UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
Commission File Number:
(Name of registrant in its charter)
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(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
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(Issuer’s telephone number) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class |
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| Name of each exchange on which registered |
The |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the past 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.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “accelerated filer”, “large accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |
☒ | Smaller reporting company | |||
Emerging growth company |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No
As of August 1, 2022, the Company had
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements
MARKER THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(UNAUDITED)
| June 30, |
| December 31, | |||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||
ASSETS | ||||||
Current assets: | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | | $ | | ||
Restricted cash | | | ||||
Prepaid expenses and deposits |
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Other receivables | | | ||||
Total current assets |
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Non-current assets: |
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Property, plant and equipment, net |
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Construction in progress | | | ||||
Right-of-use assets, net | | | ||||
Total non-current assets | | | ||||
Total assets | $ | | $ | | ||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY |
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Current liabilities: |
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Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | $ | | $ | | ||
Related party deferred revenue | | | ||||
Lease liability | | | ||||
Deferred revenue | | | ||||
Total current liabilities |
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Non-current liabilities: |
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Lease liability, net of current portion | | | ||||
Total non-current liabilities | | | ||||
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Total liabilities |
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Stockholders' equity: |
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Preferred stock - $ | ||||||
Common stock, $ | | | ||||
Additional paid-in capital |
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Accumulated deficit |
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Total stockholders' equity |
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Total liabilities and stockholders' equity | $ | | $ | |
See accompanying notes to these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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MARKER THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
| For the Three Months Ended |
| For the Six Months Ended | |||||||||
June 30, |
| June 30, | ||||||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||||
Revenues: | ||||||||||||
Grant income | $ | | $ | — | $ | | $ | — | ||||
Total revenues |
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Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||
Research and development | $ | | $ | | | | ||||||
General and administrative |
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Total operating expenses |
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Loss from operations |
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Other income (expenses): |
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Arbitration settlement | — | — | ( | — | ||||||||
Interest income |
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Net loss | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||
Net loss per share, basic and diluted | ( | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, basic and diluted |
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See accompanying notes to these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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MARKER THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(UNAUDITED)
For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 | ||||||||||||||
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Common Stock | Additional Paid- | Accumulated | Stockholders’ | |||||||||||
Shares |
| Par value | in Capital | Deficit | Equity | |||||||||
Balance at April 1, 2022 |
| | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | | ||||
Issuance common shares for cash, net | | | | — | | |||||||||
Stock-based compensation | — | — | | — | | |||||||||
Net loss |
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Balance at June 30, 2022 |
| | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | |
For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| Total | |||||||||||||
Common Stock | Additional Paid- | Accumulated | Stockholders’ | |||||||||||
| Shares |
| Par value |
| in Capital |
| Deficit |
| Equity | |||||
Balance at January 1, 2022 |
| | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | | ||||
Issuance common shares for cash, net | | | | — | | |||||||||
Stock-based compensation | |
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Net loss |
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Balance at June 30, 2022 |
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For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2021 | ||||||||||||||
Total | ||||||||||||||
Common Stock | Additional Paid- | Accumulated | Stockholders’ | |||||||||||
| Shares |
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| Deficit |
| Equity | |||||
Balance at April 1, 2021 | | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | | |||||
Stock options exercised for cash | | | | — | | |||||||||
Stock-based compensation | | | | — | | |||||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
Balance at June 30, 2021 | | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | |
For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 | ||||||||||||||
Total | ||||||||||||||
Common Stock | Additional Paid- | Accumulated | Stockholders’ | |||||||||||
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| Par value |
| in Capital |
| Deficit |
| Equity | |||||
Balance at January 1, 2021 | | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | | |||||
Issuance of common stock for cash (net of offering costs of $ | | | | — | | |||||||||
Stock options exercised for cash | | | | — | | |||||||||
