LIXT Lixte Biotechnology Holdings Inc

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022

1. Organization and Basis of Presentation

The condensed consolidated financial statements of Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation), including its wholly-owned Delaware subsidiary, Lixte Biotechnology, Inc. (collectively, the “Company”), at March 31, 2023, and for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, are unaudited. In the opinion of management of the Company, all adjustments, including normal recurring accruals, have been made that are necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Company as of March 31, 2023, and the results of its operations for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, and its cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022. Operating results for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full fiscal year. The consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2022 has been derived from the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements at such date.

The condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and other information included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, as filed with the SEC.

Nasdaq Notification of Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule

The Company’s common stock and the warrants are traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “LIXT” and “LIXTW”, respectively.

On June 24, 2022, the Company received a written notice (the “Notice”) from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) that the Company had not been in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for a period of 30 consecutive business days. Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) requires listed securities to maintain a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share, and Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A) provides that a failure to meet the minimum closing bid price requirement exists if the deficiency continues for a period of 30 consecutive business days. The Notice had no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market.

In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company was provided a compliance period of 180 calendar days from the date of the Notice, or until December 21, 2022, to regain compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement. On December 22, 2022, the Company received a written notice from Nasdaq that the Company was eligible for a second 180 calendar day compliance period, or until June 19, 2023, in order to regain compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement. Nasdaq’s determination to grant the second compliance period was based on the Company meeting the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other applicable requirements for initial listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, with the exception of the minimum bid price requirement, and the Company’s written notice of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary.

The Company can generally achieve compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement if the minimum closing bid price of the Company’s common stock is at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days during the 180-day compliance period. However, under certain circumstances, Nasdaq can extend this 10-day trading period up to a maximum of 20 days. The Company anticipates that its shares of common stock and warrants will continue to be listed and traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market during the compliance period ending June 19, 2023.

In order to achieve compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement, the Company filed a proxy statement with the SEC to hold a special meeting of stockholders on May 26, 2023 to seek stockholder approval to approve an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock at a split ratio of up to a maximum of a 1-for-10 split, as determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in obtaining stockholder approval and will thus be able to regain compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement by June 19, 2023, in which case the Company anticipates Nasdaq would provide a notice to the Company that its shares of common stock and warrants are subject to delisting, and the Company’s common shares and warrants would then be delisted.

Even if the Company is able to achieve compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum closing bid price requirement, there can be no assurances that the Company will be able to maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s other continued listing requirements.

2. Business

The Company is a drug discovery company that uses biomarker technology to identify enzyme targets associated with serious common diseases and then designs novel compounds to attack those targets. The Company’s corporate office is located in Pasadena, California.

The Company’s product pipeline is primarily focused on inhibitors of protein phosphatases, used alone and in combination with cytotoxic agents and/or x-ray and immune checkpoint blockers. The Company believes that inhibitors of protein phosphatases have broad therapeutic potential not only for cancer but also for other debilitating and life-threatening diseases. The Company is directing its efforts on clinical development of a specific protein phosphatase inhibitor, referred to as LB-100, which has been shown to have clinical anti-cancer activity at doses that produce little or no toxicity.

The Company’s activities are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including the need for additional capital. The Company has not yet commenced any revenue-generating operations, does not have positive cash flows from operations, relies on stock-based compensation for a substantial portion of employee and consultant compensation, and is dependent on periodic infusions of equity capital to fund its operating requirements.

Going Concern

At March 31, 2023, the Company had cash of $4,088,304 available to fund its operations. Because the Company is currently engaged in various early-stage clinical trials, it is expected that it will take a significant amount of time and resources to develop any product or intellectual property capable of generating sustainable revenues. Accordingly, the Company’s business is unlikely to generate any sustainable operating revenues in the next several years and may never do so. Even if the Company is able to generate revenues through licensing its technology, product sales or other commercial activities, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to achieve and maintain positive earnings and operating cash flows. At March 31, 2023, the Company’s unpaid remaining contractual commitments pursuant to clinical trial agreements and clinical trial monitoring agreements aggregated $7,900,000, which are currently scheduled to be incurred through December 31, 2025.

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been presented on the basis that it will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company has no recurring source of revenue and has experienced negative operating cash flows since inception. The Company has financed its working capital requirements through the recurring sale of its equity securities.

Based on the foregoing, management has concluded that there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements are being issued. The Company’s interim condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon its ability to raise additional equity capital to fund its research and development activities and to ultimately achieve sustainable operating revenues and profitability. The amount and timing of future cash requirements depends on the pace, design and results of the Company’s clinical trial program, which, in turn, depends on the availability of operating capital to fund such activities.

Based on current operating plans, the Company estimates that existing cash resources will provide sufficient working capital to fund the current clinical trial program with respect to the development of the Company’s lead anti-cancer clinical compound LB-100 through approximately December 31, 2023. However, existing cash resources will not be sufficient to complete the development of and obtain regulatory approval for the Company’s product candidate, as a result of which the Company will need to raise significant additional capital to do so. The Company estimates that it will need to raise additional capital to fund its operations, including its various clinical trial commitments, during the latter part of the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. In addition, the Company’s operating plans may change as a result of many factors that are currently unknown and/or outside of the control of the Company, and additional funds may be needed sooner than planned.

As market conditions present uncertainty as to the Company’s ability to secure additional funds, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to secure additional financing on acceptable terms, as and when necessary, to continue to conduct operations.

If cash resources are insufficient to satisfy the Company’s ongoing cash requirements, the Company would be required to scale back or discontinue its clinical trial program, as well as its licensing and patent prosecution efforts and its technology and product development efforts, or obtain funds, if available, through strategic alliances or joint ventures that could require the Company to relinquish rights to and/or control of LB-100, or to discontinue operations entirely.

3. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and include the financial statements of Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lixte Biotechnology, Inc. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Segment Information

The Company operates and reports in one segment, which focuses on the utilization of biomarker technology to identify enzyme targets associated with serious common diseases and then designing novel compounds to attack those targets. The Company’s operating segment is reported in a manner consistent with the internal reporting provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker, which is the Company’s President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Some of those judgments can be subjective and complex, and therefore, actual results could differ materially from those estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable in relation to the financial statements taken, as a whole, under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Management regularly evaluates the key factors and assumptions used to develop the estimates utilizing currently available information, changes in facts and circumstances, historical experience, and reasonable assumptions. After such evaluations, if deemed appropriate, those estimates are adjusted accordingly. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates include those related to assumptions used in the calculation of accruals for clinical trial costs and other potential liabilities, valuing equity instruments issued for services, and the realization of deferred tax assets.

Cash

Cash is held in a cash bank deposit program maintained by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, a division of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). Morgan Stanley is a FINRA-regulated broker-dealer. The Company’s policy is to maintain its cash balances with financial institutions with high credit ratings and in accounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) and/or by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (the “SIPC”). The Company periodically has cash balances in financial institutions in excess of the FDIC and SIPC insurance limits of $250,000 and $500,000, respectively. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management also maintains supplemental insurance coverage for the cash balances of its customers. The Company has not experienced any losses to date resulting from this policy.

