Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 20172022

or

Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

For the transition period from _____ to _____

Commission File No. 000-55364001-38445

Graphic

HELIUS MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

WYOMINGDelaware

    

36-4787690

(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

642 Newtown Yardley Road, Suite 100
Newtown, Pennsylvania
(Address of principal executive offices)

(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

18940

(Zip Code)

Suite 100, 642 Newtown Yardley Road
Newtown, Pennsylvania, 18940
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (215) (215) 944-6100

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol

Name of each exchange on which registered

NoneClass A Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share

NoneHSDT

The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Class A Common StockNone

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes      No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes      No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days: Yes      No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section §232.405(§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes      No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.     ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “smaller reporting“emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:Act.

Large accelerated filer   ☐

Accelerated filer   

 

Non-accelerated filer   

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Smaller reporting company

Emerging growth company

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes      No

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. Yes

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes      No

The aggregate market value of the common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant on June 30, 2017,2022, based on the closing price on that date of USD$7.80,$1.18 per share, was approximately $99,372,392.$4,729,003. As of March 5, 2018,6, 2023, there were 20,241,13528,211,362 shares of the registrant’s Class A common stock outstanding.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of the registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A in connection with the registrant’s 20182023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed subsequent to the date hereof, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report. Such Definitive Proxy Statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after the conclusion of the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.2022.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Item

Description

Page

PART I

46

ITEM 1.

BUSINESS

46

ITEM 1A.

RISK FACTORS

2330

ITEM 1B.

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

3851

ITEM 2.

PROPERTIES

3851

ITEM 3.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

3851

ITEM 4.

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

3951

PART II

4052

ITEM 5.

MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

4052

ITEM 6.

[RESERVED]

52

ITEM 6.7.

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

40

ITEM 7.

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

4153

ITEM 7A.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

��

4761

ITEM 8.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

4761

ITEM 9.

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

4762

ITEM 9A.

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

4862

ITEM 9B.

OTHER INFORMATION

4862

ITEM 9C.

DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS

62

PART III

49

PART III

63

ITEM 10.

ITEM 10.

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

4963

ITEM 11.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

4963

ITEM 12.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

4963

ITEM 13.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

4963

ITEM 14.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

4963

PART IV

5064

ITEM 15.

EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

50

ITEM 16.

FORM 10-K SUMMARY

52

SIGNATURESITEM 15.

EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

64

ITEM 16.

FORM 10-K SUMMARY

66

SIGNATURES

84

1


In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, (“Form 10-K”) unless otherwise specified, references to “we,” “us,” “our,” “Helius” or “the Company” mean Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and its wholly-ownedwholly owned subsidiaries, NeuroHabilitation Corporation, or NHC, andHelius Medical, Inc, (“HMI”), Helius Medical Technologies (Canada), Inc., (“HMC”), Helius NeuroRehab, Inc., and Helius Canada Acquisition Ltd., unless the context otherwise requires. All financial information is stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise specified. Our financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States or (“U.S. GAAP.GAAP”).

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K or the Annual Report, includes certain statements that may constitute “forward-looking statements.” All statements contained in this Annual Report,Form 10-K, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s expectations at the time the statements are made and are subject to risks, uncertainty, and changes in circumstances, which may cause actual results, performance, financial condition or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, financial condition or achievements. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking and the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “calls for,” “could” “depends,” “estimate,” “expect,” “extrapolate,” “foresee,” “goal,” “intend,” “likely,” “might,” “plan,” “project,” “propose,” “potential,” “target,” “think,” and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “may,” “should occur” “will,” “would,” or any similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this Annual ReportForm 10-K include but are not limited to statements relating to: the Company’s future growth and operational progress, including manufacturing activities for the PoNS device, receipt of prescriptions and progress of commercialization of the PoNS device in the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic including its impact on the Company, clinical development plans, product development activities, other products not yet developed or acquired, our product candidate success, plans for U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, filings and their subsequent approvals, other foreign or domestic regulatory filings, by us or our collaboration partners, including filings with Health Canada, CE Mark and the Therapeutic Goods Administration, our ability to commercialize the product(s), either independently or with collaboration partners, the safety and efficacyeffectiveness of our product, candidate, the timeline for our improvement plans, our market awareness, our ability to compete effectively, the ability and limitation of our manufacturing source(s), our distribution network, the adequacy of our intellectual property protection, our future patent approvals, potential infringement of our intellectual property, future litigation waged against us and its outcome, any product liability we may incur, the sufficiency of our operating insurance, including sufficient product liability insurance, our limited operating history, our dependence on a small number of employees, employee conflicts of interest, our dependence on outside scientists and third party research institutions, our future expenses and cash flow, our ability to become profitable, our future financing arrangements, our ability to accurately report our financial position, our accountants’ future perspective including any going concerns, our ability to maintain effective internal controls, any future stock price, the potential dilution of the stock, future sales of the Company’s equity securities, any future Financial Industry Regulatory Authority sales practice requirements, future disclosure requirements, future regulatory risks, our relationship with the U.S. Army, our ability to build the necessary commercial infrastructure, and to use existing reimbursement codes or receive reimbursement codes from the American Medical Association and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and our ability to receive reimbursement coverage under Medicare, Medicaid or under other insurance plans. These

Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and additional risksassumptions that, while considered reasonable by Helius, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive political and social uncertainties and contingencies. The factors and assumptions used by management of the Company to develop such forward-looking statements include, but are more fully described in this Annual Report and our other public filingsnot limited to, uncertainties associated with the SecuritiesCompany’s capital requirements to achieve its business objectives, availability of funds, the ability to find additional sources of funding, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturing, labor shortage and Exchange Commission or SEC.supply chain risks, including risks related to manufacturing delays, build a commercial team and build relationships with Key Opinion Leaders, neurology experts and neurorehabilitation centers the Company’s ability to train physical therapists in the supervision of the use of the PoNS treatment, the Company’s ability to secure contracts with rehabilitation clinics, the Company’s ability to obtain national Medicare coverage and to obtain a reimbursement code so that the PoNS device is covered by Medicare and Medicaid, the Company’s ability to build internal commercial infrastructure, secure state distribution licenses, market awareness of the PoNS device, future clinical trials and the clinical development process, the product development process and FDA regulatory submission review and approval process, other development activities, ongoing government regulation and other factors included in the section entitled “Risk Factors.”

Although we believe the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions at the time they were made, they are subject to risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, which could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ significantly from such forward-looking statements. Factors

You should refer to the “Risk Factors” section of this Form 10-K for a discussion of important factors that couldmay cause theour actual results to differ materially from those inexpressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements include future economic, competitive, reimbursement and regulatory conditions; new product introductions, demographic trends,in this Form 10-K will prove to be accurate.

2

Furthermore, if our forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the intellectual property landscape, litigation, financial market conditions, continued availabilityinaccuracy may be material. In light of capital, and, future business decisions madethe significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and our competitors. All of these factors are difficultplans in any specified time frame, or impossible to predict accurately and many of them are beyond our control. Investors are cautioned that any suchat all.

These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward looking statements which speak only as of the date they are made.of this Form 10-K. Except as required by applicable securities laws,law, we undertakeassume no obligation to update or alterrevise these forward-looking statements (and expressly disclaimsfor any such intention or obligation to do so)reason, even if new information becomes available in the event that management's beliefs, estimates, opinions, orfuture. You should, however, review the factors and risks and other information we describe in the reports we will file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) after the date of this Form 10-K.

3

SUMMARY RISK FACTORS

Our business is subject to a number of risks, as fully described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report. The principal factors should change.and uncertainties include, among others:

We have a history of losses and may not achieve or sustain profitability in the future;
We will require additional financing to carry out our plan of operations, and failure to obtain such financing may cause our business to fail;
We currently only have one product, the PoNS device, which is authorized for commercial distribution in Canada, Australia, and in the U.S. for treatment of MS, and we have not obtained authorization to distribute the PoNS device commercially in Europe or in the U.S. for other indications and may never obtain such authorizations;
We may encounter substantial delays in planned clinical trials, and planned clinical trials may fail to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the PoNS device to the satisfaction of regulatory authorities;
Generation of revenue related to the PoNS technology is dependent on the PoNS Therapy being prescribed by physicians in the U.S. and our ability to train physical therapists in the supervision of the use of the PoNS Therapy;
Market awareness of the PoNS device is limited, and the neuromodulation market is new and uncertain;
We are dependent on third-party scientists and research institutions, in part, for research and development and on third parties for the manufacture and distribution of our product;
The COVID-19 pandemic and outbreaks of communicable diseases may continue to materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations;
Third parties may gain access to our technology if our intellectual property protection is insufficient;
We may be subject to various litigation claims and legal proceedings, including intellectual property litigation, which may adversely affect our business;
Commercialization of our product outside of Canada, Australia, and the U.S. for indications other than MS is dependent on obtaining market authorization from the FDA and foreign regulatory authorities, which will require significant time, research, development, and clinical study expenditures and ultimately may not be successful;
Failure to secure contracts with workers’ compensation and third-party administrators or rehabilitation clinics could have a negative impact on our sales and would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results;
Failure to obtain a Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System code and benefit category determination so that the PoNS device may be more easily covered by Medicare could have a negative impact on our intended sales and would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results;
If we fail to comply with healthcare laws, we could face substantial penalties and financial exposure;
We face ongoing government scrutiny and regulation in connection with the development of product candidates and following marketing authorization;
After commercialization, a product recall or the discovery of serious safety issues with our products could have a significant adverse impact on us; and
We have been the victim of a cyber-related crime, and our controls may not be successful in avoiding future cyber-related crimes.
We are reliant on third-party, single-sourced contract manufacturing, exposing us to risks that could delay our sales or result in higher costs or lost product revenues.

2


4

INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA

In this Annual Report,Form 10-K, we reference information, statistics and estimates regarding the medical devices and healthcare industries. We have obtained this information from various independent third-party sources, including independent industry and general publications, reports by market research firms and other independent sources. This information involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and we have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of this information. Some data and other information are also based on the good faith estimates of management, which are derived from our research, review of internal surveys, general information discussed in the industry, and independentthird-party sources. We believe that these external sources and estimates are reliable but have not independently verified them. The industries in which we operate are subject to a high degree of uncertainty, change, and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in this reportForm 10-K and other publications.

3


5

PART I

PART
I

ITEM 1.

BUSINESS

Overview

We are a medical technologyneurotechnology company focused on the development of products for the treatment of neurological symptoms caused by disease or trauma. We seekwellness. Our purpose is to develop, license or acquire unique and noninvasive platformnon-implantable technologies that amplify the brain’s ability to heal itself.targeted at reducing symptoms of neurological disease or trauma.

Many patients with brain injury or brain-related disease have disrupted neural networks that result in their brains being unable to correctly or efficiently carry neural impulses, which are responsible for directing bodily functions like movement control or sensory perception. Our first product, in development, known as the portable neuromodulation stimulatorPortable Neuromodulation Stimulator, or PoNS®, is an innovative non-implantable medical device, is designedinclusive of a controller and mouthpiece, which delivers mild electrical stimulation to enhancethe brain’s abilitysurface of the tongue to compensateprovide treatment of gait deficit and chronic balance deficit. PoNS has marketing clearance in the U.S. for this damage. The PoNS Treatment isuse in the U.S. as a combinationshort-term treatment of our PoNS device and functional, targeted physical or cognitive therapy,gait deficit due to mild-to-moderate symptoms for multiple sclerosis (“MS”) and is currently being developed for the treatment of movement, gait and balance disordersto be used as an adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exercise program in patients with traumatic brain injury, or TBI,22 years of age and other chronic neurological diseases.

over by prescription only. We recently completed our registrational clinical trialbegan accepting prescriptions for PoNS in the U.S. in March 2022, and commercial sales of the PoNS Treatmentcommenced in April 2022. PoNS is authorized for mild- to moderate TBI,sale in which we observed statistically and clinically significant increases in composite sensory observation test scores. Based on the safety and efficacy results from this clinical trial, we intend to submitCanada for three indications: (i) for use as a request for FDA marketing authorization for theshort term treatment (14 weeks) of chronic balance deficit due to mild-mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury, or mmTBI, and is to moderate-TBI via the FDA’s de novo classification processbe used in the first halfconjunction with physical therapy, or PoNS TherapyTM; (ii) for use as a short term treatment (14 weeks) of 2018.  In addition, we intendgait deficit due to submit applicationsmild and moderate symptoms from MS and it is to be used in conjunction with physical therapy; and (iii) for marketing authorizationsuse as a short term treatment (14 weeks) of gait deficit due to mild and moderate symptoms from stroke, to be used in conjunction with physical therapy. It has been commercially available in Canada the European Unionsince March 2019. PoNS is authorized for sale as a Class IIa medical device in Australia and Australia during the first half of 2018.we have been seeking a business partner to commercialize and distribute PoNS in Australia.

PoNS Device

The PoNS Treatment

device is a non-implantable medical device comprised of a controller and a mouthpiece that are connected by a cord. The controller is worn around the neck and the mouthpiece sits on the tongue during treatment. PoNS TreatmentTherapy, or the “Therapy”, utilizes the PoNS device in conjunction with supervised therapeutic exercise. The Therapy consists of an investigational medicalcondition specific exercises for movement control, including balance and gait training and breathing and awareness training, which are tailored to focus on the individual patient’s functional deficits. The Therapy is completed over a period of 14 weeks. During the first 2 weeks, the Therapy is mostly administered in a rehabilitation or physical therapy clinic by a PoNS trained therapist and, to a lesser extent, performed at home. The remaining 12 weeks are completed at home with weekly clinic visits to monitor rehabilitation progress, assess improvements and ensure the therapy intensity remains appropriate. When the device that is comprised of two major components, an electric pulse generator and a replaceable mouthpiece combined with physical or cognitive therapy. The PoNS device delivers specially-patterned electrical stimulation developed to mirror nerve impulses toon, the brain through 143 gold-plated electrodes on the mouthpiece which is placed onsend mild electrical signals to the tongue. For 20 minutesThese impulses stimulate sensory nerves in the electricaltongue that have direct pathways to the brain, through the brain stem. The combination of mild stimulation called translingual neurostimulation, is coupled with physical or cognitive therapy,supervised therapeutic exercise promotes neuromodulation and likely trigger neuroplastic effects, which consistspotentially lead to functional improvements in balance and gait. During each clinic visit and at the end of condition specific physical, relaxationthe 14 week Therapy, the clinic downloads and cognitive exercises, based onreviews the patient's functional deficits. PoNS usage data from the device. This usage data in combination with the detail of the completed treatment assessments gives the clinician and the patient a unique and powerful method to assess treatment progress. The patient initiates their Therapy sessions with the PoNS device initially under the supervision of the clinicians, then through regular check-ins.

Clinical research has shown that electrical stimulation of the tonguetranslingual neurostimulation activates two major cranial nerves – the lingual nerve, a part of the trigeminal nerve, and the chorda tympani, a part of the facial nerve. Electrical stimulation of the cranial nervesnerve, which creates a flow of neural impulses that are then delivered directly into the brain stem and cerebellum – the main control centers for multiple life functions including sensory perception and movement. From the brain stem, these impulses travel throughout the brain and may activate or reactivate neurons and structuressignaling pathways involved in human function such as the cortex, spinal cord and potentially the entire central nervous system.function. Researchers believe that sustained stimulation initiates a sequential cascade ofsupervised therapeutic exercise with neurostimulation can modulate neural activity and initiate adaptive changes in the actual interconnected nuclei, or neuronal network, the fundamental connections between the anatomical componentsbrain that lead to restructuring and reorganization (neuroplasticity) processes in specific areas of the brain.  The PoNS device is also a smart device with built in technology to allow tracking

6

Design

The PoNS device is ergonomically designed for patient comfort, is relatively light, contains a replaceable hygienic mouthpiece and a rechargeable battery with built-in technology that allowsto allow for technical data loggingtracking of the patient’s usage, including time and communications.intensity of treatments. See Figure 1.

Graphic

Figure 1

The portable neuromodulation stimulator,Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator, PoNS device

4


The mouthpiece of the PoNS device sits on the front third of the tongue and is held lightly in place by the lips and teeth around the neck of the tab that goes into the mouth and rests on the anterior and superior part of the tongue.closed mouth. See Figure 2.

Graphic Graphic

Figure 2

A rechargeable lithium polymer battery with built-in charge safety circuitry provides power. While the voltage and pulse timing to each electrode are programmed into the device and cannot be altered, the user can adjust the stimulus intensity, can be adjustedwhich is achieved by adjusting the user.electrical pulse width. The sensation produced by the arraymouthpiece is similar to the feeling of drinking a carbonated beverage. The patented waveform is specifically designed to minimize the potential for tissue irritation.

Concurrent Use7

Overview of MS and Current Available Treatments

MS is currently classified as an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The disease attacks the myelin, the protective covering of the nerve necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses through nerve fibers, causing inflammation and often damaging the myelin. Damage to the myelin is variable, depending on the course of the disease, which influences the type and severity of symptoms. MS is unpredictable and can cause symptoms such as extreme fatigue, lack of coordination, weakness, tingling, impaired sensation, vision problems, bladder problems, cognitive impairment and mood changes. Its effects can be physical and emotional with Physicala substantial financial burden. Currently there is no cure and patients with MS experience a progressive decline in health over time. There are a variety of treatments available for MS, some of which are experimental, including pharmaceutical, dietary, and surgical, which may or Cognitive Rehabilitationmay not be covered by government or private health insurance.

WeFindings from a National MS Society study estimate that nearly 1 million people in the U.S. are living with MS of which approximately 25-30% are on Medicare and 93,000 people in Canada are living with MS. The National MS Society estimates that 2.3 million people live with MS globally. The U.S. and Canada have the highest rates of MS, with 309 cases per 100,000 in the U.S., and 291 cases per 100,000 in Canada, respectively. Given the nature of this neurodegenerative disease, these individuals and their caretakers are active in exploring treatment options that may resolve or delay the progression of symptoms. There is also a well-established advocacy framework.

Mobility disability and walking impairment are among the most debilitating consequences of MS with approximately 85% of individuals diagnosed with MS reporting gait impairment as a major limitation in their daily lives. Gait is one of the most important bodily functions for MS patients and gait parameters, such as walking speed and stride length, have been shown to be significant predictors of patient’s independence in daily activities. A survey of 436 patients found that 45% reported a mobility disability in the first month following diagnosis, with upwards of 90% of patients reporting a mobility disability within 10 years of their diagnosis. Additionally, 50-80% of MS patients suffer from balance and gait dysfunction and over 50% fall at least once a year. It has also been reported that unemployment rates in MS patients range from 24-80% with higher rates associated with decreased ambulation and mobility. The Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, reports that individuals with disabilities, like MS, that result in limited mobility are at greater risk for health problems including injury, mental health and depression, overweight and obesity, pain, pressure sores or ulcers and other issues.

A 2016 economic analysis of MS found the total lifetime costs per person with MS to be $4.1 million, with average yearly healthcare costs ranging from $30 thousand to $100 thousand based on the severity of the disease. Since the exact cause of MS is still unknown, there is no known prevention. Although there is no cure for MS yet, immunotherapy can provide disease-modifying effects, and other pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments can manage symptoms. MS medications are designed to lessen the PoNS Treatment wherebyfrequency of relapses and slow the PoNS deviceprogression of the disease, but none have been proven to halt progression of the disease. While there are several disease-modifying medications approved by the FDA to treat MS, only one drug approved by FDA and Heath Canada, Ampyra® (dalfampridine), which is usedindicated for the improvement of gait speed in conjunction with physical or cognitive rehabilitation, typically delivered for two weekstherapy in patients with MS, offers the closest, albeit limited only to speed, comparison to PoNS Therapy on improvement in gait.

Overview of mmTBI and Current Available Treatments

There are an estimated 14.5 million people globally, with over 1.5 million in the clinic followed by use byU.S. and 350,000 in Canada, living with balance deficit due to mmTBI. Every year in the patient at home.  The PoNS deviceU.S. and Canada, there are approximately 420,000 and 20,000 newly diagnosed mmTBIs, respectively, resulting in balance deficit. This condition often has a design feature that stops delivering treatment every 14 weeks, thus requiringsignificant impact on one’s quality of life, negatively affecting independence, employability, productivity, mental health and participation in the patientcommunity. Rehabilitation is often required following a mmTBI for resulting motor, cognitive and behavioral impairments. The current standard of care to address balance issues following a mmTBI is supervised therapeutic exercise. While supervised therapeutic exercise can help to promote balance recovery, individuals are often unable to return to their physician or physical therapy center, or PTC, for assessmentfull function and are left living with a balance deficit.

Prior to the development of their progress, reestablishment of challenging physical therapy to achieve higher goals and download of utilization data, which we believe will be helpful for reimbursement and future research. We currently expect the PoNS device, to be inspected visually by the physical therapist, reset for another 14 weeks of treatment if necessary, and the mouthpiece replaced with a new one to reduce the likelihood of degradation of the electrodes. We expect this business model feature to ensure proper support for patients in the early phase of their treatment.

We expect physicians will be informed to prescribe the PoNS Treatment, which includes both the PoNS device and a prescription to work with PTCs who are trained and PoNS-certified. We anticipate supporting the launch of the PoNS Treatment with the development and implementation of a hub services center with online and offline elements to help facilitate the healthcare transaction.

Upon completion of the in-clinic portion of the PoNS Treatment, which is normally two weeks, patients are expected to be monitored in their home treatment through the PTCs. At the end of their prescribed treatment, we expect patients to be directed back to their physician for assessment and then return to the PTC for additional treatment as necessary including replacement of the mouthpiece if continued treatment is deemed necessary.

PoNS Trials in TBI

During the third quarter of 2017, we completed our registrational clinical trial in mild- to moderate- TBI, which was a double-blind randomized, controlled study of the safety and effectiveness of the PoNS Treatment for translingual noninvasive neuromodulation stimulation training in subjects with chronic balance deficit due to mild- to moderate- TBI.

The study, which was launched in the third quarter of 2015 in conjunction with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, was conducted at seven sites in the United States and Canada. The trial evaluated a total of 122 randomized subjects, with ages between 18 and 65 years. Each subject received five weeks of treatment, two weeks in-clinic and three weeks at home with the treatment consisting of physical therapy with either a high-frequency pulse (25.7 million pulses per 20-minute treatment), or HFP, PoNS device or a low-frequency pulse (13,728 pulses per 20-minute treatment), or LFP, PoNS device.  While the intensity of the pulses between the HFP and the LFPthere were identical, the frequency of the pulses was different between the two devices.

5


All subjects for the trialno cleared treatments that were at least one-year post injury to ensure spontaneous recovery was unlikely. To be considered for the study, all subjects had to have participated in a focused physical rehabilitation program for the TBI-related balance disorder and been deemed by the treating clinician to have reached a plateau and yet continued to have significant balance issues as they entered the trial.

An objective balance assessment is performed using the Composite Score from the NeuroCom Sensory Organization Test, or SOT, which measures balance using computerized sensors that measures participants’ ability to maintain balance under six different conditions. This was used as the efficacy endpoint for the trial. The SOT is a widely used measurement tool for balance disorder associated with TBI.  A responder was defined as a subject with an improvement of at least 15 points on the composite SOT score at five weeks of PoNS Treatment when compared to their baseline score.  According to published, independent third-party data, patients receiving physical therapy aloneclinically indicated to treat balance disorders related to TBI improve by 8-10 points on the composite SOT,deficit. A few studies have suggested that supervised therapeutic exercise aimed at improving balance and patients tend to drift back to their baseline disability when physical therapy is discontinued.  It would be expected that if the PoNS Treatment was not effective that the improvement in SOT score in our patient population would be greater than 8-10 points compared with the patient score at the start of the trial.gait

The statistical analysis plan contemplated how to analyze the efficacy data based on the results of the comparison between the HFP and LFP PoNS device groups.  There were three possible scenarios:

The two devices would produce a response that was not statistically different from each other and neither device was effective at producing a 15-point SOT response (failed study).8

One device wouldTable of Contents

may be statistically superior to the other and produce a 15-point responsemildly effective for rehabilitation in the SOT (positive study).

The two devices would produce a response that was not statistically different from each other and both produced a significant response greater than 15 points (positive study).  This third scenario is what happened in out trial.

Since scenario three wasmmTBI population. Given the outcomesmall number of published studies, the primary endpointsmall number of the study, the statistical analysis plan prospectively dictated that the secondary endpoint would be calculated by combining the two groups and comparing the response to baseline at week two and week five.  

Secondary effectiveness endpoints demonstrated statistically and clinically significant increases (at least 8 points) in composite SOT scores:

o

The mean improvement at two weeks for combined-arms was 18.3 points, p<0.0005.

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The mean improvement at five weeks for combined-arms was 24.6 points, p<0.0005.

The primary safety endpoint was an improvementpatients enrolled in the frequencystudies of falls, as determined by daily event recording onwhich we are aware, the subject data case report form during the in-clinic phase of the study. The secondary safety endpoint was the frequency and severity of headaches, as measure by the Headache Disability Index at baseline and at the end of treatment, which was at week five.

We successfully met the primary and secondary safety endpoints as measured by a decrease in falls and headaches, in both treatment groups.

There were no serious device related adverse events.

PoNS Long-Term Treatment Study

This study was performed to understand the durability of treatment response. This double-blind randomized controlled study in patients with mild- to moderate- TBI was completed in May 2017 at the Tactile Communication Neurorehabilitation Laboratory at University of Wisconsin-Madison and was sponsored by the U.S. Army. The study was conducted with 22 patients using the HFP PoNS device and 21 patients using the LFP PoNS device with 14 weeks of active treatment followed by a 12-week washout period after which final SOT scores were captured.

Highlights of the study results were as follows:

There was no statistical difference between the HFP and LFP PoNS device groups in the trial supporting the results of the registrational clinical trial.

On average, participants entered the study with an SOT score of approximately 40, which is a score that indicates profound disability due to impaired balance.

At the end of 14 weeks of active treatment with the HFP PoNS device group, patients showed improvements on average of 29.7 points on the SOT score, which put the participants within the normalvarying range of SOT score after 14 weeks of treatment.

Participants then discontinued treatment and were told to resume normal lifestyle for another12 weeks and were monitored on a weekly basis. The participants, on average, maintained the benefit of the treatment throughout the 12-week withdrawal period.  

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Conclusion:

The study demonstrated that the PoNS Treatment with the HFP PoNS device could, on average, make patients who were profoundly disabled at entry into the study, achieve a SOT scoreinterventional protocols employed in the normal range from a balance perspective in 14 weeks and maintain that benefit after a 12-week washout period, supporting the durability of the response to the treatmentsuch studies and the potential restorationlower levels of study design, it is difficult to draw any conclusions regarding the balance system.

With the completioneffectiveness and dosing parameters of our registrational clinical trial, we expect to complete the verification and validation for device design and manufacturing to meet the requirements of the applications for commercial distribution, and submit applications for marketing authorizationsusing supervised therapeutic exercise alone for the treatment of balance disorderdeficit following mmTBI. Consequently, we believe that there is a large potential commercial opportunity for the PoNS Therapy in mild-the treatment of balance deficit due to moderate-TBI, withmmTBI. Our goal is to establish the FDA, Health Canada, CE MarkPoNS Therapy as the standard of care for this condition all over the world.

Overview of Stroke in Europe and the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia during 2018.

Planned Studies

Multiple SclerosisCanada

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, there are approximately one million individuals in the United States living with MS, for an annual economic costCanadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System of MS in the United States of approximately $28 billion, many of whom experience balance problems. Studies from several countries estimate that 50% to 70% of MS patients had reported falls within the past two to six months.

The FDA has determined that we must obtain an investigational device exemption, or IDE, prior to commencing any clinical trial of the PoNS Treatment in MS patients in the United States.  We intend to commence a registrational clinical trial of the PoNS Treatment in MS patients with balance and gait deficit in the second half of 2018, contingent on the availability of funding and the timing of our submission and approval of our IDE by the FDA.

Stroke

Canada, Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Canada and the United States,tenth largest contributor to disability-adjusted life years (the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death). About 878,500 Canadian adults aged 20+ have experienced a stroke (2018-2019) and with approximately 795,000 annual episodes,the population aging, more and more Canadians are at risk. This condition often has a significant impact on the ability on one’s functionality, negatively affecting independence, employability, productivity, mental health and participation in the community. Rehabilitation is required following a stroke for resulting motor, cognitive and behavioral impairments. Most province public health systems in approximately 140,000 deaths.Canada offers stroke rehabilitation services along with private establishments. The term “stroke” or “brain attack” implies brain tissue has been destroyed – because onepotential for commercial opportunity for PoNS in order to support all these public and private establishments is wide. PoNS Therapy offers new opportunities for this type of service by enhancing physical rehabilitation and helping attain the desired goals.

PoNS Clinical Trials and Scientific Support in MS

There are two peer-reviewed published studies reporting on the results of clinical trials comparing active PoNS + PT vs a no frequency pulse sham device (placebo PoNS) + PT in subjects with mild and moderate MS: Tyler et al. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation 2014, 11:79 and Leonard et al. Multiple Sclerosis Journal Experimental, Translational and Clinical January-March 2017: 19 DOI: 10.1177/ 2055217317690561

Summary results of the vessels that provide oxygenTyler study in 20 subjects with mild and nutrientsmoderate MS:

The study was designed as a between-group comparison of the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) score improvement in10 subjects treated with active PoNS, in conjunction with two weeks of treatment in clinic under supervision of a registered PoNS trainer, and, individually, at home over12-weeks, as compared to 10 subjects treated with placebo PoNS and the same physical therapy regimen, after a total of 14 weeks of treatment.
The primary endpoint demonstrated a statistically significant improvement greater that 4 points in the DGI score from baseline in the active PoNS group as compared to placebo at endpoint (Week 14) (p<0.005).
The DGI improvement was already clinically meaningful at 2 weeks of treatment and continued to increase over the following 8 weeks of therapy with an average improvement of 7,7 point, which was then maintained (slightly increased) through week 14.

Summary results from the brain has ruptured or become blocked by atheromatous plaque or a blood clot traveling from elsewhereLeonard study in 14 patients treated with mild and moderate MS:

A statistically significant improvement in the NeuroCom Sensory Organization Test (SOT), a test of subject’s ability to balance, from baseline to week 14 of treatment in 7 subjects treated with active PoNS as compared to the 7 subjects in placebo PoNS group (p=0.001).
Functional MRI data showed an increased blood oxygen dependent level (BOLD) signal in specific brain cortical areas, suggesting that sustained PoNS neuromodulation-induced activation of these cortical areas is likely to trigger a series of adaptive changes (neuroplasticity), expected to rehabilitate existing pathways as well as engage new mechanisms to deliver functional signals to the spinal cord, that may correlate with PoNS therapeutic outcomes observed in the Tyler study.

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Summary of Real-World Evidence (RWE) in MS patients treated with PoNS in Canada.

Gait deficit treatment outcomes for PoNS-treated individuals are routinely captured through a proprietary validated data capture software. At the time of this retrospective analysis, all data from the MS treated subjects available in our database, specifically 43 MS subjects treated with PoNS for gait deficit in Canada between March 2019 and December 2019, were utilized.
The mean improvement in the FGA (functional gait assessment) from baseline to Week 14 was 4.53 (95% CI 3.35 to 5.72) with a median improvement of 5 points.
A minimal detectable change, greater or equal to 4 point FGA improvement, was met by 56.7% of subjects, most of whom had chronic MS with long durations of the disease.
An analysis of the surveillance safety database demonstrated an excellent safety profile supporting a positive benefit-risk ratio in the real-world clinical utilization setting.

PoNS Clinical Trials and Scientific Support in mmTBI

There are two peer-reviewed published studies reporting on the body, often due to an irregularly beating heart. Whichever mechanism leads to a stroke, the end result is the same; death of brain tissue and variable disability depending on what parts of the brain have been affected.  This might be the inability to feel or move a part of the body, to speak, think, or many other symptoms. Acute treatment consists of maneuvers including drugs, interventional radiology or surgery to stop bleeding or remove blockages. Thereafter, therapy is focused on trying to help the patient recover use of disabled anatomy with physical therapy or learn to overcome disability with occupational therapy. We are determining next steps for our studiesclinical trials’ results of the PoNS Therapy in people with mmTBI. The first is from our registrational clinical trial (TBI-001): Ptito A, Papa, L, Gregory, K, Folmer, RL, Walker, WC, Prabhakaran, V, Wardini, R, Skinner, KL, Yochelson, M, (2020). “A Prospective, Multicenter Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Translingual Neurostimulation Plus Physical Therapy for the Treatment for stroke patients, which are subjectof a Chronic Balance Deficit Due to Mild-to-Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury”. Neuromodulation: Technology at the availability of funding.

Cognition

In December 2016, we announced, based on preliminary, encouraging results,Neural Interface. The second is from the expansion of our comprehensiveLong-Term Treatment study in healthy adults to measure the benefit of investigational PoNS Treatment on physiological improvements associated with cognition. The study was conducted at HealthTech Connex Inc, or HTC, in Surrey, BC. HTC also collaborated with us to explore whether a single, twenty-minute session of two PoNS stimulation waveforms - high frequency, or HF, and low frequency, or LF - impacted objective measures of brain activity recorded by high density 64-channel electroencephalography, or EEG, and whether there were differences between the two PoNS stimulation waveforms. The study in neurologically intact volunteers showed that:

EEG results showed that translingualmmTBI Trial: Tyler, ME, Skinner, KL, Prabhakaran, V, Kaczmarek, KA, Danilov, YP (2019). “Translingual neurostimulation delivered through the PoNS device generated significant differences in brain activity.

Statistically significant increases in alpha and theta frequency power were observed in the post-stimulation rest period for HF group, suggesting a lasting exposure effect.

Statistically significant increases in alpha waveform power pre- to post-stimulation were present when both HF and LF groups were evaluated together.

Significant increases in attentional microstate activity were seen in the HF group. The effects began during PoNS stimulation and continued to increase to the level of significantly greater than baseline following stimulation.

These findings confirmed several important assumptions about the PoNS technology, most importantly, being that a single PoNS stimulation session has an impact on brain activity, and the results also provide insights on the differences between PoNS waveforms and potential opportunities for research that will continue to drive improved and more effective patient experiences and results.

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Further Studies

Given the likely mechanism of action of PoNS Treatment, we are exploring a range of other clinical applications including Parkinson’s Disease, cognitive disorders, the treatment of addiction, xerostomia and other neurological conditions. We will require additional funding, in the formchronic symptoms due to mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury.” Archives of grants and partnerships with collaborators, to expand our clinical development.

Our Partnership with the U.S. Army

In July 2015, we entered into a sole source cost sharing agreement, or the U.S. Army Agreement, with the U.S. Army for the commercial development of the PoNS Treatment for chronic balance deficits related to mild- to moderate-TBI. Pursuant to the U.S. Army Agreement, the laboratories of the U.S. Army Medical Material Agency, or USAMMA, and the U.S. Army MedicalRehabilitation Research and Material Command, or USAMRMC, the “Army Laboratories,” agreedClinical Translation; 1(304):100026.

PoNS Registrational Clinical Trial in mmTBI

Both studies were double-blind randomized, controlled, aiming to cooperate with NHC, our wholly-owned subsidiary, on clinical studies and regulatory responsibilities necessary to obtain FDA marketing authorization for this indication.  Under the U.S. Army Agreement, NHC is the sole regulatory sponsor and will oversee and execute all required clinical studies. Further, the U.S. Army will reimburse NHC for the initially budgeted costs related to the registrational clinical trial ofassess the safety and effectiveness of the PoNS TreatmentTherapy using translingual noninvasive electric stimulation in conjunction with physical therapy performed in clinic for the first two weeks of treatment under supervision of a registered PoNS trainer, and, individually, at home over a short-term period of time (3 or 12 -weeks) for a total of 5- or 14-week therapy, respectively for the short- and long-term studies. Both trials enrolled chronic (> 1 year post head trauma event) TBI subjects with a balance deficits relateddeficit established as sensory organizational test (SOTT) composite score of at least 16 points below the normative value for the participant’s age, who have reached a plateau in their prior physical rehabilitation regimen outcome. According to published clinical trial data, balance impaired TBI subjects treated with physical therapy alone reached an average improvement of 10-13 points in their SOT composite score over a short-term treatment period, an improvement that trended back towards baseline values upon physical therapy discontinuation. In both PoNS studies, participants entered the trial with an average SOT composite score of 40 (1-100 range) indicative of compromised functional balance and were randomized to treatment with PoNS devices that delivered either a high-frequency pulse, or HFP, (25.7 million pulses per 20 minute treatment) or a low-frequency pulse, or LFP, (13,728 pulses per 20 minute treatment).

In both studies, the primary efficacy endpoint was constructed for a between-group (HFP-treated and LFP-treated cohorts) comparison based on a greater than 15-point SOT composite score improvement at endpoint. The statistical plans also provided for a key secondary efficacy endpoint that established the treatment response (> 15 points on SOT composite score) from baseline in the pooled HFP and LFP groups at endpoint(s), should the primary measure failed to establish a significant difference between the HFP and LFP treatment groups.

Summary results of the registrational study (Ptito et al. 2020) in mild to moderate TBI up to a maximum amountsubjects with balance deficit:

The trial, launched in 2015 in conjunction with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, or the USAMRMC and conducted at seven sites in the U.S. and Canada, evaluated 122 randomized subjects.
The primary efficacy endpoint, although failing to demonstrate a between-group difference (p<0.081), showed a higher responder rate in the HFP arm with 71.2% of subjects experiencing a greater than 15-point

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improvement on the SOT composite score) as compared to 63.5% in the LFP arm over a 5-week treatment period.
The key secondary efficacy endpoints demonstrated a statistically significant increase (p<0.0005) in SOT composite scores from baseline for the pooled arms with a mean improvement of 18.3 points at two weeks of treatment and of 24.6 points at five weeks of treatment.
The primary safety endpoint demonstrated a decrease in the frequency of falls as determined by daily event(s) during the in-clinic phase of the study (week two).
The secondary safety endpoint demonstrated a decrease in the frequency and severity of headaches (by the Headache Disability Index) from baseline to end of treatment (at week 5).
No device-related serious adverse events were observed.

Summary of the parties agree to extendresults of the term.

We previously entered into a collaborative relationship26-week long-term treatment study (2019) study in people with the U.S. Army, pursuant to a February 2013 cooperative research and development agreement as amended, or the CRADA, to determine ifmmTBI:

The study, performed to evaluate understand the durability of response to the PoNS Therapy over a 26-week period, (14 weeks therapy followed by 12-week washout period) conducted at the Tactile Communication Neurorehabilitation Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and sponsored by the U.S. Army, enrolled 22 mild-to-moderate subjects with gait deficit.
The primary efficacy endpoint, although similar to the registrational study, did not show a separation on the composite SOT score improvement between the HFP and LFP groups, confirmed the trend of a higher response rate in the HFP group.
The secondary endpoint showed a 29.8-point improvement of the composite SOT score from baseline in the HFP-treated group at the end of 14 weeks of treatment.
At the end of the 12 week washout period, the participants maintained, on average, the same SOT composite score achieved over the 14 weeks of PoNS Therapy.
The study confirmed the favorable safety profile shown in the registrational study.

These studies demonstrated that the PoNS TreatmentTherapy could, be developedon average, allow people with mmTBI who had balance deficit reach, over 14 weeks of treatment, and maintain, over 12 week post-treatment, an SOT composite score within or above the normal range. Furthermore, in a subset of nine participants, who underwent sequential magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, showed meaningful structural and functional changes in specific brain areas consistent with PoNS therapeutic effect on the balance function.

PoNS Clinical Evidence and Scientific Support in Stroke

Gait deficit treatment outcomes for commercialPoNS-treated individuals were analyzed through a real-world evidence (RWE) retrospective analysis of clinical data from 10 clinical rehabilitation settings in Canada sites. The RWE dataset consisted of 31 consecutive stroke patients that started treatment between March 2019 and November 2022. Patients included in this data set met the criteria for mild to moderate chronic stroke based on the rating of gait (walking) ability. Gait performance was determined using the FGA. FGA at Baseline and at Week 14, as well as changes form Baseline to Week 14 and FGA values at intermediate time points were summarized using means, standard deviations, medians, minimum and maximum values and where appropriate using 95% confidence intervals.

Summary of RWE database analysis in stroke patients treated with PoNS in Canada:

The adjusted mean improvement in the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) was 6.74 (95% CI: 4.85 to 8.63) among 30 subjects. The lower bound of this confidence interval exceeds the reported minimum detectable change (MDC) of 4.2 points for improvements in FGA in stroke patients.
18 of 26 (69.2%) subjects with complete data at baseline and at Week 14 had improvements larger than the MDC (95% 2-sided binomial exact CI 51.5% to 87.0%).

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Among subjects with evaluable baseline and Week 14 FGA, 25 of 26 (96.2%) subjects were at risk for falling at baseline (FGA<23). Among the 25 subjects with baseline fall risk, 7 (28%) subjects were no longer at risk for falling at Week 14. The one subject not at fall risk at baseline remained not at fall risk at Week 14.
There was no statistically reliable evidence that effectiveness varies by age, gender, or clinical site.

Regulatory Status Worldwide

Canadian Regulatory Status: mmTBI and MS

On October 17, 2018, we received our Canadian marketing authorization from Health Canada allowing us to commercialize the PoNS device in Canada for use as a short-term treatment (14 weeks) of balance deficit due to mmTBI.

On March 18, 2020, we received marketing authorization from Health Canada allowing us to commercialize the PoNS device in Canada for the treatment of soldiersgait deficit in patients with mild and othersmoderate MS symptoms. Our market authorization application comprised objective statistical evidence as well as independently reviewed clinical research analysis. This label expansion expanded our addressable market in Canada to include a patient population seeking treatment options that may resolve or delay the progression of MS gait deficit symptoms.

On March 8, 2023, we received marketing authorization from Health Canada allowing us to commercialize the PoNS device in Canada for use as a short-term treatment of gait deficit due to mild and moderate symptoms from stroke. This expands our addressable market in Canada to include a patient population seeking treatment options that may resolve stroke gait deficit symptoms.

U.S. Regulatory Status: MS

On May 7, 2020, we received Breakthrough Designation for the PoNS device as a potential treatment for gait deficit due to symptoms of MS, to be used as an adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exercise program. The goal of the Breakthrough Devices Program is to provide patients and health care providers with timely access to these medical devices by speeding up their development, assessment, and review, while preserving the statutory standards for premarket approval, 510(k) clearance, and de novo classification and clearance, consistent with FDA’s mission to protect and promote public health.

The Breakthrough Devices Program offers manufacturers an opportunity to interact with the FDA to efficiently address topics as they arise during the premarket review phase, which can help manufacturers receive feedback from the FDA and identify areas of agreement in a varietytimely way. Manufacturers can also expect prioritized review of military-relevant neurological manifestationstheir submission.

Breakthrough Device Designation does not change the requirements for approval of TBI, including tinnitus, post-traumatic stress disorder, pain and any subsequent indications identified byan application for a marketing authorization.

On March 26, 2021, we received marketing authorization from the parties. Under the CRADA, NHC is the sole regulatory sponsorFDA of the PoNS Treatment,device. The PoNS device is indicated for use as a short-term treatment of gait deficit due to mild-to-moderate symptoms of MS and is to be used as an adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exercise program in patients 22 years of age and over by prescription only.

We will continue monitoring the Army Laboratoriesdevelopment by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (“CMS”) of a
new pathway for coverage of innovative new devices, Transitional Coverage of Emerging Technology (“TCET”), which is replacing the repealed Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technologies (“MCIT”) rule. CMS is expected to share more about TCET with the public for comments in 2023. As we follow the evolution of TCET, we will continue to assess our evidence generation strategy to maximize the potential to gain CMS reimbursement benefits as a result of our Breakthrough designation in MS. While we will continue to monitor this, we will also remain focused on building out our reimbursement strategy for both commercial and government payers. We are still working to understand current Medicare requirements and policies for coverage, coding, and payment of durable medical equipment and assess how the PoNS device may be treated with respect to coding, coverage, and reimbursement under the Medicare program.

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We also intend to provide supportbroad access and reimbursement for the executionPoNS Therapy over time through commercial insurers. Prior to the initiation of clinical studies for FDA marketing authorization. 

Based on our research and development work performed underCMS or broad commercial payer coverage, we anticipate the CRADA, we intendprimary source of sales will be self-pay patients. We expect to initially seek FDA marketing authorization only for treatmentsupport the cost of the PoNS Therapy by offering a cash pay discount, collaborating with third parties to provide self-pay patients with chronicfinancing options as well as working with advocacy groups and charitable organizations to help self-pay patients access our technology. In general, we anticipate that it will take at least 24 months to obtain broad coverage and reimbursement among government and private payers.

In September 2021, we started activities to set up and implement a new study as part of a Therapeutic Experience Program, or PoNSTEP, with NYU Langone Health as our first Center of Excellence clinical site. During 2022, we added four additional clinical sites to the program and recruitment site information can be found on clinicaltrials.gov. PoNSTEP is a Helius-sponsored, open label observations, interventional multi-center outcome research trial designed to assess adherence to on-label PoNS therapy for improvement in gait deficits with MS in a real-world clinical setting. The study will measure subjects’ adherence to PoNS therapy, which combines the PoNS device with physical therapy, to better understand the relationship between adherence to the treatment regimen and therapeutic functional outcome. The primary endpoint of the study is maintenance of gait improvement from the end of supervised therapy (Phase 1) to the end of unsupervised therapy (Phase 2) in relation to the subject’s adherence to PoNS therapy. The secondary endpoints are improvement of gait and balance deficit over time, and clinical global impression of change. The study will be conducted at eight to ten Centers of Excellence across the U.S., with an estimated average of four PoNS devices per site. Enrollment commenced in the second half of 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2023 with targeted participation of approximately forty to fifty patients with MS.

U.S. Regulatory Status: Stroke

In August 2021, we received Breakthrough Designation for the PoNS device as a potential treatment for dynamic gait and balance deficits due to mild-symptoms from stroke, to moderate-TBI. Should we obtainbe used as an adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exercise program in patients 22 years of age and over. With Breakthrough Designation received, a clinical trial of PoNS therapy in stroke patients in collaboration with Medical University of South Carolina is planned to commence in 2023 with initial patient enrollments beginning in the second half of 2023.

U.S. Regulatory Status: mmTBI

Our U.S. regulatory strategy initially focused on pursuing de novo classification and clearance of the PoNS device from the FDA marketing authorizationfor the treatment of balance deficit due to mmTBI.

We submitted a request for de novo classification and clearance of the PoNS device to the FDA for this indication in August 2018. This request was supported by data from two of our clinical trials in mmTBI, including our registrational trial, TBI-001.

In April 2019, we plan to develop the PoNS Treatment to treat other indications caused by neurological disorders. We would sponsor the regulatory process for these additional indications, but the Army Laboratories has agreed to support the execution of required studies. The amount of such support, if any, and the terms of such responsibility to support such studies are not yet negotiated, and we have no assurance that we can ultimately reach agreement with the Army Laboratories on such amount or terms of support. There can be no assuranceannounced that the Army Laboratories will not otherwise attempt to renegotiateFDA had completed its responsibilities under the U.S. Army Agreement or the CRADA.

