BioXcel Therapeutics 10Q 2020 Q3 Quarterly report

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q


(Mark One)

⌧	QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2020

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 Number: 001-38410

BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



Delaware	82-1386754
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

555 Long Wharf Drive
New Haven, CT	06511
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

(475) 238-6837

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)


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

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share	BTAI	Nasdaq Capital Market

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 every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ⌧ No ◻

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

Large accelerated filer ◻	Accelerated filer ◻

Non-accelerated filer ⌧	Smaller reporting company ⌧

	Emerging growth company ⌧

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 is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ◻ No ⌧

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding at November 1, 2020 was 24,368,357.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents


		Page
PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

	Forward Looking Statements	3
	Summary Risk Factors	4
Item 1.	Financial Statements (Unaudited)	5
	Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019	5
	Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019	6
	Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019	7
	Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019	8
	Notes to Financial Statements	9
Item 2.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	21
Item 3.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	32
Item 4.	Controls and Procedures	32

PART II OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1.	Legal Proceedings	34
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	34
Item 2.	Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	76
Item 3.	Defaults Upon Senior Securities	76
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	76
Item 5.	Other Information	76
Item 6.	Exhibits	77
Signatures		78

Table of Contents

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. We make such forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

●

our plans relating to clinical trials for BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates;

●

our plans for 505(b)(2) regulatory path approval;

●

our plans to research, develop and commercialize our current and future product candidates;

●

our plans to seek to enter into collaborations for the development and commercialization of certain product candidates;

●

the potential benefits of any future collaboration;

●

the timing of and our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for our product candidates;

●

the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility of any products for which we receive marketing approval;

●

our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy;

●

our intellectual property position and strategy;

●

our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and need for additional financing;

●

developments relating to our competitors and our industry;

●

the impact of government laws and regulations;

●

the impact of COVID-19 on our business, including our preclinical studies and clinical trials: and

●

our relationship with BioXcel LLC.

These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those listed under “Summary Risk Factors” Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors,” and Part I, Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Given these uncertainties, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future.

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q also contains estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, our business, and the markets for certain diseases, including data regarding the estimated size of those markets, and the incidence and prevalence of certain medical conditions. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances reflected in this information. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business, market and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data and similar sources.

As used in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company” or “BTI” refer to BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. and its subsidiaries, and “BioXcel” or “Parent” refer to the Company’s parent company, BioXcel LLC and its predecessor, BioXcel Corporation. All brand names or trademarks appearing in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are the property of their respective owners.

We may use our website as a distribution channel of material information about the Company. Financial and other important information regarding the Company is routinely posted on and accessible through the Investors sections of its website at www.bioxceltherapeutics.com. In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other information about the Company when you enroll your email address by visiting the “Email Alerts” option under the News / Events menu of the Investors section of ours website at www.bioxceltherapeutics.com.

Table of Contents

SUMMARY RISK FACTORS

Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those described in Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. You should carefully consider these risks and uncertainties when investing in our ordinary shares. The principal risks and uncertainties affecting our business include the following:

●

We have a limited operating history and have never generated any product revenues, which may make it difficult to evaluate the success of our business to date and to assess our future viability.

●

We have incurred significant operating losses since inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur substantial operating losses for the foreseeable future and may never achieve or maintain profitability.

●

We will need substantial additional funding, and if we are unable to raise capital when needed, we could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development programs or commercialization efforts.

●

We have limited experience in drug discovery and drug development, and we have never had a drug approved.

●

In the near term, we are dependent on the success of BXCL501 and BXCL701. If we are unable to complete the clinical development of, obtain marketing approval for or successfully commercialize BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates, either alone or with a collaborator, or if we experience significant delays in doing so, our business could be substantially harmed.

●

Interim “top-line” and preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more patient data become available and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.

●

The regulatory approval processes of the FDA and comparable foreign authorities are lengthy, time consuming, expensive and inherently unpredictable, and if we are ultimately unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates, our business will be substantially harmed.

●

Clinical trials are expensive, time-consuming and difficult to design and implement, and involve an uncertain outcome.

●

Our product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval, limit the commercial profile of an approved label, or result in significant negative consequences following marketing approval, if any.

●

BioXcel’s approach to the discovery and development of product candidates based on EvolverAI is novel and unproven, and we do not know whether we will be able to develop any products of commercial value.

●

Even if we obtain regulatory approval for BXCL501, BXCL701 or any product candidate, we will still face extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements and obligations and any product candidates, if approved, may face future development and regulatory difficulties.

●

If our products do not gain market acceptance, our business will suffer because we might not be able to fund future operations.

●

Even if we obtain regulatory approvals to commercialize BXCL501, BXCL701 or our other product candidates, our product candidates may not be accepted by physicians or the medical community in general.

●

We continue to depend on BioXcel to provide us with certain services for our business.

●

We are substantially dependent on third parties for the manufacture of our clinical supplies of our product candidates, and we intend to rely on third parties to produce commercial supplies of any approved product candidate. Therefore, our development of our products could be stopped or delayed, and our commercialization of any future product could be stopped or delayed or made less profitable if third party manufacturers fail to obtain approval of the FDA or comparable regulatory authorities or fail to provide us with drug product in sufficient quantities or at acceptable prices.

●

Our failure to find third party collaborators to assist or share in the costs of product development could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

●

It is difficult and costly to protect our proprietary rights, and we may not be able to ensure their protection. If our patent position does not adequately protect our product candidates, others could compete against us more directly, which would harm our business, possibly materially.

Table of Contents

PART 1. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

BIOXCEL THERAPEUTICS, INC.

BALANCE SHEETS

(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)


	September 30,		December 31,
	2020		2019
	(unaudited)
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	233,428	$	32,426
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		2,705		1,681
Total current assets		236,133		34,107
Property and equipment, net		944		1,041
Operating lease right-of-use asset		1,586		1,193
Other assets		86		51
Total assets	$	238,749	$	36,392

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	$	8,557	$	4,953
Accrued expenses		6,901		3,120
Due to Parent		208		64
Other current liabilities		678		331
Total current liabilities		16,344		8,468
Long-term portion of operating lease liability		1,467		1,029
Total liabilities		17,811		9,497

Stockholders' equity
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized; 24,354,882 and 18,087,382 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively		24		18
Additional paid-in-capital		338,685		83,565
Accumulated deficit		(117,771)		(56,688)
Total stockholders' equity		220,938		26,895
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$	238,749	$	36,392

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

Table of Contents

BIOXCEL THERAPEUTICS, INC.

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

(unaudited)


	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Revenues	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—

Operating expenses
Research and development		16,317		7,122		46,595		19,302
General and administrative		8,451		2,012		14,605		5,886
Total operating expenses		24,768		9,134		61,200		25,188
Loss from operations		(24,768)		(9,134)		(61,200)		(25,188)
Other income (expense)
Dividend and interest income		20		134		140		542
Interest expense		(5)		(18)		(23)		(47)
Net loss	$	(24,753)	$	(9,018)	$	(61,083)	$	(24,693)
Net loss per share - basic and diluted	$	(1.07)	$	(0.57)	$	(2.94)	$	(1.57)
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted		23,050,256		15,752,196		20,779,465		15,695,263

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

Table of Contents

BIOXCEL THERAPEUTICS, INC.

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(amounts in thousands, except shares)

(unaudited)


				Additional
	Common Stock			Paid in		Accumulated
	Shares	Amount		Capital		Deficit		Total
Balances as of December 31, 2018	15,663,221	$	16	$	62,593	$	(23,720)	$	38,889
Stock-based compensation	—		—		682		—		682
Exercise of stock options	2,581		—		1		—		1
Net loss	—		—		—		(7,204)		(7,204)
Balances as of March 31, 2019	15,665,802	$	16	$	63,276	$	(30,924)	$	32,368
Issuance of common shares, net of issuance costs of $11	21,744		—		230		—		230
Stock-based compensation	—		—		1,030		—		1,030
Net loss	—		—		—		(8,471)		(8,471)
Balances as of June 30, 2019	15,687,546	$	16	$	64,536	$	(39,395)	$	25,157
Issuance of common shares, net of issuance costs of $1,991	2,347,479		2		17,503		—		17,505
Stock-based compensation	—		—		776		—		776
Net loss	—		—		—		(9,018)		(9,018)
Balances as of September 30, 2019	18,035,025	$	18	$	82,815	$	(48,413)	$	34,420

				Additional
	Common Stock			Paid in		Accumulated
	Shares	Amount		Capital		Deficit		Total
Balances as of December 31, 2019	18,087,382	$	18	$	83,565	$	(56,688)	$	26,895
Issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs of $4,789	2,300,000		2		68,809		—		68,811
Purchase and cancellation of shares from BioXcel Corporation	(300,000)		—		(9,024)		—		(9,024)
Stock-based compensation	—		—		776		—		776
Exercise of stock options	95,000		—		39		—		39
Net loss	—		—		—		(14,911)		(14,911)
Balances as of March 31, 2020	20,182,382	$	20	$	144,165	$	(71,599)	$	72,586
Stock-based compensation	—		—		1,956		—		1,956
Exercise of stock options	170,531		—		271		—		271
Net loss	—		—		—		(21,419)		(21,419)
Balances as of June 30, 2020	20,352,913	$	20	$	146,392	$	(93,018)	$	53,394
Issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs of $12,991	4,000,000		4		187,004		—		187,008
Stock-based compensation	—		—		5,268		—		5,268
Exercise of stock options	1,969		—		21		—		21
Net loss	—		—		—		(24,753)		(24,753)
Balances as of September 30, 2020	24,354,882	$	24	$	338,685	$	(117,771)	$	220,938

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

Table of Contents

BIOXCEL THERAPEUTICS, INC.

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(amounts in thousands)

(unaudited)


	Nine months ended September 30,
	2020		2019
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net loss	$	(61,083)	$	(24,693)
Reconciliation of net loss to net cash used in operating activities
Depreciation and amortization		143		218
Stock-based compensation expense		8,000		2,488
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses, other assets and right of use assets		(846)		(618)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, lease liabilities and other liabilities		7,708		3,423
Net cash used in operating activities		(46,078)		(19,182)

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of equipment and leasehold improvements		(46)		(868)
Net cash used in investing activities		(46)		(868)

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs		255,819		17,736
Purchase and cancellation of shares from BioXcel Corporation		(9,024)		—
Exercise of options		331		1
Net cash provided by financing activities		247,126		17,737

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		201,002		(2,313)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period		32,426		42,565
Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period	$	233,428	$	40,252

Supplemental cash flow information:
Interest paid	$	23	$	47
Operating lease right of use asset and liability (non-cash adoption balances)		—		1,308
Operating ROU lease assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities		606		—

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

Table of Contents

BIOXCEL THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

(unaudited)

Note 1. Organization and Principal Activities

BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on drug development that utilizes artificial intelligence to identify improved therapies in neuroscience and immuno-oncology. BTI's drug re-innovation approach leverages existing approved drugs and/or clinically validated product candidates together with big data and proprietary machine learning algorithms to identify new therapeutic indices. BTI's two most advanced clinical development programs are BXCL501, a proprietary, orally dissolving, sublingual thin film formulation of the adrenergic receptor agonist dexmedetomidine (“Dex”), for the treatment of agitation and opioid withdrawal symptoms, and BXCL701, an orally administered, systemic innate immune activator for the treatment of aggressive forms of prostate cancer and advanced solid tumors that are refractory or treatment naïve to checkpoint inhibitors.

As used in these financial statements, unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires, the terms the “Company” or “BTI” refer to BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc., and “BioXcel” or “Parent” refer to BioXcel LLC and, its predecessor, BioXcel Corporation.

The Company is a minority-owned subsidiary of BioXcel and was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on March 29, 2017. The Company’s principal office is in New Haven, Connecticut.

The unaudited financial information for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 is presented on the same basis as the financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. The Company does not have any components of other comprehensive income (loss) recorded within its financial statements, and, therefore, does not separately present a statement of comprehensive income (loss) in its financial statements.

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial information to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on the reported results of operations.

COVID-19

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19, a novel strain of coronavirus, a global pandemic. This outbreak has caused and is continuing to cause major disruptions to businesses and financial markets worldwide. This may affect the Company’s operations and those of third parties on which the Company relies, including causing disruptions in the supply of the Company’s product candidates and the conduct of current and planned preclinical and clinical studies. The Company may need to limit its operations and may experience limitations in employee resources. There are risks that the COVID-19 pandemic may be more difficult to contain than currently anticipated in which case the risks described herein could increase significantly. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the Company’s results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of the coronavirus and the actions to contain the coronavirus or treat its impact, among others.

Additionally, while the potential economic impact brought by, and the duration of, the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult to assess or predict, the impact of the coronavirus on the global financial markets may reduce the Company’s ability to access capital, which could negatively impact the Company’s short-term and long-term liquidity, and the Company’s ability to complete its preclinical and clinical studies on a timely basis, or at all. The ultimate impact of COVID-19 is highly uncertain and subject to change. The Company does not yet know the full extent of potential delays or impacts on its business, financing, preclinical and clinical trial activities or the global economy as a whole. However,

Table of Contents

these effects could have a material, adverse impact on the Company’s liquidity, capital resources, operations and business and those of the third parties on which the Company relies.

Note 2. Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP. The accompanying year-end balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The unaudited interim financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited annual financial statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s financial position as of September 30, 2020, the results of its operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 and its cash flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020, any other interim periods or any future year or period. The accompanying unaudited financial statements of the Company should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 9, 2020.

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the financial statements and notes thereto. The Company believes that its existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to cover its cash flow requirements for at least the next twelve months from the issuance of these financial statements. However the Company’s future requirements may change and will depend on numerous factors.

Note 3. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Use of Estimates

The preparation of our financial statements requires us to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that may affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, equity and expenses. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities and equity and the amount of expenses.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, was declared a pandemic and spread across the globe, including the United States and Europe. The outbreak and government measures taken in response have also had a significant impact, both direct and indirect, on businesses and commerce, as worker shortages have occurred; supply chains have been disrupted; facilities and production have been suspended; and demand for certain goods and services, such as medical services and supplies, has spiked, while demand for other goods and services, such as travel, has fallen. The full extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will directly or indirectly impact our business, results of operations and financial condition, including expenses, reserves and allowances, clinical trials, research and development costs and employee-related amounts, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain, including as a result of new information that may emerge concerning COVID-19 and the actions taken to contain or treat COVID-19, as well as the economic impact on local, regional, national and international customers and markets.

We have evaluated the impact of COVID-19 within our financial statements and given the daily evolution of the COVID-19 outbreak and the global responses to curb its spread, we are not able to estimate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on our results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity. The financial statements do not reflect any adjustments as a result of the pandemic but there may be changes to the current estimates in future periods.

Table of Contents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. As of September 30, 2020, cash equivalents were comprised of money market funds. Cash and cash equivalents held at financial institutions may at times exceed federally insured amounts. We believe we mitigate such risk by investing in or through major financial institutions.

Offering Costs

The Company capitalizes certain legal, professional accounting and other third-party fees that are directly associated with in-process equity financings as deferred offering costs until the equity financing was consummated. After consummation of an equity financing, these costs were recorded in stockholders’ equity as a reduction of proceeds generated as a result of the offering.

Effective September 22, 2019, the Company terminated its At-The-Market (“ATM”) program. All costs associated with this program have been amortized and charged to additional paid-in-capital.

Property and Equipment

Equipment consists of computers and related equipment that are stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over estimated useful life of 3-5 years. Furniture is being depreciated using the straight-line method over approximately 7 years. Leasehold improvements are being amortized over the shorter of the life of the lease or the asset.

The Company follows the guidance provided by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC Topic 360-10, Property, Plant, and Equipment. Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated. Impairment charges are recognized at the amount by which the carrying amount of an asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or the fair value less costs to sell.

Since its inception, the Company has not recognized any impairment or disposition of long lived assets.

Leases

We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, other current liabilities, and operating lease liabilities in our balance sheet.

ROU assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As our lease did not provide an implicit rate, we used an incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. We use the implicit rate when readily determinable. The operating lease ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Renewal options were not included in our calculation of the related asset and liability. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company adopted ASU 2016-02 Lease Accounting Topic 842 in January 2019 and recorded a ROU asset and related liability in the amount of $1,308 on commencement of a new office lease.

Table of Contents

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, “Compensation—Stock Compensation,” which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense based on estimated fair market values for all share-based awards made to employees and directors, including stock options. The Company’s 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2017 Stock Plan”) became effective in August 2017. The Company’s 2020 Incentive Award Plan (the “2020 Stock Plan”) became effective in May 2020. Following the effective date of the Company’s 2020 Incentive Award Plan, the Company ceased granting awards under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan; however the terms and conditions of the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan continue to govern any outstanding awards granted thereunder.

Both BioXcel and the Company’s stock option awards are valued at fair value on the date of grant and that fair value is recognized as expense over the requisite service period. The Company utilizes the Black-Scholes option pricing model for determining the estimated fair value for stock-based awards. The Black Scholes model requires the use of assumptions which determine the fair value of the stock-based awards. Determining the fair value of stock-based awards at the grant date requires significant judgment, including estimating the expected term of the stock options, the expected volatility of our stock and expected dividends. Stock awards granted by the Company subsequent to its March 2018 initial public offering (“IPO”) are valued using market prices at the date of grant. Significant judgement and estimates were used to estimate the fair value of these awards, as the shares of common stock underlying these awards were not then publicly traded. The Company has elected to account for forfeitures as they occur, by reversing compensation cost when the award is forfeited.

The Company adopted FASB ASU 2018-07, Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting as of January 1, 2019 which allows non-employee options to be expensed using the adoption date fair value.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development expenses include wages, benefits, facilities, supplies, external services, clinical study and manufacturing costs and other expenses that are directly related to the Company’s research and development activities. At the end of the reporting period, the Company compares payments made to third party service providers to the estimated progress toward completion of the research or development objectives. Such estimates are subject to change as additional information becomes available. Depending on the timing of payments to the service providers and the progress that the Company estimates has been made as a result of the service provided, the Company may record net prepaid or accrued expense relating to these costs. The Company expenses research and development costs as incurred.

Expenses Accrued Under Contractual Arrangements

As part of the process of preparing our financial statements, we are required to estimate our accrued expenses. This process involves reviewing open contracts and purchase orders, communicating with our applicable personnel to identify services that have been performed on our behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for the service when we have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of actual cost. The majority of our service providers invoice us monthly in arrears for services performed. We make estimates of our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in our financial statements based on facts and circumstances known to us at that time. We periodically confirm the accuracy of our estimates with the service providers and make adjustments if necessary.

We base our expenses related to clinical trials on our estimates of the services received and efforts expended pursuant to contracts with multiple research institutions and contract research organizations that conduct and manage clinical trials on our behalf. The financial terms of these agreements are subject to negotiation, vary from contract to contract and may result in uneven payment flows. Payments under some of these contracts depend on factors such as the successful enrollment of patients and the completion of clinical trial milestones. In accruing expenses, we estimate the time period over which services will be performed and the level of effort to be expended in each period, which is based on an established protocol specific to each clinical trial. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from our estimate, we adjust the accrual accordingly. Although we do not expect our estimates to be materially different from amounts actually incurred, our understanding of the status and timing of services performed

Table of Contents

relative to the actual status and timing of services performed may vary and may result in us reporting amounts that are too high or too low in any particular period.

Patent Costs

Costs related to filing and pursuing patent applications are recorded as general and administrative expense and expensed as incurred since recoverability of such expenditures is uncertain.

Fair Value Measurements

ASC 820 “Fair Value Measurements” defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between (1) market participant assumptions developed based on market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and (2) an entity’s own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available in the circumstances (unobservable inputs). The fair value hierarchy consists of three broad levels, which gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy under ASC 820 are described below:

●

Level 1—Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for assets or liabilities. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1 inputs.

●

Level 2—Directly or indirectly observable inputs as of the reporting date through correlation with market data, including quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets and quoted prices in markets that are not active. Level 2 also includes assets and liabilities that are valued using models or other pricing methodologies that do not require significant judgment since the input assumptions used in the models, such as interest rates and volatility factors, are corroborated by readily observable data from actively quoted markets for substantially the full term of the financial instrument.

●

Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and reflect the use of significant management judgment. These values are generally determined using pricing models for which the assumptions utilize management’s estimates of market participant assumptions.

In determining fair value, the Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible, as well as considering counterparty credit risk in its assessment of fair value.

The carrying amounts of cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments.

Net Loss per Share

The Company computes basic earnings (loss) per share (“EPS”) by dividing net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period and excludes the effects of any potentially dilutive securities. Diluted earnings per share, if presented, would include the dilution that would occur upon the exercise or conversion of all potentially dilutive securities into common stock using the “treasury stock” and/or “if converted” methods as applicable. Securities that could potentially dilute EPS in the future were not included in the

Table of Contents

computation of EPS because to do so would be antidilutive. The calculations of basic and diluted net loss per share are as follows:


	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Net loss (numerator)	$	(24,753)	$	(9,018)	$	(61,083)	$	(24,693)
Weighted-average share, in thousands (denominator)		23,050		15,752		20,779		15,695
Basic and diluted net loss per share	$	(1.07)	$	(0.57)	$	(2.94)	$	(1.57)

Potentially dilutive securities outstanding consists solely of stock options. The Company had stock options outstanding to purchase 3,833,501 and 3,092,122 shares of common stock as of September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740) which amends the existing guidance relating to the accounting for income taxes. This ASU is intended to simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles of accounting for income taxes and to improve the consistent application of GAAP for other areas of accounting for income taxes by clarifying and amending existing guidance. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this new guidance will have a material impact on the Company’s Financial Statements.