Research and Development

Research and development costs consist primarily of fees paid to consultants and contractors, and other expenses relating to the negotiation, design, development and management of clinical trials with respect to the Company’s clinical compound and product candidate. Research and development costs also include the costs to manufacture the compounds used in research and clinical trials, which are charged to operations as incurred. The Company’s inventory of LB-100 for clinical use has been manufactured separately in the United States and in the European Union in accordance with the laws and regulations of such jurisdictions.

Research and development costs are generally charged to operations ratably over the life of the underlying contracts, unless the achievement of milestones, the completion of contracted work, the termination of an agreement, or other information indicates that a different expensing schedule is more appropriate. However, payments for research and development costs that are contractually defined as non-refundable are charged to operations as incurred.

Obligations incurred with respect to mandatory scheduled payments under agreements with milestone provisions are recognized as charges to research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations based on the achievement of such milestones, as specified in the respective agreement. Obligations incurred with respect to mandatory scheduled payments under agreements without milestone provisions are accounted for when due, are recognized ratably over the appropriate period, as specified in the respective agreement, and are recorded as liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet, with a corresponding charge to research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations.

Payments made pursuant to contracts are initially recorded as advances on research and development contract services in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet and are then charged to research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations as those contract services are performed. Expenses incurred under contracts in excess of amounts advanced are recorded as research and development contract liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet, with a corresponding charge to research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations. The Company reviews the status of its various clinical trial and research and development contracts on a quarterly basis.

Prepaid Insurance

Prepaid insurance represents the premiums paid for directors and officers insurance coverage and for general liability insurance coverage in excess of the amortization of the total policy premium charged to operations at each balance sheet date. Such amount is determined by amortizing the total policy premium charged on a straight-line basis over the respective policy period. As the policy premiums incurred are generally amortizable over the ensuing twelve-month period, they are recorded as a current asset in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet at each reporting date and appropriately amortized to the Company’s consolidated statement of operations for each reporting period.

Patent and Licensing Legal and Filing Fees and Costs

Due to the significant uncertainty associated with the successful development of one or more commercially viable products based on the Company’s research efforts and related patent applications, all patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs related to the development and protection of the Company’s intellectual property are charged to operations as incurred. Patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs were $317,340 and $315,237 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Patent and licensing legal and filing fees and costs are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.

Concentration of Risk

The Company periodically contracts with vendors and consultants to provide services related to the Company’s operations. Charges incurred for these services can be for a specific time period (typically one year) or for a specific project or task. Costs and expenses incurred that represented 10% or more of general and administrative costs or research and development costs for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 are described as follows.

General and administrative costs for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 included charges from legal firms and other vendors for general licensing and patent prosecution costs relating to the Company’s intellectual properties representing 26.9% and 29.6% of total general and administrative costs, respectively. General and administrative costs for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 also included charges for the fair value of stock options granted to directors and corporate officers representing 23.5% and 28.4%, respectively, of total general and administrative costs.

Research and development costs for the three months ended March 31, 2023 included charges from four vendors and consultants representing 36.5%, 27.6%, 15.9% and 14.4%, respectively, of total research and development costs. Research and development costs for the three months ended March 31, 2022 included charges from two vendors and consultants representing 63.8% and 11.8%, respectively, of total research and development costs.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under an asset and liability approach for financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Accordingly, the Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected impact of differences between the financial statements and the tax basis of assets and liabilities.

The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce its deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. In the event the Company was to determine that it would be able to realize its deferred tax assets in the future in excess of its recorded amount, an adjustment to the deferred tax assets would be credited to operations in the period such determination was made. Should the Company determine that it would not be able to realize all or part of its deferred tax assets in the future, an adjustment to the deferred tax assets would be charged to operations in the period such determination was made.

The Company is subject to U.S. federal income taxes and income taxes of various state tax jurisdictions. As the Company’s net operating losses have yet to be utilized, all previous tax years remain open to examination by Federal authorities and other jurisdictions in which the Company currently operates or has operated in the past. The Company had no unrecognized tax benefits as of March 31, 2023 or December 31, 2022 and does not anticipate any material amount of unrecognized tax benefits through December 31, 2023.

The Company accounts for uncertainties in income tax law under a comprehensive model for the financial statement recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in income tax returns as prescribed by GAAP. The tax effects of a position are recognized only if it is “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the taxing authority as of the reporting date. If the tax position is not considered “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained, then no benefits of the position are recognized. The Company had not recorded any liability for uncertain tax positions as of March 31, 2023 or December 31, 2022. Subsequent to March 31, 2023, any interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions will be recognized as a component of income tax expense.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company periodically issues common stock and stock options to officers, directors, employees, Scientific Advisory Committee members, contractors and consultants for services rendered. Options vest and expire according to terms established at the issuance date of each grant. Stock grants, which are generally time vested, are measured at the grant date fair value and charged to operations ratably over the vesting period.

The Company accounts for stock-based payments to officers, directors, employees, Scientific Advisory Committee members, contractors and consultants by measuring the cost of services received in exchange for equity awards utilizing the grant date fair value of the awards, with the cost recognized as compensation expense on the straight-line basis in the Company’s financial statements over the vesting period of the awards.

The fair value of stock options granted as stock-based compensation is determined utilizing the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, and is affected by several variables, the most significant of which are the expected life of the stock option, the exercise price of the stock option as compared to the fair market value of the common stock on the grant date, and the estimated volatility of the common stock. Unless sufficient historical exercise data is available, the expected life of the stock option is calculated as the mid-point between the vesting period and the contractual term (the “simplified method”). The estimated volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s common stock, calculated utilizing a look-back period approximately equal to the contractual life of the stock option being granted. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. The fair market value of the common stock is determined by reference to the quoted market price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. The expected dividend yield is based on the Company’s expectation of dividend payouts and is assumed to be zero.

The Company recognizes the fair value of stock-based compensation awards in general and administrative costs and in research and development costs, as appropriate, in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The Company issues new shares of common stock to satisfy stock option exercises.

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

The Company’s computation of earnings (loss) per share (“EPS”) includes basic and diluted EPS. Basic EPS is measured as the income (loss) attributable to common stockholders divided by the weighted average common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS is similar to basic EPS, but presents the dilutive effect on a per share basis of potential common shares (e.g., preferred shares, warrants and stock options) as if they had been converted at the beginning of the respective periods presented, or issuance date, if later. Potential common shares that have an anti-dilutive effect (i.e., those that increase income per share or decrease loss per share) are excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS.

Loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the respective periods. Basic and diluted loss per common share was the same for all periods presented because all preferred shares, warrants and stock options outstanding were anti-dilutive.

At March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company excluded the outstanding securities summarized below, which entitle the holders thereof to acquire shares of common stock, from its calculation of earnings per share, as their effect would have been anti-dilutive.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The authoritative guidance with respect to fair value established a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three levels and requires that assets and liabilities carried at fair value be classified and disclosed in one of three categories, as presented below. Disclosure as to transfers in and out of Levels 1 and 2, and activity in Level 3 fair value measurements, is also required.

