NTRB Nutriband Inc

RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below together with all of the other information included in this prospectus before making an investment decision with regard to our securities. The statements contained in this prospectus include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements. The risks set forth below are not the only risks facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties may exist that could also adversely affect our business, prospects or operations. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be harmed. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or a significant part of your investment.

Risks Concerning our Business

Because we are an early-stage company with minimal revenue and a history of losses and we expect to continue to incur substantial losses for the foreseeable future, we cannot assure you that we can or will be able to operate profitably.

During the year ended January 31, 2022, we generated revenues of $1,422,154, a loss of $6,372,715 and a negative cash flow from operations of $2,809,223. As of January 31, 2022, we had a working capital surplus of $4,686,112, as compared with a working capital deficit of $2,882,794 as of January 31, 2021. We are subject to the risks common to start-up, pre-revenue enterprises, including, among other factors, undercapitalization, cash shortages, limitations with respect to personnel, financial and other resources and lack of revenues. Drug development companies typically incur substantial losses during the product development and FDA testing phase of the business and do not generate revenues until after the drug has received FDA approval, which cannot be assured, and until the company has started to sell the product. We can give no assurance that we can or will ever be successful in achieving profitability and the likelihood of our success must be considered in light of our early stage of operations. We cannot assure you that we will be able to operate profitably or generate positive cash flow. If we cannot achieve profitability, we may be forced to cease operations and you may suffer a total loss of your investment. 

The Russian/Belarus-Ukrainian conflict may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In February 2022, the Russian Federation and Belarus commenced a military action with the country of Ukraine. The specific impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows is not determinable as of the date hereof. However, to the extent that such military action spreads to other countries, intensifies, or otherwise remains active, such conflict could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. To date, this conflict is predicted to have a destabilizing effect on the world’s economy, resulting in higher energy prices and inflationary pressures generally in the world’s economy, as well as possible supply chain restraints, which will have negative effects on the world’s economy generally and to our ongoing operations specifically. The duration of this conflict, as well as its effects on the world economy are not known at this point. These factors may lead to a lack of certainty or other changes in the capital markets and limit or reduce our potential for raising the additional capital that we will require to execute our business plan in a timely fashion.

Our business will be likely be adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the response to the pandemic will affect our business in a number of ways, including, but are not limited to, the following:

Because we do not have a product we can market in the United States, we cannot predict when or whether we will operate profitably.

Our lead product, which is our abuse deterrent fentanyl transdermal system, is currently in development and is not yet approved by the FDA in the United States or by any other regulatory agency in any other country. We do not have any product that we can market in the United States. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with product development, we cannot assure you that we will be able to develop and market any products or achieve or attain profitability. If we are able to obtain financing for our operations, we expect that we will incur substantial expenses as we continue with our product development programs and clinical trials. Further, if we are required by applicable regulatory authorities, including the FDA as well as the comparable regulatory agencies in other countries in which we may seek to market product, to perform studies in addition to those we currently anticipate, our expenses will increase beyond expectations and the timing of any potential product approval may be delayed. As a result, we expect to continue to incur substantial losses and negative cash flow for the foreseeable future.

 A number of factors, including, but not limited to the following, may affect our ability to develop our business and operate profitably:

Our failure to develop our abuse deterrent fentanyl transdermal system will impair our ability to continue in business.

Our lead product is our abuse deterrent fentanyl transdermal system, and we are devoting our resources primarily to developing this product to enable us to obtain FDA approval and to market the product. If we are not able to obtain necessary financing to develop, obtain FDA marketing approval and market this product successfully, we may not have the resources to develop additional products, and we may not be able to continue in business. 

Before we can market in the United States any product which is classified by the FDA as a drug, we must obtain FDA marketing approval.

Our proposed transdermal products are drug-device combinations that are considered by the FDA to be drugs, which require approval by the FDA. In order to obtain FDA approval, it is necessary to conduct a series of preclinical and clinical tests to confirm that the product is safe and effective. Even though the medication that is being delivered through our transdermal patch may have already received FDA approval, because we are changing the dosage form or route of administration, we will need to complete, to the FDA’s satisfaction, all of the studies required to demonstrate safety and efficacy. At any point, the FDA could ask us to perform additional tests or to refine and redo a test that we had previously completed. The process of obtaining FDA approval could take many years, with no assurance that the FDA will approve the product. The FDA also will need to approve the manufacturing process and the manufacturing facility.

We may need to rely on a contract research organization to conduct our preclinical and clinical trials.

Although we believe that we, through 4P Therapeutics, have the capabilities to conduct preclinical studies and early- stage clinical studies in house, we may need to rely on third party contract research organizations to conduct our pivotal preclinical and clinical trials. Our failure or the failure of the contract research organization to conduct the trials in compliance with FDA regulations could possibly derail our obtaining FDA approval and could require us to redo any preclinical or clinical trials which we or the contract research organization administered.

We may encounter delays in completing clinical trials, which would increase our costs and delay market entry.

