Item 1A. Risk Factors 46
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 77
Item 2. Property 77
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 77
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 77
PART II
Item 6. Selected Financial Data 79
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk 96
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 96
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 97
Item 9B. Other Information 98
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance 99
Item 11. Executive Compensation 99
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 99
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 100
i
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
This
Annual Report on Form 10-K of PAVmed Inc. (“we”, “us”, “our” or “PAVmed” or the
“Company”) contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other
than statements of historical facts, contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Form 10-K”), including statements
regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for
future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,”
“plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “target,” “projects,”
“contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or
“continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements,
although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of
future performance and the Company’s actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking
statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in Item 1A of Part I of
this Form 10-K under the heading “Risk Factors,” which are incorporated herein by reference.
Important
factors that may affect our actual results include:
● our limited operating history;
● our financial performance, including our ability to generate revenue;
● our ability of our products to achieve market acceptance;
● our potential ability to obtain additional financing when and if needed;
● our ability to protect our intellectual property;
● our ability to complete strategic acquisitions;
● our ability to manage growth and integrate acquired operations;
● the potential liquidity and trading of our securities;
● regulatory and operational risks;
● cybersecurity risks;
● risks related to SARS-CoV-2 /COVID-19 pandemic;
● the impact of the material weakness identified by our management;
In
addition, our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future financings, acquisitions, mergers,
dispositions, joint ventures or investments we may make.
We
may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, and /or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should
not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. You should read this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the documents
we have filed as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K completely and with the understanding our actual future results may
be materially different from what we expect. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
ii
PART
I
Item
1. Business
Background
and Overview
PAVmed
is a highly differentiated, multi-product, commercial-stage technology medical device company organized to advance a broad pipeline
of innovative medical technologies from concept to commercialization, employing a business model focused on capital efficiency
and speed to market. Since inception on June 26, 2014, the Company’s activities have focused on advancing its lead products
towards regulatory approval and commercialization, protecting its intellectual property, and building its corporate infrastructure
and management team. The Company operates in one segment as a medical device company with four operating divisions which include
GI Health, Minimally Invasive Interventions, Infusion Therapy, and Emerging Innovations. As resources permit, we will continue
to explore internal and external innovations that fulfill our project selection criteria without limiting ourselves to any target
specialty or condition. The Company has ongoing operations conducted in two active majority owned subsidiaries: Lucid Diagnostics,
Inc. (“Lucid Diagnostics” or “LUCID”) incorporated in May 2018 and Solys Diagnostics, Inc. (“Solys
Diagnostics” or “SOLYS”) incorporated in October 2019.
PAVmed
and its subsidiaries have proprietary rights to the trademarks used herein, including, among others, PAVmedTM, Lucid DiagnosticsTM,
CaldusTM, CarpX®, DisappEARTM, EsoCheck®, EsoGuard®, EsoCheck Cell Collection
Device®, EsoCure Esophageal Ablation DeviceTM, NextCathTM, NextFloTM, PortIOTM, and “Innovating
at the Speed of Life”TM. Solely as a matter of convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to herein may or may
not be accompanied with the requisite marks of “TM” or “®”, however, the absence of such marks
is not intended to indicate, in any way, PAVmed or its subsidiaries will not assert, to the fullest extent possible under applicable
law, their respective rights to such trademarks and trade names.
Our
multiple products are in various phases of development, regulatory clearances, approvals, and commercialization.
Item
1. Business - continued
Background
and Overview - continued
As
discussed herein below, our current lines-of-business are as follows:
GI
Health
EsoGuard,
EsoCheck, and EsoCure
EsoGuard
and EsoCheck are based on patented technology licensed from Case Western Reserve University (“CWRU”) through our majority-owned
subsidiary Lucid Diagnostics Inc. EsoGuard and EsoCheck have been developed to provide an accurate, non-invasive, patient-friendly
screening test for the early detection of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus (“EAC”) and Barrett’s Esophagus (“BE”),
including dysplasia and related pre-cursors to EAC in patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux (“GERD”). EsoCure
is based on our patented Caldus Technology. EsoCure is being developed by us to treat BE.
EsoGuard
is a molecular diagnostic esophageal DNA test shown in a published human study to be highly accurate at detecting BE, as well
as EAC. EsoCheck is a non-invasive cell collection device designed to sample cells from a targeted region of the esophagus in
a five-minute office-based procedure, without the need for endoscopy. Both EsoGuard and EsoCheck are commercially available, as
separately marketed products, for physicians to prescribe for U.S. patients.
EsoCure
is in development as an “Esophageal Ablation Device” with the intent to allow a clinician to treat dysplastic BE before
it can progress to EAC, a highly lethal esophageal cancer, and to do so without the need for complex and expensive capital equipment.