Level 1. Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for an identical asset or liability that the Company has the ability to access as of the measurement date. Financial assets and liabilities utilizing Level 1 inputs include active-exchange traded securities and exchange-based derivatives.

Level 2. Inputs, other than quoted prices included within Level 1, which are directly observable for the asset or liability or indirectly observable through corroboration with observable market data. Financial assets and liabilities utilizing Level 2 inputs include fixed income securities, non-exchange-based derivatives, mutual funds, and fair-value hedges.

Level 3. Unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data for the asset or liability which requires the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions. Financial assets and liabilities utilizing Level 3 inputs include infrequently traded non-exchange-based derivatives and commingled investment funds and are measured using present value pricing models.

The Company determines the level in the fair value hierarchy within which each fair value measurement falls in its entirety, based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. In determining the appropriate levels, the Company performs an analysis of the assets and liabilities at each reporting period end.

The carrying value of financial instruments (consisting of accounts payable and accrued expenses) is considered to be representative of their respective fair values due to the short-term nature of those instruments.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2021-04, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Debt — Modifications and Extinguishments (Subtopic 470-50), Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718), and Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Issuer’s Accounting for Certain Modifications or Exchanges of Freestanding Equity-Classified Written Call Options (“ASU 2021-04”). ASU 2021-04 provides guidance as to how an issuer should account for a modification of the terms or conditions or an exchange of a freestanding equity-classified written call option (i.e., a warrant) that remains classified after modification or exchange as an exchange of the original instrument for a new instrument. An issuer should measure the effect of a modification or exchange as the difference between the fair value of the modified or exchanged warrant and the fair value of that warrant immediately before modification or exchange and then apply a recognition model that comprises four categories of transactions and the corresponding accounting treatment for each category (equity issuance, debt origination, debt modification, and modifications unrelated to equity issuance and debt origination or modification). ASU 2021-04 is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those fiscal years. An entity should apply the guidance provided in ASU 2021-04 prospectively to modifications or exchanges occurring on or after the effective date. The Company adopted ASU 2021-04 effective January 1, 2022. The adoption of ASU 2021-04 did not have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statement presentation or disclosures.

Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, authoritative guidance, if currently adopted, would have a material impact on the Company’s financial statement presentation or disclosures.

4. Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs, including costs associated with clinical trials involving the Company’s lead clinical compound LB-100, are summarized below based on the respective geographical regions where such costs are incurred.

5. Stockholders’ Equity

Preferred Stock

The Company is authorized to issue a total of 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. On March 17, 2015, the Company filed a Certificate of Designations, Preferences, Rights and Limitations of its Series A Convertible Preferred Stock with the Delaware Secretary of State to amend the Company’s certificate of incorporation. The Company has designated a total of 350,000 shares as Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, which are non-voting and are not subject to increase without the written consent of a majority of the holders of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock or as otherwise set forth in the Preferences, Rights and Limitations. The holders of each tranche of 175,000 shares of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock are entitled to receive a per share dividend equal to 1% of the annual net revenue of the Company divided by 175,000, until converted or redeemed. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had 9,650,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock which may be issued with such rights and powers as the Board of Directors may designate.

Each share of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock may be converted, at the option of the holder, into 2.0833 shares of common stock (subject to customary anti-dilution provisions) and the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock is subject to mandatory conversion at the conversion rate in the event of a merger or sale transaction resulting in gross proceeds to the Company of at least $21,875,000. The Series A Convertible Preferred Stock has a liquidation preference based on its assumed conversion into shares of common stock. The Series A Convertible Preferred Stock does not have a cash liquidation preference.

If fully converted, the 350,000 outstanding shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock would convert into 729,167 shares of common stock at March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022. The Series A Convertible Preferred Stock has no right to cash, except with respect to the payment of the aforementioned dividend based on the generation of revenues by the Company. The shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock do not have any registration rights.

Based on the attributes of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock as previously described, the Company has accounted for the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock as a permanent component of stockholders’ equity.

Common Stock

The Company is authorized to issue a total of 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had 16,659,093 shares and 16,646,593 shares, respectively, of common stock issued, issuable and outstanding.

Effective April 12, 2022, the Company completed the sale of 2,900,000 shares of common stock at a price of $2.00 per share in a registered direct equity offering, generating gross proceeds of $5,800,000. The total cash costs of this offering were $658,616, resulting in net proceeds of $5,141,384. Pursuant to the placement agents’ agreement, the Company granted warrants to the placement agents to purchase 290,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.00 per share exercisable through April 14, 2027.

Effective March 10, 2023, the Company issued 12,500 shares of common stock upon the exercise of a stock option in the form of a warrant held by a consultant to the Company for 12,500 shares exercisable at $0.5025 per share for total cash proceeds of $6,281.

At March 31, 2023, the outstanding warrants are exercisable at the following prices per common share:

Based on a fair market value of $0.83 per share on March 31, 2023, there was no intrinsic value attributed to exercisable but unexercised common stock warrants at March 31, 2023.

Information with respect to the issuance of common stock in connection with various stock-based compensation arrangements is provided at Note 7.

6. Related Party Transactions

Related party transactions include transactions with the Company’s officers, directors and affiliates.

Employment Agreements with Officers

During July and August 2020, the Company entered into one-year employment agreements with its executive officers, consisting of Dr. John S. Kovach, Eric J. Forman, Dr. James S. Miser, and Robert N. Weingarten, payable monthly, as described below. The employment agreements are automatically renewable for additional one-year periods unless terminated by either party upon 60 days written notice prior to the end of the applicable one-year period, or by death, or by termination for cause. These employment agreements were automatically renewed for additional one-year periods in July and August 2021 and 2022.

The Company entered into an employment agreement with Dr. Kovach dated July 15, 2020, effective October 1, 2020, for Dr. Kovach to continue to act as the Company’s President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, with an annual salary of $250,000. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $62,500 and $62,500, respectively, to Dr. Kovach under this employment agreement, which costs are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.

The Company entered into an employment agreement with Dr. James S. Miser, M.D., effective August 1, 2020 to act as the Company’s Chief Medical Officer, with an annual salary of $150,000. Effective May 1, 2021, Dr. Miser’s annual salary was increased to $175,000. Dr. Miser is required to devote at least 50% of his business time to the Company’s activities. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $43,750 and $43,750, respectively, to Dr. Miser under this employment agreement, which costs are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.

The Company entered into an employment agreement with Eric J. Forman effective July 15, 2020, as amended on August 12, 2020, to act as the Company’s Chief Administrative Officer, with an annual salary of $120,000. Mr. Forman is the son-in-law of Gil Schwartzberg (deceased), a former member of the Company’s Board of Directors who died on October 30, 2022 and was a significant stockholder of and consultant to the Company, and is the son of Dr. Stephen Forman, a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. Julie Forman, the wife of Mr. Forman and the daughter of Gil Schwartzberg, is Vice President of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, at which firm the Company’s cash is on deposit and with which the Company maintains a continuing banking relationship. Effective May 1, 2021, Mr. Forman’s annual salary was increased to $175,000. Additionally, effective November 6, 2022, Mr. Forman was promoted to Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with an annual salary of $200,000. Effective October 1, 2022, Mr. Forman has been provided a monthly office rent allowance, pursuant to which Mr. Forman was paid $2,583 for the three months ended March 31, 2023. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $50,000 and $43,750, respectively, to Mr. Forman under this employment agreement, which costs are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.

