License, Collaborative and Employment Agreements and Commitments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

License, Collaborative and Employment Agreements and Commitments

License, Collaborative and Employment Agreements and Commitments

11. License, Collaborative and Employment Agreements and Commitments

License and Collaborative Agreements

As described below, the Company has entered into several license and collaborative agreements for the right to use research, technology and patents. Some of these license and collaborative agreements may contain milestones. The specific timing of such milestones cannot be predicted and is dependent on future developments as well as regulatory actions which cannot be predicted with certainty (including actions which may never occur). Further, under the terms of certain licensing agreements, the Company may have the obligation to pay certain milestones contingent upon the achievement of specific levels of sales. Due to the long-range nature of such commercial milestone amounts, they are neither probable at this time nor predictable and consequently are not included in this disclosure.

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Clinical Trial Agreement

In August 7, 2019, the Company entered into a clinical trial agreement (“CTA”) with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (“Washington University”) to conduct a Phase 1b/2a single-center, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of oral SYN-004 (ribaxamase) in up to 36 adult allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients (the “Study”). Under the terms of the CTA, the Company will serve as the sponsor of the Study and supply SYN-004 (ribaxamase), as well as compensate Washington University for all research services to be provided in connection with the Study which is estimated to cost approximately $3,200,000.

11. License, Collaborative and Employment Agreements and Commitments (continued)

The CTA continues in effect until completion of all obligations under the CTA. Either party may terminate the CTA prior to completion of its obligations (i) if authorization of the study is withdrawn by the FDA; (ii) if the emergence of any adverse reaction or side effect with SYN-004 (ribaxamase) administered in the Study is of such magnitude or incidence in the opinion of either party to support termination; or (iii) upon a breach of the terms of the CTA if the breaching party fails to cure the breach within 30 days after receipt of notice. The Company has the right to terminate the CTA (i) effective immediately if Washington University fails to perform the study in accordance with the terms of the protocol, the CTA or applicable laws or regulations or if Washington University or the principal investigator become debarred or (ii) upon 14 days written notice and Washington University has the right to terminate the CTA upon 14 days notice if the principal investigator becomes unable to perform or complete the Study and the parties have not, prior to the expiration of such fourteen (14) day period, agreed to an alternative principal investigator.

University of Texas Austin Agreement

On December 19, 2012, the Company entered into a License Agreement with University of Texas Austin (“UT”) for the exclusive license of the right to use, develop, manufacture, market and commercialize certain research and patents related to pertussis antibodies. The License Agreement provides that UT Austin is entitled to payment of past patent expenses, an annual payment of $50,000 per year commencing on the effective date through December 31, 2014, a $25,000 payment on December 31, 2015 and milestone payments of $50,000 upon commencement of Phase 1 clinical trials, $100,000 upon commencement of Phase 3 clinical trials, $250,000 upon NDA submission in the U.S., $100,000 upon European Medicines Agency approval and $100,000 upon regulatory approval in an Asian country. In addition, UT Austin is entitled to a running royalty upon net sales. The License Agreement terminates upon the expiration of the patent rights; provided, however that the License Agreement is subject to early termination by the Company in its discretion and by UT Austin for a breach of the License Agreement by the Company.

In connection with the License Agreement, the Company and UT Austin also entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement pursuant to which UT Austin will perform certain research work related to pertussis. The Sponsored Research Agreement may be renewed annually, in the sole discretion of the Company, after the first year for two additional one year terms with a fixed fee for the first year of $303,287. The Sponsored Research Agreement was renewed for the second and third years for a fixed fee of $316,438 and $328,758 respectively, all payable in quarterly installments. The Sponsored Research Agreement expired January 17, 2023; provided, however, the Sponsored Research Agreement is subject to early termination upon the written agreement of the parties, a default in the material obligations under the Research Agreement which remain uncured for 60 days after receipt of notice, automatically upon the Company’s bankruptcy or insolvency and by the Company in its sole discretion at any time after the one year anniversary of the date of execution thereof upon no less than 90 days’ notice.

Prev ABR LLC (“Prev”) Agreement

On November 28, 2012, the Company entered into an agreement (“Prev Agreement”) to acquire the C. diff program assets of Prev, including the pre-Investigational New Drug (IND) package, Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical data, manufacturing process data and all issued and pending U.S. and international patents. Upon execution and closing of the Prev Agreement, the Company paid Prev cash payments of $235,000 and issued 17,858 unregistered shares of its common stock to Prev. As set forth in the Prev Agreement, Prev may be entitled to receive additional consideration upon the achievement of certain milestones, including: (i) commencement of an IND; (ii) commencement of a Phase 1 clinical trial; (iii) commencement of a Phase 2 clinical trial; (iv) commencement of a Phase 3 clinical trial; (v) filing a Biologic License Application (BLA) in the U.S. and for territories outside of the U.S. (as defined in the Prev Agreement); and (vi) approval of a BLA in the U.S. and for territories outside the U.S. With exception of the first milestone payment, the remaining milestones are payable 50% in cash and 50% in our stock, however, at Prev’s option the entire milestone may be payable in shares of the Company’s stock. As of December 31, 2015, the first three milestones have been met, and at Prev’s option, Prev elected to receive 18,724 shares of the Company’s common stock. Currently, assets licensed under this agreement are used in the Company’s  Phase 1b/2a Clinical Study in Allogeneic HCT Recipients. No milestones were achieved or such payments were made during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.

