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Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 4 - Commitments and Contingencies

 

SIGA Litigation

 

In December 2006, we filed a complaint against SIGA Technologies, Inc. (“SIGA”) in the Delaware Court of Chancery.  The complaint alleged, among other things, that we have the right to license exclusively development and marketing rights for SIGA’s drug candidate, ST-246® (Tecovirimat), pursuant to a merger agreement between the parties that was terminated in 2006.  The complaint also alleged that SIGA failed to negotiate in good faith the terms of such a license pursuant to the terminated merger agreement. 

 

In September 2011, the Court issued an opinion in the case finding that SIGA had breached certain contractual obligations to us and upholding our claims of promissory estoppel.  The Court awarded us the right to receive 50% of all net profits related to the sale of ST-246®and related products for 10 years following initial commercial sale of the drug once SIGA earns $40 million in net profits from the sale of ST-246® and related products.  The Court also awarded us one-third of our reasonable attorney's fees and expert witness fees, which amounts to approximately $2.4 million. In May 2012, the Court issued its final judgment. Both parties are appealing aspects of the decision to the Delaware Supreme Court.

    

We can provide no assurances that SIGA will not prevail on its appeal, that we will be successful in our appeal, and that the Delaware Supreme Court will not overturn the trial court’s decision awarding us a 10 year 50% net profit of the sales of ST-246®and related products (once SIGA retains the first $40 million in net profit). We have not yet recorded any amount due from SIGA in relation to this case.

  

Government Contracting

 

Payments to the Company on cost-plus-fee contracts are provisional and are subject to adjustment upon audit by the Defense Contract Audit Agency and BARDA. In our opinion, adjustments that may result from audits are not expected to have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

 

Registration Rights Agreements

 

We entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with the investors who participated in the July 2009 private placement of convertible notes and related warrants.  We subsequently filed two registration statements on Form S-3 with the Securities and Exchange Commission to register the shares underlying the convertible notes and related warrants, which registration statements have been declared effective. We are obligated to maintain the registration statements effective until the date when all shares underlying the convertible notes and related warrants (and any other securities issued or issuable with respect to in exchange for such shares) have been sold. The convertible notes were converted or extinguished in 2010, although the related warrants remain outstanding.

 

We have separate registration rights agreements with investors, under which we have obligations to keep the corresponding registration statements effective until the registrable securities (as defined in each agreement) have been sold, and under which we may have separate obligations to file registration statements in the future on either a demand or “piggy-back” basis or both.

 

Under the terms of the convertible notes, which were converted or extinguished in 2010, if after the 2nd consecutive business day (other than during an allowable blackout period) on which sales of all of the securities required to be included on the registration statement cannot be made pursuant to the registration statement (a “Maintenance Failure”), we will be required to pay to each selling stockholder a one-time payment of 1.0% of the aggregate principal amount of the convertible notes relating to the affected shares on the initial day of a Maintenance Failure. Our total maximum obligation under this provision at June 30, 2012, would be approximately $0.2 million.

 

  

Following a Maintenance Failure, we will also be required to make to each selling stockholder monthly payments of 1.0% of the aggregate principal amount of the convertible notes relating to the affected shares on every 30th day after the initial day of a Maintenance Failure, in each case prorated for shorter periods and until the failure is cured. Our total maximum obligation under this provision would be approximate $0.2 million for each month until the failure, if it occurs, is cured.