaceuticals and on the reform of the Medicare and
Medicaid systems. For example, legislation was enacted on December 8, 2003,
which provides a new Medicare prescription drug benefit beginning in 2006 and
mandates other reforms. While we cannot predict the full effects of the
implementation of this new legislation or whether any legislative or regulatory
proposals affecting our business will be adopted, the implementation of this
legislation or announcement or adoption of these proposals could have a material
and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
Our
ability to commercialize our product candidates successfully will depend in
part
on the extent to which governmental authorities, private health insurers and
other organizations establish appropriate reimbursement levels for the cost
of
our products and related treatments. Third-party payors are increasingly
challenging the prices charged for medical products and services. Also, the
trend toward managed health care in the United States, which could significantly
influence the purchase of health care services and products, as well as
legislative proposals to reform health care or reduce government insurance
programs, may result in lower prices for our product candidates or exclusion
of
our product candidates from reimbursement programs. The cost containment
measures that health care payors and providers are instituting and the effect
of
any health care reform could materially and adversely affect our results of
operations.
If
physicians and patients do not accept the products that we may develop, our
ability to generate product revenue in the future will be adversely
affected.
The
product candidates that we may develop may not gain market acceptance among
physicians, healthcare payors, patients and the medical community. This will
adversely affect our ability to generate revenue. Market acceptance of and
demand for any product that we may develop will depend on many factors,
including:
·
|
our
ability to provide acceptable evidence of safety and
efficacy;
|
·
|
convenience
and ease of administration;
|
·
|
prevalence
and severity of adverse side
effects;
|
·
|
availability
of alternative treatments or diagnostic
tests;
|
·
|
cost
effectiveness;
|
·
|
effectiveness
of our marketing strategy and the pricing of any product that we
may
develop;
|
21
·
|
publicity
concerning our products or competitive products;
and
|
·
|
our
ability to obtain third-party coverage or
reimbursement.
|
We
face the risk of product liability claims and may not be able to obtain
insurance.
Our
business exposes us to the risk of product liability claims that is inherent
in
the testing, manufacturing, and marketing of drugs and related devices. Although
we will obtain product liability and clinical trial liability insurance when
appropriate, this insurance is subject to deductibles and coverage limitations.
We may not be able to obtain or maintain adequate protection against potential
liabilities. In addition, if any of our product candidates are approved for
marketing, we may seek additional insurance coverage. If we are unable to obtain
insurance at acceptable cost or on acceptable terms with adequate coverage
or
otherwise protect against potential product liability claims, we will be exposed
to significant liabilities, which may harm our business. These liabilities
could
prevent or interfere with our product commercialization efforts. Defending
a
suit, regardless of merit, could be costly, could divert management attention
and might result in adverse publicity or reduced acceptance of our products
in
the market.
We
cannot be certain we will be able to obtain patent protection to protect our
product candidates and technology.
We
cannot
be certain that any patent or patents will be issued based on the pending
provisional patent application we recently filed. If a third party has also
filed a patent application relating to an invention claimed by us or our
licensors, we may be required to participate in an interference proceeding
declared by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to determine priority of
invention, which could result in substantial uncertainties and cost for us,
even
if the eventual outcome is favorable to us. The degree of future protection
for
our proprietary rights is uncertain. For example:
·
|
we
or our licensors might not have been the first to make the inventions
covered by our pending or future patent
applications;
|
·
|
we
or our licensors might not have been the first to file patent applications
for these inventions;
|
·
|
others
may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or
duplicate
any of our technologies;
|
·
|
it
is possible that our patent applications will not result in an issued
patent or patents, or that the scope of protection granted by any
patents
arising from our patent applications will be significantly narrower
than
expected;
|
·
|
any
patents under which we hold ultimate rights may not provide us with
a
basis for commercially-viable products, may not provide us with any
competitive advantages or may be challenged by third parties as not
infringed, invalid, or unenforceable under United States or foreign
laws;
|
·
|
any
patent issued to us in the future or under which we hold rights may
not be
valid or enforceable; or
|
·
|
we
may develop additional proprietary technologies that are not patentable
and which may not be adequately protected through trade secrets;
for
example if a competitor independently develops duplicative, similar,
or
alternative technologies.
|
22
If
we are not able to protect and control our unpatented trade secrets, know-how
and other technological innovation, we may suffer competitive
harm.
We
also
rely on proprietary trade secrets and unpatented know-how to protect our
research and development activities, particularly when we do not believe that
patent protection is appropriate or available. However, trade secrets are
difficult to protect. We will attempt to protect our trade secrets and
unpatented know-how by requiring our employees, consultants and advisors to
execute a confidentiality and non-use agreement. We cannot guarantee that these
agreements will provide meaningful protection, that these agreements will not
be
breached, that we will have an adequate remedy for any such breach, or that
our
trade secrets will not otherwise become known or independently developed by
a
third party. Our trade secrets, and those of our present or future collaborators
that we utilize by agreement, may become known or may be independently
discovered by others, which could adversely affect the competitive position
of
our product candidates.
We
may incur substantial costs enforcing our patents, defending against third-party
patents, invalidating third-party patents or licensing third-party intellectual
property, as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to patent
and
other intellectual property rights.
We
may
not have rights under some patents or patent applications that may cover
technologies that we use in our research, drug targets that we select, or
product candidates that we seek to develop and commercialize. Third parties
may
own or control these patents and patent applications in the United States and
abroad. These third parties could bring claims against us or our collaborators
that would cause us to incur substantial expenses and, if successful against
us,
could cause us to pay substantial damages. Further, if a patent infringement
suit were brought against us or our collaborators, we or they could be forced
to
stop or delay research, development, manufacturing or sales of the product
or
product candidate that is the subject of the suit. We or our collaborators
therefore may choose to seek, or be required to seek, a license from the
third-party and would most likely be required to pay license fees or royalties
or both. These licenses may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all.
Even if we or our collaborators were able to obtain a license, the rights may
be
nonexclusive, which would give our competitors access to the same intellectual
property. Ultimately, we could be prevented from commercializing a product,
or
forced to cease some aspect of our business operations, as a result of patent
infringement claims, which could harm our business.
There
has
been substantial litigation and other proceedings regarding patent and other
intellectual property rights in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Although we are not currently a party to any patent litigation or any other
adversarial proceeding, including any interference proceeding declared before
the United States Patent and Trademark Office, regarding intellectual property
rights with respect to our products and technology, we may become so in the
future. We are not currently aware of any actual or potential third party
infringement claim involving our products. The cost to us of any patent
litigation or other proceeding, even if resolved in our favor, could be
substantial. The outcome of patent litigation is subject to uncertainties that
cannot be adequately quantified in advance, including the demeanor and
credibility of witnesses and the identity of the adverse party, especially
in
biotechnology related patent cases that may turn on the testimony of experts
as
to technical facts upon which experts may reasonably disagree. Some of our
competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings
more effectively than we can because of their substantially greater financial
resources. If a patent or other proceeding is resolved against us, we may be
enjoined from researching, developing, manufacturing or commercializing our
products without a license from the other party and we may be held liable for
significant damages. We may not be able to obtain any required license on
commercially acceptable terms or at all.
Uncertainties
resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other
proceedings could harm our ability to compete in the marketplace. Patent
litigation and other proceedings may also absorb significant management
time.
23
If
our products were derived from tissue or other samples from a patient without
the patient’s consent, we could be forced to pay royalties or cease selling our
products.
An
essential component of our business is our ability to obtain well-characterized
tissue and other samples from patients. To that end, on January 5, 2007, we
entered into an agreement with the Institute of Pathology at the University
of
Regensburg in Germany to collect samples of colon, kidney, bladder, stomach,
breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers for biomarker discovery programs focused
on these cancers. The Agreement has now been terminated. Although we believe
that all necessary consents have been and will be obtained from any patient
who
donates samples for our research purposes, there is a risk that, without our
knowledge and through inadvertence or neglect, proper consents will not be
obtained from all patients. The responsibility for obtaining the consents is
vested in the physicians at the University
of
Regensburg.
If a
patient does not give a proper consent and we develop a product using a sample
obtained from him or her, we could be forced to pay royalties or to cease
selling that product. All tissue samples are de-identified when they are sent
to
us. We have no way to link any of our studies to an individual
patient. Therefore, the risk of an individual patient objecting to
development of any product is extremely remote.
If
we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, our competitors
may
develop and market products with similar features that may reduce demand for
our
potential products.
The
following factors are important to our success:
·
|
receiving
patent protection for our product
candidates;
|
·
|
preventing
others from infringing our intellectual property rights;
and
|
·
|
maintaining
our patent rights and trade
secrets.
|
We
will
be able to protect our intellectual property rights in patents and trade secrets
from unauthorized use by third parties only to the extent that such intellectual
property rights are covered by valid and enforceable patents or are effectively
maintained as trade secrets.
To
date,
we have sought to protect our proprietary position by filing for a Patent
Cooperation Treaty patent and a non-provisional patent in the U.S. related
to inventions that form the basis of our research arrangements with the NIH
and
potential pipeline of future products. We also filed new patent applications
in
the U.S. in
February 2007 relating to a lead compound that has activity against glioblastoma
multiform cell lines in vitro. We anticipate that we will apply for further
patents based on our ongoing research. Because issues of patentability involve
complex legal and factual questions, the issuance, scope and enforceability
of
patents cannot be predicted with certainty. Patents, if issued, may be
challenged, invalidated or circumvented. U.S. patents and patent applications
may also be subject to interference proceedings, and U.S. patents
may be subject to re-examination
proceedings in the U.S.
Patent
and Trademark Office and foreign patents may be subject to opposition or
comparable proceedings in corresponding foreign patent offices, which
proceedings could result in either loss of the patent or denial of the patent
application or loss or reduction in the scope of one or more of the claims
of
the patent or patent application. In addition, such interference, reexamination
and opposition proceedings may be costly. Thus, any patents that we own or
license from others may not provide any protection against competitors.
Furthermore, an adverse decision in an interference proceeding can result in
a
third-party receiving the patent rights sought by us, which in turn could affect
our ability to market a potential product to which that patent filing was
directed. Our pending patent applications, those that we may file in the future,
or those that we may license from third parties may not result in patents being
issued. If issued, they may not provide us with proprietary protection or
competitive advantages against competitors with similar technology. Furthermore,
others may independently develop similar technologies or duplicate any
technology that we have developed. Many countries, including certain countries
in Europe, have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be
compelled to grant licenses to third parties. For example, compulsory licenses
may be required in cases where the patent owner has failed to “work” the
invention in that country, or the third-party has patented improvements. In
addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against government
agencies or government contractors. In these countries, the patent owner may
have limited remedies, which could materially diminish the value of the patent.
Moreover, the legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain
developing countries, do not favor the aggressive enforcement of patent and
other intellectual property protection, which makes it difficult to stop
infringement.
24
In
addition, our ability to enforce our patent rights depends on our ability to
detect infringement. It is difficult to detect infringers who do not advertise
the compounds that are used in their products. Any litigation to enforce or
defend our patent rights, even if we prevail, could be costly and time-consuming
and would divert the attention of management and key personnel from business
operations.
We
will
also rely on trade secrets, know-how and technology, which are not protected
by
patents, to maintain our competitive position. We will seek to protect this
information by entering into confidentiality agreements with parties that have
access to it, such as strategic partners, collaborators, employees and
consultants. Any of these parties may breach these agreements and disclose
our
confidential information or our competitors might learn of the information
in
some other way. If any trade secret, know-how or other technology not protected
by a patent were disclosed to, or independently developed by, a competitor,
our
business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially
adversely affected.
If
our third-party manufacturers’ facilities do not follow current good
manufacturing practices, our product development and commercialization efforts
may be harmed.
There
are
a limited number of manufacturers that operate under the FDA’s and European
Union’s good manufacturing practices regulations and are capable of
manufacturing products. Third-party manufacturers may encounter difficulties
in
achieving quality control and quality assurance and may experience shortages
of
qualified personnel. A failure of third-party manufacturers to follow current
good manufacturing practices or other regulatory requirements and to document
their adherence to such practices may lead to significant delays in the
availability of products for commercial use or clinical study, the termination
of, or hold on, a clinical study, or may delay or prevent filing or approval
of
marketing applications for our products. In addition,
we could
be subject to sanctions being imposed on us, including fines, injunctions and
civil penalties. Changing manufacturers may require additional clinical trials
and the revalidation of the manufacturing process and procedures in accordance
with FDA mandated current good manufacturing practices and will require FDA
approval. This revalidation may be costly and time consuming. If we are unable
to arrange for third-party manufacturing of our products, or to do so on
commercially reasonable terms, we may not be able to complete development or
marketing of our products.
If
we fail to obtain an adequate level of reimbursement for our products by
third-party payors, there may be no commercially viable markets for our products
or the markets may be much smaller than expected.
The
availability and levels of reimbursement by governmental and other third-party
payors affect the market for our products. The efficacy, safety and
cost-effectiveness of our products as well as the efficacy, safety and
cost-effectiveness of any competing products will determine the availability
and
level of reimbursement. These third-party payors continually attempt to contain
or reduce the costs of healthcare by challenging the prices charged for
healthcare products and services. In certain countries, particularly the
countries of the European Union, the pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals
is
subject to governmental control. In these countries, pricing negotiations with
governmental authorities can take six to twelve months or longer after the
receipt of regulatory marketing approval for a product. To obtain reimbursement
or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct clinical
trials that compare the cost-effectiveness of our products to other available
therapies. If reimbursement for our products is unavailable, limited in scope
or
amount or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, our revenues would be
reduced.
25
Another
development that may affect the pricing of drugs is regulatory action regarding
drug reimportation into the United States. The Medicare Prescription Drug,
Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, which became law in December 2003,
requires the Secretary of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations allowing drug
reimportation from Canada into the United States under certain circumstances.
These provisions will become effective only if the Secretary certifies that
such
imports will pose no additional risk to the public’s health and safety and
result in significant cost savings to consumers. To date, the Secretary has
made
no such finding, but he could do so in the future. Proponents of drug
reimportation may also attempt to pass legislation that would remove the
requirement for the Secretary’s certification or allow reimportation under
circumstances beyond those anticipated under current law. If legislation is
enacted, or regulations issued, allowing the reimportation of drugs, it could
decrease the reimbursement we would receive for any products that we may
commercialize, negatively affecting our anticipated revenues and prospects
for
profitability.
RISKS
RELATED TO CAPITAL STRUCTURE
There
is no assurance of an established public trading market, which would adversely
affect the ability of our investors to sell their securities in the public
market.
Although
our common stock is registered under the Exchange Act, our common stock was
not
publicly traded until recently. On September 24, 2007, our common stock
commenced trading on the OTC Bulletin Board, although there has been very
limited trading activity to date. In addition, the NASD limits quotations
on the
OTC Bulletin Board to securities of issuers that are current in their reports
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The NASD also periodically
proposes rule changes that could have an impact on the market for out stock.
The
OTC Bulletin Board is an inter-dealer, over-the-counter market that provides
significantly less liquidity than the NASD’s automated quotation system (the
“NASDAQ Stock Market”). Quotes for stocks included on the OTC Bulletin Board are
not listed in the financial sections of newspapers, as are those for the
NASDAQ
Stock Market. Therefore, prices for securities traded solely on the OTC Bulletin
Board may be difficult to obtain and holders of common stock may be unable
to
resell their securities at or near their original offering price or at any
price. Market prices for our common stock will be influenced by a number
of
factors, including:
·
|
the
issuance of new equity securities pursuant to a future offering or
acquisition;
|
·
|
changes
in interest rates;
|
·
|
competitive
developments, including announcements by competitors of new products
or
services or significant contracts, acquisitions, strategic partnerships,
joint ventures or capital
commitments;
|
·
|
variations
in quarterly operating results;
|
·
|
changes
in financial estimates by securities
analysts;
|
·
|
the
depth and liquidity of the market for our common
stock;
|
·
|
investor
perceptions of our company and the medical device industry generally;
and
|
·
|
general
economic and other national
conditions.
|
Shares
eligible for future sale may adversely affect the market price of our common
stock, as the future sale of a substantial amount of outstanding stock in the
public marketplace could reduce the price of our common
stock.
Dr.
John
Kovach, our current Chief Executive Officer, was the former sole stockholder
of
Lixte, our operating subsidiary, and received shares of our stock in the
Reverse
Merger. He is currently eligible to sell some of his shares of common stock
by
means of ordinary brokerage transactions in the open market pursuant to Rule
144
promulgated under the Securities Act (“Rule 144”), subject to certain
limitations. Rule 144 also permits the sale of securities, without any
limitations, by a non-affiliate that has satisfied a six-month holding period.
Any substantial sale of common stock pursuant to this prospectus or Rule
144
could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock by creating
an excessive supply. In this connection, we have sold an aggregate of 3,555,220
shares of common stock in private placements occurring in June and July 2006,
all of which are currently eligible to be sold under Rule 144, and 999,995
shares in a December 2007 private placement, all of which will be eligible
to be
sold under Rule 144 on June 12, 2008.
26
Our
common stock is considered a “penny stock” and may be difficult to
sell.
Our
common stock is considered to be a “penny stock” since it meets one or more of
the definitions in Rules 15g-2 through 15g-6 promulgated under Section 15(g)
of
the Exchange Act. These include, but are not limited to, the following: (i)
the
stock trades at a price of less than $5.00 per share; (ii) it is NOT traded
on a
“recognized” national exchange; (iii) it is NOT quoted on the NASDAQ Stock
Market, or even if so, has a price less than $5.00 per share; or (iv) it
is
issued by a company with net tangible assets less than $2,000,000, if in
business more than a continuous three years, or with average revenues of
less
than $6,000,000 for the past three years. The principal result or effect
of
being designated a “penny stock” is that securities broker-dealers cannot
recommend the stock but must trade in it on an unsolicited
basis.
Additionally,
Section 15(g) of the Exchange Act and Rule 15g-2 promulgated thereunder by
the
SEC require broker-dealers dealing in penny stocks to provide potential
investors with a document disclosing the risks of penny stocks and to obtain
a
manually signed and dated written receipt of the document before effecting
any
transaction in a penny stock for the investor’s account.
Potential
investors in our common stock are urged to obtain and read such disclosure
carefully before purchasing any shares that are deemed to be “penny stock.”