The CRADA may be terminated by NHC or the Army Laboratories unilaterally at any time by providing the other party written notice at least 30 days prior to the desired termination date. The CRADA is subject to a four-year automatic extension as requiredreview and had denied our request for both FDA marketing authorization in the event that a pre-market approval application with the FDA is required, as well as for commercializationde novo classification and clearance of the PoNS Treatment. The CRADA terminates on December 31, 2018 unlessdevice for the parties agreetreatment of balance deficit due to extendmmTBI. In reaching its conclusion, the term. We are required to commercializeFDA noted, via a denial letter, that although the PoNS Treatment by December 31, 2021.

As of December 31, 2017, we have received a total of approximately $3.0 million with respect to reimbursements for expenses owed to the us for completion of development milestones, of which $0.2 million of the total received has been recorded as an advance against the fifth and final milestone. All reimbursement amounts received are credited directly to research and development expenses.

Manufacturing

We presently have relationships with three vendor partners on the design, development and manufacturingsafety profile of the PoNS device: Cambridge Consulting, LLC, or Cambridge, Ximedica, LLC, or Ximedica and Key Tronic Corporation, or Key Tronic.  Ximedica was our original design and development and clinic unit manufacturing partner. In January 2017, we entered into an agreement with Cambridge, pursuantdevice is acceptable, the FDA did not have sufficient information to which Cambridge assumed responsibilities fordiscern the design and development, performance of the engineering and design verification testingrelative independent contributions of the PoNS device and documentation supportphysical therapy on the improvements from baseline. The FDA noted that we could generate additional data to address its concerns and resubmit our application.

In October 2019, we had a pre-submission meeting where the FDA provided feedback needed to help complete the design of a new clinical trial intended to address the FDA’s request for a trial that demonstrates the benefit of the PoNS Therapy compared to physical therapy alone. In January 2020, we received the FDA’s feedback on the minutes from the October 2019 pre-submission meeting. In its feedback, the FDA provided post-meeting notes with specific recommendations regarding the trial design that were not discussed in the October 2019 pre-submission meeting.

Based on the receipt of the FDA’s final minutes from the pre-submission meeting, we are assessing the feasibility of a clinical program to advance the development of a study aimed to obtain clearance for gait and balance deficits in mmTBI if nondilutive financing to fund the program becomes available.

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European Regulatory Status

In December 2018, we submitted an application for a CE Mark, which, if approved, would allow us to market the PoNS device in the EU. During the second quarter of 2019, we engaged with regulators in Europe to answer questions that we received from them as part of their review of our PoNS device for CE marking. In August 2019, we withdrew our application from the EU marketing process due to uncertainty in Europe caused by the switch from the Medical Device Directive, or MDD, to the Medical Device Regulation, or MDR, Brexit, and the withdrawal of Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance, our notified body, from the EU notified body business. We have engaged G-MED NA (North America) as our new ISO registrar and will reconsider submitting to the EU when conditions stabilize.

Australian Regulatory Status

In the third quarter of 2019, we initiated the submission of our application to the Therapeutic Goods Administration, or TGA. We supplemented our submission with additional data based on questions supplied to date and provided responses to additional questions during the third quarter of 2020. In November 2021, we received market authorization from the TGA for the FDA submission,sale of PoNS as a Class IIa medical device. In Australia, PoNS is intended for short term use by healthcare professionals as an adjunct to a therapeutic exercise program to improve balance and gait. PoNS is not intended to assistbe used alone without an exercise program.

Exclusive Distribution Agreement

On March 3, 2023, we entered into an Exclusive Distribution Agreement with Health Tech Connex, Inc. (“HTC”) (“Exclusivity Agreement”), whereby, subject to certain terms and conditions, we granted to HTC the exclusive right to provide the PoNS Therapy in the identificationFraser Valley and Vancouver metro regions of British Columbia, where HTC has operated a PoNS authorized clinic since February 2019. HTC is to purchase the PoNS devices for use in these regions exclusively from us and transition to, our commercial-scale manufacturer.  on terms no less favorable than the then-current standard terms and conditions. This Exclusivity Agreement replaces the previous Clinical Research and Co-Promotion Agreement (“Co-Promotion Agreement”) between the parties dated October 2019.

On December 29, 2017, we selected Key Tronic as our contract manufacturing partner for the PoNS device after a competitive selection process. Product Development, Manufacturing and Logistics Services

The commercial design of the PoNS device will be is manufactured and assembled by Key Tronic Corporation (“Key Tronic”), our contract manufacturing partner since 2017, at Key Tronic’s facilitiesits facility located in Oakdale, Minnesota. Key Tronic will manufacturemanufactures devices for engineering and design verification testing and for our FDA submission as well as buildcommercial devices for launch inventory. Key Tronic has multiple locations across the United States,U.S., Mexico and China with back-up manufacturing capabilities to help mitigate the risk of a single source provider. We remain ultimately responsible for the compliance of our submissions and products, and activities performed on our behalf.

We place an emphasis on protecting our patented technology, trade secrets and know-how and only share confidential information on an as needed basis. Ximedica and Key Tronic areis registered as a medical device manufacturersmanufacturer in good standing with the FDA and along with Cambridge are certified in accordance with International Organization for Standardization, or ISO, 13485, a comprehensive quality

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management system for the design and manufacture of medical devices. In addition, on November 30, HMI maintains a compliant quality management system certified to ISO 13485:2016 NHC received our ISO 13485 certification.and compliant with MDSAP requirements for the U.S., Canada and Australia

During 2021, we contracted with Healthlink International Inc. (“Healthlink”) to provide third party logistics for domestic and Canadian shipment and order fulfillment, and to provide warehousing services for finished goods. Healthlink began fulfilling orders in the United States effective with the commencement of commercial sales in the United States in April 2022 and in Canada during the fourth quarter of 2022. Healthlink is a life science solutions company, specializing in logistics, temperature-controlled warehousing, fulfillment and freight management as well as back-office services, including multilingual customer service, financial services and VAT management.

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Commercialization

We believe that, due toCanadian Commercialization Efforts

In March 2019, we commenced the lackcommercialization of non-invasive devices currently on the market, if commercialized, theour PoNS Treatment will beTherapy in Canada, where PoNS became the first and only device authorized by Health Canada for the treatment of balance deficit due to mmTBI. Throughout 2019, we made important progress in advancing and refining our commercialization strategy in Canada building access, awareness and credibility for the PoNS Therapy, including the acquisition of the Heuro Canada operating entity of HTC. These efforts, which were led by our local Canadian commercial team, included the establishment of our authorized clinic network throughout Canada, launching digital marketing campaigns, and building key opinion leader and advocacy networks.

On March 18, 2020, the Company received notification that addressesits Canadian Class II license amendment application for the high unmet needstreatment of brain injurygait deficit in patients with balance disorders.mild and moderate symptoms from MS, when used in conjunction with physical therapy, was successful and received marketing authorization for PoNS from Health Canada.

Following in-depth market analysis and field intelligence, our Canadian commercial team began an expansion plan to increase the number of authorized PoNS clinics. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we authorized 11 new clinical locations to have 48 clinic locations across Canada as of December 31, 2022. In addition to continuing to increase the number of clinic locations, we have shifted our focus to driving patient throughput to these clinics. Sales performance in Civilian Population

InCanada throughout 2021 and into 2022 has been impacted by the United States, there are approximately five million patients suffering from chronic symptomsCOVID-19 pandemic due to TBI,space restrictions that the provincial governments have imposed as well as the risk tolerance of patients and therapists.

We continue to refine our go-to-market pricing model. In 2020, we implemented a modified pricing approach which approximately 40%is focused on reducing the need for clinics and patients to pay large, upfront costs at the start of treatment. We have balancealso experimented with various promotional pricing programs resulting in lower unit prices for both PoNS system purchases and gait disordermouthpieces in order to increase access to the PoNS Therapy and drive market awareness which we believe resulted in an increase in the volume of units sold, beginning in the second half of 2020. We extended the promotional pricing through the end of 2021 including any order placed and accepted, but not fulfilled before December 31, 2021. The promotional pricing was discontinued in 2022 when new pricing was established which focuses on encouraging the clinic in proposing the PoNS therapy to their patient and established a volume discount program that provides a laddered pricing discount to clinics based upon PoNS purchases in an effort to make a difference in the outcomes to their patients and enhance their practice.

The value dossiers for mmTBI and MS that were created in mid-2020 to fully demonstrate in both scientific and financial terms, the merits of PoNS Therapy for claimants are now being utilized along with submissions from clinics on behalf of their patients. The dossiers are provided to our clinics across Canada to submit as their primary complaint. By definition all TBIs arepart of treatment plans with reimbursement applications to the result of an accident, withpayer community. Our reimbursement strategy for mmTBI is focused initially on the patient’s workers’ compensation responsible for the medicalauto collision insurance and income replacement costs for those injured at work.

Our commercialization strategy is premised on leveraging workers’ compensation, or WC, payers to drive early reimbursements and entice disability, Medicaid/Medicare and other commercial payers to study the experience in the WC market to help accelerate support for coverage under Medicaid/Medicare. As the PoNS Treatment has been deemed a non-significant risk device study for TBI, under Institutional Review Board, or IRB, supervision we intend to launch clinical experience programs for TBI patients to develop and test our commercialization strategy prior to FDA clearance and launch.  Specifically, we intend to undertake the following:

Engage with target WC payers to demonstrate the health economic benefit of a 14-week PoNS Treatment.

Engage high visibility neurorehabilitation clinics to participate in clinical experience programs to accelerate commercial infrastructure at launch.

Leverage new patients in hospital/clinic systems to build clinic revenues by providing other non-PoNS related services such as   MRIs, sleep therapy or other complimentary services.

In addition, we intend to leverage high demand and hospital/clinic system savings to drive premium pricing for the PoNS Treatment, as well as target our marketing activity at physical therapy clinic systems to drive demand into their system, by negotiating exclusivitylong-term disability cases. Our reimbursement strategy for a given territoryMS is focused on commercial insurers/extended health benefits and time-period. Further, we intend to leverage the clinic system equity to target physical therapy clinic referral base for an efficient deployment of our sales representatives.

Our clinical experience program contemplates identifying “clinical centers of excellence” around the country and conducting training withcharitable foundations that support these centers in the use of the PoNS device along with the specific therapeutic protocol, with participants selected based on an established criterion. This would also be reinforced with patient clinician and claim staff outreach and education.

PoNS in the U.S. Army

The U.S. Army’s interest in the PoNS Treatment stems from the high incidence of TBI in soldiers and the fact that there are few proven, effective treatments available for those soldiers who suffer from chronic TBI symptoms. While the number of cases of TBI among active duty personnel may vary based on troop levels maintained by the federal government, our primary target market will be the large number of retired soldiers within the Veteran’s Administration, or VA, system who suffer from chronic TBI symptoms as this population is less subject to material, year-to-year fluctuation. Based on the U.S. Army’s indication of interest, we estimate that there is a sufficient potential market of active duty and retired soldiers who could potentially benefit from the PoNS treatment due to their chronic TBI symptoms. However, the U.S. Army is not under any obligation to purchase our product under the U.S. Army Agreement, the CRADA or any other agreement with us, and there is no assurance that the U.S. Army will ultimately purchase our product, even if we do demonstrate effectiveness and obtain FDA marketing authorization.

If it ultimately decides to purchase the PoNS Treatment from us, we expect that the U.S. Army would deploy the treatment to active duty personnel through their rehabilitation centers under orders from the central medical command. All personnel are expected to be certified PoNS therapists supported by live, paper and video-based training materials developed through this project by the U.S. Army. We also intend to pursue other military organizations in relevant countries based on need and size of potential deployment.conditions.

As part of our overall PoNS Therapy strategy, we are also gathering comprehensive health economic assessments of treatment outcomes. These data will, in-turn, be used to support our applications for WC, auto insurance and commercial insurance reimbursement initiatives in Canada, the U.S. and other markets around the world. We believe the Canadian commercial experience will be extremely valuable to prepare us for our launches in the U.S. and internationally.

The real-world results from the collective experience of our patients that have completed the 14-week PoNS Therapy, in Canada thus far, have been encouraging. Consistent with what we observed in our two clinical trials, one for 5 weeks and the other for 14 weeks, commercial MS and mmTBI patients demonstrated improvements in balance and gait within the first two weeks followed by continued improvement over the following twelve weeks. The majority of patients had a mean patient adherence to treatment of over 90% and showed significant improvement in their balance and gait with a meaningful clinical difference at the end of their treatment. The consistency of the patient results from our initial commercial experience supports our plans to expand access PoNS Therapy in Canada.

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U.S. Commercialization Activities

On March 26, 2021, we received marketing authorization from the FDA for the PoNS device. The PoNS device is indicated for use as a short term treatment of gait deficit due to mild-to-moderate symptoms of MS and is to be used as an adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exercise program in patients 22 years of age and over by prescription only.

Throughout the pre-commercial phase during 2021 and early 2022, we developed and refined our commercial strategy including a focus on payer strategy, both government and commercial, securing distribution licenses in various states and beginning to build relationships with key large neurorehabilitation centers, which focus on treatment of MS patients. We continue to generate data on outcomes of the PoNS Therapy generated from treatment of patients in Canada and ensuring that our scientific data is presented at many of the key national and international neurology and neuromodulation meetings. We believe this scientific dissemination may begin to pave the way to establishing the PoNS Therapy as the standard of care for the treatment of MS-related gait deficit.

We began accepting prescriptions for PoNS in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2022, and our first commercial sales began in April 2022. Presently, PoNS Therapy is not covered by the Medicare program or reimbursed by any other payors in the US.

We have targeted specific Key Opinion Leaders (i.e., neurologists and physiatrists) and their associated neurorehabilitation centers, where selected physical therapists will be trained to deliver the PoNS Therapy. Importantly, this focused strategy will also allow us to measure patient outcomes to determine if they are similar to those observed in our clinical trials.

In June 2022, we launched the Patient Therapy Access Program (“PTAP”) program, which will provide qualifying patients access to PoNS therapy at a significantly reduced price. To qualify for the PTAP pricing, the patient must provide a letter of medical necessity and consent to the release of their medical records. Because of the significantly reduced price, the patient must also sign a document that prohibits him/her from submitting a reimbursement claim to third-party payers. PTAP participants are also invited to join the Company’s registry program, which is open to all MS patients regardless of their PTAP participation. The PoNS registry is structured to collect important health information and establish the value of PoNS on key therapeutic outcomes, hence supplementing the data collected through clinical trials and real-world data. We began processing orders under the PTAP program in June 2022, which is expected to run through June 2023.

In December 2022, we launched an e-commerce site in the US to make it easier for patients to obtain PoNS systems. Accessed via ponstherapy.com, the site is powered through a new partnership with UpScriptHealth, a leading telehealth company focused on making medications and devices available direct-to-consumer. UpScriptHealth’s platform provides for (1) online health evaluations with qualified medical providers, (2) fulfillment of prescriptions required for PoNS Therapy™ and (3) shipping of PoNS devices directly to the homes of eligible patients in the United States. The UpScriptHealth platform makes it possible for people with MS to have a PoNS device delivered directly to their doorstep.

During 2021, we contracted with an industry consultant to conduct a health economic study of PoNS. Based upon the results of this study and comparing PoNS to other medical devices utilizing similar patented technologies we established a U.S. list price for the PoNS device of $25,700, comprised of $17,800 for the controller and $7,900 for the mouthpiece. We are pursuing commercial insurance coverage and Medicare reimbursement for PoNS within the Durable Medical Equipment, or DME, benefit category. While there are currently no specific Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, or HCPCS, codes to describe the PoNS device or mouthpiece, we intend to also focususe miscellaneous codes – E1399 (Miscellaneous durable medical equipment) and A9999 (Miscellaneous DME supply or accessory, not otherwise specified) until specific HCPCS codes are created. We initially applied for unique HCPCS codes during the third quarter of 2021. In order to address CMS’s request for additional information to “further understand the PoNS device indication for use”, we decided to monitor real-world utilization of PoNS Therapy and collect additional clinical evidence through our ongoing PoNSTEP study and upcoming registry program. Based on consistent reports of positive therapeutic benefits experienced by MS patients through our commercial programs, we plan to re-engage in our communication with CMS leveraging new information that can answer their questions and argue convincingly in favor of obtaining unique

16

HCPCS codes for PoNS. We expect to interact again with CMS in the second half of 2023. In general, we anticipate that it will take at least 24 months to obtain broad coverage and reimbursement among government and private payers.

Commercialization in Other Markets

We submitted an application for a CE Mark in December 2018. In preparation for our launch in the United Kingdom, or UK, and the EU, we entered into a consulting agreement with a UK-based company with expertise in the development of new services in the healthcare industry to leverage local market insights to develop a comprehensive commercialization strategy and tactical plan for launch of the PoNS Therapy in the UK. As previously described, in August 2019, we withdrew our application for EU market authorization and will revisit our UK and EU commercialization plans as terms of market authorization become clearer under the new regulations.

We submitted an application to the TGA in Australia during the third quarter of 2019. We supplemented our submission with additional data based on questions supplied to date and provided responses to additional questions during the third quarter of 2020. In November 2021, we received market authorization from the TGA for the sale of PoNS as a Class IIa medical device. In Australia, PoNS is authorized as a non-implantable neurostimulator intended for short term used by healthcare professionals as an adjunct to a therapeutic exercise program to improve balance and gait. PoNS is not intended to be used alone without an exercise program. We are working to establish a distribution partner for Australia but have not yet had any commercial sales of PoNS in Australia.

Global Economic Conditions

Generally, worldwide economic conditions remain uncertain, particularly due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased inflation. The general economic and capital market conditions both in the U.S. and worldwide, have been volatile in the past and at times have adversely affected our access to capital and increased the cost of capital. The capital and credit markets may not be available to support future capital raising activity on favorable terms. If economic conditions decline, our future cost of equity or debt capital and access to the capital markets could be adversely affected.

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in late 2019 introduced significant volatility to the global economy, disrupted supply chains and had a widespread adverse effect on the nation’s defensefinancial markets. Additionally, our operating results could be materially impacted by changes in the overall macroeconomic environment and veterans brain injury centersother economic factors. Changes in economic conditions, supply chain constraints, logistics challenges, labor shortages, the conflict in Ukraine, and steps taken by governments and central banks, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other stimulus and spending programs, have led to higher inflation, which is comprisedhas led to an increase in costs and has caused changes in fiscal and monetary policy, including increased interest rates. Although we may take measures to mitigate these impacts, if these measures are not effective, our business, financial condition, results of a networkoperations, and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.

Coverage and Reimbursement

Canadian Reimbursement

We believe that traditional life and health payers may be among the earliest to provide coverage and reimbursement for the PoNS Therapy, and therefore, we are focusing on gaining coverage for the PoNS Therapy through them. Life and health encompass long- and short-term disability claims. Because these payers are responsible for both medical expenses and lost wages, they have an incentive to seek ways to help injured employees to return to work. As part of eighteen centers, operating out of thirteen militaryour commercial treatment facilitiesprogram in Canada, we will collect both outcomes and five Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.return to work data, which we plan to utilize with life and health, provincial workers compensation insurance programs, and property and casualty insurers to demonstrate both the clinical and economic value associated with the PoNS Therapy.

U.S. Reimbursement

In the U.S., we plan to engage with select payer segments to obtain coverage and reimbursement for the PoNS Therapy. We intend to establish pre-launchcombine evidence from our clinical trials and real-world experience programsfrom commercial clinics in certain select centers.Canada to

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demonstrate the value proposition of the PoNS Therapy to payers and support favorable coverage and reimbursement decisions.

PoNS OutsideCMS has indicated that it is developing a rule that would provide a pathway for expedited coverage of technologies under the United States

Medicare program, though that rule has yet to be released. While we will continue to monitor this, we will also remain focused on building out our reimbursement strategy for both commercial and government payers. We intendcontinue to commercializework with Medicare requirements and policies for coverage, coding, and payment of durable medical equipment and assess how the PoNS device outsidemay be treated with respect to coding, coverage, and reimbursement under the United States, subject to approval by foreign regulatory authorities.  We will evaluate the benefits of commercialization in certain territories either independently or with collaboration partners.  For example, we intend to enter into a definitive exclusive license agreement with A&B (HK) Company Limited to commercialize the PoNS device in certain Asian countries.Medicare program.

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Competition

The neurostimulation market is predominatelypredominantly comprised of surgically implanted, invasive technologies that are growing but are not directly competitive with our technology. Our competitors in the industrySeveral neurostimulation companies are predominantly large, publicly-traded companies that have a history in the market, have significantly easier access to capital and other resources and have an established product pipeline. The combined clinical research and product development done by the industry, including by us and all of our competitors, is uncovering the secretsbeneficial effects of neuro-modulationneurostimulation which now establishes neurostimulationneuromodulation as a legitimatevalid and scientifically validatedsupported approach to the treatment of neurological conditions, and accordingly, we expect for competition in the non-invasivenon-implantable space to grow in the future.

However, we believe that we will have the first-mover advantage in the non-invasivenon-implantable neurostimulation space.

We believe that the PoNS TreatmentTherapy introduces an innovative target and method of stimulation, because targeting the tongue for neurostimulation provides several clear advantages that competitively distinguish the PoNS Treatment,Therapy, which are discussed below.

Advantages of the PoNS TreatmentTherapy

We believe that the PoNS TreatmentTherapy offers the following benefits over existing neuro-stimulationneurostimulation technologies:

The PoNS device stimulates the trigeminal nerve, which developing science has implicated to be beneficial in some neurological disorder models. Specifically, PoNS stimulates only one branch of the trigeminal nerve, the lingual nerve through its terminals in the tongue, while other technologies stimulate other branches of the trigeminal nerve.
Translingual stimulation also results in stimulating the facial nerve through its chorda tympani branch, which has its nerve terminals in the tongue. Although it’s unclear whether concomitant stimulation of additional nerves is material to the efficacy or safety of PoNS, stimulation of these two cranial nerves triggers selective activation of specific cerebellar, brainstem, and cerebral areas involved in the control of movement and coordination functions. Furthermore, the ability to stimulate more than one nerve at a time differentiates our technology from our competition.
The tongue has an anatomically unique surface with a high density of receptors, a consistently moist and conductive environment, constant pH, constant temperature and a direct connection to the brain through at least two cranial nerves. This a critical feature of how PoNS therapeutic effect is mediated since, similarly to the way most of the pharmacological agents act, translingual stimulation allows direct activation of neural targets that mediate signal transmission to the spinal cord and resulting therapeutic effect.
Scientific studies suggest that the trigeminal cranial nerves offer a high-bandwidth pathway for impulses to directly affect the central nervous system. The trigeminal nerves project directly onto several areas of the brain, primarily the brainstem (trigeminal and solitary nuclei), cerebellum, cochlear nuclei and spinal cord. Secondary targets include the cerebral premotor, motor, and prefrontal cortices, as well as deep brain areas such as the limbic system, basal ganglia and thalamus. We believe that this range of projections will allow impulses to reach central and peripheral targets that regulate dozens of functions.
Unlike deep brain stimulation devices, implantable vagal nerve devices and other invasive forms of electrical stimulation, the tongue allows for neurostimulation to be delivered via a portable, non-implantable device. This

The PoNS Treatment stimulates the trigeminal nerve which developing science has implicated to be beneficial in some neurological disorder models. The PoNS Treatment stimulates the lingual part of the nerve through the tongue, while other technologies stimulate other branches of the trigeminal nerve. It is the largest branch, having the highest amount of nerve fibers of the three branches. We believe this will be an advantage in therapy.18

Stimulating the tongue also allows for the simultaneous stimulation of a second cranial nerve found in the tongue, the facial nerve. The ability to stimulate more than one nerve alone differentiates us from our competition. However, it has not been scientifically proven that stimulating additional nerves adds to the efficacy or safety of the treatment.

allows for the concomitant utilization of portable neurostimulation with a wide range of pharmacological therapies and non-pharmacological interventions previously unexplored for neurological rehabilitation.

We believe that the trigeminal and facial cranial nerves offer a high-bandwidth pathway for impulses to directly affect the central nervous system. The trigeminal and facial nerves project directly onto several areas of the brain, primarily the brainstem (trigeminal and solitary nuclei), cerebellum, cochlear nuclei and spinal cord. Secondary targets include the limbic system, basal ganglia and thalamus. We believe that this range of projections allows impulses be sent through sites regulating dozens of functions.

Unlike deep brain stimulation devices, implantable vagal nerve devices and other invasive forms of electrical stimulation, the tongue allows for neurostimulation to be delivered non-invasively and portably. This opens the door for integration of neurostimulation with a wide range of therapies previously unexplored for neurological rehabilitation.

Reimbursement

With the completion of our registrational clinical trials and should we obtain FDA marketing authorization for the treatment of balance disorder in mild- to moderate-TBI, and ultimately receive customer orders for the PoNS Treatment, we plan to submit applications for appropriate reimbursement codes so that insurers, including WC payers, disability payers, commercial payers, Medicare and Medicaid, are able to pay for the treatment. We plan to seek coverage and reimbursement of the PoNS Treatment as a whole, applying for reimbursement codes for the combination of stimulations and the associated physical or cognitive therapy. There are complex laws, regulations and guidance that set forth Medicare coverage and reimbursement policies. To help us navigate the regulatory complexities, we have engaged consultants to assist us with our reimbursement strategy.

From time to time, Congress enacts laws that impact Medicare coverage and reimbursement policy. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, regularly engage in rulemaking activities and issues instructions and guidance that may affect Medicare coverage and reimbursement policy. Similarly, the federal and state governments may enact future laws or issue regulations or guidance that may impact Medicaid coverage and reimbursement policies, or the coverage and reimbursement policies of private insurers. We must ensure that we are in full compliance with all applicable requirements, and that we remain abreast of potential legislative or regulatory developments that could impact our business. For all payers, the PoNS Treatment must fit within an identifiable coverage category and fully meet the requirements of such category.

We initially intend to leverage what we learn from our clinical experience programs and seek coverage for the PoNS Treatment through workers’ compensation and disability insurance, for those injured through work or leisure. We intend to contract with WC payers and third-party administrators for a 14-week PoNS Treatment unit and at the same time contract with some of the large rehabilitation centers in the United States who will provide the physical therapy.  We believe that the WC case managers have the ability to identify potential patients for the treatment and refer those patients to physicians for a prescription to be generated and a PoNS certified physical therapy center identified.  At the end of the 14-week treatment, patients will return to their physician for evaluation of their progress and future

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needs. It is also possible that in some states the physical therapist would undertake the evaluation. We believe that this process should enable us to get reimbursement faster than the time experienced by other medical devices.

We understand that the process for obtaining coverage from commercial and public payers could be up to a 24-month process from the time a medical device receives marketing authorization.  We intend to begin pursuing such coverage upon clearance and will be guided by our experiences in working through the WC process as there are many pathways to consider. As part of the coverage process, we may have to submit an application request to CMS, to revise the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, or HCPCS, level II national code set so that the PoNS Treatment becomes eligible to be covered and reimbursed, not only by Medicare, but by other public and private payers.  The HCPCS Level II Code Set is a standardized coding set used for claims submitted to public and private payers that identifies products, supplies and services. At present, we do not believe that the PoNS Treatment would fit easily within an existing HCPCS code as the PoNS Treatment requires the combination of stimulation and targeted physical therapy. Thus, we are considering submitting a request to CMS for a new HCPCS code and are evaluating our options with our consultants. An applicant can request that (i) a new permanent code be added to the HCPCS level II national code set; (ii) the language used to describe an existing code be modified; or (iii) an existing code be deleted.  However, prior to submitting the coding request application, we must satisfy several criteria, including but not limited to receiving documentation of the FDA’s marketing authorization of the device and have sufficient claims activity or volume in the United States (evidenced by 3 months of marketing activity).  The national codes are updated annually.  Coding requests must be received by January 3 of the current year to be considered for the January update of the following year.

At launch, we will support our customers with hub services to aid in submitting the expense to private insurers as well as the communication between the patient, physician and physical therapist.  The PoNS device is a smart-device with built in technology to allow tracking of patient use including time and intensity of treatments.  We have also created a device management application which allows the physical therapist to gather the information from the device on the patient’s usage to guide further treatment option discussions with the patient’s physician.  This data can also be used to support reimbursement and coverage decisions by insurance carriers.

In addition, Medicare and other insurers must find that the PoNS Treatment is medically reasonable and necessary for the treatment of patients’ illness or injuries.  If Medicare and other insurers find that the PoNS Treatment does not meet their medical necessity criteria, it will not be reimbursed.  Medicare and commercial insurers must also develop a payment amount for the PoNS Treatment.  If that amount is inadequate to cover the costs of the PoNS Treatment, healthcare providers will be unlikely to use this therapy.

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Intellectual Property

Licensed Intellectual Property

Pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Patent Sub-License, agreementor the Sublicense Agreement, dated June 6, 2014 entered into between Advanced NeuroRehabilitation LLC, or ANR, and NHC,HMI, ANR has granted NHCHMI a worldwide, exclusive license to make, have made, use, lease and sell devices utilizing certain patent applications, which are collectively referred to as the “Patent Pending Rights.” The Patent Pending Rights relate to the PoNS device and include the following patents and patent applications, which cover a device that noninvasively delivers neurostimulation through the skin or intra- orallyintra-orally to the brain stem via various nerves including the trigeminal and facial nerves:

U.S. Patent

Application No.

Application

Filing Date

Status

U.S.

Patent No.

Issue Date

Application No.

Filing Date

Status

Patent No.

Issue Date

Subject Matter

12/348,301

 

1/4/2009

 

Issued

 

8,849,407

 

9/30/2014

 

non-invasiveNon-invasive neurostimulation of the skin combined with simultaneous physical therapy to provide neurorehabilitation of a patient to treat various maladies including, e.g., TBI, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease

14/340,144

 

7/24/2014

 

Issued

 

8,909,345

 

12/9/2014

 

non-invasiveNon-invasive neurostimulation within a patient’s mouth combined with physical therapy to provide neurorehabilitation of a patient to treat various maladies including, e.g., TBI, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease

14/341,141

 

7/25/2014

 

Issued

 

9,020,612

 

4/28/2015

 

non-invasiveNon-invasive neurostimulation within a patient’spatient's mouth combined with cognitive therapy to provide neurorehabilitation of a patient resulting in improved reading comprehension and increased attention span as well as the treatment various maladies including, but not limited to, TBI, stroke, and Alzheimer’sAlzheimer's disease

14/615,766

 

2/6/2015

 

Issued

 

9,656,078

 

5/23/2017

 

non-invasiveNon-invasive neurostimulation within a patient’s mouth combined with stimulation of the patient’s vision, hearing, vestibular systems, or somatosensory systems for the treatment of tinnitus

14/689,462

 

4/17/2015

 

Issued

 

9.597,501

9,597,501

 

3/21/2017

 

non-invasiveNon-invasive neurostimulation of a patient’s skin combined with cognitive therapy to provide neurorehabilitation of a patient resulting in improved reading comprehension and increased attention span as well as the treatment various maladies including, e.g., TBI, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease

14/815,171

 

7/31/2015

 

Issued

 

9,597,504

 

3/21/2017

 

non-invasiveNon-invasive neurostimulation of a patient’s mouth combined with therapy to provide neurorehabilitation of a patient, with a focus on features of a neurostimulation device

15/207,029

 

7/11/2016

 

Issued

 

9,656,069

 

5/23/2017

 

Utility patent covering non-invasiveNon-invasive neurostimulation of a subject’s oral cavity while the subject engages in an exercise in order to enhance the subject’s proficiency in the exercise

15/283,894

10/3/2016

Issued

10,293,163

5/21/2019

Non-invasive neurostimulation of a subject’s oral cavity or skin while the subject engages in a physical or cognitive exercise in order to enhance the subject’s proficiency in the exercise

15/602,060

5/22/2017

Issued

10,328,263

6/25/2019

Non-invasive neurostimulation within a patient’s mouth or on a patient’s skin combined with an exercise for treatment of a disorder affecting sleep patterns

16/376,595

4/5/2019

Issued

11,185,696

11/30/2021

Non-invasive neurostimulation of a subject's oral cavity or skin while the subject engages in a physical or cognitive exercise in order to enhance a subject's proficiency in the exercise

16/450,915

6/24/2019

Issued

11,285,325

3/29/2022

Non-invasive neurostimulation of a subject's oral cavity or skin while the subject engages in a physical or cognitive exercise in order to enhance the subject's proficiency in the exercise

17/704,051

3/25/2022

Pending

N/A

N/A

Non-invasive neurostimulation of a subject’s oral cavity or skin while the subject engages in a physical or cognitive exercise in order to enhance the subject’s proficiency in the exercise

61/019,061

(Provisional)

 

1/4/2008

 

Expired

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

N/A

(Provisional)

61/020,265

(Provisional)

 

1/10/2008

 

Expired

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

N/A

(Provisional)

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U.S. Patent Nos. 8,909,345; 9,020,612; 9,656,078; 9,597,501; 9,597,504; 9,656,069; 10,293,163; 10,328,263; 11,185,696; and 9,656,06911,285,325, and U.S. Application No. 17/704,051 claim priority to U.S. Patent No. 8,849,407.

A U.S. provisional patent application provides the means to establish an early effective filing date for a later filed nonprovisional patent application. Therefore, though the two provisional applications have expired, they establish a priority date for U.S. Patent Nos. 8,849,407; 8,909,345; 9,020,612; 9,656,078; 9,597,501; 9,597,504; 9,656,069; 10,293,163; 10,328,263; 11,185,696; and 9,656,069,11,285,325, U.S. Application No. 17/704,041, and any future filings that claim priority. We intend to file additional continuation applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent No. 8,849,407Application Nos. 61/019,061 and 61/020,265 to protect other aspects of the PoNS device and related non-invasive neurostimulation techniques.

ANR holds an interest in the Patent Pending Rights pursuant to an exclusive license from the inventors. U.S. Patent Nos. 8,909,345; 9,020,612; 9,656,078; 9,597,501; 9,597,504; 9,656,069; 10,293,163; 10,328,263; 11,185,696; and 9,656,06911,285,325, and U.S. Application No. 17/704,051 are included in the exclusive license as the exclusive license agreement

12


covers (i) U.S. Patent Application No. 12/348,301 (now U.S. Patent No. 8,849,407) and Provisional Application No. 61/019,061, (ii) any patents issuing therefrom and (iii) any patents claiming priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 12/348,301 or Provisional Application No. 61/019,061, which U.S. Patent Nos. 8,909,345; 9,020,612; 9,656,078; 9,597,501; 9,597,504; 9,656,069; 10,293,163; 10,328,263; 11,185,696 and 9,656,069 11,285,325, and U.S. Application No. 17/704,051 claim priority through such provisional application as well as through Provisional Application 61/020,265.

In addition, ANR has agreed that ownership of any improvements, enhancements or derivative works of the Patent Pending Rights that are developed by NHCHMI or ANR shall be owned by NHC,HMI, provided that if NHCHMI decides not to patent such improvements, ANR may choose to pursue patent rights independently. Pursuant to the Sublicense Agreement, NHCHMI has agreed to pay ANR royalties equal to 4% of NHC’sHMI’s revenues collected from the sale of devices covered by the Patent Pending Rights and services related to the therapy or use of devices covered by the Patent Pending Rights in therapy services. The Sublicense Agreement provides that the sublicense granted by ANR to NHC,HMI, if in good standing, shall not be cancelled,cancelled; limited or impaired in any way should there be a termination of the master license granted by the inventors to ANR, which was acknowledged by the inventors in the Sublicense Agreement. On June 6, 2014, NHCHMI and ANR entered into a second amended and restated sublicense agreement, or the Second Sublicense Agreement, which acknowledges the Reverse Merger (see “Our Corporate History - Acquisition of NeuroHabilitation CorporationHelius Medical, Inc and Concurrent Financing” below) and adds us as a party to the agreement.

The license of the Patent Pending Rights is subject to the right of the government of the United States, which funded certain research relating to the development of the PoNS device, to a nonexclusive, non-transferable, irrevocable, paid-paid up license to use the Patent Pending Rights for governmental purposes. In addition, NHCHMI has granted a perpetual, royalty-free license to the Patent Pending Rights back to ANR for non-profit research and development activities, which do not compete with NHC’sHMI’s business and to produce and derive revenues from devices and services in connection with investigational uses of the PoNS device and related technology.

The license of the Patent Pending Rights is also subject to the terms of the CRADA. In the event that we are not willing or unable to commercialize the PoNS technology within four years from the expiration of the CRADA, the Company is required to transfer possession, ownership and sponsorship/holdership of the regulation application, regulatory correspondence and supporting regulatory information related technology to USAMRMC and grant the U.S. Government a non-exclusive, irrevocable license to any patent, copyright, data rights, proprietary information or regulatory information for the U.S. Government to commercialize the technology.

On April 17, 2017, we announced that the USPTO had issued two medical method patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 9,597,501 and 9,597,504) that together further protect the intellectual property rights for our core asset, the PoNS device therapeutic techniques. These patents bolster the current family of PoNS patents protecting various forms of physical and cognitive therapy combinations with both skin and oral cavity stimulation using the PoNS  device or any equivalent neurostimulation device.

Company Owned Intellectual Property

On May 23, 2017, we announced that the USPTO had issued its first method patent (US Patent No. 9,656,069) that features claims directed to the useAs of the PoNS device for human performance improvement rather than rehabilitation therapy. This patent is the first member of the existing family of patentsFebruary 15, 2023, we have received for our PoNS device. We have filed 29 U. S.36 U.S. patent applications related to various technical and ornamental aspects of the PoNS device. We have also filed 13device: 15 non-provisional patent applications that describe various technical features in the current version device and 1621 design patent applications describing various ornamental designs. We are the sole assignee for these 2936 U.S. patent filings. Prior to issuance, once the USPTO determines that a patent application meets all of the statutory requirements for patentability it provides a notice of allowance. In addition to the first issued patent (U.S. Patent No.

13


9,072,889), the USPTO has issued nine14 utility patents 16and 21 design patents and provided noticespatents.

20

U.S. Patent

Application No.

Application

Filing Date

Status

U.S. Patent

No.

Issue Date

Subject Matter

14/558,768

12/3/2014

Issued

9,072,889

7/7/2015

Utility patent covering overall system design, including controller and mouthpiece

14/559,123

12/3/2014

Issued

9,272,133

3/1/2016

Utility patent covering strain relief mechanisms for the connection between the mouthpiece and the controller

14/558,787

12/3/2014

Issued

9,227,051

1/5/2016

Utility patent covering shape of the mouthpiece

14/558,789

12/3/2014

Issued

9,283,377

3/15/2016

Utility patent covering center of gravity of the mouthpiece

14/559,080

12/3/2014

Issued

9,415,209

8/16/2016

Utility patent covering structural support of the mouthpiece

14/559,105

12/3/2014

Issued

9,415,210

8/16/2016

Utility patent covering glue wells of the mouthpiece

14/727,100

6/1/2015

Issued

9,616,222

4/11/2017

Utility patent covering overall system design, including controller and mechanical details of the mouthpiece

14/558,775

12/3/2014

Allowed

N/A

N/A

Utility patent covering aspects of the controller

14/558,784

12/3/2014

Issued

9,789,306

10/17/2017

Utility patent covering authentication techniques

14/559,045

12/3/2014

Pending

N/A

N/A

Utility patent covering the locators of the mouthpiece

14/559,118

12/3/2014

Issued

9,656,060

5/23/2017

Utility patent covering methods of manufacturing the mouthpiece

15/484,077

4/21/2017

Pending

N/A

N/A

Utility application covering overall system design, including controller and mechanical details of the mouthpiece

15/602,055

9/5/2017

Pending

N/A

N/A

Utility application covering methods of manufacturing the mouthpiece

29/510,741

12/3/2014

Issued

D750264

2/23/2016

Design patent covering an alternative version of the current PoNS device (over-ear double boom design)

29/510,742

12/3/2014

Issued

D749746

2/16/2016

Design patent covering an alternative version of the current PoNS device (overhead minimal interference design)

29/510,743

12/3/2014

Issued

D752236

3/22/2016

Design patent covering system design used in the current PoNS device

29/510,745

12/3/2014

Issued

D750265

2/23/2016

Design patent covering an alternative mouthpiece not used in the current PoNS device

14


U.S. Patent

Application No.

Application

Filing Date

Status

U.S. Patent

No.

Issue Date

Subject Matter

29/510,754

12/3/2014

Issued

D750794

3/1/2016

Design patent covering the controller used in the PoNS device

29/510,755

12/3/2014

Issued

D751215

3/8/2016

Design patent covering an alternative controller not used in the current PoNS device

29/510,746

12/3/2014

Issued

D750266

2/23/2016

Design patent covering an alternative mouthpiece not used in the current PoNS device

29/510,749

12/3/2014

Issued

D750268

2/23/2016

Design patent covering an alternative mouthpiece not used in the current PoNS device

29/510,747

12/3/2014

Issued

D751213

3/8/2016

Design patent covering an alternative mouthpiece not used in the current PoNS device

29/510,748

12/3/2014

Issued

D750267

2/23/2016

Design patent covering an alternative mouthpiece not used in the current PoNS device

29/510,750

12/3/2014

Issued

D753315

4/5/2016

Design patent covering mouthpiece used in the current PoNS device

29/510,751

12/3/2014

Issued

D751722

3/15/2016

Design patent covering an alternative controller not used in the current PoNS device

29/510,752

12/3/2014

Issued

D752766

3/29/2016

Design patent covering an alternative controller not used in the current PoNS device

29/510,753

12/3/2014

Issued

D753316

4/5/2016

Design patent covering an alternative controller not used in the current PoNS device

29/510,744

12/3/2014

Issued

D760397

6/28/2016

Design patent covering alternative system design used in the current PoNS device

29/510,756

12/3/2014

Issued

D759830

6/21/2016

Design patent covering alternative system design used in the current PoNS device

In addition to itsour U.S. patents, Wewe have been granted four21 foreign utility patents (nine in Australia, five in Russia, two in Canada, two in Israel, two in Europe (validated in France, Germany, Italy, UK and Spain) and one in Eurasia, or EA (validated in all eight Eurasian member-states), and 33 foreign design patents (three in Australia, and one in Eurasia), and 11 foreign design patents (sevennine in Canada, threesix in Russia, and onefifteen registered community designdesigns in Europe), as detailed in the tables below..

Foreign Utility Patents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Australian Application No.

 

Application

Filing Date

 

Status

 

Australian Patent No.

 

Issue Date

 

Subject Matter

2015355211

 

6/4/2017

 

Issued

 

2015355211

 

11/16/2017

 

Utility patent covering overall system design, including controller and mechanical details of the mouthpiece

2015355212

 

6/4/2017

 

Issued

 

2015355212

 

12/21/2017

 

Utility patent covering center of gravity of the mouthpiece

2017218934

 

8/19/2017

 

Issued

 

2017218934

 

1/3/2018

 

Utility patent covering overall system design, including controller and mechanical details of the mouthpiece

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eurasian Application No.

 

Application

Filing Date

 

Status

 

Eurasian Patent No.

 

Issue Date

 

Subject Matter

201790009

 

1/10/2017

 

Issued

 

28551

 

11/30/2017

 

Utility patent covering methods for non-invasively aiding neurorehabilitation using intraoral stimulation in combination with an exercise regimen

Russian Design

Application No.

 

Application

Filing Date

 

Status

 

Russian

Patent No.

 

Issue Date

 

Subject Matter

2015501883

 

6/3/2015

 

Issued

 

98981

 

7/16/2016

 

Design patent covering the system design currently used in the PoNS device

2015501882

 

6/3/2015

 

Issued

 

99240

 

8/16/2016

 

Design patent covering the mouthpiece design currently used in the PoNS device

2015501881

 

6/3/2015

 

Issued

 

98947

 

7/16/2016

 

Design patent covering the controller design currently used in the PoNS device

15


Canadian Design

Application No.

 

Application

Filing Date

 

Status

 

Canadian

Patent No.

 

Issue Date

 

Subject Matter

162676

 

6/2/2015

 

Issued

 

162676

 

2/29/2016

 

Design patent covering system design used in the current PoNS device

162672

 

6/2/2015

 

Issued

 

162672

 

2/29/2016

 

Design patent covering an alternative mouthpiece not used in the current PoNS device

162671

 

6/2/2015

 

Issued

 

162671

 

2/29/2016

 

Design patent covering an alternative mouthpiece not used in the current PoNS device

162674

 

6/2/2015

 

Issued

 

162674

 

2/29/2016

 

Design patent covering mouthpiece used in the current PoNS device

162675

 

6/2/2015

 

Issued

 

162675

 

2/29/2016

 

Design patent covering an alternative controller not used in the current PoNS device

162670

 

6/2/2015

 

Issued

 

162670

 

2/29/2016

 

Design patent covering the controller used in the PoNS device

162673

 

6/2/2015

 

Issued

 

162673

 

2/29/2016

 

Design patent covering system design used in the current PoNS device

EU Community Design

Application No.

 

Application

Filing Date

 

Status

 

EU Community

Design Reg. No.

 

Issue Date

 

Subject Matter

002712026

 

6/3/2015

 

Issued

 

002712026

 

9/4/2015

 

Design patent covering several aspects of the system design currently used in the PoNS device

16


Further, we have filed nine12 foreign utility patent applications that are currently pending: one applicationthree in Australia, andEurope, two applications in each of Australia, Canada Europe,and Russia and one in each of China, Israel, and Russia:the U.K., and one design patent application that is currently pending in Canada.

Australian Application No.

Application

Filing Date

Status

Australian Patent No.

Issue Date

Subject Matter

2017228517

9/11/2017

Pending

N/A

N/A

Utility application covering the shape of the mouthpiece

Canadian

Application No.

Application

Filing Date

Status

Canadian

Patent No.

Issue Date

Subject Matter

2,969,729

6/2/2017

Pending

N/A

N/A

Utility application covering overall system design, including controller and mouthpiece, and authentication techniques

2,969,731

6/2/2017

Pending

N/A

N/A

Utility application covering various aspects of the mouthpiece such as shape, center of gravity, and the locators

European Application No.

Application

Filing Date

Status

European Patent No.

Issue Date

Subject Matter

15813638.2

7/3/2017

Pending

N/A

N/A

Utility application covering overall system design, including controller and mouthpiece, and authentication technique

15812899.1

7/3/2017

Pending

N/A

N/A

Utility application covering various aspects of the mouthpiece such as shape, center of gravity, and the locators

Israeli     Application No.

Application

Filing Date

Status

Israeli Patent No.

Issue Date

Subject Matter

252648

6/4/2017

Pending

N/A

N/A

Utility application covering overall system design, including controller and mouthpiece

252649

6/4/2017

Pending

N/A

N/A

Utility application covering center of gravity of the mouthpiece

Russian     Application No.

Application

Filing Date

Status

Russian Patent No.

