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EX-31.1 - CERTIFICATION OF JAMES M. FRINCKE - HARBOR DIVERSIFIED, INC.dex311.htm
EX-32.1 - CERTIFICATION OF JAMES M. FRINCKE AND ROBERT W. WEBER - HARBOR DIVERSIFIED, INC.dex321.htm
EX-31.2 - CERTIFICATION OF ROBERT W. WEBER - HARBOR DIVERSIFIED, INC.dex312.htm
Table of Contents

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 10-Q

 

 

(Mark one)

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

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2011

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: 001-34584

 

 

HARBOR BIOSCIENCES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   13-3697002

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

9171 Towne Centre Drive, Suite 180, San Diego, California   92122
(Address of principal executive offices)   (zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (858) 587-9333

 

 

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  þ    No  ¨

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

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

 

Large accelerated filer   ¨    Accelerated filer    ¨
Non-accelerated filer   ¨  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)    Smaller reporting company    þ

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

As of May 10, 2011 there were 35,465,838 shares of registrant’s Common Stock, $.01 par value, outstanding.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

HARBOR BIOSCIENCES, INC.

Form 10-Q

FOR THE QUARTER ENDED MARCH 31, 2011

INDEX

 

          Page  
PART I   

Financial Information

  
Item 1   

Financial Statements (Unaudited)

     3   
Item 2   

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

     10   
Item 3   

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

     13   
Item 4   

Controls and Procedures

     13   
PART II   

Other Information

  
Item 1   

Legal Proceedings

     14   
Item 1A   

Risk Factors

     14   
Item 1B   

Unresolved Staff Comments

     23   
Item 2   

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

     23   
Item 3   

Defaults Upon Senior Securities

     23   
Item 4   

Reserved

     23   
Item 5   

Other Information

     23   
Item 6   

Exhibits

     24   

 

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Part I. Financial Information

 

Item 1. Financial Statements

Harbor BioSciences, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Balance Sheets

 

All numbers in thousands (except par value)    March 31, 2011
(Unaudited)
    Dec. 31, 2010*

 

 

ASSETS:

    

Current assets:

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 4,457      $ 5,923   

Prepaid expenses .

     71        100   

Other receivable

     37        1   

Deposits

     28        28   
                

Total current assets

     4,593        6,052   

Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $190 and $273, respectively

     20        44   

Restricted Cash

     —          0   
                

Total assets

   $ 4,613      $ 6,096   
                

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:

    

Current liabilities:

    

Accounts payable

   $ 415      $ 201   

Accrued expenses

     706        1,005   

Other current liabilities

     20        29   
                

Total current liabilities

     1,141        1,235   
                

Commitments and contingencies

    

Stockholders’ equity:

    

Preferred stock, $.01 par value, 10,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding

     —          —     

Common stock, $.01 par value, 100,000 shares authorized; 35,525 and 35,525 shares issued; 35,466 and 35,466 shares outstanding, respectively

     355        355   

Paid-in capital .

     263,290        263,281   

Cost of treasury stock (59 shares)

     (346     (346

Deficit accumulated during development stage

     (259,827     (258,429
                

Total stockholders’ equity

     3,472        4,861   
                

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

   $ 4,613      $ 6,096   
                

 

* Derived from the audited financial statements as of December 31, 2010

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

 

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Harbor BioSciences, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

 

 

All numbers in thousands, except per share amounts          Period from  
     Three Months ended March. 31,    

Inception

(Aug. 15, 1994)
to March 31,

 
     2011     2010     2011  

Revenue:

      

Contract R&D revenue

   $ —        $ —        $ 1,208   
                        

Total revenue

     —          —          1,208   
                        

Operating expenses:

      

Research and development:

      

R&D operating expenses

     876        1,230        165,441   

R&D costs related to common stock, stock option grants including collaborations and technology purchases

     3        153        10,451   
                        

Total research and development

     879        1,383        175,892   
                        

General and administrative:

      

G&A operating expenses

     530        624        72,089   

G&A costs related to common stock, stock option & warrant grants

     6        129        19,136   
                        

Total general and administrative

     536        753        91,225   
                        

Settlement of dispute

     —          —          3,000   
                        

Total operating expenses

     1,415        2,136        270,117   
                        

Other income (expense):

      

Gain/(Loss) on disposal of assets

     14        (7     (285

Non-cash amortization of deemed discount and deferred issuance costs on convertible debentures

     —          —          (7,627

Interest income

     3        6        17,382   

Interest expense

     —          —          (388
                        

Total other income / (expense), net

     17        (1     9,082   
                        

Net loss

   $ (1,398   $ (2,137   $ (259,827
                        

Net loss per share-basic and diluted

   $ (0.04   $ (0.07  

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding-basic and diluted

     35,466        29,434     

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

 

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Harbor BioSciences, Inc. (A Development Stage Company)

Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

 

All numbers in thousands    Three Months ended March 31,     Period from
Inception
(Aug. 15, 1994)
to March 31,
 
     2011     2010     2011  

Cash flows from operating activities:

      

Net loss

   $ (1,398   $ (2,137   $ (259,827

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

      

Depreciation

     1        8        2,244   

(Gain)/Loss on disposal of assets

     (14     7        302   

Compensation expense related to equity awards

     9        282        11,293   

Amortization of deemed discount on convertible debentures

     —          —          6,470   

Amortization of deferred issuance cost

     —          —          1,157   

Common stock issued for the company 401k plan

     —          —          1,550   

Common stock and options issued as consideration for license fees, milestone payments, interest, note repayment, services and amendments to license / finance agreements

     —          —          2,926   

Expense related to warrants issued as consideration to consultants

     —          —          4,369   

Expense related to warrants issued to a director for successful closure of merger

     —          —          570   

Expense related to stock options issued

     —          —          5,718   

Expense related to common stock issued for the purchase of technology

     —          —          1,848   

Common stock issued as consideration for In Process R&D

     —          —          2,809   

Deferred compensation expense related to options issued

     —          —          1,210   

Changes in assets and liabilities:

      

Prepaid expenses

     29        173        (71

Deposits

     —          —          (28

Other receivables

     (36     2        (37

Accounts payable

     214        302        1,106   

Accrued expenses

     (299     (32     660   

Other liabilities

     (9     —          20   
                        

Net cash used in operating activities

     (1,503     (1,395     (215,711
                        

Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities:

      

