SCHEDULE 14C
Information Required in Proxy Statement
Pursuant to Section 14(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


Check the appropriate box:
o    Preliminary Information Statement
x    Definitive Information Statement

Bioheart, Inc.
 (Name of Company As Specified In Charter)

Not Applicable
(Name of Person(s) Filing the Information Statement if other than Company)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

x No fee required.

o Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules  14c-5(g) and 0-11.

1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share
Preferred Shares, par value $0.001 per share

2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:

855,691,815 common shares; 20,000,000 preferred shares

3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11:

4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:

o Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2)  and  identify  the  filing  for  which the  offsetting  fee was paid previously.  Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
 
1) Amount Previously Paid:
2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
3) Filing Party:
4) Date Filed:

 
Bioheart, Inc.
13794 NW 4th Street, Suite 212,
Sunrise, Florida 33325
(954) 835-1500
bioheart@bioheartinc.com
 
 
INFORMATION STATEMENT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 14 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS AMENDED, AND REGULATION 14C AND SCHEDULE 14C THEREUNDER
 
WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU FOR A PROXY
AND YOU ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SEND US A PROXY
 
INTRODUCTION

This notice and information statement (the “Information Statement”) will be mailed on or about September 8, 2015 to the stockholders of record, as of August 26, 2015, to shareholders of Bioheart, Inc., a Florida corporation (the “Company”) pursuant to: Section 14(c) of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. This Information Statement is circulated to advise the shareholders of action already approved and taken without a meeting by written consent of  the holders of a majority of the Company’s outstanding voting common and outstanding voting preferred stock, specifically, management, our two major investors, and 12 non-solicited shareholder, representing 687,185,709 voting capital  shares (including 20,000,000 preferred shares that have 25 for 1 voting rights or 500,000,000 voting shares) (51.03% of the Company’s issued and outstanding voting stock as of the Record Date).  Pursuant to Rule 14c-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the corporate action described in this Notice can be taken no sooner than 20 calendar days after the accompanying Information Statement is first sent or given to the Company’s stockholders.  Since the accompanying Information Statement is first being sent or given to security holders on September 8, 2015 to the corporate action described therein may be effective on or after September 28, 2015.
 
Please review the Information Statement included with this Notice for a more complete description of this matter. This Information Statement is being sent to you for informational purposes only.
 
 
WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU FOR A PROXY AND YOU ARE REQUESTED NOT
TO SEND US A PROXY.
 
The actions to be effective twenty days after the mailing of this Information Statement are as follows:

(1) to effectuate a 1,000:1 Reverse Stock Split (pro-rata reduction of outstanding shares) of our issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock  and Preferred Stock  (the “Reverse Stock Split”); and

(2) change the name to U.S. Stem Cell, Inc.
 
Both the Reverse Stock Split and the Change of Name described in the accompanying Information Statement, effective as of the filing of amendment to the Company's Articles of Incorporation with the Florida Secretary of State, have been duly authorized and approved by the written consent of the holders of a majority of the voting capital shares of the Company’s issued and outstanding voting securities, your vote or consent is not requested or required. The accompanying Information Statement is provided solely for your information. The accompanying Information Statement also serves as the notice required by the Florida Business Corporations Act Law of the taking of a corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent of the Company’s stockholders.
 
By order of the Board of Directors,
Mike Tomas
Chief Executive Officer
September 8th, 2015
 

The elimination of the need for a meeting of stockholders to approve this action is made possible by Florida Statutes which provides that the written consent of the holders of outstanding shares of voting capital stock, having not less than the minimum number of votes which would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, may be substituted for such a meeting. In order to eliminate the costs involved in holding a special meeting of our stockholders, our Board of Directors voted to utilize the written consent of the holders of a majority in interest of our voting securities. This Information Statement is circulated to advise the shareholders of action already approved by written consent of the shareholders who collectively hold a majority of the voting power of our capital stock.
 
THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995 PROVIDES A “SAFE HARBOR” FOR FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS. This Information Statement contains statements that are not historical facts. These statements are called “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements involve important known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and can be identified by phrases using “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “intend,” “predict,” “potential,” “future,” “may,” “should” and similar expressions or words. Our future results, performance or achievements may differ materially from the results, performance or achievements discussed in the forward-looking statements. There are numerous factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in forward-looking statements, including:
 
 
Changes in relationships and market for the development of the business of the Company that would affect our earnings and financial position.
 
 
Considerable financial uncertainties that could impact the profitability of our business.
 
 
Factors that we have discussed in previous public reports and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
 
This list provides examples of factors that could affect the results described by forward-looking statements contained in this Information Statement. However, this list is not intended to be exhaustive; many other factors could impact our business and it is impossible to predict with any accuracy which factors could result in which negative impacts. Although we believe that the forward-looking statements contained in this Information Statement are reasonable, we cannot provide you with any guarantee that the anticipated results will be achieved. All forward-looking statements in this Information Statement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this section and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this Information Statement. In addition to the risks listed above, other risks may arise in the future, and we disclaim any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement.
 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 

 
 

 
Bioheart, Inc.
13794 NW 4th Street, Suite 212,
Sunrise, Florida 33325
(954) 835-1500
bioheart@bioheartinc.com
 
This Information Statement is being furnished by Bioheart, Inc., a Florida corporation (“we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”), in connection with action taken by the holders of a majority of the voting power of the Company’s issued and outstanding voting securities. By written consent as of August 26, 2015, the holders of a majority of the voting power approved a resolution to effectuate a 1,000:1 Reverse Stock Split.  Under this Reverse Stock Split each 1,000 shares of our Common Stock will be automatically converted into 1 share of Common Stock.  We are first sending or giving this Information Statement on or about September 8, 2015 to our stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 26, 2015 (the “Record Date”). Our principal executive offices are located at 13794 NW 4th Street, Suite 212, Sunrise, Florida 33325 and our main telephone number is (954) 835-1500.

BOARD AND SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL OF THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT

By August 26, 2015, the Board of Directors and the holders of a majority of the voting power approved a resolution to effectuate a 1,000:1 Reverse Stock Split (“Reverse Stock Split”).  Under this Reverse Stock Split each 1,000 shares of our Common Stock will be automatically converted into 1 share of Common Stock.  To avoid the issuance of fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company will issue an additional share to all holders of fractional shares.  The effective date of the Reverse Stock Split will be on or after September 28, 2015.
 
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT WILL NOT CHANGE YOUR PROPORTIONATE EQUITY INTERESTS IN THE COMPANY, EXCEPT AS MAY RESULT FROM THE ISSUANCE OF SHARES PURSUANT TO THE FRACTIONAL SHARES.
 
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT WILL HAVE THE EFFECT OF SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SHARES THE COMPANY WILL BE ABLE TO ISSUE TO NEW OR EXISTING SHAREHOLDERS BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED SHARES WILL NOT BE REDUCED WHILE THE NUMBER OF SHARES ISSUED AND OUTSTANDING WILL BE REDUCED 1,000-FOLD.
 
PURPOSE AND MATERIAL EFFECTS OF THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT
 
The Board of Directors believe that among other reasons, the large number of outstanding shares of our Common Stock  have contributed to the difficulty with some business transactions, have contributed to a lack of investor and specialized fund  interest in the Company, and has made it difficult to attract new investors, specialized funds and potential business candidates.  As a result, the Board of Directors has proposed the Reverse Stock Split as one method to attract business and investor opportunities in the Company.

We have no present understandings or agreements that will involve the issuance of capital stock, apart from understandings and agreement disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. However, we are engaged in negotiations with respect to transactions, including financings and acquisitions, which could involve the issuance of capital stock. As of the date herein, there are no definitive agreements, letters of intent of memorandums of understanding with respect to any transactions, financings or acquisitions apart from understandings and agreement disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
 
When a company engages in a Reverse Stock Split, it substitutes one share of stock for a predetermined amount of shares of stock. It does not increase the market capitalization of the company. An example of a reverse split is the following. A company has 10,000,000 shares of common stock outstanding. Assume the market price is $0.01 per share. Assume that the company declares a 1 for 10 reverse stock split. After the reverse split, that company will have 1/10 as many shares outstanding or 1,000,000 shares outstanding. The stock will have a market price of $0.10. If an individual investor owned 10,000 shares of that company before the split at $0.01 per share, he will own 1,000 shares at $0.10 after the split. In either case, his stock will be worth $100. He is no better off before or after. Except that such company hopes that the higher stock price will make that company look better and thus the company will be a more attractive investor or merger or purchase target for potential business. There is no assurance that that company's stock will rise in price after a reverse split or that a suitable investor, merger or purchaser candidate will emerge.
 
 
The Board of Directors believes that the Reverse Stock Split may improve the price level of our Common Stock and that the higher share price could help generate interest in the Company among investors and other business opportunities. In addition, the OTC Markets, in which our stock trades, requires a minimum price of $.01 to be listed on the OTCQB.  The Reverse Stock Split, while not guaranteeing our ability to remain above $0.01 after the Reverse Stock Split, will improve the likelihood of trading above this minimum requirement. The effect of the reverse split upon the market price for our Common Stock cannot be predicted, and the history of similar stock split combinations for companies in like circumstances is varied. There can be no assurance that the market price per share of our Common Stock after the reverse split will rise in proportion to the reduction in the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding resulting from the reverse split. The market price of our Common Stock may also be based on our performance and other factors, some of which may be unrelated to the number of shares outstanding.
 
The reverse split will affect all of our stockholders uniformly and will not affect any stockholder's percentage ownership interests in the Company or proportionate voting power, except to the extent that the reverse split results in any of our stockholders owning a fractional shares which will be rounded up. All stockholders holding a fractional share shall be issued an additional share to round up their holdings. The principal effect of the Reverse Stock Split will be that the number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding will be reduced from 855,691,815 shares  of Common Stock as of August 26, 2015 to approximately 855,691 shares of Common Stock, $0.0001 par value (depending on the number of fractional shares that are issued). The Reverse Stock Split will affect the shares of common stock outstanding. As a result, on the effective date of the Reverse Stock Split, the stated capital on our balance sheet attributable to our Common Stock will be reduced to less than the present amount, and the additional paid-in capital account shall be credited with the amount by which the stated capital is reduced. The per share net income or loss and net book value of our Common Stock will be increased because there will be fewer shares of our Common Stock outstanding.
 
The number of authorized, issued and outstanding, and available shares of common and preferred shares are disclosed in the tables below:

 
Authorized Shares of Common Stock
Number of Issued and Outstanding
Shares of Common  Stock
Number of Shares of Common Stock Available in
Treasury for Issuance
Pre-Reverse
Stock Split
(as of August 21, 2015)
 
 
2,000,000,000 shares of Common Stock
 
 
855,691,815shares of Common Stock
 
 
1,144,308,185 shares of Common Stock
Post-Reverse
Stock Split
 
 
2,000,000,000 shares of Common Stock
 
 
855,691 (1) shares of Common Stock
 
 
 1,999,144,309(1)  shares of Common Stock
(1)  
Depending on the number of fractional shares that are issued.
 
 
Authorized Shares of Preferred Stock
Number of Issued and Outstanding
Shares of Preferred  Stock
Number of Shares of Preferred Stock Available in
Treasury for Issuance
Pre-Reverse
Stock Split
(as of August 21, 2015)
 
 
20,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock
 
 
20,000,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock 
 
 
0 shares of Preferred Stock
Post-Reverse
Stock Split
 
 
20,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock
 
 
20,000,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock 
 
 
0 shares of Preferred Stock


The Reverse Stock Split will not change the proportionate equity interests of our stockholders, nor will the respective voting rights and other rights of stockholders be altered. The Common Stock issued pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split will remain fully paid and non-assessable. The Reverse Stock Split is not intended as, and will not have the effect of, a “going private transaction” covered by Rule 13e-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We will continue to be subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
 
Stockholders should recognize that they will own fewer numbers of shares than they presently own (a number equal to the number of shares owned immediately prior to the filing of the certificate of amendment divided by 10). While we expect that the Reverse Stock Split will result in an increase in the potential market price of our Common Stock (presuming our common stock is subsequently listed), there can be no assurance that the Reverse Stock Split will increase the potential market price of our Common Stock by a multiple equal to the exchange number or result in the permanent increase in any potential market price (which is dependent upon many factors, including our performance and prospects). Also, should the potential market price of our Common Stock decline (presuming our common stock is subsequently listed), the percentage decline as an absolute number and as a percentage of our overall market capitalization may be greater than would pertain in the absence of a reverse split. Furthermore, the possibility exists that potential liquidity in the market price of our Common Stock (presuming our common stock is subsequently listed), could be adversely affected by the reduced number of shares that would be outstanding after the reverse split. Consequently, there can be no assurance that the reverse split will achieve the desired results.
 
SUMMARY OF REVERSE STOCK SPLIT
 
Below is a brief summary of the Reverse Stock Split:
 
s   The issued and outstanding Common Stock shall be reduced on the basis of one post-split share of the Common Stock for every 1,000 pre-split shares of the Common Stock outstanding. The consolidation shall not affect any rights, privileges or obligations with respect to the shares of the Common Stock existing prior to the consolidation.
 
s   Stockholders of record of the Common Stock shall have their total shares reduced on the basis of one post-split share of Common Stock for every 1,000 pre-split shares outstanding.
 
s   As a result of the reduction of the Common Stock, the pre-split total of issued and outstanding shares of 855,691,815shall be consolidated to a total of approximately 855,961 issued and outstanding shares (depending on the number of fractional shares that are be issued).
 
The Reverse Split of the Common Stock is expected to become effective after we file our Articles of Amendment to our Articles of Incorporation (the “Effective Date”). The Reverse Split will take place on the Effective Date without any action on the part of the holders of the Common Stock and without regard to current certificates representing shares of Common Stock being physically surrendered for certificates representing the number of shares of Common Stock each shareholder is entitled to receive as a result of the Reverse Split. New certificates of Common Stock will not be issued at this time.
  
We do not have any provisions in our Articles of Incorporation, by laws, or employment or credit agreements to which we are party that have anti-takeover consequences. We do not currently have any plans to adopt anti-takeover provisions or enter into any arrangements or understandings that would have anti-takeover consequences.

There are no adverse material consequences or any anti-takeover provisions in either our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws that would be triggered as a consequence of the Reverse Split. The Articles of Incorporation or bylaws do not address any consequence of the Reverse Split.  See below for a discussion on the federal Income Tax consequences of the Reverse Split.
 
THE ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT
 
By August 26, 2015, Board of Directors and the holders of a majority of the voting power approved effectuating a 1,000:1 Reverse Stock Split (pro-rata reduction of outstanding shares) of our issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock (the “Reverse Stock Split”).
 
The holders of a majority of the votes of the Company’s outstanding voting securities are comprised of 21 stockholders (5 including management and 1 in which management is the manager) holding a total of holding of over 50.69% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock. Thus, there would be a total of 1,355,691,815 voting capital shares of which 687,185,709 have voted in favor of the actions.
 
 
No Further Voting Required
 
We are not seeking consent, authorizations, or proxies from you. Florida Business Corporations Act and our bylaws provide that actions requiring a vote of the stockholders may be approved by written consent of the holders of outstanding shares of voting capital stock having not less than the minimum number of votes which would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted. The approval by at least a majority of the outstanding voting power of our voting securities is required to approve the increase in the authorized shares of common stock.

Notice Pursuant to the Florida Business Corporations Act
 
Pursuant to Florida Business Corporations Act, we are required to provide prompt notice of the taking of corporate action by written consent to our stockholders who have not consented in writing to such action. This Information Statement serves as the notice required by the Florida Business Corporations Act.
 
Dissenters’ Rights of Appraisal
 
The Florida Business Corporations Act does not provide dissenters’ rights of appraisal to our stockholders in connection with the matters approved by the Written Consent.
 
 
 
 


As used herein,  “we”, “us”, “our”, “Bioheart”, “Company” or “our company” refers to Bioheart, Inc. and all of its subsidiaries  unless the context requires otherwise

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
 
This Information Statement contains certain forward-looking statements regarding management’s plans and objectives for future operations including plans and objectives relating to our planned marketing efforts and future economic performance. The forward-looking statements and associated risks set forth in the information statement include or relate to, among other things, acceptance of our proposed services and the products we expect to market, our ability to establish a customer base, managements’ ability to raise capital in the future, the retention of key employees and changes in the regulation of our industry. These statements may be found under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Description of Business,” as well as in the information statement generally. Actual events or results may differ materially from those discussed in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, without limitation, the risks outlined under “Risk Factors”. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements contained in the information statement will in fact occur.

The forward-looking statements herein are based on current expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions described herein. The assumptions are based on judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and market conditions, and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond our control. Accordingly, although we believe that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any such assumption could prove to be inaccurate and therefore there can be no assurance that the results contemplated in forward-looking statements will be realized. In addition, as disclosed elsewhere in the “Risk Factors” section of the information statement, there are a number of other risks inherent in our business and operations which could cause our operating results to vary markedly and adversely from prior results or the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Management decisions, including budgeting, are subjective in many respects and periodic revisions must be made to reflect actual conditions and business developments, the impact of which may cause us to alter marketing, capital investment and other expenditures, which may also materially adversely affect our results of operations. In light of significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking information included in the information statement, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that our objectives or plans will be achieved.

Any statement in the information statement that is not a statement of an historical fact constitutes a “forward-looking statement”. Further, when we use the words “may”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “believe”, “seek”, “estimate”, “internal”, and similar words, we intend to identify statements and expressions that may be forward- looking statements. We believe it is important to communicate certain of our expectations to our investors. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our future results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Many factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. You are accordingly cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Important factors that may cause our actual results to differ from such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risks outlined under “Risk Factors” herein. The reader is cautioned that our company does not have a policy of updating or revising forward-looking statements and thus the reader should not assume that silence by management of our company over time means that actual events are bearing out as estimated in such forward-looking statements.
 
Corporate History and Business Overview

We were incorporated in the State of Florida in August 1999. Our principal executive offices are located at 13794 NW 4th Street, Suite 212, Sunrise, Florida 33325 and our telephone number is (954) 835-1500. Information about us is available on our corporate web site at www.bioheartinc.com. Information contained on the web site does not constitute part of, and is not incorporated by reference in, this report.

We are an emerging enterprise in the regenerative medicine / cellular therapy industry. We are focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of cell based therapeutics that prevent, treat or cure disease by repairing and replacing damaged or aged tissue, cells and organs and restoring their normal function. Our business includes the development of proprietary cell therapy products as well as revenue generating physician and patient based regenerative medicine / cell therapy training services, cell collection and cell storage services, the sale of cell collection and treatment kits for humans and animals, and the operation of a cell therapy clinic.
 

US Stem Cell Training, (“SCT”), an operating division of our company, is a content developer of regenerative medicine / cell therapy informational and training materials for physicians and patients. SCT also provides in-person and online training courses which are delivered through in-person presentations at SCT’s state of the art facilities and globally at university, hospital and physician’s office locations as well as through online webinars. Additionally, SCT provides hands-on clinical application training for physicians and health care professionals interested in providing regenerative medicine / cell therapy procedures.

Vetbiologics, (“VBI”), an operating division of our company, is a veterinary regenerative medicine company committed to providing veterinarians with the ability to deliver the highest quality regenerative medicine therapies to dogs, cats and horses. VBI provides veterinarians with extensive regenerative medicine capabilities including the ability to isolate regenerative stem cells from a patient’s own adipose (fat) tissue directly on-site within their own clinic or stall-side.

US Stem Cell Clinic, LLC, (“SCC”), a partially owned investment of our company, is a physician run regenerative medicine / cell therapy clinic providing cellular treatments for patients afflicted with neurological, autoimmune, orthopedic and degenerative diseases. SCC is operating in compliance with the FDA 1271s which allow for same day medical procedures to be considered the practice of medicine.  We isolate stem cells from bone marrow and adipose tissue and also utilize platelet rich plasma.

Bioheart’s comprehensive map of products and services:

GRAPHIC
Regenerative medicine is defined as the process of replacing or regenerating human cells, tissues or organs to restore normal function. Among the categories of therapeutic technology platforms within this field are cell therapy; tissue engineering; tools, devices and diagnostics; and aesthetic medicine. Bioheart's business model is focused on two of these areas. First, cell therapy, in which we introduce cells (adult, donor or patient, stem cell or differentiated) into the body to prevent and treat disease; and second, we are a provider of services and products to physicians and veterinaries who provide or seek to provide cellular therapies and direct patient care for individuals and animals who may benefit from cellular therapy.

All living complex organisms start as a single cell that replicates, differentiates (matures) and perpetuates in an adult organism through its lifetime. Cellular therapy is the process that uses cells to prevent, treat or cure disease, or regenerate damaged or aged tissue. To date, the most common type of cell therapy has been the replacement of mature, functioning cells such as through blood and platelet transfusions. Since the 1970s, first bone marrow and then blood and umbilical cord-derived stem cells have been used to restore bone marrow, as well as blood and immune system cells damaged by the chemotherapy and radiation that are used to treat many cancers. These types of cell therapies are standard of practice world-wide and are typically reimbursed by insurance.    

Within the field of cell therapy, research and development using stem cells to treat a host of diseases and conditions has greatly expanded. Stem cells (in either embryonic or adult forms) are primitive and undifferentiated cells that have the unique ability to transform into or otherwise affect many different cells, such as white blood cells, nerve cells or heart muscle cells. Our cell therapy development efforts are focused on the use of adult stem cells; those cells which are found in the muscle, fat tissue and peripheral blood.
 

There are two general classes of cell therapies: Patient Specific Cell Therapies ("PSCTs") and Off-the-Shelf Cell Therapies ("OSCTs"). In PSCTs, cells collected from a person (“donor”) are transplanted, with or without modification, to a patient (“recipient”). In cases where the donor and the recipient are the same individual, these procedures are referred to as “autologous”. In cases in which the donor and the recipient are not the same individual, these procedures are referred to as “allogeneic.” Autologous cells offer a low likelihood of rejection by the patient and we believe the long-term benefits of these PSCTs can best be achieved with an autologous product. In the case of OSCT, donor cells are expanded many fold in tissue culture, and large banks of cells are frozen in individual aliquots that may result in treatments for as many as 10,000 people from a single donor tissue. By definition, OSCTs are always allogeneic in nature.

Various adult stem cell therapies are in clinical development for an array of human diseases, including autoimmune, oncologic, neurologic and orthopedic, among other indications. While no assurances can be given regarding future medical developments, we believe that the field of cell therapy holds the promise to better the human experience and minimize or ameliorate the pain and suffering from many common diseases and/or from the process of aging.

According to Robin R. Young’s Stem Cell Summit Executive Summary-Analysis and Market Forecasts 2014-2024, the United States stem cell therapy market is estimated to grow from an estimated $237 million in 2013 to more than $5.7 billion in 2020.

Specific to cellular therapy, we are focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of autologous cellular therapies for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage as well as vascular and autoimmune diseases.

In our pipeline, we have multiple product candidates for the treatment of heart damage, including MyoCell and Myocell SDF-1. MyoCell and MyoCell SDF-1 are autologous muscle-derived cellular therapies designed to populate regions of scar tissue within a patient’s heart with new living cells for the purpose of improving cardiac function in chronic heart failure patients. 

MyoCell SDF-1 is intended to be an improvement to MyoCell. MyoCell SDF-1 is similar to MyoCell but the myoblast cells to be injected for use in MyoCell SDF-1 are modified prior to injection by an adenovirus vector or non-viral vector so that they will release extra quantities of the SDF-1 protein, which expresses angiogenic factors.

AdipoCell is a patient-derived cell therapy proposed for the treatment of lower limb ischemia and potentially, among other autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis. We hope to demonstrate that these product candidates are safe and effective complements to existing therapies for chronic and acute heart damage.