The Company entered into an employment agreement with Robert N. Weingarten effective August 12, 2020 to act as the Company’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, with an annual salary of $120,000. Effective May 1, 2021, Mr. Weingarten’s annual salary was increased to $175,000. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company paid $43,750 and $43,750, respectively, to Mr. Weingarten under this employment agreement, which costs are included in general and administrative costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.

Appointment of Dr. René Bernards to the Board of Directors

Effective as of June 15, 2022, Dr. René Bernards was appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors as an independent director. Dr. Bernards is a leader in the field of molecular carcinogenesis and is employed by the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. As a new director, in lieu of a grant of stock options, Dr. Bernards received a one-time cash board fee of $100,000, which was paid upon his appointment to the Board of Directors, and an annual cash board fee of $40,000, payable quarterly.

On October 8, 2021, the Company has previously entered into a Development Collaboration Agreement with the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, one of the world’s leading comprehensive cancer centers, and Oncode Institute, Utrecht, a major independent cancer research center, to identify the most promising drugs to be combined with LB-100, and potentially LB-100 analogues, to be used to treat a range of cancers, as well as to identify the specific molecular mechanisms underlying the identified combinations, as described at Note 9.

Compensatory Arrangements for Members of the Board of Directors

Effective April 9, 2021, the Board of Directors approved a comprehensive cash and equity compensation program for the independent members of the Board of Directors and committee members. Effective May 25, 2022, the Board of Directors approved an amendment to the program. Officers who also serve on the Board of Directors are not compensated separately for their service on the Board of Directors.

Cash compensation for independent directors, payable quarterly, is as follows:

Base director compensation - $20,000 per year

Chairman of audit committee - additional $10,000 per year

Chairman of any other committees - additional $5,000 per year

Member of audit committee - additional $5,000 per year

Member of any other committees - additional $2,500 per year

Equity compensation for independent directors is as follows:

Appointment of new independent directors - The Company will grant options to purchase 250,000 shares of common stock, exercisable for a period of five years, at the closing market price on the date of grant, vesting 50% on the grant date and the remaining 50% vesting 12.5% on the last day of each calendar quarter beginning in the quarter immediately subsequent to the date of the grant until fully vested, subject to continued service. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, for a nominee to the Board of Directors who is restricted by their respective institution or employer from receiving equity-based compensation, in lieu of the grant of such stock options, the Company may elect to pay a one-time cash fee of $100,000 to such director, payable upfront.

Annual grant of options to independent directors - Effective on the last business day of the month of June, the Company will grant options to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock, exercisable for a period of five years, at the closing market price on the date of grant, vesting 12.5% on the last day of each calendar quarter beginning in the quarter immediately subsequent to the date of grant until fully vested, subject to continued service. If any director has served for less than 12 full calendar months at the grant date, the amount of such stock option grant shall be prorated based on the length of service of such director. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, for a nominee to the Board of Directors who is restricted by their respective institution or employer from receiving equity-based compensation, in lieu of the grant of such stock options, the Company may elect to pay an annual cash fee of $40,000 to such director, payable quarterly.

Total cash compensation paid to independent directors was $42,500 and $32,500, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.

Stock-based compensation granted to members of the Company’s Board of Directors, officers and affiliates is described at Note 7.

A summary of related party costs, including compensation under employment and consulting agreements and fees paid to non-officer directors for their services on the Board of Directors, for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 is as follows:

7. Stock-Based Compensation

The Company periodically issues common stock and stock options as incentive compensation to directors and as compensation for the services of employees, contractors, and consultants of the Company.

On July 14, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company adopted the 2020 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”), which was subsequently approved by the stockholders of the Company. The 2020 Plan provides for the granting of equity-based awards, consisting of stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, and other stock-based awards to employees, officers, directors and consultants of the Company and its affiliates, initially for a total of 2,333,333 shares of the Company’s common stock, under terms and conditions as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors. On October 7, 2022, the stockholders of the Company approved an amendment to the 2020 Plan to increase the number of common shares issuable thereunder by 1,800,000 shares, to a total of 4,133,333 shares.

As of March 31, 2023, unexpired stock options for 2,603,125 shares were issued and outstanding under the 2020 Plan and 1,530,208 shares were available for issuance under the 2020 Plan.

The fair value of a stock option award is calculated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect as of the grant date. The expected dividend yield assumption is based on the Company’s expectation of dividend payouts and is assumed to be zero. The estimated volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s common stock, calculated utilizing a look-back period approximately equal to the contractual life of the stock option being granted. Unless sufficient historical exercise data is available, the expected life of the stock option is calculated as the mid-point between the vesting period and the contractual term (the “simplified method”). The fair market value of the common stock is determined by reference to the quoted market price of the common stock on the grant date.

There were no stock options requiring an assessment of value issued during the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.

On July 15, 2020, as amended on August 12, 2020, in connection with the employment agreement entered into with Eric J. Forman, Mr. Forman was granted stock options to purchase 58,333 shares of the Company’s common stock. The options can be exercised on a cashless basis. The options are exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $7.14 per share, which was equal to the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. The options vested 25% on August 12, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the final 25% vesting on August 12, 2023, subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $400,855 ($6.8718 per share), of which $100,214 was attributable to the portion of the stock options fully vested on August 12, 2020 and was therefore charged to operations on that date. The remaining unvested portion of the fair value of the stock options is being charged to operations ratably from August 12, 2020 through August 12, 2023. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $24,710 and $24,710, respectively, with respect to these stock options.

On August 1, 2020, in connection with an employment agreement entered into with Dr. James S. Miser, M.D., Dr. Miser was granted stock options to purchase 83,334 shares of the Company’s common stock. The options can be exercised on a cashless basis. The options are exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $7.14 per share, which was equal to the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the effective date of the employment agreement. The options vested 25% on August 1, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the final 25% vesting on August 1, 2023, subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $572,650 ($6.8718 per share), of which $143,163 was attributable to the portion of the stock options fully vested on August 1, 2020 and was therefore charged to operations on that date. The remaining unvested portion of the fair value of the stock options is being charged to operations ratably from August 1, 2020 through August 1, 2023. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $35,300 and $35,300, respectively, with respect to these stock options.

On August 12, 2020, in connection with the employment agreement entered into with Robert N. Weingarten, Mr. Weingarten was granted stock options to purchase 58,333 shares of the Company’s common stock. The options can be exercised on a cashless basis. The options are exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $7.14 per share, which was equal to the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. The options vested 25% on August 12, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the final 25% vesting on August 12, 2023, subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $400,855 ($6.8718 per share), of which $100,214 was attributable to the portion of the stock options fully vested on August 12, 2020 and was therefore charged to operations on that date. The remaining unvested portion of the fair value of the stock options is being charged to operations ratably from August 12, 2020 through August 12, 2023. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $24,710 and $24,710, respectively, with respect to these stock options.

