ITEM 1. BUSINESS.
Business
Overview
We
are a medical technology company developing sugarBEAT®, a non-invasive, affordable and flexible continuous glucose monitoring
system for adjunctive use by persons with diabetes. SugarBEAT consists of a disposable adhesive skin-patch connected to a rechargeable
wireless transmitter that displays glucose readings at regular five minute intervals via a mobile app. SugarBEAT works by extracting
glucose from the skin into a chamber in the patch that is in direct contact with an electrode-based sensor. The transmitter
sends the raw data to a mobile app where it is processed by an algorithm and displayed as a glucose reading, with the ability
to track and trend the data over days, weeks and months. While sugarBEAT requires once per day calibration by
the patient using a blood sample obtained by a finger stick, we believe sugarBEAT will be adopted by non-insulin dependent
persons with diabetes alongside insulin-injecting persons with diabetes who all perform multiple daily finger sticks to
manage their disease.
We
announced on May 29, 2019 that we had been awarded CE approval to allow sugarBEAT to be legally sold in the European Union. CE
approval is disclosed by the use of the CE Mark, a manufacturers' declaration that the product meets the requirements of the applicable
European laws. The European clinical trial program for sugarBEAT evaluated 525 patient days across 75 Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic
patients and was completed in December 2017. CE approval is the process to achieve a mandatory conformity marking for the sugarBEAT
device to allow it to be legally sold in the European Union. It is a manufacturers' declaration that the product meets the requirements
of the applicable European laws. We also completed studies required to support a US FDA submission for approval of sugarBEAT as
a medical device, and are currently in the process of compiling the application for submission. We previously developed a wristwatch-based
version of sugarBEAT for which we obtained CE approval in February 2016. Since then we have developed sugarBEAT using the underlying
technology of the wristwatch.
We
believe there are additional applications for sugarBEAT and the underlying BEAT technology platform, which may include:
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a
web-server accessible by physicians and diabetes professionals to track the condition
remotely, thereby reducing healthcare costs and managing the condition more effectively;
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a
complete virtual doctor that monitors a person's vital signs and transmits results via
the web; and
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other
patches using the BEAT technology platform to measure alternative analytes, including
lactate, uric acid, lithium and drugs. This would be a step-change in the monitoring
of conditions, particularly in the hospital setting. Lactate monitoring is currently
used to determine the relative fitness of professional athletes and we completed preliminary
studies demonstrating the application of the BEAT technology for continuous lactate monitoring.
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Our
Business Strategy
We
intend to lead in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative and targeted diagnostic medical devices that
improve disease monitoring, management and overall patient care. Specifically, we intend to focus on the monitoring of molecules
that can be drawn out through the skin non-invasively using our technology platform. In addition to glucose, such molecules may
include lactic acid monitoring and the monitoring of prescription drugs and blood biomarkers that may help in the diagnosis, prevention
or management of diseases, such as diabetes. We plan to take the following steps to implement our broad business strategy.
Our key commercial strategies post-approval will first be implemented in Europe and then in parts of the Middle East and Asia,
and then the U.S., as follows:
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Commercialize
sugarBEAT
in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland
with Dallas Burston
Pharma (Jersey) Limited, with whom we have an exclusive marketing rights agreement for
these two countries.
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We
have also signed a full commercial agreement with Dallas Burston Ethitronix (Europe) Limited in May 2018 for all other European
territories as part of an equal joint venture agreement. The joint venture intends to seek sub-license rights opportunities
to one or more leading companies in the diabetes monitoring space, to leverage their network, infrastructure and resources.
Dallas
Burston (Jersey) Limited was founded by Dr. Dallas Burston, MBBS, an entrepreneur who has founded and sold several companies specializing
in marketing pharmaceuticals. For example, in 1999, he sold 49% of Ashbourne Pharmaceuticals to HSBC Private Equity for £32
million and Bartholomew-Rhodes to Galen Ltd. for £19.8 million. More recently, in 2015, he sold DB Ashbourne Limited, a
provider of off-patent branded pharmaceuticals for the UK market, to Ethypharm. At the time of the sale, DB Ashbourne Limited
was estimated to have revenue of approximately £90 million.
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Establish
licensing or joint venture agreements with other parties to market sugarBEAT in other
geographies
. We are in detailed discussions and negotiations with several other
parties worldwide for licensing or joint venture agreements for the sale of the sugarBEAT
device and have signed commercial agreements with TP MENA for the GCC (Gulf Region),
and Al-Danah Medical for Qatar.
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Submit
FDA application for approval of sugarBEAT
. The application is currently in
progress and expected to be submitted in Q2 2019.
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Expand
the indications for which the
sugarBEAT
device may be used
. We believe that the sugarBEAT device may offer
significant benefits
as compared to those found in
the non-acute setting for the monitoring of other diseases. This includes monitoring of lactic acid for performance
athletics, and the monitoring of drugs. We have completed initial proof of concept for Lactate monitoring and now plan to
explore the route to commercialization for well-being applications in athletic performance training, and plan to
undertake further clinical programs to support clinical use of the device for lactate monitoring,
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Expand
our product pipeline through our proprietary platform technologies, acquisitions and
strategic licensing arrangements.
We intend to leverage our proprietary platform
technologies to grow our portfolio of product candidates for the diagnosis of diabetes
and other diseases. In addition, we intend to license our product and acquire products
and technologies that are consistent with our research and development and business focus
and strategies. This may include drug delivery products for the improved management of
diabetes, for example improved insulin injector systems, and/or combination drug products
for diabetes related drugs.
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Product
Development
Management has extensive experience in regulatory and clinical development of diagnostic medical devices.
We intend to take advantage of this experience in the field of diagnostic medical devices in an attempt to increase the probability
of product approval. The overall regulatory process for diagnostic medical devices for diabetes is currently similar to those
governing other diagnostic devices. The timelines are shorter than, for example, when new drugs or completely invasive diagnostic
devices are
trialed in clinics. We have successfully
tested and evaluated the device for its clinical output, in this case the accuracy and safety with which it can trend blood glucose
levels, based on which CE approval was granted by the Notified body BSI, and we are currently in the process of preparing a submission
to the US FDA. As we continue to raise funds for marketing the device in some European Union territories, we also intend to seek
collaborations with future licensees and marketing partners to achieve our product development and meet our projected milestones.
The
table below provides our current estimate of our timeline:
Product
Development Timelines
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Milestone
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Target
Start Date
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Target
Completion Date
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Completion of clinical
studies in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic subjects to define final device claims and for submission for CE Mark approval with
final device claims.
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July
2017
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Completed
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Scale
up of commercial sensor/patch manufacturing
(Scale
up means we have started looking at larger scales - sufficient for product launch in the UK. It refers to the manufacturing
process for sensors.)
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January
2017
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Completed
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Scale up of device
(transmitter) manufacturing
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January
2017
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Ongoing
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CE Mark for body
worn transmitter device
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August
2018
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Completed
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Commercial launch
in the UK, followed by major territories in Europe
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Q3
2019
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Staggered
launch
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US FDA Submission
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Q2
2019
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Q2 2019
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Market
Opportunity for the Company's Products
According
to the International Diabetes Federation Atlas (the "IDF"), there are approximately 425 million people in the world
who had diabetes as of December 2017. The IDF is predicting that by 2035 this will rise to 592 million people. The
number of people with Type 2 diabetes is increasing in every country and currently eighty percent (80%) of people with diabetes
live in low- and middle-income countries. The greatest number of people with diabetes is between 40 and 59 years of age.
Statistics
published by the IDF report that diabetes is a huge and growing problem, and the costs to society are high and escalating. In
addition, Europe has the highest prevalence of children with Type 1 diabetes.
Statistical
Data for Diabetes in Europe
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2013
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2035
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Adult
population
(20-79
years, millions)
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659
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669
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Diabetes
(20 – 79 years)
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Regional prevalence
(%)
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8.5
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10.3
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Comparative prevalence
(%)
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6.8
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7.1
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Number
of people with diabetes
(millions)
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56.3
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68.9
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Impaired
Glucose Tolerance (20 – 79 years)
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Regional prevalence
(%)
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9.2
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11.0
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Comparative prevalence
(%)
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8.1
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8.9
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Number
of people with IGT (millions)
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60.6
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73.7
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Type
1 diabetes (0 – 14 years)
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Number
of children with Type 1
diabetes
(thousands)
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129.4
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-
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Number
of newly diagnosed cases per year (thousands)
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20.0
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-
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Each
year approximately 600,000 people die from diabetes in Europe.
Deaths
From Diabetes
Europe
has the highest incidence of children with Type 1 diabetes according to data supplied from IDF.org. The top five countries for
the number of people afflicted with diabetes in Europe are listed in the table below.
Top
5 Countries In Europe For People Afflicted With Diabetes 20-79 Years (2013)
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Countries/Territories
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Millions
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Russian
Federation
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10.9
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Germany
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7.6
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Turkey
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7.0
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Spain
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3.8
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Italy
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3.6
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Type
1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces
little or no insulin, a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. The far more common Type 2 diabetes
occurs when the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin or doesn't make enough insulin.
Various
factors may contribute to Type 1 diabetes including genetics and exposure to certain viruses. Although Type 1 diabetes typically
appears during childhood or adolescence, it also can develop in adults.
Despite
active research, Type 1 diabetes has no cure, although it can be managed. With proper treatment, people who have Type 1 diabetes
can expect to live longer, healthier lives than they did in the past. Type 1 diabetes includes autoimmune Type 1 diabetes
(Type 1a) which is characterized by having positive autoantibodies, as well as idiopathic Type 1 diabetes (Type 1b) where autoantibodies
are negative and c-peptide is low. Patients with Type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent) require long term treatment with exogenous
insulin and these patients perform self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) to calculate the appropriate dose of insulin. SMBG
is done by using blood samples obtained by finger sticks but frequent SMBG does not detect all the significant deviations in blood
glucose, specifically in patients who have rapidly fluctuating glucose levels.
Type
2 diabetes, once known as adult-onset or non-insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition that affects the way your body
metabolizes sugar (glucose), your body's main source of fuel. With Type 2 diabetes, your body either resists the effects of insulin,
a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into your cells, or doesn't produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose
level. Untreated, Type 2 diabetes can be life-threatening.
More
common in adults, Type 2 diabetes increasingly affects children as childhood obesity increases. There's no cure for Type 2 diabetes,
but it can be managed by eating well, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight. If diet and exercise don't control the blood
sugar, diabetes medications or insulin therapy may be required.
Each
year, millions of patients undergo diabetes testing in the European Union and in the U.S. The main reason for this testing is
to detect and evaluate diabetes in patients with symptoms of diabetes. These studies provide clinical benefit in the initial evaluation
of patients with suspected but unproven diabetes, and in those patients in whom a diagnosis of diabetes has been established and
information on prognosis or risk is required.
We
believe that our market opportunity is a direct function of the number of persons tested, diagnosed and treated for either Type
1 or Type 2 diabetes. The IDF indicates that the total world market opportunity for a continuous glucose monitoring device is
in the billions of dollars and is projected to grow annually through the year 2035.
