5. Related Party Transactions

The Company’s Chairman and major stockholder, Dr. John Kovach, was paid a salary of $15,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, and $45,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, which amounts are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Beginning in late February 2017, Dr. Kovach began devoting 100% of his time to the Company’s business activities.

The Company’s principal office facilities are being provided without charge by Dr. Kovach. Such costs were not material to the Company’s consolidated financial statements and, accordingly, have not been reflected therein.

On September 12, 2007, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Gil Schwartzberg for Mr. Schwartzberg to provide financial advisory and consulting services to the Company with respect to financing matters, capital structure and strategic development, and to assist management in communications with investors and shareholders. Mr. Schwartzberg is currently a significant stockholder of the Company and continues to be a consultant to the Company. Consideration under this consulting agreement, including subsequent extensions, has been paid exclusively in the form of stock options. On January 28, 2014, the Company entered into a second amendment to its consulting agreement with Mr. Schwartzberg to extend it to January 28, 2019. In conjunction with such amendment, the Company granted Mr. Schwartzberg stock options to purchase an additional 4,000,000 shares of common stock, exercisable at $0.50 per share for a period of the earlier of five years from the grant date or the termination of the consulting agreement, with one-half of the stock options (2,000,000 shares) vested immediately and one-half of the stock options (2,000,000 shares) vested on January 28, 2015. Stock-based compensation expense with respect to the grant of the stock options to purchase the 4,000,000 shares of common stock was previously charged to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations over the vesting period. On August 2, 2018, with the approval of the Board of Directors, the Company entered into a third amendment to its consulting agreement with Mr. Schwartzberg to extend it to January 28, 2024. In conjunction with such amendment, the Company extended the expiration date of the fully-vested stock options previously granted to Mr. Schwartzberg to purchase 4,000,000 shares of common stock, from January 28, 2019 to January 28, 2024. The fair value of the extension of these vested stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was measured for accounting purposes as the difference in the fair value of the stock options immediately before and immediately after the extension date, and was determined to be $711,738 ($0.1779 per share), which was charged to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations on the extension date.

Legal and consulting fees charged to operations for services rendered by the Eric Forman Law Office were $12,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, and $36,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Eric J. Forman is the son-in-law of Gil Schwartzberg, a significant stockholder of and consultant to the Company, and is the son of Dr. Stephen J. Forman, who was elected to the Company’s Board of Directors on May 13, 2016. Julie Forman, the wife of Eric Forman and the daughter of Gil Schwartzberg, is Vice President of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, where the Company maintains a banking relationship.

Stock-based compensation arrangements involving members of the Company’s Board of Directors and affiliates are described at Note 6. Total stock-based compensation expense relating to directors, officers, affiliates and related parties was $772,390 and $0 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $772,390 and $5,681 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.