Proceeds from sale of property and equipment

     37        10        260   

Purchase of property and equipment

     —          —          (2,825
                        

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

     37        10        (2,565
                        

Cash flows from financing activities:

      

Contributions from stockholder

     —          —          104   

Restricted cash

     —          34        —     

Net proceeds from sale of preferred stock

     —          —          4,000   

Net proceeds from sale of common stock

     —          —          185,323   

Net proceeds from issuance of convertible debentures and warrants

     —          —          9,214   

Purchase of treasury stock

     —          —          (346

Proceeds from issuance of debt

     —          —          371   

Net proceeds from recapitalization

     —          —          6,271   

Net proceeds from warrants and options exercised

     —          —          17,796   
                        

Net cash from financing activities

     —          34        222,733   
                        

Net increase (decrease) in cash

     (1,466     (1,351     4,457   

Cash and equivalents at beginning of period

     5,923        9,738        —     
                        

Cash and equivalents at end of period

   $ 4,457      $ 8,387      $ 4,457   
                        

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

 

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Harbor BioSciences, Inc. (A Development Stage Company)

Statements of Cash Flows (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

All numbers in thousands                  Period from
Inception
(Aug. 15, 1994)
 
     Three Months ended March 31,      to March 31,  
     2011      2010      2011  

Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:

        

Income taxes

   $ —         $ —         $ —     

Interest paid

     —           —           388   

Supplemental Disclosure of Non-Cash Financing Activities:

        

Conversion of debt to equity

     —           —           10,371   

Warrants issued to consultants in lieu of cash, no vesting

     —           —           559   

Warrants issued in lieu of cash, commissions on private placement

     —           —           733   

Warrants issued in connection with convertible debentures

     —           —           371   

Harbor BioSciences, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

 

1. Basis of Presentation

The information at March 31, 2011, and for the three-month period ended March 31, 2011 and 2010, and inception to date is unaudited. In the opinion of management, these financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Harbor BioSciences, Inc. (“Harbor BioSciences”, “we” or the “Company”) Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 2010, which was filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2011.

Our operations to date have consumed substantial capital without generating any revenues other than the amount received under the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics (’CFFT”) collaboration. We will continue to require substantial and increasing amounts of funds to conduct necessary research and development and preclinical and clinical testing of our drug candidates, and to market any drug candidates that receive regulatory approval. We do not expect to generate revenue from operations for the foreseeable future, and our ability to meet our cash obligations as they become due and payable will depend for at least the next several years on our ability to sell securities, borrow funds or some combination thereof. We expect that it will be very difficult to raise capital to continue our operations and our independent registered public accounting firm has issued an opinion with an explanatory paragraph to the effect that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

 

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Effective April 1, 2009, the Company adopted three accounting standard updates which were intended to provide additional application guidance and enhanced disclosures regarding fair value measurements and impairments of securities. They also provide additional guidelines for estimating fair value in accordance with fair value accounting. The first update, as codified in ASC Subtopic 820-10-65, Financial Instruments, provides additional guidelines for estimating fair value in accordance with fair value accounting. The second accounting update, as codified in ASC Subtopic 820-10-65, changes accounting requirements for other-than-temporary-impairment (OTTI) for debt securities by replacing the current requirement that a holder have the positive intent and ability to hold an impaired security to recovery in order to conclude an impairment was temporary with a requirement that an entity conclude it does not intend to sell an impaired security and it will not be required to sell the security before the recovery of its amortized cost basis. The third accounting update, as codified in ASC Subtopic 825-10-65, increases the frequency of fair value disclosures. These updates were effective for fiscal years and interim periods ended after June 15, 2009. The adoption of these accounting updates did not have any impact on our financial statements.

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC Subtopic 820-10 establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1 measurement) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (level 3 measurement). Our level 1 assets primarily include our cash and cash equivalents (mainly money market accounts). Valuations are obtained from readily available pricing sources. We do not currently have Level 2 or 3 assets.

In January 2010, the FASB issued ASU No. 2010-06, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (Topic 820): Improving Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements. ASU 2010-06 amends Codification Subtopic 820-10 to add two new disclosures: (1) transfers in and out of Level 1 and 2 measurements and the reasons for the transfers, and (2) a gross presentation of activity within the Level 3 roll forward. The proposal also includes clarifications to existing disclosure requirements on the level of disaggregation and disclosures regarding inputs and valuation techniques. The proposed guidance would apply to all entities required to make disclosures about recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements. The effective date of the ASU is the first interim or annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the gross presentation of the Level 3 roll forward information, which is required for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2010 and for interim reporting periods within those years. Early application is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact that the adoption will have on its financial statements.

Effective April 1, 2009, the Company adopted a new accounting standard for subsequent events, as codified in ASC Subtopic 855-10, Subsequent Events. The update modifies the names of the two types of subsequent events either as recognized subsequent events (previously referred to in practice as Type I subsequent events) or non-recognized subsequent events (previously referred to in practice as Type II subsequent events). In addition, the standard modifies the definition of subsequent events to refer to events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date, but before the financial statements are issued (for public entities) or available to be issued (for nonpublic entities). The update did not result in significant changes in the practice of subsequent event disclosures, and therefore the adoption did not have any impact on our financial statements.

Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses

Accrued expenses as of March 31, 2011 include approximately $0.3 million in accrued vacation expense and $0.8 million in other research and development and general and administrative expenses.

Accrued expenses as of December 31, 2010 include approximately $0.3 million in accrued vacation expense and $0.9 million in other research and development and general and administrative expenses.

 

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2. Other Agreements and Commitments

China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Agreements

In January 2011, the Company announced that it had licensed the research and development and commercialization rights for three of its products, exclusively in the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong, to the China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry (“CIPI”). Harbor BioSciences retains the rights to these products in the U.S. and the rest of the world, and CIPI will make available to the company all pre-clinical and clinical data it generates.

CIPI was recently formed by a merger of the Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry and other institutes and companies. CIPI’s research and development (“R&D”) focus has been in the areas of cancer, infectious diseases, cardiovascular, autoimmune disorders, endocrinology and central nervous system (“CNS”). CIPI is a subsidiary of the China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation (“Sinopharm Group”), China’s largest pharmaceutical and health industrial group under the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council. Sinopharm Group’s core businesses include R&D, manufacturing, distribution and retail sales. Its products are manufactured in more than 10 pharmaceutical and biological production facilities. Sinopharm Group has more than 20 joint ventures with global pharmaceutical companies and through trade and cooperative relations, has a presence in more than 100 countries and regions. Sinopharm Group reported in June 2010 six-month revenues of approximately $4.75 billion U.S. and net profits of approximately $137 million U.S.