Issue Date

Subject Matter

2017123125

6/29/2017

Pending

N/A

N/A

Utility application covering overall system design, including controller and mouthpiece

2017123041

6/29/2017

Pending

N/A

N/A

Utility application covering center of gravity of the mouthpiece

Currently, we use four trademarksown rights in connection with the operation of our business:five trademarks: PoNS, NeuroHabilitation, NHCPoNS Therapy, Helius, Helius Medical, and Helius Medical Technologies. We own the rights to the PoNS mark by virtue of an assignment agreement having an effective date of October 27, 2014 and entered into with ANR and the inventors of the PoNS technology. We are the sole owner of the rights in the NeuroHabilitation and NHC trademarks, and we arealso the owner of the rights in the PoNS Therapy, Helius, Helius Medical, and Helius Medical Technologies mark. On October 31, 2014, we filed trademark applications in the USPTO for these four trademarks.marks.

On January 7, 2015, we filed trademark applications with the Canada Intellectual Property Office, claiming priority to the corresponding U.S. applications filed on October 31, 2014. We are the owner of the rights in the NeuroHabilitation, NHC,PoNS, Helius and PoNS marks in Canada, and we are the owner of the rights in the Helius Medical Technologies markmarks in Canada. We have also applied for the PoNS trademark in Canada, Europe, Russia, China, Australia, New Zealand and China.Israel. We have also applied for the Helius mark in the U.S., Australia and Canada, the Helius Medical mark in the U.S., and the PoNS Therapy mark in the U.S.

Government Regulation

Our products under development and our operations are subject to significant government regulation. In the United States,U.S., our products are regulated as medical devices by the FDA and other federal, state, and local regulatory authorities. The following is a general description of the review and marketing authorization process of the FDA for medical devices.

17


FDA Regulation of Medical Devices

The FDA and other U.S. and foreign governmental agencies regulate, among other things, the following activities with respect to medical devices:

design, development and manufacturing;
testing, labeling, content and language of instructions for use and storage;
clinical trials;
product storage and safety;
marketing, sales and distribution;
pre-market clearance and approval;
record keeping procedures;
advertising and promotion;
recalls and field safety corrective actions;
post-market surveillance, including reporting of deaths or serious injuries and malfunctions that, if they were to recur, could lead to death or serious injury;
post-market approval studies; and
product import and export.

design, development and manufacturing;

testing, labeling, content and language of instructions for use and storage;

clinical trials;

product storage and safety;

marketing, sales and distribution;

pre-market clearance and approval;

record keeping procedures;

advertising and promotion;

recalls and field safety corrective actions;

post-market surveillance, including reporting of deaths or serious injuries and malfunctions that, if they were to recur, could lead to death or serious injury;

post-market approval studies; and

product import and export.

In the United States,U.S., numerous laws and regulations govern all the processes by which medical devices are brought to market and marketed. These include the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic, or FD&C Act and the FDA’s implementingimplementation of regulations, among others.

21

The FDA Review, Clearance and Approval Processes

EachUnless an exemption applies, each medical device we seek to commercially distributedistributed in the United States must first receiveU.S. requires either FDA clearance under Sectionof a 510(k) premarket notification, approval of the FD&C Act, receive de novo down-classification and 510(k) clearance, or pre-marketa premarket approval, application, or PMA, from the FDA, unless specifically exempted by the FDA. FDA review andor approval is required for each intended use of a device, regardless of whetherde novo application. Under the device has been approved for other indications for use. The FDA classifies allFDCA, medical devices are classified into one of three classes. Devices deemed to pose the lower risk are categorized as either classes—Class I, Class II or Class III— depending on the degree of risk associated with each medical device and the extent of manufacturer and regulatory control needed to ensure its safety and effectiveness. Classification of a device is important because the class to which a device is assigned determines, among other things, the necessity and type of FDA review required prior to marketing the device.

Class I devices are those for which safety and effectiveness can be assured by adherence to FDA’s "general controls" for medical devices, which include compliance with the applicable portions of the FDA’s Quality System Regulation, or QSR, facility registration and product listing, reporting of adverse medical events, and appropriate, truthful and non-misleading labeling, advertising, and promotional materials. Some Class I devices also require premarket clearance by the FDA through the 510(k) premarket notification process described below.

Class II which requiresdevices are subject to FDA’s general controls, and any other "special controls" deemed necessary by FDA to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the device, such as performance standards, product-specific guidance documents, special labeling requirements, patient registries or post-market surveillance. Premarket review and clearance by the FDA for Class II devices is accomplished through the 510(k) premarket notification process, though certain Class II devices are exempt from this premarket review process. When a 510(k) is required, the manufacturer tomust submit to the FDA a premarket notification submission demonstrating that the device is "substantially equivalent" to a legally marketed device, which in some cases may require submission of clinical data. Unless a specific exemption applies, 510(k) pre-marketpremarket notification application requesting clearancesubmissions are subject to user fees. If the FDA determines that the device, or its intended use, is not substantially equivalent to a legally marketed device, the FDA will place the device, or the particular use of the device, for commercial distribution in the United States, unlessinto Class III, and the device is exempted from this requirement. Devicessponsor must then fulfill much more rigorous premarketing requirements.

Class III devices, consisting of devices deemed by the FDA to pose the greatest risk, such as life sustaining,life-sustaining, life-supporting or implantable devices, or devices deemed not substantially equivalent to a previously 510(k) cleared device are categorized as Class III and require submission and approval of a PMA.

In the 510(k) clearance process, the FDA must determine that a proposed device is “substantially equivalent” to a device legally on the market, known as a “predicate” device, with respect to intended use, technology and safety and effectiveness, in order to clear the proposed device for marketing. Clinical data may be required to support a determination of substantial equivalence.predicate device. The PMA pathway requires an applicant to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of theClass III devices cannot be assured solely by general or special controls. Submission and FDA approval of a premarket approval, or PMA, application is required before marketing of a Class III device based, in part, on extensive data, including, but not limitedcan proceed. As with 510(k) submissions, unless subject to technical, preclinical, clinical trial, manufacturing and labeling data.an exemption, PMA submissions are subject to user fees. The PMA process is typically required for devices that are deemedmuch more demanding than the 510(k) premarket notification process. A PMA application, which is intended to pose the greatest risk, such as life-sustaining, life-supporting or implantable devices. However, some devices are automatically assigned to Class III regardless of the level of risk they pose, because they have not previously been classified into a lower risk class by the FDA. Manufacturers of these devices may request that the FDA review such devices in accordance with the de novo classification procedure, which allows a manufacturer whose novel device would otherwise require the submission and approval of a PMA prior to marketing to request down-classification of the device on the basisdemonstrate that the device presents low or moderate risk. If the FDA agrees with the down-classification, the applicant will then receive clearance of a 510(k) to market the device. This clearedis safe and effective, must be supported by extensive data, typically including data from preclinical studies and human clinical trials.

Our PoNS device can then be usedis currently regulated as a predicateClass II medical device for future 510(k) submissions by the manufacturer or a competitor.

We intend to utilize the de novo classification procedures to seek marketing authorization for the PoNS device, because there is currently no predicate cleared or approved by the FDA for commercial distribution and no existing classification decision by the FDA for such a device. The process of obtaining regulatory clearances or approvals, or completing the de novo classification process, to market a medical device can be costly and time consuming, and we may not be able to successfully obtain pre-market reviews on a timely basis,use in MS. However, if at all.

If the FDA requires us to go through a lengthier, more rigorous examination for the PoNS device for balance and gait deficit in stroke, introducing the product for stroke could be delayed or canceled, which could cause our launch to be delayed. In addition, the FDA may determine that the PoNS device requires the more costly, lengthy and uncertain PMA process.canceled. For example, if the FDA disagrees with our determinationdecides that the de novo classification procedures are not the appropriate path to obtain marketing authorizations for the PoNS device in stroke, the FDA may require us to

18


submit a PMA application, which is generally more costly and uncertain and can take from one to three years, or longer, from the time the application is submitted to the FDA until an approval is obtained. Further, even with respect to those future products where a PMA may not be required, we cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain 510(k) clearancesclearance with respect to those products.our PoNS device.

510(k) Clearance Process

To obtain 510(k) clearance wefor a medical device, an applicant must submit a pre-market notification to the FDA a premarket notification submission demonstrating that the proposed device is substantially equivalent“substantially equivalent” to a previously-cleared 510(k)legally marketed device, or isknown as a “predicate device.” A legally marketed predicate device may include a device that was in commercial distribution beforelegally marketed prior to May 28, 1976 for which a PMA is not required (known as a “pre-amendments device” based on the date of enactment of the Medical Device Amendments of 1976), a device that has been reclassified from Class III to Class II or Class I, or a device that was found substantially equivalent through the 510(k) process. A device is substantially equivalent if, with respect to the predicate device, it has the same intended use and has either (i) the same technological characteristics, or (ii) different technological characteristics, but the information provided in the 510(k) submission demonstrates that the

22

device does not raise new questions of safety and effectiveness and is at least as safe and effective as the predicate device. A showing of substantial equivalence sometimes, but not always, requires clinical data.

Before the FDA will accept a 510(k) submission for substantive review, the FDA will first assess whether the submission satisfies a minimum threshold of acceptability. If the FDA determines that the 510(k) submission is incomplete, the FDA will issue a “Refuse to Accept” letter which generally outlines the information the FDA believes is necessary to permit a substantive review and to reach a determination regarding substantial equivalence. An applicant must submit the requested information before the FDA will proceed with additional review of the submission. Once the 510(k) submission is accepted for review, by regulation, the FDA has not yet called for the submission of90 days to review and issue a PMA application.determination. As a practical matter, clearance often takes longer. The FDA’s 510(k) clearance process usually takes from three to 12 months from the date the application is submitted and filed with the FDA but may take significantly longer and clearance is never assured. Although many 510(k) pre-market notifications are cleared without clinical data, in some cases, the FDA requiresrequire additional information, including clinical data, to supportmake a determination regarding substantial equivalence. In reviewing a pre-market notification submission,

If the FDA mayagrees that the device is substantially equivalent to a predicate device currently on the market, it will grant 510(k) clearance to commercially market the device. If the FDA determines that the device is “not substantially equivalent” to a previously cleared device, the device is automatically designated as a Class III device. The device sponsor must then fulfill more rigorous PMA requirements, or can request additional information,a risk-based classification determination for the device in accordance with the “de novo” process, which may significantly prolong the review process.is a route to market for novel medical devices that are low to moderate risk and are not substantially equivalent to a predicate device.

After a device receives 510(k) marketing clearance, any subsequent modification of the device that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a major change or modification in its intended use, will require a new 510(k) marketing clearance or, depending on the modification, PMA approval. The determination as to whether or not a modification could requiresignificantly affect the device’s safety or effectiveness is initially left to the manufacturer using available FDA guidance. Many minor modifications today are accomplished by a PMA. The FDA requires each manufacturer“letter to make this determination initially, butfile” in which the manufacture documents the rationale for the change and why a new 510(k) is not required. However, the FDA may review such letters to file to evaluate the regulatory status of the modified product at any such decisiontime and may disagree with a manufacturer’s determination. If the FDA disagrees with a manufacturer’s determination, the FDA may require the manufacturer to cease marketing and/orand recall the modified device until 510(k) clearance or PMA approval is obtained. Under these circumstances, the FDAThe manufacturer may also be subject a manufacturer to significant regulatory fines or other penalties. In addition, the FDA is currently evaluating the 510(k) process and may make substantial changes to industry requirements, including which devices are eligible for 510(k) clearance, the ability to rescind previously granted 510(k)s and additional requirements that may significantly impact the process.

De novo Classification Process

If a previously unclassified new medical device does not qualify for the 510(k) pre-market notification process because no predicate device to which it is substantially equivalent can be identified, the device is automatically classified into Class III. The Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 established a new route to market for low to moderate risk medical devices that are automatically placed into Class III due to the absence of a predicate device, called the “Request for Evaluation of Automatic Class III Designation,” or the de novo classification procedure. This procedure allows a manufacturer whose novel device is automatically classified into Class III to request down-classificationclassification of its medical device into Class I or Class II on the basis that the device presents low or moderate risk, rather than requiring the submission and approval of a PMA. Prior to the enactment of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, or FDASIA, in July 2012, a medical device could only be eligible for de novo classification if the manufacturer first submitted a 510(k) pre-market notification and received a determination from the FDA that the device was not substantially equivalent. FDASIA streamlined the de novo classification pathway by permitting manufacturers to request de novo classification directly without first submitting a 510(k) pre-market notification to the FDA and receiving a not substantially equivalent determination. Under FDASIA, the FDA iswas required to classify the device within 120 days following receipt of the de novo application. If the manufacturer seekssought reclassification into Class II, the manufacturer mustwas to include a draft proposal for special controls that are necessary to provide a reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the medical device. The FDA may reject the reclassification petition if it identifies a legally marketed predicate device that would be appropriate for a 510(k) or determines that the device is not low to moderate risk or that general controls would be inadequate to control the risks and special controls cannot be developed.

As previously discussed, we plan on utilizing the FDA granted de novo classification process to obtain marketing authorization for the PoNS device for balance disordergait deficit in mild- to moderate- TBI, and we plan to seekMS, which resulted in Class II classification. In order to be placed in Class II, the FDA would needrequired reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the PoNS device. Under Class II, general controls (e.g., premarket notification) and special controls (e.g., specific performance testing) would beare applicable. We are currently working to complete our device verification testing with our goal for submission

23

Obtaining FDA marketing authorization, de novo down-classification,classification and clearance, or approval for medical devices can beis expensive and uncertain, generally takes several years, and generally requires detailed and comprehensive scientific and clinical data. Notwithstanding the expense, these efforts may never result in FDA authorization for commercial distribution. Even if we were to obtain regulatory authorization, it may not be for the uses we believe are important or commercially attractive, in which case we would not be permitted to market our product for those uses.

Pre-market Approval ProcessClinical Trials

AClinical trials are typically required to support a PMA and are sometimes required to support a 510(k) or de novo submission. All clinical investigations of devices to determine safety and effectiveness must be submitted ifconducted in accordance with the medicalFDA’s investigational device exemption, or IDE, regulations which govern investigational device labeling, prohibit promotion of the investigational device, and specify an array of recordkeeping, reporting and monitoring responsibilities of study sponsors and study investigators. If the device presents a “significant risk,” as defined by the FDA, to human health, the FDA requires the device sponsor to submit an IDE application to the FDA, which must become effective prior to commencing human clinical trials. A significant risk device is one that presents a potential for serious risk to the health, safety or welfare of a patient and either is implanted, used in Class III (although the FDA has the discretionsupporting or sustaining human life, substantially important in diagnosing, curing, mitigating or treating disease or otherwise preventing impairment of human health, or otherwise presents a potential for serious risk to continue to allow certain pre-amendment Class III devices to use the 510(k) process) or cannot be cleared through the 510(k) process. A PMAa subject. An IDE application must be supported by

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among appropriate data, such as animal and laboratory test results, showing that it is safe to test the device in humans and that the testing protocol is scientifically sound. The IDE will automatically become effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA unless the FDA notifies the company that the investigation may not begin. If the FDA determines that there are deficiencies or other things, extensive technical, preclinical,concerns with an IDE for which it requires modification, the FDA may permit a clinical trial manufacturingto proceed under a conditional approval. If the device is considered a "non-significant risk," IDE submission to FDA is not required. Instead, only approval from the Institutional Review Board, or IRB, overseeing the investigation at each clinical trial site is required.

The IRB is responsible for the initial and continuing review of the IDE, and may pose additional requirements for the conduct of the study. If an IDE application is approved by the FDA and one or more IRBs, human clinical trials may begin at a specific number of investigational sites with a specific number of patients, as approved by the FDA. If the device presents a non-significant risk to the patient, a sponsor may begin the clinical trial after obtaining approval for the trial by one or more IRBs without separate approval from the FDA, but must still follow abbreviated IDE requirements, such as monitoring the investigation, ensuring that the investigators obtain informed consent, and labeling and record-keeping requirements. Acceptance of an IDE application for review does not guarantee that the FDA will allow the IDE to become effective and, if it does become effective, the FDA may or may not determine that the data to demonstrate toderived from the FDA’s satisfactiontrials support the safety and effectiveness of the device for its intended use.

After a PMA isor warrant the continuation of clinical trials. An IDE supplement must be submitted to, and filed,approved by, the FDA begins an in-depthbefore a sponsor or investigator may make a change to the investigational plan that may affect its scientific soundness, study plan or the rights, safety or welfare of human subjects.

During a study, the sponsor is required to comply with the applicable FDA requirements, including, for example, trial monitoring, selecting clinical investigators and providing them with the investigational plan, ensuring IRB review, adverse event reporting, record keeping and prohibitions on the promotion of investigational devices or on making safety or effectiveness claims for them. The clinical investigators in the clinical study are also subject to FDA’s regulations and must obtain patient informed consent, rigorously follow the investigational plan and study protocol, control the disposition of the submitted information, which typically takes between oneinvestigational device, and three years, but may take significantly longer. During this review period,comply with all reporting and record keeping requirements.

Additionally, after a trial begins, the sponsor, the FDA may request additional information or clarification of information already provided. Also,the IRB could suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time for various reasons, including a belief that the risks to study subjects outweigh the anticipated benefits. Even if a clinical trial is completed, there can be no assurance that the data generated during the review period, an advisory panel of experts from outside the FDA may be convened to review and evaluate the application and provide recommendations to the FDA as to the approvability of the device. In addition, the FDAa clinical study will conduct a pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facility to ensure compliance with Quality System Regulations, or QSR, which may impose elaborate design development, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures in the design and manufacturing process. The FDA may approve a PMA with post-approval conditions intended to ensuremeet the safety and effectiveness of the device including, among other things, restrictions on labeling, promotion, sale and distribution and collection of long-term follow-up data from patients in the clinical studyendpoints or otherwise produce results that supported approval. Failure to comply with the conditions of approval can result in materially adverse enforcement action, including the loss or withdrawal of the approval. New PMAs or supplements are required for significant modifications to the manufacturing process, labeling of the product and design of a device that is approved through the PMA process. PMA supplements often require submission of the same type of information as an original pre-market approval application, except that the supplement is limited to information needed to support any changes from the device covered by the original PMA and may not require extensive clinical data or the convening of an advisory panel.

Clinical Trials

A clinical trial is typically required to support a PMA and is sometimes required for a 510(k) pre-market notification. FDA’s regulations require submission and approval of an Investigational Device Exemption, or IDE, for all clinical investigations of significant risk medical devices to determine safety and effectiveness.  Abbreviated requirements apply for non-significant risk device studies.  After a clinical trial begins,will lead the FDA may place it on hold or terminate it if, among other reasons, it concludes that the clinical subjects are exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Any clinical trials we conduct must be conducted in accordance with FDA regulations as well as other federal regulations and state laws concerning human subject protection and privacy. Moreover, the results of a clinical trial may not be sufficient to obtaingrant marketing clearance or approvalapproval.

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Pervasive and Continuing U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Healthcare Regulation

After a device is cleared or approved for marketing, numerous and pervasive regulatory requirements continue to apply. These include:

establishment, registration and device listing with the FDA;
QSR requirements, which require manufacturers, including third-party manufacturers, to follow stringent design, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during all aspects of the design and manufacturing process;
labeling regulations and FDA prohibitions against the promotion of investigational products, or ‘‘off-label’’ uses of cleared or approved products;
requirements related to promotional activities;
clearance or approval of product modifications to 510(k)-cleared devices that could significantly affect safety or effectiveness or that would constitute a major change in intended use of one of our cleared devices;
medical device reporting regulations, which require that a manufacturer report to the FDA if a device it markets may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury, or has malfunctioned and the device or a similar device that it markets would be likely to cause or contribute to a death or serious injury, if the malfunction were to recur;
correction, removal and recall reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA field corrections and product recalls or removals if undertaken to reduce a risk to health posed by the device or to remedy a violation of the FDCA that may present a risk to health;
the FDA’s recall authority, whereby the agency can order device manufacturers to recall from the market a product that is in violation of governing laws and regulations; and
post-market surveillance activities and regulations, which apply when deemed by the FDA to be necessary to protect the public health or to provide additional safety and effectiveness data for the device.

Advertising and promotion of medical devices, in addition to being regulated by the FDA, are also regulated by the FTC and by state regulatory and enforcement authorities. Recently, promotional activities for FDA-regulated products of other companies have been the subject of enforcement action brought under healthcare reimbursement laws and consumer protection statutes. In addition, under the federal Lanham Act and similar state laws, competitors and others can initiate litigation relating to advertising claims. If the FDA determines that promotional materials or training constitutes promotion of an unapproved or uncleared use, it could request that modification of promotional materials or subject a company to regulatory or enforcement actions. It is also possible that other federal, state or foreign enforcement authorities might take action if they consider promotional or training materials to constitute promotion of an unapproved or uncleared use, which could result in significant fines or penalties under other statutory authorities, such as laws prohibiting false claims for reimbursement.

Healthcare providers, physicians, and third party payers play a primary role in the recommendation and use of our current products and for any future products for which payment is available under any federal health care program. Arrangements with third party payers, healthcare providers and physicians expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we market, sell and distribute products. In the U.S., our activities are potentially subject to regulation by various federal, state and local authorities in addition to the FDA, including the CMS, other divisions of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (e.g., the Office of Inspector General), the United States Department of Justice and individual United States Attorney offices within the Department of Justice, and state and local governments. The applicable laws and regulations include the federal health care programs Anti-Kickback Statute, or AKS, and the federal Civil False Claims Act.

The AKS makes it illegal for any person, including a device manufacturer (or a party acting on its behalf), to knowingly and willfully solicit, receive, offer or pay any remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, that is intended to induce or reward referrals, including the purchase, recommendation, or order of a particular device, for which payment

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may be made under a federal healthcare program, such as Medicare or Medicaid. Violations of this law are punishable by up to ten years in prison, criminal fines, administrative civil money penalties and exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs. In addition, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it.

The Federal Civil False Claims Act imposes civil penalties, including through civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, against individuals or entities (including manufacturers) for, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, false or fraudulent claims for payment of government funds or making a false statement or record material to payment of a false claim or avoiding, decreasing or concealing an obligation to pay money to the federal government. Penalties for a False Claims Act violation include three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus significant mandatory civil penalties for each separate false claim and the potential for exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs. The government may deem manufacturers to have “caused” the submission of false or fraudulent claims by, for example, providing inaccurate billing or coding information to customers or promoting a product off-label. Claims which include items or services resulting from a violation of the federal AKS also are deemed false or fraudulent claims for purposes of the False Claims Act. Our future marketing and activities relating to the reporting of wholesaler or estimated retail prices for our products and other information affecting federal, state and third-party reimbursement for our products, and the sale and marketing of our product and any future product candidates, are subject to scrutiny under this law. Conduct that violates the False Claims Act also may implicate various federal criminal statutes.

The manufacturing processes associated with medical devices are required to comply with the applicable portions of the QSR, which cover the methods and the facilities and controls for the design, manufacture, testing, production, processes, controls, quality assurance, labeling, packaging, distribution, installation and servicing of finished devices intended for human use. The QSR also requires, among other things, maintenance of a device master file, design history file, device history records, and complaint files. As a manufacturer, we are subject to periodic scheduled or unscheduled inspections by the FDA. Any failure to maintain compliance with the QSR requirements could result in the shut-down of, or restrictions on, manufacturing operations and the recall or seizure of products, which would have a material adverse effect on our business. The discovery of previously unknown problems with any of our products, including unanticipated adverse events or adverse events of increasing severity or frequency, whether resulting from the use of the device within the scope of its clearance or off-label by a physician in the practice of medicine, could result in restrictions on the device, including the removal of the product from the market or voluntary or mandatory device recalls.

The FDA has broad regulatory compliance and enforcement powers. If the FDA determines that a company has failed to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, it can take a variety of compliance or enforcement actions, which may result in any of the following sanctions:

untitled letters, warning letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties;
unanticipated expenditures to address or defend such actions
customer notifications for repair, replacement, refunds;
recall, detention or seizure of our products;
operating restrictions or partial suspension or total shutdown of production;
refusing or delaying our requests for 510(k) clearance or PMA approval of new products or modified products;
operating restrictions;
withdrawing 510(k) clearances or PMA approvals that have already been granted;
refusal to grant export approval for our products; or
criminal prosecution.

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Health Canada

After a medical device is placed on the market, numerous FDA regulatoryhas been approved for commercial use in Canada, there are a number of Health Canada requirements apply,that must be adhered to including but not limited to the following:

the QSR, which requires manufacturers to follow design, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during the manufacturing process;

establishment registration, which requires establishments involved in the production and distribution of medical devices, intended for commercial distribution in the United States, to register with the FDA;

medical device listing, which requires manufacturers to list the devices they have in commercial distribution with the FDA;

correction and removal reporting regulations which require that manufacturers report to the FDA field corrections and product recalls or removals undertaken to reduce a risk to health posed by the device or remedy a violation of the FD&C Act that may present a risk to health;

annual license renewals;
labeling regulations, which prohibit “misbranded” devices from entering the market, as well as prohibit on the promotion of products for unapproved or “off-label” use and impose other restrictions on labeling including truthfulness and accuracy;
assessment of product modifications for significant changes that would require license amendments;
post-market surveillance including medical device reporting, which requires manufacturers report to Health Canada if their device may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury, or malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if it were to recur; and
other post-approval restrictions or conditions.

European Union

We submitted an application for a CE Mark of the PoNS device with our UK based notified body in December 2018. In August 2019, we withdrew our application from the EU marketing process due to notified body activities being delayed by Brexit and the upcoming medical devices regulation changes. We have engaged G-MED NA as our registrar and will reconsider submitting to the EU when conditions stabilize. The successful completion of this review would result in marketing authorization for the sale of the PoNS device in the EU, which now excludes the UK. Some EU member states have additional notification requirements that we expect to satisfy before we launch our PoNS Therapy in those member states. Once the PoNS device is placed into the EU market, post market requirements apply including but not limited to:

ensuring that the labeling promotes only approved use(s) of the device;
assessment of product modifications for significant changes may require license amendments;
post-market surveillance including vigilance reporting, which requires manufacturers report to authorities if our PoNS device caused or contributed to a death or serious injury, or malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if it were to recur; and
other post-approval restrictions or conditions.

Australia

We submitted our application for marketing authorization to the TGA during the third quarter of 2019. We supplemented our submission with additional data based on questions supplied to date and provided responses to additional questions during the third quarter of 2020. In November 2021, we received market authorization from the TGA for the sale of PoNS as a Class IIa medical device. In Australia, PoNS is indicated for short term use by healthcare professionals as an adjunct to a therapeutic exercise program to improve balance and gait. PoNS is not intended to be used alone without an exercise program.

Data Privacy and Security Laws; Breaches

Medical device companies may be subject to U.S. federal and state health information privacy, security and data breach notification laws, which may govern the collection, use, disclosure and protection of health-related and other personal information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, imposes privacy, security and breach reporting obligations with respect to individually identifiable health information upon “covered entities” (health plans, health care clearinghouses and certain health care providers), and their respective business associates, individuals or entities that create, received, maintain or transmit protected health information in connection with providing a service for or on behalf of a covered entity. HIPAA mandates the reporting of certain breaches of health information to the U.S.

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Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, affected individuals and if the breach is large enough, the media. Entities that are found to be in violation of HIPAA as the result of a breach of unsecured protected health information, or PHI, a complaint about privacy practices or an audit by HHS, may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative fines and penalties and/or additional reporting and oversight obligations if required to enter into a resolution agreement and corrective action plan with HHS to settle allegations of HIPAA non-compliance. Even when HIPAA does not apply, according to the FTC, failing to take appropriate steps to keep consumers’ personal information secure constitutes unfair acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C § 45(a). The FTC expects a company’s data security measures to be reasonable and appropriate in light of the sensitivity and volume of consumer information it holds, the size and complexity of its business, and the cost of available tools to improve security and reduce vulnerabilities. Personally identifiable health information is considered sensitive data that merits stronger safeguards. The FTC’s guidance for appropriately securing consumers’ personal information is similar to what is required by the HIPAA Security Rule.

In addition, certain state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, some of which may be more stringent, broader in scope or offer greater individual rights with respect to PHI, than HIPAA, and many of which differ from each other, thus complicating compliance efforts. Failure to comply with these laws, where applicable, can result in the imposition of significant civil and/or criminal penalties and private litigation. For example, California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act, or the CCPA, on June 28, 2018, which took effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA gives California residents expanded rights to access and delete their personal information, opt out of certain personal information sharing, and receive detailed information about how their personal information is used. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as prohibita private right of action for data breaches that is expected to increase data breach litigation. Additionally, many of the promotionmore ambiguous provisions of products for unapproved or “off-label” usesthe CCPA have yet to be fully interpreted and impose other restrictions on labeling;

clearance or approval of product modificationsapplied, and numerous amendments have been proposed and are working their way through legislature. Consequently, the CCPA currently presents many compliance questions that could significantly affect safety or efficacy or that would constitute a major change in intended use;

post-market surveillance including Medical Device Reporting, which requires manufacturers reportremain unresolved. The CCPA may increase our compliance costs and potential liability. In addition to the FDA ifCCPA, numerous other states’ legislatures are considering similar laws that will require ongoing compliance efforts and investment.

In the European Union, as of May 25, 2018, Regulation 2016/676, known as the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, replaced the Data Protection Directive with respect to the processing of personal data in the European Union. The GDPR imposes many requirements for controllers and processors of personal data, including, for example, higher standards for obtaining consent from individuals to process their devicepersonal data, more robust disclosures to individuals and a strengthened individual data rights regime, shortened timelines for data breach notifications, limitations on retention and secondary use of information, increased requirements pertaining to health data and pseudonymized (i.e., key-coded) data and additional obligations when we contract third-party processors in connection with the processing of the personal data. The GDPR allows EU member states to make additional laws and regulations further limiting the processing of genetic, biometric or health data. Failure to comply with the requirements of GDPR and the applicable national data protection laws of the EU member states may have causedresult in fines of up to €20 million or contributedup to a death or serious injury, or malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if it were to recur;4% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher, and

other post-approval restrictions or conditions.administrative penalties.

Our Corporate History Highlights

Formation and Arrangement with Boomerang Oil, Inc.Reincorporation

We were originally incorporated in British Columbia, Canada on March 13, 2014 under the British Columbia Business Corporations Act, or the BCBCA, as “0996445 B.C. Ltd.” On March 25, 2014, and amended on April 8, 2014, we entered into an arrangement agreement with Boomerang Oil, Inc. (formerly known as 0922327 B.C. Ltd.) and 0995162 B.C. Ltd. to reorganize the business structure of such three entities in such a manner which would allow Boomerang Oil, Inc. to spin us out to become an independent entity that is a reporting issuer in Canada and for us to complete a reverse take-over of 0995162 B.C. Ltd. As a result of the arrangement agreement, we became a reporting issuer in

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the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. In addition, the arrangement resulted in 0995162 B.C. Ltd. becoming our wholly-owned subsidiary. The assets of 0995162 B.C. Ltd. consisted of cash and 0995162 B.C. Ltd.’s interest in a letter agreement pursuant to which it had agreed to acquire all of the outstanding shares of NHC, a Delaware corporation, and to seek a listing on a recognized stock exchange.

Reincorporation in Wyoming

On May 23, 2014, we changed our name to “Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.” and filed articles of continuation with the Wyoming Secretary of State office to reincorporate from being a corporation governed by the BCBCA to a corporation governed by the Wyoming Business Corporation Act, or WBCA.

AcquisitionAct. On July 20, 2018, we reincorporated from the state of NeuroHabilitation Corporation and Concurrent FinancingWyoming to the state of Delaware.

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Acquisitions

On June 13, 2014, we completedacquired NeuroHabilitation Corporation (“NHC”) and on December 21, 2018, NHC changed its name to Helius Medical, Inc. HMI is our operating subsidiary in the acquisition of NHC by way of an agreement and plan of merger. We refer to this transaction as the Reverse Merger. Pursuant to the agreement and plan of merger, HMT Mergersub,United States.

On October 30, 2019, we acquired Heuro Canada, Inc. (“Heuro”), our wholly-owned subsidiary, merged with and into NHC with NHC as the surviving corporation. In connection with the Reverse Merger, we issued an aggregate of 7,060,016 shares of our Class A common stock, or our common stock, to the former shareholders of NHC. The Reverse Merger was deemed to be a capital transaction in substance and recorded as a reverse recapitalization of NHC whereby NHC is deemed to be the continuing, surviving entity for accounting purposes, but through reorganization, has deemed to have adopted the capital structure of Helius.

In connection with the Reverse Merger, we completed a non-brokered private placement financing of $7.02 million (CAD$7.62 million) by issuing 3,048,000 subscription receipts. Pursuant to its terms, each subscription receipt automatically converted into one unit upon satisfaction of certain escrow release conditions, which had been satisfied. Each unit consisted of one share of our common stock and one-half of one share purchase warrant with each whole warrant being exercisable at CAD$5.00 per share for a period of two years.

Listing of our Common Stock on the CSE, TSX and OTCQB

Following our Reverse Merger, we obtained approval of the listing of our common stock on the Canadian Securities Exchange, or CSE. On April 18, 2016, our common stock was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, or TSX,company incorporated under the symbol “HSM.” At the same time, we delisted our common stock from the CSE. Our Warrants were also approved for listing on the TSX on April 18, 2016. The Company’s common stock also began trading on the OTC Markets, or OTCQB,federal laws of Canada. Heuro is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of HMC, a company incorporated under the ticker symbol “HSDT” on February 10, 2015.

Reverse Stock Split

Effective after the closefederal laws of business on January 22, 2018, we completed a 1-for-5 reverse stock split ofCanada. HMC is our Class A Common Stock. Since January 23, 2018, our Class A common stock has traded on a post-split basis on the OTCQB and Toronto Stock Exchange.  All share and per share amountsoperating subsidiary in this Annual Report have been reflected on a post-split basis.

Canada.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 642 Newtown Yardley Road, Suite 100, Newtown, PA 18940 and our telephone number is 215-944-6100. We maintain a corporate website at www.heliusmedical.com.www.heliusmedical.com. We make available free of charge through our Internet website our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to these reports, as soon as its reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish such material to the SEC. We are not including the information on our website as a part of, nor incorporating it by reference into this report. You may read and/or copy any materials we file at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for information on the Public Reference Room.Form 10-K. Additionally, the SEC maintains a website that contains annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements, and other information that issuers (including us) file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s website address is http://www.sec.gov.www.sec.gov.

EmployeesHuman Capital Resources

As a neurotechnology company focused on neurological wellness through the development, licensing or acquisition of non-implantable technologies targeted at reducing symptoms of neurological disease or trauma, our human capital is important to the long-term success of our company.

Our People

We believe our diverse workforce is comprised of engaged individuals with appropriate qualifications and competencies to support our growth. Our senior management team has an average of over 25 years of experience in the health sciences industry with recognized leadership expertise in their functional areas.

As of December 31, 2017,2022, we had ten full time26 full-time employees, of which 24 are located in the United States and 40 full-time equivalent independent contractors.  With the completiontwo are located in Canada. None of our registrational clinical trial,employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements. We have not experienced any interruptions of operations due to disputes with our employees.

Talent Acquisition, Development and Retention

Hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing employees is important to our operations and we are focused on creating experiences that foster growth, performance and retention. Retaining and acquiring the right talent in this competitive environment, particularly at speed and scale, will continue to work on completing certain activities requiredbe a priority as part of our marketing application that we submit tohave obtained FDA forde novo classification and clearance of the PoNS device. We intendOur workforce reflects talent from diverse perspectives.

Compensation, Benefits, Safety and Wellness

In addition to investoffering market competitive salaries and wages, we offer comprehensive health benefits to eligible employees.

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ITEM 1A.

RISK FACTORS

An investment in our scale manufacturing capabilities, internal infrastructure for core functionality, as well as full commercialization resources.

Business Uncertainties and Going Concern Risk

To date we have not generated any revenue from the salessecurities has a high degree of products or services. There are a number of conditions that we must satisfy before we will be able to generate revenue, including but not limited to obtaining FDA, Health Canada, CE Mark in Europe and the TGA, in Australia, clearance of the PoNS Treatment for balance disorder associated with TBI, manufacturing of a commercially viable

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version of the PoNS device, demonstration of safety and effectiveness sufficient to generate commercial orders by customers for our product and the creation of a national framework of PoNS-certified therapists. To date, we have not achieved many of these conditions, and the successful achievement of such conditions will require significant expenditures. Because we have not generated any revenues, we are dependent entirely on funding from outside investors. There is no guarantee that such funding will be available at all or in sufficient amounts to satisfy our required expenditures. Furthermore, even if we were able to raise sufficient capital to successfully design and manufacture a commercially viable version of the PoNS device and to receive FDA, CE Mark, Health Canada or TGA clearance, we do not currently have any contract or other arrangement to sell the PoNS Treatment. Accordingly, we cannot know for certain that we will ever be able to generate any revenue from the sales of products or services.

Additionally, based on management’s assessment there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. This means that there is substantial doubt that we can continue as an on-going business for the next twelve months. While we had $5.6 million of cash as of December 31, 2017, we do not currently have sufficient resources to accomplish all of the above conditions necessary for us to generate revenue. In reviewing this filing,risk. Before you invest you should carefully consider the risks described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and other risks described throughout this Annual Report. 

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ITEM 1A.

RISK FACTORS

RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common stock involves a number of very significant risks. You should carefully consider the following risks and uncertainties in addition todescribed below and the other information in this Annual Report in evaluatingForm 10-K. Any of the risks and uncertainties set forth herein could materially and adversely affect our company and its business, before purchasing sharesresults of our common stock. Our business, operating resultsoperations and financial condition, which in turn could be seriously harmed due to anymaterially and adversely affect the trading price or value of the following risks. The risks described below may not be all of the risks facing our company.securities. Additional risks not presentlycurrently known to us or thatwhich we currently consider immaterial based on information currently available to us may also impair our business operations. Youmaterially adversely affect us. As a result, you could lose all or part of your investment due to any of these risks.investment.

Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need for Capital

We have a very limited operating history and have incurred substantial net losses since our inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur substantial net losses for the foreseeable future. We may never achieve or sustain profitability.

We are a holding company and have no material assets other than cash and our ownership of all of the outstanding shares of NHC, which is our wholly owned subsidiary. NHC was incorporated in Delaware on January 22, 2013 and has had limited operations to date.

We have incurred substantial net losses since our inception. For the yearyears ended December 31, 20172022 and nine months ended December 31, 2016,2021, we incurred a net loss of $28.0$14.1 million and $12.0$18.1 million, respectively, and used cash in operationsoperating activities of $19.3$14.3 million and $7.9$13.4 million, respectively. We have an accumulated deficit of $66.4$151.1 million as of December 31, 2017.2022. Our losses have resulted primarily from costs incurred in connection with our design, manufacturing and development activities, research and development activities, building our commercial infrastructure, stock-based compensation, legal, advertising, marketing and investor relations, and general and administrative expenses associated with our operations. Even ifAlthough we are successfulhave received a medical device license from Health Canada to market the PoNS device in obtainingCanada, marketing authorization from the FDA in order to launchfor the sale of our PoNS Treatmentdevice in the United States or foreign regulatory authorities to launch outside ofU.S. and market authorization from the United States,TGA in Australia, we expect to continue to incur substantial losses for the foreseeable future as we continue to research and develop and seek regulatory marketing authorization for our product candidate.

We are subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business enterprise, including under-capitalization, cash shortages, limitations with respect to personnel, financial and other resources, lack of revenue and the risk that we will not achieve our growth objective. If sales revenue from any product candidates that receive marketing authorization from the FDA or other regulatory body is insufficient, if we are unable to develop and commercialize any of our potential product candidates, or if our product development is delayed, we may never achieve or sustain profitability.

We will require additional financing to carry out our plan of operations and if we are unable to obtain such financing, our business may fail.

We currently have limited working capital and liquid assets. We held cash totaling $5.6 million atDuring the year ended December 31, 2017. To date2022, we have not generated anyapproximately $0.8 million in revenue from the commercial sales of products orin the United States and Canada. Because we have generated limited revenues from commercialization, our operations to date have been principally financed through public and private offerings of services.our common stocks, warrants and convertible debt and exercises of options and warrants. There are a number of conditions that we must satisfy before we will be able to generate sufficient revenue to fund our operations, including but not limited to FDA marketing authorizationthe recruitment of the PoNS devicepatients for mild- to moderate- TBI, manufacturing of a commercially-viable version of the PoNS device, obtaining favorable reimbursement from third party payers,treatment, and demonstration of effectiveness sufficient to generate commercial orders by customers for our product.

These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern through at least 12 months from the date of this Form 10-K. While we are seeking additional funding,had $14.5 million of cash as of December 31, 2022, we do not currently have sufficient resources to accomplish all of thesethe above conditions necessary for us to generate revenue,sufficient revenues to achieve profitability, and we do not expect to generate revenue in an amount sufficientwill require additional financing to fund our operations for the foreseeable future. Webeyond 2023. There is no guarantee that such funding will therefore require substantial additional fundsbe available at all or in ordersufficient amounts to continue to conduct the research and development and regulatory authorization activities necessary to bringsatisfy our product to market, to establish effective marketing and sales capabilities and to develop other product candidates. Our existing capital resources will not be sufficient to enable us to fund the completion of the development and commercialization of our current product and our product candidates. We cannot determine with certainty the duration and completion costs of the current or future development and commercialization of our product candidate or if, when, or to what extent we will generate revenues from the commercialization and sale of our current product candidate or potential future product candidates for which we obtain regulatory marketing authorization. We may never succeed in achieving regulatory authorization for our current product candidate and any potential future product candidates. We may be unable to raise the additional funding to finance our business on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. required expenditures.

If we are unable to obtain additional financing as needed, we may be forced to reduce the scope of our operations and planned capital expendituresexpenditures or sell certain assets, including intellectual property, and we may be forced to cease or wind down operations, seek protection under the provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, or liquidate and dissolve our company, which would have a material adverse effect on the value of our common stock..

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Raising additional capital by issuing securities or through debt financings or licensing arrangements may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or product candidate on terms unfavorable to us.

Our operations to date have principally been financed by public and private offerings of our common stock warrants and convertible debt and exercises of warrants and options. In August 2022, we raised $18.0 million in gross proceeds from an equity financing. Until we can generate significant revenue from product sales, if ever, we expect to finance our

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operations through the sale of equity, debt financings, or other capital sources, including potential collaborations with other companies or other strategic transactions. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms of such securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a stockholder. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take certain actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds through strategic partnerships with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies or product, candidate, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidate,candidates, or otherwise grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional capital when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or commercialization efforts for our product candidate or our preclinical product candidates, or grant rights to develop and market potential future product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves. Any of these events could adversely affect our ability to achieve our product development and commercialization goals and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our independent registered public accounting firm has included an explanatory paragraph relating to our ability to continue as a going concern in its report on our audited financial statements. We may be unable to continue to operate without the threat of liquidation for the foreseeable future.

In connection with our management’s assessment, our report from our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20172022 includes an explanatory paragraph stating that our recurring losses from operations and net capital deficiency raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to obtain sufficient funding, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected and we may be unable to continue as a going concern. For example,Future reports from our independent registered public accounting firm may also contain statements expressing substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. We believe our existing capital resources will be insufficientsufficient to fund our operations beyondthrough 2023. We also expect our expenses to increase as we conduct trials of PoNS Therapy, such as the first half of 2018.PoNSTEP, or if and as we decide to pursue further regulatory approvals, or maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in raising additional capital or that such capital, if available, will be on terms that are acceptable to us. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, we may have to liquidate our assets and may receive less than the value at which those assets are carried on our consolidated financial statements, and investors will likely lose all or a part of their investment. Future reports from our independent registered public accounting firm may also contain statements expressing substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If we seek additional financing to fund our business activities in the future and there remains substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, investors or other financing sources may be unwilling to provide additional funding on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

Risks Related to the Development and Commercialization of our Product Candidate

We currently only have one product candidate, which is still in development, and we have not obtained authorization from the FDA to commercially distribute the deviceapproved in the United States, a CE MarkU.S. only for commercial distribution in Europe, from Health Canadatreatment of gait deficit, for commercial distributionMS and otherwise only in Canada or from the TGA for commercial distribution in Australia, and we may never obtain such authorizations.Australia.

We currently have no products authorized for commercial distribution. Wedistribution in Europe, or in any other country outside of Canada, the U.S. and Australia. In the U.S. we have not received marketing authorization for use of the PoNS device other than for MS. In addition, the FDA has previously rejected our de novo application for marketing authorization of the PoNS device for mmTBI. In respect of Europe, we are developing the PoNS Treatmentdevice for use in the neuromodulation market, but we cannot begin marketing and selling the device in the United States, Europe Canada or Australia until we obtain applicable authorizations from the FDA, EU, Health Canada or TGA, respectively. We have not yet submitted applications for regulatory authorization in any of these jurisdictions.European Union (Notified Body). The process of obtaining regulatory authorization is expensive and time-consuming and can vary substantially based upon, among other things, the type, complexity and novelty of a product. Changes in regulatory policy, changes in or the enactment of additional statutes or regulations, or changes in regulatory review for each submitted product application may cause delays in the authorization of a product candidate or rejection of a regulatory application altogether. The FDA has substantial discretion in the de novo review and authorization processes and may refuse to accept any application or may decide that our data are insufficient for authorization and require additional pre-clinical, clinical, or other studies. In addition, varying interpretations of the data obtained from pre-clinical and clinical testing could delay, limit, or prevent marketing authorization from the FDA or other regulatory authorities. Any marketing authorization from the FDA we ultimately obtain may be limited or subject to restrictions or post-market commitments that render the product candidate not commercially viable. If our attempts to obtain marketing authorization are unsuccessful, we may be unable to generate sufficient revenue to sustain and grow our business, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations will be materially adversely affected.

If we are able to complete development of the PoNS device and obtain authorization of the PoNS device for the treatment of chronic balance deficit in patients with mild- to moderate- TBI in the United States, Europe, Canada or Australia, weWe plan to develop the PoNS device for other indications, or symptoms caused by neurological disorders. We woulddisorders, and will be required to commit our own resources to fund development of any other indications and each would require separate FDA authorization.regulatory clearance or other marketing authorization in other territories. The costs of such development efforts and FDA authorizations

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regulatory clearance or other marketing authorization could be substantial and would likely require additional funding, and each such indication would be subject to the same foregoing risks and uncertainties for FDA clearance/authorization.

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We may encounter substantial delays inWorldwide economic and social instability could adversely affect our clinical trials,revenue, financial condition, or our clinical trials may fail to demonstrate the safety and efficacyresults of operations.

The health of the PoNS device toglobal economy, and the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities.