On April 9, 2021, the Board of Directors appointed Gil Schwartzberg to fill the vacancy created by a former director’s resignation. In connection with his appointment to the Board of Directors, and in accordance with the Company’s cash and equity compensation package for members of the Board of Directors, Mr. Schwartzberg was granted stock options to purchase 250,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $3.20 per share (the closing market price on the grant date), vesting 50% on the grant date and the remainder vesting 12.5% on the last day of each subsequent calendar quarter-end until fully vested, subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $753,611 ($3.0144 per share), of which $376,800 was attributable to the portion of the stock options fully vested on April 9, 2021 and was therefore charged to operations on that date. The remaining unvested portion of the fair value of the stock options was being charged to operations ratably from April 9, 2021 through June 30, 2023. However, vesting of these stock options terminated on October 30, 2022, the date that Mr. Schwartzberg died. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $0 and $41,764, respectively, with respect to these stock options.

On May 11, 2021, the Board of Directors appointed Regina Brown to the Board of Directors. In connection with her appointment to the Board of Directors, and in accordance with the Company’s cash and equity compensation package for members of the Board of Directors, Ms. Brown was granted stock options to purchase 250,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $2.80 per share (the closing market price on the grant date), vesting 50% on the grant date and the remainder vesting 12.5% on the last day of each subsequent calendar quarter-end until fully vested, subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $658,363 ($2.6335 per share), of which $329,188 was attributable to the portion of the stock options fully vested on May 11, 2021 and was therefore charged to operations on that date. The remaining unvested portion of the fair value of the stock options is being charged to operations ratably from May 11, 2021 through June 30, 2023. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $37,983 and $37,983, respectively, with respect to these stock options.

On June 30, 2021, the Board of Directors, in accordance with the Company’s cash and equity compensation package for members of the Board of Directors, granted to each of the five non-officer directors of the Company stock options to purchase 100,000 shares (a total of 500,000 shares) of the Company’s common stock, exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $3.03 per share (the closing market price on the grant date), vesting 12.5% on the last day of each subsequent calendar quarter-end until fully vested, subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $1,421,095 ($2.84225 per share), which is being charged to operations ratably from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $105,123 and $175,205, respectively, with respect to these stock options.

On June 17, 2022, the Board of Directors appointed Bas van der Baan to the Board of Directors. In connection with his appointment to the Board of Directors, and in accordance with the Company’s cash and equity compensation package for members of the Board of Directors, Mr. Baan was granted stock options to purchase 250,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $0.74 per share (the closing market price on the grant date), vesting 50% on the grant date and the remainder vesting 12.5% on the last day of each subsequent calendar quarter-end until fully vested, subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $158,525 ($0.6341 per share), of which $79,263 was attributable to the portion of the stock options fully vested on June 17, 2022 and was therefore charged to operations on that date. The remaining unvested portion of the fair value of the stock options is being charged to operations ratably from June 17, 2022 through June 30, 2024. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company recorded a total charge to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $9,588 with respect to these stock options.

On June 30, 2022, the Board of Directors, in accordance with the Company’s cash and equity compensation package for members of the Board of Directors, granted to each of the five non-officer directors of the Company stock options to purchase 100,000 shares (a total of 500,000 shares) of the Company’s common stock, exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $0.74 per share (the closing market price on the grant date), vesting 12.5% on the last day of each subsequent calendar quarter-end until fully vested, subject to continued service. The fair value of these stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $316,700 ($0.6334 per share), which is being charged to operations ratably from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company recorded a total charge to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $23,394 with respect to these stock options.

On November 6, 2022, the Board of Directors granted to each of the four officers of the Company stock options to purchase 200,000 shares (a total of 800,000 shares) of the Company’s common stock, exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $2.00 per share, vesting 25% on issuance and 25% on each anniversary date thereafter until fully vested, subject to continued service. The total fair value of the 800,000 stock options, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $262,560 ($0.3282 per share), which is being charged to operations ratably from November 6, 2022 through November 6, 2025. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company recorded a total charge to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations of $16,172 with respect to these stock options.

On November 6, 2022, the Company issued a stock option, in the form of a warrant, to BioPharmaWorks to purchase 100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, which was fully vested upon issuance and is exercisable for a period of five years at $0.5025 per share (the closing market price on the issue date). The fair value of the warrant, as calculated pursuant to the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, was determined to be $43,264 ($0.4326 per share) and was charged to general and administrative costs in the consolidated statement of operations on that date.

Dr. Philip Palmedo, a director of the Company since 2006, did not stand for re-election to the Company’s Board of Directors at the Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on October 7, 2022, and Gil Schwartzberg, a director of the Company, died on October 30, 2022. Accordingly, the unvested stock options for each such person ceased vesting effective as of the respective dates that their service on the Company’s Board of Directors terminated. Furthermore, the expiration date of all vested stock options owned by such persons are contractually scheduled to expire one year from the respective dates that their service on the Company’s Board of Directors terminated.

A summary of stock-based compensation costs for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 is as follows:

A summary of stock option activity, including options issued in the form of warrants, during the three months ended March 31, 2023 is as follows:

Total deferred compensation expense for the outstanding value of unvested stock options was approximately $605,000 at March 31, 2023, which will be recognized subsequent to March 31, 2023 over a weighted-average period of approximately 15 months.

The exercise prices of common stock options outstanding and exercisable, including options issued in the form of warrants, at March 31, 2023 are as follows:

The intrinsic value of exercisable but unexercised in-the-money stock options at March 31, 2023 was approximately $56,500, based on a fair market value of $0.83 per share on March 31, 2023.

Outstanding stock options to acquire 968,750 shares of the Company’s common stock had not vested at March 31, 2023.

The Company expects to satisfy such stock obligations through the issuance of authorized but unissued shares of common stock.

8. Income Taxes

During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not record any provision for income taxes as the Company incurred losses during those periods. Deferred tax assets and liabilities reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The Company has recorded a full valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets for all periods presented as the Company believes it is more likely than not the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

9. Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Claims

The Company may be subject to legal claims and actions from time to time as part of its business activities. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company was not subject to any pending or threatened legal claims or actions.

Principal Commitments

Clinical Trial Agreements

At March 31, 2023, the Company’s unpaid remaining contractual commitments pursuant to clinical trial agreements and clinical trial monitoring agreements, as described below, aggregated $7,900,000, which are currently scheduled to be incurred through December 31, 2025. The Company’s ability to conduct and fund these contractual commitments is subject to the timely availability of sufficient capital to fund such expenditures, as well as any changes in the allocation or reallocation of such funds to the Company’s current or future clinical trial programs. The Company expects that the full amount of these expenditures will be incurred only if such clinical trial programs are conducted as originally designed and their respective enrollments and duration are not modified or reduced. Clinical trial programs, such as the types that the Company is engaged in, can be highly variable and can frequently involve a series of changes and modifications over time as clinical data is obtained and analyzed, and are frequently modified, suspended or terminated before the clinical trial endpoint. Accordingly, such contractual commitments as discussed herein should be considered as estimates only based on current clinical assumptions and conditions, and are typically subject to significant revisions over time.