CIPI is a major supplier of both generic drugs and traditional Chinese medicines in China and Hong Kong. The three license agreements cover Harbor BioSciences compounds HE2000, Apoptone and Triolex for any clinical use in the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong. CIPI plans to develop the Harbor BioSciences compounds for major indications including diabetes, cancer, inflammation and infectious diseases

The Company believes these are the first drug development agreements between a western pioneer drug company and a government-owned Chinese drug developer for pharmaceutical development to be conducted in the People’s Republic of China. CIPI, a low cost drug manufacturer, has agreed to supply the licensed products to Harbor BioSciences for use in clinical studies and sales outside of China and Hong Kong. The Company can also elect to distribute these compounds in countries that accept the State Food and Drug Administration’s (SFDA) drug approval process.

Clinical drug development candidates licensed to CIPI include Triolex, which has completed Phase IIa clinical trials in patients with Type 2 diabetes and is in early stage development for ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis; Apoptone, which has demonstrated activity in Phase I/IIa trials of prostate cancer; and HE2000, which has shown to limit opportunistic infections, including tuberculosis, in humans infected with the HIV-1 virus, to reduce parasite levels in patients with uncomplicated malaria and to attenuate non-productive lung inflammation in animal models.

The Company will receive milestone payments for Triolex, Apoptone and HE2000, excluding infectious diseases, at the completion of Phase II and III clinical studies and upon approval by the SFDA. The Company will also receive royalties based on net profits for the life of each agreement. The term of each agreement runs until the latter of (1) the expiration of the last licensed patent or any Company, CIPI or joint improvement patent and (2) the first documented third party sale of a competing generic product in the licensed territory. In addition, the Company is CIPI’s sole agent with commercial development and sales rights to all of CIPI’s improvements that are sold outside the licensed territory. Sales of licensed drugs that are covered by CIPI’s improvements outside the territory bear a royalty to Harbor BioSciences.

 

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Equity Transactions

No options to purchase shares of common stock were granted in the three-month period ended March 31, 2011. There were no options to purchase shares of common stock exercised in the three-month period ended March 31, 2011. The Company accounts for stock option grants in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 718, Share-Based Payment. Compensation costs related to share-based payments recognized in the Statements of Income were approximately $9,200 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2011, and $0.3 million for the same period in 2010. Our outstanding options and warrants are anti-dilutive and are not reflected in the weighted average shares reflected on our income statement basic and diluted. The Company may from time to time extend previous option grants.

4. Fair Value Measurement

We adopted ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, as of January 1, 2008, for financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis. ASC Topic 820 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with U.S. GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements.

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC Topic 820 establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (level 3 measurements). These tiers include:

 

 

Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets;

 

 

Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are directly or indirectly observable such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and

 

 

Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions, such as valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant value drivers are observable.

We measure certain financial instruments at fair value on a recurring basis. Financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis are as follows at March 31, 2011:

 

     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  
     In Thousands  

Money Market funds included in cash and cash equivalents

   $ 2,255       $ 0       $ 0       $ 2,255   
                                   

Total

   $ 2,255       $ 0       $ 0       $ 2,255   
                                   

 

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5. Other Matters

From time to time, we may be involved in litigation relating to claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business. While it is not possible to predict accurately or to determine the eventual outcome of these matters, as of the date of this report, we do not believe that we are engaged in any legal proceedings that are expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results.

The Company’s common stock was delisted from the NASDAQ Stock Market at the opening of business on September 23, 2010. The Company’s shares now trade on the OTC Bulletin Board (“OTCBB”). The Company expects that its common stock will continue to trade on the OTCBB so long as market makers demonstrate an interest in trading the common stock. The Company will continue to file periodic reports with the SEC pursuant to the requirements of Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

The Company has evaluated all subsequent events through May 5, 2011, which represents the filing date of this Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission, to ensure that this Form 10-Q includes appropriate disclosure of events both recognized in the financial statements as of March 31, 2011 and events which occurred subsequent to March 31, 2011 but were not recognized in the financial statements. As of May 10, 2011, there was no subsequent events that required recognition or disclosure.

 

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included elsewhere in this report. The following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. This discussion represents our current judgment on the future direction of our business and our actual results may differ materially from those discussed here due to risks and factors including the timing, success and cost of preclinical research and clinical studies, the timing, acceptability and review periods for regulatory filings, the ability to obtain regulatory approval of products, our ability to obtain additional funding and the development of competitive products by others as well as the risks and factors set forth below under the caption “Risk Factors.” Additional factors that could cause or contribute to such differences can be found in the financial statements and the related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.

Overview

Harbor BioSciences, Inc. (“Harbor BioSciences”, “we”, “the Company”), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, is engaged in the discovery and development of products for the treatment of diseases related to aging. Our current development efforts are primarily focused on a series of steroid hormone analogs that are derived from the human adrenal metabolome.

We are a development-stage company with two product candidates which recently completed Phase I/IIa clinical trials: Apoptone® (HE3235) in patients with late-stage prostate cancer, and Triolex® (HE3286) in obese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Apoptone and Triolex represent two of the lead candidates from Harbor BioSciences’ small molecule platform based on metabolites or synthetic analogs of endogenous human steroids.

Drawn from our unique and proprietary platform, our research program has identified additional lead candidates active in preclinical models of cancer, metabolic conditions, autoimmune conditions, lung inflammation, bone degeneration and organ regeneration.

We have been unprofitable since our inception in August 1994. As of March 31, 2011, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $259.8 million. We expect to incur substantial additional operating losses and capital expenditures for the foreseeable future on clinical testing and other activities in support of the development of our drug candidates. In addition, in the future, we may have to meet the substantial new

 

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challenge of developing the capability to market products if we are successful in obtaining regulatory approval for any of our current or future drug candidates. Accordingly, our activities to date are not as broad in depth or scope as the activities we may undertake in the future, and our historical operations and financial information are not indicative of the future operating results or financial condition or ability to operate profitably as a commercial enterprise when and if we succeed in bringing any drug candidates to market.

