UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Mark One)
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For
the fiscal year ended
OR
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from: _____________to______________
Commission
File Number:
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of | (I.R.S. Employer | |
incorporation or organization) | Identification No.) |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
The
(The NASDAQ Capital Market) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None.
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 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 and post such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “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 has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness
of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered
public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
If
securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant
included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No
The
aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of the last business day
of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was approximately $
As of April 22, 2024, there were shares of common stock issued and outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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GLOSSARY
The following are abbreviations and definitions of certain terms used in this Report, which are commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry:
“ACA” means the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often shortened to the Affordable Care Act, nicknamed Obamacare, which is a U.S. federal statute which provides numerous rights and protections that make health coverage fairer and easier to understand, along with subsidies (through “premium tax credits” and “cost-sharing reductions”) to make it more affordable. The law also expands the Medicaid program to cover more people with low incomes.
“ADR” means Authorized Distributor of Record. Under current federal law, an ADR means a distributor with whom a manufacturer has established an ongoing relationship to distribute such manufacturer’s products.
“CMS” means the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which is a federal agency within the HHS that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer Medicaid.
“CSA” means the Controlled Substances Act, the statute establishing federal U.S. drug policy under which the manufacture, importation, possession, use, and distribution of certain substances is regulated.
“DEA” means the Drug Enforcement Administration, a United States federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the United States.
“DQSA” means the Drug Quality and Security Act which is a law that amended the FFDCA to grant the FDA more authority to regulate and monitor the manufacturing of compounded drugs.
“FDA” means U.S. The Food and Drug Administration, which is a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; and by ensuring the safety of U.S. food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
“FFDCA” means the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which is a set of U.S. laws passed by Congress in 1938 giving authority to the FDA to oversee the safety of food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics.
“Generic drugs” are copies of brand-name drugs that have exactly the same dosage, intended use, effects, side effects, route of administration, risks, safety, and strength as the original drug.
“Health plan” means health insurance coverage provided by an individual or group that provides or pays the cost of medical care. Health plans can be provided by public (Medicaid) or private (an employer) entities.
“HHS”, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also known as the Health Department, is a cabinet-level department of the U.S. federal government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.
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“HIPAA” means the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which has the goal of making it easier for people to keep health insurance, protect the confidentiality and security of healthcare information and help the healthcare industry control administrative costs.
“Individually identifiable health information” is defined by HIPPA to mean information that is a subset of health information, including demographic information collected from an individual, and: (1) is created or received by a health care provider, health plan, employer, or health care clearinghouse; and (2) relates to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual; the provision of health care to an individual; or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to an individual; and (a) that identifies the individual; or (b) with respect to which there is reasonable basis to believe the information can be used to identify the individual.
“Medicaid” is a federal and state health insurance program in the U.S. that helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and personal care services.
“Medicare” is a national health insurance program in the U.S. It primarily provides health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older, but also for some younger people with disability status as determined by the Social Security Administration, as well as people with end stage renal disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease).
“NDC” means a National Drug Code, a unique 10-digit, 3-segment number. It is a universal product identifier for human drugs in the United States. The code is present on all non-prescription (OTC) and prescription medication packages and inserts in the U.S. The 3 segments of the NDC identify the labeler, the product, and the commercial package size.
“PBM” means a Pharmacy Benefits Manager. In the United States, a PBM is a third-party administrator of prescription drug programs for commercial health plans, self-insured employer plans, Medicare Part D plans (prescription drug plans), the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and state government employee plans.
“PDMA” means the Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987. The PDMA establishes legal safeguards for prescription drug distribution to ensure safe and effective pharmaceuticals and is designed to discourage the sale of counterfeit, adulterated, misbranded, subpotent, and expired prescription drugs.
“Pedigree tracking laws” mean laws which help ensure the integrity of the U.S. drug supply chain through the use of drug pedigrees, verifiable written or electronic documents that track each move in a drug’s journey from manufacturer to patient.
“PPE” means personal protective equipment, which is worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses. When used below, PPE typically refers to protective equipment used by medical personnel, including masks, sanitizers and gloves.
“Rebates” these are provided by manufacturers and are typically based on the ability of a payer to move market share for the manufacturer’s product. Rebates are confidential.
“SNI” means Serialized Numerical Identifier. Pursuant to FDA requirements, a product’s SNI has to include the item’s NDC and unique Serial Number (SN).
“Wholesaler” typically, the wholesaler is the first purchaser of a drug product – direct from the manufacturer. Wholesalers buy large quantities and then resell either direct to provider-purchasers (like a large health system, pharmacy or pharmacy chain), or resell to smaller, regional distributors for regional or local distribution to retail pharmacies and hospitals.
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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Report”) contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements which are subject to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Some of the statements in this Annual Report constitute forward-looking statements because they relate to future events or our future performance or future financial condition. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our company, our industry, our beliefs and our assumptions. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These factors include those set forth below and those disclosed under “Risk Factors”, below. Forward-looking statements in this Annual Report may include, for example, statements about:
● | Risks related to our history of operating losses and that our operations may not become profitable; | |
● | Claims relating to alleged violations of intellectual property rights of others; | |
● | Technical problems with our websites; | |
● | Risks relating to implementing our acquisition strategies, and the risk that acquisitions will likely be dilutive to our stockholders and we may not realize the anticipated benefits of certain strategic transactions that we pursue or effect; | |
● | Our ability to manage our growth; | |
● | Negative effects on our operations associated with the opioid pain medication health crisis; | |
● | Regulatory and licensing requirement risks; | |
● | Risks related to changes in the U.S. healthcare environment; | |
● | The status of our information systems, facilities and distribution networks; | |
● | Risks associated with the operations of our more established competitors; | |
● | Regulatory changes; | |
● | Healthcare fraud; |
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● | Our ability to respond to general economic conditions, including financial market volatility and disruption, elevated levels of inflation, and declining economic conditions in the United States; | |
● | Changes in laws or regulations relating to our operations; | |
● | Privacy laws; | |
● | System errors; | |
● | Dependence on current management; | |
● | Our growth strategy; and | |
● | Other risks disclosed below under, and incorporated by reference in, “Risk Factors”. |
The forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the section of this Annual Report entitled “Risk Factors”. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
We use words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “seeks,” “plans,” “estimates,” “targets” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those implied or expressed in the forward-looking statements for any reason, including the factors set forth in “Part I — Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report.
Although we believe that the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of those assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those assumptions also could be inaccurate. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statements in this Annual Report should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved.
We have based the forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report on information available to us on the date of this Annual Report, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in this Annual Report, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we may file in the future with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.
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PART I
ITEM 1. | BUSINESS |
INTRODUCTION
This information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplemental Data” of this Report.
Please see the “Glossary” above for a list of abbreviations and definitions used throughout this Report.
Our logo and some of our trademarks and tradenames are used in this Report. This Report may also include trademarks, tradenames and service marks that are the property of others. Solely for convenience, trademarks, tradenames and service marks referred to in this Report may appear without the ®, ™ and SM symbols. References to our trademarks, tradenames and service marks are not intended to indicate in any way that we will not assert to the fullest extent under applicable law our rights or the rights of the applicable licensors if any, nor that respective owners to other intellectual property rights will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto. We do not intend the use or display of other companies’ trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
The market data and certain other statistical information used throughout this Report are based on independent industry publications, reports by market research firms or other independent sources that we believe to be reliable sources. Industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies generally indicate that their information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, although they do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. We are responsible for all of the disclosures contained in this Report, and we believe these industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies are reliable. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding any third-party information presented in this Report, their estimates, in particular, as they relate to projections, involve numerous assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 17 of this Report. These and other factors could cause our future performance to differ materially from our assumptions and estimates. Some market and other data included herein, as well as the data of competitors as they relate to TRxADE HEALTH, INC., is also based on our good faith estimates.
Our fiscal year ends on December 31st. Interim results are presented on a quarterly basis for the quarters ended March 31st, June 30th, and September 30th, the first quarter, second quarter and third quarter, respectively, with the quarter ending December 31st being referenced herein as our fourth quarter. “Fiscal 2023” means the Fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, whereas “Fiscal 2022” means the year ended December 31, 2022.
Unless the context requires otherwise, references to the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “Trxade”, “Trxade Group” and “TRxADE HEALTH, INC.” refer specifically to TRxADE HEALTH, INC. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
In addition, unless the context otherwise requires and for the purposes of this Report only:
● | “Exchange Act” refers to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; | |
● | “SEC” or the “Commission” refers to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission; and | |
● | “Securities Act” refers to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. |
Available Information
We file annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and are available for download, free of charge, soon after such reports are filed with or furnished to the SEC, on the “NASDAQ: MEDS,” “SEC Filings” page of our website at www.trxadehealth.com. Copies of documents filed by us with the SEC are also available from us without charge, upon oral or written request to our Secretary, who can be contacted at the address and telephone number set forth on the cover page of this Report. Our website addresses are www.trxadehealth.com and www.rxintegra.com. Information on our websites is not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K. The information on, or that may be accessed through, our websites not incorporated by reference into this Report and should not be considered a part of this Report.
CORPORATE AND ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY
Background of XCEL
Our Company was incorporated in Delaware on July 15, 2005, as “Bluebird Exploration Company” (“Bluebird”). Bluebird was originally formed to engage in the exploitation of mineral properties. In December 2008, Bluebird changed its name to “Xcellink International, Inc.” (“XCEL”), and subsequently announced that its business plan was being expanded to include the development and marketing of platform-independent customer-centric payment systems and methodologies. XCEL was unable to raise the funds necessary to implement its business strategy, and never generated any revenue. On January 9, 2014, Trxade Group, Inc., a then privately held Nevada corporation, merged with and into XCEL, and XCEL changed its name to “Trxade Group, Inc.” On June 1, 2021, the Company changed its name from “Trxade Group, Inc” to “TRxADE HEALTH, INC.”
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Background of Trxade
PharmaCycle LLC, a Nevada limited liability company (“PharmaCycle”), was formed in August 2010 by Prashant Patel, our President, to serve as a web-based market platform designed to enable trading among healthcare buyers and sellers of pharmaceuticals, accessories and services. In January 2013, PharmaCycle converted into a Florida corporation and changed its name to Trxade, Inc. (“Trxade Florida”). In May 2013, Trxade Florida created a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Trxade Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (“Trxade Nevada”). Trxade Nevada acquired Trxade Florida pursuant to a reverse triangular merger, resulting in Trxade Florida becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trxade Nevada (the “Nevada-Florida Merger”). The sole purpose of the Nevada-Florida Merger was to provide for a holding company to own Trxade Florida, the operating company. Immediately following the Nevada-Florida Merger, Messrs. Ajjarapu and Patel collectively owned 99% of Trxade Nevada.
Reverse Merger with Trxade
On September 26, 2008, Mark Fingarson, the former President, sole Director and controlling shareholder of XCEL, sold 80,000,000 shares of XCEL (prior to the Merger Reverse Split and Reverse Stock Splits (each discussed and defined below)). On November 22, 2013, Trxade Nevada acquired Mr. McIntyre’s controlling interest of 80,000,000 shares in XCEL pursuant to a Purchase and Sale Agreement dated November 7, 2013. At the time of the sale, XCEL had 104,160,000 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, including the 80,000,000 shares of stock acquired by Trxade Nevada (prior to the Merger Reverse Split and Reverse Stock Split(s) (each discussed and defined below)).
On December 16, 2013, Trxade Nevada and XCEL entered into a definitive merger agreement (the “Merger Agreement”) providing for the merger (the “Merger”) of Trxade Nevada with and into XCEL, with XCEL continuing as the surviving corporation. The Merger closed on January 8, 2014. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, we amended our certificate of incorporation and changed our name to “Trxade Group, Inc.,” and changed our trading symbol to “TRXD”.
Recapitalization of Common Stock by a Reverse Split and Increase of Authorized Shares of Stock
We also reversed our issued and outstanding stock at the ratio of one for one thousand (1:1,000) shares effective upon the closing of the Merger (the “Merger Reverse Split”). In connection with the Merger Reverse Split, 104,160,000 outstanding shares of our common stock, including the 80,000,000 shares held by Trxade Nevada, were exchanged for 104,160 post-Merger Reverse Split shares of common stock. As a result of the Merger, Trxade Nevada stockholders holding 28,800,000 shares of common stock and 670,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock converted their shares on a one-to-one basis into 28,800,000 shares of our common stock and 670,000 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock, for an aggregate total of 29,470,000 shares. Further, 100,000 shares of our common stock (on a post-Reverse Split basis and considering the Reverse Stock Split(s) (discussed below)) were issued following the Merger in connection with the conversion of our promissory notes. The 80,000,000 pre-Merger shares held by Trxade Nevada, which amounted to 13,334 shares (on a post-Reverse Split basis and taking into account the Reverse Stock Split(s)), reverted to treasury stock of the Company. Except as otherwise disclosed, the share amounts in the paragraph above have not been adjusted for the Merger Reverse Split or the Reverse Stock Split.
February 2020 Reverse Stock Split and NASDAQ Capital Market Listing
In February 2020, the Company effected a 1-for-6 reverse stock split of the then outstanding common stock in order to allow us to meet the initial listing criteria of The NASDAQ Capital Market.
Our common stock was approved for listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “MEDS”, on February 13, 2020.
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June 2023 Reverse Stock Split.
In June 2023 the Company effected a 1-for-15 reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding common stock.
Subsidiaries
We own 100% of Trxade Inc. (a Florida corporation). Trxade Inc. was the subsidiary through which we previously operated a web-based market platform to enable commerce among healthcare buyers and sellers of pharmaceuticals, accessories and services. On February 16, 2024, we entered into an asset purchase agreement with Trxade, Inc. and Micro Merchant Systems, Inc. (“MMS”), under which MMS purchased for cash substantially all of the assets of Trxade, Inc. in a transaction that closed on February 16, 2024.
We own 100% of Integra Pharma Solutions, LLC (formerly Pinnacle Tek, Inc., a Florida corporation) founded by Mr. Suren Ajjarapu, our CEO, in 2011 (“Integra”). Until the end of 2016, Integra served as our technology consultant provider, but we discontinued that line of business in 2016. Integra now serves as our logistics company for pharmaceutical distribution.
Former Subsidiaries
In February of 2022 we entered into an agreement with Exchange Health to own 51% of SOSRx, LLC a Delaware limited liability company. In December of 2022 management determined that the subsidiary did not generate significant revenue and the assets were 100% impaired. In February of 2023 we voluntarily withdrew from the agreement with Exchange Health.
We previously owned 100% of Community Specialty Pharmacy, LLC (“CSP”) and Alliance Pharma Solutions, LLC (d.b.a. DelivMeds) (“APS”). Our interests in CSP and APS were sold in September 2023 and have been included in discontinued operations.
As of December 31, 2023 we owned 100% of Superlatus, Inc. (“Superlatus”), and its wholly owned subsidiary Sapientia Technologies, LLC. Superlatus is a diversified food technology company with distribution capabilities and systems to optimize food security and population health via innovative Consumer Packaged Goods products, agritech, foodtech, plant-based proteins and alt-protein and includes, Sapientia, a food tech business. In March 2024 we divested our entire interest in Superlatus.
We previously owned 100% of The Urgent Company, Inc. (“The Urgent Company” or “TUC”), a retail and distribution provider of prepackaged, prepared foods. We divested our interest in The Urgent Company in connection with our divestiture of Superlatus.
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BUSINESS OF TRXADE
Company Overview
We are a health services IT company focused on digitalizing the retail pharmacy experience by optimizing drug procurement, the prescription journey and patient engagement in the U.S. and have designed and developed, and now own and operate, a business-to-business web-based marketplace. Our core service brings the nation’s independent pharmacies, accredited national suppliers, and manufacturers of pharmaceuticals together to provide efficient and transparent buying and selling opportunities.
We began operations as Trxade Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (“Trxade Nevada”) in August of 2010 and spent over two years creating and enhancing our web-based services. The Company changed its name on June 1, 2021, from “Trxade Group, Inc” to “TRxADE HEALTH, INC.” Our services provided pricing transparency, purchasing capabilities and other value-added services on a single platform focused on serving the nation’s approximately 19,397 independent pharmacies with annual purchasing power of $67.1 billion (according to the National Community of Pharmacists Association’s 2021 Digest). Our national wholesale supply partners and manufacturers are able to fulfill orders on our platform in real-time and provide pharmacies and wholesale suppliers with cost-saving payment terms and next-day delivery capabilities in unrestrictive states. We expanded significantly since 2015 and served approximately 14,400+ registered members on our sales platform.
Our Principal Products and Services and their Markets
Trxade.com previously operated the Company’s web-based pharmaceutical marketplace engaged in promoting and enabling commerce among independent pharmacies, small chains, hospitals, clinics, and alternate dispensing sites with large pharmaceutical suppliers nationally. That marketplace had over 60 national and regional pharmaceutical suppliers providing over 120,000 branded and generic drugs, including over-the-counter drugs (OTCs), and drugs available for purchase by pharmacists. We served approximately 14,400+ registered members, providing access to Trxade’s proprietary pharmaceutical database and data analytics regarding medication pricing. We generated revenue from these services by charging a transaction fee to the seller of the products for sales conducted via the Trxade platform. The buyers do not bear the cost of transaction fees for the purchases that they make, nor do they pay a fee to join or register with our platform. In February 2024 we divested substantially all of our assets related to our web-based pharmaceutical marketplace previously operated through TRxADE, Inc. Substantially all of our revenues during Fiscal 2023, Fiscal 2022, and Fiscal 2021 were from platform revenue generated on www.rx.trxade.com, product sales through Integra Pharma Solutions, LLC, and prescription sales through Community Specialty Pharmacy, LLC.
