ITEM 1A. RISK
FACTORS
In addition to other information in
this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the following risk factors should be carefully considered in evaluating our business because such
factors may have a significant impact on our business, operating results, liquidity and financial condition. As a result of the
risk factors set forth below, actual results could differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Additional
risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently consider to be immaterial, may also impact our business,
operating results, liquidity and financial condition. If any such risks occur, our business, operating results, liquidity and financial
condition could be materially affected in an adverse manner. Under such circumstances, the trading price of our securities could
decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to our Company
We have had a history of losses
and no revenue, which raises a risk regarding our ability to continue as a going concern in the future.
Since inception through September 30,
2021, we have accumulated a deficit of approximately $200 million. We can offer no assurance that we will ever operate profitably
or that we will generate positive cash flow in the future. To date, we have not generated any revenues from our operations. Our
history of losses and no revenues creates a greater risk of our continued ability to continue as a going concern in the future.
As a result, our management expects the business to continue to experience negative cash flows for the foreseeable future and cannot
predict when, if ever, our business might become profitable. We will need to raise additional funds, and such funds may not be
available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. If we are unable to raise funds on acceptable terms, we may not be able
to execute our business plan, take advantage of future opportunities, or respond to competitive pressures or unanticipated requirements.
This may seriously harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are an early stage pharmaceutical
research and development company and may never be able to successfully develop marketable products or generate any revenue. We
have a very limited relevant operating history upon which an evaluation of our performance and prospects can be made. There is
no assurance that our future operations will result in profits. If we cannot generate sufficient revenues, we may suspend or cease
operations.
We are an early stage company and have
not generated any revenues to date and have no operating history. All of our potential drug compounds are in the concept stage
or early clinical development stage. Moreover, we cannot be certain that our research and development efforts will be successful
or, if successful, that our potential drug compounds will ever be approved for sales to pharmaceutical companies or generate commercial
revenues. We have no relevant operating history upon which an evaluation of our performance and prospects can be made. We are subject
to all of the business risks associated with a new enterprise, including, but not limited to, risks of unforeseen capital requirements,
failure of potential drug compounds either in non-clinical testing or in clinical trials, failure to establish business relationships
and competitive disadvantages against larger and more established companies. If we fail to become profitable, we may suspend or
cease operations.
We will need additional funding
and may be unable to raise additional capital when needed, which would force us to delay, reduce or eliminate our research and
development activities.
We will need to raise additional funding
and the current economic conditions may have a negative impact on our ability to raise additional needed capital on terms that
are favorable to our Company or at all. We may not be able to generate significant revenues for several years, if at all. Until
we can generate significant revenues, if ever, we expect to satisfy our future cash needs through equity or debt financing. We
cannot be certain that additional funding will be available 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 and development activities.
Risks Related to our Business
Even if we are able to develop
our potential drug compounds, we may not be able to receive regulatory approval, or if approved, we may not be able to generate
significant revenues or successfully commercialize our products, which will adversely affect our financial results and financial
condition and we will have to delay or terminate some or all of our research and development plans which may force us to cease
operations.
All of our potential drug compounds
will require extensive additional research and development, including non-clinical testing and clinical trials, as well as regulatory
approvals, before we can market them. In particular, human therapeutic products are subject to rigorous non-clinical and clinical
testing and other approval procedures of the FDA and similar regulatory authorities in other countries. Various federal statutes
and regulations also govern or influence testing, manufacturing, safety, labeling, storage, and record-keeping related to such
products and their marketing. We cannot predict if or when any of the potential drug compounds we intend to develop will be approved
for marketing. There are many reasons that we may fail in our efforts to develop our potential drug compounds. These include:
If we fail to develop our potential
drug compounds, our financial results and financial condition will be adversely affected, we will have to delay or terminate some
or all of our research and development plans and may be forced to cease operations.
Our research and development plans
will require substantial additional future funding which could impact our operations and financial condition. Without the required
additional funds, we will likely cease operations.
It will take several years before we
can develop potentially marketable products, if at all. Our research and development plans will require substantial additional
capital, arising from costs to:
● conduct research, non-clinical testing and human studies;
Our future operating and capital needs
will depend on many factors, including:
● the scope and results of pre-clinical testing and human studies;
● the time and costs involved in obtaining regulatory approvals;
● competing technological and market developments;
● our ability to establish additional collaborations;
● changes in our existing collaborations;
● the cost of manufacturing scale-up; and
● the effectiveness of our commercialization activities.
We base our outlook regarding the need
for funds on many uncertain variables. Such uncertainties include the success of our research initiatives, regulatory approvals,
the timing of events outside our direct control such as negotiations with potential strategic partners and other factors. Any of
these uncertain events can significantly change our cash requirements as they determine such one-time events as the receipt or
payment of major milestones and other payments.