Moffitt. Effective August 20, 2018, the Company entered into a Clinical Trial Research Agreement with the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Hospital Inc., Tampa, Florida, effective for a term of five years, unless terminated earlier by the Company pursuant to 30 days written notice. Pursuant to the Clinical Trial Research Agreement, Moffitt agreed to conduct and manage a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial to evaluate the therapeutic benefit of the Company’s lead anti-cancer clinical compound LB-100 to be administered intravenously in patients with low or intermediate-1 risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

In November 2018, the Company received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Investigational New Drug Application (“IND”) to conduct a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial to evaluate the therapeutic benefit of LB-100 in patients with low and intermediate-1 risk MDS who have failed or are intolerant of standard treatment. Patients with MDS, although usually older, are generally well except for severe anemia requiring frequent blood transfusions. This Phase 1b/2 clinical trial utilizes LB-100 as a single agent in the treatment of patients with low and intermediate-1 risk MDS, including patients with del(5q) myelodysplastic syndrome (del5qMDS) failing first line therapy. The bone marrow cells of patients with del5qMDS are deficient in PP2A by virtue of an acquired mutation and are especially vulnerable to further inhibition of PP2A by LB-100. The clinical trial began at a single site in April 2019 and the first patient was entered into the clinical trial in July 2019. A total enrollment of 41 patients is planned. An interim analysis will be done after the first 21 patients are entered. If there are 3 or more responders but fewer than 7, an additional 20 patients will be entered. If at any point there are 7 or more responders, this will be sufficient evidence to support continued development of LB-100 for the treatment of low and intermediate-1 risk MDS. Recruitment has been slow and the Covid-19 pandemic has further reduced recruitment of patients into the protocol. At the current rate of accrual, the clinical trial is expected to be completed by June 30, 2025. However, with additional funds, the Company would consider adding two additional MDS centers to the Phase 2 portion of the study to accelerate patient accrual.

During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $6,000 and $3,332, respectively, pursuant to this agreement, which have been included in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of March 31, 2023, total costs of $137,074 have been incurred pursuant to this agreement. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $575,000 as of March 31, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through December 31, 2025.

GEIS. Effective July 31, 2019, the Company entered into a Collaboration Agreement for an Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trial with the Spanish Sarcoma Group (Grupo Español de Investigación en Sarcomas or “GEIS”), Madrid, Spain, to carry out a study entitled “Randomized phase I/II trial of LB-100 plus doxorubicin vs. doxorubicin alone in first line of advanced soft tissue sarcoma”. The purpose of this clinical trial is to obtain information with respect to the efficacy and safety of LB-100 combined with doxorubicin in soft tissue sarcomas. Doxorubicin is the global standard for initial treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas (“ASTS”). Doxorubicin alone has been the mainstay of first line treatment of ASTS for over 40 years, with little therapeutic gain from adding cytotoxic compounds to or substituting other cytotoxic compounds for doxorubicin. In animal models, LB-100 consistently enhances the anti-tumor activity of doxorubicin without apparent increases in toxicity.

GEIS has a network of referral centers in Spain and across Europe that have an impressive track record of efficiently conducting innovative studies in ASTS. The Company agreed to provide GEIS with a supply of LB-100 to be utilized in the conduct of this clinical trial, as well as to provide funding for the clinical trial. The goal is to enter approximately 150 to 170 patients in this clinical trial over a period of two years. As advanced sarcoma is a very aggressive disease, the design of the study assumes a median progression free survival (PFS, no evidence of disease progression or death from any cause) of 4.5 months in the doxorubicin arm and an alternative median PFS of 7.5 months in the doxorubicin plus LB-100 arm to demonstrate a statistically significant decrease in relative risk of progression or death by adding LB-100. There is a planned interim analysis of the primary endpoint when approximately 50% of the 102 events required for final analysis is reached.

The Company had previously expected that this clinical trial would commence during the quarter ended June 30, 2020. However, during July 2020, the Spanish regulatory authority advised the Company that although it had approved the scientific and ethical basis of the protocol, it required that the Company manufacture new inventory of LB-100 under current Spanish pharmaceutical manufacturing standards. These standards were adopted subsequent to the production of the Company’s existing LB-100 inventory.

In order to manufacture a new inventory supply of LB-100 for the GEIS clinical trial, the Company engaged a number of vendors to carry out the multiple tasks needed to make and gain approval of a new clinical product for investigational study in Spain. These tasks included the synthesis under good manufacturing practices (GMP) of the active pharmacologic ingredient (API), with documentation of each of the steps involved by an independent auditor. The API was then transferred to a vendor that prepares the clinical drug product, also under GMP conditions documented by an independent auditor. The clinical drug product was then sent to a vendor to test for purity and sterility, provide appropriate labels, store the drug, and distribute the drug to the clinical centers for use in the clinical trials. A formal application documenting all steps taken to prepare the clinical drug product for clinical use was submitted to the appropriate regulatory authorities for review and approval before being used in a clinical trial.

As of March 31, 2023, this program to provide new inventory of the clinical drug product for the Spanish Sarcoma Group study, and potentially for subsequent multiple trials within the European Union, had cost approximately $1,144,000. While the production of new inventory has been completed, nominal amounts of trailing costs are expected to be incurred during the year ending December 31, 2023.

On October 13, 2022, the Company announced that the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios or “AEMPS”) had authorized a Phase 1b/randomized Phase 2 study of LB-100, the Company’s lead clinical compound, plus doxorubicin, versus doxorubicin alone, the global standard for initial treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas (ASTS). Consequently, the GEIS clinical trial is currently scheduled to commence during the quarter ending June 30, 2023 and to be completed by December 31, 2025. In April 2023, GEIS completed its first site initiation visit in preparation for the clinical trial at Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital (Madrid). Up to 170 patents will be entered into the clinical trial. The Phase 1b section of the protocol is expected to be completed by June 30, 2024, at which time the Company expects to have data on both response and toxicity from this portion of the clinical trial.

The interim analysis of this clinical trial will be done before full accrual of patients is completed to determine whether the study has the possibility of showing superiority of the combination of LB-100 plus doxorubicin compared to doxorubicin alone. A positive study would have the potential to change the standard therapy for this disease after four decades of failure to improve the marginal benefit of doxorubicin alone.

The Company’s agreement with GEIS provides for various payments based on achieving specific milestones over the term of the agreement. Through March 31, 2023, the Company has paid GEIS an aggregate of $415,823 for work done under this agreement through the third milestone.

During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not incur any costs pursuant to this agreement. Such costs, when incurred, are included in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of March 31, 2023, total costs of $415,823 have been incurred pursuant to this agreement. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $3,792,000 as of March 31, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through December 31, 2025. As the work is being conducted in Europe and is paid for in Euros, final costs are subject to foreign currency fluctuations between the United States Dollar and the Euro. Such fluctuations are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations as foreign currency gain or loss, as appropriate.

