COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	6 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	12. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS On September 29, 2021, we entered into an agreement with PPD, Inc., a leading global contract research organization, for PPD to oversee our clinical studies investigating the Hemopurifier (the PPD Agreement). Pursuant to the PPD Agreement, PPD agreed to manage our ongoing study of the Hemopurifier for patients who are critically ill with COVID-19 (NCT04595903), with the option for the parties to agree to include additional studies under the PPD Agreement. The agreement has a five year term, but may be extended by mutual agreement. The PPD Agreement also may be terminated by Aethlon without cause upon 30 days’ prior written notice and may be terminated by either party following notice for breach or insolvency of the other party. SEPARATION AGREEMENT On October 30, 2020, we entered into a Separation Agreement with Timothy Rodell, M.D., our former Chief Executive Officer, or the Separation Agreement. Under the Separation Agreement, we agreed to pay Dr. Rodell a total of $444,729 and to cover his medical insurance costs over a twelve-month period that began on November 1, 2020, all in accordance with the terms of his employment agreement with the Company. The total expense accrued at September 30, 2021 relating to the Separation Agreement, was $50,249 (see Note 7). LEASE COMMITMENTS In September 2021, our lease of approximately 2,600 square feet of executive office space at 9635 Granite Ridge Drive, Suite 100, San Diego, California 92123 expired. We rent approximately 1,700 square feet of laboratory space at 11585 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite 109, San Diego, California 92121 at the rate of $6,148 per month on a one-year lease that originally was to expire on November 30, 2020. In December 2020, we entered into a short-term lease extension running from December 1, 2020 through the completion date of our construction of our new laboratory space which is adjacent to our current laboratory and is expected to be completed in the December 2021 quarter. In addition, we rent a mobile clean room on a short term basis where we will house our manufacturing operations until our permanent manufacturing space is completed. We paid approximately $59,000 in rent expense to lease the mobile clean room during the three months ended September 30, 2021. Overall, our rent expense, which is included in general and administrative expenses, approximated $167,000 and $94,000 for the six month periods ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, we adopted ASU Topic 842 on April 1, 2019 utilizing the alternative transition method allowed for under this guidance. As a result, we recorded lease liabilities and right-of-use lease assets of $228,694 on our balance sheet as of April 1, 2019 related to our former office located at 9635 Granite Ridge Drive, Suite 100, San Diego, California 92123. The lease liabilities represent the present value of the remaining lease payments of our corporate headquarters lease, discounted using our incremental borrowing rate as of April 1, 2019. The corresponding right-of-use lease assets are recorded based on the lease liabilities and the cumulative difference between rent expense and amounts paid under our corporate headquarters lease. We also elected the short-term lease recognition exemption for our laboratory lease and therefore, we did not recognize right-of-use assets or lease liabilities at adoption. As the corporate office lease has ended, as of September 30, 2021, we no longer carried any right-of-use lease assets or lease liabilities. In December 2020, we entered into an agreement to lease approximately 2,823 square feet of office space and 1,807 square feet of laboratory space. The agreement carries a term of 63 months and we will commence paying rent when we take occupancy of those spaces, which is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2021. We are currently operating out of the office space located at 11555 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite 203, San Diego, CA 92121, while construction is being completed. Upon taking occupancy of the new lab and office spaces, we will record lease liabilities and right-of-use lease assets related to this agreement on our balance sheet. We estimate that the present value of the contractual payments under the lease agreement to be approximately $806,000. In addition, the new lease agreement required us to post a standby letter of credit in favor of the landlord in the amount of $46,726 in lieu of a security deposit. We arranged for our bank to issue the standby letter of credit in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021 and transferred a like amount to a restricted certificate of deposit which secured the bank’s risk in issuing that letter of credit. We have classified that restricted certificate of deposit on our balance sheet as restricted cash. In October 2021, we entered into another lease for an initial period of 58 months for (i) approximately 22,260 square feet of space located at 11588 Sorrento Valley Road, San Diego, California 92121 (the “Building”) and (ii) 2,655 square feet of space located in the Building and commonly known as Suite 18 to house our manufacturing operations (see Note 13). That manufacturing space is located at 11588 Sorrento Valley Road, San Diego, California 92121 and it is near our new lab and office locations. We anticipate that the landlord will complete construction on this new space in the second or third quarter of 2022 and we will take occupancy at that time. The initial base rent for the manufacturing space will be $12,080 per month. The lease for the manufacturing space required us to post a standby letter of credit in favor of the landlord in the amount of $40,780 in lieu of a security deposit. We arranged for our bank to issue the standby letter of credit in October 2021 and transferred a like amount to a restricted certificate of deposit which secured the bank’s risk in issuing that letter of credit. We will classify that restricted certificate of deposit on our balance sheet as restricted cash. LEGAL MATTERS From time to time, claims are made against us in the ordinary course of business, which could result in litigation. Claims and associated litigation are subject to inherent uncertainties and unfavorable outcomes could occur, such as monetary damages, fines, penalties or injunctions prohibiting us from selling one or more products or engaging in other activities. The occurrence of an unfavorable outcome in any specific period could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for that period or future periods. We are not presently a party to any pending or threatened legal proceedings.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

6 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

12. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS

On September 29, 2021, we entered into an agreement with PPD, Inc., a leading global contract research organization, for PPD to oversee our clinical studies investigating the Hemopurifier (the PPD Agreement). Pursuant to the PPD Agreement, PPD agreed to manage our ongoing study of the Hemopurifier for patients who are critically ill with COVID-19 (NCT04595903), with the option for the parties to agree to include additional studies under the PPD Agreement. The agreement has a five year term, but may be extended by mutual agreement. The PPD Agreement also may be terminated by Aethlon without cause upon 30 days’ prior written notice and may be terminated by either party following notice for breach or insolvency of the other party.