We have successfully completed a pre-clinical feasibility animal study of EsoCure demonstrating excellent, controlled circumferential
ablation of the esophageal mucosal lining. We plan to conduct additional development work and animal testing of EsoCure to support
a planned FDA 510(k) submission later in 2021.
We
are currently marketing the EsoGuard LDT through a network of independent representatives working with our in-house sales management.
The U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), finalized the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule determination
for the EsoGuard Esophageal DNA Test (CPT code 0114U) in the amount of $1,938.10, with such reimbursement expected to be applicable
from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023. In addition, we have entered into a manufacturing agreement with medical device contract
manufacturer Coastline International Inc. to serve as a high-volume, lower-cost manufacturer of the EsoCheck device.
Item
1. Business - continued
Background
and Overview - continued
GI
Health - continued
EsoGuard,
EsoCheck, and EsoCure - continued
Our
longer-term strategy is to secure a specific indication, based on published guidelines, for BE screening in certain at-risk populations
using EsoGuard on samples collected with EsoCheck. This use of EsoGuard together with EsoCheck as a screening system must be cleared
or approved by the FDA as an in vitro diagnostic, or “IVD”, device. The IVD trial consists of a screening study (ESOGUARD-BE-1)
and a case control study (ESOGUARD-BE-2).In September 2019, we entered into an agreement with a clinical research organization
to assist us with two ongoing clinical trials for EsoGuard as an IVD device. The IVD trial consists of a screening study (ESOGUARD-BE-1)
and a case control study (ESOGUARD-BE-2). The IVD trial is now actively enrolling patients after months of delay related to the
pandemic resulting from the outbreak of a novel strain of a coronavirus designated as the “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
Coronavirus 2” - or “SARS-CoV-2”. The pandemic resulting from SARS-CoV-2 is commonly referred to by its resulting
illness of “coronavirus disease-2019” (“COVID-19”) - - and as such, is referred to herein as the COVID-19
pandemic.
In
February 2020 we received Breakthrough Device designation for EsoGuard as an IVD device. The FDA Breakthrough Device Program was
created to offer patients more timely access to breakthrough technologies which provide for more effective treatment or diagnosis
of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating human disease or conditions by expediting their development, assessment and review
through enhanced communications and more efficient and flexible clinical study design, including more favorable pre/post market
data collection balance.
We
have received ISO 13485:2016 certification for Lucid Diagnostics quality management system and filed a European Union CE Mark
regulatory submission for EsoCheck in November 2020, having confirmed that EsoGuard falls under the self-declaration category
of the European Union regulatory requirements.
Minimally
Invasive Interventions
CarpX
CarpX,
a minimally invasive surgical device for use in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome, received FDA 510(k) marketing clearance
in April 2020. After months of restricted access to physicians’ offices and clinics principally due to the “COVID-19
pandemic, the first commercial procedure was successfully performed in December 2020. We have received ISO 13485:2016 certification
for our quality management system and filed European Union (“EU”) “CE Mark” regulatory submission for
CarpX in December 2020.
We
believe CarpX is designed to allow the physician to relieve the compression on the median nerve without an open incision or the
need for endoscopic or other imaging equipment. To use CarpX, the operator first advances a guidewire through the carpal tunnel
under the ligament, and then advanced over the wire and positioned in the carpal tunnel under ultrasonic and/or fluoroscopic guidance.
When the CarpX balloon is inflated it creates tension in the ligament positioning the cutting electrodes underneath it and creates
space within the tunnel, providing anatomic separation between the target ligament and critical structures such as the median
nerve. Radiofrequency energy is briefly delivered to the electrodes, rapidly cutting the ligament, and relieving the pressure
on the nerve. We believe CarpX will be significantly less invasive than existing treatments.
We
are commercializing CarpX in the United States of America (“USA”, “U.S.”, or “United States”)
through a network of independent sales representatives and/or inventory-stocking medical distributors together with our in-house
sales management and marketing teams.
We
may eventually choose to build (or obtain through a strategic acquisition) our own sales and marketing team to commercialize CarpX,
along with some or all of our products, if it is in our long-term interests. We may also choose to enter into distribution agreements
with larger strategic partners whereby we take full responsibility for the manufacturing of CarpX but outsource some or all of
its distribution to a partner, particularly outside the United States, with its own robust distribution channels.
Item
1. Business - continued
Background
and Overview - continued
Infusion
Therapy
PortIO
PortIO
is a novel, patented, implantable, intraosseous vascular access device which does not require accessing the central venous system
and does not have an indwelling intravascular component. It is designed to be highly resistant to occlusion and may not require
regular flushing. It features simplified, near-percutaneous insertion and removal, without the need for surgical dissection or
radiographic confirmation. It provides a near limitless number of potential access sites and can be used in patients with chronic
total occlusion of their central veins. The absence of an intravascular component will likely result in a very low infection rate.