Note 4. Transactions with BioXcel

The Company has entered into the Amended and Restated Asset Contribution Agreement, pursuant to which BioXcel agreed to contribute BioXcel’s rights, title and interest in BXCL501, BXCL701, BXCL502 and BXCL702, and all of the assets and liabilities associated in consideration for (i) 9,480,000 shares of our common stock, (ii) $1,000 upon completion of an initial public offering, (iii) $500 upon the later of the 12 month anniversary of an initial public offering and the first dosing of a patient in the bridging bioavailability/ bioequivalence study for the BXCL501 program, (iv) $500 upon the later of the 12 month anniversary of an initial public offering and the first dosing of a patient in the Phase 2 proof of concept open label monotherapy or combination trial with Keytruda for the BXCL701 program and (v) a one-time payment of $5,000 within 60 days after the achievement of $50,000 in cumulative net sales of any product or combination of products resulting from the development and commercialization of any one of the Candidates or a product derived therefrom. With the completion of the Company’s IPO in March 2018, $1,000 was charged to Research and Development costs in connection with (ii) above and was paid on April 5, 2018. The Company paid $500 to BioXcel in connection with (iii) above in April 2019. In July 2019, the Company completed the first dosing of a patient in the combination trial of BXCL701 with Keytruda, and as a result the Company paid $500 to BioXcel in connection with (iv) above in July 2019.

The Company entered into a Separation and Shared Services Agreement with BioXcel that took effect on June 30, 2017, as amended and restated on November 7, 2017 and March 6, 2020, or the Services Agreement, pursuant to which BioXcel will allow us to continue to use the office space, equipment, services and leased employees based on the agreed upon terms and conditions for a payment of defined monthly and/or hourly fees. The office space and equipment portion of the Services Agreement ended effectively on April 30, 2018 when the Company moved to new office space to accommodate additional personnel that had been hired. Services provided by BioXcel through its subsidiaries in India and the United States will continue indefinitely, as agreed upon by the parties. These services are primarily for drug discovery and for chemical, manufacturing and controls cost. Service charges recorded under this agreement were $270 and $173 for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Service charges recorded under this agreement were $926 and $689 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Table of Contents

Under the Services Agreement, the Company has an option, exercisable until December 31, 2020, to enter into a collaborative services agreement with BioXcel pursuant to which BioXcel shall perform product identification and related services for us utilizing EvolverAI. The parties are obligated to negotiate the collaborative services agreement in good faith and to incorporate reasonable market-based terms, including consideration for BioXcel reflecting a low, single-digit royalty on net sales and reasonable development and commercialization milestone payments, provided that (i) development milestones shall not exceed $10 million in the aggregate and not be payable prior to proof of concept in humans and (ii) commercialization milestones shall be based on reaching annual net sales levels, be limited to 3% of the applicable net sales level, and not exceed $30 million in the aggregate. BioXcel shall continue to make such product identification and related services available to us for at least five years from June 30, 2017. The parties are currently discussing extending the product identification and related services that BioXcel would provide under the collaborative services agreement, however, as of the date hereof, we have not reached a definitive agreement.

The Company paid $9,024 in February 2020 for the purchase and subsequent cancellation of 300,000 shares owned by BioXcel, which is more fully discussed below under Note 7 to these financial statements.

Note 5. Property & Equipment

Property and Equipment, net consisted of the following


	September 30,		December 31,
	2020		2019
	Unaudited
Computers and related equipment	$	260	$	229
Furniture		356		344
Leasehold improvements		645		642
		1,261		1,215
Accumulated depreciation		(317)		(174)
	$	944	$	1,041

Note 6. Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities

Accrued expenses consist of the following:


	September 30, 2020		December 31, 2019

Research and development expenses	$	4,023	$	1,215
Accrued compensation and benefits		1,986		1,570
Accrued professional expenses		719		266
Other accrued expenses		173		69
	$	6,901	$	3,120

Other current liabilities as of September 30, 2020 includes $210 for the current portion of operating lease liabilities and $468 for the financing of insurance premiums.

Note 7. Stockholders’ Equity

Authorized Capital

The Company is authorized to issue up to 10,000,000 preferred shares with a par value of $0.001 per share. No preferred shares are issued and outstanding.

The Company is authorized to issue up to 50,000,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $0.001 per share. The Company had 24,354,882 and 18,087,382 shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.

Table of Contents

Description of Common Stock

Each share of common stock has the right to one vote. The holders of common stock are entitled to dividends when funds are legally available and when declared by the board of directors.

Common Stock Issuances

On May 20, 2019, the Company entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement (the “Sale Agreement”) with Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”) pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell shares of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), having an initial offering price no greater than $20.0 million (the “Shares”), from time to time, through an “at the market offering” program under which Jefferies will act as sales agent. The Company sold 66,193 shares under the Sale Agreement for proceeds of $387, net of issuance costs of $350. The Sale Agreement was terminated by the Company on September 22, 2019.

On September 26, 2019, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement with several underwriters in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company in a public offering of 2,303,030 shares of the Company’s common stock at a public offering price of $8.25 per share, less underwriting discounts and commissions, pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-230674) and a related prospectus supplement filed with the SEC (the “September 2019 Offering”). The September 2019 Offering closed on September 30, 2019. The Company received proceeds of approximately $17,423, net of issuance costs of $1,577 from the September 2019 Offering.

In February 2020, the Company sold in a registered offering 2,300,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $32.00 per share for gross proceeds of $73,600 less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Company received proceeds of approximately $68,811, net of issuance costs of $4,789. The Company used $9,024 of the proceeds to purchase and cancel 300,000 shares of common stock from BioXcel.

In July 2020, the Company sold in a registered offering 4,000,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $50.00 per share for gross proceeds of $200,000 less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Company received proceeds of approximately $187,008, net of issuance costs of $12,992. Under the terms of the Underwriting Agreement entered into by the Company in connection with the July 2020 offering, certain stockholders of the Company granted the underwriters an option exercisable for thirty days to purchase up to an additional 600,000 shares of common stock at the public offering price less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Company did not receive any of the proceeds from any sale of shares in the offering by such stockholders. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to fund ongoing clinical trials, commercialization preparation and for general corporate purposes.

Note 8. Stock-Based Compensation

Stock Options

The Company’s 2017 Stock Plan became effective in August 2017. Following the effective date of the Company's 2020 Stock Plan (as defined below), the Company ceased granting awards under the 2017 Stock Plan; however the terms and conditions of the 2017 Stock Plan continue to govern any outstanding awards granted thereunder.

The Company’s 2020 Stock Plan was approved and became effective at the Company’s 2020 annual meeting of Shareholders on May 20, 2020. The 2020 Stock Plan authorizes for issuance the sum of (i) 911,000 shares of the Company’s common stock authorized for issuance and 231,941 shares of the Company’s common stock which represents the number of shares that remained available for issuance under the 2017 Stock Plan immediately prior to the approval of the 2020 Stock Plan by the Company’s shareholders. Any shares of Common Stock which, as of immediately prior to the approval of the 2020 Stock Plan by the Company’s shareholders, are subject to awards granted under the 2017 Stock Plan that are forfeited or lapse unexercised and are not issued under the 2017 Stock Plan will increase the number of shares of common stock available for grant under the 2020 Stock Plan. In addition, the number of shares available for issuance under the 2020 Stock Plan will increase on the first day of each calendar year beginning January 1, 2021 and ending on and including January 1, 2030 by a number of shares equal to the lesser of (A) 4% of the

Table of Contents

aggregate number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding of the immediately preceding calendar year and (B) such smaller number of shares of common stock as is determined by the Board of Directors.

The Company’s 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) was also approved and became effective at the Company’s 2020 annual meeting of Shareholders on May 20, 2020. The ESPP is designed to assist eligible employees of the Company with the opportunity to purchase the Company’s common stock at a discount through accumulated payroll deductions during successive offering periods. The aggregate number of Shares that may be issued pursuant to rights granted under the ESPP is 100,000 shares of common stock. In addition, the number of shares available for issuance under the ESPP will increase on the first day of each calendar year beginning on January 1, 2021 and ending on and including January 1, 2030 by a number of shares of common stock equal to the lesser of (a) 1% of the shares outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (b) such smaller number of shares as determined by the Board. The number of shares that may be issued or transferred pursuant to rights granted under the component of the ESPP that is intended to qualify for favorable U.S. federal tax treatment under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Section 423 Component”) shall not exceed 500,000 shares. The purchase price will be determined by the administrator of the ESPP and, for purposes of the Section 423 Component, shall not be less than 85% of the fair market value of a share on the first trading day or on the last trading day of the applicable offering period, whichever is lower. To date, no shares have been sold under the ESPP.

As of September 30, 2020, there were 4,018,547 shares of the Company’s common stock authorized for issuance under the 2017 Stock Plan and the 2020 Stock Plan (collectively, the “Stock Compensation Plans”). Options granted under the Stock Compensation Plans have a term of ten years with vesting terms determined by the board of directors, which is generally four years.

As of September 30, 2020, there were 185,046 shares available to be granted under the 2020 Stock Plan.

The fair value of options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions.


	For the
	Nine Months Ended
	September 30, 2020
Exercise price per share	$	13.60		-	$	61.48
Expected stock price volatility		78.25	%	-		87.21	%
Risk-free rate of interest		0.27	%	-		2.38	%
Fair value of grants per share	$	9.04		-	$	44.55
Expected Term (years)		4.7		-		7.0

Prior to the Company’s IPO, it did not have a history of market prices of its common stock and, as such, volatility was estimated using historical volatilities of similar public companies. The expected term of the options granted to employees is estimated based on the simplified method, which calculates the expected term based upon the midpoint of the term of the award and the vesting period. The Company uses the simplified method because it does not have sufficient option exercise data to provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate the expected term. The expected term of options granted to non-employee service providers represents the contractual term of the option. The expected dividend yield is 0% as the Company has no history of paying dividends nor does management expect to pay dividends over the contractual terms of these options. The risk-free interest rates are based on the United States Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant, with maturities approximating the expected term of the stock options.

Table of Contents

The following table summarizes information about stock option activity under the Stock Compensation Plans for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 (in thousands, except share and per share data):


						Weighted Average
	Number	Weighted Average		Total		Remaining
	of	Exercise		Intrinsic		Contractual
	Shares	Price per Share		Value		Life (in years)
Outstanding as of January 1, 2020	3,058,349	$	3.26	$	34,725	8.0
Options granted	1,099,600	$	45.90	$	2,645	9.7
Options forfeited	(42,039)	$	5.93	$	—
Options exercised	(282,409)	$	2.49	$	—
Outstanding as of September 30, 2020	3,833,501	$	15.56	$	112,173	7.9

Options vested and exercisable as of September 30, 2020	2,253,185	$	2.35	$	92,399	7.1

The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense under the Stock Compensation Plans of $7,979 and $2,427 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

The total grant-date fair value of options was $35,848 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

As of September 30, 2020, the total compensation expenses not yet recognized in the financial statements is approximately $35,424, and the weighted average period over which it is expected to be recognized is 1.7 years.

BioXcel Charges

BioXcel has granted stock options to its employees under its own Equity Incentive Plan (“BioXcel Plan”). Stock-based compensation expense from the BioXcel Plan is allocated to the Company over the period over which those stock option awards vest and are based on the percentage of time spent on Company activities compared to BioXcel activities, which is the same basis used for allocation of salary costs. The BioXcel stock option awards are valued at fair value on the date of grant and that fair value is recognized over the requisite service period. The estimated fair value of these BioXcel stock option awards was determined using the Black Scholes option pricing model on the date of grant. Significant judgment and estimates were used to estimate the fair value of these awards, as they are not publicly traded.

Stock-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures, recognized by the Company in its statements of operations related to BioXcel equity awards totaled approximately $21 and $61 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Total stock-based compensation charges were approximately $8,000 and $2,488 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company charged $3,587 and $4,413 to research and development and general and administrative expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The Company charged $1,449 and $1,039 to research and development and general and administrative expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2019.

Note 9. Leases

In August 2018, the Company entered into an agreement to lease approximately 11,040 square feet of space on the 12^th floor of the building located at 555 Long Wharf Drive, New Haven, Connecticut (the “12^th Floor Lease) which was effective February 22, 2019. The 12^th Floor Lease expires in February 2026.

In August 2020, the Company entered into an amendment to the 12^th Floor Lease wherein the Company leased an additional 7,245 square feet of space on the 12^th floor of the building located at 555 Long Wharf Drive, New Haven, Connecticut (the “12^th Floor Lease Amendment”). The 12^th Floor Lease Amendment expires in February 2026.

Table of Contents

The future minimum annual lease payments under these operating leases as of September 30, 2020 are as follows:


Year ending December 31,	Amount
Remainder of 2020	$	52
2021		314
2022		363
2023		372
2024		381
Thereafter		456
Total lease payments		1,938
Less imputed interest		(261)
Total lease liability		1,677
Less current portion of lease liability		(210)
Long-term portion operating lease liability	$	1,467

The current portion of the Company’s operating lease liability of $210 as of September 30, 2020 is included in other current liabilities on the balance sheet.

The Company recorded lease expense of $237 and $155 related to its operating lease right-of-use asset for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

The Company has an option to renew the leases for one additional five-year term at 95% of the then-prevailing market rates but not less than the rental rate at the end of the initial lease term.

Note 10. Borrowing

The Company received funds under the Paycheck Protection Program of the CARES Act in April 2020 in the amount of $537. The application for these funds requires the Company to, in good faith, certify that the current economic uncertainty made the loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Company. On April 23, 2020, the Small Business Administration issued a new FAQ #31, which provided guidance on what it means to certify that: “current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant.” Following review of this new FAQ #31 the Company decided to withdraw from the Paycheck Protection Program and has repaid the loan in full together with all accrued interest.

Note 11. Income Taxes

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. A valuation allowance is provided for the amount of deferred tax assets that, based on available evidence, are not expected to be realized.

As a result of the Company’s cumulative losses, management has concluded that a full valuation allowance against the Company’s net deferred tax assets is appropriate. No income tax liabilities existed as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 due to the Company’s continuing operating losses.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) enacted on March 27, 2020 temporarily modifies the federal income tax rules on net operating losses incurred in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Under the CARES Act, a taxpayer that incurs in 2020 or has incurred during 2019 or 2018 a net operating loss (“NOL”) is permitted to carryback such NOL to the prior five years to offset prior year income to claim a tax refund of previously paid federal income taxes. As a result of the Company’s losses since inception it would not benefit from this provision. The CARES Act retroactively suspends the 80% income limitation on use of NOL carryovers for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2021 and allows for 100% of any such taxable income to be offset by the amount of such NOL carryforward. This 80% income limitation is reinstated for tax years beginning after December 31, 2020.

Table of Contents

Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies

From time to time, in the ordinary course of business, the Company may be subject to litigation and regulatory examinations as well as information gathering requests, inquiries and/or investigations. The Company is not currently subject to any matters where it believes there is a reasonable possibility that a material loss may be incurred. As of September 30, 2020, there were no matters which would have a material impact on the Company’s financial results.

Note 13. Subsequent Event

The Company previously entered into a Clinical Trial Collaboration Agreement (the “Collaboration Agreement”) with Nektar Therapeutics, a Delaware corporation, on September 21, 2018 (“Nektar”), pursuant to which the parties had agreed to jointly collaborate to conduct a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating a combination therapy using BXCL701 as a potential therapy for pancreatic cancer and such other clinical trials evaluating the combined therapy as agreed by the parties. The BXCL701 phase of the triple combination study of BXCL701 was planned to initiate following Nektar and Pfizer’s Phase 1B dose-escalation trial, which was delayed. As a result, the parties agreed to discontinue activities on the triple combination study and instead reallocate resources to other studies and development programs, and the parties terminated the Collaboration Agreement, effective November 10, 2020.

Table of Contents

Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the audited financial statements and related notes contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, such as information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business and expectations related to the clinical development of our product candidates, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many factors, including those factors set forth in the “Summary Risk Factors” and “Risk Factors” sections of this Quarterly Report, our actual results could differ materially from the results described in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.

All dollar amounts in this discussion and analysis are to the nearest thousand unless otherwise noted.

Overview

We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on drug development that utilizes artificial intelligence to identify improved therapies in neuroscience and immuno-oncology. Our drug re-innovation approach leverages existing approved drugs and/or clinically validated product candidates together with big data and proprietary machine learning algorithms to identify new therapeutic indices. We believe that this differentiated approach has the potential to reduce the cost and time of drug development in diseases with substantial unmet medical need.

Our two most advanced clinical development programs are BXCL501, a proprietary, orally dissolving, sublingual thin film formulation of the adrenergic receptor agonist dexmedetomidine (“Dex”), for the treatment of agitation and opioid withdrawal symptoms, and BXCL701, an orally administered systemic innate immune activator for the treatment of aggressive forms of prostate cancer and advanced solid tumors that are refractory or treatment naïve to checkpoint inhibitors.

During the first quarter ended March 31, 2020 and continuing through September 30, 2020, the novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, was declared a pandemic and spread to multiple regions across the globe, including the United States and Europe. The outbreak and government measures taken in response have also had a significant impact, both direct and indirect, on businesses and commerce, as worker shortages have occurred; supply chains have been disrupted; facilities and production have been suspended; and demand for certain goods and services, such as medical services and supplies, has spiked, while demand for other goods and services, such as travel, has fallen.

During the first quarter of 2020 we took steps in line with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) and the State of Connecticut to protect the health and safety of our employees and the community. In particular, we implemented a work-from-home policy for all employees and have restricted on-site activities to certain chemical, manufacturing and control (“CMC”) and clinical trial activities. We continue to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to best mitigate risk and continue the operations of our business. Beginning late in the second quarter of 2020 we began to slowly bring our staff, in very limited numbers, back to our office. This modified return-to- work approach is expected to continue through at least December 31, 2020. We have taken steps to protect our workforce and have instituted strict work rules to protect our employees.

We continue to work closely with our clinical sites to monitor the potential impact of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. We remain committed to our clinical programs and development plans. Through September 30, 2020, we have not experienced any significant delays to our ongoing or planned clinical trials, except for challenges in accessing elderly care facilities; however, this could rapidly change.

Table of Contents

Clinical Development Programs

The following is a summary of the status of our clinical development programs as of September 30, 2020:

BXCL501 Neuroscience Program

BXCL501 is an investigational, proprietary, orally dissolving, sublingual thin film formulation of Dex, a selective alpha-2a receptor agonist, for the treatment of agitation and opioid withdrawal symptoms. BXCL501 is our most advanced neuroscience clinical program, being developed initially for the treatment of acute agitation in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. As a selective adrenergic agent with an orally-dissolving, sublingual thin film route of administration, BXCL501 is designed to be easy to administer and has demonstrated efficacy and safety with a rapid onset of action in multiple clinical studies. BXCL501 is designed with the potential to generate a calming effect without producing excessive sedation. We believe that BXCL501 is highly differentiated from antipsychotics currently used as standard of care, which often produce unwanted side effects such as excessive somnolence and extra-pyramidal motor effects. Managing patient agitation in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders represents a significant challenge for physicians and caregivers, and we believe that BXCL501 has the potential to address these challenges while providing an efficient treatment regimen for patients.

SERENITY I and SERENITY II

In July 2020, we announced topline results from the SERENITY I and II pivotal trials, highlighting BXCL501’s robust efficacy and favorable safety profile in reducing agitation in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder 1 and 2 patients. In October 2020, we had a planned pre-New Drug Application (“NDA”) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to discuss the content and format of our anticipated NDA submission. The FDA also agreed to a rolling review of our NDA, allowing us to submit completed sections of the application early. We have already submitted part of the NDA to the FDA, which included non-clinical and product brand name content, and plan to submit the complete application in the first quarter of 2021.

We believe that the robust data set from our SERENITY trials establishes a solid foundation for ongoing and future indications.

Table of Contents

TRANQUILITY

In August 2020, we initiated a third dose cohort, 90 mcg, in the TRANQUILITY study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, ascending dose adaptive Phase 1b/2 trial of BXCL501 for the acute treatment of agitation associated with geriatric dementia. Based on the findings, we expect to report topline results in the fourth quarter of 2020, or, if deemed appropriate, proceed to an additional dose cohort.

TRANQUILITY is a foundational study and we believe it will inform a broader clinical development program in dementia with the goal to address the full spectrum of agitation ranging from acute to chronic.

RELEASE

In August 2020, we announced that the third dose cohort (90 mcg twice a day, 12 hours apart) was currently enrolling in the RELEASE trial. This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, ascending dose Phase 1b/2 trial designed to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, tolerability, and efficacy of BXCL501 in patients experiencing symptoms of opioid withdrawal. We expect to report topline results from the study in the first quarter of 2021.

Agitation Associated with Delirium

In October 2020, we announced that we had received clearance of our Investigational New Drug (“IND”) Application from the FDA for treatment of agitation associated with delirium. We are preparing to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating BXCL501 in patients with agitation associated with delirium in intensive care units (“ICU”), including COVID-19 patients, within the next several months. This indication offers potential synergy with the medical and commercial infrastructure being developed to support our first two indications.

Agitation associated with delirium is a serious condition that affects patients in many hospital settings: ICUs, surgical & medical wards, and emergency departments. Currently, there are no FDA-approved medications for delirium or agitation associated with it.

Additional Opportunities

In addition, we are continuing our development of BXCL501, exploring this candidate as a potential treatment option for chronic agitation associated with dementia. We are also developing a single-use intramuscular injection for patients with severe agitation (non-cooperative).

