EIB loan guaranty

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

EIB loan guaranty

Note 6 – EIB loan guaranty

The following table summarizes the Company’s EIB loan guaranty as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

	March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
EIB	$	10,920,451		$	10,873,867
Total obligations		10,920,451			10,873,867
Unamortized discount		-			-
Carrying value of EIB loan guaranty		10,920,451			10,873,867
Less EIB loan guaranty (current portion)		(10,920,451	)		(10,873,867	)
Long-term EIB loan guaranty	$	-		$	-

EIB Loan Facility

In 2016, Curetis entered into a contract for an up to €25.0 million senior, unsecured loan financing facility from the EIB. The funding could be drawn in up to five tranches within 36 months of entry into the contract, under the EIB amendment, and each tranche was to be repaid upon maturity five years after draw-down.

In April 2017, Curetis drew down a first tranche of €10.0 million from this facility. This tranche had a floating interest rate of EURIBOR plus 4% payable after each 12-month-period from the draw-down-date and another additional 6% interest per annum that is deferred and payable at maturity together with the principal. In June 2018, a second tranche of €3.0 million was drawn down. The terms and conditions are analogous to the first one. In June 2019, Curetis drew down a third tranche of €5.0 million from the EIB. In line with all prior tranches, the majority of interest is also deferred until repayment upon maturity. In return for the EIB waiving the condition precedent of a minimum cumulative equity capital raised of €15.0 million to disburse this €5.0 million third tranche, the parties agreed on a 2.1% PPI. Upon maturity of the tranche, the EIB would be entitled to an additional payment that is equity-linked and equivalent to 2.1% of the then total valuation of Curetis N.V. As part of the amendment between the Company and the EIB on July 9, 2020, the parties adjusted the PPI percentage applicable to the third EIB tranche of €5.0 million, which was funded in June 2019, from its original 2.1% PPI in Curetis N.V.’s equity value upon maturity to a new 0.3% PPI in OpGen’s equity value upon maturity. This right constituted an embedded derivative, which is separated and measured at fair value with changes being accounted for through income or loss. The EIB debt was measured and recognized at fair value as of the acquisition date. The fair value of the EIB debt was approximately €14.4 million (approximately $15.8 million) as of the acquisition date. The resulting debt discount was to be amortized over the life of the EIB debt as an increase to interest expense.

On May 23, 2022, the Company and the EIB entered into a Waiver and Amendment Letter (the “2022 EIB Amendment”) relating to the amendment of the EIB loan facility, between the EIB and Curetis, pursuant to which Curetis borrowed an aggregate amount of €18.0 million in three tranches. The 2022 EIB Amendment restructured the first tranche of approximately €13.4 million (including accumulated and deferred interest) of the Company’s outstanding indebtedness with the EIB. Pursuant to the 2022 EIB Amendment, the Company repaid €5.0 million to the EIB in April 2022. The Company also agreed, among other things, to amortize the remainder of the debt tranche over the twelve-month period beginning in May 2022. Accordingly, the Company agreed to pay a monthly amount of approximately €0.7 million through April 2023. The Amendment also provided for an increase of the PPI applicable to the third tranche under the loan facility from 0.3% to 0.75%. The terms of the second and third tranches of the Company’s indebtedness of €3.0 million and €5.0 million, respectively, plus accumulated deferred interest, remained unchanged pursuant to the 2022 EIB Amendment. The second tranche became due and payable by the Company to the EIB in June 2023, and the third tranche would have become due and payable in June 2024. As the effective borrowing rate under the amended agreement is less than the effective borrowing rate under the previous agreement, a concession is deemed to have been granted under ASC 470-60. As a concession has been granted, the agreement was accounted for as a troubled debt restructuring under ASC 470-60. The amendment did not result in a gain on restructuring as the future undiscounted cash outflows required under the amended agreement exceed the carrying value of the debt immediately prior to the amendment.