Before obtaining marketing authorization from regulatory authorities forcredit markets and the salefinancial services industry in particular, as well as the stability of the PoNS Treatment,social fabric of our society, affects our business and operating results. For example, the credit and financial markets may be adversely affected by the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine and measures taken in response thereto. If the credit markets are not favorable, we must conduct extensive clinical trialsmay be unable to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the product candidate. Clinical trial are expensive, time consuming and uncertain asraise additional financing when needed or on favorable terms. Our customers may experience financial difficulties or be unable to outcome. We cannot guarantee that clinical trials will be conducted as plannedborrow money to fund their operations, which may adversely impact their ability to purchase our products or completedto pay for our products on schedule,a timely basis, if at all. A failure of one orIn addition, adverse economic conditions, such as recent supply chain disruptions and labor shortages and persistent inflation, have impacted, and may continue to adversely impact our suppliers’ ability to provide our manufacturer with materials and components, which may negatively impact our business. These economic conditions make it more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing. Delays can be costlydifficult for us to accurately forecast and plan our future business activities.

Worldwide economic and social instability could negativelyadversely affect our ability to complete a clinical trialrevenue, financial condition, or results of operations.

The health of the global economy, and the credit markets and the financial services industry in particular, as well as the stability of the social fabric of our society, affects our business and operating results. For example, the credit and financial markets may allow our competitors to bring products to market beforebe adversely affected by the current conflict between Russia and Ukraineand measures taken in response thereto. If the credit markets are not favorable, we do, which could impair our ability to successfully commercialize the PoNS Treatment. If we are unable to complete clinical trials, or are unsuccessful in doing so, we willmay be unable to advance the PoNS deviceraise additional financing when needed or on favorable terms. Our customers may experience financial difficulties or be unable to regulatory authorizationborrow money to fund their operations, which may adversely impact their ability to purchase our products or to pay for our products on a timely basis, if at all. In addition, adverse economic conditions, such as recent supply chain disruptions and commercialization,labor shortages and persistent inflation, have impacted, and may continue to adversely impact our suppliers’ ability to provide our manufacturer with materials and components, which would harmmay negatively impact our business. These economic conditions make it more difficult for us to accurately forecast and plan our future business financial condition, results of operations.activities.

Our PoNS technology is a new, “untested”novel form of neurostimulation therapy, and the medical community tends not to adopt new therapies very rapidly. If physicians elect not to prescribe the PoNS Treatment,Therapy, or if we cannot train physical therapists in the supervision of the use of the PoNS Treatment,Therapy, we will be unable to generate significant revenue, if any.

Our continued deployment strategy in the civilian population depends on physicians prescribing the PoNS TreatmentTherapy to patients with relevant neurological disorders and physical therapists being trained in the supervision of patients’ use of our treatment. While the effectiveness of our PoNS technology to treat balance disorders related to TBI or any other neurological disorder has not been established in studies conducted in a controlled environment designed to produce scientifically significant results, it remains a new, “untested,” and therefore unproven, treatment. SuchNovel technologies are usually more slowly adopted by the medical community, as the medical community tends to be very conservative. Physicians may elect not to use our products for a variety of reasons, including:

lack or perceived lack of evidence supporting the beneficial characteristics of our technology;
limited long-term data on the use of PoNS technology for therapy;
physicians’ perception that there are insufficient advantages of our product relative to currently available products or compared to supervised therapeutic exercise alone;
our inability to effectively train physical therapists in the supervision of patients’ use of the therapy;
our ability to develop our commercial infrastructure to successfully launch;
hospitals may choose not to purchase our product;
group purchasing organizations may choose not to contract for our product, thus limiting availability of our products to hospital purchasers;
lack of coverage or adequate payment from managed care plans and other third-party payers for our product;
Medicare, Medicaid or other third-party payers may limit or not permit reimbursement for our product; and

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limited long-term data on the use of PoNS technology for therapy;

physicians’ perception that there are insufficient advantagesTable of our product relative to currently available products;Contents

the development or improvement of competitive products.

our inability to effectively train physical therapists in the supervision of patients’ use of the therapy;

hospitals may choose not to purchase our product;

group purchasing organizations may choose not to contract for our product, thus limiting availability of our products to hospital purchasers;

lack of coverage or adequate payment from managed care plans and other third-party payers for our product;

Medicare, Medicaid or other third-party payers may limit or not permit reimbursement for our product; and

the development or improvement of competitive products.

If the medical community is slow to adopt, or declines to adopt our PoNS Treatmentdevice for neurostimulation therapy, we will not be able to generate significant revenues, if any, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

There is limited market awareness of our product, and the neuromodulation market is new and uncertain.

There is currently limited market awareness of our product. In order to succeed, we must, among other things, increase market awareness of our PoNS TreatmentTherapy and implement a sales and marketing strategy. If we fail in any of these endeavors or experience delays in pursuing them, we will not generate revenues as planned and will need to curtail operations or seek additional financing earlier than otherwise anticipated. In addition, if the neuromodulation market fails to become more integrated in neurological therapy, it could have a materially adverse effect on our business and financial position.

We face significant competition in an environment of rapid technological change, and our competitors may develop devices or products that are more advanced or more effective than ours are which may adversely affect our financial condition and our ability to successfully market the PoNS device.

The neurostimulation market involves rapidly developing technology. Our competitors in the industry are predominantly large companies with longer operating histories, with significantly easier access to capital and other resources and an established product pipeline than us. The combined clinical research and product development done by the industry, including by us and all of our competitors, is foundational, and neurostimulation has slowly become integrated into neurological therapy. This foundation has allowed for new and innovative neurostimulation companies to enter the market. New developments occur rapidly, and we anticipate that we will face increasing competition as new companies enter our market.

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There can be no assurance that we will be able to establish ourselves in the neurostimulation market, or, if established, that we will be able to maintain our market position, if any. Our commercial opportunity may be reduced if our competitors develop new or improved products that are more convenient, more effective or less expensive than our product candidate.candidate is. Competitors also may obtain FDA or other regulatory marketing authorization for their products more rapidly or earlier than we may obtain marketing authorization for ours, which could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market. Additionally, technologies developed by our competitors may render the PoNS Treatmentdevice uneconomical or obsolete.

Risks Related to our Reliance on Third Parties

We are, and will continue to be, dependent in significant part on outside scientists and third-party research institutions for our research and development in order to be able to commercialize our product candidate.product.

We currently have a limited number of employees and resources available to perform the research and development necessary to commercialize our PoNS TreatmentTherapy and potential future product candidates. We therefore rely, and will continue to rely, on third-party research institutions, collaborators and consultants for this capability.

Our subsidiary NHC is party Such third-party research institutions, collaborators and consultants may determine to a sole source contract with the U.S. Army. Pursuantcease providing services to the sole source contract, the U.S. Army has agreed to cooperate with NHC on research to determine if the PoNS Treatment can be developed for commercial use in assisting physical therapy in the treatment of soldiers and others with balance disorders resulting from mild- to moderate- TBI; however, NHC is solely responsible for sponsoring the registrational trial and the sole regulatory sponsor for the PoNS treatment for this indication. The Army Laboratories, the inventors and background patent owners of the PoNS device have agreed through a collaborative research and development agreement, or the CRADA to support the execution of clinical studies for the PoNS device as a treatment for other mutually agreed upon military-relevant neurological disorders, which could include tinnitus, PTSD and pain and any subsequent indications identified by the parties. The amount of such support, if any, and the terms of such responsibility to support such clinical studies are not yet negotiated and we have no assurance that we can ultimately reach agreement with the Army Laboratories on such amount or terms of support, and there can be no assurance that the U.S. Army or USAMRMC will not otherwise attempt to renegotiate its responsibilities under the CRADA or the sole-source contractual agreement, respectively. The Army Laboratories may terminate their obligations under the CRADAus at any time, upon 30 days prior written notice to us. If there are insufficient funds available to cover the necessary research and development costs forwhich would delay our product the Army Laboratories could terminate the CRADAdevelopment and cease research and development efforts, which could jeopardize our ability to commercialize our PoNS Treatment.

If we fail to obtain FDA authorization for commercialization of or otherwise fail to ensure that the PoNS device is available for purchase by the U.S. Government by December 31, 2018, we are subject to significant risk of loss of data and proprietary rights and to certain contractual penalties.

Under the CRADA, if we fail to obtain FDA marketing authorization of the PoNS device by December 31, 2018 or otherwise fail to ensure commercialization of the PoNS Treatment is available for purchase by the U.S. Government by December 31, 2021, we may forfeit the right to pursue commercialization on our own. Specifically, in either such case, we will be required to (i) transfer possession, ownership and sponsorship of any regulatory application, and correspondence supporting the PoNS technology to the USAMRMC and (ii) provide the U.S. Government with a non-exclusive, irrevocable license to any patent, copyright, data rights, proprietary information and regulatory information, in order to permit the U.S. Government to pursue commercialization on its own. Any such loss of our ability to exclusively market and sell the PoNS Treatment would have a material adverse effect on our business.  

Additionally, under our Strategic Agreement with A&B (HK) Company Ltd., or A&B, if we fail to obtain FDA marketing authorization for commercialization, or otherwise fail to ensure that the PoNS device is available for purchase by the U.S. Government, by December 31, 2021, we may be required to pay a $2.0 million contract penalty to A&B.commercialization.

We depend on third parties for the manufacture and distribution of our product and the loss of theseour third-party manufacturersmanufacturer and distributor could harm our business.

We will be dependentdepend on our third-party scalecontract manufacturing partner to manufacture and supply our PoNS device for clinical and commercial purposes.  Our newpurposes, and this contract manufacturer will manufacturemanufactured the units for our engineering and device verification testing and will buildis building the launch quantities for our early commercialization. This contract manufacturer also has the capabilityAdditionally, we depend on a different third-party distribution partner to warehouse and ship our products to customers and multiple locations to expand capacity and back-up capabilities.customers. Our reliance on a third-party manufacturersmanufacturer and a distribution provider to supply us with our PoNS device and to provide such other distribution and warranty services exposes us to risks that could delay our sales or result in higher costs or lost product revenues. In addition, our

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manufacturers have experienced and could encountercontinue to experience difficulties, including, but not limited to, those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, in securing long-lead time components, achieving volume production, quality control and quality assurance or suffer shortages of qualified personnel, which could result in their inability to manufacture sufficient quantities of our commercially available product to meet market demand. Our third-party manufacturer and distributor may alsoor fail to follow and remain in compliance with the FDA-mandated Quality System Regulations, or QSR, compliance which is required for all

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medical devices, or fail to document their compliance to QSRs, eitherany of which could result in their inability to manufacture sufficient quantities of our commercially available product to meet market demand or lead to significant delays in the availability of materials for our product and/or FDA enforcement actions against them and/or us.

If we are unable to obtain adequate supplies of our product that meet our specifications and quality standards, it will be difficult for us to compete effectively. While we have supply and quality agreements in place with our manufacturer, and they may change the terms of our future orders or choose not to supply us with products in the future. Furthermore, if such manufacturer fails to perform theirits obligations, we may be forced to purchase our product from other third-party manufacturers, which we may not be able to do on reasonable terms or in sufficient time, if at all. In addition, if we are required to change manufacturers for any reason, we will be required to verify that the new manufacturer maintains facilities and procedures that comply with quality standards and with all applicable regulations and guidelines. We will also need to obtain FDA approval for any new manufacturers. The delays associated with the verification of a new manufacturer or the reverification of an existing manufacturer could negatively affect our ability to produce and distribute our product in a timely manner.

If the U.S. Army terminates the sole-source cost sharing contract or decides in the future not to purchase our product candidate, we would be forced to find new partners or customers in order to continue advancing the PoNS device.

The U.S. Army is under no obligation to purchase the PoNS device from us. If the U.S. Army were to eventually decide not to purchase our product, we would need to find other buyers for our product. If the U.S. Army were to decline to purchase our product, we may have more difficulty persuading other third parties to purchase our product, which would materially harm our business.

In order to be successful, we must expand our productsproduct lines beyond our single product by commercializing new potential product candidates,PoNS Therapy for gait deficit due to symptoms from MS or balance deficit due to mmTBI, but we may not be able to do so in a timely fashion and at expected costs, or at all.

In order to be successful, we will need to expand our product lines beyond our PoNS TreatmentTherapy for mild-gait deficit due to moderate-TBI, which is currently our only indication for our only product candidate.symptoms from MS or balance deficit due to mmTBI. To succeed in our commercialization efforts, we must effectively continue product development and testing, obtain regulatory authorizations, and enhance our sales, marketing and marketingmarket access and reimbursement capabilities. There is no assurance that we will succeed in developing a future product candidate or in bringing any of our current or potential future product candidates to market.market outside of Canada or the U.S. If we fail in bringing our product candidates to market, or experience delays in doing so, we will not generate revenues as planned and will need to curtail operations or seek additionaladditional financing earlier than otherwise anticipated.

The development of additional products is subject to the risks of failure inherent in the development of new, state of the art products, and products based on new technologies. These risks include: (a) delays in product development or manufacturing; (b) unplanned expenditures for product development or manufacturing; (c) failure of new products to have the desired effect or an acceptable accuracy and/or safety profile; (d) emergence of superior or equivalent products; (e) failure by any potential collaborative partners to successfully develop products; and (f) the dependence on third parties for the manufacture, development and sale of our products. Because of these risks, our research and development efforts or those of potential collaborative partners may not result in any commercially viable products. If a significant portion of these development efforts is not successfully completed, or any products are not commercially successful, we are less likely to generate significant revenues, or become profitable. The failure to perform such activities could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Intellectual Property

If our intellectual property protection is inadequate, competitors may gain access to our technology and undermine our competitive position.

We regard our intended and future intellectual property as important to our success, and we intend to rely on patent law to protect our proprietary rights. Despite our precautions, unauthorized third parties may copy certain portions of our devices or products or reverse engineer or obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary. We may seek additional patents in the future. We do not know if any future patent application will be issued with the scope of the claims we seek, if at all or whether any patents we receive will be challenged or invalidated. Thus, we cannot assure you that any intellectual property rights that we may receive can be successfully asserted in the future or that they will not be invalidated, circumvented or challenged. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent, as do the laws of the United States.U.S. Our means of protecting any proprietary rights we may receive in the United States U.S.

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or abroad may not be adequate and competitors may independently develop a similar technology. Any failure to protect our proprietary information and any successful intellectual property challenges or infringement proceedings against us could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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We may be subject to various litigation claims and legal proceedings, including intellectual property litigation, such as patent infringement claims, which could adversely affect our business.

We, as well as certain of our directors and officers, may be subject to claims or lawsuits. These lawsuits may result in significant legal fees and expenses and could divert management’s time and other resources. If the claims contained in these lawsuits are successfully asserted against us, we could be liable for damages and be required to alter or cease certain of our business practices or product lines. Any of these outcomes could cause our business, financial performance and cash position to be negatively impacted.

Additionally, our commercial success will also depend, in part, on not infringing on the patents or proprietary rights of others. There can be no assurance that the technologies and products used or developed by us will not infringe such rights. If such infringement occurs and we are not able to obtain a license from the relevant third party, we will not be able to continue the development, manufacture, use, or sale of any such infringing technology or product. There can be no assurance that necessary licenses to third-party technology will be available at all or on commercially reasonable terms. In some cases, litigation or other proceedings may be necessary to defend against or assert claims of infringement or to determine the scope and validity of the proprietary rights of third parties. Any potential litigation could result in substantial costs to, and diversion of, our resources and could have a material and adverse impact on us.

An adverse outcome in any such litigation or proceeding could subject us to significant liabilities, require us to cease using the subject technology or require us to license the subject technology from the third party, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

There are risks to our intellectual property based on our international business operations.

We may face risks to our technology and intellectual property as a result of our conducting business outside of the U.S., including as a result of our strategic arrangement with A&B (and subsequent transfer of assets to CMS and CMS Medical Hong Kong Limited), and particularly in jurisdictions that do not have comparable levels of protection of corporate proprietary information and assets such as intellectual property, trademarks, trade secrets, know-how and customer information and records. While these risks are common to many companies, conducting business in certain foreign jurisdictions, housing technology, data and intellectual property abroad, or licensing technology to joint ventures with foreign partners may have more significant exposure. Pursuant to our agreement with A&B, we transferred ownership of certain of our Asian patents, patent applications, and product support material for the PoNS device from us to A&B and granted to A&B, among other things, an exclusive license to market, promote, distribute and sell the PoNS device solely within specified Asian territories. Subsequently. A&B partnered with other companies in other foreign jurisdictions in connection with the development and manufacturing of the PoNS device, which may expose us to material risks of theft of our proprietary information and other intellectual property, including technical data, manufacturing processes, data sets or other sensitive information. For example, our product or components may be reverse engineered by other business partners or other parties, which could result in our patents being infringed or our know-how or trade secrets stolen. The risk can be by direct intrusion wherein technology and intellectual property is stolen or compromised through cyber intrusions or physical theft through corporate espionage, including with the assistance of insiders, or via more indirect routes.

Risks Related to Government Regulation

Before we can market and sell our products, we will be required to obtain marketing authorization from the FDA and foreign regulatory authorities. These authorizations will take significant time and require significant research, development, and clinical study expenditures, and ultimately may not succeed.

Before we begin to label and market the PoNS TreatmentTherapy for usenew uses in the United States,U.S., we are required to obtain marketing authorization from the FDA under Section 510(k) of the FD&C Act, approval ofvia a de novo reclassification petition classification and clearance request for our product or approval of pre-market approval

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application from the FDA, unless an exemption from pre-market review applies. We intend to utilize the de novo classification procedures to seek marketing authorization for the PoNS device for the treatment of mild- to moderate- TBI, because there is currently no predicate cleared or approved by the FDA for commercial distribution and no existing classification decision by the FDA for such a device. We will also be required to comply with costly and more often time-consuming complianceregulatory requirements by foreign regulatory authorities, including Europe, if we want to sell our products outsidein such regions and countries. While we have marketing authorization for the PoNS Therapy in the U.S. for use as a short term treatment of the United States.gait deficit due to mild-to-moderate symptoms of MS and in Canada for sale as a class II, non-implantable, medical device for treatment of gait deficit due to symptoms from MS and balance deficit due to mmTBI in conjunction with supervised therapeutic exercise, and marketing authorization in Australia, we have not received regulatory authorization or approval in any other region or country for any indication. The process of obtaining regulatory clearancesauthorizations or approvals, or completingincluding completion of the de novo classification process, to market a medical device can be costly and time consuming, and we may not be able to successfully obtain pre-market reviews on a timely basis, if at all.

In April 2019, the FDA declined our request for de novo classification of the PoNS device for use to improve balance in patients with mmTBI. In reaching its conclusion, the FDA noted that it did not have sufficient information to discern the relative independent contributions of the PoNS device and physical therapy to establish sufficient evidence of effectiveness based on our clinical trials. In October 2019, we had a pre-submission meeting where the FDA provided feedback needed to help complete the design of a new clinical trial intended to address the FDA’s request for a trial that demonstrates the benefit of the PoNS Therapy compared to physical therapy alone. In January 2020, we received the FDA’s feedback on the minutes from the October 2019 pre-submission meeting. In its feedback, the FDA provided post-meeting notes with specific recommendations regarding the trial design that were not discussed in the October 2019 pre-submission meeting. Based on the receipt of the FDA’s final minutes from the pre-submission meeting, we are assessing the feasibility of a clinical program to advance the development of a study aimed to obtain clearance for gait and balance deficits in mmTBI if nondilutive financing to fund the program becomes available.

The FDA has substantial discretion in the de novo review process and may refuse to accept any future application(s) or may decide that our data are insufficient to grant the de novo request and require additional pre-clinical, clinical, or other studies. In addition, varying interpretations of the data obtained from pre-clinical and clinical testing could delay, limit, or prevent marketing authorization from the FDA or other regulatory authorities.

Moreover, in addition to continuing our pursuit of an indication for stroke and mmTBI with the FDA, we are currently considering the development of the PoNS device for other potential indications, including cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, baby boomers balance, and neurological wellness, as well as expanding the label of our current indications.

If the FDA requires us to go through a lengthier, more rigorous examination for the PoNS Treatmentdevice for mild- to moderate-TBI,any of these indications or any other indications we may pursue, as it has for the PoNS device in the indication for mmTBI, introducing the product could be delayed or canceled, which couldwould cause our launch to be delayed.delayed or cancelled. In addition, the FDA may determine that the PoNS device requires the more costly, lengthy and uncertain pre-market approval process. For example, if the FDA disagrees with our determination that the de novo classification procedures are the appropriate path to obtain marketing authorization for the PoNS device, the FDA may require us to submit a PMA application, which is generally more costly and more burdensome and can take several years from the time the application is submitted to the FDA until an approval is obtained.

Moreover, we are currently developing the PoNS device for other potential indications.  At this time, we do not know what pathways FDA or other regulatory authorities will require us to utilize for these additional indications.  We may be required to pursue marketing authorization via more rigorous pathways, such as a PMA application in the United States, which may require more development work than we are currently planning.  This would delay the potential marketing authorization for such indications, potentially make marketing authorization more difficult to obtain,Obtaining and increase our costs.

Obtainingmaintaining FDA marketing authorization will be costly, may result in time-consuming delays and will subject us to ongoing compliance costs and regulatory risk for non-compliance.

ObtainingEven though we have obtained FDA market clearance for our product as a treatment for MS, obtaining FDA marketing authorization, de novo down-classification, classification and clearance, or PMA approval for medical devices for additional indications can be expensive and uncertain, and generally takes from several months to several years, and generally requires detailed and comprehensive scientific and clinical data. Notwithstanding the expense, these efforts may never result in FDA authorization. Even if we were to obtain regulatory authorization, it may not be for the uses we believe are important or commercially attractive, in which case we would not be permitted to market our product for those uses.

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The FDA can delay, limit or deny authorization of a device for many reasons, including:

we may not be able to demonstrate to the FDA’s satisfaction that our product candidate is safe and effective for its intended users;

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the data from our pre-clinical studies and clinical trials may be insufficient to support authorization, where required; and

the manufacturing process or facilities we use may not meet applicable requirements.Table of Contents

the data from our pre-clinical studies and clinical trials may be insufficient to support authorization, where required; and
the manufacturing process or facilities we use may not meet applicable requirements.

In addition, the FDA may change its authorization policies, adopt additional regulations or revise existing regulations, or take other actions, which may prevent or delay marketing authorization of our products under development. For example, in response to industry and healthcare provider concerns regarding the predictability, consistency and rigor of the 510(k) regulatory pathway, the FDA initiated an evaluation of the program, and in January 2011, announced several proposed actions intended to reform the review process governing the clearance of medical devices. The FDA intends these reform actions to improve the efficiency and transparency of the clearance process, as well as bolster patient safety. In addition, as part of the FDASIA the U.S. Congress reauthorized the Medical Device User Fee Amendments with various FDA performance goal commitments and enacted several “Medical Device Regulatory Improvements” and miscellaneous reforms which are further intended to clarify and improve medical device regulation both pre- and post-approval. Any delay in, or failure to receive or maintain clearance or approval for our product candidate could prevent us from generating revenue from our product candidate and adversely affect our business operations and financial results.

Even if granted,Obtaining market authorization for our product as a treatment for additional indications will require a 510(k) clearance, de novo down-classification, classification and clearance, or pre-market approval for any future product wouldunder which the FDA will likely place substantial restrictions on how our device is marketed or sold, and FDA will continue to place considerable restrictions on our products and operations. For example,sold. Moreover, the manufacture of medical devices must comply with the FDA’s QSR. In addition, manufacturers must register their manufacturing facilities, list the products with the FDA, and comply with requirements relating to labeling, marketing, complaint handling, adverse event and medical device reporting, reporting of corrections and removals, and import and export. The FDA monitors compliance with the QSR and these other requirements through periodic inspections. If our facilities or those of our manufacturers or suppliers are found to be in violation of applicable laws and regulations, or if we or our manufacturers or suppliers fail to take satisfactory corrective action in response to an adverse inspection, the regulatory authority could take enforcement action, including any of the following sanctions:

untitled letters, warning letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties;
customer notifications of repair, replacement, refunds, detention or seizure of our products;
product recalls;
operating restrictions or partial suspension or total shutdown of production;
refusing or delaying requests for marketing authorization of new products or modified products;
withdrawing marketing authorizations that have already been granted;
refusing to provide Certificates for Foreign Government;
refusing to grant export approval for our products; or
pursuing criminal prosecution.

untitled letters, warning letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties;

customer notifications of repair, replacement, refunds, detention or seizure of our products;

product recalls;

operating restrictions or partial suspension or total shutdown of production;

refusing or delaying requests for marketing authorization of new products or modified products;

withdrawing marketing authorizations that have already been granted;

refusing to provide Certificates for Foreign Government;

refusing to grant export approval for our products; or

pursuing criminal prosecution.

Additionally, the FDA and other regulatory authorities have broad enforcement powers. Regulatory enforcement or inquiries, or other increased scrutiny on us, could affect the perceived safety and efficacy of our product candidate and dissuade our customers from using our product candidate, if and when it is authorized for marketing.

We have in the past and may be required to conduct clinical trials to support a de novo submission or PMA application for the PoNS device with respect to one or more indications and we expect to be required to conduct clinical trials to support regulatory marketing authorization of some of our potentialfor future product candidates. We have limited experience in the clinical trials process, they may proceed more slowly than anticipated, and we cannot be certain that our product candidate will be shown to be safe and effective for human use.

In order to commercialize our product candidate in the United States,U.S. with respect to specified indications, we may be required by the FDA to submit an application for premarket approval, or PMA, for review and approval by the FDA. A PMA application must be submitted to the FDA if our device cannot be cleared through the 510(k) clearance process, down-classifieddown classified via the de novo process, or is not exempt from premarket review by the FDA. In April 2019, the FDA declined our request for de novo classification and clearance for mmTBI, in part due to insufficient clinical evidence regarding effectiveness of our product from mmTBI. Following a pre-submission meeting with the FDA, we are assessing the feasibility of a clinical program to advance the development of a study aimed to obtain clearance for gait and balance deficits in mmTBI if nondilutive financing to fund the program becomes available.

We could also be required to submit a PMA application for other potential future product candidates. If we are required by the FDA to submit a PMA application, the FDA will also require us to conduct clinical trials. The FDA could also require us to provide the FDA with clinical trial data to support any 510(k) premarket notifications and we are required to submit clinical trial data to support the de novo down classification of our PoNS device. We will receive marketing authorization from the FDA to commercialize products requiring a clinical trial only if we can demonstrate to the

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satisfaction of the FDA, through well-designedwell designed and properly conducted clinical trials, that our

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product candidate is safe, and effective, and otherwise meet the appropriate standards required for marketing authorization for specified indications.

We have and may continue to encounter substantial delays in planned clinical trials, or our planned clinical trials for other indications using the PoNS device may fail to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the PoNS device to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities.

We are currently in the process of preparing to commence multiple clinical trials and may continue to pursue additional clinical trials in the future. Clinical trials are complex, expensive, time consuming, uncertain as to outcome and are subject to substantial and unanticipated delays. Before we may begin clinical trials, if a clinical trial is determined to present a significant risk, we may be required to submit and obtain approval for an investigational device exemption, or IDE, that describes, among other things, the manufacture of, and controls for, the device and a complete investigational plan. Clinical trials generally involve a substantial number of patients in a multi-year study. Because we do not have the experience or the infrastructure necessary to conduct clinical trials, we will have to hire one or more contract research organizations, or CROs, to conduct trials on our behalf. CRO contract negotiations may be costly and time consuming and we will rely heavily on the CRO to ensure that our trials are conducted in accordance with regulatory and industry standards. We may encounter problems with our clinical trials and any of those problems could cause us or the FDA to suspend those trials or delay the analysis of the data derived from them. Moreover, any failure to abide by the applicable regulatory requirements by us, our CROs, and/or clinical trial sites may result in regulatory enforcement action against us or such third parties.

parties or us.

We cannot guarantee that clinical trials will be conducted as planned or completed on schedule, if at all. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing. Delays can be costly and could negatively affect our ability to complete a clinical trial and may allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do, which could impair our ability to successfully commercialize the PoNS device. If we are unable to complete such planned clinical trials, or are unsuccessful in doing so, we may be unable to advance the PoNS device to regulatory authorization and commercialization, which would harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We may be substantially dependent on third parties to conduct our clinical trials.

AsSince we are required tomay conduct clinical trials to obtain FDA marketing authorization, we will need to rely heavily on third parties over the course of our clinical trials, and as a result will have limited control over the clinical investigators and limited visibility into their day-to-day activities. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our studies is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol and legal, regulatory and scientific standards, and our reliance on third parties does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. WeThese third parties and these third partieswe are required to comply with current good clinical practices, or cGCPs, which are regulations and guidelines enforced by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities for product candidates in clinical development. Regulatory authorities enforce these cGCPs through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, principal investigators, and trial sites. If we or any of these third parties fail to comply with applicable cGCP regulations, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional nonclinical or clinical trials before approving our marketing applications or may subject usthem or themus to regulatory enforcement actions. We cannot be certain that, upon inspection, such regulatory authorities will determine that any of our clinical trials comply with the cGCP regulations. In addition, our clinical trials may be required to be conducted with a large number of test patients. Our failure or any failure by these third parties to comply with these regulations or to recruit a sufficient number of patients may require us to repeat clinical trials, which would delay the regulatory marketing authorization process. Moreover, our business may be implicated if any of these third parties violates federal or state fraud and abuse or false claims laws and regulations or healthcare privacy and security laws.

Any third parties conducting our clinical trials are not and will not be our employees and, except for remedies available to us under our agreements with such third parties, we cannot control whether or not they devote sufficient time and resources to our ongoing preclinical, clinical, and nonclinical programs. These third parties may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting clinical studies or other drug development activities, which could affect their performance on our behalf. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced, or if

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the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols or regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed, or terminated and we may not be able to complete development of, obtain regulatory marketing authorization of or successfully commercialize our product candidate. As a result, our financial results and the commercial prospects for our product candidate would be harmed, our costs could increase, and our ability to generate revenue could be delayed.

If any of our relationships terminate with these third-party CROs, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or do so on commercially reasonable terms. Switching or adding additional CROs involves additional cost and requires management time and focus. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a new CRO begins work. As a result, delays occur, which can materially impactaffect our ability to meet our desired clinical development timelines. Though we carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter similar challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and prospects.

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If we are unableWe may be required to secure contracts with workers’ compensation and third-party administratorssuspend or rehabilitation clinics who treat patients with balance and gait issues associated with TBIdiscontinue clinical trials due to side effects or to launchother safety risks that could preclude approval of our products.

Our clinical trials may be suspended at any time for a number of reasons. We may voluntarily suspend or terminate our clinical experience programs, this could have a negative impact on our intended sales and would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

We intendtrials if at any time we believe that they present an unacceptable risk to launch clinical experience programs but there are no guarantees we will be able to get the contracts in place for the timely execution of the programs. Our clinical experience program also contemplates conducting training at certain clinical centers around the United States in the use of the PoNS Treatment along with the specific therapeutic protocol, with participants selected based on an established criterion and we may not be successful in reaching agreement at these centers in establishing our programs at their facilities. This could have the effect of delaying our sales and marketing strategy for the PoNS Treatment.participants. In addition, regulatory agencies may order the temporary or permanent discontinuation of our commercialization strategy is premised on leveraging workers’ compensation payersclinical trials at any time if they believe that the clinical trials are not being conducted in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements or that they present an unacceptable safety risk to drive early reimbursements and entice Medicaid and commercial payers through third party administrators and rehabilitation clinics. Should we fail in securing such contracts it could have a material adverse effect on our intended sales projections, which would impact our financial conditions and operating results.

participants.

If we are unable to obtain a reimbursement code from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services so that the PoNS device is covered under Medicare and Medicaid, this wouldcould have a negative impact on our intended sales and would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

We plan to submit an application to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for a reimbursement code so that the PoNS Treatmentdevice is covered under Medicare and Medicaid. ThereHowever, there can be no assurance that our application will be successful, or that we will be able to obtain a reimbursement code in a timely manner. In the event that we do not obtain a reimbursement code for the PoNS Treatment,device, our customers may be unable to obtain reimbursement for their purchases under private or government-sponsored insurance plans, which wouldcould have a negative impact on our sales and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results. In addition, Medicare and its administrative contractors as well as other insurers must find that the PoNS device meets their medical necessity requirements for the treatment of patients with mild- to moderate- TBImmTBI or they will not pay for the treatment. In addition, there is a risk that the payment amount for the PoNS Treatmentdevice is either too low or too high to incentivize customer adoption.

If hospitals and other healthcare providerssuppliers are unable to obtain coverage or adequate reimbursement for procedures performed with our products, our product will not likely be widely used.

In the United States,U.S., the commercial success of our existing product and any future products will depend, in part, on the extent to which governmental payers at the federal and state levels, including Medicare and Medicaid, private health insurers and other third-party payers provide coverage for and establish adequate reimbursement levels for procedures utilizing our products. HospitalsOn January 12, 2021, the CMS stated that it was finalizing a new Medicare coverage pathway, MCIT for FDA-designated breakthrough medical devices. The purpose of the MCIT rule was to provide national Medicare coverage as early as the same day as FDA market authorization for breakthrough devices and other healthcare providerscoverage would last for four years. Under its terms, manufacturers were to have been able to opt-in to MCIT and choose a start date for coverage anytime within two years from the date of FDA market authorization. In November 2021, the MCIT was rescinded and therefore we could not rely on MCIT for purposes of obtaining Medicare coverage for our product. Suppliers that purchase our product to distribute to patients for treatment of their patients generally rely on third-party payers to pay for all or part of the costs and fees associated with our products as part of a “bundled” rate for the associated procedures. The existence of coverage and adequate reimbursement for our products and the procedures performed with them by government and private payers is critical to market acceptance of our existing and future products. Neither hospitals nor physiciansSuppliers are not likely to usefurnish our product and any future products if they do not receive adequate reimbursement for the procedures utilizing our products.

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Many private payers currently base their reimbursement policies on the coverage decisions and payment amounts determined by the CMS, which administers the Medicare program. Others may adopt different coverage or reimbursement policies for procedures performed with our products, while some governmental programs, such as Medicaid, have reimbursement policies that vary from state to state, some of which may not pay for the procedures performed with our products in an adequate amount, if at all. A Medicare national or local coverage decision denying coverage for one or more of our products could result in private and other third-party payers also denying coverage for our products. Third-party payers also may deny reimbursement for our products if they determine that a product used in a procedure was not medically necessary, was not used in accordance with cost-effective treatment methods, as determined by the third-party payer, or was used for an unapproved use. Unfavorable coverage or reimbursement decisions by government programs or private payers underscore the uncertainty that our products face in the market and could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Many hospitals and clinics in the United States belong to group purchasing organizations, which typically incentivize their hospital members to make a relatively large proportion of purchases from a limited number of vendors of similar products that have contracted to offer discounted prices. Accordingly, the commercial success of our products may also depend to some extent on our ability to either negotiate favorable purchase contracts with key group purchasing organizations and/or persuade hospitals and clinics to purchase our product “off contract.”

The healthcare industry in the United StatesU.S. has experienced a trend toward cost containment as government and private payers seek to control healthcare costs by paying service providers lower rates. While we believe that hospitalssuppliers will be able to obtain coverage for procedures using our products, the level of payment available to them for such procedures may change over time. State and federal healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, closely regulate providerprogram payment levels and have sought to contain, and sometimes reduce, payment levels. Private payers frequently follow government payment policies and are likewise interested in controlling increases in the cost of medical care. In addition, some payers are adopting pay-for-performance programs that differentiate

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payments to healthcare providerssuppliers based on the achievement of documented quality-of-care metrics, cost efficiencies, or patient outcomes. These programs are intended to provide incentives to providers to deliver the same or better results while consuming fewer resources. As a resultBecause of these programs, and related payer efforts to reduce payment levels, hospitals and other providerssuppliers are seeking ways to reduce their costs, including the amounts they pay to medical device manufacturers. We may not be able to sell our treatmentproduct profitably if third-party payers deny or discontinue coverage or reduce their levels of payment below that which we project, or if our production costs increase at a greater rate than payment levels. Adverse changes in payment rates by payers to hospitalssuppliers could adversely impactaffect our ability to market, and sell our products, and negatively affect our financial performance.

In international markets, medical device regulatory requirements and healthcare payment systems vary significantly from country to country, and many countries have instituted price ceilings on specific product lines. We cannot assure you that our products will be considered cost-effective by international third-party payers, that reimbursement will be available or, if available, that the third-party payers’ reimbursement policies will not adversely affect our ability to sell our product profitably. Any failure to receive regulatory or reimbursement approvals would negatively impactaffect market acceptance of our products in any international markets in which those approvals are being sought.

If we fail to comply with healthcare laws, we could face substantial penalties and financial exposure, and our business, operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We do not have a product candidate available for sale. If, however, we achieve this goal, the availability of payments from Medicare, Medicaid or other third-party payers would mean that manyare subject to numerous healthcare laws wouldthat place limitations and requirements on the manner in which we conduct our business, including our sales and promotional activities and interactions with healthcare professionals and facilities. In some instances, our interactions with healthcare professionals and facilities that occurred prior to commercialization (e.g., the granting of stock options) could have implications at a later date. The laws that may affect our ability to operate include, among others: (i) the

The US federal healthcare programs Anti-Kickback Statute which prohibits any person from, among other things, persons from knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting, receiving, offering or paying remuneration, directly or indirectly, in exchange for or receiving remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward either the referral of an individual for, or the purchasing, leasing, ordering or arranging for or recommending of any good or service for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under federal and state healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. The term “remuneration” has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value. The Anti-Kickback Statute is subject to evolving interpretation and has been applied by government enforcement officials to a number of common business arrangements in the medical device industry. The government can establish a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute without proving that a person or entity had actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it. There are a number of statutory exemptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution; however, those exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly. Failure to meet all of the

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requirements of a particular statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor does not make the conduct per se illegal under the Anti-Kickback Statute, but the legality of the arrangement will be evaluated on a case by case basis based on the totality of the facts and circumstances.
The federal civil False Claims Act prohibits, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, claims for payment of government funds that are false or fraudulent, or knowingly making, or using or causing to be made or used, a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim to avoid, decrease, or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. Private individuals, commonly known as ���whistleblowers,” can bring civil False Claims Act qui tam actions, on behalf of the government and such individuals may share in amounts paid by the entity to the government in recovery or settlement. In addition, a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal civil False Claims Act. False Claims Act liability is potentially significant in the healthcare industry because the statute provides for treble damages and significant mandatory penalties per false claim or statement for violations. Criminal penalties, including imprisonment and criminal fines, are also possible for making or presenting a false, fictitious or fraudulent claim to the federal government.
HIPAA, among other things, imposes criminal and civil liability for knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third party payors, knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation, or making or using any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. Similar to the federal healthcare Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation.
The federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act, implemented as the Open Payments Program, requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics, and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (with certain exceptions) to report annually to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services information related to payments and other transfers of value, directly or indirectly, to physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse midwives, and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members.
Analogous state laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by any third party payors, including private insurers or patients.

If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including civil and criminal penalties, exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs, damages, fines and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. Any penalties, damages, fines, curtailment or restructuring of our operations could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results. The risk of our being found in violation of these laws is increased by the fact that their provisions are open to a variety of evolving interpretations and enforcement discretion. Any action against us for violation of these laws, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business.

Our communications regarding products and product candidates, even while in development, are subject to extensive government scrutiny. We may be subject to governmental, regulatory and other legal proceedings relative to advertising, promotion, and marketing, and communications with study subjects and healthcare professionals, which could have a significant negative effect on our business.

We are subject to governmental oversight and associated civil and criminal enforcement relating to medical device advertising, promotion, and marketing, and such enforcement is evolving and intensifying. Communications regarding our products in development and regarding our clinical trials may subject us to enforcement if they do not comply with applicable laws. In the U.S., we are potentially subject to enforcement from the FDA, other divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, or the FTC, the Department of Justice, and state and

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local governments. Other parties, including private plaintiffs, also are commonly bringing suit against pharmaceutical and medical device companies. We may be subject to liability based on the actions of individual employees and third-party contractors carrying out activities on our behalf.

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Non-compliance with lawsEven after marketing authorization for our product is obtained, we are subject to extensive post-market regulation by the FDA and equivalent foreign competent authorities. Our failure to meet strict regulatory requirements unique to our government contracts could subjectrequire us to substantial penalties and financial exposure, andpay fines, incur other costs or even close our business, operations, and financial condition could be adversely affected by any non-compliance or the government’s discretionary exercise of its rights under our government contracts.facilities.

We perform contracts awarded by federal governmental entities. Doing business in the public sector is very different than doing business in the commercial marketplace. For example, unlike commercial contracts, federal government contracts are governed by an array of statutes and regulations that define the way in which government contracts are conceived, structured, competed, awarded, performed, and ultimately completed. Due to the highly regulated nature of our business with the government,Even after we have heightened responsibilitiesobtained the proper regulatory clearance or approval to market a product, the FDA has the power to require us to conduct post-market studies. These studies can be very expensive and compliance risks under those contracts. Non-compliancetime-consuming to conduct. Failure to complete such studies in a timely manner could result in significant civil liabilitythe revocation of clearance or approval and the recall or withdrawal of the product, which could prevent us from generating sales from that product in egregious cases, criminal prosecution.the U.S.

The FDA has broad enforcement powers, and any regulatory enforcement actions or inquiries, or other increased scrutiny on us, could dissuade some healthcare professionals from using our products and adversely affect our reputation and the perceived safety and efficacy of our products.

We are also required to comply with the FDA’s Quality System Regulation, or QSR, which covers the methods used in, and the facilities and controls used for, the design, manufacture, quality assurance, labeling, packaging, sterilization, storage, shipping, installation and servicing of our marketed products.

The FDA enforces these requirements via periodic announced and unannounced inspections of manufacturing facilities. In addition, in the future, regulatory authorities and/or customers may require specific packaging of sterile products, which could increase our costs and the price of our products.

Later discovery of previously unknown problems with our products, including unanticipated adverse events or adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, manufacturing problems, or failure to presenting heightened compliance risks, our government contracts include terms that affordcomply with regulatory requirements may result in changes to labeling, restrictions on such products or manufacturing processes, withdrawal of the government special rights that, if exercised atproduct from the government’s discretion, couldmarket, voluntary or mandatory recalls, a requirement to repair, replace or refund the cost of any medical device we manufacture or distribute, fines, suspension of regulatory approvals, product seizures, injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties which would adversely affect our business, operating results and prospects.

After commercialization, our products may cause or contribute to adverse medical events or be subject to failures or malfunctions that we are required to report to the FDA, and if we fail to do so, we would be subject to sanctions that could harm our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations. The discovery of serious safety issues with our products, or a recall of our products either voluntarily or at the direction of the FDA or another governmental authority, could have a negative impact on us. The FDA and similar foreign governmental authorities such as the competent authorities of the European Economic Area countries or Health Canada have the authority to require the recall of commercialized products in the event of material deficiencies or defects in design or manufacture or in the event that a product poses an unacceptable risk to health. Manufacturers may, under their own initiative, recall a product if any material deficiencies in our products are found. A government-mandated or voluntary recall by us could occur as a result of an unacceptable risk to health, component failures, manufacturing errors, design or labeling defects or other deficiencies and issues.

We are subject to the FDA’s medical device reporting regulations and similar foreign regulations, which require us to report to the FDA when we receive or become aware of information that reasonably suggests that one or more of our products may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or malfunctioned in a way that, if the malfunction were to recur, it could cause or contribute to a death or serious injury. The timing of our obligation to report is triggered by the date we become aware of the adverse event as well as the nature of the event. We may fail to report adverse events of which we become aware within the prescribed timeframe. We may also fail to recognize that we have become aware of a reportable adverse event, especially if it is not reported to us as an adverse event or if it is an adverse event that is unexpected or removed in time from the use of the product. If we fail to comply with our reporting obligations, the FDA could take action, including warning letters, untitled letters, administrative actions, criminal prosecution,

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imposition of civil monetary penalties, revocation of our device clearance or approval, seizure of our products or delay in clearance or approval of future products.

The FDA and foreign regulatory bodies have the authority to require the recall of commercialized products in the event of material deficiencies or defects in design or manufacture of a product or in the event that a product poses an unacceptable risk to health. The FDA’s authority to require a recall must be based on a finding that there is reasonable probability that the device could cause serious injury or death. We may also choose to voluntarily recall a product if any material deficiency is found. A government-mandated or voluntary recall by us could occur as a result of an unacceptable risk to health, component failures, malfunctions, manufacturing defects, labeling or design deficiencies, packaging defects or other deficiencies or failures to comply with applicable regulations. Product defects or other errors may occur in the future.

Depending on the corrective action we take to redress a product’s deficiencies or defects, the FDA may require, or we may decide, that we will need to obtain new clearances or approvals for the device before we may market or distribute the corrected device. Seeking such clearances or approvals may delay our ability to replace the recalled devices in a timely manner.

Companies are required to maintain certain records of recalls and corrections, even if they are not reportable to the FDA. We may initiate voluntary withdrawals or corrections for our products in the future that we determine do not require notification of the FDA. If the FDA disagrees with our determinations, it could require us to report those actions as recalls and we may be subject to enforcement action. A future recall announcement could harm our reputation with customers, potentially lead to product liability claims against us and negatively affect our sales. Any corrective action, whether voluntary or involuntary, as well as defending ourselves in a lawsuit, will require the dedication of our time and capital, will distract management from operating our business and may harm our reputation and financial results.

Any future failure by us or one of our suppliers to comply with applicable statutes and regulations administered by the FDA, or the failure to timely and adequately respond to any adverse inspectional observations or product safety issues, could result in any of the following enforcement actions:

untitled letters, warning letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties;
unanticipated expenditures to address or defend such actions;
customer notifications or repair, replacement, refund, recall, detention or seizure of our products;
operating restrictions or partial suspension or total shutdown of production;
refusing or delaying our requests for 510(k) clearance, de novo clearance, PMA approval, NDA, or BLA of new products or modified products;
withdrawing clearances or approvals that have already been granted;
refusal to grant export approval for our products; or
criminal prosecution.

Any of these sanctions could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations and financial condition. For example,Furthermore, our sole source contractkey component suppliers may not currently be or may not continue to be in compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements, which could result in our failure to produce our products on a timely basis and in the required quantities, if at all.

U.S. Army incorporates a clause allowinglegislative or FDA regulatory reforms may make it more difficult and costly for us to obtain regulatory approval of our product and to manufacture, market and distribute our products after marketing authorization is obtained.

From time to time, legislation is drafted and introduced in Congress that could significantly change the government to terminatestatutory provisions governing the contract for convenienceregulatory approval, manufacture and marketing of regulated products or the government,reimbursement thereof. In addition, FDA regulations and guidance are often revised or reinterpreted by the FDA in whole or in part, without any advance notice to us. A termination of this contract, or any other exercise of special governmental rights, could causeways that may significantly affect our business and our products. Any new regulations or revisions or reinterpretations of existing regulations may impose additional costs or lengthen review times of future products. In addition, FDA regulations and

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guidance are often revised or reinterpreted by the agency in ways that may significantly affect our business and our products. It is impossible to suffer.predict whether legislative changes will be enacted, or FDA regulations, guidance or interpretations changed, and what the impact of such changes, if any, may be.