Based
on encouraging animal data, and after months of delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we plan to initiate a long-term (60-day
implant duration) first-in-human clinical study in dialysis patients or those with poor venous access in Colombia, South America
and intend to fulfill the likely FDA request for human clinical data with a clinical safety study in the U.S. following FDA clearance
of our Investigational Device Exemption (“IDE”), submission to begin clinical testing in dialysis patients to support
a future de novo regulatory submission.
NextFlo
NextFlo
is a patented, disposable, and highly accurate infusion platform technology including intravenous “(“IV),” infusion
sets and disposable infusion pumps designed to eliminate the need for complex and expensive electronic infusion pumps for most
of the estimated one million infusions of fluids, medications and other substances delivered each day in hospitals and outpatient
settings in the U.S. NextFlo is designed to deliver highly accurate gravity-driven infusions independent of the height of the
IV bag. It maintains constant flow by incorporating a proprietary, passive, pressure-dependent variable flow-resistor consisting
entirely of inexpensive, easy-to-manufacture disposable mechanical parts. NextFlo testing has demonstrated constant flow rates
across a wide range of IV bag heights, with accuracy rates comparable to electronic infusion pumps.
We
are seeking a long-term strategic partnership or acquiror. As part of a formal M&A process for NextFlo we have been working
with strategic partners to complete certain testing requirements and modifications suitable for the at-home infusion market. The
process is currently active with ongoing discussion occurring with multiple parties while we are simultaneously progressing toward
an initial FDA 510(k) submission for the NextFlo IV Infusion System planned for later in 2021.
Emerging
Innovations
Emerging
Innovations include a diversified and expanding portfolio of innovative products designed to address unmet clinical needs across
a broad range of clinical conditions. We are evaluating a number of these product opportunities and intellectual property covering
a wide spectrum of clinical conditions, which have either been developed internally or have been presented to us by clinician
innovators and academic medical institutions for consideration of a partnership to develop and commercialize these products. This
collection of products includes, without limitation, initiatives in non-invasive laser-based glucose monitoring, mechanical circulatory
support cannulas, single-use ventilators and resorbable pediatric ear tubes. In June 2020, we announced the execution of a letter
of intent to consummate a series of agreements to develop and utilize Canon Virginia’s commercial grade and scalable aqueous
silk fibroin molding process to manufacture PAVmed’s DisappEAR molded pediatric ear tubes for commercialization. Furthermore,
we are exploring other opportunities to grow our business and enhance shareholder value through the acquisition of pre-commercial
or commercial stage products and/or companies with potential strategic corporate and commercial synergies.
Item
1. Business - continued
Background
and Overview - continued
GI
Health - Gastroenterology – Opportunity, Solution, and Strategy
We
believe the development and commercial availability of our EsoGuard diagnostic test is revolutionary, particularly when performed
on samples collected by EsoCheck. Our molecular DNA assay has the potential to save many lives through early BE detection. We
were affirmed in this belief in February 2020 when we received Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA for our EsoGuard Esophageal
DNA Test on esophageal samples collected using its EsoCheck Cell Collection Device in a prevalent well-defined group of patients
at elevated risk for esophageal dysplasia due to chronic GERD. The FDA Breakthrough Device Program was created to offer patients
more timely access to breakthrough technologies which provide for more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or
irreversibly debilitating human disease or conditions by expediting their development, assessment and review through enhanced
communications and more efficient and flexible clinical study design, including more favorable pre/post market data collection
balance. Breakthrough Devices receive priority FDA review, and a bipartisan bill before Congress (H.R. 5333) seeks to require
Medicare to temporarily cover all Breakthrough Devices for three years while determining permanent coverage. Additionally, the
National Cancer Institute (“NCI”) highlighted EsoGuard and EsoCheck as one of a handful of the year’s significant
advances in cancer prevention in the NCI’s 2020 Annual Plan and Budget Proposal submitted to Congress.
Furthermore,
we believe EsoGuard and EsoCheck (and later EsoCure, pending FDA 510(k) clearance) will revolutionize the frequency and manner
that GI physicians interact with patients suffering from chronic acid reflux and other diseases of the esophagus for the following
reasons:
Item
1. Business - continued
Background
and Overview - continued
GI
Health — Gastroenterology – Opportunity, Solution, and Strategy - continued
Our
EsoGuard Opportunity
The
incidence of EAC, the most common cancer of the esophagus, has quadrupled over the past 30 years. Its prognosis remains dismal,
with fewer than 20% of patients surviving at five years. We are pursuing the development of the EsoGuard technology to provide
the more than 30 million diagnosed GERD patients a non-invasive, less costly test by which to detect BE so that patients identified
with the condition may receive surveillance and medical therapies well known to be highly effective at preventing progression
to esophageal cancer.