Our Clinical Development Pipeline Chart:

GRAPHIC
 
Our mission is to advance to market novel regenerative medicine and cellular therapy products that substantially benefit humankind. Our business strategy is, to the extent possible, finance our clinical development pipeline through revenue (cash in-flows) generated through the marketing and sales of unique educational and training services, animal health products and personalized cellular therapeutic treatments.
 
 
A fundamental shift in venture capital investment strategies where, management believes, financial sponsorship is now directed toward commercial or near commercial enterprises has required Bioheart to adapt its mission combining immediate revenue generating opportunities with longer-term development programs. Accordingly, we have developed a multifaceted portfolio of revenue generating products and services in our US Stem Cell Training, Vetbiologics, and US Stem Cell Clinic, operating divisions that will, if successful, financially support its clinical development programs. Our goal is to maximize shareholder value through the generation of short-term profits that increase cash in-flows and decrease the need for venture financings – a modern biotechnology company development strategy.

Today, our company is a combination of opportunistic business enterprises. We estimate that the products and services we offer through US Stem Cell Training, Vetbiologics, and US Stem Cell Clinics has the potential, although we cannot provide assurances as to if and when it will be accomplished,  to drive up to $100 million dollars in cumulative peak annual revenues. What we are establishing is a foundation of value in the products and services we are and plan to sell from US Stem Cell Training, Vetbiologics, and US Stem Cell clinics. Our strategy is to expand the revenues generated from each of these operating divisions and to reinvest the profits we generate into our clinical development pipeline.

On January 29th, 2015 we announced an update and diversification of our clinical development pipeline. Our cardiovascular and vascular product candidates have been streamlined, putting, we believe, our best opportunities at the forefront of our efforts. The MYOCELL and MYOCELL SDF-1 candidates will, in our opinion, advance forward in the treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF). We are in active prospective partnering discussion for the MYOCELL SDF-1 program. Partnering, we contend, will enhance our capabilities, reduce our development cost through cost sharing and potentially accelerate our time to approval and commercialization. We will apply our ADIPOCELL technology to the treatment of critical limb ischemia. Additionally, we have expanded and diversified our clinical development pipeline to include autoimmune disease, specifically applying ADIPOCELL to the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). We believe that updating and diversifying our clinical development programs increases the probability of our success, brings operational and fiscal clarity to our company, and will ultimately enhance shareholder value.

We will continue to evaluate and act upon opportunities to increase our top line revenue position and that correspondingly increase cash in-flows. These opportunities include but are not limited to the development and marketing of new products and services, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing deals and more.

Further, if the opportunity presents itself whereby we can raise additional capital at a reasonable fair market value, our management will do so. Accordingly, we plan to continue in our efforts to restructure, equitize or eliminate legacy balance sheet issues that are obstacles to market capitalization appreciation and capital fund raising.
 
Biotechnology Product Candidates

Specific to biotechnology, we are focused on the discovery, development and, subject to regulatory approval, commercialization of autologous cell therapies for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage as well as degenerative diseases. In our pipeline, we have multiple product candidates for the treatment of heart damage, including MyoCell, Myocell SDF-1, and Adipocell. MyoCell and MyoCell SDF-1 are clinical muscle-derived cell therapies designed to populate regions of scar tissue within a patient’s heart with new living cells for the purpose of improving cardiac function in chronic heart failure patients.
 
MyoCell SDF-1 is intended to be an improvement to MyoCell. MyoCell SDF-1 is similar to MyoCell except that the myoblast cells to be injected for use in MyoCell SDF-1 will be modified prior to injection by an adenovirus vector or non-viral vector so that they will release extra quantities of the SDF-1 protein, which expresses angiogenic factors. AdipoCell is a patient-derived cell therapy proposed for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction, chronic heart ischemia, and lower limb ischemia. We hope to demonstrate that these product candidates are safe and effective complements to existing therapies for chronic and acute heart damage.

We have completed various clinical trials for MyoCell including the SEISMIC Trial, a 40-patient, randomized, multicenter, controlled, Phase II-a study conducted in Europe and the MYOHEART Trial, a 20-patient, multicenter, Phase I dose-escalation trial conducted in the United States. We were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the “FDA”, to proceed with a 330-patient, multicenter Phase II/III trial of MyoCell in North America and Europe, or the MARVEL Trial. We completed the MyoCell implantation procedure on the first patient in the MARVEL Trial on October 24, 2007. Thus far, 20 patients, including 6 control patients, have been treated. Initial results for the 20 patients were released at the Heart Failure Society of American meeting in September, 2009, showing a significant (35%) improvement in the 6 minute walk for those patients who were treated, and no improvement for those who received a placebo. On the basis of these results, we have applied for and received approval from the FDA to reduce the number of additional patients in the trial to 134, for a total of 154 patients.
 

We have also initiated the MIRROR trial, which is a Phase III, double-blind placebo controlled study for centers outside the US. The SEISMIC, MYOHEART, MARVEL and MIRROR Trials have been designed to test the safety and efficacy of MyoCell in treating patients with severe, chronic damage to the heart. Upon regulatory approval of MyoCell, we intend to generate revenue in the United States from the sale of MyoCell cell-culturing services for treatment of patients by qualified physicians.

We received approval from the FDA in July of 2009 to conduct a Phase I safety study on 15 patients of a combined therapy (Myocell with SDF-1), which we believe was the first approval of a study combining gene and cell therapies. We initially commenced work on this study, called the REGEN Trial, during the first quarter of 2010. We suspended activity on the trial in 2010 while seeking additional funding necessary to conduct the trial.

We are seeking to secure sufficient funds to reinitiate enrollment in the MARVEL and REGEN trials. If we successfully secure such funds, we intend to re-engage a contract research organization, or CRO, investigators and certain suppliers to advance such trials.

We have completed the Phase I Angel Trial for AdipoCell (adipose derived stem cells). Five patients were enrolled and treated in the second quarter of 2013.

We have also initiated several Institutional Review Board studies using adipose derived stem cells for various indications including dry macular degeneration, degenerative disc disease, erectile dysfunction and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

MyoCell

MyoCell is a clinical therapy intended to improve cardiac function for those with congestive heart failure and is designed to be utilized months or even years after a patient has suffered severe heart damage due to a heart attack or other cause. We believe that MyoCell has the potential to become a leading treatment for severe, chronic damage to the heart due to its perceived ability to satisfy, at least in part, what we believe to be an unmet demand for more effective and/or more affordable therapies for chronic heart damage. MyoCell uses myoblasts, cells that are precursors to muscle cells, from the patient’s own body. The myoblasts are removed from a patient’s thigh muscle, isolated, grown through our proprietary cell culturing process, and injected directly in the scar tissue of a patient’s heart. A qualified physician performs this minimally invasive procedure using an endoventricular catheter. We entered into an agreement with a Johnson & Johnson company to use its NOGA® Cardiac Navigation System along with its MyoStar™ injection catheter for the delivery of MyoCell in the MARVEL Trial. These cells can also be delivered with our MyoCath catheter.
 
When injected into scar tissue within the heart wall, myoblasts have been shown to be capable of engrafting in the damaged tissue and differentiating into mature skeletal muscle cells. In a number of clinical and animal studies, the engrafted skeletal muscle cells have been shown to express various proteins that are important components of contractile function. By using myoblasts obtained from a patient’s own body, we believe MyoCell is able to avoid certain challenges currently faced by other types of cell-based clinical therapies including tissue rejection and instances of the cells differentiating into cells other than muscle. Although a number of therapies have proven to improve the cardiac function of a damaged heart, no currently available treatment, to our knowledge, has demonstrated an ability to generate new muscle tissue within the scarred regions of a heart.
          
Our completed clinical trials of MyoCell to date, l have been primarily targeted to patients with severe, chronic damage to the heart who are in Class II or Class III heart failure according to the New York Heart Association, or NYHA, heart failure classification system. The NYHA system classifies patients in one of four categories based on how limited they are during physical activity. NYHA Class II heart failure patients have a mild limitation of activity and are generally comfortable at rest or with mild exertion while NYHA Class III heart failure patients suffer from a marked limitation of activity and are generally comfortable only at rest.

In addition to studies we have sponsored, we understand that myoblast-based clinical therapies have been the subject of at least eleven clinical trials involving more than 325 enrollees, including at least 235 treated patients. Although we believe many of the trials are different from the trials sponsored by us in a number of important respects, it is our view that the trials have advanced the cell therapy industry’s understanding of the potential opportunities and limitations of myoblast-based therapies.

We believe the market for treating patients in NYHA Class II or NYHA Class III heart failure is significant. According to the AHA Statistics and the European Society of Cardiology Task Force for the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure, in the United States and Europe there are approximately 5.2 million and 9.6 million, respectively, patients with heart failure. The AHA Statistics further indicate that, after heart failure is diagnosed, the one-year mortality rate is high, with one in five dying and that 80% of men and 70% of women under age 65 who have heart failure will die within eight years.
 

We believe that approximately 60% of heart failure patients are in either NYHA Class II or NYHA Class III heart failure based upon a 1999 study entitled “Congestive Heart Failure Due to Diastolic or Systolic Dysfunction – Frequency and Patient Characteristics in an Ambulatory Setting” by Diller, PM, et. al.

MyoCath Product Candidate

The MyoCath was developed by Bioheart co-founder Robert Lashinski specifically for delivering new cells to damaged tissue. It is a deflecting tip needle injection catheter that has a larger needle which is 25 gauge for better flow rates and less leakage than systems that are 27 gauge. This larger needle allows for thicker compositions to be injected which helps with cell retention in the heart. Also, the MyoCath needle has more fluoroscopic brightness than the normally used nitinol needle, enabling superior visualization during the procedure. Seeing the needle well during injections enables the physician who is operating the catheter to pinpoint targeted areas more precisely, thus improving safety. The MyoCath competes well with other biological delivery systems on price and efficiency and allows the physician to utilize standard fluoroscopy and echo equipment found in every cath lab. The MyoCath is used to inject cells into cardiac tissue in therapeutic procedures to treat chronic heart ischemic and congestive heart failure. The MyoCath catheters are currently produced by a contract manufacturer on an as needed basis.

AdipoCell
 
Bioheart has successfully completed various trials using adipose stem cells.  In August 2013, the Company canceled its license agreement with the Ageless Regenerative Institute for adipose derived stem cells called LipiCell.  Bioheart has entered into a term sheet agreement with Invitrx to License their adipose derived stem cell products.  Bioheart has changed its adipose derived stem cell product name to AdipoCell.  
 
Bioheart has funded and completed enrollment of 5 patients in the Angel Trial in Mexico utilizing adipose derived cells.  Preliminary 3 month follow up data in the study was reported in September 2013. At the 3 month time point, patients are demonstrating an average improvement in exercise capacity or a six minute walk test of 47 meters.  In addition, 60% percent or a majority of the patients are walking greater than 65 meters further at 3 months post stem cell injection.
 
The patients are also reporting an average improvement of 13 points in their Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire.  An improvement of 5 points or greater is considered “clinically meaningful” and 80% of the patients in the trial had a greater than 5 point improvement.

Business Strategy

Our principal objective is to become a leading regenerative medicine company that discovers, develops and commercializes novel, autologous cell therapies, and related devices, for the treatment and improved care of patients suffering from chronic and acute heart damage as well as lower limb ischemia. Our secondary objective is the discovery, development and commercialization of autologous cell therapies for the treatment of degenerative diseases.  The number of heart failure patients is expected to increase from 25 million worldwide today to over 50 million in five years. Our focus is on serving these patients. To achieve our primary objective, we plan to pursue the following strategies:

Obtain initial regulatory approval of MyoCell and/or MyoCell SDF-1 by targeting patients with severe heart damage. In July 2007, we treated the final patient in the Phase II SEISMIC Trial, which was comprised of 40 patients, including 26 treated patients. The SEISMIC study results demonstrated that 94% of MyoCell treated patients improved or did not worsen in heart failure class while only 6% worsened, while in the control group receiving only drugs 42% worsened.  84% of MyoCell treated patients improved or did not worsen in exercise capacity and only 16% worsened, while 69% of the control patients worsened.  The average improvement in 6 minute walk was 62 meters.  This compares very favorably with the current gold standard in advanced heart failure treatment, Bi-Ventricular pacing, where they achieved 16 to 20 meters improvement over control patients in the Phase II MIRACLE trial that led to commercial approval of this product. By targeting a class of patients for whom existing therapies are very expensive, unavailable or not sufficiently effective, we hope to expedite regulatory approval of MyoCell and/or MyoCell SDF-1. Obtain regulatory approval of MyoCell and/or MyoCell SDF-1 to treat patients with less severe heart damage. If we obtain initial regulatory approval of MyoCell for the Class III Subgroup, we intend to continue to sponsor clinical trials in an effort to demonstrate that MyoCell and/or MyoCell SDF-1 should receive regulatory approval to treat all patients in NYHA Class II, NYHA Class III and NYHA Class IV heart failure and, provided we believe we have a reasonable basis to support such an indication, we intend to seek regulatory approval for these patients.
 

Continue existing studies with adipose derived stem cells and endothelial progenitor cells. We have initiated studies for the applications of lower limb ischemia, acute myocardial infarction and chronic heart ischemia. We have treated patients in the clinical program called the ANGEL trial utilizing adipose derived cells or AdipoCell for congestive heart failure patients. Using the clinical data from the trial in Mexico and preclinical studies, Bioheart plans to apply to the FDA to begin a Phase I study in the US.  Bioheart has completed several preclinical studies demonstrating the safety and efficacy of this product including a study led by Keith March, MD, PhD, Director of the Vascular and Cardiac Center for Adult Stem Cell Therapy at the Indiana University.  The adipose cells showed a tendency toward cardiomyocyte regeneration, prominent angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels) and reduction in the infarction size. In addition, Bioheart has several studies for the use of adipose derived stem cells.
 
Continue to develop our pipeline of cell-based therapies and related devices for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage. In parallel with our efforts to secure regulatory approval of MyoCell, we intend to continue to develop and test other product candidates for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage. These efforts are expected to initially focus on MyoCell SDF-1, AdipoCell, MyoCath and MyoCath II product candidates.

Develop our sales and marketing capabilities. In advance of U.S. regulatory approval of our MyoCell product candidate, we intend to internally build a sales force to cover the U.S. market and to utilize dealers in foreign markets which we anticipate will market MyoCell, MyoCell SDF-1 and our heart failure focused products primarily to interventional cardiologists and heart failure specialists. We are currently marketing our adipose derived stem cell therapy product in the U.S. and foreign markets.

Continue to refine our MyoCell and MyoCell SDF-1 cell culturing processes.

Expand and enhance our intellectual property rights. We intend to continue to expand and enhance our intellectual property rights.

License, acquire and/or develop complementary products and technologies. We intend to strengthen and expand our product development efforts through the license, acquisition and/or development of products and technologies that support our business strategy.

Industry Background
 
Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)

Myocardial infarction, or MI, commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when a blockage in a coronary artery severely restricts or completely stops blood flow to a portion of the heart. When blood supply is greatly reduced or blocked for more than a short period of time, heart muscle cells die. If the healthy heart muscle cells do not replace the dead cells within approximately two months, the injured area of the heart becomes unable to function properly. In the healing phase after a heart attack, white blood cells migrate into the affected area and remove the dead heart muscle cells. Then, fibroblasts, the connective tissue cells of the human body, proliferate and form a collagen scar in the affected region of the heart. Following a heart attack, the heart's ability to maintain normal function will depend on the location and amount of damaged tissue. The remaining initially undamaged heart muscle tissue must perform more work to adequately maintain cardiac output. Because the uninjured region is then compelled to work harder than normal, the heart can progressively deteriorate until it is unable to pump adequate blood to oxygenate the body properly leading to heart failure and ultimately death.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

Congestive heart failure, or “CHF”, is a debilitating condition that occurs as the heart becomes progressively less able to pump an adequate supply of blood throughout the body resulting in fluid accumulation in the lungs, kidneys and other body tissues. Persons suffering from NYHA Class II or worse heart failure experience high rates of mortality, frequent hospitalization and poor quality of life. CHF has many causes, generally beginning in patients with a life-long history of high blood pressure or after a patient has suffered a major heart attack or some other heart-damaging event. CHF itself may lead to other complicating factors such as pulmonary hypertension, edema, pulmonary edema, liver dysfunction and kidney failure. Although medical therapy for CHF is improving, it remains a major debilitating condition.

Classifying Heart Failure

The NYHA heart failure classification system provides a simple and widely recognized way of classifying the extent of heart failure. It places patients in one of four categories based on how limited they are during physical activity. NYHA Class I heart failure patients have no limitation of activities and suffer no symptoms from ordinary activities. NYHA Class II heart failure patients have a mild limitation of activity and are generally comfortable at rest or with mild exertion. NYHA Class III heart failure patients suffer from a marked limitation of activity and are generally comfortable only at rest. NYHA Class IV heart failure patients generally suffer discomfort and symptoms at rest and should remain confined to a bed or chair.
 

The risk of hospitalization and death increases as patients progress through the various stages of heart failure. The risk of hospitalization due to heart failure for patients in NYHA Class II, NYHA Class III and NYHA Class IV is approximately 1.2, 2.3 and 3.7 times greater than for patients in NYHA Class I heart failure according to a 2006 American Heart Journal article entitled “Higher New York Heart Association Classes and Increased Mortality and Hospitalization in Patients with Heart Failure and Preserved Left Ventricular Function”' by Ahmed, A et al.
 
Similarly, according to this same article, the risk of death from all causes for patients in NYHA Class II, NYHA Class III and NYHA Class IV is approximately 1.5, 2.6 and 8.5 times greater than for patients in NYHA Class I heart failure.

The following chart illustrates the various stages of heart failure, their NYHA classifications and the associated current standard of treatment.
 
NYHA
           
Class
 
NYHA Functional Classification(1)
 
Specific Activity Scale(2)(3)
 
Current Standard of Treatment(4)
             
I  
Symptoms only with above normal physical activity
 
Can perform more than 7 metabolic equivalents
 
ACE Inhibitor, Beta-Blocker
II
 
Symptoms with normal physical activity
 
Can perform more than 5 metabolic equivalents
 
ACE Inhibitor, Beta-Blocker, Diuretics
III
 
Symptoms with minimal physical activity
 
Can perform more than 2 metabolic equivalents
 
ACE Inhibitor, Beta-Blocker, Diuretics, Digoxin, Bi-ventricular pacers
IV
 
Symptoms at rest
 
Cannot perform more than 2 metabolic equivalents
 
ACE Inhibitor, Beta-Blocker, Diuretics, Digoxin, Hemodynamic Support, Mechanical Assist Devices, Bi-ventricular pacers, Transplant
_____________

Symptoms include fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath and chest pain; normal activity is equivalent to walking one flight of stairs or several blocks.

Based upon the Goldman Activity Classification of Heart Failure, which classifies severity of heart failure based on estimated metabolic cost of various activities; the four classes of the Goldman Activity Classification system correlate to the NYHA Classes.

7 metabolic equivalents = shovel snow, carry 24 lbs. up 8 stairs, recreational sports; 5 metabolic equivalents = garden, rake, dance, walk 4 mph on level ground, have intercourse; 2 metabolic equivalents = shower without stopping, strip and make bed, dress without stopping.

Source: American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association 2005 Guideline Update for the Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult.

Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure

Heart disease has been the leading cause of death from 1950 on within the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, heart failure is the single most frequent reason for hospitalization in the elderly according to a 2007 study entitled “Long-Term Costs and Resource Use in Elderly Participants with Congestive Heart Failure” by Liao, L., et al. The American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association 2005 Guideline Update for the Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult, or the ACC/ AHA Guidelines, provides recommendations for the treatment of chronic heart failure in adults with normal or low LVEF. The treatment escalates and becomes more invasive as the heart failure worsens. Current treatment options for severe, chronic heart damage include, but are not limited to, heart transplantation and other surgical procedures, bi-ventricular pacers, drug therapies, ICDs, and ventricular assist devices. Therapies utilizing drugs, ICDs and bi-ventricular pacers are currently by far the most commonly prescribed treatments for patients suffering from NYHA Class II or NYHA Class III heart failure. Since the therapies generally each address a particular feature of heart disease or a specific subgroup of heart failure patients, the therapies are often complementary and used in combination.
 

Drug Therapies

The ACC/AHA Guidelines recommend that most patients with heart failure should be routinely managed with a combination of ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers and diuretics. The value of these drugs has been established by the results of numerous large-scale clinical trials and the evidence supporting a central role for their use is, according to the ACC/AHA Guidelines, compelling and persuasive. ACE inhibitors and beta blockers have been shown to improve a patient’s clinical status and overall sense of well-being and reduce the risk of death and hospitalization. Side effects of ACE inhibitors include hypotension, worsening kidney function, potassium retention, cough and angioedema. Side effects of beta-blockers include fluid retention, fatigue, bradycardia and heart block and hypotension.

Bi-Ventricular Pacers

The ACC/AHA Guidelines recommend bi-ventricular pacers for persons who, in addition to suffering from heart failure, have left and right ventricles that do not contract in sync, known as ventricular dyssynchrony and who have a LVEF less than or equal to 35%, sinus rhythm and NYHA Class III or NYHA Class IV symptoms despite recommended optimal medical therapy. Bi-ventricular pacers are surgically implanted electrical generators that function primarily by stimulating the un-damaged portion of the heart to beat more strongly using controlled bursts of electrical currents in synchrony. Compared with optimal medical therapy alone, bi-ventricular pacers have been shown in a number of clinical trials to significantly decrease the risk of all-cause hospitalization and all-cause mortality as well as to improve LVEF, NYHA Class and Quality of Life. According to the ACC/AHA Guidelines, there are certain risks associated with the bi-ventricular pacer including risks associated with implantation and device-related problems.

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

ACC/AHA Guidelines recommend ICDs primarily for patients who have experienced a life-threatening clinical event associated with a sustained irregular heartbeat and in patients who have had a prior heart attack and a reduced LVEF. ICDs are surgically implanted devices that continually monitor patients at high risk of sudden heart attack. When an irregular rhythm is detected, the device sends an electric shock to the heart to restore normal rhythm. In 2001, ICDs were implanted in approximately 62,000 and 18,000 patients in the United States and Europe, respectively. Although ICDs have not demonstrated an ability to improve cardiac function, according to the ACC/AHA Guidelines, ICDs are highly effective in preventing sudden death due to irregular heartbeats. However, according to the ACC/AHA Guidelines, frequent shocks from an ICD can lead to a reduced quality of life, whether triggered appropriately or inappropriately. In addition, according to the ACC/AHA Guidelines, ICDs have the potential to aggravate heart failure and have been associated with an increase in heart failure hospitalizations.

Heart Transplantation and Other Surgical Procedures

According to the ACC/AHA Guidelines, heart transplantation is currently the only established surgical approach for the treatment of severe heart failure that is not responsive to other therapies. Heart transplantation is a major surgical procedure in which the diseased heart is removed from a patient and replaced with a healthy donor heart. Heart transplantation has proven to dramatically improve cardiac function in a majority of the patients treated and most heart transplant recipients return to work, travel and normal activities within three to six months after the surgery. In addition, the risk of hospitalization and mortality for transplant recipients is dramatically lower than the risk faced by patients in NYHA Class III or NYHA Class IV heart failure. Heart transplants are not, for a variety of reasons, readily available to all patients with severe heart damage. The availability of heart transplants is limited by, among other things, cost and donor availability. In addition to the significant cost involved and the chronic shortage of donor hearts, one of the serious challenges in heart transplantation is potential rejection of the donor heart. For many heart transplant recipients, chronic rejection significantly shortens the length of time the donated heart can function effectively and such recipients are generally administered costly anti-rejection drug regimens which can have adverse and potentially severe side effects.