Any changes in the laws or regulations that govern the clearance and approval processes relating to our current, planned and future products could make it more difficult and costly to obtain clearance or approval for new products or to produce, market and distribute existing products. Significant delays in receiving clearance or approval or the failure to receive clearance or approval for any new products would have an adverse effect on our ability to expand our business. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing clearance that we may have obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.

Risks Related to our Business Operations

If our expenses are greater than anticipated, then we will have fewer funds with which to pursue our plan of operations and our financing requirements will be greater than anticipated.

We may find that the costs of carrying out our plan of operations are greater than we anticipate. We expect our expenses to increase over time in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly if and as we: expand our commercialization efforts of our PoNS device in the U.S. for MS; make improvements to our manufacturing process and product design; launch clinical trials for stroke and other indications; pursue further regulatory approvals; maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; and add additional personnel. Increased operating costs may cause the amount of financing that we require to increase. Investors may be more reluctant to provide additional financing if we cannot demonstrate that we can control our operating costs. There is no assurance that additional financing required as a result of our operating costs being greater than anticipated will be available to us. If we do not control our operating expenses, then we will have fewer funds with which to carry out our plan of operations with the result that our business may fail.

We are heavily dependent upon the ability and expertise of our Chief Executive Officer and a very limited number of employees and the loss of such individuals could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.

We currently have a very small management team and very limited other employees. Our success is dependent upon the ability, expertise, judgment, discretion and good faith of our senior management, and in particular Philippe Deschamps, our President and Chief Executive Officer. Currently, Mr. Deschamps is joined by Joyce LaViscount, our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Jonathan Sackier, our Chief Medical Officer, and seven others as our only full-time employees. We also have engaged approximately 40 full-time equivalent persons as independent contractors. While employment agreements are customarily used as a primary method of retaining the services of key employees, these agreements cannot assure the continued services of such employees. Any loss of the services of such individuals could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.

Our ability to use net operating losses to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations.

Under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code substantial changes in a corporation’s ownership may limit the amount of net operating losses, or NOLs, that can be utilized annually in the future to offset the corporation’s (and the corporation’s affiliates’) U.S. federal and state taxable income. Specifically, this limitation may arise in the event of a cumulative change in ownership of more than 50% within any three-year period. The amount of the annual limitation is determined based on the value of the corporation that underwent the ownership change, immediately before the ownership change. Subsequent ownership changes may further affect any limitation in future years (including by the way of exercising of warrants).

We plan tomay undertake a study to analyze and determine if any historical ownership changes of us or our subsidiary NHCHMI have occurred to determine if there are any permanent limitations on our ability to utilize NOLs in the future. If we determine that an ownership change has occurred, the limitations on the use of our NOLs could increase our U.S. federal and state tax liability and reduce the amount of cash available for distribution to shareholders or otherwise adversely affect the value of an investment in our common stock or warrants.

We may not be able to build an effective distribution network for our products.product.

We currently have very few employees and will likely need towe may either build internal capabilities or rely on third party distributors to sell our product. We cannot assure you that we will succeed in building an internal team or entering into and maintaining productive arrangements with an adequate number of distributors that are sufficiently committed to selling our products. The establishment of a distribution network is expensive and time consuming. As we launch new products and increase our marketing effort with respect to existing products, we will need to continue to hire, train, retain and motivate skilled independent distributorsresources with significant technical knowledge. In addition, the commissions we pay our distributorsfor product sales could increase over time, which would result in higher sales and marketing expenses. Furthermore, if we were to rely on distributors, the current and potential distributors may market and sell the products of our competitors. Even if the distributors market and sell our products,product, our competitors may be able, by

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offering higher commission payments or other incentives, to

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persuade these distributors to reduce or terminate their sales and marketing efforts related to our products.product. The distributors may also help competitors solicit business from our existing customers. Some of our independent distributors willmay likely account for a significant portion of our sales volume, and, if we were to lose them, our sales could be adversely affected. Even if we engage and maintain suitable relationships with an adequate number of distributors, they may not generate revenue as quickly as we expect them to, commit the necessary resources to effectively market and sell our products, or ultimately succeed in selling our products.product.

OutsideExposure to United Kingdom political developments, including the outcome of the referendum on membership in the European Union, could be costly and difficult to comply with and could seriously harm our business.

In June 2016, a referendum was passed in the United States, subjectKingdom to approvalleave the European Union, commonly referred to as “Brexit.” This decision created an uncertain political and economic environment in the United Kingdom and other European Union countries. The United Kingdom formally left the European Union on January 31, 2020 and the transition period provided for in the withdrawal agreement entered by foreign regulatory authorities, we intend to evaluate the benefits of commercializationUnited Kingdom and the European Union ended on December 31, 2020. In December 2020, the United Kingdom and the European Union agreed on a trade and cooperation agreement that will apply provisionally after the end of the PoNS Therapy in certain territories either independently or with collaboration partners.  For example, we intendtransition period until it is ratified by the parties to enter into a definitive exclusive licensethe agreement. On December 31, 2020, the United Kingdom passed legislation giving effect to the trade and cooperation agreement, with the European Union formally adopting the agreement in April 2021. The trade and cooperation agreement covers the general objectives and framework of the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Depending on the application of the terms of the trade and cooperation agreement, we could face new regulatory costs and challenges.

Brexit may have a significant negative impact on medical device manufacturers such as us. A&B Notified Body, or NB, that we contracted with as our EU regulatory service provider is located in the UK. CE Mark issued by a UK NB is at risk due to commercializeBrexit. Medical device manufacturers with products CE Marked by a UK NB may not be able to place those products on the market until Brexit issues are resolved by the European Commission and local governments. In addition, the acceptance of medical device market authorization from UK NBs by countries outside of the EU, which have traditionally accepted UK NB CE marked products, is at risk of interruption due to Brexit. The complexity of Brexit places a significant burden on UK NBs which may negatively impact their ability to provide market clearance (i.e., CE Marking) reviews and certifications in a timely manner. Delays in CE Marking and delays in the issuance of certificates could delay us from placing our PoNS device on the market outside of the UK including outside of the EU (for those countries that require quality management system certificates and CE approval prior to marketing).

In December 2018, we submitted an application for a CE Mark, which, if approved, would allow us to market the PoNS device in certain Asian countries.  However,the European Union. During the second quarter of 2019, we engaged with regulators in Europe to date, we have not entered into such a definitive agreement, and there can be no guaranteeanswer questions that we received from them as part of their review of our PoNS device for CE marking. In August 2019, we withdrew our application from the EU marketing process due to uncertainty in Europe caused by the switch from the Medical Device Directive, or MDD, to the Medical Device Regulation, or MDR, Brexit, and the withdrawal of Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance, our notified body, from the EU notified body business. We have engaged G-MED NA (North America) as our new ISO registrar and will be ablereconsider submitting to do so on commercially acceptable terms or at all.the EU when conditions stabilize.

As a result of the use of our product candidates in clinical trials, and if and when we sellthrough the sale of our products, we may be liable for product liability claims and we may not carry sufficient product liability insurance.

The PoNS device and any devices and productsproduct candidates that we are developingmay develop in the future may expose us to potential liability from personal injury claims by clinical trial subjects and, if commercially sold, end-users of the product. We maintain clinical trial liability insurance and intend to carry product liability insurance to protect us against the risk that in the future a product liability claim or product recall could materially and adversely affect our business. Inability to obtain sufficient insurance coverage at an acceptable cost or otherwise to protect against potential product liability claims could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of our intended products.product. We cannot assure you that if and when we commence distribution of our product that we will be able to obtain or maintain adequate coverage on acceptable terms, or that such insurance will provide adequate coverage against all potential claims. Moreover, even if we maintain adequate insurance, any successful claim could materially and adversely affect our reputation and prospects and divert

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management’s time and attention. If we are sued for any injury allegedly caused by our future products, our liability could exceed our total assets and our ability to pay the liability.

We are an “emerging growtha “smaller reporting company” under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or JOBS Act,federal securities laws and we cannot be certain ifwhether the reduced disclosurereporting requirements applicable to emerging growthsuch companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growtha “smaller reporting company” under federal securities laws. For as defined in the JOBS Act. As an “emerging growth company”,long as we continue to be a smaller reporting company, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies, that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements,statements. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company if either (i) the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million or (ii) our annual revenue was less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and exemptions from the requirementsmarket value of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation, shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved and presenting the relationship between executive compensation actually paid and our financial performance.stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may decline or be more volatile. Additionally, we have irrevocably elected to comply with new or revised accounting standards even though we are an emerging growth company.

We will remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years afterInvestors could lose confidence in our first sale of common stock pursuant to a Securities Act of 1933, as amended, orfinancial reports, and the Securities Act, registration statement, although we will lose that status sooner if our revenues exceed $1 billion, if we issue more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt in a three year period, or if the market value of our common stock that is heldmay be adversely affected, if our internal controls over financial reporting are found not to be effective by non-affiliates exceeds $700 millionmanagement or by our independent registered public accounting firm.

As long as we remain a non-accelerated filer, we are exempt from the attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting by our independent auditors pursuant to section 404(b) of the endSarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 but are required to make our own internal assessment of the effectiveness of our second quarterinternal controls over financial reporting. The existence of one or more material weaknesses, such as the material weakness we identified in any calendar year.

Our status as an “emerging growth company” underOctober 2019, could affect the JOBS Act may make it more difficult to raise capital asaccuracy and when we need it. Becausetiming of the exemptions from various reporting requirements provided to us as an “emerging growth company”, we may be less attractive to investors and it may be difficult for us to raise additional capital as and when we need it. If we are unable to raise additional capital as and when we need it, our financial conditionreporting.

Investors could lose confidence in our financial reports, and resultsthe value of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We have incurred increased costs and have become subject to additional regulations and requirements as a result of becoming a public company, which could lower our profits, if any, or make it more difficult to run our business.

As a public company, we have incurred significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting requirements. We will continue to incur costs associated with the rules implemented by the SEC, the TSX, the OTCQB, and any other exchange on which our common stock may become listed. The expenses incurredbe harmed, if our internal controls over financial reporting are found not to be effective by management or by our independent registered public companies for reporting and corporate governance purposes have generally been increasing. These rules and regulations have increased our legal and financial compliance costs and have made some activities more time-consuming and costly. These laws and regulations also could make it more difficult or costly for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including director and

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officer liability insurance, and we may be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. These laws and regulations could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our Board of Directors, our board committees or as our executive officers. Furthermore, if we are unable to satisfy our obligations as a public company, we could be subject to delisting of our common stock, fines, sanctions and other regulatory action and potentially civil litigation.accounting firm.

Several people who work for us on a part-time consulting basis may be subject to conflicts of interest.

Several people who provide services to us are part-time consultants. Each may devote part of his working time to other business endeavors, including consulting relationships with other corporate entities, and may have responsibilities to these other entities. Because of these relationships, some of the persons who provide services to us may be subject to conflicts of interest. Such conflicts may include deciding how much time to devote to our affairs, as well as what business opportunities should be presented to us.

Our business and operations would suffer in the event of computer system failures, cyber-attacks or a deficiency in our cyber-security.

We have beenDespite the victimimplementation of security measures, our internal computer systems, and those of third parties on which we rely, are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, malware, natural disasters, terrorism, war, telecommunication and electrical failures, cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusions (including ransomware attacks) over the Internet, attachments to emails, persons inside our organization, or persons with access to systems inside our organization. No network or system can ever be completely secure, and the risk of a cyber-related crimesecurity breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments, and our controls may not be successfulcyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. For example, in avoiding further cyber-related crimes in the future.

During the third quarter of, 2017,October 2019, we were the victim of a business email compromise fraud which resulted in our incurring a loss of approximately $0.2$0.1 million. We are working with law enforcement authoritiesIf any such attack, intrusion or other event were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material disruption of our development programs for an indeterminate period of time. For example, the loss of clinical trial data from completed or ongoing or planned clinical trials could result in delays in our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or reproduce the data. In some cases, data cannot be reproduced. To the extent that any disruption or security breach was to result in a loss of or damage to our data

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or applications, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur material legal claims and liability, damage to our reputation, and the banks involvedfurther development of the PoNS device or any future product candidate could be delayed. If a security breach results in the wire transfer to pursue recoveryexposure or unauthorized disclosure of the $0.2 million, but at this timepersonal information, we do not know whether we will be able to recover any of the funds,could incur additional costs associated with data breach notification and we have been advised that it may take several months before we are better able to evaluate our recovery prospects. Enhancements have been made to our controls relating to electronic payments by or for us that we believe will reduce our risk of becoming a victim of future frauds related to our payments, including by wire transfers. However, cyber-related criminal activities continue to evolveremediation expenses, investigation costs, regulatory penalties and increase in sophistication, frequencyfines, and severity. As a result, the control enhancements that have been made, and any additional enhancements that may be made in the future, to our controlslegal proceedings. Our insurance coverage may not be successfuladequate to cover all the costs related to such breaches or attacks.

Challenges to our tax positions in avoidingU.S. or non-U.S. jurisdictions, the interpretation and application of recent U.S. tax legislation or other changes in U.S. or non-U.S. taxation of our becomingoperations could harm our business, revenue and financial results.

We operate, or intend to operate, in a victimnumber of tax jurisdictions globally, including in the U.S. at the federal, state and local levels, and in several other countries, and we therefore are or will be subject to further cyber-related crimes.review and potential audit by tax authorities in these various jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities, and tax authorities may disagree with tax positions we take and challenge our tax positions. Successful unilateral or multi-jurisdictional actions by various tax authorities may increase our worldwide effective tax rate, result in additional taxes or other costs or have other material consequences, which could harm our business, revenue and financial results.

Our effective tax rate may also change from year to year or vary materially from our expectations based on changes or uncertainties in the mix of activities and income allocated or earned among various jurisdictions, changes in tax laws and the applicable tax rates in these jurisdictions (including future tax laws that may become material), tax treaties between countries, our eligibility for benefits under those tax treaties and the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities. Such changes could result in an increase in the effective tax rate applicable to all or a portion of our income, impose new limitations on deductions, credits or other tax benefits or make other changes that may adversely affect our business, cash flows or financial performance. For example, if we are unable to fully realize the benefit of interest expense incurred in future periods as a result of recent tax law changes (as discussed below), we may need to recognize a valuation allowance on any related deferred tax assets, which would impact our annual effective income tax rate.

In particular, on December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, or TCJA, was signed into law. That legislation, as modified by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, significantly changed U.S. tax law by, among other things, lowering the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, implementing a modified territorial tax system and imposing a transition tax on deemed repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries, or the Section 965 Transition Tax. Certain changes established by the TCJA increased our effective tax rate in prior years, including a new income inclusion item for global intangible low-taxed income, or GILTI, and the Section 965 Transition Tax on our accumulated offshore earnings held in cash and illiquid assets. Additional changes have impacted the timing of our recognition of certain items of loss and deduction, including a new limitation on the Company’s deduction for business interest expense, a new limitation of the deduction for NOLs to 80% of current year taxable income (other than as temporarily modified by the CARES Act), elimination of NOL carrybacks for NOLs arising after December 31, 2017 (other than as permitted under the CARES Act with respect to NOLs arising in 2018, 2019, and 2020) and the allowance of the indefinite carryforward of such NOLs, and increased bonus depreciation from 50% to 100% for certain qualified property.

On July 23, 2020, final regulations were published that exempt certain income subject to a high rate of foreign tax from inclusion under GILTI for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017.

The cumulative impact of these and other changes in tax law is uncertain and our business and financial condition could be adversely affected. The impact of these changes on holders of our securities is also uncertain and could be adverse.

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Risks Related to Our Common Stock

A declineWe could be delisted from The Nasdaq Capital Market, which could seriously harm the liquidity of our stock and our ability to raise capital.

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “HSDT”. In order to maintain that listing, we must satisfy minimum financial and other requirements including, without limitation, the minimum stockholders equity requirement and the minimum bid price requirement. There can be no assurances that we will be successful in maintaining, or if we fall out of compliance, in regaining compliance with the continued listing requirements and maintaining the listing of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Delisting from Nasdaq could adversely affect our ability to raise additional financing through the public or private sale of equity securities and we would incur additional costs under requirements of state “blue sky” laws in connection with any sales of our securities. Delisting could also have other negative results, including the potential loss of confidence by employees, the loss of institutional investor interest and fewer business development opportunities.

If our common stock is delisted by Nasdaq, the price of our common stock could affect our ability to raise any required working capitalmay decline and adversely impact our operations.

A decline in the price of our common stock could result in a reduction inmay be eligible to be quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board, another over-the-counter quotation system, or on the pink sheets, which would negatively affect the liquidity of our common stock and a reductionan investor may find it more difficult to dispose of their common stock or obtain accurate quotations as to the market value of our common stock.

In addition, if our common stock is delisted from the Nasdaq Capital Market and the trading price remains below $5.00 per share, trading in our common stock might also become subject to the requirements of certain rules promulgated under the Exchange Act, which require additional disclosure by broker-dealers in connection with any trade involving a stock defined as a “penny stock” (generally, any equity security not listed on a national securities exchange or quoted on NASDAQ that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions).

On September 19, 2022, we received written notice (the “Notification Letter”) from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying us that the Company was not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirements set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) requires listed securities maintain a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share, and Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A) provides that a failure to meet the minimum closing bid price requirement exists if the deficiency continues for a period of 30 consecutive business days. Based on the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock for the 30 consecutive business days prior to the date of the Notification Letter, the Company did not meet the minimum closing bid price requirement. To regain compliance, the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock must be at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days at any time prior to March 20, 2023. There can be no assurance that we will be able to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement and other Nasdaq listing criteria. If we fail to meet the applicable continued listing requirements for the Nasdaq Capital Market, Nasdaq may delist our common stock. Additionally, Nasdaq rules allow an expedited delisting of securities of companies that have had one or more reverse stock splits with a cumulative ratio of one for 250 or more shares over the prior two-year period. Under these rules, if a company falls out of compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price after completing reverse stock splits over the immediately preceding two years that cumulatively result in a ratio one for 250 shares, the company will not be able to avail itself of any compliance periods and Nasdaq will instead require the issuance of a Staff delisting determination, which is appealable to a hearings panel. Our ability to raiseremain listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market may be negatively impacted by this new Nasdaq rule.

We continue to actively monitor our performance with respect to the listing standards and will consider available options to resolve any required capitaldeficiency and maintain compliance with the Nasdaq rules. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain compliance or, if we fall out of compliance, regain compliance with any deficiency, or if we implement an option that regains our compliance, maintain compliance thereafter.

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An active trading market for our operations. Becausecommon stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market may not continue to develop or be sustained.

Although our operationscommon stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market, we cannot assure you that an active trading market for our common stock will continue to date have been principally financed throughdevelop or be sustained. If an active market for our common stock does not continue to develop or is not sustained, it may be difficult for investors in our common stock to sell their shares of our common stock without depressing the sale of equity securities, a decline inmarket price for the priceshares or to sell the shares at all.

Trading of our common stock could have an adverse effect upon our liquidity and our continued operations. A reduction in our ability to raise equity capital in the future may have a material adverse effect upon our business plan and operations. If our stock price declines, we may not be able to raise additional capital or generate funds from operations sufficient to meet our obligations.

Our common stock does not have a well-established trading market in the United States. Trading of our common stock is sporadic, and the price of our common stock may be volatile; we caution you as to the highly illiquid nature of an investment in our shares.

Our common stock is currently periodically quoted on the OTCQB electronic quotation service operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. A well-established market for our common stock may never develop in the United States. Trading in stock quoted on the OTCQB is often thin and characterized by wide fluctuations in trading prices, due to many factors that may have little to do with our operations or business prospects. This volatility could depress the market price of our common stock for reasons unrelated to operating performance or the future prospect of our business. Moreover, the OTCQB is not a stock exchange, and trading of securities on the OTCQB is often more sporadic than the trading of securities listed on a quotation system like NASDAQ or a stock exchange like Amex. Accordingly, shareholders may have difficulty reselling any of the shares.

Our common stock has been listed on the TSXThe Nasdaq Capital Market since April 18, 2016. Certain shares of our common stock are also restricted for immediate resale to U.S. persons or to anyone for the account or on behalf of any U.S. person, pursuant to the requirements of Regulation S. These shares are traded separately on the TSX under a separate ticker symbol. To date, trading on the TSX in our common stock has been extremely limited and sporadic.

Our warrants were also approved for listing on the TSX on April 18, 2016. However, because only the warrants issued in the offshore offering in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act were approved for listing on the TSX, the warrants listed on the TSX may not be purchased by or on behalf of a U.S. person, or by a person in the United States, unless in a registered transaction or pursuant to an applicable safe harbor or exemption from registration.

11, 2018. Securities of microcap and small-cap companies have experienced substantial volatility in the past, often based on factors unrelated to the companies’ financial performance or prospects. We believe that trading in our stock if it occurs at all,has been and will likely continue to be subject to

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significant volatility since, among other reasons, we do not have nor, will we have in the foreseeable future an active trading market in our stock.volatility. These factors include macroeconomic developments in North America and globally and market perceptions of the attractiveness of particular industries. Factors unrelated to our performance that may affect the price of our common stock include the following: the extent of analytical coverage available to investors concerning our business may be limited if investment banks with research capabilities do not follow us, a reduction in trading volume and general market interest in our common stock may affect an investor’s ability to trade significant numbers of shares of our common stock; the size of our public float may limit the ability of some institutions to invest in our common stock; and a substantial decline in the price of shares of our common stock that persists for a significant period of time could cause our common stock, if listed on an exchange, to be delisted from such exchange, further reducing market liquidity.stock. As a result of any of these factors, the market price of our common stock at any given point in time may not accurately reflect our long-term value. The price of our common sharesstock may increase or decrease in response to a number of events and factors, including: changes in financial estimates; our acquisitions and financings; quarterly variations in our operating results; the operating and share price performance of other companies that investors may deem comparable; and purchase or sale of blocks of our common stock. These factors, or any of them, may materially adversely affect the prices of our common shares regardless of our operating performance. We caution you as to the highly illiquid nature of an investment in our shares.

The market price of our common stock is affected by many other variables which are not directly related to our success and are, therefore, not within our control. These include other developments that affect the breadth of the public market for shares of our common stock and the attractiveness of alternative investments. The effect of these and other factors on the market price of our common stock is expected to make our common stock price volatile in the future, which may result in losses to investors.

Our shares are subject to potential delisting if we do not meet or continue to maintain the listing requirements of the TSX.

The TSX rules for continued listing include minimum market capitalization and other requirements. Failure to maintain our listing on the TSX or being de-listed from the TSX would make it more difficult for shareholders to dispose of our common stock and more difficult to obtain accurate quotations on our common stock. This could have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock. Our ability to issue additional securities for financing or other purposes, or to otherwise arrange for any financing we may need in the future, may also be materially and adversely affected if our common stock is not traded on a national securities exchange.

The market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations, and you may be unable to resell your shares at or above the price at which you acquired them, or at all.

The market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a number of factors that are beyond our control, including, but not limited to:

quarterly variationsProvisions in our revenuescorporate charter documents and operating expenses;

developments in the financial markets and worldwideunder Delaware law may prevent or regional economies;

announcements of innovations or new products or services by us or our competitors;

announcements by the government relating to regulations that govern our industry;

significant sales of our common stock or other securities in the open market;

variations in interest rates;

changes in the market valuations of other comparable companies; and

changes in accounting principles.

In the past, stockholders have often instituted securities class action litigation after periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities. If a stockholder were to file any such class action suit against us, we would incur substantial legal fees and our management’s attention and resources would be diverted from operating our business to respond to the litigation, which could harm our business.

We are authorized to issue an unlimited number of Class A common stock, and we intend to issue significantly more shares to raise capital, which would result in substantial dilution to your investment in our shares.

Our Articles of Incorporation authorize the issuance of an unlimited number of Class A common shares that can be issued for such consideration and on such terms and conditions as are establishedfrustrate attempts by our board of directors without the approval of any of our shareholders. Any additional financings effected by us may result in the issuance of additional securities without stockholder approval and the substantial dilution in the percentage of common stock held by our then existing stockholders. Moreover, the common stock issued in any such transaction may be valued on an arbitrary or non-arm’s-length basis bystockholders to change our management resulting in an additional

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reduction in the percentage of common stock held by our current stockholders. Moreover, in connection with any such financing, we may be requiredand hinder efforts to issue warrants to the investors, which could result in additional dilution. Our board of directors has the power to issue any or all of such authorized but unissued shares without stockholder approval. To the extent that additional shares of common stock are issued in connection withacquire a financing, dilution to the interests of our stockholders will occur and the rights of the holders of common stock might be materially and adversely affected. We may issue additional common shares in connection with a future financing or acquisition. The issuance of additional common shares may dilute an investor’s investmentcontrolling interest in us, and reduce cash available for distribution per common share, if any dividends are declared by the board of directors in the future.

We have not paid any dividends and do not foresee paying dividends in the future.

We intend to retain earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business and do not intend to pay cash dividends on shares of our common stock in the foreseeable future. The payment of future cash dividends, if any, will be reviewed periodically by the board of directors and will depend upon, among other things, conditions then existing including earnings, financial condition and capital requirements, restrictions in financing agreements, business opportunities and other factors.

A significant portion of our outstanding common stock may be sold into the public market in the future, which could cause the market price of our common stock may be lower as a result.

There are provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws that may make it difficult for a third party to drop significantly,acquire, or attempt to acquire, control of our company, even if a change of control was considered favorable by you and other stockholders. For example, our business is doing well.

Salesboard of a substantial numberdirectors has the authority to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. The board of directors can fix the price, rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions of the preferred stock without any further vote or action by our stockholders. The issuance of shares of our commonpreferred stock in the public market could occur in the future. These sales,may delay or the market perception that the holdersprevent a change of control transaction. As a large number of shares of our common stock intend to sell shares, could reduceresult, the market price of our common stock and the voting and other rights of our stockholders may be adversely affected. An issuance of shares of preferred stock may result in the loss of voting control to other stockholders.

Our charter documents also contain other provisions that could have an anti-takeover effect, including:

stockholders are not entitled to remove directors other than by a 66 23% vote and only for cause;
stockholders are not be permitted to take actions by written consent;
stockholders cannot call a special meeting of stockholders; and
stockholders must give advance notice to nominate directors or submit proposals for consideration at stockholder meetings.

49

In addition, we are subject to the anti-takeover provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which regulates corporate acquisitions by prohibiting Delaware corporations from engaging in specified business combinations with particular stockholders of those companies. These provisions could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change of control transaction. They could also have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our common stock, including transactions that may be in your best interests. These provisions may also prevent changes in our management or limit the price that investors are willing to pay for our stock.

FINRA sales practice requirementsOur certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and, to the extent enforceable, the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forums for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.

Our certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Our certificate of incorporation further provides that the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, subject to and contingent upon a final adjudication in the State of Delaware of the enforceability of such exclusive forum provision. These exclusive forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to buybring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and sell our stock.

In additiondirectors, officers and other employees. For example, stockholders who do bring a claim in the Court of Chancery could face additional litigation costs in pursuing any such claim, particularly if they do not reside in or near the State of Delaware. The Court of Chancery and federal district courts may also reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder considering an action may be located or would otherwise choose to bring the “penny stock” rules promulgatedaction, and such judgments or results may be more favorable to us than to our stockholders. Some companies that adopted a similar federal district court forum selection provision are currently subject to a suit in the Chancery Court of Delaware by stockholders who assert that the provision is not enforceable. If a court were to find either choice of forum provision contained in our certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition. For example, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware recently determined that the exclusive forum provision of federal district courts of the United States of America for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act is not enforceable. As a result of this decision, we do not currently intend to enforce the federal forum selection provision in our certificate of incorporation, unless the decision is reversed on appeal. However, if the decision is reviewed on appeal and ultimately overturned by the SEC,Delaware Supreme Court, we would enforce the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or FINRA, has adopted rules that require that in recommending an investment to a customer, a broker-dealer must have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. The FINRA requirements make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our common stock, which may limit your ability to buy and sell our stock.

Any future sales of our equity securities will dilute the ownership percentage of our existing stockholders and may decrease the market price for our common stock.

Future sales or issuances of equity securities could decrease the value of our common stock, dilute stockholders’ voting power and reduce future potential earnings per share. We intend to sell additional equity securities in future offerings (including through the sale of securities convertible into shares of our common stock) and may issue additional equity securities to finance our operations, development, acquisitions or other projects. We cannot predict the size of future sales and issuances of equity securities or the effect, if any, that future sales and issuances of equity securities will have on the market price of our common stock. Sales or issuances of a substantial number of equity securities, or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock. With any additional sale or issuance of equity securities, investors will suffer dilution of their voting power and may experience dilution in our earnings per share.

Anti-takeover provisions may limit the ability of another party to acquire us, which could cause our stock price to decline.

Though not now, we may be or in the future we may become subject to Wyoming’s control share law. The law focuses on the acquisition of a “controlling interest” which means the ownership of outstanding voting shares sufficient, but for the control share law, to enable the acquiring person to exercise the following proportions of the voting power of the corporation in the election of directors: (i) one-fifth or more but less than one-third, (ii) one-third or more but less than a majority, or (iii) a majority or more. The ability to exercise such voting power may be direct or indirect, as well as individual or in association with others. The effect of the control share law is that the acquiring person, and those acting in association with it, obtains only such voting rights in the control shares as are conferred by a resolution of the stockholders of the corporation, approved at a special or annual meeting of stockholders. The control share law contemplates that voting rights will be considered only once by the other stockholders. Thus, there is no authority to strip voting rights from the control shares of an acquiring person once those rights have been approved. If the stockholders do not grant voting rights to the control shares acquired by an acquiring person, those shares do not become permanent non-voting shares. The acquiring person is free to sell its shares to others. If the buyers of those shares themselves do not acquire a controlling interest, their shares do not become governed by the control share law. If control shares are accorded full voting rights and the acquiring person has acquired control shares with a majority or more of the voting power, any stockholder of record, other than an acquiring person, who has not voted in favor of approval of voting rights is entitled to demand fair value for such stockholder’s shares.

37


Wyoming’s control share law may have the effect of discouraging takeovers of the corporation. In addition to the control share law, Wyoming has a business combination law which prohibits certain business combinations between Wyoming corporations and “interested stockholders” for three years after the “interested stockholder” first becomes an “interested stockholder,” unless the corporation’s board of directors approves the combination in advance. For purposes of Wyoming law, an “interested stockholder” is any person who is (i) the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting shares of the corporation, or (ii) an affiliate or associate of the corporation and at any time within the three previous years was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of the corporation. The definition of the term “business combination” is sufficiently broad to cover virtually any kind of transaction that would allow a potential acquirer to use the corporation’s assets to finance the acquisition or otherwise to benefit its own interests rather than the interests of the corporation and its other stockholders. The effect of Wyoming’s business combination law is to potentially discourage parties interested in taking control of the Company from doing so if it cannot obtain the approval of our board of directors.

In addition, our Articles of Incorporation provide for unlimited authorized shares of our Class A common stock. Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock will be available for future issuance without stockholder approval. These additional shares may be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings to raise additional capital, corporate acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of unlimited authorized but unissued shares of common stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of a majority of our Class A common stock by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.

Holders of our Warrants will have no rights as shareholders until such holders exercise their Warrants and acquire our common shares.

Until holders of Warrants acquire common shares upon exercise of the Warrants, holders of Warrants will have no rights with respect to the common shares underlying such Warrants. Upon exercise of the Warrants, the holders thereof will be entitled to exercise the rights of common shareholders only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise date.

federal district court exclusive forum provision.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding our stock adversely, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. If any of the analysts who may cover us change their recommendation regarding our stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our stock price would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

50

General Risks

The United States Tax CutsWe have not paid any dividends and Jobs Actdo not foresee paying dividends in the future.

We intend to retain earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of 2017 could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

The U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or the TCJA, significantly reforms the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. The TCJA, among other things, contains significant changesdo not intend to U.S. federal corporate income taxation, including reduction of the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from a top marginal rate of 35% to a flat rate of 21%, limitation of the tax deduction for interest expense to 30% of adjusted earnings (except for certain small businesses), limitation of the deduction for net operating losses to 80% of current year taxable income and elimination of net operating loss carrybacks for net operating losses arising after December 31, 2017, immediate deductions for certain new investments instead of deductions for depreciation expense over time, and creating, modifying or repealing many business deductions and credits. Federal net operating losses arising in taxable year ending after December 31, 2017 will be carried forward indefinitely pursuant to the TCJA. We continue to examine the impact this tax reform legislation may havepay cash dividends on our business. Notwithstanding the reduction in the corporate income tax rate, the overall impact of the TCJA is uncertain and our business and financial condition could be adversely affected. The impact of this tax reform on holdersshares of our common stock in the foreseeable future. The payment of future cash dividends, if any, will be reviewed periodically by the board of directors and will depend upon, among other things, conditions then existing including earnings, financial condition and capital requirements, restrictions in financing agreements, business opportunities and other factors.

A decline in the price of our common stock could affect our ability to raise any required working capital and adversely affect our operations.

A decline in the price of our common stock could result in a reduction in the liquidity of our common stock and a reduction in our ability to raise any required capital for our operations. Because our operations to date have been principally financed through public and private offerings of our common stock and warrants and exercises of options and warrants, a decline in the price of our common stock could have an adverse effect upon our liquidity and our continued operations. A reduction in our ability to raise equity capital in the future may have a material adverse effect upon our business plans and operations. If our stock price declines, we may not be able to raise additional capital or generate funds from operations sufficient to meet our obligations.

We are heavily dependent upon the ability and expertise of our management team and a very limited number of employees and the loss of such individuals could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.

We currently have a very small management team. Our success is also uncertaindependent upon the ability, expertise and judgment of our senior management. While employment agreements are customarily used as a primary method of retaining the services of key employees, these agreements cannot assure the continued services of such employees. Any loss of the services of such individuals could be adverse.have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.

ITEM 1B.

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.Not applicable.

ITEM 2.

PROPERTIES

Our headThe Company leases corporate office is located at 642 Newtown-Yardley Road, Suite 100,space in Newtown, PA 18940, with 10,444 square feet of lease office space.Pennsylvania and Ewing, New Jersey under operating leases that expire in March 2025 and January 2024, respectively. The lease terminates in January 2023, with an optionleases do not contain any options to extend until January 2028. Monthly rent plus utilities is approximately $20 thousand per month, with a 3% annual increase. Our registered office and registered agent is located at CT Corporation System, 1712 Pioneer Ave., Ste. 120, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001.extend. We believe our current facilities are adequate for our needs.

38


ITEM 3.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

From time to time, we are subject to various legal proceedingslitigation and claims that arisearising in the ordinary course of our business activities.business. Although the results of litigation and claims cannot be predicted with certainty, as of the date of this filing, we do not believe we are party to any claim or litigation, the outcome of which, if determined adversely to us, would individually or in the aggregate be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on our business other than as set forth below in respect of the matters described below.or financial condition. Regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.

We are not aware of any legal proceedings contemplated by any governmental authority involving us or our properties. As of December 31, 2017, no director, officer or affiliate is: (i) a party adverse to us in any legal proceeding, or (ii) has an adverse interest to us in any legal proceedings.

ITEM 4.

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

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51

PART II

PART
II

ITEM 5.

MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market Information

Our shares of common stock commenced trading on the TSX under the symbol “HSM” on April 18, 2016. Our Warrants were also approved for listing on the TSX on April 18, 2016. See Part I Item 1, “Listing of our Common Stock on the CSE, TSX and OTCQB.”

Our common stock is currently quotedtraded on the OTCQBNasdaq under the symbol “HSDT.”

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low prices (on a post-split basis) relating to our common stock for the periods indicated, as provided by the CSE, the TSX and the OTCQB.  The Company’s common stock was delisted from the CSE concurrently with the TSX listing. These quotations reflect inter-dealer prices without retail mark-up, mark-down, or commissions, and may not reflect actual transactions.

 

 

OTC (US$)

 

 

CSE / TSX (CAD$)

Period

 

High

 

 

Low

 

 

High

 

Low

Year Ended December 31, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Quarter

 

$

4.30

 

 

$

3.40

 

 

CAD$ 6.20

 

CAD$ 4.75

Second Quarter

 

$

7.50

 

 

$

3.50

 

 

CAD$ 9.75

 

CAD$ 5.05

Third Quarter

 

$

5.67

 

 

$

4.28

 

 

CAD$ 7.50

 

CAD$ 5.55

Fourth Quarter

 

$

9.05

 

 

$

5.18

 

 

CAD$ 11.75

 

CAD$ 6.75

Year Ended December 31, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Quarter

 

$

9.55

 

 

$

7.10

 

 

CAD$ 12.95

 

CAD$ 8.80

Second Quarter

 

$

8.00

 

 

$

6.45

 

 

CAD$ 11.00

 

CAD$ 8.60

Third Quarter

 

$

15.60

 

 

$

7.65

 

 

CAD$ 19.05

 

CAD$ 9.75

Fourth Quarter

 

$

20.70

 

 

$

7.35

 

 

CAD$ 25.45

 

CAD$ 9.00

As of March 5, 2018, the last reported sales price of our common stock on the TSX was CAD$15.70 per share. As of March 5, 2018, the last reported sales price of our common stock on the OTCQB was US$12.09 per share.

The exchange rate in effect on March 5, 2018 as reported by Bank of Canada was US$1.00 = CAD$1.2977.“HSDT”.

Holders

As of March 5, 2018,6, 2023, there were approximately 21453 holders of record of our common stock. The number of holders of record is based on the actual number of holders registered on the books of our transfer agent and does not reflect holders of shares in “street name” or persons, partnerships, associations, corporations or other entities identified in security position listings maintained by depository trust companies.

Dividend Policy

We have notnever paid any cash dividends on our common stock since our inception and do not anticipate payinghave no current plans to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We plandividends. Our current policy is to retain ourany future earnings if any, to provide funds for the expansion ofuse in our business.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

None.

In December 2017, we issued 646,016 units in a multi-tranche private placement with certain

ITEM 6.[Reserved]

52

ITEM 6.SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

As an accelerated filer in a transition period from a smaller reporting company, we have elected not to provide selected financial data in reliance on Item 301(c) of Regulation S-K.

40


ITEM 7.

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearingincluded elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Some ofFurther, you should read the information contained in thisfollowing discussion and analysis or set forthof our financial condition and results of operations together with “Item 1A. Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this Annual Report, including information with respect to our plans and strategyForm 10-K for our business and related financing, includes forward-looking statementsa discussion of important factors that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many factors, including those factors set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of this filing, ourcould cause actual results couldto differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis. See also “Forward-Looking Statements.”

Company Overview

We are a medical technologyneurotechnology company focused on the development of products for the treatment of neurological symptoms caused by disease or trauma. We seekwellness. Our purpose is to develop, license or acquire unique and noninvasive platformnon-implantable technologies that amplify the brain’s ability to heal itself.targeted at reducing symptoms of neurological disease or trauma.

Many patients with brain injury or brain-related disease have disrupted neural networks that result in their brains being unable to correctly or efficiently carry neural impulses, which are responsible for directing bodily functions like movement control or sensory perception. Our first product, in development, known as the portable neuromodulation stimulatorPortable Neuromodulation Stimulator, or PoNS®, is an innovative non-implantable medical device, is designedinclusive of a controller and mouthpiece, which delivers mild electrical stimulation to enhancethe brain’s abilitysurface of the tongue to compensateprovide treatment of gait deficit and chronic balance deficit. PoNS has marketing clearance in the U.S. for this damage. The PoNS Treatment isuse in the U.S. as a combinationshort-term treatment of our PoNS device and functional, targeted physical therapy,gait deficit due to mild-to-moderate symptoms for MS, and is currently being developed for the treatment of movement, gait and balance disordersto be used as an adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exercise program in patients with traumatic brain injury, or TBI,22 years of age and other chronic neurological diseases.

over by prescription only. We recently completed our registrational clinical trialbegan accepting prescriptions for PoNS in the U.S. in March 2022, and commercial sales of the PoNS Treatmentcommenced in April 2022. PoNS is authorized for mild- to moderate TBI,sale in which we observed statistically and clinically significant increases in composite sensory observation test scores. Based on the safety and efficacy results from this clinical trial, we intend to submitCanada for three indications: (i) for use as a request for FDA marketing authorization for theshort term treatment (14 weeks) of chronic balance deficit due to mild-mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury, or mmTBI, and is to moderate-TBI viabe used in conjunction with physical therapy, or PoNS TherapyTM; (ii) for use as a short term treatment (14 weeks) of gait deficit due to mild and moderate symptoms from MS and it is to be used in conjunction with physical therapy; and (iii) as a short term treatment (14 weeks) of gait deficit due to mild and moderate symptoms from stroke, to be used in conjunction with physical therapy. It has been commercially available in Canada since March 2019. PoNS is authorized for sale as a Class IIa medical device in Australia and we have been seeking a business partner to commercialize and distribute PoNS in Australia.

Recent Developments

Change of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for Fiscal 2022

In September 2022, the FDA’s de novo classification processAudit Committee of the Board (i) engaged Baker Tilly US, LLP (“Baker Tilly”) to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the Company’s fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, and (ii) determined to dismiss BDO USA, LLP (“BDO”), the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2021.

Corporate Updates

We began accepting prescriptions for PoNS in the U.S. in the first halfquarter of 2018.2022, and our first commercial sales began in April 2022. Presently, PoNS Therapy is not covered by Center for Medicare and Medicaid (“CMS”) or reimbursed by any third-party payors in the US.

In June 2022, the Company launched the Patient Therapy Access Program (“PTAP”) program, which will provide qualifying patients access to PoNS therapy at a significantly reduced price. To qualify for the PTAP pricing, the patient must provide a letter of medical necessity and consent to the release of their medical records for the last two years. Because of the significantly reduced price, the patient must also sign a document that prohibits him/her from submitting a reimbursement claim to third-party payers. PTAP participants will also be invited to join the Company’s registry program, which is designed to collect important health information to establish the value of PoNS on key therapeutic outcomes and will supplement the data collected through clinical trials and real-world data. The Company began processing orders under the PTAP program in June 2022, which is expected to run through June 2023.

53

In December 2022, we launched an e-commerce site in the US to make it easier for patients to obtain PoNS systems. Accessed via ponstherapy.com, the site is powered through a new partnership with UpScriptHealth, a leading telehealth company focused on making medications and devices available direct-to-consumer. UpScriptHealth’s platform provides for (1) online health evaluations with qualified medical providers, (2) fulfillment of prescriptions required for PoNS Therapy™ and (3) shipping of PoNS devices directly to the homes of eligible patients in the United States. The UpScriptHealth platform makes it possible for people with MS to have a PoNS device delivered directly to their doorstep.

During 2021, we contracted with an industry consultant to conduct a health economic study of PoNS. Based upon the results of this study and comparing PoNS to other medical devices utilizing similar patented technologies we established a U.S. list price for the PoNS device of $25,700, comprised of $17,800 for the controller and $7,900 for the mouthpiece. We are pursuing commercial insurance coverage and Medicare reimbursement for PoNS within the Durable Medical Equipment, or DME, benefit category. While there are currently no applicable Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, or HCPCS, codes to describe the PoNS device or mouthpiece, we intend to use miscellaneous codes – E1399 (Miscellaneous durable medical equipment) and A9999 (Miscellaneous DME supply or accessory, not otherwise specified) until specific HCPCS codes are created. We initially applied for unique HCPCS codes during the third quarter of 2021. In order to address CMS’s request for additional information to “further understand the PoNS device indication for use”, we decided to move forward and collect additional clinical and real-world data. As such, through our ongoing PoNSTEP study and upcoming registry program, we plan to resubmit for unique HCPCS codes upon availability of a body of evidence that we consider adequate and sufficient to address CMS’s questions. We expect to meet again with CMS in June 2023.

The Company will continue monitoring the development of CMS’s new pathway for coverage of innovative new devices, Transitional Coverage of Emerging Technology (“TCET”), which is replacing the repealed Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technologies (“MCIT”) rule. CMS is expected to share more about TCET with the public for comments in 2023. As we follow the evolution of TCET, we will continue to assess our evidence generation strategy to reach the greatest potential to gain CMS reimbursement benefits as a result of our Breakthrough designation in MS.

We also intend to provide broad access and reimbursement for the PoNS Therapy over time through commercial insurers. Prior to the initiation of CMS or broad commercial payer coverage, we anticipate the primary source of sales will be self-pay patients. We expect to support the cost of the PoNS Therapy by offering a cash pay discount, collaborating with third parties to provide self-pay patients with financing options as well as working with advocacy groups and charitable organizations to help self-pay patients access our technology. In general, we anticipate that it will take at least 24 months to obtain broad coverage and reimbursement among government and private payers.

We entered into the Exclusivity Agreement with HTC, whereby, subject to certain terms and conditions, we granted to HTC the exclusive right to provide the PoNS Therapy in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver metro regions of British Columbia, where HTC has operated a PoNS authorized clinic since February 2019. HTC is to purchase the PoNS devices for use in these regions exclusively from us and on terms no less favorable than the then-current standard terms and conditions. This Exclusivity Agreement replaces the previous Co-Promotion Agreement between the parties dated October 2019. This exclusivity right was granted for a value of CAD$273 thousand which is represented by the unamortized payment that we received from HTC under the Co-Promotion Agreement and has an initial term of five years, renewable by HTC for one additional five-year term upon sixty days’ written notice to us.

As discussed further in Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, in August 2022, we closed on a public offering of our Class A common stock and warrants (“August 2022 Public Offering”) and received net proceeds of approximately $16.3 million.

Material Trends and Uncertainties

Global Economic Conditions

Generally, worldwide economic conditions remain uncertain, particularly due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased inflation. The general economic and capital market conditions both in the U.S. and worldwide, have been

54

volatile in the past and at times have adversely affected our access to capital and increased the cost of capital. The capital and credit markets may not be available to support future capital raising activity on favorable terms. If economic conditions decline, our future cost of equity or debt capital and access to the capital markets could be adversely affected.

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in late 2019 introduced significant volatility to the global economy, disrupted supply chains and had a widespread adverse effect on the financial markets. Additionally, our operating results could be materially impacted by changes in the overall macroeconomic environment and other economic factors. Changes in economic conditions, supply chain constraints, logistics challenges, labor shortages, the conflict in Ukraine, and steps taken by governments and central banks, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other stimulus and spending programs, have led to higher inflation, which has led to an increase in costs and has caused changes in fiscal and monetary policy, including increased interest rates. Although we may take measures to mitigate these impacts, if these measures are not effective, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.

Other Trends and Uncertainties

Beginning in late 2021, production delays began to negatively impact the ability of our contract manufacturer to successfully ramp up production during 2022 to fulfill orders for both commercial sales and clinical trials, which has been exacerbated by both labor and supply chain shortages currently being experienced by many industries in the U.S.