Relative Bioavailability Study

In the third quarter of 2020, we analyzed the data from a cross-over study in healthy volunteers comparing the bioavailability of BXCL501 administered sublingually with the film placed drug-side down under the tongue, compared to the film placed drug- side up under the tongue, and administered buccally (placed between the lower lip and gum). Results of this study indicated that:

●

consistent with previously reported data, BXCL501 was rapidly absorbed into systemic circulation following drug side down or drug side up sublingual administration or buccal administration of the BXCL501 film;

●

administering BXCL501 sublingually was shown to be the bioequivalent to administering BXCL501 bucally;

●

administering BXCL501 with the drug side up under the tongue was shown to be bioequivalent to administering BXCL501 drug side down under the tongue; and

●

subjects were able to drink water starting at 15 minutes following sublingual BXCL501 administration without affecting bioavailability in the subject.

Table of Contents

Preparing for Potential Commercial Launch

We are assembling a leadership team with significant industry experience to prepare for a potential commercial launch of BXCL501. In June 2020, we announced the hiring of our Chief Commercial Officer and our Chief Development Officer. We continue to expand our core medical and commercial teams in order to build the corporate framework needed for the potential commercialization of BXCL501.

BXCL701 Immuno-Oncology Program

BXCL701 is a potential first-in-class, highly potent, oral, small molecule immunomodulator designed to stimulate both the innate and acquired immune systems by inhibiting dipeptidyl peptidases (“DPP 8/9”). DPP 8/9 behave as "checkpoints" of the innate immune system. We believe that BXCL701 may establish a differentiated immuno-oncology platform by modulating multiple steps in the cancer immunity cycle and, when combined with checkpoint inhibitors and/or immune activating agents, may be able to convert immuno-resistant tumors to immuno-sensitive tumors (“cold” to “hot” tumors).

BXCL701 currently has two ongoing combination therapy clinical trials:

In April 2020, we announced the initiation of the Phase 2 efficacy portion of the Phase 1b/2 trial of BXCL701 in combination with KEYTRUDA^® (pembrolizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor) for treatment emergent Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer (tNEPC). The Phase 1b safety assessment of BXCL701 indicated that a split dose totaling 0.6 mg per day is the recommended dose when used in combination with KEYTRUDA. In addition to the efficacy cohort in NEPC patients, in August 2020, we opened a separate cohort for castration-resistant prostate cancer (“CRPC” - adenocarcinoma) patients who have failed taxane-based chemotherapy and up to two lines of second generation androgen pathway blockers. The 1b portion of this trial was recently presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s 35th Anniversary Annual Meeting (SITC.

The MD Anderson-led Phase 2 open-label basket trial was designed to evaluate the response rate of orally administered BXCL701, combined with KEYTRUDA, in two arms: Arm A is enrolling checkpoint naïve patients (where checkpoint therapy is indicated: “hot tumors”); and arm B is enrolling patients who have progressed following checkpoint therapy alone. As of August 2020, the efficacy bar had been met for both arms, allowing the trial to advance to completion. Preliminary data was recently presented at SITC.

The BXCL701 phase of the triple combination study of BXCL701, bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214, Nektar Therapeutics, Inc. (“Nektar”)) and BAVENCIO® (avelumab, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Pfizer) in second line pancreatic cancer was planned to initiate following Nektar and Pfizer’s Phase 1B dose-escalation trial of bempegaldesleukin and avelumab, which was delayed. All parties have agreed to discontinue activities on the triple combination study and instead reallocate resources to other studies and development programs, and the Clinical Trial Collaboration Agreement, dated September 21, 2018, between the Company Nektar (the “Nektar Collaboration Agreement”) was terminated effective November 10, 2020.

Intellectual Property

In July 2020, we announced that we had received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for patent application No. 16/453,679 related to BXCL501, our proprietary sublingual thin-film formulation of Dex. U.S. Pat. No. 10,792,246 was issued on October 6, 2020 and has a term that is set to expire no earlier than 2039. We plan to list the U.S. patent in the FDA's Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, or Orange Book.

As of November 1, 2020, our patent portfolio included 6 Patent Cooperation Treaty applications, 6 U.S. utility applications, 1 issued U.S. utility patent, 15 U.S. provisional patent applications, 43 non-U.S. applications, and 18 design patent applications, one of which is a U.S. design application.

Table of Contents

Basis of Presentation

The Company’s financial statements are prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). All amounts are presented in thousands.

Components of Our Results of Operations

Revenues

We have not recognized any revenue since inception.

Operating Costs and Expenses

Research and Development

Our research and development expenses reflect costs incurred for the research and development of our clinical and pre-clinical product candidates, which includes payments to BioXcel, our Parent. Research and development expense primarily consist of salary, benefits and non-cash stock-based compensation for our research and development personnel, costs incurred under agreements with contract research organizations, (“CROs”), and sites that conduct our non-clinical studies and clinical trials, costs of outside consultants engaged in research and development activities, including their fees, stock-based compensation and travel expenses, the cost of acquiring, developing and manufacturing pre-clinical and clinical trial materials and lab supplies, and depreciation and other expenses.

We expense research and development costs to operations as incurred.

Our research and development costs by program for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:


	2020		2019
BXCL501	$	35,285	$	11,765
BXCL701		6,816		5,387
BXCL502		321		256
BXCL702		271		288
Other research and development programs		1,207		563
Research and development support services		2,695		1,043
Total research and development expenses	$	46,595	$	19,302

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses primarily consist of salaries, benefits and non-cash stock-based compensation for our executive and administrative personnel. General and administrative expenses also include legal expenses to pursue patent protection of our intellectual property, professional fees for audit and tax and insurance charges.

We expect that our general and administrative expenses will increase as we expand our clinical programs. We also expect increased administrative costs resulting from our clinical trials and the potential commercialization of our product candidates. We believe that these increases will likely include increased costs for director and officer liability insurance, hiring additional personnel to support future market research and future product commercialization efforts and increased fees for outside consultants, attorneys and accountants. We may also incur increased costs to comply with corporate governance, internal controls, investor relations and disclosures and similar requirements applicable to public companies.

Table of Contents

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

A description of recently issued accounting pronouncements that may potentially impact our financial position and results of operations is set forth in Note 3 to the financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Summary of Results of Operations

Comparison of the Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 and 2019

Revenues

We have not recognized any revenues since inception.

Research and Development Expense

Research and development expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were $16,317 and $7,122, respectively. Research and development expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were comprised as follows:


	Three Months Ended
	September 30,
	2020		2019		Change		% Change
Personnel and related costs	$	2,351	$	1,105	$	1,246		113	%
Non-cash stock-based compensation		2,203		441		1,762		400	%
Professional research & project related costs		2,108		1,802		306		17	%
Drug acquisition costs		—		500		(500)		(100)	%
Clinical trials expense		8,479		2,197		6,282		286	%
Chemical, manufacturing and controls cost ("CMC")		859		840		19		2	%
Travel and other costs		317		237		80		34	%
Total research and development expenses	$	16,317	$	7,122	$	9,195		129	%

The increase of $9,195 for the three months ended September 30, 2020 is primarily attributable to:

Personnel and recruiting costs increased due to our efforts to enlarge our clinical team as we expanded our clinical programs during the quarter and in preparation of the potential commercial launch of BXCL501 in the U.S.

Non-cash stock-based compensation also increased as result of the additional personnel hired during the year and increased grant date fair values arising from higher market prices of the Company’s common stock.

The increase in professional research & project related costs and clinical trials expense reflect the acceleration of research and development activities is primarily related to our SERENITY I and II clinical trials as well as increased costs associated with our TRANQUILITY and RELEASE clinical trials for BXCL501. These amounts were offset by reduced costs related to our BXCL501 Phase Ib schizophrenia trial and our BXCL701 pancreatic cancer trial.

Drug acquisition costs incurred during the three months ended September 30, 2019 related to a payment triggered pursuant to our Amended and Restated Asset Contribution Agreement with our Parent as discussed in Note 4 to the financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

General and Administrative Expense

General and administrative expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were $8,451 and $2,012, respectively. General and administrative expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were comprised as follows:

Table of Contents


	Three Months Ended
	September 30,
	2020		2019		Change		% Change
Personnel and related costs	$	1,208		429	$	779		182	%
Non-cash stock-based compensation		3,065		336		2,729		812	%
Professional fees		2,137		759		1,378		182	%
Insurance		442		227		215		95	%
Travel and other costs		1,599		261		1,338		513	%
Total general and administrative expenses	$	8,451	$	2,012	$	6,439		320	%

The increase of $6,439 for the three months ended September 30, 2020 is primarily attributable to:

Increased personnel and recruiting costs due to our continuing efforts to expand our teams in preparation of the potential commercial launch of BXCL501 in the U.S.

Non-cash stock-based compensation also increased as result of the additional personnel and increased grant date fair values arising from higher market prices of the Company’s common stock.

Professional and insurance fees increased due to the expanding growth of our operations, increased corporate legal and investor relations fees and increased insurance costs primarily related to an increase in Director and Officer liability premiums.

In September 2020, we were the victim of an email-based wire fraud, which led to a misappropriation of approximately $1,927. We subsequently recovered $774 of this amount and are continuing efforts to recoup the remainder of the funds. As such, $1,153 is included and Travel and other costs.

Comparison of the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 and 2019

Revenues

We have not recognized any revenues since inception.

Research and Development Expense

Research and development expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were $46,595 and $19,302, respectively. Research and developments for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were comprised as follows:


	Nine Months Ended
	September 30,
	2020		2019		Change		% Change
Personnel and related costs	$	6,005	$	3,548	$	2,457		69	%
Non-cash stock-based compensation		3,587		1,449		2,138		148	%
Professional research & project related costs		4,919		3,899		1,020		26	%
Drug acquisition costs		—		1,000		(1,000)		(100)	%
Clinical trials expense		28,379		6,444		21,935		340	%
Chemical, manufacturing and controls cost ("CMC")		2,859		2,164		695		32	%
Travel and other costs		846		798		48		6	%
Total research and development expenses	$	46,595	$	19,302	$	27,293		141	%

Table of Contents

The increase of $27,293 during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 is primarily attributable to:

Increased personnel and recruiting costs due to our continuing efforts to expand our teams in preparation of the potential commercial launch of BXCL501 in the U.S.

Increased non-cash stock-based compensation a result of the additional personnel and increased grant date fair values arising from higher market prices of the Company’s common stock.

The increase in professional research & project related costs, clinical trials expense and CMC costs reflect the acceleration of research and development activities is primarily related to our SERENITY I and II clinical trials as well increased costs associated with our TRANQUILITY and RELEASE clinical trials for BXCL501. These amounts were offset by reduced costs related to our BXCL501 Phase Ib schizophrenia trial and our BXCL701 pancreatic cancer trial.

Drug acquisition costs incurred during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 were related to certain payments triggered pursuant to our Amended and Restated Asset Contribution Agreement with our Parent as discussed in Note 4 to the financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

General and Administrative Expense

General and administrative expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were $14,605 and $5,886, respectively. General and administrative expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were comprised as follows:


	Nine Months Ended
	September 30,
	2020		2019		Change		% Change
Personnel and related costs	$	2,553		1,296	$	1,257		97	%
Non-cash stock-based compensation		4,413		1,039		3,374		325	%
Professional fees		4,404		1,807		2,597		144	%
Insurance		1,170		678		492		73	%
Travel and other costs		2,065		1,066		999		94	%
Total general and administrative expenses	$	14,605	$	5,886	$	8,719		148	%

The increase of $8,719 during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 is primarily related to:

Increased personnel and recruiting costs due to our continuing efforts to expand our teams in preparation of the potential commercial launch of BXCL501 in the U.S.

Non-cash stock-based compensation also increased as result of the additional personnel and increased grant date fair values arising from higher market prices of the Company’s common stock.

Professional and insurance fees increased due to the expanding growth of our operations and increased intellectual property and corporate legal fees as well as increased investor relations fees and insurance costs primarily related to an increase in Director and Officer liability premiums. Professional fees related to pre-commercialization planning efforts also increased.

Inflation

Inflation generally affects us by increasing our cost of labor and clinical trial costs. We do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our results of operations during the periods presented.

Table of Contents

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of September 30, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of $233,428, working capital of $219,789 and stockholders’ equity of $220,938. We incurred losses of $61,083 and $24,693 during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. We have not yet generated any revenues and we have not yet achieved profitability. We expect that our research and development and general and administrative expenses will continue to increase and, as a result, we will need to generate significant product revenues to achieve profitability. We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2020 will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements well into 2022.

Management intends to obtain financing through sales of the Company’s equity securities, entering into strategic partnership arrangements and/or short-term borrowings from banks, stockholders or other related parties, if needed. There are no assurances that we will be successful in obtaining an adequate level of financing as and when needed to finance our operations on terms acceptable to us or at all, particularly in light of the economic downturn and ongoing uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. If we are unable to secure adequate additional funding as and when needed, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development and commercialization of one or more product candidates. In addition, the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our liquidity and future funding requirements is uncertain as of the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as the pandemic continues to evolve globally. See “Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic” above and “Risk Factors—The outbreak of COVID-19, or other pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease may materially and adversely impact our business, including our preclinical studies and clinical trials.” in Part II, Item 1A. of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for a further discussion of the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business.

Sources of Liquidity

We have focused our efforts on raising capital and building the products in our pipeline. Since our inception, all of our operations have been financed by our Parent, BioXcel, from the sales of our common stock in private placements and public offerings and under an Open Market Sale Agreement. We have not yet established an ongoing source of revenue sufficient to cover our operating costs and will need to do so in future periods.

In May 2019, we entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement, or the Sale Agreement, with Jefferies LLC, or Jefferies, pursuant to which we could offer and sell shares of our common stock having an initial offering price no greater than $20,000, from time to time, through an “at the market offering” program under which Jefferies acted as sales agent. From May 2019 to September 2019, we sold a total of 66,193 shares for proceeds of $387, net of issuance costs of $350. We terminated the Sale Agreement on September 22, 2019.

In September 2019, we sold in a registered offering 2,303,030 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $8.25 per share, less underwriting discounts and commissions for which we received gross and net proceeds of approximately $19,000 and $17,423, respectively.

In February 2020, we sold in a registered offering 2,300,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $32.00 per share for gross proceeds of $73,600 less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Company received proceeds of approximately $68,811, net of issuance costs of $4,789 from the February 2020 offering. The Company used $9,024 of the proceeds to purchase and cancel 300,000 shares of common stock from BioXcel.

We received funds under the Paycheck Protection Program of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) in April 2020 in the amount of $537. On April 23, 2020 the Small Business Administration issued a new FAQ #31, which provided guidance on what it means to certify that: “current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant.” Following review of this new FAQ #31 we decided to withdraw from the Paycheck Protection Program and have repaid the loan in full together with all accrued interest.

Table of Contents

In July 2020, we sold in a registered offering 4,000,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $50.00 per share for gross proceeds of $200,000 less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Company received proceeds of approximately $187,008, net of issuance costs of $12,992 from the July 2020 offering.

Cash Flows


	Nine Months Ended September 30,
(in thousands)	2020		2019
Cash provided by (used in) in thousands:
Operating activities	$	(46,078)	$	(19,182)
Investing activities		(46)		(868)
Financing activities		247,126		17,737

Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was $46,078, which was primarily attributable to our net loss of $61,083, partially offset by $8,000 in non-cash stock-based compensation and $143 of depreciation and amortization and a $7,708 increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities.

Net cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was $19,182, which primarily attributable to our net loss of $24,693 and a $618 increase in prepaid insurance and other assets, partially offset by $2,488 in stock-based compensation, $218 of depreciation and amortization and a $3,423 increase in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was $46 and was attributable to the purchase of property and equipment.

Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was $868 and was attributable to the purchase of property and equipment.

Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was $247,126 and was primarily attributable to $255,819 in net proceeds from the issuance of common stock in our February 2020 and July 2020 public offerings. This amount was partially offset by $9,024 used for the purchase and cancellation of 300,000 shares of common stock owned by BioXcel and $310 in proceeds from the exercise of stock options.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was $17,737 and was primarily attributable to $17,339 in net proceeds from the issuance of common stock in our September 2019 Offering combined with $337 in net proceeds received under our ATM program.

Operating Capital and Capital Expenditure Requirements

We expect to continue to incur significant and increasing operating losses at least for the next several years as we expand our clinical trials of BXCL501 and BXCL701, seek marketing approval for our product candidates and pursue development of our other product candidates. We do not expect to generate revenue unless and until we successfully complete development and obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates. Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year, depending on the timing of our planned clinical trials and our expenditures on other research and development activities.

Table of Contents

We have based our projections of operating capital requirements on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect and we may use all of our available capital resources sooner than we expect. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products, we are unable to estimate the exact amount of our operating capital requirements. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially as we:

•continue our clinical development of BXCL501 and BXCL701;

•conduct additional research and development with our product candidates;

•seek to identify, acquire, develop and commercialize additional product candidates;

•integrate acquired technologies into a comprehensive regulatory and product development strategy;

•maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio;

•hire scientific, clinical, quality control and administrative personnel;

•

add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our drug development efforts;

•seek regulatory approvals for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;

•

ultimately establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure and scale up external manufacturing capabilities to commercialize any product candidates for which we may obtain regulatory approval; and

•continue to operate as a public company.

We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2020 will be sufficient to enable us to fund operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements well into 2022. We expect that we will need to obtain substantial additional funding in order to complete our clinical trials beyond 2022. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities, the ownership interests of our existing stockholders may be materially diluted and the terms of these securities could include liquidation or other preferences that could adversely affect the rights of our existing stockholders. In addition, debt financing, if available, would result in increased fixed payment obligations and may involve agreements that include restrictive covenants that limit our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends, that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we could be forced to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development or commercialization of BXCL501, BXCL701 or other product candidates, seek collaborators at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable or on terms that are less favorable than might otherwise be available, and relinquish or license, potentially on unfavorable terms, our rights to BXCL501, BXCL701 or other product candidates that we otherwise would seek to develop or commercialize ourselves.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

As of September 30, 2020, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined under SEC rules.

Contractual Obligations

In August 2020, we entered into an amendment to our existing lease on the 12^th floor of 555 Long Wharf Drive, New Haven, Connecticut (the “12^th Floor Lease”), wherein we leased an additional 7,245 square feet of space in such building (the “12^th Floor Lease Amendment”).

The following table summarizes our contractual obligations at September 30, 2020 and the effect such obligations are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flow in future periods and is solely related to the 12^th Floor Lease and 12^th Floor Lease Amendment:


	Payments due by Period

					Less Than						More Than
			Total		1 year		1-3 years		3-5 years		5 years
Operating lease commitments		$	1,938	$	277	$	1,109	$	552	$	—

Table of Contents

Critical Accounting Policies

Our critical accounting policies and estimates are described in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies " in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. We have reviewed and determined that those critical accounting policies and estimates remain our critical accounting policies and estimates as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. No changes were made to our critical accounting policies during the period presented.

JOBS Act

On April 5, 2012, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, was enacted. 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 of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies.

We have chosen to opt out of the extended transition periods available to emerging growth companies under the JOBS Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that our decision to opt out of the extended transition periods for complying with new or revised accounting standards is irrevocable.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

As of September 30, 2020 we had $233,428 of cash and cash equivalents. We do not participate in any foreign currency hedging activities and we do not have any other derivative financial instruments. We did not recognize any significant exchange rate losses during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

We do not believe that our cash and cash equivalents have significant risk of default or illiquidity. While we believe our cash and cash equivalents does not contain excessive risk, we cannot provide absolute assurance that in the future our investments will not be subject to adverse changes in market value. In addition, we maintain significant amounts of cash at one or more financial institutions that are in excess of federally insured limits.

The market risk inherent in our financial instruments and in our financial position has historically been the potential loss arising from adverse changes in interest rates. At September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, we had cash and cash equivalents of $233,428 and $32,426, respectively. As of September 30, 2020, we held our cash primarily in money market accounts and accordingly, the value of these accounts is subject to fluctuation in interest rates.

We do not engage in any hedging activities against changes in interest rates. We do not have any foreign currency or other derivative financial instruments.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer (our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, respectively), evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of September 30, 2020. The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the

Table of Contents

reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of September 30, 2020, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

In September 2020, we were the victim of an email-based wire fraud which involved two electronic communications impersonating one of our vendors, resulting in our sending wires totaling $1.9 million to accounts controlled by the impersonator. As a result of the foregoing, we identified a material weakness due to our internal controls having not been adequately designed to prevent or timely detect unauthorized cash disbursements. Specifically, certain members within our finance organization failed to exercise appropriate skepticism and oversight for disbursement of Company-owned funds, and our cash disbursement process was not adequately designed to identify unauthorized payment requests. We do not believe that this breach had a material adverse effect on our business.

Management has taken immediate action to begin remediating the material weakness, including enhancing and formalizing cash disbursement controls to prevent and timely detect unauthorized cash disbursements. We have also added additional members to the finance team with greater experience in the area of internal controls. We subsequently successfully recovered $0.8 million of this amount and are continuing efforts to recoup the remainder of the funds. The material weakness did not result in a material misstatement of our financial statements, and management is working to complete the remediation during the fourth quarter of 2020.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Other than as noted above there were no other changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the three months ended September 30, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Table of Contents

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we may be subject to litigation and claims arising in the ordinary course of business. We are not currently a party to any material legal proceedings, and we are not aware of any pending or threatened legal proceeding against us that we believe could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, cash flows or financial condition.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as general economic and business risks and the other information in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The occurrence of any of the events or circumstances described below or other adverse events could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline. Additional risks or uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also harm our business.