We may experience delays in completing the clinical trials necessary for FDA approval. These delays may result from a number of factors which could prevent us from starting the trial on time or completing the study in a timely manner, which may include factors out of our control. Since we may need to rely on third parties for supplying us with the drug and transdermal patches used in the trials, there may be various reasons for us to experience a delay in obtaining the clinical materials required to start each clinical trial, which may include factors out of our control. Clinical trials can be delayed or terminated for a number of reasons, including delay or failure to:

Patient enrollment is also a significant factor in the timely completion of clinical trials and is affected by many factors, including the size and nature of the patient population, the proximity of patients to clinical sites, the eligibility criteria for the trial, the design of the clinical trial, competing clinical trials and clinicians’ and patients’ perceptions as to the potential advantages of the drug being studied in relation to available alternatives, including any new drugs or treatments that may be approved for the indications we are investigating.

We may also encounter delays if a clinical trial is suspended or terminated by us, by the independent review boards of the institutions in which such trials are being conducted, by the trial’s data safety monitoring board, or by the FDA. Such authorities may suspend or terminate one or more of our clinical trials due to a number of factors, including our failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with relevant regulatory requirements or clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial site by the FDA resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a drug, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial.

If we experience delays in carrying out or completing clinical trials for any product candidates, the commercial prospects of our product candidates may be harmed, and our ability to generate revenues from any of these product candidates will be delayed. In addition, any delays in completing our clinical trials will increase our costs, slow down the product development and approval process and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenues. Any of these occurrences may significantly harm our business and financial condition. In addition, many of the factors that cause, or lead to, a delay in the commencement or completion of clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our product candidates.

Our ability to finance our operations and generate revenues depends on the clinical and commercial success of our abuse deterrent fentanyl transdermal system and our other related product candidates and failure to achieve such success will negatively impact our business.

Our prospects, including our ability to finance our operations and generate revenues, depend on the successful development, regulatory approval and commercialization of our abuse deterrent fentanyl transdermal system, which itself requires substantial financing, as well as our other product candidates. The clinical and commercial success of our product candidates depends on a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:

If we fail to achieve these objectives or to overcome the challenges presented above, many of which are beyond our control, in a timely manner, we could experience significant delays or an inability to successfully commercialize our product candidates. Accordingly, even if we obtain FDA approval to market our products, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenues through the sale of our products to enable us to continue our business.

Since we do not have commercial manufacturing capability, if we are unable to establish manufacturing facilities, we may have to enter into a manufacturing agreement with a manufacturer that has been approved by the FDA.

Any commercial manufacturer of our products and the manufacturing facilities where we make our commercial products will be subject to FDA inspection. Part of the process of seeking FDA approval to market our products is the FDA’s approval of the manufacturing process and facility. Although we may establish our own manufacturing facilities, the establishment of a manufacturing facility is very costly, and, unless we obtain funding for that purpose, it would be necessary for us to engage a contract manufacturer who has experience is manufacturing FDA-approved transdermal products. By relying on a contract manufacturer, we will be dependent upon the manufacturer, whose interests may be different from ours. Any contract manufacturer will be responsible for product quality and for meeting regulatory requirements. If the manufacturer does not meet our quality standards and delivers products that do not meet our specifications, we may both incur liability for breach of our warranty to our customer, as well as liability for any adverse events, including death, that may result from the use, abuse or accidental misuse of the product. Regardless of whether we are able to make a claim against the contract manufacturer, our reputation may be harmed and we may lose business as a result. Further, the contract manufacturer may have other customers and may allocate its resources based on the contract manufacturer’s interest rather than our interest. Furthermore, we may not be able to assure ourselves that we will get favorable pricing.

If we or any third-party manufacturer fails to comply with FDA current good manufacturing practices, we may not be able to sell our products until and unless the manufacture becomes compliant.

All FDA approved drugs, including our proposed transdermal products, must be manufactured in accordance with good manufacturing practices. All manufacturing facilities are inspected by the FDA as a matter of routine inspection or for a specific cause. If a manufacturer fails to comply with all applicable regulations, the FDA can prohibit us from distributing products manufactured in those facilities, whether they are a contract manufacturer or own facility. Failure to be in compliance with good manufacturing practices could result in the FDA closing the facilities or limiting our use of the facilities.

If the FDA implements Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies policies for any of our proposed products, we will need to comply with such policies before we can obtain FDA approval or the product.

The Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 gave FDA the authority to require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) from manufacturers to ensure that the benefits of a drug or biological product outweigh its risks. If one of our proposed product candidates does receive regulatory approval, the approval may be limited to specific conditions and dosages or the indications for use may otherwise be limited, which could restrict the commercial value of the product. The FDA may require a REMS, which can include a medication guide, patient package insert, a communication plan, elements to assure safe use and implementation system, and include a timetable for assessment of the REMS. Further, the FDA may require that certain contraindications, warnings or precautions be included in the product labeling and may require testing and surveillance programs to monitor the safety of approved products that have been commercialized. In addition, the FDA may require post-approval testing which involves clinical trials designed to further assess a drug product’s safety and effectiveness after the NDA.