Additional funds will be required to
support our operations and if we are unable to obtain them on favorable terms, we may be required to cease or reduce further research
and development of our drug product programs, sell some or all our intellectual property, merge with another entity or cease operations.
We have received fast track designation
for one of our compounds and may seek such designation or breakthrough therapy and priority review for other compounds in the future.
Fast track designation or breakthrough therapy designation may not actually lead to a faster FDA review and approval process.
For some of our compounds, including
ANAVEX®2-73, we hope to benefit from the FDA’s fast track and priority review programs. In February 2020,
the FDA granted Fast Track designation for the ANAVEX®2-73 clinical development program for the treatment of Rett
syndrome. However, the fast-track designation may be withdrawn by the FDA if the FDA believes that the designation is no longer
supported by data emerging in the clinical trial process.
Under FDA policies, a compound is eligible
for priority review, or review within a six-month time frame from the time a complete NDA is accepted for filing, if the compound
provides a significant improvement compared to marketed drugs in the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of a disease. A fast-track
designated compound would ordinarily meet the FDA’s criteria for priority review.
Fast track
or breakthrough therapy designation for our compounds may not actually lead to a faster review process, and a delay in the review
process or in the approval of our compounds will delay revenue from their potential sales and will increase the capital necessary
to fund these compound development programs.
We have received orphan drug designation for several
of our compounds, but we may be unable to maintain any benefits associated with orphan drug designation, including market exclusivity.
Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may
grant orphan designation to a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition or for which there is no reasonable expectation
that the cost of developing and making available in the United States a drug for a disease or condition will be recovered from
sales in the United States for that drug. If a product that has orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval
for the indication for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan product exclusivity, which means that the
FDA may not approve any other applications, including a full NDA, to market the same drug or biologic for the same indication for
seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity.
We have received
orphan drug designation for several of our compounds, but exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be limited if we
seek FDA marketing approval for an indication broader than the orphan designated indication. Additionally, any compound with orphan
drug designation may lose such designation if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective
or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease
or condition. In addition, others may obtain orphan drug exclusivity for products addressing the same diseases or conditions as
products we are developing, thus limiting our ability to compete in the markets addressing such diseases or conditions for a significant
period of time.
If we fail to demonstrate efficacy
in our non-clinical studies and clinical trials our future business prospects, financial condition and operating results will be
materially adversely affected.
The success of our research and development
efforts will be greatly dependent upon our ability to demonstrate potential drug compound efficacy in non-clinical studies, as
well as in clinical trials. Non-clinical studies involve testing potential drug compounds in appropriate non-human disease models
to demonstrate efficacy and safety. Regulatory agencies evaluate these data carefully before they will approve clinical testing
in humans. If certain non-clinical data reveals potential safety issues or the results are inconsistent with an expectation of
the potential drug compound’s efficacy in humans, the regulatory agencies may require additional more rigorous testing before
allowing human clinical trials. This additional testing will increase program expenses and extend timelines. We may decide to suspend
further testing on our potential drug compounds if, in the judgment of our management and advisors, the non-clinical test results
do not support further development.
Moreover, success in non-clinical testing
and early clinical trials does not ensure that later clinical trials will be successful, and we cannot be sure that the results
of later clinical trials will replicate the results of prior clinical trials and non-clinical testing. The clinical trial process
may fail to demonstrate that our potential drug compounds are safe for humans and effective for indicated uses. This failure would
cause us to abandon a drug candidate and may delay development of other potential drug compounds. Any delay in, or termination
of, our non-clinical testing or clinical trials will delay the filing of an IND and NDA with the FDA or the equivalent applications
with pharmaceutical regulatory authorities outside the United States and, ultimately, our ability to commercialize our potential
drug compounds and generate product revenues. In addition, we expect that our early clinical trials will involve small patient
populations. Because of the small sample size, the results of these early clinical trials may not be indicative of future results.
Also, the IND process may be extremely costly and may substantially delay the development of our potential drug compounds. Moreover,
positive results of non-clinical tests will not necessarily indicate positive results in subsequent clinical trials.
Following successful non-clinical testing,
potential drug compounds will need to be tested in a clinical development program to provide data on safety and efficacy prior
to becoming eligible for product approval and licensure by regulatory agencies. From the first human trial through to regulatory
approval can take many years and 10-12 years is not unusual for certain compounds.
