NAOV NanoVibronix Inc

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements; Risk Factor Summary

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains “forward-looking statements,” which include information relating to future events, future financial performance, financial projections, strategies, expectations, competitive environment and regulation. Words such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” and similar expressions, as well as statements in future tense, identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and may not be accurate indications of when such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information we have when those statements are made or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to a number of risks, and uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks are more fully described in the “Risk Factors” section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The following is a summary of such risks:

The foregoing does not represent an exhaustive list of matters that may be covered by the forward-looking statements contained herein or risk factors that we are faced with that may cause our actual results to differ from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Please see “Item 1A. Risk Factors” for additional risks which could adversely impact our business and financial performance. Moreover, new risks regularly emerge, and it is not possible for us to predict or articulate all risks we face, nor can we assess the impact of all risks on our business or the extent to which any risk, or combination of risks, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included in this Form 10-K are based on information available to us on the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable laws or rules, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Unless the context otherwise indicates or requires, the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” “NanoVibronix,” and the “Company,” as used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, refer to NanoVibronix, Inc. and its subsidiaries as a combined entity, except where otherwise stated or where it is clear that the terms mean only NanoVibronix, Inc. exclusive of its subsidiaries.

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Overview

We were organized as a Delaware corporation in October 2003. Through our wholly-owned subsidiary, NanoVibronix Ltd., a private company incorporated under the laws of the State of Israel, we focus on noninvasive biological response-activating devices that target biofilm prevention, pain therapy, and wound healing and can be administered at home, without the assistance of medical professionals. Our primary products, which are in various stages of clinical and market development, currently consist of:

Each of our UroShield, PainShield, and WoundShield products employs a small, disposable transducer that transmits low frequency, low intensity ultrasound acoustic waves that seek to repair and regenerate tissue, musculoskeletal and vascular structures, and decrease biofilm formation on urinary catheters and associated urinary tract infections. Through their size, effectiveness and ease of use, these products are intended to eliminate the need for technicians and medical personnel to manually administer ultrasound treatment through large transducers, thereby promoting patient independence and enabling more cost-effective home-based care.

PainShield™, MD is currently cleared for marketing in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In September 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration exercised its Enforcement Discretion to allow distribution of the UroShield device in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. . While the permitted use is currently temporary, it does permit the import of the UroShield to the U.S. during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. All three of our products have CE Mark approval in the European Union, and a certificate allowing us to sell PainShield, UroShield and WoundShield in Israel. We are able to sell PainShield, UroShield and WoundShield in India and Ecuador based on our CE Mark. We have consummated sales of PainShield and UroShield in the relevant markets, and we saw sales increase in 2021; WoundShield has not generated significant revenue to date. Outside of the United States we generally apply, through our distributor, for approval in a particular country for a particular product only when we have a distributor in place with respect to such product.

In the United States, PainShield and UroShield requires a prescription from a licensed healthcare practitioner. If U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance is obtained, we anticipate that WoundShield will require a prescription from a licensed healthcare practitioner in the United States. UroShield has been approved through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under Enforcement Discretion for the duration of the Covid-19 health emergency and is intended to be sold directly to health care facilities and therefore will not require a prescription for these venues. However, in other countries in which we sell PainShield, UroShield, and WoundShield, such products are eligible for sale without a prescription.

In addition to the need to obtain regulatory approvals, we anticipate that sales volumes and prices of our UroShield, PainShield, and WoundShield products will depend in large part on the availability of insurance coverage and reimbursement from third party payers. Third party payers include governmental programs such as Medicare and Medicaid in the United States, private insurance plans and workers’ compensation plans. We do not currently have reimbursement codes for use of WoundShield in any of the markets in which we have regulatory authority to sell WoundShield. Of the markets in which we have regulatory authority to sell PainShield, prior to January 2020, we only had reimbursement codes in the United States (i.e., CPT codes) for clinical use only. Effective as of January 2020, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved our PainShield™ for reimbursement for Medicare beneficiaries on a national basis. However, the company continues to work toward a reimbursement value from CMS. We are working with qualified legal representation toward that goal. We were notified on March 30, 2020 that our Medicare Enrollment Application was approved, and we are now an approved Medicare Supplier for Durable Medical Equipment, or DME, through the National Supplier Clearinghouse, Palmetto-GBA as well as Noridian Administrative Services, LLC, the two Medicare Administrative Contractors that handle DME reimbursement nationwide. PainShield is currently available for Medicare reimbursement on a national level under new HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System) code K1004. With respect to UroShield, which may be used in a clinical and home setting, we do not currently have reimbursement codes in any of the markets in which we have regulatory authority to sell UroShield. We are seeking reimbursement codes for use of our products in the markets in which we have regulatory authority, including the United States, to sell such products. We have made application for a dedicated CMS reimbursement code in 2021 and are still awaiting final approval. Our current ongoing research and planned research may facilitate our ability to obtain reimbursement codes and there is no guarantee that we will be successful in obtaining such codes quickly, or at all. We have engaged a reimbursement expert, Redemption Revenue Cycle Solutions, LLC, and plan on using outside regulatory counsel, to help facilitate reimbursement.

We have completed six separate clinical studies with UroShield that together evaluated approximately 194 patients with urinary catheters. In patients where the UroShield product was used there were no serious adverse events reported, while a variety of clinical beneficial observations were seen including: catheter biofilm reduction, reduction in catheter associated pain, reduction in urinary tract infections, and a significant decrease in bacteriuria rates. We completed a double blind clinical trial for UroShield in the United States in October 2018. The results of the study, entitled “The Effect of Surface Acoustic Waves on Bacterial Load and Preventing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) in Long Term Indwelling Catheters,” were published in the December 2018 issue of Medical & Surgical Urology, a peer-reviewed journal in the field of urology. In the study, 55 patients in a skilled nursing facility chain treated with long term indwelling catheters were evaluated. There was a significant difference between the treated group and the placebo group in the number of colony forming units (“CFU”) present upon evaluation, as well as on the number of treated urinary tract infections (“UTI”), and the effect lasted beyond the time of active treatment. The study concluded that the UroShield™ device was shown to be effective in significantly reducing the number of CFUs in patients with indwelling catheters. The study also concluded that the UroShield™ device was shown to be effective in reducing the number of treated UTIs in this patient population, and surface acoustic waves in the form of the UroShield™ device is an effective tool in the prevention of catheter-associated UTI and while further evaluation is encouraged, can be safely utilized with a high likelihood of success. In July 2017, we engaged Idonea Solutions, Inc., an FDA consultant, to assist in our efforts to obtain clearance under the FDA’s Enforcement Discretion, and obtain 510(k) clearance which is still ongoing. If we are successful, we intend to pursue obtaining reimbursement codes and to target completion of partnerships with leading catheter product companies for sales and marketing efforts in the United States. The Company has entered into recent distribution partnerships for UroShield in the United States, U.K., Switzerland, Israel, India, and New Zealand.

We have one clinical study which is ongoing for our product UroShield. We announced positive interim results from an independent, real world patient study of its UroShield at Southampton University Health Sciences in December 2021. The independent study, which was launched in the first half of 2021, was devised to evaluate how UroShield helps to reduce infection by preventing bacteria colonisation and the buildup of biofilms on long-term indwelling urinary catheters in real world patients and to better understand the patient benefits and experiences of using UroShield. The study consists of both laboratory and patient studies and is nearing completion. At the conclusion of the study, Southern Health will be able to purchase the UroShield devices for all patients that want to continue using the device and for additional patients in their care who have indwelling catheters. The research team have reported strong interest from both the clinical teams and patients who live with long term catheters. Full results of the study are expected to be published in the second quarter of 2022.

In addition, we continue to expand our clinical development and marketing efforts in North America with respect to PainShield. In February 2018, we completed a clinical trial to evaluate the effect of PainShield in patients with trigeminal neuralgia. The double blinded, crossover trial was conducted across the United States and included 59 patients with a diagnosis of unilateral trigeminal neuralgia. Among the 59 patients, 30 were in the active treatment group and 29 were in the control group. The values which were assessed include Visual Analog Scale (“VAS”) pain score, both baseline prior to trial and VAS pain score at the end of the study. The study also assessed breakthrough medications per week at the start of the trial and breakthrough medications per week at the end of the trial, with a particular focus on the use of opioids. Breakthrough medications are used for chronic pain directly related to the pre-existing trigeminal neuralgia condition. There was a significant difference in the outcomes of the two groups relative to pain, quality of life, and breakthrough medications taken, which was directly correlated to pain experienced during treatment. Specifically, the control group saw an improvement in baseline scores of 2.3% versus the treatment group, which saw a 55.2% improvement in baseline scores. Additionally, the control group saw a reduction in breakthrough pain medication of 1.5% versus the treatment group, which saw a 46.4% reduction in breakthrough pain medication.

In 2019, the Company has completed a study which was intended to assess the PainShield’s ability to effectively treat Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow). This is a double blinded, randomized control trial. The study has been completed and we are contemplating submission to an appropriate journal. The interim results were reported as follows:

91% of the patients in the PainShield treatment group had complete or partial resolution of symptoms. Patients used PainShield in conjunction with over-the-counter medication, as needed, but without the benefit of opioid-based prescription medication.

Results of the Birmingham study further reinforce that PainShield is safe, easy-to-use and highly effective in treating soft tissue pain. Patients in the study who wore our device reported marked reduction in pain and when combined with over-the-counter, anti-inflammatory medications, those same patients reported a complete resolution of symptoms within 10 days.

Dr. David Lemak, MD, Lead Investigator of the Birmingham Study, added, “Patient outcomes were markedly improved with the use of PainShield and importantly, no patients returned with signs or symptoms of an exacerbation. Most encouraging are the results we were able to achieve for our patients without the use of prescription opioid medications, which can often lead to prolonged use and addiction.”

The Company has entered into distribution partnerships for PainShield in the United States, Israel, India, Malta, Australia, and New Zealand. We also sell direct to consumer worldwide.

WoundShield has been evaluated in two published clinical studies done to-date that suggest improved localized blood flow and oxygenation, and improved topical oxygen saturation (Morykwas M, “Oxygen Therapy with Surface Acoustic Waveform Sonication,” European Wound Management Association 2011; Covington S, “Ultrasound-Mediated Oxygen Delivery to Lower Extremity Wounds,” Wounds 2012; 24(8)). We supplied devices for these studies but had no further involvement with them. We are pursuing licensing opportunities to develop commercial markets for the WoundShield product.