We
do not believe it is possible to estimate the number of diabetes patients that undergo finger pricks or other types of invasive
glucose monitoring. However, we are unaware of any product currently on the market that may allow for non-invasive continuous
glucose monitoring. We believe the sugarBEAT device may be readily adopted by the medical community for the assessment of
a patient continuously.
We
believe our non-invasive sugarBEAT device possesses many significant advantages and may represent an ideal device for the detection
of discordances in an individual's blood sugar levels. If approved for commercialization, we believe the sugarBEAT device may
represent a best in class non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring device to reach those afflicted with diabetes. While we cannot
estimate the market share that our sugarBEAT device may capture, we believe that the sugarBEAT device will capture a significant
share of the non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring market, in-particular the market that has been established by the Abbott
Freestyle Libre device for glucose trending, as well as be adopted by non-insulin dependent diabetics who have not historically
used continuous glucose monitoring devices due to their invasiveness.
Commercialization
Plan
We
intend to develop our products through the completion of FDA approvals, to verify the claims that the device may be used as
an adjunct to a finger-stick measurement, and/or a glucose trending device such as those claims made by the Abbott Freestyle Libre
device. We will seek to partner with organizations that may facilitate the further development and distribution of our products
at all stages of development. We also intend to seek strategic partners early in the research and development cycle for programs
that may fall outside of our core competencies.
Competitive
Landscape
We
expect to compete with several medical device manufacturing companies including Dexcom, Abbott, and Senseonics. Our competitors
may:
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develop
and market products that are less expensive or more effective than our future product;
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commercialize
competing products before we or our partners can launch any products developed by us;
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operate
larger research and development programs or have substantially greater financial resources
than we do;
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initiate
or withstand substantial price competition more successfully than we can;
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have
greater success in recruiting skilled technical and scientific workers from the limited
pool of available talent;
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more
effectively negotiate third-party licenses and strategic relationships; and
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take
advantage of acquisition or other opportunities more readily than we can.
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We
will compete for market share against large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, smaller companies that are collaborating
with larger pharmaceutical companies, new companies, academic institutions, government agencies and other public and private research
organizations. Many of these competitors, either alone or together with their partners, may develop new products that will compete
with ours, and these competitors may, and in certain cases do, operate larger research and development programs or have substantially
greater financial resources than we do.
We
anticipate that we will have competition from specific companies. Although it is difficult to analyze our major competitors
since currently there are no non-invasive diagnostic medical devices to continuously monitor blood glucose levels, we anticipate
that specific companies may compete with us in the future.
Information
relating to our competitors is listed in the table below.
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FreeStyle
Libre™
(1)
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Platinum
G6®
(2)
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Platinum
G5®
(3)
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Eversense™
(4)
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SugarBEAT®
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Manufacturer
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Abbott
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Dexcom
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Dexcom
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Senseonics
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Nemaura
Medical
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Technology
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Inserted
Sensor
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Inserted
Sensor
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Inserted
Sensor
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Implanted
Sensor
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Non-invasive
Sensor
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Reliability (Overall
MARD)
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11.4%
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9.8%
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9.0%
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11.4%
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<12%*
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Reliability (Clarke
Error Grid A+B zone)
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99%
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Not
available
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97.0%
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99.1%
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>95.0%
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Patients Studied
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72
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324
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97
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44
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>75
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Patient Days Studies
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14
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10
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9
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90
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1
to 4
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Warm-up Time
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1
hour
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2
hours
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2
hours
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NA
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30-60
min
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Daily Calibration
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None
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None
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2x
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2x
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1x
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Glucose Display
Frequency
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On
manual activation of sensor
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Every
5 min
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Every
5 min
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Every
5 min
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Every
5 min
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Patch/Senor Life
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14
days
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10
days
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7
days
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90
days
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1
day
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Regulatory Approvals
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EU
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US
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Worldwide
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EU
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EU
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Basis for reimbursement
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Finger
stick
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Not
available
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CGM
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CGM
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Finger
stick
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Daily Avg. Reimbursement
Cost
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$2.50
(Germany)
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Not
available
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$9
(US)
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Not
available
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$2.50**
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Daily
Retail Cost UK (exc. VAT)
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£3.50
(Patch)
£50
(Reader)
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Not
available
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£7.30
(Patch)
£475
(Hardware)
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Not
available
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£2**
(Daily Patch)
£30**
(Transmitter)
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Sources:
(1) Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, Timothy Bailey, MD, et al., Nov. 2015; (2) Dexcom’s press release, Mar. 2018;
Dexcom G6 user’s guide (3) Dexcom’s press release, Aug. 2015; Dexcom G5 user’s guide; (4) SenseonicsHoldings’
8-K, Dec. 2015. * based on summary data released in August 2018; **Estimated
Regulatory
Requirements
Our device has been electrically safety tested, and all biocompatibility conformance also demonstrated, against
the relevant European Medical Device Directives. When new materials are introduced, these undergo a biocompatibility risk assessment,
and further testing where necessary. Batches of the device and patches were manufactured for human clinical studies that took place
between November 2014 and December 2015. This was a functional watch device with a wire connection to a skin adhered sensor and
electrode. Subsequent to studies conducted in India the device received a CE mark approval in February 2016. The device has since
been upgraded to include wireless communication from a body worn/adhered transmitter and also to reduce the device size, and with
an enhanced sensor system. This miniaturised wireless device achieved CE approval in May 2019, and FDA submission is planned in
Q2 2019. An application for CE mark approval requires the Company to have a ISO13485 Quality Management System, covering the design,
development and manufacture of a medical device. Nemaura Medical does not have this accreditation, and instead under the terms
of a service contract dated 4th April 2018 with Nemaura Pharma Limited, Nemaura Medical has outsourced the CE approval registration
process to Nemaura Pharma. Under the terms of the service contract Nemaura Pharma has undertaken all required activities to register
the product for CE approval under a fee for service arrangement, whilst Nemaura Medical will retain full title and beneficial ownership
of the CE mark, and all related intellectual property without any further payments or royalties becoming due other than the fee
for service.
Prior
to launching commercial sales of our product, we must complete key material points:
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Prepare
the body worn transmitter, and sensor-electrode system for manufacturing for commercial
sales, i.e., in large volumes. The patches (containing the sensors) and the device have
been manufactured in small batches sufficient for clinical studies and laboratory testing.
The scale up of the processes have commenced and are being conducted in stages to reflect
the market demand based on a staggered launch. This is a continuous process of development,
to mass-produce the sensors and patches and the devices in a scale that allows large
volume batches to be produced cost effectively. This is necessary to ensure that the
manufacturing costs of our products are minimized in order to effectively meet market
demands.
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Intellectual
Property
We
believe that clear and extensive intellectual property relating to our technologies is central to long-term success and we intend
to invest accordingly. This applies to both domestic and international patent coverage, and trade secrets, and trademarks.
The
SugarBEAT technology is protected by our portfolio of intellectual property comprised of issued and pending patents and trade
secrets covering a range of claims, including the methods and apparatus for measuring glucose extracted from human skin in a non-invasive
manner, the formula for the cumulative measurement of an analyte, and the formulation and process for preparation of the enzyme
solution used in the sensor.
On
May 8, 2014, NDM Technologies Limited, a related company, assigned the UK patent application 1208950.4 and International (PCT)
patent application PCT/GB2013/051322 entitled "Cumulative Measurement of an Analyte" to Dermal Diagnostics Limited (“DDL”)
for a nominal consideration.
Two
further patents were filed in 2018, that will not be published in the public domain for some months, relating to the sensor and
device application, providing further strength to the intellectual property position. Further patents are intended to be filed in the coming months relating to the device and sensor, providing
new intellectual property protection, some of which will supersede previous intellectual property.
Additionally,
we retain substantial trade secrets relating to the sensor formulation, which have taken over five years to develop, and
will prove very difficult to reverse engineer as it consists of formulation components in addition to processing methods in complex
combinations that are unique to the final functional sensor. Patents will not be filed on this aspect of the technology to avoid
any public dissemination of the know-how.
These
patents and know-how cover aspects of the technology platform. Furthermore the trademark BEAT and sugarBEAT has been registered
in all major territories globally. Accordingly, all intellectual property essential to the sugarBEAT product is owned by us, and
not subject to royalty payments. We intend to take the lead in the preservation and/or prosecution of these patents and patent
applications going forward as required. We intend to file additional patents as the development progresses, where deemed to be
of value to protecting the technology platform and future modifications and improvements. Where patents cannot be secured, the
intellectual property will be limited to know-how and trade secrets, and these will be diligently guarded.
Trade
Secrets, Trademarks, and Patents Filed, Granted and Pending
IP:
Patent (Core Claim), Know-how, Trademark
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Expiration
Date
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Jurisdictions
in which Granted/ Issued
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Jurisdictions
in which
Pending
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Ongoing
Royalty or Milestone Payments
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Patent: Cumulative
Measurement of an Analyte*.
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May
20, 2032
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Australia, France,
Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Netherlands, UK
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Brazil, Canada,
China, India, Japan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, U.S.
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None
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Patent:
Patches for Reverse Iontophoresis**
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July
1, 2029
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Australia, Germany,
France, UK, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, China, Hong Kong, Japan.
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None
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None
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Know-how: Sensor
Formulation
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N/A
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Trade Secret
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N/A
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N/A
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Two Patents: Sensor
and device application.
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Filed
2018
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First filed in UK
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All
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None
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Trademark: BEAT
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Renewal
due in 2026
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UK, China, EU, India,
Japan
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Canada
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None
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Trademark: sugarBEAT
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Renewal
due in 2025
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UK, Australia, Switzerland,
China, Egypt, EU, Israel, India, Iran, Japan, North Korea, Morocco, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Tunisia,
Turkey, USA
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Canada
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None
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*
This patent provides a formula for calculating the amount of glucose extracted over a defined period of time by deducting the
difference between two readings to allow rapid sensing without needing to deplete the analyte being measured.
**
This patent provides a reverse iontophoresis patch with means for releasing a conductive medium onto the skin during use and means
for transporting analyte to a separate location for analysis.
Clinical
Trials
Our
clinical testing is conducted by contract clinical research organizations in various centers around the world to cover a wide
demographic – including Asia and Europe – and is managed by our in-house management team.
We have had 2 pre-submission meetings with the FDA in June 2016, to define the clinical roadmap. As a result,
a detailed clinical plan was developed and approved internally and a clinical site in Europe was been selected and audited and
approved for commencement of clinical studies using the body worn transmitter device version of the sugarBEAT. The study was completed
and the FDA submission is in preparation.
In
August 2017, we commenced a European three-stage 75 patient clinical study, consisting of 80% Type 1 and 20% Type 2 diabetics.