Status of current products and services and business plans; Status of former business products and initiatives
We previously had a number of products and services focused on the US market in operation and business assets, which are described below. In addition, in 2024 we expect to explore other strategic transactions and acquisitions as a means to monetize and enhance the Company’s current assets and operations, which transactions may involve effecting acquisitions of new businesses in industries that differ from our legacy operations.
Integra Pharma Solutions, LLC. Integra is intended to serve as our logistics company for pharmaceutical distribution. We currently distribute through our manufacturer and strategic distribution partners prescription medication, medical devices and over the counter medication to over 1,600 pharmacies and medical clinics across 38 states.
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Trxade Prime. Trxade Prime previously allowed pharmacy members on the Trxade platform to process, consolidate and ship purchase orders that are placed directly with Trxade suppliers via the Trxade Prime. This service was provided at no cost, with the goal of offering a single tool with one low order minimum, one invoice, one package and one delivery from multiple quality wholesalers and distributors. Revenue had been generated from this service through our Integra subsidiary, which provides the consolidation of the orders.
Bonum Health Application. The “Bonum Health app,” previously provided an overall healthcare experience comparable to a Primary Care practitioner, and an online portal as a personal electronic medical record and scheduling system was available on a subscription basis, primarily as a stand-alone telehealth software application that can be licensed on a business-to-business (B2B) model to clients as an employment health benefit for the clients’ employees. Revenue was generated from this service through our Bonum subsidiary.
Bonum+ Business to Business (B2B). Bonum+ previously bundled telehealth, a COVID-19 risk assessment tool and a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) purchasing tool, through a secure mobile dashboard for corporate clients. The B2B platform eased pressure on employees who were required to report any relevant health issues daily, centralizing communication and contact tracing to deliver risk scores. This allowed employers to monitor employee COVID-19 risk profiles and streamlined the ordering of new PPE as needed. An integrated artificial intelligence (AI) tool offered health recommendations and connects employees with board certified physicians, as needed. No revenue was generated from this product.
SOSRx, LLC. On February 15, 2022, the Company entered into a relationship with Exchange Health, LLC, a technology company providing an online platform for manufacturers and suppliers to sell and purchase pharmaceuticals (“Exchange Health”). SOSRx LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“SOSRx”), was formed, which is owned 51% by the Company and 49% by Exchange Health. SOSRx did not generate material revenue and in February of 2023, the Company voluntarily withdrew from the joint venture agreement. The asset impairment is reflected in the statement of operations for Fiscal 2022 as impairment of intangible asset. Additionally, the Company contributed a cash investment of $275,000 in February of 2022 when the joint venture was formed. The Company did not recover this investment as part of the withdrawal settlement.
Superlatus. As of December 31, 2023, Superlatus was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company as a result of a merger transaction that closed in July 2023. Superlatus is a diversified food technology company with distribution capabilities and systems to optimize food security and population health via innovative Consumer Packaged Goods products, agritech, foodtech, plant-based proteins and alt-protein and includes wholly-owned subsidiary, Sapientia, Inc., a food tech business. Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the Company divested its entire interest in Superlatus.
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The Pharmaceutical Industry
The pharmaceutical market is comprised primarily of three wholesalers that control an estimated approximately 92% of the market. Our management believes that this concentration has, over the years, led to a lack of price and cost transparency, thereby resulting in severe limitations on the purchasing choices of industry participants. These market dynamics have enabled these large wholesalers (McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen), known as ADR distributors, to dominate the industry with respect to both generic and brand pharmaceuticals.
To fuel this change, insurance companies (Pharmacy Benefits Management (“PBM”) and private health payers) and the federal government have initiated lower medication reimbursement payments to healthcare providers. We believe that pharmacies face increasing pressure to source medications as inexpensively as possible and improve operational efficiency. Trxade Health aims to address these pricing concerns by providing independent, retail pharmacies with exceptional service and pricing on their most commonly used pharmaceuticals by partnering with strategic manufacturers and other authorized suppliers.
Competitive Business Conditions, Our Competitive Position in our Industry, and our Methods of Competition
We expect to face competition from large ADR distributors (including McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen), other pharmaceutical distributors, buying groups, software products, and other start-up companies. Most of our competitors’ operations have substantially greater financial- and manufacturer-backed resources, longer operating histories, greater name recognition, and more established relationships in the industry.
Other Start-up Companies Which Provide Competitive Services
There are currently several smaller regional and national secondary distributors of pharmaceuticals such as (Anda Pharmaceutical, Masters Pharmaceutical etc)as well as other innovative trading platforms such as PharmaBid, RxCherrypick, PharmSaver, MatchRx and GenericBid, that allow pharmacies to buy from several suppliers. Integra differentiates itself from these distributors by providing our pharmacies with unique specialty, brand and generic pharmaceutical products that are in short supply and offered via limited distribution channels.
Buying Groups
Buying Groups provide discounted prices to their members by negotiating better pricing with one primary wholesaler, while charging administrative fees generally ranging from 3 to 5 percent. Some Buying Groups are structured like co-operatives (such as Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) and American Pharmacy Cooperative, Inc. (APCI)) and offer their members monthly or quarterly rebates. Although they can function well to bring pricing competition to the industry, they often offer rebates only after the purchase. Management does not believe Buying Groups will provide long-term savings to customers with this model given the increased transparency and competition in the industry.
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Pharmaceutical Software
Some pharmaceutical software companies compete with us to varying degrees at different levels. SureCost, for example, provides inventory management software enabling pharmacies to comply with primary supplier contracts. This software is fee-based and requires training.
Pharmacies may be reluctant to buy pharmaceuticals on the internet due to the historical negativity and uncertainty with respect to the origin and purity of drugs purchased off the web. Trxade management believes that as we continue to develop our brand, our customer base, and our product offerings, we will gain the trust of the market and overcome the negativity associated with purchasing from multiple distributors outside of their primary vendor agreements.
One advantage that we believe we have over our competition is our ability to be flexible and fast moving in adjusting our business model to address the needs of our customer base.
Telehealth Providers
We previously anticipated facing competition in the telehealth industry (in connection with Bonum Health) from current and future health care companies in the telehealth market including, Teladoc Health, Inc., MDLive, Inc., American Well Corporation and Grand Rounds, Inc., among other smaller industry participants.
Sources and Availability of Raw Materials; Principal Suppliers
Because we are not a manufacturing company, we do not need any raw materials.
Dependence on One or More Major Customers
As of the date of this filing, we have approximately 1600 registered members and over 10 pharmaceutical suppliers as customers, with an estimated market potential of approximately 20,000+ independent pharmacies.
Intellectual Property
Although we believe that our name and brand are protected by applicable state common law trademark laws, we do not currently have any patents, concessions, licenses, royalty agreements, or franchises.
We believe that we have taken all necessary steps to protect our proprietary rights, but no assurance can be given that we will be able to successfully enforce or protect our rights in the event that they are infringed upon by a third party.
Need for Government Approval of Products and Services
We are required to hold state pharmaceutical business licenses and to follow applicable state and federal government regulations detailed herein.
Effect of Existing or Probable Government Regulations on the Business
Federal Drug Administration Guidelines
On April 12, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987 (PDMA), setting the baseline for wholesale distribution regulations. The final regulations were published in 1999, establishing the minimum wholesale distribution requirements for state licensure. With the intent to prevent the introduction and retail sale of substandard, ineffective, or counterfeit drugs into the distribution system, state licensing systems moved to update their standards to match those provided federally as guided under FDA’s Guidelines for State Licensing of Wholesale Prescription Drug Distributors (21 CFR 205). PDMA established minimum federal pedigree requirements to trace the ownership of prescription drugs through the supply chain. The principal goal of the PDMA was to further secure the nation’s drug supply from counterfeit and substandard prescription drugs. The law establishes two types of distributors: “Authorized distributor[s] of record” or ADRs; and “Unauthorized distributor[s],” such as wholesalers. The pedigree requirement was to require each person engaged in the wholesale distribution of a prescription drug in interstate commerce, who is not the manufacturer or an authorized distributor of record for that drug, to provide a pedigree to the recipient. After meeting resistance from various stakeholders, the FDA delayed the effective date of the regulations several times, until final implementation in December 2006.
At the federal level the implementation of the track and trace legislation which went into effect in 2018, requires the use of pharmaceutical pedigree to track the movement of pharmaceuticals along the supply chain. The costs of complying with this new legislation may be too burdensome for many of the smaller suppliers.
State Drug Administration Guidelines
There are a number of national and state-wide regulations that have an effect on our business. All drug wholesalers must be licensed under state licensing systems, which must in turn meet the FDA guidelines under State Licensing of Wholesale Prescription Drug Distributors (21 CFR Part 205). The regulations set forth minimum requirements for prescription drug storage and security as well as for the treatment of returned, damaged, and outdated prescription drugs. Further, wholesale drug distributors must establish and maintain inventories and records of all transactions regarding the receipt and distribution of prescription drugs and make these available for inspection and copying by authorized federal, state, or local law enforcement officials. In most states, wholesale distributor licenses are issued by the State Boards of Pharmacy and require periodic renewal. Approximately 40 states also require out-of-state wholesalers that distribute drugs within their borders to be licensed as well.
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On February 4, 2022, the FDA published a proposed rule to set national standards for the licensing of prescription drug wholesale distributors and third-party logistics providers. The comment period was open until June 6, 2022. New regulations and requirements for wholesale distributors and third-party logistics providers could be too burdensome and could impact our registered suppliers on the Trxade platform.
California, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and Indiana define the normal distribution channel to not include the lateral sales of pharmaceuticals between wholesalers. The Supply Chain Act, part of the Quality Drug Act, which was signed into federal law in December 2013, precludes all states from restricting, investigating or inspecting the distribution channel and transactional history. Until the federal government provides guidelines for the new federal law, no state regulation or guideline exists.
The warehousing of pharmaceuticals is also restricted and requires additional state licenses. Some licenses require bonds and written exams and may take some time to approve. Currently, Integra Pharma Solutions, LLC, our wholesale distributor, asks for formal pedigrees from the ADR wholesalers and provides pedigrees to those entities they sell to in the marketplace. This requirement limits liability and provides assurance if a recall is warranted that Trxade and its participants will receive value for the commodity.
Our national wholesale supply partners are able to fulfill orders on our platform in real-time and provide pharmacies with cost-saving payment terms and next-day delivery capabilities in unrestrictive states under the Model State Pharmacy Act and Model Rules of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (Model Act).
Potential New Regulations; Price Gouging Rules
In addition to the above, regulatory mandates in response to certain unexpected events, such as viral outbreaks, could negatively impact sales. For example, in December 2019 an outbreak of a coronavirus surfaced in China and resulted in governments around the world adopting restrictions on public gatherings, travel and restrictions on companies’ (including our) ability to conduct normal business operations.
Price gouging may be an issue in the coming months due to the continued effects of the coronavirus and responses thereto and supply chain issues associated therewith and separately; as of the date of this Report, 42 states have enacted price gouging laws of one kind or another. The laws vary from state to state, but one constant throughout is a prohibition to charge “excessive” or “unconscionable” prices for consumer goods. Some states define “excessive” or “unconscionable” while others define what makes a prima facie case for price gouging and what constitutes a prima facie defense, shifting the burden of proof to the accuser. In almost all of the 42 states with price gouging laws on the books, a price is excessive or unconscionable if the price of a good has increased, in some states by a certain percentage, over the price of the good prior to the onset of the abnormal disruption of the market. Some states have clearly excepted from the price gouging definition a rise in prices caused by an increase in the merchant’s cost of delivering that good for sale – whether it be increased shipping costs, gasoline prices or simply the cost of the good itself. Other states have less defined exceptions – Virginia for example only treats the fact of increased input costs as a merchant’s prima facie defense to an accusation of price gouging. Several states except from the price gouging definition prices that do not exceed a normal margin (i.e., the merchant’s margin immediately prior to the market disruption) PLUS 10%. In general, while the law may not specifically define what constitutes an “unconscionably excessive price,” the statutes typically provide that a price may be “unconscionably excessive” if: the amount charged represents a “gross disparity” from the price such goods or services were sold or offered for sale immediately prior to the onset of the abnormal disruption of the market. Merchants may provide evidence that justifies their higher prices were justified by increased costs beyond their control. We will need to comply with the excessive price statutes; as of the date of this Report, we believe we were in compliance with all 42 states’ price gouging laws.
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U.S. Federal and State Fraud and Abuse Laws
Federal Anti-Kickback Statute
We are also subject to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. The Anti-Kickback Statute is broadly worded and prohibits the knowing and willful offer, payment, solicitation or receipt of any form of remuneration in return for, or to induce, (i) the referral of a person covered by Medicare, Medicaid or other governmental programs, (ii) the furnishing or arranging for the furnishing of items or services reimbursable under Medicare, Medicaid or other governmental programs or (iii) the purchasing, leasing or ordering or arranging or recommending purchasing, leasing or ordering of any item or service reimbursable under Medicare, Medicaid or other governmental programs. In addition, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of this statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation. Moreover, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the False Claims Act, as discussed below. Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute can result in exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid or other governmental programs as well as civil and criminal penalties and fines. Imposition of any of these remedies could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Federal False Claims Act & HIPAA
The federal False Claims Act provides, in part, that the federal government may bring a lawsuit against any person whom it believes has knowingly presented, or caused to be presented, a false or fraudulent request for payment from the federal government, or who has made a false statement or used a false record to get a claim approved. In addition, amendments in 1986 to the federal False Claims Act have made it easier for private parties to bring “qui tam” whistleblower lawsuits against companies under the federal False Claims Act. Penalties include significant civil monetary penalties for each false claim, plus three times the amount of damages that the federal government sustained because of the act of that person. Qui tam actions have increased significantly in recent years, causing greater numbers of healthcare companies to have to defend a false claim action, pay fines, be excluded from Medicare, Medicaid or other federal or state healthcare programs, or be subject to integrity oversight and reporting obligations to resolve allegations of non-compliance, as a result of an investigation arising out of such action.
There are other federal anti-fraud laws that that prohibit, among other actions, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors, knowingly and willfully embezzling or stealing from a healthcare benefit program, willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a healthcare offense, and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services.
Additionally, HIPAA established two federal crimes for healthcare fraud and false statements relating to healthcare matters. The healthcare fraud statute prohibits knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private payors. The false statements statute prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. A violation of either of these statutes is a felony and may result in fines, imprisonment, exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid or other federal or state healthcare programs, or integrity oversight and reporting obligations to resolve allegations of non-compliance.
State Fraud and Abuse Laws
Several states in which we operate have also adopted similar fraud and abuse laws as described above. The scope of these laws and the interpretations of them vary from state to state and are enforced by state courts and regulatory authorities, each with broad discretion. Some state fraud and abuse laws apply to items or services reimbursed by any payor, including patients and commercial insurers, not just those reimbursed by a federally funded healthcare program. A determination of liability under such state fraud and abuse laws could result in fines and penalties and restrictions on our ability to operate in these jurisdictions.
Other Healthcare Laws
The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, and their implementing regulations, which we collectively refer to as HIPAA, established several separate criminal penalties for making false or fraudulent claims to insurance companies and other non-governmental payors of healthcare services. Under HIPAA, these two additional federal crimes are: “Healthcare Fraud” and “False Statements Relating to Healthcare Matters.” The Healthcare Fraud statute prohibits knowingly and recklessly executing a scheme or artifice to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private payors. A violation of this statute is a felony and may result in fines, imprisonment or exclusion from government sponsored programs. The False Statements Relating to Healthcare Matters statute prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact by any trick, scheme or device or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. These provisions are intended to punish some of the same conduct in the submission of claims to private payors as the federal False Claims Act covers in connection with governmental health programs.
In addition, the Civil Monetary Penalties Law imposes civil administrative sanctions for, among other violations, inappropriate billing of services to federally funded healthcare programs and employing or contracting with individuals or entities who are excluded from participation in federally funded healthcare programs. Moreover, a person who offers or transfers to a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary any remuneration, including waivers of copayments and deductible amounts (or any part thereof), that the person knows or should know is likely to influence the beneficiary’s selection of a particular provider, practitioner or supplier of Medicare or Medicaid payable items or services may be liable for civil monetary penalties for each wrongful act. Moreover, in certain cases, providers who routinely waive copayments and deductibles for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries can also be held liable under the Anti-Kickback Statute and civil False Claims Act, which can impose additional penalties associated with the wrongful act. One of the statutory exceptions to the prohibition is non-routine, unadvertised waivers of copayments or deductible amounts based on individualized determinations of financial need or exhaustion of reasonable collection efforts. Although this prohibition applies only to federal healthcare program beneficiaries, the routine waivers of copayments and deductibles offered to patients covered by commercial payers may implicate applicable state laws related to, among other things, unlawful schemes to defraud, excessive fees for services, tortious interference with patient contracts and statutory or common law fraud.
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Status as a Public Company
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Class A ordinary shares that are held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of the preceding second fiscal quarter, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the last business day of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our ordinary shares held by non-affiliates equals or exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of that year’s second fiscal quarter.
Research and Development
Currently we do not have any product research and development efforts underway. In future we may opt to engage in further development of our logistics model depending on customer feedback.