Recent Developments

In April 2021, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded its reimbursement approval of the company’s PainShield™ product by adding the device to its Durable Medical Equipment (DME) schedule.

In August 2021, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the Australian Regulatory body for Therapeutic Devices, granted approval for the Company’s PainShield for use by patients in Australia. We since have sold product through our Australian distributor.

In addition, August 2021, we announced our intention to enter the Over-the-Counter (OTC) pain treatment market with the introduction of PainShield Relief™, a non-prescription ultrasound therapy device that delivers fast pain relief for nerve and soft tissue damage. Submission to the FDA had been delayed, but is now anticipated to be filed in the second quarter of 2022.

In September 2021, we announced that we were contemplating launching a new, transdermal gel containing Nano-Cannabidiol (CBD) for the treatment of joint pain and reducing inflammation. An ongoing impact analysis is being conducted internally. The adoption of the CBD technology is currently be re-evaluated due to regulatory constraints and regulations.

In September 2021, we announced that we entered into a Provider Participation Agreement with Orchid Medical, a national provider of integrated ancillary and surgical cost containment solutions specifically for the workers’ compensation industry. The agreement facilitates the reimbursement of the company’s PainShield™ product for eligible patients receiving benefits under a worker’s compensation plan making it easier for plan beneficiaries to obtain the product for the treatment of pain. We continue to focus on this market, and we hope to add additional agreements with other providers for the workers’ compensation market.

In October 2021, we received positive results from a randomized, double-blind study conducted at Birmingham Orthopedic and Sports Specialists in Birmingham, Alabama for our Painshield™ product.

In December 2021, we signed an agreement with Applied Medical Solutions, LLC (“AMS”) for the sale and distribution of its PainShield products to Veterans facilities located throughout the United States.

Additionally, in December 2021 we received positive interim results from an independent, real world patient study of its UroShield at Southampton University Health Sciences.

Additionally, in December 2021 we filed three U.S. patent applications with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office related to its SAW technology and indwelling medical devices to protect targeted new product launches and improvements to existing medical devices.

On February 26, 2021, Protrade Systems, Inc. (“Protrade”) filed a Request for Arbitration (the “Request”) with the International Court of Arbitration (the “ICA”) of the International Chamber of Commerce alleging the Company is in breach of an Exclusive Distribution Agreement dated March 7, 2019 (the “Agreement”) between Protrade and the Company. Protrade alleges, in part, that the Company has breached the Agreement by discontinuing the manufacture of the DV0057 Painshield MD device in favor of an updated 10-100-001 Painshield MD device. Protrade claims damages estimated at $3 million.

On March 15, 2022, the arbitrator issued a final award, which, although finding that Protrade’s claims failed as a matter of law or were unsupported by the evidence, nevertheless awarded Protrade $1,500,250, which consists of $1,432,000 for “lost profits” and $68,250 as reimbursement of arbitration costs, on the grounds that the Company allegedly failed to supply Protrade with “requested patches.” We continue to dispute the claims asserted by Protrade and intend to pursue the available options to vacate or seek correction of the award to Protrade. As of December 31, 2021, the Company accrued the amount of the award to Protrade amounting to $1,500,250 as part of “General and administrative expenses” and “Other accounts payable and accrued expenses”.

In March 2022, we announced that PainGuard and UroGuard were approved by Health Canada / Santé Canada as licensed medical devices.

Business Model

All of our products consist of a reusable controller device and a disposable component, which includes a transducer, and in the case of PainShield, a 30 day supply of adhering patches. The controllers have a life expectancy of up to three years, while the disposable transducer has a life expectancy of up to a month and must be replaced to provide the intended therapy. The components are purchased by either the distributor or end user for use in any of the intended applications. Once the controller is purchased by the end user, recurring revenue will be realized by purchases of replacement disposables to the extent that the end user continues treatment with our product.

Our products are intended to be distributed both by independent distributors as well as by potential licensees. Distributor cost is discounted to account for their intended margins, based upon purchase volumes and/or periodic purchase commitments, with the disposable transducer sold and distributed in the same fashion. We currently have an established distributor network and are implementing certain criteria within such network to ensure the appropriate assignment of a distributor or licensee. We also intend to add additional distributors to our network.

We also have a direct sales component, where we sell directly to consumers, in order to satisfy customer demand generated through on-line advertising and social media. We expect that demand to increase once we are able to start marketing our PainShield Relief assuming it receives FDA clearance

In August 2019, we established our first license agreement with Medisana, Inc. (“Medisana”) with a total of 1,500 devices that was shipped to Medisana directly from China, in April 2020. The devices were designed to carry the product labeling specific to the Medisana brand, with the product name of PT100. The product labeling includes the words, “PAINSHIELD Ultrasonic therapy, Medisana”. All instructions for use and packaging are specific to Medisana.

Our business plan continues to focus on these types of transactions/agreements. We continue to focus on the foundational aspects of each respective product, including the design and performance of each, the reimbursement, regulatory status, and quality control, in order to strengthen our position with prospective partners.

Ultrasound Technology and Our Products

As noted above, our primary products are based on the use of low frequency ultrasound, which delivers energy through mechanical vibrations in the form of sound waves. Ultrasound has long been used in physical therapy, physical medicine, rehabilitation and sports medicine.

Our proprietary technology consists of a small, thin (1 millimeter) transducer that is capable of transmitting ultrasonic acoustic waves onto treatment surfaces with a radius of up to 10 centimeters beyond the transducer. This technology allows us to treat wounds by implanting our transducers into a small, portable self-adhering acoustic patch, thereby eliminating the need for technicians and medical personnel to manually administer ultrasound therapy, which should reduce the cost of therapy. Moreover, we believe that, based upon the body of evidence, the delivery of ultrasound through our portable devices is equal to or more effective than existing competitive products, as our technology is better positioned to target the affected areas of the body.

While there are currently a number of products on the market that treat pain through ultrasound therapy, we believe that our products differentiate themselves because they are portable, without the requirement to be plugged into an outlet and they have a frequency of 100kHz (in contrast to other devices, which have a frequency of closer to 1MHz and above), which means our products, when functioning as intended and in accordance with applicable design specifications, should not produce heat that can damage tissue. Our products can therefore (i) be self-administered by the patient without the need to be moved about the treated area by the patient or a clinician, (ii) be applied for a significantly longer period without the risk of tissue damage and (iii) do not require the use of gel. We are also aware of one product, the SAM® Sport4, which has recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval and has CE Mark approval, marketed by ZetrOZ, Inc., that we understand may eliminate certain of these requirements and limitations, namely the requirement to be plugged in, the need for movement around the treated area and the relatively short safe treatment period. However, we understand that this product does not generate surface acoustic waves as our products do, which means that the treatment area is generally limited to that under the transducer, that the use of transmission gel is still required, and that the transducer thickness is significantly greater than ours (approximately 1.5cm). It is also our understanding that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued contraindications which do not apply to the PainShield product.

There has been an article published in 2019 on SAM® Sport4 regarding clinical evidence demonstrating that ultrasound dose timing (i.e. daily treatment) and duration significantly impact benefits and treatment results, we are aware of a prospective randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study on the effects of the long-duration low-intensity ultrasound treatment using SAM® Sport4 suggesting that ultrasound may be used as a conservative non-pharmaceutical and non-invasive treatment option for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

In general, ultrasound offers the benefits by increasing local blood circulation, increasing vascular wall permeability, promoting protein secretion, promoting enzymatic reactions, accelerating nitric oxide production, promoting angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels) and promoting fibroblast proliferation (fibroblasts are a type of cell that play a critical role in wound healing). We believe that the body of evidence, and the positive therapeutic effect that ultrasound has for various indications, potentially provides for future product development opportunities for us.

Our proprietary technology consists of a small, thin (1 millimeter) transducer that is capable of transmitting ultrasonic acoustic waves onto treatment surfaces with a radius of up to 10 centimeters beyond the transducer. This technology allows us to treat wounds by implanting our transducers into a small, portable self-adhering acoustic patch, thereby eliminating the need for technicians and medical personnel to manually administer ultrasound therapy, which should reduce the cost of therapy. Moreover, we believe that, based upon the body of evidence, the delivery of ultrasound through our portable devices is equal to or more effective than existing competitive products, as our technology is better positioned to target the affected areas of the body.

Traditional ultrasound device and our portable ultrasound patch-based device and a comparison of their energy distribution, where the X-axis represents treatment surface, and the Y-axis represents ultrasound energy penetration depth within tissue.

In a comparison of a traditional ultrasound device and our portable ultrasound patch-based device, the bulk wave conventional ultrasound machines with handheld transducers distribute the energy deeply into the body, as shown above in diagram (A) on the left. In comparison, our device distributes the energy on the surface, as shown in diagram (B), thereby meaningfully increasing the treatment area. Our transducers may also be incorporated into treatment patches, including patches that are designed to deliver medicine and other compounds through the skin. The generation and delivery of low frequency ultrasound over a period of time to a specific area has been termed “targeted slow-release ultrasound”. We believe that this delivery method of ultrasound may be comparable to that of slow release medication in the pharmaceutical industry. This “targeted slow-release” capability is intended to allow for more frequent targeting of the intended treatment area and thus may result in a more effective therapeutic response.