To successfully commercialize, we need to continue to build infrastructure necessary to grow our business including adding headcount and implementing or upgrading business systems. Competition for talent in today’s labor market may impact our ability to add headcount and to recruit talent with the expertise we need to develop our commercial infrastructure.

In response to the aforementioned challenges and trends, we have supplemented our personnel including quality resources at our contract manufacturer. Additionally, we continue to actively recruit and source candidates to fill positions as we build out our team to support our anticipated growth.

55

Results of Operations

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):

Years Ended December 31, 

    

    

2022

    

2021

    

Change

Revenue:

 

  

 

  

  

Product sales, net:

United States

$

318

$

$

318

Canada

460

493

(33)

Total product sales, net

778

493

285

Other revenue

 

9

 

29

 

(20)

Total revenue

 

787

 

522

 

265

Cost of revenue

 

463

 

298

 

165

Gross profit

 

324

 

224

 

100

Operating expenses:

 

  

 

  

 

  

Selling, general and administrative

 

10,640

 

12,176

 

(1,536)

Research and development

 

4,262

 

5,990

 

(1,728)

Amortization expense

 

181

 

200

 

(19)

Goodwill impairment

757

Total operating expenses

 

15,840

 

18,366

 

(2,526)

Loss from operations

 

(15,516)

 

(18,142)

 

2,626

Nonoperating income (expense)

 

  

 

  

 

  

Interest expense, net

(834)

(834)

Change in fair value of derivative liability

 

3,027

 

 

3,027

Foreign exchange (loss) gain

 

(756)

 

10

 

(766)

Other income (expense), net

 

7

 

 

7

Nonoperating income (expense), net

 

1,444

 

10

 

1,434

Loss before provision for income taxes

(14,072)

(18,132)

4,060

Provision for income taxes

Net loss

$

(14,072)

$

(18,132)

$

4,060

Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021

Revenue

The increase in total net product sales reflects the U.S. commercial launch of PoNS for MS in April 2022, partially offset by a decrease in product sales in Canada. The decrease in Canada product sales was primarily attributable to lower Canadian to U.S. dollar translation rates during 2022. Other revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was comprised of license fee revenue related to the amortization of the up-front payment we received in connection with our Co-Promotion Agreement with HTC.

Cost of Revenue

The increase in cost of revenue was primarily attributable to overhead costs, including salaries and benefits of employees involved in management of the supply chain, and inventory-related cost of sales due to higher sales volume as well as other costs and adjustments.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

The decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses was primarily due to a net decrease of $1.5 million in stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by increased compensation expenses related to personnel additions in late

56

2021 and early in 2022 to support the U.S. commercial launch. Refer to Note 9 for detailed information about stock-based compensation.

Research and Development Expenses

The decrease in research and development expenses was driven primarily by a decrease in product development expenses and clinical trial activities as we transitioned our focus from product development and clinical trials to U.S. commercialization activities in 2022, as well as a $0.5 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense.

Amortization Expense

Amortization expense is primarily comprised of the amortization of acquired finite-lived intangible assets. The decrease in amortization expense is the result of the customer relationships intangible asset becoming fully amortized during the first quarter of 2021 as well as lower Canadian to U.S. dollar translation rates during 2022. Refer to Note 6 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information about the composition of intangible assets.

Goodwill Impairment

During the third quarter of 2022, we recorded a goodwill impairment charge of $0.8 million, reducing the goodwill balance to zero. The significant decline in the price of our common stock following the August 2022 Public Offering was considered a triggering event for testing whether goodwill was impaired. Management performed a quantitative assessment as of September 30, 2022 and determined that the carrying value of our single reporting unit exceeded the estimated fair value. Refer to Note 3 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Nonoperating Income (Expense)

Interest Expense, Net

We recorded $0.9 million of interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 in connection with the derivative liability classification of warrants issued in connection with the August 2022 Public Offering. Refer to Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information. The interest expense was offset by $0.1 million of interest income earned on investments of excess cash in an unrestricted money market savings account and a certificate of deposit.

Change in Fair Value of Derivative Liability

As discussed in more detail in Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, the warrants issued in connection with the August 2022 Public Offering are being accounted for as a derivative liability instrument. The change in fair value of derivative liability for the year ended December 31, 2022 of $3.0 million is the result of the decrease in fair value from the date of issuance on August 9, 2022 and December 31, 2022, primarily due to a decrease in the Company’s stock price.

Foreign Exchange (Loss) Gain

The foreign exchange loss for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily due to lower Canadian to U.S. dollar exchange rates in 2022.

57

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The following table summarizes our cash and cash equivalents and working capital as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):

    

December 31, 

December 31, 

2022

2021

Cash and cash equivalents

$

14,549

$

11,005

Working capital

14,709

9,941

Our available capital resources were primarily used to expand our U.S. commercialization efforts, fund manufacturing activities for the PoNS device, conduct clinical trials and for working capital and general corporate purposes. Our major sources of cash and cash equivalents have been proceeds from public and private offerings of our common stock and to a lesser extent, exercises of warrants.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, in connection with the August 2022 Public Offering, we received gross proceeds of $18.0 million and paid $1.7 million of share issuance costs. Due to the derivative liability classification of warrants issued in connection with the August 2022 Public Offering, $0.9 million of the share issuance costs were recorded as interest expense. In addition, we received $0.6 million from the sale of common stock to Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (“Lincoln Park”) pursuant to a purchase agreement (the “LPC Purchase Agreement”) and registration rights agreement with Lincoln Park. We do not intend to submit applicationsissue any additional shares under the LPC Purchase Agreement. Refer to Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for marketing authorizationsadditional details about the stock issuances in Canada, the European Union and Australia2022. There were no exercises of warrants or stock options during the first halfyear ended December 31, 2022.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, in connection with two underwritten public offerings in February and November 2021, we received net proceeds of 2018.$9.6 million and $9.9 million, respectively. In addition, we received net proceeds of $0.6 million from the sale of common stock to Lincoln Park pursuant to the LPC Purchase Agreement. Refer to Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details about the stock issuances in 2021. We received $1.3 million from the exercise of warrants in 2021.

SinceStatement of Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our inception, we have incurred significantcash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):

Years Ended December 31, 

    

2022

    

2021

    

Change

Net cash used in operating activities

$

(14,310)

$

(13,388)

$

(922)

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(11)

 

(56)

 

45

Net cash provided by financing activities

 

17,869

 

21,126

 

(3,257)

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash

 

(4)

 

(8)

 

4

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

$

3,544

$

7,674

$

(4,130)

Net Cash used in Operating Activities

The higher level of cash used in operating losses.activities in 2022 primarily resulted from decreases related to operating assets and liabilities. The $4.0 million decrease in net loss for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared with the year ended December 31, 2021 was largely offset by an aggregate $3.5 million net decrease related to noncash adjustments.

Net Cash Used in Investing Activities

Our investing activities are primarily related to the purchase of property and equipment. During the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash used in investing activities was net of $6 thousand in proceeds from the sale of furniture and equipment.

58

Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities are primarily related to the net proceeds from the equity offerings discussed above and in Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Cash Requirements

Our ability to generate product revenues sufficient to achieve profitability will depend heavily on the successful commercialization of PoNS Therapy in the U.S. Our net loss was $28.0$14.1 million and $18.1 million for the year ended December 31, 20172022 and $12.0 million for the nine months ended December 31, 2016.2021, respectively. As of December 31, 2017,2022, we had an accumulated deficit of $66.4$151.1 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable futurefuture. These and other factors indicate substantial doubt about our ability to continue as we continuea going concern. Refer to advanceNote 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion about our going concern uncertainty.

We intend to use our available capital resources primarily to expand our U.S. commercialization efforts, fund manufacturing activities for the PoNS Treatmentdevice, conduct clinical trials and seek regulatory clearancefor working capital and pursue its commercialization. In addition, if we obtain marketing clearance, we expectgeneral corporate purposes. We believe that our existing capital resources, including the net proceeds from the August 2022 Public Offering, will be sufficient to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution. Further, we may incur expenses in connection with the in-license or acquisition of other potential products.

As a result, we will need substantial additional funding to support our continuing operations and pursue our growth strategy. Until such time as we can generate significant revenue from product sales, if ever, we expect to financefund our operations through the sale of equity, debt financings, or other capital sources, including potential collaborations with other companies or other strategic transactions. We may2023, but we will be unable to raise additional funds or enter into such other agreements or arrangements when needed on favorable terms, or at all. If we fail to raise capital or enter into such agreements, as, and when, needed, we may have to reduce the scope of our operations and planned capital expenditures or sell certain assets, including intellectual property assets.

As of December 31, 2017, we had cash of $5.6 million. We intendrequired to seek additional funding through the sale of equity or debt financing to continue to fund our operations. However, we do not currently have sufficient resourcesoperations thereafter. We will need additional funding for our planned clinical trial for stroke. The amount required to accomplish allfund operations thereafter will depend on various factors, including timing of approval of clinical trials, duration and result of clinical trials and other factors that affect the cost of the conditions necessary for us to generate revenue. For this reason, there is substantial doubt that we can continue as a going concern for the next 12 months unless we obtain additional capital to pay or reduce our expenditures.

Reverse Stock Split

Effective after the closeclinical trial, manufacturing costs of business on January 22, 2018, we completed a 1-for-5 reverse stock split of our Class A Common Stock. Since January 23, 2018, our Class A common stock has traded on a post-split basis on the OTCQB and Toronto Stock Exchange.  All share and per share amounts in this Annual Report have been reflected on a post-split basis.

Components of Our Results of Operations

Revenue

We have not generated any revenue since our inception however, and will not generate revenue unless the PoNS device receives marketing authorization approval from the FDA or other foreign regulatory authorities.

41


Research and Development Expenses

Research and development, or R&D, expenses consists of expenses incurred in connection with the discovery andproduct, development of our product candidates. We expense R&D costs as incurred. These expenses include:

expenses incurred under agreements with consultants that conduct our clinical trials;

outsourced professional scientific development services;

employee-related expenses, which include salaries, benefitsfor new indications and stock-based compensation;

expenses relating to product development and manufacturing of clinical trial devices;

expenses relating to regulatory activities, including filing fees paid to regulatory agencies; and

laboratory materials and supplies used to support our research activities.

R&D activities are central to our business model. Product candidates in later stages of clinical development generally have higher development costs than those in earlier stages of clinical development, primarily due to the increased size and duration of later-stage registrational clinical trials. We expect our R&D expenses to increase over the next several years as we increase personnel costs, conduct feasibility and pilot studies and registrational clinical trials for additional indications, invest in our product development and manufacturing capabilities and prepare regulatory filingsdemand for our product candidates.authorized products in the market.

TheThere can be no assurance that we will be successful developmentin raising additional capital or that such capital, if available, will be on terms that are acceptable to us. If we are unable to raise sufficient additional capital, we may be compelled to reduce the scope of our product candidates is highly uncertain. At this time,operations and planned capital expenditure or sell certain assets, including intellectual property, and we cannot reasonably estimatemay be forced to cease or knowwind down operations, seek protection under the nature, timing and costsprovisions of the efforts that will be necessary to complete the remainder of the development of,U.S. Bankruptcy Code, or when, if ever, material net cash inflows may commence from any ofliquidate and dissolve our product candidates. This uncertainty is due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the duration and cost of clinical trials, which vary significantly over the life of a project as a result of many factors, including:

the number of clinical sites included in the trials;

the length of time required to enroll suitable patients;

the number of patients that ultimately participate in the trials;

the manufacturing costs of devices used in our clinical trials;

the duration of patient follow-up; and

the results of our clinical trials.

Our expenditures are subject to additional uncertainties, including those described in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report.company.

General and Administrative Expenses

G&A expenses consist principally of salaries and related costs for personnel in executive, finance and legal functions, including stock-based compensation, and travel expenses. Other G&A expenses include facility related costs, professional fees for legal, auditing and tax services, consulting, and insurance costs.

We anticipate that our G&A expenses will increase as a result of increased personnel costs, including stock-based compensation, expanded infrastructure and higher consulting, legal and tax-related services associated with maintaining compliance with the TSX stock exchange listing and Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, requirements, accounting and investor relations costs, and director and officer insurance premiums associated with being a public company. Additionally, if and when we believe a regulatory approval of a drug candidate appears likely, we anticipate an increase in payroll and other expenses as a result of our preparation for commercial operations, especially as it relates to the sales and marketing and commercial infrastructure.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. This preparation requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. U.S. GAAP provides the framework from which to make these estimates, assumption and disclosures. We choose accounting policies within U.S. GAAP that management believes are appropriate to accurately and fairly report our operating results and financial position in a consistent manner. Management regularly assesses these policies in light of current and forecasted economic conditions. Actual results could differ from those estimates made by management. While there are a number of significant accounting policies affecting our financial statements,

42


we believe the critical accounting policies involving the most complex, difficult and subjective estimates and judgments are: fair valuerevenue recognition, stock-based compensation, derivative financial instruments and accounting for warrants.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue when control of non-monetary transactions, fair valuethe promised goods is transferred to the customer in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for those products.

We generate nearly all of stock options, warrantsour revenue from product sales directly to patients in the United States and derivative liabilities and valuationto clinics in Canada. Revenue from product sales is recognized at a point in time when the performance obligation is satisfied upon delivery of income tax allowances and uncertain tax position.the product. Taxes that we collect concurrent with revenue-producing activities are excluded from revenue.

59

We require customers in the United States to prepay the full product selling price, net of cash discount, prior to shipment. We record a contract liability for any customer prepayment received for which delivery had not yet occurred as of the end of the period.

Share-Based PaymentsStock-Based Compensation

We account for all share-basedstock-based payments and awards under the fair value-based method. We recognize our stock-based compensation expense using the straight-line method.

Share-based payments to non-employees are measured at the fair value Compensation cost is not adjusted for estimated forfeitures, but instead is adjusted upon an actual forfeiture of the consideration received, or the fair value of the equity instruments issued, or liabilities incurred, whichever is more reliably measurable. The fair value of share-based payments to non-employees is re-measured at each reporting period until the counterparty performance is complete, and any change therein is recognized over the vesting period of the award and in the same manner as if we had paid cash instead of paying with or using an equity-based instrument. The fair value of share-based payments to non-employees that is fully vested and non-forfeitable as at the grant date is measured and recognized at that date.a stock option.

We account for the granting of stock options and restricted stock units to employees using the fair value method whereby all awards to employees are recordedmeasured at fair value on the date of the grant. The fair value of all employee-related stock options is expensed over the requisite service period with a corresponding increase to additional paid inpaid-in capital. Upon exercise of stock options, the consideration paid by the option holder, together with the amount previously recognized in additional paid-in capital is recorded as an increase to sharecommon stock, while the par value of the shares received is reclassified from additional paid in capital. Stock options granted to employees are accounted for as liabilities when they contain conditions or other features that are indexed to other than a market, performance or service condition.

conditions.

We use the Black-Scholes option pricingoption-pricing model to calculate the fair value of stock options. The use of the Black-Scholes option pricingoption-pricing model requires management to make assumptions with respect to the expected term of the option, the expected volatility of the common stock consistent with the expected term of the option, risk-free interest rates, the value of the common stock and expected dividend yield of the common stock. The expected term of our employee-related stock options is determined utilizingChanges in these assumptions can materially affect the “simplified” method for awards that qualify as “plain vanilla” options. The expected term of stock options granted to non-employees is equal to the contractual term of the option award. We lack historical and implied volatility information. Therefore, we estimate our expected stock volatility based on the historical volatility of a publicly traded set of peer companies and expect to continue to do so until such time as we have adequate historical data regarding the volatility of our own traded stock price. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to the Bank of Canada Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant of the award for time periods approximately equal to the expected term of the award. Expected dividend yield is based on the fact that we have never paid cash dividends and do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.fair value estimate.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We evaluate our financial instruments and other contracts to determine if those contracts or embedded components of those contracts qualify as derivatives to be separately accounted for in accordance with ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging.Hedging. The result of this accounting treatment is that the fair value of the embedded derivative is marked-to-marketre-measured at each balance sheet date and recorded as a liability or asset and the change in fair value is recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Upon conversion or exercisesettlement of a derivative financial instrument, the instrument is marked to fair valuere-measured at the conversionsettlement date and then that fair value of the underlying instrument is reclassified to equity.

The classification of derivative financial instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as a liabilityliabilities/assets or as equity, is re-assessedreassessed at the end of each reporting period. Derivative financial instruments that become subject to reclassification are reclassified at the fair value of the instrument on the reclassification date. Derivative financial instrument liabilities are classified in the consolidated balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or notif the right to exercise or settle the derivative financial instrument lies with the holder.

We use the Monte Carlo and Black-Scholes option pricing modeloption-pricing models to value derivative financial instrument liabilities. This model uses Level 3 inputs in the fair value hierarchy established by ASC 820 - Fair Value Measurement.Measurement.

On January 4, 2017, our BoardAs of Directors approved a change in our fiscal year end from March 31 to December 31.  We believe that a reader’s understanding of our results of operations will be enhanced by review of a comparison between our audited results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 and2022, our unaudited results for the calendar year ended December 31, 2016. Accordingly we present our discussion and analysis under “Results of Operations” and “Statements of Cash Flows” below based on comparisons of the results for such periods.

43


Results of Operations

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2017, the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 and the nine months ended December 31, 2016:

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

Twelve Months Ended

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nine Months Ended

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

December 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

Change

 

 

2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research and development

 

 

14,387

 

 

 

5,704

 

 

 

8,683

 

 

 

4,723

 

General and administrative

 

 

8,466

 

 

 

7,585

 

 

 

881

 

 

 

5,651

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

22,853

 

 

 

13,289

 

 

 

9,564

 

 

 

10,374

 

Operating loss

 

 

(22,853

)

 

 

(13,289

)

 

 

(9,564

)

 

 

(10,374

)

Other income (expense):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest and other income

 

 

-

 

 

 

90

 

 

 

(90

)

 

 

111

 

Change in fair value of derivative financial instruments

 

 

(3,443

)

 

 

(2,511

)

 

 

(932

)

 

 

(2,480

)

Foreign exchange loss

 

 

(1,728

)

 

 

(161

)

 

 

(1,567

)

 

 

703

 

Total other expense

 

 

(5,171

)

 

 

(2,582

)

 

 

(2,589

)

 

 

(1,666

)

Net loss

 

$

(28,024

)

 

$

(15,871

)

 

$

(12,153

)

 

$

(12,040

)

Year Ended December 31, 2017 Compared to Unaudited Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2016

Revenue

During the year ended December 31, 2017 and the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 we did not generate any revenue.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development, or R&D expenses were $14.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to $5.7 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016. The increase of $8.7 million was primarily attributable to an increase in our activities with respect to the clinical development of our PoNS device, including our registrational clinical trial and device design and development and manufacturing activities.

Design and engineering verification and manufacturing of our PoNS device was $5.3 million higher for the year ended December 31, 2017 over the comparable period in 2016 as we prepared the required documentation for our FDA submission. In addition, expenses related to our registrational clinical trial for mild- to moderate- TBI increased by approximately $2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 over the comparable period in 2016. This expense included start-up and operating costs which supported an increase in the number of our clinical sites as well expenses related to traditional and digital clinical trial recruitment activities. The increased spending during 2017 accelerated the completion of our registrational clinical trial, which we completed during the third quarter of 2017.

We also incurred $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, in expenses related to regulatory initiatives towards our FDA submission for marketing clearance of our PoNS device.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative, or G&A, expenses were $8.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to $7.6 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016.

The increase of $0.9 million was primarily attributable to higher legal expenses of $1.3 million and professional services fees of $0.2 million which were partially offset by lower stock-based compensation expense of $0.6 million, as a result of lower number of stock options granted in 2017.

Change in Fair Value of Derivative Financial Instruments

The change in fair value of derivative financial instruments was an expenseaccounted for in accordance with ASC 815 were comprised of $3.4 millionwarrants issued in connection with August 2022 Public Offering.

Accounting for the year ended December 31, 2017, comparedWarrants

We have issued and may continue to an expenseissue warrants to purchase shares of $2.5 millioncommon stock through our public and private offerings. We account for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016.

44


The changesuch warrants in fair valueaccordance with ASC 480 Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, which identifies three categories of derivativefreestanding financial instruments was primarily attributablethat are required to be accounted for as a change in our stock price and volatility. The change inliability. If determined to be classified as a liability, we will remeasure the fair value of derivative financial instruments is a non-cash item.

During the year ended December 31, 2017, derivative financial instruments increased by $3.0 million from the issuance of 646,016 warrants issued in our December 2017 financing, as these warrants were denominated in a currency other than our functional currency. This was partially offset by a $1.2 million decrease in derivative financial instruments as a result of the exercise of 208,333 warrants which wereat each balance sheet date. If determined to be classified as derivative financial instruments (see Note 3).

Foreign Exchange Loss

Foreign exchange loss was $1.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to a loss of $0.2 million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2016. This was primarily due to fluctuations in the foreign exchange rate as it relates to the amount of Canadian dollars held at the end of each reporting period.

Statements of Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our cash flows during the year ended December 31, 2017, the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 and the nine months ended December 31, 2016:

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

Twelve Months Ended

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nine Months Ended

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

December 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

Change

 

 

2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net cash used in operating activities

 

$

(19,325

)

 

$

(9,568

)

 

$

(9,757

)

 

$

(7,885

)

Net cash used in investing activities

 

 

(190

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(190

)

 

 

-

 

Net cash provided by financing activities

 

 

22,218

 

 

 

7,997

 

 

 

14,221

 

 

 

7,997

 

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash

 

 

190

 

 

 

(110

)

 

 

300

 

 

 

(87

)

Net increase (decrease) in cash

 

$

2,893

 

 

$

(1,682

)

 

$

4,575

 

 

$

25

 

Year Ended December 31, 2017 Compared to the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2016

Net Cash Used in Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $19.3 million.  This was comprised of a net loss of $28.0 million, adjusted for non-cash items including the change inequity, the fair value of our derivative liabilitiesthe warrants will be measured as of $3.4 million, stock-based compensation expensethe date of $1.8 millionissuance and unrealized foreign exchange losswill not be subject to remeasurement at each balance sheet date.

60

The fair value of the warrants is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, based on the market value of the underlying common stock at the measurement dates, the contractual terms of the warrants, risk-free interest rates and expected volatility of the price of the underlying common stock. There are no expected dividends.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes using the asset and liability method. The asset and liability method provide that deferred tax assets and liabilities was $1.8 million.

Net cash used in operating activitiesare recognized for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 was $9.6 million.  This was comprisedexpected future tax consequences of a net losstemporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of $15.9 million, adjusted for non-cash items including the change in the fair value of our derivative liabilities of $2.5 million, stock-based compensation expense of $2.3 million and unrealized foreign exchange loss of $0.1 million. In addition, changes in operating assets and liabilities, was $1.4 million.and for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. We record a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is believed more likely than not to be realized.

Net Cash usedWe have adopted the provisions of ASC 740 Income Taxes regarding accounting for uncertainty in Investing Activitiesincome taxes. We initially recognize tax positions in the financial statements when it is more likely than not the position will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities. Such tax positions are initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of the tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the tax authority, assuming full knowledge of the position and all relevant facts. Application requires numerous estimates based on available information. We consider many factors when evaluating and estimating its tax positions and tax benefits. These periodic adjustments may have a material impact on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. When applicable, we classify penalties and interest associated with uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense in its consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $0.2 million, which was primarily relatedGoing Concern

Because we have generated limited revenues from commercialization, our operations to leasehold improvements at our new office space.

Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $22.2 million, which was primarily comprised of $20.9 million received fromdate have been principally financed through public and private offerings of our common stock and warrants. In February 2017, we received approximately $9.2 million in a public offering from the saleconvertible debt and exercises of 1,311,000 shares of our Class A common stock. In June 2017, we received approximately $5.4 million from the sale of 800,000 of our Class A common stock in a private placement. In December 2017, we received approximately $6.3 million from the sale of 646,016 units which was comprised of one share of our Class A common stock and one share purchase warrant in a private placement. For the year ended December 31, 2017, we also received approximately $2.6 million in proceeds from the exercise of stock options and warrants. These proceeds were partially offset by $1.2 million in issuance costs primarily related to our public offering.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 was $8.0 million, which was primarily comprised of $7.9 million received from offerings of our Class A common stock conducted in April and May 2016, as well as $1.6 million received from the exercise of stock options and warrants.  These amounts were partially offset by $1.5 million in share issuance costs incurred in connection with our offering.  

45


Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our financial statements have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern and, accordingly, do not include adjustments relating to the recoverability and realization of assets and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should we be unable to continue in operation.

The following table summarizes our cash and our working capital, which excludes non-cash items (derivative financial instruments) as of December 31, 2017 and 2016:

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

Cash

 

$

5,562

 

 

$

2,669

 

Working capital

 

$

1,897

 

 

$

1,030

 

We currently have limited working capital and liquid assets.  Our cash as of December 31, 2017 was $5.6 million. To date, we have not generated any revenue from the commercial sale of products or services. There are a number of conditions that we must satisfy before we will be able to generate sufficient revenue to fund our operations, including but not limited to FDA marketing authorizationthe successful commercialization of the PoNS device for treating balance disorder associated with mild-in the U.S.

These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to moderate-TBI, manufacturingcontinue as a going concern through at least 12 months from the date of a commercially-viable version of the PoNS device and demonstration of effectiveness sufficient to generate commercial orders by customers for our product.this Annual Report. While we are currently seeking additional funding,had $14.5 million of cash as of December 31, 2022, we do not currently have sufficient resources to accomplish anyall of thesethe above conditions necessary for us to generate revenue. Wesufficient revenues to achieve profitability, and we expect that we will therefore require substantial additional funds in orderfinancing to continue to conduct the development of our PoNS device and regulatory clearance and approval activities necessary to bring our product to market, to establish effective marketing and sales capabilities and to develop other product candidates.

We will require additional funding to fund our ongoing activities.operations. There can beis no assuranceguarantee that wesuch funding will be successfulavailable at all or in raising additional capital or that such capital, if available, will be on terms that are acceptablesufficient amounts to us. If we are unable to raise sufficient additional capital, we may be compelled to reducesatisfy our required expenditures. In reviewing this filing, you should carefully consider this uncertainty, the scope of our operationsrisks described in the section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and planned capital expenditure or sell certain assets, including intellectual property, and we may be forced to cease or wind down operations, seek protection under the provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, or liquidate and dissolve our company.other risks described throughout this Annual Report.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

To the best of management’s knowledge, there are no off-balance sheet arrangements that have, or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future effect on our results of operations or financial condition.

Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes, as of December 31, 2017, our obligations to make future payments pursuant to certain contracts or arrangements and provides an estimate of the fiscal years in which these obligations are expected to be satisfied:

 

 

Payments due by Period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greater than

 

 

Greater than

 

 

Greater than

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Year or Less

 

 

1 Year to 3 Years

 

 

3 Years  to 5 Years

 

 

5 Years

 

 

Total

 

Operating Lease

 

$

231

 

 

$

499

 

 

$

527

 

 

$

12

 

 

$

1,269

 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016,Information regarding recently issued accounting pronouncements is included in Note 2 to the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The amendments in this update change existing guidance related to accounting for employee share-based payments affecting the income tax consequences of awards, classification of awards as equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. The updated accounting guidance was effective for us on January 1, 2017 and it did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements and any deferred tax benefits would be offset by a valuation allowance.Consolidated Financial Statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The new standard establishes a right-of-use, or ROU, model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the consolidated balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the consolidated statement of operations. ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for lessees for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the

46


condensed consolidated financial statements, with certain practical expedients available. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of the standard on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which was further amended through various updates issued by the FASB thereafter. The amendments of Topic 606 completed the joint effort between the FASB and the IASB, to develop a common revenue standard for GAAP and IFRS, and to improve financial reporting. The guidance under Topic 606 provides that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for the goods or services provided and establishes a five-step model to be applied by an entity in evaluating its contracts with customers. We do not have any revenues or contracts with customers and will need to evaluate the impact of Topic 606 on our results of operations, cash flows and financial position should a revenue generating transaction arise in the future. While we will adopt Topic 606 on January 1, 2018 (and will do so on a modified retrospective basis), the adoption will have no impact on our consolidated financial statements.

JOBS Act

In April 2012, the JOBS Act was enacted in the United States. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. Thus, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this extended transition period and, as a result, we will adopt new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth public companies.

ITEM 7A.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

We are exposed to foreign currency exchange risk from the transfer of funds between the United States and Canada to satisfy obligations as we do not hedge our foreign exchange exposure.Not applicable.

ITEM 8.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

See the Index to Financial StatementsThe information required by this item is included in this Form 10-K.10-K beginning on page F-1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

61

ITEM 9.

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

On January 4, 2017, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors approved BDO USA LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2016.  Contemporaneous with the determination to appoint BDO USA LLP, we dismissed BDO Canada LLP from the role. The reports of BDO Canada LLP on our consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles, except that the reports for each such fiscal year included a paragraph stating that there was substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

During the fiscal years ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, there were no disagreements between us and BDO Canada LLP on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedure which, if not resolved to the satisfaction of BDO Canada LLP, would have caused BDO Canada LLP to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements in connection with its reports for such fiscal years; and there were no reportable events as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K except for the material weakness in (i) our internal control over financial reporting disclosed in its Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015 (filed January 11, 2016), related to the design of controls with respect to the calculation of the fair value of our share based compensation, and (ii) our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016 (filed June 28, 2016) related to our accounting staff having insufficient technical accounting knowledge relating to accounting for income taxes and complex U.S. GAAP matters. The Audit Committee discussed the subject matter of these reportable events with BDO Canada LLP. We have authorized BDO Canada LLP to respond fully and without limitation to all requests of BDO USA LLP concerning all matters related to the periods audited by BDO Canada LLP, including with respect to the subject matter of these reportable events.

ITEM 9A.

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

As required by Rule 13a-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, we have evaluated our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

47


Based on this evaluation, weour Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.Form 10-K.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Overover Financial Reporting

We are responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal controls over financial reporting. Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017.2022. In making this assessment, our management used the criteria described in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013), issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and assessed the applicability of the principles within each component of internal control and determined whether or not they have been adequately addressed within the current system of internal control and adequately documented. Based on this assessment, management, under the supervision and with the participation of our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, concluded that, as of December 31, 2017,2022, our internal control over financial reporting was effective.

Because we qualify as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act, this Annual Report onThis Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting as required by Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002. As a non-accelerated filer, our management’s report was not subject to attestation by our registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the SEC that permit us to provide only management’s report in this Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control Overover Financial Reporting

We monitor our internal control over financial reporting on a continuous basis. During the quarter ended September 30, 2017, we identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as a result of a business email compromise fraud. It involved the impersonation of our employees and fraudulent demands for wire transfers that targeted our finance department. We immediately responded to the criminal fraud. Despite our response, the fraud resulted in a transfer of approximately $0.2 million. To date, no funds have been recovered. The Company’s investigation into this matter continues. During the third and fourth quarter of 2017, enhancements were made to our controls relating to electronic payments, including by wire transfer of funds. These enhancements included additional verification and documentation procedures to be followed prior to the initiation or approval of electronic payments by or for us. We believe these enhancements have increased the ability of our personnel to identify and block attempts by third parties to fraudulently initiate electronic payments from us. Our management believes that the foregoing actions will help to improve our internal controls over financial reporting. Other than the actions described above, thereThere has not been any change in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rule13a-15(d)and 15d-15(d) ofunder the Exchange Act that occurred during the quarter ended December31, 2017 have2022 which has materially affected, or areis reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 9B.

OTHER INFORMATION

None.

48


ITEM 9C.

DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS

Not applicable.

62

PART III

We will file a definitive Proxy Statement for our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2023 Proxy Statement”) with the SEC, pursuant to Regulation 14A, not later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year. Accordingly, certain information required by Part III has been omitted under General Instruction G(3) to Form 10-K. Only those sections of the 2022 Proxy Statement that specifically address the items set forth herein are incorporated by reference.

ITEM 10.

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The information required by this Item 10 will be included in our definitive proxy statementis hereby incorporated by reference to be filed with the SEC with respect to our 2018 Annual Meetingsections of Stockholdersthe 2023 Proxy Statement under the captions “Information Regarding the Board of Directors and is incorporated herein by reference.Corporate Governance,” “Proposal 1 - Election of Directors,” “Executive Officers”, and “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports”.

ITEM 11.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The information required by this Item 11 will be included in our definitive proxy statementis hereby incorporated by reference to be filed with the SEC with respect to our 2018 Annual Meetingsections of Stockholdersthe 2023 Proxy Statement under the captions “Executive Compensation” and is incorporated herein by reference.“Information Regarding the Board of Directors and Corporate Governance– Non-Employee Director Compensation.”

ITEM 12.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The information required by this Item 12 will be included in our definitive proxy statementis hereby incorporated by reference to be filed with the SEC with respect to our 2018 Annual Meetingsections of Stockholdersthe 2023 Proxy Statement under the captions “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and is incorporated herein by reference.Management" and "Executive Compensation.”

ITEM 13.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The information required by this Item 13 will be included in our definitive proxy statementis hereby incorporated by reference to be filed with the SEC with respect to our 2018 Annual Meetingsections of Stockholdersthe 2023 Proxy Statement under the captions “Certain Relationships and is incorporated herein by reference.Related Transactions” and “Information Regarding the Board of Directors and Corporate Governance - Independence of the Board of Directors.”

ITEM 14.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

The information required by this Item 14 will be included in our definitive proxy statementis hereby incorporated by reference to be filed with the SEC with respect to our 2018 Annual Meetingsections of Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.the 2023 Proxy Statement under the caption “Proposal 2 - Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.”

4963


PART IV

PART
IV

ITEM 15.

EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report:Form 10-K:

1.

1.

Financial Statements—See the Index to Consolidated Financial Statements on Page F-1.

2.

2.

Financial Statement Schedules—None. We have omitted financial statement schedules because they are not required or are not applicable, or the required information is shown in the consolidated financial statements or notes to the consolidated financial statements.

3.Exhibits.

3.

Exhibit
Number

Exhibit

Exhibits.

Exhibit

Number

Exhibit

3.1

  2.2

Agreement and PlanCertificate of Merger among Helius Medical Technologies, Inc., HMT Mergersub, Inc. and NeuroHabilitation Corporation, dated June 6, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Form S-1Conversion filed with the SECDelaware Secretary of State on July 14, 2014)

  3.1

Articles of Continuation18, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Form S-110-Q filed with the SEC on July 14, 2014)August 9, 2018)

3.2

ArticlesCertificate of Amendment filed with the Wyoming Secretary of State on July 3, 2014Incorporation, as corrected (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.23.1 to the Form S-18-K filed with the SEC on July 14, 2014)October 30, 2018)

3.3

ArticlesCertificate of Amendment filed with the Wyoming Secretaryto Certificate of State on April 27, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to amendment no. 1 to the Form 10 filed with the SEC on May 4, 2015)

  3.4

Articles of Amendment filed with the Wyoming Secretary of State on January 22, 2018Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Form 8-K filed on January 23, 2018)December 31, 2020)

3.4

  3.5

Bylaws as amended and restated (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.13.3 to the Form 10-Q filed August 9, 2018)

4.1

Form of Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 23, 2016)October 26, 2020)

  4.14.2

Form of Warrant (included in(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2)4.1 to the Form S-1/A filed January 20, 2021)

4.3

Warrant Agency Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Form S-1/A filed January 20, 2021)

  4.2 4.4

Description of Registrant’s Securities (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.7 to the Form 10-K filed March 14, 2021)

4.5

Warrant IndentureAgency Agreement dated April 18, 2016as of February 1, 2021 by and between Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and Computershare Investor Services Inc.American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Form 8-K filed February 1, 2021)

4.6

Form of Warrant to purchase shares of common stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to amendment no. 1 to the Form 8-K filed April 18, 2016 and amended on April 20, 2016)August 9, 2022)

4.7

  4.3 

AmendedWarrant Agency Agreement dated as of August 9, 2022 by and Restated June 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 9, 2017)

10.1†

Employment Agreement between Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and Philippe Deschamps, dated June 13, 2014American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.14.2 to the Form S-18-K filed with the SEC on July 14, 2014)August 9, 2022)

10.1

10.2†

Amendment Agreement to the Employment Agreement between Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and Philippe Deschamps, dated September 1, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.5 to the Amendment to Form S-1 filed with the SEC on September 23, 2014)

10.3†

Employment Agreement between Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and Jonathan Sackier, dated December 1, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Form 10-12G filed with the SEC on April 15, 2015)

10.4†

Consulting Agreement between NeuroHabilitation Corporation and Yuri Danilov, dated July 1, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 to the Amendment to Form S-1 filed with the SEC on September 23, 2014)

10.5†

Consulting Agreement between NeuroHabilitation Corporation and Mitch Tyler, dated December 10, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Form 10-12G filed with the SEC on February 6, 2015)

10.6†

Advisory Agreement between Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and V Baron Global Financial Canada Ltd., dated June 13, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Form S-1 filed with the SEC on July 14, 2014)

10.7

License Agreement between Advanced NeuroRehabilitation, LLC and Yuri Danilov, Mitchell Tyler, Kurt Kaczmarek and John Klus, dated June 29, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Amendment to Form S-1 filed with the SEC on September 23, 2014)

10.2

10.8

Amended and Restated Patent Sub-License Agreement between Advanced NeuroRehabilitation, LLC and NeuroHabilitation Corporation,Helius Medical, Inc, having an effective date of January 22, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form S-1 filed with the SEC on July 14, 2014)

10.3

50


Exhibit

Number

Exhibit

10.9

Second Amended and Restated Patent Sub-License Agreement between Advanced NeuroRehabilitation, LLC and NeuroHabilitation Corporation,Helius Medical, Inc, dated June 6, 2014, but having an effective date of January 22, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Form S- 1 filed with the SEC on July 14, 2014)

10.10

Master Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between NeuroHabilitation Corporation, Advanced NeuroRehabilitation, LLC, Yuri Danilov, Mitchell Tyler, Kurt Kaczmarek and U.S. Army Medical Material Agency and U.S. Army Medical Material Development Activity, dated effective February 1, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Form S-1 filed with the SEC on July 14, 2014)

10.4

10.11

Notice of Modification No. 1 to Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between NeuroHabilitation Corporation, Advanced NeuroRehabilitation, LLC, Yuri Danilov, Mitchell Tyler, Kurt Kaczmarek and U.S. Army Medical Material Agency and U.S. Army Medical Material Development Activity, dated April 29, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Form S-1 filed with the SEC on July 14, 2014)

10.12

Notice of Modification No. 2 to Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between NeuroHabilitation Corporation, Advanced NeuroRehabilitation, LLC, Yuri Danilov, Mitchell Tyler, Kurt Kaczmarek and U.S. Army Medical Material Agency and U.S. Army Medical Material Development Activity, dated January 12, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to the Form 10-12G filed with the SEC on February 6, 2015)

10.13

Design and Manufacturing Consultant Agreement between NeuroHabilitation CorporationHelius Medical, Inc and Clinvue, LLC, dated January 30, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Form S-1 filed with the SEC on July 14, 2014)

10.5

10.14

Commercial Development-to-Supply Program between NeuroHabilitation CorporationHelius Medical, Inc and Ximedica, dated October 25, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Form S-1 filed with the SEC on July 14, 2014)

64

Exhibit
Number

Exhibit

10.6‡

10.15

Amendment No. 1 to the Commercial Development-to-Supply Program between NeuroHabilitation Corporation and Ximedica, dated October 25, 2013, amended January 15, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15 to the Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 4, 2016)

10.16†

Employment Agreement between Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and Joyce LaViscount, dated October 19, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on February 16, 2016)

10.18‡

Asset Purchase Agreement between the Company and A&B (HK) Company Limited, dated as of October 9, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 16, 2015)

10.6.1

10.19

Convertible Promissory NoteAmendment to Asset Purchase Agreement between the Company and A&B (HK) Company Limited, dated as of October 9, 201530, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 16, 2015)November 2, 2017)

10.6.2

10.20

NoticeSupplemental Agreement to Asset Purchase Agreement dated October 9, 2015, between Helius Medical, Inc. and A&B (HK) Company Limited, dated as of Modification No. 3 to Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between NeuroHabilitation Corporation, Advanced NeuroRehabilitation, LLC, Yuri Danilov, Mitchell Tyler, Kurt Kaczmarek and U.S. Army Medical Material Agency and U.S. Army Medical Material Development Activity, dated December 28, 2016August 15, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.110.27 to the Form 8-K10-K filed with the SEC on December 31, 2015)March 14, 2019)

10.7†

10.21

Agency Agreement between the CompanyAmended and Mackie Research Capital Corporation, dated as of March 23, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.21 to the Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 4, 2016)

10.22

Sole-source cost sharing contract between NeuroHabilitation Corporation and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) dated as of July 7, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 4, 2016)

10.22.1

Amendment to Sole-Source Cost Sharing Contract between NeuroHabilitation Corporation and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC), dated November 7, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 21, 2016)

10.23

Restated June 2014 StockEquity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.14.3 to the Form S-110-Q filed with the SEC on July 14, 2014)November 9, 2017)

10.7.1†

10.23.1

2014 Stock Incentive Plan Form of Option Grant Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.1 to the Transition Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 3, 2017)

10.24

Consulting Agreement between Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and Montel Media, Inc., dated April 13, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to the Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 4, 2016)

10.8†

10.25

2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.25 to the Transition Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 3, 2017)

10.8.1†

51


Exhibit

Number

Exhibit

10.25.1

Amendment Number 1 to the 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.25.1 to the Transition Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 3, 2017)

10.8.2†

10.26

Commercial lease agreement dated March 29, 2017 between NeuroHabilitation Corporation and 660 Tudor Square, L.P.Amendment Number 2 to the 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.264.7 to the Transition ReportRegistration Statement on Form 10-KS-8 filed with the SEC on April 3,May 18, 2017)

10.8.3†

10.27

Modification No. 4 to the Amended Cooperative Research and Development2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan Form of U.S. Option Grant Agreement dated September 6, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.14.8 to the Registration Statement on Form 8-KS-8 filed September 12,with the SEC on May 18, 2017)

10.8.4†

2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan Form of Canada Option Grant Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.9 to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed with the SEC on May 18, 2017)

10.2810.9†

Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract of Sole-Source Cost Sharing Agreement with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command), dated November 7, 20172018 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 9, 2017)8, 2018)

10.9.1†

10. 29*+

Commercial contract manufacturing agreement dated December 29, 2017 between NeuroHabilitation Corporation and Key Tronic Corporation2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan Form of Option Grant Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Form 10-Q filed November 8, 2018)

10.9.2†

2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan Form of Restricted Stock Unit Grant Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Form 10 Q filed November 8, 2018)

10.9.3†

2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan Form of Option Grant Agreement – 2020 Retention Grant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed on October 7, 2020)

10.9.4†

2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan Form of Stock Grant Notice and Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed on April 7, 2021)

10.9.5†

Amendment to the Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed on May 27, 2021)

10.9.6†

2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan Form of Option Grant Agreement – Initial Grants to Dane C. Andreeff and Jeffrey S. Mathiesen (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Form 8-K filed on June 15, 2021)

10.10†

Form of Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to the Form 10-K filed March 10, 2021)

10.11

Non-employee Director Compensation Policy (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Form 10-Q filed on May 17, 2021)

10.12†

Employment Agreement between Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and Dane C. Andreeff, dated June 14, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed on June 15, 2021)

10.13†

Employment Agreement between Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and Jeffrey S. Mathiesen, dated June 14, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Form 8-K filed on June 15, 2021)

10.14†

Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. 2021 Inducement Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.6 to the Form S-8 filed July 7, 2021)

10.14.1†

Form of Stock Option Grant Notice, Option Agreement and Notice of Exercise under the Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. 2021 Inducement Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to the Form S-8 filed July 7, 2021)

10.15

Purchase Agreement between Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC dated September 1, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed on September 2, 2021)

65

Exhibit
Number

Exhibit

10.16†

Employment Agreement between Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and Antonella Favit-Van Pelt, dated July 7, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.31 to the Form S-1 filed on September 3, 2021)

10.17†

Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed on February 18, 2022)

10.17.1†

Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan Form of Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Form 8-K filed on February 18, 2022)

16.1

Letter from BDO CanadaUSA, LLP dated January 10, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 16.1 to the Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 10, 2017)September 30, 2022)

21.1*

Subsidiaries of Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.

23.1*

Consent of Baker Tilly US, LLP

23.2*

Consent of BDO USA, LLP

31.1*

Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes – Oxley Act of 2002

31.2*

Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes – Oxley Act of 2002

32.1*

Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes – Oxley Act of 2002

101.INS*

Inline XBRL Instance Document

101.SCH*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

101.CAL*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

101.LAB*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

101.PRE*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

101.DEF*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

104*

Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)

*

Filed herewith.

Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan.

Confidential information has been omitted and filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Confidential treatment has been granted with respect to this omitted information.

+

Confidential information has been omitted and filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to this omitted information.

ITEM 16.

FORM 10-K SUMMARY

None

52


66

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

53


67

Report

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the stockholders and the board of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Boarddirectors of Directors and Stockholders

Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.

Newtown, Pennsylvania

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheetssheet of Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”"Company") and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017 and 2016,2022, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ deficit,stockholders' equity, and cash flows, for the year ended December 31, 2017 and for the period from April 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016,2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated"consolidated financial statements”statements"). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and subsidiaries atas of December 31, 2017 and 2016,2022, and the results of theirits operations and theirits cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2017 and the period from April 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016,2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Going Concern Uncertainty

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 toof the consolidated financial statements, the Company has incurred substantial netrecurring losses since its inception, hasfrom operations, an approximate accumulated deficit, of $66.4 million as of December 31, 2017 and the Company expects to incur further net losses infor the development of its business.foreseeable future and requires additional working capital. These conditionsare the reasons that raise substantial doubt about itstheir ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The consolidated financial statements do not includecontain any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’sCompany's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’sCompany's consolidated financial statements based on our audits.audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our auditsaudit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our auditsaudit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’sCompany's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our auditsaudit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our auditsaudit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provideaudit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

F-1

Critical Audit Matter Description

Classification and valuation of warrants

As described in Note 8 to the financial statements, the Company completed an equity offering during the year which included the issuance of warrants. Management evaluated the classification of the warrants as either equity or liability presentation by reviewing the terms and conditions of the issued warrants and applying the applicable accounting guidance, including Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. Management concluded the warrants met the criteria for the classification as liabilities. Given the liability treatment, the Company is required to determine the fair value of the warrants at each reporting period.

Due to the complexity in the accounting guidance, the need for management judgment in applying the accounting guidance, and the fact that a slight change in terms can result in significant changes in both the initial accounting and subsequent accounting for the warrants, we identified the evaluation of the classification of the warrants issued during the year as a critical audit matter.

In addition, due to the complexities in determining the fair value, including use of complex valuation techniques and management judgment and estimation in determining assumptions and inputs into the valuation model, we identified the evaluation of the classification of the warrants issued during the year as a critical audit matter.