The
primary risk factor for, and a presumed cause of BE is GERD, commonly known as chronic heartburn or acid reflux, wherein stomach
acid refluxes into the esophagus. GERD affects 20-40% of Western adult populations, according to published epidemiological data.
The repeated exposure to stomach acid can lead to specific metaplastic and dysplastic, i.e. pre-cancerous changes in the
esophageal lining, a condition known as Barrett’s Esophagus (which we refer to as BE).
BE
is most diagnosed in the U.S. by the presence of so-called “salmon colored” mucosa visualized during upper endoscopy
together with columnar epithelium (so-called intestinal metaplasia) seen on in biopsies taken from such an affected area. In BE,
columnar epithelium replaces the stratified squamous epithelium which normally lines the distal esophagus (at the nexus of the
stomach). This metaplastic epithelium is the initial manifestation of a progressive disease process, which, if unabated, continues
through a dysplastic phase and ultimately into EAC. Due to the known risk for progression of BE toward EAC, current guidelines
advise patients with nondysplastic BE to be enrolled in endoscopic surveillance programs in order to detect progression. Endoscopic
surveillance includes extensive biopsy sampling, taken per the Seattle biopsy protocol. For nondysplastic BE, the American College
of Gastroenterology recommends surveillance endoscopy at 3-5 year intervals. For patients with confirmed low grade dysplasia (“LGD”)
and without life-limiting comorbidity, endoscopic therapy is considered as the preferred treatment modality, although endoscopic
surveillance every 12 months is an acceptable alternative. Patients with high grade dysplasia (“HGD”) are to be managed
with endoscopic therapy.
The
only currently-validated approach to assess a patient for BE and EAC, and the current “gold standard”, is white light
esophagogastroduodenoscopy (“EGD,” also commonly known as “upper endoscopy”), together with collection
of multiple biopsy specimens from the potentially affected area in the distal esophagus. The procedure is invasive and expensive.
In the U.S., EGD is almost always done under intravenous sedation in a specialized facility. It requires a patient to be fasting
for several hours beforehand, to take a day off from work, and to be accompanied by a caregiver who also must miss work as a result.
Multiple biopsies must be taken, and each must be read by a highly trained and specialized medical pathologist. Interpretation
of these biopsies is highly subjective; for BE with LGD, pathological interpretation comes with an unacceptably low concordance
rate between pathologists. The EGD procedure itself, the administration of anesthesia, and the procurement of biopsies, all carry
medical risk. No screening alternative exists currently, and no device currently carries an FDA label indication to screen for
any of these conditions. It is our belief that EsoGuard may become the widespread screening test to fulfill this unmet patient
need similar to how pap smears and HPV testing have now become the widespread screening test to help eradicate cervical cancer.
However,
despite the well-accepted understanding that BE may progress to dysplasia and EAC, the clear guidance on the importance of BE
surveillance and treatment, and the broad availability of EGD throughout the U.S., most cases of BE remain undiagnosed. Multiple
studies demonstrate that more than 90% of patients who develop EAC never knew they had BE prior to their EAC diagnosis. A major
opportunity for prevention of this cancer is being missed due to inadequate screening of at-risk populations. The major GI societies
clearly define populations at high risk and advocate screening of such individuals, yet the vast majority go unscreened. It is
estimated that more than 90% of the estimated 13 million high risk individuals in the U.S. for whom screening is currently indicated
do not have it done. Put simply, nearly all EAC patients have evidence of BE but fewer than one in ten will have had the condition
detected prior to their cancer diagnosis.
Item
1. Business - continued
Background
and Overview - continued
GI
Health - Gastroenterology – Opportunity, Solution, and Strategy - continued
Dysplasia
can be treated with ablation, but most patients are diagnosed with EAC at an advanced stage. EsoCheck and EsoGuard are designed
to enhance screening and help clinicians catch BE and dysplasia while it’s still early enough to be treated and eliminated.
Enhancing screening, in this case, means providing better sampling of the esophagus as well as a highly accurate test to determine
whether precursor conditions have occurred.
Nearly
all patients diagnosed with EAC have evidence of BE, and it is accepted that BE is a precursor condition on a spectrum of progression
that in certain individuals will culminate in EAC, but in the vast majority of those with EAC, no prior diagnosis of BE will have
been made. If detected before the EAC esophagus cancer develops, Barrett’s Esophagus can be successfully treated, usually
with non-surgical approaches. Heartburn symptoms, commonly seen in patients with acid reflux with or without BE, can easily be
treated with over-the counter medications, while a diagnosis of BE with LGD or HGD offers options for endoscopic management including
radiofrequency ablation and local resection; these technologies have made LGD and HGD highly treatable with success rates of such
therapies at greater than 90%.