Micro Vibrations Technology and Our Products

It is well established that increasing blood flow to the wound and peri-wound area helps accelerate the healing of ischemic wounds. Micro-vibrations applied on the skin tissue increase local blood flow and oxygen delivery to the wound area and stimulate angiogenesis and growth factors that are helpful for the wound healing process. Vibration therapy has been found to stimulate blood flow due to mechanical stresses of endothelial cells resulting in increased production of nitric oxide and vasodilation, as well as increase soft tissue and skin circulation. (Maloney-Hinds et al., “The Role of Nitric Oxide in Skin Blood Flow Increases due to vibration in healthy adults and adults with type 2 diabetes,” School of Medicine, Loma Linda University. Ca. Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, 2009 p. 39-43). In addition, micro vibrations induce skin surface nerve axon reflex and type IIa muscle fibers contraction rates, resulting in vasodilation (Nakagami et al., “Effect of vibration on skin blood flow in an in vivo microcirculatory model”, The University of Tokyo, Bio-Science Trends 2007; 1 (3): 161-166). Ten minutes of vibration therapy with laser doppler revealed a consistent increase in water content of the upper dermis (TJ Ryan et al., “The effect of mechanical forces (vibration or external compression) on the dermal water content of the upper dermis and epidermis, assessed by high frequency ultrasound”, Oxford Wound Healing Institute, Journal of Tissue Viability, 2001. In another study, mean blood flow increase was higher in the vibration group than the placebo group. Improvements in local blood flow may be beneficial in the therapeutic alleviation of pain or other symptoms resulting from acute or chronic injuries (C. Button et al., “The effect of multidirectional mechanical vibration on peripheral circulation of humans”, University of Otago New Zealand, Clinical Physiology and functional Imaging, 2007 27, p211-216). A study on the effect of whole body vibration on lower extremity skin blood flow suggests, that short duration vibration alone significantly increases lower extremity skin blood flow, doubling skin blood for a minimum of 10 minutes following treatment (Lohman et al., “The effect of whole body vibration on lower extremity skin blood flow in normal subjects”, Department of Physical Therapy, Loma Linda university, USA, Med Sci Monit, 2007; 13(2) 71-76). Vibration has also been shown to stimulate angiogenesis and growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (Suhr F et al., “Effects of short-term vibration and hypoxia during high intensity cycling exercise on circulating level of angiogenic regulators in humans”, J Appl Physiol, 2007, 103:474-483, Yue Z. et al., “On the cardiovascular effects of whole-body vibration I. Longitudinal effects: hydrodynamic analysis”, Studies Appl Math, 2007, 119:95-109). Of import with respect to diabetic wounds, in which a prolonged inflammatory phase occurs, vibration vasodilation has generated an indirect anti-inflammatory action, mainly by suppression of nuclear factor-kβ, the key gene for inflammatory mediators (Sackner, M.A., “Nitric Oxide is released into circulation with whole-body, periodic acceleration”, Chest 2005;127;30-39).

Urinary catheter usage is associated with pain and discomfort caused by the friction between the catheter surface and the urethral tissue. Generally, this friction is treated by applying lubricating gels and low friction catheter coatings. These methods are effective for a short term during the catheter insertion as the lubricating gel is quickly absorbed into the surrounding tissue and loses its effect and the catheter coatings lose their lubricity within a few days, as the coating is covered by a thin film of mucous.

Our UroShield product provides vibrations along the surface of the urinary catheter that is in contact with urethral tissue. We believe that these vibrations create a continuous acoustic lubrication effect along the surface of the indwelling catheter that is in contact with the surrounding tissue, thus reducing catheter-tissue contact time, which may lessen trauma from urethra abrasion and adhesion. We have also shown in animals and in humans that the micro-vibration technology can reduce the level of biofilm formation on urinary catheters.

Our Products

Product Design, Packaging, Identity

All products were redesigned in the fourth quarter 2019, with an updated look and improved performance. These new designs were coupled with new branding, packaging, instructional manuals, and marketing materials. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2019, our manufacturers in China have commenced producing the redesigned products for distribution and delivered their first completed units in April 2020.

UroShield

UroShield is intended to prevent bacterial colonization and biofilm formation, increase antibiotic efficacy in the catheter lumen and decrease pain and discomfort associated with urinary catheter use. It is designed to be used with any type of indwelling urinary catheter regardless of the material or coating. We believe that UroShield may be the first medical device on the market that attempts to simultaneously address all of the aforementioned catheter-related issues. UroShield is similar in design to WoundShield and PainShield, in that it uses a driver unit that produces low frequency, low intensity ultrasound. The driver unit connects to a disposable transducer that is clipped onto the external portion of the catheter to deliver ultrasound therapy to all catheter surfaces as well as the tissue surrounding the catheter.

Picture of UroShield with actuator

We believe the UroShield system has the following advantageous effects:

UroShield has undergone a number of clinical trials. The Heidelberg 1 trial, conducted in 2005-2006, which we sponsored, was a 22 patient randomized, double blind, sham-controlled, independent trial that tested UroShield’s safety and ability to prevent biofilm in patients with an indwelling Foley catheter. The trial demonstrated that UroShield prevented biofilm in all patients with the active device as compared to biofilm being found in seven of eleven of the control patients. In addition, there was a marked decrease in pain, discomfort and spasm in the active UroShield patients, as evidenced by a statistically significant decrease in the requirement for the medications required to treat urinary catheter associated pain and discomfort (Ikinger U, “Biofilm Prevention by Surface Acoustic Nanowaves: A New Approach to Urinary Tract Infections?,” 25th World Congress of Endourology and SWL, Cancun, Mexico, October 2007).

In a subsequent physician-sponsored trial, known as Heidelberg 2, conducted in 2007, 40 patients who underwent radical prostatectomies were divided into two groups, with the active group receiving one intra-operative dose of antibiotics and UroShield and the control group receiving one intra-operative dose of antibiotics and then five subsequent doses over three days. At the end of the trial, the control group had four cases of bacteriuria, as compared to one in the active group. In a third trial, a physician-sponsored open label trial, 10 patients who received emergency placement of a urinary catheter due to acute obstruction were given a UroShield device and followed with regard to their pain, discomfort, spasm and overall well-being. Within 24 hours, all patients showed improvement and increased toleration of the catheter (Zillich S., Ikinger U, “Biofilmprävention durch akustische Nanowellen: Ein neuer Aspekt bei katheterassoziierten Harnwegsinfektionen?,” Gesellschaft für Urologie, Heilbronn, Germany, May 2008). We supplied devices for this trial, but had no further involvement with it.

As recently announced, the Company submitted to The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, for review, the findings from an independent evaluation of its UroShield® device on patients who had used the device for up to two years. Clinical data from the study conducted by Coventry University’s Assistant Professor, Ksenija Maravic da Silva, during 2020 reported statistically significant outcomes for the device including a reduced number of urinary tract infections (UTIs), reduced instances of prescribed antibiotics, reduced catheter blockages, reduced the need for unplanned catheter changes and reduced pain reported as a result of catheter associated complications. The study also provided important insights into the lives of those using the device including improvement of overall well-being, relating specifically to decreased levels of worry and increased ability to socialize. In addition, patient feedback on product improvements was addressed and has been incorporated in the present commercially available device.

Market for UroShield

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection involving any part of the urinary system, including urethra, bladder, ureters, and kidney. UTIs are the most common type of healthcare-associated infection reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Among UTIs acquired in the hospital, approximately 75% are associated with a urinary catheter, which is a tube inserted into the bladder through the urethra to drain urine. Between 15-25% of hospitalized patients receive urinary catheters during their hospital stay. The most important risk factor for developing a catheter-acquired urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is prolonged use of the urinary catheter.

This study was written up in the December 2018 issue of “Medical & Surgical Urology”, a leading peer-reviewed journal in the field of urology.

Approximately 15-25% of patients who are admitted to a hospital will have an indwelling catheter at some point during their stay and 7% of nursing home residents are managed by long term catheterization.

CAUTI is the most common nosocomial infection in hospitals and nursing homes, representing over 40% of all hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and 20% of intensive care unit HAIs (Maki, P and Tambyah, D. Engineering Out the Risk for Infection with Urinary Catheters., Emerging Infectious Diseases., Vol. 7, No. 2, March–April 2001). In addition, CAUTIs are the source for approximately 20% of healthcare acquired bacteremia in acute care and 50% in long-term care facilities (Nicolle, Lindsay E. “Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections.” Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control 3 (2014). The risk of acquiring CAUTI depends on the method and duration of catheterization and patient susceptibility. Patients requiring a urinary catheter have a daily risk of approximately five percent of developing bacteriuria and approximately 25% of patients develop nosocomial bacteriuria or candiduria over one week (Maki, P and Tambyah, D. Engineering Out the Risk for Infection with Urinary Catheters., Emerging Infectious Diseases., Vol. 7, No. 2, March–April 2001). Virtually all patients requiring indwelling urinary catheters for longer than a month become bacteriuric.

CAUTI occurs because urethral catheters inoculate organisms into the bladder and promote colonization by providing a surface for bacterial adhesion and causing mucosal irritation. The presence of a urinary catheter is the most important risk factor for bacteriuria. Once a catheter is placed, the daily incidence of bacteriuria is 3-10%. Between 10% and 30% of patients who undergo short-term catheterization (i.e., 2-4 days) develop bacteriuria and are asymptomatic. Between 90% and 100% of patients who undergo long-term catheterization develop bacteriuria. About 80% of nosocomial UTIs are related to urethral catheterization; only 5-10% are related to genitourinary manipulation. (John L. Brusch, Catheter-Related Urinary Tract Infection, Medscape, August 18, 2015).

The global catheter market size was valued at USD 37.3 billion in 2018 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 9.7% through 2026. Rising prevalence of chronic disorders leading to hospitalization has fueled the growth of this market. Presence of multi-national manufacturers, improving medical facilities, supportive insurance policies are also some of the key factors propelling the market growth. North America is the largest regional market due to the presence of multi-national manufacturers and sophisticated healthcare infrastructure along with high product awareness levels. Asia Pacific is projected to expand at the maximum CAGR of 10.4%, over the study period. According to a Grandview research report published 2018, there are 25 million Foley catheters sold annually in the United States and 75 million catheters sold elsewhere yielding a total global Foley catheter market of 100 million units worldwide. The cost to treat a simple CAUTI has been estimated at $13,793 per case (AHRQ), and the cost of treating bacteremia has been estimated at $8,355 (NIH) per case, yielding a total healthcare burden of $830 million per year. While there are currently both antibiotic and silver coated catheters in the market, they often sell for approximately $10 above the non-antimicrobial equivalent.

In addition, as of October 1, 2008, Medicare stopped authorizing its payment to hospitals in which patients have developed a catheter-associated urinary tract infection that was not present on admission. This provides hospitals in the United States with a substantial financial incentive to reduce the occurrence of such infections through the use of products such as UroShield, which help prevent infections hospitals would otherwise have to treat without reimbursement. In addition, it has been noted that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may fine hospitals in the future when their patients develop CAUTI, which will likely increase the incentive of hospitals to invest in technologies that may prevent this complication (Brown J, et al. “Never Events: Not Every Hospital-Acquired Infection Is Preventable, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2009, 49 (5)).

Competition for UroShield

Several types of products have been introduced to address the growing problem of catheter-acquired infection and biofilm formation on catheter surfaces. Manufacturers offer antibiotic-coated and antiseptic-impregnated catheters. In addition, manufacturers have produced silver-coated catheters, which have been shown in small studies to delay bacteriuria for about two to four days. However, larger studies did not corroborate this result; on the contrary, silver hydrogel was associated with overgrowth of gram positive bacteria in the urine (Riley DK, Classen DC, “A large randomized clinical trial of a silver-impregnated urinary catheter: lack of efficacy and staphylococcal superinfection,” Am. J. Med. 1995 April; 98(4):349-56).