If any of our future clinical development
potential drug compounds become the subject of problems, our ability to sustain our development programs will become critically
compromised. For example, efficacy or safety concerns may arise, whether or not justified, that could lead to the suspension or
termination of our clinical programs. Examples of problems that could arise include, among others:
● manufacturing difficulties or concerns;
● pressure from competitive products; or
● introduction of more effective treatments.
Each clinical phase is designed to test
attributes of the drug and problems that might result in the termination of the entire clinical plan can be revealed at any time
throughout the overall clinical program. The failure to demonstrate efficacy in our clinical trials would have a material adverse
effect on our future business prospects, financial condition and operating results.
If we do not obtain the support
of qualified scientific collaborators, our revenue, growth and profitability will likely be limited, which would have a material
adverse effect on our business.
We will need to establish relationships
with leading scientists and research institutions. We believe that such relationships are pivotal to establishing products using
our technologies as a standard of care for various indications. Additionally, although in discussion, there is no assurance that
our current research partners will continue to work with us or that we will be able to attract additional research partners. If
we are not able to establish scientific relationships to assist in our research and development, we may not be able to successfully
develop our potential drug compounds. If this happens, our business will be adversely affected.
We may not be able to develop,
market or generate sales of our products to the extent anticipated. Our business may fail and investors could lose all their investment
in our Company.
Assuming that we are successful in developing
our potential drug compounds and receiving regulatory clearances to market our products, our ability to successfully penetrate
the market and generate sales of those products may be limited by a number of factors, including the following:
If this happens, our business will be
adversely affected.
None of our potential drug compounds
may reach the commercial market for a number of reasons and our business may fail.
Successful research and development
of pharmaceutical products is high risk. Most products and development candidates fail to reach the market. Our success depends
on the discovery of new drug compounds that we can commercialize. It is possible that our products may never reach the market for
a number of reasons. They may be found ineffective or may cause harmful side-effects during non-clinical testing or clinical trials
or fail to receive necessary regulatory approvals. We may find that certain products cannot be manufactured at a commercial scale
and, therefore, they may not be economical to produce. Our potential products could also fail to achieve market acceptance or be
precluded from commercialization by proprietary rights of third parties. Our patents, patent applications, trademarks and other
intellectual property may be challenged, and this may delay or prohibit us from effectively commercializing our products. Furthermore,
we do not expect our potential drug compounds to be commercially available for a number of years, if at all. If none of our potential
drug compounds reach the commercial market, our business will likely fail and investors will lose all of their investment in our
Company. If this happens, our business will be adversely affected.
If our competitors succeed in
developing products and technologies faster or that are more effective or with a better profile than our own, or if scientific
developments change our understanding of the potential scope and utility of our potential products, then our technologies and future
products may be rendered undesirable or obsolete.
We face significant competition from
industry participants that are pursuing technologies in similar disease states to those that we are pursuing and are developing
pharmaceutical products that are competitive with our products. Nearly all of our industry competitors have greater capital resources,
larger overall research and development staffs and facilities, and a longer history in drug discovery and development, obtaining
regulatory approval and pharmaceutical product manufacturing and marketing than we do. With these additional resources, our competitors
may be able to respond to the rapid and significant technological changes in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries faster
than we can. Our future success will depend in large part on our ability to maintain a competitive position with respect to these
technologies. Rapid technological development, as well as new scientific developments, may result in our products becoming obsolete
before we can recover any of the expenses incurred to develop them. For example, changes in our understanding of the appropriate
population of patients who should be treated with a targeted therapy like we are developing may limit the drug’s market potential
if it is subsequently demonstrated that only certain subsets of patients should be treated with the targeted therapy.
Our reliance on third parties,
such as university laboratories, contract manufacturing organizations and contract or clinical research organizations, may result
in delays in completing, or a failure to complete, non-clinical testing or clinical trials if they fail to perform under our agreements
with them.
In the course of product development,
we may engage university laboratories, other biotechnology companies or contract or clinical manufacturing organizations to manufacture
drug material for us to be used in non-clinical and clinical testing and contract research organizations to conduct and manage
non-clinical and clinical studies. If we engage these organizations to help us with our non-clinical and clinical programs, many
important aspects of this process have been and will be out of our direct control. If any of these organizations we may engage
in the future fail to perform their obligations under our agreements with them or fail to perform non-clinical testing and/or clinical
trials in a satisfactory manner, we may face delays in completing our clinical trials, as well as commercialization of any of our
potential drug compounds. Furthermore, any loss or delay in obtaining contracts with such entities may also delay the completion
of our clinical trials, regulatory filings and the potential market approval of our potential drug compounds.
If we fail to compete successfully
with respect to partnering, licensing, mergers, acquisitions, joint venture and other collaboration opportunities, we may be limited
in our ability to research and develop our potential drug compounds.