Our
EsoGuard and EsoCheck Solution
EsoCheck
collects cells from the esophagus without the need for endoscopy in a non-invasive five-minute office-based procedure. Its proprietary
and patent-protected “Collect+Protect Technology” protects collected samples from being diluted or contaminated during
retrieval within an easy to swallow capsule the size of a gel cap. The capsule contains a proprietary textured balloon that when
inflated inside the esophagus exposes ridges that have been shown to collect a greater amount of cellular material than predicate
devices based on Good Laboratory Practices (“GLP”) testing results included in our FDA 510(k) submission.
Once
the targeted region of the esophagus is swabbed collecting cells on the balloon’s surface, the Collect+Protect Technology
pulls the collected cells into the capsule where they are then protected during the retrieval process. Avoiding sample dilution
is a key feature of the device since capturing unnecessary cells decreases the ability to detect the needed signal. The sampled
cells can then be sent onto a molecular laboratory to perform any commercially available diagnostic test.
The
use of EsoGuard, on samples collected using EsoCheck, may offer an accurate, lower cost, non-invasive approach, that does not
require endoscopy, to screen for BE and EAC. The use of EsoGuard, on samples collected using EsoCheck, is not intended as a replacement
for EGD. Instead of replacing EGD, it is our vision that the use of EsoGuard, on samples collected using EsoCheck, may “enlarge
the top of the funnel” of high risk individuals who get screened in the first place; those who test positive by EsoGuard
will proceed to an EGD, whether as a confirmatory diagnostic procedure, a therapeutic ablation procedure, or both.
By
focusing the use of these follow-up EGDs on patients with the highest pre-EGD likelihood of a positive finding, and by doing so
more effectively and less expensively than the current risk stratification criteria allow, the use of EsoGuard, on samples collected
using EsoCheck, may enable health care systems to allocate more effectively the resources they currently spend on performing EGDs.
Item
1. Business - continued
Background
and Overview - continued
GI
Health - Gastroenterology – Opportunity, Solution, and Strategy - continued
EsoGuard
and EsoCheck Development and Commercial Status
EsoCheck
is commercially available under a substantial equivalence determination made by the FDA pursuant to a 510(k). On June 21, 2019,
Lucid Diagnostics was notified by FDA that it may market EsoCheck, subject to the general controls provisions of the Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic Act (the “FDCA”), as a cell collection device indicated for use in the collection and retrieval of surface
cells of the esophagus in the general population of adults, 22 years of age and older.
EsoGuard
is commercially available to be prescribed by physicians for patients in the United States as an LDT and has been reported in
an article in Science Translational Medicine to have a high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of Barrett’s
Esophagus with and without dysplasia, as well as for EAC. LDT refers to a laboratory developed test and is a type of molecular
diagnostic test that is designed, manufactured and used within a single laboratory which is also certified pursuant to the CLIA
to support the marketing of the test.
EsoCheck
(i.e., by itself) may be used routinely by physicians to collect esophageal cells for various medical diagnostic purposes,
including to diagnose or manage conditions such as Esophageal Candidiasis (a yeast infection of the esophagus which occurs in
patients with compromised immune systems) and Eosinophilic Esophagitis (a common inflammatory condition of the esophagus) (“EoE”).
EsoGuard (i.e., also by itself) may be performed on cytology samples collected by a means other than EsoCheck, e.g.,
via EGD. However, our present clinical development focus, and the subject of a recent IVD pre-submission meeting with the FDA,
is on assessing the performance of the combined system (i.e., the use of the EsoGuard assay on cells collected using EsoCheck)
as a screening tool to detect BE, with and without dysplasia, and/or EAC, in individuals deemed to be at high risk for these conditions.
Eosinophilic
Esophagitis (“EoE”)
In
March 2020, we entered into a clinical trial research agreement with the University of Pennsylvania (“Penn”) for an
ongoing clinical trial designed to evaluate whether the Lucid Diagnostics EsoCheck Esophageal Cell Collection Device with Collect+ProtectTM
Technology provides a less invasive, more efficient, and cost-effective alternative to endoscopic biopsies in the management of
patients with EoE.
EoE
is a rapidly emerging allergy-mediated inflammatory condition of the esophagus similar to and often associated with inflammatory
bowel disease (“IBD”). Although underappreciated by the medical community and frequently confused with GERD, EoE has
a prevalence comparable to IBD and exacts a significant burden on patients. It can lead to swallowing difficulties, esophageal
scarring, food impaction and pain. Current treatment includes oral steroids and an elimination diet. Since inflammation can persist
despite resolution of symptoms, treatment courses can be very difficult and costly for patients, requiring multiple and frequent
invasive endoscopies with biopsies. To date efforts to replace endoscopy with a non-invasive diagnostic device have proven unsuccessful.