Risks Related to Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital

We have a limited operating history and have never generated any product revenues, which may make it difficult to evaluate the success of our business to date and to assess our future viability.

We were incorporated in March 2017 and our operations to date have been largely focused on staffing our company, raising capital and advancing the development of, our product candidates, including conducting clinical and preclinical studies. We have not yet demonstrated an ability to successfully obtain marketing approvals, manufacture products on a commercial scale, or arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful commercialization. Consequently, predictions about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer operating history or a history of successfully developing and commercializing products.

We expect our financial condition and operating results to continue to fluctuate from quarter to quarter and year to year due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. We will need to eventually transition from a company with a research and development focus to a company capable of undertaking commercial activities. We may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications and delays, and may not be successful in such a transition.

Since our inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our net loss was $61.1 million and $24.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 respectively. As of September 30, 2020, we had stockholders’ equity of $220.9 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future. None of our product candidates have been approved for marketing in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction, and may never receive such approval. It could be several years, if ever, before we have a commercialized product that generates significant revenues. As a result, we are uncertain when or if we will achieve profitability and, if so, whether we will be able to sustain it. The net losses we incur may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially as we:

●

continue the development of our product candidates;

●

conduct preclinical studies and clinical trials for our current product candidates and any future product candidates that we may pursue;

●

continue to build our portfolio of product candidates through the acquisition or in-license of additional product candidates or technologies;

●

continue to develop, maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio;

Table of Contents

●

pursue regulatory approvals for our current and future product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;

●

ultimately establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure to commercialize any product candidate for which we may obtain marketing approval;

●

hire additional clinical, regulatory, scientific and accounting personnel; and

●

incur additional legal, accounting and other expenses in operating as a public company.

To become and remain profitable, we must develop and eventually commercialize one or more product candidates with significant market potential. This will require us to be successful in a range of challenging activities, including completing clinical trials of our product candidates, developing commercial scale manufacturing processes, obtaining marketing approval, manufacturing, marketing and selling any current and future product candidates for which we may obtain marketing approval, and satisfying any post-marketing requirements. We may never succeed in any or all of these activities and, even if we do, we may never generate sufficient revenue to achieve profitability.

Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with product development, we are unable to accurately predict the timing or amount of expenses or when, or if, we will obtain marketing approval to commercialize any of our product candidates. If we are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, or other regulatory authorities such as the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, to perform studies and trials in addition to those currently expected, or if there are any delays in the development, or in the completion of any planned or future preclinical studies or clinical trials of our current or future product candidates, our expenses could increase and profitability could be further delayed.

Even if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis.

Our failure to become and remain profitable would decrease the value of our company and could impair our ability to raise capital, maintain our research and development efforts, expand our business or continue our operations. A decline in the value of our company also could cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if and as we continue to develop and conduct clinical trials with respect to BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates; seek to identify and develop additional product candidates; acquire or in-license other product candidates or technologies; seek regulatory and marketing approvals for our product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials, if any; establish sales, marketing, distribution and other commercial infrastructure in the future to commercialize various products for which we may obtain marketing approval, if any; require the manufacture of larger quantities of product candidates for clinical development and, potentially, commercialization; maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; hire and retain additional personnel, such as clinical, quality control and scientific personnel; add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our product development and help us comply with our obligations as a public company; and add equipment and physical infrastructure to support our research and development programs.

We expect that our current cash and cash equivalents and cash generated by our July 2020 offering will be used primarily to fund our ongoing research and development efforts well into 2022. We will be required to expend significant funds in order to advance the development of BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates. In addition, while we may seek one or more collaborators for future development of our current product candidate or any future product candidates that we may develop for one or more indications, we may not be able to enter into a collaboration for any of our product candidates for such indications on suitable terms, on a timely basis or at all. In any

Table of Contents

event, the net proceeds of our prior equity offerings and our existing cash will not be sufficient to fund all of the efforts that we plan to undertake or to fund the completion of development of our product candidates or our other preclinical programs. Accordingly, we will be required to obtain further funding through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations and licensing arrangements or other sources. Further financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Additionally, market volatility resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic or other factors could also adversely impact our ability to access capital as and when needed. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy.

Our estimate as to how long we expect our existing cash to be able to continue to fund our operations is based on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Further, changing circumstances, some of which may be beyond our control, could cause us to consume capital significantly faster than we currently anticipate, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned. Our future funding requirements, both short-term and long-term, will depend on many factors, including:

●

the scope, progress, timing, costs and results of clinical trials of BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates;

●

our ability to enter into and the terms and timing of any collaborations, licensing agreements or other arrangements;

●

the costs, timing and outcome of seeking regulatory approvals;

●

the costs of commercialization activities for any of our product candidates that receive marketing approval to the extent such costs are not the responsibility of any future collaborators, including the costs and timing of establishing product sales, marketing, distribution and manufacturing capabilities;

●

our headcount growth and associated costs as we expand our research and development as well as potentially establish a commercial infrastructure;

●

revenue received from commercial sales, if any, of our current and future product candidates;

●

the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and protecting our intellectual property rights and defending against intellectual property related claims;

●

the number of future product candidates that we pursue and their development requirements;

●

changes in regulatory policies or laws that may affect our operations;

●

changes in physician acceptance or medical society recommendations that may affect commercial efforts;

●

the costs of acquiring potential new product candidates or technology; and

●

the costs of operating as a public company.

Risks Related to the Discovery and Development of Product Candidates

We have limited experience in drug discovery and drug development, and we have never had a drug approved.

Prior to the acquisition of our product candidates, we were not involved in and had no control over their preclinical and clinical development. In addition, we are relying upon the parties we have acquired our product candidates from to have conducted such research and development in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory and scientific standards, having accurately reported the results of all clinical trials conducted prior to our acquisition of the applicable product candidate, and having correctly collected and interpreted the data from these studies and trials. To the extent any of these has not occurred, our expected development time and costs may be increased, which could adversely affect our prospects for marketing approval of, and receiving any future revenue from, these product candidates.

Table of Contents

We currently do not have any products that have received regulatory approval and may never be able to develop marketable product candidates. We are investing a significant portion of our efforts and financial resources in the development of BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates. Our prospects are substantially dependent on our ability, or that of any future collaborator, to develop, obtain marketing approval for and successfully commercialize product candidates in one or more disease indications.

The success of BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates will depend on several factors, including the following:

●

acceptance of an IND application by the FDA authorizing us to conduct clinical trials of our product candidates in the United States;

●

initiation, progress, timing, costs and results of clinical trials of our product candidates and potential product candidates;

●

demonstration of safety and efficacy of our product candidates to the satisfaction of the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authority and sufficient for marketing approval;

●

the timing and performance of our current and future collaborators;

●

the nature of any required post-marketing clinical trials or other commitments to applicable regulatory authorities;

●

establishment of supply arrangements with third-party raw materials suppliers and manufacturers;

●

establishment of arrangements with third-party manufacturers to obtain finished drug product that is appropriately packaged for sale;

●

adequate ongoing availability of raw materials and drug product for clinical development and any commercial sales;

●

obtaining and maintaining patent, trade secret protection and regulatory exclusivity, both in the United States and internationally;

●

protection of our rights in our intellectual property portfolio;

●

successful launch of commercial sales following any marketing approval;

●

a continued acceptable safety profile following any marketing approval;

●

commercial acceptance by patients, the medical community and third-party payors; and

●

our ability to compete with other therapies.

Many of these factors are beyond our control, including the results of clinical trials, the time required for the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authorities to review any regulatory submissions we may make, potential threats to our intellectual property rights and the manufacturing, marketing and sales efforts of any future collaborator. If we are unable to develop, receive marketing approval for and successfully commercialize BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates, on our own or with any future collaborator, or experience delays as a result of any of these factors or otherwise, our business could be substantially harmed.

Table of Contents

From time to time, we may publicly disclose top-line or preliminary data from our clinical trials, which is based on a preliminary analysis of then-available data, and the results and related findings and conclusions are subject to change following a more comprehensive review of the data related to the particular study or trial. We also make assumptions, estimations, calculations and conclusions as part of our analyses of data, and we may not have received or had the opportunity to fully and carefully evaluate all data. As a result, the top-line or preliminary results that we report may differ from future results of the same studies, or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results, once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Top-line or preliminary data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the top-line or preliminary data we previously published. As a result, top-line and preliminary data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available.

From time to time, we may also disclose interim data from our preclinical studies and clinical trials. Interim data from clinical trials that we may complete are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more patient data become available. Adverse differences between interim data and final data could significantly harm our business prospects. Further, disclosure of interim data by us or by our competitors could result in volatility in the price of our common stock.

Further, others, including regulatory agencies, may not accept or agree with our assumptions, estimates, calculations, conclusions or analyses or may interpret or weigh the importance of data differently, which could impact the value of the particular program, the approvability or commercialization of the particular product candidate or product and our company in general. In addition, the information we choose to publicly disclose regarding a particular study or clinical trial is based on what is typically extensive information, and you or others may not agree with what we determine is material or otherwise appropriate information to include in our disclosure.

If the interim, top-line or preliminary data that we report differ from actual results, or if others, including regulatory authorities, disagree with the conclusions reached, our ability to obtain approval for, and commercialize, our product candidates may be harmed, which could harm our business, operating results, prospects or financial condition.

The time required to obtain approval by the FDA and comparable foreign authorities is unpredictable but typically takes many years following the commencement of clinical trials and depends upon numerous factors, including the substantial discretion of the regulatory authorities. The results of preclinical studies and early clinical trials of our product candidates may not be predictive of the results of later-stage clinical trials. Product candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy traits despite having progressed through preclinical studies and initial clinical trials. It is not uncommon for companies in the biopharmaceutical industry to suffer significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials due to nonclinical findings made while clinical studies were underway and safety or efficacy observations made in clinical studies, including previously unreported adverse events. Our future clinical trial results may not be successful, and notwithstanding any potential promising results in earlier studies, we cannot be certain that we will not face similar setbacks. The historical failure rate for product candidates in our industry is high. In addition, approval policies, regulations, or the type and amount of clinical data necessary to gain approval may change during the course of a product candidate’s clinical development and may vary among jurisdictions. We have not obtained regulatory approval for any product candidate and it is possible that none of our existing product candidates or any product candidates we may seek to develop in the future will ever obtain regulatory approval.

Table of Contents

Our product candidates could fail to receive regulatory approval for many reasons, including the following:

●

the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with the design or implementation of our clinical trials;

●

we may be unable to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities that a product candidate is safe and effective for its proposed indication;

●

the results of clinical trials may not meet the level of statistical significance required by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities for approval;

●

the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with our interpretation of data from preclinical studies or clinical trials;

●

the data collected from clinical trials of our product candidates may not be sufficient to support the submission of an New Drug Application, or NDA, or other submission or to obtain regulatory approval in the United States or elsewhere; the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree that our changes to branded reference drugs meet the criteria for the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway or foreign regulatory pathways;

●

the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may fail to approve the manufacturing processes or facilities of third-party manufacturers with which we contract for clinical and commercial supplies; and

●

the approval policies or regulations of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may significantly change in a manner rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval.

We have limited experience in completing clinical trials of any of our product candidates. Consequently, we may not have the necessary capabilities, including adequate staffing, to successfully manage the execution and completion of any clinical trials we initiate in a way that leads to our obtaining marketing approval for our product candidates in a timely manner, or at all. This lengthy approval process as well as the unpredictability of future clinical trial results may result in our failing to obtain regulatory approval to market our product candidates, which would significantly harm our business, results of operations and prospects.

In addition, even if we were to obtain approval, regulatory authorities may approve any of our product candidates for fewer or more limited indications than we request, may not approve the price we intend to charge for our products, may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical trials, may approve a product candidate with a label that does not include the labeling claims necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of that product candidate or may restrict its distribution. Any of the foregoing scenarios could materially harm the commercial prospects for our product candidates.

We have not previously submitted an NDA to the FDA or similar drug approval filings to comparable foreign authorities, for any product candidate, and we cannot be certain that any of our product candidates will be successful in clinical trials or receive regulatory approval. Further, our product candidates may not receive regulatory approval even if they are successful in clinical trials. If we do not receive regulatory approvals for our product candidates, we may not be able to continue our operations. Even if we successfully obtain regulatory approvals to market one or more of our product candidates, our revenues will be dependent, in part, upon the size of the markets in the territories for which we gain regulatory approval and have commercial rights. If the markets for patients that we are targeting for our product candidates are not as significant as we estimate, we may not generate significant revenues from sales of such products, if approved.

We plan to seek regulatory approval to commercialize our product candidates both in the United States, the European Union and in additional foreign countries. While the scope of regulatory approval is similar in other countries, to obtain separate regulatory approval in many other countries we must comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of such countries regarding safety and efficacy and governing, among other things, clinical trials and commercial sales, pricing and distribution of our product candidates, and we cannot predict success in these jurisdictions.

Table of Contents

Clinical trials are expensive, time-consuming and difficult to design and implement, and involve an uncertain outcome.

Before obtaining marketing approval from the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities for the sale of our product candidates, we must complete preclinical development and extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates. Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. Although we are planning for certain clinical trials relating to BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates, there can be no assurance that the FDA will accept our proposed trial designs. We may experience delays in our clinical trials and we do not know whether planned clinical trials will begin on time, need to be redesigned, enroll patients on time or be completed on schedule, if at all. Clinical trials can be delayed for a variety of reasons, including delays related to:

●

the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities disagreeing as to the design or implementation of our clinical studies;

●

obtaining regulatory authorizations to commence a trial or consensus with regulatory authorities on trial designs;

●

reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective contract research organizations, or CROs, and clinical trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites;

●

diversion of healthcare resources to combat epidemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic;

●

obtaining institutional review board, or IRB, approval at each site, or independent ethics committee, or IEC, approval at any sites outside the United States;

●

dependence on the needs and timing of third party collaborators;

●

changes to clinical trial protocols;

●

recruiting suitable patients to participate in a trial in a timely manner and in sufficient numbers;

●

clinical sites deviating from trial protocol or dropping out of a trial;

●

addressing patient safety concerns that arise during the course of a trial;

●

having patients complete a trial or return for post-treatment follow-up;

●

imposition of a clinical hold by regulatory authorities, including as a result of unforeseen safety issues or side effects or failure of trial sites to adhere to regulatory requirements;

●

the occurrence of serious adverse events in trials of the same class of agents conducted by other companies or institutions;

●

subjects choosing an alternative treatment for the indications for which we are developing our product candidates, or participating in competing trials;

●

adding a sufficient number of clinical trial sites;

●

manufacturing sufficient quantities of a product candidate for use in clinical trials;

●

lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial;

●

selection of clinical end points that require prolonged periods of clinical observation or analysis of the resulting data;

●

a facility manufacturing our product candidates or any of their components being ordered by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities to temporarily or permanently shut down due to violations of current good manufacturing practice, or cGMP, regulations or other applicable requirements, or infections or cross-contaminations of product candidates in the manufacturing process;

Table of Contents

●

any changes to our manufacturing process that may be necessary or desired;

●

third-party clinical investigators losing the licenses or permits necessary to perform our clinical trials, not performing our clinical trials on our anticipated schedule or consistent with the clinical trial protocol, good clinical practice, or GCP, or other regulatory requirements; or

●

third-party contractors not performing data collection or analysis in a timely or accurate manner; or third-party contractors becoming debarred or suspended or otherwise penalized by the FDA or other government or regulatory authorities for violations of regulatory requirements, in which case we may need to find a substitute contractor, and we may not be able to use some or all of the data produced by such contractors in support of our marketing applications.

We could encounter delays if a clinical trial is suspended or terminated by us, by the IRBs of the institutions in which such trials are being conducted, by the Data Safety Monitoring Board, or DSMB, for such trial or by the FDA or other regulatory authorities. Such authorities may impose such a suspension or termination due to a number of factors, including failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial site by the FDA or other regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a drug, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial. Furthermore, we rely on CROs and clinical trial sites to ensure the proper and timely conduct of our clinical trials and, while we have agreements governing their committed activities, we have limited influence over their actual performance.

Further, conducting clinical trials in foreign countries, as we may do for our current and future product candidates, presents additional risks that may delay completion of our clinical trials. These risks include the failure of enrolled patients in foreign countries to adhere to clinical protocol as a result of differences in healthcare services or cultural customs, managing additional administrative burdens associated with foreign regulatory schemes, as well as political and economic risks relevant to such foreign countries.

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

We depend on enrollment of patients in our clinical trials in order for us to continue development of our product candidates. If we are unable to enroll patients in our clinical trials, our research and development efforts could be adversely affected.

The timely completion of clinical trials in accordance with their protocols depends, among other things, on our ability to enroll a sufficient number of patients who remain in the study until its conclusion. We may experience difficulties in patient enrollment in our clinical trials for a variety of reasons. Patient enrollment is affected by many factors including the size and nature of the patient population, the proximity of patients to clinical sites, the eligibility criteria for the trial, the design of the clinical trial, the size of the patient population required for analysis of the trial’s primary endpoints, the proximity of patients to study sites, our ability to recruit clinical trial investigators with the appropriate competencies and experience, our ability to obtain and maintain patient consents, the risk that patients enrolled in clinical trials will drop out of the trials before completion, and competing clinical trials and clinicians’ and patients’ perceptions as to the potential advantages of the drug being studied in relation to other available therapies, including any new drugs that may be approved for the indications we are investigating. Our ability to enroll patients in our clinical trials may be impacted by governmental restrictions and diversion of healthcare resources resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many pharmaceutical companies are conducting clinical trials in patients with the disease indications that our potential drug products target. As a result, we must compete with them for clinical sites, physicians

Table of Contents

and the limited number of patients who fulfill the stringent requirements for participation in clinical trials. Also, due to the confidential nature of clinical trials, we do not know how many of the eligible patients may be enrolled in competing studies and who are consequently not available to us for our clinical trials. Our clinical trials may be delayed or terminated due to the inability to enroll enough patients. The delay or inability to meet planned patient enrollment may result in increased costs and delay or termination of our trials, which could have a harmful effect on our ability to develop products.

Undesirable side effects caused by our product candidates could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA or other comparable foreign authorities. The clinical evaluation of BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates in patients is still in the early stages and it is possible that there may be side effects associated with their use. To date, based on information available in the package insert for Dex, patients treated with Dex have experienced drug-related side effects including hypotension, transient hypertension, bradycardia, dry mouth, acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure and agitation with hypotension, bradycardia and dry mouth considered serious adverse events. In addition, based on the investigator brochure for Talabostat, patients treated with Talabostat have experienced edema/peripheral swelling, hypotension, dizziness, hypovolemia fatigue, nausea, vomiting, pyrexia rigors and rash with edema and fatigue representing the most frequently observed serious adverse events. Results of our trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of these or other side effects. In our Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of emergent Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer, one patient experienced acidosis with a fatal outcome. Although the clinical investigator could not determine that the fatality was related to treatment with BXCL701, it is possible that BXCL701 could be tied to unacceptable side effects in the future. In such an event, we, the FDA, the IRBs at the institutions in which our studies are conducted, or the DSMB could suspend or terminate our clinical trials or the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities could order us to cease clinical trials or deny approval of our product candidates for any or all targeted indications. For example, the FDA placed Point Therapeutics, Inc.’s IND for BXCL701 on clinical hold following an increase in observed mortality in patients receiving BXCL701 in a Phase 3 trial in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Though we believe that this result was caused by, among other things, an imbalance in the disease severity of patients enrolled in the active arm of the clinical trial, there is no guarantee that excess mortality will not be observed in future clinical studies. Treatment-related side effects could also affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled patients to complete the clinical trial or result in potential product liability claims. In addition, these side effects may not be appropriately recognized or managed by the treating medical staff. We expect to have to train medical personnel using our product candidates to understand the side effect profiles for our clinical trials and upon any commercialization of any of our product candidates. Inadequate training in recognizing or managing the potential side effects of our product candidates could result in patient injury or death. Any of these occurrences may harm our business, financial condition and prospects significantly.

Additionally, if one or more of our product candidates receives marketing approval, and we or others later identify undesirable side effects caused by such products, a number of potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:

●

regulatory authorities may withdraw approvals of such products;

●

we may be required to recall a product or change the way such a product is administered to patients;

●

additional restrictions may be imposed on the marketing or distribution of the particular product or the manufacturing processes for the product or any component thereof;

●

regulatory authorities may require additional warnings on the label, such as a “black box” warning or contraindication;

●

we may be required to implement Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies, or REMS, or create a medication guide outlining the risks of such side effects for distribution to patients;

Table of Contents

●

we could be sued and held liable for harm caused to patients;

●

our product may become less competitive; and

●

our reputation may suffer.

Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the particular product candidate or for particular indications of a product candidate, if approved, and could significantly harm our business, results of operations and prospects.

We are leveraging EvolverAI to create a pipeline of neuroscience and immuno-oncology product candidates for patients whose diseases have not been adequately addressed to date by other approaches and to design and conduct efficient clinical trials with a higher likelihood of success. While we believe that applying EvolverAI to create medicines for defined patient populations may potentially enable drug research and clinical development that is more efficient than conventional drug research and development, our approach is both novel and unproven. Because our approach is both novel and unproven, the cost and time needed to develop our product candidates is difficult to predict, and our efforts may not result in the discovery and development of commercially viable medicines. We may also be incorrect about the effects of our product candidates on the diseases of our defined patient populations, which may limit the utility of our approach or the perception of the utility of our approach. Furthermore, our estimates of our defined patient populations available for study and treatment may be lower than expected, which could adversely affect our ability to conduct clinical trials and may also adversely affect the size of any market for medicines we may successfully commercialize. Our approach may not result in time savings, higher success rates or reduced costs as we expect it to, and if not, we may not attract collaborators or develop new drugs as quickly or cost effectively as expected and therefore we may not be able to commercialize our approach as originally expected.