Our competitors compete with us to attract
established biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies or organizations for partnering, licensing, mergers, acquisitions, joint
ventures or other collaborations. Collaborations include contracting with academic research institutions for the performance of
specific scientific testing. If our competitors successfully enter into partnering arrangements or license agreements with academic
research institutions, we will then be precluded from pursuing those specific opportunities. Since each of these opportunities
is unique, we may not be able to find a substitute. Other companies have already begun many drug development programs, which may
target diseases that we are also targeting, and have already entered into partnering and licensing arrangements with academic research
institutions, reducing the pool of available opportunities.
Universities and public and private
research institutions also compete with us. While these organizations primarily have educational or basic research objectives,
they may develop proprietary technology and acquire patent applications and patents that we may need for the development of our
potential drug compounds. In some instances, we will attempt to license this proprietary technology, if available. These licenses
may not be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all. If we are unable to compete successfully with respect to acquisitions,
joint venture and other collaboration opportunities, we may be limited in our ability to develop new products.
The use of any of our products
in clinical trials may expose us to liability claims, which may cost us significant amounts of money to defend against or pay out,
causing our business to suffer.
The nature of our business exposes us
to potential liability risks inherent in the testing, manufacturing and marketing of our products. We currently have one drug compound
in clinical trials, however, when any of our products enter clinical trials or become marketed products, they could potentially
harm people or allegedly harm people possibly subjecting us to costly and damaging product liability claims. Some of the patients
who participate in clinical trials are already ill when they enter a trial or may intentionally or unintentionally fail to meet
the exclusion criteria. The waivers we obtain may not be enforceable and may not protect us from liability or the costs of product
liability litigation. Although we intend to obtain product liability insurance, which we believe is adequate, we are subject to
the risk that our insurance will not be sufficient to cover claims. The insurance costs along with the defense or payment of liabilities
above the amount of coverage could cost us significant amounts of money and management distraction from other elements of the business,
causing our business to suffer.
If we are unable to safeguard
against security breaches with respect to our information systems, our business may be adversely affected.
In the course of our business, we gather,
transmit and retain confidential information through our information systems. Although we endeavor to protect confidential information
through the implementation of security technologies, processes and procedures, it is possible that an individual or group could
defeat security measures and access sensitive information about our business and employees. Any misappropriation, loss or other
unauthorized disclosure of confidential information gathered, stored or used by us could have a material impact on the operation
of our business, including damaging our reputation with our employees, third parties and investors. We could also incur significant
costs implementing additional security measures and organizational changes, implementing additional protection technologies, training
employees or engaging consultants. In addition, we could incur increased litigation as a result of any potential cyber-security
breach. We are not aware that we have experienced any material misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized disclosure of confidential
or personally identifiable information as a result of a cyber-security breach or other act, however, a cyber-security breach or
other act and/or disruption to our information technology systems could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects,
financial condition or results of operations.
Even if we receive regulatory approval for one or more
compounds, we will be subject to continuing regulatory obligations and ongoing regulatory review, which may result in significant
additional expense. Additionally, our compounds, if approved, could be subject to labeling and other restrictions on marketing
or withdrawal from the market, and we may be subject to penalties, if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or if we experience
unanticipated problems with our compounds, when and if any of them are approved.
Following potential approval of any
our compounds, the FDA may impose significant restrictions on a drug’s indicated uses or marketing or require potentially
costly and time-consuming post-approval studies, post-market surveillance or clinical trials to monitor the safety and efficacy
of the drug. The FDA may also require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”) as a condition of approval
of one or more of our compounds, which could include requirements for a medication guide, physician communication plans or additional
elements to ensure safe use of the drug. Additional REMS elements may include restricted distribution methods, patient registries
and other risk minimization tools.
In addition, if the FDA or a comparable
foreign regulatory authority approves one or more of our compounds, the manufacturing processes, labeling, packaging, distribution,
adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion, import, export and recordkeeping for the approved drug will be subject
to additional and potentially extensive ongoing regulatory requirements. These requirements include submissions of safety and other
post-marketing information and reports, establishment registration, as well as continued compliance with cGMPs and GCP requirements
for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with our products, including
adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure
to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in, among other things:
● injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties; and
The occurrence of any event or penalty
described above may limit our ability to commercialize our compounds and generate revenue, and could require us to expend significant
time and resources in response or generate negative publicity.
If any of our compounds are approved,
our product labeling, advertising and promotion will also be subject to regulatory requirements and ongoing regulatory review.