Stock-based compensation | | | | — | | |||||||||
Net loss | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
Balance at June 30, 2021 | | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | |
See accompanying notes to these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
3
MARKER THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(UNAUDITED)
For the Six Months Ended | ||||||
June 30, | ||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||
Cash Flows from Operating Activities: | ||||||
Net loss | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
Reconciliation of net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
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Depreciation and amortization | | | ||||
Stock-based compensation |
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Amortization on right-of-use assets |
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Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
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Prepaid expenses and deposits |
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Other receivables |
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Accounts payable and accrued expenses |
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Related party deferred revenue | | | ||||
Deferred revenue | ( | | ||||
Lease liability | ( | ( | ||||
Net cash used in operating activities |
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Cash Flows from Investing Activities: |
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Purchase of property and equipment |
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Purchase of construction in progress | ( | ( | ||||
Net cash used in investing activities |
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Cash Flows from Financing Activities: |
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Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net |
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Proceeds from exercise of stock options |
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Net cash provided by financing activities |
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Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivlants and restricted cash |
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Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of the period |
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Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of the period | $ | | $ | |
| For the Six Months Ended | |||||
June 30, | ||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||
Supplemental schedule of non-cash financing and investing activities: | ||||||
Reclassifications between construction in progress and fixed assets | $ | | $ | | ||
Capital expenditures included in accounts payable | $ | | $ | | ||
Changes to right-of-use assets and lease liability due to close out of an operating lease | $ | | $ | |
See accompanying notes to these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
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MARKER THERAPEUTICS, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2022
(Unaudited)
NOTE 1: NATURE OF OPERATIONS
Marker Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company” or “we”), is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company specializing in the development and commercialization of novel T cell-based immunotherapies and innovative peptide-based vaccines for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications. The Company’s MultiTAA T cell technology is based on the selective expansion of non-engineered, tumor-specific T cells that recognize tumor associated antigens, which are tumor targets, and kill tumor cells expressing those targets. These T cells are designed to recognize multiple tumor targets to produce broad spectrum anti-tumor activity.
NOTE 2: BASIS OF PRESENTATION
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and pursuant to the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and on the same basis as the Company prepares its annual audited consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair presentation of such interim results.
The results for the condensed consolidated statement of operations are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2022 or for any future interim period. The condensed consolidated balance sheet at June 30, 2022 has been derived from unaudited financial statements; however, it does not include all of the information and notes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021 and notes thereto included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K filed on March 17, 2022.
NOTE 3: LIQUIDITY, GOING CONCERN AND FINANCIAL CONDITION
As of June 30, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $
In August 2021, the Company entered into a Controlled Equity OfferingSM Sales Agreement (the “ATM Agreement”) with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and RBC Capital Markets, LLC (the “Sales Agents”), pursuant to which the Company can offer and sell, from time to time at its sole discretion through the Sales Agents, shares of its common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $
5
In August 2021, the Company received notice of a Product Development Research award totaling approximately $
On April 21, 2022, the Company entered into a binding services agreement (the “Agreement”), effective April 12, 2022, with Wilson Wolf Manufacturing Corporation (“Wilson Wolf”). Mr. John Wilson is a member of the Company’s board of directors and is serving as the CEO of Wilson Wolf, therefore Wilson Wolf is a related party. Wilson Wolf is in the business of creating products and services intended to simply and expedite the transition of cell therapies and gene-modified cell therapies to mainstream society (the “Wilson Wolf Mission”). Pursuant to the Agreement, Wilson Wolf made a cash payment to the Company in the amount of $
The Company expects to continue to incur substantial losses over the next several years during its development phase. To fully execute its business plan, the Company will need to complete certain research and development activities and clinical trials. Further, the Company’s product candidates will require regulatory approval prior to commercialization. These activities will span many years and require substantial expenditures to complete and may ultimately be unsuccessful. Any delays in completing these activities could adversely impact the Company. The Company plans to meet its capital requirements primarily through issuances of debt and equity securities and, in the longer term, revenue from sales of its product candidates, if approved.