There are a number of alternate surgical approaches under development for the treatment of severe heart failure, including cardiomyoplasty, a surgical procedure where the patient’s own body muscle is wrapped around the heart to provide support for the failing heart, the Batista procedure, a surgical procedure that reduces the size of an enlarged heart muscle so that the heart can pump more efficiently and vigorously, and the Dor procedure. According to the ACC/AHA Guidelines, both cardiomyoplasty and the Batista procedure have failed to result in clinical improvement and are associated with a high risk of death. The Dor procedure involves surgically removing scarred, dead tissue from the heart following a heart attack and returning the left ventricle to a more normal shape. While the early published single-center experience with the Dor procedure demonstrated early and late improvement in NYHA Class and LVEF, according to the ACC/AHA Guidelines, this procedure’s role in the management of heart failure remains to be defined.
 

Ventricular Assist Devices

Ventricular assist devices are mechanical heart pumps that replace or assist the pumping role of the left ventricle of a damaged heart too weak to pump blood through the body. Ventricular assist devices are primarily used as a bridge for patients on the waiting list for a heart transplant and have been shown in published studies to be effective at halting further deterioration of the patient’s condition and decreasing the likelihood of death before transplantation. In addition, ventricular assist devices are a destination therapy for patients who are in NYHA Class IV heart failure despite optimal medical therapy and who are not eligible for heart transplant. According to the ACC/AHA Guidelines, device related adverse events are reported to be numerous and include bleeding, infection, blood clots and device failure. In addition, ventricular assist devices are very expensive, with the average first-year cost estimated at approximately $225,000.

We believe the heart failure treatment industry generally has a history of adopting therapies that have proven to be safe and effective complements to existing therapies and using them in combination with existing therapies. It is our understanding that there is no one or two measurement criteria, either quantitative or qualitative, that define when a therapy for treating heart failure will be deemed safe and effective by the FDA. We believe that the safety and efficacy of certain existing FDA approved therapies for heart damage were demonstrated based upon a variety of endpoints, including certain endpoints (such as LVEF) that individually did not demonstrate large numerical differences between the treated patients and untreated patients. For instance, the use of bi-ventricular pacers with optimal drug therapy has proven to significantly decrease the risk of all-cause hospitalization and all-cause-mortality as well as to improve LVEF, NYHA Class and quality of life as compared to the use of optimal drug therapy alone. In the Multicenter InSync Randomized Clinical Evaluation (MIRACLE) trial, one of the first large studies to measure the therapeutic benefits of bi-ventricular pacing, 69% of the patients in the treatment group experienced an improvement in NYHA Class by one or more classes at six-month follow-up versus a 34% improvement in the control group. However, patients in the treatment group experienced on average only a 2.1% improvement in LVEF as compared with a 1.7% improvement for patients in the control group. Although a number of the therapies described above have proven to improve the cardiac function of a damaged heart, no currently available heart failure treatment has demonstrated an ability to generate new muscle tissue within the scarred regions of a heart.

Our Proposed Solution

We believe that MyoCell has the potential to become a leading treatment for severe chronic damage to the heart due to its perceived ability to satisfy, at least in part, what we believe to be a presently unmet demand for more effective and/or more affordable therapies for chronic heart damage.

MyoCell

The human heart does not have cells that naturally repair or replace damaged heart muscle. Accordingly, the human body cannot, without medical assistance, repopulate regions of scar tissue within the heart with functioning muscle. MyoCell is a clinical therapy designed to improve cardiac function by populating regions of scar tissue within a patient’s heart with myoblasts derived from a biopsy of a patient’s thigh muscle. Myoblasts are precursors to muscle cells that have the capacity to fuse with other myoblasts or with damaged muscle fibers to regenerate skeletal muscle. When injected into scar tissue within the heart wall, myoblasts have been shown to be capable of engrafting in the damaged tissue and differentiating into mature skeletal muscle cells. In a number of clinical and animal studies, the engrafted skeletal muscle cells have been shown to express various proteins that are important components of contractile function. By using myoblasts obtained from a patient’s own body, we believe MyoCell is able to avoid certain challenges currently faced by other cell-based clinical therapies intended to be used for the treatment of chronic heart damage including tissue rejection and instances of the cells differentiating into cells other than muscle.

Our clinical research to date suggests that MyoCell may improve the contractile function of the heart. However, we have not yet been able to demonstrate a mechanism of action. The engrafted skeletal muscle tissues are not believed to be coupled with the surrounding heart muscle by the same chemicals that allow heart muscle cells to contract simultaneously. The theories regarding why contractile function may improve include:

the engrafted muscle tissue can contract in unison with the other muscles in the heart by stretching or by the channeling of electric currents;
the myoblasts acquire certain characteristics of heart muscle or fuse with them; and/or
the injected myoblasts release various proteins that indirectly result in a limit on further scar tissue formation.
 

As part of the MyoCell therapy, a general surgeon removes approximately five to ten grams of thigh muscle tissue from the patient utilizing local anesthesia, typically on an outpatient basis. The muscle tissue is then express-shipped to a cell culturing site. At the cell culturing site, our proprietary techniques are used to isolate and remove myoblasts from the muscle tissue. We typically produce enough cells to treat a patient within approximately 21 days of his or her biopsy. Such production time is expected to continue to decrease as we continue to refine our cell culturing processes. After the cells are subjected to a variety of tests, the cultured cells are packaged in injectate media and express shipped to the interventional cardiologist. Within four days of packaging, the cultured myoblasts are injected via catheter directly into the scar tissue of the patient’s heart. The injection process takes on average about one hour and can be performed with or without general anesthesia. Following treatment, patients generally remain in the hospital for approximately 48-72 hours for monitoring.

The MyoCell injection process is a minimally invasive procedure which presents less risk and considerably less trauma to a patient than conventional (open) heart surgery. Patients are able to walk immediately following the injection process and require significantly less time in the hospital compared with surgically treated patients. In the 69 patients who have received MyoCell injections delivered via percutaneous catheter, only two minor procedure-related events (2.9%) have been reported. In both cases, however, no complications resulted from the event, with the patients in each case remaining asymptomatic at all times during and after the procedure.

We use a number of proprietary processes to create therapeutic quantities of myoblasts from a patient’s thigh muscle biopsy. We have developed and/or licensed what we believe are proprietary or patented techniques to:

·  
transport muscle tissue and cultured cells;
·  
disassociate muscle tissue with manual and chemical processes;
·  
separate myoblasts from other muscle cells;
·  
culture and grow myoblasts;
·  
identify a cell population with the propensity to engraft, proliferate and adapt to the cardiac environment, including areas of scar tissue; and
·  
maintain and test the cell quality and purity.
    
We have also developed and/or licensed a number of proprietary and/or patented processes related to the injection of myoblasts into damaged heart muscle, including the following:

·  
package the cultured cells in a manner that facilitates shipping and use by the physician administering MyoCell;
·  
methods of using MyoCath;
·  
the use of an injectate media that assists in the engraftment of myoblasts;
·  
cell injection techniques utilizing contrast media to assist in the cell injection process; and
·  
cell injection protocols related to the number and location of injections.

Assuming we secure regulatory approval of MyoCell for the treatment of all NYHA Class II and NYHA Class III patients, we believe MyoCell will provide a treatment alternative for the millions of NYHA Class II and NYHA Class III patients in the United States and Europe who either do not qualify for or do not have access to heart transplant therapy. Furthermore, we anticipate that the time incurred and cost of identifying patients qualified to receive MyoCell as well as the cost of MyoCell, including any ICD, drug and bi-ventricular pacer therapies that are simultaneously prescribed, if any, will be less expensive than the current cost of heart transplant therapy. Moreover, MyoCell is less invasive than a heart transplant and is not subject to the tissue rejection and immune system suppression issues associated with heart transplants.

We believe there is still a large population of patients exhibiting symptoms consistent with NYHA Class II and NYHA Class III heart failure that is seeking an effective or more effective therapy for chronic heart damage than ICDs, bi-ventricular pacers and drug therapies. We hope to demonstrate that MyoCell is complementary to various therapies using ICDs, bi-ventricular pacers and drugs. In the MYOHEART and SEISMIC Trials, enrolled patients are required to have an ICD and to be on optimal drug therapy to be included in the study. While we do not require patients to have previously received a bi-ventricular pacer to participate in our clinical trials, we plan to accept patients in our MARVEL Trial who have had prior placement of a bi-ventricular pacer. We are hopeful that the results of our future clinical trials will demonstrate that MyoCell is complementary to existing therapies for treating heart damage.


Metrics Used to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy of Heart Failure Treatments

The performance of therapies used to treat damage to the heart is assessed using a number of metrics, which compare data collected at the time of initial treatment to data collected when a patient is re-assessed at follow-up. The time periods for follow-up are usually three, six and twelve months. Statistical data is often accompanied by a p-value, which is the mathematical probability that the data are the result of random chance. A result is considered statistically significant if the p-value is less than or equal to 5%. The common metrics used to evaluate the efficacy of these therapies include:
 
Metric
 
Description
     
NYHA Class
 
The NYHA heart failure classification system is a functional and therapeutic classification system based on how much cardiac patients are limited during physical activity.
Six-Minute Walk Distance
 
Six-Minute Walk Distance is an objective evaluation of functional exercise capacity which measures the distance a patient can walk in six minutes. The distance walked during this test has been shown to correlate with the severity of heart failure.
LVEF
 
LVEF is a measure of the heart’s efficiency and can be used to estimate the function of the left ventricle, which pumps blood to the rest of the body. The LVEF is the amount of blood pumped divided by the amount of blood the ventricle contains. A normal LVEF is more than 55% of the blood volume. Damage to the heart impairs the heart’s ability to efficiently pump and therefore reduces LVEF.
Quality of Life
 
Quality of Life is evaluated by patient questionnaire, which measures subjective aspects of health status in heart failure patients.
Number of Hospital
Admissions and Mean
Length of Stay
 
The Number of Hospital Admissions and Mean Length of Stay measure the aggregate number of times that a patient is admitted to the hospital during a defined period and the number of days a patient remains in the hospital during each such admission.
     
Total Days Hospitalized
 
The Total Days Hospitalized measures the aggregate number of days a patient is admitted to the hospital during a defined period.
End-Systolic Volume
 
End-Systolic Volume is a measurement of the adequacy of cardiac emptying, related to the function of the heart during contraction.
End-Diastolic Volume
 
End-Diastolic Volume is the amount of blood in the ventricle immediately before a cardiac contraction begins and is used as a measurement of the function of the heart at rest.
LV Volume
 
Left Ventricular Volume, or LV Volume, is measured in terms of left ventricular End-Diastolic Volume and left ventricular End-Systolic Volume. Both measure the reduction in volume of blood in the left ventricle of the heart following expansion and contraction, respectively. Reduction in volume generally is reflective of positive ventricular remodeling and improvement in the heart’s ability to circulate oxygenated blood through the arteries.
Wall Motion
 
Wall Motion is a test designed to show whether the heart is receiving adequate quantities of oxygen-rich blood. Wall motion is generally measured by a stress echocardiography test.
Cardiac Output
 
Cardiac Output is a measure of the amount of blood that is pumped by the heart per unit time, measured in liters per minute.
BNP Level
 
B-Type Natriuretic Peptide, or BNP, is a substance secreted from the ventricles or lower chambers of the heart in response to changes in pressure that occur when heart failure develops and worsens. The level of BNP in the blood increases when heart failure symptoms worsen and decreases when the heart failure condition is stable.

Marvel Phase II/III Clinical Trial in the United States

The Marvel Trial is designed to be a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MyoCell. In August 2007, we received clearance from the FDA to proceed with the trial. We completed the MyoCell implantation procedure on the first patient in the Marvel Trial on October 24, 2007. Thus far, 20 patients, including 6 control patients, have been treated.  Initial results for the 20 patients were released at the Heart Failure Society of American meeting in September, 2009, showing a dramatic (35%) improvement in the 6 minute walk for those patients who were treated, and no improvement for those who received a placebo.  We are planning, on the basis of these results, to ask the FDA to consider the Marvel Trial a pivotal trial (pivotal from Phase II to Phase III) and to reduce the number of patients in the trial to 150. The Seismic, Myoheart and Marvel Trials have been designed to test the safety and efficacy of MyoCell in treating patients with severe, chronic damage to the heart. Upon regulatory approval of MyoCell, we intend to generate revenue in the United States from the sale of MyoCell cell-culturing services for treatment of patients by qualified physicians.  Abroad, we are identifying centers where it is already acceptable to use the Myocell treatment so that greater numbers of patients with this problem can have access to treatment.
 

We are currently in the process of evaluating our development timeline for MyoCell and the Marvel Trial.  We received approval from the FDA in July of 2009 to conduct a Phase I safety study on 15 patients of a combined therapy (Myocell with SDF-1), the first approval of a study combining gene and cell therapies.  We initially commenced work on this study, called the Regen Trial, during the first quarter of 2010.  The Company suspended activity on the trial in 2010 while seeking additional funding necessary to conduct the trial. Work on the trial was reinitiated in 2011. Based on the results of the trial, we intend to either incorporate the combined treatment into the Marvel Trial, or continue with the Marvel Trial based on the use of Myocell alone.

All of the patients selected for enrollment in the Marvel Trial have (i) symptoms associated with NYHA Class II or NYHA Class III heart failure, (ii) suffered a previous heart attack at least 90 days prior to the date of treatment, (iii) a LVEF of less than or equal to 35%, (iv) been on optimal drug therapy for at least two months prior to enrollment and (v) had prior placement of an ICD at least 60 days prior to enrollment. Patients were required to use Amiodarone, an anti-arrhythmic drug therapy, at least 24 hours prior to MyoCell implantation.  This prophylactic treatment successfully ameliorated the problem with arrhythmias in patients treated with Myocell and the placebo, which, although never lead to any deterioration in the patients, was considered a serious adverse event.

The patients were divided into three groups. Patients in the first group underwent treatment consisting of 16 injections of an aggregate dosage of approximately 800 million myoblast cells. Patients in the second group underwent treatment consisting of 16 injections of an aggregate dosage of approximately 400 million myoblast cells. Patients in the third group received 16 placebo injections.

The Marvel Trial will measure the following safety and efficacy endpoints of the MyoCell treatment:

Primary Safety
 
Primary Efficacy
 
Secondary Efficacy
 
Tertiary Efficacy
Endpoint
 
Endpoints
 
Endpoints
 
Endpoints
             
Number of serious adverse events in treatment group as compared to control group
 
Change in Six-Minute Walk Distance from baseline to six months as compared to control group, or
 
Quality of Life scores assessed using Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire from baseline to six months as compared to control group
 
Total Days Hospitalized in treatment group as compared to control group
 
Cause-specific hospitalizations in treatment group as compared to control group
 
Proportion of patients with an improved NYHA Class from baseline to six months as compared to control group
 
Total days alive out of hospital over the six-month study period
 
Change in LVEF from baseline to six months as compared to control group
 
Change in LV Volume and wall motion from baseline to six months as compared to control group
 
Change in BNP Level from baseline to six months as compared to control group
 
Total cost and healthcare utilization within six months
Time to death or CHF hospitalization
 
Change in degree of mitral regurgitation from baseline to six months
 
Change in Six-Minute Walk Distance from baseline to three months as compared to control group
 
Quality of Life scores assessed using Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire from baseline to three months as compared to control group
 
Proportion of patients with improved NYHA Class from baseline to three months as compared to control group

 
Pipeline

We are committed to delivering biologics that help treat heart failure and cardiovascular diseases. In addition to MyoCell, we have multiple cell therapies and related devices for the treatment of chronic and acute heart damage in various stages of development. We have also acquired the rights to use certain devices for the treatment of heart damage. We intend to allocate our capital, material and personnel resources among MyoCell and the product candidates described below, a number of which may have complementary therapeutic applications. For each product candidate, we have developed or are in the process of developing a regulatory approval plan. Assuming such proposed plans are able to be followed, we do not anticipate that the regulatory approval of MyoCell will be necessary for our further development of our other product candidates.
 
Candidate
 
Proposed Use or Indication
 
Status/Phase
 
Comments
             
MyoCell SDF-1
 
Autologous cell therapy treatment for severe chronic damage to the heart; cells modified to express angiogenic factors
 
IND application filed in May 2007. Additional animal studies complete.  Phase I trial approved by FDA in July of 2009.
 
Trial commenced in April 1, 2010.
AdipoCell
 
Adipose cell therapy treatment for the management of progressive heart failure
 
N/A
 
Laboratory kits currently available for purchase
MyoCath
 
Disposable endoventricular catheter used for the delivery of biologic solutions to the myocardium
 
Used in European Phase II clinical trials of MyoCell; used in Phase I clinical trials of MyoCell;
 
Currently utilizing catheters in trials.
MyoCath II
 
Second generation disposable endoventricular catheter modified to provide multidirectional cell injection and used for the delivery of biologic solutions to the myocardium
 
Preclinical
   

MyoCell SDF-1

Our MyoCell SDF-1 product candidate, which has recently completed preclinical testing, is intended to be an improvement to MyoCell. In February 2006, we signed a patent licensing agreement with the Cleveland Clinic of Cleveland, Ohio which gave us exclusive license rights to pending patent applications in connection with MyoCell SDF-1. Dr. Marc Penn, the Medical Director of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at the Cleveland Clinic and a staff cardiologist in the Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine and Cell Biology, joined our Scientific Advisory Board. The license for SDF-1 was passed on to a Cleveland Clinic affiliate, Juventas, in July of 2009.  Bioheart has an understanding with Juventas pursuant to which the license with Bioheart will be reinstated upon completion of certain financial milestones.

We anticipate that MyoCell SDF-1 will be similar to MyoCell, except that the myoblast cells to be injected will be modified prior to injection by an adenovirus vector or non-viral vector so that they will release extra quantities of the SDF-1 protein, which expresses angiogenic factors. Following injury which results in inadequate blood flow to the heart, such as a heart attack, the human body naturally increases the level of SDF-1 protein in the heart. By modifying the myoblasts to express additional SDF-1 prior to injection, we are seeking to increase the SDF-1 protein levels present in the heart. We are seeking to demonstrate that the presence of additional quantities of SDF-1 protein released by the myoblasts will stimulate the recruitment of the patient’s existing stem cells to the cell transplanted area and, thereafter, the recruited stem cells will assist in the tissue repair and blood vessel formation process. Preclinical animal studies showed a definite improvement of cardiac function when the myoblasts were modified to express additional SDF-1 protein prior to injection as compared to when the myoblasts were injected without modification.

Our Phase I safety study, the REGEN Trial, was approved by the FDA in July of 2009 and work commenced on the trial during the first quarter of 2010. The Company suspended activity on the trial in 2010 while seeking additional funding necessary to conduct the trial. Work on the trial was reinitiated in 2011.  
 

AdipoCell

The AdipoCell product candidate is a proposed treatment for the management of progressive heart failure in patients with damaged myocardial tissue resulting from prior myocardial infarction.  This product candidate contains autologous adipose cells that are prepared bedside to the patient.  By injecting AdipoCell into damaged, akinetic areas of myocardium, these regions may have the ability to recruit stem cells to repair damaged regions, thereby improving heart function.  It is anticipated that AdipoCell will be delivered directly into the myocardium of the hearts of patients suffering from Congestive Heart Failure via a needle-injection catheter system. 
 
In addition to the studies in Mexico, Bioheart is distributing the AdipoCell kits for a variety of indications in many countries.  We are actively involved in a variety of clinical studies including COPD, macular degeneration, degenerative disc disease, erectile dysfunction and more.  Bioheart therapies are being offered in centers and hospitals in Turkey, Mexico, Jamaica, Australia, South Africa and others.
 
MyoCath

The MyoCath was developed by Bioheart co-founder Robert Lashinski specifically for delivering new cells to damaged tissue.  It is a deflecting tip needle injection catheter that has a larger needle which is 25 gauge for better flow rates and less leakage than systems that are 27 gauge.  This larger needle allows for thicker compositions to be injected which helps with cell retention in the heart.  Also, the MyoCath needle has more fluoroscopic brightness than the normally used nitinol needle, enabling superior visualization during the procedure.  Seeing the needle well during injections enables the physician who is operating the catheter to pinpoint targeted areas more precisely, thus improving safety.  The MyoCath competes well with other biological delivery systems on price and efficiency and allows the physician to utilize standard fluoroscopy and echo equipment found in every cath lab. The MyoCath is used to inject cells into cardiac tissue in therapeutic procedures to treat chronic heart ischemic and congestive heart failure.

Research

We supervise and perform experimental work in the areas of improving cell culturing, cell engraftment, and other advanced research projects related to our product candidates from our cell culturing facility in Sunrise, Florida. The primary focus of a substantial majority of our employees is advancing our clinical trials, preclinical studies, research, and product development.

In addition, we work with a number of third parties within and outside the United States on various research and product development projects, including:

preclinical small and large animal testing for product candidate enhancements and pipeline product candidate development; and contract research for clinical and preclinical testing of our pipeline product candidates.

We have also begun studies for an immunotherapy product for cancer.  The product is intended for the vet market and early in vitro studies in dogs have been initiated.  We  announced an exclusive license for the patents associated with these therapies in January 2014.

Cell Culturing

We have an approximately 2,000 square foot cell culturing facility at our headquarters in Sunrise, Florida. We began culturing cells at this facility for preclinical uses in the third quarter of 2006. Upon commencement of the MARVEL Trial in the fourth quarter of 2007, we began culturing cells at this facility for clinical uses.

Over the last three years, we have significantly improved our ability to:

culture in excess of 800 million myoblast cells per biopsy; and
produce cell cultures with a high percentage of viable myoblast cells.

Accordingly, we were able to increase the maximum dosage of myoblast cells injected as part of the MyoCell therapy to approximately 800 million myoblast cells. We expect to further refine our MyoCell cell culturing processes.

We have historically met and, with respect to the cell culturing of our product candidates in Europe, expect to meet, our cell culturing needs internally.
 

In 2013, Bioheart became an FDA registered tissue bank in order to provide stem cell banking capabilities.  We are currently providing these services to physicians who send tissue samples from their patients for culture expansion and cryopreservation.

Third Party Reimbursement

Government and private insurance programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, health maintenance organizations and private insurers, fund the cost of a significant portion of medical care in the United States. As a result, government imposed limits on reimbursement of hospitals and other healthcare providers have significantly impacted their spending budgets and buying decisions. Under certain government insurance programs, a healthcare provider is reimbursed a fixed sum for services rendered in treating a patient, regardless of the actual cost of such treatment incurred by the healthcare provider. Private third party reimbursement plans are also developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling healthcare costs through redesign of benefits and exploration of more cost-effective methods of delivering healthcare. In general, we believe that these government and private measures have caused healthcare providers to be more selective in the purchase of medical products.

As of the date of this report, CMS has agreed to reimburse some of the costs at the centers that are participating in the MARVEL Trial. Specifically, CMS will reimburse costs deemed “routine” in nature for patients suffering from heart failure. Examples of these reimbursable costs include, but are not limited to, costs associated with physical examination of the patients, x-rays, holter monitoring, MUGA scan and echocardiography. However, at present, CMS reimbursement does not cover the cost of MyoCell implantation.

Reimbursement for healthcare costs outside the United States varies from country to country. In European countries, the pricing of prescription pharmaceutical products and services and the level of government reimbursement are subject to governmental control. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take six to twelve months or longer after the receipt of marketing approval for a product. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct one or more clinical trials that compare the cost effectiveness of our product candidates to other available therapies. Conducting one or more clinical trials would be expensive and result in delays in commercialization of our product candidates.

Research Grants

Historically, part of our research and development efforts have been indirectly funded by research grants to various centers and/or physicians that have participated in our MyoCell and MyoCath clinical trials. As part of our development strategy, we intend to continue to seek to develop research partnerships with centers and/or physicians. On November 1, 2010, Bioheart, Inc. received written notice of approval of a grant in the approximate amount of $244,500 under the qualifying therapeutic discovery project under section 48D of the Internal Revenue code. On November 9, 2010 Bioheart received the $244,500 grant funds.  