The FDA strictly regulates the promotional claims that may be made about drug products. In particular, a drug may not be promoted
for uses that are not approved by the FDA as reflected in the drug’s approved labeling. If we receive marketing approval
for a compound, physicians may nevertheless lawfully prescribe it to their patients in a manner that is inconsistent with the approved
label. While the FDA recently clarified that mere knowledge that a physician is prescribing a drug for off label use is not sufficient
to constitute unlawful off-label promotion, if we are found to have actively promoted such off label uses, we may become subject
to significant liability under the FDCA. The federal government has levied large civil and criminal fines against companies for
alleged improper promotion and has enjoined several companies from engaging in off-label promotion. The FDA has also requested
that companies enter into consent decrees or permanent injunctions under which specified promotional conduct is changed or curtailed.
The FDA’s and other regulatory
authorities’ policies are subject to change at any time, and additional government regulations may be enacted that could
prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of our compounds. If we are unable to timely adapt to changes in existing requirements
or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance post-marketing, we may
lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained, and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.
Finally, we cannot predict the likelihood,
nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative or executive action, either
in the United States or abroad. It is difficult to predict how any such legislative, administrative or executive actions will be
implemented, and the extent to which they will impact the FDA’s ability to exercise its regulatory authority. If these legislative
or executive actions impose constraints on the FDA’s ability to engage in oversight and implementation activities in the
normal course, our business may be negatively impacted.
The COVID-19 coronavirus could
adversely impact our business, including our clinical trials, and financial condition.
In December 2019, a novel strain of
coronavirus, COVID-19, was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China. Since then, the COVID-19 coronavirus has spread to multiple
countries, including the United States, Australia and European and Asia-Pacific countries, including countries in which we have
planned or active clinical trial sites. As the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread around the globe, we may experience disruptions
that could potentially impact our business and clinical trials.
In addition, the spread of COVID-19
coronavirus has had and may continue to severely impact the trading price of shares of our common stock and could further severely
impact our ability to raise additional capital on a timely basis or at all.
The global outbreak of the COVID-19
coronavirus continues to rapidly evolve. The extent to which the COVID-19 coronavirus may impact our future business operations,
including our clinical trials, and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot
be predicted with confidence, such as the ultimate geographic spread of the disease, the duration of the outbreak, travel restrictions
and social distancing in the United States and other countries, business closures or business disruptions and the effectiveness
of actions taken in the United States and other countries to contain and treat the disease.
Risks Related to our Common Stock
A decline in the price of our
common stock could affect our ability to raise further working capital and adversely impact our operations and would severely dilute
existing or future investors if we were to raise funds at lower prices.
A prolonged decline in the price of
our common stock could result in a reduction in our ability to raise capital. Because our operations have been financed through
the sale of equity securities, a decline in the price of our common stock could be especially detrimental to our continued operations.
Any reduction in our ability to raise equity capital in the future would force us to reallocate funds from other planned uses and
would have a significant negative effect on our business plans and operations, including our ability to develop new products and
continue our current operations. If our stock price declines, there can be no assurance that we can raise additional capital or
generate funds from operations sufficient to meet our obligations. We believe the following factors could cause the market price
of our common stock to continue to fluctuate widely and could cause our common stock to trade at a price below the price at which
you purchase your shares of common stock:
● actual or anticipated variations in our quarterly operating results;
● changes in accounting treatments or principles;
● general political, economic, regulatory and market conditions.
The market price for our common stock
may also be affected by our ability to meet or exceed expectations of analysts or investors. Any failure to meet these expectations,
even if minor, could materially adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
If we issue additional shares
of common stock in the future, it will result in the dilution of our existing stockholders and may cause the share price of our
common stock to fall.
Recently, the stockholders of the Company
approved an amendment to our articles of incorporation, increasing the number of authorized shares of common stock to 200,000,000
shares. We also have 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock authorized. Our Board of Directors has the authority to issue additional
shares of preferred and common stock up to the authorized capital stated in the articles of incorporation. Our Board of Directors
may choose to issue some or all such shares of common stock to acquire one or more businesses or to provide additional financing
in the future. The issuance of any such shares of common stock will result in a reduction of the book value or market price of
the outstanding shares of our common stock. If we do issue any such additional shares of common stock, such issuance also will
cause a reduction in the proportionate ownership and voting power of all other stockholders. Further, any such issuance may result
in a change of control of our corporation. In the event we do issue or sell additional shares of common or preferred stock, it
may result in shareholder dilution and may cause our share price to fall.
We may not be able to access sufficient
funds under the Sales Agreement when needed.
On May 1, 2020, we entered into an Amended
and RestatedSales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and SVB Leerink LLC
(the “Sales Agents”), pursuant to which we may offer and sell shares of our common stock registered under an effective
registration statement from time to time through the Sales Agents (the “At-the-Market Offering”). The Sales Agents
are only obligated to act as our agent in the sale of shares pursuant to the Sales Agreement on a commercially reasonable efforts
basis and subject to certain conditions set forth in the Sales Agreement.