Employees
Currently, we have approximately 8 full-time employees. We are not a party to any collective bargaining agreements and have not experienced any strikes or work stoppages. We consider our relations with our employees and consultants to be satisfactory.
Seasonality
Our business is not directly affected by seasonal fluctuations but is affected indirectly by the fall and winter flu season, to the extent it leads to an increased demand for certain generic pharmaceuticals.
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ITEM 1A. | RISK FACTORS |
Summary Risk Factors
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, including those highlighted in the section titled “Risk Factors” immediately following this summary. These risks include, among others, the following:
● | We are currently unprofitable, have generated net losses, and we may incur losses in the future; | |
● | We may need additional financing in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms, if at all; | |
● | We may not be able to manage our future growth; | |
● | Risks relating to implementing our acquisition strategies, and the risk that acquisitions will likely be dilutive to our stockholders and we may not realize the anticipated benefits of certain strategic transactions that we pursue or effect; | |
● | Many of our competitors are better established and have resources significantly greater than ours; | |
● | We face risks associated with our operations within the pharmaceutical distribution market; | |
● | We are dependent on our current management; | |
● | We rely on third party contracts, which may not be renewed or may be terminated; | |
● | We may in the future face difficulties in sourcing products and inventory due to a variety of causes; | |
● | We have in the past, and may in the future, not be able to sell our inventory, at or above the price we acquired such inventory for, have in the past, and may in the future, be forced to write-down inventory and certain of our other assets which may have a material adverse effect on our balance sheet; | |
● | We have in the past, and may in the future, not receive products or receive refunds for deposited amounts and have experienced losses in connection with such deposits; | |
● | We may be subject to claims that we violated intellectual property rights of others, which are extremely costly to defend and could require us to pay significant damages and limit our ability to operate; | |
● | Our business and operations depend on the proper functioning of information systems, critical facilities and distribution networks and a disruption, cyber-attack, failure or destruction of such networks, systems, or technologies may disrupt our business or result in liability; | |
● | There may be losses or unauthorized access to or releases of confidential information, including personally identifiable information, that could subject the Company to significant reputational, financial, legal and operational consequences; | |
● | We face numerous risks, including risks associated with legal challenges, relationships with third parties and affiliated professionals, competition for services; new technologies, failure to develop widespread brand awareness and regulatory risks from the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (OIG) and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and state regulators around pharmaceutical distribution now and in the future. | |
● | Our certificate of incorporation limits the liability of our officers and directors and provides for indemnification rights, mandatory forum selection provisions and limits the ability of stockholders to call special meetings of stockholders; | |
● | We incur significant costs to ensure compliance with U.S. and NASDAQ Capital Market reporting and corporate governance requirements; | |
● | At various times we have not been in compliance with NASDAQ’s continued listing requirements, and may not be able to maintain the listing of our common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market; | |
● | Regulatory changes that affect our distribution channels could harm our business; | |
● | Healthcare fraud laws are often vague and uncertain, exposing us to potential liability; | |
● | New and expanded laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business operations, cash flows or future prospects; | |
● | The public health crisis involving the abuse of prescription opioid pain medication could have a material negative effect on our business operations and timely reporting to new state regulations. | |
● | Consolidation in the U.S. healthcare industry may negatively impact our results of operations; | |
● | We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and controls and procedures; | |
● | There may not be sufficient liquidity in the market for our securities in order for investors to sell their shares. The market price of our common stock may continue to be volatile; | |
● | Stockholders may experience dilution to future equity sales, the exercise or conversion of outstanding convertible securities or future transactions; | |
● | Our results of operations are subject to rising inflation, rising interest rates, governmental responses thereto and possible recessions caused thereby; | |
● | Our Chief Executive Officer and President are our two largest stockholders and, as a result, they can exert significant control over us and have actual or potential interests that may differ from yours; | |
● | Cyber security attacks and website problems; | |
● | There is substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern; and | |
● | Claims, litigation, government investigations, and other proceedings that may adversely affect our business and results of operations. |
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Risk Factors
You should be aware that there are substantial risks for an investment in our common stock. You should carefully consider these risk factors before you decide to invest in our common stock. The reader should not consider this list to be a complete statement of all risks and uncertainties.
If any of the following risks were to occur, such as our business, financial condition, results of operations or other prospects, any of these could materially affect our likelihood of success. If that happens, the market price of our common stock, if any, could decline, and prospective investors would lose all or part of their investment in our common stock.
Risks Related to Our Liquidity and Business Operations and Plans
Our business, financial condition and results of operations are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described below. This section discusses factors that, individually or in aggregate, could cause our actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. It is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, the following description of Risk Factors is not a complete discussion of all potential risks or uncertainties applicable to our business.
We were recently unprofitable, we have recently generated net losses, and we may incur losses in the future.
Revenues generated from our consolidated operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $8,272,214 and $10,250,168, respectively.
We incurred a net loss of $13,720,546 for during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to a net loss of $2,403,442 for the year ended December 31, 2022. We may incur other losses in the foreseeable future due to the significant costs associated with our business operations, including costs associated with maintaining industry regulatory and licensure compliance. We also incur significant compliance costs associated with maintaining SEC regulatory and financial reporting requirements; as well as costs to maintain minimum listing requirements of Nasdaq. We cannot assure you that our operations will annually generate sufficient revenues to fund our continuing operations or to fully implement our business plan, and thereafter sustain profitability in any future period.
The likelihood of our success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays frequently encountered in connection with the start and growth of a business, the implementation and execution of our business plan, and the regulatory environment affecting the distribution of pharmaceuticals in which we operate.
We need additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all, which creates substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our historical financial statements have been prepared under the assumption that we will continue as a going concern. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $33,245,940. We have limited financial resources, as of December 31, 2023, we had a working capital deficit of approximately $8,803,000 and a cash balance of approximately $152,000. We will need to raise additional capital or secure debt funding to support on-going operations. The sources of this capital are expected to be the sale of equity and debt, which may not be available on favorable terms, if at all, and may, if sold, cause significant dilution to existing stockholders. If we are unable to access additional capital moving forward, it may hurt our ability to grow and to generate future revenues, our financial position, and liquidity. These matters, when considered in the aggregate, raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time, which is defined as within one year after the date that our condensed financial statements are issued. The financial statements incorporated by reference herein do not contain any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. The doubt regarding our potential ability to continue as a going concern may adversely affect our ability to obtain new financing on reasonable terms or at all. Additionally, if we are unable to continue as a going concern, our stockholders may lose some or all of their investment in the Company.
Additional financing may not be available to us when needed or, if available, it may not be obtained on commercially reasonable terms. If we are not able to obtain the necessary additional financing on a timely or commercially reasonable basis, we will be forced to delay or scale down some or all of our development activities (or perhaps even cease the operation of our business). Our access to additional capital may be negatively affected by future recessions, downturns in the economy or the markets as a whole, or inflation.
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If we do not obtain additional financing, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.
Management anticipates that we will require additional working capital in the future to pursue continued development of products, services, and marketing operations. We cannot accurately predict the timing and amount of such capital requirements. Additional financing may not be available to us when needed or, if available, it may not be obtained on commercially reasonable terms. If we are not able to obtain the necessary additional financing on a timely or commercially reasonable basis, we will be forced to delay or scale down some or all of our development activities (or perhaps even cease the operation of our business). Our access to additional capital may be negatively affected by future recessions, downturns in the economy or the markets as a whole, or inflation.
We have no commitments for any additional financing, and such commitments may not be obtained on favorable terms, if at all. Any additional equity financing will be dilutive to our stockholders, and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants with respect to dividends, raising future capital, and other financial and operational matters. If we are unable to obtain additional financing as needed, we may be required to reduce the scope of our operations or our anticipated expansion, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
We have attempted to expand, and may further explore, the expansion of our business beyond our legacy healthcare and pharmacy focused business model, and those efforts may not prove successful.
We expect to attempt to broaden our current assets and operations through additional business combinations and acquisition transactions. Certain of these transactions may involve companies involved in industries that are outside and different from our legacy operations, which focused on the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. For example, during the year ended December 31, 2023 we acquired Superlatus a diversified food technology company. These transactions, if successful, may result in a change of the Company’s focus, a change in the composition of its management, and otherwise result in the Company entering new businesses in which it does not have substantial prior experience. As a result, these transactions may not prove successful or may result potential negative effects that prevent us from realizing the benefits of such transaction and, in turn, have a material adverse impact on our stock price, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
It is likely that any efforts we may make to acquire a business will result in substantial additional dilution to our stockholders.
Our existing resources will likely be insufficient to support business operations for a significant period of time. Furthermore, with any business combination or acquisition in which we engage, we will likely issue shares of our common stock rather than paying cash for the business. Moreover, if we raise capital for any operations in the future or issue stock for a business combination or acquisition, such action will require the issuance of equity or debt securities which will likely result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders. Although we will attempt to minimize the dilutive impact of any future business acquisition or capital-raising activities, we cannot offer any assurance that we will be able to do so.
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Our acquisitions and investments in new businesses and new products, services, and technologies is inherently risky, and could disrupt our ongoing businesses.
We have invested and expect to continue to invest in new businesses, products, services, and technologies. Such endeavors may involve significant risks and uncertainties, including insufficient revenues from such investments to offset any new liabilities assumed and expenses associated with these new investments, inadequate return of capital on our investments, distraction of management from current operations, and unidentified issues not discovered in our due diligence of such strategies and offerings that could cause us to fail to realize the anticipated benefits of such investments and incur unanticipated liabilities. Because these new ventures are inherently risky, no assurance can be given that such strategies and offerings will be successful and will not adversely affect our reputation, financial condition, and operating results. To date we have taken losses and/or write-downs on several businesses, products, services, and technologies. For example:
a) | We had $725,973 of loss on impairment of goodwill for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, in connection with the acquisition of Community Specialty Pharmacy, LLC; | |
b) | We designed and invested resources into the “Bonum Health Hub”, a self-enclosed, free standing virtual examination room, which was launched by the Company’s wholly-owned Bonum Health, LLC, in November 2019 and was expected to be operational in April 2020; however, the Company does not anticipate installations moving forward, and took a write off of the hubs purchased at June 30, 2021 in the amount of $143,891, which was included under loss on inventory investments in the statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021; | |
c) | We also used resources and funding to create a Health Passport application during 2020 and 2021, which was planned to store a user’s health and vaccination status and allow confirmation thereof via a QR code; however, we did not generate any revenue from this product and the product was discontinued at the end of December 2021; | |
d) | We had $792,500 of loss on impairment of intangible assets related to our investment in the joint venture SOSRx, LLC formed in February of 2022. The subsidiary did not generate material revenue and in February of 2023 the Company voluntarily withdrew from the joint venture agreement. The asset impairment is reflected in the statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 as impairment of intangible asset. Additionally, the Company contributed a cash investment of $275,000 in February of 2022 when the joint venture was formed, the Company did not recover this investment as part of the withdrawal settlement; | |
e) | We recorded a loss of $875,250 in connection with CSP Test Kits purchased for our Community Specialty Pharmacy that were later deemed inappropriate for distribution by the FDA. The inventory was written down and was recorded as loss on inventory investment in the statement of operations during the year ended December 31, 2022; and
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d) | During the year ended December 31, 2023 we acquired Superlatus through a merger transaction, however, due to various complications with the post-closing integration we elected to divest Superlatus in March 2024. |
The use of resources for new businesses and new products, services, and technologies, to the extent such new businesses and new products, services, and technologies do not generate revenues or profits may take management’s focus and time away from more profitable endeavors, may require the Company to take significant write-downs or write-offs, may take funding away from the Company’s other operations or growth opportunities, which may ultimately be more profitable, and may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s cash flows, liquidity and revenues, any or all of which may cause the value of the Company’s securities to decline in value or become worthless.
Failure to adequately manage our planned aggressive growth strategy may harm our business or increase our risk of failure.
For the foreseeable future, we intend to pursue an aggressive growth strategy for the expansion of our operations through increased product development and marketing (or acquisitions of business operations and assets outside of our legacy operations). Our ability to rapidly expand our operations will depend upon many factors, including our ability to work in a regulated environment, market value-added products effectively to independent pharmacies, establish and maintain strategic relationships with suppliers, and obtain adequate capital resources on acceptable terms. Any restrictions on our ability to expand may have a materially adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Accordingly, we may be unable to achieve our targets for sales growth, and our operations may not be successful or achieve anticipated operating results.
Additionally, our growth may place a significant strain on our managerial, administrative, operational, and financial resources and our infrastructure. Our future success will depend, in part, upon the ability of our senior management to manage growth effectively. This will require us to, among other things:
● | implement additional management information systems; | |
● | further develop our operating, administrative, legal, financial, and accounting systems and controls; | |
● | hire additional personnel; | |
● | develop additional levels of management within our company; | |
● | locate additional office space; | |
● | maintain close coordination among our engineering, operations, legal, finance, sales and marketing, and client service and support organizations; and | |
● | manage our expanding international operations. |
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As a result, we may lack the resources to deploy our services on a timely and cost-effective basis. Failure to accomplish any of these requirements could impair our ability to deliver services in a timely fashion or attract and retain new customers.
Future business combinations and acquisition transactions, if any, as well as recently closed business combinations and acquisition transactions, may not succeed in generating the intended benefits and may adversely affect our business.
Part of our growth strategy is to evaluate strategic acquisitions or relationships from time to time. The inability of our management to successfully integrate acquired businesses, assets or technologies, and any related diversion of management’s attention, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. Business combinations and other acquisition transactions may have a direct adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity or stock price. To complete acquisitions or other business combinations, we may have to use cash, issue new equity securities with dilutive effects on existing stockholders, take on new debt, assume contingent liabilities or amortize assets or expenses in a manner that might have a material adverse effect on our balance sheet, results of operations or liquidity. These and other potential negative effects of an acquisition transaction could prevent us from realizing the benefits of such transaction and have a material adverse impact on our stock price, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
If we do not successfully implement any acquisition strategies, our operating results and prospects could be harmed.
We face competition within our industry for acquisitions of businesses, technologies and assets, and, in the future, such competition may become more intense. As such, even if we are able to identify an acquisition that we would like to consummate, we may not be able to complete the acquisition on commercially reasonable terms or at all because of such competition. Furthermore, if we enter into negotiations that are not ultimately consummated, those negotiations could result in diversion of management time and significant out-of-pocket costs. Even if we are able to complete such acquisitions, we may additionally expend significant amounts of cash or incur substantial debt to finance them, which indebtedness could result in restrictions on our business and use of available cash. In addition, we may finance or otherwise complete acquisitions by issuing equity or convertible debt securities, which could result in dilution of our existing stockholders. If we fail to evaluate and execute acquisitions successfully, we may not be able to realize their benefits. If we are unable to successfully address any of these risks, our business, financial condition or operating results could be harmed.
If we make any acquisitions, they may disrupt or have a negative impact on our business.
If we make acquisitions in the future, funding permitting, which may not be available on favorable terms, if at all, we could have difficulty integrating the acquired company’s assets, personnel and operations with our own. We do not anticipate that any acquisitions or mergers we may enter into in the future would result in a change of control of the Company. In addition, the key personnel of the acquired business may not be willing to work for us. We cannot predict the effect expansion may have on our core business. Regardless of whether we are successful in acquiring, the negotiations could disrupt our ongoing business, distract our management and employees and increase our expenses. In addition to the risks described above, acquisitions are accompanied by a number of inherent risks, including, without limitation, the following:
● | the difficulty of integrating acquired products, services or operations; | |
● | the potential disruption of the ongoing businesses and distraction of our management and the management of acquired companies; | |
● | difficulties in maintaining uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies; | |
● | the potential impairment of relationships with employees and customers as a result of any integration of new management personnel; |
● | the potential inability or failure to achieve additional sales and enhance our customer base through cross-marketing of the products to new and existing customers; | |
● | the effect of any government regulations which relate to the business acquired; | |
● | potential unknown liabilities associated with acquired businesses or product lines, or the need to spend significant amounts to retool, reposition or modify the marketing and sales of acquired products or operations, or the defense of any litigation, whether or not successful, resulting from actions of the acquired company prior to our acquisition; and | |
● | potential expenses under the labor, environmental and other laws of various jurisdictions. |
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Our business could be severely impaired if and to the extent that we are unable to succeed in addressing any of these risks or other problems encountered in connection with an acquisition, many of which cannot be presently identified. These risks and problems could disrupt our ongoing business, distract our management and employees, increase our expenses and adversely affect our results of operations.
If we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the common stock issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants, holders may exercise such Private Placement Warrants on a “cashless basis.”
On October 4, 2022 the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with a certain institutional investor. The Purchase Agreement provided for the sale and issuance by the Company of an aggregate of: (i) 61,334 shares of the Company’s common stock, (ii) pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase up to 40,116 shares of common stock and (iii) warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”“) to purchase up to 177,537 shares of common stock.
If we do not maintain a current and effective prospectus relating to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants at the time that holders wish to exercise such warrants, they will be able to exercise them on a “cashless basis”. As a result, the number of shares of common stock that holders will receive upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants will be fewer than it would have been had such holders exercised their Private Placement Warrants for cash. Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, we filed a registration statement to register the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants (the “Private Placement Warrant Shares”). We have agreed to keep such registration statement effective at all times until the investor holds no Private Placement Warrants or Private Placement Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise thereof. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so. If the Private Placement Warrants are exercised on a “cashless” basis, we will not receive any consideration from such exercises.