UroShield has been designed to be added to any type of catheter, including Foley catheters and silver-coated catheters, to improve a catheter’s infection prevention performance. UroShield is not intended to replace any existing products or technologies, but instead is intended to assist these existing products or technologies in preventing catheter-acquired urinary injury and catheter associated complications. While UroShield has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) under Enforcement Discretion during the COVID-19 health emergency, if we do not obtain permanent clearance from the FDA, UroShield may be unable to successfully compete in this market due to an inability to obtain such permanent clearance from the FDA and failure to be adopted by health care practitioners and facilities.

Regulatory Strategy

UroShield received CE Mark approval in September 2007 and was also approved for sale by the Israeli Ministry of Health in 2008. We are able to sell UroShield in India and Ecuador based on our CE Mark. UroShield was granted a Canadian medical device license in September 2016, although, due to a modification of regulatory standards in Canada, we have lost our Canadian license. We are working toward reinstatement of our Canadian license. To that extent, we passed an audit in November 2020 with a notified body and we are waiting on a certificate.

In the European Union, UroShield has been marketed for the prevention of biofilm, decreased pain and discomfort associated with urinary catheters and increased antibiotic efficacy.

In September 2020, the FDA exercised its Enforcement Discretion to allow distribution of the UroShield device in the United States. According to the FDA, “UroShield® device can use Intended Use Code (IUC) 081.006: Enforcement discretion per final guidance, and FDA product code QMK (extracorporeal acoustic wave generating accessory to urological indwelling catheter for use during the COVID-19 pandemic)”.

Accordingly, the FDA’s Enforcement Discretion clears the way for import of UroShield to the U.S. during the Covid-19 pandemic, immensely expanding the company’s addressable market for the device during this time period. The device is designed to aid in the prevention of CAUTI incidence in patients requiring long-term indwelling catheterization.

After reviewing the body of scientific evidence that we presented, the FDA took decisive action to clear the way for patient access to UroShield for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic. The evidence presented to the FDA on UroShield demonstrated decreases in the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infections and related complications in patients using UroShield who required long-term indwelling catheterization. Importantly, we are unaware of any other commercially available device that can prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection incidence and achieve results comparable to UroShield.

We intend to seek 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration through the de novo classification process for UroShield. We are currently seeking advice from the FDA prior to submission.

The FDA has made it clear that we will need to generate more clinical study data in order to achieve 510(k) clearance. Our intent is to conduct a community based PRO study (Patient Reported Outcomes) measuring the impact UroShield will have on prevention of CAUTI, Prevention of Blockage, and prevention of Pain.

Studies completed to establish safety of UroShield for human use:

Sales and Marketing

Since the FDA exercised its Enforcement Discretion to allow the distribution of the UroShield device in the United States, we have been actively seeking partnerships for marketing our product in the United States. We believe the business opportunity for UroShield is in the hundreds of millions in U.S. dollars to the extent that UroShield obtains permanent 510(k) clearance from the FDA, is recognized as effective and becomes widely adopted for use on catheters. To that end, we are seeking a strategic partnership with various companies which have an existing “footprint” in the Urology market. Those discussions and negotiations are ongoing at this time. We have appointed distributors for UroShield in the United Kingdom. Malta, and Australia. We recently appointed Med Tech Solutions Group (MTSG) to assist in our sales and marketing efforts in countries we are not represented. MTSG is based in San Antonio Texas and has sales representation around the globe.

We announced in May 2020, that we had expanded our license agreement with Ideal Medical International Limited to include exclusive rights to distribute the Company’s UroShield® and PainShield® technologies in Canada and Turkey.

From time to time we have had interest from strategic companies in the catheter market to partner, license or acquire the UroShield technology. These strategic partners are active in the urology market and may be interested in integrating UroShield as an accessory, into its range of products. Discussions with these partners are ongoing. There has also been interest from other companies with various invasive line applications.

PainShield®

PainShield is an ultrasound device, consisting of a reusable driver unit and a disposable patch, which contains our proprietary therapeutic transducer. It delivers a localized ultrasound effect to treat pain and induce soft tissue healing in a targeted area, while keeping the level of ultrasound energy at a safe and consistent level of 0.4 watts. We believe that PainShield is the smallest and most portable therapeutic ultrasound device on the market and the only product in which the ultrasound transducer is integrated in a therapeutic disposable application patch.

The existing ultrasound therapy devices being used for pain reduction are primarily large devices used exclusively by clinicians in medical settings. PainShield is able to deliver ultrasound therapy without being located in a health care facility or clinic because it is portable, due to it being lightweight and battery operated. Because it is patch based and easy to apply, PainShield does not require medical personnel to apply ultrasound therapy to the patient. The patient benefits include ease of application and use, faster recovery time, high compliance, and increased safety and efficacy over existing devices that rely on higher-frequency ultrasound (Adahan M, et al, “A Sound Solution to Tendonitis: Healing Tendon Tears With a Novel Low-Intensity, Low-Frequency Surface Acoustic Ultrasound Patch,” American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Vol. 2, 685-687, July 2010). PainShield can be used by patients at home or work or in a clinical setting and can be used even while the patient is sleeping. Its range of applications includes acute and chronic pain reduction and anti-inflammatory treatment.

Picture of PainShield with Patch

In other countries outside the United States where the product is approved for such use, PainShield is used to treat tendon disease and trigeminal neuralgia (a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal or 5th cranial nerve, one of the most widely distributed nerves in the head); previously, the therapeutic options for these disorders have been very limited. In the United States, PainShield is only cleared to treat pain, muscle spasms, and joint contractures associated with or caused by various conditions or diseases. It has also been used to treat pelvic and abdominal pain. To date, to the best of our knowledge, the only treatment options for several of these conditions are pain medication and surgery. Several additional causes of pain, and the treatment of that pain with the PainShield product, can be explored through clinical trials.

Market for PainShield

Pain-related complaints are one of the most common reasons patients seek treatment from physicians (Prince V, “Pain Management in Patients with Substance-Use Disorders,” Pain Management, PSAP-VII, Chronic Illnesses). According to Landro L, “New Ways to Treat Pain: Tricking the Brain, Blocking the Nerves in Patients When all Else Has Failed,” Wall Street Journal, May 11, 2010, approximately 26% of adult Americans, or approximately 76.5 million people, suffer from chronic pain. The National Center for Health Statistics has estimated that approximately 54% of the adult population experiences musculoskeletal pain. Studies have shown that low-frequency ultrasound treatment has yielded positive results for a variety of indications, including tendon injuries and short-term pain relief (Warden SJ, “A new direction for ultrasound therapy in sports medicine,” Sports Med. 2003; 33 (2):95-107), chronic low back pain (Ansari NN, Ebadi S, Talebian S, Naghdi S, Mazaheri H, Olyaei G, Jalaie SA, “Randomized, single blind placebo controlled clinical trial on the effect of continuous ultrasound on low back pain,” Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol. 2006 Nov; 46(6):329-36) and sinusitis (Ansari NN, Naghdi S, Farhadi M, Jalaie S, “A preliminary study into the effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on chronic maxillary and frontal sinusitis,” Physiother Theory Pract. 2007 Jul-Aug; 23(4):211-8). We believe that PainShield’s technology, portability and ease of use may result in it becoming an attractive product in the pain management and therapy field.

Competition

There are numerous products and approaches currently utilized to treat chronic pain. The pharmacological approach, which may be the most common, focuses on drug-related treatments with the over-the-counter internal analgesic market estimated at $19 billion in 2019. Alternatively, there are a large number of non-pharmacological pain treatment options available, such as ultrasound, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, laser therapy and pulsed electromagnetic treatment. In addition, there are some technologies and devices in the market that utilize low frequency ultrasound or patch technology. Many patients are initially prescribed anti-pain medication; however, ongoing use of drugs may cause substantial side effects and lead to addiction. Therefore, patients and clinicians have shown increased interest in alternative pain therapy using medical devices that do not carry these side effects.

The currently available ultrasound treatments for chronic pain have generally been accepted by the medical community as standard treatment for pain management. However, the traditional ultrasound treatments, such as those manufactured or distributed by Mettler Electronics Corp, Metron USA and Zimmer MedizinSysteme, are stationary devices found only in clinics and other health care facilities that need to be administered to patients by health care professionals. We are aware of three companies that market smaller ultrasound devices capable of certain self-administered use for the treatment of pain: Koalaty Products, Inc., Sun-Rain System Corp. and PhysioTEC. These devices generally function in the same manner, at the same frequency and with the same administration and safety requirements and limitations as traditional, larger ultrasound devices. We are also aware of one product, the SAM® Sport4, which has recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval and also has CE Mark approval, marketed by ZetrOZ, Inc., that we understand may eliminate certain of these requirements and limitations, namely the requirement to be plugged in, the need for movement around the treated area and the relatively short safe treatment period. However, we understand that this product does not generate surface acoustic waves as our products do, which means that the treatment area is generally limited to that under the transducer, that the use of transmission gel is still required, and that the transducer thickness is significantly greater than ours (approximately 1.5cm). It is also our understanding that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued contraindications which do not apply to the PainShield product.In addition, there are other patch-based methods of pain treatment, such as TENS therapy. TENS therapy may be painful and irritating for the patient due to the muscle contractions resulting from the electrical pulses. PainShield combines the efficacy of ultrasound treatment for pain with the ease of use and portability of a patch-based system. PainShield also may be self-administered by the patient, including while the patient is sleeping. However, if we are unable to obtain widespread insurance coverage and reimbursement for PainShield, its acceptance as a pain management treatment would likely be hindered, as patients may be reluctant to pay for the product out-of-pocket.

The CMS has approved PainShield for reimbursement for Medicare beneficiaries on a national basis effective January 2020.

Regulatory Strategy

PainShield received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August 2008 for treatment of pain relief. PainShield received CE Mark approval in July 2008 and was also approved for sale by the Israeli Ministry of Health in 2010. We are able to sell PainShield in India and Ecuador based on our CE Mark.

In the United States, a prescription from a licensed healthcare practitioner is required for the use of PainShield.