The study was designed as a single center open-label, single arm, within-subject comparison of sugarBEAT, with blood samples drawn
from a venous catheter at corresponding time points, with glucose concentration measured using a laboratory blood glucose analyser,
ARCHITECT C8000. The European clinical trial program consisted of a total of 525 patient days, with each patient continuously
wearing sugarBEAT for 14 hours on seven consecutive days in a combination of home and clinic settings. Three of the seven days
were in-clinic where venous blood samples were taken at 15 minute intervals over a continuous 12 hour period. The clinical
study was completed in December 2017. An interim analysis of the data has thus far indicated a precision of 1.07 and accuracy
as determined by the Mean Absolute Relative Deviation (MARD) of less than 14%, with no serious or major adverse events. The precision
and accuracy of sugarBEAT observed in the study was similar to other CE Mark approved continuous glucose monitors. Data from
the clinical study was published on the Nemaura Medical Website, Publications section, in August 2018.
Research
and development
We
spent $2,296,668 and $993,833 during the years ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, on research and development. We anticipate
that for the year ending March 2020, research and development expenditures will increase to further develop the device for commercial
launch in the UK and Europe.
Development
and clinical test costs in support of our current product, as well as costs to file patents and revise and update previous filings
on our technologies, will continue to be substantial as we assess the next steps to advance the product.
Manufacturing
The
manufacture and sale of CE certified medical devices are controlled and governed by guidelines stipulated in the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO), more specifically ISO13485; sugarBEAT will be manufactured and marketed according to ISO13485
quality standards.
In
preparation for our anticipated commercial launch of sugarBEAT in the UK during the second half of 2019 we worked with our manufacturing
partner Nemaura Pharma, to initiate scale-up manufacturing of the various sugarBEAT components alongside facilities for final
assembly and packaging. As part of this process, we are expanding our manufacturing and assembly capabilities by occupying additional
space within our existing headquarters site at Loughborough Science Park in the UK.
Manufacturers
of key components required for our device are:
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Sensors
- Parlex (a division of Johnson Electrics), based in the Isle of White, UK
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Patches
- Polarseal Limited, located in Surrey, UK
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Electronics-
Datalink Limited located in Loughborough, UK
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We
expect to enter into the following types of agreements during 2019:
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Manufacturing
agreements for the sensor manufacture
|
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–
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Manufacturing
agreements for the patch manufacture
|
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–
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Manufacturing
agreements for the CGM watch device and transmitter device manufacture
|
Sales
and Marketing
An
Exclusive Marketing Rights agreement for the UK and Republic of Ireland was signed on March 31, 2014 with Dallas Burston Pharma,
a Jersey (Channel Island) based company (“DB Pharma”) who has pharmaceutical product marketing operations in the UK
and has demonstrated a very successful model for the marketing of prescription medical products directly to general practitioners.
We received a non-refundable upfront payment of $1.67 million in return for providing DB Pharma with the exclusive right to sell
the sugarBEAT device in the UK and Republic of Ireland, both direct to consumer and through prescriptions by general practitioners.
Subsequently, on April 4, 2014, a Letter of Intent was entered into outlining the basic terms of the cost at which the patches
and watch will be supplied and minimum order quantities in the first two (2) years. The key terms of the Exclusive Marketing Rights
Agreement were concluded in a Commercial Agreement signed in August 2015.
In
addition, a joint venture agreement was entered into with Dallas Burston Ethitronix (Europe) in May 2018, whereby we will share
equally the costs and net profits of the sales of our sugarBEAT system in all territories in Europe, with the exception of the
United Kingdom, which is the subject of a separate agreement with DB Pharma. Commercial agreements were signed in 2018 with TPMENA
and Al-Danah Medical, for the Gulf Region (GCC) and Qatar respectively.
Regulatory
matters
Government
Regulation
Our
business is subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations, including those relating to the protection
of the environment, health and safety. Some of the pertinent laws have not been definitively interpreted by the regulatory authorities
or the courts, and their provisions are open to a variety of subjective interpretations. In addition, these laws and their interpretations
are subject to change, or new laws may be enacted.
Both
federal and state governmental agencies continue to subject the healthcare industry to intense regulatory scrutiny, including
heightened civil and criminal enforcement efforts. We believe that we have structured our business operations to comply with all
applicable legal requirements. However, it is possible that governmental entities or other third parties could interpret these
laws differently and assert otherwise. We discuss below the statutes and regulations that are most relevant to our business.
United
Kingdom and Wales and the European Union regulations
Government
authorities in the United Kingdom and Wales and the European Union as well as other foreign countries extensively regulate, among
other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, labelling, promotion, advertising, distribution, sampling, marketing
and import and export of medical devices, including patches and other pharmaceutical products. Our body worn transmitter devices
in the United Kingdom and Wales will be subject to strict regulation and require regulatory approval prior to commercial distribution.
The process of obtaining governmental approvals and complying with ongoing regulatory requirements requires the expenditure of
substantial time and financial resources. In addition, statutes, rules, regulations and policies may change and new legislation
or regulations may be issued that could delay such approvals. If we fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements at
any time during the product development process, approval process, or after approval, we may become subject to administrative
or judicial sanctions. These sanctions could include the authority's refusal to approve pending applications, withdrawals of approvals,
clinical holds, warning letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of our operations, injunctions,
fines, civil penalties or criminal prosecution. Any agency enforcement action could have a material adverse effect on us.
The
European Commission on Public Health (the "ECPH") provides the regulation for the development and commercialization
of new medical diagnostic devices. Any medical device placed on the European market must comply with the relevant legislation,
notably with Directive 93/42/EEC, with the active implantable devices Directive 90/385/EEC or with the in vitro devices Directive
98/79/EC. We must first determine whether the device we intend to manufacture or import falls under any of these directives.
All medical devices must fulfil the essential requirements set out in the above-mentioned directives. Where available, relevant
standards may be used to demonstrate compliance with the essential requirements defined in the devices Directives.
Manufacturers
also need to determine the appropriate conformity assessment route. For devices falling under Directive 93/42/EEC, other than
custom-made devices and devices intended for clinical investigation, the conformity assessment route depends on the class of the
device, to be determined in accordance with certain rules set forth in the directives. Once the applicable class or list
has been determined, manufacturers need to follow the appropriate conformity assessment procedure. Subject to the type of the
device, this may require manufacturers to have their quality systems and technical documentation reviewed by a Notified Body before
they can place their products on the market. A Notified Body is a third-party body that can carry out a conformity assessment
recognized by the European Union. The Notified Body will need to assure itself that relevant requirements have been met before
issuing relevant certification. Manufacturers can then place the CE marking on their products to demonstrate compliance with the
requirements.
The
CE approval is the process of achieving a mandatory conformity marking for the sugarBEAT device to allow it to be legally sold
in the European Union. It is a manufacturers' declaration that the product meets the requirements of the applicable European laws.
The process for the sugarBEAT device CE submission and approval involved the following:
1.
The device is classified depending on certain categories described by the European Directive with Class I products being low risk
(e.g. band aid plasters), through Class III devices being the highest risk. The classes are Class I, IIa, IIb and III. Risk is
based upon the potential harm to the patient should a problem arise with a product or its use. The sugarBEAT device is classified
as a IIb device.
2.
A 'technical file' containing all of the information required to demonstrate that the product meets the essential requirements
of the European directive will be prepared. This includes information relating to performance and safety of the device such
as product specifications, labelling, instructions for use, risk analysis and specific test information/clinical evidence relating
to the product that support the claims being made for the product.
3.
Clinical evidence included in the technical file is expected to demonstrate that the device is safe and meets defined performance
requirements. This clinical evidence can be in the form of literature data where substantial published data exists that utilizes
the same technique for glucose extraction and measurement (albeit in a different device format), or data from actual clinical
studies performed using the sugarBEAT device. The first CE mark submission was based on literature evaluation of 3rd party published
clinical data available in the public domain. The final CE mark submission has claims based on the clinical performance of the
device, based on clinical studies described earlier herein. The clinical data showed that the sugarBEAT device can trend blood
glucose levels in a human subject by taking measurements every 5 minutes. The clinical trial data demonstrates the sugarBEAT device
blood glucose trend can be used to supplement normal finger prick measurements.
4.
The technical file has been assessed by an independent inspector (the Notified Body), regulated by the competent authority,
(Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, MHRA in the United Kingdom). The Notified Body (an organization in the
European Union that has been accredited by a member state to determine whether a medical device complies with the European
medical device directives), will then notify The European Commission on Public Health (the "ECPH") of the approval
and a certificate will be issued to the Company by the notified body and we will then be able to apply the CE mark to the
device, and legally offer the product for sale in the European Economic Area (EEA). The CE mark has been issued as of May
2019 and the company is now able to offer the device for commercial sale in the EU.
5. The
review of the technical file commenced in August 2018, and the final review and sign off was received in May 2019.
U.S.
Food and Drug Administration regulation of medical devices.
The
FDCA and FDA regulations establish a comprehensive system for the regulation of medical devices intended for human use. sugarBeat
is a medical device that is subject to these, as well as other federal, state, local and foreign, laws and regulations. The FDA
is responsible for enforcing the laws and regulations governing medical devices in the United States.
The
FDA classifies medical devices into one of three classes (Class I, Class II, or Class III) depending on their level of risk and
the types of controls that are necessary to ensure device safety and effectiveness. The class assignment is a factor in determining
the type of premarketing submission or application, if any, that will be required before marketing in the United States. SugarBeat
falls under Class III.
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Class
I devices present a low risk and are not life-sustaining or life-supporting. The majority
of Class I devices are subject only to "general controls" (e.g., prohibition
against adulteration and misbranding, registration and listing, good manufacturing practices,
labeling, and adverse event reporting. General controls are baseline requirements that
apply to all classes of medical devices.)
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Class
II devices present a moderate risk and are devices for which general controls alone are
not sufficient to provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness. Devices
in Class II are subject to both general controls and "special controls" (e.g.,
special labeling, compliance with performance standards, and post market surveillance.
Unless exempted, Class II devices typically require FDA clearance before marketing, through
the premarket notification (510(k)) process.)
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Class
III devices present the highest risk. These devices generally are life-sustaining, life-supporting,
or for a use that is of substantial importance in preventing impairment of human health,
or present a potential unreasonable risk of illness or injury. Class III devices are
devices for which general controls, by themselves, are insufficient and for which there
is insufficient information to determine that application of special controls would provide
a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness. Class III devices are subject to
general controls and typically require FDA approval of a premarket approval ("PMA")
application before marketing.
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Unless
it is exempt from premarket review requirements, a medical device must receive marketing authorization from the FDA prior to being
commercially marketed, distributed or sold in the United States. The most common pathways for obtaining marketing authorization
are 510(k) clearance and PMA. After preliminary discussions with the FDA in June 2016 as part of a pre-submission meeting
it was determined that the pathway for sugarBeat would be a PMA approval.
Premarket
approval pathway
The
PMA approval process requires an independent demonstration of the safety and effectiveness of a device. PMA is the most stringent
type of device marketing application required by the FDA. PMA approval is based on a determination by the FDA that the PMA contains
sufficient valid scientific evidence to ensure that the device is safe and effective for its intended use(s). A PMA application
generally includes extensive information about the device including the results of clinical testing conducted on the device and
a detailed description of the manufacturing process.