Moreover, Rule 15g-9 requires broker-dealers in penny stocks to approve the
account of any investor for transactions in such stocks before selling any
penny
stock to that investor. This procedure requires the broker-dealer to: (i)
obtain
from the investor information concerning their financial situation, investment
experience and investment objectives; (ii) reasonably determine, based on
that
information, that transactions in penny stocks are suitable for the investor
and
that the investor has sufficient knowledge and experience as to be reasonably
capable of evaluating the risks of penny stock transactions; (iii) provide
the
investor with a written statement setting forth the basis on which the
broker-dealer made the determination in (ii) above; and (iv) receive a signed
and dated copy of such statement from the investor, confirming that it
accurately reflects the investor’s financial situation, investment experience
and investment objectives. Compliance with these requirements may make it
more
difficult for holders of our common stock to resell their shares to third
parties or to otherwise dispose of them in the market or otherwise.
Our
principal stockholder has significant influence over our
company.
As
a
result of the Reverse Merger, Dr. John Kovach, our principal stockholder
and our
Chief Executive Officer, beneficially owns approximately 61% of our outstanding
voting stock. As a result, Dr. Kovach possesses significant influence, giving
him the ability, among other things, to elect all of the members of the Board
of
Directors and to approve significant corporate transactions. Such stock
ownership and control may also have the effect of delaying or preventing
a
future change in control, impeding a merger, consolidation, takeover or other
business combination or discourage a potential acquirer from making a tender
offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.
We
do not foresee paying cash dividends in the foreseeable
future.
We
have
not paid cash dividends on our stock and do not plan to pay cash dividends
on
our common stock in the foreseeable future.
27
ITEM
2. DESCRIPTION
OF PROPERTY
At
present, we conduct all laboratory activities at NIH under the CRADA. The
Company maintains a single office in a designated area of Dr. Kovach's residence
and receives mail at the post office depot, 248 Route 25A, No. 2, East Setauket,
New York 11733.
ITEM
3. LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS
We
are
not a party to any legal proceedings.
ITEM
4. SUBMISSION
OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
There
were no matters submitted to a vote of the Company’s security holders during the
quarterly period ended December 31, 2007.
ITEM
5. MARKET
FOR COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Since
September 21, 2007, our common stock has traded on the OTC Bulletin Board
under
the symbol “LIXT.” There is very limited trading of our stock on the Bulletin
Board, and it should not be deemed to be an “established trading market”. The
stock market in general has experienced extreme stock price fluctuations
in the
past few years. In some cases, these fluctuations have been unrelated to
the
operating performance of the affected companies. Many companies have experienced
dramatic volatility in the market prices of their common stock. We believe
that
a number of factors, both within and outside our control, could cause the
price
of our common stock to fluctuate, perhaps substantially. Factors such as
the
following could have a significant adverse impact on the market price of
our
common stock:
·
|
Our
ability to obtain additional financing and, if available, the terms
and
conditions of the financing;
|
·
|
Our
financial position and results of
operations;
|
·
|
Concern
as to, or other evidence of, the safety or efficacy of any future
proposed
products and services or our competitors’ products and
services;
|
·
|
Announcements
of technological innovations or new products or services by us or
our
competitors;
|
·
|
U.S.
and
foreign governmental regulatory
actions;
|
·
|
The
development of litigation against
us;
|
·
|
Period-to-period
fluctuations in our operating
results;
|
·
|
Changes
in estimates of our performance bysecurities
analysts;
|
·
|
Possible
regulatory requirements on our
business;
|
·
|
The
issuance of new equity securities pursuant to a future
offering;
|
·
|
Changes
in interest rates;
|
28
·
|
Competitive
developments, including announcements by competitors of new products
or
services or significant contracts, acquisitions, strategic partnerships,
joint ventures or capital
commitments;
|
·
|
The
depth and liquidity of the market for our common
stock;
|
·
|
Investor
perceptions of us; and
|
·
|
General
economic and other national
conditions.
|
The
following table sets forth the range of reported closing prices of the Company’s
common stock during the periods that the stock traded on the OTC Bulletin
Board.
Such quotations reflect prices between dealers in securities and do not include
any retail mark-up, mark-down or commissions, and may not necessarily represent
actual transactions.
Fiscal
Year Ended December 31, 2007
|
High
|
Low
|
|||||
Three
months ended September 30, 2007 (beginning September 21,
2007)
|
$
|
1.05
|
$
|
0.75
|
|||
Three
months ended December 31, 2007
|
$
|
1.10
|
$
|
0.75
|
29
Holders
As
of
December 31, 2007, we currently have 27,832,178 shares of our common stock
outstanding. As of December 31, 2007, our shares of common stock are held
by
approximately 66 stockholders of record. This does not include an indeterminate
number of beneficial owners of securities whose shares are held in the names
of
various dealers and clearing agencies.
Dividends
Our
dividend policy will be determined by our Board of Directors and will depend
upon a number of factors, including our financial condition and performance,
our
cash needs and expansion plans, income tax consequences, and the restrictions
that applicable laws and our credit arrangements then impose.
We do
not currently plan to pay cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable
future.
Sales
of Unregistered Securities
On
February 5, 2007, in connection with an agreement with Chem-Master
International, Inc., we agreed to issue to Chem-Master a five-year option
to
purchase 100,000 shares of our Common Stock at an exercise price of $0.333
per
share and an additional five-year option to purchase 100,000 shares at
the same
exercise price subject to certain conditions. The option was issued pursuant
to
Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
On
September 12, 2007, in conjunction with his appointment as a director of
the
Company, the Company granted to Dr. Stephen Carter stock options to purchase
an
aggregate of 200,000 shares of common stock under the 2007 Plan, exercisable
for
a period of five years from vesting date at $0.333 per share, with one-half
(100,000 shares) vesting annually on each of September 12, 2008 and 2009.
The
shares were issued pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933,
as
amended.
On
September 12, 2007, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with
Gil
Schwartzberg and granted to Mr. Schwartzberg stock options to purchase an
aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of common stock, exercisable for a period of
four
years from vesting date at $1.00 per share, with one-half of the options
(500,000 shares) vesting immediately and one-half (500,000 shares) vesting
on
September 12, 2008. The shares were issued pursuant to Section 4(2) of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
On
September 12, 2007, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with
Francis
Johnson and granted to Professor Johnson stock options to purchase an aggregate
of 300,000 shares of common stock, exercisable for a period of four years
from
vesting date at $0.333 per share, with one-third (100,000 shares) vesting
annually on each of September 12, 2008, 2009 and 2010. The shares were issued
pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
On
September 20, 2007, the Company entered into a one-year consulting agreement
(the “Mirador Agreement”) with Mirador Consulting, Inc. (“Mirador”), pursuant to
which Mirador was to provide the Company with various financial services.
Pursuant to the Mirador Agreement, Lixte agreed to sell Mirador 250,000 shares
of the Company’s restricted common stock for $250 ($0.001 per share). The shares
were issued pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.
On
December 12, 2007, we sold 999,995 shares of common stock to accredited
investors in a private placement at a per share price of $0.65. We paid to
WestPark Capital, Inc., as placement agent, a commission of 10% and a
non-accountable fee of 4% of the gross proceeds and issued five year warrants
to
purchase 120,000 shares of common stock in connection with the private
placements. All of the issuees were accredited investors and the securities
were
issued pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
and
Regulation D promulgated thereunder. The issuees also represented that they
were
acquiring the securities for their own account and a legend was placed on
the
stock certificates.
30
SECURITIES
AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY INCENTIVE PLANS
Set
forth
in the table below is information regarding awards made through compensation
plans or arrangements through December 31, 2007, the most recently completed
fiscal year.
Plan
Category
|
Number
of Securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options,
warrants
and rights
|
Weighted
average price of outstanding options, warrants and
rights
|
Number
of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity
compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column
2)
|
|||||||
Equity
Compensation Plans Approved by Security Holders
|
200,000
|
$
|
0.333
|
2,300,000
|
||||||
Equity
Compensation Plans Not Approved by Security Holders
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
ITEM
6. MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OR PLAN OF OPERATION
Overview
On
June
30, 2006, Lixte Biotechnology, Inc., a privately-held Delaware corporation
(“Lixte”), completed a reverse merger transaction with SRKP 7, Inc. (“SRKP”), a
non-trading public “shell” company, whereby Lixte became a wholly-owned
subsidiary of SRKP. For financial reporting purposes, Lixte was considered
the
accounting acquirer in the merger and the merger was accounted for as a reverse
merger. Accordingly, the historical financial statements presented herein are
those of Lixte and do not include the historical financial results of SRKP.
The
stockholders’ equity section of SRKP has been retroactively restated for all
periods presented to reflect the accounting effect of the reverse merger
transaction. All costs associated with the reverse merger transaction were
expensed as incurred.
Lixte
was
incorporated in Delaware on August 9, 2005 to capitalize on opportunities to
develop low cost, specific and sensitive tests for the early detection of
cancers to better estimate prognosis, to monitor treatment response, and to
reveal targets for development of more effective treatments.
Unless
the context indicates otherwise, SRKP and Lixte are hereinafter referred to
as
the “Company”. On December 7, 2006, the Company amended its Certificate of
Incorporation to change its name from SRKP 7, Inc. to Lixte Biotechnology
Holdings, Inc. (“Holdings”).
The
Company’s financial statements have been presented on the basis that it is a
going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction
of
liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company is in the development
stage and has not generated any revenues from operations to date. The Company’s
ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon its ability to develop
additional sources of capital and to ultimately achieve profitable operations.
The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from
the outcome of these uncertainties (see “Liquidity and Capital Resources -
December 31, 2007 - Going Concern”).
31
Recent
Developments
On
December 12, 2007, the Company sold an aggregate of 999,995 shares of its common
stock to accredited investors in a second private placement at a per share
price
of $0.65, resulting in aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $650,000.
The
Company paid to WestPark Capital, Inc., as placement agent, a commission of
10%
and a non-accountable fee of 4% of the gross proceeds of the private placement
and issued five-year warrants to purchase common stock equal to (a) 10% of
the
number of shares sold in the private placement exercisable at $0.65 per share
and (b) an additional 2% of the number of shares sold in the private placement
also exercisable at $0.65 per share. Net cash proceeds to the Company were
$531,320.
Adoption
of New Accounting Policies
In
December 2006, the FASB issued FSP EITF 00-19-2, “Accounting for
Registration Payment Arrangements” (“EITF 00-19-2”), which addresses an issuer’s
accounting for registration payment arrangements. EITF 00-19-2 specifies that
the contingent obligation to make future payments or otherwise transfer
consideration under a registration payment arrangement, whether issued as a
separate agreement or included as a provision of a financial instrument or
other
agreement, should be separately recognized and measured in accordance with
FASB
No. 5, “Accounting for Contingencies”. EITF 00-19-2 further clarifies that a
financial instrument subject to a registration payment arrangement should be
accounted for in accordance with other applicable generally accepted accounting
principles without regard to the contingent obligation to transfer consideration
pursuant to the registration payment arrangement. EITF 00-19-2 is effective
immediately for registration payment arrangements and the financial instruments
subject to those arrangements that are entered into or modified subsequent
to
the date of issuance of EITF 00-19-2. For registration payment arrangements
and
financial instruments subject to those arrangements that were entered into
prior
to the issuance of EITF 00-19-2, EITF 00-19-2 is effective for financial
statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2006, and
interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption of EITF 00-19-2 for
interim or annual periods for which financial statements or interim reports
have
not been issued is permitted. The Company chose to early adopt EITF 00-19-2
effective December 31, 2006.
Effective
January 1, 2007, the Company adopted FASB Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for
Uncertainty in Income Taxes, an interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109,
Accounting for Income Taxes” (“FIN 48”). FIN 48 addresses the determination of
whether tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return should
be
recorded in the financial statements. Under FIN 48, the Company may recognize
the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than
not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing
authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits
recognized in the financial statements from such a position should be measured
based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood
of
being realized upon ultimate settlement. FIN 48 also provides guidance on
de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties on income taxes,
accounting in interim periods and requires increased disclosures. The adoption
of the provisions of FIN 48 did not have a material effect on the Company’s
financial statements. As of December 31, 2007, no liability for unrecognized
tax
benefits was required to be recorded.
The
Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various
states. The Company is subject to U.S. federal or state income tax examinations
by tax authorities for years after 2004.
The
Company’s policy is to record interest and penalties on uncertain tax provisions
as income tax expense. As of December 31, 2007, the Company has no accrued
interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
In
September 2006, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements” (“SFAS No. 157”), which establishes a
formal framework for measuring fair value under Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles (“GAAP”). SFAS No. 157 defines and codifies the many definitions of
fair value included among various other authoritative literature, clarifies
and,
in some instances, expands on the guidance for implementing fair value
measurements, and increases the level of disclosure required for fair value
measurements. Although SFAS No. 157 applies to and amends the provisions of
existing FASB and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (“AICPA”)
pronouncements, it does not, of itself, require any new fair value measurements,
nor does it establish valuation standards. SFAS No. 157 applies to all other
accounting pronouncements requiring or permitting fair value measurements,
except for: SFAS No. 123R, share-based payment and related pronouncements,
the
practicability exceptions to fair value determinations allowed by various other
authoritative pronouncements, and AICPA Statements of Position 97-2 and 98-9
that deal with software revenue recognition. SFAS No. 157 is effective for
financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15,
2007, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently
assessing the potential effect of SFAS No. 157 on its financial statements.
32
In
February 2007, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial
Liabilities” (“SFAS No. 159”), which provides companies with an option to report
selected financial assets and liabilities at fair value. SFAS No. 159’s
objective is to reduce both complexity in accounting for financial instruments
and the volatility in earnings caused by measuring related assets and
liabilities differently. Generally accepted accounting principles have required
different measurement attributes for different assets and liabilities that
can
create artificial volatility in earnings. SFAS No. 159 helps to mitigate this
type of accounting-induced volatility by enabling companies to report related
assets and liabilities at fair value, which would likely reduce the need for
companies to comply with detailed rules for hedge accounting. SFAS No. 159
also establishes presentation and disclosure requirements designed to facilitate
comparisons between companies that choose different measurement attributes
for
similar types of assets and liabilities. SFAS No. 159 requires companies to
provide additional information that will help investors and other users of
financial statements to more easily understand the effect of the company’s
choice to use fair value on its earnings. SFAS No. 159 also requires companies
to display the fair value of those assets and liabilities for which the company
has chosen to use fair value on the face of the balance sheet. SFAS No. 159
does
not eliminate disclosure requirements included in other accounting standards,
including requirements for disclosures about fair value measurements included
in
SFAS No. 157 and SFAS No. 107. SFAS No. 159 is effective as of the
beginning of a company’s first fiscal year beginning after November 15,
2007. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of the previous fiscal
year provided the company makes that choice in the first 120 days of that
fiscal year and also elects to apply the provisions of SFAS No. 157. The Company
is currently assessing the potential effect of SFAS No. 159 on its financial
statements.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141(R), “Business Combinations”
(“SFAS No. 141(R)”), which requires an acquirer to recognize in its
financial statements as of the acquisition date (i) the identifiable assets
acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in the
acquiree, measured at their fair values on the acquisition date, and (ii)
goodwill as the excess of the consideration transferred plus the fair value
of
any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree at the acquisition date over the
fair values of the identifiable net assets acquired. Acquisition-related costs,
which are the costs an acquirer incurs to effect a business combination, will
be
accounted for as expenses in the periods in which the costs are incurred and
the
services are received, except that costs to issue debt or equity securities
will
be recognized in accordance with other applicable GAAP. SFAS No. 141(R) makes
significant amendments to other Statements and other authoritative guidance
to
provide additional guidance or to conform the guidance in that literature to
that provided in SFAS No. 141(R). SFAS No. 141(R) also provides guidance as
to
what information is to be disclosed to enable users of financial statements
to
evaluate the nature and financial effects of a business combination.
SFAS No. 141(R) is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal
years beginning on or after December 15, 2008. Early adoption is
prohibited. The Company has not yet determined the effect on its consolidated
financial statements, if any, upon adoption of SFAS No. 141(R).
33
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in
Consolidated Financial Statements - an amendment of ARB No. 51” (“SFAS No.
160”), which revises the relevance, comparability, and transparency of the
financial information that a reporting entity provides in its consolidated
financial statements by establishing accounting and reporting standards that
require (i) the ownership interests in subsidiaries held by parties other than
the parent be clearly identified, labeled, and presented in the consolidated
statement of financial position within equity, but separate from the parent’s
equity, (ii) the amount of consolidated net income attributable to the parent
and to the noncontrolling interest be clearly identified and presented on the
face of the consolidated statement of income, (iii) changes in a parent’s
ownership interest while the parent retains its controlling financial interest
in its subsidiary be accounted for consistently as equity transactions, (iv)
when a subsidiary is deconsolidated, any retained noncontrolling equity
investment in the former subsidiary be initially measured at fair value, with
the gain or loss on the deconsolidation of the subsidiary being measured using
the fair value of any noncontrolling equity investment rather than the carrying
amount of that retained investment, and (v) entities provide sufficient
disclosures that clearly identify and distinguish between the interests of
the
parent and the interests of the noncontrolling owners. SFAS No. 160 amends
FASB
No. 128 to provide that the calculation of earnings per share amounts in the
consolidated financial statements will continue to be based on the amounts
attributable to the parent. SFAS No. 160 is effective for financial statements
issued for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years,
beginning on or after December 15, 2008. Early adoption is prohibited. SFAS
No. 160 shall be applied prospectively as of the beginning of the fiscal year
in
which it is initially applied, except for the presentation and disclosure
requirements, which shall be applied retrospectively for all periods presented.
The Company has not yet determined the effect on its consolidated financial
statements, if any, upon adoption of SFAS No. 160.
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
The
Company prepared its consolidated financial statements in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The
preparation of these financial statements requires the use of estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and
the
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial
statements and the reported amount of revenues and expenses during the reporting
period. Management periodically evaluates the estimates and judgments made.
Management bases its estimates and judgments on historical experience and on
various factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.
Actual results may differ from these estimates as a result of different
assumptions or conditions.
The
following critical accounting policies affect the more significant judgments
and
estimates used in the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial
statements.