Based on the Company’s clinical and research and development plans and its timing expectations related to the progress of its programs, the Company expects that its cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2022 will enable the Company to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements through the second quarter of 2023. The Company has based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and the Company could utilize its available capital resources sooner than it currently expects. Furthermore, the Company’s operating plan may change, and it may need additional funds sooner than planned in order to meet operational needs and capital requirements for product development and commercialization. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the development and commercialization of the Company’s product candidates and the extent to which the Company may enter into additional collaborations with third parties to participate in their development and commercialization, the Company is unable to estimate the amounts of increased capital outlays and operating expenditures associated with its current and anticipated clinical trials. The Company’s future funding requirements will depend on many factors, as it:
● | initiates or continues clinical trials of its product candidates; |
● | continues the research and development of its product candidates and seeks to discover additional product candidates; |
● | seeks regulatory approvals for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials; |
● | continues development of its manufacturing capabilities and manufacturing facility; |
● | maintains and enforces intellectual property rights; |
● | establishes sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure and scale-up manufacturing capabilities to commercialize any product candidates that may receive regulatory approval; |
● | evaluates strategic transactions the Company may undertake; and |
● | enhances operational, financial and information management systems and hires additional personnel, including personnel to support development of product candidates and, if a product candidate is approved, commercialization efforts. |
We have no sources of revenue to provide incoming cash flows to sustain our future operations. As outlined above, our ability to pursue our planned business activities is dependent upon our successful efforts to raise additional capital.
These factors raise substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern. Our condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which implies that we will continue to realize our assets and discharge our liabilities in the normal course of business. Our financial statements do not include any adjustments to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern.
In addition to the foregoing, based on the Company’s current assessment, the Company does not expect any material impact on its long-term liquidity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Company will continue to assess the effect of the pandemic on its
6
operations, including its clinical programs. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the Company’s business and operations will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the geographic spread of the disease, the duration of the outbreak, the emergence of any new variant strains of COVID-19, the duration and effect of any future business disruptions in the United States and other countries to contain and treat the disease and the rate of public acceptance and efficacy of vaccines and other treatments. Further, disruption of global financial markets and a recession or market correction, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the related sanctions imposed against Russia, and other global macroeconomic factors such as inflation, could reduce the Company’s ability to access capital, which could in the future negatively affect the Company’s liquidity and could materially affect the Company’s business and the value of its common stock.
On February 16, 2022, the Company received a notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market that the Company was not in compliance with Nasdaq’s Listing Rule 5450(a)(1), as the minimum bid price of its common stock had been below $
NOTE 4: SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Prior Period Reclassification
Certain reclassifications have been made to reclass certain non-cash capital expenditures on the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows from a cash outflow from investing activity to a non-cash investing activity. The Company has evaluated the materiality of this adjustment and concluded it was not material to the previously issued consolidated financial statements and had no impact to the reported condensed consolidated balance sheets, consolidated statements of operations or net loss per share.
For the six months ended June 30, 2021, this immaterial adjustment had the effect of decreasing net cash used in operating activities and increasing net cash used in investing activities by $
Grant Income
The Company recognizes grant income in accordance with the terms stipulated under the grant awarded to the Company’s collaborators at the Mayo Foundation from the U. S. Department of Defense. In various situations, the Company receives certain payments from the Mayo Foundation for reimbursement of clinical supplies. These payments are non-refundable and are not dependent on the Company’s ongoing future performance. The Company has adopted a policy of recognizing these payments when received and as revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Update No. 2014 09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” issued by FASB.
In August 2021, the Company received notice of a Product Development Research award totaling approximately $
In accordance with ASC 730-20-25-8, to the extent the financial risk associated with the research and development has been transferred to CPRIT, because repayment of the grant depends solely on the results of research and development having future economic benefit, the Company accounts for this obligation as a contract to perform research and development for others. The funds received from CPRIT will initially be recorded as a deferred credit in the Company’s balance sheet.
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Restricted cash received from grants in advance of incurring qualifying costs is recorded as deferred revenue and recognized as revenue when qualifying costs are incurred. The Company recorded $
New Accounting Standards
From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by FASB or other standard setting bodies that the Company adopts as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, the Company does not believe that the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will have a material impact on its consolidated financial position or results of operations upon adoption.
NOTE 5: NET LOSS PER SHARE
Basic loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted loss per common share is computed similarly to basic loss per common share except that it reflects the potential dilution that could occur if dilutive securities or other obligations to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock.