Provisions of the Private Placement Warrants and our outstanding Series C Preferred Stock could discourage an acquisition of us by a third party.
Certain provisions of the Private Placement Warrants and our outstanding Series C Preferred Stock could make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire us. The securities prohibit us from engaging in certain transactions constituting “fundamental transactions” unless, among other things, the surviving entity assumes our obligations under the Private Placement Warrants and the Series C Preferred Stock. Further, the Private Placement Warrants provide that, in the event of certain transactions constituting “fundamental transactions,” with some exception, holders of such warrants will have the right, at their option, to require us to repurchase such warrants at a price described in such warrants. These and other provisions of the Private Placement Warrants could prevent or deter a third party from acquiring us even where the acquisition could be beneficial to you.
The Private Placement Warrants have certain anti-dilutive rights.
The Private Placement Warrants include full ratchet anti-dilutive rights in the event any shares of common stock or other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in common stock are granted, issued or sold (or the Company enters into any agreement to grant, issue or sell), or in accordance with the terms of the warrant agreement evidencing the Private Placement Warrants, are deemed to have granted, issued or sold, in each case, at a price less than the exercise price, which automatically decreases the exercise price of the Warrants upon the occurrence of such event, as described in greater detail in the warrant agreement, subject to a defined minimum exercise price. Such anti-dilution rights, if triggered, could result in a significant decrease in the exercise price of the Private Placement Warrants, which could result in significant dilution to existing shareholders.
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The Private Placement Warrants are accounted for as liabilities and the changes in value of such Private Placement Warrants may have a material effect on our financial results.
Private Placement Warrants, with certain terms as included in the Purchase Agreement should be accounted for as liability instruments. As a result, the Company recorded warrant liability on the balance sheet as of December 31, 2022. Under the liability accounting treatment, the Company is required to measure the fair value of these instruments at the end of each reporting period and recognize changes in the fair value from the prior period in the Company’s operating results for the current period. As a result of the recurring fair value measurement, our financial statements and results of operations may fluctuate quarterly based on factors which are outside our control. In the event the Private Placement Warrants are required to be accounted for under liability accounting treatment, we will recognize noncash gains or losses due to the quarterly fair valuation of these warrants which could be material. The impact of changes in fair value on our earnings may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock and/or our stockholders’ equity, which may make it harder for us to, or prevent us from, meeting the continued listing standards of The Nasdaq Capital Market.
The issuance and sale of common stock upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants may cause substantial dilution to existing stockholders and may also depress the market price of our common stock.
The Private Placement Warrants are exercisable for up to 177,537 shares of common stock, provided that the Private Placement Warrants contain a provision limiting each holder’s ability to exercise the warrants if such exercise would cause the holder’s (or any affiliate of any such holder) holdings in the Company to exceed 4.99% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock (which may be increased or decreased with 61 days prior written notice from the holder, to up to 9.99% of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock). The ownership limitation does not prevent such holder from exercising some of the warrants, selling those shares, and then exercising the rest of the warrants, while still staying below the 4.99% limit. In this way, the holder of the warrants could sell more than this limit while never actually holding more shares than this limit allows. If the holder of the warrants chooses to do this, it will cause substantial dilution to the then holders of our common stock.
If exercises of the warrants and sales of such shares issuable upon exercise thereof take place, the price of our common stock may decline. In addition, the common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants may represent overhang that may also adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Overhang occurs when there is a greater supply of a company’s stock in the market than there is demand for that stock. When this happens the price of the company’s stock will decrease, and any additional shares which shareholders attempt to sell in the market will only further decrease the share price. If the share volume of our common stock cannot absorb shares sold by the warrant holders, then the value of our common stock will likely decrease.
Our business is subject to rigorous regulatory and licensing requirements.
As described in greater detail in “Item 1. Business”, above, our business is highly regulated in the United States, at both the federal and state level, and in foreign countries. If we fail to comply with regulatory requirements, or if allegations are made that we fail to comply, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
To lawfully operate our businesses, we are required to obtain, and hold permits, product registrations, licenses and other regulatory approvals from, and to comply with operating and security standards of, numerous governmental bodies.. Failure to maintain or renew necessary permits, product registrations, licenses or approvals, or to comply with required standards, could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. We are also required to comply with various state pricing gouging laws. Products that we source and distribute must also comply with regulatory requirements.
Noncompliance or concerns over noncompliance may result in suspension of our ability to distribute or import products, product bans, recalls or seizures, or criminal or civil sanctions, which, in turn, could result in product liability claims and lawsuits, including class actions.
Many of our competitors are better established and have resources significantly greater than we have, which may make it difficult to fend off competition.
We expect to compete with large ADR distributors (such as McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen), in addition to other pharmaceutical distributors, buying groups, software products, and various start-up drug companies. Many of these companies have substantially greater financial and manufacturer-backed resources, longer operating histories, greater name recognition and more established relationships in the industry than us. In addition, a number of these competitors may combine or form strategic partnerships. As a result, our competitors may establish a more favorable footing in the pharmaceutical industry with respect to pricing or other factors. Our failure to compete successfully with any of these companies would have a material adverse effect on our business and the trading price of our common stock.
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The three distributors listed above have a strong control over our industry, as they have contracts with approximately 24,000 independent, retail pharmacies that limit the participants’ ability to purchase pharmaceuticals outside of those primary distributors. Additional restrictive elements exist within the pharmaceutical channels of distribution. For example, a number of the inventory management systems, either developed by the distributors or third-party vendors, have been developed to require compliance to these restrictive purchasing agreements. Management anticipates that other existing and prospective competitors will adopt technologies or business plans similar to ours or seek other means to develop operations competitive with ours, particularly if our development of large-scale production progresses as scheduled.
We will need to expand our member base or our profit margins to attain profitability.
Currently, we are aware of the competitiveness of the group of suppliers that participate within our industry and intend to price products accordingly. However, price is not the only factor that influences where retail pharmacies will obtain their product. Quality fulfillment services are also important, and retail pharmacies have historically received quality fulfillment services from the three major ADR distributors. In order to be more competitive, we must improve our customer service and fulfillment efforts, because the independent retail pharmacy has for years considered this element of the fulfillment process as important as price. Other factors influencing the pharmacies purchasing behavior in the future will be changes brought upon by the ACA, which regulates some aspects of pharmaceutical spending and pricing. Management believes that we should benefit substantially from our pricing and product knowledge that is offered by our platform.
Profitability may be further increased as a result of lower cost of goods, should the Company build stronger relationships with manufacturers and other larger buying groups that serve wholesalers and distributors. On a larger scale, those margins are expected to drop depending upon the breadth of products provided in the market and the sale turn rates required. We are currently undertaking a significant effort to increase our membership base through attendance at annual conferences and other strategies. We intend to expand our e-mail marketing strategy based on our competitive price advantages and unique distribution services.
There are inherent risks associated with our operations within the Pharmaceutical Distribution Market.
There are inherent risks involved with doing business within the pharmaceutical distribution market, including:
● | Improperly manufactured products may prove dangerous to the end consumer. | |
● | Products may become adulterated by improper warehousing methods or modes of shipment. | |
● | Counterfeit products or products with fake pedigree papers. | |
● | Unlicensed or unlawful participants in the distribution channel. | |
● | Risk with default and the assumption of credit loss. | |
● | Regulatory risks. | |
● | Risk related to the loss of supply, or the loss of a number of suppliers, or in the delay of obtaining the supply of drugs. |
Although all of our end-user agreements require our customers to indemnify us and for any and all liabilities resulting from our participation in the pharmaceutical distribution industry, we cannot assure you that the parties required to provide such indemnification will have the financial resources to do so. Additionally, although we have evaluated appropriate state statutes and federal laws pertaining to pharmaceutical distribution in an effort to diminish our risks, the Board of Pharmacy for each state is responsible for interpreting their state laws, and their interpretations may not comport with our analysis. It is also possible that any third-party logistics arrangements may disrupt service, create a loss of income, or other unforeseen disruptions should the service provider experience any legal, financial or other difficulties of their own.
We do not have a traditional credit facility with a financial institution, which may adversely impact our operations.
We do not have a traditional credit facility with a financial institution, such as a working line of credit. The absence of such a facility could adversely impact our operations, as it may constrain our ability to have available the working capital for equipment purchases or other operational requirements. If adequate funds are not otherwise available, we may be required to delay, scale back or eliminate portions of our business development efforts. Without credit facilities, we could be forced to cease operations and investors in our securities could lose their entire investment.
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We offer limited credit to the pharmacies which limits the amount of the orders that they place and may result in us losing business and a reduction in our revenues.
We currently offer a limited amount of credit to our members. Such limited credit reduces the risk that such members do not pay for products; however, it also limits the amount of revenue we generate per member. We believe that if we were to increase the amount of credit we provide to members we would generate more revenues, but bear more risk of non-payment. We are currently exploring increasing the amount of credit we provide to members, which may in turn result in an increase in receivables and write-offs.
We are dependent upon our current management, who may have conflicts of interest.
We are dependent upon the efforts of our current management. All of our officers and directors have duties and affiliations with other companies. Even though these companies are not competitors or involved in pharmaceutical distribution, involvement of our officers and directors in other businesses may still present a conflict of interest regarding decisions they make for Trxade or with respect to the amount of time available for Trxade. The loss of any of our officers or directors and, in particular, Mr. Prashant Patel, our President or Mr. Suren Ajjarapu, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Company, could have a materially adverse effect upon our business and future prospects.
The Company holds, on behalf of and for the benefit of Mr. Suren Ajjarapu, a personal disability insurance policy providing for a $1,500,000 lump sum benefit, payable to Mr. Ajjarapu, in the event of Mr. Ajjarapu’s disability. The premiums on such policy will be paid by the Company for so long as Mr. Ajjarapu is employed by the Company.
The Company also holds a $4,000,000 key-man life insurance policy on the life of Mr. Suren Ajjarapu, and a $1,500,000 lump sum disability insurance policy on Mr. Ajjarapu, providing for the Company as beneficiary of such policies.
While our management team has considerable information technology and entrepreneurial experience, none of our management was involved in pharmaceutical distribution prior to joining the Company and, as such, did not have any technical experience in pharmaceutical distribution prior to joining us. In the event of the loss of Mr. Ajjarapu’s services, we will seek to hire and retain a qualified professional. In the event of the loss of his services in connection with his death, upon obtaining funding from the key-man life insurance, management intends to hire qualified and experienced personnel. We may be unable to find a suitable or qualified replacement for Mr. Ajjarapu and as such our operations and/or prospects may suffer.
We rely on third party contracts.
We depend on others to provide products and services to us. We do not manufacture pharmaceuticals and we do not sell pharmaceuticals to the end consumer. We do not control these wholesalers, suppliers and purchasers, and although our arrangements with them will be terminable or of limited length, a change may be difficult to implement. At this time, we have a working relationship with over 10 manufacturers and other suppliers. Although we believe that those entities are satisfied with their business relationship with Trxade, if our buying group pharmacies and several of our vendors decided no longer to do business with us, that vendor void would materially and adversely affect our competitiveness in the marketplace.
We depend on suppliers to make their drugs and other medical products available to us for resale and are subject to risks associated with the availability of these drugs and other medical products.
We do not directly manufacture any of the products we sell and instead we rely on third parties to manufacture and/or procure such drugs and other medical products for us to resell. Supply chain constraints have, and may in the future have, a negative impact on the availability of drugs and medical products that we sell. Our supplier relationships could be interrupted, become less favorable to us or be terminated and the supply of these drugs or products could be interrupted or become insufficient. Supply interruptions or other disruptions in manufacturing processes could be caused by events beyond our control, including natural disasters, supplier facility shut-downs, defective raw materials, the impact of epidemics or pandemics, such as COVID-19, and actions by U.S. or international governments, including export restrictions or tariffs. A sustained supply reduction or interruption, and an inability to develop alternative and additional sources for such supply, could result in lost sales, increased cost, damage to our reputation, and may have an adverse effect on our business.
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We may have difficulties in sourcing or selling products due to a variety of causes.
We might experience difficulties and delays in sourcing and selling products due to a variety of causes, such as: difficulties in complying with the legal requirements for export or import of pharmaceuticals or supplies; suppliers’ failure to satisfy production demand; manufacturing or supply problems such as inadequate resources; and real or perceived quality issues. Difficulties in product manufacturing or access to raw materials could result in supplier production shutdowns, product shortages and other supply disruptions. Any of these risks might have a materially adverse impact on our business operations and our financial position or results of operations.
Rapid technological change in our industry presents us with significant risks and challenges.
Our industry is characterized by rapid technological change, changing consumer requirements, short product lifecycles and evolving industry standards. Our success will depend on our ability to develop or to acquire and market new services. There is no guarantee that we will possess the resources, either financial or personnel, for the research, design and development of new applications or services, or that we will be able to utilize these resources successfully and avoid technological or market obsolescence. Further, there can be no assurance that technological advances by one or more of our competitors or future competitors will not result in our present or future applications and services becoming uncompetitive or obsolete.
We are currently facing and may in the future face difficulties in sourcing products and inventory due to a variety of causes.
At times, we have to date experienced issues with the availability of certain products, resulting in product allocation and delivery delays, which has not to date, had a material adverse effect on our results of operations. We might also experience difficulties and delays in sourcing products and inventory due to a variety of causes in the future, such as: difficulties in complying with the legal requirements for export or import of pharmaceuticals or components; suppliers’ failures to satisfy production demand; manufacturing or supply problems such as inadequate resources; real or perceived quality issues; and advanced deposits which are at risk of return if product is not delivered. Difficulties in product manufacturing or access to raw materials could result in supplier production shutdowns, product shortages and other supply disruptions. Any of these risks might have a materially adverse impact on our business operations and our financial position or results of operations.
We have in the past, and may in the future, not be able to sell our inventory, at or above the price we acquired such inventory for, and have in the past, and may in the future, be forced to write-down inventory and certain of our other assets which may have a material adverse effect on our balance sheet.
Due to the supply and demand nature of our pharmaceutical business especially in connection with the rapidly changing regulations, and varying demand of certain medications the inventory of products we have acquired, or may acquire in the future, has been/may be, acquired at a cost higher than the price at which we may be able to resell such products. As a result, in the past we have, and in the future we may not be able to, make a profit on such sales and have in the past and may in the future, have to write down a significant portion of our inventory. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, write down to market value was $4,265,399 and $0 respectively. A significant write down of assets may have a material adverse effect on our balance sheet and results of operations.
We may not receive products or receive refunds for deposited amounts and may experience losses in connection with such deposits.
We might not receive products or the return of funds on deposits that have been provided. In the event we do not receive the return of our deposits (through litigation or otherwise), this will cause us financial harm and as a result the Company has taken a significant charge on our financial statements by taking a loss in the amount of such deposit amount. Additionally, in the future we may provide additional deposits for products which may be material, which deposits may not be refunded timely, if at all, and which products may not be delivered, or may be defective or unusable. Any significant losses of deposited funds could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and the value of our securities. In the past we (or our subsidiaries) have been involved in litigation with suppliers and disputes regarding deposits made with third parties, including litigation involving Studebaker Defense Group, LLC and Sandwave Group Dsn Bhd. These disputes previously resulted in the Company recording a loss on inventory investments.
Our quarterly results have in the past, and may in the future, fluctuate significantly due to certain non-recurring sales of products.
Our quarterly revenues have in the past and may in the future fluctuate significantly due to certain non-recurring sales of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other products and associated costs of revenues therewith, which may be compounded in our year over year financial results. As such, we believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our revenues, operating results and cash flows may not be meaningful and should not be relied upon as an indication of future performance.
Risks Relating to Our Information Systems; Technology and Intellectual Property
We may be subject to claims that we violated intellectual property rights of others, which are extremely costly to defend and could require us to pay significant damages and limit our ability to operate.
Companies primarily conducting their business on the internet, in the technology sector, and other patent and trademark holders seeking to profit from royalties in connection with grants of licenses, own large numbers of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets and frequently enter into litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. There may be intellectual property rights held by others, including issued or pending patents and trademarks, that cover significant aspects of our technologies, content, branding or business methods. Any intellectual property claims against us, regardless of merit, could be time-consuming and expensive to settle or litigate and could divert our management’s attention and other resources. These claims also could subject us to significant liability for damages and could result in our having to stop using technology, content, branding or business methods found to be in violation of another party’s rights. We might be required or may opt to seek a license for rights to intellectual property held by others, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. If we cannot license or develop technology, content, branding or business methods for any allegedly infringing aspect of our business, we may be unable to compete effectively. Even if a license is available, we could be required to pay significant royalties, which could increase our operating expenses. We may also be required to develop alternative non-infringing technology, content, branding or business methods, which could require significant effort and expense and be inferior. Any of these results could harm our operating results.
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Our business and operations depend on the proper functioning of information systems, critical facilities and distribution networks.
We rely on our manufacturer, vendors and other third-party service providers’ information systems for a wide variety of critical operations, including to obtain, rapidly process, analyze and manage data to:
● | facilitate the purchase and distribution of inventory items | |
● | receive, process and ship orders on a timely basis; | |
● | manage accurate billing and collections for thousands of customers; | |
● | process payments to suppliers; and | |
● | generate financial information. |
Our business also depends on the proper functioning of our critical facilities and our distribution networks. Our results of operations could be adversely affected if our or a service provider’s information systems, critical facilities or distribution networks are disrupted (including disruption of access), are damaged or fail, whether due to physical disruptions, such as fire, natural disaster, pandemic or power outage, or due to cyber-security incidents, ransomware or other actions of third parties, including labor strikes, political unrest and terrorist attacks. Manufacturing disruptions also can occur due to regulatory action, production quality deviations, safety issues or raw material shortages or defects, or because a key product or component is manufactured at a single manufacturing facility with limited alternate facilities.
