complaint also asserts claims against certain individual defendants for breach of fiduciary duty arising from alleged insider trading.
The Company and the individual defendants deny all allegations of wrongdoing in the complaints and intend to vigorously defend the litigation. In light of the fact that the suit(s) is/are in an early stage and the claims do not specify an amount of damages, the Company cannot predict the ultimate outcome of the matter(s) and cannot reasonably estimate the potential loss or range of loss the Company may incur.
Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice Investigations
The Company has received subpoenas from the SEC and the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) requesting documents and information concerning, among other matters, leronlimab, the Company’s public statements regarding the use of leronlimab as a potential treatment for COVID-19, HIV, and triple-negative breast cancer, related communications with the FDA, investors, and others, litigation involving former employees, the Company’s retention of investor relations consultants, and trading in the Company’s securities. Certain former Company executives and directors have received subpoenas concerning similar issues and have been interviewed by the DOJ and SEC, including the Company’s former CEO, Nader Z. Pourhassan.
On January 24, 2022, Mr. Pourhassan was terminated and removed from the Board of Directors and has had no role at the Company since. On December 20, 2022, the DOJ announced the unsealing of a criminal indictment charging both Mr. Pourhassan, and Kazem Kazempour, CEO of Amarex, a subsidiary of NSF International, Inc., and which had formerly served as the Company’s contract research organization (“CRO”). Mr. Pourhassan was charged with one count of conspiracy, four counts of securities fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and three counts of insider trading. Mr. Kazempour was charged with one count of conspiracy, three counts of securities fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of making a false statement. That same day, the SEC announced charges against both Mr. Pourhassan and Mr. Kazempour for alleged violations of federal securities laws.
The Company is committed to cooperating fully with the DOJ and SEC investigations, which are ongoing, and which the Company’s counsel frequently engages with them on. Further, the Company has made voluminous productions of information and made witnesses available for voluntary interviews. The Company will continue to comply with the requests of the SEC and DOJ. The Company cannot predict the ultimate outcome of the DOJ and SEC investigations or the case against Mr. Pourhassan, nor can it predict whether any other governmental authorities will initiate separate investigations or litigation. The investigations and any related legal and administrative proceedings could include a wide variety of outcomes, including the institution of administrative, civil injunctive, or criminal proceedings involving the Company and/or former executives and/or former directors in addition to Mr. Pourhassan, the imposition of fines and other penalties, remedies and/or sanctions, modifications to business practices and compliance programs, and/or referral to other governmental agencies for other appropriate actions. It is not possible to accurately predict at this time when matters relating to the investigations will be completed, the final outcome of the investigations, what additional actions, if any, may be taken by the DOJ or SEC or by other governmental agencies, or the effect that such actions may have on our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition, which could be material.
The DOJ and SEC investigations, including any matters identified in the investigations and indictments, could also result in (1) third-party claims against the Company, which may include the assertion of claims for monetary damages, including but not limited to interest, fees, and expenses, (2) damage to the Company's business or reputation, (3) loss of, or adverse effect on, cash flow, assets, results of operations, business, prospects, profits, or business value, including the possibility of certain of the Company's existing contracts being cancelled, (4) adverse consequences on the Company's ability to obtain or continue financing for current or future projects, and/or (5) claims by directors, officers, employees, affiliates, advisors, attorneys, agents, debt holders or other interest holders, or constituents of the Company or its subsidiaries, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition. Further, to the extent that these investigations and any resulting third-party claims yield adverse results over time, such results could jeopardize the Company's operations, exhaust its cash reserves, and could cause stockholders to lose their entire investment.