Results of Operations

We have devoted substantially all of our resources to the payment of research and development expenses and general and administrative expenses. From inception through March 31, 2011, we have incurred approximately $175.9 million in research and development expenses, $91.2 million in general and administrative expenses, and $3.0 million in the settlement of a dispute. From inception through March 31, 2011, we have generated approximately $1.2 million in revenues from providing research and development services under our Study Funding Agreement with the CFFT, which expired in December 1999. We have earned $9.1 million in net, other income, as our $17.4 million of interest income has been partly offset by $7.6 million in deemed discount expense, $0.4 million in interest expense and $0.3 million loss on disposal of assets. The combination of these resulted in a net loss of $259.8 million for the period from inception until March 31, 2011.

Research and development expenses were $0.9 million for the three-month period ended March 31, 2011, compared to $1.4 million for the same period in 2010. The research and development expenses relate primarily to the ongoing development, preclinical testing and clinical trials for our drug candidates. Research and development expenses decreased by $0.5 million for the three-month period ended March 31, 2011 compared to 2010. The decrease was primarily due to a reduction in facilities, a substantial reduction in preclinical research and stock option compensation expense.

General and administrative expenses were $0.5 million for the three-month period ended March 31, 2011 compared to $0.8 million for the same period in 2010. General and administrative expenses relate primarily to salaries and benefits, facilities, legal, accounting/auditing, investor relations, consultants, insurance and travel. General and administrative expenses decreased by $0.3 million for the three-month period ended March 31, 2011, compared to the same periods in 2010. The decrease was due mainly to a decrease in consulting fees, NASDAQ fees and stock option compensation expense.

Other income (loss), net was approximately $17,000 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2011 compared to $(1,000) for the same period in 2010. In 2010, we incurred more losses on disposal of assets which resulted in the increase for 2011.

Please refer to critical accounting policies included in the Form 10-K filed on March 31, 2011.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

A summary of our current contractual obligations as of March 31, 2011 is as follows (in thousands):

 

     Payments Due by Period  

Contractual Obligations

   Total      Less than one
year
     One to three
years
     Three to
five years
     More than
five years
 

Operating Leases

   $ 52       $ 52       $ —         $ —         $ —     

We may also be required to make substantial milestone or royalty payments in cash based on the terms of some of our agreements.

 

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Our operations to date have consumed substantial capital without generating any revenues other than the amount received under the CFFT collaboration. We will continue to require substantial and increasing amounts of funds to conduct necessary research and development and preclinical and clinical testing of our drug candidates, and to market any drug candidates that receive regulatory approval. We do not expect to generate revenue from operations for the foreseeable future, and our ability to meet our cash obligations as they become due and payable will depend for at least the next several years on our ability to sell securities, borrow funds or some combination thereof. Based upon our current plans, we believe that our existing capital resources, together with interest thereon, will be sufficient to meet our operating expenses and capital requirements into late 2011. However, changes in our research and development plans or other events affecting our operating expenses may result in the expenditure of such cash before that time. As of March 31, 2011, our cash and cash equivalents totaled approximately $4.5 million.

During September 2010, our common stock was de-listed from the NASDAQ Stock Market. Our common stock is now traded on the OTC Bulletin Board, an inter-dealer quotation system that provides significantly less liquidity than the NASDAQ stock market or any other national securities exchange, which may make it more difficult to raise capital. As a result, we expect that it will be very difficult to raise capital to continue our operations and our independent registered public accounting firm has issued an opinion with an explanatory paragraph to the effect that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. We do not believe that we could succeed in raising additional capital needed to sustain our operations without some strategic transaction, such as a partnership or merger. If we are unable to consummate such a transaction, we expect that we would need to cease all operations and wind down. Although we are currently evaluating our strategic alternatives with respect to all aspects of our business, we cannot assure you that any actions that we take would raise or generate sufficient capital to fully address the uncertainties of our financial position. As a result, we may be unable to realize value from our assets and discharge our liabilities in the normal course of business. If we are unable to settle our obligations to our creditors or if we are unable to consummate a strategic transaction, we would likely need to liquidate the Company in a voluntary dissolution under Delaware law or seek protection under the provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In that event, we, or a trustee appointed by the court, may be required to liquidate our assets. In either of these events, we might realize significantly less from our assets than the values at which they are carried on our financial statements. The funds resulting from the liquidation of our assets would be used first to satisfy obligations to creditors before any funds would be available to pay our stockholders, and any shortfall in the proceeds would directly reduce the amounts available for distribution, if any, to our creditors and to our stockholders. In the event we are required to liquidate under Delaware law or the federal bankruptcy laws, it is highly unlikely that stockholders would receive any value for their shares.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This quarterly report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Forward-looking statements include information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, financing plans, competitive position, industry environment, potential growth opportunities, the effects of future regulation and the effects of competition. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by terms such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “should,” “will,” “would” or similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. We discuss these risks in greater detail in the “Risk Factors” section below and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

 

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Also, forward-looking statements represent our management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this quarterly report on Form 10-Q. Our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

 

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

There have been no material changes to our investment portfolio from December 31, 2010 to the present. At March 31, 2011, our investment portfolio included only cash and money market accounts and did not contain fixed-income securities. There would be no material impact to our investment portfolio, in the short term, associated with any change in interest rates, and any decline in interest rates over time will reduce our interest income, while increases in interest rates over time will increase our interest income.

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) required by Rule 13a-15(b) of the Exchange Act, James M. Frincke, our chief executive officer, and Robert W. Weber, our chief financial officer, have concluded that, as of March 31, 2011, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that the information required in the reports we file under the Exchange Act is gathered, reported-up, analyzed and disclosed with adequate timeliness, accuracy and completeness.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting during the period covered by this report, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file with or submit to the SEC under the Securities and Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer as appropriate, to allow for timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal controls will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by management override of the control. The design of any system of controls also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. The size of our company makes full segregation of duties difficult. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be

 

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detected. Accordingly, our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of our disclosure control system are met, and, as set forth above, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer have concluded, based on their evaluation, that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report to provide reasonable assurance that the objectives of our disclosure control system were met.

PART II Other Information

 

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we may be involved in litigation relating to claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business. While it is impossible to predict accurately or to determine the eventual outcome of these matters, as of the date of this report, we do not believe that we are engaged in any legal proceedings that are expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results.

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors

In evaluating our business, you should consider the following discussion of risks, in addition to other information contained in this report as well as our other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The description of risks below includes certain revisions to, and supersedes in its entirety, the description of the risk factors associated with our business previously disclosed in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 and our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any of the following risks could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects and, as a result, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of the money you paid to buy our common stock.