The following table sets forth the computation of net loss per share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively:
| For the Three Months Ended |
| For the Six Months Ended | |||||||||
June 30, |
| June 30, | ||||||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||||
Numerator: | ||||||||||||
Net loss | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||
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Denominator: |
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Weighted average common shares outstanding |
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Net loss per share: |
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Basic and diluted | ( | ( | ( | ( |
The following securities, rounded to the nearest thousand, were not included in the diluted net loss per share calculation because their effect was anti-dilutive for the periods presented:
For the Six Months Ended | ||||
June 30, | ||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |
Common stock options |
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Common stock purchase warrants |
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Potentially dilutive securities |
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NOTE 6: PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment consist of the following as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively:
June 30, | December 31, | |||||||
| Estimated Useful Lives |
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||
Lab and manufacturing equipment | $ | | $ | | ||||
Computers, equipment and software |
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Office furniture |
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Leasehold improvements | Lesser of lease term or estimated useful life | | | |||||
Total |
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Less: accumulated depreciation |
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Construction in progress | — | | ||||||
Total fixed assets, net |
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In connection with the manufacturing facility, the Company has incurred costs pursuant to an agreement with a vendor to design, engineer, build and eventually install a second modular cleanrooms in a manufacturing facility. The completion of the facility’s construction occurred during April 2022 and the Company received its certificate of occupancy in May 2022, and as such was placed into service in June 2022. During the three months ended June 30, 2022, $
Depreciation expense for the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 was approximately $
Depreciation expense for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 was approximately $
$
NOTE 7: LEASES
The Company leases manufacturing, research and administrative facilities under operating leases. The Company evaluates its contracts to determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception and classify it as a finance or operating lease. Currently, all of the Company’s leases are classified as operating leases. Leased assets and corresponding liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the lease payments over the lease term. The lease terms may include options to extend when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option.
Topic ASC 842 requires the Company to recognize in the statement of financial position a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. Right-of-use assets are recorded in other assets on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. Current and non-current lease liabilities are recorded in other accruals within current liabilities and other non-current liabilities, respectively, on its condensed consolidated balance sheets. Costs associated with operating leases are recognized on a straight-line basis within operating expenses over the term of the lease.
As of June 30, 2022, the Company had total operating lease liabilities of approximately $
Such leases do not require any contingent rental payments, impose any financial restrictions, or contain any residual value guarantees. Certain of the Company’s leases include renewal options and escalation clauses; renewal options have not been included in the calculation of the lease liabilities and right-of-use assets as the Company is not reasonably certain to exercise the options. Variable expenses generally represent the Company’s share of the landlord’s operating expenses. The Company does not act as a lessor or have any leases classified as financing leases.
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The following summarizes quantitative information about the Company’s operating leases for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively:
| For the Three Months Ended |
| For the Six Months Ended | |||||||||
June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||||
Operating lease expense summary: |
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Operating lease expense | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | ||||
Short-term lease expense |
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Variable lease expense |
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Total | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | |
For the Six Months Ended | ||||||
June 30, | ||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||
Other information: |
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Operating cash flows - operating leases | $ | | $ | |
The weighted-average remaining lease term as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 was approximately
Maturities of our operating leases, excluding short-term leases, are as follows:
Six months ending December 31, 2022 |
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Year ended December 31, 2023 |
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Year ended December 31, 2024 |
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Year ended December 31, 2025 |
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Year ended December 31, 2026 | | ||
Thereafter | | ||
Total | | ||
Less present value discount |
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Operating lease liabilities included in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at June 30, 2022 | $ | |
NOTE 8: ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND ACCRUED LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities consist of the following as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively:
| June 30, |
| December 31, | |||
2022 | 2021 | |||||
Accounts payable | $ | | $ | | ||
Compensation and benefits |
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Process development expenses | | | ||||
Professional fees |
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Technology license fees |
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Arbitration settlement fees |
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Other |
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Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities | $ | | $ | |
NOTE 9: RELATED PARTY DEFERRED REVENUE