Research
and Development
Research
and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development
expenses consist primarily of fees paid to consultants and outside service
providers, patent fees and costs, and other expenses relating to the
acquisition, design, development and testing of the Company's treatments
and product candidates.
Amounts
due, pursuant to contractual commitments, on research and development contracts
with third parties are recorded as a liability, with the related amount of
such
contracts recorded as advances on research and development contract services
on
the Company’s balance sheet. Such advances on research and development contract
services are expensed over their life on the straight-line basis, unless the
achievement of milestones, the completion of contracted work, or other
information indicates that a different expensing schedule is more appropriate.
The Company accounts for its research and development contracts in accordance
with EITF 07-3.
Patent
Costs
Due
to
the significant uncertainty associated with the successful development of
one or more commercially viable products based on the Company's research efforts
and any related patent applications, all patent costs, including patent-related
legal fees, are expensed as incurred.
34
Stock-Based
Compensation
Effective
January 1, 2006, the Company adopted SFAS No. 123 (revised 2004), "Share-Based
Payment" ("SFAS No. 123R"), a revision to SFAS No. 123, "Accounting for
Stock-Based Compensation". SFAS No. 123R requires that the Company measure
the
cost of employee services received in exchange for equity awards based on the
grant date fair value of the awards, with the cost to be recognized as
compensation expense in the Company’s financial statements over the vesting
period of the awards.
The
Company accounts for stock option and warrant grants issued and vesting to
non-employees in accordance with EITF No. 96-18, “Accounting for Equity
Instruments that are Issued to Other Than Employees for Acquiring, or in
Conjunction with Selling, Goods or Services”, and EITF 00-18, “Accounting
Recognition for Certain Transactions involving Equity Instruments Granted to
Other Than Employees”, whereas the value of the stock compensation is based upon
the measurement date as determined at either (a) the date at which a performance
commitment is reached or (b) at the date at which the necessary performance
to
earn the equity instruments is complete.
The
Company accounts for income taxes pursuant to Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes” (“SFAS No. 109”), which
establishes financial accounting and reporting standards for the effects of
income taxes that result from an enterprise’s activities during the current and
preceding years. SFAS No. 109 requires an asset and liability approach for
financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Accordingly, the Company
recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected impact of
differences between the financial statements and the tax basis of assets and
liabilities.
The
Company records a valuation allowance to reduce its deferred tax assets to
the
amount that is more likely than not to be realized. In the event the Company
was
to determine that it would be able to realize its deferred tax assets in the
future in excess of its recorded amount, an adjustment to the deferred tax
assets would be credited to operations in the period such determination was
made. Likewise, should the Company determine that it would not be able to
realize all or part of its deferred tax assets in the future, an adjustment
to
the deferred tax assets would be charged to operations in the period such
determination was made.
Plan
of Operation
General
Overview of Plans
The
Company is concentrating on discovering biomarkers for common cancers for which
better diagnostic and therapeutic measures are needed. For each of these
diseases, a biomarker that would enable identification of the presence of cancer
at a stage curable by surgery could possibly save thousands of lives annually.
In addition, biomarkers specific to these diseases may also provide clues as
to
processes (biological pathways) that characterize specific cancer types and
that
may be vulnerable to drug treatment targeted to the activity of the
biomarker.
The
Company is currently focusing on developing new treatments for the most common
and most aggressive type of brain cancer of adults, glioblastoma multiforme
(“GBM”). The Company has expanded the scope of its anti-cancer investigational
activities to include the most common brain tumor of children, medulloblastoma,
and also to several other types of more common cancers. This expansion of
activity is based on documentation that each of two distinct types of drugs
being developed by the Company inhibits the growth of cell lines of breast,
colon, lung, prostate, pancreas, ovary, stomach and liver cancer, as well as
the
major types of leukemias.
35
The
research on brain tumors is proceeding in collaboration with the National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (“NINDS”) of the National
Institutes of Health (“NIH”) under a Cooperative Research and Development
Agreement (“CRADA”) entered into on March 22, 2006, as amended. The research at
NINDS continues to be led by Dr. Zhengping Zhuang, an internationally recognized
investigator in the molecular pathology of cancer. Dr. Zhuang is aided by two
senior research technicians supported by the Company as part of the CRADA.
The
goal of the CRADA is to develop more effective drugs for the treatment of GBM
through the processes required to gain Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”)
approval for clinical trials. The Company’s contribution to the CRADA has been
$200,000 annually for two years. The CRADA is presently scheduled to end June
30, 2008, with current discussions exploring a several month extension supported
by funds remaining from the original agreement, followed by a potential one-year
extension at a cost of $200,000.
The
Company has filed a series of patent applications jointly with NIH covering
certain methods of treatment of brain tumors of adults and children. On February
6, 2007, provisional patent applications were converted to a U.S.
non-provisional patent and a patent cooperation treaty application on behalf
of
the Company and NIH.
Patent
applications filed with NIH are jointly owned by NIH and Lixte. All NIH
co-inventors assigned their rights to NIH. Under the CRADA, Lixte is entitled
to
negotiate an exclusive license from NIH to all claims in these patent
applications. The Company is continuing its negotiations on the details of
the
terms under which NIH will provide an exclusive license and anticipates
finalizing terms of the agreement with the NIH in mid-2008.
The
Company has also filed patent applications for intellectual property owned
solely by the Company. These applications identify two series of new anti-cancer
agents referred to as the LB-1 series and the LB-2 series. The applications
include identification of the structure of molecules, their synthesis, and
their
activity against GBM, medulloblastoma, and more recently, the common cancers
and
leukemias as mentioned above. At the present time, the efficacies of the LB-1
and LB-2 series are based on activity in cell culture and in animal models
of
GBM and medulloblastoma. The Company is in the process of documenting the
activities of both series of drugs against the more common tumor types in animal
models.
In
February 2008, the Company converted provisional patents relating to the nature
and activity of the LB-1 series of drugs with the filing of a U.S.
non-provisional and a PCT patent application.
During
2007, the Company also documented that some of its compounds have activity
against several types of fungi that cause serious infections, particularly
in
immuno-compromised individuals, such as those with HIV-AIDS and those having
bone marrow transplantations. This finding extends the potential use of some
of
Lixte’s compounds to the large and important field of therapy of
life-threatening mycotic infections.
The
Company expects that its products will derive directly from the intellectual
property from its research activities. Progress to date has borne out this
expectation. The development of lead compounds with different mechanisms of
action that have now been shown to have activity against brain tumors and
several other much more common human cancers, as well as serious fungal
infections, originated from its original focus on a biochemical defect in GBM.
The Company will continue to use discovery and/or recognition of molecular
variants characteristic of specific human cancers as a guide to drug discovery
and potentially new diagnostic tests.
The
Company elected to exert its right to terminate the second year of an agreement
with the University of Regensburg, Germany, for collection of certain numbers
of
tumors and other biological samples for research programs in the future. Under
the agreement, the University of Regensburg will complete ascertainment of
50%
of the original number of samples. Lixte estimates that this collection will
be
sufficient for its needs for the next two to three years. In addition, Lixte
has
identified a commercial source of such materials that can be purchased in
quantities as needed. Cancellation of the second year of the agreement resulted
in a saving of Euro 36,000 (about $52,000).
36
The
Company faces several potential challenges to its goal of commercial success.
These include raising sufficient capital to fund its business plan, achieving
commercially applicable results from its research programs, competition from
more established, well-funded companies with competitive technologies, and
future competition from companies developing new competitive technologies.
Because of these challenges, there is substantial uncertainty as to the
Company’s ability to fund its operations and continue as a going concern (see
“Liquidity and Capital Resources - December 31, 2007 - Going Concern”
below).
Plans
for
the Next 12 Months
The
Company has three major goals for the next 12 months.
The
first
goal is to evaluate lead compounds of the LB-1 and LB-2 series for effectiveness
in a rat model of brain cancer in which drugs are administered systemically
or
by direct infusion into the diseased area of the brain. The latter method of
administration is called “convection administration”. These studies will be done
by the Company’s partner at NIH that has substantial expertise in the evaluation
of the treatment of brain diseases. In addition, under the CRADA, the
effectiveness of drugs of each series given in combination with each other
and
in combination with the standard drug used clinically for the treatment of
GBM
will be studied.
The
second goal is to evaluate the anti-cancer activity of lead compounds from
the
LB-1 and LB-2 series against a series of common human cancers. Lung and
pancreatic cancer will be the first of this group to be studied in an animal
model because there is an urgent need for better drug for the treatment of
these
almost uniformly fatal cancers. These studies are being done independently
of
NIH and are therefore not part of the CRADA.
The
Company will seek the interest of NIH in supporting development of one or two
lead compounds from the LB-1 series through pre-clinical studies necessary
to
receive FDA approval to take the drugs into Phase I clinical trials. The NIH
offers opportunities for academic laboratories, including laboratories at NIH
with a for-profit partner, to seek NIH support and expertise in expediting
development of particularly promising new compounds as anti-cancer drugs. The
Company will also explore the potential interest of two or more major
pharmaceutical companies in collaborating in the development of one or more
of
its lead compounds through Phase I clinical trials of their anti-cancer
activity.
The
third
goal is to assess the interest of pharmaceutical companies in collaborating
with
the Company or in licensing from the Company rights to some of its lead
compounds as anti-fungal drugs. Certain molecular pathways essential for growth
by cancer cells are also used by microorganisms, including fungi. Anti-fungal
therapy is an additional potentially large market for the Company’s compounds,
but one in which outside expertise will be necessary to plan efficient
assessment and development of their potential value. Management is engaging
in
discussions with contract research organizations with the expertise to determine
the magnitude of anti-fungal activity in animal models of the most important
fungal infections in humans.
The
Company expects to complete its explorations of interest in collaboration with
NIH and pharmaceutical companies by mid-2008. At that time, a decision will
be
made as to where to place emphasis on the Company’s research and development of
compounds of the LB-1 and LB-2 series. Depending upon the interest of NIH and/or
pharmaceutical companies to support development of one or more of its products,
the Company will adjust the estimate of its financial requirements discussed
below for the next year of operation. The Company has sufficient financial
resources to carry out the approaches described above through 2008.
37
Existing
resources, however, will not permit evaluation of activity of the Company’s lead
drugs against many of the common cancers against which the Company’s compounds
may have anti-cancer activity. Current resources also will not be sufficient
to
carry out pre-clinical studies necessary to apply to the FDA for approval of
drug evaluations in Phase I trials. The Company estimates the cost of
pre-clinical development by outsourcing to a leading clinical research
organization at $1,000,000 per drug. Thus, additional financing will need to
be
completed by late 2008 to give the Company the ability to accelerate drug
development in the absence of a partner. Management is currently planning to
proceed with pre-clinical development of one lead compound from the LB-1 and
LB-2 series at a cost of $2,000,000, extend the CRADA with NIH at a cost of
$200,000 for one additional year, and increase the Company’s research in
assessing new anti-cancer compounds being created with its collaborating
chemists. Accordingly, management will be seeking to raise approximately
$3,000,000 in 2008 for expansion of the Company’s intellectual property and to
capitalize on its initial successes in anti-cancer drug development by bringing
at least one compound to clinical evaluation in 2009.
The
Company faces several potential challenges in its efforts to achieve commercial
success, including raising sufficient capital to fund its business plan,
achieving commercially applicable results of its research program, competition
from more established, well-funded companies with competitive technologies,
and
future competition from companies that are developing competitive technologies,
some of whom are larger companies with greater capital resources than the
Company. There is substantial uncertainty as to the Company’s ability to fund
its operations and continue as a going concern (see “Liquidity and Capital
Resources - December 31, 2007 - Going Concern”). Should the Company be unable to
raise the required capital on a timely basis, the Company’s business plans would
be materially adversely effected.
During
2008, the Company will also start to make public presentations of some of its
data at national and international scientific meetings. A presentation was
made
at the First International Drug Discovery and Development Meeting, in Dubai,
UAE, in February 2008, and a presentation will be made at the Annual Meeting
of
the American Association of Cancer Research in San Diego, California, in April
2008.
The
Company had planned to begin its own analyses of tumor types other than GBM
for
new biomarkers by late 2008. However, in order to do this, the Company would
need to establish and operate an independent laboratory. The creation and
operation of such a laboratory for two years is estimated to cost approximately
$2,000,000. The Company is deferring plans to open and staff an independent
laboratory until the full intellectual property value of its initial lead
compounds for treatment of brain tumors is determined.
Plans
Beyond the Next 12 Months
A
goal of
the Company is to continue the synthesis of new compounds that target other
components of molecular pathways already identified by the Company and its
CRADA
partner to be vulnerable to attack by small molecule drugs, and to explore
the
vulnerability of additional potential new targets revealed through the molecular
characterization of the effects of the Company’s lead compounds.
The
Company expects to participate in clinical trials of new therapies in
partnership with an organization experienced in such undertakings. The
partnering organization may be either a clinical branch of NIH or a
pharmaceutical company with expertise in the conduct of clinical trials. The
Company’s present position is to take one or more of its new therapies for the
treatment of glioblastoma multiforme through pre-clinical evaluation as part
of
the CRADA with the NINDS of the NIH. After completing pre-clinical evaluation,
the Company will consider partnering with the NIH to conduct a Phase I
Trial or jointly with the NIH to seek a third party, most probably a large
pharmaceutical company, to carry the new therapies into Phase I trials.
After completion of Phase I trials, the Company, potentially in partnership
with the NIH, would collaborate with the third party to carry new therapies
found to be safe for administration to humans in the Phase I trials into
Phase II trials.
38
Phase II
trials test the safety and effectiveness, as well as the best estimate of the
proper dose of the new therapies, in a group of patients with the same type
of
cancer at the same stage. For the Company’s initial studies, the focus will be
brain tumors. The duration of Phase II trials may run from 6 to 24 months.
New regimens showing beneficial activity in Phase II trials may then be
considered for evaluation in Phase III trials. Phase III trials for
the evaluation of new cancer treatments are comparative trials in which the
therapeutic benefit of a new regimen is compared to the therapeutic benefit
of
the best standard regimen in a randomized study.
Whether
the Company will participate in or be in a position to participate in any
clinical trials will depend upon partnerships and specific licensing agreements.
However, in all cases of clinical trial participation, the Company will be
subject to FDA regulation. These regulations are specific and form the basis
for
assessing the potential clinical benefit of new therapeutic regimens while
safeguarding the health of patients participating in investigational studies.
Even after a drug receives approval from the FDA for sale as a new treatment
for
a specific disease indication, the sponsors of the drug are subject to reporting
potentially adverse effects of the new regimen to the FDA.
Given
the
progress in identifying two lead compounds with activity in animal models of
GBM, the Company is devoting its resources to bring the agents to a point at
which an Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application can be submitted to the
FDA for a Phase I clinical trial. One lead compound (LB-1) is the most advanced
in the process and the Company plans to be ready for IND submission by early
2009. The other lead compound (LB-2.5), which inhibits cancer cells by a
mechanism distinct from that of LB-1, is anticipated to complete its evaluation
by the end of 2009.
The
Company is a development stage company and had not commenced revenue-generating
operations at December 31, 2007.
General
and Administrative Expenses.
For the
year ended December 31, 2007, general and administrative expenses were
$1,234,616, which consisted of stock-based compensation of $890,444, consulting
and professional fees of $248,903, insurance expense of $27,312, laboratory
supplies of $30,895, filing fees of $11,164, and other operating costs of
$25,898. For the year ended December 31, 2006, general and administrative
expenses were $268,951, which consisted of stock-based compensation of $97,400,
consulting and professional fees of $140,814, insurance expense of $8,385,
laboratory supplies of $555, filing fees of $4,799, and other operating costs
of
$16,998.
Depreciation.
For the
years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, depreciation expense was $592 and $462,
respectively.
Research
and Development Costs.
For the
year ended December 31, 2007, research and development costs were $423,829,
including $50,836 for the vested portion of the fair value of stock options
issued to a consultant and the fair value of a five-year stock option to
purchase 100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at $0.333 per share issued
to Chem-Master International, Inc. on February 5, 2007 that was fully vested
and
non-forfeitable on the date of issuance. Research and development costs were
$180,569 for the year ended December 31, 2006. For the years ended December
31,
2007 and 2006, research and development costs included patent costs of $94,232
and $30,469, respectively.
Reverse
Merger Costs.
In
conjunction with the reverse merger transaction completed on June 30, 2006,
WestPark Capital, Inc. was paid an aggregate cash fee of $50,000, which was
charged to operations during the year ended December 31, 2006.
Interest
Income.
For the
year ended December 31, 2007, interest income was $10,549, as compared to
interest income of $11,898 for the year ended December 31,
2006.
39
Liquidated
Damages Under Registration Rights Agreement.
As part
of the Company’s private placement of its securities completed on July 27, 2006,
the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with the purchasers,
whereby the Company agreed to register the shares of common stock sold in the
private placement, and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration
statement, subject to certain conditions. The agreement required the Company
to
file a registration statement within 45 days of the closing of the private
placement and to have the registration statement declared effective within
120
days of the closing of the private placement. On September 8, 2006, the Company
filed a registration statement on Form SB-2 to register 3,555,220 shares of
the
common stock sold in the private placement. Since the registration statement
was
not declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120
days
of the closing of the private placement, the Company was required to pay each
investor prorated liquidated damages equal to 1.0% of the amount raised per
month, payable monthly in cash.
In
accordance with EITF 00-19-2, “Accounting for Registration Payment
Arrangements”, on the date of the closing of the private placement, the Company
believed it would meet the deadlines under the registration rights agreement
with respect to filing a registration statement and having it declared effective
by the SEC. As a result, the Company did not record any liabilities associated
with the registration rights agreement at June 30, 2006. At December 31, 2006,
the Company determined that the registration statement covering the shares
sold
in the private placement would not be declared effective within the requisite
time frame and therefore accrued six months liquidated damages under the
registration rights agreement aggregating approximately $74,000, which has
been
presented as a current liability at December 31, 2007 and 2006. No further
registration penalty accrual was required at December 31, 2007, as the Company’s
registration statement on Form SB-2 was declared effective by the Securities
and
Exchange Commission on May 14, 2007. The Company will continue to review the
status of the registration statement at each quarter end in the future and
record further liquidated damages under the registration rights agreement as
necessary. At December 31, 2007, the registration penalty to the investors
was
still due and payable.