We are still a development stage company.

We have never had any revenues from sales of products. None of our drug candidates has been approved for commercial sale and we do not expect that any of our present or future drug candidates will be commercially available for a number of years, if at all. We have incurred losses since our inception and we expect to continue to incur significant additional operating losses for the foreseeable future as we fund clinical trials and other expenses in support of regulatory approval of our drug candidates.

We need to raise additional money before we achieve profitability; if we fail to raise additional money, it could be difficult or impossible to continue our business.

As of March 31, 2011, our cash and cash equivalents totaled approximately $4.5 million. Based on our current plans, we believe these financial resources, and interest earned thereon, will be sufficient to meet our operating expenses and capital requirements into late 2011. However, changes in our research and development plans or other events affecting our operating expenses may result in the expenditure of such cash before that time. We will require substantial additional funds in order to finance our drug discovery and development programs, fund operating expenses, pursue regulatory clearances, develop manufacturing, marketing and sales capabilities, and prosecute and defend our intellectual property rights. We may seek additional funding through public or private financing or through collaborative arrangements with strategic partners.

You should be aware that in the future:

 

   

we may not obtain additional financial resources when necessary or on terms favorable to us, if at all; and

 

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any available additional financing may not be adequate.

If we cannot raise additional funds when needed, or on acceptable terms, we will not be able to continue to develop our drug candidates.

We may need to liquidate the Company in a voluntary dissolution under Delaware law or seek protection under the provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, and in either event, it is unlikely that stockholders would receive any value for their shares.

We have not generated any revenues from product sales, and have incurred losses in each year since our inception in 1994. We expect that it will be very difficult to raise capital to continue our operations and our independent registered public accounting firm has issued an opinion with an explanatory paragraph to the effect that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern in the annual report for the period ended December 31, 2010. We do not believe that we could succeed in raising additional capital needed to sustain our operations without some strategic transaction, such as a partnership or merger. If we are unable to consummate such a transaction, we expect that we would need to cease all operations and wind down. Although we are currently evaluating our strategic alternatives with respect to all aspects of our business, we cannot assure you that any actions that we take would raise or generate sufficient capital to fully address the uncertainties of our financial position. As a result, we may be unable to realize value from our assets and discharge our liabilities in the normal course of business. If we are unable to settle our obligations to our creditors or if we are unable to consummate a strategic transaction, we would likely need to liquidate the Company in a voluntary dissolution under Delaware law or seek protection under the provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In that event, we, or a trustee appointed by the court, may be required to liquidate our assets. In either of these events, we might realize significantly less from our assets than the values at which they are carried on our financial statements. The funds resulting from the liquidation of our assets would be used first to satisfy obligations to creditors before any funds would be available to pay our stockholders, and any shortfall in the proceeds would directly reduce the amounts available for distribution, if any, to our creditors and to our stockholders. In the event we are required to liquidate under Delaware law or the federal bankruptcy laws, it is highly unlikely that stockholders would receive any value for their shares. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources” in Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and Note 1 to our financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We may be unable to obtain a quorum for meetings of our stockholders or obtain necessary stockholder approvals and therefore be unable to take certain actions

Our bylaws require that a quorum, consisting of a majority of the outstanding shares of voting stock, be represented in person or by proxy in order to transact business at a meeting or our stockholders. In addition, amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, such as an amendment to increase our authorized capital stock, require the approval of a majority of our outstanding shares. Under Rule 452 of the New York Stock Exchange, the U.S. broker-dealer may vote shares absent direction from the beneficial owner on certain matters, such as an amendment to our amended and restated articles of incorporation to increase authorized shares that are to be used for general corporate purposes and the ratification of our auditors. As a result, unless more stockholders elect to be presented in person or by proxy in future annual or special meetings of stockholders, we may be unable to obtain a quorum at such meetings or obtain stockholder approval of proposals when needed.

If we are unable to obtain a quorum at our stockholders meeting and thus fail to get stockholder approval of corporate actions, such failure could have a materially adverse effect on us. In addition, brokers may only vote on those matters for which broker discretionary voting is allowed under Rule 452 of the New York Stock Exchange, and we may not be able to obtain the required number of votes to approve certain proposals that require a majority of all outstanding share to approve the proposal due to our reliance on

 

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broker discretionary voting. Therefore, it is possible that even if we are able to obtain a quorum for our meetings of the stockholders we still may not receive enough votes to approve proxy proposals presented at such meeting and, depending on the proposal in question, such failure could have a material adverse effect on us.

If we do not obtain government regulatory approval for our products, we cannot sell our products and we will not generate revenues.

Our principal efforts are currently centered on a proprietary class of small compounds that we believe shows promise for the treatment of several diseases and disorders. However, all drug candidates require approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) before they can be commercialized in the United States as well as approval by various foreign government agencies before they can be commercialized in other countries. These regulations change from time to time and new regulations may be adopted. While limited clinical trials of our drug candidates have been conducted to date, significant additional trials are required, and we may not be able to demonstrate that our drug candidates are safe or effective. In addition, success in early development does not mean that later development will be successful because, for example, drug candidates in later-stage clinical trials may fail to demonstrate sufficient safety and efficacy despite having progressed through initial clinical testing. Our clinical experience with our drug candidates is limited, and to date our drug candidates have been tested in less than the number of patients that will likely need to be studied to gain regulatory approval. The data collected from clinical trials with larger patient populations may not demonstrate sufficient safety and efficacy to support regulatory approval of these drug candidates. In addition, we do not know whether early results from any of our ongoing clinical trials will be predictive of final results of any such trial. If we are unable to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of a particular drug candidate to the satisfaction of regulatory authorities, the drug candidate will not obtain required government approval and we will experience potentially significant delays in, or be required to abandon development of the drug candidate. If we do not receive FDA or foreign approvals for our drug candidates, we will not be able to sell products and will not generate revenues. If we receive regulatory approval of one of our drug candidates, such approval may impose limitations on the indicated uses for which we may market the resulting product, which may limit our ability to generate significant revenues. Further, U.S. or foreign regulatory agencies could change existing, or promulgate new, regulations at any time, which may affect our ability to obtain approval of our drug candidates or require significant additional costs to obtain such approvals. In addition, if regulatory authorities determine that we or a partner conducting research and development activities on our behalf have not complied with regulations in the research and development of one of our drug candidates, then they may not approve the drug candidate and we will not be able to market and sell it. If we were unable to market and sell our drug candidates, our business and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.