EvolverAI may fail to help us discover and develop additional potential product candidates.

Any drug discovery that we are conducting using EvolverAI may not be successful in identifying compounds that have commercial value or therapeutic utility. EvolverAI may initially show promise in identifying potential product candidates, yet fail to yield viable product candidates for clinical development or commercialization for a number of reasons, including:

●

research programs to identify new product candidates will require substantial technical, financial and human resources, and we may be unsuccessful in our efforts to identify new product candidates. If we are unable to identify suitable additional compounds for preclinical and clinical development, our ability to develop product candidates and obtain product revenues in future periods could be compromised, which could result in significant harm to our financial position and adversely impact our stock price;

●

compounds found through EvolverAI may not demonstrate efficacy, safety or tolerability;

●

potential product candidates may, on further study, be shown to have harmful side effects or other characteristics that indicate that they are unlikely to receive marketing approval and achieve market acceptance;

●

competitors may develop alternative therapies that render our potential product candidates non-competitive or less attractive; or

●

a potential product candidate may not be capable of being produced at an acceptable cost.

Table of Contents

We have obtained Fast Track Designation for BXCL501 for the treatment of acute agitation, and we may seek Fast Track designation for other indications or for our other product candidates, but we might not receive such designations, and even if we do, such designations may not actually lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process.

If a product is intended for the treatment of a serious condition and nonclinical or clinical data demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical need for this condition, a product sponsor may apply for FDA Fast Track designation. We have obtained Fast Track designation for BXCL501 for the treatment of acute agitation, and we may seek Fast Track designation for other indications for BXCL701 or for one or more of our other product candidates, but we might not receive such designations from the FDA. However, even if we receive Fast Track designation, Fast Track designation does not ensure that we will receive marketing approval or that approval will be granted within any particular timeframe. We may not experience a faster development or regulatory review or approval process with Fast Track designation compared to conventional FDA procedures. In addition, the FDA may withdraw Fast Track designation if it believes that the designation is no longer supported by data from our clinical development program. Fast Track designation alone does not guarantee qualification for the FDA’s priority review procedures.

If the FDA does not conclude that our product candidates satisfy the requirements for the 505(b)(2) regulatory approval pathway, or if the requirements for approval of any of our product candidates under Section 505(b)(2) are not as we expect, the approval pathway for our product candidates will likely take significantly longer, cost significantly more and encounter significantly greater complications and risks than anticipated, and in any case may not be successful.

We intend to seek FDA approval through the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway for certain of our product candidates, including BXCL501. The Hatch-Waxman Act added Section 505(b)(2) to the FDCA. Section 505(b)(2) permits the filing of an NDA where at least some of the information required for approval comes from studies that were not conducted by or for the applicant. If the FDA does not allow us to pursue the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway for our product candidates as anticipated, we may need to conduct additional clinical trials, provide additional data and information and meet additional standards for regulatory approval. If this were to occur, the time and financial resources required to obtain FDA approval for our product candidates would likely substantially increase. Moreover, the inability to pursue the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway could result in new competitive products reaching the market faster than our product candidates, which could materially adversely impact our competitive position and prospects. Even if we are allowed to pursue the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway for a product candidate, we cannot assure you that we will receive the requisite or timely approvals for commercialization of such product candidate. In addition, we expect that our competitors will file citizens’ petitions with the FDA in an attempt to persuade the FDA that our product candidates, or the clinical studies that support their approval, contain deficiencies. Such actions by our competitors could delay or even prevent the FDA from approving any NDA that we submit under Section 505(b)(2).

Any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval, along with the manufacturing processes, post-approval clinical data, labeling, packaging, distribution, adverse event reporting, storage, recordkeeping, export, import, advertising and promotional activities for such product, among other things, will be subject to extensive and ongoing requirements of and review by the FDA and other regulatory authorities. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, establishment registration and drug listing requirements, continued compliance with cGMP requirements relating to manufacturing, quality control, quality assurance and corresponding maintenance of records and documents, requirements regarding the distribution of samples to physicians and recordkeeping and GCP requirements for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval.

Even if marketing approval of a product candidate is granted, the approval may be subject to limitations on the indicated uses for which the product candidate may be marketed or to the conditions of approval, including a requirement to implement a REMS. If any of our product candidates receives marketing approval, the accompanying label may limit the approved indicated use of the product candidate, which could limit sales of the product candidate.

Table of Contents

The FDA may also impose requirements for costly post-marketing studies or clinical trials and surveillance to monitor the safety or efficacy of a product. Violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, relating to the promotion of prescription drugs may lead to FDA enforcement actions and investigations alleging violations of federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws, as well as state consumer protection laws.

In addition, later discovery of previously unknown adverse events or other problems with our products, manufacturers or manufacturing processes or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may yield various results, including:

●

restrictions on manufacturing such products;

●

restrictions on the labeling or marketing of products;

●

restrictions on product manufacturing, distribution or use;

●

requirements to conduct post-marketing studies or clinical trials;

●

warning letters or untitled letters;

●

withdrawal of the products from the market;

●

refusal to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications that we submit;

●

recall of products;

●

fines, restitution or disgorgement of profits or revenues;

●

suspension or withdrawal of marketing approvals;

●

refusal to permit the import or export of our products;

●

product seizure; or

●

injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

Further, the FDA’s policies may change, and additional government regulations may be enacted that could impose extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements and obligations on any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. 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 approval that we may have obtained, which would adversely affect our business, prospects and ability to achieve or sustain profitability.

We also cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative or executive action, either in the United States or abroad. For example, certain policies of the current presidential administration may impact our business and industry. Namely, the current presidential administration has taken several executive actions, including the issuance of a number of Executive Orders, that could impose significant burdens on, or otherwise materially delay, the FDA’s ability to engage in routine regulatory and oversight activities such as implementing statutes through rulemaking, issuance of guidance, and review and approval of marketing applications. It is difficult to predict how these executive actions will be implemented, and the extent to which they will impact the FDA’s ability to exercise its regulatory authority. If these executive actions impose constraints on the FDA’s ability to engage in oversight and implementation activities in the normal course, our business may be negatively impacted.

The FDA and other regulatory agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses.

If we are found to have improperly promoted off-label uses of our products or product candidates, if approved, we may become subject to significant liability. Such enforcement has become more common in the industry. The FDA and other regulatory agencies strictly regulate the promotional claims that may be made about prescription drug products,

Table of Contents

such as our product candidates, if approved. In particular, a product may not be promoted for uses that are not approved by the FDA or such other regulatory agencies as reflected in the product’s approved labeling. If we receive marketing approval for our product candidates for our proposed indications, physicians may nevertheless use our products for their patients in a manner that is inconsistent with the approved label, if the physicians personally believe in their professional medical judgment it could be used in such manner. However, if we are found to have promoted our products for any off-label uses, the federal government could levy civil, criminal and/or administrative penalties, and seek fines against us. The FDA or other regulatory authorities could also request that we enter into a consent decree or a corporate integrity agreement, or seek a permanent injunction against us under which specified promotional conduct is monitored, changed or curtailed. If we cannot successfully manage the promotion of our product candidates, if approved, we could become subject to significant liability, which would materially adversely affect our business and financial condition.

Changes in funding for the FDA and other government agencies could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, or otherwise prevent new products and services from being developed or commercialized in a timely manner, which could negatively impact our business.

The ability of the FDA to review and approve new products can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, and statutory, regulatory, and policy changes. Average review times at the agency have fluctuated in recent years as a result. In addition, government funding of other government agencies that fund research and development activities is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.

Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new drugs to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, over the last several years, including for 35 days beginning on December 22, 2018, the U.S. government has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, have had to furlough critical employees and stop critical activities. If a prolonged government shutdown occurs, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We may be subject to extensive regulations outside the United States and may not obtain marketing approvals for products in Europe and other jurisdictions.

In addition to regulations in the United States, should we or our collaborators pursue marketing approvals for BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates internationally, we and our collaborators will be subject to a variety of regulations in other jurisdictions governing, among other things, clinical trials and any commercial sales and distribution of our products. Whether or not we, or our collaborators, obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain the requisite approvals from regulatory authorities in foreign countries prior to the commencement of clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries. The requirements and process governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary from country to country.

We expect to pursue marketing approvals for BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates in Europe and other jurisdictions outside the United States with collaborative partners. The time and process required to obtain regulatory approvals and reimbursement in Europe and other jurisdictions may be different from those in the United States regulatory and approval in one jurisdiction does not ensure approvals in any other jurisdiction; however, negative regulatory decisions in any jurisdiction may have a negative impact on the regulatory process in other jurisdictions.

Following a national referendum and enactment of legislation by the government of the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union, or Brexit, on January 31, 2020 and entered into a transition period during which it will continue its ongoing and complex negotiations with the European Union relating to the future trading relationship between the parties. Significant political and economic uncertainty remains about whether the terms of the relationship will differ materially from the terms before withdrawal, as well as about the possibility that a so-called “no deal” separation will occur if negotiations are not completed by the end of the transition period. Any delay in obtaining, or an inability to obtain, any marketing approvals, as a result of Brexit or otherwise, would prevent us from commercializing our product candidates in the United Kingdom and/or the European Union and restrict our ability to generate revenue and achieve and sustain profitability. If any of these outcomes occur, we may be forced to restrict or

Table of Contents

delay efforts to seek regulatory approval in the United Kingdom and/or European Union for our product candidates, which could significantly and materially harm our business.

If we are found in violation of federal or state “fraud and abuse” laws, we may be required to pay a penalty and/or be suspended from participation in federal or state health care programs, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In the United States, we will be subject to various federal and state health care “fraud and abuse” laws, including anti-kickback laws, false claims laws and other laws intended to reduce fraud and abuse in federal and state health care programs, which could affect us, particularly upon successful commercialization of our products in the United States. These laws include:

●

the federal Anti-Kickback Statute makes it illegal for any person, including a prescription drug manufacturer (or a party acting on its behalf), to knowingly and willfully solicit, receive, offer or pay any remuneration that is intended to induce the referral of business, including the purchase, order or prescription of a particular drug for which payment may be made under a federal health care program, such as Medicare or Medicaid. A person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of this statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation. Under federal government regulations, some arrangements, known as safe harbors, are deemed not to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. Although we seek to structure our business arrangements in compliance with all applicable requirements, these laws are broadly written, and it is often difficult to determine precisely how the law will be applied in specific circumstances. Accordingly, it is possible that our practices may be challenged under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute;

●

false claims laws prohibit anyone from knowingly and willfully presenting or causing to be presented for payment to third-party payers, including government payers, claims for reimbursed drugs or services that are false or fraudulent, claims for items or services that were not provided as claimed, or claims for medically unnecessary items or services. Cases have been brought under false claims laws alleging that off-label promotion of pharmaceutical products or the provision of kickbacks has resulted in the submission of false claims to governmental health care programs. In addition, the government may assert that 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 false claims laws. Further, private individuals have the ability to bring actions on behalf of the government under the federal False Claims Act;

●

the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, prohibits persons or entities from knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any health care benefit program, including private payers, or knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for health care benefits, items or services. Similar to the federal Anti- Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of these statutes or specific intent to violate them to have committed a violation;

●

federal civil monetary penalties laws, which impose civil fines for, among other things, the offering or transfer of remuneration to a Medicare or state healthcare program beneficiary if the person knows or should know it is likely to influence the beneficiary’s selection of a particular provider, practitioner, or supplier of services reimbursable by Medicare or a state healthcare program, unless an exception applies;

●

federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm consumers;

●

HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, which governs the conduct of certain electronic healthcare transactions and protects the security and privacy of protected health information;

Table of Contents

●

the federal physician sunshine requirements under the ACA, which requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics, and medical supplies to report annually to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors), certain other healthcare providers starting in 2022, and teaching hospitals, and ownership and investment interests held by physicians and other healthcare providers and their immediate family members;

●

state law equivalents of each of the above federal laws, such as anti-kickback and false claims laws which may apply to items or services reimbursed by any third-party payor, including commercial insurers; state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the applicable compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government, or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers and other potential referral sources; state laws that require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures and pricing information; and state laws governing the privacy and security of health information (or personal information generally) in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways, thus complicating compliance efforts; and

●

European and other foreign law equivalents of each of the laws, including reporting requirements detailing interactions with and payments to healthcare providers.

The risk of our being found in violation of these laws is increased by the fact that many of them have not been fully interpreted by the regulatory authorities or the courts, and their provisions are open to a variety of interpretations. 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. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other governmental laws and regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, the exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs, additional reporting obligations and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, and imprisonment, any of which could adversely affect our ability to market our products and adversely impact our financial results.

We may be unable to maintain sufficient clinical trial liability insurance.

Our inability to retain sufficient clinical trial liability insurance at an acceptable cost to protect against potential liability claims could prevent or inhibit our ability to conduct clinical trials for product candidates we develop. We may be unable to obtain appropriate levels of such insurance. Even if we do secure clinical trial liability insurance for our programs, we may not be able to achieve sufficient levels of such insurance. Any claim that may be brought against us could result in a court judgment or settlement in an amount that is not covered, in whole or in part, by our insurance or that is in excess of the limits of our insurance coverage. We expect we will supplement our clinical trial coverage with product liability coverage in connection with the commercial launch of BXCL501, BXCL701 or other product candidates we develop in the future; however, we may be unable to obtain such increased coverage on acceptable terms or at all. If we are found liable in a clinical trial lawsuit or a product liability lawsuit in the future, we will have to pay any amounts awarded by a court or negotiated in a settlement that exceed our coverage limitations or that are not covered by our insurance, and we may not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient capital to pay such amounts.

Table of Contents

Risks Related to Commercialization of Our Product Candidates

If our products do not gain market acceptance, our business will suffer because we might not be able to fund future operations.

A number of factors may affect the market acceptance of our products or any other products we develop or acquire, including, among others:

●

the price of our products relative to other products for the same or similar treatments;

●

the perception by patients, physicians and other members of the health care community of the effectiveness and safety of our products for their indicated applications and treatments;

●

our ability to fund our sales and marketing efforts; and

●

the effectiveness of our sales and marketing efforts.

If our products do not gain market acceptance, we may not be able to fund future operations, including developing, testing and obtaining regulatory approval for new product candidates and expanding our sales and marketing efforts for our approved products, which would cause our business to suffer.

We have been granted Orphan Drug Designation for BXCL701 for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, melanoma and acute myeloid leukemia and may seek Orphan Drug Designation for other indications or product candidates, and we may be unable to maintain the benefits associated with Orphan Drug Designation, including the potential for market exclusivity, and may not receive Orphan Drug Designation for other indications or for our other product candidates.

Regulatory authorities in some jurisdictions, including the United States and Europe, may designate drugs intended for relatively small patient populations as orphan drugs. Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may designate a drug as an orphan drug if it is a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally defined as a patient population of fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or a patient population greater than 200,000 in the United States where there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing the drug will be recovered from sales in the United States. In the United States, orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives such as opportunities for grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax advantages and user-fee waivers. In addition, if a product that has orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan drug exclusivity. Orphan drug exclusivity in the United States provides that the FDA may not approve any other applications, including a full NDA, to market the same drug for the same indication for seven years, except in limited circumstances the applicable exclusivity period is ten years in Europe. The European exclusivity period can be reduced to six years if a drug no longer meets the criteria for orphan drug designation or if the drug is sufficiently profitable so that market exclusivity is no longer justified. In September 2019, the FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation to BXCL701 for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Prior to 2019, the FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation to BXCL701 for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and melanoma. We may seek Orphan Drug Designations for BXCL701 in other indications or for our other product candidates. There can be no assurances that we will be able to obtain such designations.

Even if we, or any future collaborators, obtain orphan drug designation for a product candidate, we, or they, may not be able to obtain or maintain orphan drug exclusivity for that product candidate. We may not be the first to obtain marketing approval of any product candidate for which we have obtained orphan drug designation for the orphan-designated indication due to the uncertainties associated with developing pharmaceutical products, and it is possible that another company also holding orphan drug designation for the same product candidate will receive marketing approval for the same indication before we do. If that were to happen, our applications for that indication may not be approved until the competing company’s period of exclusivity expires. In addition, exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be limited if we seek approval for an indication broader than the orphan-designated indication or may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if we are unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition. Further, even if we, or any future collaborators, obtain orphan drug exclusivity for a product, that exclusivity may not effectively protect the product

Table of Contents

from competition because different drugs with different active moieties may be approved for the same condition. Even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA can subsequently approve the same drug with the same active moiety for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the later drug is clinically superior in that it is shown to be safer, more effective or makes a major contribution to patient care or the manufacturer of the product with orphan exclusivity is unable to maintain sufficient product quantity. Orphan drug designation neither shortens the development time or regulatory review time of a drug nor gives the drug any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process, nor does it prevent competitors from obtaining approval of the same product candidate as ours for indications other than those in which we have been granted orphan drug designation.

If we are unable to develop satisfactory sales and marketing capabilities, we may not succeed in commercializing BXCL501, BXCL701 or any other product candidate.

We have no experience in marketing and selling drug products. We have not entered into arrangements for the sale and marketing of BXCL501, BXCL701 or any other product candidate. Typically, pharmaceutical companies would employ groups of sales representatives and associated sales and marketing staff numbering in the hundreds to thousands of individuals to call on this large number of physicians and hospitals. We may seek to collaborate with a third party to market our drugs or may seek to market and sell our drugs by ourselves. If we seek to collaborate with a third party, we cannot be sure that a collaborative agreement can be reached on terms acceptable to us. If we seek to market and sell our drugs directly, we will need to hire additional personnel skilled in marketing and sales. We cannot be sure that we will be able to acquire, or establish third party relationships to provide, any or all of these marketing and sales capabilities. The establishment of a direct sales force or a contract sales force or a combination direct and contract sales force to market our products will be expensive and time-consuming and could delay any product launch. Further, we can give no assurances that we may be able to maintain a direct and/or contract sales force for any period of time or that our sales efforts will be sufficient to grow our revenues or that our sales efforts will ever lead to profits.

We operate in a highly competitive and rapidly changing industry.

Biopharmaceutical product development is highly competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological advancements. Our success is highly dependent upon our ability to in-license, acquire, develop and obtain regulatory approval for new and innovative products on a cost-effective basis and to market them successfully. In doing so, we face and will continue to face intense competition from a variety of businesses, including large, fully integrated, well-established pharmaceutical companies who already possess a large share of the market, specialty pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, government agencies and other private and public research institutions in the United States, the European Union and other jurisdictions.

Many of the companies against which we are competing or against which we may compete in the future have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, preclinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved drugs than we do. These third parties compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs. Mergers and acquisitions in the biopharmaceutical industry could result in even more resources being concentrated among a small number of our competitors.

Competition may further increase as a result of advances in the commercial applicability of technologies and greater availability of capital for investment in these industries. Our competitors may succeed in developing, acquiring or licensing, on an exclusive basis, products that are more effective or less costly than any product candidate that we may develop.

Established biopharmaceutical companies may invest heavily to accelerate discovery and development of novel compounds or to in-license novel compounds that could make our product candidates less competitive. In addition, any new product that competes with an approved product must demonstrate compelling advantages in efficacy, convenience, tolerability and safety in order to overcome price competition and to be commercially successful. Accordingly, our competitors may succeed in obtaining patent protection, discovering, developing, receiving FDA approval for or commercializing drugs before we do, which would have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

Table of Contents

The availability of our competitors’ products could limit the demand and the price we are able to charge for any product candidate we commercialize, if any. The inability to compete with existing or subsequently introduced drugs would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Even if we obtain regulatory approvals to commercialize BXCL501, BXCL701 or our other product candidates, our product candidates may not be accepted by physicians or the medical community in general.

There can be no assurance that BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates or any other product candidate successfully developed by us, independently or with partners, will be accepted by physicians, hospitals and other health care facilities. BXCL501, BXCL701 and any future product candidates we develop will compete with a number of products manufactured and marketed by major pharmaceutical and biotech companies. The degree of market acceptance of any drugs we develop depends on a number of factors, including:

●

our demonstration of the clinical efficacy and safety of BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates;

●

timing of market approval and commercial launch of BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates;

●

the clinical indication(s) for which BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates are approved;

●

product label and package insert requirements;

●

advantages and disadvantages of our product candidates compared to existing therapies;

●

continued interest in and growth of the market for anti-cancer or anti-agitation drugs;

●

strength of sales, marketing, and distribution support;

●

product pricing in absolute terms and relative to alternative treatments;

●

future changes in health care laws, regulations, and medical policies; and

●

availability of reimbursement codes and coverage in select jurisdictions, and future changes to reimbursement policies of government and third-party payors.

Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any product candidate for which we obtain regulatory approval. In the United States and markets in other countries, sales of any products for which we receive regulatory approval for commercial sale will depend in part on the availability of reimbursement from third-party payors. Third-party payors include government health administrative authorities, managed care providers, private health insurers and other organizations.

Healthcare reform measures could hinder or prevent our product candidates’ commercial success.

The U.S. government and other governments have shown significant interest in pursuing healthcare reform. Any government-adopted reform measures could adversely impact the pricing of healthcare products and services in the United States or internationally and the amount of reimbursement available from governmental agencies or other third-party payors. The continuing efforts of the U.S. and foreign governments, insurance companies, managed care organizations and other payors of health care services to contain or reduce health care costs may adversely affect our ability to set prices for our products which we believe are fair, and our ability to generate revenues and achieve and maintain profitability.