Net
Loss.
For the
year ended December 31, 2007, the Company incurred a net loss of $1,648,488,
as
compared to a net loss of $562,084 for the year ended December 31,
2006.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources - December 31, 2007
Going
Concern
The
Company’s financial statements have been presented on the basis that it is a
going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction
of
liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company is in the development
stage and has not generated any revenues from operations to date.
The
Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon its ability
to develop additional sources of capital and to ultimately achieve profitable
operations. The Company’s financial statements do not include any adjustments
that might result from the outcome of these uncertainties.
The
Company is currently devoting its efforts to research and development related
to
specific cancer biomarkers for early detection, estimation of prognosis,
monitoring response to treatment, and development of targeted therapeutic
agents. The Company is seeking to exploit this opportunity through execution
of
its business plan and the development of related patents.
At
December 31, 2007, the Company had not yet commenced any revenue-generating
operations. All activity through December 31, 2007 related to the Company’s
formation, capital raising efforts and initial research and development
activities. As such, the Company has yet to generate any cash flows from
operations, and is essentially dependent on debt and equity funding from both
related and unrelated parties to finance its operations. Prior to June 30,
2006,
the Company’s cash requirements were funded by advances from Lixte’s founder. On
June 30, 2006, the Company completed an initial closing of a private placement,
selling 1,973,869 shares of common stock at a price of $0.333 per share and
receiving net proceeds of $522,939. On July 27, 2006, the Company completed
a
second closing of the private placement, selling 1,581,351 shares of common
stock at a price of $0.333 per share and receiving net proceeds of $446,433.
On
December 12, 2007, the Company completed a second private placement, selling
999,995 shares of common stock at a price of $0.65 per share and receiving
net
proceeds of $531,320.
40
Because
the Company is currently engaged in research at an early stage, it will likely
take a significant amount of time to develop any product or intellectual
property capable of generating revenues. As such, the Company’s business is
unlikely to generate any revenue in the next several years and may never do
so.
Even if the Company is able to generate revenues in the future through licensing
its technologies or through product sales, there can be no assurance that such
revenues will exceed its expenses.
The
Company current resources may not be sufficient to fully fund all of the
Company’s planned operations for the next twelve months. The Company does not
have sufficient resources to fully develop and commercialize any products that
may arise from its research. Accordingly, the Company will need to raise
additional funds in order to satisfy its future working capital requirements.
The Company expects that the net proceeds from the second private placement
which closed in December 2007 of approximately $531,000 will be adequate to
fund
the Company’s updated and revised 2008 operating budget. Thereafter, the Company
currently estimates that it will require approximately $3,000,000 of additional
funding to finance future operations by late 2008, including the costs of the
pre-clinical evaluation and submission to the FDA of two lead compounds in
2009.
The amount and timing of future cash requirements will depend on the market’s
evaluation of the Company’s technology and products, and the resources that the
Company devotes to developing and supporting its activities. The Company
anticipates funding these cash requirements from a combination of debt or equity
financings and the sale, licensing or joint venturing of its intellectual
properties.
Current
market conditions present uncertainty as to the Company’s ability to secure
additional funds, as well as its ability to reach profitability. There can
be no
assurances that the Company will be able to secure additional financing, or
obtain favorable terms on such financing if it is available, or as to its
ability to achieve positive cash flow from operations. Continued negative cash
flows and lack of liquidity create significant uncertainty about the Company’s
ability to fully implement its operating plan, as a result of which the Company
may have to reduce the scope of its planned operations. If cash resources are
insufficient to satisfy the Company’s liquidity requirements, the Company would
be required to scale back or discontinue its technology and product development
programs, or obtain funds, if available, through strategic alliances that may
require the Company to relinquish rights to certain of its technologies
products, or to discontinue its operations.
Operating
Activities.
For the
year ended December 31, 2007, operating activities utilized cash of $702,868,
as
compared to utilizing cash of $443,451 for the year ended December 31, 2006,
primarily as a result of increased expenditures for both general and
administrative and research and development activities in 2007 as compared
to
2006.
The
Company had working capital of $376,184 at December 31, 2007, primarily as
a
result of the sale of the Company’s common stock pursuant to a second private
placement in December 2007 that generated net proceeds of $531,320.
Investing
Activities.
For the
years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, investing activities utilized cash
of
$272 and $498, respectively, for the purchase of office equipment.
Financing
Activities.
For the
year ended December 31, 2007, financing activities provided net cash of
$531,570, consisting of the gross proceeds from the sale of common stock of
$650,000, reduced by the payment of private placement offering costs of
$118,680. For the year ended December 31, 2006, financing activities provided
net cash of $1,118,643, consisting of the gross proceeds from the sale of common
stock of $1,183,889, the cash acquired in the reverse merger transaction of
$62,500, and advances from stockholder of $86,771, reduced by the payment of
private placement offering costs of $214,517.
41
Principal
Commitments
At
December 31, 2007, the Company did not have any material commitments for capital
expenditures. The Company had paid its second and final installment due under
the CRADA of $200,000 on June 29, 2007. The Company’s principal commitments at
December 31, 2007 consisted of the liquidated damages payable under the
registration rights agreement of $74,000 and the contractual obligations as
summarized below.
On
January 5, 2007, Lixte entered into a Services Agreement with The Free State
of
Bavaria (Germany) represented by the University of Regensburg (the “University”)
pursuant to which Lixte retained the University to provide to it certain samples
of primary cancer tissue and related biological fluids to be obtained from
patients afflicted with specified types of cancer. The University also agreed
to
provide certain information relating to such patients. Lixte agreed to pay
the
University 72,000 Euros in two equal installments. The first installment of
36,000 Euros ($48,902) was paid on March 7, 2007. On January 12, 2008, Lixte
terminated the Services Agreement in accordance with its terms, as a result
of
which payment of the second installment of 36,000 Euros was cancelled. The
University agreed to deliver 50% of the aforementioned samples under the
terminated Services Agreement.
On
February 5, 2007, Lixte entered into a two-year agreement (the “Chem-Master
Agreement”) with Chem-Master International, Inc. (“Chem-Master”) pursuant to
which Lixte engaged Chem-Master to synthesize a compound designated as “LB-1”,
and any other compound synthesized by Chem-Master pursuant to Lixte’s request,
which have potential use in treating a disease, including, without limitation,
cancers such as glioblastomas. Pursuant to the Chem-Master Agreement, Lixte
agreed to reimburse Chem-Master for the cost of materials, labor, and expenses
for other items used in the synthesis process, and also agreed to grant
Chem-Master a five-year option to purchase 100,000 shares of the Company’s
common stock at an exercise price of $0.333 per share. Lixte has the right
to
terminate the Chem-Master Agreement at any time during its term upon sixty
days
prior written notice. On February 5, 2009, provided that the Chem-Master
Agreement has not been terminated prior to such date, the Company has
agreed to grant Chem-Master a second five-year option to purchase an
additional 100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of
$0.333 per share.
On
September 20, 2007, the Company entered into a one-year consulting agreement
(the “Mirador Agreement”) with Mirador Consulting, Inc. (“Mirador”), pursuant to
which Mirador was to provide the Company with various financial services.
Pursuant to the Mirador Agreement, Lixte agreed to pay Mirador $5,000 per month
and also agreed to sell Mirador 250,000 shares of the Company’s restricted
common stock for $250 ($0.001 per share). The Company made payments under the
Mirador Agreement aggregating $10,000 during 2007. The Mirador Agreement was
amended in February 2008 such that Mirador forgave all accrued but unpaid
monthly fees through February 29, 2008 and the Company agreed to pay Mirador
a
fee of $2,000 per month for the remaining six months of the Mirador
Agreement.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
At
December 31, 2007, the Company did not have any transactions, obligations or
relationships that could be considered off-balance sheet
arrangements.
ITEM
7. FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
Our
financial statements and notes thereto and the related report of our independent
registered public accounting firm are attached to this Report beginning on
page
F-1.
ITEM
8. CHANGES
IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURE
Not
Applicable.
42
ITEM
8A. CONTROLS
AND PROCEDURES
We
maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that
information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file with the SEC
under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within
the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and that such
information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our
principal executive and financial officers, as appropriate, to allow for timely
decisions regarding required disclosure. As required by SEC Rule 15d-15(b),
we
carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation
of
the our management, including our principal executive and financial officer,
of
the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and
procedures as of the end of the most recent fiscal year covered by this report.
Based on the foregoing, our principal executive and financial officer concluded
that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure the
information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under
the
Exchange Act is timely recorded, processed and reported within the time periods
specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.
There
has
been no change in our internal control over financial reporting during our
most
recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely
to
materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s
Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal
control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) under the
Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to
ensure that material information regarding our operations is made available
to
management and the board of directors to provide them reasonable assurance
that
the published financial statements are fairly presented. There are limitations
inherent in any internal control, such as the possibility of human error and
the
circumvention or overriding of controls. As a result, even effective internal
controls can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial
statement preparation. As conditions change over time so too may the
effectiveness of internal controls.
Our
management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief
financial officer, has evaluated our internal control over financial reporting
as of December 31, 2007 based on the framework in Internal Control - Integrated
Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the
Treadway Commission. Based on this assessment, our management concluded that
our
internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31,
2007.
This
annual report does not include an attestation report of the Company’s registered
public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the Company’s registered
public accounting firm pursuant to temporary rules of the Securities and
Exchange Commission that permit the Company to provide only management’s report
in this annual report.
ITEM
8B. OTHER
INFORMATION
None
ITEM
9. DIRECTORS,
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, PROMOTERS AND CONTROL PERSONS; COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION
16H
OF THE EXCHANGE ACT
The
following table and text set forth the names of all directors and executive
officer of our Company as of December 31, 2007. The Board of Directors is
comprised of only one class. All of the directors will serve until the next
annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are elected and
qualified, or until their earlier death, retirement, resignation or removal.
There are no family relationships between or among the directors, executive
officers or persons nominated or charged by our Company to become directors
or
executive officers. The executive officer serves at the discretion of the Board
of Directors, and is appointed to serve until the first Board of Directors
meeting following the annual meeting of stockholders. The brief descriptions
of
the business experience of each director and executive officer and an indication
of directorships held by each director in other companies subject to the
reporting requirements under the Federal securities laws are provided herein
below. Also provided are the biographies of the members of the Scientific
Advisory Committee.
43
Our
directors and executive officer are as follows:
Name
|
|
Age
|
|
Positions
Held with the Company
|
Dr.
John S. Kovach
|
|
71
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Director
|
Dr.
Philip F. Palmedo
|
|
73
|
|
Director
|
Dr.
Stephen K. Carter
|
70
|
Director
|
Biographies
of Directors and Executive Officer:
Dr.
John S. Kovach
Dr.
John
S. Kovach founded Lixte in August 2005 and was its President and a member of
the
Board of Directors. He received a BA (cum laude) from Princeton University
and
an MD (AOA) from the College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University.
Dr. Kovach trained in Internal Medicine and Hematology at Presbyterian Hospital,
Columbia University, and spent six years in the laboratory of Chemical Biology,
National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, studying control of
gene
expression in bacterial systems.
Dr.
Kovach was recruited to Stony Brook University in 2000 to found the Long Island
Cancer Center (now named the Stony Brook University Cancer Center). He is
presently a Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook
University in Stony Brook, New York. From 1994 to 2000, Dr. Kovach was Executive
Vice President for Medical and Scientific Affairs, City of Hope National Medical
Center in Los Angeles, California. His responsibilities included oversight
of
all basic and clinical research initiatives at the City of Hope. During that
time, he was also Director of the Beckman Research Center at City of Hope and
a
member of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Scientific Advisory Board in Newport
Beach, California.
From
1976
to 1994, Dr. Kovach was a consultant in oncology and director of the Cancer
Pharmacology Division at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. During this
time, he directed the early clinical trials program for evaluation of new
anti-cancer drugs as principal investigator of contracts from the National
Cancer Institute. From 1986 to 1994, he was also Chair of the Department of
Oncology and Director of the NCI-designated Mayo Comprehensive Cancer Center.
During that time, Dr. Kovach, working with a molecular geneticist, Steve Sommer
MD, PhD, published extensively on patterns of acquired mutations in human cancer
cells as markers of environmental mutagens and as potential indicators of breast
cancer patient prognosis. Dr. Kovach has published over 100 articles on the
pharmacology, toxicity, and effectiveness of anti-cancer treatments and on
the
molecular epidemiology of breast cancer. Dr. Kovach manages Lixte with the
approval of the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the New York
State Ethics Commission.
Chief
Executive Officer
Leadership
and management of our Company is provided by Dr. Kovach, with the advice of
the
Board of Directors and the Scientific Advisory Committee. The activities to
date
have been confined to achieving the goals of the CRADA through the collaborative
arrangement of the Company by which Dr. Kovach and Dr. Zhuang, aided by two
full-time technical personnel, are pursuing development of lead compounds for
the treatment of malignant brain tumors. During this period of time, Dr. Kovach
has also been supervising the collection of the clinical samples needed to
validate the biomarker observations regarding GBMs and to be able to extend
the
discovery process to ovarian and stomach cancers. The Company intends to seek
an
extension of the CRADA for an additional year. Depending on various factors,
including raising approximately $3,000,000 of new funding during 2008, the
Company may recruit a full-time chief executive officer to manage the Company’s
business affairs, as well as a part-time chief financial officer.
44
Dr.
Philip F. Palmedo
Dr.
Palmedo joined our Board of Directors on June 30, 2006. Dr. Palmedo has had
a
diversified career as a physicist, entrepreneur, corporate manager and writer.
Dr. Palmedo received his undergraduate degree from Williams College and M.S.
and
Ph.D. degrees from MIT. He carried out experimental nuclear reactor physics
research at MIT, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the French Atomic Energy
Commission Laboratory at Saclay and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). At
BNL
in 1972, he initiated and was the first head of the Energy Policy Analysis
Group. In 1974, he served with the Energy Policy Office of the White House
and
in the following year initiated the BNL Developing Country Energy
Program.
In
1979,
Dr. Palmedo founded the International Resources Group, an international
professional services firm in energy, environment and natural resources. He
served as Chairman and CEO until 1988 and since that time has remained as
chairman. In 1985, the company was recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the
500
fastest growing private companies in the United States.
In
1988,
Dr. Palmedo joined in the formation of Kepler Financial Management, Ltd., a
quantitative financial research and trading company. Dr. Palmedo held the
position of president and managing director until the end of 1991 when
Renaissance Technologies Corporation acquired the company. In 2005, he started
a
new hedge fund, Kepler Asset Management, and is a managing director of the
firm.
Dr.
Palmedo was the designer and, in 1992, became the first president of the Long
Island Research Institute. LIRI was formed by Brookhaven National Laboratory,
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Stony Brook University to facilitate the
commercialization of technologies developed in their research and development
programs. LIRI guided fledgling companies and started several new high tech
entities. In order to provide “zero-stage” financing, LIRI created the Long
Island Venture Fund, which evolved into the $250 million Topspin
Fund.
Dr.
Palmedo served on the boards of Asset Management Advisors and the Teton Trust
Company and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of EHR Investments
and the Gyrodyne Corporation of America. Dr. Palmedo also served on the Board
of
Trustees of Williams College and of the Stony Brook (University) Foundation
and
chaired the Foundation’s Investment Committee. He is the founding Chairman of
the non-profit Cultural Preservation Fund.
Dr.
Palmedo has served as a consultant and advisor to numerous corporations and
national and international agencies in science, technology and environmental
policy, including the MacArthur Foundation, the U.S. National Academy of
Sciences, International Atomic Energy Agency, UNIDO, Organization of American
States, the Governments of Sweden, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Indonesia,
Somalia, Sudan, Egypt and Peru. He is the author of many publications in nuclear
reactor physics, energy and environment, and technology and economic
development.
Dr.
Stephen Carter
Dr.
Carter is a highly experienced leader and administrator in cancer therapeutics
and cancer drug development. For 13 years, he was associated with Bristol-Meyers
Co. and Bristol-Meyers Squibb Co., holding successively the positions of Senior
Vice President, Anti-Cancer Research; President, Division of Pharmaceutical
Research and Development; and ultimately, Senior Vice President, Worldwide
Clinical Research and Development, Pharmaceutical Research Institute. Most
recently, Dr. Carter was Senior Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory
Affairs at Sugen, Inc., after serving as Senior Vice President for Research
and
Development at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Carter has held
leadership roles in academia and government, including Deputy Director, Division
of Cancer Treatment, National Cancer Institute and Director, Northern California
Cancer Program.
45
Dr.
Carter is currently a member of the board of directors of Cytogen Corporation
(NASDAQ:CYTO), Alfacell Corporation (NASDAQ:ACEL), Tapestry Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. (NASDAQ:TPPH), Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX:KAL), Vion
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:VION) and Celator, a privately-held
biopharmaceutical company.
SCIENTIFIC
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The
Scientific Advisory Committee, which is not part of management, advises us
in
three areas: human molecular pathology; the clinical management of human brain
tumors; and medicinal chemistry. It is planned that the committee will meet
as a
group annually with some members participating via telephone conference. Thus
far, the Committee members have been apprised of our general objectives and
several of the specific challenges and leads for developing improved therapies
for human brain tumors. The Committee members have not provided specific advice
thus far that has modified strategy nor do they serve in any management
capacity. The Scientific Advisory Committee was formalized on June 30, 2006.
The
members of our Scientific Advisory Committee are:
Arndt
Hartmann, MD
Dr.
Hartmann is Chair, Department of Pathology, University of Erlangen, Germany.
He
was trained in Internal Medicine at the University of Jena, Germany, and in
molecular genetics of cancer at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. He was
subsequently trained in pathology at the University of Regensburg and the
University of Basel, Switzerland. His research is focused on methods development
in molecular pathology. He has specific expertise in genetic alterations in
cancers of the bladder, prostate, kidney and breast.
Ferdinand
Hofstadter, MD
Dr.