After
a PMA application is accepted for review, the FDA begins an in-depth review of the submitted information. FDA regulations provide
180 days to review the PMA and make a determination; however, in reality, the review time is normally longer (e.g., 1-3 years).
During this review period, the FDA may request additional information or clarification of information already provided. Also during
the review period, an advisory panel of experts from outside the FDA may be convened to review and evaluate the data supporting
the application and provide recommendations to the FDA as to whether the data provide a reasonable assurance that the device is
safe and effective for its intended use. In addition, the FDA generally will conduct a preapproval inspection of the manufacturing
facility to ensure compliance with Quality System Regulation, which imposes comprehensive development, testing, control, documentation
and other quality assurance requirements for the design and manufacturing of a medical device.
Based
on its review, the FDA may (i) issue an order approving the PMA, (ii) issue a letter stating the PMA is "approvable"
(e.g., minor additional information is needed), (iii) issue a letter stating the PMA is "not approvable," or (iv) issue
an order denying PMA. A company may not market a device subject to PMA review until the FDA issues an order approving the PMA.
As part of a PMA approval, the FDA may impose post-approval conditions intended to ensure the continued safety and effectiveness
of the device including, among other things, restrictions on labeling, promotion, sale and distribution, and requiring the collection
of additional clinical data. Failure to comply with the conditions of approval can result in materially adverse enforcement action,
including withdrawal of the approval.
Most
modifications to a PMA approved device, including changes to the design, labeling, or manufacturing process, require prior approval
before being implemented. Prior approval is obtained through submission of a PMA supplement. The type of information required
to support a PMA supplement and the FDA's time for review of a PMA supplement vary depending on the nature of the modification.
The
recent De-Novo and subsequent 510(k) by Dexcom provide evidence that current FDA thinking on invasive CGM devices for non-adjunctive
use are suitable for Class II classification. The non-invasive nature of sugarBEAT®, as an adjunctive CGM, provides a low
level of risk as compared to invasive CGMs. Moreover, the risks to health are understood, and appropriate general and special
controls have been applied through the ISO 13485:2016 design controls to provide evidence of assurance of safety and effectiveness.
Nemaura is exploring the possibility of submission of a De-Novo application in place of a PMA.
Clinical
trials
Clinical
trials of medical devices in the United States are governed by the FDA's Investigational Device Exemption ("IDE") regulation.
This regulation places significant responsibility on the sponsor of the clinical study including, but not limited to, choosing
qualified investigators, monitoring the trial, submitting required reports, maintaining required records, and assuring investigators
obtain informed consent, comply with the study protocol, control the disposition of the investigational device, submit required
reports, etc.
Clinical
trials of significant risk devices (e.g., implants, devices used in supporting or sustaining human life, devices of substantial
importance in diagnosing, curing, mitigating or treating disease or otherwise preventing impairment of human health) require FDA
and Institutional Review Board ("IRB") approval prior to starting the trial. FDA approval is obtained through submission
of an IDE application. Clinical trials of non-significant risk ("NSR"), devices (i.e., devices that do not meet the
regulatory definition of a significant risk device) only require IRB approval before starting. The clinical trial sponsor is responsible
for making the initial determination of whether a clinical study is significant risk or NSR; however, a reviewing IRB and/or FDA
may review this decision and disagree with the determination.
An
IDE application must be supported by appropriate data, such as performance data, animal and laboratory testing results, showing
that it is safe to evaluate the device in humans and that the clinical study protocol is scientifically sound. There is no assurance
that submission of an IDE will result in the ability to commence clinical trials. Additionally, after a trial begins, the FDA
may place it on hold or terminate it if, among other reasons, it concludes that the clinical subjects are exposed to an unacceptable
health risk.
As
noted above, the FDA may require a company to collect clinical data on a device in the post-market setting.
The
collection of such data may be required as a condition of PMA approval. The FDA also has the authority to order, via a letter,
a post-market surveillance study for certain devices at any time after they have been cleared or approved.
Pervasive
and continuing FDA regulation
After
a device is placed on the market, regardless of its classification or premarket pathway, numerous additional FDA requirements
generally apply. These include, but are not limited to:
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Establishment
registration and device listing requirements;
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Quality
System Regulation ("QSR"), which governs the methods used in, and the facilities
and controls used for, the design, manufacture, packaging, labelling, storage, installation,
and servicing of finished devices;
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Labelling
requirements, which mandate the inclusion of certain content in device labels and labelling,
and generally require the label and package of medical devices to include a unique device
identifier ("UDI"), and which also prohibit the promotion of products for uncleared
or unapproved, i.e., "off-label," uses;
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Medical
Device Reporting ("MDR") regulation, which requires that manufacturers and
importers report to the FDA if their device may have caused or contributed to a death
or serious injury or malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to
a death or serious injury if it were to recur; and
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Reports
of Corrections and Removals regulation, which requires that manufacturers and importers
report to the FDA recalls (i.e., corrections or removals) if undertaken to reduce a risk
to health posed by the device or to remedy a violation of the Federal Food, Drug and
Cosmetic Act that may present a risk to health; manufacturers and importers must keep
records of recalls that they determine to be not reportable.
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The
FDA enforces these requirements by inspection and market surveillance. Failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements
can result in enforcement action by the FDA, which may include, but is not limited to, the following sanctions:
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Untitled
letters or warning letters;
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Fines,
injunctions and civil penalties;
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Recall
or seizure of our products;
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Operating
restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of production;
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Refusing
our request for 510(k) clearance or premarket approval of new products;
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Withdrawing
510(k) clearance or premarket approvals that are already granted; and
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We
would be subject to unannounced device inspections by the FDA, as well as other regulatory agencies overseeing the implementation
of and compliance with applicable state public health regulations. These inspections may include our suppliers' facilities.
Other
Regulation in the United Kingdom and Wales and the EU
Healthcare
Reimbursement
Government
and private sector initiatives to limit the growth of healthcare costs, including price regulation, competitive pricing, coverage
and payment policies, and managed-care arrangements, are continuing in many countries where we do business, including the United
Kingdom and Wales. These changes are causing the marketplace to put increased emphasis on the delivery of more cost-effective
medical products. Government programs, private healthcare insurance and managed-care plans have attempted to control costs by
limiting the amount of reimbursement they will pay for particular procedures or treatments. This has created an increasing level
of price sensitivity among customers for products. Some third-party payers must also approve coverage for new or innovative devices
or therapies before they will reimburse healthcare providers who use the medical devices or therapies. Even though a new medical
product may have been cleared for commercial distribution, we may find limited demand for the product until reimbursement approval
has been obtained from governmental and private third-party payers.
Environmental
Regulation
We
are also subject to various environmental laws and regulations both within and outside the United Kingdom and Wales. Like many
other medical device companies, our operations involve the use of substances, including hazardous wastes, which are regulated
under environmental laws, primarily manufacturing and sterilization processes. We do not expect that compliance with environmental
protection laws will have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flow. These
laws and regulations are all subject to change, however, and we cannot predict what impact, if any, such changes might have on
our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Foreign
Regulation
Whether
or not we obtain regulatory approval for a product, we must obtain approval from the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign
countries before we can commence clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries. The approval process varies from
country to country, and the time may be longer or shorter than that required for EC approval. The requirements governing the conduct
of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement also vary greatly from country to country.
Under
European Union regulatory systems, we may submit marketing authorization applications under a decentralized procedure. The decentralized
procedure provides for mutual recognition of national approval decisions. Under this procedure, the holder of a national marketing
authorization may submit an application to the remaining member states. Within 90 days of receiving the applications and
assessment report, each member state must decide whether to recognize approval. This procedure is referred to as the mutual recognition
procedure, or called the MRP.
In
addition, regulatory approval of prices is required in most countries other than the United States. We face the risk that the
prices which result from the regulatory approval process would be insufficient to generate an acceptable return to us or our collaborators.
EU
General Data Protection Regulation
The
EU General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”) came into force in all EU Member States from May 25, 2018 and replaced
previous EU data privacy laws. Although a number of basic existing principles will remain the same, the GDPR introduces new obligations
on data controllers and rights for data subjects, including, among others:
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accountability
and transparency requirements, which will require data controllers to demonstrate and
record compliance with the GDPR and to provide more detailed information to data subjects
regarding processing;
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enhanced
data consent requirements, which includes “explicit” consent in relation
to the processing of sensitive data;
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obligations
to consider data privacy as any new products or services are developed and limit the
amount of information collected, processed, stored and its accessibility;
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constraints
on using data to profile data subjects;
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providing
data subjects with personal data in a useable format on request and erasing personal
data in certain circumstances; and
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reporting
of breaches without undue delay (72 hours where feasible).
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The
GDPR also introduces new fines and penalties for a breach of requirements, including fines for serious breaches of up to the higher
of 4% of annual worldwide revenue or €20m and fines of up to the higher of 2% of annual worldwide revenue or €10m (whichever
is highest) for other specified infringements. The GDPR identifies a list of points to consider when imposing fines (including
the nature, gravity and duration of the infringement).
The
Company has assessed the implications of the GDPR on all personal data it holds and has implemented measures to ensure that personal
data shall be:
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Processed
lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to the data subject.
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Collected
for a specified, explicit and legitimate purpose and not further processed in a manner
that is incompatible with those purposes.
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Adequate,
relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they
are processed.
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Kept
in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary
for the purposes for which the personal data are processed.
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Processed
in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection
against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction
or damage, using appropriate technical or organisational measures.
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Maintained
accurately and up to date and that every reasonable step is taken to ensure that personal
data that are inaccurate, having regard to the purposes for which they are processed,
are erased or rectified without delay.
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At
the current stage of the Company’s development and, with being pre-revenue at this stage, the scope of data held, and consequently
the impact of GDPR, is limited. Increased application of GDPR will be assessed and implemented prior to further Company developments
that warrant additional GDPR measures. As the Company progresses with product commercialization, the extent to which GDPR will
affect the Company will increase, which will require additional changes to the Company’s procedures and policies which could
adversely impact operational and compliance costs. Further, there is a risk that the measures will not be implemented correctly
or that individuals within the business will not be fully compliant with the new procedures. If there are breaches of these measures,
the Company could face significant administrative and monetary sanctions as well as reputational damage which may have a material
adverse effect on its operations, financial condition and prospects.
Corporate
Information
Our
principal executive offices are located at The Advanced Technology Centre, Oakwood Drive, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3QF,
UK. Our website is located at www.nemauramedical.com and our telephone number is +44 1509 222912. Information found on, or accessible
through, our website is not a part of, and is not incorporated into, this Annual Report, and you should not consider it part of
the Annual Report.
Employees
We
currently employ 8 personnel. We believe our relationships with our employees and contractors are good.