We rely on network and information systems and other technologies and a disruption, cyber-attack, failure or destruction of such networks, systems, or technologies may disrupt our business or result in liability.
Network and information systems and other technologies, including those related to our computer, data back-up and processing systems, network management, customer service operations and programming delivery, are critical to our business activities. Network and information systems-related events, such as computer hackings, cyber-attacks, computer viruses, worms or other destructive or disruptive software, process breakdowns, denial of service attacks, malicious social engineering or other malicious activities, or any combination of the foregoing, or power outages, natural disasters, terrorist attacks or other similar events, could result in a degradation or disruption of our services or damage to our properties, equipment and data. These events also could result in large expenditures to repair or replace the damaged properties, networks or information systems or to protect them from similar events in the future.
The risk of these systems-related events and security breaches occurring has intensified, in part because we maintain certain information necessary to conduct our businesses in digital form stored on cloud servers. While we develop and maintain systems seeking to prevent systems-related events and security breaches from occurring, the development and maintenance of these systems are costly and requires ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts to overcome security measures become more sophisticated. Despite these efforts, there can be no assurance that these events and security breaches will not occur in the future. Moreover, we may provide certain confidential, proprietary and personal information to third parties in connection with our businesses, and while we obtain assurances that these third parties will protect this information, there is a risk that this information could be compromised.
If any of our systems are damaged, fail to function properly or otherwise become unavailable, we may incur substantial costs to repair or replace them, and may experience loss or corruption of critical data and interruptions or delays in our ability to perform critical functions, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. In addition, we are currently making, and expect to continue to make, substantial investments in our information technology systems and infrastructure, some of which are significant. Upgrades involve replacing existing systems with successor systems, making changes to existing systems, or cost-effectively acquiring new systems with new functionality. Implementing new systems carries significant potential risks, including failure to operate as designed, potential loss or corruption of data or information, cost overruns, implementation delays, disruption of operations, and the potential inability to meet business and reporting requirements. While we are aware of inherent risks associated with replacing these systems and believe we are taking reasonable action to mitigate known risks, these technology initiatives may not be deployed as planned or may not be timely implemented without disruption to our operations.
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In the past, we had an incident with an email account being compromised and an attempt was made to get us to wire outgoing money. We did not fall victim to the attempt, conducted a thorough investigation, performed cleanup procedures, and instituted additional security measures to mitigate the risk of this incident from occurring in the future. Risk mitigation includes the board of directors inquiring with the information technology department on the status of cyber risks management, on a quarterly basis.
There may be losses or unauthorized access to or releases of confidential information, including personally identifiable information, that could subject the Company to significant reputational, financial, legal and operational consequences.
The Company’s business requires it to use, transmit and store confidential information including, among other things, personally identifiable information (“PII”) with respect to the Company’s customers and employees. The Company devotes significant resources to network and data security, including through the use of encryption and other security measures intended to protect its systems and data. But these measures cannot provide absolute security, and losses or unauthorized access to or releases of confidential information occur and could materially adversely affect the Company’s reputation, financial condition and operating results. The Company’s business also requires it to share confidential information with third parties. Although the Company takes steps to secure confidential information that is provided to third parties, such measures are not always effective and losses or unauthorized access to or releases of confidential information occur and could materially adversely affect the Company’s reputation, financial condition and operating results.
For example, the Company may experience a security breach impacting the Company’s information technology systems that compromises the confidentiality, integrity or availability of confidential information. Such an incident could, among other things, impair the Company’s ability to attract and retain customers for its products and services, impact the Company’s stock price, materially damage supplier relationships, and expose the Company to litigation or government investigations, which could result in penalties, fines or judgments against the Company.
The Company has implemented systems and processes intended to secure its information technology systems and prevent unauthorized access to or loss of sensitive data. As with all companies, these security measures may not be sufficient for all eventualities and may be vulnerable to hacking, employee error, malfeasance, system error, faulty password management or other irregularities. In addition to the risks relating to general confidential information described above, the Company is also subject to specific obligations relating to health data and payment card data. Health data is subject to additional privacy, security and breach notification requirements, and the Company can be subject to audit by governmental authorities regarding the Company’s compliance with these obligations. If the Company fails to adequately comply with these rules and requirements, or if health data is handled in a manner not permitted by law or under the Company’s agreements with healthcare institutions, the Company could be subject to litigation or government investigations, may be liable for associated investigatory expenses, and could also incur significant fees or fines.
Under payment card rules and obligations, if cardholder information is potentially compromised, the Company could be liable for associated investigatory expenses and could also incur significant fees or fines if the Company fails to follow payment card industry data security standards. The Company could also experience a significant increase in payment card transaction costs or lose the ability to process payment cards if it fails to follow payment card industry data security standards, which would materially adversely affect the Company’s reputation, financial condition and operating results.
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System errors or failures of our platform or services to conform to specifications could cause unforeseen liabilities or injury, harm our reputation and have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
The software and technology services that we operate are complex. As with complex systems offered by others, our software and technology services may contain errors, especially when first introduced. Failure of a customer’s system to perform in accordance with our documentation could constitute a breach of warranty and could require us to incur additional expenses in order to make the system comply with the documentation. If such failure is not remedied in a timely manner, it could constitute a material breach under a contract, allowing the client to cancel the contract, obtain refunds of amounts previously paid, or assert claims for significant damages.
If we fail to develop widespread brand awareness cost-effectively, our business may suffer.
We believe that developing and maintaining widespread awareness of our brand in a cost-effective manner is critical to achieving widespread adoption of our products and attracting new clients. Our brand promotion activities may not generate client awareness or increase revenue, and even if they do, any increase in revenue may not offset the expenses we incur in building our brand. If we fail to successfully promote and maintain our brand, or incur substantial expenses in doing so, we may fail to attract or retain clients necessary to realize a sufficient return on our brand-building efforts or to achieve the widespread brand awareness that is critical for broad client adoption of our solution.
Risks Associated with Our Governing Documents and Delaware Law
Our certificate of incorporation provides for indemnification of officers and directors at our expense and limits their liability, which may result in a major cost to us and hurt the interests of our stockholders because corporate resources may be expended for the benefit of officers or directors.
Our certificate of incorporation provides for indemnification as follows: “To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Corporation is authorized to provide indemnification of, and advancement of expenses to, such agents of the Corporation (and any other persons to which Delaware law permits the Corporation to provide indemnification) through Bylaw provisions, agreements with such agents or other persons, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, in excess of the indemnification and advancement otherwise permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), subject only to limits created by applicable Delaware law (statutory or non-statutory), with respect to actions for breach of duty to the Corporation, its stockholders and others.” Our obligation to indemnify our officers and directors may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our officers or directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against our officers and directors, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against our officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
We have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, indemnification for liabilities arising under federal securities laws is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification for liabilities arising under federal securities laws, other than the payment by us of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding, is asserted by a director, officer or controlling person in connection with our activities, we will (unless in the opinion of our counsel, the matter has been settled by controlling precedent) submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction, the question whether indemnification by us is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. The legal process relating to this matter if it were to occur is likely to be very costly and may result in us receiving negative publicity, either of which factors is likely to materially reduce the market and price for our shares.
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Our certificate of incorporation contains a specific provision that limits the liability of our directors for monetary damages to the Company and the Company’s stockholders and requires us, under certain circumstances, to indemnify officers, directors and employees.
The limitation of monetary liability against our directors, officers and employees under Delaware law and the existence of indemnification rights to them may result in substantial expenditures by us and may discourage lawsuits against our directors, officers and employees.
Our certificate of incorporation contains a specific provision that limits the liability of our directors for monetary damages to the Company and the Company’s stockholders, including as a result of a breach of their fiduciary duties, except to the extent such exception from liability is not permitted under the DGCL. We also have contractual indemnification obligations under our employment and engagement agreements with our executive officers and directors, as well as pursuant to indemnification agreements. The foregoing indemnification obligations could result in us incurring substantial expenditures to cover the cost of settlement or damage awards against our directors and officers, which the Company may be unable to recoup. These provisions and resultant costs may also discourage us from bringing a lawsuit against our directors and officers for breaches of their fiduciary duties and may similarly discourage the filing of derivative litigation by our stockholders against our directors and officers, even though such actions, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders.
Our directors have the right to authorize the issuance of shares of preferred stock and additional shares of our common stock.
Our directors, within the limitations and restrictions contained in our certificate of incorporation and without further action by our stockholders, have the authority to issue shares of preferred stock from time to time in one or more series and to fix the number of shares and the relative rights, conversion rights, voting rights, and terms of redemption, liquidation preferences and any other preferences, special rights and qualifications of any such series. Any issuance of shares of preferred stock could adversely affect the rights of holders of our common stock. Should we issue additional shares of our common stock at a later time, each investor’s ownership interest in our stock would be proportionally reduced.
Anti-takeover provisions may impede the acquisition of the Company.
Certain provisions of the DGCL have anti-takeover effects and may inhibit a non-negotiated merger or other business combination, notwithstanding the fact that our certificate of incorporation provides that we are not subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, which relates to certain restrictions on business combinations with interested stockholders. These provisions are intended to encourage any person interested in acquiring the Company to negotiate with, and to obtain the approval of, our directors, in connection with such a transaction. As a result, certain of these provisions may discourage a future acquisition of the Company, including an acquisition in which the stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. In addition, we can also authorize “blank check” preferred stock, which could be issued by our Board of Directors without stockholder approval and may contain voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to our common stock.
Compliance, Reporting and Listing Risks
We incur significant costs to ensure compliance with U.S. and NASDAQ Capital Market reporting and corporate governance requirements.
We incur significant costs associated with our public company reporting requirements and with applicable U.S. and NASDAQ Capital Market corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and other rules implemented by the SEC and The NASDAQ Capital Market. The rules of The NASDAQ Capital Market include requiring us to maintain independent directors, comply with other corporate governance requirements and pay annual listing and stock issuance fees. All of such SEC and NASDAQ obligations require a commitment of additional resources including, but not limited to, additional expenses, and may result in the diversion of our senior management’s time and attention from our day-to-day operations. We expect all of these applicable rules and regulations to significantly increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly. We also expect that these applicable rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our Board of Directors or as executive officers.
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We may not be able to comply with NASDAQ’s continued listing standards.
Our common stock was approved for listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “MEDS”, in February 2020. Notwithstanding such listing, there can be no assurance any broker will be interested in trading our stock. Therefore, it may be difficult to sell your shares of common stock if you desire or need to sell them. Our former underwriters are not obligated to make a market in our securities, and even if they do make a market, they can discontinue market-making at any time without notice. We cannot provide any assurance that an active and liquid trading market in our securities will develop or, if developed, that such a market will continue.
There is also no guarantee that we will be able to maintain our listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market for any period of time by perpetually satisfying NASDAQ’s continued listing requirements. Our failure to continue to meet these requirements may result in our securities being delisted from NASDAQ. At times, including during our 2023 fiscal year we have received deficiency notices from Nasdaq regarding our inability, at times, to comply with various of the on-going listing rules of NASDAQ’S (including stockholders’ equity requirements, publicly held share requirements, and timely filing requirements). In the past we have taken steps to attempt to regain compliance with these listing rules, however, in the future we may be unable to remain in compliance with NASDAQ’s continued listing requirements or remedy any deficiencies. If our common stock were to be delisted from NASDAQ it would likely reduce the liquidity of our common stock, and, among other things, may decrease the attractiveness of our common stock to the investment community, and make it more difficult for us to issue equity securities for capital raising purposes or for acquisitions.
We are currently prohibited from filing any new registration statements on Form S-3 and effective upon the date that our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 is filed with the Commission, we will be prohibited from using our Shelf Form S-3 until at least December 2024.
Due to our failure to timely file a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we are currently prohibited from using Form S-3 to register securities with the Commission. Separately, our ability to use our previously effective shelf Form S-3, is suspended until at least December 2024. As a result, we will be required to use Form S-1, a longer-form registration statement for future offerings, and are prohibited, until at least December 2024, from undertaking at-the-market offerings. Furthermore, in the event that the Pre-Funded Warrants have not been exercised in full by such date, the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants will need to be registered on Form S-1 in order to continue to be registered under the Securities Act.
Regulatory Risks
Regulatory changes that affect our distribution channels could harm our business.
At the federal level, track and trace legislation requiring the use of pharmaceutical pedigree may restrict and disrupt the movement of pharmaceuticals along the supply chain should the cost of complying with this legislation be too burdensome for smaller suppliers. Changes in the United States healthcare industry and regulatory environment could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
Many of our products and services are intended to function within the structure of the healthcare financing and reimbursement system currently being used in the United States. In recent years, the healthcare industry in the United States has changed significantly in an effort to enhance efficiencies, reduce costs and improve patient outcomes. These changes have included cuts in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement levels, changes in the basis for payments, shifting away from fee-for-service and towards value-based payments and risk-sharing models, increases in the use of managed care, and consolidation in the healthcare industry generally. We expect that the healthcare industry in the United States shall continue to change and evolve in the near future. Changes in the healthcare industry’s (or our pharmaceutical suppliers’) pricing, selling, inventory, distribution or supply policies or practices could significantly reduce our revenues and net income. Additionally, if we experience disruptions in our supply of generic drugs, our margins could be adversely affected.
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We distribute generic pharmaceuticals, which can be subject to both price deflation and price inflation. Continued volatility in the availability, pricing trends or reimbursement of these generic drugs, or significant fluctuations in the nature, frequency and magnitude of generic pharmaceutical launches, could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. Additionally, any future changes in branded and generic drug pricing could be significantly different than our projections. Generic drug manufacturers are increasingly challenging the validity or enforceability of patents on branded pharmaceutical products. During the pendency of these legal challenges, a generic drugs manufacturer may begin manufacturing and selling a generic version of the branded product prior to the final resolution of its legal challenge over the branded product’s patent. To the extent we source, contract manufacture, and distribute such generic products, the brand-name company could assert infringement claims against us. While we generally obtain indemnification against such claims from generic manufacturers as a condition of distributing their products, these rights may not be adequate or sufficient to protect us.
We are also required to comply with various state pricing gouging laws.
The healthcare industry is highly regulated, and further regulation of our distribution businesses and technology products and services could impose increased costs, negatively impact our profit margins and the profit margins of our customers, delay the introduction or implementation of our new products, or otherwise negatively impact our business and expose us to litigation and regulatory investigations.
Healthcare fraud laws are often vague and uncertain, exposing us to potential liability.
We are subject to extensive, and frequently changing, local, state and federal laws and regulations relating to healthcare fraud, waste and abuse. Local, state and federal governments continue to strengthen their position and scrutiny over practices involving fraud, waste and abuse affecting Medicare, Medicaid and other government healthcare programs. Many of the regulations applicable to us, including those relating to marketing incentives, are vague or indefinite and have not been interpreted by the courts. The regulations may be interpreted or applied by a prosecutorial, regulatory, or judicial authority in a manner that could require us to make changes in our operations. If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could become liable for damages and suffer civil and criminal penalties, including the loss of licenses or our ability to participate in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal and state healthcare programs.
Laws reducing reimbursements for pharmaceuticals could negatively affect our industry.
Both our profit margins and the profit margins of our customers may be adversely affected by laws and regulations reducing reimbursement rates for pharmaceuticals, medical treatments and related services, or changing the methodology by which reimbursement levels are determined. The federal government may adopt measures that could reduce Medicare or Medicaid spending, or impose additional requirements on healthcare entities. We cannot predict what alternative or additional deficit reduction initiatives or Medicare payment reductions, if any, will ultimately be enacted into law, or the timing or effect any such initiatives or reductions would have on us. Any of the changes discussed above may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, cash flows, prospects and/or the value of our securities.
Operating, security and licensure standards of federal agencies challenge our ability to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
We are subject to the operating and security standards of the Drug Enforcement Administration (the DEA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the FDA), various state boards of pharmacy, state health departments, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and other comparable agencies. We are also subject to certain state laws relating to price gouging. Although we have enhanced our procedures to ensure compliance, a regulatory agency or tribunal may conclude that our operations are not compliant with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, we may be unable to maintain or renew existing permits, licenses or any other regulatory approvals or obtain without significant delay, future permits, licenses or other approvals needed for the operation of our businesses. Any noncompliance by us with applicable laws and regulations or the failure to maintain, renew or obtain necessary permits and licenses could lead to litigation and have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
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Pedigree tracking laws and regulations could increase our regulatory burdens.
Congress and state and federal agencies, including state boards of pharmacy and departments of health and the FDA, have made increased efforts in the past year to regulate the pharmaceutical distribution system in order to prevent the introduction of counterfeit, adulterated or mislabeled drugs into the pharmaceutical distribution system (otherwise known as “pedigree tracking”). In November 2013, Congress passed (and President Barack Obama signed into law) the Drug Quality and Security Act (the “DQSA”). The DQSA establishes federal standards requiring supply-chain stakeholders to participate in an electronic, interoperable, lot-level prescription drug track-and-trace system. The law also preempts state drug pedigree requirements and establishes new requirements for drug wholesale distributors and third-party logistics providers, including licensing requirements in states that had not previously licensed such entities.