Hofstadter is Professor and Director of the Institute of Pathology, University
of Regensburg Medical School, Germany. He is Research Dean of the University
of
Regensburg-Medical Faculty, Chairman of the Managing Board of the Association
of
German Tumor Centers, Chairman of the German Society for Pathology, a member
of
the editorial boards of Virchow’s Archives and the Journal of Pathology, and a
referee for Deutsche Forschungsgesellschaft, the Dr. Mildred Scheel-Stiftung,
EU, and the European Research Framework Program.
Stefan
Madajewicz, MD, PhD
Dr.
Madajewicz is Professor of Medicine. For the past 15 years, he has been Director
of Cancer Clinical Trials and for the past 10 years, Chief, Neoplastic Diseases
at SUNY-Stony Brook. Dr. Madajewicz is a Fellow, American College of Physicians,
and a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association
for Cancer Research, European Society of Medical Oncology, an affiliate of
the
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, and member of the National Surgical Adjuvant
Breast and Bowel Project. He is recognized as an outstanding cancer clinician
and for the design of clinical trials, particularly the evaluation of new drugs
in the treatment of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and
brain.
Iwao
Ojima, BS, MS, PhD
Professor
Ojima is Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Director, Institute of
Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, SUNY-Stony Brook. He is an internationally
recognized expert in medicinal chemistry, including anti-cancer agents and
enzyme inhibitors, development of efficient synthetic methods for organic
synthesis by means of organometallic reagents, homogeneous catalysis and
organometallic chemistry, peptide and peptide mimetics, beta-lactam chemistry,
and organoflourine chemistry at the biomedical interface.
46
Dr.
Ojima
is a recipient of the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award (1994) and the E. B.
Hershberg Award (for important discovery of medicinally active substances)
(2001) from the American Chemical Society; The Chemical Society of Japan Award
(for distinguished achievements) (1999); and Outstanding Inventor Award from
the
Research Foundation of the State University of New York (2002. He is a Fellow
of
the J.S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (1995-), the American Association for
the Advancement of Science (1997-), and The New York Academy of Sciences
(2000-).
Dr.
Ojima
is a member of the American Chemical Society, American Association for the
Advancement of Science, American Association for Cancer Research, American
Peptide Society, the Chemical Society of Japan, the Society of Synthetic Organic
Chemistry, Japan, New York Academy of Sciences, and Signa Xi. He has served
as a
consultant for E. I. du Pont, Eli Lilly, Air Products & Chemicals,
Mitsubishi Chem. Inc., Nippon Steel Corp., Life Science Division, Rhone-Poulenc
Rorer, ImmunoGen, Inc., Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Milliken & Co., Aventis
Pharma, OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mitsubishi Chem. Corp.
(current).
Audit
Committee
We
do not
presently have an audit committee. The Board of Directors acts in that capacity
and has determined that we do not currently have a financial expert serving
on
our Board of Directors.
Code
of Ethics
Our
Board
of Directors adopted a code of ethics covering all of our executive officers
and
key employees. A copy of our code of ethics will be furnished without charge
to
any person upon written request. Requests should be sent to: Secretary, Lixte
Biotechnology Holdings, Inc., 248 Route 25A, No. 2, Setauket, New York 11733.
Director
Independence
The
Company considers Dr. Palmedo and Dr. Carter to be independent directors
according to applicable standards.
Compliance
with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
Amended:
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires the Company’s
directors and executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of a
registered class of the Company’s equity securities to file various reports with
the Securities and Exchange Commission concerning their holdings of, and
transactions in, securities of the Company. Copies of these filings must be
furnished to the Company.
To
the
Company’s knowledge based solely on its review of the copies of the Section
16(a) reports furnished to the Company and written representations to the
Company that no other reports were required, the Company believes that all
individual filing requirements applicable to the Company’s directors and
executive officers were complied with under Section 16(a) during
2007.
ITEM
10. EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
For
the
fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, no individual, including Dr.
John
Kovach, our current Chief Executive Officer, received any compensation. Dr.
Kovach is reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses. Any future compensation
arrangements will be subject to the approval of the Board of
Directors.
47
Option
Grants to Officers in 2006 and 2007
None.
Aggregate
Option Exercises in 2006 and 2007; Option Values at December 31,
2007
None;
not
applicable.
Employment
Agreements; Compensation
We
have
not entered into any employment agreements. As of December 31, 2007, we had
no
full-time employees. For the current fiscal year, Dr. Kovach does not anticipate
receiving any compensation from us in view of our early stage status. He will
be
reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses. Any future compensation arrangements
will be subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
Consulting
Agreements
On
September 12, 2007, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Gil
Schwartzberg and granted to Mr. Schwartzberg stock options to purchase an
aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of common stock, exercisable for a period of
four
years from vesting date at $1.00 per share, with one-half of the options
(500,000 shares) vesting immediately and one-half (500,000 shares) vesting
on
September 12, 2008. The fair value of these options, as calculated pursuant
to
the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was initially determined to be $945,000
($0.945 per share), of which $465,000 was attributed to the fully-vested options
and was thus charged to operations on September 12, 2007. The remaining portion
of the fair value of these options is being charged to operations ratably from
September 12, 2007 through September 12, 2008. During the year ended December
31, 2007, the Company recorded a charge to operations of $553,662 with respect
to these options.
On
September 12, 2007, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Francis
Johnson and granted to Professor Johnson stock options to purchase an aggregate
of 300,000 shares of common stock, exercisable for a period of four years from
vesting date at $0.333 per share, with one-third (100,000 shares) vesting
annually on each of September 12, 2008, 2009 and 2010. The fair value of these
options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model,
was
initially determined to be $300,000 ($1.00 per share), and is being charged
to
operations ratably from September 12, 2007 through September 12, 2010. On
December 31, 2007, the fair value of these options, as calculated pursuant
to
the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $198,000 ($0.66
per
share), which resulted in a charge to operations of $19,836 during the year
ended December 31, 2007.
Director
Compensation
Members
of the Board of Directors
On
June
30, 2006, effective with the closing of the Exchange, the Company granted to
Dr. Philip Palmedo, an outside director of the Company, stock options to
purchase an aggregate of 200,000 shares of common stock, exercisable for a
period of five years at $0.333 per share, with one-third of the options (66,666
shares) vesting immediately upon joining the Board and one-third vesting
annually on each of June 30, 2007 and 2008. The fair value of these options,
as
calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined
to
be $62,000 ($0.31 per share), of which $20,666 was charged to operations on
June
30, 2006, and the remaining $41,334 is being charged to operations ratably
from
July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2008. During the years ended December 31, 2007
and
2006, the Company recorded a charge to operations of $20,668 and $31,000,
respectively, with respect to these options.
48
On
June 30, 2006, effective with the closing of the Exchange, the Company also
granted to Dr. Palmedo additional stock options to purchase 190,000 shares
of common stock exercisable for a period of five years at $0.333 per share
for
services rendered in developing the business plan for Lixte, all of which were
fully vested upon issuance. The fair value of these options, as calculated
pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $58,900
($0.31 per share), and was charged to operations at June 30, 2006.
On
September 12, 2007, in conjunction with his appointment as a director of the
Company, the Company granted to Dr. Stephen Carter stock options to purchase
an
aggregate of 200,000 shares of common stock under the 2007 Plan, exercisable
for
a period of five years from vesting date at $0.333 per share, with one-half
(100,000 shares) vesting annually on each of September 12, 2008 and 2009. The
fair value of these options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes
option-pricing model, was determined to be $204,000 ($1.02 per share), and
is
being charged to operations ratably from September 12, 2007 through September
12, 2009, which resulted in a charge to operations of $30,655 during the year
ended December 31, 2007. Any additional outside member of the Board of Directors
will generally receive options to purchase 200,000 shares of common stock at
the
fair market value as of the date of the grant, with one third of the options
(66,666 shares) vesting immediately upon joining the board and one third vesting
annually for two years on the anniversary of that date.
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION TABLE
Name
and Principal Position
|
Year
|
|
Salary
($)
|
|
Bonus
($)
|
|
Stock
Awards ($)
|
|
Option
Awards ($)
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan Compensation ($)
|
|
Non-Qualified
Deferred Compensation Earnings ($)
|
|
All
Other Compensation ($)
|
|
Total
($)
|
|||||||||||
Philip
F. Palmedo
Director
|
2007
2006
|
0
0
|
0
0
|
0
0
|
0
120,900
|
0
0
|
0
0
|
0
0
|
0
120,900
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Stephen
Carter
Director
|
2007
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
204,000
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
204,000
|
Members
of the Scientific Advisory Committee
On
June
30, 2006, each member of the Scientific Advisory Committee, other than Dr.
Hartmann and Dr. Hofstadter, received options to purchase 50,000 shares of
common stock at the initial private placement price of $0.333 per share with
one-half of the options (25,000 shares) vesting on the first anniversary of
joining the committee and one-half vesting on the second
anniversary.
Accordingly,
on June 30, 2006, the Company granted to certain members of its Scientific
Advisory Committee stock options to purchase an aggregate of 100,000 shares
of
common stock exercisable for a period of five years at $0.333 per share, with
one-half of the options vesting annually on each of June 30, 2007 and June
30,
2008. The fair value of these options, as calculated pursuant to the
Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was initially determined to be $31,000
($0.31 per share), and is being charged to operations ratably from July 1,
2006
through June 30, 2008. On December 31, 2007 and 2006, the fair value of these
options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model,
was
determined to be $63,000 ($0.63 per share) and $30,000 ($0.30 per share),
respectively, which resulted in a charge to operations of $23,212 and $7,500
during the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively.
49
Aggregated
Option Exercises in 2006 and 2007; Option Values at December 31,
2007
There
were no option exercises in 2006 or 2007.
The
value
of vested and unvested unexercised in-the-money stock options held by our
Officers and Directors at December 31, 2007 was $134,830 and $111,200,
respectively, which was calculated by determining the difference between the
weighted average exercise price of the stock options of $0.333 per share and
the
market price for the Company’s common stock of $0.75 per share at December 31,
2007.
ITEM
11. SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
AND
MANAGEMENT
The
following table sets forth, as of March 15, 2008, certain information regarding
beneficial ownership of our common stock by (i) each person or entity who is
known by us to own beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of common
stock, (ii) each of our directors, and (iii) all directors and executive
officers as a group. As of March 15, 2008, there were 27,832,178 shares of
our
common stock issued and outstanding. In computing the number and percentage
of
shares beneficially owned by a person, shares of common stock that a person
has
a right to acquire within sixty (60) days of March 15, 2008, pursuant to
options, warrants or other rights are counted as outstanding, while these shares
are not counted as outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of any
other person. Unless otherwise indicated, the address for each stockholder
listed in the following table is c/o Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc., 248
Route 25A, No. 2, East Setauket, New York 11733. This table is based upon
information supplied by directors, officers and principal stockholders and
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Name
and Address of Beneficial Owner
|
Amount
and Nature of Beneficial Ownership
|
Percent
of Class
|
|||||
Officers,
Directors and 5% stockholders
|
|||||||
Dr.
John S. Kovach
248
Route 25A, No. 2
East
Setauket, New York 11733
|
17,021,786
|
61.15
|
%
|
||||
Dr.
Philip F. Palmedo
248
Route 25A, No. 2
|
|||||||
East
Setauket, New York 11733
|
390,000
|
(1)
|
1.4
|
%
|
|||
Dr.
Stephen K. Carter
248
Route 25A, No. 2
|
|||||||
East
Setauket, New York 11733
|
100,000
|
(2)
|
—
|
||||
All
Officers and Directors as a group (three persons)
|
17,511,786
|
(1)
(2)
|
62.9
|
%
|
(1) Includes
options to purchase an aggregate of 390,000 shares of common stock which are
immediately exercisable or within six months.
(2) Consists
of options to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock which vest within six
months.
50
ITEM
12. CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
This
section describes the transactions we have engaged in with persons who were
directors, officers or affiliates before and at the time of the transaction,
and
persons known by us to be the beneficial owners of 5% or more of our common
stock as of December 31, 2007.
Most
office services are provided without charge by our president, Dr. John Kovach.
Such costs are immaterial to the financial statements and accordingly, have
not
been reflected therein. Our officer and directors are involved in other business
activities and may, in the future, become involved in other business
opportunities that become available, and such person may face a conflict in
selecting between us and his other business interests. We have not formulated
a
policy for the resolution of such conflicts.
Also,
Dr.
Kovach has advanced to us an aggregate of $92,717 through December 31, 2007
to meet operating expenses. Such advances are non-interest bearing and are
due
on demand.
ITEM
13. EXHIBITS
Exhibit
No.
|
Description
|
||
2.1
|
Share
Exchange Agreement dated as of June 8, 2006 among the Company, John
S.
Kovach and Lixte Biotechnology, Inc.1
|
||
2.2
|
Securities
Purchase Agreement3
|
||
2.3
|
Registration
Rights Agreement3
|
||
3.1
|
Certificate
of Incorporation, as filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on
May 24,
2005.2
|
||
3.2
|
Certificate
of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation
|
||
3.2
|
Bylaws2
|
||
10.1
|
Cooperative
Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between the U.S. Department
of
Health and Human Services, as represented by National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health
and
Lixte Inc., as amended.4
|
||
10.2
|
Services
Agreement between Lixte and the Free State of Bavaria represented
by the
University of Regensburg dated as of January 5, 2007.7
|
||
10.3
|
Agreement
between Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. and Chem-Master International,
Inc. dated as of February 5, 2007.6
|
||
10.4
|
Stock
Option Agreement between Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. and Stephen
K.
Carter dated September 12, 2007.7
|
||
10.5
|
Stock
Option Agreement between Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. and Francis
Johnson dated September 12, 2007.7
|
||
10.6
|
Stock
Option Agreement between Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. and Gil
Schwartzberg dated September 12, 2007.7
|
||
10.7
|
Consulting
Agreement between Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. and Gil Schwartzberg
dated September 12, 2007.7
|
||
10.8
|
Consulting
Agreement between Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. and Mirador
Consulting, Inc. dated September 20, 2007.7
|
||
10.9
|
Consulting
Agreement between Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. and Francis
Johnson
dated September 12, 2007.7
|
||
31
|
Officer’s
Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
|
||
32
|
Officer’s
Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
|
Filed
as an Exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K as filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 7, 2006, and incorporated
herein by reference.
|
51
2
|
Filed
as an Exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10-SB, as
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 3,
2005 and
incorporated herein by reference.
|
|
3
|
Filed
as an Exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form SB-2 as
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September
8, 2006 and
incorporated herein by reference.
|
|
4
|
Filed
as an Exhibit to the Company’s Registration on Form SB-2 as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2007 and incorporated
herein by reference.
|
|
5
|
Filed
as an Exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form SB-2 as
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 11,
2007 and
incorporated herein by reference.
|
|
Filed
as an Exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K as filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 9, 2007 and
incorporated herein by reference.
|
||
7
|
Filed
as an Exhibit to the Company’s Quarterly Report as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on November 11, 2007, and
incorporated herein by
reference.
|
ITEM
14. PRINCIPAL
ACCOUNTANT FEES AND EXPENSES
The
Company has appointed AJ.
Robbins, P.C.
as our
independent registered public accounting firm for the years ended December
31,
2006 and 2007.
The
following table shows the fees that were paid or accrued by us for audit and
other services provided by AJ.
Robbins, P.C. for
the
years ended December 31, 2006 and 2007.
Years
Ended December 31,
|
|||||||
2006
|
2007
|
||||||
Audit
Fees (1)
|
$
|
40,000 |
$
|
60,853 | |||
Audit-Related
Fees (2)
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
Tax
Fees (3)
|
5,000
|
7,500
|
|||||
All
Other Fees
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
Total
|
$
|
45,000 |
$
|
68,353 |
(1)
|
Audit
fees represent fees for professional services provided in connection
with
the audit of our annual financial statements and the review of our
financial statements included in our Form 10-QSB quarterly reports
and
services that are normally provided in connection with statutory
or
regulatory filings during the 2006 and 2007 fiscal
years.
|
(2)
|
Audit-related
fees represent fees for assurance and related services that are reasonably
related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial
statements and not reported above under “Audit Fees.”
|
(3)
|
Tax
fees represent fees for professional services related to tax compliance,
tax advice and tax planning.
|
All
audit
related services, tax services and other services rendered by AJ
Robbins
were
pre-approved by our Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has adopted
a
pre-approval policy that provides for the pre-approval of all services performed
for us by AJ.
Robbin, P.C.
52
SIGNATURES
In
accordance with Section 13 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the
Registrant caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned
thereunto duly authorized.
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
|
||
|
|
|
Date: March
31, 2008
|
By: | /s/ John S. Kovach |
Name: John
S. Kovach
Title: Chief
Executive Officer
|
In
accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been signed
below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant in the capacity
and
on the dates indicated.
Signature
|
|
Title
|
|
Date
|
|
|
|
||
/s/
John S. Kovach
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer, Principal Financial Officer,
|
|
March
31, 2008
|
John
S. Kovach
|
|
Principal
Accounting Officer and Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
/s/
Philip F. Palmedo
|
|
Director
|
|
March
31, 2008
|
Philip
F. Palmedo
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Stephen K. Carter
|
|
Director
|
|
March
31, 2008
|
Stephen
K. Carter
|
53
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
And
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
December
31, 2007 and 2006
INDEX
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
F-2
|
|||
|
||||
Consolidated
Balance Sheets - December 31, 2007 and 2006
|
F-3
|
|||
|
||||
Consolidated
Statements of Operations - Years Ended December 31, 2007 and 2006,
and
August 9, 2005 (Inception) to December 31, 2007
(Cumulative)
|
F-4
|
|||
|
||||
Consolidated
Statement of Stockholders’ Equity (Deficiency) - August 9, 2005
(Inception) to December 31, 2007
|
F-5
|
|||
|
||||
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows - Years Ended December 31, 2007 and 2006,
and
August 9, 2005 (Inception) to December 31, 2007
(Cumulative)
|
F-6
|
|||
|
||||
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
F-8
|
F-1
REPORT
OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To
the
Board of Directors
Lixte
Biotechnology Holdings, Inc.