Corporate
History and Restructuring
We
are a holding corporation that owns one hundred percent (100%) of a diagnostic medical device company specializing in discovering,
developing and commercializing specialty medical devices. We were organized on December 24, 2013 under the laws of the State of
Nevada. We own one hundred percent (100%) of Region Green Limited, a British Virgin Islands corporation formed on December 12,
2013. Region Green Limited owns one hundred percent (100%) of the stock in Dermal Diagnostic (Holdings) Limited, an England and
Wales corporation formed on December 11, 2013. Dermal Diagnostics (Holdings) Limited owns one hundred percent (100%) of the stock
in Dermal Diagnostics Limited, an England and Wales corporation formed on January 20, 2009, and one hundred percent (100%) of
the stock in Trial Clinic Limited, an England and Wales corporation formed on January 12, 2011.
In
December 2013, we restructured the Company and re-domiciled as a domestic corporation in the United States. The corporate re-organization
was accomplished to preserve the tax advantages under the laws of the England and Wales tax laws for the benefit of the shareholders
of both Dermal Diagnostics Limited (“DDL”) and Trial Clinic Limited (“TCL”).
DDL
is a diagnostic medical device company headquartered in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. DDL was founded on January 20,
2009 to engage in the discovery, development and commercialization of diagnostic medical devices. The Company’s initial
focus has been on the development of a novel continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device.
RECENT
DEVELOPMENT
On
March 27, 2019, we filed a new Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Reg. No. 333-230535), registering up to $250,000,000 of our
common stock, preferred stock, warrants, debt securities and units (the “Form S-3”). The Form S-3 was declared effective
by the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 8, 2019. We may offer and sell up to $250,000,000 in the aggregate of the securities
identified from time to time in one or more offerings. The securities may be sold directly by us, through dealers, or agents,
designated from time to time, to or through underwriters, or through a combination of these methods as set forth in the “Plan
of Distribution” included therein. Each time we offer securities under the prospectus that is part of the Form S-3, we will
provide the specific terms of the securities being offered, including the offering price in a prospectus supplement.
CE Approval
On May 29, 2019 Nemaura Medical announced
it had received confirmation of approval of the European Conformity for sugarBEAT which now allows Nemaura to commence commercialization
of the product in to the European Union. The EU currently has in excess of 58 million
1
diabetics which represents an
enormous market opportunity that has yet to be fully exploited by other CGM’s due primarily to the cost of competitor products
whereby a single sensor costs $10’s of dollars as each sensor has to be applied continuously for up to 14 days, whereas with
sugarBEAT the sensor is a daily disposable, and therefore the cost of use is limited to a daily cost, and gives the user flexibility
over how many days of the month they wear the CGM, to extract very powerful glucose trending data that finger prick testing quite
simply cannot provide.
Nemaura has initiated plans to launch
the product into the UK market in Q3 of 2019, followed by Germany and other markets. In the UK, Nemaura is working with its licensee
DBP (Jersey) Ltd., to launch the product in the UK, and is in discussions with major distributors in Germany through its Joint
venture with DB Ethitronix to commence registration and commercial launch into the German market which represents the single largest
market in Europe.
The Company ordered 12,500 sugarBEAT
devices in July 2018 in anticipation of CE approval, and these devices are currently being assembled and programmed with the updated
software for the planned launch in Germany and the UK, and they are in discussions with their UK licensee with regards to taking
orders for additional quantities to support product launch for the next 12 months.
Nemaura also plans to commence activities
with respect to registering the CGM product based on the CE Mark in the GCC countries with their respective licensees in that region,
Al-Danah Medical and TPMena in the coming weeks.
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https://www.idf.org/aboutdiabetes/what-is-diabetes/facts-figures.html
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Management Team Hire
Nemaura plans to further strengthen
its operational and management team with the hire of Chris Avery, Vice President Business Operations. Chris has an impeccable track
record of over 32 years in the diabetes industry including 9 years at Hypoguard, 5 years at Lifescan and 15 years at Nipro Diagnostics
where he served as the UK Managing Director from 2010-14, and most recently was Senior VP Global Business Development at DB Ethitronix.,
where over a period of 2 years he was appointed to oversee the development of sugarBEAT and its commercialization strategy. Chris
is expected to oversee the global operational management, handle investor updates on the technical and commercial development,
as well as help broaden the global market reach of the product through the implementation of novel strategies based on the opportunities
sugarBEAT presents that no other CGM is currently able to offer to date, due to its flexible wear time of sugarBEAT.
Advisory Board
Nemaura plans to further strengthen
its advisory board through the appointment of Jafar Hamid who is a Private banking professional with over 25 years in the Investment
Banking Industry, including with UBS, Credit Suisse and Citibank, and most recently J P Morgan. His expertise includes advising
ultra High Net Worth individuals and family offices in the Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals areas. Mr. Hamid is expected to act as
an adviser to the board.
ITEM
1A. — RISK FACTORS
If
any of the following risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating
results. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline.
Risks
Related to Our Product Candidate and Operation
We
are largely dependent on the success of our sole product candidate, the sugarBEAT device, and we may not be able to successfully
commercialize this potential product.
We have incurred and will continue
to incur significant costs relating to the development and marketing of our sole product candidate, the sugarBEAT device. We have
obtained approval to market this product in the EU, but it is not guaranteed that we will achieve this in any jurisdiction and we
may never be able to obtain approval or, if approvals are obtained, to commercialize this product successfully in other territories.
If we fail to successfully commercialize
our product(s) in multiple territories, we may be unable to generate sufficient revenue to sustain and grow our business, and
our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected
If
we fail to obtain regulatory approval of the sugarBEAT device or any of our other future products, we will be unable to commercialize
these potential products.
The development, testing, manufacturing
and marketing of our product is subject to extensive regulation by governmental authorities in Great Britain and the European Union.
In particular, the process of obtaining CE approval by a Notified Body, a third party that can carry out a conformity assessment
recognized by the European Union, is costly and time consuming, and the time required for such approval is uncertain. Our product
must undergo rigorous preclinical and clinical testing and an extensive regulatory approval process mandated for the CE. Such regulatory
review includes the determination of manufacturing capability and product performance. We have received CE approval on sugarBEAT
wireless body worn device in May 2019.
There can be no assurance that all
necessary approvals will be granted for future products or that CE review or actions will not involve delays caused by requests
for additional information or testing that could adversely affect the time to market for and sale of our product. Further failure
to comply with applicable regulatory requirements can, among other things; result in the suspension of regulatory approval as well
as possible civil and criminal sanctions.
Failure
to enroll patients in our clinical trials may cause delays in developing the sugarBEAT device or any of our future products.
We
may encounter delays in the development and commercialization, or fail to obtain marketing approval, of the sugarBEAT device or
any other future products if we are unable to enroll enough patients to complete clinical trials. Our ability to enroll sufficient
numbers of patients in our clinical trials depends on many factors, including the severity of illness of the population, the size
of the patient population, the nature of the clinical protocol, the proximity of patients to clinical sites, and the eligibility
criteria for the trial and competing clinical trials. Delays in any possible future patient enrolment, based on request by local
regulatory agencies to conduct studies in their territory, may result in increased costs and harm our ability to complete our
clinical trials and obtain regulatory approval.
Delays
in clinical testing could result in increased costs to us and delay our ability to generate revenue.
Significant
delays in clinical testing could materially adversely impact our product development costs. We do not know whether planned clinical
trials will begin on time, will need to be restructured or will be completed on schedule, if at all. Clinical trials can be delayed
for a variety of reasons, including delays in obtaining regulatory approval to commence and continue a study, delays in reaching
agreement on acceptable clinical study terms with prospective sites, delays in obtaining institutional review board approval to
conduct a study at a prospective site and delays in recruiting patients to participate in a study.
Significant
delays in testing or regulatory approvals for any of our current or future products, including the sugarBEAT device, could prevent
or cause delays in the commercialization of such product candidates, reduce potential revenues from the sale of such product candidates
and cause our costs to increase.
Our
clinical trials for any of our current or future products may produce negative or inconclusive results and we may decide, or regulators
may require us, to conduct additional clinical and/or preclinical testing for these products or cease our trials.
We
will only receive regulatory approval to commercialize a product candidate if we can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the applicable
regulatory agency that the product is safe and effective. We do not know whether our future clinical trials will demonstrate safety
and efficacy sufficiently to result in marketable products. Because our clinical trials for the sugarBEAT device may produce negative
or inconclusive results, we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional clinical and/or preclinical testing
for this product or cease our clinical trials. If this occurs, we may not be able to obtain approval for this product or our anticipated
time to market for this product may be substantially delayed and we may also experience significant additional development costs.
We may also be required to undertake additional clinical testing if we change or expand the indications for our product.
If
approved, the commercialization of our product, the sugarBEAT device, may not be profitable due to the need to develop sales,
marketing and distribution capabilities, or make arrangements with a third party to perform these functions.
In
order for the commercialization of our potential product to be profitable, our product must be cost-effective and economical to
manufacture on a commercial scale. Subject to regulatory approval, we expect to incur significant sales, marketing, distribution,
and to the extent we do not outsource manufacturing, manufacturing expenses in connection with the commercialization of the sugarBEAT
device and our other potential products. We do not currently have a dedicated sales force or manufacturing capability, and we
have no experience in the sales, marketing and distribution of medical diagnostic device products. In order to commercialize the
sugarBEAT device or any of our other potential products that we may develop, we must develop sales, marketing and distribution
capabilities or make arrangements with a third party to perform these functions. Developing a sales force is expensive and time-consuming,
and we may not be able to develop this capacity. If we are unable to establish adequate sales, marketing and distribution capabilities,
independently or with others, we may not be able to generate significant revenue and may not become profitable. Our future profitability
will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:
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the
costs and timing of developing a commercial scale manufacturing facility or the costs
of outsourcing the manufacturing of the sugarBEAT device;
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receipt
of regulatory approval of the sugarBEAT device;
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the
terms of any marketing restrictions or post-marketing commitments imposed as a condition
of approval by regulatory authorities;
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the
costs of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual
property rights;
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costs
of establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities;
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the
effect of competing technological and market developments; and
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the
terms and timing of any collaborative, licensing and other arrangements that we may establish.
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Even
if we receive regulatory approval for the sugarBEAT device or any other product candidates, we may never receive significant revenues
from any of them. To the extent that we are not successful in commercializing our potential products, we will incur significant
additional losses if we do not successfully commercialize our products.
Our
proprietary rights may not adequately protect our intellectual property and product and if we cannot obtain adequate protection
of our intellectual property and product, we may not be able to successfully market our product.
Our
commercial success will depend in part on obtaining and maintaining intellectual property protection for our technologies and
product. We will only be able to protect our technologies and product from unauthorized use by third parties to the extent that
valid and enforceable patents cover them, or that other market exclusionary rights apply. While we have issued enforceable patents
covering the sugarBEAT device, the patent positions of companies like ours can be highly uncertain and involve complex legal and
factual questions for which important legal principles remain unresolved. No consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims
allowed in such companies’ patents has emerged to date in Great Britain and the European Union. The general patent environment
outside the United States involves significant uncertainty. Accordingly, we cannot predict the breadth of claims that may be allowed
or that the scope of these patent rights would provide a sufficient degree of future protection that would permit us to gain or
keep our competitive advantage with respect to this product and technology. Additionally, companies like ours are dependent on
creating a pipeline of products. We may not be able to develop additional proprietary technologies or products that produce commercially
viable products or that are themselves patentable.