New laws, regulations and judicial decisions, or new interpretations of existing laws, regulations and decisions, that relate to healthcare availability, methods of delivery or payment for products and services, or sales, marketing or pricing, may limit our potential revenue, and we may need to revise our research and development programs. The pricing and reimbursement environment may change in the future and become more challenging due to several reasons, including policies advanced by the current executive administration in the United States, new healthcare legislation or fiscal challenges faced by government health administration authorities. Specifically, in both the United States and some

Table of Contents

foreign jurisdictions, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory proposals to change the health care system in ways that could affect our ability to sell our products profitably.

For example, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, or the ACA has substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both government health plans and private insurers, and significantly impacts the pharmaceutical industry. The ACA contains a number of provisions that are expected to impact our business and operations in ways that may negatively affect our potential revenues in the future. For example, the ACA imposes a non-deductible excise tax on pharmaceutical manufacturers or importers that sell branded prescription drugs to government programs which we believe will increase the cost of our products. In addition, as part of the ACA’s provisions closing a funding gap that currently exists in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, we will be required to provide a discount on branded prescription drugs equal to 50% of the government-negotiated price, for drugs provided to certain beneficiaries who fall within the donut hole. Similarly, ACA increases the level of Medicaid rebates payable by manufacturers of brand-name drugs from 15.1% to 23.1% and requires collection of rebates for drugs paid by Medicaid managed care organizations. The ACA also includes significant changes to the 340B drug discount program including expansion of the list of eligible covered entities that may purchase drugs under the program. At the same time, the expansion in eligibility for health insurance benefits created under ACA is expected to increase the number of patients with insurance coverage who may receive our products. While it is too early to predict all the specific effects the ACA or any future healthcare reform legislation will have on our business, they could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Since its enactment, there have been judicial and Congressional challenges to certain aspects of the Affordable Care Act, and we expect there will be additional challenges and amendments to the ACA in the future. For example, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or the Tax Act, was enacted, which, among other things, removes penalties for not complying with the ACA’s individual mandate to carry health insurance. On December 14, 2018, a U.S. District Court Judge in the Northern District of Texas, ruled that the individual mandate is a critical and inseverable feature of the ACA, and therefore, because it was repealed as part of the Tax Act, the remaining provisions of the ACA are invalid as well. On December 18, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld the District Court’s decision that the individual mandate was unconstitutional but remanded the case back to the District Court to determine whether the remaining provisions of the ACA are invalid as well. It is unclear how these decisions, subsequent appeals, if any, or other efforts to challenge, repeal or replace the ACA will impact the law, or our business or financial condition.

In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted. These changes include the Budget Control Act of 2011, which resulted in aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect on April 1, 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, will remain in effect through 2029 unless additional Congressional action is taken, as well as the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several types of providers, including hospitals, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years.

Recently, there has also been heightened government scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which has resulted in several Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted legislation designed to, among other things, reform government program reimbursement methodologies. Individual states in the United States have also become increasingly active in passing legislation and implementing regulations designed to control pharmaceutical product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. Furthermore, there has been increased interest by third party payors and governmental authorities in reference pricing systems and publication of discounts and list prices.

It is likely that federal and state legislatures within the United States and foreign governments will continue to consider changes to existing healthcare legislation. We cannot predict the reform initiatives that may be adopted in the future or whether initiatives that have been adopted will be repealed or modified. The continuing efforts of the government, insurance companies, managed care organizations and other payors of healthcare services to contain or reduce costs of healthcare may adversely affect the demand for any drug products for which we may obtain regulatory approval, our ability to set a price that we believe is fair for our products, our ability to obtain adequate coverage and

Table of Contents

reimbursement approval for a product, our ability to generate revenues and achieve or maintain profitability, and the level of taxes that we are required to pay.

Other third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and services. It will be time consuming and expensive for us to go through the process of seeking coverage and reimbursement from Medicare and private payors. Our proposed products may not be considered cost-effective, and coverage and reimbursement may not be available or sufficient to allow us to sell our proposed products on a profitable basis. Further federal and state proposals and health care reforms are likely which could limit the prices that can be charged for the product candidates that we develop and may further limit our commercial opportunities. Our results of operations could be materially adversely affected by proposed healthcare reforms, by the Medicare prescription drug coverage legislation, by the possible effect of such current or future legislation on amounts that private insurers will pay and by other health care reforms that may be enacted or adopted in the future.

In September 2007, the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 was enacted, giving the FDA enhanced post-marketing authority, including the authority to require post-marketing studies and clinical trials, labeling changes based on new safety information, and compliance with risk evaluations and mitigation strategies approved by the FDA. The FDA’s exercise of this authority could result in delays or increased costs during product development, clinical trials and regulatory review, increased costs to assure compliance with post-approval regulatory requirements, and potential restrictions on the sale and/or distribution of approved products.

Risks Related to Our Relationship with BioXcel LLC

BioXcel LLC has significant influence over the direction of our business, and the concentrated ownership of our common stock will prevent you and other stockholders from influencing significant decisions.

As of September 30, 2020, BioXcel owned approximately 37.0% of the economic interest and voting power of our outstanding common stock. Even though BioXcel controls less than a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common stock, it may influence the outcome of such corporate actions so long as it owns a significant portion of our common stock.

Approval of commercial terms between us and BioXcel does not preclude the possibility of stockholder litigation, including but not limited to derivative litigation nominally against BioXcel and against its directors and officers and also against us and our directors and officers.

The commercial terms of the Second Amended and Restated Shared Services Agreement dated March 6, 2020, or the Services Agreement, and the Amended and Restated Asset Contribution Agreement, or the Contribution Agreement, that we have entered into with BioXcel have not been negotiated on behalf of BioXcel by persons consisting solely of disinterested BioXcel directors.

No assurance can be given that any stockholder of BioXcel will not claim in a lawsuit that such terms in fact are not in the best interests of BioXcel and its stockholders, that the directors and officers of BioXcel breached their fiduciary duties in connection with such agreements and that any disclosures by BioXcel to its stockholders regarding these agreements and the relationship between BioXcel and us did not satisfy applicable requirements. In any such instance, we and our directors and officers may also be named as defendants and we would have to defend ourselves and our directors and officers. While we will seek indemnification from BioXcel under the terms of these agreements against any damages or other costs, which could be substantial, no such indemnification has yet been agreed to or may be agreed to and be in effect. Further, any such litigation would be time-consuming and would divert focus and resources from the development of our product candidates and our business, including but not limited to possibly delaying our clinical trials due to our management having to spend time and attention on such litigation.

We continue to depend on BioXcel to provide us with certain services for our business.

Certain administrative services required by us for the operation of our business have historically been provided by BioXcel, including services related to insurance and risk management, accounting and human resources. Under the

Table of Contents

Services Agreement, BioXcel has provided us with various services and will continue to do so until we are able to build our own capabilities in the transition areas. We believe it has been efficient for BioXcel to provide these services for us to facilitate the efficient operation of our business as we transition to becoming an independent, public company. At our election, or if BioXcel does not or is unable to perform its obligations under the Services Agreement, we will be required to provide these services ourselves or to obtain substitute arrangements with other third parties. Virtually all of these administrative services have transitioned to our control. However, we may be unable to continue to provide these services because of financial or other constraints or we may be unable to implement substitute arrangements on a timely basis on terms that are favorable to us, or at all.

We exercise no control over the activities of BioXcel other than the contractual rights we have pursuant to our Services Agreement and Contribution Agreement. Because of our historical relationship with our Parent, our reputation is also tied to BioXcel. We may be subject to reputational harm, or our relationships with existing and potential clients, third-party research organizations, consultants and other business partners could be harmed if BioXcel or any of its affiliates, previously, or in the future, among other things, engages in poor business practices, restructures or files for bankruptcy, becomes subject to litigation or otherwise damages its reputation or business prospects. Any of these events might in turn adversely affect our reputation, revenues and/or business prospects, and may also adversely affect our access to EvolverAI and BioXcel’s collaborative services.

We also rely, in part, on BioXcel and access to EvolverAI, a research and development engine created and owned by BioXcel, to identify, research and develop potential product candidates in neuroscience and immuno-oncology. The Company has negotiated a collaborative services agreement with BioXcel pursuant to which BioXcel shall perform product identification and related services for us utilizing EvolverAI. On March 6, 2020, by mutual agreement, we agreed to extend this arrangement by one year to December 31, 2020. In addition, BioXcel has granted us a first right to negotiate exclusive rights to any additional product candidates in the fields of neuroscience and immuno-oncology that BioXcel may identify on its own and not in connection with BioXcel’s provision of services to us under the Services Agreement. This option for first negotiation shall be valid for a period of five years from the date of our IPO. If our rights and access to BioXcel’s collaborative services and to EvolverAI were to become limited, terminated, or if we were otherwise precluded from conducting research and development using EvolverAI, or if BioXcel is unable to fulfill its obligations under the agreements, such development could materially adversely affect our future operating results, financial condition and prospects. Furthermore, certain individuals conducting services on our behalf are not our employees, and except for remedies available to us under our agreements with BioXcel, we cannot control whether or not they devote sufficient time, skill and resources to our ongoing development programs. We also cannot ensure that BioXcel retains sufficient resources of personnel or otherwise to conduct its operations. BioXcel may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting research and development activities, which could impede their ability to devote appropriate time to our research and development programs. In addition, if we fail to comply with our diligence, payment or other obligations under the agreements, any such collaboration may terminate or we may not be able to successfully negotiate agreements for future product candidates or collaborations with BioXcel.

The management of and beneficial ownership in BioXcel by our executive officers and our directors may create, or may create the appearance of, conflicts of interest.

The management of and beneficial ownership in BioXcel by our executive officers and our directors may create, or may create the appearance of, conflicts of interest. For example, each of our Chief Executive Officer and a director on our Board, Vimal Mehta, Ph.D., and our Chief Digital Officer and a director on our Board, Krishnan Nandabalan, Ph.D., is a manager of BioXcel, as well as a director, officer and stockholder of BioXcel Holdings, Inc., BioXcel’s parent company. Additionally, as of the date of this Quarterly Report, each of Dr. Mehta and Dr. Nandabalan, through their beneficial ownership of BioXcel, beneficially own approximately 42.17% of the Company. Management and ownership by our executive officers and directors in BioXcel, creates, or, may create the appearance of, conflicts of interest when these individuals are faced with decisions that could have different implications for BioXcel than the decisions have for us, including decisions that relate to our Services Agreement, Contribution Agreement, as well as potential agreements relating to future product candidates and AI-related services or collaborations. Any perceived conflicts of interest resulting from investors questioning the independence of our management or the integrity of corporate governance procedures may materially affect our stock price.

Table of Contents

Any disputes that arise between us and BioXcel with respect to our past and ongoing relationships could harm our business operations.

Disputes may arise between BioXcel and us in a number of areas relating to our past and ongoing relationships, including:

●

intellectual property, technology and business matters, including failure to make required technology transfers and failure to comply with non-compete provisions applicable to BioXcel and us;

●

labor, tax, employee benefit, indemnification and other matters arising from the Separation;

●

distribution and supply obligations;

●

employee retention and recruiting;

●

business combinations involving us;

●

sales or distributions by BioXcel of all or any portion of its ownership interest in us;

●

the nature, quality and pricing of services BioXcel has agreed to provide us; and

●

business opportunities that may be attractive to both BioXcel and us.

We entered into the Services Agreement with BioXcel related to the Separation of our business operations from those of BioXcel that contains certain limitations on BioXcel’s ability to control various aspects of our business and operations, notwithstanding BioXcel’s substantial ownership position. This agreement may be amended upon agreement between us and BioXcel.

BioXcel may experience challenges with the acquisition, development, enhancement or deployment of technology necessary for EvolverAI.

BioXcel operates in businesses that require sophisticated computer systems and software for data collection, data processing, cloud-based platforms, analytics, statistical projections and forecasting, mobile computing, social media analytics and other applications and technologies. BioXcel seeks to address its technology risks by increasing its reliance on the use of innovations by cross-industry technology leaders and adapt these for their pharmaceutical, biotech, biopharmaceutical, diagnostic, medical device and contract research and manufacturing clients. Some of the technologies supporting the industries they serve are changing rapidly and we must continue to adapt to these changes in a timely and effective manner at an acceptable cost. They also must continue to deliver data to its clients in forms that are easy to use while simultaneously providing clear answers to complex questions. There can be no guarantee that we or BioXcel will be able to develop, acquire or integrate new technologies, that these new technologies will meet our and BioXcel’s needs or achieve our expected goals, or that we will be able to do so as quickly or cost-effectively as our competitors. Significant technological change could render EvolverAI obsolete. BioXcel’s continued success will depend on its ability to adapt to changing technologies, manage and process ever-increasing amounts of data and information and improve the performance, features and reliability of its services in response to changing client and industry demands. BioXcel may experience difficulties that could delay or prevent the successful design, development, testing, and introduction of advanced versions of EvolverAI, limiting our ability to identify new product candidates. New services, or enhancements to existing EvolverAI services, may not adequately meet our requirements. Any of these failures could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.

Table of Contents

Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties

The manufacture of biotechnology and pharmaceutical products is complex and requires significant expertise, capital investment, process controls and know-how. Common difficulties in biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing may include: sourcing and producing raw materials, transferring technology from chemistry and development activities to production activities, validating initial production designs, scaling manufacturing techniques, improving costs and yields, establishing and maintaining quality controls and stability requirements, eliminating contaminations and operator errors, and maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements. We do not currently have nor do we plan to acquire the infrastructure or capability internally to produce an adequate supply of compounds to meet future requirements for clinical trials and commercialization of our products or to produce our products in accordance with cGMP prescribed by the FDA. Drug manufacturing facilities are subject to inspection before the FDA will issue an approval to market a new drug product, and all of the manufacturers that we intend to use must adhere to the cGMP regulations prescribed by the FDA.

We expect therefore to rely on third-party manufacturers for clinical supplies of our product candidates that we may develop. These third-party manufacturers will be required to comply with cGMPs, and other applicable laws and regulations. We will have no control over the ability of these third parties to comply with these requirements, or to maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and qualified personnel. If the FDA or any other applicable regulatory authorities do not approve the facilities of these third parties for the manufacture of our other product candidates or any products that we may successfully develop, or if it withdraws any such approval, or if our suppliers or contract manufacturers decide they no longer want to supply or manufacture for us, we may need to find alternative manufacturing facilities, in which case we might not be able to identify manufacturers for clinical or commercial supply on acceptable terms, or at all. Any of these factors would significantly impact our ability to develop, obtain regulatory approval for or market our product candidates and adversely affect our business.

We and/or our third-party manufacturers may be adversely affected by developments outside of our control, and these developments may delay or prevent further manufacturing of our products. Adverse developments may include labor disputes, resource constraints, shipment delays, inventory shortages, lot failures, unexpected sources of contamination, lawsuits related to our manufacturing techniques, equipment used during manufacturing, or composition of matter, unstable political environments, acts of terrorism, war, natural disasters, and other natural and man-made disasters. If BioXcel, we or our third-party manufacturers were to encounter any of the above difficulties, or otherwise fail to comply with contractual obligations, our ability to provide any product for clinical trial or commercial purposes would be jeopardized. This may increase the costs associated with completing our clinical trials and commercial production. Further, production disruptions may cause us to terminate ongoing clinical trials and/or commence new clinical trials at additional expense. We may also have to take inventory write-offs and incur other charges and expenses for products that fail to meet specifications or pass safety inspections. Moreover, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, third-party manufacturers may be affected, which could disrupt their activities and, as a result, we could face difficulty sourcing key components necessary to produce supply of our product candidates, which may negatively affect our preclinical and clinical development activities. If production difficulties cannot be solved with acceptable costs, expenses, and timeframes, we may be forced to abandon our clinical development and commercialization plans, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, and the value of our securities.

Table of Contents

We, or third-party manufacturers on whom we rely, may be unable to successfully scale-up manufacturing of our product candidates in sufficient quality and quantity, which would delay or prevent us from developing our product candidates and commercializing approved products, if any.

In order to conduct clinical trials of our product candidates and commercialize any approved product candidates, we, or our manufacturers, will need to manufacture them in large quantities. We, or our manufacturers, may be unable to successfully increase the manufacturing capacity for any of our product candidates in a timely or cost-effective manner, or at all. In addition, quality issues may arise during scale-up activities. If we, or any of our manufacturers, are unable to successfully scale up the manufacture of our product candidates in sufficient quality and quantity, the development, testing, and clinical trials of that product candidate may be delayed or infeasible, and regulatory approval or commercial launch of any resulting product may be delayed or not obtained, which could significantly harm our business. If we are unable to obtain or maintain third-party manufacturing for commercial supply of our product candidates, or to do so on commercially reasonable terms, we may not be able to develop and commercialize our product candidates successfully.

Our failure to find third party collaborators to assist or share in the costs of product development could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our strategy for the development and commercialization of our proprietary product candidates may include the formation of collaborative arrangements with third parties. We are a party to several collaboration agreements (research and clinical). Existing and future collaborators have significant discretion in determining the efforts and resources they apply and may not perform their obligations as expected. Potential third party collaborators include biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions and other entities. Third-party collaborators may assist us in:

●

funding research, preclinical development, clinical trials and manufacturing;

●

seeking and obtaining regulatory approvals; and

●

successfully commercializing any future product candidates.

If we are not able to establish further collaboration agreements, we may be required to undertake product development and commercialization at our own expense. Such an undertaking may limit the number of product candidates that we will be able to develop, significantly increase our capital requirements and place additional strain on our internal resources. Our failure to enter into additional collaborations could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, our dependence on licensing, collaboration and other agreements with third parties may subject us to a number of risks. These agreements may not be on terms that prove favorable to us and may require us to relinquish certain rights in our product candidates. To the extent we agree to work exclusively with one collaborator in a given area, our opportunities to collaborate with other entities could be curtailed. Lengthy negotiations with potential new collaborators may lead to delays in the research, development or commercialization of product candidates. The decision by our collaborators to pursue alternative technologies or the failure of our collaborators to develop or commercialize successfully any product candidate to which they have obtained rights from us could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We rely on third parties to conduct our preclinical and clinical trials. If these third parties do not successfully perform their contractual legal and regulatory duties or meet expected deadlines, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our product candidates and our business could be substantially harmed.

We have relied upon and plan to continue to rely upon third-party medical institutions, clinical investigators, contract laboratories and other third party CROs to monitor and manage data for our ongoing preclinical and clinical programs. We rely on these parties for execution of our preclinical and clinical trials, and control only certain aspects of their activities. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our studies is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory and scientific standards, and our reliance on the CROs does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. We and our CROs are required to comply with GCPs, which are regulations and guidelines

Table of Contents

enforced by the FDA, the Competent Authorities of the member states of the European Economic Area, or EEA, and comparable foreign regulatory authorities for all of our products in clinical development.

Regulatory authorities enforce these GCPs through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, principal investigators and trial sites. If we or any of our CROs fail to comply with applicable GCPs, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA, the EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot assure you that upon inspection by a given regulatory authority, such regulatory authority will determine that any of our clinical trials comply with GCP regulations. In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with product produced under cGMP regulations. Our failure to comply with these regulations may require us to repeat clinical trials, which would delay the regulatory approval process.

If any of our relationships with these third-party CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or to do so on commercially reasonable terms. In addition, our CROs are not our employees, and except for remedies available to us under our agreements with such CROs, we cannot control whether or not they devote sufficient time and resources to our on-going clinical, nonclinical and preclinical programs. If CROs do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols, regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or successfully commercialize our product candidates. As a result, our results of operations and the commercial prospects for our product candidates would be harmed, our costs could increase and our ability to generate revenues could be delayed.

Many of the third parties with whom we contract may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting clinical trials or other drug development activities that could harm our competitive position. If the third parties conducting our GLP preclinical studies or our clinical trials do not perform their contractual duties or obligations, experience work stoppages, do not meet expected deadlines, terminate their agreements with us or need to be replaced, or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to their failure to adhere to our clinical trial protocols or to GCPs, or for any other reason, we may need to enter into new arrangements with alternative third parties. 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 commences work. As a result, delays occur, which can materially impact 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.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, or other pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease may materially and adversely impact our business, including our preclinical studies and clinical trials.

In 2020, the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, was declared a pandemic and has spread across the globe, including throughout the United States and Europe. The outbreak and government measures taken in response have also had a significant impact, both direct and indirect, on businesses and commerce, as worker shortages have occurred; supply chains have been disrupted; facilities and production have been suspended; and demand for certain goods and services, such as medical services and supplies, has spiked, while demand for other goods and services, such as travel, has fallen. In response to the spread of COVID-19, we have implemented a work-from-home policy for all employees and have restricted on-site activities to certain chemical, manufacturing and control (CMC) and clinical trial activities.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or other pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease, we may experience disruptions that could severely impact our business, preclinical studies and clinical trials, including:

●

delays or difficulties in enrolling patients in our clinical trials;

Table of Contents

●

delays or difficulties in clinical site initiation, including difficulties in recruiting clinical site investigators and clinical site staff;

●

diversion of healthcare resources away from the conduct of clinical trials, including the diversion of hospitals serving as our clinical trial sites and hospital staff supporting the conduct of our clinical trials;

●

interruption of key clinical trial activities, such as clinical trial site data monitoring, due to limitations on travel imposed or recommended by federal or state governments, employers and others or interruption of clinical trial subject visits and study procedures, which may impact the integrity of subject data and clinical study endpoints;

●

interruption or delays in the operations of the FDA or other regulatory authorities, which may impact review and approval timelines;

●

interruption of, or delays in receiving, supplies of our product candidates from our contract manufacturing organizations due to staffing shortages, production slowdowns or stoppages and disruptions in delivery systems;

●

interruptions in preclinical studies due to restricted or limited operations resulting from restrictions on our on-site activities;

●

limitations on employee resources that would otherwise be focused on the conduct of our preclinical studies and clinical trials, including because of sickness of employees or their families or the desire of employees to avoid contact with large groups of people;

●

impacts from prolonged remote work arrangements, such as strains on our business continuity plans, cybersecurity risks, and inability of certain employees to perform their work remotely; and

●

interruption or delays to our sourced discovery and clinical activities.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rapidly evolve. The extent to which the outbreak impacts our business, preclinical studies and clinical trials will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the ultimate geographic spread of the disease, the rate of infection, the duration of the pandemic and subsequent waves of infection, travel restrictions and social distancing in the United States and other countries, business closures or business disruptions, the timing and effectiveness of any vaccines and the effectiveness of actions taken in the United States and other countries to contain and treat the disease. If we or any of the third parties with whom we engage were to experience shutdowns or other business disruptions, our ability to conduct our business in the manner and on the timelines presently planned could be materially and negatively impacted. Additionally, concerns over the economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic have caused extreme volatility in financial and other capital markets which has and may continue to adversely impact our stock price and our ability to access capital markets.