On April 21, 2022, the Company entered into a binding services agreement, effective April 12, 2022, with Wilson Wolf Manufacturing Corporation (“Wilson Wolf”). Wilson Wolf is in the business of creating products and services intended to simplify and expedite the transition of cell therapies and gene-modified cell therapies to mainstream society (the “Wilson Wolf Mission”). Pursuant to the
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agreement, Wilson Wolf made a cash payment to the Company in the amount of $
● | $ |
● | $ |
● | $ |
● | $ |
Pursuant to the Agreement, in the event that Marker becomes insolvent, goes out of business, or an event other than force majeure occurs that cannot allow the Agreement to be fulfilled, Wilson Wolf will have right of first offer and right of first refusal for Marker’s manufacturing facility provided it is able and willing to meet whatever financial obligations are required to do so and provided further that such clause will not apply in the event of a merger, reorganization or consolidation of Marker with a third party that results in the outstanding voting securities of Marker immediately prior thereto ceasing to represent, or being converted into or exchanged for voting securities that do not represent, at least fifty percent (
The Company plans to recognize related party revenue over time in accordance with Accounting Standard Codification, or ASC, 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as each of the training or and research services are provided to Wilson Wolf. Revenue will be recognized, using an output method based on progress toward satisfaction of the performance obligations. Additionally, in accordance the spirit of the standard expressed in ASC 606-50-1, the timing of the revenue recognition is expected to be approximately 12 months. For the three-month period ending June 30, 2022, the Company did not recognize any revenues pursuant to this agreement and therefore at June 30, 2022, the Company recorded an $
NOTE 10: STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Increase in Authorized Shares
During the six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company’s board of directors and stockholders approved a Certificate of Amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation to increase the authorized shares of common stock of the Company from
Approval of Reverse Stock Split to be Effected at the Discretion of the Board of Directors
During the six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company’s board of directors and stockholders approved a series of alternate amendments to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation to effect a reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock, where the board of directors will have the discretion to select the reverse stock split ratio from within a range between and including one-for-
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Common Stock Transactions
Issuance of Restricted Stock Units to Executives
During the six months ended June 30, 2022, upon the recommendation of the compensation committee and pursuant to the Company’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, the Company’s board of directors approved the issuance of a total of
Issuance of Stock Pursuant to ATM Agreement
During the six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company sold
Share Purchase Warrants
A summary of the Company’s share purchase warrants as of June 30, 2022 and changes during the period is presented below:
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| Weighted Average |
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Number of | Weighted Average | Remaining Contractual | Total Intrinsic | |||||||
| Warrants |
| Exercise Price |
| Life (in years) |
| Value | |||
Balance - January 1, 2022 |
| | $ | | $ | — | ||||
Warrants granted | — | — | — | — | ||||||
Expired or cancelled | ( | | — |
| — | |||||
Balance - June 30, 2022 | | $ | | $ | — |
NOTE 11: STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
Stock Options
2022 Equity Incentive Awards
On February 17, 2022, pursuant to the Company’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, the compensation committee of the Company’s board of directors approved a total of
The above awards were in addition to
Additionally,
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Also, pursuant to the Company’s Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy, which had previously been approved by the Company’s board of directors,
A summary of the Company’s stock option activity for the six months ended June 30, 2022 is as follows:
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| Weighted Average | |||||||
Remaining | ||||||||||
Weighted Average | Contractual | |||||||||
| Number of Shares |
| Exercise Price |
| Total Intrinsic Value |
| Life (in years) | |||
Outstanding as of January 1, 2022 |
| | $ | | $ | — | ||||
Granted |
| | | — | ||||||
Canceled/Expired |
| ( | | — | — | |||||
Outstanding as of June 30, 2022 |
| | $ | | $ | — | ||||
Options vested and exercisable |
| | $ | | $ | — |
The Black-Scholes option pricing model is used to estimate the fair value of stock options granted under the Company’s share-based compensation plans. The weighted average assumptions used in calculating the fair values of stock options that were granted during the six months ended June 30, 2022 was as follows:
For the Six Months Ended | ||||
| June 30, 2022 |
| ||
Exercise price | $ | | ||
Expected term (years) |
| |||
Expected stock price volatility |
| | % | |
Risk-free rate of interest |
| | % | |
Expected dividend rate |
| | % |
The following table sets forth stock-based compensation expenses recorded during the respective periods:
| For the Three Months Ended |
| For the Six Months Ended | |||||||||
June 30, |
| June 30, | ||||||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||||
Stock Compensation expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
Research and development | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | ||||
General and administrative |
| |
| |
| |
| | ||||
Total stock compensation expenses | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | |
As of June 30, 2022, the total stock-based compensation cost related to unvested awards not yet recognized was $
NOTE 12: GRANT INCOME
In August 2021, the Company received notice of a Product Development Research award totaling approximately $
13
During the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company received $
NOTE 13: LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From time to time, the Company may be party to ordinary, routine litigation incidental to their business. The Company knows of no material, active or pending legal proceedings against the Company, nor is the Company involved as a plaintiff in any material proceeding or pending litigation. There are no proceedings in which any of the Company’s directors, officers or affiliates, or any registered or beneficial shareholder, is an adverse party or has a material interest adverse to the Company’s interest.
