Note 7 - Loan Payable

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Notes to Financial Statements

Long-Term Debt [Text Block]

NOTE 7– LOAN PAYABLE

On March 31, 2023 (the First Amendment Effective Date), the Company entered into a First Amendment to the Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement (the First Amendment) with Hercules Capital, Inc. (Hercules). The First Amendment amended the terms of the Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement (Amended Loan Agreement) with Hercules that closed on December 30, 2021. The First Amendment amended the terms of the Amended Loan Agreement to, among other things: (i) issue an advance of $25.0 million drawn at the First Amendment Effective Date (the Tranche 3A Advance), (ii) provide for the formal expiration of Tranche 2, (iii) change the draw amounts and dates available under subsequent tranches, including splitting the remaining balance of Tranche 3 into two additional advances in an aggregate principal amount of up to $20.0 million, in increments of $10.0 million (a Tranche 3B Advance and a Tranche 3C Advance), decreasing the amount available under Tranche 4 from $65.0 million to $60.0 million, and adding a Tranche 5 of $25.0 million, subject to the achievement of revenue related performance milestones, (iv) extend the interest only period from February 1, 2025 to August 1, 2025 and (v) modify the cash interest rate to be the greater of either (a) the “prime rate” as reported in The Wall Street Journal plus 1.20%, and (b) 8.95%. In addition to the cash interest rate, the principal balance will accrue paid-in-kind interest at a rate of 2.25%, which amount will be capitalized and added to the outstanding principal balance of the Amended Term Loan and payable at the maturity date of the Amended Loan Agreement, as amended. The Amended Loan agreement, as amended, contains financial covenants that require the Company to maintain certain levels of unrestricted cash and additional financial covenants related to market capitalization.

The First Amendment also contains warrant coverage of 2.95% of each advance amount funded. A warrant (the Warrant) was issued by the Company to Hercules to purchase 115,042 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $17.95 for the initial amount funded at the Closing Date. The Warrant shall be exercisable for seven years from the date of issuance. Hercules may exercise the Warrant either by (a) cash or check or (b) through a net issuance conversion. Additionally, a warrant was issued by the Company to Hercules to purchase 50,172 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $14.70 for the amount funded pertaining to the Tranche 3A Advance (the First Amendment Warrant). The First Amendment Warrant shall be exercisable for seven years from the date of issuance. Hercules may exercise the First Amendment Warrant either by (a) cash or check or (b) through a net issuance conversion.

On August 2, 2024 (the New Closing Date), the Company entered into a term loan facility of $250 million (the Initial Term Loan) with Blue Owl Capital Corporation, as administrative agent (the Administrative Agent), HealthCare Royalty and Blue Owl Capital under the Financing Agreement (as defined below). The Company repaid all outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees under the First Amendment with Hercules (such repayment, the Refinancing), which Refinancing was funded with the proceeds of the Initial Term Loan. The existing Amended Loan Agreement with Hercules was effectively terminated, and all guarantees and liens granted thereunder were released upon the consummation of the Refinancing.

The Initial Term Loan is governed by a financing agreement, dated as of the New Closing Date (the Financing Agreement), which provides for (i) a single draw of the Initial Term Loan on the New Closing Date and (ii) an uncommitted additional facility in an aggregate principal amount of up to $100 million. The Initial Term Loan will mature on August 2, 2029 (the Term Loan Maturity Date). The Initial Term Loan accrues interest at a per annum rate of interest equal to an applicable margin plus, at the Company’s option, either (a) at a base rate determined by reference to the highest of (1) the prime rate published by the Wall Street Journal, (2) the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50% and (3) Term SOFR, plus 1.00% or (b) Term SOFR, which, shall be no less than 1.00%. The applicable margin for borrowings of the Initial Term Loan is determined on a quarterly basis by reference to a pricing grid based on the achievement of US Net Sales (as defined in the Financing Agreement) for the most recently completed four consecutive fiscal quarters of the Company and its Subsidiaries (as defined in the Financing Agreement). The pricing grid commences at 5.50% for SOFR borrowings and 4.50% for base rate borrowings and is subject to a 25 basis point step-down upon achievement of a specified US Net Sales threshold. The Initial Term Loan requires scheduled quarterly amortization payments, commencing with the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2028, in an amount equal to $12.5 million, with the balance due and payable on the Term Loan Maturity Date; provided that such amortization payments may be deferred to the Term Loan Maturity Date upon the achievement of a Total Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Financing Agreement) that is less than or equal to an agreed threshold.

The Initial Term Loan is secured by a lien on substantially all of the assets of the Company and certain subsidiaries of the Company as guarantors and contains customary covenants and representations. As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all financial covenants.

The events of default under the Financing Agreement are customary for financings of this type. If an event of default occurs, the Administrative Agent is entitled to take enforcement action, including acceleration of amounts due under the Financing Agreement.

The Company evaluated whether the Initial Term Loan represented a debt modification or extinguishment of the First Amendment with Hercules with ASC 470-50, Debt – Modifications and Extinguishments. As a result of the Initial Term Loan and effective termination of the First Amendment with Hercules, this transaction was accounted for by the Company under the extinguishment accounting model. The Company recorded a loss on extinguishment of debt of approximately $4.6 million in the Company’s statement of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, representing the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs and a prepayment charge. The Company capitalized third party fees from the Initial Term Loan to debt issuance costs and capitalized the facility fee incurred with the Administrative Agent as part of the Initial Term Loan to debt discount.

The Company incurred total financing and upfront costs of $6.0 million related to the Initial Term Loan which are recorded as debt issuance costs and debt discount costs and as an offset to loan payable on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. The debt issuance and debt discount costs are being amortized over the term of the debt using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method, and will be included in interest expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Amortization of debt issuance and debt discount costs was $5.6 million (including write off of remaining debt issuance balance under the First Amendment with Hercules), $2.4 million and $1.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. At December 31, 2024, the remaining unamortized balance of debt issuance and debt discount costs was $5.6 million.

The loan payable balance of the First Amendment as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, is as follows:

	December 31,		December 31,
(in thousands)	2024		2023
Loan payable	$	—	$	95,000
Add: Accreted Liability of final payment fee		—		10,230
		—		105,230
Less: unamortized debt issuance costs				(5,112	)
		—		100,118
Less: principal payments		—		—
Total loan payable		—		100,118
Less: current portion		—		—
Loan payable non-current	$	—	$	100,118

The loan payable balance of the Initial Term Loan as of December 31, 2024, is as follows:

	The Initial Term Loan
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2024
Loan payable	$	250,000
Add: Accreted Liability of final payment fee		—
		250,000
Less: unamortized debt issuance costs		(5,571	)
		244,429
Less: principal payments		—
Total loan payable		244,429
Less: current portion		—
Loan payable non-current	$	244,429