Depending on the extent of the REMS requirements, any U.S. launch may be delayed, the costs to commercialize may increase substantially and the potential commercial market could be restricted. Furthermore, risks that are not adequately addressed through the proposed REMS program may also prevent or delay its approval for commercialization.

Our products will continue to be subject to FDA review after FDA approval is given.

Discovery of previously unknown problems with our products or unanticipated problems with the manufacturing processes and facilities, even after FDA and other regulatory approvals of the product for commercial sale, may result in the imposition of significant restrictions, including withdrawal of the product from the market.

The FDA and other regulatory agencies continue to review products even after the products receive agency approval. If and when the FDA approves one of our products, its manufacture and marketing will be subject to ongoing regulation, which could include compliance with current good manufacturing practices, adverse event reporting requirements and general prohibitions against promoting products for unapproved or “off-label” uses. We are also subject to inspection and market surveillance by the FDA for compliance with these and other requirements. Any enforcement action resulting from the failure, even by inadvertence, to comply with these requirements could affect the manufacture and marketing of our products. In addition, the FDA or other regulatory agencies could withdraw a previously approved product from the market upon receipt of newly discovered information. The FDA or another regulatory agency could also require us to conduct additional, and potentially expensive, studies in areas outside our approved indicated uses. 

We must continually monitor the safety of our products once approved and marketed for potential adverse events which could jeopardize our ability to continue marketing the products.

As with all medical products, the use of our products could sometimes produce undesirable side effects or adverse reactions or events (referred to cumulatively as adverse events). For the most part, we expect these adverse events to be known and occur at some predicted frequency based on our experience in the clinical development program. When adverse events are reported to us, we are required to investigate each event and the circumstances surrounding it to determine whether it was caused by our product and whether a previously unrecognized safety issue exists. We will also be required to periodically report summaries of these events to the applicable regulatory authorities. If the adverse effects are significant, we may be required to recall our product. We cannot assure you that our transdermal products will not cause skin irritation or other adverse events. Our ability to market our products may be impaired by unanticipated adverse events and any recall of our product. Because we are an early-stage company, our reputation, and our ability to market products, could be affected more severely than a major pharmaceutical company.

In addition, the use of our products could be associated with serious and unexpected adverse events, or with less serious reactions at a greater than expected frequency. Such issues may arise when our products are used in critically ill or otherwise compromised patient populations. When unexpected events are reported to us, we are required to make a thorough investigation to determine causality and the implications for product safety. These events must also be specifically reported to the applicable regulatory authorities. If our evaluation concludes, or regulatory authorities perceive, that there is an unreasonable risk associated with the product, we would be obligated to withdraw the impacted lot(s) of that product or recall the product and discontinue marketing until all problems are satisfactorily resolved. Furthermore, an unexpected adverse event of a new product could be recognized only after extensive use of the product, which could expose us to product liability risks, enforcement action by regulatory authorities and damage to our reputation and public image.

A serious adverse finding concerning the risk of any of our products by any regulatory authority could adversely affect our reputation, business and financial results.

If we obtain FDA approval to market our products, we expect to spend considerable time and money complying with federal and state laws and regulations governing their sale, and, if we are unable to fully comply with such laws and regulations, we could face substantial penalties.

Health care providers, physicians and others will play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of our proposed products. Further, if we use third-party sales and marketing providers, they may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other health care laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we market, sell and distribute our products. Applicable federal and state health care laws and regulations are expected to include, but not be limited to, the following:

Our failure to comply with any of these federal and state health care laws and regulations, or health care laws in foreign jurisdictions, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, result of operations and cash flows.

Before we can market our products outside of the United States, we will need to obtain regulatory approval in each country in which we propose to sell our products.

In order to market and sell our products in jurisdictions other than the United States, we must obtain separate marketing approvals and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements. The regulatory approval process outside the United States generally includes all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA and can involve additional testing.

In addition, in many countries worldwide, it is required that the product be approved for reimbursement before the product can be approved for sale in that country. We may not obtain approvals from regulatory authorities outside the United States on a timely basis, if at all. Even if we were to receive approval in the United States, approval by the FDA for marketing in the United States does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries. Similarly, approval by one regulatory authority outside the United States would not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries. We may not be able to file for marketing approvals and may not receive necessary approvals to commercialize our products in any market. If we are unable to obtain approval of our product candidates by regulatory authorities in foreign jurisdictions, the commercial prospects of those product candidates may be significantly diminished and our business prospects could be impaired.

Outside the United States, particularly in member states of the European Union, the pricing of prescription drugs is subject to governmental control. In these countries, pricing negotiations or the successful completion of health technology assessment procedures with governmental authorities can take considerable time after receipt of marketing approval for a product. In addition, there can be considerable pressure by governments and other stakeholders on prices and reimbursement levels, including as part of cost containment measures. Certain countries allow companies to fix their own prices for medicines but monitor the pricing.