East
Setauket, New York
We
have
audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Lixte Biotechnology
Holdings, Inc. and subsidiary (a development stage company) as of December
31,
2007 and 2006, and the related consolidated statements of operations,
stockholders’ equity (deficiency) and cash flows for the years then ended and
for the period from August 9, 2005 (Inception) to December 31, 2007. These
consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's
management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated
financial statements based on our audits.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we
plan
and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the
financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not
required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal
control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal
control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures
that
we considered appropriate under the circumstances, but not for the purpose
of
expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control
over financial reporting. An audit includes examining on a test basis, evidence
supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Accordingly,
we express no such opinion. An audit also includes assessing the accounting
principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as
evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our
audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In
our
opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Lixte Biotechnology
Holdings, Inc. and subsidiary as of December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the results
of their operations and their cash flows for the years then ended and for the
period from August 9, 2005 (Inception) to December 31, 2007, in conformity
with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America.
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming
that
the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the
consolidated financial statements, the Company is in the development stage
and
has not commenced operations. Its ability to continue as a going concern is
dependent upon its ability to develop additional sources of capital and
ultimately achieve profitable operations. These conditions raise substantial
doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. The consolidated
financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from
the
outcome of this uncertainty.
AJ.
ROBBINS, P.C.
CERTIFIED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
Denver,
Colorado
March
15,
2008
F-2
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
December
31,
|
|||||||
|
2007
|
2006
|
|||||
ASSETS
|
|
|
|||||
Current
assets:
|
|
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$
|
508,070
|
$
|
679,640
|
|||
Advances
on research and development contract services
|
88,180
|
50,000
|
|||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
32,117
|
20,365
|
|||||
Total
current assets
|
628,367
|
750,005
|
|||||
Office
equipment ,
net of accumulated depreciation of $1,167 and $575 at December 31,
2007
and 2006, respectively
|
742
|
1,062
|
|||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
629,109
|
$
|
751,067
|
|||
|
|||||||
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
|||||||
Current
liabilities:
|
|||||||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
$
|
73,741
|
$
|
31,786
|
|||
Liquidated
damages payable under registration rights agreement
|
74,000
|
74,000
|
|||||
Research
and development contract liabilities
|
11,725
|
—
|
|||||
Due
to stockholder
|
92,717
|
92,717
|
|||||
Total
current liabilities
|
252,183
|
198,503
|
|||||
|
|||||||
Commitments
and contingencies
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
Stockholders’
equity:
|
|||||||
Preferred
stock, $0.0001 par value;
authorized
- 10,000,000 shares; issued - none
|
—
|
—
|
|||||
Common
stock, $0.0001 par value;
authorized
- 100,000,000 shares;
issued
and outstanding - 27,832,178 shares and 26,582,183 shares at December
31,
2007 and 2006, respectively
|
2,783
|
2,658
|
|||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
2,600,839
|
1,128,114
|
|||||
Deficit
accumulated during the development stage
|
(2,226,696
|
)
|
(578,208
|
)
|
|||
Total
stockholders’ equity
|
376,926
|
552,564
|
|||||
Total
liabilities and stockholders’ equity
|
$
|
629,109
|
$
|
751,067
|
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-3
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Years
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
|
2007
|
2006
|
Period from
August 9,
2005
(Inception)
to
December 31,
2007
(Cumulative)
|
|||||||
Revenues
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
||||
|
||||||||||
Costs
and expenses:
|
||||||||||
General
and administrative costs, including $890,444,
$97,400
and $987,844 of stock-based compensation
during
the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, and
the
period from August 9, 2005 (inception) to December
31,
2007 (cumulative), respectively
|
1,234,616
|
268,951
|
1,504,928
|
|||||||
Depreciation
|
592
|
462
|
1,167
|
|||||||
Research
and development costs, including $50,836, $0 and
$50,836
of stock-based compensation during the years
ended
December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the period from
August
9, 2005 (inception) to December 31, 2007
(cumulative),
respectively
|
423,829
|
180,569
|
619,048
|
|||||||
|
||||||||||
Reverse
merger costs
|
—
|
50,000
|
50,000
|
|||||||
|
||||||||||
Total
costs and expenses
|
1,659,037
|
499,982
|
2,175,143
|
|||||||
|
(1,659,037
|
)
|
(499,982
|
)
|
(2,175,143
|
)
|
||||
Interest
income
|
10,549
|
11,898
|
22,447
|
|||||||
Liquidated
damages under registration rights agreement
|
—
|
(74,000
|
)
|
(74,000
|
)
|
|||||
Net
loss
|
$
|
(1,648,488
|
)
|
$
|
(562,084
|
)
|
$
|
(2,226,696
|
)
|
|
Net
loss per common share - basic and diluted
|
$
|
(0.06
|
)
|
$
|
(0.02
|
)
|
||||
Weighted
average common shares outstanding -
basic
and diluted
|
26,707,525
|
22,750,033
|
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-4
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIENCY)
Period
from August 9, 2005 (Inception) to December 31, 2007
|
Common
Stock
|
Additional
Paid-in
|
Deficit
Accumulated
During
the
Development |
Total
Stockholders’
Equity |
||||||||||||
|
Shares
|
Amount
|
Capital
|
Stage
|
(Deficiency)
|
|||||||||||
Balance,
August 9, 2005 (inception)
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
|||||||
Shares
issued to founding stockholder
|
19,021,786
|
1,902
|
(402
|
)
|
—
|
1,500
|
||||||||||
Net
loss
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
(16,124
|
)
|
(16,124
|
)
|
|||||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2005
|
19,021,786
|
1,902
|
(402
|
)
|
(16,124
|
)
|
(14,624
|
)
|
||||||||
Shares
issued in connection with reverse
merger
transaction
|
4,005,177
|
401
|
62,099
|
—
|
62,500
|
|||||||||||
Shares
issued in private placement, net of offering costs of
$214,517
|
3,555,220
|
355
|
969,017
|
—
|
969,372
|
|||||||||||
Stock-based
compensation
|
—
|
—
|
97,400
|
—
|
97,400
|
|||||||||||
Net
loss
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
(562,084
|
)
|
(562,084
|
)
|
|||||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2006
|
26,582,183
|
2,658
|
1,128,114
|
(578,208
|
)
|
552,564
|
||||||||||
Shares
issued in private placement, net of offering costs of
$118,680
|
999,995
|
100
|
531,220
|
—
|
531,320
|
|||||||||||
Stock-based
compensation
|
250,000
|
25
|
890,669
|
—
|
890,694
|
|||||||||||
Stock-based
research and development costs
|
—
|
—
|
50,836
|
—
|
50,836
|
|||||||||||
Net
loss
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
(1,648,488
|
)
|
(1,648,488
|
)
|
|||||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2007
|
27,832,178
|
$
|
2,783
|
$
|
2,600,839
|
$
|
(2,226,696
|
)
|
$
|
376,926
|
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-5
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Years
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
|
2007
|
2006
|
Period from
August 9,
2005
(Inception)
to
December 31,
2007
(Cumulative)
|
|||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Net
loss
|
$
|
(1,648,488
|
)
|
$
|
(562,084
|
)
|
$
|
(2,226,696
|
)
|
|
Adjustments
to reconcile net loss to net cash used in
operating
activities:
|
||||||||||
Depreciation
|
592
|
462
|
1,167
|
|||||||
Stock-based
compensation
|
890,444
|
97,400
|
987,844
|
|||||||
Stock-based
research and development
|
50,836
|
—
|
50,836
|
|||||||
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities:
|
||||||||||
(Increase)
decrease in -
|
||||||||||
Advances
on research and development contract services
|
(38,180
|
)
|
(50,000
|
)
|
(88,180
|
)
|
||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
(11,752
|
)
|
(20,365
|
)
|
(32,117
|
)
|
||||
Increase
(decrease) in -
|
||||||||||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
41,955
|
17,136
|
73,741
|
|||||||
Liquidated
damages payable under registration rights
agreement
|
—
|
74,000
|
74,000
|
|||||||
Research
and development contract liabilities
|
11,725
|
—
|
11,725
|
|||||||
Net
cash used in operating activities
|
(702,868
|
)
|
(443,451
|
)
|
(1,147,680
|
)
|
||||
|
||||||||||
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
||||||||||
Purchase
of office equipment
|
(272
|
)
|
(498
|
)
|
(1,909
|
)
|
||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
(272
|
)
|
(498
|
)
|
(1,909
|
)
|
||||
|
||||||||||
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
||||||||||
Proceeds
from sale of common stock to consulting firm
|
250
|
—
|
250
|
|||||||
Proceeds
from sale of common stock to founder
|
—
|
—
|
1,500
|
|||||||
Cash
acquired in reverse merger transaction
|
—
|
62,500
|
62,500
|
|||||||
Gross
proceeds from sale of common stock
|
650,000
|
1,183,889
|
1,833,889
|
|||||||
Payment
of private placement offering costs
|
(118,680
|
)
|
(214,517
|
)
|
(333,197
|
)
|
||||
Advances
from stockholder
|
—
|
86,771
|
92,717
|
|||||||
Net
cash provided by financing activities
|
531,570
|
1,118,643
|
1,657,659
|
|||||||
|
||||||||||
Net
increase (decrease) in cash
|
(171,570
|
)
|
674,694
|
508,070
|
||||||
Cash
at beginning of period
|
679,640
|
4,946
|
—
|
|||||||
Cash
at end of period
|
$
|
508,070
|
$
|
679,640
|
$
|
508,070
|
(continued)
F-6
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (continued)
Years
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
Period from
August 9,
2005
(Inception)
to
December 31,
2007
(Cumulative)
|
|
|||||||
Supplemental
disclosures of cash flow information:
|
||||||||||
Cash paid for - | ||||||||||
Interest
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
||||
Income
taxes
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-7
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December
31, 2007 and 2006
1.
Organization and Business Operations
Organization
On
June
30, 2006, Lixte Biotechnology, Inc., a privately-held Delaware corporation
(“Lixte”), completed a reverse merger transaction with SRKP 7, Inc. (“SRKP”), a
non-trading public “shell” company, whereby Lixte became a wholly-owned
subsidiary of SRKP. For financial reporting purposes, Lixte was considered
the
accounting acquirer in the merger and the merger was accounted for as a reverse
merger. Accordingly, the historical financial statements presented herein are
those of Lixte and do not include the historical financial results of SRKP.
The
stockholders’ equity section of SRKP has been retroactively restated for all
periods presented to reflect the accounting effect of the reverse merger
transaction. All costs associated with the reverse merger transaction were
expensed as incurred.
Lixte
was
incorporated in Delaware on August 9, 2005 to capitalize on opportunities to
develop low cost, specific and sensitive tests for the early detection of
cancers to better estimate prognosis, to monitor treatment response, and to
reveal targets for development of more effective treatments.
Unless
the context indicates otherwise, SRKP and Lixte are hereinafter referred to
as
the “Company”. On December 7, 2006, the Company amended its Certificate of
Incorporation to change its name from SRKP 7, Inc. to Lixte Biotechnology
Holdings, Inc. (“Holdings”).
Operations
The
Company is concentrating on discovering biomarkers for common cancers for which
better diagnostic and therapeutic measures are needed. For each of these
diseases, a biomarker that would enable identification of the presence of cancer
at a stage curable by surgery could possibly save thousands of lives annually.
In addition, biomarkers specific to these diseases may also provide clues as
to
processes (biological pathways) that characterize specific cancer types and
that
may be vulnerable to drug treatment targeted to the activity of the
biomarker.
The
Company is currently focusing on developing new treatments for the most common
and most aggressive type of brain cancer of adults, glioblastoma multiforme
(“GBM”). The Company has expanded the scope of its anti-cancer investigational
activities to include the most common brain tumor of children, medulloblastoma,
and also to several other types of more common cancers. This expansion of
activity is based on documentation that each of two distinct types of drugs
being developed by the Company inhibits the growth of cell lines of breast,
colon, lung, prostate, pancreas, ovary, stomach and liver cancer, as well as
the
major types of leukemias.
F-8
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
The
Company is conducting its anti-cancer activities primarily through a
collaborative program governed by a Cooperative Research and Development
Agreement (“CRADA”) with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke (“NINDS”) of the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”).
The
Company expects that its products will derive directly from its intellectual
property, which will consist of patents that it anticipates will arise out
of
its research activities. These patents are expected to cover biomarkers uniquely
associated with the specific types of cancer, patents on methods to identify
drugs that inhibit growth of specific tumor types, and combinations of drugs
and
other potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of specific cancers. The
Company will continue to use discovery and/or recognition of molecular variants
characteristic of specific human cancers as a guide to drug discovery and
potentially new diagnostic tests.
The
Company is considered a “development stage company” as defined in SFAS No. 7,
“Accounting and Reporting by Development Stage Enterprises”, as it has not yet
commenced any revenue-generating operations, does not have any cash flows from
operations, and is dependent on debt and equity funding to finance its
operations. The Company has selected December 31 as its fiscal year
end.
Going
Concern
The
Company’s financial statements have been presented on the basis that it is a
going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction
of
liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company is in the development
stage and has not generated any revenues from operations to date.
The
Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon its ability
to develop additional sources of capital and to ultimately achieve profitable
operations. The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments
that might result from the outcome of these uncertainties.
The
Company is currently devoting its efforts to research and development related
to
specific cancer biomarkers for early detection, estimation of prognosis,
monitoring response to treatment, and development of targeted therapeutic
agents. The Company is seeking to exploit this opportunity through execution
of
its business plan and the development of related patents.
At
December 31, 2007, the Company had not yet commenced any revenue-generating
operations. All activity through December 31, 2007 related to the Company’s
formation, capital raising efforts and initial research and development
activities. As such, the Company has yet to generate any cash flows from
operations, and is essentially dependent on debt and equity funding from both
related and unrelated parties to finance its operations. Prior to June 30,
2006,
the Company’s cash requirements were funded by advances from Lixte’s founder. On
June 30, 2006, the Company completed an initial closing of a private placement
(see Note 3), selling 1,973,869 shares of common stock at a price of $0.333
per
share and receiving net proceeds of $522,939. On July 27, 2006, the Company
completed a second closing of the private placement, selling 1,581,351 shares
of
common stock at a price of $0.333 per share and receiving net proceeds of
$446,433. On December 12, 2007, the Company completed a second private
placement, selling 999,995 shares of common stock at a price of $0.65 per share
and receiving net proceeds of $531,320.
Because
the Company is currently engaged in research at an early stage, it will likely
take a significant amount of time to develop any product or intellectual
property capable of generating revenues. As such, the Company’s business is
unlikely to generate any revenue in the next several years and may never do
so.
Even if the Company is able to generate revenues in the future through licensing
its technologies or through product sales, there can be no assurance that such
revenues will exceed its expenses.
The
Company current resources may not be sufficient to fully fund all of the
Company’s planned operations for the next twelve months. The Company does not
have sufficient resources to fully develop and commercialize any products that
may arise from its research. Accordingly, the Company will need to raise
additional funds in order to satisfy its future working capital requirements.
The Company expects that the net proceeds from the second private placement
which closed in December 2007 of approximately $531,000 will be adequate to
fund
the Company’s updated and revised 2008 operating budget. Thereafter, the Company
currently estimates that it will require approximately $3,000,000 of additional
funding to finance future operations by late 2008, including the costs of the
pre-clinical evaluation and submission to the FDA of two lead compounds in
2009,
and the possible establishment of a laboratory (depending on the availability
of
capital and various other operating developments). The amount and timing of
future cash requirements will depend on the market’s evaluation of the Company’s
technology and products, and the resources that the Company devotes to
developing and supporting its activities. The Company anticipates funding these
cash requirements from a combination of debt or equity financings and the sale,
licensing or joint venturing of its intellectual properties.
F-9
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
Current
market conditions present uncertainty as to the Company’s ability to secure
additional funds, as well as its ability to reach profitability. There can
be no
assurances that the Company will be able to secure additional financing, or
obtain favorable terms on such financing if it is available, or as to its
ability to achieve positive cash flow from operations. Continued negative cash
flows and lack of liquidity create significant uncertainty about the Company’s
ability to fully implement its operating plan, as a result of which the Company
may have to reduce the scope of its planned operations. If cash resources are
insufficient to satisfy the Company’s liquidity requirements, the Company would
be required to scale back or discontinue its technology and product development
programs, or obtain funds, if available, through strategic alliances that may
require the Company to relinquish rights to certain of its technologies
products, or to discontinue its operations.
2.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Principles
of Consolidation
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements include the financial statements
of Holdings and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lixte. All intercompany balances
and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Cash
and Cash Equivalents and Concentrations
The
Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of
three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. At times, such
cash
and cash equivalents may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not
experienced a loss in such accounts to date. The Company maintains its accounts
with financial institutions with high credit ratings.
Research
and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development
expenses consist primarily of fees paid to consultants and outside service
providers, patent fees and costs, and other expenses relating to the
acquisition, design, development and testing of the Company's treatments
and product candidates.
Amounts
due, pursuant to contractual commitments, on research and development contracts
with third parties are recorded as a liability, with the related amount of
such
contracts recorded as advances on research and development contract services
on
the Company’s balance sheet. Such advances on research and development contract
services are expensed over their life on the straight-line basis, unless the
achievement of milestones, the completion of contracted work, or other
information indicates that a different expensing schedule is more appropriate.
The Company accounts for its research and development contracts in accordance
with EITF 07-3.
The
funds
paid to NINDS of the NIH, pursuant to the CRADA effective March 22, 2006,
as amended, represent an advance on research and development costs and therefore
have future economic benefit. As such, such costs are being charged to expense
when they are actually expended by the provider, which is, effectively, as
they
perform the research activities that they are contractually committed to
provide. Absent information that would indicate that a different expensing
schedule is more appropriate (such as, for example, from the achievement of
performance milestones or the completion of contract work), such advances are
being expensed over the contractual service term on a straight-line basis,
which
reflects a reasonable estimate of when the underlying research and development
costs are being incurred. The Company’s $200,000 financial obligation due under
the CRADA as of March 22, 2007, was paid on June 29, 2007, and is intended
to
fund ongoing research and development activities through June 30,
2008.
F-10
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
Patent
Costs
Due
to
the significant uncertainty associated with the successful development of
one or more commercially viable products based on the Company's research efforts
and any related patent applications, all patent costs, including patent-related
legal fees, are expensed as incurred. Patent costs were $94,232 and $30,469
for
the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively, and $139,351 for
the
period from August 9, 2005 (inception) to December 31, 2007 (cumulative). Patent
costs are included in research and development costs in the Company's statement
of operations.