An arbitration proceeding was brought against the Company before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) by a broker seeking to be paid compensation for two financing transactions that occurred in 2018, a warrant conversion and a private placement brokered by another broker. The broker’s claims were based on a placement agent agreement for a private placement it brokered in 2017, under which it alleged it was entitled to compensation for the 2018 transactions. The FINRA panel found in favor of the broker and awarded the broker $
NOTE 14: RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The following table sets forth related party transaction expenses recorded for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
For the Three Months Ended |
| For the Six Months Ended | ||||||||||
June 30, |
| June 30, | ||||||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| 2022 |
| 2021 | |||||
Baylor College of Medicine | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | ||||
Bio-Techne Corporation | — | | | | ||||||||
Wilson Wolf Manufacturing Corporation | | — | | | ||||||||
Total Research and development | $ | |
| $ | | $ | |
| $ | |
$
Agreements with The Baylor College of Medicine (“BCM”).
In November 2018, January 2020 and February 2020, the Company entered in Sponsored Research Agreements with BCM, which provided for the conduct of research for the Company by credentialed personnel at BCM’s Center for Cell and Gene Therapy.
In September 2019, May 2020 and July 2021, the Company entered into Clinical Supply Agreements with BCM, which provided for BCM to provide to the Company multi tumor antigen specific products.
In October 2019, the Company entered in a Workforce Grant Agreement with BCM, which provided for BCM to provide to the Company manpower costs of projects for manufacturing, quality control testing and validation run activities.
In August 2020, the Company entered in a Clinical Trial Agreement with BCM, which provided for BCM to provide to the Company investigator-initiated research studies.
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The Company has also entered into a Clinical Site Agreement with BCM, which provided for BCM to conduct clinical trials for the Company.
Purchases from Bio-Techne Corporation.
The Company is currently utilizing Bio-Techne Corporation and two of its brands for the purchases of reagents, primarily cytokines. Mr. David Eansor is a member of the Company’s board of directors and was serving as the President of the Protein Sciences Segment of Bio-Techne Corporation. Mr. Eansor resigned from Bio-Techne Corporation on March 1. 2022, and as such, two months of transactions in 2022 are included in the table above.
Purchases from Wilson Wolf Manufacturing Corporation.
The Company is currently utilizing Wilson Wolf Manufacturing Corporation for the purchases of cell culture devices called G-Rexes. Mr. John Wilson is a member of the Company’s board of directors and is serving as the CEO of Wilson Wolf Manufacturing Corporation. Wilson Wolf Manufacturing became a related party during fiscal year 2021 due to the amounts of the Company’s purchases and as such, $
NOTE 15: SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
In August 2022, the Company implemented changes to the Company’s organizational structure as part of an operational cost reduction plan to conserve the Company’s available capital. In connection with these changes, the Company reduced headcount in its general and administrative function by approximately
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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that involve risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements relating to historical matters including statements to the effect that we “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “target”, “intend” and similar expressions should be considered forward-looking statements. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of important factors, including factors discussed in this section and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the risks discussed in our other filings with the SEC. Such risks and uncertainties may be amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential impact on our business and the global economy. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s analysis, judgment, belief or expectation only as the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstance that arise after the date hereof.
As used in this quarterly report: (i) the terms “we”, “us”, “our”, “Marker” and the “Company” mean Marker Therapeutics, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Marker Cell Therapy, Inc. and GeneMax Pharmaceuticals Inc. which wholly owns GeneMax Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., unless the context otherwise requires; (ii) “SEC” refers to the Securities and Exchange Commission; (iii) “Securities Act” refers to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; (iv) “Exchange Act” refers to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and (v) all dollar amounts refer to United States dollars unless otherwise indicated.