In addition to regulations in the United States, if we market outside of the United States, we will be subject to a variety of regulations governing, among other things, clinical trials and any commercial sales and distribution of our products. Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain the requisite approvals from regulatory authorities in foreign countries prior to the commencement of clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries.

If we do not have sufficient product liability insurance, we may be subject to claims that are in excess of our net worth.

Before we market any pharmaceutical product, we will need to purchase significant product liability insurance. However, in the event of major claims from the use of our products, it is possible that our product liability insurance will not be sufficient to cover claims against us. We cannot assure you that we will not face liability arising out of the use of our products which is significantly in excess of the limits of our product liability insurance. In such event, if we do not have the funds or access to the funds necessary to satisfy such liability, we may be unable to continue in business.

Because some of the patches we are developing, such as our abuse deterrent fentanyl patch, have potential severe side effects, we may face liability in the event patients suffer serious, possibly life-threatening, side effects from our products.

Fentanyl patches have known side effects and may cause serious or life-threatening breathing problems due to opioid-induced respiratory depression. In addition, taking certain medications with fentanyl may increase the risk of serious or life-threatening breathing problems, sedation or coma. Because of the seriousness of the side effects, fentanyl patches should only be used in accordance labelling approved by the FDA or by the applicable regulatory authorities outside of the United States. Fentanyl patches are only indicated for the treatment of people who are tolerant to opioid medications because they have taken this type of medication for at least one week and should not be used to treat mild or moderate pain, short-term pain, pain after an operation or medical or dental procedure, or pain that can be controlled by medication that is taken on an as-needed basis. Although we will include all warnings on the packaging that are required by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities, claims may be made against us in the event that death or serious side effects result from the use of our abuse deterrent fentanyl transdermal system, even if prescribed for a patient for whom fentanyl patches should not be prescribed. We cannot assure you that we will not face significant liability as a result of such side effects and we may not have sufficient product liability insurance to cover any damages that may be assessed against us.

Because of our lack of funds, we may have to enter into a joint venture or strategic relationship or licensing agreement with a third party to develop and seek to obtain FDA approval of our potential products.

Our present efforts are directed to developing and seeking FDA approval for our pipeline of transdermal pharmaceutical products including our lead product, the abuse deterrent fentanyl transdermal system. The development of pharmaceutical products is very expensive with no assurance of obtaining FDA approval. Because of the costs involved, we may need to enter into a joint venture or strategic alliance or licensing or similar agreement with a third party to bring our products to market, in which event we would have to give up a significant percentage of the equity in or rights to the product and require the other party to provide the necessary financing and personnel and to take a significant role in making the decisions relating to the development, testing, marketing and manufacturing of the product. The third party may have interests which are different from, and possibly in conflict with, our own. If we are unable to attract competent parties to distribute and market any product which we may develop, or if such parties’ efforts are inadequate, we will not be able to implement our business strategy and may have to cease operations. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in entering into joint ventures or other strategic relationships or that any relationship into which we may enter will develop a marketable product or that we will generate any revenue or net income from such a venture.

We may decide not to continue developing or commercializing any products at any time during development or after approval, which would reduce or eliminate our potential return on investment for those product candidates.

We may decide to discontinue the development of our abuse deterrent fentanyl transdermal system or any other product in our pipeline or not to continue to commercialize any potential product for a variety of reasons, such as the appearance of new technologies that make our product less commercially viable, an increase in competition, changes in or failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, changes in the regulatory or public policy environment, the discovery of unforeseen side effects during clinical development or after the approved product has been marketed or the occurrence of adverse events at a rate or severity level that is greater than experienced in prior clinical trials. If we discontinue a program in which we have invested significant resources, we will not receive any return on our investment.

If any of our potential products are approved for marketing but fail to achieve the broad degree of physician or market acceptance necessary for commercial success, our operating results and financial condition will be adversely affected.

If any of the products in our pipeline receives FDA approval thereby allowing us to market the product in the United States, it will be necessary for us to generate acceptance of our product for the indications covered by the FDA approval. In order to generate acceptance in the marketplace, we will need to demonstrate to physicians, patients and payors that our product provides a distinct advantage or better outcome at a price that reflects the value of our product as compared with existing products. We will need to develop and implement a marketing program directed at both physicians and the general public. Since we do not presently have the resources necessary to develop or implement an in-house marketing program and we may not have the funds to do so if and when we obtain FDA approval to market our product, we will need to establish a distribution network though license and distribution agreements with third parties who have the capability to market our product to physicians, and we will be dependent upon the ability of these third parties to market our products effectively. We cannot assure you that we will be able to negotiate license and distribution agreements with terms that are acceptable to us. Since we do not have an established track record and our product pipeline is relatively small, we may be at a disadvantage in negotiating the terms of license and distribution agreements. Further, we may have little control over the development and implementation of our licensee’s marketing program, and our licensees may have interests that are inconsistent with ours with respect to the allocation of resources and implementation of the marketing program. We cannot assure you that a marketing program for any of our products can or will be implemented effectively or that we will be successful in developing physician and emergency service acceptance of our products.