The
“LUCID-PENN” agreement covers a research program entitled “Pilot Study of EsoCheck Compared to Biopsies and
Brush Cytology During Endoscopy for Evaluation of Eosinophilic Esophagitis” (the “Study”) led by principal
investigator Gary W. Falk, M.D., M.S., AGAF. Dr. Falk is a professor of Gastroenterology, the clinical co-director of the Joint
Center for Digestive, Liver and Pancreatic Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and
the co-director of the Penn Medicine Esophageal and Swallowing Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is
also a Director of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus and Past President of the American Society of Gastrointestinal
Endoscopy (ASGE).
The
ongoing clinical trial is a prospective cross-sectional pilot feasibility study of ten patients with suspected or established
EoE scheduled for a clinically indicated upper endoscopy. The patients will undergo esophageal sampling using EsoCheck followed
by endoscopy, including brushings and biopsies. The primary endpoint of the trial is the sensitivity and specificity of EsoCheck
versus endoscopic biopsy in the assessment of EoE.
Item
1. Business - continued
Background
and Overview - continued
GI
Health - Gastroenterology – Opportunity, Solution, and Strategy - continued
Barrett’s
Esophagus Screening Tool
We
intend to seek FDA approval for the use of EsoGuard, on samples collected using EsoCheck, as an IVD device through a PMA submission.
The combined system may offer an accurate, lower cost, non-invasive, approach to screen for BE with and without dysplasia, and
for EAC, as compared with the current gold standard, namely diagnostic EGD plus biopsy. EsoCheck used for this purpose is performed
as a five-minute office-based procedure without sedation. Samples collected are sent for laboratory analysis by EsoGuard and typically
result in the issuance of a report of findings to the ordering physician, in under three weeks from the date of the test.
In
September 2019, we entered into an agreement with a clinical research organization to assist us with two ongoing clinical trials
for EsoGuard as an IVD device, which after months of delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic are now actively enrolling patients and
consist of a screening study (ESOGUARD-BE-1) and a case control study (ESOGUARD-BE-2).
In
February 2020, we received Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA for its EsoGuardTM Esophageal DNA Test on esophageal
samples collected using its EsoCheck Cell Collection Device in a prevalent well-defined group of patients at elevated risk for
esophageal dysplasia due to chronic GERD. The FDA Breakthrough Device Program was created to offer patients more timely access
to breakthrough technologies which “provide for more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or irreversibly
debilitating human disease or conditions” by expediting their development, assessment and review through enhanced communications
and more efficient and flexible clinical study design, including more favorable pre/post market data collection balance. Breakthrough
Devices receive priority FDA review, and a bipartisan bill before Congress (H.R. 5333) seeks to require Medicare to temporarily
cover all Breakthrough Devices for three years while determining permanent coverage.
EsoGuard
Business Strategy
Near-Term
Strategy
The
EsoGuard technology is progressing through a two-phase regulatory and commercialization strategy which seeks to maximize the long-term
commercial opportunity while providing near-term commercial milestones.
In
June 2019, we received 510(k) marketing clearance for the EsoCheck cell collection device from the FDA, which determined that
EsoCheck is substantially equivalent to legally marketed predicate devices for its indication for use, namely “the collection
and retrieval of surface cells of the esophagus in the general population of adults, 22 years of age or older.” We are also
pursuing other indications for EsoCheck beyond its use to collect cells for the EsoGuard DNA test. We have engaged key advisors
to begin utilizing EsoCheck in other common esophageal conditions such as Esophageal Candidiasis and EoE.
Item
1. Business - continued
Background
and Overview - continued
GI
Health - Gastroenterology – Opportunity, Solution, and Strategy - continued
Near-Term
Strategy - Laboratory Developed Test - “LDT”
EsoGuard
is an approved “Laboratory Developed Test” (“LDT”) and became commercially available in December 2019
after completing CLIA/CAP certification of the test at Lucid Diagnostics commercial diagnostic laboratory partner ResearchDx,
headquartered in Irvine, CA.
As
noted, EsoGuard is an approved “LDT”. A LDT is a clinical laboratory test which is designed, manufactured, and used
within a single-source laboratory. The laboratories that furnish LDTs are subject to regulation under CLIA and state clinical
laboratory licensure laws (where applicable). The FDA takes the position that LDTs meet the definition of a medical device under
the FDCA. Historically, however, the FDA has exercised enforcement discretion with respect to most LDTs, and not actively enforced
the regulatory requirements that otherwise apply to medical device manufacturers (e.g., premarket review, Quality Systems
Regulation, adverse event reporting, establishment registration, device listing). The FDA has traditionally chosen to exercise
enforcement discretion because LDTs were limited in number, were relatively simple tests, and were typically used to diagnose
rare disease and uncommon conditions.