The following should be read in conjunction with our unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements and related notes included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Company Overview
We are a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company specializing in the development and commercialization of novel T cell-based immunotherapies and innovative peptide-based vaccines for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications. We developed our lead product candidates from our MultiTAA-specific T cell technology, which is based on the manufacture of non-engineered, tumor-specific T cells that recognize multiple tumor-associated antigens, or TAAs. MultiTAA-specific T cells are able to recognize multiple tumor targets to produce broad spectrum anti-tumor activity. When infused into a cancer patient, the MultiTAA-specific T cells are designed to kill cancer cells expressing the TAA targets and potentially recruit the patient’s immune system to participate in the cancer killing process.
We licensed the underlying technology for MultiTAA-specific T cell therapy from BCM in March 2018. BCM had utilized the therapy in seven exploratory clinical trials. In these studies, BCM treated over 150 patients suffering from a variety of cancers including lymphoma, multiple myeloma, acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and various sarcomas. In those studies, BCM saw evidence of clinical benefit, expansion of infused cells, epitope spreading, and decreased toxicity compared to other cellular therapies.
We are advancing three product candidates as part of our MultiTAA-specific T cell program for:
1. | autologous treatment of lymphoma, and selected solid tumors |
2. | allogeneic T cells for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, or AML |
3. | off-the-shelf products in various indications |
Our current clinical development programs are:
● | MT-401 for the treatment of post-transplant AML, currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial |
● | MT-401-OTS for the treatment of AML, for which we expect to dose the first patient in a Phase 1 clinical trial in 2023 |
● | MT-601 for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, for which we plan to submit an IND to the FDA in 2022 to initiate a Phase 1 trial in 2023 |
● | MT-601 for the treatment of lymphoma, for which we submitted an IND to the FDA to initiate a Phase 1 trial in 2023 |
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We believe that the simplicity of our manufacturing process allows additional modifications to expand MultiTAA-specific T cell recognition of cancer targets. For example, we are currently analyzing the potential for a 12-antigen MultiTAA-specific T cell therapy and assessing the potential for combination therapies for our MultiTAA-specific T cell products.
We have positioned ourselves to be in full control of our research and development and clinical manufacturing needs by establishing a fully validated, FDA registered, manufacturing facility. We believe that this has key advantages that distinguish us from our competitors, particularly because we are less reliant on contract manufacturing organizations, which are expensive and often have long lead times, shortages of skilled labor and a backlog of customers.
Pipeline
Our clinical-stage pipeline, including clinical trials being conducted by BCM and other partners, is set forth below:
Recent Developments
MT-601 for the Treatment of Lymphoma
In August 2022, we announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration had accepted our Investigational New Drug application for MT-601 for the treatment of patients with lymphoma. We intend to initiate a Phase 1 trial of MT-601 in patients with Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphomas in 2023.
MT-401 for the Treatment of AML
In August 2022, we provided the following program update for MT-401:
● | Marker has enrolled 13 evaluable patients in total, including 6 in the Safety Lead-in cohorts. |
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● | 5 patients have been treated with MT-401 manufactured by a revised process and have completed dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) periods with no DLTs reported. |
● | One additional MRD+ patient was treated and became MRD- at 8 weeks after the first infusion. |
MT-401-OTS
In August 2022, we announced that we remain on track to dose the first patient in 2023 with MT-401-OTS, a scalable, off-the-shelf product candidate with the potential to match patients to treatment in under three days. The Company is in the process of developing a patient cell bank inventory.
Results of Operations
In this discussion of our results of operations and financial condition, amounts in financial tables, other than per-share amounts, have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
Comparison of the Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 and 2021
The following table summarizes the results of our operations for the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021:
| For the Three Months Ended |
|
|
|
|
| ||||||
June 30, |
|
| ||||||||||
| 2022 |
| 2021 |
| Change |
| ||||||
Revenues: | ||||||||||||
Grant income | $ | 791,000 | $ | — | $ | 791,000 | 100 | % | ||||
Total revenues |
| 791,000 |
| — |
| 791,000 |
| 100 | % | |||
Operating expenses: |
|
|