If we seek to market any products in our pipeline in countries other than the United States, we will need to comply with the regulations of each country in which we seek to market our products.

None of our pharmaceutical products are currently approved for sale by any government authority in any jurisdiction. If we fail to comply with regulatory requirements in any market we decide to enter, or to obtain and maintain required approvals, or if regulatory approvals in the relevant markets are delayed, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of our products will be harmed. Marketing approval in one jurisdiction, including the United States, does not ensure marketing approval in another, but a failure or delay in obtaining marketing approval in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory process in others. Failure to obtain a marketing approval in countries in which we seek to market our products or any delay or setback in obtaining such approval would impair our ability to develop foreign markets for any of our products.

The drug delivery industry is subject to rapid technological change and, our failure to keep up with technological developments may impair our ability to market our products.

Our products use technology which we developed for the transdermal delivery of drugs. The field of drug delivery is subject to rapid technological changes. Our future success will depend upon our ability to keep abreast of the latest developments in the industry and to keep pace with advances in technology and changing customer requirements. If we cannot keep pace with such changes and advances, our proposed products could be rendered obsolete, which would result in our having to cease its operations.

If we obtain FDA approval, we will face significant competition from better known and better capitalized companies.

If we obtain FDA approval for any of our products, we expect to face significant competition from existing companies, which are better known and already have developed relationships with physicians within the healthcare system. Any product we may develop will compete with existing medications performing the same medicinal functions, which may include transdermal patches. We cannot assure you that we will be able to compete successfully. In addition, even if we are able to commercialize our product candidates, we may not be able to price them competitively with current standard of care products or their price may drop considerably due to factors outside our control. If this happens or the price of materials and manufacture increases dramatically, our ability to continue to operate our business would be materially harmed and we may be unable to commercialize any products successfully. In addition, other pharmaceutical companies may be engaged in developing, patenting, manufacturing and marketing products that compete with those that we are developing. These potential competitors may include large and experienced companies that enjoy significant competitive advantages over us, such as greater financial, research and development, manufacturing, personnel and marketing resources, greater brand recognition and more experience and expertise in obtaining marketing approvals from the FDA and foreign regulatory authorities.

Healthcare reforms by governmental authorities, court decisions affecting health care policies and related reductions in pharmaceutical pricing, reimbursement and coverage by third-party payors may adversely affect our business.

We expect the healthcare industry to face increased limitations on reimbursement, rebates and other payments as a result of healthcare reform, which could adversely affect third-party coverage of our proposed products and how much or under what circumstances healthcare providers will prescribe or administer our products, if approved.

In both the U.S. and other countries, sales of our products, if approved for marketing, will depend in part upon the availability of reimbursement from third-party payors, which include governmental authorities, managed care organizations and other private health insurers. Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the price and examining the cost effectiveness of medical products and services.

Increasing expenditures for healthcare have been the subject of considerable public attention in the United States. Both private and government entities are seeking ways to reduce or contain healthcare costs. Numerous proposals that would effect changes in the United States healthcare system have been introduced or proposed in Congress and in some state legislatures, including reducing reimbursement for prescription products and reducing the levels at which consumers and healthcare providers are reimbursed for purchases of pharmaceutical products.

Cost reduction initiatives and changes in coverage implemented through legislation or regulation could decrease utilization of and reimbursement for any approved products, which in turn would affect the price we can receive for those products. Any reduction in reimbursement that results from federal legislation or regulation may also result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors, since private payors often follow Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates.

Significant developments that may adversely affect pricing in the United States include the enactment of federal healthcare reform laws and regulations, including the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, which is popularly known as Obamacare, and the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003.  A recent district court decision which struck down Obamacare, if upheld, could have a material adverse effect upon reimbursement and payment for products such as our proposed products. Changes to the healthcare system enacted as part of any healthcare reform in the United States, as well as the increased purchasing power of entities that negotiate on behalf of Medicare, Medicaid, and private sector beneficiaries, may result in increased pricing pressure by influencing, for instance, the reimbursement policies of third-party payors. Regulatory changes which have the effect of decreasing the use of opioids has resulted in a decrease in the size of the market for opioid products, including fentanyl, could impact the market for our abuse deterrent fentanyl transdermal system or any other opioid-based transdermal product we may develop.

It is difficult and costly to protect our proprietary rights, and we may not be able to ensure their protection.

Our commercial success will depend in part on obtaining and maintaining patent protection and trade secret protection for our technology which is incorporated in our products as well as successfully defending these patents against third-party challenges, should any be brought. 4P Therapeutics originally filed an international patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty for worldwide prosecution of the abuse deterrent transdermal technology intellectual property used in our lead product, the abuse deterrent fentanyl transdermal system.