In
October 2014, the FDA published two draft guidance documents describing a proposed risk-based framework under which the FDA proposed
to end enforcement discretion and begin regulating LDTs as medical devices. The FDA’s draft framework proposed, among other
things, premarket review for higher-risk LDTs, such as those that have the same intended use as FDA-approved companion diagnostic
currently on the market. In November 2015, the FDA issued a report citing evidence for the need for additional regulation of LDTs
and stated the FDA is continuing to work to finalize the 2014 draft guidance. However, in November 2016, the FDA announced that
it did not intend to finalize the draft guidance at that time. In January 2017, the FDA issued a Discussion Paper on LDTs, which
confirmed it did not intend to finalize the draft guidance at that time to allow more time for public discussion and time for
the congressional authorizing committees to develop a legislative solution. Various legislative proposals that would give FDA
express authority to regulate LDTs have been proposed since that time, but the chances of any specific proposal being enacted
remain unclear at this time. It is also unclear at this time if or when the FDA may end enforcement discretion for LDTs, and the
FDA may decide to regulate certain LDTs on a case-by-case basis at any time. Action by the FDA to actively regulate our LDT may
materially impact our ability to develop and commercialize EsoGuard as planned.
Near-Term
Strategy - Reimbursement Strategy
Successful
commercialization of our EsoGuard test depends, in large part, on our receipt of adequate reimbursement from government insurance
plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, managed care organizations and private insurance plans. We are in the process of seeking
a Local Coverage Determination (“LCD”) from Palmetto GBA (“Palmetto”), the Medicare Administrative Contractor
(“MAC”) that coordinates coverage for molecular diagnostic tests and will subsequently seek private payer health insurance
coverage for patients. As of yet, no payer has adopted a positive coverage policy for EsoGuard. Until such time, we will need
to obtain reimbursement from payers on a case-by-case basis.
The
U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), finalized the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule determination
under the gapfill process for the EsoGuard Esophageal DNA Test, CPT code 0114U “Gastroenterology (Barrett’s esophagus),
VIM and CCNA1 methylation analysis, esophageal cells, algorithm reported as likelihood for Barrett’s esophagus,” in
the amount of $1,938.10, with such reimbursement expected to be applicable from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023.
Item
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Background
and Overview - continued
GI
Health - Gastroenterology – Opportunity, Solution, and Strategy - continued
Commercial
third-party payors often rely upon Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement policies.
Third-party payers are increasingly attempting to contain healthcare costs by limiting both coverage and the level of reimbursement
for new healthcare products. As a result, there is uncertainty surrounding whether EsoGuard or EsoCheck, or any other product
or service we develop, will be eligible for coverage by third-party payers or, if eligible for coverage, what the reimbursement
rates will be. Reimbursement of esophageal cancer screening by a third-party payer may depend on a number of factors, including
a payer’s determination that tests using our technologies are: sensitive and specific for esophageal cancer and pre-cancer;
not experimental or investigational; approved or recommended by the major guidelines organizations; reliable, safe and effective;
medically necessary; appropriate for the specific patient; and cost-effective.
Near-Term
Strategy - Reimbursement Strategy - Medicare
For
EsoGuard, Medicare reimbursement is critical. CMS relies on a network of MACs to process provider claims for reimbursement, including
claims for diagnostic tests. Where appropriate, MACs draft and finalize LCDs that describe the circumstances under which an item
or service that is not included in the CLFS will (or will not) be covered. Almost all EsoGuard claims will be processed by the
MAC for California, Noridian Healthcare Solutions (“Noridian”). Noridian participates in the Molecular Diagnostic
Services (“MolDX”) Program coordinated by Palmetto. Under the MolDX Program, Palmetto reviews a detailed dossier of
information describing the performance characteristics of molecular diagnostic tests (i.e., data describing the test’s
analytical validity, clinical validity, and clinical utility) and, working collaboratively with other MAC medical directors, decides
whether to cover a test. We will need to work with the MolDX Program to obtain a favorable final LCD before Noridian will pay
claims for EsoGuard.
LDTs
that are covered by Medicare are generally reimbursed under the Medicare CLFS. From time to time, Congress has revised the Medicare
statute, including how CMS establishes CLFS payment rates. The payment amounts established under the Medicare fee schedules (such
as the CLFS) are important because they will determine the amount of reimbursement for a diagnostic under Medicare, and those
payment amounts are also often used as a basis for payment amounts set by other governmental and private third-party payers. For
example, state Medicaid programs are prohibited from paying more than the CLFS rate for clinical laboratory services furnished
to Medicaid recipients.
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Background
and Overview - continued
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Health - Gastroenterology – Opportunity, Solution, and Strategy - continued
Near-Term
Strategy - Reimbursement Strategy - Private Third-Party Payers
In
addition to seeking Medicare coverage and reimbursement, we will seek coverage and reimbursement from private payers such as health
insurance companies and HMOs. Private payers generally will determine whether to approve an LDT for reimbursement based on the
published results demonstrating the analytical validity, clinical validity, and clinical utility of the test.
Reimbursement
rates paid by private third-party payers can vary based on whether the provider is considered to be an “in-network”
provider, a participating provider, a covered provider, an “out-of-network” provider or a non-participating provider.