Patents and Proprietary Rights

We own or hold licenses or sublicenses to an intellectual property portfolio consisting of numerous patents and patent applications in the United States, and in foreign countries, for use in the field of heart muscle regeneration. References in this report to “our” patents and patent applications and other similar references include the patents and patent applications that are owned by us, and references to patents and patent applications that are “licensed” to us and other similar references refer to patents, patent applications and other intellectual property that are licensed or sublicensed to us.

Patent life determination depends on the date of filing of the application or the date of patent issuance and other factors as promulgated under the patent laws. Under the U.S. Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, as amended, a patent which claims a product, use or method of manufacture covering drugs and certain other products, including biologic products, may be extended for up to five years to compensate the patent holder for a portion of the time required for research and FDA review of the product. Only one patent applicable to an approved drug or biologic product is eligible for a patent term extension. This law also establishes a period of time following approval of a drug or biologic product during which the FDA may not accept or approve applications for certain similar or identical drugs or biologic products from other sponsors unless those sponsors provide their own safety and efficacy data.

MyoCell is no longer protected by patents outside, which means that competitors will be free to sell products that incorporate the same or similar technologies that are used in MyoCell without infringing our patent rights.  As a result, MyoCell, if approved for use, may be vulnerable to competition. In addition, many of the patent and patent applications that have been licensed to us that pertain to our other product candidates do not cover certain countries within Europe.
 

Our commercial success will depend to a significant degree on our ability to:

·  
defend and enforce our patents and/or compel the owners of the patents licensed to us to defend and enforce such patents, to the extent such patents may be applicable to our products and material to their commercialization;
·  
obtain additional patent and other proprietary protection for MyoCell and our other product candidates;
·  
obtain and/or maintain appropriate licenses to patents, patent applications or other proprietary rights held by others with respect to our technology, both in the United States and other countries;
·  
preserve company trade secrets and other intellectual property rights relating to our product candidates; and
·  
operate without infringing the patents and proprietary rights of third parties.
 
In addition to patented intellectual property, we also rely on our own trade secrets and proprietary know-how to protect our technology and maintain our competitive position, since patent protection may not be available or applicable to our technology.  Our policy is to require each of our employees, consultants and advisors to execute a confidentiality and inventions assignment agreement before beginning their employment, consulting or advisory relationship with us. The agreements generally provide that the individual must keep confidential and not disclose to other parties any confidential information developed or learned by the individual during the course of the individual’s relationship with us except in limited circumstances. These agreements generally also provide that we shall own all inventions conceived by the individual in the course of rendering services to us. Moreover, some of our academic institution licensors, collaborators and scientific advisors have rights to publish data and information to which we have rights, which may impair our ability to protect our proprietary information or obtain patent protection in the future.

We work with others in our research and development activities and one of our strategies is to enter into collaborative agreements with third parties to develop our proposed products. Disputes may arise about inventorship and corresponding rights in know-how and inventions resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by us and our licensors, collaborators, consultants and others. In addition, other parties may circumvent any proprietary protection we do have. As a result, we may not be able to maintain our proprietary position.

We are not currently a party to any litigation or other adverse proceeding related to our patents, patent licenses or intellectual property rights. However, if we become involved in litigation or any other adverse intellectual property proceeding, for example, as a result of an alleged infringement, or a third party alleging an earlier date of invention, we may have to spend significant amounts of money and time and, in the event of an adverse ruling, we could be subject to liability for damages, including treble damages, invalidation of our intellectual property and injunctive relief that could prevent us from using technologies or developing products, any of which could have a significant adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation. In addition, any claims relating to the infringement of third party proprietary rights, or earlier date of invention, even if not meritorious, could result in costly litigation, lengthy governmental proceedings, divert management’s attention and resources and require us to enter royalty or license agreements which are not advantageous, if available at all.

Primary MyoCath Patent

The Primary MyoCath Patent includes device claims that we believe covers, among other things, the structure of MyoCath. The Primary MyoCath Patent expires in the United States in September 2017.

In January 2000, we entered into a license agreement with Comedicus Incorporated pursuant to which Comedicus granted us a royalty-free, fully paid-up, non-exclusive and irrevocable license to the Primary MyoCath Patent in exchange for a payment of $50,000. This agreement was amended in August 2000 to provide us an exclusive license to the Primary MyoCath Patent in exchange for a payment of $100,000 and our loan of $250,000 to Comedicus. Pursuant to this amendment we also received the right, but not the obligation, with Comedicus’ consent, which consent is not to be unreasonably withheld, to defend the Primary MyoCath Patent against third party infringers.

In June 2003, we entered into agreements with Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., or ACS, originally a subsidiary of Guidant Corporation and now d/b/a Abbott Vascular, a division of Abbott Laboratories, pursuant to which we assigned our rights under the license agreement with Comedicus, as amended, and committed to deliver 160 units of MyoCath and sold certain of our other catheter related intellectual property, or, collectively, with the Primary MyoCath Patent (the Catheter IP), for aggregate consideration of $900,000. In connection with these agreements, ACS granted to us a co-exclusive, irrevocable, fully paid-up license to the Catheter IP for the life of the patents related to the Catheter IP.
 

ACS has the exclusive right, at its own expense, to file, prosecute, issue, maintain, license, and defend the Catheter IP, and the primary right to enforce the Catheter IP against third party infringers. If ACS fails to enforce the Catheter IP against a third party infringer within a specified period of time, we have the right to do so at our expense. The party enforcing the Catheter IP is entitled to retain any recoveries resulting from such enforcement. The asset purchase agreement only pertains to the Catheter IP developed or acquired by us prior to June 24, 2003. Our subsequent catheter related developments and/or acquisitions, such as MyoCath II, were not sold or licensed to ACS.

MyoCell SDF-1 Patents

To develop our MyoCell SDF-1 product candidate, we rely primarily on patents.  We had an agreement to license patents from Juventas.  These patents relate to methods of repairing damaged heart tissue by transplanting myoblasts that express SDF-1 and other therapeutic proteins capable of recruiting other stem cells within a patient’s own body to the cell transplant area. We believe we will also need to, among other things, license some additional intellectual property to commercialize MyoCell SDF-1 in the form we believe may prove to be the most safe and/or effective.

In February 2006, we signed a patent licensing agreement with the Cleveland Clinic which provided us with the worldwide, exclusive rights to three pending U.S. patent applications and certain corresponding foreign filings in the following jurisdictions: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe and Japan, or, collectively, the Cleveland Clinic IP, related to methods of repairing damaged heart tissue by transplanting myoblasts that express SDF-1 and other therapeutic proteins capable of recruiting other stem cells within a patient’s own body to the cell transplant area. The term of our agreement with the Cleveland Clinic expired in July of 2009, when the license to the patents was turned over to a Cleveland Clinic affiliate, Juventas.  We have an understanding with Juventas to restore the license to the patents once certain milestones have been achieved by Bioheart.

In 2007, Bioheart signed a Letter of Intent with Ono Pharmaceutical which provided rights to conduct clinical development and testing of SDF-1 to determine the effectiveness of SDF-1 for the treatment of damaged myocardium and tissues following acute myocardial infarction, coronary arterial diseases or heart failure.  If the results of this testing is deemed successful then the parties agree to enter into good faith negotiations in an effort to reach a definitive license agreement that will allow Bioheart to commercialize its SDF-1 product candidate in all territories of the world except Japan.

MyoCath II Patents

In April 2006, we entered into an agreement with Tricardia, LLC pursuant to which Tricardia granted us a sublicenseable license to certain patents and patent applications in the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe and Japan covering the modified injection needle we intend to use as part of MyoCath II, or the MyoCath II Patents, in exchange for a one-time payment of $100,000. Our license covers and is exclusive with respect to products developed under the MyoCath II Patents for the delivery of therapeutic compositions to the heart. Unless earlier terminated by mutual consent of the parties, our agreement with Tricardia will terminate upon the expiration date of the last MyoCath II Patent.

Tricardia has the obligation to take all actions necessary to file, prosecute and maintain the MyoCath II Patents. We are required to reimburse Tricardia, on a pro-rata basis with other licensees of Tricardia of the MyoCath II Patents, for all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by Tricardia in prosecuting and maintaining the MyoCath II Patents. To the extent we do not wish to incur the cost of any undertaking or defense of any opposition, interference or similar proceeding involving the MyoCath II Patents with respect to any jurisdiction, the license granted to us pursuant to agreement will be automatically amended to exclude such jurisdiction.

Tricardia also has the first right, but not the obligation, to take any actions necessary to prosecute or prevent any infringement or threatened infringement of the MyoCath II Patents. To the extent Tricardia determines not to initiate suit against any infringer, we have the right, but not the obligation, to commence litigation for such alleged infringement. Our share of any recovery will equal 50% in the event Tricardia commences litigation and 90% in the event we commence litigation.

Sales and Marketing

MyoCell and MyoCell SDF-1

In advance of any expected commercial approval of our MyoCell product candidate in the United States, we intend to internally develop a direct sales and marketing force. We anticipate the team will comprise salespeople, clinical and reimbursement specialists and product marketing managers.
 

We intend to market MyoCell and/or MyoCell SDF-1 to interventional cardiologists and heart failure specialists. In the typical healthcare system the interventional cardiologist functions as a “gatekeeper” for determining the course of appropriate medical care for our target patient population.

We anticipate our marketing efforts will be focused on informing interventional cardiologists of the availability of  our treatment alternative through the following channels of communication: (i) articles published in medical journals by widely recognized interventional cardiologists, including cardiologists that have participated in our clinical trials; (ii) seminars and speeches featuring widely recognized interventional cardiologists; and (iii) advertisements in medical journals.

Collaborative Arrangements for Seeking Regulatory Approvals and Distribution of Products Outside of the United States and Europe

Korea

On February 1, 2005, we entered into a joint venture agreement with Bioheart Korea, Inc., the predecessor entity of BHK, Inc., or BHK, pursuant to which we and BHK agreed to create a joint venture company called Bioheart Manufacturing, Inc., located in Korea to own and operate a cell culturing facility. The joint venture agreement contemplated that we would engage Bioheart Manufacturing to provide all cell culturing processes for our products and processes sold in Asia including Korea for a period of no less than ten years. Pursuant to the joint venture agreement, we agreed to contribute approximately $59,000 cash and Myocell manufacturing technology for an 18% equity interest in Bioheart Manufacturing, and BHK agreed to contribute approximately $9,592,032 for an 82% equity interest in Bioheart Manufacturing. On April 1, 2006, we entered into an in-kind investment agreement with Bioheart Manufacturing pursuant to which we agreed to provide Bioheart Manufacturing with the technology to manufacture MyoCell and MyoCath and, in exchange, received 25,890 common shares of Bioheart Manufacturing. In February 2009, our ownership interest in Bioheart Manufacturing, Inc. was reduced to approximately 6% as a result of additional investments in Bioheart Manufacturing, Inc. by third parties.   Shares in Bioheart Manufacturing, Inc, owned by Bioheart Inc. became 258,900 shares through a stock split. In May 2009, there was a corporate reorganization and AnC Bio Inc. was given the business of Bioheart Manufacturing Inc.

Pursuant to the joint venture agreement, we provided Bioheart Manufacturing with standard operating procedures, tests and testing protocols, cell selection methods, cell characterization methods, and all materials necessary to carry out the activities of the cell culturing facility in the manner required by us.

In August 2007, we entered into a supply agreement with BHK pursuant to which we supplied MyoCell and MyoCaths to BHM for use in clinical studies of MyoCell.

According to the agreement, upon Bioheart Manufacturing’s inability to continue its operations by reason of law, governmental order or regulation or Bioheart Manufacturing’s dissolution or liquidation for any reason, the agreement is null and void.

Government Regulation

The research and development, preclinical studies and clinical trials, and ultimately, the culturing, manufacturing, marketing and labeling of our product candidates are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory authorities in the United States and other countries. We believe MyoCell and our medical device products are subject to regulation in the United States and Europe as a biological product and a medical device, respectively.

Biological products are subject to regulation under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or the FD&C Act, the Public Health Service Act, or the PHS Act and their respective regulations as well as other federal, state, and local statutes and regulations. Medical devices are subject to regulation under the FD&C Act and the regulations promulgated hereunder as well as other federal, state, and local statutes and regulations. The FD&C Act and the PHS Act and the regulations promulgated hereunder govern, among other things, the testing, cell culturing, manufacturing, safety, efficacy, labeling, storage, record keeping, approval, clearance, advertising and promotion of our product candidates. Preclinical studies, clinical trials and the regulatory approval process typically take years and require the expenditure of substantial resources. If regulatory approval or clearance of a product is granted, the approval or clearance may include significant limitations on the indicated uses for which the product may be marketed.
 

FDA Regulation — Approval of Biological Products

The steps ordinarily required before a biological product may be marketed in the United States include:

completion of preclinical studies according to good laboratory practice regulations;
the submission of an IND application to the FDA, which must become effective before human clinical trials may commence;
performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials according to good clinical practices to establish the safety and efficacy of the proposed biological product for its intended use;
satisfactory completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the product is manufactured, processes, packaged or held to assess compliance cGMP; and
the submission to, and review and approval by, the FDA of a biologics license application, or BLA, that includes satisfactory results of preclinical testing and clinical trials.

Preclinical tests include laboratory evaluation of the product candidate, its formulation and stability, as well as animal studies to assess the potential safety and efficacy of the product candidate. The FDA requires that preclinical tests be conducted in compliance with good laboratory practice regulations. The results of preclinical testing are submitted as part of an IND application to the FDA together with manufacturing information for the clinical supply, analytical data, the protocol for the initial clinical trials and any available clinical data or literature. A 30-day waiting period after the filing of each IND application is required by the FDA prior to the commencement of clinical testing in humans. In addition, the FDA may, at any time during this 30-day waiting period or any time thereafter, impose a clinical hold on proposed or ongoing clinical trials. If the FDA imposes a clinical hold, clinical trials cannot commence or recommence without FDA authorization.

Clinical trials to support BLAs involve the administration of the investigational product to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the study, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety and the efficacy criteria to be evaluated.

Clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases, but the phases may overlap.

In Phase I clinical trials, the initial introduction of the biological product candidate into human subjects or patients, the product candidate is tested to assess safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism, distribution and excretion, including any side effects associated with increasing doses.

Phase II clinical trials usually involve studies in a limited patient population to identify possible adverse effects and safety risks, preliminarily assess the efficacy of the product candidate in specific, targeted indications; and assess dosage tolerance and optimal dosage.

If a product candidate is found to be potentially effective and to have an acceptable safety profile in Phase II evaluations, Phase III trials are undertaken within an expanded patient population at multiple study sites to further demonstrate clinical efficacy and safety, further evaluate dosage and establish the risk-benefit ratio of the product and an adequate basis for product labeling.

Phase IV, or post-marketing, trials may be mandated by regulatory authorities or may be conducted voluntarily. Phase IV trials are typically initiated to monitor the safety and efficacy of a biological product in its approved population and indication but over a longer period of time, so that rare or long-term adverse effects can be detected over a much larger patient population and time than was possible during prior clinical trials. Alternatively, Phase IV trials may be used to test a new method of product administration, or to investigate a product’s use in other indications. Adverse effects detected by Phase IV trials may result in the withdrawal or restriction of a drug.

If the required Phase I, II and III clinical testing is completed successfully, the results of the required clinical trials, the results of product development, preclinical studies and clinical trials, descriptions of the manufacturing process and other relevant information concerning the safety and effectiveness of the biological product candidate are submitted to the FDA in the form of a BLA. In most cases, the BLA must be accompanied by a substantial user fee. The FDA may deny a BLA if all applicable regulatory criteria are not satisfied or may require additional data, including clinical, toxicology, safety or manufacturing data. It can take several years for the FDA to approve a BLA once it is submitted, and the actual time required for any product candidate may vary substantially, depending upon the nature, complexity and novelty of the product candidate.
 

Before approving an application, the FDA will inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve a BLA unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements.

If the FDA evaluations of the BLA and the manufacturing facilities are favorable, the FDA may issue either an approval letter or an approvable letter. The approvable letter usually contains a number of conditions that must be met to secure final FDA approval of the BLA. When, and if, those conditions have been met to the FDA’s satisfaction, the FDA will issue an approval letter. If the FDA’s evaluation of the BLA or manufacturing facility is not favorable, the FDA may refuse to approve the BLA or issue a non-approvable letter that often requires additional testing or information.

FDA Regulation — Approval of Medical Devices

Medical devices are also subject to extensive regulation by the FDA. To be commercially distributed in the United States, medical devices must receive either 510(k) clearance or pre-market approval, or PMA, from the FDA prior to marketing. Devices deemed to pose relatively low risk are placed in either Class I or II, which requires the manufacturer to submit a pre-market notification requesting permission for commercial distribution, or 510(k) clearance. Devices deemed by the FDA to pose the greatest risk, such as life-sustaining, life-supporting or implantable devices, devices deemed not substantially equivalent to a previously 510(k) cleared device and certain other devices are placed in Class III which requires PMA. We anticipate that MyoCath will be classified as a Class III device.

To obtain 510(k) clearance, a manufacturer must submit a pre-market notification demonstrating that the proposed device is substantially equivalent in intended use and in safety and efficacy to a previously 510(k) cleared device, a device that has received PMA or a device that was in commercial distribution before May 28, 1976. The FDA’s 510(k) clearance pathway usually takes from four to twelve months, but it can last longer.

After a device receives 510(k) clearance, any modification that could significantly affect its safety or efficacy, or that would constitute a major change in its intended use, requires a new 510(k) clearance or could require PMA. The FDA requires each manufacturer to make this determination, but the FDA can review any such decision. If the FDA disagrees with a manufacturer’s decision not to seek a new 510(k) clearance, the agency may retroactively require the manufacturer to seek 510(k) clearance or PMA. The FDA also can require the manufacturer to cease marketing and/or recall the modified device until 510(k) clearance or PMA is obtained.

A product not eligible for 510(k) clearance must follow the PMA pathway, which requires proof of the safety and efficacy of the device to the FDA’s satisfaction. The PMA pathway is much more costly, lengthy and uncertain than the 510(k) approval pathway. A PMA application must provide extensive preclinical and clinical trial data and also information about the device and its components regarding, among other things, device design, manufacturing and labeling. As part of the PMA review, the FDA will typically inspect the manufacturer’s facilities for compliance with quality system regulation requirements, which impose elaborate testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures. Upon acceptance by the FDA of what it considers a completed filing, the FDA commences an in-depth review of the PMA application, which typically takes from one to two years, but may last longer. The review time is often significantly extended as a result of the FDA asking for more information or clarification of information already provided.

If the FDA’s evaluation of the PMA application is favorable, and the applicant satisfies any specific conditions (e.g., changes in labeling) and provides any specific additional information (e.g., submission of final labeling), the FDA will issue a PMA for the approved indications, which can be more limited than those originally sought by the manufacturer. The PMA can include post-approval conditions that the FDA believes necessary to ensure the safety and efficacy of the device including, among other things, restrictions on labeling, promotion, sale and distribution. Failure to comply with the conditions of approval can result in an enforcement action, which could have material adverse consequences, including the loss or withdrawal of the approval.

Even after approval of a pre-market application, a new PMA or PMA supplement is required in the event of a modification to the device, its labeling or its manufacturing process.

FDA Regulation — Post-Approval Requirements

Even if regulatory clearances or approvals for our product candidates are obtained, our products and the facilities manufacturing our products will be subject to continued review and periodic inspections by the FDA. For example, as a condition of approval of a new drug application, the FDA may require us to engage in post-marketing testing and surveillance and to monitor the safety and efficacy of our products. Holders of an approved new BLA, PMA or 510(k) clearance product are subject to several post-market requirements, including the reporting of certain adverse events involving their products to the FDA, provision of updated safety and efficacy information, and compliance with requirements concerning the advertising and promotion of their products.
 

In addition, manufacturing facilities are subject to periodic inspections by the FDA to confirm the facilities comply with cGMP requirements. In complying with cGMP, manufacturers must expend money, time and effort in the area of production and quality control to ensure full compliance. For example, manufacturers of biologic products must establish validated systems to ensure that products meet high standards of sterility, safety, purity, potency and identity. Manufacturers must report to the FDA any deviations from cGMP or any unexpected or unforeseeable event that may affect the safety, quality, or potency of a product. The regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from cGMP and impose documentation requirements.

In addition to regulations enforced by the FDA, we are also subject to regulation under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Environmental Protection Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and other federal, state and local regulations. Our research and development activities involve the controlled use of hazardous materials, chemicals, biological materials and radioactive compounds.

International Regulation

Our product candidates are subject to regulation in every country where they will be tested or used. Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product candidate, we must obtain the necessary approvals from the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries before we can commence testing or marketing of a product candidate in those countries. The requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials and the approval processes vary from country to country and the time required may be longer or shorter than that associated with FDA approval.

The European Economic Area requires that manufacturers of medical devices obtain the right to affix the CE mark to their products before selling them in member countries. The CE mark is an international symbol of adherence to quality assurance standards and compliance with applicable European medical device directives. In order to obtain the right to affix the CE mark to a medical device, the medical device in question must meet the essential requirements defined under the Medical Device Directive (93/42/ EEC) relating to safety and performance, and the manufacturer of the device must undergo verification of regulatory compliance by a third party standards certification provider, known as a notified body.

In addition to regulatory clearance, the conduct of clinical trials in the European Union is governed by the European Clinical Trials Directive (2001/20/ EC), which was implemented in May 2004. This directive governs how regulatory bodies in member states may control clinical trials. No clinical trial may be started without authorization by the national competent authority and favorable ethics approval.

Manufacturing facilities are subject to the requirements of the International Standards Organization. In complying with these requirements, manufacturers must expend money, time and effort in the area of production and quality control to ensure full compliance.

In some cases, we plan to submit applications with different endpoints or other elements outside the United States due to differing practices and requirements in particular jurisdictions. However, in cases where different endpoints will be used outside the United States, we expect that such submissions will be discussed with the FDA to ensure that the FDA is comfortable with the nature of human trials being conducted in any part of the world. As in the United States, post-approval regulatory requirements, such as those regarding product manufacture, marketing, or distribution, would apply to any product that is approved in Europe.

Competition

Our industry is subject to rapid and intense technological change. We face, and will continue to face, competition from pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology companies developing heart failure treatments both in the United States and abroad, as well as numerous academic and research institutions, governmental agencies and private organizations engaged in drug funding or discovery activities both in the United States and abroad. We also face competition from entities and healthcare providers using more traditional methods, such as surgery and pharmaceutical regimens, to treat heart failure. We believe there are a substantial number of heart failure products under development by numerous pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology companies, and it is likely that other competitors will emerge.
 

Many of our existing and potential competitors have substantially greater research and product development capabilities and financial, scientific, marketing and human resources than we do. As a result, these competitors may succeed in developing competing therapies earlier than we do; obtain patents that block or otherwise inhibit our ability to further develop and commercialize our product candidates; obtain approvals from the FDA or other regulatory agencies for products more rapidly than we do; or develop treatments or cures that are safer or more effective than those we propose to develop. These competitors may also devote greater resources to marketing or selling their products and may be better able to withstand price competition. In addition, these competitors may introduce or adapt more quickly to new technologies or scientific advances, which could render our technologies obsolete, and may introduce products that make the continued development of our product candidates uneconomical. These competitors may also be more successful in negotiating third party licensing or collaborative arrangements and may be able to take advantage of acquisitions or other strategic opportunities more readily than we can.

Our ability to compete successfully will depend on our continued ability to attract and retain skilled and experienced scientific, clinical development and executive personnel, to identify and develop viable heart failure product candidates and to exploit these products and compounds commercially before others are able to develop competitive products.