Recently, we announced our intention to market a PainShield Relief product. The PainShield Relief is intended to be an Over-The Counter (OTC) product, not requiring a prescription from a medical professional. We believe that such reclassification will open up mass market opportunities which are currently not available to us due to the prescription requirement. However, there is no assurance that we will be able to remove the prescription requirement for the use of PainShield Relief or that, even if we accomplish such reclassification and the use of PainShield Relief no longer requires a prescription, PainShield Relief will be successful commercially in the mass market or we will be able to generate significant revenues from the mass market opportunities, if any.

In order to eliminate the requirement for a physician prescription, proof of safety and consumer “usability” need to be established. With no adverse events reported on the PainShield MD device when we conmmenced the Usability study, we anticipated favorable results from such study. We engaged User-View, Inc to facilitate our Usability study and received the favorable results we expected. The product packaging and all instruction documents have been modified to meet OTC standards. We also engaged an outside laboratory to perform acoustic testing on all PainShield products. We previously anticipated submission of a 510(k) for PainShield Relief to the FDA, for OTC use as a class 1 device, in early April 2022, but we are reconsidering our target timeline for such submission and whether any additional data or action steps are needed. We currently expect to submit the 510(k) to the FDA in the second quarter of 2022.

The PainShield Plus, is a dual applicator device, which will also be submitted for specific clearance from the FDA. Submission for PainShield Plus was made in late February 2022.

In the United States, PainShield falls under the diathermy classification for the treatment of pain for initial reimbursement purposes. The permitted reimbursement codes can be used in the outpatient supervised medical setting. We continue to work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and private insurers so that reimbursement can be extended to cover the administration of PainShield outside of health care facilities and clinics. We have engaged outside legal counsel to assist with all aspects of reimbursement. In addition, we intend to conduct clinical trials in order to effectively market PainShield for a larger range of indications. The targeted reimbursement would be based upon specific indications, where study data serves as justification for payment.

Sales and Marketing

PainShield was introduced in 2009 as a treatment for pain, such as tendonitis, sports injuries, pelvic pain, and neurologic pain, depending on the scope of the approval or clearance from each applicable jurisdiction, and we have sold over 5,000 units since its introduction. We have entered into distribution agreements in United States, Europe, Australia, and India for the distribution of PainShield. We intend to seek additional distribution opportunities in Europe, East Asia and Ecuador. In addition, we sell PainShield directly to patients through our website in jurisdictions where direct-to-consumer sale is permitted. We are currently ramping up our marketing efforts in the U.S. market and throughout the world to establish licensing and private label partnerships as well.

We have identified a unique application for PainShield in applicable foreign jurisdictions where such application is authorized, which is the treatment of a severe facial nerve pain called Trigeminal Neuralgia, otherwise known as tic douloureux. The FDA lists facial application as a contraindication and has not cleared or approved PainShield for such use in the United States. We are in the process of pursuing FDA approval of the PainShield for Trigeminal Neuralgia, which will likely require additional data and clinical investigation to support an application for premarket approval (“PMA”) for this indication, if such PMA is required by FDA. Two studies were performed in Israel, “a randomized control trial examining the efficacy of low intensity low frequency Surface Acoustic wave ultrasound in trigeminal neuralgia pain”, and “A sound solution for Trigeminal Neuralgia”. Two trials which enrolled a total of 16 and 15 patients respectively, both conducted at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, concluded that this study supports the hypothesis that the application of Low Intensity Low Frequency Surface Acoustic Wave Ultrasound (LILF/SAW) may be associated with a clinically significant reduction of pain severity among patients suffering from trigeminal neuralgia disease. One of the studies showed a reduction in pain among 73% of the participants. We believe this to be an ideal market to address with the PainShield. With few existing treatment alternatives, we believe the PainShield could prove to be a practical and safe alternative. A broader RCT, targeting 60 patients suffering from unilateral trigeminal neuralgia, was also completed. The article was published on January 22, 2019, in the Journal of Anesthesiology and Pain Research, under the title “The Effect of a Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Device on the Symptomatology of Trigeminal Neuralgia”. We cannot predict the success of any future trials, nor can we guarantee that FDA will grant approval for such use.

GlobalData’s epidemiological analysis forecasts that the total prevalent cases of trigeminal neuralgia in the seven major markets (United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K and Japan) will grow at 15% between 2012 and 2022. According to an estimate by Ronald Brisman, M.D., in 2013 the prevalence of trigeminal neuralgia in the U.S. may have been as high as approximately 280,000 patients. With the favorable results from our current, ongoing study (explained in detail below), we continue to plan to aggressively pursue this market in the foreign jurisdictions where PainShield has been approved through direct marketing efforts and distributor relationships.

We have also identified a market for PainShield in the professional sports industry, where in some cases, reimbursement may be available from sports alumni organizations or, more likely, self-pay. In order to pursue this market, we are exhibiting at sports trainers meetings, pursuing alumni associations, advertising in their media, and have recently engaged a national distributor in the United States. Discussions and ongoing negotiations continue with other appropriate distributors in these various market segments.

If we are able to obtain sufficient funding, we anticipate conducting the following clinical trials:

WoundShield®

Our WoundShield product was granted the European Wound Closure Customer Value Leadership Award, Ultrasound Therapy – Wound Closure in 2014. WoundShield is intended to treat acute and chronic wounds with a disposable treatment patch that delivers localized therapeutic low frequency ultrasound. The WoundShield patch has two configurations: one that is placed adjacent to the wound and another, called the instillation patch, that is placed on the wound to enable instillation through sonophoresis, a process that increases the absorption of semisolid topical compounds, including medications, into the skin. Based on studies conducted by BIO-EC Microbiology Laboratory and Rosenblum, we believe that our WoundShield product possesses significant potential for the treatment of, among other things, diabetic foot ulcers and burns (Gasser P, Study Report delivered by BIO-EC Microbiology Laboratory, Dec 2007, which we ordered, paid for, and provided devices for; Rosenblum J, “Surface Acoustic Wave Patch Diathermy Generates Healing In Hard To Heal Wounds,” European Wound Management Association 2011, for which we supplied devices but had no further involvement). In March 2020, we signed a license agreement with Sanuwave Health, Inc. (“Sanuwave”) for the manufacture and delivery of our WoundShield technology. Under the terms of the agreement, NanoVibronix received 127,000 warrants of Sanuwave stock upon signing, will receive a $250,000 milestone payment based on FDA approval, and 10% royalty on Sanuwave’s gross revenues from sales or rentals of WoundShield. In return, Sanuwave has received the worldwide, exclusive rights to the Company’s WoundShield product and technology. In addition, Sanuwave will bear the costs and clinical validation responsibilities associated with obtaining approval for WoundShield from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies around the world.

Picture of WoundShield Driver and Instillation Patch

WoundShield delivers surface acoustic waves to the location of the wound. Surface acoustic waves move laterally across the surface of the wound, which enables the transfer of the acoustic energy of the waves along the entire wound surface in a continuous and consistent mode, providing access to the waves’ benefits for a longer treatment period than conventional ultrasound without the need for supervision or a treatment session by a clinician.

The technology has been found to have a positive effect on the epithelialization (healing by the growth of epithelial cells) of diabetic wounds, as well as on the stimulation of the precursors of dermal and epidermal (skin) growth. As such, it is a useful adjunct to wound care by increasing dermal and epidermal growth, including glycosaminoglycans, or GAGs (which bind to extracellular proteins like collagen, fibronectin, laminin, etc. and retain considerable amounts of water, thus preserving the skin structure) as well as the amount of collagen (a protein that helps skin heal) and decreasing the number of cells in mitosis (a type of cell division) (Rosenblum J, “Surface Acoustic Wave Patch Diathermy Generates Healing In Hard To Heal Wounds,” European Wound Management Association 2011, for which we supplied devices which were precursors to WoundShield, but had no further involvement). In addition, the WoundShield instillation patch allows for administration of therapeutic agents into the wound area through a sonophoresis effect.

Many key processes in wound healing are dependent upon an adequate supply of oxygen. Diabetic foot ulcers are particularly in need of an adequate oxygen supply because the disease often results from poor perfusion (blood flow) and decreased oxygen tension. Oxygen is also important for the immune system to combat bacteria, synthesize collagen, help with fibroblast proliferation (fibroblasts are a type of cell that play a critical role in wound healing), form oxidative (taking place in the presence of oxygen) pathways for adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, formation (ATP transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism), and the nitric oxide dependent signaling pathways. It is generally believed that a lack of available oxygen is a basic contributing factor in the perpetuation of these wounds. Wound healing experts have developed a technique of perfusing ischemic wounds (which occur when blood flow is blocked) with hyper-oxygenated saline, while the wound is being treated with ultrasound, also known as sonication. This localized oxygenation therapy has many advantages over the use of hyperbaric chambers (large chambers in which the oxygen pressure is above normal), a common method for delivering oxygen to wounds, as it is more cost-effective, can be done at the patient’s bedside and can be administered more frequently. The WoundShield instillation patch was tested as a potential ultrasound technology for this localized oxygen therapy. In one study (Morykwas M, “Oxygen Therapy with Surface Acoustic Waveform Sonication,” European Wound Management Association 2011; we supplied devices for this study, but had no further involvement with it), oxygen sensors were placed in the wound bed to directly measure partial pressure of oxygen in an ischemic wound bed on a pig. The wound was perfused with hyperbaric oxygen and sonicated using the WoundShield instillation patch. With surface acoustic wave ultrasound technology, tissue oxygen levels (partial pressure of oxygen in the blood, or PaO2) were raised from a range of 20 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) to 60 mmHg in peripheral (periwound) areas, a 3 centimeter distance away from the transducer, and from 40 mmHg to greater than 100 mmHg in the central wound bed lying below the WoundShield instillation patch (see table below). The results of this study illustrated that the WoundShield instillation patch allowed oxygen to directly enter into the wound. The direct entry of the oxygen increased the amount of oxygen reaching the wound, which has been shown to advance the healing process. In addition, we believe that WoundShield’s small size, lower cost and ease of use makes localized oxygen treatment commercially viable.

In 2012, results were published of a human feasibility trial for the WoundShield instillation patch that was performed at Duke University in North Carolina. Seven patients were treated with the WoundShield instillation patch for their wounds and average tissue oxygen levels (PaO2) increased by an average of 58% over baseline (Covington S, “Ultrasound-Mediated Oxygen Delivery to Lower Extremity Wounds,” Wounds 2012; 24(8)). We supplied devices for this trial, but had no further involvement with it.