We will need to increase the size of our organization and the scope of our outside vendor relationships, and we may experience difficulties in managing growth.

As of September 30, 2020, we employed a total of 40 full-time employees. In addition, we have access to certain of BioXcel’s employees and resources through the various agreements we have entered into with BioXcel. Our current internal departments include finance, research and development and administration. We have been expanding our management team to include an operational ramp up of additional technical staff required to achieve our business objectives. We will need to continue to expand our managerial, operational, technical and scientific, financial and other resources in order to manage our operations and clinical trials, establish independent manufacturing, continue our research and development activities, and commercialize our product candidate. Our management and scientific personnel, systems and facilities currently in place may not be adequate to support our future growth.

Our need to effectively manage our operations, growth and various projects requires that we:

●

manage our clinical trials effectively, including our planned clinical trials of BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates;

Table of Contents

●

manage our internal development efforts effectively while carrying out our contractual obligations to licensors, contractors and other third parties;

●

continue to improve our operational, financial and management controls and reporting systems and procedures; and

●

attract and retain sufficient numbers of talented employees.

We may utilize the services of third party vendors to perform tasks including pre-clinical and clinical trial management, statistics and analysis, regulatory affairs, medical advisory, market research, formulation development, chemistry, manufacturing and control activities, other drug development functions, legal, auditing, financial advisory, and investor relations. Our growth strategy may also entail expanding our group of contractors or consultants to implement these and other tasks going forward. Because we rely on numerous consultants, to outsource many key functions of our business, we will need to be able to effectively manage these consultants to ensure that they successfully carry out their contractual obligations and meet expected deadlines. However, if we are unable to effectively manage our outsourced activities or if the quality or accuracy of the services provided by consultants is compromised for any reason, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidate or otherwise advance our business. There can be no assurance that we will be able to manage our existing consultants or find other competent outside contractors and consultants on economically reasonable terms, or at all. If we are not able to effectively expand our organization by hiring new employees and expanding our groups of consultants and contractors, we may be unable to successfully implement the tasks necessary to further develop and commercialize our product candidate and, accordingly, may not achieve our research, development and commercialization goals.

We depend on our senior management team, and the loss of one or more of our executive officers or key employees or an inability to attract and retain highly skilled employees could adversely affect our business.

Our success depends largely upon the continued services of our key executive officers, Vimal Mehta, our Chief Executive Officer, President, Secretary and a member of our Board, as well as the other principal members of our management, scientific and clinical team. We do not maintain “key person” insurance for any of these executive officers or any of our other key employees. We also rely on our leadership team in the areas of research and development, marketing, services and general and administrative functions. From time to time, there may be changes in our executive management and leadership teams resulting from the hiring or departure of executives or other key employees, which could disrupt our business. The replacement of one or more of our executive officers or other key employees would likely involve significant time and costs and may significantly delay or prevent the achievement of our business objectives.

To continue to execute our growth strategy, we also must attract and retain highly skilled personnel. We might not be successful in maintaining our unique culture and continuing to attract and retain qualified personnel. We have from time to time in the past experienced, and we expect to continue to experience in the future, difficulty in hiring and retaining highly skilled personnel with appropriate qualifications. The pool of qualified personnel with experience working with the pharma market is limited overall. In addition, many of the companies with which we compete for experienced personnel have greater resources than we have.

In addition, in making employment decisions, particularly in the internet, biotechnology and high-technology industries, job candidates often consider the value of the stock options or other equity instruments they are to receive in connection with their employment. Volatility in the price of our stock might, therefore, adversely affect our ability to attract or retain highly skilled personnel. Furthermore, the requirement to expense stock options and other equity instruments might discourage us from granting the size or type of stock option or equity awards that job candidates require to join our company. If we fail to attract new personnel or fail to retain and motivate our current personnel, our business and future growth prospects could be severely harmed.

We may acquire other companies or technologies, which could divert our management’s attention, result in dilution to our stockholders and otherwise disrupt our operations and adversely affect our operating results.

Table of Contents

We may in the future seek to acquire or invest in businesses, applications and services or technologies that we believe could complement or expand our services, enhance our technical capabilities or otherwise offer growth opportunities. The pursuit of potential acquisitions may divert the attention of management and cause us to incur various expenses in identifying, investigating and pursuing suitable acquisitions, whether or not they are consummated.

In addition, we do not have any experience in acquiring other businesses. If we acquire additional businesses, we may not be able to integrate the acquired personnel, operations and technologies successfully, or effectively manage the combined business following the acquisition. We also may not achieve the anticipated benefits from the acquired business due to a number of factors, including:

●

inability to integrate or benefit from acquired technologies or services in a profitable manner;

●

unanticipated costs or liabilities associated with the acquisition;

●

difficulty integrating the accounting systems, operations and personnel of the acquired business;

●

difficulties and additional expenses associated with supporting legacy products and hosting infrastructure of the acquired business;

●

difficulty converting the customers of the acquired business onto our platform and contract terms, including disparities in the revenue, licensing, support or professional services model of the acquired company;

●

diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns;

●

adverse effects to our existing business relationships with business partners and customers as a result of the acquisition;

●

the potential loss of key employees;

●

use of resources that are needed in other parts of our business; and

●

use of substantial portions of our available cash to consummate the acquisition.

In addition, a significant portion of the purchase price of companies we acquire may be allocated to acquired goodwill and other intangible assets, which must be assessed for impairment at least annually. In the future, if our acquisitions do not yield expected returns, we may be required to take charges to our operating results based on this impairment assessment process, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

Acquisitions could also result in dilutive issuances of equity securities or the incurrence of debt, which could adversely affect our operating results. In addition, if an acquired business fails to meet our expectations, our operating results, business and financial position may suffer.

Our employees may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements and insider trading.

We are exposed to the risk of employee fraud or other misconduct. Misconduct by employees could include intentional failures to comply with any regulations applicable to us, to provide accurate information to regulatory authorities, to comply with manufacturing standards we have established, to comply with federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations, or to report financial information or data accurately or disclose unauthorized activities to us. In particular, sales, marketing and business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud, misconduct, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Employee misconduct could also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, but it is not always possible to identify and deter employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risk.

Table of Contents

Business interruptions could adversely affect future operations, revenues, and financial conditions, and may increase our costs and expenses.

Our operations, and those of our directors, advisors, contractors, consultants, CROs, and collaborators, could be adversely affected by earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, extreme weather conditions, fires, water shortages, power failures, business systems failures, medical epidemics, pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and other natural and man-made disaster or business interruptions. Our phones, electronic devices and computer systems and those of our directors, advisors, contractors, consultants, CROs, and collaborators are vulnerable to damages, theft and accidental loss, negligence, unauthorized access, terrorism, war, electronic and telecommunications failures, and other natural and man-made disasters. Several of our employees conduct business outside of our headquarters and leased or owned facilities. These locations may be subject to additional security and other risk factors due to the limited control of our employees. If such an event as described above were to occur in the future, it may cause interruptions in our operations, delay research and development programs, clinical trials, regulatory activities, manufacturing and quality assurance activities, sales and marketing activities, hiring, training of employees and persons within associated third parties, and other business activities. For example, the loss of clinical trial data from completed or future clinical trials could result in delays in our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or reproduce the data.

Likewise, we will rely on third parties to manufacture BXCL501 and BXCL701 and conduct clinical trials, and similar events as those described in the prior paragraph relating to their business systems, equipment and facilities could also have a material adverse effect on our business. To the extent that any disruption or security breach were to result in a loss of, or damage to, our data or applications, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur liability and the further development and commercialization of our product candidate could be delayed or altogether terminated.

Data breaches or cyber-attacks could disrupt our business operations and information technology systems, adversely impact our financial results or result in the loss or exposure of confidential or sensitive product candidate, clinical trial, employee or Company information.

Our information technology systems have been and may in the future be attacked or breached by individuals or organizations intending to: obtain sensitive data regarding our business, our product candidates, clinical trials or other third parties with whom we do business; harm or disrupt our business operations; or otherwise misappropriate information or Company funds. A security compromise of our information technology systems or business operations could occur through a variety of methods such as cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusions over the Internet, malware, computer viruses, email spoofing, attachments to e-mails, persons inside our organization, persons with access to systems inside our organization. The risk of such intrusions, threats to data and information technology systems and breaches has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. For example, in September 2020, we were the victim of an email-based wire fraud that involved two electronic communications impersonating one of our vendors, resulting in our sending wires totaling $1.9 million to accounts controlled by the impersonator. We use our information technology systems to protect confidential or sensitive product candidate, clinical trial, employee and Company information. Any attack on such systems that results in the unauthorized release or loss of such information could have a material adverse effect on our business reputation, increase our costs and expose us to material legal claims and liability. If the unauthorized release or loss of product candidate, clinical trial, employee or other confidential or sensitive data were to occur, our operations and financial results and our share price could be adversely affected.

While we maintain some of our own critical information technology systems, we also depend on third parties to provide important information technology services relating to several key business functions . Our measures to prevent, detect and mitigate these threats, including password protection, firewalls, backup servers, threat monitoring and periodic penetration testing, may not be successful in preventing a data breach or limiting the effects of a breach. Furthermore, the security measures employed by third-party service providers may prove to be ineffective at preventing breaches of their systems.

Table of Contents

Our failure to successfully acquire, develop and market additional product candidates or approved drug products could impair our ability to grow.

As part of our growth strategy, we may evaluate, acquire, license, develop and/or market additional product candidates and technologies. These investments will not constitute a significant portion of our business. However, our internal research capabilities are limited and we may be dependent upon pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic scientists and other researchers to sell or license products or technology to us. The success of this strategy depends partly upon our ability to identify, select and acquire promising pharmaceutical product candidates and products. The process of proposing, negotiating and implementing a license or acquisition of a product candidate or approved product is lengthy and complex. Other companies, including some with substantially greater financial, marketing and sales resources, may compete with us for the license or acquisition of product candidates and approved products. We have limited resources to identify and execute the acquisition or in-licensing of third party products, businesses and technologies and integrate them into our current infrastructure. Moreover, we may devote resources to potential acquisitions or in-licensing opportunities that are never completed, or we may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of such efforts. We may not be able to acquire the rights to additional product candidates on terms that we find acceptable, or at all.

In addition, future acquisitions may entail numerous operational and financial risks, including:

●

exposure to unknown liabilities;

●

disruption of our business and diversion of our management’s and technical personnel’s time and attention to develop acquired products or technologies;

●

incurrence of substantial debt or dilutive issuances of securities to pay for acquisitions;

●

higher than expected acquisition and integration costs;

●

increased amortization expenses;

●

difficulty and cost in combining the operations and personnel of any acquired businesses with our operations and personnel;

●

impairment of relationships with key suppliers or customers of any acquired businesses due to changes in management and ownership; and

●

inability to retain key employees of any acquired businesses.

Any product candidate that we acquire may require additional development efforts prior to commercial sale, including extensive clinical testing and approval by the FDA and applicable foreign regulatory authorities. All product candidates are prone to risks of failure typical of pharmaceutical product development, including the possibility that a product candidate will not be shown to be sufficiently safe and effective for approval by regulatory authorities. In addition, we cannot provide assurance that any products that we develop or approved products that we acquire will be manufactured profitably or achieve market acceptance.

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

As of December 31, 2019, we had federal and state net operating loss carryforwards, or NOLs, of approximately $16.4 million. Our NOLs arising before January 1, 2018 are subject to expiration and will begin to expire in 2037. As of December 31, 2019, we also had federal and state research and development and other tax credit carryforwards, or credits of approximately $1.3 million available to reduce future tax liabilities. The federal and state credits expire at various dates through 2037. These NOLs and credits could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future taxable income or income tax liabilities. In addition, in general, under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, a corporation that undergoes an "ownership change" is subject to limitations on its ability to utilize its pre-change NOLs or credits to offset future taxable income or income tax liabilities. For these purposes, an ownership change generally occurs where the aggregate change in stock ownership of one or more

Table of Contents

stockholders or groups of stockholders owning at least 5% of a corporation's stock exceeds 50 percentage points over a three-year period. Future changes in our stock ownership, including as a result of February 2020 offering of common stock, many of which are outside of our control, could result in an ownership change. Our NOLs or credits may also be impaired under state law. Accordingly, even if we attain profitability, we may not be able to utilize a material portion of our NOLs or credits. Furthermore, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and modified by the CARES Act signed on March 27, 2020, although the treatment of NOLs arising on or before December 31, 2017 has generally not changed, NOLs arising on or after January 1, 2018 and beyond may only be used to offset 80% of taxable income for tax years beginning after December 31, 2020. This change may require us to pay federal income taxes in future years despite generating a loss for federal income tax purposes in prior years.

Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

Our commercial success will depend in part on obtaining and maintaining patent protection and trade secret protection of our current and future product candidates, the processes used to manufacture them and the methods for using them, as well as successfully defending these patents against third-party challenges. We are the owner of record of patents and patent applications pending in the United States and in certain foreign jurisdictions. We own Patent Cooperation Treaty, or PCT, patent applications relating to our platform technologies covering methods of use and applications of the platform technologies. As of November 1, 2020, we have four allowed patents, three ex-U.S., which are relevant to our BXCL701 program, and one U.S., which is relevant to our BXCL501 program. We cannot be certain that any future patents will issue with claims that cover our product candidates. Our ability to stop third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing our product candidates is dependent upon the extent to which we have rights under valid and enforceable patents or trade secrets that cover these activities.

The patent positions of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies can be highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions for which important legal principles remain unresolved. No consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims allowed in pharmaceutical patents has emerged to date in the United States or in foreign jurisdictions outside of the United States. Changes in either the patent laws or interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property. Accordingly, we cannot predict the breadth of claims that may be enforced in the patents that may be issued from the applications we currently or may in the future own or license from third parties. Further, if any patents we obtain or license are deemed invalid and unenforceable, our ability to commercialize or license our technology could be adversely affected.

Others have filed, and in the future are likely to file, patent applications covering products and technologies that are similar, identical or competitive to ours or important to our business. We cannot be certain that any patent application owned by a third party will not have priority over patent applications filed or in-licensed by us, or that we or our licensors will not be involved in interference, opposition, reexamination, review, reissue, post grant review or invalidity proceedings before U.S. or non-U.S. patent offices.

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

●

others may be able to make compounds that are similar to our product candidates, but that are not covered by the claims of our patents;

●

we might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by our pending patent applications;

●

we might not have been the first to file patent applications for these inventions;

●

our pending patent applications may not result in issued patents;

Table of Contents

●

the claims of our issued patents or patent applications when issued may not cover our products or product candidates;

●

any patents that we obtain may not provide us with any competitive advantages;

●

any granted patents may be held invalid or unenforceable as a result of legal challenges by third parties; and

●

the patents of others may have an adverse effect on our business.

Obtaining and maintaining patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.

Periodic maintenance, renewal and annuity fees and various other government fees on any issued patent and pending patent application must be paid to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) and foreign patent agencies in several stages or annually over the lifetime of our owned and in-licensed patents and patent applications. The USPTO and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. While an inadvertent lapse can in many cases be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules, there are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. Non-compliance events that could result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application include failure to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non-payment of fees and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. In such an event, potential competitors might be able to enter the market with similar or identical products or technology. If we or our licensors fail to maintain the patents and patent applications covering our product candidates, it would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

If we fail to comply with our obligations in the agreements under which we may license intellectual property rights from third parties or otherwise experience disruptions to our business relationships with our licensors, we could lose rights that are important to our business.

We may be required to enter into intellectual property license agreements that are important to our business. These license agreements may impose various diligence, milestone payment, royalty and other obligations on us. For example, we may enter into exclusive license agreements with various universities and research institutions, we may be required to use commercially reasonable efforts to engage in various development and commercialization activities with respect to licensed products, and may need to satisfy specified milestone and royalty payment obligations. If we fail to comply with any obligations under our agreements with any of these licensors, we may be subject to termination of the license agreement in whole or in part; increased financial obligations to our licensors or loss of exclusivity in a particular field or territory, in which case our ability to develop or commercialize products covered by the license agreement will be impaired.

In addition, disputes may arise regarding intellectual property subject to a license agreement, including:

●

the scope of rights granted under the license agreement and other interpretation-related issues;

●

the extent to which our technology and processes infringe on intellectual property of the licensor that is not subject to the licensing agreement;

●

our diligence obligations under the license agreement and what activities satisfy those obligations;

●

if a third-party expresses interest in an area under a license that we are not pursuing, under the terms of certain of our license agreements, we may be required to sublicense rights in that area to a third party, and that sublicense could harm our business; and

●

the ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by our licensors and us.

Table of Contents

If disputes over intellectual property that we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangements on acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates.

We may need to obtain licenses from third parties to advance our research or allow commercialization of our product candidates. We may fail to obtain any of these licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. In that event, we would be unable to further develop and commercialize one or more of our product candidates, which could harm our business significantly.

We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our patents and other intellectual property.

We or our licensors may be subject to claims that former employees, collaborators or other third parties have an interest in our patents, trade secrets, or other intellectual property as an inventor or co-inventor. For example, we or our licensors may have inventorship disputes arise from conflicting obligations of employees, consultants or others who are involved in developing our product candidates. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship or our or our licensors’ ownership of our owned or in-licensed patents, trade secrets, or other intellectual property. If we or our licensors fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, intellectual property that is important to our product candidates. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

An NDA submitted under Section 505(b)(2) subjects us to the risk that we may be subject to a patent infringement lawsuit that would delay or prevent the review or approval of our product candidate.

Our product candidates will be submitted to the FDA for approval under Section 505(b)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA. Section 505(b)(2) permits the submission of an NDA where at least some of the information required for approval comes from studies that were not conducted by, or for, the applicant and on which the applicant has not obtained a right of reference. The 505(b)(2) application would enable us to reference published literature and/or the FDA’s previous findings of safety and effectiveness for a branded reference drug with the same active ingredient. For NDAs submitted under Section 505(b)(2) of the FDCA, the patent certification and related provisions of the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, also known as the Hatch-Waxman Act, apply. In accordance with the Hatch-Waxman Act, such NDAs may be required to include certifications, known as paragraph IV certifications, that certify that any patents listed in the Patent and Exclusivity Information Addendum of the FDA’s publication, Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, commonly known as the Orange Book, with respect to any product referenced in the 505(b)(2) application, are invalid, unenforceable or will not be infringed by the manufacture, use or sale of the product that is the subject of the 505(b)(2) NDA.

Under the Hatch-Waxman Act, the holder of patents that the 505(b)(2) application references may file a patent infringement lawsuit after receiving notice of the paragraph IV certification. Filing of a patent infringement lawsuit against the filer of the 505(b)(2) applicant within 45 days of the patent owner’s receipt of notice triggers a one-time, automatic, 30 month stay of the FDA’s ability to approve the 505(b)(2) NDA, unless patent litigation is resolved in the favor of the paragraph IV filer or the patent expires before that time. Accordingly, we may invest a significant amount of time and expense in the development of one or more product candidates only to be subject to significant delay and patent litigation before such product candidates may be commercialized, if at all. In addition, a 505(b)(2) application will not be approved until any non-patent exclusivity, such as exclusivity for obtaining approval of a new chemical entity, or NCE, listed in the Orange Book for the branded reference drug product has expired. The FDA may also require us to perform one or more additional clinical studies or measurements to support the change from the branded reference drug, which could be time consuming and could substantially delay our achievement of regulatory approvals for such product candidates. The FDA may also reject our future 505(b)(2) submissions and require us to file such submissions under Section 505(b)(1) of the FDCA, which would require us to provide extensive data to establish safety and effectiveness of the drug product for the proposed use and could cause delay and be considerably more expensive and time consuming. These factors, among others, may limit our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates.

Table of Contents

We may incur substantial costs as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to patents and other intellectual property rights.

