Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Recent Developments and Management's Plans

v3.19.1
Recent Developments and Management's Plans
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Recent Developments And Managements Plans  
Recent Developments and Management's Plans

Note 3 – Recent Developments and Management’s Plans

 

By way of a letter dated November 28, 2017, the Listing Qualifications Department of NASDAQ advised the Company that it did not comply with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing, because the Company’s Common Stock did not meet NASDAQ’s minimum $1.00 bid price requirement (the “Price Requirement”). The Company informed Nasdaq that the Company is fully committed to regain compliance with the Price Requirement as quickly as possible and, therefore, proposed to institute a reverse stock split. NASDAQ approved of the Company’s proposal of a reverse stock split and granted the Company until November 26, 2018, for the Company to be in compliance with the Price Requirement. The Company’s stock price did remain priced above $1.00 November 22, 2018, it is expected that Nasdaq, thereafter notified the Company that it had regained compliance with the NASDAQ Price Requirements.

 

On April 25, 2018, the Board of Directors of the Company terminated Dr. Raymond F. Akers from his position as Executive Chairman of the Board and from each of his officer positions as Chief Scientific Director and Secretary of the Company. Dr. Raymond F. Akers continued as a member of the Board of Directors until his resignation on May 27, 2018.

 

On April 25, 2018, the Board appointed Richard Carlyle Tarbox III, a director of the Company as the interim Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, to hold that position until his successor is appointed, and to the position of Secretary of the Company.

 

By way of a letter dated May 22, 2018, the Listing Qualifications Department of NASDAQ advised the Company that it did not comply with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) for continued listing because NASDAQ has not received the Company’s Quarterly Report. Company filed a Current Report on a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 25, 2018, that NASDAQ has informed the Company that the Company is required to submit a plan to regain compliance with NASDAQ’s filing requirements for continued listing within 60 calendar days of the date of the Notice. NASDAQ informed the Company that it is in Compliance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) on July 12, 2018.

 

On June 11, 2018, the Company received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department NASDAQ notifying the Company that it has determined that the Company violated the shareholder approval requirements of Listing Rule 5635(c). Listing Rule 5635(c) requires shareholder approval prior to the issuance of securities when a stock option or purchase plan is to be established or materially amended or other equity compensation arrangement made or materially amended, pursuant to which stock may be acquired by officers, directors, employees or consultants.

 

Prior to the Company’s public offering and listing on NASDAQ, the Company’s 2013 Incentive Stock and Award Plan (the “2013 Plan”) was approved by its Board of Directors. NASDAQ has concluded that the 2013 Plan was materially amended on two occasions after the Company’s public offering and listing on NASDAQ. The first amendment, as approved by the Board on January 9, 2015, increased the number of shares available under the 2013 Plan from 50,000 to 100,000 shares and the second amendment, as approved by the Board on October 5, 2016, increased the number of shares under the 2013 Plan from 100,000 to 103,750 shares (the “2013 Plan Amendments”).

 

During the first quarter of 2018, the Company promptly notified NASDAQ, as required by Listing Rule 5625, when it became aware of its potential non-compliance with Listing Rule 5635(c). On May 4, 2018, the Staff requested additional information from the Company with respect to such non-compliance and on May 31, 2018, the Company responded. On June 25, 2018, the Company submitted a plan to NASDAQ to remediate this matter (the “5635 Compliance Plan”). The 5635 Compliance Plan included that a proposal for shareholders of the Company to ratify the 2013 Plan Amendments be included in the proxy statement for the Company’s 2018 annual meeting of the shareholders of the Company and that the Company shall suspend the trading of each share granted, and each share granted upon the exercise of any option granted, in excess of 50,000 shares under the 2013 Plan (the number of shares properly approved pursuant to the 2013 Plan prior to the 2013 Plan Amendments until shareholder ratification). The 5635 Compliance Plan also proposes to prevent the exercise of any option granted under the 2013 Plan until shareholder ratification.

 

On July 12, 2018, NASDAQ approved of the 5635 Compliance Plan and granted the Company until December 10, 2018, to regain compliance with Listing Rule 5635. The Company intends to have a shareholder meeting on December 7, 2018 to approve the amendments to the 2013 Plan. On December 7, 2018, the Company’s Shareholders approved the 2013 Plan.

 

On or about June 15, 2018, certain parties brought certain class action lawsuits against the Company (See Note 11).

 

On July 26, 2018, the Company implemented a reduction in workforce plan which resulted in the elimination of six staff positions in four operating departments.

 

On September 6, 2018, with the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the “N&G Committee”) of the Board appointed Mr. Joshua Silverman as a Director of the Company for a term that expires at the Company’s 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, or until his earlier death, disability, resignation or removal.