Market for Wound-Healing Devices

The global wound care device market totaled approximately $24 billion in 2015 and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% during 2016-2022 (as reported by P&S Global Research in January 2017). According to the Global Report on Diabetes produced by the World Health Organization (“WHO”) in 2016, globally, an estimated 422 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014, compared to 108 million in 1980. According to a report entitled “Advances in Wound Closure Technology” by Frost and Sullivan (2005), foot complexities are the most frequent causes for patients with diabetes to get hospitalized, with complications usually starting with the formation of skin ulcers. In addition, according to the American Burn Association, approximately 486,000 patients received medical treatment annually for burn injuries in 2016 in the United States. There are also policy-based factors that may increase the size of the wound care market. We anticipate that reimbursement decisions with respect to hospital acquired wounds may create a large market opportunity for wound care products, including WoundShield. Furthermore, in 2009, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that they would stop reimbursements for treatment of certain complications that they believed were preventable with proper care. One such complication was surgical site infections after certain elective procedures, including some orthopedic surgeries and bariatric surgery. We believe that such developments incentivize medical care providers to invest in reducing the risk of infection through the use of wound care products, including WoundShield.

Competition for WoundShield

The market for advanced wound care includes a number of competitors, such as Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (a subsidiary of the 3M Company), or KCI, Smith and Nephew plc and Convatec Inc., all of whom market wound-healing medical devices. Due to their size, in general these companies may have significant advantages over us. These competitors have their own distribution networks for their products, which gives them an advantage over us in reaching potential customers. In addition, they are vertically-integrated, which may allow them to maximize efficiencies that we cannot achieve with our third-party suppliers and distributors. Finally, because of their significantly greater resources, they could potentially choose to focus on research and development of technology similar to ours, more than we are able to. In general, we believe that these competitors have, and will continue to have, substantially greater financial, technological, research and development, regulatory and clinical, manufacturing, marketing and sales, distribution and personnel resources than we do. However, we believe that our products differentiate us from these competitors, and we will be competitive on the basis of our technology. We believe that the strength of these competitors may create an opportunity through strategic partnerships.

At present, ultrasound treatment for wounds is limited only to wound debridement (removal of damaged tissue or foreign objects from a wound) and such products are marketed by Arobella Medical, LLC, which produces the Qoustic Wound Therapy System, Misonix Inc., which produces SonicOne products, and Alliqua Biomedical, Inc., which produces the MIST Therapy System. Due to their size, in general these companies may have the same advantages over us as discussed with respect to our competitors in the paragraph above. However, these ultrasound devices are indicated for use only in medical clinics and require an operator to deliver their treatment, thus limiting their use and application. The MIST Therapy System and Quostic Therapy System are a non-contact ultrasound device that delivers ultrasound through a mist that is applied directly on the wound.

We believe that these therapies are less advantageous than WoundShield because they require an operator to deliver the treatment and the removal of bandages to target the wound bed. In contrast, the WoundShield patch sits on normal skin bordering the open wound and no manipulation of the wound bandage is required. Moreover, WoundShield can be self-administered, without an operator, in both clinics and home settings. We also believe that WoundShield will prove to be an effective alternative to treating chronic wounds at a lower price than the existing products being used by medical practitioners. As such, we believe that facilities that are reimbursed based upon diagnosis-related groups will be more inclined to adopt WoundShield because it will provide the same therapeutic results at a significantly lower cost than traditional ultrasound therapies.

We are also aware of a small clinical study, for which results were reported in August 2013, in which a small ultrasound device showed positive results in the treatment of venous ulcers, a type of chronic wound. We understand that this product does not generate surface acoustic waves as our products do, which means that the treatment area is generally limited to that of the transducer’s diameter. We believe our products would have certain other advantages over this potential device, if developed, including that our products weigh less and are thinner. However, given the early stage of development of this potential device, we cannot say with certainty how our products would compare.

The most common method of oxygen administration for wound healing is hyperbaric oxygen therapy, especially to treat specific ulcerations in diabetic patients. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been shown to increase vascular endothelial growth factor expression, which measures the creation of new blood vessels (Fok TC, at el, “Hyperbaric oxygen results in increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein expression in rabbit calvarial critical-sized defects”, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, Canada). The activation of endothelial cells by VEGF sets in motion a series of steps toward the creation of new blood vessels (J Lewis et al, National Cancer Institute, Understanding Cancer and Related Topics, Understanding Angiogenesis). We believe that the WoundShield instillation patch, which can be used as an oxygen instillation system, will be complementary to, or in some cases an alternative to, the use of hyperbaric chamber therapy. This complementary treatment option will allow the treating physician greater therapeutic versatility in treating wounds. For a certain populace of patients, we believe that the WoundShield instillation patch could provide physicians with an alternative to hyperbaric oxygen therapy because it provides the same benefits as hyperbaric oxygen therapy at a lower cost to the patient. There are a number of competitors in the hyperbaric chamber therapy market, including approximately eight companies in the United States. Due to their size, in general these companies may have the same advantages over us discussed with respect to our competitors in the first paragraph of this section. However, we believe that the WoundShield instillation patch possesses certain advantages over the existing hyperbaric chamber therapy, including lower cost and greater ease of use. In addition, we believe that the WoundShield instillation patch will not necessarily compete with hyperbaric chamber therapy, but rather will often complement such therapy.

While we believe that WoundShield is well positioned to capture a share of the wound care market, WoundShield may be unable to achieve its anticipated place in the wound care market due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, an inability to obtain the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for which it is indicated and its failure to be adopted by health care practitioners and facilities or patients because of its status as a new product in a market that relies on patient-focused initiative to treat wounds.

Regulatory Strategy

For a general discussion of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval process with respect to our products, and regulation of our products in general, see “– Government Regulation” below.

Our general regulatory strategy for WoundShield has been focused on seeking U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for a variety of indications. WoundShield obtained CE Mark approval in November 2012. Sanuwave has received the worldwide, exclusive rights to the Company’s WoundShield product and technology. Accordingly, the Company does not expect to continue to directly engage in sales and marketing activities for the WoundShield technology and expects Sanuwave to undertake such activities.

Sales and Marketing

WoundShield has generated minimal revenues to date. In March 2020, we signed a license agreement with Sanuwave Health, Inc. for the manufacture and delivery of our WoundShield technology.

Third Party Reimbursement

NanoVibronix has entered into an agreement with Redemption Revenue Cycle Solutions LLC (“RRCS”), beginning on January 1, 2019. RRCS has an expertise in establishing reimbursement at a reasonable rate, and facilitating the billing for both NanoVibronix and its distributors. We have also retained McGuireWoods to assist in improving our PainShield reimbursement.

We anticipate that sales volumes and prices of the products we commercialize will depend in large part on the availability of coverage and reimbursement from third party payers. Third party payers include governmental programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, private insurance plans and workers’ compensation plans, among others. These third -party payers may deny coverage and reimbursement for a product or therapy, in whole or in part, if they determine that the product or therapy was not medically appropriate or necessary. The third-party payers also may place limitations on the types of physicians or clinicians that can perform specific types of procedures. In addition, third party payers are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and services. Some third -party payers must also pre-approve coverage for new or innovative devices or therapies before they will reimburse health care providers who use the products or therapies. Even though a new product may have been approved or cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for commercial distribution, we may find limited demand for the device until adequate reimbursement has been obtained from governmental and private third -party payers.

Over-the-counter products, such as the anticipated PainShield Relief product that we are developing, are generally not reimbursed by any third-party payers.

In international markets, reimbursement and healthcare payment systems vary significantly by country, and many countries have instituted price ceilings on specific product lines and procedures. There can be no assurance that procedures using our products will be considered medically reasonable and necessary for a specific indication, that our products will be considered cost-effective by third party payers, that an adequate level of reimbursement will be available or that the third -party payers’ reimbursement policies will not adversely affect our ability to sell our products profitably.

In the United States, some insured individuals are receiving their medical care through managed care programs, which monitor and often require pre-approval of the services that a member will receive. Some managed care programs are paying their providers on a per capita basis, which puts the providers at financial risk for the services provided to their patients by paying these providers a predetermined payment per member per month, and consequently, may limit the willingness of these providers to use certain products, including ours.

One of the components in the reimbursement decision by most private insurers and governmental payers, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which administers Medicare, is the assignment of a billing code. Billing codes are used to identify the procedures performed when providers submit claims to third party payers for reimbursement for medical services. They also generally form the basis for payment amounts.

Obtaining reimbursement approval for a product from any government or other third -party payer is a time-consuming and costly process that could require us or our distributors to provide supporting scientific, clinical and cost-effectiveness data for the use of our product to each payer. Even if a code is obtained for a product, a third -party payer must still make coverage and payment determinations. When a payer determines that a product is eligible for reimbursement, the payer may impose coverage limitations that preclude payment for some uses that are approved by the FDA or other foreign regulatory authorities. We believe that the overall escalating costs of medical products and services has led to, and will continue to lead to, increased pressures on the health care industry to reduce the costs of products and services. In addition, health care reform measures, as well as legislative and regulatory initiatives at the federal and state levels, create significant additional uncertainties. There can be no assurance that third party coverage and reimbursement will be available or adequate, or that future legislation, regulation, or reimbursement policies of third -party payers will not adversely affect the demand for our products or our ability to sell these products on a profitable basis. The unavailability or inadequacy of third -party payer coverage or reimbursement would have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

UroShield. We expect these products to be used in inpatient settings and therefore reimbursed under the Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) or per diem reimbursement system. In addition, in an outpatient or home setting, we anticipate that these products will initially be purchased privately until a reimbursement code is obtained. However, we believe that if we can empirically demonstrate UroShield’s efficacy in preventing recurrent hospitals admission in chronic Foley catheter patients and reducing overall per-patient cost, third party payers may accelerate the reimbursement approval process since the device could reduce their overall per-patient cost. We believe the natural progression of the adoption of this technology will allow for use in the home setting. We intend to pursue reimbursement in the Medicare Part B code to support the use for long term catheter use and infection prevention in the home.

PainShield. Effective as of January 2020, CMS approval for Medicare reimbursement was added through code K1004. The value of the reimbursement has not yet been confirmed. We continue to work toward a favorable reimbursement with outside legal counsel and reimbursement consultants.

WoundShield. We believe that the initial usage of these products will be in the hospital setting. Reimbursement in the hospital setting is typically governed by the DRG system, which is a prospective payment methodology that assigns a predetermined, fixed amount based on the patient’s diagnoses. Such reimbursement will be sought by Sanuwave Health Inc. as the licensee of this technology.