Therefore, we may not in the future,
have access to the full amount available to us under the Sales Agreement. Any amounts we sell under the Sales Agreement may not
satisfy all of our funding needs, even if we are able and choose to sell and issue all of our common stock currently registered.
Our stock price has been volatile and
may be volatile in the future.
Our stock price has been volatile at certain
times historically, and may be volatile in the future. We may incur rapid and substantial increases or decreases in our stock price
in the foreseeable future that are do not coincide in timing with the disclosure of news or developments by us. The stock market
in general, and the market for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in particular, has experienced extreme volatility that
has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. The market price for our common stock may be influenced
by many factors, including the following:
● our ability to meet or exceed expectations of analysts or investors;
● trading volume of our common stock;
● developments concerning our collaborations or partners;
● the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and its effect on us;
● developments or disputes concerning intellectual property rights;
● significant lawsuits, including patent or stockholder litigation;
● sales of our common stock by us or our stockholders;
● general economic, industry and market conditions.
In addition, companies trading in the stock
market in general, and The Nasdaq Capital Market in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have
often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. These broad market and industry factors
may seriously harm the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In the past, following periods
of volatility in the market, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against companies. Such litigation, if
instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could
materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. There can be no
guarantee that our stock price will remain at current prices.
Our common stock may become the target
of a “short squeeze.”
In the past several months prior to the filing
of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, securities of certain companies have increasingly experienced significant and extreme volatility
in stock price due to short sellers of shares of common stock, known as a “short squeeze.” These short squeezes have
caused extreme volatility in those companies and in the market and have led to the price per share of those companies to trade
at a significantly inflated rate that is disconnected from the underlying value of the company. Many investors who have purchased
shares in those companies at an inflated rate face the risk of losing a significant portion of their original investment as the
price per share has declined steadily as interest in those stocks have abated. There can be no assurance that we will not, in the
future be, a target of a short squeeze, and you may lose a significant portion or all of your investment if you purchase our shares
at a rate that is significantly disconnected from our underlying value.
Risks Related to our Intellectual
Property
If we are unable to obtain and
maintain sufficient intellectual property protection for our product candidates, or if the scope of the intellectual property protection
obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialize product candidates similar or identical to
ours, and our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates that we may pursue may be impaired.
Our success depends in large part on
our ability to obtain and maintain protection of our intellectual property, particularly patents, in the United States and other
countries with respect to our product candidates and technology. We seek to protect our proprietary position by filing patent applications
in the United States and abroad related to our product candidates or by in-licensing intellectual property. U.S. patents related
to ANAVEX®2-73 are directed to a dosage form comprising certain doses of ANAVEX®2-73 and donepezil,
and the coverage is limited to the United States only. We may not be able to obtain patent protection for ANAVEX®2-73
as a single drug or in other jurisdictions.
Moreover, we may be subject to a third-party
preissuance submission of prior art to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or the USPTO, or become involved in opposition,
derivation, reexamination, inter partes review, post-grant review or interference proceedings challenging our patent rights or
the patent rights of others. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of,
or invalidate, our patent rights, allow third parties to commercialize our product candidates and compete directly with us, without
payment to us, or result in our inability to manufacture or commercialize drugs without infringing on third-party patent rights.
In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, regardless
of the outcome, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop or commercialize current or future product
candidates.
In addition, the issuance of a patent
is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and our patents may be challenged in the courts or
patent offices in the United States and abroad. Such challenges may result in loss of exclusivity or freedom to operate or in patent
claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, in whole or in part, which could limit our ability to stop others from
using or commercializing similar or identical product candidates, or limit the duration of the patent protection of our product
candidates. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents
protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our patent portfolio
may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing drugs similar or identical to ours.
We hold ownership or exclusive rights
to nine issued U.S. patent, ten U.S. patent applications, and various PCT or ex-U.S. patent applications relating to our drug candidates,
methods associated therewith, and to our research programs. Neither patents nor patent applications ensure the protection of our
intellectual property for a number of reasons, including the following:
5. Defending a patent lawsuit takes significant time and can be very expensive.
It is also unclear whether our trade
secrets are adequately protected. While we use reasonable efforts to protect our trade secrets, our employees or consultants may
unintentionally or willfully disclose our information to competitors. Enforcing a claim that someone illegally obtained and is
using our trade secrets, like patent litigation, is expensive and time consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition,
courts outside the United States are sometimes less willing to protect trade secrets. Our competitors may independently develop
equivalent knowledge, methods and know-how.