We believe the principal competitive factors affecting our markets include, but are not limited to:

·  
the safety and efficacy of our product candidates;
·  
the freedom to develop and commercialize cell-based therapies, including appropriate patent and proprietary rights protection;
·  
the timing and scope of regulatory approvals;
·  
the cost and availability of our products;
·  
the availability and scope of third party reimbursement programs; and
·  
the availability of alternative treatments.
 
We are still in the process of determining, among other things:
 
·  
if MyoCell and MyoCell SDF-1 are both safe and effective;
·  
the timing and scope of regulatory approvals; and
·  
the availability and scope of third party reimbursement programs.

Accordingly, we have a limited ability to predict how competitive MyoCell will be relative to existing treatment alternatives and/or treatment alternatives that are under development. See “Business — Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure.”

If approved, MyoCell will compete with surgical, pharmaceutical and mechanical based therapies. Surgical options include heart transplantation and left ventricular reconstructive surgery. Although not readily accessible, heart transplantation has proven to be an effective treatment for patients with severe damage to the heart who locate a donor match and are in sufficiently good health to undergo major surgery. Mechanical therapies such as biventricular pacing, ventricular restraint devices and mitral valve therapies have been developed by companies such as Medtronic, Inc., Acorn Cardiovascular, Inc., St. Jude Medical, Inc., World Heart Corporation, Guidant Corporation, a part of Boston Scientific, and Edwards Lifesciences Corp. Pharmaceutical therapies include anti-thrombotics, calcium channel blockers such as Pfizer’s Norvasc® and ACE inhibitors such as Sanofi’s Delix®.

The field of regenerative medicine is rapidly progressing, as many organizations are initiating or expanding their research efforts in this area. We are also aware of several competitors seeking to develop cell-based therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, including Aldagen, Inc., Angioblast Systems, Inc., Athersys, Inc., Baxter International, Inc., Cytori Therapeutics, Inc., MG Biotherapeutics, LLC (a joint venture between Genzyme Corporation and Medtronic, Inc.), Mytogen, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.), Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (products now owned by Mesoblast), ViaCell, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of PerkinElmer, Inc.), and potentially others.

It is our understanding that some of our large competitors have devoted considerable resources to developing a myoblast-based cell therapy for treating severe damage to the heart.
 
Some organizations are involved in research using alternative cell sources, including bone marrow, embryonic and fetal tissue, umbilical cord and peripheral blood, and adipose tissue.
 

Many of our existing and potential competitors have substantially greater research and product development capabilities and financial, scientific, marketing and human resources than we do. These competitors may also devote greater resources to marketing or selling their products and may be better able to withstand price competition. In addition, these competitors may introduce or adapt more quickly to new technologies or scientific advances, which could render our technologies obsolete, and may introduce products that make the continued development of our product candidates uneconomical. These competitors may also be more successful in negotiating third party licensing or collaborative arrangements and may be able to take advantage of acquisitions or other strategic opportunities more readily than we can.

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following is management’s discussion and analysis (|MD&A”) of certain significant factors that have affected our financial position and operating results during the periods included in the accompanying  financial statements, as well as information relating to the plans of our current management. This report includes forward-looking statements. Generally, the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “continue,” and similar expressions or the negative thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including the matters set forth in this report or other reports or documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those projected. Undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes thereto and other financial information contained elsewhere in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Company's MD&A is comprised of significant accounting estimates made in the normal course of its operations, overview of the Company's business conditions, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources and contractual obligations. The Company did not have any off balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2014 or 2013.

The discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations is based upon its financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (or "GAAP"). The preparation of those financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities at the date of its financial statements. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
 
Our Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
 
Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued its report dated March 16, 2015, in connection with the audit of our financial statements as of December 31, 2014, that included an explanatory paragraph describing the existence of conditions that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern and Note 2 to the unaudited financial statements for the period ended March 31, 2015 also describes the existence of conditions that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If we are not able to continue as a going concern, it is likely that holders of our common stock will lose all of their investment. Our financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
 
Results of Operations Overview
 
We are a research and development company and our MyoCell product candidate has not received regulatory approval or generated any material revenues and is not expected to until 2016, if ever. We have generated substantial net losses and negative cash flow from operations since inception and anticipate incurring significant net losses and negative cash flows from operations for the foreseeable future as we continue clinical trials, undertake new clinical trials, apply for regulatory approvals, make capital expenditures, add information systems and personnel, make payments pursuant to our license agreements upon our achievement of certain milestones, continue development of additional product candidates using our technology, establish sales and marketing capabilities and incur the additional cost of operating as a public company.
 
 
Results of Operations Overview for the Quarter Ended June 30, 2015
 
Three Months Ended June 30, 2015 as compared to the Three Months Ended June 30, 2014
 
Revenues
 
We recognized revenues of $565,307 for the three months ended June 30, 2015, generated from the sales of kits and equipment, services, MyoCath Catheters, AdipoCell, and laboratory services. We recognized revenues of $579,246 for the three months ended June 30, 2014 from the sale of MyoCath catheters, AdipoCell, physician training, patient studies and laboratory services. The differential in revenue reflected a moderate decrease based on the products and services provided.
 
Cost of Sales
 
Cost of sales consists of the costs associated with the production of MyoCath, laboratory supplies necessary for laboratory services, production of AdipoCell systems and materials, physician course materials, and clinic supplies required for patient studies.
 
Cost of sales was $223,592 and $189,331 in the three month periods ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Associated gross margins were $341,715 (60.4%) and $389,915 (67.3%) for the three months periods ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The decrease in gross margin, quarter over quarter, is attributed to the mix of product sales and the testing of lower pricing models to attempt to increase the volume of certain product and service sales.
 
Research and Development
 
Our research and development expenses consist of costs incurred in identifying, developing and testing our products and services. Research and development expenses were $130,373 in the three month period ended in June 30, 2015, an increase of $114,895 from the research and development expenses of $15,478 in the three month period ended in June 30, 2014. Our increase is proportionate to our increase in management focus on research and development and its corresponding ongoing costs. The timing and amount of our planned research and development expenditures is dependent on our ability to obtain additional financing.
 
Research and Development
 
Our research and development expenses consist of costs incurred in identifying, developing and testing our products and services. Research and development expenses were $180,518 in the six month period ended in June 30, 2015, an increase of $155,183 from the research and development expenses of $25,335 in the six month period ended in June 30, 2014. Our increase is proportionate to our increase in management focus on research and development and its corresponding ongoing costs. The timing and amount of our planned research and development expenditures is dependent on our ability to obtain additional financing.
 
Marketing, General and Administrative
 
Our marketing, general and administrative costs were $1,688,381 for the six month period ended June 30, 2015 compared to $1,669,691 for the six month period ended June 30, 2014, an increase of $18,690 . The increase in costs primarily due to increases in salaries from $325,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2014 to $436,558 for the current period, an increase of $111,558, and our legal and consulting fees decreased by $70,046 and $35,507, respectively, due to services provided.
 
Our marketing, general and administrative expenses primarily consist of the costs associated with our general management and product and service marketing programs, including, but not limited to, salaries and related expenses for executive, administrative and marketing personnel, rent, insurance, legal and accounting fees, consulting fees, travel and entertainment expenses, conference costs and other clinical marketing and trade program expenses.
 
Gain on settlement of debt
 
During the six months ended June 30, 2015, we settled $1,585,862 in guarantor fees, accrued interest of $373,469 and an outstanding note payable of $1,500,000 for a net gain of $1,960,082. In addition, we incurred a gain of $78,528 in open accounts payable. In the six month ended June 30, 2014, we settled outstanding debt and related accrued interest for a net gain of $81,568, licensing fees settled for a gain of $2,122,130, net with a loss on settlement of accounts payable of $16,644.
 
 
Interest Expense
 
Interest expense during the six months ended June 30, 2015 was $814,092 compared to $704,092 six months ended June 30, 2014. Interest expense primarily consists of interest incurred on the principal amount of the Northstar loan, our former Bank of America loan, the Seaside National Bank loan, accrued fees and interest payable to the Guarantors, the amortization of debt discounts and non-cash interest incurred relating to our issued convertible notes payable. The debt discounts amortization and non-cash interest incurred during the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014 was $613,932 and $482,491, respectively.
 
Stock-Based Compensation
 
Stock-based compensation reflects our recognition as an expense of the value of stock options and other equity instruments issued to our employees and non-employees over the vesting period of the options and other equity instruments. We have granted to our employees options to purchase shares of common stock at exercise prices equal to the fair market value of the underlying shares of common stock at the time of each grant, as determined by our Board of Directors, with input from management.
 
The Company follows Accounting Standards Codification subtopic 718-10. Compensation (“ASC 718-10”) which requires that all share-based payments to both employee and non-employees be recognized in the income statement based on their fair values.
 
In awarding our common stock, our Board of Directors considered a number of factors, including, but not limited to:
 
our financial position and historical financial performance;
arm’s length sales of our common stock;
the development status of our product candidates;
the business risks we face;
vesting restrictions imposed upon the equity awards; and
an evaluation and benchmark of our competitors; and
prospects of a liquidity event.
 
In April 1, 2013, the Board of Directors authorized, (and approved by our shareholders on February 2, 2015), the establishment of the Bioheart 2013 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan, or the “2013 Omnibus Plan”. The 2013 Omnibus Plan reserves up to fifty million shares of common stock for issuance, subsequently increased to 100,000,000 on November 3, 2014. We currently have 89,500,000 available to future issuances.
 
Critical Accounting Policies
 
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. While our critical accounting policies are described in Note 1 to our financial statements appearing elsewhere in this report, we believe the following policies are important to understanding and evaluating our reported financial results:
 
Revenue Recognition
 
We recognize revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification subtopic 605-10, Revenue Recognition (“ASC 605-10”) which requires that four basic criteria must be met before revenue can be recognized: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (2) delivery has occurred; (3) the selling price is fixed and determinable; and (4) collectability is reasonably assured. Determination of criteria (3) and (4) are based on management’s judgments regarding the fixed nature of the selling prices of the products delivered and the collectability of those amounts. Provisions for discounts and rebates to customers, estimated returns and allowances, and other adjustments are provided for in the same period the related sales are recorded.
 
 
At the time of each transaction, management assesses whether the fee associated with the transaction is fixed or determinable and whether or not collection is reasonably assured. The assessment of whether the fee is fixed or determinable is based upon the payment terms of the transaction. Collectability is assessed based on a number of factors, including past transaction history with the client and the creditworthiness of the client.
 
Revenues for test kits and equipment sold are not recorded until test kits are delivered. We have revenue sharing arrangements for the sale of goods whereby the Company is the primary obligor, sets pricing with the customers and bears all associated credit risks with the customers. Sales under revenue share arrangements are recorded as gross sales and any portion shared with third parties under such arrangements are classified as selling expense due to the nature of the marketing activities performed by the third party. Revenues from trainings are not recorded until the completion of the training. Any cash received as a deposit for trainings are recorded by the company as a liability.
 
Patent treatments and laboratory services revenue are recognized when those services have been completed or satisfied.
 
Revenues for bank sales are accounted for as Multiple-Element Arrangements under ASC 605-10 which incorporates Accounting Standards Codification subtopic 605-25, Multiple-Element Arrangements (“ASC 605-25”). ASC 605-25 addresses accounting for arrangements that may involve the delivery or performance of multiple products, services and/or rights to use assets.
 
Research and Development Activities
 
We account for research and development costs in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification subtopic 730-10, Research and Development (“ASC 730-10”). Under ASC 730-10, all research and development costs must be charged to expense as incurred. Accordingly, internal research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Third-party research and development costs are expensed when the contracted work has been performed or as milestone results have been achieved as defined under the applicable agreement. Company-sponsored research and development costs related to both present and future products are expensed in the period incurred.
 
Derivative financial instruments
 
Accounting Standards Codification subtopic 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging, Contracts in Entity’s own Equity (“ASC 815-40”) became effective for the Company on October 1, 2009. The Company has identified the embedded derivatives related to the issued Notes and anti-dilutive warrants. These embedded derivatives included in our debt contain certain conversion features and reset provision. The accounting treatment of derivative financial instruments requires that the Company record fair value of the derivatives as of the inception date of Asher Notes and to fair value as of each subsequent reporting date.
 
Inflation
 
Our opinion is that inflation has not had, and is not expected to have, a material effect on our operations.
 
Climate Change
 
Our opinion is that neither climate change, nor governmental regulations related to climate change, have had, or are expected to have, any material effect on our operations.
 
Concentrations of Credit Risk
 
As of June 30, 2015, four customers represented 13%, 7%, 6% and 16%, respectively aggregate of 42% of the Company’s accounts receivable. As of December 31, 2014, two customers represented 38% and 17%, aggregate of 55%, of the Company’s accounts receivable.
 
Liquidity and Capital Resources
 
In the six months ended June 30, 2015, we continued to finance our considerable operational cash needs with cash generated from financing activities.
 
 
Operating Activities
 
Net cash used in operating activities was $646,726 in the six month period ended June 30, 2015 as compared to $507,059 of cash used in the six month period ended in June 30, 2014.
 
Our use of cash for operations in the six months ended June 30, 2015 reflected a net loss generated during the period of $161,623, adjusted for non-cash items such as stock-based compensation of $269,301, depreciation of $2,619, amortization of debt discounts of $425,629, and non-cash interest expense of $188,303, loss on change in fair value of derivative liabilities of $113,731, net gain on settlement of debt of $2,038,611 and income from investments of $12,308. In addition we had a net decrease in operating assets of $4,377 and an increase in accrued expenses of $221,950, in accounts payable of $242,956 and deferred revenue of $37,100.
 
Investing Activities
 
Net cash used in investing activities was $61,166 for the six months ended June 30, 2015 were to acquire office equipment of $894, additional investment of $10,000 and purchase of treasury stock of $50,272 as compared to $6,366 of cash used for the purchase of equipment for the same period of 2014.
 
Buy-Back Program
 
On January 13, 2015, we issued a press release announcing that our Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program authorizing us to repurchase outstanding common stock when beneficially prudent for our company and our shareholders As of June 30, 2015, we have purchased 8,343,200 shares of our common stock pursuant to our share repurchase program.
 
Financing Activities
 
Net cash provided by financing activities was an aggregate of $764,752 in the six month period ended June 30, 2015 as compared to $558,419 in the six month period ended in June 30, 2014. In the six month period ended June 30, 2015 we sold, in private placements, shares of common stock and common stock purchase warrants for aggregate net cash proceeds of $533,945 and received proceeds from issuance of note payable of $315,000 net with repayments of related party notes payable of $90,797 and received $6,604 related party advances.
 
Existing Capital Resources and Future Capital Requirements
 
Our MyoCell product candidate has not received regulatory approval or generated any material revenues. We do not expect to generate any material revenues or cash from sales of our MyoCell product candidate until commercialization of MyoCell, if ever. We have generated substantial net losses and negative cash flow from operations since inception and anticipate incurring significant net losses and negative cash flows from operations for the foreseeable future. Historically, we have relied on proceeds from the sale of our common stock and our incurrence of debt to provide the funds necessary to conduct our research and development activities and to meet our other cash needs.
 
Liquidity and Capital Resources
 
In the six months ended June 30, 2015, we continued to finance our considerable operational cash needs with cash generated from financing activities.
 
Operating Activities
 
Net cash used in operating activities was $646,726 in the six month period ended June 30, 2015 as compared to $507,059 of cash used in the six month period ended in June 30, 2014.
 
Our use of cash for operations in the six months ended June 30, 2015 reflected a net loss generated during the period of $161,623, adjusted for non-cash items such as stock-based compensation of $269,301, depreciation of $2,619, amortization of debt discounts of $425,629, and non-cash interest expense of $188,303, loss on change in fair value of derivative liabilities of $113,731, net gain on settlement of debt of $2,038,611 and income from investments of $12,308. In addition we had a net decrease in operating assets of $4,377 and an increase in accrued expenses of $221,950, in accounts payable of $242,956 and deferred revenue of $37,100.
 
 
Investing Activities
 
Net cash used in investing activities was $61,166 for the six months ended June 30, 2015 were to acquire office equipment of $894, additional investment of $10,000 and purchase of treasury stock of $50,272 as compared to $6,366 of cash used for the purchase of equipment for the same period of 2014.
 
Buy-Back Program
 
On January 13, 2015, we issued a press release announcing that our Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program authorizing us to repurchase outstanding common stock when beneficially prudent for our company and our shareholders As of June 30, 2015, we have purchased 8,343,200 shares of our common stock pursuant to our share repurchase program.
 
Financing Activities
 
Net cash provided by financing activities was an aggregate of $764,752 in the six month period ended June 30, 2015 as compared to $558,419 in the six month period ended in June 30, 2014. In the six month period ended June 30, 2015 we sold, in private placements, shares of common stock and common stock purchase warrants for aggregate net cash proceeds of $533,945 and received proceeds from issuance of note payable of $315,000 net with repayments of related party notes payable of $90,797 and received $6,604 related party advances.
 
Existing Capital Resources and Future Capital Requirements
 
Our MyoCell product candidate has not received regulatory approval or generated any material revenues. We do not expect to generate any material revenues or cash from sales of our MyoCell product candidate until commercialization of MyoCell, if ever. We have generated substantial net losses and negative cash flow from operations since inception and anticipate incurring significant net losses and negative cash flows from operations for the foreseeable future. Historically, we have relied on proceeds from the sale of our common stock and our incurrence of debt to provide the funds necessary to conduct our research and development activities and to meet our other cash needs.
 
At June 30, 2015, we had cash and cash equivalents totaling $93,534. However our working capital deficit as of such date was approximately $8 million. Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued its report dated March 16, 2015 in connection with the audit of our financial statements as of December 31, 2014 that included an explanatory paragraph describing the existence of conditions that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern and Note 2 of our unaudited financial statement for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 addresses the issue of our ability to continue as a going concern.

Results of Operations Overview for the Year Ended December 31, 2014
 
Revenues
 
We have not generated any material revenues from our MyoCell product candidate. The revenues we have recognized to date are related to (i) sales of MyoCath to ACS and other parties, (ii) fees associated with our assignment to ACS of our rights relating to the Primary MyoCath Patent, (iii) revenues generated from paid registry trials, (iv) revenues from the sale of our now discontinued tissue genesis system and related supplies and (v) revenues generated for providing cell culturing services under exclusive supply agreements. Our revenue may vary substantially from quarter to quarter and from year to year. We believe that period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations are not meaningful and should not be relied upon as indicative of our future performance. We do not expect to generate substantial revenues until we obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize our product candidates, which we do not expect to occur before 2016.
 
We recognized revenues of $2,055,831 in 2014 compared to revenues of $96,085 in 2013. Our revenue in 2014 was generated from the sale of MyoCath catheters, AdipoCell and laboratory services. Our revenues for 2013 were generated from the sale of MyoCath Catheters and laboratory services.
 
Cost of Sales
 
Cost of sales consists of the costs associated with the production of MyoCath.
 
Cost of sales was $844,941 in the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2014 compared to $30,831 in the twelve-months ended December 31, 2013.
 
 
Research and Development
 
Our research and development expenses consist of costs incurred in identifying, developing and testing our product candidates. These expenses consist primarily of costs related to our clinical trials, the acquisition of intellectual property licenses and preclinical studies. We expense research and development costs as incurred.
 
Clinical trial expenses include costs related to the culture and preparation of cells in connection with our clinical trials, costs of contract research, costs of clinical trial facilities, costs of delivery systems, salaries and related expenses for clinical personnel and insurance costs. Preclinical study expenses include costs of contract research, salaries and related expenses for personnel, costs of development biopsies, costs of delivery systems and costs of lab supplies.
 
We are focused on the development of a number of autologous cell-based therapies, and related devices, for the treatment of heart damage. Accordingly, many of our costs are not attributable to a specifically identified product candidate. We use our employee and infrastructure resources across several projects, and we do not account for internal research and development costs on a product candidate by product candidate basis. From inception through December 31, 2014, we incurred aggregate research and development costs of approximately $65.4 million (unaudited) related to our product candidates We estimate that at least $48.4 million (unaudited) of these expenses relate to our preclinical and clinical development of MyoCell and at least $5.2 million (unaudited) of these expenses relate to our preclinical and clinical development of MyoCath.
 
Clinical trials and preclinical studies are time-consuming and expensive. Our expenditures on current and future preclinical and clinical development programs are subject to many uncertainties. We generally test our products in several preclinical studies and then conduct clinical trials for those product candidates that we determine to be the most promising. As we obtain results from clinical trials, we may elect to discontinue or delay trials for some product candidates in order to focus our resources on more promising product candidates. Completion of clinical trials may take several years or more, but the length of time generally varies substantially according to the type, size of trial and intended use of the product candidate.
 
Due to the risks inherent in the clinical trial process, development completion dates and costs vary significantly for each product candidate, are difficult to estimate and are likely to change as clinical trials progress.
 
The cost of clinical trials may vary significantly over the life of a project as a result of a variety of factors, including the number of patients who participate in the clinical trials, the number of sites included in the clinical trials, the length of time required to enroll trial participants, the efficacy and safety profile of our product candidates and the costs and timing of and our ability to secure regulatory approvals.
 
Marketing, General and Administrative
 
Our marketing, general and administrative expenses primarily consist of the costs associated with our general management and clinical marketing and trade programs, including, but not limited to, salaries and related expenses for executive, administrative and marketing personnel, rent, insurance, legal and accounting fees, consulting fees, travel and entertainment expenses, conference costs and other clinical marketing and trade program expenses.
 
Stock-Based Compensation
 
Stock-based compensation which is included in the Marketing, General and Administrative above, reflects our recognition as an expense of the value of stock options and other equity instruments issued to our employees and non-employees over the vesting period of the options and other equity instruments. We have granted to our employees options to purchase shares of common stock at exercise prices equal to the fair market value of the underlying shares of common stock at the time of each grant, as determined by our Board of Directors, with input from management.
 
In valuing our common stock, our Board of Directors considered a number of factors, including, but not limited to:
 
 
·
our financial position and historical financial performance;
 
·
the illiquidity of our capital stock;
 
·
arm’s length sales of our common stock;
 
·
the development status of our product candidates;
 
·
the business risks we face;
 
·
vesting restrictions imposed upon the equity awards;
 
·
an evaluation and benchmark of our competitors; and
 
·
the prospects of a liquidity event.
 
 
In April 1, 2013, the Board of Directors approved the establishment of the Bioheart 2013 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan, or the “2013 Omnibus Plan”. The 2013 Omnibus Plan reserves up to hundred million shares of common stock for issuance, as amended. The 2013 Omnibus Plan was approved by the majority of shareholders at our annual meeting, dated February 2, 2015.
 
A summary of options at December 31, 2014 and activity during the year then ended is presented below:

    Shares     
Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price
   
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term (in years)
 
           
Options outstanding at January 1, 2013
   
7,853,376
   
$
0.67
   
 8.2
 
Granted
   
17,400,000
   
$
0.016
   
9.9
 
Exercised
   
   
$
         
Forfeited/Expired
   
(1,340,433
)
 
$
1.08
       
Options outstanding at December 31, 2013
   
23,912,943
   
$
0.15
   
9.0
 
Granted
   
43,148,487
   
$
0.023
   
10.0
 
Exercised
   
               
Forfeited/Expired
   
(136,221
)
 
$
5.2
       
Options outstanding at December 31, 2014
   
66,925,209
   
$
0.056
   
8.9
 
Options exercisable at December 31, 2014
   
24,814,222
   
$
0.12
   
8.7
 
Available for grant at December 31, 2014
   
96,500,000
               
 
The following information applies to options outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2014:

     
Options Outstanding
   
Options Exercisable
 
     
Shares
   
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term
   
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
   
Shares
   
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
 
                                 
$ 0.00 – $0.70     $ 66,438,487     $ 9.0     $ 0.03     $ 24,327,500     $ 0.03  
$ 0.71 – $1.28       149,930       3.8     $ 0.81       149,930     $ 0.81  
$ 5.25 – $5.67       312,080       1.6     $ 5.53       312,080     $ 5.53  
$ 7.69       24,712       1.6     $ 7.69       24,712     $ 7.69  
          66,925,209       8.9     $ 0.056       24,814,222     $ 0.12  

On August 5, 2013, we re-priced options previously issued from 2011 through 2012 for current employees and officers in aggregate of 4,890,000 options with previous exercise prices from $0.03 to $0.21 per share to $0.01694 per share, all other terms remaining unchanged.  The gross change in fair value, determined using the Black Scholes option pricing model, of $1,630 was charged to current period operations.
 