Our
issued patents may be subject to challenge and possibly invalidated by third parties. Changes in either the patent laws or in
the interpretations of patent laws in Great Britain or the European Union or other countries may diminish the market exclusionary
ability of our intellectual property.
In
addition, others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies that may be outside the scope of our intellectual
property. Should third parties obtain patent rights to similar technology, this may have an adverse effect on our business.
To
the extent that consultants or key employees apply technological information independently developed by them or by others to our
product, disputes may arise as to the proprietary rights of the information, which may not be resolved in our favour. Consultants
and key employees that work with our confidential and proprietary technologies are required to assign all intellectual property
rights in their discoveries to us. However, these consultants or key employees may terminate their relationship with us, and we
cannot preclude them indefinitely from dealing with our competitors. If our trade secrets become known to competitors with greater
experience and financial resources, the competitors may copy or use our trade secrets and other proprietary information in the
advancement of their products, methods or technologies. If we were to prosecute a claim that a third party had illegally obtained
and was using our trade secrets, it would be expensive and time consuming and the outcome would be unpredictable. In addition,
courts in Great Britain and the European Union are sometimes less willing to protect trade secrets than courts in the United States.
Moreover, if our competitors independently develop equivalent knowledge, we would lack any contractual claim to this information,
and our business could be harmed.
Our
ability to commercialize our product will depend on our ability to sell such products without infringing the patent or proprietary
rights of third parties. If we are sued for infringing intellectual property rights of third parties, such litigation will be
costly and time consuming and an unfavorable outcome would have a significant adverse effect on our business.
Our
ability to commercialize our product will depend on our ability to sell such products without infringing the patents or other
proprietary rights of third parties. Third-party intellectual property in the field of diagnostic medical devices is complicated,
and third-party intellectual property rights in this field are continuously evolving. We have not performed searches for third-party
intellectual property rights that may raise freedom-to-operate issues, and we have not obtained legal opinions regarding commercialization
of our product other than patent research prior to the filing of our patent applications, and search and examination reports from
the respective patent examination offices.
In
addition, because patent applications are published months after their filing, and because applications can take several years
to issue, there may be currently pending third-party patent applications that are unknown to us, which may later result in issued
patents. If a third-party claims that we infringe on its patents or other proprietary rights, we could face a number of issues
that could seriously harm our competitive position, including:
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infringement
claims that, with or without merit, can be costly and time consuming to litigate, can
delay the regulatory approval process and can divert management’s attention from
our core business strategy;
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substantial
damages for past infringement which we may have to pay if a court determines that our
products or technologies infringe upon a competitor’s patent or other proprietary
rights;
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if
a license is available from a holder, we may have to pay substantial royalties or grant
cross licenses to our patents or other proprietary rights; and
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Re-designing
our process so that it does not infringe the third-party intellectual property, which
may not be possible, or which may require substantial time and expense including delays
in bringing our own products to market.
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Such
actions could harm our competitive position and our ability to generate revenue and could result in increased costs.
Nemaura
Medical Inc. is an Emerging Growth Company (EGC) as defined under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act.
An
“emerging growth company” is an issuer whose initial public offering was or will be completed after December 8, 2011,
and had total annual gross revenues of less than $1 billion during its most recently completed fiscal year. An issuer’s
EGC status terminates on the earliest of:
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The
last day of the first fiscal year of the issuer during which it had total annual gross
revenues of $1 billion or more;
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The
last day of the fiscal year of the issuer following the fifth anniversary of the date
of the issuer’s initial public offering;
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The
date on which such issuer has issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt securities
during the prior three-year period determined on a rolling basis; or
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The
date on which the issuer is deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under
the Exchange Act, which means, among other things, that it has a public float in excess
of $700 million.
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We
expect our Emerging Growth Company status to expire on March 31, 2020.
Pursuant
to the JOBS Act of 2012, as an emerging growth company the Company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period for
any new or revised accounting standards that may be issued by the PCAOB or the SEC. The Company has elected not to opt out of
such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for
public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the standard for the private company. This
may make comparison of the Company's financial statements with any other public company which is not either an emerging growth
company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible as
possible different or revised standards may be used.
The
Company has elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised financial accounting standards available
under Section 102(b)(2)(B) of the Act. Among other things, this means that the Company's independent registered public accounting
firm will not be required to provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial
reporting so long as it qualifies as an emerging growth company, which may increase the risk that weaknesses or deficiencies in
the internal control over financial reporting go undetected. Likewise, so long as it qualifies as an emerging growth company,
the Company may elect not to provide certain information, including certain financial information and certain information regarding
compensation of executive officers that would otherwise have been required to provide in filings with the SEC, which may make
it more difficult for investors and securities analysts to evaluate the Company. As a result, investor confidence in the Company
and the market price of its common stock may be adversely affected.
If
our product, the sugarBEAT device, does not gain market acceptance among physicians, patients and the medical community, we will
be unable to generate significant revenue, if any.
The
sugarBEAT device that we developed may not achieve market acceptance among physicians, patients, third-party payers and others
in the medical community. If we receive the regulatory approvals necessary for commercialization, the degree of market acceptance
will depend upon a number of factors, including:
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limited
indications of regulatory approvals;
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the
establishment and demonstration in the medical community of the clinical efficacy and
safety of our product and its potential advantages over existing diagnostic medical devices;
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the
prevalence and severity of any side effects;
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our
ability to offer our product at an acceptable price;
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the
relative convenience and ease of use of our product;
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the
strength of marketing and distribution support; and
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sufficient
third-party coverage or reimbursement.
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The
market may not accept the sugarBEAT device based on any number of the above factors. If the sugarBEAT device is approved, there
may be other therapies available which directly compete for the same target market. The market may choose to continue utilizing
the existing products for any number of reasons, including familiarity with or pricing of these existing products. The failure
of any of our product to gain market acceptance could impair our ability to generate revenue, which could have a material adverse
effect on our future business.
We
have outsourced the bulk of the commercial manufacturing operations for the various components of the sugarBEAT, with the exception
of the Sensor chemistry which is being conducted in-house. The failure to find manufacturing partners or expand our internal manufacturing
facility could have an adverse impact on our ability to grow our business.
We
are largely dependent on third parties to supply our product according to our specifications, in sufficient quantities, on time,
in compliance with appropriate regulatory standards and at competitive prices. We cannot be sure that we will be able to obtain
an adequate supply of our product candidates on acceptable terms, or at all.
Manufacturers
supplying diagnostic medical devices must comply with regulations which require, among other things, compliance with evolving
regulations under Medical Device Directives stipulated under ISO13485. The manufacturing of products at any facility will be subject
to strict quality control, testing and record keeping requirements, and continuing obligations regarding the submission of safety
reports and other post-market information. Both the sensor and patch manufacturing facilities for the sugarBEAT device are currently
ISO13485 certified. We cannot guarantee that the facilities will continue to pass regulatory inspection, or that future changes
to ISO13485 standards will not also affect the manufactures of the sensors and patches.
If
we fail to attract and retain senior management, consultants, advisors and scientific and technical personnel, our product development
and commercialization efforts could be impaired.
Our
performance is substantially dependent on the performance of our senior management and key scientific and technical personnel,
particularly Dr. Dewan Fazlul Hoque Chowdhury, President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The loss of the services of any
member of our senior management or our scientific or technical staff may significantly delay or prevent the development of our
product and other business objectives by diverting management’s attention to transition matters and identification of suitable
replacements, if any, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
We
also rely on consultants and advisors to assist us in formulating our research and development strategy. All of our consultants
and advisors are either self-employed or employed by other organizations, and they may have conflicts of interest or other commitments,
such as consulting or advisory contracts with other organizations, that may affect their ability to contribute to us.
In
addition, we believe that we will need to recruit additional executive management and scientific and technical personnel. There
is currently intense competition for skilled executives and employees with relevant scientific and technical expertise, and this
competition is likely to continue. The inability to attract and retain sufficient scientific, technical and managerial personnel
could limit or delay our product development efforts, which would adversely affect the development of our product and commercialization
of our potential product and growth of our business.
We
expect to expand our research, development, clinical research and marketing capabilities and, as a result, we may encounter difficulties
in managing our growth, which could disrupt our operations.
We
expect to have significant growth in expenditures, the number of our employees and the scope of our operations, in particular
with respect to those potential products that we elect to commercialize independently or together with others. To manage our anticipated
future growth, we must continue to implement and improve our managerial, operational and financial systems, expand our facilities
and continue to train qualified personnel. Due to our limited resources, we may not be able to effectively manage the expansion
of our operations or train additional qualified personnel. The physical expansion of our operations may lead to significant costs
and may divert our management and business development resources. Any inability to manage growth could delay the execution of
our business plan or disrupt our operations.
We
will need to raise additional funds in order to finance the anticipated commercialization of our product by incurring indebtedness,
through collaboration and licensing arrangements, or by issuing securities which may cause dilution to existing stockholders,
or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies and our product.
Developing
our product, conducting clinical trials, establishing manufacturing facilities and developing marketing and distribution capabilities
is expensive. We will need to finance future cash needs through additional public or private equity offerings, debt financings
or corporate collaboration and licensing arrangements. We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available to us on
acceptable terms, or at all. If adequate funds are not available, we may be required to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate
one or more of our research or development programs or our commercialization efforts. To the extent that we raise additional funds
by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience dilution. To the extent that we raise additional funds through collaboration
and licensing arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to our technologies or our product or grant licenses
on terms that are not favorable to us.
We
have a limited operating history and you should not rely on our historical financial data as an indicator of our future financial
performance.
We
have a limited operating history in the medical device industry. You should consider our business and prospects in light of the
risks and difficulties we face with our limited operating history and should not rely on our past results as an indication of
our future performance. In particular, we may face challenges in planning our growth strategy and forecasting market demand accurately
as a result of our limited historical data and limited experience in implementing and evaluating our business strategies. If we
are unable to successfully address these risks, difficulties and challenges as a result of our limited operating history, our
ability to implement our strategic initiatives could be adversely affected, which may in turn have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We
have a history of losses and may not achieve or maintain profitability.
We
have incurred net losses every year since our inception in 2009 and have not generated revenue from the period of our inception
from product sales or licenses to date. As of March 31, 2019, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $13.4 million. We
may expect to incur losses for the next several years and cannot be certain that we will ever achieve profitability. As a result,
our business is subject to all of the risks inherent in the development of a new business enterprise, such as the risk that we
may not obtain substantial additional capital needed to support the expenses of developing our technology and commercializing
our potential products; develop a market for our potential products; successfully transition from a company with a research focus
to a company capable of either manufacturing and selling potential products or profitably licensing our potential products to
others; and/or attract and retain qualified management, technical and scientific staff.
We
currently have not generated any revenue from product sales and may never become profitable.