These definitions can vary among payers. An in-network provider usually has a contract with the payer or benefits provider. This
contract governs, among other things, service-level agreements and reimbursement rates. In certain instances, an insurance company
may negotiate an in-network rate for our testing. An in-network provider may have rates that are lower per test than those that
are out-of-network, and that rate can vary widely. Rates vary based on the payer, the testing type and often the specifics of
the patient’s insurance plan. If a laboratory agrees to contract as an in-network provider, it generally expects to receive
quicker payment and access to additional covered patients. However, it is likely that we will initially be considered an “out-of-network”
or non-participating provider by payers who cover the vast majority of patients until we can negotiate contracts with the payers.
Our out-of-network claims may be subject to certain “surprise billing” restrictions enacted by state legislatures
and/or currently under consideration in the U.S. Congress.
We
cannot predict whether, or under what circumstances, payers will cover and pay for our tests. Full or partial denial of coverage
by payers, or reimbursement at inadequate levels, would have a material adverse impact on our business and on market acceptance
of our tests.
We
are pursuing a variety of strategies to maximize commercial payer coverage for EsoGuard, including developing cost effectiveness
data to provide to payers to make the case for EsoGuard reimbursement. We will focus our efforts on large national and regional
insurers and health plans that have affiliated health systems.
When
there is a private or governmental third-party payer coverage policy in place, we will bill the payer through our contract laboratory
service provider (and the patient for cost-sharing, where applicable). Our efforts in obtaining reimbursement based on individual
claims, including pursuing appeals or reconsiderations of claims denials, could take a substantial amount of time, and bills may
not be paid for many months, if at all. Furthermore, if a third-party payer denies coverage after final appeal, payment may not
be received at all. Where there is no coverage policy in place, we will pursue reimbursement on a case-by-case basis.
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Background
and Overview - continued
GI
Health - Gastroenterology – Opportunity, Solution, and Strategy - continued
Longer-Term
Strategy
Our
longer-term strategy is to secure a specific indication, based on published guidelines, for BE screening in certain at-risk populations
using EsoGuard on samples collected with EsoCheck. This use of EsoGuard together with EsoCheck as a screening system must be cleared
or approved by the FDA as an in vitro diagnostic (“IVD”), device. In September 2019, we entered into an agreement
with a clinical research organization to assist us with two ongoing clinical trials for EsoGuard as an IVD device, which are actively
enrolling patients and consist of a screening study (ESOGUARD-BE-1) and a case control study (ESOGUARD-BE-2).
The
screening study will enroll GERD patients without a prior diagnosis of BE or EAC who satisfy ACG BE screening guidelines. The
case control study will enroll patients with a previous diagnosis of non-dysplastic BE, dysplastic BE (both low and high-grade)
or EAC. In both studies, EsoGuard will be compared to the gold standard of endoscopy with biopsies. In February 2020, EsoGuard
has received Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA for its EsoGuard Esophageal DNA Test on esophageal samples collected
using its EsoCheck Cell Collection Device in a prevalent well-defined group of patients at elevated risk for esophageal dysplasia
due to chronic GERD.
FDA
Breakthrough Device
The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration “Breakthrough Device” designation relates to the FDA’s Breakthrough Device
Program that was created to offer patients more timely access to breakthrough technologies which provide for more effective treatment
or diagnosis of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating human disease or conditions by expediting their development, assessment
and review through enhanced communications and more efficient and flexible clinical study design, including more favorable pre-
and post-market data collection. Breakthrough Devices receive priority FDA review, and a bipartisan bill before Congress (H.R.
5333) seeks to require Medicare to temporarily cover all Breakthrough Devices for three years while determining permanent coverage.
In-Vitro
Diagnostics - “IVD”
In-Vitro
Diagnostics - “IVD” - are regulated by the FDA as medical devices. Medical devices marketed in the United States are
subject to the regulatory controls under the FDCA and regulations adopted by the FDA. Some requirements, known as premarket requirements,
apply to medical devices before they are marketed, and other requirements, known as post-market requirements, apply to medical
devices after they are marketed.
The
particular premarket requirements that must be met to market a medical device in the United States will depend on the classification
of the device under FDA regulations. Medical devices are categorized into one of three classes, based on the degree of risk they
present. Devices that pose the lowest risk are designated as Class I devices; devices that pose moderate risk are designated as
Class II devices and are subject to general controls and special controls; and the devices that pose the highest risk are designated
as Class III devices and are subject to general controls and premarket approval.
A
premarket submission to the FDA will be required for some Class I devices, most Class II devices; and all Class III devices. Most
Class I and some Class II devices are exempt from premarket submission requirements. Some Class I and most Class II devices may
be marketed after a 510(k) clearance, while a more extensive PMA is required to market Class III devices.
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Background
and Overview - continued