We may also support and collaborate
in research conducted by government organizations, hospitals, universities or other educational institutions. These research partners
may be unable or unwilling to grant us exclusive rights to technology or products derived from these collaborations.
If we do
not obtain required intellectual property licenses or rights, we could encounter delays in our product development efforts while
we attempt to design around other patents or even be prohibited from developing, manufacturing or selling potential drug compounds
requiring these rights or licenses. There is also a risk that legal disputes may arise as to the rights to technology or potential
drug compounds developed in collaboration with other parties, all with attendant risk, distraction, expense, and lack of predictability.
If we fail to comply with our
obligations in the agreements under which we license intellectual property rights from third parties or otherwise experience disruptions
to our business relationships with our licensors, we could lose intellectual property rights that are important to our business.
We are party to an exclusive license
agreement with Life Science Research Israel Ltd., with respect to certain in-licensed intellectual property related to our ANAVEX®3-71
product candidate, and we may need to obtain additional licenses from others in the future. Our license agreement with Life Science
Research Israel Ltd. imposes, and we expect that future license agreements will impose, various development, diligence, commercialization,
and other obligations on us. In spite of our efforts, our licensors might conclude that we have materially breached our obligations
under such license agreements and might therefore terminate the license agreements, thereby removing or limiting our ability to
develop and commercialize products and technology covered by these license agreements. If these in-licenses are terminated, or
if the underlying patents fail to provide the intended exclusivity, competitors or other third parties would have the freedom to
seek regulatory approval of, and to market, products identical to ours and we may be required to cease our development and commercialization
of ANAVEX®3-71or other product candidates covered by any such future licenses. Any of the foregoing
could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, business, financial conditions, results of operations, and prospects.
Moreover, disputes may arise regarding
intellectual property subject to a licensing agreement, including:
● the priority of invention of patented technology.
In addition, the agreements under which
we currently license intellectual property or technology from third parties are complex, and certain provisions in such agreements
may be susceptible to multiple interpretations. The resolution of any contract interpretation disagreement that may arise could
narrow what we believe to be the scope of our rights to the relevant intellectual property or technology, or increase what we believe
to be our financial or other obligations under the relevant agreement, either of which could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. Moreover, if disputes over intellectual property that
we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our licensing arrangements on commercially acceptable terms, we may
be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates, which could have a material adverse effect
on our business, financial conditions, results of operations, and prospects.
If we do not obtain required intellectual
property licenses or rights, we could encounter delays in our product development efforts while we attempt to design around other
patents or even be prohibited from developing, manufacturing or selling potential drug compounds requiring these rights or licenses.
There is also a risk that legal disputes may arise as to the rights to technology or potential drug compounds developed in collaboration
with other parties, all with attendant risk, distraction, expense, and lack of predictability.
Third-party claims of intellectual
property infringement may prevent or delay our development and commercialization efforts.
Our success will also depend in part
on our ability to commercialize our compounds without infringing the proprietary rights of others. We have not conducted extensive
freedom of use patent searches and no assurance can be given that patents do not exist or could be issued which would have an adverse
effect on our ability to market our technology or maintain our competitive position with respect to our technology. If our compounds
or other subject matter are claimed under other United States patents or other international patents or are otherwise protected
by third party proprietary rights, we may be subject to infringement actions. In such event, we may challenge the validity of such
patents or other proprietary rights or we may be required to obtain licenses from such companies in order to develop, manufacture
or market our technology. There can be no assurances that we would be successful in a challenge or be able to obtain such licenses
or that such licenses, if available, could be obtained on commercially reasonable terms. Furthermore, the failure to succeed in
a challenge, develop a commercially viable alternative or obtain needed licenses could be materially adverse. Adverse consequences
include delays in marketing some or all of our potential drug compounds based on our drug technology or the inability to proceed
with the development, manufacture or sale of potential drug compounds requiring such licenses. If we defend ourselves against charges
of patent infringement or to protect our proprietary rights against third parties, substantial costs will be incurred regardless
of whether we are successful. Such proceedings are typically protracted with no certainty of success. An adverse outcome could
subject us to significant liabilities to third parties and force us to curtail or cease the research and development of our technology.
Parties making claims against us may
obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to further develop and commercialize ANAVEX®2-73
or our other product candidates. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense
and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement
against us, we may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees for willful infringement,
pay royalties, redesign our infringing products or obtain one or more licenses from third parties, which may be impossible or require
substantial time and monetary expenditure. Additionally, parties making claims against us may be able to sustain the costs of complex
patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. Furthermore, because of the substantial
amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation or administrative proceedings, there is a risk
that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the
initiation and continuation of any litigation could have material adverse effect on our ability to raise additional funds or otherwise
have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
If we are unable to protect the
confidentiality of our trade secrets, the value of our technology could be materially adversely affected and our business would
be harmed.