To
date, we have generated no revenue for product sales and we do not know when or if our product will generate revenue. Our ability
to generate revenue depends on a number of factors, including our ability to successfully complete clinical trials for the sugarBEAT
device and obtain regulatory approval to commercialize these potential products. Even then, we will need to establish and maintain
sales, marketing, distribution and to the extent we do not outsource manufacturing, manufacturing capabilities. We plan to rely
on one or more strategic collaborators to help generate revenues in markets outside of Great Britain however, we cannot be sure
that our collaborators, if any, will be successful. Our ability to generate revenue will also be impacted by certain challenges,
risks and uncertainties frequently encountered in the establishment of new technologies and products in emerging markets and evolving
industries. These challenges include our ability to:
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execute
our business model;
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create
brand recognition;
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manage
growth in our operations;
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create
a customer base cost-effectively;
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access
additional capital when required; and
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attract
and retain key personnel.
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We
cannot be certain that our business model will be successful or that it will successfully address these and other challenges,
risks and uncertainties. If we are unable to generate significant revenue, we may not become profitable, and we may be unable
to continue our operations. Even if we are able to commercialize the sugarBEAT device, we may not achieve profitability for at
least several years, if at all, after generating material revenue.
Fluctuations
in foreign exchange rates may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Our
functional currency is the Great Britain Pound Sterling (“GBP”). The reporting currency is the United States
dollar (US$). Income and expenditures are translated at the average exchange rates prevailing during the reporting period.
Assets and liabilities are translated at the exchange rates as of balance sheet date. Stockholders’ equity is translated
into United States dollars from GBP at historical exchange rates. Currency fluctuations and restrictions on currency exchange
may adversely affect our business, including limiting our ability to convert GBP into foreign currencies and, if the GBP were
to decline in value, reducing our revenue in U.S. dollar terms. To the extent the U.S. dollar strengthens against foreign
currencies, the translation of these foreign currencies denominated transactions results in reduced revenue, operating expenses
and net income for our international operations. Similarly, to the extent the U.S. dollar weakens against foreign currencies,
the translation of these foreign currency denominated transactions results in increased revenue, operating expenses and net income
for our international operations. We are also exposed to foreign exchange rate fluctuations as we convert the financial statements
of our foreign subsidiaries into U.S. dollars in consolidation. If there is a change in foreign currency exchange rates, the conversion
of the foreign subsidiaries’ financial statements into U.S. dollars will lead to a translation gain or loss which is recorded
as a component of other comprehensive income (loss). We have not entered into agreements or purchased instruments to hedge our
exchange rate risks. The availability and effectiveness of any hedging transaction may be limited and we may not be able to successfully
hedge our exchange rate risks.
In
addition, following the UK’s Brexit vote to leave the EU, there has been a weakening of GBP against many currencies. We
expect to have to pay some of our service providers and vendors in USD and we will pay approximately 10% more at present than
we would have done prior to the Brexit vote. The currency exchange rate continues to be very unstable and therefore the future
impact or further weakening of GBP is not known at this time.
Risks
Related to Our Industry
Our
competitors may develop products that are less expensive, safer or more effective, which may diminish or eliminate the commercial
success of any potential products that we may commercialize.
If
our competitors market products that are less expensive, safer or more effective than our future products developed from our product
candidates, or that reach the market before our products, we may not achieve commercial success. For example, if approved, the
sugarBEAT device’s primary competition in the glucose monitoring device setting will be companies such as Dexcom, Abbott,
and Senseonics who produce glucose monitoring devices. The market may choose to continue utilizing the existing products
for any number of reasons, including familiarity with or pricing of these existing products. The failure of our product to compete
with products marketed by our competitors would impair our ability to generate revenue, which would have a material adverse effect
on our future business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
expect to compete with several companies including Dexcom, Abbott, and Senseonics, and our competitors may:
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develop
and market products that are less expensive or more effective than our future product;
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commercialize
competing products before we can launch any products developed from our product candidate;
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operate
larger research and development programs or have substantially greater financial resources
than we do;
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initiate
or withstand substantial price competition more successfully than we can;
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have
greater success in recruiting skilled technical and scientific workers from the limited
pool of available talent;
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more
effectively negotiate third-party licenses and strategic relationships; and
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take
advantage of acquisition or other opportunities more readily than we can.
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We
expect to compete for market share against large medical diagnostic device manufacturing companies, smaller companies that are
collaborating with larger companies, new companies, and other public and private research organizations.
In
addition, our industry is characterized by rapid technological change. Because our research approach integrates many technologies,
it may be difficult for us to stay abreast of the rapid changes in each technology. If we fail to stay at the forefront of technological
change, we may be unable to compete effectively. Our competitors may render our technologies obsolete by advances in existing
technological approaches or the development of new or different approaches, potentially eliminating the advantages in our product
discovery process that we believe we derive from our research approach and proprietary technologies.
The
use of hazardous materials in our operations may subject us to environmental claims or liabilities.
Our
research and development activities involve the use of hazardous chemical materials. Injury or contamination from these materials
may occur and we could be held liable for any damages, which could exceed our available financial resources. This liability could
materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
are subject to laws and regulations governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of hazardous materials and
waste products. We may be required to incur significant costs to comply with environmental laws and regulations in the future
that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If
we fail to comply with extensive regulations enforced by regulatory agencies with respect to diagnostic medical device products,
the commercialization of our product could be prevented, delayed or halted.
Research,
preclinical development, clinical trials, manufacturing and marketing of our product is subject to extensive regulation by various
government authorities. We have not received marketing approval for the sugarBEAT device. The process of obtaining the required
regulatory approvals is lengthy and expensive, and the time required for such approvals is uncertain. The approval process is
affected by such factors as:
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the
indication and claims of the diagnostic device;
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the
quality of submission relating to the product;
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the
product’s clinical efficacy and safety;
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the
manufacturing facility compliance;
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the
availability of alternative devices;
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the
risks and benefits demonstrated in clinical trials; and
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the
patent status and marketing exclusivity rights of certain innovative products.
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Any
regulatory approvals that we or our partners receive for our product may also be subject to limitations on the indicated uses
for which the product may be marketed or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing follow-up studies. The subsequent
discovery of previously unknown problems with the product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, may
result in restrictions on the marketing of the product and withdrawal of the product from the market.
Manufacturing,
labelling, storage and distribution activities also are subject to strict regulation and licensing by government authorities.
The manufacturing facilities for our product will be subject to periodic inspection by the regulatory authorities and from time
to time, these agencies may send notice of deficiencies as a result of such inspections. Our failure or the failure of our manufacturing
facilities, to continue to meet regulatory standards or to remedy any deficiencies could result in corrective action by the authorities,
including the interruption or prevention of marketing, closure of our manufacturing facilities, and fines or penalties.
Regulatory
authorities also will require post-marketing surveillance to monitor and report potential adverse effects of our product. If approved,
any of our products’ subsequent failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements could, among other things, result
in warning letters, fines, suspension or revocation of regulatory approvals, product recalls or seizures, operating restrictions,
injunctions and criminal prosecutions.
Government
policies may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent or delay regulatory approval of our
product. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of adverse government regulation that may arise from future legislation
or administrative action. If we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we might not be permitted to market our product
and our business could suffer.
In
the future, we hope to distribute and sell our product outside of the United Kingdom and the European Union, which will subject
us to further regulatory risk.
In
addition to seeking approval from the United Kingdom and the European Union for the sugarBEAT device, we may seek regulatory approval
from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Australia, and the USA, to market the sugarBEAT device, however, there
is no guarantee we will do so. We may in the future also seek approvals for additional countries. The regulatory review process
varies from country to country, and approval by foreign government authorities is unpredictable, uncertain and generally expensive.
The ability to market our product could be substantially limited due to delays in receipt of, or failure to receive, the necessary
approvals or clearances. Marketing of our product in these countries, and in most other countries, is not permitted until
we have obtained required approvals or exemptions in each individual country. Failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals
could impair our ability to generate revenue from international sources.
Market
acceptance of our product will be limited if users are unable to obtain adequate reimbursement from third-party payers.
Government
health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations generally provide reimbursement for products
like our product and our commercial success will depend in part on these third-party payers agreeing to reimburse patients for
the costs of our product. Even if we succeed in bringing our product to market, we cannot assure you that third-party payers will
consider our product cost effective or provide reimbursement in whole or in part for its use.
Significant
uncertainty exists as to the reimbursement status of newly approved health care products. Our product is intended to replace or
alter existing therapies or procedures. These third-party payers may conclude that our product is less safe, effective or cost-effective
than existing therapies or procedures. Therefore, third-party payers may not approve our product for reimbursement.
If
third-party payers do not approve our product for reimbursement or fail to reimburse for them adequately, sales will suffer as
some physicians or their patients will opt for a competing product that is approved for reimbursement or is adequately reimbursed.
Even if third-party payers make reimbursement available, these payers’ reimbursement policies may adversely affect our ability
and the ability of our potential collaborators to sell our product on a profitable basis.
The
trend toward managed healthcare, the growth of organizations such as health maintenance organizations and legislative proposals
to reform healthcare and government insurance programs could significantly influence the purchase of healthcare services and products,
resulting in lower prices and reduced demand for our product which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and
results of operations.
In
addition, legislation and regulations affecting the pricing of our product may change in ways adverse to us before or after the
regulatory agencies approve our product for marketing. While we cannot predict the likelihood of any of these legislative or regulatory
proposals, if any government or regulatory agencies adopt these proposals, they could materially adversely affect our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Product
liability claims may damage our reputation and, if insurance proves inadequate, the product liability claims may harm our business.
We
may be exposed to the risk of product liability claims that is inherent in the diagnostic medical device. A product liability
claim may damage our reputation by raising questions about our product’s safety and efficacy and could limit our ability
to sell our product by preventing or interfering with commercialization of our product.
In
addition, product liability insurance for our industry is generally expensive to the extent it is available at all. There can
be no assurance that we will be able to obtain and maintain such insurance on acceptable terms or that we will be able to secure
increased coverage if the commercialization of our product progresses, or that future claims against us will be covered by our
product liability insurance. Moreover, there can be no assurance that any product liability coverage from any insurance policy
and/or any rights of indemnification and contribution that we may have will offset any future claims. We currently do not maintain
product liability insurance. A successful claim against us with respect to uninsured liabilities and not subject to any indemnification
or contribution could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
could be negatively impacted by the application or enforcement of fraud and abuse laws, including anti-kickback laws and other
anti-referral laws.
We
are not aware of any current business practice which is in violation of any fraud and abuse law. However, continued vigilance
to assure compliance with all potentially applicable laws will be a necessary expense associated with product development. For
example, all product marketing efforts must be strictly scrutinized to assure that they are not associated with improper remunerations
to referral sources in violation of any anti-kickback statutes. Remunerations may include potential future activities for our
product, including discounts, rebates and bundled sales, which must be appropriately structured to take advantage of statutory
and regulatory “safe harbors.” From time to time we may engage physicians in consulting activities. In addition, we
may decide to sponsor continuing medical education activities for physicians or other medical personnel. We also may award or
sponsor study grants to physicians from time to time. All relationships with physicians, including consulting arrangements, continuing
medical education and study grants, must be similarly reviewed for compliance with any anti-kickback statute to assure that remuneration
is not provided in return for referrals. Patient inducements may also be unlawful. Inaccurate reports of product pricing, or a
failure to provide a product at an appropriate price to various governmental entities, could also serve as a basis for an enforcement
action under various theories.