Income
Taxes
The
Company accounts for income taxes pursuant to Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes” (“SFAS No. 109”), which
establishes financial accounting and reporting standards for the effects of
income taxes that result from an enterprise’s activities during the current and
preceding years. SFAS No. 109 requires an asset and liability approach for
financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Accordingly, the Company
recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected impact of
differences between the financial statements and the tax basis of assets and
liabilities.
For
federal income tax purposes, substantially all expenses, except for interest,
taxes, and research and development, are deemed start-up and organization costs
and must be deferred until the Company commences business operations at which
time they may be written off over a 60-month period. The Company has elected
to
deduct research and development costs currently.
The
Company records a valuation allowance to reduce its deferred tax assets to
the
amount that is more likely than not to be realized. In the event the Company
was
to determine that it would be able to realize its deferred tax assets in the
future in excess of its recorded amount, an adjustment to the deferred tax
assets would be credited to operations in the period such determination was
made. Likewise, should the Company determine that it would not be able to
realize all or part of its deferred tax assets in the future, an adjustment
to
the deferred tax assets would be charged to operations in the period such
determination was made.
For
federal income tax purposes, net operating losses can be carried forward for
a
period of 20 years until they are either utilized or until they
expire.
Stock-Based
Compensation
Effective
January 1, 2006, the Company adopted SFAS No. 123 (revised 2004), "Share-Based
Payment" ("SFAS No. 123R"), a revision to SFAS No. 123, "Accounting for
Stock-Based Compensation". SFAS No. 123R requires that the Company measure
the
cost of employee services received in exchange for equity awards based on the
grant date fair value of the awards, with the cost to be recognized as
compensation expense in the Company’s financial statements over the vesting
period of the awards. Accordingly, the Company recognizes compensation cost
for
equity-based compensation for all new or modified grants issued after December
31, 2005. The Company did not have any modified grants subsequent to December
31, 2005.
In
December 2007, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued Staff
Accounting Bulletin No. 110 (“SAB 110”), which expresses the views of the staff
regarding the use of a “simplified” method, as discussed in Staff Accounting
Bulletin No. 107, in developing an estimate of expected term of “plain vanilla”
share options in accordance with SFAS No. 123R. The staff indicated that it
will
accept a company’s election to use the simplified method, regardless of whether
the company has sufficient information to make more refined estimates of
expected term. SAB 110 was effective January 1, 2008, and is not expected to
have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
F-11
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
In
addition, commencing January 1, 2006, the Company was required to recognize
the
unvested portion of the grant date fair value of awards issued prior to the
adoption of SFAS No. 123R based on the fair values previously calculated for
disclosure purposes over the remaining vesting period of the outstanding stock
options and warrants. The Company did not have any unvested outstanding stock
options or warrants at December 31, 2005.
The
Company accounts for stock option and warrant grants issued and vesting to
non-employees in accordance with EITF No. 96-18, “Accounting for Equity
Instruments that are Issued to Other Than Employees for Acquiring, or in
Conjunction with Selling, Goods or Services”, and EITF 00-18, “Accounting
Recognition for Certain Transactions involving Equity Instruments Granted to
Other Than Employees”, whereas the value of the stock compensation is based upon
the measurement date as determined at either (a) the date at which a performance
commitment is reached or (b) at the date at which the necessary performance
to
earn the equity instruments is complete.
Earnings
Per Share
The
Company computes earnings per share in accordance with SFAS No. 128,
“Earnings per Share” and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 98. SFAS
No. 128 requires companies with complex capital structures to present basic
and diluted EPS. Basic EPS is measured as the income (loss) available to
common shareholders divided by the weighted average common shares outstanding
for the period. Diluted EPS is similar to basic EPS but presents the
dilutive effect on a per share basis of potential common shares (e.g., warrants
and options) as if they had been converted at the beginning of the periods
presented, or issuance date, if later. Potential common shares that have
an anti-dilutive effect (i.e., those that increase income per share or decrease
loss per share) are excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS.
Loss
per
common share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number
of
shares of common stock outstanding during the respective periods. Basic and
diluted loss per common share are the same for all periods presented because
all
warrants and stock options outstanding are anti-dilutive. The 19,021,786 shares
of common stock issued to the founder of Lixte in conjunction with the closing
of the reverse merger transaction on June 30, 2006 have been presented as
outstanding for all periods presented.
At
December 31, 2007 and 2006, the Company had securities outstanding entitling
the
holder thereof to acquire shares of common stock as
follows:
December
31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Warrants
|
546,626
|
426,626
|
|||||
Stock
options
|
2,090,000
|
490,000
|
|||||
Total
|
2,636,626
|
916,626
|
Equipment
Equipment
is recorded at cost. Depreciation expense is provided on a straight-line basis
using estimated useful lives of 3 years. Maintenance and repairs are charged
to
expense as incurred. When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the
property accounts are relieved of costs and accumulated depreciation and any
resulting gain or loss is credited or charged to operations.
Fair
Value of Financial Instruments
The
carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, prepaid expenses, accounts
payable, accrued expenses and due to stockholder approximate their respective
fair values due to the short-term nature of these items and/or the current
interest rates payable in relation to current market conditions.
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts
of
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
F-12
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
Reclassification
Certain
reclassifications have been made to the December 31, 2006 balances to conform
to
the December 31, 2007 presentation. Such reclassifications did not have any
effect on results of operations.
Adoption
of New Accounting Policies
In
December 2006, the FASB issued FSP EITF 00-19-2, “Accounting for
Registration Payment Arrangements” (“EITF 00-19-2”), which addresses an issuer’s
accounting for registration payment arrangements. EITF 00-19-2 specifies that
the contingent obligation to make future payments or otherwise transfer
consideration under a registration payment arrangement, whether issued as a
separate agreement or included as a provision of a financial instrument or
other
agreement, should be separately recognized and measured in accordance with
FASB
No. 5, “Accounting for Contingencies”. EITF 00-19-2 further clarifies that a
financial instrument subject to a registration payment arrangement should be
accounted for in accordance with other applicable generally accepted accounting
principles without regard to the contingent obligation to transfer consideration
pursuant to the registration payment arrangement. EITF 00-19-2 is effective
immediately for registration payment arrangements and the financial instruments
subject to those arrangements that are entered into or modified subsequent
to
the date of issuance of EITF 00-19-2. For registration payment arrangements
and
financial instruments subject to those arrangements that were entered into
prior
to the issuance of EITF 00-19-2, EITF 00-19-2 is effective for financial
statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2006, and
interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption of EITF 00-19-2 for
interim or annual periods for which financial statements or interim reports
have
not been issued is permitted. The Company chose to early adopt EITF 00-19-2
effective December 31, 2006 (see Note 3).
Effective
January 1, 2007, the Company adopted FASB Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for
Uncertainty in Income Taxes, an interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109,
Accounting for Income Taxes” (“FIN 48”). FIN 48 addresses the determination of
whether tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return should
be
recorded in the financial statements. Under FIN 48, the Company may recognize
the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than
not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing
authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits
recognized in the financial statements from such a position should be measured
based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood
of
being realized upon ultimate settlement. FIN 48 also provides guidance on
de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties on income taxes,
accounting in interim periods and requires increased disclosures. The adoption
of the provisions of FIN 48 did not have a material effect on the Company’s
financial statements. As of December 31, 2007, no liability for unrecognized
tax
benefits was required to be recorded.
The
Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various
states. The Company is subject to U.S. federal or state income tax examinations
by tax authorities for years after 2004.
The
Company’s policy is to record interest and penalties on uncertain tax provisions
as income tax expense. As of December 31, 2007, the Company has no accrued
interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
In
September 2006, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements” (“SFAS No. 157”), which establishes a
formal framework for measuring fair value under Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles (“GAAP”). SFAS No. 157 defines and codifies the many definitions of
fair value included among various other authoritative literature, clarifies
and,
in some instances, expands on the guidance for implementing fair value
measurements, and increases the level of disclosure required for fair value
measurements. Although SFAS No. 157 applies to and amends the provisions of
existing FASB and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (“AICPA”)
pronouncements, it does not, of itself, require any new fair value measurements,
nor does it establish valuation standards. SFAS No. 157 applies to all other
accounting pronouncements requiring or permitting fair value measurements,
except for: SFAS No. 123R, share-based payment and related pronouncements,
the
practicability exceptions to fair value determinations allowed by various other
authoritative pronouncements, and AICPA Statements of Position 97-2 and 98-9
that deal with software revenue recognition. SFAS No. 157 is effective for
financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15,
2007, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently
assessing the potential effect of SFAS No. 157 on its financial statements.
F-13
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
In
February 2007, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial
Liabilities” (“SFAS No. 159”), which provides companies with an option to report
selected financial assets and liabilities at fair value. SFAS No. 159’s
objective is to reduce both complexity in accounting for financial instruments
and the volatility in earnings caused by measuring related assets and
liabilities differently. Generally accepted accounting principles have required
different measurement attributes for different assets and liabilities that
can
create artificial volatility in earnings. SFAS No. 159 helps to mitigate this
type of accounting-induced volatility by enabling companies to report related
assets and liabilities at fair value, which would likely reduce the need for
companies to comply with detailed rules for hedge accounting. SFAS No. 159
also establishes presentation and disclosure requirements designed to facilitate
comparisons between companies that choose different measurement attributes
for
similar types of assets and liabilities. SFAS No. 159 requires companies to
provide additional information that will help investors and other users of
financial statements to more easily understand the effect of the company’s
choice to use fair value on its earnings. SFAS No. 159 also requires companies
to display the fair value of those assets and liabilities for which the company
has chosen to use fair value on the face of the balance sheet. SFAS No. 159
does
not eliminate disclosure requirements included in other accounting standards,
including requirements for disclosures about fair value measurements included
in
SFAS No. 157 and SFAS No. 107. SFAS No. 159 is effective as of the
beginning of a company’s first fiscal year beginning after November 15,
2007. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of the previous fiscal
year provided the company makes that choice in the first 120 days of that
fiscal year and also elects to apply the provisions of SFAS No. 157. The Company
is currently assessing the potential effect of SFAS No. 159 on its financial
statements.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141(R), “Business Combinations”
(“SFAS No. 141(R)”), which requires an acquirer to recognize in its
financial statements as of the acquisition date (i) the identifiable assets
acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in the
acquiree, measured at their fair values on the acquisition date, and (ii)
goodwill as the excess of the consideration transferred plus the fair value
of
any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree at the acquisition date over the
fair values of the identifiable net assets acquired. Acquisition-related costs,
which are the costs an acquirer incurs to effect a business combination, will
be
accounted for as expenses in the periods in which the costs are incurred and
the
services are received, except that costs to issue debt or equity securities
will
be recognized in accordance with other applicable GAAP. SFAS No. 141(R) makes
significant amendments to other Statements and other authoritative guidance
to
provide additional guidance or to conform the guidance in that literature to
that provided in SFAS No. 141(R). SFAS No. 141(R) also provides guidance as
to
what information is to be disclosed to enable users of financial statements
to
evaluate the nature and financial effects of a business combination.
SFAS No. 141(R) is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal
years beginning on or after December 15, 2008. Early adoption is
prohibited. The Company has not yet determined the effect on its consolidated
financial statements, if any, upon adoption of SFAS No. 141(R).
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in
Consolidated Financial Statements - an amendment of ARB No. 51” (“SFAS No.
160”), which revises the relevance, comparability, and transparency of the
financial information that a reporting entity provides in its consolidated
financial statements by establishing accounting and reporting standards that
require (i) the ownership interests in subsidiaries held by parties other than
the parent be clearly identified, labeled, and presented in the consolidated
statement of financial position within equity, but separate from the parent’s
equity, (ii) the amount of consolidated net income attributable to the parent
and to the noncontrolling interest be clearly identified and presented on the
face of the consolidated statement of income, (iii) changes in a parent’s
ownership interest while the parent retains its controlling financial interest
in its subsidiary be accounted for consistently as equity transactions, (iv)
when a subsidiary is deconsolidated, any retained noncontrolling equity
investment in the former subsidiary be initially measured at fair value, with
the gain or loss on the deconsolidation of the subsidiary being measured using
the fair value of any noncontrolling equity investment rather than the carrying
amount of that retained investment, and (v) entities provide sufficient
disclosures that clearly identify and distinguish between the interests of
the
parent and the interests of the noncontrolling owners. SFAS No. 160 amends
FASB
No. 128 to provide that the calculation of earnings per share amounts in the
consolidated financial statements will continue to be based on the amounts
attributable to the parent. SFAS No. 160 is effective for financial statements
issued for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years,
beginning on or after December 15, 2008. Early adoption is prohibited. SFAS
No. 160 shall be applied prospectively as of the beginning of the fiscal year
in
which it is initially applied, except for the presentation and disclosure
requirements, which shall be applied retrospectively for all periods presented.
The Company has not yet determined the effect on its consolidated financial
statements, if any, upon adoption of SFAS No. 160.
F-14
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
3.
Share Exchange Agreement and Private Placement
Share
Exchange Agreement
On
June
30, 2006, pursuant to a Share Exchange Agreement dated as of June 8, 2006 (the
“Share Exchange Agreement”) by and among Holdings, Dr. John S. Kovach (“Seller”)
and Lixte, Holdings issued 19,021,786 shares of its common stock in exchange
for
all of the issued and outstanding shares of Lixte (the “Exchange”). Previously,
on October 3, 2005, Lixte had issued 1,500 shares of its no par value common
stock to its founder for $1,500, which constituted all of the issued and
outstanding shares of Lixte prior to the Exchange. As a result of the Exchange,
Lixte became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Holdings.
Pursuant
to the Exchange, Holdings issued to the Seller 19,021,786 shares of its common
stock. Holdings had a total of 25,000,832 shares of common stock issued and
outstanding after giving effect to the Exchange and the 1,973,869 shares of
common stock issued in the initial closing of the private
placement.
As
a
result of the Exchange and the shares of common stock issued in the initial
closing of the private placement, on June 30, 2006, the stockholders of the
Company immediately prior to the Exchange owned 4,005,177 shares of common
stock, equivalent to approximately 16% of the issued and outstanding shares
of
the Company’s common stock, and the Company is now controlled by the former
stockholder of Lixte.
The
Share
Exchange Agreement was determined through arms-length negotiations between
Holdings, the Seller and Lixte. In connection with the Exchange, the Company
paid WestPark Capital, Inc. an aggregate cash fee of $50,000.
Private
Placement
On
June
30, 2006, concurrently with the closing of the Exchange, the Company sold an
aggregate of 1,973,869 shares of its common stock to accredited investors in
an
initial closing of a private placement at a per share price of $0.333, resulting
in aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $657,299. The Company paid to
WestPark Capital, Inc., as placement agent, a commission of 10% and a
non-accountable fee of 4% of the gross proceeds of the private placement and
issued five-year warrants to purchase common stock equal to (a) 10% of the
number of shares sold in the private placement exercisable at $0.333 per share
and (b) an additional 2% of the number of shares sold in the private placement
also exercisable at $0.333 per share. A total of 236,864 warrants were issued.
Net cash proceeds to the Company, after the deduction of all private placement
offering costs and expenses, were $522,939.
On
July
27, 2006, the Company sold an aggregate of 1,581,351 shares of its common stock
to accredited investors in a second closing of the private placement at a per
share price of $0.333 resulting in aggregate gross proceeds to the Company
of
$526,590. The Company paid to WestPark Capital, Inc., as placement agent, a
commission of 10% and a non-accountable fee of 4% of the gross proceeds of
the
private placement and issued five-year warrants to purchase common stock equal
to (a) 10% of the number of shares sold in the private placement exercisable
at
$0.333 per share and (b) an additional 2% of the number of shares sold in the
private placement also exercisable at $0.333 per share. A total of 189,762
warrants were issued. Net cash proceeds to the Company were
$446,433.
In
conjunction with the private placement of common stock, the Company issued
a
total of 426,626 five-year warrants to WestPark Capital, Inc. exercisable at
the
per share price of the common stock sold in the private placement ($0.333 per
share). The warrants issued to WestPark Capital, Inc. do not contain any price
anti-dilution provisions. However, such warrants contain cashless exercise
provisions and demand registration rights, but the warrant holder has agreed
to
waive any claims to monetary damages or financial penalties for any failure
by
the Company to comply with such registration requirements. Based on the
foregoing, the warrants have been accounted for as equity.
F-15
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
The
fair
value of the warrants, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes
option-pricing model, was determined to be $132,254 ($0.31 per share) using
the
following Black-Scholes input variables: stock price on date of grant - $0.333;
exercise price - $0.333; expected life - 5 years; expected volatility - 150%;
expected dividend yield - 0%; risk-free interest rate - 5%.
As
part
of the Company’s private placement of its securities completed on July 27, 2006,
the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with the purchasers,
whereby the Company agreed to register the shares of common stock sold in the
private placement, and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration
statement, subject to certain conditions. The agreement required the Company
to
file a registration statement within 45 days of the closing of the private
placement and to have the registration statement declared effective within
120
days of the closing of the private placement. On September 8, 2006, the Company
filed a registration statement on Form SB-2 to register 3,555,220 shares of
the
common stock sold in the private placement. Since the registration statement
was
not declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120
days
of the closing of the private placement, the Company was required to pay each
investor prorated liquidated damages equal to 1.0% of the amount raised per
month, payable monthly in cash.
In
accordance with EITF 00-19-2, “Accounting for Registration Payment
Arrangements”, on the date of the closing of the private placement, the Company
believed it would meet the deadlines under the registration rights agreement
with respect to filing a registration statement and having it declared effective
by the SEC. As a result, the Company did not record any liabilities associated
with the registration rights agreement at June 30, 2006. At December 31, 2006,
the Company determined that the registration statement covering the shares
sold
in the private placement would not be declared effective within the requisite
time frame and therefore accrued six months liquidated damages under the
registration rights agreement aggregating approximately $74,000, which has
been
presented as a current liability at December 31, 2007 and 2006. No further
registration penalty accrual was required at December 31, 2007, as the Company’s
registration statement on Form SB-2 was declared effective by the Securities
and
Exchange Commission on May 14, 2007. The Company will continue to review the
status of the registration statement at each quarter end in the future and
record further liquidated damages under the registration rights agreement as
necessary. At December 31, 2007, the registration penalty to the investors
was
still due and payable.