The AVERSA abuse deterrent technology utilized in our AVERSA product pipeline is covered by an international intellectual property portfolio with patents issued in 44 countries including the United States, Europe, Japan, Korea, Russia, Mexico, and Australia. Patent prosecution is still pending in Canada and China. These patents provide patent coverage to 2035. We continue to build on our proprietary positions in the United States and internationally for our product candidates AVERSA Fentanyl, AVERSA buprenorphine and AVERSA methylphenidate as well as other products and technology that we may have in development. Our policy is to pursue, maintain and defend patent rights developed internally or acquired externally and to protect the technology, inventions and improvements that are commercially important to the development of our business. We cannot be sure that patents will be granted with respect to any of our pending patent applications or with respect to any patent applications filed by us in the future, nor can we be sure that any of our existing patents or any patents granted to us in the future will be commercially useful in protecting our technology. We also rely on trade secrets to protect our commercial products and product candidates. Our commercial success also depends in part on our non-infringement of the patents or proprietary rights of third parties.

Our ability to stop third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing products utilizing our proprietary or patented technology is dependent upon the extent to which we have rights under valid and enforceable patents or trade secrets that cover these activities. The patent positions of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies can be highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions for which important legal principles remain unresolved. No consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims allowed in biopharmaceutical patents has emerged to date in the United States. The biopharmaceutical patent situation outside the United States varies from country to country and is even more uncertain. Changes in either the patent laws or in interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property. Accordingly, we cannot predict the breadth of claims that may be allowed or enforced in any patents we may be granted. Further, if any patents are granted and are subsequently deemed invalid and unenforceable, it could impact our ability to license our technology and, as noted previously, fend off competitive challenges. Patent litigation is very expensive and we may not have sufficient funds to defend our proprietary technology from infringement, either as a plaintiff in an action seeking to stop infringers from using our technology, or as a defendant in an action against us alleging infringement by us.

The degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain because legal means afford only limited protection and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep our competitive advantage. For example:

If we seek to expand our business through acquisition, we may not be successful in identifying acquisition targets or integrating their businesses with our existing business.

We have recently expanded our business by acquisition, and we may make acquisitions in the future. In 2017, we issued 1,250,000 shares of common stock, valued at $2,500,000, in connection with our proposed acquisition of Advanced Health Brands, Inc., but the stock of Advanced Health Brands was never transferred to us and the value of the intellectual property we were to have acquired did not have the value we anticipated, with the result that we incurred a $2,500,000 impairment loss in the year ended January 31, 2018. In September 2018, we entered into an agreement to acquire Carmel Biosciences Inc., and in November 2018, we terminated the agreement and are in litigation with the purported sellers of the company to us. We previously entered into another acquisition agreement which was rescinded shortly after the agreement was executed. We cannot assure you that any acquisition we complete will be successful or that any acquisition agreement we may enter into will result in an acquisition. An acquisition can be unsuccessful for a number of reasons, including the following:

If any of the foregoing or any other events which we do not contemplate happen, we may incur significant expenses, which we may not be able to cover, and the development of our business can be impaired. We cannot assure you that any acquisition we will make will be successful.

We may not be able to recover the 1,200,000 shares of common stock we issued in connection with our proposed acquisition of Advanced Health Brands.

On May 22, 2017, we entered into an agreement to acquire Advanced Health Brands, which held six provisional patents for transdermal products. Pursuant to the agreement, we were to issue 1,250,000 shares of common stock, valued at $2,500,000, in exchange for the stock of Advanced Health Brands and a related corporation. In August 2017, when we issued the shares to the Advanced Health Brands stockholders, the Advanced Health Brands stock had not been transferred to us. Although we did not have title to the shares of Advanced Health Brands stock, we treated the transaction as completed and we announced that we had acquired Advanced Health Brands, relying on the stockholders’ obligation to transfer the shares to us. We had appointed two of the Advanced Health Brands stockholders as directors and executive officers. In January 2018, we recognized an impairment loss of $2,500,000 based on both our failure to obtain title to the Advanced Health Brands stock and our conclusion that the provisional patents that were held by Advanced Health Brands did not have any value to us. In December 2018 50,000 shares were returned by one of the defendants. We have commenced legal actions against Advanced Health Brands and its stockholders in Florida and New York. In the Florida action, the court ruled against us. On February 1, 2019, we appealed the court’s order. Pursuant to a settlement agreement with one of the defendants, that defendant returned the 50,000 shares which had been issued to her, and the shares were cancelled as of January 31, 2019. On March 20, 2020, the Florida district court of appeal reversed the lower court ruling in the Florida state court action that dismissed our complaint with prejudice, and gave us leave to file an amended complaint. The New York action was recently commenced against the stockholders of Advanced Health Brands, and the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the action. We cannot assure you that we will prevail in either action, that we will be able to recover either the 1,200,000 shares of common stock or any monetary damages from the Advanced Health Brands stockholders or that we will not incur any liability as a result of either our issuance of the shares or our failure to provide the necessary documentation to permit the Advanced Health Brands stockholders to sell their shares pursuant to Rule 144 or from our treating and announcing the acquisition as completed or based on other claims.