Recent publicity concerning the safety of certain drug products has resulted in heightened scrutiny by the FDA in the process of approving new drugs, which could delay or limit any regulatory approvals we may obtain for our drug candidates.

In light of widely publicized events concerning the safety risk of certain drug products, the FDA, members of Congress, the Government Accountability Office, medical professionals and the general public have raised concerns about potential drug safety issues. These events have resulted in the withdrawal of drug products, revisions to drug labeling that further limit use of the drug products and establishment of risk management programs that may, for instance, restrict distribution of drug products after approval. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007, or FDAAA, grants significant expanded authority to the FDA, much of which is aimed at improving the safety of drug products before and after approval. In particular, the new law authorizes the FDA to, among other things, require post-approval studies and clinical trials, mandate changes to drug labeling to reflect new safety information and require risk evaluation and mitigation strategies for certain drugs, including certain currently approved drugs. It also significantly expands the federal government’s clinical trial registry and results databank, which we expect will result in significantly increased government oversight of clinical trials. Under the FDAAA, companies

 

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that violate these and other provisions of the new law are subject to substantial civil monetary penalties, among other regulatory, civil and criminal penalties. The increased attention to drug safety issues may result in a more cautious approach by the FDA in its review of data from our clinical trials. Data from clinical trials may receive greater scrutiny, particularly with respect to safety, which may make the FDA or other regulatory authorities more likely to require additional preclinical studies or clinical trials by drug development companies. As a result, the FDA may require us to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials during the clinical development of one or more of our drug candidates as a condition precedent to approval which could potentially delay our development plans, limit the indications for which our drug candidates are ultimately approved, and otherwise adversely impact us.

If we do not successfully commercialize our products, we may never achieve profitability.

We have experienced significant operating losses to date because of the substantial expenses we have incurred to acquire and fund development of our drug candidates. We have never had significant operating revenues and have never commercially introduced a product. Our accumulated deficit was approximately $259.8 million as of March 31, 2011. Our net losses for fiscal years 2010, 2009 and 2008 were approximately $6.6 million, $15.6 million and $21.6 million, respectively. Many of our research and development programs are at an early stage. Potential drug candidates are subject to inherent risks of failure. These risks include the possibilities that no drug candidate will be found safe or effective, meet applicable regulatory standards or receive the necessary regulatory clearances. Even if we were ultimately to receive regulatory approval for one or more of our drug candidates, we may be unable to commercialize them successfully for a variety of reasons. These include, for example, the availability of alternative treatments, lack of cost effectiveness, the cost of manufacturing the product on a commercial scale, the effect of competition with other drugs, or because we may have inadequate financial or other resources to pursue one or more of our drug candidates through commercialization. If we are unable to develop safe, commercially viable drugs, we may never achieve profitability. If we become profitable, we may not remain profitable.

As a result of our intensely competitive industry, we may not gain enough market share to be profitable.

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are intensely competitive. We have numerous competitors in the U.S. and elsewhere. Because we are pursuing potentially large markets, our competitors include major multinational pharmaceutical companies, specialized biotechnology firms as well as academic institutions, government agencies and private and public research institutions. Several of these entities have already successfully marketed and commercialized products that will compete with our drug candidates, assuming that our drug candidates gain regulatory approval. A large number of companies including Merck & Co., Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AstraZeneca, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi-Aventis and Eli Lilly and Co. are developing and marketing new drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Similarly, a large number of companies, including Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson Inc. and Amgen Inc., are developing and marketing new drugs for the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions. In addition, there are also a number of other companies with drug candidates in development targeting late-stage prostate cancer, including compounds already in Phase 3 clinical trials. One or more such compounds may be approved before any of our drug candidates could potentially be approved. Many, if not all, of these competing drug development programs are being conducted by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with considerably greater financial resources, human resources and experience than ours.

All of these competitors have greater financial and other resources, larger research and development staffs and more effective marketing and manufacturing organizations than we do. In addition, academic and government institutions have become increasingly aware of the commercial value of their research findings. These institutions are now more likely to enter into exclusive licensing agreements with commercial enterprises, including our competitors, to develop and market commercial products.

 

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Our competitors may succeed in developing or licensing technologies and drugs that are more effective, or less costly than any we are developing. Our competitors may succeed in obtaining FDA or other regulatory approvals for drug candidates before we do. If competing drug candidates prove to be more effective or less costly or better-marketed than our drug candidates, our drug candidates, even if approved for sale, may not be able to compete successfully with our competitors’ existing products or new products under development. Similarly, we cannot predict whether any of our drug candidates, if approved, will have sufficient advantages to cause healthcare professionals to adopt our products over competing products. If we are unable to compete successfully, we may never be able to sell enough products at a price sufficient to permit us to generate profits.

Our common stock has a very limited trading market

Our common stock was recently delisted from the NASDAQ Stock Market. Our common stock is now traded on the OTC Markets, an inter-dealer quotation system that provides significantly less liquidity than the NASDAQ Stock Market or any other national securities exchange. In addition, trading in our common stock has historically been extremely limited. Because of the thinness of the market for our stock, the price of our common stock may be subject to manipulation. This limited trading may adversely affect the liquidity of our common stock, not only in terms of the number of shares that can be bought and sold at a given price, but also through delays in the timing of transactions and reduction in security analysts’ and the media’s coverage of us. As a result, there could be a larger spread between the bid and the ask prices of our common stock and you may not be able to sell shares of our common stock when or at prices you desire.

Substantial sales of our stock may impact the market price of our common stock.

As evidenced by the completion of our registered direct offering completed in June 2010, future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock, including shares that we may issue upon exercise of options and warrants or conversion of convertible securities, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Further, if we raise additional funds through the issuance of common stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock, the percentage ownership of our stockholders will be reduced and the price of our common stock may fall.

Issuing preferred stock with rights senior to those of our common stock could adversely affect holders of common stock.

Our charter documents give our board of directors the authority to issue shares of preferred stock without a vote or action by our stockholders. The board also has the authority to determine the terms of preferred stock, including price, preferences and voting rights. The rights granted to holders of preferred stock may adversely affect the rights of holders of our common stock. For example, a series of preferred stock may be granted the right to receive a liquidation preference – a pre-set distribution in the event of liquidation – that would reduce the amount available for distribution to holders of common stock. In addition, the issuance of preferred stock could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire a majority of our outstanding voting stock. As a result, common stockholders could be prevented from participating in transactions that would offer an optimal price for their shares.