 

On September 17, 2018, the Company reached an amicable resolution by way of a settlement agreement and release (the “Settlement Agreement”) with Pulse Health, LLC, an Oregon limited liability company (the “Plaintiff”) with respect to the lawsuit Plaintiff filed against the Company, in the United States District Court, District of Oregon (the “Court”), Case No.:3:16-CV-01919-HZ (the “Litigation”), effective upon the Court entering a permanent injunction against the Company, which the Court has entered on to the docket on October 4, 2018. Pursuant to the settlement reached between the Plaintiff and the Company, on October 9, 2018 the Company paid $930,000 to the Plaintiff. The Company has also agreed to a permanent injunction and will not make, use, sell or offer to sell the BreathScan OxiChek™ product, any product that detects aldehydes or oxidative stress in exhaled human breath or breath condensate using either basic fuchsin or sodium metabisulfite or any form, analog or equivalent thereof, and the BreathScan Lync device, or any equivalent thereof, as part of a test for aldehydes or oxidative stress in human exhaled breath or breath condensate. The Company does not anticipate a material impact on revenues as a result of the withdrawal of the BreathScan OxiChek™ product from sale. The Settlement Agreement does not contain any admission of liability, wrongdoing, or responsibility by any of the parties.

 

On October 5, 2018, John J. Gormally submitted to the Board his resignation from his position as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and as a member of the Board, effective immediately. Mr. Gormally’s resignation was voluntary and not a result of any disagreement with the Company or its executive officers on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices. In connection with his resignation from the Board, Mr. Gormally entered into a Resignation Agreement with the Company.

 

Effective on October 5, 2018, the Board appointed Howard R. Yeaton, who through Financial Consulting Strategies LLC (“FCS”) served previously as a consultant to the Company, to serve as the Chief Executive Officer and interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Mr Yeaton is entitled to receive 3,750 shares per month as part of his compensation and 25,000 shares upon termination due to a change in control.

 

On October 6, 2018, finnCap Ltd, the Company’s Nominated Adviser on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (“finnCap”), gave the Company formal three months’ notice of its resignation as the Company’s Nominated Adviser and Broker. Should finnCap cease to act as the Company’s Nominated Adviser and the Company does not appoint a replacement Nominated Adviser, the Company’s shares will be suspended from trading on AIM with immediate effect. The Company would then have one further month to appoint a replacement Nominated Adviser failing which the admission of its AIM securities will be cancelled. On December 19, 2018, the Company announced that finnCap had agreed to extend its notice period to March 31, 2019 so as to allow the Company sufficient time to proceed with a cancellation of its AIM listing. See below discussion of the Company’s withdrawal from AIM.

 

On October 8, 2018, the Board, following a review of the Company’s commercial and product development strategies, determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to focus primarily on the sale of its Particle Immuno-Filtration Assay (PIFA®) Technology platform, which is also utilized in the Company’s core commercialized products, the PIFA® Heparin/PF4 and PIFA® Pluss/PF4 rapid assays, which test for an allergic reaction to Heparin. The Company will continue to manufacture BreathScan Alcohol Detectors (based on the Company’s Micro Particle Catalyzed (MPC®) Biosensor technology platform) and Tri-Cholesterol products (based on the Company’s Rapid Enzymatic Assay (REA™) technology platform. The Company is taking steps to improve its market presence for these products including the use of specialized independent sales representatives and through a program to educate the marketplace through the preparation and publication of additional clinical studies and physician seminars on the risks associated with heparin induced thrombocytopenia.

 

On October 18, 2018, Richard C. Tarbox III submitted to the Board his resignation from his positions as interim Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, as Secretary of the Company, as a member of the Board and as a member of each of the committees of the Board upon which he serves, effective immediately. Mr. Tarbox’s resignation was voluntary and as a result of his other business commitments, and not a result of any disagreement with the Company or its executive officers on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices.

 

On October 19, 2018, as a result of Mr. Tarbox’s resignation from the Board and its committees the Board appointed Joshua Silverman to its Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, having determined that he satisfies all applicable requirements to serve on such committees, including without limitation the applicable requirements of NASDAQ.

 

On November 2, 2018, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain investors (the “Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell shares of Common Stock in addition to warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock (See Note 9).

 

On November 7, 2018, the Company announced that its Board of Directors had initiated a process to evaluate strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value. This process will consider a range of potential strategic alternatives including, but not limited to, business combinations, while simultaneously supporting the Company’s management and employees in the execution of the Company’s current business activities. There can be no assurance that the exploration of strategic alternatives will result in any transaction or other alternative.

 

On December 19, 2018, the Company announced its intent to delist from the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange. The Company believes that due to the relatively low liquidity in the Company’s common stock, reaming listed does not merit the ongoing costs and regulatory complexities associated with maintaining the AIM listing. On March 5, 2019, the Company held a special meeting of shareholders who then voted in favor of the Company delisting from the AIM Market. The delisting took effect on March 29, 2019.

 

Historically, the Company has relied upon public offerings and private placements of Common Stock to raise operating capital. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company raised $9,478,897, net of expenses, in public and private offerings and an additional $981,948, net of expenses, from the exercise of warrants. During the first quarter of 2018, the Company raised an additional $7,155,200 from the exercise of warrants (Note 8). On November 2, 2018, the Company raised gross proceeds of $2,000,000 through the sale of 694,446 shares of the Company’s Common Stock. Each share includes a warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $3.76. As of March 22, 2019, the Company had cash and marketable securities of approximately $4.7 million (excluding restricted cash of $500,000) and working capital of approximately $4.6 million.

 

The Company believes that its current working capital position will be sufficient to meet its obligations as they fall due within one year after these financial statements are issued.