SEPARATION AGREEMENT

On October 30, 2020, we entered into a Separation Agreement with Timothy Rodell, M.D., our former Chief Executive Officer, or the Separation Agreement. Under the Separation Agreement, we agreed to pay Dr. Rodell a total of $444,729 and to cover his medical insurance costs over a twelve-month period that began on November 1, 2020, all in accordance with the terms of his employment agreement with the Company.

The total expense accrued at September 30, 2021 relating to the Separation Agreement, was $50,249 (see Note 7).

LEASE COMMITMENTS

In September 2021, our lease of approximately 2,600 square feet of executive office space at 9635 Granite Ridge Drive, Suite 100, San Diego, California 92123 expired.

We rent approximately 1,700 square feet of laboratory space at 11585 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite 109, San Diego, California 92121 at the rate of $6,148 per month on a one-year lease that originally was to expire on November 30, 2020. In December 2020, we entered into a short-term lease extension running from December 1, 2020 through the completion date of our construction of our new laboratory space which is adjacent to our current laboratory and is expected to be completed in the December 2021 quarter.

In addition, we rent a mobile clean room on a short term basis where we will house our manufacturing operations until our permanent manufacturing space is completed. We paid approximately $59,000 in rent expense to lease the mobile clean room during the three months ended September 30, 2021.

Overall, our rent expense, which is included in general and administrative expenses, approximated $167,000 and $94,000 for the six month periods ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, we adopted ASU Topic 842 on April 1, 2019 utilizing the alternative transition method allowed for under this guidance. As a result, we recorded lease liabilities and right-of-use lease assets of $228,694 on our balance sheet as of April 1, 2019 related to our former office located at 9635 Granite Ridge Drive, Suite 100, San Diego, California 92123. The lease liabilities represent the present value of the remaining lease payments of our corporate headquarters lease, discounted using our incremental borrowing rate as of April 1, 2019. The corresponding right-of-use lease assets are recorded based on the lease liabilities and the cumulative difference between rent expense and amounts paid under our corporate headquarters lease.

We also elected the short-term lease recognition exemption for our laboratory lease and therefore, we did not recognize right-of-use assets or lease liabilities at adoption.

As the corporate office lease has ended, as of September 30, 2021, we no longer carried any right-of-use lease assets or lease liabilities.

In December 2020, we entered into an agreement to lease approximately 2,823 square feet of office space and 1,807 square feet of laboratory space. The agreement carries a term of 63 months and we will commence paying rent when we take occupancy of those spaces, which is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2021. We are currently operating out of the office space located at 11555 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite 203, San Diego, CA 92121, while construction is being completed.

Upon taking occupancy of the new lab and office spaces, we will record lease liabilities and right-of-use lease assets related to this agreement on our balance sheet. We estimate that the present value of the contractual payments under the lease agreement to be approximately $806,000.

In addition, the new lease agreement required us to post a standby letter of credit in favor of the landlord in the amount of $46,726 in lieu of a security deposit. We arranged for our bank to issue the standby letter of credit in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021 and transferred a like amount to a restricted certificate of deposit which secured the bank’s risk in issuing that letter of credit. We have classified that restricted certificate of deposit on our balance sheet as restricted cash.

In October 2021, we entered into another lease for an initial period of 58 months for (i) approximately 22,260 square feet of space located at 11588 Sorrento Valley Road, San Diego, California 92121 (the “Building”) and (ii) 2,655 square feet of space located in the Building and commonly known as Suite 18 to house our manufacturing operations (see Note 13). That manufacturing space is located at 11588 Sorrento Valley Road, San Diego, California 92121 and it is near our new lab and office locations. We anticipate that the landlord will complete construction on this new space in the second or third quarter of 2022 and we will take occupancy at that time. The initial base rent for the manufacturing space will be $12,080 per month.

The lease for the manufacturing space required us to post a standby letter of credit in favor of the landlord in the amount of $40,780 in lieu of a security deposit. We arranged for our bank to issue the standby letter of credit in October 2021 and transferred a like amount to a restricted certificate of deposit which secured the bank’s risk in issuing that letter of credit. We will classify that restricted certificate of deposit on our balance sheet as restricted cash.

LEGAL MATTERS

From time to time, claims are made against us in the ordinary course of business, which could result in litigation. Claims and associated litigation are subject to inherent uncertainties and unfavorable outcomes could occur, such as monetary damages, fines, penalties or injunctions prohibiting us from selling one or more products or engaging in other activities.

The occurrence of an unfavorable outcome in any specific period could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for that period or future periods. We are not presently a party to any pending or threatened legal proceedings.