If we were to lose the services of members of our management team, or fail to attract or retain qualified personnel in the future, our business objectives would be more difficult to implement, adversely affecting our operations.

Our ability to successfully implement our business strategy depends upon the continued services of our management team. If we lose the services of one or more of these individuals, replacement could be difficult and may take an extended period of time and could impede significantly the achievement of our business objectives.

 

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Our results of operations and liquidity needs could be materially negatively affected by market fluctuations and economic downturn.

Our results of operations could be materially negatively affected by economic conditions generally, both in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world. Continuing concerns over inflation, energy costs, geopolitical issues, the availability and cost of credit, the U.S. mortgage market and a declining residential real estate market in the U.S. have contributed to increased volatility and diminished expectations for the economy and the markets going forward. These factors, combined with volatile oil prices, declining business and consumer confidence and increased unemployment, precipitated an economic recession from which the global economy is in stages of recovery. Domestic and international equity markets continue to experience heightened volatility and turmoil. These events and the continuing market upheavals may have an adverse effect on us. In the event of a market downturn, our results of operations could be adversely affected by those factors in many ways, including making it more difficult for us to raise funds if necessary and our stock price may further decline.

Failure to protect our proprietary technology could impair our competitive position.

We own or have obtained a license to a number of U.S. and foreign patents and patent applications. Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain and defend patent rights and other intellectual property rights that are important to our ability to commercialize our drug candidates, if approved and our ability to operate our business without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. We place considerable importance on obtaining patent protection for significant new technologies, products and processes. Legal standards relating to the validity of patents covering pharmaceutical and biotechnology inventions and the scope of claims made under such patents are still developing. In some of the countries in which we intend to market our drug candidates, if approved, pharmaceuticals are either not patentable or have only recently become patentable. Past enforcement of intellectual property rights in many of these countries has been limited or non-existent. Future enforcement of patents and proprietary rights in many other countries may be problematic or unpredictable. Moreover, the issuance of a patent in one country does not assure the issuance of a similar patent in another country. Claim interpretation and infringement laws vary by nation, so the extent of any patent protection is uncertain and may vary in different jurisdictions. Our domestic patent position is also highly uncertain and involves complex legal and factual questions. The applicant or inventors of subject matter covered by patent applications or patents owned by or licensed to us may not have been the first to invent or the first to file patent applications for such inventions. Due to uncertainties regarding patent law and the circumstances surrounding our patent applications, the pending or future patent applications we own or have licensed may not result in the issuance of any patents. Existing or future patents owned by or licensed to us may be challenged, infringed upon, invalidated, found to be unenforceable or circumvented by others. Further, any rights we may have under any issued patents may not provide us with sufficient protection against similar competitive products or technologies that do not infringe our patents or otherwise cover commercially valuable products or processes.

Litigation or other disputes regarding patents and other proprietary rights may be expensive, cause delays in bringing products to market and harm our ability to operate.

The manufacture, use or sale of our drug candidates may infringe on the patent rights of others. If we are unable to avoid infringement of the patent rights of others, we may be required to seek a license, defend an infringement action or challenge the validity of the patents in court. Patent litigation is costly and time consuming and can preclude, delay or suspend commercialization of our drug candidates. 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, or fail to successfully defend an infringement action or have the patents we are alleged to infringe declared invalid, we may:

 

   

incur substantial money damages;

 

   

encounter significant delays in bringing our drug candidates to market;

 

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be precluded from participating in the manufacture, use or sale of our drug candidates or methods of treatment without first obtaining licenses to do so; and/or

 

   

not be able to obtain any required license on favorable terms, if at all.

In addition, if another party claims the same subject matter or subject matter overlapping with the subject matter that we have claimed in a U.S. patent application or patent, we may decide or be required to participate in interference proceedings in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in order to determine the priority of invention. Loss of such an interference proceeding would deprive us of patent protection sought or previously obtained and could prevent us from commercializing our products. Participation in such proceedings could result in substantial costs, whether or not the eventual outcome is favorable. These additional costs could adversely affect our financial results.

Litigation may be expensive and time consuming and may adversely affect our operations.

From time to time, we may be involved in litigation relating to claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business. Participation in such proceedings is time consuming and could result in substantial costs, whether or not the eventual outcome is favorable. These additional costs could adversely affect our financial results.

Confidentiality agreements with employees and others may not adequately prevent disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information.

In order to protect our proprietary technology and processes, we also rely in part on confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators and sponsored researchers and other advisors. 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. In addition, others may independently discover trade secrets and proprietary information. 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.

Existing and/or future pricing regulations and reimbursement limitations may limit our potential profits from the sale of our products.

The requirements governing product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary widely from country to country. Some countries require approval of the sale price of a drug before it can be marketed. In many countries, the pricing review period begins after product-licensing approval is granted. As a result, we may obtain regulatory approval for a drug candidate in a particular country, but then be subject to price regulations that reduce our profits from the sale of the product. In some foreign markets pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is subject to continuing government control even after initial marketing approval. In addition, certain governments may grant third parties a license to manufacture our product without our permission. Such compulsory licenses may be on terms that are less favorable to us and would likely have the effect of reducing our revenues.

Varying price regulation between countries can lead to inconsistent prices and some re-selling by third parties of products from markets where products are sold at lower prices to markets where those products are sold at higher prices. Any practice of exploiting price differences between countries could undermine our sales in markets with higher prices and reduce the sales of our future products, if any.

While we do not have any applications for regulatory approval of our drug candidates currently pending, any decline in the size of the markets in which we may in the future sell commercial products, assuming our receipt of the requisite regulatory approvals, could cause the perceived market value of our business and the price of our common stock to decline.

 

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Our ability to commercialize our drug candidates successfully also will depend in part on the extent to which reimbursement for the cost of our drug candidates and related treatments will be available from government health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations. Third-party payers are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and services. If we succeed in bringing any of our drug candidates to the market, such drug candidates may not be considered cost effective and reimbursement may not be available or sufficient to allow us to sell such drug candidates on a profitable or competitive basis.

In March 2010. U.S. President Obama signed into law The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. It is unknown what the overall effect of such legislation has on us.

Delays in the conduct or completion of preclinical or clinical studies or the analysis of the data from preclinical or clinical studies may result in delays in our planned filings for regulatory approvals, or adversely affect our ability to enter into collaborative arrangements.