On June 26, 2023, the Company announced that its subsidiary Curetis and the European Investment Bank (“EIB”) agreed in principle to certain terms relating to the repayment of the second tranche of Curetis’ loan from the EIB pursuant to that certain Finance Contract, dated December 12, 2016, as amended, by and between Curetis and the EIB (the “Finance Contract”). The second tranche had a principal balance of €3 million plus accumulated and deferred interest. The second tranche was drawn down in June 2018 and matured on June 22, 2023. On July 4, 2023, the EIB and Curetis entered into a Standstill Agreement pursuant to which the EIB agreed that, with respect to each default or event of default relating to such second tranche, the EIB would not take any action or exercise any right under the Finance Contract until the earlier of a restructuring of the second tranche and November 30, 2023. As a condition to entering into the Standstill Agreement, Curetis paid the EIB a partial payment of interest on the second tranche of €1 million on June 22, 2023. In addition, Curetis agreed to certain undertakings during the standstill period, including the delivery of a rolling cash flow forecast and to cause a third-party restructuring expert to prepare and deliver a restructuring opinion to the EIB. EIB could terminate the Standstill Agreement upon notice to Curetis if, among other customary termination rights, Curetis or the guarantors fail to comply with any undertakings in the Standstill Agreement, the third party expert determines that there are no prospects for a successful restructuring of the second tranche and that it therefore will be unable to issue a restructuring opinion, or the cash flow forecast shows a negative liquidity shortfall during the specified period.

On November 20, 2023, Curetis received a termination notice from the EIB terminating the Standstill Agreement effective as of November 20, 2023. The EIB’s termination notice stated that the termination of the Standstill Agreement was as a result of and in connection with certain defaults of the Standstill Agreement arising from, among other related reasons, Curetis’ and Ares’ entry into insolvency proceedings. On December 4, 2023, the Company received a notice from the EIB stating that Curetis is in default of the Finance Contract as a result of, among other things, Curetis’ failure to repay when due certain outstanding indebtedness under the Finance Contract. In its notice, the EIB stated that, as of November 16, 2023, the aggregate amount of principal, accrued interest and all other amounts owed by Curetis to the EIB under the Finance Contract was approximately 9.66 million euro and that interest will continue to accrue in accordance with the Finance Contract until all amounts owed are paid in full. Pursuant to that certain Guarantee and Indemnity Agreement, dated July 9, 2020 (the “Guaranty”), between the EIB and the Company, the EIB demanded that the Company, as guarantor, immediately repay the EIB all amounts owed to the EIB under the Finance Contract and reserved all of its other rights and remedies in connection with the Finance Contract. As of the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Guaranty remained unpaid and outstanding, with the liability reflected on the Company’s financial statements, which was previously on Curetis’ balance sheet.

In connection with the Company’s entry into the March 2024 Purchase Agreement with David E. Lazar on March 25, 2024, the Company entered into settlement agreements with each of the EIB and Curetis and Curetis’ trustee in insolvency, pursuant to which the parties agreed to settle outstanding liabilities amongst the parties. Pursuant to the settlement agreements, following the final closing of the transactions contemplated by the March 2024 Purchase Agreement, the Company will pay a total of $2.0 million of the proceeds to settle all outstanding debt of the Company to EIB and Curetis. The settlement agreement with EIB also terminated the Guaranty. Upon termination of the Guaranty, the Company anticipates recording a gain on extinguishment of debt in excess of $8 million.

As of March 31, 2024, the outstanding borrowings under all tranches were €10.1 million (approximately $10.9 million), including deferred interest payable at maturity of €1.6 million (approximately $1.8 million).

Total interest expense (including amortization of debt discounts and financing fees) on all debt instruments was $0 and $617,298 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Upon deconsolidation of the Company’s subsidiaries in 2023, the Company reclassified the EIB liability from a loan to a loan guaranty which is recorded based on its fair value with changes being recognized as part of net income at each reporting date.