City of Hope. Effective January 18, 2021, the Company executed a Clinical Research Support Agreement with the City of Hope National Medical Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, and City of Hope Medical Foundation (collectively, “City of Hope”), to carry out a Phase 1b clinical trial of LB-100, the Company’s first-in-class protein phosphatase inhibitor, combined with a standard regimen for treatment of untreated extensive- stage disease small cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC). LB-100 will be given in combination with carboplatin, etoposide and atezolizumab, an FDA-approved but marginally effective regimen, to previously untreated ED-SCLC patients. The dose of LB-100 will be escalated with the standard fixed doses of the 3-drug regimen to reach a recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D). Patient entry will be expanded so that a total of 12 patients will be evaluable at the RP2D to confirm the safety of the LB-100 combination and to look for potential therapeutic activity as assessed by objective response rate, duration of overall response, progression-free-survival and overall survival.

The clinical trial was initiated on March 9, 2021, with patient accrual expected to take approximately two years to complete. However, as patient accrual was slower than expected, the Company has been seeking to add two additional sites to increase the rate of patient accrual. Effective March 6, 2023, the Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI), Nashville, Tennessee, joined the City of Hope’s ongoing Phase 1b clinical trial. The Company is continuing its efforts to add a third site. The addition of SCRI is expected to expedite and expand the accrual of patients to this clinical trial, thus reducing the time required to demonstrate the feasibility, tolerability and efficacy of adding LB-100 to the current standard treatment regimen. With the addition of SCRI, the Company expects that this clinical trial will be completed by December 31, 2024.

During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $69,001 and $0, respectively, pursuant to this agreement, which are included in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of March 31, 2023, total costs of $447,512 have been incurred pursuant to this agreement. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $2,433,000 as of March 31, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through December 31, 2024. If a significant number of patients fail during the dose-escalation process, an increase of up to 12 patients would likely be necessary, at an estimated additional cost of approximately $800,000.

The Company currently expects that enrollment in this clinical trial will range from approximately 18 to 30 enrollees, with 24 enrollees as the most likely number. Should fewer than 42 enrollees be required, the Company has agreed to compensate City of Hope on a per enrollee basis. If a significant improvement in outcome is seen with the addition of LB-100, this would be an important advance in the treatment of a very aggressive disease.

National Cancer Institute Pharmacologic Clinical Trial. In May 2019, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) initiated a glioblastoma (GBM) pharmacologic clinical trial. This study is being conducted and funded by the NCI under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, with the Company being required to provide the LB-100 clinical compound.

Primary malignant brain tumors (gliomas) are very challenging to treat. Radiation combined with the chemotherapeutic drug temozolomide has been the mainstay of therapy of the most aggressive gliomas (glioblastoma multiforme or GBM) for decades, with some further benefit gained by the addition of one or more anti-cancer drugs, but without major advances in overall survival for the majority of patients. In animal models of GBM, the Company’s novel protein phosphatase inhibitor, LB-100, has been found to enhance the effectiveness of radiation, temozolomide chemotherapy treatments and immunotherapy, raising the possibility that LB-100 may improve outcomes of standard GBM treatment in the clinic. Although LB-100 has proven safe in patients at doses associated with apparent anti-tumor activity against several human cancers arising outside the brain, the ability of LB-100 to penetrate tumor tissue arising in the brain is not known. Unfortunately, many drugs potentially useful for GBM treatment do not enter the brain in amounts necessary for anti-cancer action.

The NCI study is designed to determine the extent to which LB-100 enters recurrent malignant gliomas. Patients having surgery to remove one or more tumors will receive one dose of LB-100 prior to surgery and have blood and tumor tissue analyzed to determine the amount of LB-100 present and to determine whether the cells in the tumors show the biochemical changes expected to be present if LB-100 reaches its molecular target. As a result of the innovative design of the NCI study, data from a few patients should be sufficient to provide a sound rationale for conducting a larger clinical trial to determine the effectiveness of adding LB-100 to the standard treatment regimen for GBMs. Five patients have been entered and analysis of the blood and tissue will now proceed. If there is evidence in at least two of the patients of penetration of LB 100 into tumor tissue, the study will be deemed as successful. Results of this study are currently being reviewed by NCI and a report is expected by June 30, 2023.

Clinical Trial Monitoring Agreements

Moffitt. On September 12, 2018, the Company finalized a work order agreement with Theradex Systems, Inc. (“Theradex”), an international contract research organization (“CRO”), to monitor the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial being managed and conducted by Moffitt. The clinical trial began in April 2019 and the first patient was entered into the clinical trial in July 2019. At the current rate of accrual, the clinical trial is expected to be completed by June 30, 2025.

Costs under this work order agreement are estimated to be approximately $954,000, with such payments expected to be allocated approximately 94% to Theradex for services and approximately 6% for payments for pass-through costs. The costs of the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial being paid to or through Theradex are being recorded and charged to operations based on periodic documentation provided by the CRO. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $9,287 and $3,281, respectively, and as of March 31, 2023, total costs of $136,575 have been incurred. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $826,000 as of March 31, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through June 30, 2025.

City of Hope. On February 5, 2021, the Company signed a new work order agreement with Theradex to monitor the City of Hope investigator-initiated clinical trial in small cell lung cancer in accordance with FDA requirements for oversight by the sponsoring party. Costs under this work order agreement are estimated to be approximately $335,000. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $5,553 and $4,500, respectively, and as of March 31, 2023, total costs of $63,994 have been incurred. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $273,000 as of March 31, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through June 30, 2025.

Patent and License Agreements

Moffitt. Effective August 20, 2018, the Company entered into an Exclusive License Agreement with Moffitt. Pursuant to the License Agreement, Moffitt granted the Company an exclusive license under certain patents owned by Moffitt (the “Licensed Patents”) relating to the treatment of MDS and a non-exclusive license under inventions, concepts, processes, information, data, know-how, research results, clinical data, and the like (other than the Licensed Patents) necessary or useful for the practice of any claim under the Licensed Patents or the use, development, manufacture or sale of any product for the treatment of MDS which would otherwise infringe a valid claim under the Licensed Patents. The Company was obligated to pay Moffitt a non-refundable license issue fee of $25,000 after the first patient was entered into a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial to be managed and conducted by Moffitt. The clinical trial began at a single site in April 2019 and the first patient was entered into the clinical trial in July 2019. The Company is also obligated to pay Moffitt an annual license maintenance fee of $25,000 commencing on the first anniversary of the Effective Date and every anniversary thereafter until the Company commences payment of minimum royalty payments. The Company has also agreed to pay non-refundable milestone payments to Moffitt, which cannot be credited against earned royalties payable by the Company, based on reaching various clinical and commercial milestones aggregating $1,897,000, subject to reduction by 40% under certain circumstances relating to the status of Valid Claims, as such term is defined in the License Agreement. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded charges to operations of $6,165 and $6,165, respectively, in connection with its obligations under the License Agreement. As of March 31, 2023, no milestones had yet been attained.