The current status of our two lead drug candidates is set forth below. We have completed:

 

   

Phase I and I/II clinical trials with Triolex in the United States under an IND, for the treatment of metabolic disorders;

 

   

Phase IIa clinical trial with Triolex in the United States in type 2 diabetes patients under an IND for the treatment of metabolic disorders;

 

   

Phase I/II clinical trial with Triolex in the United States under an IND for the treatment of gastrointestinal inflammatory conditions;

 

   

Phase I clinical trial with Triolex in the United States in rheumatoid arthritis patients under an IND for the treatment of inflammatory conditions; and

 

   

Phase I/IIa clinical trial with Apoptone in the United States in late-stage prostate cancer patients who have failed hormone therapy and at least one round of chemotherapy treatment or have not received chemotherapy under an IND for the treatment of hormone-sensitive cancers including prostate cancer.

Any of the following reasons, among others, could delay or suspend the completion of our future studies:

 

   

delays in enrolling volunteers;

 

   

interruptions in the manufacturing of our drug candidates or other delays in the delivery of materials required for the conduct of our studies;

 

   

we may not be able to enter collaborative arrangements besides the CIPI agreements;

 

   

we can not control the uncertainties and lack direct control over the developments of our licensed compounds in China;

 

   

lower than anticipated retention rate of volunteers in a clinical trial;

 

   

unfavorable efficacy results;

 

   

serious side effects experienced by study participants relating to the drug candidate;

 

   

reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective contract research organizations and clinical trial sites;

 

   

failure to conduct a clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or clinical protocols;

 

   

inspection of a clinical trial operations or clinical trial site by regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold;

 

   

new communications from regulatory agencies about how to conduct these studies; or

 

   

failure to raise additional funds resulting in lack of adequate funding to continue a clinical trial or study.

 

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If the manufacturers of our drug candidates do not comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices regulations, or cannot produce sufficient quantities of our drug candidates to enable us to continue our development, we will fall behind on our business objectives.

Manufacturers producing our drug candidates must follow current Good Manufacturing Practices regulations enforced by the FDA and foreign equivalents. If a manufacturer of our drug candidates does not conform to current Good Manufacturing Practices regulations and cannot be brought up to such a standard, we will be required to find alternative manufacturers that do conform. This may be a long and difficult process, and may delay our ability to receive FDA or foreign regulatory approval of our drug candidates.

We also rely on our manufacturers to supply us with a sufficient quantity of our drug candidates to conduct clinical trials. If we have difficulty in the future with obtaining our required quantity and quality of supply, we could experience significant delays in our development programs and regulatory process.

Our ability to achieve any significant revenue may depend on our ability to establish effective sales and marketing capabilities.

Our efforts to date have focused on the development and evaluation of our drug candidates. As we continue preclinical and clinical studies and seek to commercialize our drug candidates, we may need to build a sales and marketing infrastructure. As a company, we have no experience in the sales and marketing of pharmaceutical products. If we fail to establish a sufficient marketing and sales force or to make alternative arrangements to have our drug candidates marketed and sold by others on attractive terms, it will impair our ability to commercialize our drug candidates and to enter new or existing markets. Our inability to effectively enter these markets would materially and adversely affect our ability to generate significant revenues.

We may face product liability claims related to the use or misuse of our drug candidates, which may cause us to incur significant losses.

We are currently exposed to the risk of product liability claims due to administration of our drug candidates in clinical trials, since the use or misuse of our drug candidates during a clinical trial could potentially result in injury or death. If we are able to commercialize our products, we will also be subject to the risk of losses in the future due to product liability claims in the event that the use or misuse of our commercial products results in injury or death. We currently maintain liability insurance on a claims-made basis. Because we cannot predict the magnitude or the number of claims that may be brought against us in the future, we do not know whether the insurance policies’ coverage limits are adequate. The insurance is expensive, difficult to obtain and may not be available in the future on acceptable terms, or at all. Any claims against us, regardless of their merit, could substantially increase our costs and cause us to incur significant losses.

Our securities could be subject to extreme price fluctuations that could adversely affect your investment.

The market prices for securities of life sciences companies are highly volatile particularly those that are not profitable. Publicized events and announcements, most of which we cannot control, may have a significant impact on the market price of our common stock, which has been, and is likely to continue to be, volatile. For example:

 

   

biological or medical discoveries by competitors;

 

   

public concern about the safety of our drug candidates;

 

   

delays in the conduct or analysis of our preclinical or clinical studies;

 

   

unfavorable results from preclinical or clinical studies;

 

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delays in obtaining or failure to obtain purchase orders of our drug candidates;

 

   

announcements in the scientific and research community;

 

   

changes in the potential commercial markets for our drug candidates;

 

   

unfavorable developments concerning patents or other proprietary rights;

 

   

unfavorable domestic or foreign regulatory or governmental developments or actions;

 

   

broader economic, industry and market trends unrelated to our performance;

 

   

issuances of new equity securities by us, pursuant to our effective shelf registration statement or otherwise;

 

   

discussion of us or our stock price by the financial and scientific press and in online investor communities; or

 

   

additions or departures of key personnel

may have the effect of temporarily or permanently driving down the price of our common stock. In addition, the stock market from time to time experiences extreme price and volume fluctuations which particularly affect the market prices for emerging and life sciences companies, such as ours, and which are often unrelated to the operating performance of the affected companies. For example, our stock price has ranged from $0.13 to $0.75 between January 1, 2010 and May 2, 2011.

These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the ability of a stockholder to dispose of his shares at a price equal to or above the price at which the shares were purchased. In addition, in the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against that company. Any litigation against the Company, including this type of litigation, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

 

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

We made no unregistered sales of securities or repurchases of our securities during the quarter ended March 31, 2011.

 

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

None

 

Item 4. Reserved

 

Item 5. Other Information

None

 

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Item 6. Exhibits

 

(a) The following exhibits are included as part of this report:

 

Exhibit

Number

  

Description of Document

*3.1    Certificate of Ownership (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 16, 2010)
31.1    Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of James M. Frincke.
31.2    Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Robert W. Weber.
32.1    Section 1350 Certifications of James M. Frincke and Robert W. Weber.

 

* Previously 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.

 

    HARBOR BIOSCIENCES, INC.
Dated: May 10, 2011    

/s/ Robert W. Weber

      Robert W. Weber
     

Chief Financial Officer and Secretary

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

 

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