If we choose to commence a proceeding or litigation to prevent another party from infringing our patents, that party will have the right to ask the examiner or court to rule that our patents are invalid or should not be enforced against them. There is a risk that the examiner or court will decide that our patents are not valid and that we do not have the right to stop the other party from using the related inventions. There is also the risk that, even if the validity of our patents is upheld, the examiner or court will refuse to stop the other party on the ground that such other party’s activities do not infringe our rights to such patents. In addition, the U.S. Supreme Court has recently modified some tests used by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, in granting patents over the past 20 years, which may decrease the likelihood that we will be able to obtain patents and increase the likelihood of challenge to any patents we obtain or license. Any proceedings or litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights or defend ourselves against claims of infringement of third-party intellectual property rights could be costly and divert the attention of managerial and scientific personnel, regardless of whether such litigation is ultimately resolved in our favor. We may not have sufficient resources to bring these actions to a successful conclusion. Moreover, if we are unable to successfully defend against claims that we have infringed the intellectual property rights of others, we may be prevented from using certain intellectual property and may be liable for damages, which in turn could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Third parties may initiate legal proceedings alleging that we are infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating their intellectual property rights, which may prevent or delay our product development efforts and stop us from commercializing or increase the costs of commercializing our product candidates.

Our success will depend in part on our ability to operate without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the proprietary rights of third parties. There is considerable patent and other intellectual property litigation in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. We may become party to, or threatened with, adversarial proceedings or litigation regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our products, or the manufacture or use of our product candidates, including interference proceedings, post grant review, inter partes review, and derivation proceedings before the USPTO and similar proceedings in foreign jurisdictions. The legal threshold for initiating litigation or contested proceedings is low, so that even lawsuits or proceedings with a low probability of success might be initiated and require significant resources to defend. The costs of these lawsuits could affect our results of operations and divert the attention of managerial and scientific personnel. Some of these third parties may be better capitalized and have more resources than us. There is a risk that a court would decide that we are infringing the third party’s patents and would order us to stop the activities covered by the patents. In that event, we may not have a viable way around the patent and may need to halt commercialization of the relevant product candidate. In addition, there is a risk that a court will order us to pay the other party damages for having violated the other party’s patents. In addition, we may be obligated to indemnify our licensors and collaborators against certain intellectual property infringement claims brought by third parties, which could require us to expend additional resources. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have produced a proliferation of patents, and it is not always clear to industry participants, including us, which patents cover various types of products or methods of use. The coverage of patents is subject to interpretation by the courts, and the interpretation is not always uniform.

If we are sued for patent infringement, we would need to demonstrate that our products or methods either do not infringe the patent claims of the relevant patent or that the patent claims are invalid, and we may not be able to do this. Proving invalidity is difficult. For example, in the United States, proving invalidity requires a showing of clear and convincing evidence to overcome the presumption of validity enjoyed by issued patents. Even if we are successful in these proceedings, we may incur substantial costs and divert management’s time and attention in pursuing these proceedings, which could have a material adverse effect on us. If we are unable to avoid infringing the patent rights of others, we may be required to seek a license, which may not be available, defend an infringement action or challenge the validity of the patents in court. Patent litigation is costly and time consuming. We may not have sufficient resources to bring these actions to a successful conclusion. In addition, if we do not obtain a license, develop or obtain non-infringing technology, fail to defend an infringement action successfully or have infringed patents declared invalid, we may incur substantial monetary damages, encounter significant delays in bringing our product candidates to market and be precluded from manufacturing or selling our product candidates.

Table of Contents

We cannot be certain that others have not filed patent applications for technology covered by our pending applications, or that we were the first to invent the technology, because:

●

some patent applications in the United States may be maintained in secrecy until the patents are issued;

●

patent applications in the United States are typically not published until 18 months after the priority date; and

●

publications in the scientific literature often lag behind actual discoveries.

Our competitors may have filed, and may in the future file, patent applications covering technology similar to ours. Any such patent application may have priority over our patent applications, which could further require us to obtain rights to issued patents covering such technologies. If another party has filed US patent applications on inventions similar to ours that claims priority to any applications filed prior to the priority dates of our applications, we may have to participate in an interference proceeding declared by the USPTO to determine priority of invention in the United States. The costs of these proceedings could be substantial, and it is possible that such efforts would be unsuccessful if, unbeknownst to us, the other party had independently arrived at the same or similar inventions prior to our own inventions, resulting in a loss of our U.S. patent position with respect to such inventions. Other countries have similar laws that permit secrecy of patent applications and may be entitled to priority over our applications in such jurisdictions.

Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our operations.

If we are not able to adequately prevent disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information, the value of our technology and products could be significantly diminished.

We also rely on trade secrets to protect our proprietary technologies, especially where we do not believe patent protection is appropriate or obtainable. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. We rely in part on confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers and other advisors to protect our trade secrets and other proprietary information. These agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of confidential information and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Furthermore, any license agreements we enter into in the future may require us to notify, and in some cases license back to the licensor, certain additional proprietary information or intellectual property that we developed using the rights licensed to us under these agreements. Any such licenses back to the licensor could allow our licensors to use that proprietary information or intellectual property in a manner that could harm our business. In addition, others may independently discover our trade secrets and proprietary information. For example, the FDA, as part of its transparency initiative, is currently considering whether to make additional information publicly available on a routine basis, including information that we may consider to be trade secrets or other proprietary information, and it is not clear at the present time how the FDA’s disclosure policies may change in the future, if at all. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights, and failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive business position.

We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants or independent contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets.

As is common in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, we employ individuals who were previously employed at other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although we try to ensure that our employees, consultants and independent contractors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we or our employees, consultants or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of their former employers. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we could lose valuable intellectual property

Table of Contents

rights or personnel, which could adversely impact our business. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.

Our intellectual property may not be sufficient to protect our products from competition, which may negatively affect our business as well as limit our partnership or acquisition appeal.

We may be subject to competition despite the existence of intellectual property we license or own. We can give no assurances that our intellectual property claims will be sufficient to prevent third parties from designing around patents we own or license and developing and commercializing competitive products. The existence of competitive products that avoid our intellectual property could materially adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. Furthermore, limitations, or perceived limitations, in our intellectual property may limit the interest of third parties to partner, collaborate or otherwise transact with us, if third parties perceive a higher than acceptable risk to commercialization of our products or future products.

Our drug re-innovation approach involves the filing of patent applications covering new methods of use and/or new formulations of previously known, studied and/or marketed drugs. Although the protection afforded by our patent applications may be significant with respect to BXCL501 and BXCL701, when looking at our patents’ ability to block competition, the protection offered by our patents may be, to some extent, more limited than the protection provided by patents claiming the composition of matter of entirely new chemical structures previously unknown. If a competitor were able to successfully design around any method of use and formulation patents we may have in the future, our business and competitive advantage could be significantly affected.

We may elect to sue a third party, or otherwise make a claim, alleging infringement or other violation of patents, trademarks, trade dress, copyrights, trade secrets, domain names or other intellectual property rights that we either own or license from BioXcel. If we do not prevail in enforcing our intellectual property rights in this type of litigation, we may be subject to:

●

paying monetary damages related to the legal expenses of the third party;

●

facing additional competition that may have a significant adverse effect on our product pricing, market share, business operations, financial condition, and the commercial viability of our products; and

●

restructuring our company or delaying or terminating select business opportunities, including, but not limited to, research and development, clinical trial, and commercialization activities, due to a potential deterioration of our financial condition or market competitiveness.

A third party may also challenge the validity, enforceability or scope of the intellectual property rights that we license or own; and, the result of these challenges may narrow the scope or claims of or invalidate patents that are integral to our product candidates in the future. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully defend patents we own in an action against third parties due to the unpredictability of litigation and the high costs associated with intellectual property litigation, amongst other factors.

Intellectual property rights and enforcement may be less extensive in jurisdictions outside of the United States; thus, we may not be able to protect our intellectual property and third parties may be able to market competitive products that may use some or all of our intellectual property.

Changes to patent law, including the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, AIA or Leahy-Smith Act, of 2011 and the Patent Reform Act of 2009 and other future article of legislation, may substantially change the regulations and procedures surrounding patent applications, issuance of patents, and prosecution of patents. We can give no assurances that our patents and those of our licensor, BioXcel, can be defended or will protect us against future intellectual property challenges, particularly as they pertain to changes in patent law and future patent law interpretations.

In addition, enforcing and maintaining our intellectual property protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark

Table of Contents

Office, courts and foreign government patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.

Risks Related to Owning our Common Stock

The price of our common stock may fluctuate substantially.

You should consider an investment in our common stock to be risky, and you should invest in our common stock only if you can withstand a significant loss and wide fluctuations in the market value of your investment. Some factors that may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate, in addition to the other risks mentioned in this "Risk Factors" section, are:

●

sale of our common stock by our stockholders, executives, and directors;

●

volatility and limitations in trading volumes of our shares of common stock;

●

our ability to obtain financings to conduct and complete research and development activities including, but not limited to, our clinical trials, and other business activities;

●

possible delays in the expected recognition of revenue due to lengthy and sometimes unpredictable sales timelines;

●

the timing and success of introductions of new applications and services by us or our competitors or any other change in the competitive dynamics of our industry, including consolidation among competitors, customers or strategic partners;

●

network outages or security breaches;

●

our ability to attract new customers;

●

customer renewal rates and the timing and terms of customer renewals;

●

our ability to secure resources and the necessary personnel to conduct clinical trials on our desired schedule;

●

commencement, enrollment or results of our clinical trials for our product candidates or any future clinical trials we may conduct;

●

changes in the development status of our product candidates;

●

any delays or adverse developments or perceived adverse developments with respect to the FDA’s review of our planned preclinical and clinical trials;

●

any delay in our submission for studies or product approvals or adverse regulatory decisions, including failure to receive regulatory approval for our product candidates;

●

unanticipated safety concerns related to the use of our product candidates;

●

failures to meet external expectations or management guidance;

●

changes in our capital structure or dividend policy, future issuances of securities, sales of large blocks of common stock by our stockholders;

●

our cash position;

●

announcements and events surrounding financing efforts, including debt and equity securities;

●

our inability to enter into new markets or develop new products;

●

reputational issues;

●

competition from existing technologies and products or new technologies and products that may emerge;

Table of Contents

●

announcements of acquisitions, partnerships, collaborations, joint ventures, new products, capital commitments, or other events by us or our competitors;

●

changes in general economic, political and market conditions in or any of the regions in which we conduct our business;

●

changes in industry conditions or perceptions;

●

changes in valuations of similar companies or groups of companies;

●

analyst research reports, recommendation and changes in recommendations, price targets, and withdrawals of coverage;

●

departures and additions of key personnel;

●

disputes and litigations related to intellectual properties, proprietary rights, and contractual obligations;

●

changes in applicable laws, rules, regulations, or accounting practices and other dynamics; and

●

other events or factors, many of which may be out of our control.

In addition, if the market for stocks in our industry or industries related to our industry, or the stock market in general, experiences a loss of investor confidence, the trading price of our common stock could decline for reasons unrelated to our business, financial condition and results of operations. If any of the foregoing occurs, it could cause our stock price to fall and may expose us to lawsuits that, even if unsuccessful, could be costly to defend and a distraction to management.

Because certain of our stockholders control a significant number of shares of our common stock, they may have effective control over actions requiring stockholder approval.

As of September 30, 2020, our directors, executive officers and principal stockholders, and their respective affiliates, beneficially owned approximately 39.2% of our outstanding shares of common stock. As a result, these stockholders, acting together, would have significant control over the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of directors and any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. In addition, these stockholders, acting together, would have significant control over the management and affairs of our company. Accordingly, this concentration of ownership might harm the market price of our common stock by:

●

delaying, deferring or preventing a change in corporate control;

●

impeding a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us; or

●

discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.

We do not intend to pay cash dividends on our shares of common stock so any returns will be limited to the value of our shares.

We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited to the increase, if any, of our share price.

If we were deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the 1940 Act, applicable restrictions could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Under Sections 3(a)(1)(A) and (C) of the 1940 Act, a company generally will be deemed to be an “investment company” for purposes of the 1940 Act if (1) it is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities or (2) it engages, or proposes to engage, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and it owns or proposes to acquire investment

Table of Contents

securities having a value exceeding 40% of the value of its total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. We do not believe that we are an “investment company,” as such term is defined in either of those sections of the 1940 Act.

Notwithstanding Sections 3(a)(1)(A) and (C) of the 1940 Act, we are a research and development company and comply with the safe harbor requirements of Rule 3a-8 of the 1940 Act. We intend to conduct our operations so that we will not be deemed an investment company. However, if we were to be deemed an investment company, restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act, including limitations on our capital structure and our ability to transact with affiliates, could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are an “emerging growth company” and “smaller reporting company” and are able to avail ourselves of reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies and small reporting companies, which could make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, and we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also 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. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We are not electing to delay such adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. 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 be more volatile. We may take advantage of these reporting exemptions until we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” We will remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more; (ii) the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the completion of our initial public offering; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

We are also a smaller reporting company, and we will remain a smaller reporting company until the fiscal year following the determination that our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is more than $250 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, or our annual revenues are more than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is more than $700 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter. Similar to emerging growth companies, smaller reporting companies are able to provide simplified executive compensation disclosure, are exempt from the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404, and have certain other reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, being required to provide only two years of audited financial statements and not being required to provide selected financial data, supplemental financial information or risk factors.

We have elected to take advantage of certain of the reduced reporting obligations. We cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we 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 be reduced or more volatile.

Table of Contents

We may be at risk of securities class action litigation.

We may be at risk of securities class action litigation. In the past, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies have experienced significant stock price volatility, particularly when associated with binary events such as clinical trials and product approvals. If we face such litigation, it could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could harm our business and results in a decline in the market price of our common stock.

Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, and Delaware law may have anti-takeover effects that could discourage, delay or prevent a change in control, which may cause our stock price to decline.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if closing such a transaction would be beneficial to our stockholders. We are authorized to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. This preferred stock may be issued in one or more series, the terms of which may be determined at the time of issuance by our board of directors without further action by stockholders. The terms of any series of preferred stock may include voting rights (including the right to vote as a series on particular matters), preferences as to dividend, liquidation, conversion and redemption rights and sinking fund provisions. No preferred stock is currently outstanding. The issuance of any preferred stock could materially adversely affect the rights of the holders of our common stock, and therefore, reduce the value of our common stock and the Notes. In particular, specific rights granted to future holders of preferred stock could be used to restrict our ability to merge with, or sell our assets to, a third party and thereby preserve control by the present management.

Provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law also could have the effect of discouraging potential acquisition proposals or making a tender offer or delaying or preventing a change in control, including changes a stockholder might consider favorable. Such provisions may also prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management. In particular, the certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law, as applicable, among other things:

●

provide the board of directors with the ability to alter the bylaws without stockholder approval;

●

place limitations on the removal of directors;

●

establishing advance notice requirements for nominations for election to the board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon at stockholder meetings; and

●

provide that vacancies on the board of directors may be filled by a majority of directors in office, although less than a quorum.

Financial reporting obligations of being a public company in the United States are expensive and time-consuming, and our management is required to devote substantial time to compliance matters.

As a publicly traded company we have incurred significant additional legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a privately held subsidiary of BioXcel. The obligations of being a public company in the United States require significant expenditures and place significant demands on our management and other personnel, including costs resulting from public company reporting obligations under the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations regarding corporate governance practices, including those under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, and the listing requirements of the stock exchange on which our securities are listed. These rules require the establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and procedures, internal control over financial reporting and changes in corporate governance practices, among many other complex rules that are often difficult to implement, monitor and maintain compliance with. Moreover, despite reforms made possible by the JOBS Act, the reporting requirements, rules, and regulations will make some activities more time-consuming and costly, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” In addition, we expect these rules and regulations to make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and we may be required to incur substantial costs to maintain the same or similar coverage that we had through BioXcel. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to ensure that we comply with all of these requirements and to keep pace with new regulations, otherwise we may fall out of compliance and risk becoming subject to litigation or being delisted, among other potential problems.

Table of Contents

General Risk Factors

Risks associated with data privacy issues, including evolving laws, regulations and associated compliance efforts, may adversely impact our business and financial results.

Legislation in various countries around the world with regard to cybersecurity, privacy and data protection is rapidly expanding and creating a complex compliance environment. We are subject to many privacy and data protection laws and regulations in the U.S. and around the world, some of which place restrictions on our ability to process personal data across our business. In particular, the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, which became effective in May 2018, has caused more stringent data protection requirements in the European Union. The GDPR imposes onerous accountability obligations requiring data controllers and processors to maintain a record of their data processing and implement policies as part of its mandated privacy governance framework. It also requires data controllers to be transparent and disclose to data subjects how their personal information is to be used; imposes limitations on retention of personal data; introduces mandatory data breach notification requirements; and sets higher standards for data controllers to demonstrate that they have obtained valid consent for certain data processing activities. To the extent we collect data from individuals in the European Union, we will be subject to the supervision of local data protection authorities in those E.U. jurisdictions where we are established or otherwise subject to the GDPR. Certain breaches of the GDPR requirements could result in substantial fines, which can be up to four percent of worldwide revenue or 20 million Euros, whichever is greater. In addition to the foregoing, a breach of the GDPR could result in regulatory investigations, reputational damage, orders to cease/change our use of data, enforcement notices, as well potential civil claims including class action type litigation where individuals suffered harm.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports, or publish unfavorable research or reports about our business, our stock price and trading volume may decline.

The trading market for our common stock will rely in part on the research and reports that industry or financial analysts publish about us, our business, our markets and our competitors. We do not control these analysts. If securities analysts do not cover our common stock, the lack of research coverage may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Furthermore, if one or more of the analysts who do cover us downgrade our stock or if those analysts issue other unfavorable commentary about us or our business, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fails to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the market and interest in our stock could decrease, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline and may also impair our ability to expand our business with existing customers and attract new customers.

Future sales and issuances of our common stock could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders and could cause our share price to fall.

We expect that significant additional capital will be needed in the future to continue our planned operations, including increased marketing, hiring new personnel, commercializing our products, and continuing activities as an operating public company. To the extent we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience substantial dilution. We may sell common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in a manner we determine from time to time. If we sell common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities in more than one transaction, investors may be materially diluted by subsequent sales. Such sales may also result in material dilution to our existing stockholders, and new investors could gain rights superior to our existing stockholders.

If we fail to comply with the rules under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 related to accounting controls and procedures in the future, or, if we discover material weaknesses and other deficiencies in our internal control and accounting procedures, our stock price could decline significantly and raising capital could be more difficult.

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to comply with the rules under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act related to disclosure controls and procedures in the future, or, if we discover material weaknesses and other deficiencies in our internal control and accounting procedures, our stock price could decline significantly and raising capital could be more difficult.

Table of Contents

If material weaknesses or significant deficiencies are discovered or if we otherwise fail to achieve and maintain the adequacy of our internal control, we may not be able to ensure that we can conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Moreover, effective internal controls are necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and are important to helping prevent financial fraud. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our business and operating results could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, and the trading price of our common stock could drop significantly.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2020, we experienced an email-based wire fraud that resulted in the misappropriation of certain funds. As a result of the foregoing, we identified a material weakness due to our internal controls having not been adequately designed to prevent or timely detect unauthorized cash disbursements. If we are unable to remediate any such material weakness, if we are unable to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and effective disclosure controls and procedures, or if we fail to satisfy other requirements as a public company, including the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results or report them within the timeframes required by the SEC.

Comprehensive tax reform bills could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

In 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive federal income tax legislation that includes significant changes to the taxation of business entities. These changes include, among others, a permanent reduction to the corporate income tax rate. Notwithstanding the reduction in the corporate income tax rate, the overall impact of this tax reform is uncertain, and our business and financial condition could be adversely affected. We urge our stockholders to consult with their legal and tax advisors with respect to any such legislation and the potential tax consequences of investing in our common stock.

Table of Contents

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

None.

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

None.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

Item 5. Other Information

On November 10, 2020, the Company and Nektar terminated the Nektar Collaboration Agreement, pursuant to which the Company and Nektar had agreed to jointly collaborate to conduct a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating a combination therapy using BXCL701, Bempegaldesleukin, a CD122-biased agonist and a checkpoint inhibitor as a potential therapy for pancreatic cancer and such other clinical trials evaluating the combined therapy as mutually agreed by the parties. The BXCL701 phase of the triple combination study of BXCL701, bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214, Nektar Therapeutics) and BAVENCIO® (avelumab, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Pfizer) in second line pancreatic cancer was planned to initiate following Nektar and Pfizer’s Phase 1B dose-escalation trial of bempegaldesleukin and avelumab, which was delayed. As a result, the parties have agreed to discontinue activities on the triple combination study and instead reallocate resources to other studies and development programs.

Table of Contents

Item 6. Exhibits


Exhibit Number	Description	Form	File No.	Exhibit	Filing Date	Filed/ Furnished Herewith
3.1	Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.	8-K	001-38410	3.1	3/13/2018

3.2	Amended and Restated Bylaws.	8-K	001-38410	3.2	3/13/2018

10.1	First Amendment, dated August 19, 2020, to Lease Agreement, dated as of August 20, 2018, by and between Fusco Harbour Associates, LLC, as Landlord, and BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc., as Tenant.					*

31.1	Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.					*

31.2	Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.					*

32.1	Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.					**

32.2	Certification of Principal 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	XBRL Instance Document					*

101.SCH	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document					*

101.CAL	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document					*

101.DEF	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document					*

101.LAB	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document					*

101.PRE	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document					*

*	Filed herewith.

**	Furnished herewith.

Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements 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.


	BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc.

Dated: November 12, 2020	By:
	/s/ Vimal Mehta
	Vimal Mehta
	Chief Executive Officer
	(Principal Executive Officer)


Dated: November 12, 2020	By:
	/s/ Richard Steinhart
	Richard Steinhart, Chief Financial Officer
	(Principal Financial Officer)

Positive
Negative
Uncertain
Constraining
Legalese
Litigous
Readability	H.S. junior Avg

BioXcel Therapeutics (BTAI) 10-Q2020 Q3 Quarterly report

Content analysis