11. License, Collaborative and Employment Agreements and Commitments (continued)

Employment Agreements

On December 6, 2018, the Company entered into a three-year employment agreement with Steven A. Shallcross, (the “Employment Agreement”), to serve as the Chief Executive Officer and to continue to serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company.

The Employment Agreement has a stated term of three years but may be terminated earlier pursuant to its terms. If Mr. Shallcross’ employment is terminated for any reason, he or his estate as the case may be, will be entitled to receive the accrued base salary, vacation pay, expense reimbursement and any other entitlements accrued by him to the extent not previously paid (the “Accrued Obligations”); provided, however, that if his employment is terminated (i) by the Company without Cause or by Mr. Shallcross for Good Reason (as each is defined in the Employment Agreement) then in addition to paying the Accrued Obligations, (a) the Company will continue to pay his then current base salary and continue to provide benefits at least equal to those that were provided at the time of termination for a period of twelve (12) months and (b) he shall have the right to exercise any vested equity awards until the earlier of six (6) months after termination or the remaining term of the awards; or (ii) by reason of his death or Disability (as defined in the Employment Agreement), then in addition to paying the Accrued Obligations, Mr. Shallcross would have the right to exercise any vested options until the earlier of six (6) months after termination or the remaining term of the awards. In such event, if Mr. Shallcross commenced employment with another employer and becomes eligible to receive medical or other welfare benefits under another employer-provided plan, the medical and other welfare benefits to be provided by the Company as described herein would terminate.

On December 23, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company awarded Steven A. Shallcross (i) a cash bonus equal to 62% of his prior base salary and (ii) an option to purchase 450,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.

On December 23, 2021, the Board of Directors of the Company awarded Steven A. Shallcross (i) a cash bonus equal to approximately 62.5% of his current base salary, and (ii) an option to purchase 650,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.

On December 15, 2022, the Board of Directors of the Company awarded Steven A. Shallcross: (i) a cash bonus equal to $385,000, and (ii) an option to purchase 475,000 shares of the Company's common stock. In addition, on December 15, 2022, the Company entered into an Amendment to Mr. Shallcross's Employment Agreement to increase his base salary to $614,250.

On March 22, 2022, Synthetic Biologics, Inc. (the "Company") entered into an employment agreement with Frank Tufaro (the "Employment Agreement") to serve as the Chief Operating Officer of the Company. Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, Dr. Tufaro will receive an annual base salary of $375,000 and is eligible to earn an annual performance bonus of up to forty percent (40)% of his annual base salary. The annual bonus will be based upon the assessment of the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") of Dr. Tufaro's performance and the Company's attainment of targeted goals set by the Board. In addition, Dr. Tufaro will also be eligible to receive annual equity awards pursuant to the Company's incentive equity plans, such awards (including the number and type of awards), if any, will be in the sole discretion of the Board. The Employment Agreement also includes confidentiality obligations and inventions assignments by Dr. Tufaro and non-solicitation and non-competition provisions.

11. License, Collaborative and Employment Agreements and Commitments (continued)

The Employment Agreement has a stated term of three (3) years but may be terminated earlier pursuant to its terms. If Dr. Tufaro's employment is terminated for any reason, he or his estate as the case may be, will be entitled to receive the accrued base salary, any unpaid annual bonus earned with respect to any calendar year ending on or preceding the date of termination, vacation pay, expense reimbursement and any other entitlements accrued by him to the extent not previously paid (the "Accrued Obligations"); provided, however, that if his employment is terminated (i) by the Company without Cause or by Dr. Tufaro for Good Reason (as each is defined in the Employment Agreement) then in addition to paying the Accrued Obligations, (a) the Company will continue to pay his then current base salary and continue to provide benefits at least equal to those that were provided at the time of termination for a period of six (6) months and (b) all unvested stock options and other equity awards will immediately vest and he will be entitled to exercise any vested equity awards until the earlier of six (6) months after termination or the remaining term of the awards; or (ii) by reason of his death or Disability (as defined in the Employment Agreement), then in addition to paying the Accrued Obligations, Dr. Tufaro, or his estate as the case may be, would have the right to exercise any vested options until the earlier of six (6) months after termination or the remaining term of the awards. If Dr. Tufaro commenced employment with another employer and becomes eligible to receive medical or other welfare benefits under another employer-provided plan, the medical and other welfare benefits to be provided by the Company as described herein would terminate.