In addition, the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 requires the FDA to establish standards and identify and validate effective technologies for the purpose of securing the pharmaceutical supply chain against counterfeit drugs. These standards may include track-and-trace or authentication technologies, such as radio frequency identification devices, 2D data matrix barcodes, and other similar technologies. On March 26, 2010, the FDA released the Serialized Numerical Identifier (the “SNI”) guidance for manufacturers who serialize pharmaceutical packaging. To date we have been able to accommodate these SNI regulations in our distribution operations. The DQSA and other pedigree tracking laws and regulations have increased the overall regulatory burden and costs associated with our pharmaceutical distribution business and have had a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
We are uncertain how new privacy laws shall be interpreted.
There are numerous federal and state laws and regulations related to the privacy and security of personal information. In particular, regulations promulgated pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) establish privacy and security standards that limit the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information (known as “protected health information”) and require the implementation of administrative, physical and technological safeguards to protect the privacy of protected health information and ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of electronic protected health information. We are directly subject to certain provisions of the regulations as a “Business Associate” through our relationships with customers. We are also directly subject to the HIPAA privacy and security regulations as a “Covered Entity” with respect to our operations as a healthcare clearinghouse, specialty pharmacy and medical surgical supply business. If we are unable to properly protect the privacy and security of protected health information entrusted to us, we could be found to have breached our contracts with our customers. Further, if we fail to comply with applicable HIPAA privacy and security standards, we could face civil and criminal penalties. Although we have implemented and continue to maintain policies and processes to assist us in complying with these regulations and our contractual obligations, we cannot provide assurances regarding how these regulations will be interpreted, enforced or applied by the government and regulators to our operations. In addition to the risks associated with enforcement activities and potential contractual liabilities, our ongoing efforts to comply with evolving laws and regulations at the federal and state level might also require us to make costly system purchases /or modifications from time to time.
We might be adversely impacted by healthcare reform such as changes in pricing and reimbursement models.
Many of our products and services are designed and intended to function within the structure of current healthcare financing and reimbursement systems. The healthcare industry and related government programs are changing. Some of these changes increase our risks and create uncertainties for our business.
For example, some changes in reimbursement methodologies (including government rates) for pharmaceuticals, medical treatments and related service reduces profit margins for us and our customers and impose new legal requirements on healthcare providers. Those changes have included cuts in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement levels, changes in the basis for payments, shifting away from fee-for-service and toward value-based payment and risk-sharing models, and increases in the use of managed care.
In the U.S., the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) significantly expanded health insurance coverage to uninsured Americans and changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private payers. There are continued efforts to challenge the ACA. There are also efforts to broaden healthcare coverage. U.S. lawmakers also have explored proposals to reduce drug prices, including requiring price transparency and drug importation measures. These proposals might result in significant changes in the pharmaceutical value chain as manufacturers, PBM, managed care organizations and other industry stakeholders look to implement new transactional flows and adapt their business models.
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Provincial governments in Canada that provide partial funding for the purchase of pharmaceuticals and independently regulate the sale and reimbursement of drugs have sought to reduce the costs of publicly funded health programs. For example, provincial governments have taken steps to reduce consumer prices for generic pharmaceuticals and, in some provinces, change professional allowances paid to pharmacists by generic manufacturers.
Many European governments provide or subsidize healthcare to consumers and regulate pharmaceutical prices, patient eligibility and reimbursement levels in order to control government healthcare system costs. Some European governments have implemented or are considering austerity measures to reduce healthcare spending. These measures exert pressure on the pricing and reimbursement timelines for pharmaceuticals and may cause our customers to purchase fewer of our products and services or influence us to reduce prices.
Medical billing and coding laws may subject us to fines and investigations.
Medical billing, coding and collection activities are governed by numerous federal and state civil and criminal laws. In connection with these laws, we may be subjected to federal, or state government investigations and possible penalties may be imposed upon us, false claims actions may have to be defended, private payers may file claims against us, and we may be excluded from Medicare, Medicaid or other government-funded healthcare programs. Any such proceeding or investigation could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
It may be difficult and costly for us to comply with the extensive government regulations to which our business is subject.
Our operations are subject to extensive regulation by the U.S. federal and state governments. In addition, as we expand our operations, we may also become subject to the regulations of foreign jurisdictions, as well as additional regulations relating to environmental matters, transportation of pharmaceutical products, shipping restrictions, and import and export restrictions. We are also required to comply with various state pricing gouging laws.
Further, the enactment of new rules and regulations could adversely affect our business. Depending on future enforcement or additional rules and regulations created around it, pharmaceutical pricing controls could be established, resulting in substantially reduced margins and limited reimbursement for pharmacies and all other healthcare provider bases. In turn, this may adversely affect our cash flow, profitability, and growth.
Risks Relating to Our Industry in General
A significant number of counties, municipalities and other plaintiffs, including a number of state attorney generals, have filed lawsuits against pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmaceutical wholesale distributors, retail chains and others relating to the manufacturing, marketing or distribution of certain prescription medications. The defense and resolution of future lawsuits and events relating to these lawsuits could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or liquidity or have adverse reputational or operational effects on our business. Other legislative, regulatory or industry measures related to the public health crisis involving the abuse of prescription opioid pain medication and the distribution of these medications could affect our business in ways that we may not be able to predict.
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Changes to the U.S. healthcare environment may not be favorable to us.
Over a number of years, the U.S. healthcare industry has undergone significant changes designed to increase access to medical care, improve safety and patient outcomes, contain costs and increase efficiencies. These changes include adoption of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), a general decline in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement levels, efforts by healthcare insurance companies to limit or reduce payments to pharmacies and providers, the basis for payments beginning to transition from a fee-for-service model to value-based payments and risk-sharing models, and the industry shifting away from traditional healthcare venues like hospitals and into clinics, physician offices and patients’ homes.
We expect the U.S. healthcare industry to continue to change significantly in the future. Possible changes include repeal and replacement of major parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, further reduction or limitations on governmental funding at the state or federal level, efforts by healthcare insurance companies to further limit payments for products and services or changes in legislation or regulations governing prescription pharmaceutical pricing, healthcare services or mandated benefits. These possible changes, and the uncertainty surrounding these possible changes, may cause healthcare industry participants to reduce the number of products and services they purchase from us or the price they are willing to pay for our products and services, which could adversely affect us.
Consolidation in the U.S. healthcare industry may negatively impact our results of operations.
In recent years, U.S. healthcare industry participants, including distributors, manufacturers, suppliers, healthcare providers, insurers and pharmacy chains, have consolidated or formed strategic alliances. Consolidations create larger enterprises with greater negotiating power, and also could result in the possible loss of a customer where the combined enterprise selects one distributor from two incumbents. If this consolidation trend continues, it could adversely affect our results of operations.
Accounting Risks
We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and controls and procedures which could, if not remediated, adversely affect our ability to report our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations in a timely and accurate manner and/or increase the risk of future misstatements, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations and could cause the market value of our shares of common stock and/or debt securities to decline.
Maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and effective disclosure controls and procedures are necessary for us to produce reliable financial statements. As reported under “Item 9A. Controls and Procedures”, as of December 31, 2023, our CEO and CFO have determined that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective. Additionally, our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over our financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. As disclosed below under “Item 9A. Controls and Procedures”, based on reviews conducted by management, we have concluded that a material weakness exists and has existed since approximately 2014 in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal controls over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
The material weaknesses identified in our controls and procedures as of December 31, 2023, included the fact that (1) The Company did not maintain a fully integrated financial consolidation and reporting system throughout the period and as a result, extensive manual analysis, reconciliation and adjustments were required in order to produce financial statements for external reporting purposes. and (2) the Company does not currently have a sufficient complement of technical accounting and external reporting personnel commensurate to support standalone external financial reporting under public company or SEC requirements. Specifically, the Company did not effectively segregate certain accounting duties due to the small size of its accounting staff and maintain a sufficient number of adequately trained personnel necessary to anticipate and identify risks critical to financial reporting and the closing process. In addition, there were inadequate reviews and approvals by the Company’s personnel of certain reconciliations and other processes in day-to-day operations due to the lack of a full complement of accounting staff.
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Maintaining effective disclosure controls and procedures and effective internal control over financial reporting are necessary for us to produce reliable financial statements and the Company is committed to remediating its material weaknesses in such controls as promptly as possible.
Since Fiscal 2014 when the material weakness became effective, the Company has identified certain remediation actions and has implemented many efforts are not complete and remain in process. If we do not complete our remediation in a timely manner or if our remedial measures are insufficient to address the material weaknesses, or if additional material weaknesses in our internal controls and/or controls and procedures are discovered or occur in the future, it may materially adversely affect our ability to report our financial condition and results of operations in a timely and accurate manner and there will continue to be an increased risk of future misstatements. Although we regularly review and evaluate internal controls systems to allow management to report on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and controls and procedures, we may discover additional weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures. The next time we evaluate our internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, if we identify one or more new material weaknesses or have been unable to timely remediate our existing material weaknesses, we would be unable to conclude that our internal controls over financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures are effective. If we are unable in the future to conclude that our internal controls over financial reporting or our disclosure controls and procedures are effective, we may not be able to report our financial condition and results of operations in a timely and accurate manner, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations and could cause the market value of our shares of common stock to decline. In addition, any potential future restatements could subject us to additional adverse consequences, including sanctions by the SEC, stockholder litigation and other adverse actions. Moreover, we may be the subject of further negative publicity focusing on such financial statement adjustments and resulting restatement and negative reactions from our stockholders, creditors or others with whom we do business. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations and could cause the market value of our shares of common stock to decline.
A significant amount of our revenues has historically been due to only a small number of customers and we depend on a small number of major wholesalers, and if we were to lose any of those customers or suppliers, our results of operations would be adversely affected.
During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, no sales to any specific customer represented greater than 10% of revenue. In the event our customers do not pay us amounts owed, sales to such customers cease or we are unable to find new customers moving forward, it could have a materially adverse effect on our results of operations. We have a working relationship with over 25 wholesalers and the nation’s largest buying group. Although we believe those entities are satisfied with their business relationship with Trxade, if supply chain vendors decide to no longer to do business with Trxade, and we are unable to find additional entities to step into their shoes, the resulting supplier void would materially and adversely affect our competitiveness in the marketplace, and could cause a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
We might be harmed by changes in our relationships or contracts with suppliers.
We attempt to structure our agreements with wholesalers to ensure that we are appropriately and predictably compensated for the services we provide. We cannot control the frequency or magnitude of pharmaceutical price changes. We might be unable to renew agreements with wholesalers in a timely and favorable manner. Any of these risks might have a materially adverse impact on our business operations and our financial positions or results of operations.
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Risks Related to Our Common Stock and Organizational Documents
Our common stock has in the past been a “penny stock” under SEC rules, and may be subject to the “penny stock” rules in the future. It may be more difficult to resell securities classified as “penny stock.”
In the past (including immediately prior to our common stock being listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market in February 2020), our common stock was a “penny stock” under applicable SEC rules (generally defined as non-exchange traded stock with a per-share price below $5.00). While our common stock is not now considered a “penny stock” because it is listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market, if we are unable to maintain that listing, unless we maintain a per-share price above $5.00, our common stock will become “penny stock.” These rules impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers that recommend the purchase or sale of penny stocks to persons other than those who qualify as “established customers” or “accredited investors.” For example, broker-dealers must determine the appropriateness for non-qualifying persons of investments in penny stocks. Broker-dealers must also provide, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, a standardized risk disclosure document that provides information about penny stocks and the risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer also must provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, disclose the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction, furnish monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account, provide a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser, and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction.
Legal remedies available to an investor in “penny stocks” may include the following:
● | If a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in violation of the requirements listed above, or other federal or states securities laws, the investor may be able to cancel the purchase and receive a refund of the investment. | |
● | If a “penny stock” is sold to the investor in a fraudulent manner, the investor may be able to sue the persons and firms that committed the fraud for damages. |
These requirements may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity, if any, in the secondary market for a security that becomes subject to the penny stock rules. The additional burdens imposed upon broker-dealers by such requirements may discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our securities, which could severely limit the market price and liquidity of our securities. These requirements may restrict the ability of broker-dealers to sell our common stock and may affect your ability to resell our common stock.
Many brokerage firms will discourage or refrain from recommending investments in penny stocks. Most institutional investors will not invest in penny stocks. In addition, many individual investors will not invest in penny stocks due, among other reasons, to the increased financial risk generally associated with these investments.
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For these reasons, penny stocks may have a limited market and, consequently, limited liquidity. We can give no assurance at what time, if ever, our common stock will not be classified as a “penny stock” in the future.
Penny stocks are generally considered to be high-risk investments. There are several factors that contribute to the high-risk nature of penny stocks, including:
● | Volatility: Penny stocks are known for their extreme price fluctuations. This volatility can be caused by a number of factors, including changes in the overall stock market, news about the company or industry, and changes in investor sentiment. | |
● | Lack of liquidity: Penny stocks are often traded on over-the-counter markets, which can make them more difficult to buy and sell. This lack of liquidity can increase the risk of large price swings and can make it difficult to exit a position if needed. | |
● | Lack of information: Many penny stock companies are not required to file regular reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which means there may be limited information available to investors. This can make it difficult to evaluate the financial health of the company and to make informed investment decisions. | |
● | Manipulation: Because of their low trading volumes and lack of regulatory oversight, penny stocks can be vulnerable to market manipulation. This can include practices such as “pump and dump” schemes, where investors artificially inflate the price of a stock before selling their shares for a profit. |
Overall, it’s important to approach penny stocks with caution and to thoroughly research any investment before making a decision. It’s also a good idea to diversify your portfolio and to limit your exposure to any one stock or sector.
There may not be sufficient liquidity in the market for our securities in order for investors to sell their shares. The market price of our common stock may continue to be volatile.
The market price of our common stock will likely continue to be highly volatile. Some of the factors that may materially affect the market price of our common stock are beyond our control, such as conditions or trends in the industry in which we operate or sales of our common stock. This situation is attributable to a number of factors, including the fact that we are a small company which is relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and would be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we became more seasoned and viable.
As a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a mature issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. It is possible that a broader or more active public trading market for our common stock will not develop or be sustained, or that trading levels will not continue. These factors may materially adversely affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our performance. In addition, the public stock markets have experienced extreme price and trading volume volatility. This volatility has significantly affected the market prices of securities of many companies for reasons frequently unrelated to the operating performance of the specific companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
The exercise of outstanding warrants, options and shares issued in connection with a joint venture and acquisition will be dilutive to our existing stockholders.
As of the date of this Report, we had outstanding various warrants, stock options and other securities that are exercisable into shares of our common stock:
For the life of the options and warrants, the holders have the opportunity to profit from a rise in the market price of our common stock without assuming the risk of ownership. The issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding securities will also dilute the ownership interests of our existing stockholders.
The availability of these shares for public resale, as well as any actual resales of these shares, could adversely affect the trading price of our common stock. Certain of the shares of common stock underlying outstanding options will be available for resale immediately in the public market without restriction.
We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our common stock pursuant to the exercise of outstanding options or warrants, or the effect, if any, that future issuances and sales of shares of our common stock may have on the market price of our common stock. Sales or distributions of substantial amounts of our common stock (including shares issued in connection with an acquisition), or the perception that such sales could occur, may cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
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We have not historically paid or declared any dividends on our common stock and do not expect to pay or declare cash dividends in the future on a regular basis, if at all.
Although we declared and paid a special cash dividend in March 2024 that dividend was paid as the result of a sale various business assets and not paid from cash generated in our operations, the Company has not historically paid or declared any dividends on our common stock or preferred stock. Any future dividends on common stock will be declared at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend, among other things, on our earnings, our financial requirements for future operations and growth, and other facts as we may then deem appropriate. As such, the return on your investment, if any, has historically been dependent solely on an increase, if any, in the market value of our common stock.
Our common stock price is likely to be highly volatile because of several factors, including a limited public float.
The market price of our common stock has been volatile in the past and the market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile in the future. You may not be able to resell shares of our common stock following periods of volatility because of the market’s adverse reaction to volatility.
Other factors that could cause such volatility may include, among other things:
● | actual or anticipated fluctuations in our operating results; | |
● | the absence of securities analysts covering us and distributing research and recommendations about us; | |
● | we may have a low trading volume for a number of reasons, including that a large portion of our stock is closely held; | |
● | overall stock market fluctuations; | |
● | announcements concerning our business or those of our competitors; | |
● | actual or perceived limitations on our ability to raise capital when we require it, and to raise such capital on favorable terms; | |
● | conditions or trends in our industry; | |
● | litigation; | |
● | changes in market valuations of other similar companies; | |
● | future sales of common stock; | |
● | departure of key personnel or failure to hire key personnel; and | |
● | general market conditions. |
Any of these factors could have a significant and adverse impact on the market price of our common stock. In addition, the stock market in general has at times experienced extreme volatility and rapid decline that has often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance.
Our Chief Executive Officer and President are two of our largest stockholders and, as a result, they can exert influence over us and have actual or potential interests that may differ from yours.
Mr. Suren Ajjarapu, our CEO, and Mr. Prashant Patel, our President, acting together, may be able to influence many matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and approval of mergers and other significant corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change in control, and could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their shares of common stock as part of a sale of our company and may affect the market price of our stock.
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Further, Mr. Ajjarapu and Mr. Patel may have interests that differ from those of other holders of our common stock. As a result, Mr. Ajjarapu and Mr. Patel may vote the shares they own or control or otherwise cause us to take actions that may conflict with your best interests as a stockholder, which could adversely affect our results of operations and the trading price of our common stock.
