Note 6 – Notes Payable
As of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, notes payable consisted of the following:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | June 30, 2022 | | December 31, 2021 |
| | Notes Payable | | Debt Discount | | Net | | Notes Payable | | Debt Discount | | Net |
D&O insurance policy loan | | $ | 226,333 | | $ | 0 | | $ | 226,333 | | $ | 0 | | $ | 0 | | $ | 0 |
Silicon Valley Bank loan | | | 7,500,000 | | | (297,202) | | | 7,202,798 | | | 7,500,000 | | | (349,632) | | | 7,150,368 |
Notes payable, current | | $ | 7,726,333 | | $ | (297,202) | | $ | 7,429,131 | | $ | 7,500,000 | | $ | (349,632) | | $ | 7,150,368 |
On February 24, 2022, the Company issued a note payable for the purchase of a directors and officers liability insurance policy (the “D&O Loan”). The D&O Loan is payable in six monthly payments consisting of principal and interest amounting to $113,628 for an aggregate principal amount of $675,331. The note accrues interest at a rate of 3.26% per year and matures on August 24, 2022. During the six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company repaid an aggregate of $448,999 of principal balance on the D&O Loan.
During the three months ended June 30, 2022, the Company recorded interest expense of $153,436, of which $149,758 is related to the SVB Loan (including amortization of debt discount of $26,217) and $3,678 is related to the D&O Loan. During the six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company recorded interest expense of $298,673, of which $293,161 is related to the SVB Loan (including amortization of debt discount of $52,431) and $5,512 is related to the D&O Loan.
SVB Loan Amendment
On May 6, 2022, the Company and SVB agreed to amend the terms of the SVB Loan dated May 7, 2021. Pursuant to the amendment, the repayment term of the SVB Loan is reduced to 24 consecutive calendar months and the date that the first payment is due by the Company is extended to June 1, 2023. The amendment did not result in a 10% change in the net present value of the SVB Loan cash flows and, accordingly, the amendment was accounted for as a modification (a continuation of the original loan).
Note 7 – Commitments and Contingencies
Employment Agreements
On February 14, 2022, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) approved amendments to the Employment Agreements with its executive officers (the “Employment Agreement Addendums”). Each of the Employment Agreement Addendums provides that if the executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without “Cause” or the executive suffers an “Involuntary Termination” (each as defined in the employment agreements), provided that the executive has signed a full release of all claims, the executive will be entitled to receive: (i) severance pay equal to twelve months of his or her then-current base salary (estimated at approximately $1,517,000 in the aggregate as of the date of the Employment Agreement Addendums), and (ii) a reimbursement for health insurance benefits under COBRA for the executive and his or her spouse and dependents for a period of twelve months or until the executive becomes eligible for comparable insurance benefits from another employer, whichever is earlier.
Operating Leases
The Company leases 953 square feet of office space in Reno, Nevada for research and development activities from a company owned by the Company’s former Vice President of Research and Development. The lease, as amended, expires on September 14, 2022 and provides for lease payments of $5,404 per month and a security deposit in the amount of $5,404. Since the inception of the lease, the Company has made $112,600 of leasehold improvements related to this lease which are included in property and equipment, net on the accompanying balance sheets. The Company’s rent expense for this space is recorded in Research and Development on the condensed statement of operations and amounted to $16,212 for the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, and $32,424 for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021.
On April 8, 2022, the Company agreed to enter into a lease agreement for a new office space of 3,916 square feet commencing on June 1, 2022 in Laguna Hills, CA. The lease expires on July 31, 2027 and provides for lease payments of $9,203 per month payable on the first day of each month commencing September 1, 2022, and a security deposit of $11,400. The Company’s rent expense for this space is recorded in General and Administrative on the condensed statement of operations and amounted to $9,457 during the three and six months ended June 30, 2022.