Claims
which are “tainted” by virtue of kickbacks or a violation of self-referral rules may be alleged as false claims if
other elements of a violation are established. Because our potential customers may seek payments from healthcare programs for
our product, even during the clinical trial stages, we must assure that we take no actions which could result in the submission
of false claims. For example, free product samples which are knowingly or with reckless disregard billed to healthcare programs
could constitute false claims. If the practice was facilitated or fostered by us, we could be liable. Moreover, inadequate accounting
for or a misuse of grant funds used for product research and development could be alleged as a violation of relevant statutes.
The
risk of our being found in violation of these laws is increased by the fact that many of them have not been fully interpreted
by the regulatory authorities or the courts, and their provisions are open to a variety of interpretations, and additional legal
or regulatory change.
Risks
Related to Our Common Stock
Our
stock price may be volatile.
The
stock market, particularly in recent years, has experienced significant volatility particularly with respect to pharmaceutical,
biotechnology and other diagnostic medical device company stocks. The volatility of pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other diagnostic
medical device company stocks often does not relate to the operating performance of the companies represented by the stock. Factors
that could cause this volatility in the market price of our Common Stock include:
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results
from and any delays in our clinical trials;
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failure
or delays in entering our product into clinical trials;
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failure
or discontinuation of any of our research programs;
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delays
in establishing new strategic relationships;
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delays
in the development or commercialization of our product;
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market
conditions in the diagnostic medical device sectors and issuance of new or changed securities
analysts’ reports or recommendations;
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actual
and anticipated fluctuations in our financial and operating results;
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developments
or disputes concerning our intellectual property or other proprietary rights;
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introduction
of technological innovations or new commercial products by us or our competitors;
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issues
in manufacturing our product;
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market
acceptance of our product;
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third-party
healthcare reimbursement policies;
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regulatory
actions affecting us or our industry;
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litigation
or public concern about the safety of our product; and
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additions
or departures of key personnel.
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These
and other external factors may cause the market price and demand for our Common Stock to fluctuate substantially, which may limit
or prevent investors from readily selling their shares of Common Stock and may otherwise negatively affect the liquidity of our
Common Stock. In the past, when the market price of a stock has been volatile, holders of that stock have instituted securities
class action litigation against the company that issued the stock. If any of our stockholders brought a lawsuit against us, we
could incur substantial costs defending the lawsuit. Such a lawsuit could also divert the time and attention of our management.
We
have not paid and may not pay any dividends on our Common Stock.
We
have paid no dividends on our Common Stock to date and may not pay dividends to holders of our Common Stock in the foreseeable
future. While our future dividend policy will be based on the operating results and capital needs of the business, it is currently
anticipated that any earnings will be retained to finance our future expansion and for the implementation of our business plan.
As an investor, you should take note of the fact that a lack of a dividend can further affect the market value of our stock, and
could significantly affect the value of any investment in our Company.
We
are subject to the reporting requirements of federal securities laws. This can be expensive and may divert resources from other
projects, and thus impairing our ability to grow.
We
are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange
Act”), and other federal securities laws, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley
Act”). The costs of preparing and filing annual and quarterly reports, proxy statements and other information
with the SEC (including reporting of any Merger that may occur in the future) and furnishing audited reports to stockholders will
cause our expenses to be higher than they would have been if we had remained privately held.
If
we fail to establish and maintain an effective system of internal control, we may not be able to report our financial results
accurately or to prevent fraud. Any inability to report and file our financial results accurately and timely could harm our reputation
and adversely impact the trading price of our Common Stock.
We
are subject to reporting obligations under the U.S. securities laws. The Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, as required
by Section 404 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, adopted rules requiring every public company to
include a management report on such company’s internal control over financial reporting in its annual report, which contains
management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the company’s internal control over financial reporting. Our
management has concluded that our internal control over our financial reporting is not effective. Our reporting obligations as
a public company will place a significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable
future.
Prior
to 2014, we were a private company with a short operating history and limited accounting personnel and other resources with which
to address our internal control and procedures over financial reporting. We have identified material weaknesses, which include
(i) our size has prevented us from being able to employ sufficient resources to enable us to have an adequate level of supervision
and segregation of duties within our internal control system, (ii) a lack of adequate financial expertise related to the assessment
of complex transactions and a lack of adequate resources to review out of the ordinary transactions and arrangements of the Company,
(iii) limited policies and procedures over related party transactions. We will continue to implement measures to remedy these
material weaknesses as well as other deficiencies. If we fail to timely achieve and maintain the adequacy of our internal
controls, we may not be able to conclude that we have effective internal control over financial reporting. Moreover, effective
internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and is important to help prevent
fraud. As a result, our failure to achieve and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could result in the
loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which in turn could harm our business and negatively
impact the market price of our common stock.
Effective
internal control is necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and prevent fraud. If we cannot provide reliable financial
reports or prevent fraud, we may not be able to manage our business as effectively as we would if an effective control environment
existed, and our business and reputation with investors may be harmed. As a result, our small size and any current internal control
deficiencies may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operation and access to capital. We have not performed an
in-depth analysis to determine if historical un-discovered failures of internal controls exist and may in the future discover
areas of our internal control that need improvement.
We
have disclosed a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting which could have an adverse effect on our
ability to report our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows accurately and on a timely basis.
We
have disclosed a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting due to (i) our size has prevented us from
being able to employ sufficient resources to enable us to have an adequate level of supervision and segregation of duties within
our internal control system, (ii) a lack of adequate financial expertise related to the assessment of complex transactions and
a lack of adequate resources to review out of the ordinary transactions and arrangements of the Company, and (iii) limited policies
and procedures over related party transactions. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal
control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company's annual
or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. We have determined that further improvements
are required in our accounting processes and personnel before we can consider the material weakness remediated. Management's procedures
and testing identified errors that, although not material to the consolidated financial statements, led management to conclude
that control deficiencies exist related to the timely production and filing of financial information. As a result of these deficiencies,
it is reasonably possible that internal controls over financial reporting may not have prevented or detected errors from occurring
that could have been material, either individually or in the aggregate.
A
material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting could adversely impact our ability to provide timely and accurate
financial information. While considerable actions have been taken and are underway to improve our internal controls in response
to the identified material weaknesses and further action steps to strengthen controls have been taken, additional work continues
to address and remediate the identified material weaknesses. If we are unsuccessful in implementing or following our remediation
plan, we may not be able to timely or accurately report our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows or maintain
effective internal controls over financial reporting. If we are unable to report financial information timely and accurately or
to maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures, we could be subject to, among other things, regulatory or enforcement
actions by the SEC, which could adversely affect the valuation of our common stock and could adversely affect our business prospects.
Public
company compliance may make it more difficult to attract and retain officers and directors.
The
Sarbanes-Oxley Act and new rules subsequently implemented by the SEC have required changes in corporate governance practices of
public companies. As a public company, we expect these new rules and regulations to increase our compliance costs in 2019 and
beyond and to make certain activities more time consuming and costly. As a public company, we also expect that these new rules
and regulations may make it more difficult and expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance in the future
and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or
similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of
directors or as executive officers.
Our
Common Stock will be deemed a “penny stock,” which makes it more difficult for our investors to sell their shares.
Our
Common Stock will be subject to the “penny stock” rules adopted under Section 15(g) of the Exchange Act. The penny
stock rules generally apply to companies whose common stock is not listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market or other national securities
exchange and trades at less than $5.00 per share, other than companies that have had average revenue of at least $6,000,000 for
the last three years or that have tangible net worth of at least $5,000,000 ($2,000,000 if the company has been operating for
three or more years). These rules require, among other things, that brokers who trade penny stock to persons other than “established
customers” complete certain documentation, make suitability inquiries of investors and provide investors with certain information
concerning trading in the security, including a risk disclosure document and quote information under certain circumstances. Many
brokers have decided not to trade penny stocks because of the requirements of the penny stock rules and, as a result, the number
of broker-dealers willing to act as market makers in such securities is limited. If we remain subject to the penny stock rules
for any significant period, it could have an adverse effect on the market, if any, for our securities. If our securities are subject
to the penny stock rules, investors will find it more difficult to dispose of our securities.
Offers
or availability for sale of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock may cause the price of our Common Stock to decline.
If
our stockholders sell substantial amounts of our Common Stock in the public market upon the expiration of any statutory holding
period, under Rule 144, or issued upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants, it could create a circumstance commonly
referred to as an “overhang” and in anticipation of which the market price of our Common Stock could fall. The existence
of an overhang, whether or not sales have occurred or are occurring, also could make more difficult our ability to raise additional
financing through the sale of equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem reasonable or
appropriate.
The
interests of Dr. D.F. Chowdhury, or the controlling shareholders, may not always coincide with the interests of us and our other
shareholders, and the controlling shareholders may exert significant control or substantial influence over us and may take actions
that are not in, or may conflict with, public shareholders’ best interests.
The
controlling shareholders control the exercise of voting rights of over 50 % of the shares eligible to vote in any of our annual
or special meeting. Therefore, these controlling shareholders will be able to exercise significant influence over all matters
that require us to obtain shareholder approval, including the election of directors to our board and approval of significant corporate
transactions that we may consider, such as a merger or other sale of our company or its assets. The controlling shareholders
may cause us to take actions that are not in, or may conflict with, the interests of us or the public shareholders. In the case
where the interests of the controlling shareholders conflict with those of our other shareholders, or if the controlling shareholders
choose to cause us to pursue objectives that would conflict with the interests of our other shareholders, such other shareholders
could be left in a disadvantageous position by such actions caused by the controlling shareholders and the price of our common
stock could be adversely affected.
We
are subject to the anti-takeover provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes governing business combinations and control share acquisition.
Applicability
of the Nevada business combination statute would discourage parties interested in taking control of our company if they cannot
obtain the approval of our board of directors. These provisions could prohibit or delay a merger or other takeover or change in
control attempt and, accordingly, may discourage attempts to acquire our company even though such a transaction may offer our
stockholders the opportunity to sell their stock at a price above the prevailing market price.
The
effect of the Nevada control share statute is that the acquiring person, and those acting in association with the acquiring person,
will obtain only such voting rights in the control shares as are conferred by a resolution of the stockholders at an annual or
special meeting of the stockholders. The Nevada control share law, if applicable, could have the effect of discouraging
takeovers of our company based on our organizational structure.
We
are subject to compliance with multiple tax jurisdictions.
As
we transact out of both the UK and United States we must comply with tax filing requirements in both jurisdictions.
We
may not manage to implement changes to our control environment within the timeframes required.
We
have identified changes that we need to make to our control environment in order to move to SOX compliance. While we have an action
plan in place, it may not be possible for us to implement all of the changes required by the required date.