While we use reasonable efforts to protect
our trade secrets, our employees or consultants may unintentionally or willfully disclose our information to competitors. Enforcing
a claim that someone illegally obtained and is using our trade secrets, like patent litigation, is expensive and time consuming,
and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, courts outside the United States are sometimes less willing to protect trade secrets.
Our competitors may independently develop equivalent knowledge, methods and know-how.
We seek to protect our confidential
proprietary information, in part, by confidentiality agreements and invention assignment agreements with our employees, consultants,
scientific advisors, contractors and collaborators. These agreements are designed to protect our proprietary information. However,
we cannot be certain that such agreements have been entered into with all relevant parties, and we cannot be certain that our trade
secrets and other confidential proprietary information will not be disclosed or that competitors will not otherwise gain access
to our trade secrets or independently develop substantially equivalent information and techniques. For example, any of these parties
may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain
adequate remedies for such breaches. We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our confidential proprietary
information by maintaining physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our information technology
systems, but it is possible that these security measures could be breached. If any of our confidential proprietary information
were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor, we would have no right to prevent such competitor from
using that technology or information to compete with us, which could harm our competitive position.
Although we are not currently
involved in any litigation, we may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents or other intellectual property,
which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful.
Competitors may infringe our patents
or other intellectual property. Although we are not currently involved in any litigation, if we were to initiate legal proceedings
against a third party to enforce a patent covering ANAVEX®2-73 or our other product candidates, the defendant could
counterclaim that the patent covering our product candidate is invalid and/or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United
States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge could
be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness, written description
or non-enablement. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of
the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO, or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. The outcome following
legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable.
Interference or derivation proceedings
provoked by third parties or brought by us or declared by the USPTO may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with
respect to our patents or patent applications. An unfavorable outcome could require us to cease using the related technology or
to attempt to license rights to it from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed if the prevailing party does not offer
us a license on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or if a non-exclusive license is offered and our competitors gain access
to the same technology. Our defense of litigation or interference or derivation proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may
result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees. In addition, the uncertainties associated with litigation
could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our clinical trials, continue our
research programs, license necessary technology from third parties, or enter into development partnerships that would help us bring
ANAVEX®2-73 or our other product candidates to market.
We may be subject to claims challenging
the inventorship of our patents and other intellectual property.
We or our licensors may be subject to
claims that former employees, collaborators or other third parties have an interest in our owned or in-licensed patents, trade
secrets, or other intellectual property as an inventor or co-inventor. For example, we or our licensors may have inventorship disputes
arise from conflicting obligations of employees, consultants or others who are involved in developing our product candidates. Litigation
may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship or our or our licensors’ ownership of
our owned or in-licensed patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property. If we or our licensors fail in defending any such
claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership
of, or right to use, intellectual property that is important to our product candidates. Even if we are successful in defending
against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees. Any of
the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Obtaining and maintaining our
patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed
by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
Periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees,
annuity fees and various other governmental fees on patents and/or applications will be due to be paid to the USPTO and various
governmental patent agencies outside of the United States in several stages over the lifetime of the patents and/or applications.
We have systems in place to remind us to pay these fees, and we employ an outside firm and rely on our outside counsel to pay these
fees due to non-U.S. patent agencies. The USPTO and various non-U.S. governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number
of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. We employ reputable
law firms and other professionals to help us comply, and in many cases, an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment of a late
fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules. However, there are situations in which non-compliance can result
in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant
jurisdiction. In such an event, our competitors might be able to enter the market and this circumstance would have a material adverse
effect on our business.
We may not be able to protect
our intellectual property rights throughout the world.
Filing, prosecuting and defending patents
on our product candidates in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property
rights in some countries outside the United States can be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws
of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United
States. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the United
States, or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions. Competitors
may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and may also
export infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United
States. These products may compete with our products and our patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective
or sufficient to prevent them from competing.
The risk factors disclosed in this Annual
Report on Form 10-K could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The risks
described herein are not the only risks we face. Our operations could also be affected by additional factors that are not presently
known to us or by factors that we currently consider immaterial to our business.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED
STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
We do not own any real property. We
maintain a corporate head office at 51 West 52nd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, USA. Our lease costs for this office
are approximately $4,500 per month. We believe our offices are suitable and adequate to operate our business currently, as they
provide us with sufficient space to conduct our operations.
ITEM 3. LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS