The FREEDOM60 use for treatment of primary immune deficiency diseases by administering IgG under the skin has continued to increase during the past year. The FREEDOM60 is the leading pump in the U.S. used to infuse immune globulin medicines such as Hizentra® and Gammagard® under the skin as a subcutaneous administration (“SCIg”). For patients with Primary Immunodeficiency, Multifocal Motor Neuropathy, Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, and Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, this method has provided vastly improved quality of life with much fewer unpleasant side effects over the traditional intravenous route. There is evidence that indications for SCIg therapy will continue to expand to other disease states. The FREEDOM60 is an ideal system for this administration since the patient is able to self-medicate at home. The pump is easily configured for this application, and the FREEDOM60 is the lowest cost infusion system available in a heavily cost constrained market.
In March, 2015, at the National Home Infusion Association Show in Phoenix, AZ, we introduced the FreedomEdge™ Syringe Infusion Pump (“FreedomEdge”). The FreedomEdge has all the trusted technology of the FREEDOM60 in a new, smaller package for use with 20ml or 30ml syringe sizes, utilizing our existing RMS Precision Flow Rate Tubing. The FreedomEdge is expected to appeal to IgG patients who do not need the larger dose capacity of the FREEDOM60 along with cephalosporin antibiotic infusion, deferoxamine administration, and foreign markets that prefer pumps with a smaller form factor. To date, we have begun shipping the FreedomEdge for product evaluation.
RMS HIgH-Flo Subcutaneous Safety Needle Sets (“HIgH-Flo”) are designed for self-administration of medicine under the skin. Our needles feature unique design elements specific to subcutaneous self-administration, including a 5-bevel back-cut needle designed for more comfort and less tissue damage. Our needle set design permits drug flows which are the same or faster than those achieved with larger gauge needles currently on the market. This proprietary hydraulic engineering for compatibility with the FREEDOM60 and FreedomEdge, guarantees the sensitivity of the system’s dynamic equilibrium.
Reflecting RMS’ dedication to clinician safety, the sets’ butterfly wing closures encase needles after use and help to protect against accidental needle stick injuries, an area of concern to the medical community. The sets are called safety needle sets to reflect this safety feature as an integral part of every set.
We expanded the range of HIgH-Flo sets available, including a 24 gauge set for very high flow rates, to meet the delivery demands of new drugs on the market such as Hyqvia®. HIgH-Flo sets are also being used in major clinical trials world-wide.
The RES-Q-VAC Portable Medical Suction System (“RES-Q-VAC”) is a lightweight, portable, hand-operated suction device that removes fluids from a patient’s airway by attaching the RES-Q-VAC pump to various proprietary sterile and non-sterile single-use catheters sized for adult and pediatric suctioning. The bottom-hinged one-hand operation makes it extremely effective and the product is generally found in emergency vehicles, hospitals, disaster kits, mass casualty trailers, and wherever portable aspiration is a necessity, including backup support for powered suction systems. Additional markets include nursing homes, hospice, sub-acute, dental and military applications. The Full Stop Protection® filter and disposable features of the RES-Q-VAC reduce the risk of exposing the health professional to human immunodeficiency virus (“HIV”) or Tuberculosis (“TB”) when suctioning a patient or during post treatment cleanup. All of the parts that connect to the pump are disposable.
A critical component and significant advantage of the RES-Q-VAC system is our Full Stop Protection® filter, a patented filtering system that both prevents leakage and overflow of the aspirated fluids, even at full capacity, and traps many air- and fluid-borne pathogens and potentially infectious materials within the sealable container. This protects users from potential exposure to disease and contamination. Full Stop Protection meets the requirement of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) ‘Occupational Exposure to Blood Borne Pathogens” Code of Federal Regulations 29 1910.1030. The Company has received a letter from OSHA confirming that the RES-Q-VAC with Full Stop Protection falls under the engineering controls of the blood borne pathogen regulation and that the product’s use would fulfill the regulatory requirements.
Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) and World Health Organization continue to emphasize the importance of minimizing aerosol production during suctioning, in order to reduce the spread of pandemic and epidemic diseases such as Ebola and Influenza. At the current time, we believe that the RES-Q-VAC with Full Stop Protection is the only portable, hand-operated device to comply with CDC directives from 2003.
Hospitals are required under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (“EMTALA”) regulations to provide emergency treatment to patients anywhere in the primary facility and up to 250 yards away. The RES-Q-VAC ensures full compliance with these regulations and helps minimize unfavorable outcomes and potential lawsuits. We provide special hospital kits, which are fully stocked to meet all hospital applications, both adult and pediatric.
We continue actively pursuing a direct sales effort into the hospital market working with direct sales and several regional distributors in the respiratory market. We also work internationally with distributors who are well represented in the hospital and emergency markets.
COMPETITION
The FREEDOM60
Competition for the FREEDOM60 for IgG includes electrically powered infusion devices, which are more costly and can create high pressures during delivery, which can cause complications for the administration of IgG. However, there can be no assurance that other companies, including those with greater resources, will not enter the market with competitive products which will have an adverse effect on our sales.
There is the potential for new drugs to enter the market which might change the market conditions for devices such as the FREEDOM60 and RMS HIgH-Flo Subcutaneous Safety Needle Sets (e.g. Hyaluronidase, which can facilitate absorption of IgG, making multiple site infusions unnecessary). We believe dynamic equilibrium (the principle behind the FREEDOM60) is ideal for new drug combinations, and that they might increase the size of the subcutaneous market, but there can be no assurance that newer drugs will have the same needs and requirements as the current drugs being used.
We are currently involved in legal proceedings with a competitor who has been offering accessories that can be used with the FREEDOM60 (see Item 1 – Legal Proceedings).
The RES-Q-VAC
We believe that the RES-Q-VAC is currently the performance leader for manual, portable suction instruments. In the hospital market, standard electric powered suction often creates a reliability disadvantage. For outpatient and rehabilitation use, RES-Q-VAC is lighter and quieter than electric units, and offers tactile feedback which is not found in electric suction.
For emergency services we believe that Full Stop Protection substantially separates the RES-Q-VAC from competitive manually operated units, which tend to leak fluid when becoming full or could pass airborne pathogens during use. There is a heightened concern from health care professionals concerning exposure to disease and we believe the RES-Q-VAC provides improved protection for these users.
RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-11—Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. The ASU was issued as part of the FASB’s simplification initiative and under the ASU, inventory is measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value, which would eliminate the other two options that currently exist for the market: (1) replacement cost and (2) net realizable value less an approximately normal profit margin. This ASU is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early application is permitted and should be applied prospectively. The Company is assessing the impact of the adoption of the ASU on its financial statements.
In May 2014, FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09—Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The ASU clarifies the principles for recognizing revenue and develops a common revenue standard for U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) that removes inconsistencies and weaknesses in revenue requirements, provides a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues, improves comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions and capital markets, provides more useful information to users of the financial statements through improved disclosure requirements and simplifies the preparation of financial statements by reducing the number of requirements to which an entity must refer. The amendments in this update are effective for the annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Full or modified retrospective adoption is required and early application is not permitted. On July 9, 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606); Deferral of the Effective Date, which (a) delays the effective date of ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), by one year to annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and (b) allows early adoption of the ASU by all entities as of the original effective date for public entities. The Company is assessing the impact of the adoption of the ASU on its financial statements, disclosure requirements and methods of adoption.
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PART I – ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.
Not Applicable.
PART I – ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
The Company’s management, including the Company’s Principal Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as such is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Based upon their evaluations, the Principal Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this report, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective for the purpose of ensuring that the information required to be disclosed in the reports that the Company files or submits under the Exchange Act with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) (1) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and (2) is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its Principal Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There have been no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended August 31, 2015, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
In 2013 we commenced in the Eastern District of California a declaratory judgment action to establish the invalidity of a competitor’s patent and non-infringement of the Company’s needle sets. The defendant answered the complaint and asserted infringement and unfair business practice counterclaims. We responded by asserting our own unfair business practice claims against the competitor defendant. On June 16, 2015, the Court issued what it termed a “narrow” preliminary injunction against the Company from making certain statements regarding certain competitor products. The Company is complying with that order. Discovery is ongoing.
On June 25, 2015, the competitor filed a claim of patent infringement, also directed to the Company’s needle sets, in the Eastern District of Texas. This patent is related to the one concerning the Company’s declaratory judgment action. The Company has not yet answered or otherwise responded to the complaint in the latter filed case.
On September 11, 2015, the Company requested anex parte reexamination of the patent in the first filed case, and on September 17, 2015 the Company requested aninter partes review of the patent in the second filed case. Decisions on whether those requests will result in formal patent proceedings are expected within three (3) and six (6) months, respectively.
Although the Company believes it has meritorious claims and defenses in these litigations and proceedings, their outcome cannot be predicted with any certainty.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.
Not required for smaller reporting companies.
ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS.
On September 30, 2015, RMS’s Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program pursuant to which the Company will make open market purchases of up to 1,000,000 shares of the Company’s Outstanding Common Stock. The purchases will be made through a broker to be designated by the Company with price, timing and volume restrictions based on average daily trading volume, consistent with the safe harbor rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission for such repurchases.
On September 30, 2015, the Board of Directors also approved the 2015 Stock Option Plan authorizing the Company to grant awards to certain employees under the plan at fair market value, subject to shareholder approval. The total number of shares of common stock of the Company, par value $.01 per share (“Common Stock”), with respect to which awards may be granted pursuant to the Plan shall not exceed 2,000,000 shares.
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On December 20, 2013, we executed an agreement effective March 1, 2014, with a Company director, Dr. Mark Baker, to provide clinical research and support services related to new and enhanced applications for the FREEDOM60® Syringe Infusion System. Authorized by the Board of Directors, the agreement provides for payment of 420,000 shares of common stock valued at $0.20 per share over a three-year period.
On August 8, 2014, we executed an agreement with Horton Capital Partners Fund, an institutional investor based in Philadelphia, PA, to sell one million shares of our common stock and warrants to purchase an additional one million shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.45 per share. The aggregate purchase price was $288,000.
ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES.
None.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.
Not applicable.
ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION.
None.
ITEM 6. EXHIBITS.
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4.1 | Stock Option Agreement |
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4.2 | 2015 Stock Option Plan |
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31.1 | Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 |
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31.2 | Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 |
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32.1 | Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 |
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32.2 | Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 |
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101* | Interactive Data Files of Financial Statements and Notes. |
* In accordance with Regulation S-T, the Interactive Data Files in Exhibit 101 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q shall be deemed “furnished” and not “filed”.
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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.
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| REPRO MED SYSTEMS, INC. |
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October 2, 2015 | /s/ Andrew I. Sealfon |
| Andrew I. Sealfon, President, Chairman of the Board, Director, Principal Executive Officer |
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October 2, 2015 | /s/ Karen Fisher |
| Karen Fisher, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
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