The Company will be obligated to pay Moffitt earned royalties of 4% on worldwide cumulative net sales of royalty-bearing products, subject to reduction to 2% under certain circumstances, on a quarterly basis, with a minimum royalty payment of $50,000 in the first four years after sales commence, and $100,000 in year five and each year thereafter, subject to reduction by 40% under certain circumstances relating to the status of Valid Claims, as such term is defined in the License Agreement. The Company’s obligation to pay earned royalties under the License Agreement commences on the date of the first sale of a royalty-bearing product, and shall automatically expire on a country-by-country basis on the date on which the last valid claim of the Licensed Patents expires, lapses or is declared invalid, and the obligation to pay any earned royalties under the License Agreement shall terminate on the date on which the last valid claim of the Licensed Patents expires, lapses, or is declared to be invalid in all countries.

Employment Agreements with Officers

During July and August 2020, the Company entered into one-year employment agreements with its executive officers, consisting of Dr. John S. Kovach, Eric J. Forman, Dr. James S. Miser, and Robert N. Weingarten, which provided for aggregate annual compensation of $640,000, payable monthly (see Note 6). The employment agreements are automatically renewable for additional one-year periods unless terminated by either party upon 60 days written notice prior to the end of the applicable one-year period, or by death, or by termination for cause. These employment agreements were automatically renewed for additional one-year periods in July and August 2021 and 2022.

On April 9, 2021, the Board of Directors increased the annual compensation of Eric J. Forman, Dr. James S. Miser, and Robert N. Weingarten under the employment agreements, such that the total aggregate annual compensation of all officers increased to $775,000, effective May 1, 2021.

Effective November 6, 2022, Mr. Forman was promoted to Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, with an annual salary of $200,000. Accordingly, the total aggregate annual compensation of all officers increased to $800,000, effective November 6, 2022. In addition, effective October 1, 2022, Mr. Forman is being paid an office rent allowance of $600 per month.

The total aggregate annual compensation of all officers increased to $800,000, effective November 6, 2022.

Other Significant Agreements and Contracts

NDA Consulting Corp. On December 24, 2013, the Company entered into an agreement with NDA Consulting Corp. for consultation and advice in the field of oncology research and drug development. As part of the agreement, NDA also agreed to cause its president, Dr. Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., to become a member of the Company’s Scientific Advisory Committee. The term of the agreement was for one year and provided for a quarterly cash fee of $4,000. The agreement has been automatically renewed for additional one-year terms on its anniversary date since 2014. Consulting and advisory fees charged to operations pursuant to this agreement were $4,000 and $4,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which were included in research and development costs in the consolidated statements of operations.

BioPharmaWorks. Effective September 14, 2015, the Company entered into a Collaboration Agreement with BioPharmaWorks, pursuant to which the Company engaged BioPharmaWorks to perform certain services for the Company. Those services included, among other things, assisting the Company to commercialize its products and strengthen its patent portfolio; identifying large pharmaceutical companies with a potential interest in the Company’s product pipeline; assisting in preparing technical presentations concerning the Company’s products; consultation in drug discovery and development; and identifying providers and overseeing tasks relating to clinical development of new compounds.

BioPharmaWorks was founded in 2015 by former Pfizer scientists with extensive multi-disciplinary research and development and drug development experience. The Collaboration Agreement was for an initial term of two years and automatically renews for subsequent annual periods unless terminated by a party not less than 60 days prior to the expiration of the applicable period. In connection with the Collaboration Agreement, the Company agreed to pay BioPharmaWorks a monthly fee of $10,000, subject to the right of the Company to pay a negotiated hourly rate in lieu of the monthly payment, and agreed to issue to BioPharmaWorks certain equity-based compensation (see Note 7). The Company recorded charges to operations pursuant to this agreement of $30,000 and $30,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which were included in research and development costs in the consolidated statements of operations.

Netherlands Cancer Institute. On October 8, 2021, the Company entered into a Development Collaboration Agreement with the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam (see Note 6), one of the world’s leading comprehensive cancer centers, and Oncode Institute, Utrecht, a major independent cancer research center, to identify the most promising drugs to be combined with LB-100, and potentially LB-100 analogues, to be used to treat a range of cancers, as well as to identify the specific molecular mechanisms underlying the identified combinations. The Company has agreed to fund the study and provide a sufficient supply of LB-100 to conduct the study. The study is expected to take approximately two years to conduct. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred charges in the amount of $52,203 and $54,230, respectively, with respect to this agreement, which amounts are included in research and development costs in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of March 31, 2023, total costs of $416,518 have been incurred pursuant to this agreement. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this agreement, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $53,000 as of March 31, 2023, which is expected to be incurred through June 30, 2025. As the work is being conducted in Europe and is paid for in Euros, final costs are subject to foreign currency fluctuations between the United States Dollar and the Euro.

MRI Global. The Company has contracted with MRI Global for stability analysis, storage and distribution of LB-100 for clinical trials in the United States. On June 10, 2022, the contract was amended to reflect a new total contract price of $273,980 for services to be rendered through April 30, 2023. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred costs of $3,173 and $756, respectively, pursuant to this contract. As of March 31, 2023, total costs of $222,784 have been incurred pursuant to this contract. The Company’s aggregate commitment pursuant to this contract, less amounts previously paid to date, totaled approximately $53,000 as of March 31, 2023. Effective April 17, 2023, the contract was further amended to reflect a new total contract price of $326,274 for services to be rendered through April 30, 2024.

External Risks Associated with the Company’s Business Activities

Covid-19 Virus. The global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in early 2020 led to disruptions in general economic activities throughout the world as businesses and governments implemented broad actions to mitigate this public health crisis. The extent to which the coronavirus pandemic may impact the Company’s business activities and capital raising efforts will depend on future developments, which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. The Company is continuing to monitor this situation and will adjust its current business plans to the extent additional information and guidance become available. The coronavirus pandemic has also presented a challenge to medical facilities worldwide. Although the Company’s clinical trials are conducted on an outpatient basis, the coronavirus pandemic appears to have caused some delays in the Company’s clinical trials, but the impact of the coronavirus pandemic appears to be subsiding.

Inflation Risk. The Company does not believe that inflation has had a material effect on its operations to date, other than its impact on the general economy. However, there is a risk that the Company’s operating costs could become subject to inflationary and interest rate pressures in the future, which would have the effect of increasing the Company’s operating costs (including, specifically, clinical trial costs), and which would put additional stress on the Company’s working capital resources.

Supply Chain Issues. The Company does not currently expect that supply chain issues will have a significant impact on its business activities, including its ongoing clinical trials.

Potential Recession. There are various indications that the United States economy may be entering a recessionary period. Although unclear at this time, an economic recession would likely impact the general business environment and the capital markets, which could, in turn, affect the Company.

The Company is continuing to monitor these matters and will adjust its current business and financing plans as more information and guidance become available.

10. Subsequent Events

The Company performed an evaluation of subsequent events through the date of filing of these consolidated financial statements with the SEC. There were no material subsequent events which affected, or could affect, the amounts or disclosures in the consolidated financial statements.