Through this influence, Mr. Ajjarapu and Mr. Patel can influence our management, affairs and all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the approval of significant corporate transactions, a sale of our company, decisions about our capital structure and the composition of our Board of Directors.
Our common stock may continue to be followed by only a limited number of analysts and there may continue to be a limited number of institutions acting as market makers for our common stock.
For the foreseeable future, our common stock is unlikely to be followed by a significant number of market analysts, and there may be few institutions acting as market makers for our common stock. Either of these factors could adversely affect the liquidity and trading price of our common stock. Until our common stock is fully distributed, and an orderly market develops in our common stock, if ever, the price at which it trades is likely to fluctuate significantly. Prices for our common stock are determined in the marketplace and may be influenced by many factors, including the depth and liquidity of the market for shares of our common stock, developments affecting our business, including the impact of the factors referred to elsewhere in these Risk Factors, investor perception of us and general economic and market conditions. No assurances can be given that an orderly or liquid market will ever develop for the shares of our common stock.
Our bylaws require, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty and certain other actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware, and if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will, subject to certain exceptions, be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel, which may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders.
Our bylaws require that unless the Company consents in writing to an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company; (b) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by, or other wrongdoing by, any director, officer, employee or agent of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders; (c) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of Delaware General Corporation Law or the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company; (d) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company; or (e) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case subject to said Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein (or such indispensable parties consenting to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within 10 days following any determination by the Court of Chancery that an indispensable party is not subject to such personal jurisdiction); provided that, if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware dismisses any action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, such action may be brought in another state or federal court sitting in the State of Delaware. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in our bylaws. This choice of forum provision may limit or make more costly a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
As described above, our bylaws provide that the exclusive forum provision will be applicable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, subject to certain exceptions. However, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. We also note that investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Section 22 of the Securities Act, creates concurrent jurisdiction for state and federal courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
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Our stockholders have no right to call special meetings of stockholders.
Our bylaws provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the chairperson of the board of directors, the chief executive officer or president (in the absence of a chief executive officer). Because our stockholders do not have the right to call a special meeting, a stockholder could not force stockholder consideration of a proposal over the opposition of our board of directors by calling a special meeting of stockholders prior to such time as the chairperson of the board of directors, the chief executive officer or president (in the absence of a chief executive officer) believed the matter should be considered or until the next annual meeting provided that the requestor met the notice requirements. The restriction on the ability of stockholders to call a special meeting means that a proposal to replace our board of directors also could be delayed until the next annual meeting.
Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the value of our securities and could entrench management.
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that stockholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred shares and the requirement to receive the affirmative vote of holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding capital stock of the Company to amend any provision of the bylaws of the Company, without Board of Directors approval (which Board of Directors approved amendments may be affected solely by the Board of Directors, without stockholder approval, subject to certain exceptions, without stockholder approval), which may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities. These provisions may make the removal of management more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.
General Risk Factors
U.S. and global economic conditions could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and growth.
Adverse macroeconomic conditions, including inflation, slower growth or recession, new or increased tariffs, changes to fiscal and monetary policy, tighter credit, higher interest rates, high unemployment and currency fluctuations could have a material adverse impact on demand for the Company’s products and services. In addition, consumer confidence and spending could be adversely affected in response to financial market volatility, negative financial news, conditions in the real estate and mortgage markets, declines in income or asset values, changes to fuel and other energy costs, labor and healthcare costs and other economic factors.
In addition to an adverse impact on demand for the Company’s products, uncertainty about, or a decline in, U.S. or global economic conditions could have a significant impact on the Company’s suppliers, the pharmacy industry as a whole, the Company’s network of independent pharmacies and other partners. Potential effects include financial instability, inability to obtain credit to finance operations and purchases of the Company’s products, payment defaults and insolvency.
A downturn in the economic environment could also lead to increased credit and collectability risk on the Company’s receivables; limitations on the Company’s ability to raise new funding through the sale of debt or equity; reduced liquidity; and declines in the value of the Company’s securities. These and other economic factors could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and growth.
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We may apply working capital and future funding to uses that ultimately do not improve our operating results or increase the value of our securities.
In general, we have complete discretion over the use of our working capital and any new investment capital we may obtain in the future. Because of the number and variety of factors that could determine our use of funds, our ultimate expenditure of funds (and their uses) may vary substantially from our current intended operating plan for such funds.
We intend to use existing working capital and future funding to support the development of our products and services, product purchases in our wholesale distribution division, the expansion of our marketing, or the support of operations to educate our customers. We will also use capital for market and network expansion, acquisitions, and general working capital purposes. However, we do not have more specific plans for the use and expenditure of our capital. Our management has broad discretion to use any or all of our available capital reserves. Our capital could be applied in ways that do not improve our operating results or otherwise increase the value of a stockholder’s investment.
Our websites may encounter technical problems and service interruptions.
Our websites may, in the future, experience slower response times or interruptions as a result of increased traffic or other reasons. These delays and interruptions resulting from failure to maintain Internet service connections to our site could frustrate visitors and reduce our future web site traffic, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Stockholders may be diluted significantly through our efforts to obtain financing and satisfy obligations through the issuance of additional shares of our common stock.
Wherever possible, our Board of Directors will attempt to use non-cash consideration to satisfy obligations. In many instances, we believe that the non-cash consideration will consist of restricted shares of our common stock or where shares are to be issued to our officers, directors and applicable consultants. Our Board of Directors has authority, without action or vote of the stockholders, but subject to NASDAQ rules and regulations (which generally require shareholder approval for any transactions which would result in the issuance of more than 20% of our then outstanding shares of common stock or voting rights representing over 20% of our then outstanding shares of stock), to issue all or part of the authorized but unissued shares of common stock. In addition, we may attempt to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock, possibly at a discount to market. These actions will result in dilution of the ownership interests of existing stockholders, which may further dilute common stock book value, and that dilution may be material. Such issuances may also serve to enhance existing management’s ability to maintain control of the Company because the shares may be issued to parties or entities committed to supporting existing management.
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Levels or types of insurance may not be adequate to cover claims.
Although we maintain current and active insurance policies, we cannot guarantee that all levels and types of insurance will be adequate to cover claims brought against the Company.
Our growth depends in part on the success of our strategic relationships with third parties.
In order to grow our business, we anticipate that we will need to continue to depend on our relationships with third parties, including our technology providers. Identifying partners, and negotiating and documenting relationships with them, requires significant time and resources. Our competitors may be effective in providing incentives to third parties to favor their products or services, or utilization of, our products and services. In addition, acquisitions of our partners by our competitors could result in a decrease in the number of our current and potential customers. If we are unsuccessful in establishing or maintaining our relationships with third parties, our ability to compete in the marketplace or to grow our revenue could be impaired and our results of operations may suffer. Even if we are successful, we cannot assure you that these relationships will result in increased customer use of our products or increased revenue.
Claims, litigation, government investigations, and other proceedings may adversely affect our business and results of operations.
As a company offering a wide range of products and services, we are regularly subject to actual and threatened claims, litigation, reviews, investigations, and other proceedings, including proceedings relating to goods and services offered by us and by third parties, and other matters. Any of these types of proceedings, including currently pending proceedings as discussed herein, may have an adverse effect on us because of legal costs, disruption of our operations, diversion of management resources, negative publicity, and other factors. The outcomes of these matters are inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties. Determining legal reserves and possible losses from such matters involves judgment and may not reflect the full range of uncertainties and unpredictable outcomes. Until the final resolution of such matters, we may be exposed to losses in excess of the amount recorded, and such amounts could be material. Should any of our estimates and assumptions change or prove to have been incorrect, it could have a material effect on our business, consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. In addition, it is possible that a resolution of one or more such proceedings, including as a result of a settlement, could require us to make substantial future payments, prevent us from offering certain products or services, require us to change our business practices in a manner materially adverse to our business, requiring development of non-infringing or otherwise altered products or technologies, damaging our reputation, or otherwise having a material effect on our operations.
For all of the foregoing reasons and others set forth herein, an investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk.
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ITEM 1B. | UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS |
None.
ITEM 1C. | CYBERSECURITY |
The Company has not adopted any formal cybersecurity risk management program or formal processes for assessing, identifying, and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. The full board of directors has oversight responsibility for the Company’s overall risk management, including cybersecurity risk, and has not delegated oversight authority for cybersecurity risks to any committee. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we did not identify any cybersecurity threats that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.
ITEM 2. | PROPERTIES |
We do not own any real property. We entered into a lease for our current corporate office space at 2420 Brunello Trace, Lutz, Florida 33558 on November 8, 2021. The lease included a five-year term, beginning January 1, 2022, and ending December 31, 2026. The office space occupies approximately 9,850 square feet. Pursuant to the lease, the Company is responsible for water/sewer costs ($140 per month) and its proportionate share of the building’s operating expenses, including property taxes. We paid a security deposit of $38,500 in connection with our entry into the agreement, which was surrendered upon termination of the lease in November 2023.
We entered into a lease for Integra Pharma Solutions, LLC at 6308 Benjamin Road, Tampa, Florida 33634 for approximately $43,000 per year ($3,583 per month) under a five-year lease agreement, effective October 17, 2018, occupying approximately 6,300 square feet.
We entered into a lease for Superlatus Food Service Holding Company, LLC at 20 Sarine Road, Wurtsboro, New York 12790 for approximately $132,000 per year ($11,000 per month) under a three-year lease agreement, effective October 1, 2023. As a result of our divestiture of Superlatus in March 2024 we no longer have obligations related to this lease.
We believe our current and future facilities are adequate for our current and near-term needs. Additional space may be required as we expand our activities. We do not currently foresee any significant difficulties in obtaining any required additional facilities.
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ITEM 3. | LEGAL PROCEEDINGS |
In the ordinary course of business, we may become a party to lawsuits involving various matters. The impact and outcome of litigation, if any, is subject to inherent uncertainties, and an adverse result in these or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm our business. We believe the ultimate resolution of any such current proceeding will not have a material adverse effect on our continued financial position, results of operations or cash flows, except as otherwise set forth below. However, assessment of the current litigation or other legal claims could change in light of the discovery of facts not presently known to the Company or by judges, juries or other finders of fact, which are not in accord with management’s evaluation of the possible liability or outcome of such litigation or claims.
For a description of our material pending legal proceedings, please see “Note 16 – Contingencies”. to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included herein under “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplemental Data.”
ITEM 4. | MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES |
Not applicable.
PART II
ITEM 5. | MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES |
Market for Common Stock
Our common stock was approved for listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “MEDS”, on February 13, 2020. Prior to that, it traded on the OTCQB Market under the symbol “TRXD”. At present, there is a limited market for our common stock.
Common Stock and Preferred Stock Outstanding and Holders of Record
As of April 22, 2024, we had 1,406,348 shares of common stock outstanding, held by 52 stockholders of record, not including holders who hold their shares in street name, and also shares of Series C Preferred Stock issued or outstanding.
Dividend Policy
Although we paid a special cash dividend in the first quarter of 2024, we have not historically paid or declared any cash dividends on our common stock. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our board of directors. Accordingly, investors have historically relied on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investments.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
There were no sales of unregistered securities during the three months ended December 31, 2023, and from the period from January 1, 2024, to the filing date of this report, that were not previously disclosed in a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or in a Current Report on Form 8-K.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
In May and December of 2021, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $1 million of the currently outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock. Under the stock repurchase program, shares may be repurchased from time to time in the open market or through negotiated transactions at prevailing market rates, or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws. Repurchases will be made at management’s discretion at prices management considers to be attractive and in the best interests of both the Company and its stockholders, subject to the availability of stock, general market conditions, the trading price of the stock, alternative uses for capital, and the Company’s financial performance. Any open market purchases will be conducted in accordance with the limitations set forth in Rule 10b-18 of Exchange Act and other applicable legal requirements. Repurchases may also be made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan. There was no time frame or expiration date for the repurchase program, and such program was to remain in place until a maximum of $1.0 million of the Company’s common stock had been repurchased or until such program was suspended or discontinued by the Board of Directors. During Fiscal 2023 the Company did not repurchase or any shares of the Company’s common stock under the repurchase program.
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ITEM 6. | [RESERVED] |
ITEM 7. | MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS |
The following discussion of the Company’s historical performance and financial condition should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and related notes in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplemental Data” of this Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements based on the views and beliefs of our management, as well as assumptions and estimates made by our management. See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information” above. These statements by their nature are subject to risks and uncertainties and are influenced by various factors. As a consequence, actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this report for the discussion of risk factors. For all periods presented, the consolidated statements of income and consolidated balance sheet data have been adjusted for the reclassification of discontinued operations information, unless otherwise noted. All references to years relate to the calendar year ended December 31 of the particular year.
Our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (the “MD&A”) is provided in addition to the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes to assist readers in understanding our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows. MD&A is organized as follows:
● | Plan of Operations. Summary of the Company’s plan of operations for the next 12 months. | |
● | Sources of Revenue. Summary of the main sources of Company revenue during the reported periods. | |
● | Results of Operations. An analysis of our financial results comparing the years ended December 31, 2023, and 2022. | |
● | Liquidity and Capital Resources. An analysis of changes in our balance sheets and cash flows and discussion of our financial condition. | |
● | Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates. Accounting policies and estimates that we believe are important to understanding the assumptions and judgments incorporated in our reported financial results and forecasts. | |
● | Recently Issued Accounting Standards. A summary of recently issued accounting standards affecting the Company, if any. |
Plan of Operations
We had a working capital deficit of $8,803,293 as of December 31, 2023, compared to working capital deficit of $53,668 as of December 31, 2022. The decrease in working capital of $8,749,625 is related to decreases in cash and increases in liabilities. Below are reasons for the decrease in working capital.
● | Cash decreased approximately $943,000 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023. The reasons for the decrease are as follows: |
○ | $250,000 repayments of debt, net of new debt issuances; and | |
○ | $733,694 paid for interest expense related to the sale of future accounts receivable. |
● | Increases in current liabilities of approximately $9,409,564 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023 were driven by the following main factors: |
○ | $1,554,070 increase in accounts payable balance as of December 31, 2023 compared to the comparable period; | |
○ | $1,138,310 increase in the balance due on the sale of future accounts receivable as of December 31, 2023 compared to the comparable period; | |
○ | $6,363,333 increase in the current portion of notes payable balance; and a | |
○ | $350,000 increase in purchase price payable balance as of December 31, 2023 compared to the comparable period. |
With our current cash on hand, expected revenues, and based on our current average monthly expenses, we anticipate the need for additional funding in order to continue our operations at their current levels, and to pay the costs associated with being a public company, for the next 12 months. We may require additional funding in the future to expand or complete acquisitions. The sources of this capital are expected to be equity investments and notes payable. Our plan for the next twelve months is to continue development of the information technology used in the Company subsidiaries. As our business continues to grow, customer feedback will be integral in making small adjustments to improve the product and overall customer experience. We will require additional funding, we may seek to raise that through the sale of debt or equity, which may not be available on favorable terms, if at all, and may, if sold, cause significant dilution to existing stockholders. If we are unable to access additional capital moving forward, it may hurt our ability to grow and to generate future revenues.
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Sources of Revenue
During 2023 we had four main revenue streams:
(1) Trxade, Inc., our wholly-owned subsidiary, provides an online web-based buying and selling platform for licensed pharmaceutical wholesalers (“Suppliers”) to sell products and services to licensed pharmacies (“Customers”). The Company charges Suppliers a transaction fee, a percentage of the purchase price of the prescription drugs and other products sold through its website service. The Company holds no inventory and assumes no responsibility for the shipment or delivery of any products or services from our website. The Company considers itself an agent for this revenue stream and as such, reports revenue as net. Subsequent to December 31, 2023, we divested substantially all of our assets previously owned and operated by Trxade, Inc.
(2) Integra Pharma Solutions, LLC, our wholly-owned subsidiary, is a licensed wholesaler of brand, generic and non-drug products to Customers. The Company takes orders for products, creates invoices for each order and recognizes revenue at the time the Customer receives the product. Customer returns, to date, have not been material.
(3) Community Specialty Pharmacy, LLC, our wholly-owned subsidiary, is a licensed retail pharmacy. The Company fills prescriptions for drugs written by a doctor and recognizes revenue at the time the patient confirms delivery of the prescription. Customer returns, to date, have not been material. In August 2023 we sold our entire interest in Community Specialty Pharmacy, LLC.
(4) The Urgent Company, Inc., our wholly-owned subsidiary, is a retail and distribution provider of prepackaged, prepared foods. Subsequent to December 31, 2023, we divested our interest in The Urgent Company, LLC.
Results of Operations
For the Year Ended December 31, 2023, compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022
The following selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes to these statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplemental Data” of this Report. For all years presented, the consolidated statements of income and consolidated balance sheet data set forth in this Form 10-K have been adjusted for the reclassification of discontinued operations information, unless otherwise noted.