New Product Under Development

Renooskin

In 2016, we started developing a device for the facial rejuvenation market called Renooskin. Previous in vitro studies on human skin were done showing that the SAW technology provided skin rejuvenation comparable to Retinol A which is a well-accepted anti-aging cream. We have developed a head band like applicator for the PainShield SAW treatment and are in the process of arranging for a pilot trial with a cosmetic dermatologist and/or plastic surgeon. We believe that, subject to proof of efficacy of the Renooskin and receiving regulatory approval, the device can be sold in a non-reimbursement market since cosmetic devices are private pay. We are still considering several paths towards commercialization.

Intellectual Property

Stemming from a combination of patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws, as well as non-disclosure agreements and other contracts, our intellectual property rights represent a vital resource to the management of our company. Therefore, we are continuing our practice of investing in obtaining appropriate legal protection for our innovations whenever possible and have adopted a more fully integrative approach to the management of our intellectual property that mutually aligns with our ongoing R&D strategies, commercial opportunities based on market analyses, and longer-term business objectives.

From our patented technologies to our trademarked brands, we believe our intellectual property has substantial value and has significantly contributed to our success to date.

Patents

We seek patent protection for our inventions not only to differentiate our products and technologies, but also to develop opportunities for licensing and secure our rights to profits therefrom. With the aim of optimizing commercial and regulatory success, our proprietary technology and innovative applications thereof are protected by product, system, process, and method-of-use patent claims. We believe that our granted patents and pending applications collectively protect our technology, both in terms of our existing products, as well as our anticipated pipeline of new offerings.

Our patent portfolio includes at least the following issued patents, as well as a number of corresponding foreign patents in relevant jurisdictions: (1) U.S. Patent No. 7,393,501 to “Method, Apparatus and System for Treating Biofilms Associated With Catheters” (expiring on December 19, 2023); (2) U.S. Patent No. 7,829,029 to “Acoustic Add-On Device for Biofilm Prevention in Urinary Catheter” (expiring on October 27, 2025); (3) U.S. Patent No. 9,028,748 to “System and Method for Surface Acoustic Wave Treatment of Medical Devices” (expiring on July 11, 2030); and (4) U.S. Patent No. 9,585,977 directed to “System and Method for Surface Acoustic Waves Treatment of Skin” (expiring on August 20, 2033). These patents cover a wide range of embodiments and applications of our proprietary surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology, including our commercialized PAINSHIELD®, PAINSHIELD PLUS^TM, WOUNDSHIELD® and UROSHIELD® devices. Specifically, the patents provide for methods of generating SAW on surfaces of indwelling medical devices and to topical and urological applications therefor for alleviating pain, wound healing, and preventing formation of bacterial biofilms on catheters.

In addition to the above patents, our pending patent applications and new filings are representative of our ongoing efforts to broaden our portfolio as we continue developing new applications for our ultrasound technology. Although not yet granted, the aim of our growing number of patent applications is to secure our rights within additional industry sectors we foresee as most readily benefiting from our technology. Therefore, looking beyond just pain management and urology, our patent applications relate to, inter alia: novel transdermal patches uniquely configured to work with our ultrasound technology to additionally provide for improved absorption and transdermal delivery of therapeutic agents during treatment; cosmetic applications of our ultrasound technology to provide anti-aging benefits; and certain new or improved stand-alone therapeutic medical devices or so-called “indwelling medical devices” (e.g., catheters, intravenous (IV) needle assemblies, and percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy (PEG) tubes) that include our SAW-generating technology to provide the accompanying antimicrobial effect for preventing infections typically associated with available indwelling devices.

We intend to further grow our patent portfolio by continuing to patent new technology as it is developed, to defend intellectual property as we believe necessary by actively pursuing any infringements, to pursue the commercial opportunities our patents provide for our innovations, and to continue to develop our brands and trademarks.

Trademarks

In addition to patent protection, we own numerous registered trademarks for our commercialized WOUNDSHIELD® (in the U.S. and Canada), NanoVibronix® (in the U.S. and Canada), WOUNDSHIELD® (in the U.S. and Canada), PAINSHIELD®. (in the U.S. and Canada), and UROSHIELD® (in the U.S.). Generally, the protection afforded by trademarks is perpetual, subject to paying timely renewals and continuing proper use in commerce. In addition to the above, we expect to pursue additional trademark registrations to the extent we believe they would be beneficial and cost-effective.

Other Rights

We regularly enter into, and rely on, confidentiality and proprietary rights agreements with our employees, consultants, contractors and business partners to protect our trade secrets, proprietary technology and other confidential information. We control the use of our proprietary technology through relevant provisions, notifications, and disclaimers provided on our website, our customer terms of use, and our vendor terms and conditions.

Government Regulation

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Regulation

Each of our products must be approved, cleared by, or registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before it is marketed in the United States. Before and after approval or clearance in the United States, our products, approved or cleared products and product candidates, are subject to extensive regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and/or the Public Health Service Act, as well as by other regulatory bodies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations govern, among other things, the development, testing, manufacturing, labeling, safety, storage, record-keeping, market clearance or approval, advertising and promotion, import and export, marketing and sales, distribution and market withdrawal and recalls of medical devices and pharmaceutical products. PainShield has already obtained 510(k) marketing approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In September 2020, the FDA exercised its Enforcement Discretion to allow distribution of the UroShield device in the United States. According to the FDA, “UroShield® device can use Intended Use Code (IUC) 081.006: Enforcement Discretion per final guidance, and FDA product code QMK (extracorporeal acoustic wave generating accessory to urological indwelling catheter for use during the COVID-19 pandemic)”. Accordingly, the FDA’s Enforcement Discretion clears the way for import of UroShield to the U.S. for limited use during the Covid-19 pandemic. The U.S. FDA may terminate or revoke this Enforcement Discretion at any time (after which the applicable products may no longer be used). The Enforcement Discretion does not ensure that UroShield will obtain 510(k) marketing approval.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approval or Clearance of Medical Devices

In the United States, medical devices are subject to varying degrees of regulatory control and are classified in one of three classes depending on the extent of controls the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determines are necessary to reasonably ensure their safety and efficacy:

WoundShield and PainShield are classified as Class II medical devices and require U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorization prior to marketing, by means of 510(k) clearance, except for our UroShield product, which we intend to seek clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration through the de novo classification process, described below.

To request marketing authorization by means of a 510(k) clearance, we must submit a pre-market notification demonstrating that the proposed device is substantially equivalent to another legally marketed medical device, has the same intended use, and is as safe and effective as a legally marketed device and does not raise different questions of safety and effectiveness than a legally marketed device. 510(k) submissions generally include, among other things, a description of the device and its manufacturing, device labeling, medical devices to which the device is substantially equivalent, safety and biocompatibility information and the results of performance testing. In some cases, a 510(k) submission must include data from human clinical studies. Marketing may commence only when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issues a clearance letter finding substantial equivalence. The typical duration to receive 510(k) approval is approximately nine months from the date of the initial 510(k) submission, although there is no guaranty that the timing will not be longer.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may require us to perform clinical studies to show a product candidate’s safety and efficacy in addition to technological equivalence in support of our filed 510(k). No matter which regulatory pathway we may take in the future towards marketing products in the United States, we believe we will be required to provide clinical proof of device effectiveness and safety.

After a device receives 510(k) clearance, any product modification that could significantly affect the safety or effectiveness of the product, or that would constitute a significant change in intended use, requires a new 510(k) clearance or, if the device would no longer be substantially equivalent, would require a PMA. If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determines that the product does not qualify for 510(k) clearance, then a company must submit and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration must approve a PMA before marketing can begin.

A PMA application must provide a demonstration of safety and effectiveness, which generally requires extensive nonclinical and clinical trial data. Information about the device and its components, device design, manufacturing and labeling, among other information, must also be included in the PMA. As part of the PMA review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will inspect the manufacturer’s facilities for compliance with quality system regulation requirements, which govern testing, control, documentation and other aspects of quality assurance with respect to manufacturing. If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determines the application or manufacturing facilities are not acceptable, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may outline the deficiencies in the submission and often will request additional testing or information. Notwithstanding the submission of any requested additional information, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ultimately may decide that the application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval. During the review period, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee, typically a panel of clinicians and statisticians, is likely to be convened to review the application and recommend to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration whether, or upon what conditions, the device should be approved. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is not bound by the advisory panel decision. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration often follows the panel’s recommendation, there have been instances where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not. If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finds the information satisfactory, it will approve the PMA. The PMA approval can include post-approval conditions, including, among other things, restrictions on labeling, promotion, sale and distribution, or requirements to do additional clinical studies post-approval. Even after approval of a PMA, a new PMA or PMA supplement is required to authorize certain modifications to the device, its labeling or its manufacturing process. Supplements to a PMA often require the submission of the same type of information required for an original PMA, except that the supplement is generally limited to that information needed to support the proposed change from the product covered by the original PMA. The typical duration to receive PMA approval is approximately two years from the date of submission of the initial PMA application, although there is no guarantee that the timing will not be longer.

As stated above, we anticipate that our UroShield product will receive a de novo review from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. De novo review is a two-step process that requires a company to submit a 510(k) and complete a standard review, including an analysis of the risk to the patient and operator associated with the use of the device and the substantial equivalence rationale. Once that has been accomplished, and the medical device in question has been determined to be not substantially equivalent to another approved device, the product is automatically classified as a Class III device. The manufacturer can then submit a request for an evaluation to have the product reclassified from Class III into Class I or Class II. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will review the device classification proposal and either recommend special controls to create a new Class I or II device classification or determine that the product is a Class III device. If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determines that the level of risk associated with the use of the device is appropriate for a Class II or Class I designation, then the product can be cleared as a 510(k) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will issue a new classification regulation and product code. If the device is not approved through de novo review, then it must go through the standard PMA process for Class III devices.

Clinical Trials of Medical Devices

One or more clinical trials are generally required to support a PMA application and more recently are becoming necessary to support a 510(k) submission. Clinical studies of unapproved or uncleared medical devices or devices being studied for uses for which they are not approved or cleared (investigational devices) must be conducted in compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements. If an investigational device could pose a significant risk to patients, the sponsor company must submit an investigational device exemption application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prior to initiation of the clinical study. An investigational device exemption application must be supported by appropriate data, such as animal and laboratory test results, showing that it is safe to test the device on humans and that the testing protocol is scientifically sound. The investigational device exemption will automatically become effective 30 days after receipt by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unless the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notifies the company that the investigation may not begin. Clinical studies of investigational devices may not begin until an institutional review board has approved the study.