We are dependent on third party distributors for the international marketing of our consumer products and complying with applicable laws.

We do not currently sell or market our consumer transdermal products domestically, or for our international sales, directly to international consumers, and we rely on distributors to sell and market these products. We cannot market our consumer transdermal patch products in the United States without first obtaining FDA approval. We do not plan to seek FDA approval or market these products in the United States at this time. We plan to sell our transdermal consumer products to distributors in those countries in which the products can be sold in compliance with all applicable regulations without our spending significant monies for preclinical and clinical studies to obtain regulatory approval.

We are dependent upon our chief executive officer, our president and our chief operating officer.

We are dependent upon Gareth Sheridan, our chief executive officer, Serguei Melnik, our president and Dr. Alan Smith, our chief operating officer who is president of 4P Therapeutics. Although Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Melnik have employment agreements with us, the employment agreements does not guarantee that the officer will continue with us. We do not have an employment agreement with Dr. Smith. The loss of Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Melnik or Dr. Smith would materially impair our ability to conduct our business.

If we are unable to attract, train and retain technical and financial personnel, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

Our future success depends, to a significant extent, on our ability to attract, train and retain key management, technical, regulatory and financial personnel. Recruiting and retaining capable personnel with experience in pharmaceutical product development is vital to our success. There is substantial competition for qualified personnel, and, competition is likely to increase. We cannot assure you we will be able to attract or retain the personnel we require. Our financial condition is likely to impair our ability to attract qualified candidates. If we are unable to attract and retain qualified employees, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

Risks Concerning our Securities

Our lack of internal controls over financial reporting may affect the market for and price of our common stock.

Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we are required to file a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting. Our disclosure controls and our internal controls over financial reporting are not effective. We do not have the financial resources or personnel to develop or implement systems that would provide us with the necessary information on a timely basis so as to be able to implement financial controls The absence of internal controls over financial reporting may inhibit investors from purchasing our stock and may make it more difficult for us to raise capital or borrow money. Implementing any appropriate changes to our internal controls may require specific compliance training of our directors and employees, entail substantial costs in order to modify our existing accounting systems, take a significant period of time to complete and divert management’s attention from other business concerns. These changes may not, however, be effective in developing or maintaining internal control.

The market price for our common stock may be volatile and your investment in our common stock could suffer a decline in value.

The trading volume in our stock is low, which may result in volatility in our stock price. As a result, any reported prices may not reflect the price at which you would be able to sell shares of common stock if you want to sell any shares you own or buy if you wish to buy shares. Further, stocks with a low trading volume may be more subject to manipulation than a stock that has a significant public float and is actively traded. The price of our stock may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following, in addition to the risks described above and general market and economic conditions:

Raising funds by issuing equity or convertible debt securities could dilute the net tangible book value of the common stock and impose restrictions on our working capital.

We anticipate that we will require funds in addition to the net proceeds from this offering for our business. If we were to raise capital by issuing equity securities, either alone or in connection with a non-equity financing, the net tangible book value of the then outstanding common stock could decline. If the additional equity securities were issued at a per share price less than the market price, which is customary in the private placement of equity securities, the holders of the outstanding shares would suffer dilution, which could be significant. Further, if we are able to raise funds from the sale of debt securities, the lenders may impose restrictions on our operations and may impair our working capital as we service any such debt obligations.

Stockholders may experience significant dilution as a result of future equity offerings and other issuances of our common stock or other securities.

We will need to raise substantial funds in order to develop our products. In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock at prices that may not which is less than the market price and which may be based on a discount from market at the time of issuance. Stockholders will incur dilution upon exercise of any outstanding stock options, warrants or upon the issuance of shares of common stock under our present and future stock incentive programs. In addition, the sale of shares and any future sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales may occur, could adversely affect the price of our common stock. We cannot predict the effect, if any, that market sales of those shares of common stock or the availability of those shares of common stock for sale will have on the market price of our common stock. 

Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq could result in a de-listing of our Common Stock.

If we fail to satisfy the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq, such as the corporate governance requirements or the minimum closing bid price requirement, Nasdaq may take steps to de-list our securities. Such a de-listing would likely have a negative effect on the price of our Common Stock and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our Common Stock when you wish to do so. In the event of a de-listing, we would take actions to restore our compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements, but we can provide no assurance that any such action taken by us would allow our Common Stock to become listed again, stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our Common Stock, prevent our Common Stock from dropping below the Nasdaq minimum bid price requirement or prevent future non-compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements.

We and our senior executive officers settled an SEC investigation, which may affect the market for and the market price of our common stock and our ability to list on a stock exchange.