On August 1, 2013, we granted an aggregate 15,000,000 options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.01576 per share vesting over four years.   The fair value of $245,749, determined using the Black Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: Dividend yield: 0%; Volatility: 153.27% and Risk free rate: 2.74%, of which $25,599 was charged to current period operations.
 
 
On September 1, 2013, we granted an aggregate 2,400,000 options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.01654 per share, respectively; to officers and employees, exercisable immediately. The fair value of $37,823, determined using the Black Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: Dividend yield: 0%; Volatility: 150.98% and Risk free rate: 2.78%, was charged to current period operations.
 
On February 24, 2014, we issued an aggregate 15,000,000 options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.019 per share to officers, vesting at 25% immediately and the remainder over approximately 42 months, exercisable over 10 years. The aggregate fair value of $282,597, determined using the Black Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: Dividend yield: 0%; Volatility: 163.63% and Risk free rate: 2.75%.
 
On February 24, 2014, we issued an aggregate 4,800,000 options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.019 per share to officers, vesting immediately and exercisable over 10 years. The aggregate fair value of $90,431, determined using the Black Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: Dividend yield: 0%; Volatility: 163.63% and Risk free rate: 2.75%.
 
On May 12, 2014, we issued an aggregate 4,848,487 options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.0272 per share to officers and employees, vesting over four years at anniversary and exercisable over 10 years. The aggregate fair value of $130,135, determined using the Black Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: Dividend yield: 0%; Volatility: 161.36% and Risk free rate: 2.66%.
 
On August 1, 2014, we issued an aggregate 15,000,000 options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.02694 per share to officers and employees, vesting at 25% immediately and 75% over three years at anniversary and exercisable over 10 years. The aggregate fair value of $391,798, determined using the Black Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: Dividend yield: 0%; Volatility: 168.62% and Risk free rate: 2.52%.
 
On November 3, 2014, we issued an aggregate 700,000 options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.01932 per share to officers and employees, vesting at 25% each year over four years at anniversary and exercisable over 10 years. The aggregate fair value of $12,739, determined using the Black Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: Dividend yield: 0%; Volatility: 152.87% and Risk free rate: 2.36%.
 
On November 3, 2014, we issued an aggregate 2,800,000 options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.01932 per share to board of directors, vesting immediately and exercisable over 10 years. The aggregate fair value of $54,957, determined using the Black Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: Dividend yield: 0%; Volatility: 152.87% and Risk free rate: 2.36%.
 
The fair value of all options vesting during the year ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 of $537,606 and $125,515, respectively, was charged to current period operations.
 
Warrants
 
A summary of common stock purchase warrants at December 31, 2014 and activity during the year then ended is presented below:

   
Shares
   
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
   
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term (in years)
 
                   
Outstanding at January 1, 2013
    74,073,322     $ 0.37       4.5  
   Issued
    50,350,536     $ 0.16       9.2  
   Exercised
        $ 0.00          
   Forfeited
    (6,345,002 )   $ 0.38          
Outstanding at December 31, 2013
    118,078,856     $ 0.22       6.3  
   Issued
    57,582,469     $ 0.02       8.2  
   Exercised
    (11,918,181 )   $ 0.01          
   Expired
    (13,178,145 )   $ 0.08          
Outstanding at December 31, 2014
    150,564,999     $ 0.17       6.6  
Exercisable at December 31, 2014
    131,822,688     $ 0.10       6.7  
 
 
The following information applies to common stock purchase warrants outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2014:

     
Warrants Outstanding
   
Warrants Exercisable
 
     
Shares
   
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term
   
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
   
Shares
   
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
 
                                 
$ 0.01 – $0.50     $ 144,315,866     $ 6.7     $ 0.02     $ 127,118,005     $ 0.02  
$ 0.52 – $0.68       2,699,675       4.3     $ 0.58       2,699,675     $ 0.58  
$ 0.70 – $1.62       848,176       5.0     $ 0.71       848,176     $ 0.71  
$ 5.67 – $7.69       2,701,282       7.9     $ 7.55       1,156,832     $ 7.35  
          150,564,999       6.6     $ 0.17       131,822,688     $ 0.10  
 
In conjunction with the authorized issuance of common stock, we issued 41,582,469 common stock purchase warrants during the year ended December 31, 2014. In conjunction with the authorized issuance of common stock, we issued approximately 50 million common stock purchase warrants during the year ended December 31, 2013.
 
During the year ended December 31, 2014, we issued an aggregate of 8,000,000 common stock purchase warrants in connection with a revenue share agreement dated March 10, 2014. The warrants are exercisable at $0.0217 for four years vesting from June 8, 2014 through March 10, 2016. During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company charged $103,238 to current period operations.
 
During the year ended December 31, 2014, we issued an aggregate of 4,000,000 common stock purchase warrants in connection with use of certain intellectual property. The warrants are exercisable at $0.0481 for four years vesting from July 6, 2014 through April 6, 2017. During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company charged $32,878 to current period operations for the vesting portion.
 
During the year ended December 31, 2014, we issued an aggregate of 4,000,000 common stock purchase warrants in connection with the termination of a revenue share agreement. The warrants are exercisable at $0.0157 for four years vesting May 27, 2015. During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company charged $54,146 to current period operations.
 
On November 3, 2014, the Company extended an aggregate of 13,063,530 expiring common stock purchase warrants previously issued to the Company’s Board of Directors for additional three years. The aggregate change in fair value of $148,517, determined using the Black Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions: Dividend yield: 0%; Volatility: 152.87% and Risk free rate: 0.96% was charged to current period operations.
 
During 2014 and 2013, we recognized stock-based compensation expense of $636,123 and $125,515, respectively. The increase in stock based compensation from 2013 to 2014 was due to 43.1 million common stock purchase options granted in 2013 compared to 17.4 million options in 2013, stock options granted to officers, consultants and key employees. We intend to grant stock options and other stock-based compensation in the future and we may therefore recognize additional stock-based compensation in connection with these future grants.
 
Interest Expense
 
Interest expense in 2014 and 2013 primarily consists of interest incurred on the principal amount of the Northstar loan, our former Bank of America loan, the Seaside National Bank loan, accrued fees and interest payable to the Guarantors, the amortization of related deferred loan costs and the amortization of the fair value of warrants issued in connection with the loans. The deferred loan costs and fair value of warrants issued in connection with the loans are being amortized to interest expense over the terms of the respective loans using the effective interest method.
 
 
Critical Accounting Policies
 
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. While our critical accounting policies are described in Note 1 to our financial statements appearing elsewhere in this report, we believe the following policies are important to understanding and evaluating our reported financial results:
 
Revenue Recognition
 
At the time of each transaction, we assess whether the fee associated with the transaction is fixed or determinable and whether or not collection is reasonably assured. The assessment of whether the fee is fixed or determinable is based upon the payment terms of the transaction. If a significant portion of a fee is due after our normal payment terms or upon implementation or client acceptance, the fee is accounted for as not being fixed or determinable and revenue is recognized as the fees become due or after implementation or client acceptance has occurred. Collectability is assessed based on a number of factors, including past transaction history with the client and the creditworthiness of the client.
 
Revenues for test kits and equipment sold are not recorded until test kits are delivered. The Company has revenue sharing arrangements for the sale of goods whereby the Company is the primary obligor, sets pricing with the customers and bears all associated credit risks with the customers. Sales under revenue share arrangements are recorded as gross sales and any portion shared with third parties under such arrangements are recorded as cost of sales. Revenues from trainings are not recorded until the completion of the training. Any cash received as a deposit for trainings are recorded by the company as a liability.
 
Patient treatments and service revenue is recognized when those services have been completed or satisfied.
 
Stock-based compensation
 
(Included in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718 “Share Based Payment”, previously SFAS No. 123(R) “Accounting for stock based compensation”)
 
The Company will account for its employee stock based compensation arrangements in accordance with the provisions of Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25.  “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees”, and related interpretations.  As such, compensation expense for stock options, common stock and other equity instruments issued to non-employees for services received will be based upon the fair value of the equity instruments issued, as the services are provided and the securities earned.  SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation”, requires entities that continue to apply the provisions of APB Opinion No. 25 for transactions with employees to provide pro forma net earnings (loss) and pro forma earnings (loss) per share disclosures for employee stock option grants as if the fair-value-based method defined in SFAS No. 123 had been applied to these transactions.  For the period from inception (March 12, 2004) to December 31, 2012, no stock options were committed to be issued to employees.  
 
The Company accounts for derivative instruments in accordance with ASC 815, which establishes accounting and reporting standards for derivative instruments and hedging activities, including certain derivative instruments embedded in other financial instruments or contracts and requires recognition of all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value, regardless of hedging relationship designation. Accounting for changes in fair value of the derivative instruments depends on whether the derivatives qualify as hedge relationships and the types of relationships designated are based on the exposures hedged. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company did not have any derivative instruments that were designated as hedges.
 
Income taxes
 
Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method.  Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss carry forwards that are available to be carried forward to future years for tax purposes.  Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.  The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.  When it is not considered to be more likely than not that a deferred tax asset will be realized, a valuation allowance is provided for the excess.  Although the Company has significant loss carry forwards available to reduce future income for tax purposes, no amount has been reflected on the balance sheet for deferred income taxes as any deferred tax asset has been fully offset by a valuation allowance.
 
 
Use of Estimates
 
The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions, where applicable, that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. While actual results could differ from those estimates, management does not expect such variances, if any, to have a material effect on the financial statements.
 
Research and Development Costs
 
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.  Research is planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service or a new process or technique or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process.  Development is the translation of research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or use. It includes the conceptual formulation, design, and testing of product alternatives, construction of prototypes, and operation of pilot plants. It does not include routine or periodic alterations to existing products, production lines, manufacturing processes, and other on-going operations even though those alterations may represent improvements and it does not include market research or market testing activities. Elements of costs shall be identified with research and development activities as follows:  The costs of materials and equipment or facilities that are acquired or constructed for research and development activities and that have alternative future uses shall be capitalized as tangible assets when acquired or constructed. The cost of such materials consumed in research and development activities and the depreciation of such equipment or facilities used in those activities are research and development costs. However, the costs of materials, equipment, or facilities that are acquired or constructed for a particular research and development project and that have no alternative future uses and therefore no separate economic values are research and development costs at the time the costs are incurred.  Salaries, wages, and other related costs of personnel engaged in research and development activities shall be included in research and development costs. The costs of contract services performed by others in connection with the research and development activities of an enterprise, including research and development conducted by others in behalf of the enterprise, shall be included in research and development costs.
 
Depreciation
 
Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the assets’ expected useful lives.
 
Amortization
 
 Deferred charges are amortized using the straight-line method over five and six years.
 
Cash and Cash Equivalents
 
Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, deposits in banks with maturities of three months or less, and all highly liquid investments which are unrestricted as to withdrawal or use, and which have original maturities of three months or less.
 
Options and warrants issued
 
The Company allocates the proceeds received from equity financing and the attached options and warrants issued, based on their relative fair values, at the time of issuance.  The amount allocated to the options and warrants is recorded as additional paid in capital.
 
Related Parties
 
For the purposes of these financial statements, parties are considered to be related if one party has the ability, directly or indirectly, to control the party or exercise significant influence over the party in making financial and operating decisions, or vice versa, or where the Company and the party are subject to common control or common significant influence. Related parties may be individuals or other entities.
 
 
Results of Operations
 
We are a development stage company and our MyoCell product candidate has not received regulatory approval or generated any material revenues and is not expected to until 2016, if ever. We have generated substantial net losses and negative cash flow from operations since inception and anticipate incurring significant net losses and negative cash flows from operations for the foreseeable future as we continue clinical trials, undertake new clinical trials, apply for regulatory approvals, make capital expenditures, add information systems and personnel, make payments pursuant to our license agreements upon our achievement of certain milestones, continue development of additional product candidates using our technology, establish sales and marketing capabilities and incur the additional cost of operating as a public company.
 
Comparison of Years Ended December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013
 
Revenues
 
We recognized revenues of $2,055,831 in 2014, revenues generated from the sale of, kits and equipment, services, MyoCath Catheters, AdipoCell, and laboratory services.  In 2013, we recognized revenues of $96,085, revenues generated from the sales of MyoCath Catheters and laboratory services.
 
Cost of Sales
 
Cost of sales was $844,941 in 2014 and $30,831 in 2013.
 
Research and Development
 
Research and development expenses were $66,420 in 2014, a decrease of $560,563 from research and development expenses of $626,983 in 2013. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in the amount of available funds.
 
The timing and amount of our planned research and development expenditures is dependent on our ability to obtain additional financing.
 
Marketing, General and Administrative
 
Marketing, general and administrative expenses were $4,669,432 in 2014, an increase of $2,401,601 from marketing, general and administrative expenses of $2,267,831 in 2013. The increase in marketing, general and administrative expenses is attributable, in part, to an increase in legal fees, salaries and insurance expenses.
 
Interest Expense
 
Interest expense was $1,639,571 in 2014 compared to interest expense of $1,437,883 in 2013. Non cash interest comprised of amortization of debt discounts and warrants issued in connection with debt totaled $1,252,680 in 2014 as compared to $597,339 in 2013.  
 
Gain on settlement of debt
 
During the year ended December 31, 2014, we settled an outstanding note payable and certain accounts payable by issuances of common stock. As such we realized a net $2,498,676 gain on extinguishment of debt during the year ended December 31, 2014, as compared to $1,023,439 for same period last year.
 
Gain on change in fair value of derivative liabilities.
 
As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, we issued convertible notes and common stock purchase warrants with anti-dilutive provisions that had the possibility of exceeding our common shares authorized when considering the number of possible shares that may be issuable to satisfy settlement provisions of these agreements after consideration of all existing instruments that could be settled in shares. As such, we are required to determine the fair value of this derivative and mark to market each reporting period. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we incurred a $425,953 gain on change in fair value of our derivative liabilities compared to a gain of $29,179 the same period last year.
 
Inflation
 
Our opinion is that inflation has not had, and is not expected to have, a material effect on our operations.
 
 
Climate Change
 
Our opinion is that neither climate change, nor governmental regulations related to climate change, have had, or are expected to have, any material effect on our operations.
 
Liquidity and Capital Resources
 
In 2014, we continued to finance our considerable operational cash needs with cash generated from financing activities.
 
Operating Activities
 
Net cash used in operating activities was $1,108,647 in 2014 as compared to $1,913,326 of cash used in 2013. Our use of cash for operations in 2014 reflected a net loss generated during the period of $2,253,511, adjusted for non-cash items such as stock-based compensation of $537,606, amortization of debt discounts associated with our convertible notes of $546,970,change in fair value of warrant modifications of $148,517, warrants issued for intellectual property of $190,262, related party notes issued for services rendered of $800,000 ,non-cash interest payments of $705,710  and depreciation expense of $4,490, net with gain on settlement of debt of $2,498,676 and gain on change in fair value of derivative liabilities of $425,953 . A net increase in operating assets of $112,699 and a net increase in operating liabilities of $1,172,038 contributed to our use of operating cash in 2014.
 
Investing Activities
 
Net cash used in investing activities was $57,835 in 2014 compared to $9,425 in 2013.
 
Financing Activities
 
Net cash provided by financing activities was $1,156,929 in 2014 as compared to $1,968,978 in 2013. In 2014, we sold, in a private placement and put agreements, shares of common stock and warrants for aggregate net cash proceeds of approximately $479,626. In addition, we received an aggregate of $33,759 related party loans and advances, $136,000 from the exercise of options and warrants, and $740,500 from issuance of notes payable, net of repayments of $232,956.
 
Existing Capital Resources and Future Capital Requirements
 
Our MyoCell product candidate has not received regulatory approval or generated any material revenues. We do not expect to generate any material revenues or cash from sales of our MyoCell product candidate until commercialization of MyoCell, if ever. We have generated substantial net losses and negative cash flow from operations since inception and anticipate incurring significant net losses and negative cash flows from operations for the foreseeable future. Historically, we have relied on proceeds from the sale of our common stock and our incurrence of debt to provide the funds necessary to conduct our research and development activities and to meet our other cash needs.
 
At December 31, 2014, we had cash and cash equivalents totaling $36,674; our working capital deficit as of such date was $10,957,443. Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued its report dated March 16th, 2015 in connection with the audit of our financial statements as of December 31, 2014 that included an explanatory paragraph describing the existence of conditions that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
 
As of December 31, 2014, we had $5,852,790 in outstanding loans.
 
On April 30, 2012, we were informed that Northstar assumed all amounts outstanding under the BlueCrest loan. On April 30, 2012, Northstar agreed with us to extend until May 1, 2012 the initial payment date for any and all required monthly payments and payable with respect to the BlueCrest loan and to waive any and all defaults and/or events of default with respect to such payments. We are currently in discussions regarding certain additional amendments to the terms of the loan.
 
On November 2, 2011, we entered into a Standby Equity Distribution Agreement, or the SEDA, with Greystone Capital Partners, or GCP. Pursuant to the SEDA’s terms, we may, at our sole discretion and upon giving written notice to GCP, each an “Advance Notice”, periodically sell shares of our common stock to GCP. For each share of Common Stock purchased under the SEDA, GCP will pay us an amount, referred to as the “Purchase Price”, that is eighty percent (80%) of the lowest daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock as quoted by Bloomberg, LP, during the five (5) consecutive Trading Days (as such term is defined in the SEDA) immediately subsequent to the date of the relevant Advance Notice. We are not obligated to sell any shares of common stock to GCP but may, over the term of the SEDA and in our sole discretion, sell to GCP that number of shares of common stock valued at the Purchase Price from time to time in effect that equals up to one million dollars ($1,000,000) in the aggregate. GCP’s obligation to purchase shares of Common Stock under the SEDA is subject to certain conditions, including (i) periodic sales of shares of our common stock to GCP must be separated by a time period equal to five Trading Days, and (ii) the amount of any individual periodic sale designated by us in any Advance Notice shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the average weekly volume of shares of our common stock traded during the two (2) week period immediately prior to an Advance Notice, where a “week” is five (5) consecutive Trading Days. GCP’s obligations under the SEDA are not transferable.
 
 
On October 7, 2014, we entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Magna Equities II, LLC, a New York limited liability company (“Magna”). The Purchase Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Magna shall purchase from us, a senior convertible note with an initial principal amount of $307,500 (the “Convertible Note”) for a purchase price of $205,000 (an approximately 33.33% original issue discount). Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, we issued the Convertible Note to Magna. The Convertible Note matures on August 7, 2015 and, in addition to the approximately 33.33% original issue discount, accrues interest at the rate of 12% per annum. The Convertible Note is convertible at any time, in whole or in part, at Magna’s option into shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), at a fixed conversion price of $0.01035 per share. $40,000 of the outstanding principal amount of the Convertible Note (together with any accrued and unpaid interest with respect to such portion of the principal amount) shall be automatically extinguished (without any cash payment by us) under certain conditions described in the Purchase Agreement. In connection with the execution of the Purchase Agreement, our company and Magna also entered into a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”). Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, we agreed to file an initial registration statement with the SEC to register the resale of the Common Stock into which the Convertible Note may be converted,
 
On October 23, 2014, we entered into a common stock purchase agreement (the “Common Stock Purchase Agreement”) with Magna Equities II, LLC, a New York limited liability company (the “Investor”). The Common Stock Purchase Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, the Investor is committed to purchase up to $3,000,000 (the “Total Commitment”) worth of our common stock, $0.001 par value (the “Shares”), over the 24-month term of the Common Stock Purchase Agreement. In connection with the execution of the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, on the Closing Date, our company and the Investor also entered into a registration rights agreement. We paid to the Investor a commitment fee for entering into the Common Stock Purchase Agreement equal to $150,000 (or 5.0% of the Total Commitment under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement) in the form of 9,109,128 restricted shares of our common stock, calculated using a per share price of $0.016467.
 
On December 22, 2014, the registration statement of the shares underlying the Purchase Agreement and the Common Stock Purchase Agreement was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission, thus, registering an aggregate of 143,812,591 shares of common stock.
 
Cassel Salpeter & Co.
 
On November 20, 2013, we entered into an Investment Banking Agreement with Cassel Salpeter & Co. (“CSC”), who will act as exclusive third party financial advisor in connection with investment banking matters.  The term of the Investment Banking Agreement shall be for a period of twenty four months unless terminated or extended in accordance with its terms. For these services, CSC will receive monthly fees, have received 5,207,630 ten year common stock purchase warrants, exercisable at $.0113 and will receive applicable consideration in the event the closing of a Mezzanine Financing consisting of non-convertible subordinated debt and/or sale of equity securities.  We will also reimburse CSC for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses associated with the services provided pursuant to the Investment Banking Agreement.
 
Cassel Salpeter & Co. is an independent investment banking firm that provides advice to middle-market and emerging growth companies in the U.S. and worldwide. Together, the firm’s professionals have more than 50 years of experience providing private and public companies with a broad spectrum of investment banking and financial advisory services, including: mergers and acquisitions; equity and debt capital raises; fairness and solvency opinions; valuations; and restructurings, such as 363 sales and plans of reorganization. Co-founded by James Cassel and Scott Salpeter, the firm provides objective, unbiased, results-focused services that clients need to achieve their goals. Personally involved at every stage of all engagements, the firm’s senior partners have forged relationships and completed hundreds of transactions and assignments nationwide. The firm’s headquarters are in Miami.
 
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
 
We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are material to investors.
 

Market for Registrant's Common Equity
 
Market Information

Our common stock is listed on the OTC Markets  under the symbol “BHRT.QB”. For the periods indicated, the following table sets forth the high and low bid prices per share of common stock, as reported by the Over the Counter Bulletin Board. These prices represent inter-dealer quotations without retail markup, markdown, or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.
 
   
High
   
Low
 
Period            
Quarter ended June 30, 2015
  $ 0.0092     $ 0.0045  
Quarter ended March 31, 2015   $ 0.0177     $ 0.0079  
Quarter ended December 31, 2014   $ 0.0239     $ 0.0105  
Quarter ended September 30, 2014
  $ 0.0264     $ 0.0229  
Quarter ended June 30, 2014
  $ 0.03     $ 0.0288  
Quarter ended March 31, 2014
  $ 0.045     $ 0.0395  
Quarter ended December 31, 2013
  $ 0.069     $ 0.0135  
Quarter ended September 30, 2013
  $ 0.270     $ 0.0138  
Quarter ended June 30, 2013
  $ 0.0447     $ 0.0275  
Quarter ended March 31, 2013
  $ 0.126     $ 0.045  

Holders

As of August 26, 2015, there were approximately 506 shareholders of record of our common stock.

Dividends

We have not previously paid any cash dividends on common stock and do not anticipate or contemplate paying dividends on common stock in the foreseeable future. Our present intention is to utilize all available funds to develop and expand our business. The only restrictions that limit the ability to pay dividends on common equity, or that are likely to do so in the future, are those restrictions imposed by law and those restrictions imposed under contractual obligation. Under Wyoming corporate law, no dividends or other distributions may be made which would render a company insolvent or reduce assets to less than the sum of liabilities plus the amount needed to satisfy outstanding liquidation preferences.
 
Any future determination to pay cash dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors, and will be dependent upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements and other factors as our board may deem relevant at that time.