How We Addressed the Matter in Our Audit

The primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter included:

We obtained the Company’s accounting analysis for the equity offering during the year.  We compared the terms described in the Company’s analysis to the terms of the respective agreements to determine the completeness and accuracy of the analysis performed.
With the assistance of firm personnel having expertise in the accounting for complex equity instruments, we performed a detailed examination of the warrant agreement for the equity offering, with a primary focus on the key terms and conditions and applying the Indexation Guidance. The warrants failed the Indexation Guidance given the impact of potential future changes to pricing/conversion rates unrelated to future equity issuances. We agreed with the conclusion to classify the warrants as a liability.
With the assistance of firm personnel having expertise in the valuation of derivative instruments, we reviewed the Company’s valuation, including determining the impact of key provisions from the warrant agreement and tying out inputs into the valuation model. We performed an independent analysis validating the Company’s calculation.

/s/ Baker Tilly US, LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2022.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

March 9, 2023

F-2

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Board of Directors and Stockholders

Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.

Newtown, Pennsylvania

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Going Concern Uncertainty

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has incurred substantial net losses since its inception, has an accumulated deficit of $137.0 million as of December 31, 2021 and the Company expects to incur further net losses in the development of its business. These conditions raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans concerning these matters are also described in Note 1. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ BDO USA, LLP

We have served as the Company'sCompany’s auditor since 2017.from 2017 to 2022.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

March 12, 201814, 2022

F-1F-3


Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Except for share data, amounts in thousands, except share and expressed in United States Dollars)per share amounts)

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

ASSETS

 

Current assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash

 

$

5,562

 

 

$

2,669

 

Receivables

 

 

704

 

 

 

225

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

 

352

 

 

 

556

 

Total current assets

 

 

6,618

 

 

 

3,450

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

 

173

 

 

 

 

Other assets

 

 

18

 

 

 

 

TOTAL ASSETS

 

$

6,809

 

 

$

3,450

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT

 

Current liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

3,479

 

 

$

2,161

 

Accrued liabilities

 

 

1,242

 

 

 

259

 

Derivative financial instruments

 

 

9,578

 

 

 

4,474

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

14,299

 

 

 

6,894

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES

 

 

14,299

 

 

 

6,894

 

Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock (Unlimited Class A common shares authorized);

   (20,178,226 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2017 and

   16,926,120 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2016)

 

 

52,230

 

 

 

30,897

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

6,602

 

 

 

5,732

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

47

 

 

 

(1,728

)

Accumulated deficit

 

 

(66,369

)

 

 

(38,345

)

TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

 

 

(7,490

)

 

 

(3,444

)

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

 

$

6,809

 

 

$

3,450

 

December 31, 

2022

2021

ASSETS

 

  

 

  

Current assets

 

  

 

  

Cash and cash equivalents

$

14,549

$

11,005

Accounts receivable, net

 

71

 

66

Other receivables

 

272

 

185

Inventory, net

 

589

 

476

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

1,216

 

862

Total current assets

 

16,697

 

12,594

Property and equipment, net

 

347

 

409

Goodwill

 

 

763

Intangible assets, net

 

140

 

333

Operating lease right-of-use asset, net

 

103

 

3

Total assets

$

17,287

$

14,102

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

 

  

Current liabilities

 

 

  

Accounts payable

$

627

$

1,069

Accrued and other current liabilities

 

1,280

 

1,433

Operating lease liabilities

 

54

 

3

Deferred revenue

 

27

 

148

Total current liabilities

 

1,988

 

2,653

Operating lease liabilities

 

56

 

Deferred revenue

 

175

 

193

Derivative liability

6,917

Total liabilities

 

9,136

 

2,846

Commitments and contingencies (Note 13)

 

 

  

Stockholders' equity

 

 

  

Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021

 

 

Class A common stock, $0.001 par value; 150,000,000 shares authorized; 28,207,330 and 3,780,674 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively

 

28

 

4

Additional paid-in capital

 

159,618

 

149,412

Accumulated deficit

 

(151,107)

 

(137,035)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(388)

 

(1,125)

Total stockholders' equity

 

8,151

 

11,256

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$

17,287

$

14,102

(The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.)

F-2


F-4

Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss

(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

(Amounts in thousands except shares and per share data, and expressed in United States Dollars)

Years Ended December 31, 

2022

    

2021

Revenue

Product sales, net

$

778

$

493

Other revenue

 

9

 

29

Total revenue

 

787

 

522

Cost of revenue

 

463

 

298

Gross profit

 

324

 

224

Operating expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

10,640

 

12,176

Research and development expenses

 

4,262

 

5,990

Amortization expense

 

181

 

200

Goodwill impairment

757

Total operating expenses

 

15,840

 

18,366

Loss from operations

 

(15,516)

 

(18,142)

Nonoperating income (expense)

Interest expense, net

(834)

Change in fair value of derivative liability

 

3,027

 

Foreign exchange (loss) gain

 

(756)

 

10

Other income, net

 

7

 

Nonoperating income (expense), net

 

1,444

 

10

Loss before provision for income taxes

(14,072)

(18,132)

Provision for income taxes

Net loss

 

(14,072)

 

(18,132)

Other comprehensive income (loss)

Foreign currency translation adjustments

 

737

 

(26)

Comprehensive loss

$

(13,335)

$

(18,158)

Loss per share

Basic

$

(1.04)

$

(7.38)

Diluted

$

(1.04)

$

(7.38)

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding

Basic

 

13,497,159

 

2,456,782

Diluted

 

13,497,159

 

2,456,782

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

Nine Months Ended

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research and development

 

$

14,387

 

 

$

4,723

 

General and administrative

 

 

8,466

 

 

 

5,651

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

22,853

 

 

 

10,374

 

Operating loss

 

 

(22,853

)

 

 

(10,374

)

Other income (expense):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest and other income

 

 

 

 

 

111

 

Change in fair value of derivative financial instruments

 

 

(3,443

)

 

 

(2,480

)

Foreign exchange gain (loss)

 

 

(1,728

)

 

 

703

 

Total other expense

 

 

(5,171

)

 

 

(1,666

)

Net loss

 

 

(28,024

)

 

 

(12,040

)

Other comprehensive (loss)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreign currency translation adjustments

 

 

1,775

 

 

 

(728

)

Comprehensive loss

 

$

(26,249

)

 

$

(12,768

)

Net loss per share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic and diluted

 

$

(1.50

)

 

$

(0.72

)

Weighted average shares outstanding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic and diluted

 

 

18,632,740

 

 

 

16,671,019

 

(The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.)

F-5

F-3


Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' DeficitStockholders’ Equity

(Except shares data, amounts in thousands, and expressed in United States Dollars)except share amounts)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated

Other

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Stock

 

 

Common Stock

 

 

Paid-In

 

 

Accumulated

 

 

Comprehensive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shares

 

 

Amount

 

 

Capital

 

 

Deficit

 

 

Income (Loss)

 

 

Total

 

Balance as of April 1, 2016

 

 

14,438,627

 

 

$

24,348

 

 

$

2,941

 

 

$

(26,305

)

 

$

(999

)

 

$

(15

)

Exercise of finder’s warrants

 

 

365,120

 

 

 

1,549

 

 

 

(151

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,398

 

Issuance of common stock in public offering and private placement

 

 

2,061,025

 

 

 

6,548

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6,548

 

Issuance of warrants in public offering and private placement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,504

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,504

 

Share issuance costs

 

 

 

 

 

(1,875

)

 

 

366

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1,509

)

Stock-based compensation expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,462

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,462

 

Fair value of non-employee vested options reallocated to derivative financial instruments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(268

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(268

)

Agent compensation option exercise

 

 

150

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Proceeds from the exercise of stock options and warrants

 

 

61,198

 

 

 

326

 

 

 

(122

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

204

 

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(12,040

)

 

 

 

 

 

(12,040

)

Foreign currency translation adjustment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(729

)

 

 

(729

)

Balance as of December 31, 2016

 

 

16,926,120

 

 

$

30,897

 

 

$

5,732

 

 

$

(38,345

)

 

$

(1,728

)

 

$

(3,444

)

Issuance of common stock in public offering

 

 

1,311,000

 

 

 

9,187

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9,187

 

Issuance of common stock and warrants in private placement

 

 

1,446,016

 

 

 

11,691

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11,691

 

Fair value of warrants issued in connection with the December 2017 financing classified as derivative financial instruments

 

 

 

 

 

(3,017

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3,017

)

Share issuance costs

 

 

 

 

 

(1,321

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1,321

)

Stock-based compensation expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,719

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,719

 

Proceeds from the exercise of stock options and warrants

 

 

492,826

 

 

 

2,588

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,588

 

Vesting of restricted stock units, net of taxes

 

 

2,264

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reclassification of exercised stock options and warrants from additional paid-in capital

 

 

 

 

 

849

 

 

 

(849

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reclassification of liability classified warrants upon exercise

 

 

 

 

 

1,356

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,356

 

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(28,024

)

 

 

 

 

 

(28,024

)

Foreign currency translation adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,775

 

 

 

1,775

 

Balance as of December 31, 2017

 

 

20,178,226

 

 

$

52,230

 

 

$

6,602

 

 

$

(66,369

)

 

$

47

 

 

$

(7,490

)

Accumulated

Additional

 Other

Class A Common Stock

Paid-In

Accumulated

Comprehensive

    

Shares

    

Amount

    

Capital

    

Deficit

    

Loss

    

Total

Balance as of December 31, 2020

1,484,362

$

1

$

123,872

$

(118,903)

$

(1,099)

$

3,871

Common stock issued under equity line of credit

40,000

577

577

Issuance of common stock in public offering

2,129,967

3

19,477

19,480

Issuance of warrants in public offering

 

 

 

2,638

 

 

 

2,638

Share issuance costs

 

31,958

 

 

(2,744)

 

 

 

(2,744)

Exercise of warrants

81,895

1,318

1,318

Exercise of stock options

214

2

2

Settlement of restricted stock units

 

5,012

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock issued for services

 

1,929

 

 

20

 

 

 

20

Stock-based compensation

 

5,337

 

 

4,252

 

 

 

4,252

Other comprehensive loss

 

 

 

 

 

(26)

 

(26)

Net loss

 

 

 

 

(18,132)

 

 

(18,132)

Balance as of December 31, 2021

 

3,780,674

$

4

$

149,412

$

(137,035)

$

(1,125)

$

11,256

Accumulated 

Additional

Other

Class A Common Stock

Paid-In

Accumulated

Comprehensive

    

Shares

    

Amount

    

Capital

    

Deficit

    

Loss

    

Total

Balance as of December 31, 2021

3,780,674

$

4

$

149,412

$

(137,035)

$

(1,125)

$

11,256

Common stock issued under equity line of credit

 

391,363

 

 

644

 

 

 

644

Issuance of common stock in public offering

24,000,000

24

8,032

8,056

Share issuance costs

 

 

 

(758)

 

 

 

(758)

Settlement of restricted stock units

 

18,491

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock issued for services

 

8,791

 

 

34

 

 

 

34

Stock-based compensation

 

8,011

 

 

2,254

 

 

 

2,254

Other comprehensive income

 

 

 

 

 

737

 

737

Net loss

 

 

 

 

(14,072)

 

 

(14,072)

Balance as of December 31, 2022

 

28,207,330

$

28

$

159,618

$

(151,107)

$

(388)

$

8,151

(The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.)

F-6

F-4


Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Amounts in thousands and expressed in United States Dollars)thousands)

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

Nine Months Ended

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash flows from operating activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss

 

$

(28,024

)

 

$

(12,040

)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation expense

 

 

17

 

 

 

-

 

Change in fair value of derivative financial instruments

 

 

3,443

 

 

 

2,480

 

Stock-based compensation expense

 

 

1,818

 

 

 

1,462

 

Unrealized foreign exchange loss (gain)

 

 

1,585

 

 

 

(641

)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receivables

 

 

(479

)

 

 

174

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

 

186

 

 

 

76

 

Account payable

 

 

1,318

 

 

 

345

 

Accrued liabilities

 

 

811

 

 

 

259

 

Net cash used in operating activities

 

 

(19,325

)

 

 

(7,885

)

Cash flows from investing activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase of Property, plant & equipment

 

 

(190

)

 

 

 

Net cash used in investing activities

 

 

(190

)

 

 

 

Cash flows from financing activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proceeds from the issuance of common stock and warrants

 

 

20,878

 

 

 

7,903

 

Share issuance costs

 

 

(1,248

)

 

 

(1,509

)

Proceeds from the exercise of stock options and warrants

 

 

2,588

 

 

 

1,603

 

Net cash provided by financing activities

 

 

22,218

 

 

 

7,997

 

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash

 

 

190

 

 

 

(87

)

Net increase in cash

 

 

2,893

 

 

 

25

 

Cash at beginning of period

 

 

2,669

 

 

 

2,644

 

Cash at end of period

 

$

5,562

 

 

$

2,669

 

Supplemental disclosure of non-cash cash activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash paid for interest

 

$

 

 

$

 

Cash paid for income taxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share issuance costs included in accounts payable

 

$

73

 

 

$

-

 

Fair value of warrants issued to agent for services provided in conjunction with the April 2016 Offering

 

$

 

 

$

366

 

Years Ended December 31, 

    

2022

    

2021

Cash flows from operating activities:

 

  

 

  

Net loss

$

(14,072)

$

(18,132)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

 

  

 

  

Change in fair value of derivative liability

 

(3,027)

 

Stock-based compensation expense

 

2,254

 

4,252

Common stock issued for services

 

34

 

20

Foreign exchange loss (gain)

 

746

 

(25)

Depreciation expense

 

74

 

112

Amortization expense

 

181

 

200

Goodwill impairment

 

757

 

Provision (reversal) for doubtful accounts

 

 

(22)

Provision for (reversal of) inventory reserve

 

(2)

 

Non-cash operating lease expense

 

51

 

62

Loss from disposal of property and equipment

 

 

18

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

  

 

  

Accounts receivable

 

(9)

 

30

Other receivables

 

(94)

 

(29)

Inventory, net

 

(111)

 

(87)

Prepaid expense and other current assets

 

(354)

 

(127)

Operating lease liability

 

(44)

 

(63)

Accounts payable

 

(418)

 

369

Accrued and other current liabilities

 

(152)

 

194

Deferred revenue

 

(124)

 

(160)

Net cash used in operating activities

 

(14,310)

 

(13,388)

Cash flows from investing activities:

 

  

 

  

Purchase of property and equipment

 

(17)

 

(54)

Proceeds from sale of property and equipment

 

6

 

Internally developed software

 

 

(2)

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(11)

 

(56)

Cash flows from financing activities:

 

  

 

  

Proceeds from issuances of common stock and warrants

 

18,644

 

22,695

Share issuance costs

 

(775)

 

(2,889)

Proceeds from exercise of warrants and stock options

 

 

1,320

Net cash provided by financing activities

 

17,869

 

21,126

Effect of currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

 

(4)

 

(8)

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

 

3,544

 

7,674

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

 

11,005

 

3,331

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$

14,549

$

11,005

Supplemental cash flow information

 

  

 

  

Cash paid for interest (share issuance costs allocated to derivative liability)

$

927

$

Non-cash investing and financing transactions:

 

  

 

  

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new lease liabilities

$

151

$

Non-cash share issuance costs

476

Share issuance costs included in accounts payable

 

17

(The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.)

F-5


F-7

Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

1.

1.DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. (the(together with its wholly owned subsidiaries the “Company”) is engaged primarilyconducts operations in the medical technology industry focused on neurological wellness.United States and Canada. The Company’s planned principal operations include the development, licensing and acquisition of unique and non-invasive platform technologies to amplify the brain’s ability to heal itself.

Many patients with brain injury or brain-related disease have disrupted neural networks that result in their brains being unable to correctly or efficiently carry neural impulses, which are responsible for directing bodily functions like movement control or sensory perception. Our first product, in development, known as the portable neuromodulation stimulator or PoNS, device, is designed to enhance the brain’s ability to compensate for this damage. The PoNS Treatment is a combination of our PoNS device and functional, targeted physical or cognitive therapy, and is currently being developed for the treatment of movement, gait and balance disordersPortable Neuromodulation Stimulator (“PoNS®”) has been commercially available in patients with traumatic brain injury, or TBI, and other chronic neurological diseases.

Canada since March 2019. The Company was incorporatedbegan accepting prescriptions for its PoNS product in British Columbia, Canada, on March 13, 2014. On May 28, 2014, the Company completedUnited States in the first quarter of 2022, and the first commercial sales began in April 2022. PoNS is authorized for sale as a continuation via a plan of arrangement whereby the Company moved from being a corporation governed by the British Columbia Corporations Act to a corporation governed by the Wyoming Business Corporations Act.Class IIa medical device in Australia. The Company is headquarteredworking to establish a distribution partner for Australia but has not yet had any commercial sales of PoNS in Newtown, Pennsylvania.Australia.

The Company has two wholly-owned subsidiaries, Neurohabilitation Corporation (“NHC”) and Helius Medical Technologies (Canada), Inc. (“Helius Canada”).

The Company’s Class A common stock without par value (“common stock”) is currently listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”). The Company’s common stock began trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange on June 23, 2014, under the ticker symbol “HSM”, and trading of the common stock subsequently moved to the TSX on April 18, 2016. The Company’s common stock also began trading on the OTC Markets (“OTCQB”) under the ticker symbol “HSDT” on February 10, 2015. The financial information is presented in United States Dollars.

Reverse Stock Split

Effective after the close of business on January 22, 2018, we completed a 1-for-5 reverse stock split of our Class A Common Stock. Since January 23, 2018, our Class A common stock has traded on a post-split basis on the OTCQB and Toronto Stock Exchange.  All share and per share amounts in this Annual Report have been reflected on a post-split basis.

Going Concern Uncertainty

As of December 31, 2017,2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $5.6$14.5 million. For the year ended December 31, 2017,2022, the Company incurred a nethad an operating loss of $28.0$15.5 million, and as of December 31, 20172022, its accumulated deficit was $66.4$151.1 million. TheFor the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company has not generated any product revenues and has not achieved profitable operations.had $0.8 million of net revenue from the commercial sale of products. The Company expects to continue to incur operating losses and net cash outflows until such time as it generates a level of revenue to support its cost structure. There is no assurance that the Company will achieve profitable operations, and, if achieved, whether it will be sustained on a continued basis. These factors raiseindicate substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.concern within one year after the date the financial statements are filed. The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the basis of continuity of operations, realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business.business; no adjustments have been made relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company not continue as a going concern.

The Company intends to fund ongoing activities by utilizing its current cash and cash equivalents on hand, cash received from the sale of its PoNS device in the U.S. and Canada and by raising additional capital through equity or debt financings. There can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in raising additional capital or that such capital, if available, will be on terms that are acceptable to the Company. If the Company is unable to raise sufficient additional capital, the Company may be compelled to reduce the scope of its operations and planned capital expenditure or sell certain assets, including intellectual property assets.operations.

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis2.SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Principles of PresentationConsolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect the operations of Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been preparedeliminated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted inconsolidation.

Reclassifications

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the United States of America (“GAAP”).  current period presentation.

F-6


Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Significant estimates include the assumptions used in the valuation of the fair value pricingvalue-pricing model for stock-based compensation, liability classified warrants and deferred income tax asset valuation allowance. Financial statements include estimates, which, by their nature, are uncertain. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

F-8

Global Economic Conditions

PrinciplesGenerally, worldwide economic conditions remain uncertain, particularly due to the effects of Consolidationthe COVID-19 pandemic and increased inflation. The general economic and capital market conditions both in the United States and worldwide, have been volatile in the past and at times have adversely affected the Company’s access to capital and increased the cost of capital. The capital and credit markets may not be available to support future capital raising activity on favorable terms. If economic conditions decline, the Company’s future cost of equity or debt capital and access to the capital markets could be adversely affected.

The accompanying consolidatedCOVID-19 pandemic that began in late 2019 introduced significant volatility to the global economy, disrupted supply chains and had a widespread adverse effect on the financial statements reflectmarkets. Additionally, the Company’s operating results could be materially impacted by changes in the overall macroeconomic environment and other economic factors. Changes in economic conditions, supply chain constraints, logistics challenges, labor shortages, the conflict in Ukraine, and steps taken by governments and central banks, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other stimulus and spending programs, have led to higher inflation, which has led to an increase in costs and has caused changes in fiscal and monetary policy, including increased interest rates. Although the Company may take measures to mitigate these impacts, if these measures are not effective, the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.

Foreign Currency Translation

The local currency, or CAD$, is the functional currency of the Company’s foreign operating subsidiary, Helius Medical Technologies (Canada), Inc. All assets and liabilities are translated into United States dollars at the rate of exchange in effect at the balance sheet date. Income and expense items are translated at the weighted-average exchange rate prevailing during the period. The effects of foreign currency translation adjustments are deferred and reported in stockholders' equity as a component of “Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss.” The effects of foreign currency transactions denominated in a currency other than an entity's functional currency are included in “Foreign Exchange (Loss) Gain” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods is transferred to the customer in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those products.

The Company generates nearly all of its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balancesrevenue from product sales directly to patients in the United States and transactions have been eliminated.to clinics in Canada. Revenue from product sales is recognized at a point in time when the performance obligation is satisfied upon delivery of the product. Taxes that the Company collects concurrent with revenue-producing activities are excluded from revenue.

ConcentrationsThe Company requires customers in the United States to prepay the full product selling price, net of cash discount, prior to shipment. The Company records a contract liability for any customer prepayment received for which delivery had not yet occurred as of the end of the period.

Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company is subject todeposits its cash and cash equivalents in demand commercial checking and money market savings or certificates of deposit at high-quality credit risk with respect to its cash. Amounts investedinstitutions. At times, such deposits may be in such instruments are limited by credit rating, maturity, industry group, investment type and issuer.excess of federally insured limits. The Company ishas not currently exposed toexperienced any significant concentrations of credit risk from these financial instruments. losses.

Cash Equivalents

The Company seeksconsiders highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to maintain safetybe cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are valued at cost, which approximates fair value.

F-9

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable arise from product sales in Canada and preservationgenerally require payment within 30 days. The Company provides reserves against accounts receivable for estimated losses that may result from a customer’s inability to pay based on a combination of principalfactors, such as the aging of accounts receivable, the customer’s financial strength and diversification of risk, liquidity of investments sufficientpayment history. Amounts determined to meet cash flow requirements and a competitive after-tax rate of return.be uncollectible are charged or written off against the reserve.

ReceivablesInventory

ReceivablesInventories are stated at theirthe lower of cost (average cost method) or net realizable value. AsThe Company establishes inventory reserves for obsolescence based upon specific identification of December 31, 2017,expired or unusable units with a corresponding provision included in cost of revenue. The Company calculates provisions for excess inventory based on inventory on hand compared to anticipated sales or usage. Management uses its judgment to forecast sales or usage and 2016 receivables consisted primarilyto determine what constitutes a reasonable period. There can be no assurance that the amount ultimately realized for inventories will not be materially different than that assumed in the calculation of Goods and Services Tax (“GST”) and Quebec Sales Tax (“QST) refunds related to the Company’s Canadian expenditures.

reserves.

Property Plant and Equipment

Property plant and equipment are carriedrecorded at cost, less accumulated depreciation.cost. Depreciation is recognized usingcalculated for financial reporting purposes on the straight-line method over the estimated useful livelives of the related asset.assets, which are seven years for furniture and fixtures, 15 years for equipment and three to five years for computer software and hardware. Depreciation expense is recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses. Expenditures for maintenancerepairs and repairs,maintenance, which do not improve or extend the expected useful life of the assets, are expensed as incurred.

Long-Lived Assets

Management reviews the carrying amounts of definite-lived intangible assets and long-lived tangible assets whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of an asset may not be recoverable. For purposes of assessing recoverability, definite-lived intangible assets and long-lived tangible assets are each deemed to operations while major repairs are capitalized.be one asset group. The Company’s property, plant and equipmentcarrying amount of the asset group is comprisedcompared to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows associated with it. If the sum of leasehold improvements and software. Thethe expected future net cash flows is less than the carrying value of the asset group being evaluated, an impairment loss is calculated as the amount by which the carrying value of the asset group exceeds its estimated useful life of its leasehold improvement is over the term of its lease of 5 years, while software has an estimated useful life of 3 to 5 years.fair value.

The following tables summarizes the Company property, plant and equipment as of December 31, 2017 (amounts in thousands). The Company had no property, plant and equipment as of December 31, 2016.

 

 

As of

December 31, 2017

 

Leasehold improvement

 

$

173

 

Software

 

 

17

 

 

 

 

190

 

Less accumulated depreciation

 

 

(17

)

Total

 

$

173

 

Share-Based PaymentsLeases

The Company accountshas operating leases for all share-based payments and awards under the fair value-based method.its corporate offices. The Company recognizesdetermines whether a contract is, or contains, a lease at inception. Right-of-use assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset during the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Right-of-use assets and lease liabilities are recognized at lease commencement based upon the estimated present value of unpaid lease payments over the lease term. The Company uses its stock-based compensation expense usingincremental borrowing rate based on the straight-line method.information available at lease commencement in determining the present value of unpaid lease payments. The Company's incremental borrowing rate is determined based on the estimated rate of interest for collateralized borrowing over a similar term as the associated lease. The Company’s lease arrangements do not have any lease and non-lease components.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accountsmeasures and recognizes compensation expense for the grantingall stock-based awards based on estimated fair values. Stock-based awards consist of stock options to employees usingand restricted stock units. Stock-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date based on the fair value method whereby all awards to employees are measured at fair value on the date of the grant. The fair value of all employee-related stock optionsaward and is expensedrecognized as expense over the requisite service period with(vesting period) on a corresponding increase to additional paid-in capital.straight-line basis. Forfeitures are not estimated, but instead stock-based compensation expense is adjusted upon an actual forfeiture of a stock option. Upon exercise of stock options the consideration paid by the option holder, together with the amount previously recognized in additional paid-in capital is recorded as an increase to share capital. Stock options granted to employees are accounted for as liabilities when they contain conditions or other features that are indexed to other than a market, performance or service conditions.

Share-based payment to non-employees are measured at the fair valuevesting of the consideration received, or the fair value of the equity instruments issued, or liabilities incurred, whichever is more reliably measurable. The fair value of stock-based payments to non-employees are re-measured at each reporting period until the counterparty performance is complete, and any change therein is recognized

F-7


over the vesting period of the award and in the same manner as ifrestricted stock units, the Company had paid cash insteadissues common stock.

F-10

Table of paying with or using equity-based instruments. The fair value of the stock-based payments to non-employees that are fully vested and non-forfeitable as of the grant date are measured and recognized at that date.Contents

The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to calculate the fair value of stock options. The use of the Black-Scholes option pricing model requires management to make assumptions with respect to the expected term of the option, the expected volatility of the common stock consistent with the expected term of the option, risk-free interest rates, the value of the common stock and expected dividend yield of the common stock. Changes in these assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate.

Foreign Currency

The functional currency of the Company and Helius Canada is the Canadian dollar (“CAD”) and the functional currency of NHC is the U.S. dollar (“USD”). The Company’s reporting currency is the U.S. dollar. Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded into the functional currency of the relevant subsidiary at the exchange rate in effect at the date of the transaction. Any monetary assets and liabilities arising from these transactions are translated into the functional currency at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date or on settlement. Revenues, expenses and cash flows are translated at the weighted-average rates of exchanges for the reporting period. The resulting currency translation adjustments are not included in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations for the reporting period, but rather are accumulated and gains and losses are recorded in foreign exchange gain (loss) within the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The foreign exchange adjustment in the books of NHC relating to intercompany advances from Helius that are denominated in Canadian dollars is recorded in the consolidated statements of operations.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method. The asset and liability method provide that deferredDeferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporaryattributable to differences between the financial reporting and tax basesstatement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and fortheir respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carry-forwards.carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates and laws that will beexpected to apply to taxable income in effect when the years in which those temporary differences are expected to reverse.be recovered or settled. The Company records a valuation allowance to reduceeffect on deferred tax assets to the amount thatand liabilities of a change in tax rates is believed more likely than not to be realized.

The Company has adopted the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 740 Income Taxes regarding accounting for uncertaintyrecognized in income taxes. The Company initially recognizes tax positions in the financial statementsperiod that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance for deferred income tax assets is recorded when it is more likely than not the position will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities. Such tax positions are initially and subsequently measured as the largest amountthat some portion or all of the tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the tax authority, assuming full knowledge of the position and all relevant facts. Application requires numerous estimates based on available information. The Company considers many factors when evaluating and estimating its tax positions and tax benefits. These periodic adjustments may have a material impact on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. When applicable, the Company classifies penalties and interest associated with uncertain tax positions as a component ofdeferred income tax expense in its consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.assets will not be realized.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development (“R&D”) expenses consist primarily of personnel costs, including salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation, clinical studies performed by contract research organizations, development and manufacturing of clinical trial devices and devices for manufacturing testing, materials and supplies as well as regulatory costs. R&D costs are charged to operationsexpense when they are incurred.

Segment Information

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise aboutfor which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluationthat is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker or decision-making group,(“CODM”) in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. Our CODM is the Chief Executive Officer. The Company operates and manages its business within one operating and reportable segment. Accordingly,segment related to the Company reports the accompanying consolidated financial statementssale of PoNS Devices in the aggregateUnited States and Canada.

Derivatives

The Company does not engage in one reportable segment.

Derivative Financial Instruments

hedging activities. The Company evaluates its financial instruments and other contracts to determine if those contracts or embedded components of those contracts qualify as derivatives to be separately accounted for in accordance with ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging.for. The result of this accounting treatment is that the fair value of the derivative is marked-to-marketre-measured at each balance sheet date and recorded as a liability or asset and the change in fair value is recorded in the consolidated statementsConsolidated Statements of operationsOperations and comprehensive loss. The Company’s derivative financial instruments are comprised of warrants and non-employee stock options. Upon settlement of a derivative financial

F-8


instrument, the instrument is markedComprehensive Loss. Refer to fair value at the settlement date and the fair value of the underlying instrument is reclassified to equity.

The classification of derivative financial instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities/assets or as equity, is reassessed at the end of each reporting period. Derivative financial instruments that become subject to reclassification are reclassified at the fair value of the instrument on the reclassification date.  Derivative financial instruments will be classified in the consolidated balance sheet as current if the right to exercise or settleNote 8 for details about the derivative financial instrument lies with the holder.

Fair Value Measurements

The Company accounts for financial instruments in accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”). ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy under ASC 820 are described below:

Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities;

Level 2 – Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly; and

Level 3 – Prices or valuations that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.

The Company’s financial instrumentsliability recorded in its consolidated balance sheets consist primarily of cash, receivables, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, and derivative financial instruments. The book values of these instruments, with the exception of derivative financial instruments, approximate their fair values due to the immediate or short-term nature of these instruments.

The Company’s derivative financial instruments are classified as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy and required to be recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. Unobservable inputs used in the valuation of these financial instruments include volatility of the underlying share price and the expected term. See Note 3 for the inputs used in the Black-Scholes option pricing model as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 and the roll forward of the derivative financial instruments related to the warrants and see Note 4 for the inputs used in the Black-Scholes option pricing model as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 for the roll forward of the derivative financial instruments related to the non-employee stock options.

The following table summarizes the Company’s derivative financial instruments within the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 (amounts in thousands):

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-employee stock options

 

$

2,637

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

2,637

 

Warrants

 

 

6,941

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6,941

 

December 31, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-employee stock options

 

$

1,617

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

1,617

 

Warrants

 

 

2,857

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,857

 

There were no transfers between any of the levels during the year ended December 31, 2017 and the nine months ended December 31, 2016.2022.

Basic and Diluted Income (Loss)Loss per Share

Earnings orBasic loss per share (“EPS”) is computed by dividing net income (loss)loss by the weighted averageweighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted EPSloss per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) bybased on the weighted average of allweighted-average common shares outstanding during the period plus dilutive potential common shares calculated using the treasury stock method. Such potentially dilutive shares of common stock that were outstanding duringare excluded when the periods presented.

The treasury stock method is used in calculating diluted EPS for potentially dilutive stock options and share purchase warrants, which assumes that any proceeds received from the exercise of in-the-money stock options and share purchase warrants,effect would be used to purchase common shares at the average market price for the period.

F-9


EPS for convertible debt is calculated under the “if-converted” method. Under the if-converted method, EPS is calculated as the more dilutive of EPS (i) including all interest (both cash interest and non-cash discount amortization) and excluding all shares underlying the convertible debt or; (ii) excluding all interest and costs directly related to the convertible debt (both cash interest and non-cash discount amortization) and including all shares underlying the convertible debt.

The basic and dilutedreduce a net loss per share for the periods noted below is as follows (amounts in thousands, except for share and per share amounts):

 

 

Year Ended

December 31, 2017

 

 

Nine Months Ended

December 31, 2016

 

Basic and Diluted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Numerator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss

 

$

(28,024

)

 

$

(12,040

)

Denominator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted-average common shares outstanding - basic and diluted

 

 

18,632,740

 

 

 

16,671,019

 

Basic and diluted net loss per share

 

$

(1.50

)

 

$

(0.72

)

The following outstanding securities have been excluded from the computation of diluted weighted shares outstanding for the periods noted below, as they would have been anti-dilutive:

 

 

Year Ended

December 31, 2017

 

 

Nine Months Ended

December 31, 2016

 

Options outstanding

 

 

2,448,646

 

 

 

1,969,000

 

Warrants outstanding

 

 

2,379,919

 

 

 

2,017,252

 

Total

 

 

4,828,565

 

 

 

3,986,252

 

Reclassifications

Certain prior year amounts in the consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.share.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In MarchJune 2016, the FASBFinancial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 718)326): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The amendments in this update change existingMeasurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which amended the guidance related to accounting for employee share-based payments affecting the income tax consequences of awards, classification of awards as equity or liabilities, and classification on the statementmeasurement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 iscredit losses on financial instruments. The guidance was effective for annual reporting periodsSmaller Reporting Companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016,2022, including interim periods within those annual periods, with earlyfiscal years. The adoption permitted. The updated accountingof this guidance was effective for the Company on January 1, 2017 and it2023 did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements and any deferred tax benefits would be offset by a valuation allowance.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The new standard establishes a right-of-use, or ROU, model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the consolidated balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the consolidated statement of operations. ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for lessees for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the consolidated financial statements, with certain practical expedients available. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of the standard on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which was further amended through various updates issued by the FASB thereafter. The amendments of Topic 606 completed the joint effort between the FASB and the IASB, to develop a common revenue standard for GAAP and IFRS, and to improve financial reporting. The guidance under Topic 606 provides that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for the goods or services provided and establishes a five-step model to be applied by an entity in evaluating its contracts with customers. The Company does not have any revenues or contracts with customers and will need to evaluate the impact of Topic 606 on its results of operations, cash flows and financial position should a revenue generating transaction arise in the future. While the Company will adopt Topic 606 on January 1, 2018 (and will do so on a modified retrospective basis), the adoption will have no impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.Company's Consolidated Financial Statements.

F-103.GOODWILL IMPAIRMENT


3.

COMMON STOCK AND WARRANTS

As of December 31, 2017, the Company’s certificate of incorporation authorizedIn September 2022, the Company to issue unlimited Class A common shares without par value. Each Class A common share is entitled to haverecorded an impairment charge of $757 thousand for the right to vote at any shareholder meeting on the basis of one vote per share. Each Class A share held entitles the holder to receive dividends as declared by the directors. No dividends have been declared through December 31, 2017. In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding-upfull write-down of the Company other distribution of assets of the Company among its shareholders for the purposes of winding-up its affairs or upon a reduction of capital the holders of the Class A common shares shall, share equally, share for share, in the remaining assets and property of the Company.

The Company is subject to a stockholders’ agreement, which places certain restrictions on the Company’s stock and its stockholders. These restrictions include approvals prior to sale or transfer of stock, a right of first refusal to purchase stock held by the Company and a secondary right of refusal to stockholders, right of co-sale whereby certain stockholders may be enabled to participate in a sale of other stockholders to obtain the same price, term and conditions on a pro-rata basis, rights of first offer of new security issuances to current stockholders on a pro-rata basis and certain other restrictions.

On October 9, 2015, the Company entered into a $7.0 million funding commitment with A&B (HK) Company Limited (“A&B”), in the form of a convertible promissory note consisting of an initial $2.0 million note and a $5.0 million funding commitment. On October 9, 2015, the Company received the conversion notice on the promissory note and in November 2015, the Company issued 416,666 shares of common stock at a price of $4.80 per share and 208,333 warrants exercisable at $7.20 for a period of three years from the date of issuance. The shares of common stock and the warrants were issued on November 10, 2015. On December 29, 2015, the Company drew down the $5.0 million funding commitment through the issuance of 1,111,111 shares of common stock at a price of $4.50 per share and 555,556 warrants exercisable at $6.75 for a period of three years from the date of issuance. The shares of common stock and the warrants were issued on January 7, 2016. In November 2017, A&B exercised 208,333 warrants at a price of $7.20 and the Company received gross cash proceeds of $1.5 million upon the exercise.

On April 18, 2016, the Company closed its short form prospectus offering in Canada and a concurrent U.S. private placement (the “April 2016 Offering”) of units (the “Units”) with gross proceeds to the Company of $7.2 million through the issuance of Units at a price of CAD$5.00 per Unit.  Each Unit consists of one Class A common share in the capital of the Company (a “Common Share’) and one half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a “Warrant”).  Each warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one additional Common Share at an exercise price of CAD$7.50 on or before April 18, 2019. Mackie Research Capital Corporation (the “Agent”) acted as agent and sole bookrunnergoodwill recorded in connection with the April 2016 Offering.its acquisition of Heuro Canada, Inc. (“Heuro”). The Company paidsignificant decline in the Agent a cash commission of $0.3 million and has granted to the Agent compensation options exercisable to purchase 87,210 Units at an exercise price of CAD$5.00 per Unit for a period of 24 months from the closing of the April 2016 Offering.  The Company incurred other cash issuance costs of $1.1 million related to this offering.

On May 2, 2016, the Company closed the sale of the additional units issued pursuant to the exercise of the over-allotment option granted to the Agent in connection with the April 2016 Offering.  The April 2016 Offering was made pursuant to a short form prospectus filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces of Canada, except Québec. Pursuant to the exercise of the over-allotment option, the Company issued an additional 218,025 units at a price of CAD $5.00 per unit for additional gross proceeds to the Company of $0.9 million, bringing the total aggregate gross proceeds to the Company under the Offering to $8.1 million. Each over-allotment unit consisted of one Class A common share in the capital of the Company and one half of one Common Share purchase warrant. Each over-allotment warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one additional over-allotment Common Share at an exercise price of CAD $7.50 on or before April 18, 2019. In connection with the closing of the over-allotment option, the Company paid the Agent a cash commission of $0.1 million and granted to the Agent compensation options exercisable to purchase 13,081 over-allotment units at an exercise price of CAD $5.00 per unit for a period of 24 months from the closing of this Offering.

The warrants issued in each of the April 18, 2016 and May 2, 2016 closings are classified within equity.  The proceeds from the Offering were allocated on a relative fair value basis between the Class A common shares and the warrants issued.  The compensation options are accounted for as warrants.  These warrants represent additional share issuance costs and are recorded within shareholders’ deficit in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets at their fair value.

F-11


The fair value of the warrants granted in the April 2016 Offering were estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:

Stock price

CAD$5.45

Exercise price

CAD$7.50

Warrant term

3.0 years

Expected volatility

83.83

%

Risk-free interest rate

0.60

%

Dividend rate

0.00

%

The fair value of the compensation options granted during the April 2016 Offering were estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:

Stock price

CAD$6.80

Exercise price

CAD$5.00

Option term

2.0 years

Expected volatility

126.76

%

Risk-free interest rate

0.61

%

Dividend rate

0.00

%

On June 6, 2016, the Company received proceeds of USD $1.4 million from the exercise of 365,120 outstanding warrants which were issued in connection with the Company’s private placement of subscription receipts that closed on May 30, 2014.  The remaining 1,320,880 warrants issued in this offering expired unexercised.

On February 16, 2017, the Company completed an underwritten registered public offering and issued an aggregate of 1,311,000 shares of common stock for gross proceeds of $9.2 million. The offering was made by means of written prospectuses and prospectus supplements, dated February 9, 2017, that form part of the Company’s existing Canadian multi-jurisdictional disclosure system (“MJDS”) short-form base shelf prospectus dated January 26, 2017, in Canada, and U.S. shelf registration statement on Form S-3 that became effective on January 6, 2017, in the U.S. The Company incurred cash issuance costs of $1.2 million in connection with this offering.

On June 28, 2017, the Company completed a non-brokered private placement of 800,000 shares of common stock for gross proceeds of $5.4 million. The Company incurred approximately $9 thousand in share issuance cost related to the private placement.

In December 2017, the Company completed a three-tranche non-brokered private placement (the “December 2017 financing”) of 646,016 units for gross proceeds of approximately $6.3 million. Each unit consisted of one share of Class A common stock of the Company at a price of $9.80 per share, and one share purchase warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional share of Class A (“common stock of the Company, exercisable for a period of 36 monthsstock”) following the closing of the private placement at an exercise price of USD$12.25 per warrant share. The first tranche, which closed on December 22, 2017,Company’s registered public offering in August 2022 was considered a triggering event for 270,915 units for which the Company received gross proceeds of approximately $2.6 million. The second tranche which closed on December 28, 2017,testing whether goodwill was for 171,020 units for which the Company received approximately $1.7 million, while the third tranche which closed on December 29, 2017, was for 204,081 units for which the Company received $2.0 million.impaired. The Company accrued $0.1 million in share issuance costs relatedelected to the December 2017 financing.

The fair valueperform a quantitative impairment test as of the warrants granted in the December 2017 financing were estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:

 

 

December 22, 2017

 

 

December 28, 2017

 

 

December 29, 2017

 

Stock price

 

$

10.60

 

 

$

12.45

 

 

$

12.32

 

Exercise price

 

$

12.25

 

 

$

12.25

 

 

$

12.25

 

Warrant term

 

3.0 years

 

 

3.0 years

 

 

3.0 years

 

Expected volatility

 

 

60.24

%

 

 

60.24

%

 

 

60.24

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

 

2.01

%

 

 

2.00

%

 

 

1.98

%

Dividend rate

 

 

0.00

%

 

 

0.00

%

 

 

0.00

%

F-12


Pursuant to the guidance of ASC 815 DerivativesSeptember 30, 2022 for its one identified reporting unit, and Hedging, the Company determined that certain warrants issued in 2015, warrants related to the funding commitment with A&B in 2016, as well as warrants issued incarrying value exceeded the December 2017 financing are accounted for as liabilities because they were not considered to be indexed to the Company’s stock due to the exercise price being denominated in a currency other than the Company’s functional currency. Consequently, the Company determined theestimated fair value of each warrant issuance using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, with the remainder of the proceeds allocated to the common shares.

The following table summarizes warrants that the Company accounts for as liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2017 and nine months ended December 31, 2016 (amounts in thousands):

 

 

Year Ended

December 31, 2017

 

 

Nine Months Ended

December 31, 2016

 

Fair value of warrants at beginning of period

 

$

2,857

 

 

$

1,205

 

Issuance of warrants

 

 

3,016

 

 

 

 

Exercise of warrants

 

 

(1,200

)

 

 

 

Change in fair value of warrants during the period

 

 

2,268

 

 

 

1,652

 

Fair value of warrants at end of period

 

$

6,941

 

 

$

2,857

 

The warrants are required to be re-valued at the end of each reporting period, with the change in fair value of the liability recorded as a gain or loss in the change of fair value of derivative financial instruments, included in other income (expense) in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The fair value of the warrants will continue to be classified as a liability until such time as they are exercised, expire or there is an amendment to the respective agreements that renders these financial instruments to be no longer classified as a liability.

The fair value of warrants as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 were estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

Stock price

 

$

12.32

 

 

$

6.90

 

Exercise price

 

$

10.25

 

 

$

8.10

 

Warrant term

 

1.91 years

 

 

1.89 years

 

Expected volatility

 

 

62.20

%

 

 

94.97

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

 

1.83

%

 

 

0.79

%

Dividend rate

 

 

0.00

%

 

 

0.00

%

The following is a summary of warrant activity during the year ended December 31, 2017 and nine months ended December 31, 2016:

 

 

Number of Warrants

 

 

Weighted-Average

Exercise Price

 

 

 

CAD

 

 

US

 

 

CAD

 

 

US

 

Outstanding as of April 1, 2016

 

 

1,686,000

 

 

 

905,721

 

 

$

5.00

 

 

$

8.10

 

Granted

 

 

1,030,587

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.50

 

 

 

 

 

Granted (Agent Compensation)

 

 

100,291

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

Expired

 

 

(1,320,880

)

 

 

 

 

 

5.00

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

 

(384,468

)

 

 

 

 

 

5.10

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding as of December 31, 2016

 

 

1,111,530

 

 

 

905,721

 

 

 

7.30

 

 

 

8.10

 

Granted

 

 

25,063

 

 

 

646,016

 

 

 

7.50

 

 

 

12.25

 

Exercised

 

 

(125,088

)

 

 

(208,333

)

 

 

6.50

 

 

 

7.20

 

Outstanding and exercisable as of December 31, 2017

 

 

1,011,505

 

 

 

1,343,404

 

 

$

7.38

 

 

$

10.25

 

F-13


The following table summarizes the Company’s warrants outstanding and exercisable as of December 31, 2017:

Number of Warrants Outstanding

Exercise Price

Expiration Date

90,406

US$15.00

April 30, 2018

33,546

US$15.00

June 26, 2018

3,795

US$10.75

June 26, 2020

12,576

US$15.00

July 17, 2018

1,509

US$10.75

July 17, 2020

555,556

US$6.75

December 29, 2018

961,489

CAD$7.50

April 18, 2019

50,015

CAD$5.00

April 18, 2018

270,915

US$12.25

December 22, 2020

171,020

US$12.25

December 28, 2020

204,081

US$12.25

December 29, 2020

2,354,908

4.

SHARE BASED PAYMENTS

On June 18, 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized and approved the adoption of the 2014 Stock Incentive Plan (“2014 Plan”), under which an aggregate of 2,421,603 shares of common stock may be issued. Pursuant to the terms of the 2014 Plan, the Company is authorized to grant stock options, as well as awards of stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, unrestricted shares, restricted stock units and deferred stock units. These awards may be granted to directors, officers, employees and eligible consultants. Vesting and the term of an option is determined at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors. On August 22, 2017, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the amended and restated 2014 Plan to correct for a formulaic error included in the deemed net stock and cashless exercise equation within the 2014 Plan. This amendment had no impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. As of December 31, 2017, the Company had 40,000 shares of common shares remaining available for grant under the 2014 Plan.

On August 8, 2016, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized and approved the adoption of the 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan (“2016 Plan”), under which an aggregate of 3,000,000 shares of common stock may be issued.  Pursuant to the terms of the 2016 Plan, the Company is authorized to grant stock options, as well as awards of stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, unrestricted shares, restricted stock units, stock equivalent units and performance-based cash awards.  These awards may be granted to directors, officers, employees and eligible consultants. Vesting and the term of an option is determined at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors.  