During the study, the sponsor must comply with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s investigational device exemption requirements. These requirements include investigator selection, trial monitoring, adverse event reporting, and record keeping. The investigators must obtain patient informed consent, rigorously follow the investigational plan and study protocol, control the disposition of investigational devices, and comply with reporting and record keeping requirements. The sponsor, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the institutional review board at each institution at which a clinical trial is being conducted may suspend a clinical trial at any time for various reasons, including a belief that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable risk. During the approval or clearance process, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration typically inspects the records relating to the conduct of one or more investigational sites participating in the study supporting the application.

Post-Approval Regulation of Medical Devices

After a device is cleared or approved for marketing, numerous and pervasive regulatory requirements continue to apply. These include:

Good Manufacturing Practices Requirements

Manufacturers of medical devices are required to comply with the good manufacturing practices set forth in the quality system regulations promulgated under section 520 of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act as further set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations as 21 CFR Part 820. Current good manufacturing practices (“CGMP”) regulations require, among other things, quality control and quality assurance as well as the corresponding maintenance of records and documentation. The manufacturing facility for an approved product must meet current good manufacturing practices requirements to the satisfaction of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration pursuant to a pre-PMA approval inspection before the facility can be used. Manufacturers, including third party contract manufacturers, are also subject to periodic inspections by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other authorities to assess compliance with applicable regulations. Failure to comply with or to promptly comply with statutory and regulatory requirements subjects a manufacturer, and possibly us, to possible legal or regulatory action, including the seizure or recall of products, injunctions, consent decrees placing significant restrictions on or suspending manufacturing operations, and civil and criminal penalties. Adverse experiences with the product must be reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and could result in the imposition of marketing restrictions through labeling changes or in product recall. Product approvals may be withdrawn if compliance with regulatory requirements is not maintained or if problems concerning safety or efficacy of the product occur following the approval.

International Regulation

We are subject to regulations and product registration requirements in many foreign countries in which we may sell our products, including in the areas of product standards, packaging requirements, labeling requirements, import and export restrictions and tariff regulations, duties and tax requirements. The time required to obtain clearance required by foreign countries may be longer or shorter than that required for U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance, and requirements for licensing a product in a foreign country may differ significantly from U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements.

The primary regulatory environment in Europe is the European Union, which consists of 27 member states and 32 competent authorities encompassing most of the major countries in Europe. In the European Union, the European Medicines Agency and the European Union Commission determined that PainShield, UroShield, and WoundShield are to be regulated as medical device products. These products are classified as Class II devices. These devices are CE Marked and as such can be marketed and distributed within the European Economic Area. We are required to be recertified each year for CE by Intertek, which conducts an annual audit. The audit procedure, which includes on-site visits at our facility, requires us to provide Intertek with information and documentation concerning our management system and all applicable documents, policies, procedures, manuals, and other information.

The primary regulatory bodies and paths in Asia, Australia, and Latin America are determined by the requisite country authority. In most cases, establishment registration and device licensing are applied for at the applicable Ministry of Health through a local intermediary. The requirements placed on the manufacturer are typically the same as those contained in ISO 9001 or ISO 13485, requirements for quality management systems published by the International Organization of Standardization. In some countries outside Europe, we are or will be able to sell on the basis of our CE Mark. We have the Health for PainShield, WoundShield and UroShield, a certificate by the Israel Ministry of Health allowing us to sell PainShield, WoundShield and UroShield in Israel, a certificate allowing us to sell PainShield in Australia, and we are able to sell PainShield, WoundShield and UroShield in India and Ecuador based on our CE Mark. In addition, our distributor in Korea has applied for approval to sell PainShield and UroShield. We generally apply, through our distributor, for approval in a particular country for a particular product only when we have a distributor in place with respect to such product.

European Good Manufacturing Practices

In the European Union, the manufacture of medical devices is subject to good manufacturing practice, as set forth in the relevant laws and guidelines of the European Union and its member states. Compliance with good manufacturing practice is generally assessed by the competent regulatory authorities. Typically, quality system evaluation is performed by a notified body, which also recommends to the relevant competent authority for the European Community CE Marking of a device. The competent authority may conduct inspections of relevant facilities, and review manufacturing procedures, operating systems and personnel qualifications. In addition to obtaining approval for each product, in many cases each device manufacturing facility must be audited on a periodic basis by the notified body. Further inspections may occur over the life of the product.

U.S. Fraud and Abuse and Other Health Care Laws

In the United States, federal and state fraud and abuse laws prohibit the payment or receipt of kickbacks, bribes or other remuneration intended to induce the purchase or recommendation of health care products and services. Other provisions of federal and state laws prohibit presenting, or causing to be presented, to third party payers for reimbursement, claims that are false or fraudulent, or which are for items or services that were not provided as claimed. In addition, other health care laws and regulations may apply, such as transparency and reporting requirements, and privacy and security requirements. Violations of these laws can lead to civil and criminal penalties, including exclusion from participation in federal and state health care programs. These laws are potentially applicable to manufacturers of products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as medical devices, such as us, and hospitals, physicians and other potential purchasers of such products. The health care laws that may be applicable to our business or operations include:

Manufacturing and Suppliers

In December 2018, we announced we appointed Quasar Engineering Ltd, as contract manufacturer for the PainShield®, UroShield® and WoundShield®, as well as other devices. Following our agreement with Sanuwave, Quasar is no longer the manufacturer of the WoundShield®. Quasar is a medical device manufacturer, located in China, with over 30 years of experience, serving major brands worldwide, with complex catheters, disposables, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulated assemblies. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2019, we started using Quasar to manufacture all of our newly redesigned products. Quasar temporarily shut down for sixty days in early 2020, due to the COVID-19 outbreak which lead to a significant delay in the production of goods needed to fulfill our sales orders, and became fully operational in April 2020. Presently, we are no longer experiencing delays in the production of our products.

Quasar is anticipating the addition of a new manufacturing facility in Singapore late in the third quarter of 2022. Our product manufacturing will move to this plant when it is on-line. Several components will continue to be produced in China, but final production will be completed in Singapore.

We order certain component parts on an as-needed basis, generally from the manufacturer that provides us with the most competitive pricing. Our most significant suppliers for these components are B Star, Inc, Plastic One, Rotel Product Engineering Ltd., and Sinpro Electronics Co., Ltd. We do not have written agreements with any of these suppliers, but we believe anyone could be easily replaced if necessary.

Customers

We currently sell our products both directly, through our website, and indirectly via distribution agreements, with approximately 99% of our sales coming through distributors in 2021. We expect that percentage to continue to grow as we enter into additional distribution agreements, until we launch PainShield Relief. We have exclusive and non-exclusive distribution agreements for our products with medical product distributors based in the United States, in the United Kingdom and various countries throughout Europe, India, Canada and Asia. Our largest customer is Ultra Pain Products Inc, comprising approximately 77% of total sales.

We are currently in discussions with several distribution companies with access to various markets in the United States, Europe, and Asia, as well as Veterans Administration facilities. Our current agreements stipulate that distributors will be responsible for carrying out local marketing activities and sales. We are responsible for training, providing marketing guidance, marketing materials, and technical guidance. In addition, in most cases, all sales costs, including sales representatives, incentive programs, and marketing trials, will be borne by the distributor. We expect any future distribution agreements to contain substantially similar stipulations. Under our current agreements, distributors purchase our products from us at a fixed price. Our current agreements with distributors are generally for a term of approximately two to three years and automatically renew for an additional annual terms unless modified by either party.

Employees

Our People and Human Capital Resources

Employees

As of December 31, 2021, we had 12 full-time employees and four part-time employees, which is an increase from the 11 full-time employees and one-part-time employee we had as of December 31, 2020, and as of March 15, 2022, we have added one additional full-time employee in 2022 We also regularly work with several independent consultants and other contract organizations to support our business and we regularly evaluate additional talent to help support our product manufacturing, development, financial, and other capabilities.

Diversity and Inclusion

We believe that an inclusive culture is required to understand and develop products that benefit all patients. By embracing differences, we aim to foster an environment of respect and trust in an effort to facilitate creativity, spark passion, and help us achieve better outcomes for all those who work at the Company. We are committed to creating and maintaining a workplace free from discrimination or harassment, including on the basis of any class protected by applicable law, and our recruitment, hiring, development, training, compensation, and advancement practices are based on qualifications, performance, skills, and experience without regard to gender, race, or ethnicity. Our management team and employees are expected to exhibit and promote honest, ethical, and respectful conduct in the workplace, including adhering to the standards for appropriate behavior set forth in our code of conduct.

Compensation and Benefits

We operate in a highly competitive environment for human capital, particularly as we seek to attract and retain talent with relevant experience in the medical device sector. Therefore, we strive to provide a total rewards package to our employees that is competitive with our peer companies, including competitive healthcare benefits and in certain cases, stock options. We also offer paid leave as mandated by government regulations, flexible work schedules, and other benefits as mandated by government regulations.

We also offer key employees the benefit of equity ownership in NanoVibronix through stock option grants. We believe these grants both help promote alignment between our employees and our stockholders and provide retention benefits, as the awards generally vest over a three-year period.

We do not have any employees that are represented by a labor union or that have entered into a collective bargaining agreement with the Company.

Safety, Wellness, and Our Response to COVID-19

At NanoVibronix, we believe that health matters to everyone, and the safety health, and wellness of our employees is one of our top priorities. We are committed to developing and fostering a work environment that is safe, professional, and promotes teamwork, diversity, and trust in order to afford all of our employees the opportunity to contribute to the best of their abilities.

During 2020 and 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we took certain measures and responded to changes in our operational needs, including actions designed to provide a safe work environment for our employees. These actions included investing in technology solutions to support increased work-from-home capabilities, shifting work schedules to reduce the number of people present in our offices, requiring mask wearing and social distancing, making hand sanitizer readily available, and other measures intended to comply with health and safety protocols as required by federal, state, and local governmental agencies, as well as guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and similar public health authorities.

Available Information

The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments thereto, are filed with the SEC. The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and files or furnishes reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Such reports and other information filed by the Company with the SEC are available free of charge on the Company’s website at nanovibronix.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after we have electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov. The contents of these websites are not incorporated into this filing. Further, the Company’s references to website URLs are intended to be inactive textual references only.