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

Executive Officers and Directors

Set forth below is information regarding our executive officers and directors as of December 31, 2014
 
Mike Tomas
  49  
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer
William P. Murphy, Jr., M.D.
  91  
Director, Chairman of the Board
Mark P. Borman
  60  
Director
Charles A. Hart
  54  
Director
Sam Ahn
  60  
Director
Kristin Comella
  38  
Director, Chief Scientific Officer
Sheldon T. Anderson
  64  
Director
 

Our Bylaws provide that we shall have that number of directors determined by the majority vote of the board of directors. Currently we have seven directors.  Each director will serve until our next annual shareholder meeting. Directors are elected for one-year terms. Our Board of Directors elects our officers at the regular annual meeting of the Board of Directors following the annual meeting of shareholders. Vacancies may be filled by a majority vote of the remaining directors then in office. Our directors and executive officers are as follows:

Executive Officers and Directors
 
Mike Tomas. Mr. Mike Tomas was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board of Directors on June 19, 2010. Mike Tomas was appointed as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director on June 19, 2010. In 2001, Mr. Tomás helped launch The ASTRI Group, an early-stage private equity investment company providing capital, business development and strategic marketing support to emerging private companies. Mr. Tomas will continue to serve as President of The ASTRI Group. Previously from 1983 to 2001, Mr. Tomas held ascending executive positions including Chief Marketing Officer at Avantel, a $1 billion dollar joint venture with MCI. Upon retiring from MCI and WorldCom, Tomas joined other ex-MCI executives and helped raise venture capital to form Ineto, an integrated customer communications software solution that was successfully sold in 2001.
 
Today Mr. Tomas sits on the boards of, Avisena (revenue cycle management for medical practices) and Easy Solutions Total Fraud Protection (authentication, fraud prevention and anti-phishing countermeasures). Mr. Tomas has been appointed to serve on the Career Source Florida Board of Directors by Florida Governor Rick Scott.
 
Mr. Tomás is the current chairman of Florida International University’s Global Entrepreneurship Center and a member of the board of advisors of Miami Dade College’s Idea Center, the college’s entrepreneurial institute. Mr. Tomás is an inductee into the Miami-Dade College and WACE Halls of Fame for business, an FIU Torch Award winner--and winner of top communications, medical innovations, education and entrepreneurial awards. An avid athlete, he is also a Miami-Dade County Sports Commissioner. Mr. Tomas holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Miami and a Bachelor’s degree from Florida International University.

William P. Murphy, Jr., M.D. Dr. Murphy has served as a member of our Board of Directors since June 2003. Dr. Murphy founded Small Parts, Inc., a supplier of high quality mechanical components for design engineers, in 1964 and served as its Chairman until his retirement in April 2005. Small Parts, Inc. was acquired by Amazon.com, Inc. in March 2005. From October 1999 until October 2004, Dr. Murphy served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hyperion, Inc., a medical diagnosis company which had an involuntary bankruptcy filed against it in December 2003. Dr. Murphy is the founder of Cordis Corporation (now Cordis Johnson & Johnson) which he led as President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at various times during his 28 years at Cordis until his retirement in October 1985. Cordis Johnson & Johnson is a leading firm in cardiovascular instrumentation.
 
Dr. Murphy received an M.D. in 1947 from the University of Illinois and a B.S in pre-medicine from Harvard College in 1946. He also studied physiologic instrumentation at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. After a two year rotating internship at St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu, he became a Research Fellow in Medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston where he was the dialysis engineer on the first clinical dialysis team in the United States. He continued as an Instructor in Medicine and then a research associate in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Murphy is the author of numerous papers and owns 17 patents. He is the recipient of a number of honors, including the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Lifetime Achievement Award, the MIT Corporate Leadership Award, the Distinguished Service Award from North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology, and the Jay Malina Award from the Beacon Council of Miami, Florida. He is also a member of the Inventors Hall of Fame

Mark P. Borman. Mr. Borman has served as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors since May 2009. He is a seasoned financial officer with more than 30 years of broad-based financial and investor relations experience. Mr. Borman brings small-company entrepreneurial passion and larger-company disciplines. In addition to the valuable experience he gained working with entrepreneurs and their startups from 2009 to present, Mr. Borman has experience with global, NASDAQ- and NYSE-listed companies in various executive and financial roles. He most recently served as Corporate Officer, Treasurer and Vice President of Investor Relations with ADC Telecommunications. During his career, Mr. Borman has held positions with General Instrument Corporation, First Chicago Corporation, FMC Corporation, Price Waterhouse, and KPMG. Mr. Borman received his B.A. in Accounting from Michigan State University and his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.  He is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst and has experience as an advisor, board member, faculty, speaker, and mentor.
 
 
Charles A. Hart. Mr. Hart has served as a member of our Board of Directors since May 2009. Mr. Hart has more than 20 years of entrepreneurial experience. Mr. Hart founded Hart Masonry, Inc. in 1986 and has served as its President since then. He is also the Founder and President of Wildridge Enterprises. Mr. Hart is a member of the Board of Directors for Eagle Street Properties LLP.

Sam Ahn. Dr. Ahn previously served as a member of the Company's Board of Directors from January 2001 thru September 2008. Dr Ahn was one of the early pioneers in developing the field of endovascular surgery by coordinating and leading the first endovascular training courses in the US and Europe as well as developing some of the endovascular devices and techniques currently in clinical use today. He is a former Professor of Surgery in the Division of Vascular Surgery at UCLA, where he was also the Director of the Endovascular Surgery Program. In 2006 Dr. Ahn founded Vascular Management Associates, Inc., a consulting and management firm that sets up outpatient endovascular centers across the US. VMA has set up 8 such sites to date and is on track to set up two more this year. In 2008, he co-founded Wright-Ahn Technology, LLC, to develop and commercialize endovascular devices. In 2009, he co-founded MediBank International, LLC, a global healthcare IT Company. Dr. Ahn graduated from the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, and received his general and vascular surgical residency training at UCLA. He also earned his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management in August, 2004. Dr. Ahn sits on five vascular journal editorial boards, and has published over 120 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 50 book chapters, and five textbooks, including the first and definitive textbook on Endovascular Surgery. During the past eighteen years he has consulted for over 50 biomedical companies, both new and established, and has authored over 15 patents.

Kristin Comella. Ms. Comella was appointed Chief Scientific Officer in September 2010. Ms. Comella has served as our Vice President of R&D and Corporate Development since December 2008 and has played a major role in managing our product development, manufacturing and quality systems since joining Bioheart in 2004. Ms. Comella has 15 years of industry experience with expertise in regenerative medicine, training and education, research and product development, and currently serves on multiple advisory boards in the stem cell arena. Ms. Comella has many years of cell culturing experience including building and managing the stem cell laboratory at Tulane University's Center for Gene Therapy and developing stem cell therapies for osteoarthritis at Osiris Therapeutics. Ms. Comella holds an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from The Ohio State University and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of South Florida.  On March 12, 2013, Kristin Comella was appointed to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.
 
Sheldon T. Anderson. Mr. Anderson is Chairman of the Florida Advisory Board of Northern Trust Corporation. From 1992 through December 31, 2012, Mr. Anderson served in a variety of executive capacities with Northern Trust Corporation, including his most recent position as Chairman and Chief executive Officer Southeast Region of Northern Trust Corporation. Mr. Anderson is the Chair-elect of the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County's economic development agency. He is a Board member of the Miami-Dade College Foundation, Inc.; Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA); the New World Symphony; Baptist Health Systems Governing Board and Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart. He is Past Chair and a member of the Advisory Council of the United Way of Miami-Dade County. Anderson is President of the Board of Cleveland Orchestra Miami / Miami Music Association and also serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Miami School of Law for Ethics& Public Service.  He is a member of the Orange Bowl Committee and the President's Council of Florida International University. A Miami native, Sheldon holds a degree in International Studies from Ohio State University.

Family Relationships

There are no family relationships among our executive officers and directors.

Section16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
 
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors and executive officers, and persons who own more than ten percent (10%) of our outstanding Common Stock, or the Reporting Persons, to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership on Form 3 and reports of changes in ownership of Common Stock on Forms 4 or 5. Such persons are required by SEC regulation to furnish us with copies of all such reports they file. Based solely on a review of Forms 3 and 4 furnished to us by the Reporting Persons or prepared on behalf of the Reporting Persons by the Company and on written representations from certain Reporting Persons that no Forms 5 were required, the Company believes that the Reporting Persons have complied with reporting requirements applicable to them.
 

Conflicts of Interest

Members of our management are associated with other firms involved in a range of business activities.  Consequently, there are potential inherent conflicts of interest in their acting as officers and directors of our company.  Although the officers and directors are engaged in other business activities, we anticipate they will devote an important amount of time to our affairs.

Our officers and directors are now and may in the future become shareholders, officers or directors of other companies, which may be formed for the purpose of engaging in business activities similar to ours.  Accordingly, additional direct conflicts of interest may arise in the future with respect to such individuals acting on behalf of us or other entities.  Moreover, additional conflicts of interest may arise with respect to opportunities which come to the attention of such individuals in the performance of their duties or otherwise.  Currently, we do not have a right of first refusal pertaining to opportunities that come to their attention and may relate to our business operations.

Our officers and directors are, so long as they are our officers or directors, subject to the restriction that all opportunities contemplated by our plan of operation which come to their attention, either in the performance of their duties or in any other manner, will be considered opportunities of, and be made available to us and the companies that they are affiliated with on an equal basis.  A breach of this requirement will be a breach of the fiduciary duties of the officer or director.  If we or the companies with which the officers and directors are affiliated both desire to take advantage of an opportunity, then said officers and directors would abstain from negotiating and voting upon the opportunity.  However, all directors may still individually take advantage of opportunities if we should decline to do so.  Except as set forth above, we have not adopted any other conflict of interest policy with respect to such transactions.

Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings

None of the following events have occurred during the past ten years and are material to an evaluation of the ability or integrity of any director or officer of the Company:
 
 
1.
A petition under the Federal bankruptcy laws or any state insolvency law was filed by or against, or a receiver, fiscal agent or similar officer was appointed by a court for the business or property of such person, or any partnership in which he was a general partner at or within two years before the time of such filing, or any corporation or business association of which he was an executive officer at or within two years before the time of such filing;
 
2.
Such person was convicted in a criminal proceeding or is a named subject of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses);
 
3.
Such person was the subject of any order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining him from, or otherwise limiting, the following activities:

 
a.
Acting as a futures commission merchant, introducing broker, commodity trading advisor, commodity pool operator, floor broker, leverage transaction merchant, any other person regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or an associated person of any of the foregoing, or as an investment adviser, underwriter, broker or dealer in securities, or as an affiliated person, director or employee of any investment company, bank, savings and loan association or insurance company, or engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with such activity;
 
b.
Engaging in any type of business practice; or
 
c.
Engaging in any activity in connection with the purchase or sale of any security or commodity or in connection with any violation of Federal or State securities laws or Federal commodities laws;

 
4.
Such person was the subject of any order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any Federal or State authority barring, suspending or otherwise limiting for more than 60 days the right of such person to engage in any activity described in paragraph (f)(3)(i) of this section, or to be associated with persons engaged in any such activity;
 
5.
Such person was found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the Commission to have violated any Federal or State securities law, and the judgment in such civil action or finding by the Commission has not been subsequently reversed, suspended, or vacated;
 
6.
Such person was found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have violated any Federal commodities law, and the judgment in such civil action or finding by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated;
 
7.
Such person was the subject of, or a party to, any Federal or State judicial or administrative order, judgment, decree, or finding, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, relating to an alleged violation of:
 

 
a.
Any Federal or State securities or commodities law or regulation; or
 
b.
Any law or regulation respecting financial institutions or insurance companies including, but not limited to, a temporary or permanent injunction, order of disgorgement or restitution, civil money penalty or temporary or permanent cease-and-desist order, or removal or prohibition order; or
 
c.
Any law or regulation prohibiting mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity; or

 
8.
Such person was the subject of, or a party to, any sanction or order, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any self-regulatory organization (as defined in Section 3(a)(26) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(26))), any registered entity (as defined in Section 1(a)(29) of the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 1(a)(29)), or any equivalent exchange, association, entity or organization that has disciplinary authority over its members or persons associated with a member.

Code of Ethics

As part of our system of corporate governance, our Board of Directors has adopted a code of ethics that is specifically applicable to our Chief Executive Officer and senior financial officers. This Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers, as well as our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, applicable to all directors, officers and employees, are available on our web site at http://www.bioheartinc.com/investorrelations.html (which website is not incorporated into this report). If we make substantive amendments to the Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers or the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics or grant any waiver, including any implicit waiver, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website or in a report on Form 8-K within four days of such amendment or waiver.
 
Shareholder Recommendations for Board Nominees
 
There have been no material changes to the procedures by which security holders may recommend nominees to the Company’s Board of Directors.

Audit Committee
 
The Board of Directors has a separately-designated standing Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a) (58) (A) of the Exchange Act. The members of our Audit Committee are Mr. Borman, who serves as Chairperson of the Audit Committee, Dr. Murphy and Mr. Hart. Our Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Borman qualifies as a “financial expert” as that term is defined in the rules of the SEC implementing requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.  

Limitation of Director Liability; Indemnification

Indemnity

The Florida Statutes and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions for indemnification of our officers and directors, and under certain circumstances, our employees and other persons. The bylaws require us to indemnify such persons to the fullest extent permitted by Florida law. Each such person will be indemnified in any proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner that such person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests. The indemnification would cover expenses, including attorney's fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement. Our bylaws also provide that we may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any of our present or past directors or officers insuring against any liability asserted against such person incurred in their capacity as a director or officer or arising out of such status, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person.

We have no other indemnification provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws or otherwise specifically providing for indemnification of directors, officers and controlling persons against liability under the Securities Act.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act 1993”), as amended, may be permitted to directors or officers pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we are informed that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy, as expressed in the Act 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable.
 

Executive Compensation.

Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth, for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2014 and 2012, the aggregate compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to our Chief Executive Officer and our two most highly compensated officers (other than the Chief Executive Officer), who were serving as executive officers as of December 31, 2013, or the Named Executive Officers.
 
Name and Principal Position
 
Fiscal Year
 
Salary ($)
   
Bonus ($)
 
Stock Awards ($)
   
Option Awards ($)
 
Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($)
   
Change in Pension Value and Non- Qualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($)
   
All Other Compensation ($)
   
Total ($)
 
Mike Tomas
 
2014
  $ 766,586     $ 500,000  (1)   $     $ 587,895
 (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)
                    $ 1,854,481  
CEO, President, CFO and Director
 
2013
    391,667       375,000  (7)           170,137  (8)(9)                       936,804  
                                                                     
Kristin Comella
 
2014
    371,331       300,000  (1)           240,187  (2)(3)(5)(6)                             911,518  
Chief Science Officer and Director
 
2013
    159,167       125,000  (7)           81,916  (8)                       366,083  
 
(1)
On February 24, 2014, Mr. Tomas and Ms. Comella received $500,000 and $300,000, respectively, promissory notes for bonuses awarded. The promissory notes bear 5% interest per annum, unsecured and are due January 1, 2015
(2)
On February 24, 2014, Mr. Tomas and Ms. Comella were granted 10,000,000 and 5,000,000, respectively, options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.019 per share for ten years, vesting ¼ immediately, with remainder vesting 1/3 on August 1st and September 1st, respectively, for three years.
(3)
On February 24, 2014, Mr. Tomas and Ms. Comella, as members of the Company’s Board of Directors, were granted 800,000 and 400,000, respectively, options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.019 per share, vesting immediately.
(4)
On May 12, 2014, Mr. Tomas was granted 4,298,487 options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.02716 per share for ten years vesting annually over four years.
(5)
On August 1, 2014, Mr. Tomas and Ms. Comella were granted 10,000,000 and 5,000,000, respectively, options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.2690 per share for ten years with ¼ vesting immediately, with remainder vesting 1/3 annually on the anniversary.
(6)
On November 3, 2014, Mr. Tomas and Ms. Comella, as members of the Company’s Board of Directors, were granted 400,000 options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.01932 per share, vesting immediately.
(7)
On August 1, 2013, Mr. Tomas and Ms. Comella received $375,000 and $125,000, respectively, promissory notes for bonuses awarded. The promissory notes bear 5% interest per annum, unsecured and are due on demand.
(8)
On August 1, 2013, Mr. Tomas and Ms. Comella were granted 10,000,000 and 5,000,000, respectively, options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.01576 per share for ten years, vesting annually over four years.
(9)
On September 1, 2013, Mr. Tomas, as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors, was granted 400,000 options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $0.01654 for ten years, vesting immediately.

Our Stock Option Plans

In December 1999, our Board of Directors and shareholders adopted our 1999 Officers and Employees Stock Option Plan, or the Employee Plan, and the 1999 Directors and Consultants Stock Option Plan, or the Director Plan. The Employee Plan and the Director Plan are collectively referred to herein as “the Plans”.  The Plans are administered by the Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee. The objectives of the Plans include attracting and retaining key personnel by encouraging stock ownership in the Company by such persons. In February 2010 the Directors & Consultants Plan was amended to extend the termination date of the Plan to December 1, 2011.
 
 
In July 2008, the Board of Directors approved, subject to shareholder approval, the establishment of the Bioheart Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan, or the “Omnibus Plan. The establishment of the Omnibus Plan was approved by the Company’s shareholders at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on July 30, 2008. Pursuant to the Omnibus Plan, the Company may grant restricted stock, incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, deferred stock, stock awards, performance shares, and other stock-based awards consisting of cash, restricted stock or unrestricted stock in various combinations to the Company’s employees, directors and consultants. 5,000,000 shares of common stock have been reserved for issuance under the Omnibus Plan.
 
In fiscal, the Board of Directors approved, subject to shareholder approval 2013 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan or the “2013 Omnibus Plan. Pursuant to the 2013 Omnibus Plan, the Company may grant restricted stock, incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, deferred stock, stock awards, performance shares, and other stock-based awards consisting of cash, restricted stock or unrestricted stock in various combinations to the Company’s employees, directors and consultants. 50,000,000 shares of common stock have been reserved for issuance under the 2013 Omnibus Plan.
 
Employment Agreements

As of this time, there are no employment agreements with any named executive officer.
 
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End
 
The following table sets forth outstanding equity awards held by our Named Executive Officers as of December 31, 2014:
 
   
Number of Securities Underlying
   
Option
       
   
Unexercised Options and Warrants
   
Exercise Price
   
Option Expiration
 
Name
 
Exercisable (#)
   
Unexercisable (#)
   
($/per share)
   
Date
 
Mike Tomas
    250,000       250,000       0.0169    
1/16/2022
 
      750,000       1,250,000       0.0169    
8/6/2022
 
Mike Tomas
    125,000       375,000       0.50    
06/18/2020
 
      250,000       250,000       0.0169    
08/12/2021
 
            10,000,000       0.0158    
8/1/2023
 
      400,000             0.0165    
9/1/2023
 
                               
Kristin Comella
    187,500       312,500       0.0169    
8/6/2022
 
      12,356             0.71    
08/31/2014
 
      24,712             0.71    
02/19/2015
 
      618             0.71    
12/30/2015
 
      9,267             0.71    
04/18/2016
 
      6,178             0.71    
01/01/2017
 
      6,500             0.71    
10/16/2017
 
      19,700             0.71    
01/09/2019
 
      2,955             0.74    
03/13/2019
 
      30,000             0.85    
05/28/2019
 
      125,000       125,000       0.0158    
08/21/2021
 
            5,000,000       0.0158    
08/1/2023
 
 

Outstanding Stock Awards at Year End
 
The outstanding equity awards as at December 31, 2014 are as follows:

   
Stock awards
 
Name
 
Number of shares
or units of stock
that have not vested
(#)
   
Market value of
shares or units of
stock that have not
vested (#)
   
Equity incentive plan awards:
number of unearned shares,
units or other rights that have
not vested (#)
   
Equity incentive plan awards:
market or payout value of
unearned shares, units or other
rights that have not vested ($)
 
Mike Tomas, NEO
    1,750,000    
0.0169 per share
      0       0  
Kristin Comella, NEO
    312,500    
0.0169 per share
      0       0  
Kristin Comella, NEO
    125,000    
0.0158 per share
      0       0  
Mike Tomas, NEO
    1,750,000    
0.0169 per share
      0       0  
Mike Tomas, NEO
    375,000    
    0.50 per share
      0       0  
Mike Tomas, NEO
    10,000,000    
0.0158 per share
      0       0  
Kristin Comella, NEO
    5,000,000    
0.0158 per share
      0       0  

Options Exercises and Stocks Vested
 
Options exercised and stocks vested as at December 31, 2014 are as follows:
 
Name
 
Option awards
   
Stock awards
 
 
Number of Shares Acquired
on Exercise (#)
   
Value Realized on
Exercise ($)
   
Number of Shares
Acquired on Vesting (#)
   
Value
Realized on Investing ($)
 
Mike Tomas, NEO
    0       0       0       0  
Kristin Comella, NEO
    0       0       0       0  
 
Grants of Plan-Based Awards
 
Grants of plan-based awards as at December 31, 2014 are as follows:
 
Name
 
Grant
date
   
Estimated future payouts
under non-equity incentive
plan awards
   
Estimated future payouts
under equity incentive plan
awards
   
All other
stock
awards:
Number
of shares
of stock
or units
(#)
   
All other
option
awards:
Number of
securities
underlying
options
(#)
   
Exercise
or base
price of
option
awards
($/Sh)
   
Grant
date fair
value of
stock and
option
awards
 
 
Threshold
($)
   
Target
($)
   
Maximum
($)
   
Threshold
(#)
   
Target
(#)
   
Maximum
(#)
 
Mike Tomas, NEO
    n/a       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0  
Kristin Comella, NEO
    n/a       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0  
 
Reference – Grant Date - n/a = not applicable.
 
 
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation
 
As at December 31, 2014 the Company had no formalized deferred compensation plan.  
 
Name
 
Executive contributions in last FY ($)
   
Registrant contributions in last FY ($)
   
Aggregate earnings in last FY ($)
   
Aggregate withdrawals/ distributions ($)
   
Aggregate balance at last FYE ($)
 
Mike Tomas, NEO
    0       0       0       0       0  
Kristin Comella, NEO
    0       0       0       0       0  
 
Golden Parachute Compensation
 
As at December 31, 2014, the Company had no arrangements in place relating to the termination of employees.  
 
Name
 
Cash
($)
   
Equity
($)
   
Pension/NQDC
($)
   
Perquisites/benefits
($)
   
Tax reimbursement
($)
   
Other
($)
   
Total
($)
 
Mike Tomas, NEO
    0       0       0       0       0       0       0  
Kristin Comella, NEO
    0       0       0       0       0       0       0  
 
Compensation of Directors
 
Directors who provide services to the Company in other capacities has been previously reported under “Summary Compensation”.  The following table summarizes compensation paid to or earned by our directors who are not Named Executive Officers for their service as directors of our company during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.
 
Name
 
Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($)
   
Stock Awards ($)
   
Option Awards (1)
($)
   
Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($)
   
Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($)
   
All other
Compensation ($)
   
Total (1)
($)
 
Mike Tomas, Director
    0       0     $ 6,304       0       0       0     $ 6,304  
Charles A. Hart, Director
    0       0     $ 6,304       0       0       0     $ 6,304  
William P. Murphy Jr., Director
    0       0     $ 6,304       0       0       0     $ 6,304  
Samuel S. Ahn, Director
    0       0     $ 6,304       0       0       0     $ 6,304  
Mark Bormon, Director
    0       0     $ 6,304       0       0       0     $ 6,304  
 
 (1)
The values in the “Option Awards” and included within the “Total” columns above do not represent a cash payment of any kind. Rather these values represent the calculated Black-Scholes theoretical value of granted options.  It is important to note that these granted options may or may not ever be exercised.  Whether granted options are exercised or not will be based primarily, but not singularly, on the Company’s future stock price and whether the granted options become “in-the-money”. If these granted options are unexercised and expire, the cash value or benefit to the above noted individuals is $nil.