On
December 12, 2007, the Company sold an aggregate of 999,995 shares of its common
stock to accredited investors in a second private placement at a per share
price
of $0.65, resulting in aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $650,000.
The
Company paid to WestPark Capital, Inc., as placement agent, a commission of
10%
and a non-accountable fee of 4% of the gross proceeds of the private placement
and issued five-year warrants to purchase common stock equal to (a) 10% of
the
number of shares sold in the private placement exercisable at $0.65 per share
and (b) an additional 2% of the number of shares sold in the private placement
also exercisable at $0.65 per share. Net cash proceeds to the Company were
$531,320.
In
conjunction with the second private placement of common stock, the Company
issued a total of 120,000 five-year warrants to WestPark Capital, Inc.
exercisable at the per share price of the common stock sold in the private
placement ($0.65 per share). The warrants issued to WestPark Capital, Inc.
do
not contain any price anti-dilution provisions. However, such warrants contain
cashless exercise provisions and demand registration rights, but the warrant
holder has agreed to waive any claims to monetary damages or financial penalties
for any failure by the Company to comply with such registration requirements.
Based on the foregoing, the warrants have been accounted for as
equity.
The
fair
value of the warrants, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes
option-pricing model, was determined to be $115,200 ($0.96 per share) using
the
following Black-Scholes input variables: stock price on date of grant - $1.10;
exercise price - $0.65; expected life - 5 years; expected volatility - 118.6%;
expected dividend yield - 0%; risk-free interest rate - 4%.
F-16
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
As
part
of the Company’s second private placement of its securities completed on
December 12, 2007, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement
with
the purchasers, whereby the Company agreed to register the shares of common
stock sold in the second private placement at its sole cost and expense. The
registration rights agreement terminates at such time as the common shares
may
be sold in market transactions without regard to any volume limitations. The
registration rights agreement requires the Company to file a registration
statement within 75 days of receipt of written demand from holders who represent
at least 50% of the common shares issued pursuant to the second private
placement, provided that no demand shall be made for less than 500,000 shares,
and to use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to become
and
remain effective for the requisite period. The registration rights agreement
also provides for unlimited piggyback registration rights. The registration
rights agreement does not provide for any penalties in the event that the
Company is unable to comply with its terms.
The
Company’s common stock was listed for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board
commencing September 24, 2007.
Since
inception, Lixte’s founding stockholder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. John
Kovach, has periodically made advances to the Company to meet operating
expenses. Such advances are non-interest-bearing and are due on demand. At
December 31, 2007 and 2006, stockholder advances totaled $92,717.
The
Company’s office facilities have been provided without charge by Dr. Kovach.
Such costs were not material to the financial statements and, accordingly,
have
not been reflected therein.
Dr.
Kovach is involved in other business activities and may, in the future, become
involved in other business opportunities that become available. Accordingly,
he
may face a conflict in selecting between the Company and his other business
interests. The Company has not yet formulated a policy for the resolution of
such potential conflicts.
5.
Common Stock and Preferred Stock
The
Company’s Certificate of Incorporation provides for authorized capital of
110,000,000 shares, of which 100,000,000 shares are common stock with a par
value of $0.0001 per share and 10,000,000 shares are preferred stock with a
par
value of $0.0001 per share.
The
Company is authorized to issue 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock with such
designations, voting and other rights and preferences, as may be determined
from
time to time by the Board of Directors.
6.
Stock Options and Warrants
On
June
30, 2006, effective with the closing of the Exchange, the Company granted to
Dr. Philip Palmedo, an outside director of the Company, stock options to
purchase an aggregate of 200,000 shares of common stock, exercisable for a
period of five years at $0.333 per share, with one-third of the options (66,666
shares) vesting immediately upon joining the Board and one-third vesting
annually on each of June 30, 2007 and 2008. The fair value of these options,
as
calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined
to
be $62,000 ($0.31 per share), of which $20,666 was charged to operations on
June
30, 2006, and the remaining $41,334 is being charged to operations ratably
from
July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2008. During the years ended December 31, 2007
and
2006, the Company recorded a charge to operations of $20,668 and $31,000,
respectively, with respect to these options.
On
June
30, 2006, effective with the closing of the Exchange, the Company also granted
to Dr. Palmedo additional stock options to purchase 190,000 shares of
common stock exercisable for a period of five years at $0.333 per share for
services rendered in developing the business plan for Lixte, all of which
were
fully vested upon issuance. The fair value of these options, as calculated
pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be
$58,900
($0.31 per share), and was charged to operations at June 30,
2006.
F-17
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
On
June
30, 2006, effective with the closing of the Exchange, the Company granted to
certain members of its Scientific Advisory Committee stock options to purchase
an aggregate of 100,000 shares of common stock exercisable for a period of
five
years at $0.333 per share, with one-half of the options vesting annually on
each
of June 30, 2007 and June 30, 2008. The fair value of these options, as
calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was initially
determined to be $31,000 ($0.31 per share), and is being charged to operations
ratably from July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2008. On December 31, 2007 and 2006,
the fair value of these options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes
option-pricing model, was determined to be $63,000 ($0.63 per share) and $30,000
($0.30 per share), respectively, which resulted in a charge to operations of
$23,212 and $7,500 during the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006,
respectively.
On
June
30, 2006, the fair value of the aforementioned stock options was initially
calculated using the following Black-Scholes input variables: stock price -
$0.333; exercise price - $0.333; expected life - 5 years; expected volatility
-
150%; expected dividend yield - 0%; risk-free interest rate - 5%. On December
31, 2006, the Black-Scholes input variables utilized to determine the fair
value
of the aforementioned stock options were deemed to be the same as at June 30,
2006, except for an expected life of 4.5 years. On December 31, 2007, the fair
value of the aforementioned stock options was calculated using the following
Black-Scholes input variables: stock price - $0.75; exercise price - $0.333
to
$1.00; expected life - 3.5 to 6.7 years; expected volatility - 118.6%; expected
dividend yield - 0%; risk-free interest rate - 4%.
On
June
20, 2007, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the 2007 Stock
Compensation Plan (the “2007 Plan”), which provides for the granting of awards,
consisting of common stock options, stock appreciation rights, performance
shares, or restricted shares of common stock, to employees and independent
contractors, for up to 2,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, under
terms and condition, as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors.
On
September 12, 2007, in conjunction with his appointment as a director of the
Company, the Company granted to Dr. Stephen Carter stock options to purchase
an
aggregate of 200,000 shares of common stock under the 2007 Plan, exercisable
for
a period of five years from vesting date at $0.333 per share, with one-half
(100,000 shares) vesting annually on each of September 12, 2008 and 2009. The
fair value of these options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes
option-pricing model, was determined to be $204,000 ($1.02 per share), and
is
being charged to operations ratably from September 12, 2007 through September
12, 2009, which resulted in a charge to operations of $30,655 during the year
ended December 31, 2007.
On
September 12, 2007, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Gil
Schwartzberg and granted to Mr. Schwartzberg stock options to purchase an
aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of common stock, exercisable for a period of
four
years from vesting date at $1.00 per share, with one-half of the options
(500,000 shares) vesting immediately and one-half (500,000 shares) vesting
on
September 12, 2008. The fair value of these options, as calculated pursuant
to
the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was initially determined to be $945,000
($0.945 per share), of which $465,000 was attributed to the fully-vested options
and was thus charged to operations on September 12, 2007. The remaining portion
of the fair value of these options is being charged to operations ratably from
September 12, 2007 through September 12, 2008. During the year ended December
31, 2007, the Company recorded a charge to operations of $553,662 with respect
to these options.
On
September 12, 2007, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Francis
Johnson and granted to Professor Johnson stock options to purchase an aggregate
of 300,000 shares of common stock, exercisable for a period of four years from
vesting date at $0.333 per share, with one-third (100,000 shares) vesting
annually on each of September 12, 2008, 2009 and 2010. The fair value of these
options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model,
was
initially determined to be $300,000 ($1.00 per share), and is being charged
to
operations ratably from September 12, 2007 through September 12, 2010. On
December 31, 2007, the fair value of these options, as calculated pursuant
to
the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $198,000 ($0.66
per
share), which resulted in a charge to operations of $19,836 during the year
ended December 31, 2007.
F-18
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
In
accordance with EITF 96-18, options granted to committee members and outside
consultants are revalued each reporting period to determine the amount to be
recorded as an expense in the respective period. As the options vest, they
are
valued on each vesting date and an adjustment is recorded for the difference
between the value already recorded and the then current value on the date of
vesting.
On
September 12, 2007, the fair value of the aforementioned stock options was
initially calculated using the following Black-Scholes input variables: stock
price - $1.05; exercise price - $0.333 to $1.00; expected life - 4 to 6 years;
expected volatility - 150%; expected dividend yield - 0%; risk-free interest
rate - 5%. On December 31, 2007, the fair value of the aforementioned stock
options was calculated (for stock options revalued pursuant to EITF 98-16)
using
the following Black-Scholes input variables: stock price - $0.75; exercise
price
- $0.333 to $1.00; expected life - 4.7 years; expected volatility - 118.6%;
expected dividend yield - 0%; risk-free interest rate - 4%. The Company used
a
revised volatility factor at December 31, 2007 as it had trading data commencing
September 24, 2007.
Information
with respect to common stock warrants issued during the years ended December
31,
2006 and 2007 is provided at Notes 3 and 8.
A
summary
of stock option and warrant activity for the years ended December 31, 2007
and
2006 is as follows:
|
Number
of
Shares
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
(in
Years)
|
|||||||
Options
and warrants outstanding at December 31, 2005
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
—
|
||||||
Granted
|
916,626
|
0.333
|
5.00
|
|||||||
Exercised
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|||||||
Cancelled
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|||||||
Options
and warrants outstanding at December 31, 2006
|
916,626
|
0.333
|
4.51
|
|||||||
Granted
|
1,720,000
|
0.743
|
4.35
|
|||||||
Exercised
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|||||||
Cancelled
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|||||||
Options
and warrants outstanding at December 31, 2007
|
2,636,626
|
$
|
0.600
|
4.32
|
||||||
Options
and warrants exercisable at December 31, 2007
|
1,519,958
|
$
|
0.577
|
3.73
|
The
intrinsic value of exercisable but unexercised in-the-money stock options and
warrants at December 31, 2007 was $262,953, based on a fair market value of
$0.75 per share on December 31, 2007.
F-19
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
Information
regarding stock options and warrants outstanding and exercisable at
December 31, 2007 is summarized as follows:
Warrants
and
|
Warrants
and
|
||||||
|
|
|
Options
Outstanding
|
|
|
Options
Exercisable
|
|
Exercise Prices |
(Shares)
|
(Shares)
|
|||||
$0.333
|
1,516,626
|
899,958
|
|||||
$0.65
|
120,000
|
120,000
|
|||||
$1.00
|
1,000,000
|
500,000
|
|||||
2,636,626
|
1,519,958
|
Information
regarding the Company’s non-vested stock options and warrants as of December 31,
2006 and 2007, and the changes during such years, is summarized as
follows:
Number
of Shares
|
||||
Options
and warrants outstanding but unvested at December 31, 2005
|
—
|
|||
Granted
|
916,626
|
|||
Vested
|
(683,292
|
)
|
||
Forfeited
|
—
|
|||
Expired
|
—
|
|||
Options
and warrants outstanding but unvested at December 31, 2006
|
233,334
|
|||
Granted
|
1,720,000
|
|||
Vested
|
(836,666
|
)
|
||
Forfeited
|
—
|
|||
Expired
|
—
|
|||
Options
and warrants outstanding but unvested at December 31, 2007
|
1,116,668
|
7. Income
Taxes
Deferred
income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the
carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes
and
the amounts used for income tax purposes. Significant components of the
Company's deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2007 and 2006 are
summarized as follows:
December
31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Start-up
and organization costs
|
$
|
310,000
|
$
|
129,000
|
|||
Contingent
liability
|
31,000
|
31,000
|
|||||
Net
operating loss carryforwards
|
170,000
|
58,000
|
|||||
Total
deferred tax assets
|
511,000
|
218,000
|
|||||
Valuation
allowance
|
(511,000
|
)
|
(
218,000
|
)
|
|||
Net
deferred tax assets
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
In
assessing the potential realization of deferred tax assets, management considers
whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred
tax
assets will be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is
dependent upon the Company attaining future taxable income during the periods
in
which those temporary differences become deductible. As of December 31, 2007
and
2006, management was unable to determine if it is more likely than not that
the
Company’s deferred tax assets will be realized, and has therefore recorded an
appropriate valuation allowance against deferred tax assets at such
dates.
F-20
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
No
federal tax provision has been provided for the years ended December 31,
2007 and 2006 due to the losses incurred during such periods. A reconciliation
between the income tax rate computed by applying the U.S. federal statutory
rate
and the effective rate for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 is as
follows:
Years
Ended December 31,
|
|||||||
|
2007
|
2006
|
|||||
|
|
|
|||||
U.
S. federal statutory tax rate
|
(34.0
|
%)
|
(34.0
|
%)
|
|||
Pre-merger
loss of accounting acquiree
|
—
|
(3.7
|
%)
|
||||
Non-deductible
merger costs
|
—
|
3.0
|
%
|
||||
Non-deductible
stock-based compensation
|
19.4
|
%
|
5.9
|
%
|
|||
Change
in valuation allowance
|
14.6
|
%
|
28.8
|
%
|
|||
Effective
tax rate
|
0.0
|
%
|
0.0
|
%
|
At
December 31, 2007, the Company has available net operating loss carryforwards
for federal income tax purposes of approximately $408,000 which, if not utilized
earlier, expire in 2026.
8. Commitments
and Contingencies
Effective
March 22, 2006, Lixte entered into a CRADA, as amended, with the NINDS of the
NIH. The CRADA is for a term of 27 months from the effective date and may be
unilaterally terminated by either party by providing written notice within
sixty
days. The CRADA provides for the collaboration between the parties in the
identification and evaluation of agents that target the Nuclear Receptor
CoRepressor (N-CoR) pathway for glioma cell differentiation. The CRADA also
provided that NINDS and Lixte will conduct research to determine if expression
of N-CoR correlates with prognosis in glioma patients. Pursuant to the CRADA,
Lixte agreed to provide funds under the CRADA in the amount of $200,000 per
year
to fund two technical assistants for the technical, statistical and
administrative support for the research activities, as well as to pay for
supplies and travel expenses. The first installment of $200,000 was due within
180 days of the effective date and was paid in full on July 6, 2006. The second
installment of $200,000 was paid in full on June 29, 2007. The CRADA was
extended to June 30, 2008 from March 2008 at no additional cost as the funds
provided by the Company are expected to support the collaboration at least
until
that date.
On
January 5, 2007, Lixte entered into a Services Agreement with The Free State
of
Bavaria (Germany) represented by the University of Regensburg (the “University”)
pursuant to which Lixte retained the University to provide to it certain samples
of primary cancer tissue and related biological fluids to be obtained from
patients afflicted with specified types of cancer. The University also agreed
to
provide certain information relating to such patients. Lixte agreed to pay
the
University 72,000 Euros in two equal installments. The first installment of
36,000 Euros ($48,902) was paid on March 7, 2007. On January 12, 2008, Lixte
terminated the Services Agreement in accordance with its terms, as a result
of
which payment of the second installment of 36,000 Euros was cancelled. The
University agreed to deliver 50% of the aforementioned samples under the
terminated Services Agreement.
On
February 5, 2007, Lixte entered into a two-year agreement (the “Chem-Master
Agreement”) with Chem-Master International, Inc. (“Chem-Master”) pursuant to
which Lixte engaged Chem-Master to synthesize a compound designated as “LB-1”,
and any other compound synthesized by Chem-Master pursuant to Lixte’s request,
which have potential use in treating a disease, including, without limitation,
cancers such as glioblastomas. Pursuant to the Chem-Master Agreement, Lixte
agreed to reimburse Chem-Master for the cost of materials, labor, and expenses
for other items used in the synthesis process, and also agreed to grant
Chem-Master a five-year option to purchase 100,000 shares of the Company’s
common stock at an exercise price of $0.333 per share. The fair value of this
option, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was
determined to be $31,000 ($0.31 per share) using the following Black-Scholes
input variables: stock price on date of grant - $0.333; exercise price - $0.333;
expected life - 5 years; expected volatility - 150%; expected dividend yield
-
0%; risk-free interest rate - 4.5%. The $31,000 fair value was charged to
operations as research and development costs during the year ended December
31,
2007, since the option was fully vested and non-forfeitable on the date of
issuance. Lixte has the right to terminate the Chem-Master Agreement at
any time during its term upon sixty days prior written notice. On February
5, 2009, provided that the Chem-Master Agreement has not been terminated
prior to such date, the Company has agreed to grant Chem-Master a second
five-year option to purchase an additional 100,000 shares of the Company’s
common stock at an exercise price of $0.333 per share.
F-21
LIXTE
BIOTECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARY
(a
development stage company)
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December
31, 2007 and 2006
On
September 12, 2007, the Company entered into two consulting agreements for
financial and scientific services. Compensation related to these agreements
is
primarily in the form of stock options (see Note 6).
On
September 20, 2007, the Company entered into a one-year consulting agreement
(the “Mirador Agreement”) with Mirador Consulting, Inc. (“Mirador”), pursuant to
which Mirador was to provide the Company with various financial services.
Pursuant to the Mirador Agreement, Lixte agreed to pay Mirador $5,000 per month
and also agreed to sell Mirador 250,000 shares of the Company’s restricted
common stock for $250 ($0.001 per share). The fair value of this transaction
was
determined to be in excess of the purchase price by $262,250 ($1.049 per share),
reflecting the difference between the $0.001 purchase price and the $1.05 price
per share as quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board on the transaction date, and
was
charged to operations as stock-based compensation during the year ended December
31, 2007, since the shares were fully vested and non-forfeitable on the date
of
issuance. The Company made payments under the Mirador Agreement aggregating
$10,000 during 2007. The Mirador Agreement was amended in February 2008 such
that Mirador forgave all accrued but unpaid monthly fees through February 29,
2008 and the Company agreed to pay Mirador a fee of $2,000 per month for the
remaining six months of the Mirador Agreement.
F-22