Stockholders' Equity

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2016

Stockholders' equity:

Stockholders' Equity

Note 8: Stockholders’ Equity

The Equity Incentive Plan of 2009, effective June 24, 2009, authorizes the grant of non-qualified and incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and other stock awards. A maximum of 15,000,000 shares of common stock is reserved for potential issuance pursuant to awards under the Equity Incentive Plan of 2009. In September 2015, the Company's shareholders approved the following amendments to the 2009 Plan: (1) increased the number of shares authorized to be issued under the Equity Incentive Plan from 15,000,000 to 22,000,000; (2) required a gradual vesting period of options issued under the Equity Incentive Plan over a three year period; (3) revised the definition of “change in control” to make it less “liberal” by amending the provision that a change in control occurs upon stockholder approval of a merger, consolidation or sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of its assets (a “Business Combination”) to state that such a change in control occurs upon the consummation of the Business Combination; and (4) clarified that the definition of change in control has a double trigger. For a Participant to get the benefit resulting from a change in control, such Participant must have been terminated other than for cause within a two year period. Unless sooner terminated, the Equity Incentive Plan of 2009 will continue in effect for a period of 10 years from its effective date. For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, there were 2,775,000 and 800,000 options granted by the Company, respectively.

On December 15, 2015, the Company entered into an Equity Distribution Agreement with Chardan Capital Markets, LLC (the “Chardan Agreement”) to create an at-the-market equity program under which it may sell shares of its common stock (the “Shares”) from time to time through Chardan Capital Markets, LLC, as sales agent (“Chardan”). Under the Chardan Agreement, Chardan will be entitled to a commission at a fixed commission rate of 3.0% of the gross sales price of Shares sold under the Chardan Agreement.

Sales of the Shares, if any, under the Chardan Agreement may be made in transactions that are deemed to be “at-the-market” offerings as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including sales made by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions, including on the NYSE MKT, at market prices or as otherwise agreed with Chardan. The Company has no obligation to sell any of the Shares, and may at any time suspend offers under the Chardan Agreement or terminate the Chardan Agreement.

The Shares will be issued pursuant to the Company’s previously filed and effective Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-205228). On December 16, 2015, the Company filed a Prospectus Supplement relating to the Chardan offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2015, no shares were sold under the Chardan Agreement. For the period ended June 30, 2016, the Company sold an aggregate of 1,270,233 shares that resulted in net cash proceeds of approximately $163,000 after commissions paid to Chardan for approximately $5,000.

The Company’s plans to allocate the net proceeds from the offering towards research and development, operations and general and administrative purposes related to the commercialization of Ampligen® and Alferon® related products, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) costs to maintain the Alferon N Injection® manufacturing facility and to prepare for the FDA pre-approval inspections of the Ampligen® facility, (2) manufacture of commercial product, (3) potential new preclinical and/or clinical studies in order to gain commercial approval for Ampligen® and broader approvals for Alferon® and Alferon LDO®, (4) working capital to build and maintain sufficient inventory by procuring raw materials, supplies and other items for the New Brunswick manufacturing facility, as well as to remunerate outside contractors for necessary services, such as, final filling and finishing operations in order to meet any anticipated demand from normal operations as well as through the possible pursuit of other disease areas and/or geographic regions that may present themselves, (5) pursuit of potential partnering opportunities for Ampligen®, (6) potential establishment of sales and marketing capabilities, as well as consideration towards the expansion of our manufacturing capacity, and (7) working capital for general and administrative expenses.