Pension Benefits
 
As of December 31, 2014, the Company had no pension or retirement plans.  
 
Name
 
Plan name
 
Number of years
credited service (#)
   
Present value of
accumulated benefit ($)
   
Payments during last
fiscal year ($)
 
Mike Tomas, NEO
 
not applicable
    0       0       0  
Kristin Comella, NEO
 
not applicable
    0       0       0  
 
 
Equity Compensation Plan Information
 
The following table sets forth information as of December 31, 2014 for all compensation plans under the Company’s Stock Option Plan
 
Name  
No. of
Shares of Common
Stock Underlying
Unexercised
Common Stock
Purchase Options
Exercisable (#)
   
Date of
Grant
   
Additional
Consideration
to be Received
Upon Exercise
or Material
Conditions
Required to
Exercise
   
Option
Exercise
Price ($)
   
Value
Realized
if
Exercised ($)
   
Option
Expiration
Date
 
Mike Tomas, NEO
   
375,000
     
9/18/2010
   
$
—  
   
$
0.50
   
$
—  
     
6/18/2020
 
     
250,000
     
8/12/2011
     
—  
     
0.0169
     
—  
     
8/12/2021
 
     
250,000
     
1/16/2012
     
—  
     
0.0169
     
—  
     
1/16/2022
 
     
1,250,000
     
8/6/2012
     
—  
     
0.0169
     
—  
     
8/6/2022
 
     
10,000,000
     
8/01/13
     
—  
     
0.01576
     
—  
     
8/1/2023
 
     
400,000
     
9/1/13
             
0.01654
             
9/1/23
 
     
10,000,000
     
2/24/14
     
—  
     
0.019
     
—  
     
2/24/2024
 
     
4,298,487
     
5/12/14
             
0.02716
             
5/12/214
 
     
10,000,000
     
8/01/14
     
—  
     
0.0269
     
—  
     
8/1/24
 
     
400,000
     
11/3/14
     
—  
     
0.01932
     
—  
     
11/3/24
 
                                                 
Kristin Comella, NEO    
400,000
     
9/1/2013
     
—  
     
0.0165
     
—  
     
9/1/2023
 
     
24,712
     
2/20/2005
     
—  
     
0.71
     
—  
     
2/19/2015
 
     
9,267
     
4/19/2006
     
—  
     
0.71
     
—  
     
4/19/2016
 
     
6,178
     
1/2/2007
     
—  
     
0.71
     
—  
     
1/2/2017
 
     
6,500
     
10/17/2007
     
—  
     
0.71
     
—  
     
10/17/2017
 
     
19,700
     
1/9/2009
     
—  
     
0.71
     
—  
     
1/9/2019
 
     
2,955
     
3/13/2009
     
—  
     
0.71
     
—  
     
3/13/2019
 
     
30,000
     
5/29/2009
     
—  
     
0.85
     
—  
     
5/29/2019
 
     
125,000
     
8/12/2011
     
—  
     
0.0169
     
—  
     
8/12/2021
 
     
187,500
     
8/06/2012
     
—  
     
0.0169
     
—  
     
8/06/2022
 
     
5,000,000
     
8/01/13
     
—  
     
0.01576
     
—  
     
8/1/2023
 
     
5,000,000
     
2/24/14
     
—  
     
0.019
     
—  
     
2/24/2024
 
     
5,000,000
     
8/01/14
     
—  
     
0.0269
     
—  
     
8/1/24
 
     
400,000
     
11/3/14
     
—  
     
0.01932
     
—  
     
11/3/24
 
 
Director Compensation

As of December 31, 2014, we had seven directors that qualified for compensation. Our non-employee directors do not receive cash compensation for their services as directors. However, it is generally our policy to annually grant each non-employee director options to purchase shares of our common stock provided that he or she has served as a member of our Board of Directors for at least six months and one day of the twelve month period immediately preceding the date of grant. In addition, we reimburse non-employee directors for actual out-of-pocket expenses incurred.  
 
 
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership (1) of our common stock as of December 31, 2014, based on an aggregate of 581,433,153 common shares issued and outstanding and 108,001,736 shares issuance upon the conversion of securities, for each of our greater than 5% shareholders, directors, named executive officers that continue to serve as executive officers of Bioheart and by all of our directors and named executive officers as a group. Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each of the individuals and entities named below is: c/o Bioheart, Inc., 13794 NW 4th Street, Suite 212, Sunrise, Florida 33325.Except as noted below, to our knowledge, each person named in the table has sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of our common stock beneficially owned by them.
 
(1) The number and percentage of shares beneficially owned is determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, and the information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose.  The Company believes that each individual or entity named has sole investment and voting power with respect to the securities indicated as beneficially owned by them, subject to community property laws, where applicable, except where otherwise noted.  The “Amount of Beneficial Ownership” in calculated based on total shares held plus warrants held (plus stock options entitled to exercise).  The aggregate of these items, which totals 704,320,246, will be used as the denominator for the percentage calculation below.
 
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner
 
Amount of Beneficial Ownership
     
Percent of Class
 
Mike Tomas, President, CEO, CFO, and Director
    16,928,947 (1)       2.94  
                   
Kristin Comella, Chief Scientific Officer and Director
    3,198,786 (2)       *  
                   
William P. Murphy, Director**
    21,837,295 (3)       3.7  
                   
Charles A. Hart, Director**
    17,065,852 (4)       2.94  
                   
Sam Ahn, Director**
    39,897,957 (5)       6.6  
                   
Mark P. Borman, Director
    1,833,450 (6)       *  
                   
Sheldon T. Anderson, Director
    5,081,988 (7)       *  
                   
All officers and directors as a group (7 persons)
    105,844,275 (8)       16.72  
                   
Northstar Biotechnology Group, LLC
    47,368,582 (9)       8.2  

* less than 1%
** Excludes Northstar Biotechnology Group, LLC (“Northstar”), owned partly by certain directors and existing shareholders of the Company, including Dr. William P. Murphy Jr., Dr. Samuel Ahn and Charles Hart and controlled by Gregory Knutson.

(1)
(i) Includes shares are held by The Astri Group over which Mr. Tomas has shared voting and investment power and includes (i) includes 6,578,947 shares of common stock and (ii) 10,350,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of presently exercisable stock options .
(2)
Includes 3,198,786 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of presently exercisable stock options.
(3)
Includes (i) 19,113,766 shares of common stock and (ii) 2,723,529 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of presently exercisable stock options and warrants.  Shares are directly owned by trusts controlled by Dr. Murphy and his spouse.
(4)
Includes (i) 9,194,422 shares of common stock and (ii) 7,871,430 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of presently exercisable stock options and warrants.
(5)
Includes (i) 28,240,387 shares of common stock and (ii) 11,657,750 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of presently exercisable stock options.
(6)
Includes (i) 23,450 shares of common stock and (ii) 1,810,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of presently exercisable stock options
(7)
Includes (i) 1,940,994 shares of common stock and (ii) 3,140,994 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of presently exercisable warrants.
(8)
Includes an aggregate of (i) 46,827,505 shares of common stock and (ii) 25,489,251shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of presently exercisable stock options and warrants.
(9)
Excludes 20,000,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock (non-convertible) with each share of Series A Preferred Stock having voting power of twenty-five common shares.
 
 
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

The following statements relating to the capital stock set forth the material terms of our securities; however, reference is made to the more detailed provisions of, and such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to, the Certificate of Incorporation, amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation and the By-laws, copies of which are filed as exhibits to this registration statement.

COMMON STOCK

The holders of our Common Stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted on by our stockholders, including the election of directors. Our stockholders are not entitled to cumulative voting rights, and, accordingly, the holders of a majority of the shares voting for the election of directors can elect the entire board of directors if they choose to do so and, in that event, the holders of the remaining shares will not be able to elect any person to our board of directors.
 
On February 4, 2013, effective with the filing of the amendment to the Company's Articles of Incorporation with the Florida Secretary of State (confirmed as filed on February 11, 2013), the Company amended its Articles of Incorporation to increase the authorized shares of capital stock of the Company to nine hundred and seventy million (970,000,000) shares of capital stock consisting of nine hundred and fifty million (950,000,000) shares of common stock and twenty million (20,000,000) shares of preferred stock, both $.001 par value respectively.

Effective May 19, 2014, the Company amended its articles of incorporation to increase the authorized shares of capital stock of the Company from nine hundred and fifty million (950,000,000) shares of common stock and twenty million (20,000,000) shares of preferred stock, both $.001 par value respectively, to two billion (2,000,000,000) shares of shares of common stock and twenty million (20,000,000) shares of preferred stock, both $.001 par value respectively.

The holders of the Company’s Common Stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the board of directors, in its discretion, from funds legally available there for and subject to prior dividend rights of holders of any shares of our Preferred Stock which may be outstanding. Upon the Company’s liquidation, dissolution or winding up, subject to prior liquidation rights of the holders of our Preferred Stock, if any, the holders of our Common Stock are entitled to receive on a pro rata basis our remaining assets available for distribution. Holders of the Company’s Common Stock have no preemptive or other subscription rights, and there are no conversion rights or redemption or sinking fund provisions with respect to such shares. All outstanding shares of the Company’s Common Stock are, fully paid and not liable to further calls or assessment by the Company.
 
Preferred Stock

The Company is authorized to issue 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001. The designations, rights, and preferences of such preferred stock are to be determined by the Board of Directors. Subsequently, 20,000,000 shares were designated as Series A Preferred Stock.

The Series A Preferred Stock collectively has voting rights equal to 25 votes on all matters presented to be voted by the holders of common stock per share of preferred stock and the right to convert to one share of common stock for each share of preferred stock. Northstar Biotechnology Group, LLC was issued an aggregate of 20,000,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock.

 

INFORMATION ON CONSENTING STOCKHOLDERS

Pursuant to the Company’s Bylaws and the Florida Business Corporations Act, a vote by the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding capital shares of the Company entitled to vote (the “Voting Shares”) is required to effect the action described herein. The Company’s Articles of Incorporation does not authorize cumulative voting for this matter. As of the Record Date, the Company had 1,355,691,815 voting shares issued and outstanding, consisting of 855,691,815 shares of common stock, and twenty million shares of Series A Preferred Shares which for voting purposes the each preferred share equates to twenty-five common shares (500,000,000 votes). The consenting stockholders are the record and beneficial owners of 687,185,709 shares of the Company’s preferred and common voting stock, which represents approximately 50.69% of the total number of Voting Shares. Pursuant to the Florida Business Corporations Act, the consenting stockholders voted in favor of the actions described herein in a written consent as of August 26, 2015. No consideration was paid for the consent. The consenting stockholders names, affiliations with the Company and their beneficial holdings are as follows:
 
Name
 
Affiliation
 
Voting Shares
   
Percentage (4)
 
                 
 Mike Tomas
 
Director, Officer
    6,578,947       0.49 %
Mrs. Charles A. Hart
 
Spouse of Director
    460,000       0.03 %
Charles A. Hart
 
Director
    9,194,422          
 William P. Murphy, Jr. MD
 
Director
    16,016,412       1.18 %
Sam Ahn
 
Director
    31,234,399       2.30 %
Sheldon Anderson
 
Director
    1,940,994       0.14 %
John Myrdal
 
Stockholder
    515,080          
(1)Gregory Knutson
 
 Stockholder
    6,791,441          
(1) Northstar Biotech Group, LLC
 
 Stockholder
    533,731,613          
Magna Equities II, LLC
 
Stockholder
    929,060          
David Daari
 
 Stockholder
    2,860,000          
Jorge Gross
 
 Stockholder
    6,000,000          
Albert Gross
 
 Stockholder
    5,000,000          
Bernard Gran
 
 Stockholder
    3,344,482          
Dan Hightower
 
 Stockholder
    954,550          
Joanne Mitchell
 
 Stockholder
    18,383,774          
Oscar Schaps
 
 Stockholder
    2,376,426          
Larry Baden
 
 Stockholder
    1,200,000          
Charles Sacher
 
 Stockholder
    3,551,009          
Alex MacMurdo
 
 Stockholder
    24,615,000          
Dan Marino
 
 Stockholder
    11,508,100          
                     
TOTAL
        1,355,691,815       50.69 %

 
(1)
Based upon 855,691,815 “Voting Shares” outstanding as of August 26, 2015 representing 500,000,000 voting preferred and 48,225,587 shares of common stock. Northstar Biotech Group LLC is owned in part by certain of our existing directors and shareholders, including Dr. William P. Murphy Jr., Dr. Samuel Ahn and Charles Hart and controlled by Gregory Knutson.
 
 
REVERSE STOCK SPLIT

The Company Board of Directors approved a resolution to effectuate a 1,000:1 Reverse Stock Split.  Under this Reverse Stock Split each 1,000 shares of our Common Stock will be automatically converted into 1 share of Common Stock.  To avoid the issuance of fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company will issue an additional share to all holders of fractional shares.  
 
MATERIAL TERMS, POTENTIAL RISKS AND PRINCIPAL EFFECTS OF THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT
 
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT WILL NOT CHANGE YOUR PROPORTIONATE EQUITY INTERESTS IN THE COMPANY, EXCEPT AS MAY RESULT FROM THE ISSUANCE OR CANCELLATION OF SHARES PURSUANT TO THE FRACTIONAL SHARES.
 
The Board of Directors believe that among other reasons, the large number of outstanding shares of our Common Stock  have contributed to the difficulty with some business transactions ,have contributed to a lack of investor and specialized fund  interest in the Company, and has made it difficult to attract new investors, specialized funds and potential business candidates.  In addition, the Company may consider uplifting to another exchange in which a revised capitalization structure would enhance the likelihood of achievement. As a result, the Board of Directors has proposed the Reverse Stock Split as one method to attract business and investor opportunities in the Company.

We have no present understandings or agreements that will involve the issuance of capital stock. However, we are engaged in negotiations with respect to transactions, including financings and acquisitions, which could involve the issuance of capital stock. As of the date herein, there are no definitive agreements, letters of intent of memorandums of understanding with respect to any transactions, financings or acquisitions.

When a company engages in a Reverse Stock Split, it substitutes one share of stock for a predetermined amount of shares of stock. It does not increase the market capitalization of the company. An example of a reverse split is the following. A company has 10,000,000 shares of common stock outstanding. Assume the market price is $.01 per share. Assume that the company declares a 1 for 5 reverse stock split. After the reverse split, that company will have 1/5 as many shares outstanding, or 2,000,000 shares outstanding. The stock will have a market price of $0.05. If an individual investor owned 10,000 shares of that company before the split at $.01 per share, he will own 2,000 shares at $.05 after the split. In either case, his stock will be worth $100. He is no better off before or after. Except that such company hopes that the higher stock price will make that company look better and thus the company will be a more attractive investor or merger or purchase target for potential business. There is no assurance that that company's stock will rise in price after a reverse split or that a suitable investor, merger or purchaser candidate will emerge.

The Board of Directors believes that the Reverse Stock Split may improve the price level of our Common Stock and that the higher share price could help generate interest in the Company among investors and other business opportunities. However, the effect of the reverse split upon the market price for our Common Stock cannot be predicted, and the history of similar stock split combinations for companies in like circumstances is varied. There can be no assurance that the market price per share of our Common Stock after the reverse split will rise in proportion to the reduction in the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding resulting from the reverse split. The market price of our Common Stock may also be based on our performance and other factors, some of which may be unrelated to the number of shares outstanding.

The reverse split will affect all of our stockholders uniformly and will not affect any stockholder's percentage ownership interests in the Company or proportionate voting power, except to the extent that the reverse split results in any of our stockholders owning a fractional share. All stockholders holding a fractional share shall be issued an additional share. The principal effect of the Reverse Stock Split will be that the number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding will be reduced from 855,691,815shares of Common Stock as of August 26, 2014 to approximately 855,691 shares of Common Stock. $0.001 par value (depending on the number of fractional shares that are issued or cancelled). The Reverse Stock Split will affect the shares of common stock outstanding.

The Reverse Stock Split will not affect the par value of our Common Stock. As a result, on the effective date of the Reverse Stock Split, the stated capital on our balance sheet attributable to our Common Stock will be reduced to less than the present amount, and the additional paid-in capital account shall be credited with the amount by which the stated capital is reduced.  The per share net income or loss and net book value of our Common Stock will be increased because there will be fewer shares of our Common Stock outstanding.

The Reverse Stock Split will not change the proportionate equity interests of our stockholders, nor will the respective voting rights and other rights of stockholders be altered. The Common Stock issued pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split will remain fully paid and non-assessable. The Reverse Stock Split is not intended as, and will not have the effect of, a “going private transaction” covered by Rule 13e-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We will continue to be subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
 

Stockholders should recognize that they will own fewer numbers of shares than they presently own (a number equal to the number of shares owned immediately prior to the filing of the certificate of amendment divided by 1,000). While we expect that the Reverse Stock Split will result in an increase in the potential market price of our Common Stock, there can be no assurance that the Reverse Stock Split will increase the potential market price of our Common Stock by a multiple equal to the exchange number or result in the permanent increase in any potential market price (which is dependent upon many factors, including our performance and prospects). Also, should the market price of our Common Stock decline, the percentage decline as an absolute number and as a percentage of our overall market capitalization may be greater than would pertain in the absence of a reverse split. Furthermore, the possibility exists that potential liquidity in the market price of our Common Stock could be adversely affected by the reduced number of shares that would be outstanding after the reverse split. In addition, the reverse split will increase the number of stockholders of the Company who own odd lots (less than 100 shares). Stockholders who hold odd lots typically will experience an increase in the cost of selling their shares, as well as possible greater difficulty in effecting such sales. Consequently, there can be no assurance that the reverse split will achieve the desired results that have been outlined above.

The Reverse Split of the Common Stock is expected to become effective after we file Articles of Amendment to our Articles of Incorporation (the “Effective Date”). Upon the Effective Date, the Company will notify FINRA and request an ex-dividend date. The Reverse Split will take place on the Effective Date without any action on the part of the holders of the Common Stock and without regard to current certificates representing shares of Common Stock being physically surrendered for certificates representing the number of shares of Common Stock each shareholder is entitled to receive as a result of the Reverse Split. New certificates of Common Stock will not be issued at this time.
  
We do not have any provisions in our Articles, by laws, or employment or credit agreements to which we are party that have anti-takeover consequences. We do not currently have any plans to adopt anti-takeover provisions or enter into any arrangements or understandings that would have anti-takeover consequences. In certain circumstances, our management may issue additional shares to resist a third party takeover transaction, even if done at an above market premium and favored by a majority of independent shareholders.

There are no adverse material consequences or any anti-takeover provisions in either our Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws that would be triggered as a consequence of the Reverse Split. The Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws do not address any consequence of the Reverse Split.
 
FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
 
The following summary of material federal income tax consequences of the Reverse Split does not purport to be a complete discussion of all of the possible federal income tax consequences. Further, it does not address any state, local, foreign or other income tax consequences, nor does it address the tax consequences to shareholders that are subject to special tax rules, such as banks, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, personal holding companies, foreign entities, nonresident alien individuals, broker-dealers and tax-exempt entities. The discussion is based on the United States federal income tax laws as of the date of this Information Statement. Such laws are subject to change retroactively as well as prospectively. This summary also assumes that the shares of Common Stock are held as “capital assets,” as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The tax treatment of a shareholder may vary depending on the facts and circumstances of such shareholder.
 
EACH SHAREHOLDER IS URGED TO CONSULT WITH SUCH SHAREHOLDER’S TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE REVERSE SPLIT.

No gain or loss will be recognized by a shareholder as a result of the Reverse Split. The aggregate tax basis of the shares received in the Reverse Split will be the same as the shareholder’s aggregate tax basis in the shares exchanged. The shareholder’s holding period for the shares received in the Reverse Split will include the period during which the shareholder held the shares surrendered as a result of the Reverse Split. The Company’s views regarding the tax consequences of the Reverse Split are not binding upon the Internal Revenue Service or the courts, and there is no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service or the courts would accept the positions expressed above. The state and local tax consequences of the Reverse Split may vary significantly as to each shareholder, depending on the state in which such shareholder resides.
 
This summary of the tax consequences of the Reverse Split is not binding on the Internal Revenue Service or the courts, and the tax treatment to particular stockholders may vary depending upon each stockholder’s particular facts and circumstances. Accordingly, each stockholder should consult with the stockholder’s own tax advisor with respect to all of the potential tax consequences of the Reverse Split.
 

Plans, arrangements, commitments or understandings for the issuance of the additional shares of Common Stock.

On November 20, 2013, we entered into an Investment Banking Agreement with Cassel Salpeter & Co. (“CSC”), who will act as exclusive third party financial advisor in connection with investment banking matters.  The term of the Investment Banking Agreement shall be for a period of twenty four months unless terminated or extended in accordance with its terms. Part of these services may involve the closing of a Mezzanine Financing consisting of non-convertible subordinated debt and/or sale of equity securities. In the event a Mezzanine Financing is closed, additional securities may be issued.  There are no definitive agreements at present for a Mezzanine Financing.

On October 23, 2014, the Company, entered into a common stock purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Magna Equities II, LLC, a New York limited liability company (the “Investor”). The Purchase Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, the Investor is committed to purchase up to $3,000,000 (the “Total Commitment”) worth of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value (the “Shares”), over the 24-month term of the Purchase Agreement.

Apart from the above, there are currently no plans, arrangements, commitments or understandings for the issuance of the additional shares of Common Stock which are proposed to be authorized.
 
AMEND THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION TO
CHANGE OF NAME OF THE COMPANY
 
Our primary business plan has been modified to reflect the multifaceted portfolio of revenue generating products and services in our US Stem Cell Training, Vetbiologics, and US Stem Cell Clinic, operating divisions that will, if successful, financially support its clinical development programs. Management believes the new name, U.S. Stem Cell, Inc, will reflect the modified business.  Accordingly, Our Board of Directors and the holders of the majority of the outstanding voting capital stock of the Company believe that changing our name to U.S. Stem Cell, Inc. will better reflect the new primary business of the Company.

INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The following documents are incorporated herein by reference and are deemed to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents:

Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 2015, March 31, 2015,  September 30, 2014, June 30, 2014, March 31,2014.
Reports in Form 8-K

All documents filed by the Company with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Information Statement and prior to the effective date of the action taken described herein.
 
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Information Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein, or in any other subsequently filed document that also is, or is deemed to be, incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Information Statement.

This Information Statement incorporates, by reference, certain documents that are not presented herein or delivered herewith.  Copies of any such documents, other than exhibits to such documents which are not specifically incorporated by reference herein, are available without charge to any person, including any stockholder, to whom this proxy statement is delivered, upon written or oral request to our Secretary at our address and telephone number set forth herein.
 
 
DELIVERY OF INFORMATION STATEMENT
 
To reduce the expenses of delivering duplicate materials to our stockholders, we are taking advantage of householding rules that permit us to deliver only one Information Statement to stockholders who share the same address unless otherwise requested.
 
If you share an address with another stockholder and have received only one Information Statement, you may write or call us to request a separate copy at no cost to you. For future mailings, you may request separate materials or, if you are receiving multiple copies you may request that we only send one set of materials, by writing to us at Bioheart, Inc.  13794 NW 4th Street, Suite 212, Sunrise, Florida 33325.
 
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
 
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read or copy any document we file at the public reference room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of this information may also be obtained by mail from the SEC’s Public Reference Branch at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. In addition, our filings with the SEC are also available to the public on the SEC’s internet website at http://www.sec.gov
 
Distribution of Information Statement
 
The cost of distributing this Information Statement has been borne by us and certain shareholders that consented to the action taken herein. The distribution will be made by mail.
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Information Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto authorized.
 

BIOHEART, INC.
By /s/ Mike Tomas
Mike Tomas
Chief Executive Officer
September 8th, 2015
 

 
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