On December 15, 2022, the Board awarded Frank Tufaro, the Company's Chief Operating Officer: (i) a cash bonus equal to approximately 23% of his current base salary, and (ii) an option to purchase 100,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock. In addition, on December 15, 2022, the Company entered into an Amendment to Dr. Tufaro's Employment Agreement to increase his base salary to $393,750.

Operating Lease

The Company’s existing lease as of December 31, 2022 for its U.S. location is classified as an operating lease. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has two operating leases for facilities. During the quarter ended June 30, 2021, the Company renewed its Rockville MD facility lease by entering into a Second Lease Amendment which extends the lease term for 63 months beginning on September 1, 2022 and ending on December 31, 2027 at stated rental rates and including a 3-month rent abatement. The Second Amendment also has options for a Tenant Improvement Allowance and a Second Extension Term. The Second Amendment also gives the Company the right to expand their space by giving notice to the landlord before December 31, 2021. The Company did not give notice to expand the space during 2021. The Second Extension Term is offered at market rates and there is no economic incentive for the lessee, therefore the Company has determined that it is not part of the original lease term. There is an option in this Second Amendment to Lease for the Company to borrow funds for tenant improvements subject to an 8.5% interest rate.

The Company also leases research and office facilities in Barcelona Spain. The current lease is short term agreement with a 90-day termination notice provision that can be exercised by either party. On the closing date of the VCN Acquisition, a sublease was executed for the Company to lease research and office facilities at a new location in Parets del Vallès (Barcelona) from the former majority owner of VCN. This lease was executed for an initial term estimated to begin in January 2023 until October 2026, with an option to renew for an additional five years.

Operating lease costs are presented as part of general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of operations, and for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 approximated $569,000 and $280,000, respectively.

11. License, Collaborative and Employment Agreements and Commitments (continued)

A maturity analysis of our operating leases as of December 31, 2022 is as follows (amounts in thousands of dollars):

Future undiscounted cash flow for the years ending December 31,
2023		327
2024		337
2025		347
2026		357
2027		368
Total		1,736
Discount factor		(333)
Lease liability		1,403
Lease liability - current		(216)
Lease liability - long term	$	1,187

Consulting Fees

In November 2017, the Company engaged a regulatory consultant to assist in the Company’s efforts to prepare, file and obtain FDA approval for ribaxamase. The term of the engagement is on a monthly basis, provided that either party may terminate the agreement at any time by providing the other party a six-month notice period. The Company was obligated to pay the consultant a monthly retainer in addition to success fee payments of up to an aggregate of $4,500,000 for attainment of certain regulatory milestones. The achievement of the milestones is not probable at this time.

Risks and Uncertainties

The uncertain financial markets, disruptions in supply chains, mobility restraints, and changing priorities as well as volatile asset values could impact our business in the future. The outbreak and government measures taken in response to the pandemic have also had a significant impact, both direct and indirect, on businesses and commerce, as worker shortages have occurred; supply chains have been disrupted; facilities and production have been suspended; and demand for certain goods and services, such as medical services and supplies, have spiked, while demand for other goods and services, such as travel, have fallen. The future progression of the pandemic and its effects on the Company’s business and operations are uncertain. The Company may face difficulties recruiting or retaining patients in its ongoing and planned clinical trials if patients are affected by the virus or are fearful of traveling to our clinical trial sites because of the outbreak. We and our third-party contract manufacturers, contract research organizations, and clinical sites may also face disruptions in procuring items that are essential to our research and development activities, including, for example, medical and laboratory supplies used in its clinical trials or preclinical studies, in each case, that are sourced from abroad or for which there are shortages because of ongoing efforts to address the outbreak. Further, although the Company have not experienced any material adverse effects on its business due to increasing inflation, it has raised operating costs for many businesses and, in the future, could impact demand or pricing manufacturing of its drug candidates or services providers, foreign exchange rates or employee wages. The Company is actively monitoring the effects these disruptions and increasing inflation could have on its operations.

Through the VCN Acquisition, the Company has operations in Spain and may conduct research and development, manufacturing, and clinical trials in Western European countries. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the retaliatory measures that have been taken, or could be taken in the future, by the United States, NATO, and other countries have created global security concerns that could result in a regional conflict and otherwise have a lasting impact on regional and global economies, any or all of which could disrupt our supply chain, and despite the fact that we currently do not plan any clinical trials in Eastern Europe, may adversely impact the cost and conduct of R&D, manufacturing, and international clinical trials of our product candidates.