As of December 31, 2017, there were an aggregate of 2,693,614 shares of common stock remaining available for grant under the 2016 Plan.

The following is a summary of stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2017 and nine months ended December 31, 2016:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted Average

 

 

Aggregate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise Price

 

 

Intrinsic Value

 

 

 

Number of Options

 

 

(CAD)

 

 

(CAD)

 

Outstanding as of April 1, 2016

 

 

1,335,072

 

 

$

5.40

 

 

$

1,581

 

Granted

 

 

707,000

 

 

 

6.90

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited

 

 

(6,250

)

 

 

3.00

 

 

 

 

 

Cancelled

 

 

(24,822

)

 

 

3.00

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

 

(42,000

)

 

 

3.00

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding as of December 31, 2016

 

 

1,969,000

 

 

 

6.00

 

 

 

8,218

 

Granted

 

 

868,902

 

 

 

11.15

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited

 

 

(153,067

)

 

 

11.45

 

 

 

 

 

Cancelled

 

 

(62,689

)

 

 

13.75

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised (1)

 

 

(173,500

)

 

 

5.15

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding as of December 31, 2017

 

 

2,448,646

 

 

$

7.35

 

 

$

21,089

 

Exercisable as of December 31, 2017

 

 

1,451,739

 

 

$

5.70

 

 

$

14,892

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) For the year ended December 31, 2017, 20,000 stock options were exercised on a cashless basis resulting in 14,095 common shares being withheld.

 

F-14


The Company has adopted the simplified method prescribed by the SEC in SAB Topic 14 with respect to estimating the expected term of its stock options as its limited share purchase option history does not provide a reasonable basis to estimate the expected terms. Expected volatility was determined by reference to the average volatility rates of other companies in the same industry due to the Company’s limited trading history.   The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2017 and nine months ended December 31, 2016 was $1.3 million and $0.1 million, respectively.

The following table summarizes stock options outstanding and exercisable by employees and directors as of December 31, 2017:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of

 

 

 

 

Remaining

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of

 

Options

 

 

 

 

Contractual Life

 

 

Exercise

 

 

Grant Date Fair

 

 

Options

 

Outstanding

 

 

Expiration Date

 

(In Years)

 

 

Price (CAD)

 

 

Value (CAD)

 

 

Exercisable

 

 

360,000

 

 

June 18, 2019

 

 

1.46

 

 

$

3.00

 

 

$

1.00

 

 

 

360,000

 

 

80,000

 

 

June 18, 2019

 

 

1.46

 

 

$

3.00

 

 

$

1.32

 

 

 

80,000

 

 

20,000

 

 

December 8, 2019

 

 

1.94

 

 

$

14.60

 

 

$

6.55

 

 

 

20,000

 

 

80,000

 

 

December 8, 2019

 

 

1.94

 

 

$

14.80

 

 

$

6.46

 

 

 

80,000

 

 

20,000

 

 

March 16, 2020

 

 

2.21

 

 

$

16.00

 

 

$

7.09

 

 

 

20,000

 

 

8,500

 

 

August 14, 2020

 

 

2.62

 

 

$

4.90

 

 

$

1.94

 

 

 

8,500

 

 

150,000

 

 

October 21, 2020

 

 

2.81

 

 

$

4.20

 

 

$

1.80

 

 

 

112,500

 

 

20,000

 

 

December 31, 2020

 

 

3.00

 

 

$

6.20

 

 

$

2.49

 

 

 

20,000

 

 

595,000

 

 

July 13, 2020

 

 

2.53

 

 

$

6.95

 

 

$

3.23

 

 

 

396,666

 

 

20,000

 

 

August 8, 2020

 

 

2.61

 

 

$

6.55

 

 

$

3.23

 

 

 

10,000

 

 

617,000

 

 

April 17, 2027

 

 

9.30

 

 

$

10.80

 

 

$

7.76

 

 

 

-

 

 

6,146

 

 

May 18, 2027

 

 

9.38

 

 

$

10.00

 

 

$

5.23

 

 

 

3,073

 

 

10,000

 

 

May 18, 2027

 

 

9.38

 

 

$

10.00

 

 

$

7.63

 

 

 

-

 

 

30,000

 

 

August 8, 2027

 

 

9.61

 

 

$

13.15

 

 

$

8.86

 

 

 

-

 

 

2,016,646

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,110,739

 

As of December 31, 2017, and 2016, the unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options outstanding for employees and directors, was $4.9 million and $1.3 million, respectively, to be recognized over a weighted-average remaining vesting period of approximately 2.6 years and 1.41 years, respectively.  The Company recognizes compensation expense for only the portion of awards that are expected to vest.  

During the fourth quarter of 2017, upon a review of the Company’s equity compensation awards granted under the 2016 Plan it determined that it had inadvertently exceeded the annual per-person sub-limits involving certain awards previously made to a current executive officer. The aggregate amount of common stock represented by this excess award, which consisted of stock options, was 60,000 shares. This excess award was deemed to have been granted outside of the 2016 Plan and as such the Company applied liability accounting to the awards. As a result, this excess award will be remeasured at each reporting period untill such time that the Company’s shareholders approve the excess award at which time the liability will be reclassified to additional paid-in capital and the unrecognized fair value calculated for the excess award as of the date of shareholders’ approval will be recognized as compensation expense ratably over the remaining requisite service period for the excess award.

For the year ended December 31, 2017 and the nine months ended December 2016, the Company granted 673,902 and 625,000 stock options, respectively, to employees and directors at a weighted average exercise price of CAD$10.87 and CAD$6.94, respectively. The fair value of employee and director stock options granted for the year ended December 31, 2017 and the nine months ended December 31, 2016 had a weighted average grant date fair value of CAD$4.34 and $2.60 per option, respectively, and they were estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:

 

 

Year Ended

December 31, 2017

 

 

Nine Months Ended

December 31, 2016

 

Stock price

 

CAD$10.40

 

 

CAD$6.95

 

Exercise price

 

CAD$10.85

 

 

CAD$6.95

 

Expected term

 

6.25 years

 

 

2.5 years

 

Expected volatility

 

 

90.84

%

 

 

77.92

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

 

1.06

%

 

 

0.49

%

Dividend rate

 

 

0.00

%

 

 

0.00

%

F-15


Non-Employee Stock Options

For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company granted 195,000 stock options at a weighted average exercise price of CAD$12.20, of which 185,000 were either cancelled or forfeited to non-employees. For the nine months ended December 31, 2016, the Company granted 82,000 stock options to non-employees at a weighted average exercise price of CAD$6.70. The fair value of non-employee stock options granted for the year ended December 31, 2017 and the nine months ended December 31, 2016 had a weighted average grant date fair value of CAD$3.88 and $3.23 per option, respectively, and they were estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:

 

 

Year Ended

December 31, 2017

 

 

Nine Months Ended

December 31, 2016

 

Stock price

 

CAD$12.15

 

 

CAD$9.60

 

Exercise price

 

CAD$12.20

 

 

CAD$6.75

 

Option term

 

10 years

 

 

3.75 years

 

Expected volatility

 

 

91.02

%

 

 

84.16

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

 

1.60

%

 

 

0.98

%

Dividend rate

 

 

0.00

%

 

 

0.00

%

The following table summarizes stock options outstanding and exercisable by non-employees as of December 31, 2017:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of

 

 

 

 

Remaining

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of

 

Options

 

 

 

 

Contractual Life

 

 

Exercise

 

 

Grant Date Fair

 

 

Options

 

Outstanding

 

 

Expiration Date

 

(In Years)

 

 

Price (CAD)

 

 

Value (CAD)

 

 

Exercisable

 

 

160,000

 

 

June 18, 2019

 

 

1.46

 

 

$

3.00

 

 

$

1.32

 

 

 

160,000

 

 

30,000

 

 

December 8, 2019

 

 

1.94

 

 

$

14.60

 

 

$

8.25

 

 

 

30,000

 

 

82,000

 

 

October 3, 2020

 

 

2.76

 

 

$

6.75

 

 

$

4.00

 

 

 

41,000

 

 

110,000

 

 

October 28, 2020

 

 

2.83

 

 

$

4.20

 

 

$

2.20

 

 

 

110,000

 

 

20,000

 

 

May 18, 2027

 

 

9.38

 

 

$

10.00

 

 

$

8.69

 

 

 

-

 

 

15,000

 

 

August 8, 2027

 

 

9.61

 

 

$

13.15

 

 

$

11.70

 

 

 

-

 

 

15,000

 

 

November 6, 2027

 

 

9.85

 

 

$

20.65

 

 

$

19.93

 

 

 

-

 

 

432,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

341,000

 

As of December 31, 2017, the unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options outstanding for non- employees was $0.4 million to be recognized over a weighted-average remaining vesting period of approximately 1.93 years, respectively. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had no unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options outstanding for non-employees. The Company recognizes compensation expense for only the portion of awards that are expected to vest.  

In accordance with the guidance of ASC 815-40-15, stock options awarded to non-employees that are performing services for NHC are required to be accounted for as derivative financial instruments once the services have been performed and the options have vested because they are considered not to be indexed to the Company��s stock due to their exercise price being denominated in a currency other than NHC’s functional currency. Stock options awarded to non-employees that have not vested are re-measured at their respective fair values at each reporting period and accounted for as equity awards until the terms associated with their vesting requirements have been met. The changes in fair value of the unvested non-employee awards are reflected in their respective operating expense classification in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

F-16


The non-employee stock options that are accounted for as liabilities are summarized as follows (amounts in thousands):

 

 

Year Ended

December 31, 2017

 

 

Nine Months Ended

December 31, 2016

 

Fair value of non-employee stock options at beginning of period

 

$

1,617

 

 

$

521

 

Reallocation of vested non-employee stock options

 

 

-

 

 

 

268

 

Exercised

 

 

(156

)

 

 

-

 

Cancelled

 

 

(294

)

 

 

-

 

Change in fair value of non-employee stock options during

   the period

 

 

1,470

 

 

 

828

 

Fair value of non-employee stock options at end of period

 

$

2,637

 

 

$

1,617

 

The non-employee stock options that have vested are required to be re-valued with the change in fair value recorded as a gain or loss in the change of fair value of derivative financial instruments and included in other income (expense) in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss at the end of each reporting period. The fair value of the stock options will continue to be classified as a derivative financial instrument until such time as they are exercised, expire or there is an amendment to the respective agreements that renders these financial instruments to be no longer classified as such.

The fair value of non-employee liability classified awards as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 were estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

Stock price

 

CAD$15.95

 

 

CAD$9.60

 

Exercise price

 

CAD$4.30

 

 

CAD$6.15

 

Expected life

 

1.51 years

 

 

2.59 years

 

Expected volatility

 

 

61.58

%

 

 

87.61

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

 

1.61

%

 

 

0.79

%

Dividend rate

 

 

0.00

%

 

 

0.00

%

Restricted Stock Units

During the second quarter of 2017, the Company granted restricted stock units to certain employees under the 2016 Plan that vest over a three-year period, with 25% vesting immediately. The fair value of the restricted stock units is based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

F-11

4.SUPPLEMENTAL BALANCE SHEET DISCLOSURES

Components of selected captions in the Consolidated Balance Sheets are as follows:

Accounts receivable, net

Accounts receivable are net of allowance for doubtful accounts of less than $1 thousand and $355 thousand as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2022, $334 thousand of past due accounts receivable from a customer that had been fully reserved prior to 2021 were determined by the Company to be uncollectible and were charged off against the allowance for doubtful accounts.

Inventory, net (in thousands)

December 31, 

2022

2021

Raw materials

$

344

$

171

Work-in-process

 

284

 

528

Finished goods

 

39

 

32

Inventory, gross

667

731

Inventory reserve

 

(78)

 

(255)

Inventory, net

$

589

$

476

During the year ended December 31, 2022, existing reserves of $175 thousand were charged against work-in-process inventory.

Prepaid expenses and other current assets (in thousands)

December 31, 

2022

2021

Prepaid expenses

$

817

$

236

Inventory related

 

399

 

626

Total prepaid expenses and other current assets

$

1,216

$

862

Property and equipment, net (in thousands)

December 31, 

    

2022

2021

Furniture and fixtures

$

59

$

65

Equipment

 

373

 

373

Computer software and hardware

 

229

 

212

Property and equipment

 

661

 

650

Accumulated depreciation

 

(314)

 

(241)

Property and equipment, net

$

347

$

409

Accrued and other current liabilities (in thousands)

December 31, 

    

2022

    

2021

Insurance payable

$

592

$

Employees benefits

509

712

Professional services

 

119

 

197

Franchise tax

 

 

193

Severance

 

 

258

Other

 

60

 

73

Total accrued and other current liabilities

$

1,280

$

1,433

F-12

Deferred revenue

Collaborative Arrangement

In October 2019, the Company received an up-front payment of CAD$360 thousand in connection with a Clinical Research and Co-Promotion Agreement with Health Tech Connex Inc. (“HTC”) (the “Co-Promotion Agreement”). Under the Co-Promotion Agreement, subject to certain terms and conditions, the Company granted to HTC the exclusive right to provide the PoNS Therapy in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver metro regions of British Columbia, where HTC has operated a PoNS authorized clinic since February 2019. This exclusivity right had an initial term of ten years. License revenue was recognized ratably over the ten-year term through the first three months of 2022, at which time the Company and HTC commenced negotiations to enter into a new exclusive distribution agreement.

On March 3, 2023, the Company entered into an Exclusive Distribution Agreement (“Exclusivity Agreement”) with HTC, whereby, subject to certain terms and conditions, the Company granted to HTC the exclusive right to provide the PoNS Therapy in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver metro regions of British Columbia. HTC is to purchase the PoNS devices for use in these regions exclusively from the Company and on terms no less favorable than the then-current standard terms and conditions, This exclusivity right was granted for a value of CAD$273 thousand which is represented by the unamortized payment that we received from HTC under the Co-Promotion Agreement and has an initial term of five years, renewable by HTC for one additional five-year term upon sixty days’ written notice to us.

Deferred revenue as of both December 31, 2022 and 2021 included approximately $200 thousand of license fees not yet recognized under the Co-Promotion Agreement. License fee revenue recognized is included in other revenue in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive loss.

Noncash Consideration in Acquisition

Deferred revenue for the remaining noncash consideration to be transferred in connection with the Company’s acquisition of Heuro Canada, Inc. (“Heuro”) in October 2019 was approximately $100 thousand as of December 31, 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the remaining 16 PoNS devices were transferred and the remaining $100 thousand of deferred revenue was recognized in Product Sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. During the year ended December 31, 2021, there were 18 PoNS devices transferred which resulted in the recognition of $100 thousand of deferred revenue in Product Sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.

5.LEASES

The Company has two operating leases for office space with lease terms that commenced in January 2022 and February 2022 and expire in March 2025 and January 2024, respectively. The leases do not contain any options to extend. Operating lease costs for the current and prior leases for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were $56 thousand and $63 thousand, respectively.

Maturities of operating lease liabilities at December 31, 2022 were as follows (in thousands):

2023

$

57

2024

46

2025

12

Total lease payments

 

115

Less: imputed interest

 

(5)

Total lease liabilities

$

110

F-13

The following table provides information on the lease terms and discount rates for the two operating leases as of December 31, 2022:

Weighted average remaining lease term (in years)

2.13

Weighted average discount rate

4.5

%

6.INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Intangible assets consist of the following (in thousands):

    

    

December 31, 

2022

2021

Net

Net

Useful Life

Accumulated

 Carrying

Accumulated

 Carrying

    

(in years)

    

Cost

    

Amortization

    

Value

    

Cost

    

Amortization

    

Value

Acquired proprietary software

5.00

$

142

$

(90)

$

52

$

151

$

(66)

$

85

Reacquired rights

 

3.87

475

 

(388)

 

87

505

 

(283)

 

222

Internally developed software

 

3.00

84

 

(83)

 

1

84

 

(58)

 

26

Total intangible assets

$

701

$

(561)

$

140

$

740

$

(407)

$

333

The acquired proprietary software and reacquired rights intangible assets were recorded in connection with the Company’s acquisition of Heuro.

Estimated amortization expense for each of the years ending December 31 is as follows (in thousands):

2023

$

116

2024

 

24

$

140

7.FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. Fair value of an asset or liability considers assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including consideration of non-performance risk. The inputs used to determine fair values are categorized in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy:

Level 1 – Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 – Inputs, other than quoted prices in active markets, that are observable, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.

The Consolidated Financial Statements include financial instruments for which the fair market value of such instruments may differ from amounts reflected on a historical cost basis. Financial instruments of the Company consist of cash equivalents, which were comprised of deposits of excess cash in an unrestricted money market savings account and a certificate of deposit as of December 31, 2022. The Company did not have any cash equivalents as of December 31, 2021. The carrying value of cash equivalents generally approximates fair value due to their short-term nature.

The Company’s derivative liability as of December 31, 2022 is comprised of warrants issued in connection with the registered public offering completed in August 2022 discussed in Note 8. The derivative liability is classified as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy and is required to be recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. See Note 8 for further information on the fair value of the derivative liability.

F-14

8.COMMON STOCK AND WARRANTS

The Company may issue common stock in connection with underwritten public offerings, registered direct public offerings or other financing transactions. Such issuances of common stock may include the issuance or sale of warrants to purchase common stock.

Equity Transactions

August 2022 Issuance of Common Stock and Warrants

On August 9, 2022, the Company closed on a registered public offering consisting of 18,560,000 shares of common stock, pre-funded warrants to purchase 5,440,000 shares of common stock and accompanying warrants to purchase an aggregate of 36,000,000 shares of common stock (“Public Warrants”) at a combined offering price of $0.75 per share and accompanying Public Warrants, or $0.749 per pre-funded warrant and accompanying Public Warrants (“August 2022 Public Offering”). The pre-funded warrants had an exercise price of $0.001 per share and were all exercised on the closing date. As a result, an aggregate of 24,000,000 shares were issued on the closing date for gross proceeds of $18 million. In connection with the August 2022 Public Offering, the Company paid $1.7 million of share issuance costs, which consisted of placement agent fees and expenses and other offering costs.

The Company performed an analysis of the provisions of the Public Warrants and concluded that the Public Warrants did not meet the guidance for being classified as an equity instrument due to a potential price reset prompted by a change in an unrelated instrument’s conversion rate or, in the event of a fundamental transaction, settlement rights that differ from those of the underlying common stockholders. As a result of the derivative liability classification of the Public Warrants, the gross proceeds were first allocated to the fair value of the Public Warrants as of August 9, 2022 of $9.9 million and the remaining $8.1 million in gross proceeds were allocated to stockholders’ equity. The share issuance costs associated with the August 2022 Public Offering were allocated between the issuance of common stock and Public Warrants on a pro rata basis with the allocation of the gross proceeds, which resulted in $0.8 million of share issuance costs being recorded as a reduction of additional paid-in capital and $0.9 million of share issuance costs being recorded in interest expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.

The fair value of the derivative liability as of the issuance date on August 9 and December 31, 2022 was $9.9 million and $6.9 million, respectively. The change in the fair value of the derivative liability was recognized as a component of nonoperating income (expense) in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.

The fair value of the Public Warrants as of December 31, 2022 was determined using both a Monte Carlo simulation model, which uses multiple input variables to determine the probability of the occurrence of a price reset or a fundamental transaction and the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The fair value of the Public Warrants as of the issuance date of August 9, 2022 was calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, as the occurrence of a price reset with regard to the exercise price or pricing disruption with regard to a fundamental transaction were not deemed to be the operative factors contemplated upon issuance of the Public Warrants.

The table below summarizes the inputs used in estimating the fair value of the Public Warrants. The use of different assumptions could have a material effect on the estimated fair value amounts.

    

December 31, 

August 9,

 

    

2022

2022

 

Stock price

$

0.31

$

0.49

Exercise price

$

0.75

$

0.75

Warrant term (in years)

 

4.61

 

5.00

Expected volatility

 

80.90

%

 

78.27

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

4.04

%

 

2.97

%

Dividend rate

 

0.00

%

 

0.00

%

Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement

During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company issued 391,363 shares and 40,000 shares, respectively, at an average price per share of $1.65 and $14.42, respectively, to Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC

F-15

(“Lincoln Park”) pursuant to a purchase agreement (the “LPC Purchase Agreement”) and registration rights agreement with Lincoln Park entered into on September 1, 2021. In addition, in connection with the execution of the LPC Purchase Agreement, the Company issued 31,958 shares of common stock to Lincoln Park as consideration for Lincoln Park’s commitment to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock. The $0.5 million fair value of the common stock was recorded as share issuance costs.

Lincoln Park has no right to require the Company to sell any shares of common stock to Lincoln Park, but Lincoln Park is obligated to make purchases as the Company directs, subject to the provisions of the LPC Purchase Agreement and applicable rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market. The Company does not intend to issue any additional shares under the LPC Purchase Agreement.

November 2021 Issuance of Common Stock

On November 12, 2021, in an underwritten public offering (the “November 2021 Offering”), the Company issued 1,385,031 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $8.00 per share. Net proceeds from the November 2021 Offering after underwriter’s discounts and commission and offering expenses were approximately $9.9 million. Affiliates of an officer and director participated in the November 2021 Offering on the same terms and conditions as all other purchasers.

February 2021 Issuance of Common Stock and Warrants

On February 1, 2021, in an underwritten public offering (the “February 2021 Offering”), the Company issued 744,936 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 372,468 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $14.82 per unit, consisting of one share and a warrant to purchase 0.50 shares of common stock. The warrants have an initial exercise price of $16.302 per share and are exercisable for a period of five years from the date of issuance. The Company also issued warrants to the underwriter to purchase 29,797 shares of common stock, with an exercise price of $18.525 per share. Net proceeds from the February 2021 Offering after underwriter’s discounts and commission and offering expenses were approximately $9.6 million. Affiliates of an officer and director participated in the February 2021 Offering on the same terms and conditions as all other purchasers.

The Company has determined that warrants issued in connection with the February 2021 Offering should be classified as equity as partial cash settlement under certain circumstances, charges of transfer taxes and fees and provisions related to market volatility did not preclude equity classification. The relative fair value of these warrants at issuance was approximately $2.6 million and was included in additional paid-in capital.

The fair value of the warrants as of the issuance date of February 1, 2021 was calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The following table summarizes the weighted average assumptions used in estimating the fair value of the warrants:

    

February 1, 2021

 

Stock price

$

14.82

Exercise price

$

16.47

Warrant term (in years)

 

5.00

Expected volatility

 

75.02

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

0.42

%

Dividend rate

 

0.00

%

Warrants

The liability classified Public Warrants have an exercise price of $0.75 per share, are exercisable upon issuance and will expire five years following the date of issuance. No Public Warrants were exercised or cancelled during the period from the date of issuance through December 31, 2022.

F-16

The Company has outstanding equity-classified warrants to purchase 593,924 shares of common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $16.32, with expiration dates ranging from March 2025 to February 2026. During the year ended December 31, 2022, no warrants were exercised or cancelled.

9.STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

The Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (“2022 Plan”) provides for the grant of incentive stock options (“ISOs”), nonstatutory stock options (“NSOs”), stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, performance awards and other forms of awards to employees, directors and consultants. The maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued on the exercise of ISOs under the 2022 Plan is 11,212,720. Options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock granted under the 2022 Plan are awarded at a price equal to the fair market value at the date of grant based upon the closing price on that date. Options granted under the 2022 Plan generally vest over periods of between one to three years and expire no later than ten years from the date of grant. Effective with the stockholder approval of the 2022 Plan on May 23, 2022, the Company ceased granting awards under the 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan (as amended, the “2018 Plan”). However, outstanding stock options granted prior to the effective date of the 2022 Plan are still governed by the 2018 Plan or the respective predecessor incentive plan under which they were granted.

The 2022 Plan contains an automatic increase provision which provides for an annual increase to the maximum number of authorized shares on January 1 of each year beginning on January 1, 2023 through January 1, 2027, to an amount equal to (i) 20% of the fully diluted number of shares of common stock outstanding on December 31 of the fiscal year before the date of each automatic increase, or (ii) a lesser number of shares determined by the board of directors prior to the date of the increase. As of January 1, 2023, the number of shares authorized for issuance increased from the initial 1,121,272 to 13,215,973 and there were 12,129,388 shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2022 Plan.

The Company also maintains the Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. 2021 Inducement Plan (as amended, the “Inducement Plan”) which permits the grant of non-statutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance stock and cash awards and other share‑based awards The Inducement Plan is used exclusively for grants of awards to individuals who were not previously employees or directors of the Company. Options granted under the Inducement Plan generally vest over four years and expire after ten years. The exercise price of each option is equal to the fair market value of the common stock at the date of grant.

The Inducement Plan was approved by the Company’s board of directors without stockholder approval on July 2, 2022 pursuant to Rule 5635(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. On December 15, 2022, the Company’s board of directors approved an amendment to the Inducement Plan to increase the number of shares authorized for issuance from the initial 100,000 to 600,000. As of December 31, 2022, there were 472,500 shares of common stock available for issuance under the Inducement Plan.

The fair value of each stock option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option valuation model that uses the assumptions noted in the following tables. The risk-free interest rate is estimated using the United States Treasury yield curve and is based on the expected term of the award. Due to the Company’s short trading history and higher volatility relative to its peers, expected volatility is based on an average of a peer group of companies with trading histories of at least ten years. The expected term of stock option awards granted is estimated based on the “simplified” method described in the SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin, Topic 14: Share-Based Payment.

F-17

The Black-Scholes option pricing model was used with the following weighted-average assumptions for options granted during the periods indicated:

    

Years Ended December 31, 

 

    

2022

    

2021

Risk-free interest rate

2.95

%  

1.18

%

Expected volatility

 

74.91

%  

 

78.03

Expected term (years)

 

5.70

 

6.99

Expected dividend yield

 

0.00

%  

 

0.00

%

Fair value, per share

$

1.02

$

10.53

The fair value of restricted stock units granted during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on the day of the grant.

Stock option activity during the year ended December 31, 2022 was as follows:

    

    

    

    

Weighted Average

    

Aggregate

Weighted 

Remaining

Intrinsic

Average

Contractual

 Value

    

Shares

    

Exercise Price

    

Term (in years)

    

(in thousands)

Outstanding as of December 31, 2021

 

669,117

 

$

37.36

9.03

Granted

 

645,170

2.81

 

Exercised

 

 

Forfeited

 

(124,398)

 

87.48

 

Outstanding as of December 31, 2022

 

1,189,889

13.39

8.89

$

5

Exercisable as of December 31, 2022

 

598,841

20.58

8.56

$

The following is a summary of the Company’stable summarizes nonvested restricted stock unit activity during the year ended December 31, 2022:

    

    

Weighted Average

Grant Date

Shares

Fair Value

Nonvested as of December 31, 2021

 

2,359

$

15.76

Granted

 

24,196

 

1.40

Vested

 

(18,491)

 

3.23

Forfeited

 

 

Nonvested as of December 31, 2022

 

8,064

1.40

Total stock-based compensation expense was as follows (in thousands):

Years Ended

December 31, 

2022

2021

Cost of sales

$

15

$

7

Selling, general and administrative

 

2,015

 

3,552

Research and development

224

693

Total stock-based compensation expense

$

2,254

$

4,252

Stock-based compensation expense for the year ended December 31, 2017:

 

 

Number of Restricted Stock Units

 

 

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Unit (CAD)

 

Outstanding as of January 1, 2017

 

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

Granted

 

 

8,097

 

 

 

10.00

 

Forfeited

 

 

(3,182

)

 

 

 

 

Outstanding as of December 31, 2017

 

 

4,915

 

 

$

10.00

 

Vested as of December 31, 2017 (1)

 

 

2,987

 

 

$

10.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) includes 723 RSUs withheld for taxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022 included $1.2 million of expense associated with the vesting of performance-based stock options upon the achievement of the performance criteria when the public offering in August 2022 was completed. Stock-based compensation expense is classifiedfor the year ended December 31, 2021 included $0.5 million of expense related to the accelerated vesting of stock options in connection with the departure of the Company’s former chief operating officer in July 2021.

F-18

As of December 31, 2022, the total remaining unrecognized compensation expense related to nonvested stock options and restricted stock units was $1.9 million which will be amortized over weighted-average remaining requisite service period of 2.4 years.

10.BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER SHARE

The table below presents the computation of basic and diluted loss per share (in thousands, except share and per share information):

Years Ended December 31, 

2022

   

2021

Basic:

  

 

  

Net loss available to common stockholders - basic

$

(14,072)

$

(18,132)

Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic

 

13,497,159

 

2,456,782

Loss per share - basic

$

(1.04)

$

(7.38)

  

 

  

Diluted:

  

 

  

Net loss available to common stockholders - diluted (1)

$

(14,072)

$

(18,132)

Weighted average common shares outstanding - diluted (1)

 

13,497,159

 

2,456,782

Loss per share - diluted

$

(1.04)

$

(7.38)

(1)

For the year ended December 31, 2022, no adjustment was made to the numerator and no incremental shares were added to the denominator for the Public Warrants being accounted for as a derivative liability, as the Public Warrants were out-of-the-money. Refer to Note 8 for additional information about the Public Warrants.

The following outstanding securities, presented based on amounts outstanding as of the end of each period, were not included in the Company’s consolidated statementscomputation of diluted loss per share for the periods indicated, as they would have been anti-dilutive due to the net loss in each period.

Years Ended

December 31, 

2022

   

2021

Stock options

1,189,889

669,117

Restricted stock units

8,064

2,359

Warrants

36,593,924

593,924

11.INCOME TAXES

The Company's loss before provision for income taxes was generated from operations in the United States and comprehensive lossoutside of the United States as follows (amounts in(in thousands):

Years Ended December 31, 

    

2022

    

2021

U.S.

$

12,417

$

16,589

Non-U.S.

 

1,655

 

1,543

$

14,072

$

18,132

 

 

Year Ended

December 31, 2017

 

 

Nine Months Ended

December 31, 2016

 

Research and development

 

$

343

 

 

$

107

 

General and administrative

 

 

1,475

 

 

 

1,355

 

 

 

$

1,818

 

 

$

1,462

 

F-19

5.

ACCRUED EXPENSES

Accrued expenses consisted of the following (amounts in thousands):

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

Employees benefits

 

$

442

 

 

$

259

 

Advance from U.S Army

 

 

233

 

 

 

-

 

Legal expense

 

 

343

 

 

 

-

 

Rent

 

 

97

 

 

 

-

 

Professional services

 

 

88

 

 

 

-

 

Severance

 

 

38

 

 

 

-

 

Other

 

 

1

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

$

1,242

 

 

$

259

 

6.

INCOME TAXES

The components of net loss are as follows (amounts in thousands):

 

 

Year Ended

December 31, 2017

 

 

Nine Months Ended

December 31, 2016

 

U.S.

 

$

24,980

 

 

$

11,082

 

Non-U.S.

 

 

3,044

 

 

 

958

 

 

 

$

28,024

 

 

$

12,040

 

A reconciliation of the United States federal statutory income tax provision computed at statutory ratesrate to the reportedCompany's effective income tax provisionrate is as follows (amounts in(in thousands):

 

Year Ended

December 31, 2017

 

 

Nine Months Ended

December 31, 2016

 

Statutory tax rate

 

 

34.00

%

 

 

34.00

%

Net loss before income taxes

 

$

28,024

 

 

$

12,040

 

Expected income tax recovery

 

$

(9,528

)

 

$

(4,094

)

Increase (decrease) in income tax recovery resulting from:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Years Ended December 31, 

 

    

2022

    

2021

 

Income tax benefit at United States federal statutory rate

$

(2,955)

$

(3,808)

Derivative liability

 

 

1,171

 

 

 

843

 

 

(636)

 

Share based payments

 

 

453

 

 

 

467

 

 

500

 

810

Goodwill impairment

198

Tax credits

(157)

(103)

Foreign income taxed at foreign rate

 

(91)

 

(85)

Other permanent difference

 

 

(446

)

 

 

(420

)

 

59

 

4

Effect of change in statutory rate

 

 

5,938

 

 

 

 

State deferred change

 

 

(2,050

)

 

 

 

Foreign income taxed at foreign rate

 

 

118

 

 

 

77

 

Other

164

(4)

Increase in valuation allowance

 

 

4,344

 

 

 

3,127

 

 

2,918

 

3,186

Income tax expense

 

$

 

 

$

 

$

$

The significant components of the Company’s deferred income tax assets and liabilities after applying enacted corporate tax rates are as follows (amounts in(in thousands):

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

Deferred income tax assets (liabilities)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating losses carried forward

 

$

11,382

 

 

$

7,626

 

Tax credits

 

 

1,243

 

 

 

702

 

Stock compensation

 

 

1,414

 

 

 

1,726

 

Other

 

 

530

 

 

 

170

 

Valuation allowance

 

 

(14,569

)

 

 

(10,224

)

Net deferred income tax asset

 

$

 

 

$

 

As of December 31, 

    

2022

    

2021

Deferred tax assets

  

  

Net operating loss carryforwards

$

29,130

$

27,514

Stock-based compensation

 

1,696

 

1,715

Research and development

1,642

930

Tax credit carryforwards

 

1,114

 

987

Compensation and benefits

108

177

Unrealized foreign currency losses

102

Deferred revenue

53

90

Lease liability

25

1

Inventory reserve

18

58

Total deferred tax assets

33,888

31,472

Deferred tax liabilities

Property and equipment

(57)

(68)

Intangible assets

(37)

(83)

Right-of-use asset

(23)

(1)

Unrealized foreign currency gains

(98)

Total deferred tax liabilities

(117)

(250)

Valuation allowance

 

(33,771)

 

(31,222)

Net deferred tax assets

$

$

AsNet operating loss carryforwards and the related carryforward expiration periods as of December 31, 2017,2022 are summarized as follows (in thousands):

    

Carryforward

    

Amount

Expiration 

United States federal net operating losses

    

$

39,500

2033-2037

United States federal net operating losses

 

68,000

Indefinite

United States state net operating losses

 

68,500

2034-2042

United States state net operating losses

 

500

Indefinite

Canada federal net operating losses

 

6,500

2034-2042

F-20

The gross tax credit carryforwards and the Company has accumulated non-capital losses totaling $6.0 million in Canada and net operating lossesrelated carryforward expiration periods as of $39.0 million in the U.S., which may be available to carry forward and offset future years’ taxable income. The losses expire in various amounts starting in 2033.December 31, 2022 are summarized as follows (in thousands):

F-18


    

Carryforward

    

Amount

Expiration 

United States federal research expenditure tax credits

    

$

655

2035-2042

Canada federal research expenditure tax credits

 

459

2034-2037

Under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the net operating loss carryforwards are subject to review and possible adjustment by the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities. Net operating loss carryforwards may become subject to an annual limitation in the event of certain cumulative changes in the ownership interest of significant shareholders over a three-year period in excess of 50 percent, as defined under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as similar state provisions. This could substantially limit the amount of tax attributes that can be utilized annually to offset future taxable income or tax liabilities. The amount of the annual limitation is determined based on the value of the Company immediately prior to the ownership change. Subsequent ownership changes may further affect the limitation in future years.

On December 22, 2017 Although a formal Section 382 analysis has not yet been completed, the U.S. Government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to asCompany believes it is possible ownership changes have occurred. The annual limitation may result in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“The Act”).  The Act makes broad changes to the U.S. tax code, including, but not limited to, (i) reducing the U.S federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%; (ii) eliminating the corporate alternative minimum tax; (iii) creating a new limitation on deductible interest expense; (iv) creating the base erosion and anti-abuse tax, a new minimum tax; (v) limitation on the deductibilityexpiration of certain executive compensation; (vi) enhancing the option to claim accelerated depreciation deductions on qualified property, and (vii) changing rules related to uses and limitations ofUnited States net operating loss carryforwards created in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017.

The Act reduces the corporate tax rate to 21%, effective January 1, 2018.  The accounting for this portion of The Act has caused a reductionlosses and credits before utilization; however, due to the Company’s net deferred tax assets before valuation allowance of $5.9 million for the year ended December 31,2017. However, the Company maintains a full valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets. As a result, the $5.9 million reduction to the Company’s deferred tax assets is offset by a corresponding $5.9 million reduction in the Company’s valuation allowance, resulting in no net impact to the Company’s tax provision.   

The Company has not completed its determination of the accounting implications of The Act on its tax accruals. However, the Company has reasonably estimated the effects of The Act as described above as of December 31, 2017, primarily comprised2022, the net effect of the remeasurement of federal net deferred tax assets resulting from the permanent reduction in the U.S. statutory corporate tax rate to 21% from 34%. As the Company completes its analysis of The Act, collect and prepare necessary data, and interpret any additional guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, and other standard-setting bodies, the Company may make adjustments to the provisional amounts recorded as of December 31, 2017. However, those adjustments are not anticipated tolimitation will have a materialno impact on the Company’s tax provision.

Uncertain Tax Positionsresults of operations.

The Company has adopted certain provisions of ASC 740, “Income Taxes”, whichaccounting guidance related to uncertain tax positions prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the recognition and measurement of a tax positionsposition taken or expected to be taken in incomea tax returns. The provisionsreturn. It also provideprovides guidance on the de-recognition, of income tax assets and liabilities, classification, of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities, and accounting for interest and penalties, associated with tax positions.

The Company files income tax returnsaccounting in the U.S. federal jurisdiction,interim periods, disclosure and in various state and foreign jurisdictions. The Company’s tax returns are subject to tax examinations by U.S. federal and state tax authorities, or examinations by foreign tax authorities until the expiration of the respective statutes of limitation. The Company currently has no tax years under examination.

transition. As of both December 31, 2017,2022 and 2021, the Company does not have an accrual relating to uncertain tax positions. It is not anticipated that unrecognized tax benefits would significantly increase or decrease within 12 months of the reporting date.

7.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

(a)

On January 22, 2013, the Company entered into a license agreement with Advanced NeuroRehabilitation, LLC (“ANR”) for an exclusive right on ANR’s patent pending technology, claims and knowhow. In addition to the issuance of 3,207,005 shares of common stock, the Company agreed to pay a 4% royalty on net revenue on the sales of devices covered by the patent-pending technology and services related to the therapy or use of devices covered by the patent-pending technology. The Company has not made any royalty payments to date under this agreement.

(b)

On October 30, 2017, NHC amended the Asset Purchase Agreement with A&B which specified that if the Company fails to obtain FDA marketing authorization for commercialization of or otherwise fails to ensure that the PoNS device is available for purchase by the U.S. Government by December 31, 2021, the Company would be subject to a $2.0 million contract penalty payable to A&B, unless the Company receives an exemption for the requirement of FDA marketing authorization from the US Army Medical Material Agency. Based on this amendment the Company has determined that the possibility of a payment under this contractual penalty is remote. 

(c)

In November 2014, the Company signed a development and distribution agreement with Altair LLC to apply for registration and distribution of the PoNS device in the territories of the former Soviet Union. The Company will receive 7% royalty on sales of the devices within the territories.  However, there is no assurance that such commercialization will occur.

F-19


(d)

In March 2017, the Company entered into a lease for office space in Newtown, Pennsylvania. The initial term of the lease is from July 1, 2017 through December 31, 2022, with an option to extend until 2027. In July 2017, the Company amended the contract to commence the lease on July 17, 2017 through January 16, 2023, with an option to extend until January 2028. Monthly rent plus utilities will be approximately $20,000 per month beginning in January 2018 with a 3% annual increase.

The future minimum lease payments relatedCompany files income tax returns in the United States and Canada. The Company’s tax returns are subject to tax examinations by United States federal and state tax authorities, or examinations by foreign tax authorities until the expiration of the respective statutes of limitation. The Company currently has no tax years under examination.

12.DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN

The Company’s employees in the United States are eligible to participate in the Helius Medical Inc. Savings Plan, as amended, a safe harbor 401(k) plan (“401(k) Plan”). The 401(k) Plan allows eligible employees to make contributions through payroll deductions up to IRS limits. Effective January 1, 2022, the Company matches the first 3% of the participant's annual eligible compensation contributed to the plan on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The Company matches the next 2% of the participant's annual eligible compensation to the plan on a 50% basis. Pursuant to the 401(k) safe harbor provisions, the Company’s non-cancellable operating lease commitments were as follows (amounts in thousands):

For the Year Ending December 31,

 

 

 

 

2018

 

$

231

 

2019

 

 

246

 

2020

 

 

253

 

2021

 

 

260

 

2022

 

 

267

 

Thereafter

 

 

12

 

 

 

$

1,269

 

(e)

On December 29, 2017, NHC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company entered into a Manufacturing and Supply Agreement (“MSA”) with Key Tronic Corporation (“Key Tronic”), for the manufacture and supply of the Company’s PoNS device based upon the Company’s product specifications as set forth in the MSA. Per the agreement, the Company shall provide to Key Tronic a rolling forecast for the procurement of parts and material and within normal lead times based on estimated delivery dates for the manufacture of the PoNS device. The term of the agreement will be for three-years and will automatically renew for additional consecutive terms of one year, unless cancelled by either party upon 180-day written notice to the other party prior to the end of the then current term. As of December 31, 2017, no initial forecast had been provided to Key Tronic by the Company.

8.

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

matching contributions are 100% vested. For the year ended December 31, 2017,2022, the Company’s defined contribution plan expense was $143 thousand.

13.COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Company paid approximately $16 thousand in consulting feeis obligated under a license agreement with Advanced NeuroRehabilitation, LLC (“ANR”) to pay a director4% royalty on net revenue collected from the sale of the Company.devices covered by ANR’s patent pending technology, claims and knowhow. For the nine monthsyears ended December 31, 2016,2022 and 2021, the Company paid $0.1 millionrecorded approximately $31 thousand and $20 thousand, respectively, in consulting fees to certain directorsRoyalty Expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.

F-21

14.ENTERPRISE-WIDE DISCLOSURES

The following table presents the Company.   Company’s revenue disaggregated by geographic area (in thousands):

During April 2016, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Montel Media, Inc. (“Montel Media”), pursuant to which Montel Media provides consulting services

Years Ended

2022

    

2021

Product sales, net:

United States

$

318

$

Canada

460

493

Total product sales, net

778

493

Other revenue

 

9

 

29

Total revenue

$

787

$

522

A single customer accounted for 35% and 32% of net product sales for the promotion of the Company’s clinical trials and ongoing media and marketing strategies.  Under the agreement, Montel Media receives $15 thousand per month.  For the yearyears ended December 31, 20172022 and the nine months ended December 31, 2016, the Company paid Montel Media $0.2 million2021, respectively, and $0.1 million, respectively, pursuant to the consulting agreement. Montel Media is owned by Montel Williams, who beneficially owns greater than 5%89% and 3% of the Company’s common stock.

For the year ended December 31, 2017 and nine months ended December 31, 2016, an expense of $0.4 million and $0.2 million, respectively, was included in the change in fair value of derivative financial instrumentsaccounts receivable, net as the fair value of stock-based compensation attributed to the options granted to a director for consulting services rendered with respect to the design and development of the PoNS device.

The Company’s Chief Medical Officer is a founding member of Clinvue LLC, a company that provides regulatory advisory services for the Company. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company paid Clinvue LLC approximately $0.1 million for consulting services. For the nine months ended December 31, 2016, the Company made no payment to Clinvue LLC.

In connection with the December 2017 private placement, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer, two directors and A&B, a greater than 5% owner of the Company’s shares outstanding subscribed in the private placement. The following table summarizes their participation (subscription amount in thousands):

 

Units Purchased

 

 

Subscription Amount

 

A&B (HK) Company Ltd.

 

204,081

 

 

$

2,000

 

Director 1

 

76,530

 

 

 

750

 

Director 2

 

51,019

 

 

 

500

 

CEO

 

25,510

 

 

 

250

 

CFO/COO

 

15,816

 

 

 

155

 

 

 

372,956

 

 

$

3,655

 

F-20


9.

SOLE-SOURCE COST-SHARING AGREEMENT AND COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT

In July 2015, the Company entered into a sole source cost sharing agreement with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (“USAMRMC”). Under the terms of the contract, the USAMRMC will reimburse the Company up to a maximum of $3.0 million to conduct a registrational trial investigating the safety and effectiveness of the PoNS device for the treatment of chronic balance deficits due to mild to moderate traumatic brain injury. Reimbursement of expenses under the agreement is based on a schedule of milestones related to the completion of subjects in the trial. The original contract expired on December 31, 2016; however, the Company extended the contract agreement through December 31, 2017. On November 7, 2017, the Company received another extension of the contract agreement to December 31, 2018. As of December 31, 2017, the Company has received a total2022 and 2021, respectively. One other customer accounted for 0% and 40% of $3.0 million with respect to expenses reimbursed for amounts owed to the Company for completionaccounts receivable, net as of development milestones, of which $0.2 million of the total received has been recorded as an advance against the fifth and final milestone. All reimbursement amounts received are credited directly to the accounts in which the original expense is recorded, including research and development, wages and salaries, and legal expenses. In addition, during the third quarter of 2017, the Company announced the execution of an extension to its Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (“CRADA”) with the USAMRMC through 2018 and extended the deadline for commercialization of the PoNS device to December 31, 2022 and 2021.

10.SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

A&B Warrant Exercise and License Agreement

On February 28, 2018, A&B   executed their notice to exercise 555,556 warrants issued on January 7, 2016, at an exercise priceF-22

On March 2, 2018, the Company, NHC and A&B entered into an agreement to negotiate an exclusive license agreement to grant A&B exclusive license rights to commercialize the PoNS device and components in additional territories in Asia.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

HELIUS MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Dated: March 12, 20189, 2023

By:

/s/ Philippe DeschampsDane C. Andreeff

Philippe DeschampsDane C. Andreeff

President and Chief Executive Officer and Director

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

By

/s/ Philippe DeschampsDane C. Andreeff

    

Date: March 12, 20189, 2023

Dane C. Andreeff

Philippe Deschamps

President, Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) and Director

Director

By

/s/ Joyce LaViscountJeffrey S. Mathiesen

Date: March 12, 20189, 2023

Joyce LaViscountJeffrey S. Mathiesen

Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer), Treasurer, Secretary and Director

Officer), and Corporate Secretary

By

/s/ Paul Buckman

Date: March 9 2023

Paul Buckman

Director

By

/s/ Blane Walter

Date: March 12, 20189, 2023

Blane Walter

Director

By

/s/ Mitchell E. TylerSherrie Perkins

Date: March 12, 20189, 2023

Mitchell E. TylerSherrie Perkins

Director

By

/s/ Edward M. Straw

Date: March 12, 20189, 2023

Edward M. Straw

Director

By

/s/ Huaizheng Peng

Date: March 12, 2018

Huaizheng Peng

Director

By

/s/ Thomas E. Griffin

Date: March 12, 2018

Thomas E. Griffin

Director

By

/s/ Dane Andreeff

Date: March 12, 2018

Dane Andreeff

Director

84