Following an investigation into the accuracy of statements in our Form 10 registration statement filed June 2, 2016, as amended, and our Form 10-K annual report filed May 8, 2017 that did not accurately reflect the FDA’s jurisdiction over our consumer products and did not disclose that we could not legally market these products in the United States, a Wells notice which we, our chief executive officer and our chief financial officer received on August 10, 2017 and a Wells submission which we and the officers submitted in response to the Wells notice, the SEC, on December  26, 2018, announced that it has accepted our settlement offer and instituted settled an administrative cease-and-desist proceeding against us and our chief executive officer and chief financial officer. The SEC’s administrative order, dated December 26, 2018, finds that we and the officers consented – without admitting or denying any findings by the SEC — to cease-and-desist orders against them for violations by us of Sections 12(g) and 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rules 12b-20 and 13a-1 thereunder, which require issuers to file accurate registration statements and annual reports with the Commission; violations by the officers for causing our violations of the above issuer reporting provisions; and violations by the officers of Rule 13a-14 of the Exchange Act, which requires each principal executive and principal financial officer of issuers to attest that annual reports filed with the SEC do not contain any untrue statements of material fact. In addition to consenting to the cease-and-desist orders, the officers have each agreed to pay a $25,000 civil penalty to resolve the investigation. The administrative order does not impose a civil penalty or any other monetary relief against us. The settlement may affect the market for and the market price of our common stock.

The market price for our common stock may be volatile and your investment in our common stock could suffer a decline in value.

The trading volume in our stock is low, which may result in volatility in our stock price. As a result, any reported prices may not reflect the price at which you would be able to sell shares of common stock if you want to sell any shares you own or buy if you wish to buy shares. Further, stocks with a low trading volume may be more subject to manipulation than a stock that has a significant public float and is actively traded. The price of our stock may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following, in addition to the risks described above and general market and economic conditions:

Because of our executive officers’ stock ownership and stock ownership of certain other stockholders that have invested in the company, these stockholders have the power to elect all directors and to approve any action requiring stockholder approval.

Our officers and directors as a group beneficially own approximately 32% of our common stock. As a result, they have the effective power using their contacts with a limited number of other shareholders to elect all of our directors and to approve any action requiring stockholder approval.

Raising funds by issuing equity or convertible debt securities could dilute the net tangible book value of the common stock and impose restrictions on our working capital.

We anticipate that we will require funds in addition to the net proceeds from this offering for our business. If we were to raise capital by issuing equity securities, either alone or in connection with a non-equity financing, the net tangible book value of the then outstanding common stock could decline. If the additional equity securities were issued at a per share price less than the market price, which is customary in the private placement of equity securities, the holders of the outstanding shares would suffer dilution, which could be significant. Further, if we are able to raise funds from the sale of debt securities, the lenders may impose restrictions on our operations and may impair our working capital as we service any such debt obligations.

Stockholders may experience significant dilution as a result of future equity offerings and other issuances of our common stock or other securities.

We will need to raise substantial funds in order to develop our products. In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock at prices that may not which is less than the market price and which may be based on a discount from market at the time of issuance. Stockholders will incur dilution upon exercise of any outstanding stock options, warrants or upon the issuance of shares of common stock under our present and future stock incentive programs. In addition, the sale of shares and any future sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales may occur, could adversely affect the price of our common stock. We cannot predict the effect, if any, that market sales of those shares of common stock or the availability of those shares of common stock for sale will have on the market price of our common stock. 

We may issue preferred stock whose terms could adversely affect the voting power or value of our common stock.

Our articles of incorporation authorize us to issue, without the approval of our stockholders, one or more classes or series of preferred stock having such designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights, including preferences over our common stock respecting dividends and distributions, as our board of directors may determine. The terms of one or more classes or series of preferred stock could adversely impact the voting power or value of our common stock. For example, we might grant holders of preferred stock the right to elect a number of our directors in all events or on the happening of specified events or the right to veto specified transactions. Similarly, the repurchase or redemption rights or liquidation preferences we might assign to holders of preferred stock could affect the residual value of the common stock.

For as long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with certain reporting requirements, including those relating to accounting standards and disclosure about our executive compensation, that apply to other public companies.

We are classified as an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act. For as long as we are an emerging growth company, which may be up to five full fiscal years, we will not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor’s attestation report on management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (ii) comply with any new requirements adopted by the PCAOB requiring mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report in which the auditor would be required to provide additional information about the audit and the financial statements of the issuer, (iii) provide certain disclosure regarding executive compensation, or (iv) hold nonbinding advisory votes on executive compensation. We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years, although we will lose that status sooner if we have more than $1.07 billion of revenues in a fiscal year, have more than $700 million in market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates, or issue more than $1.07 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period. To the extent that we rely on any of the exemptions available to emerging growth companies, you will receive less information about our executive compensation and internal control over financial reporting than issuers that are not emerging growth companies. If some investors find our common stock to be less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

We do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock and do not intend to pay cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.