Debt (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Schedule of activity and balances associated with the Notes and related deferred transaction costs

Debt

Senior Convertible Notes, net

On November 3, 2014, Synergy closed a private offering of $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of 7.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2019, (the "Notes"), including the full exercise of the over-allotment option granted to the initial purchasers to purchase an additional $25.0 million aggregate principal amount of the Notes, interest payable semiannually in arrears on May 1 and November 1 of each year, beginning on May 1, 2015. The net proceeds from the offering were $187.3 million after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts and offering expenses. The Notes will mature on November 1, 2019, unless earlier purchased or converted. The Notes are convertible, at any time, into shares of Synergy’s common stock at an initial conversion rate of 321.5434 shares per $1,000 principal amount of notes, which is equivalent to the original conversion price of $3.11 per share.

Initial purchaser's discounts and offering expenses associated with the sale of the Notes of $12.7 million have been deferred and are being recognized as expense over the expected term of the Notes, calculated using the effective interest rate method. The remaining deferred debt costs have been presented as a reduction of the Notes in accordance with the newly adopted ASU No. 2015-3 “Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs”.

On February 28, 2017, Synergy received consents from certain holders of its Notes to enter into a Supplemental Indenture which eliminates certain restrictive covenants from the Indenture related to the Notes. The restrictive covenants eliminated from the Indenture are Limitation on Indebtedness, Future Financing Rights for Certain Investors and Licensing Limitations. On February 28, 2017, Synergy entered into the Supplemental Indenture with Wells Fargo, N.A., as trustee and paid an aggregate of approximately $1.6 million to such holders for the consent. These fees associated with the debt modification were accounted for under Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 470-50 and amortized using the effective interest method over the remaining term of the debt.

In March 2017, Synergy exchanged approximately $4.9 million aggregate principal amount of the Notes for approximately 1.8 million shares of its common stock, with approximately 1.6 million shares representing the conversion price of $3.11 pursuant to the existing terms of the Notes. The Company recognized a debt conversion expense of approximately $1.2 million representing 0.2 million shares for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. As of June 30, 2018, approximately $18.6 million of the Notes remain outstanding.

A summary of quarterly activity and balances associated with the Notes and related deferred debt costs is presented below:


($ in thousands)	Notes Balance		Deferred Debt Costs		Notes, net of Deferred Debt Costs























Balance, December 31, 2017	$	18,603	$	1,301	$	17,302
Less: amortization for the three months ended March 31, 2018			(178)		178
Balance, March 31, 2018	18,603		1,123		17,480
Less: amortization for the three months ended June 30, 2018			(177)		177
Balance, June 30, 2018	$	18,603	$	946	$	17,657

Long term debt, net

On September 1, 2017, Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. entered into a senior secured term loan of up to $300 million with CRG Servicing LLC, as administrative and collateral agent, and the lenders and guarantors party thereto (the "Term Loan"). The Term Loan is available for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Company borrowed $100 million at time of closing. In February 2018, the Company amended the Term Loan agreement. The amended Term Loan provides for future borrowings of $25 million, $25 million and $50 million on or before June 30, 2018, September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2018, respectively. Additionally, the total amount of the commitment was reduced from $300 million to $200 million (excluding PIK loans) and the Minimum Market Capitalization covenant of $300 million was revised to be 200% of the outstanding principal amount of the Term Loan (excluding PIK loans). In June 2018, Synergy further amended the Term Loan agreement to extend the draw down date of the second borrowing from June 30, 2018 to prior to August 29, 2018.

The Term Loan has a maturity date of June 30, 2025, unless earlier prepaid. The Term Loan bears interest at a rate equal to 9.5% per annum, with quarterly, interest-only payments until June 30, 2022, subject to extension through the maturity date upon the Company’s satisfaction of certain conditions. At the Company’s option, until June 30, 2019, a portion of the interest payments may be paid in kind, and thereby added to the principal. Following, the interest-only period, the Term Loan will amortize in equal quarterly installments unless entirely payable at maturity.

The obligations under the Term Loan are secured, subject to customary permitted liens and other agreed upon exceptions, by a perfected security interest in (i) all tangible and intangible assets of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors, except for certain customary excluded property, and (ii) all of the capital stock owned by the Company and Subsidiary Guarantors (limited, in the case of the stock of certain non-U.S. subsidiaries of the Company and certain U.S. subsidiaries substantially all of whose assets consist of equity interests in non-U.S. subsidiaries, to 65% of the capital stock of such subsidiaries, subject to certain exception). The obligations under the Term Loan are guaranteed by Synergy Advanced Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and each of the Company’s future direct and indirect subsidiaries (other than certain subsidiaries whose guarantee would result in material adverse tax consequences, subject to certain exceptions).

The Term Loan contains customary affirmative covenants, including covenants regarding the payment of taxes and other obligations, maintenance of insurance, reporting requirements and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Further, the Term Loan contains customary negative covenants limiting the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries, among other things, to incur future debt, grant liens, make investments, make acquisitions, make certain restricted payments and sell assets, subject to certain exceptions. In addition, the Term Loan requires the Company to comply with a minimum market capitalization covenant, maintain its status as a national exchange listed company, a daily minimum liquidity covenant and an annual revenue requirement based on the sales of TRULANCE.

The Term Loan may be prepaid by the Company at any time, subject to a prepayment premium of up to 40% of the principal amount, depending on the date of prepayment. Upon the occurrence of certain events relating to asset sales above a specified threshold or in the event of a change of control transaction, the Company may also be required to prepay all or a part of the outstanding principal and interest under the Term Loan in addition to the prepayment premium described above on the principal amount prepaid. Upon payment of the Term Loan at maturity or prepayment on any earlier date, a back-end facility fee will apply to the amounts paid or prepaid.

As of June 30, 2018, the Company was in compliance with all applicable covenants.

As of June 30, 2018, principal and PIK payments under the Term Loan were as follows:


	Principal and PIK Loan Repayments
Period Ending December 31,	($ in thousands)
2018	$	—
2019	—
2020	—
2021	—
2022 and thereafter	100,000
	100,000
Add: Accretion of back-end facility fee	436
Add: PIK interest	6,598
	107,034
Less: Debt financing costs, net of amortization	(6,707)
Balance at June 30, 2018	$	100,327

Schedule of principal and PIK payments under the Term Loan

As of June 30, 2018, principal and PIK payments under the Term Loan were as follows:


	Principal and PIK Loan Repayments
Period Ending December 31,	($ in thousands)
2018	$	—
2019	—
2020	—
2021	—
2022 and thereafter	100,000
	100,000
Add: Accretion of back-end facility fee	436
Add: PIK interest	6,598
	107,034
Less: Debt financing costs, net of amortization	(6,707)
Balance at June 30, 2018	$	100,327