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, | Percentage | |||||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | Change | Change | |||||||||||||
Revenues | $ | 8,272,214 | $ | 10,250,168 | (1,977,954 | ) | (19.3 | %) | ||||||||
Cost of sales | 5,673,957 | 4,730,897 | 943,060 | 19.9 | % | |||||||||||
Gross profit | 2,598,257 | 5,519,271 | (2,921,014 | ) | (52.9 | %) | ||||||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||||||
Loss on inventory investment | - | 875,250 | (875,250 | ) | (100 | %) | ||||||||||
Technology, research & development | 1,376,908 | 993,185 | 383,723 | 38.6 | % | |||||||||||
Wages and salary | 2,698,178 | 3,581,089 | (882,911 | ) | (24.7 | %) | ||||||||||
Accounting and legal | 1,534,377 | 829,751 | 704,626 | 84.9 | % | |||||||||||
Professional fees | 1,466,567 | 466,735 | 999,832 | 214.2 | % | |||||||||||
Other general and administrative (less stock-based compensation expense) | 2,498,123 | 1,355,946 | 1,142,177 | 84.2 | % | |||||||||||
Warrants and options expense | 287,510 | 333,284 | (45,774 | ) | (13.7 | %) | ||||||||||
Total operating expenses | 9,861,663 | 8,435,240 | 1,426,423 | 16.9 | % | |||||||||||
Change in fair value of warrant liability | (148,420 | ) | 825,544 | (973,964 | ) | (118.0 | %) | |||||||||
Interest, net | (1,194,148 | ) | (315,217 | ) | (878,931 | ) | 278.8 | % | ||||||||
Goodwill impairment | (5,129,115 | ) | - | (5,129,115 | ) | (100.0 | %) | |||||||||
Gain on disposal of asset | - | 2,200 | (2,200 | ) | (100.0 | %) | ||||||||||
Other income | 14,543 | - | 14,543 | 100.0 | % | |||||||||||
Net loss from operations | $ | (13,720,546 | ) | $ | (2,403,442 | ) | $ | (11,317,104 | ) | 470.9 | % | |||||
Loss on discontinued operations | (4,123,028 | ) | (1,506,426 | ) | (2,616,602 | ) | 173.7 | % | ||||||||
Net loss attributable to TRxADE Health, Inc. | (17,843,574 | ) | (3,472,099 | ) | (14,371,475 | ) | 413.9 | % | ||||||||
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests | - | (437,769 | ) | 437,769 | (100.0 | %) |
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Operations
Our revenues during the years ended December 31, 2023, and 2022 were mainly from the Trxade Inc. platform, Integra Pharma Solutions, and The Urgent Company. Revenues decreased $1,977,954 for fiscal year 2023, compared to the prior year’s revenue of $10,250,168. Trxade, Inc., revenue increased by $852,933 or 16% to $6,200,334, compared to $5,347,401, for the years ended December 31, 2023, and 2022, which is attributable to a 16% increase in sales volume on the platform in 2023. Integra Pharma Solutions’ revenue decreased by $3,390,237, or 71%, which is attributable to decreased sales volume and pricing changes. The Trxade, Inc. platform is a secondary marketplace for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies with consistent growth year over year.
Cost of sales was $5,673,957 and gross profit was $2,598,257, for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $4,730,897 and $5,519,271, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in cost of sales is attributed to the inventory costs and inventory write-downs associated with The Urgent Company.
Gross profit as a percentage of sales was 31.4% for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to 53.8% for the year ended December 31, 2022. The reason for the decrease in gross profit as a percentage of sales was a result of increased inventory and cost of sales associated with The Urgent Company.
Technology, research and development expenditures increased to $1,376,908 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $993,185 for the year ended December 31, 2022, as the Company continued to develop apps for customers and make improvements to our platform technology.
Professional fees increased for the year ended December 31, 2023 by $999,832 to $1,466,567 compared to $466,735 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in professional fees for the year ended December 31, 2023 related to the merger with Superlatus and purchase of The Urgent Company.
General and administrative expenses (less stock-based compensation expense) increased for the year ended December 31, 2023 to $2,498,123 compared to $1,355,946 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase is largely driven by amortization expense related to intangible assets acquired through the Sapientia Technologies acquisition.
Total stock-based compensation expense decreased by 13.7% or $45,774 to $287,510 from $333,284 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the prior year’s period. The decrease was due to less common stock issued for services during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.
The Company recognized a loss on inventory investment of $875,520 for the year ended December 31, 2022, in connection with COVID-19 test kits that were purchased and could not be resold due to issues with the FDA.
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The Company had interest expense, net, of $1,194,148 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to interest expense of $315,217 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increased interest expense is driven by the increases in the contingent funding liability due to additional accounts receivable advances during the year ended December 31, 2023.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recognized a loss from the change in the fair value of warrants of $148,420. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recognized a gain from the change in the fair value of warrants of $825,544.
The Company recognized a goodwill impairment loss of $5,129,115 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The goodwill resulted from the acquisition of Superlatus and was subsequently determined to be impaired based on the facts and circumstances surrounding the sale of Superlatus on March 5, 2024.
Net loss from operations increased $11,317,104 to a net loss of $13,720,546 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to a net loss of $2,403,442 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in net loss is mainly due to the write-down of inventory due to spoilage, increases in spending related to the merger transaction with Superlatus and purchase of TUC and goodwill impairment charges.
Net loss from discontinued operations increased $2,616,602 to a net loss of $4,123,028 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to a net loss from discontinued operations of $1,506,426 for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents were $151,908 as of December 31, 2023. We expect that our future available capital resources will consist primarily of cash generated from operations, remaining cash balances, proceeds from potential asset divestitures or strategic transactions, borrowings, and any additional funds raised through sales of debt and/or equity.
Liquidity
Cash, current assets, current liabilities, short term debt and working capital at the end of each period were as follows:
December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
Cash | $ | 151,908 | $ | 1,094,894 | ||||
Current assets (excluding cash) | 2,601,154 | 998,229 | ||||||
Current liabilities (excluding short term debt) | 5,026,355 | 1,980,124 | ||||||
Short term debt | 6,530,000 | 166,667 | ||||||
Working deficit | (8,803,293 | ) | (53,668 | ) |
Our principal sources of liquidity during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 have been cash provided by operations (internal source). During the year ended December 31, 2023, sales of future receivables provided a principal source of liquidity. During the year ended December 31, 2022, equity capital and borrowings under various debt arrangements (external source) and a stock placement deal of 920,000 shares. Our principal uses of cash have been for operating expenses and research and development of our newer business units. We anticipate these uses will continue to be our principal uses of cash in the future in addition to any necessary business acquisitions. We currently do not have any material unused sources of liquid assets.
Cash decreased by $942,986 and other current assets increased by $1,602,925. The decrease in cash was primarily due to interest expense associated with the sale of future receivables and net repayments of debt as well as the professional fees and accounting and legal expenses associated with the merger with Superlatus and the acquisition of The Urgent Company. The increase in other current assets was primarily due to a note receivable and other receivables from the sale of APS and CSP.
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Current liabilities (excluding short term debt) increased by $3,046,231 from $1,980,124 to $5,026,355 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase is primarily due to an increase in accounts payable and contingent funding liabilities from the sale of future receivables.
Liquidity Outlook cash explanation
Cash Requirements
Our primary objectives for 2024 are to continue the development and operational expansion of Integra Pharma Solutions and to explore strategic transactions, relationships or acquisitions to grow or operations whether in our legacy industry or outside of that general industry. There can be no assurance that our operations will generate significant positive cash flow, or that additional funds will be available to us, through borrowings or otherwise, on favorable terms if required in the future, or at all.
We estimate our operating expenses and working capital requirements for the next 12 months to be approximately as follows:
Projected Expenses for 2024 | Amount | |||
General and administrative (1) | $ | 4,800,000 | ||
Total | $ | 4,800,000 |
(1) | Includes wages and payroll, legal and accounting, marketing, rent and technology development. |
We may require additional funding in the future to expand or complete acquisitions. The sources of this capital are expected to be equity investments and notes payable. Our plan for the next twelve months is to continue using the same marketing and management strategies to promote our Integra Pharma Solutions assets and operations, exploring strategic transactions involving our corporate assets, while also seeking to expand our operations organically or through acquisitions, as funding and opportunities arise. As our business continues to grow, customer feedback will be integral in making small adjustments to improve our products and overall customer experience. In the event we require additional funding, we plan to raise that through the sale of debt or equity, which may not be available on favorable terms, if at all, and may, if sold, cause significant dilution to existing stockholders. If we are unable to access additional capital moving forward, it may hurt our ability to grow and to generate future revenues.
We believe that we have adequate cash to implement our plan to operate a business-to-business web-based marketplace focused on the United States pharmaceutical industry. Our core service is designed to bring the nation’s independent pharmacies and accredited national suppliers of pharmaceuticals together to provide efficient and transparent buying and selling opportunities.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, and 2022:
December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | Change | Percent Change | |||||||||||||
Net loss from continuing operations | $ | (13,720,546 | ) | $ | (2,403,442 | ) | $ | (11,317,104 | ) | 470.9 | % | |||||
Net cash provided by (used in): | ||||||||||||||||
Net cash (used in) operating activities from continuing operations | (1,592,424 | ) | (199,020 | ) | (1,393,404 | ) | 700.1 | % | ||||||||
Net cash (used in) operating activities from discontinued operations | (481,177 | ) | (1,365,648 | ) | 884,471 | (64.8 | %) | |||||||||
Operating activities | (2,073,601 | ) | (1,564,668 | ) | (508,933 | ) | 32.5 | % | ||||||||
Net cash (used in) investing activities from continuing operations | (344,454 | ) | (427,845 | ) | 83,391 | (19.5 | %) | |||||||||
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities from discontinued operations | 68,737 | - | 68,737 | 100.0 | % | |||||||||||
Investing activities | (275,717 | ) | (427,845 | ) | 152,128 | (35.6 | %) | |||||||||
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities from continuing operations | 1,906,332 | (35,171 | ) | 1,941,503 | (5,520.2 | %) | ||||||||||
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities from discontinued operations | (500,000 | ) | - | (500,000 | ) | 100.0 | % | |||||||||
Financing activities | 1,406,332 | (35,171 | ) | 1,441,503 | (4,098.6 | %) | ||||||||||
Net change in cash | $ | (942,986 | ) | $ | (2,027,684 | ) | $ | 1,084,698 | (53.5 | %) |
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Cash used in operations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 was $2,073,601. This compared to $1,564,668 of cash used in operating activities for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in cash used in operations was mainly due to increased professional fees and accounting and legal expense for the comparable period as a result of the merger with Superlatus and the purchase of The Urgent Company, partially offset by decreased wages and salary expense due to the departure of two members of management during 2023.
Cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $275,717. This compared to $427,845 of cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022. In 2023, the net cash used mainly related to net cash exchanged in acquisition and disposals. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the cash was used for an investment in capitalized software for Delivmeds.
Cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $1,406,332 and cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, was $35,171. The increase was mainly due to proceeds from the sale of future receivables.
Known Contractual and Other Obligations & Commitments
In addition to our long-term debt obligations to our various lenders, we have certain other known contractual working capital obligations, including contractual purchase obligations related to various supply contracts, lease obligations, and other liabilities.
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2023:
Payments due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||||
Contractual Obligations | Total | Less than 1 year | 1-3 years | 3-5 years | More than 5 years | |||||||||||||||
Operating lease obligations | 651,528 | 187,935 | 356,634 | 106,959 | - | |||||||||||||||
Total Contractual obligations | $ | 651,528 | 187,935 | 356,634 | 106,959 | - |
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We had no outstanding off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2023.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of net sales and expenses for each period. We consider an accounting estimate to be critical if the estimate requires us to make assumptions about matters that were uncertain at the time the accounting estimate was made and if different estimates that we reasonably could have used in the current period, or changes in the accounting estimate that are reasonably likely to occur from period to period, could have a material impact on our financial condition or results from operations. Below are the estimates that we believe are critical to the understanding of our operation results and financial condition. Other accounting policies are described in Financial NOTE 2 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES. Because of the uncertainty inherent in such estimates, actual results may differ from these estimates.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
We provide short-term credit and other customer financing arrangements to customers who purchase our products. We estimate the receivables for which we do not expect full collection based on historical collection rates and specific knowledge regarding the current creditworthiness of our customers and record an allowance in our consolidated financial statements for these amounts.
We consider historical experience, the current economic environment, customer credit ratings or bankruptcies, and reasonable and supportable forecasts to develop its allowance for doubtful accounts. Management reviews these factors quarterly to determine if any adjustments are needed to the allowance.
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Reserve methodologies are assessed annually based on historical losses and economic, business and market trends. In addition, reserves are reviewed quarterly and updated if unusual circumstances or trends are present. We believe the reserves maintained and expenses recorded during the year ended December 31, 2023 are appropriate and consistent in the context of historical methodologies employed, as well as assessment of trends currently available.
Inventory Costs
In determining whether an inventory valuation allowance is required, we consider various factors including estimated quantities of slow-moving inventory by reviewing on-hand quantities, outstanding purchase obligations and forecasted sales. Shifts in market trends and conditions, changes in customer preferences due to the introduction of generic drugs or new pharmaceutical products or the loss of one or more significant customers are factors that could affect the value of our inventories. We write down inventories which are considered excess and obsolete as a result of these reviews. These factors could make our estimate of inventory valuation differ from actual results.
Business Combinations
We account for business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting whereby the identifiable assets and liabilities of the acquired business, as well as any noncontrolling interest in the acquired business, are recorded at their estimated fair value as the date that we obtain control of the acquired business. Any purchase consideration in excess of the fair values of the net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. Acquisition-related expenses and related restructuring costs are expensed as incurred.
Several valuation methods may be used to determine the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. For intangible assets, we typically use a method that is a form of variation of the income approach, whereby a forecast of future cash flows attributable to the asset are discounted to present value using a risk-adjusted discount rate. Some of the more significant estimates and assumptions inherent in the income approach include the amount and timing of projected future cash flows, the discount rate selected to measure the risks inherent in the future cash flows and the assessment of the asset’s expected useful life.
Goodwill
We perform an impairment test on goodwill balances annually in the third quarter and more frequently if indicators for potential impairment exist. Indicators that are considered include significant declines in performance relative to expected operating results, significant changes in the use of the assets, significant negative industry or economic trends, or a significant decline in the Company’s stock price and/or market capitalization for a sustained period of time.
Goodwill impairment testing is conducted at the reporting unit level, which is generally defined as an operating segment or a component, one level below our operating segment, for which discrete financial information is available and segment management regularly reviews the operating results of the reporting unit.
To estimate the fair value of our reporting units, we generally use a combination of the market approach and the income approach. Under the market approach, we estimate fair value by comparing the business to similar business, or guideline companies whose securities are actively traded in public markets. Under the income approach, we use a discounted cash flow (“DCF”) model in which cash flows anticipated over several periods, plus a terminal value at the end of that time horizon, are discounted to their present value using an appropriate rate that is commensurate with the risk inherent within the reporting unit. In addition, we compare the aggregate of the reporting units’ fair values to our market capitalization as further corroboration of the fair values.
Estimates of fair value result from a complex series of judgements about future events and uncertainties and rely heavily on estimates and assumptions at a point in time. Judgements made in determining an estimate of fair value may materially impact our results of operations. The valuations are based on information available as of the impairment testing date and are based on expectations and assumptions that have been deemed reasonable by management. Any material changes in key assumptions, including failure to meet business plans, negative changes in government reimbursement rates, deterioration in the U.S. and global financial markets, an increase in interest rates or an increase in the cost of equity financing by market participants within the industry or other unanticipated events and circumstances, may decrease the projected cash flows or increase the discount rate and could potentially result in an impairment charge. Under the market approach, significant estimates and assumptions also include the selection of appropriate guideline companies and the determination of appropriate valuation multiples to apply to the reporting unit. Under the income approach, significant estimates and assumptions also include the determination of discount rates. The discount rates represent the weight-average cost of capital measuring the reporting unit’s cost of debt and equity financing, which are weighted by the percentage of debt and percentage of equity in a company’s target capital structure. Included in the estimate of the weight-average cost of capital is the assumption of an unsystematic risk premium to address the incremental uncertainty related to the reporting units’ future cash flow projections. An increase in the unsystematic risk premium increases the discount rate.
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Valuation of Equity Method Investments
We evaluate our investments for other-than-temporary impairments when circumstances indicate those assets may be impaired. When the decline in value is deemed to be other than temporary, an impairment is recognized to the extent that the fair value is less than the carrying value of the investment. We consider various factors in determining whether a loss in value of investment is other than temporary including: the length of time and the extent to which the fair value has been below the cost, the financial condition of the investees, and our intent and ability to retain the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for recovery of value. Management makes certain judgments and estimates in its assessment including but not limited to: identifying if circumstances indicate a decline in value is other than temporary, expectations about the business operations of investees, as well as industry, financial, and market factors. Any significant changes in assumptions or judgments in assessing impairments could result in an impairment charge.
Income Taxes
Our income tax expenses, and deferred tax assets and liabilities reflect management’s best assessment of estimated current and future taxes to be paid. We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. Significant judgments and estimates are required in determining the consolidated income tax provision and in evaluating income tax uncertainties. We review our tax positions at the end of each quarter and adjust the balances as new information becomes available.
Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the tax and financial statement recognition of revenue and expense. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets, we consider all available positive and negative evidence including our past operating results, the existence of cumulative net operating losses in the most recent years, and our forecast of future taxable income. In estimating the future taxable income, we develop assumptions including the amount of future federal operating income, the reversal of temporary differences, and the implementation of feasible and prudent tax planning strategies. These assumptions require significant judgment about the forecasts of future taxable income and are consistent with the plans and estimate we use to manage the underlying businesses.
Changes in tax laws and rates could also affect recorded deferred tax assets and liabilities in the future. Should tax laws change, our tax expense and cash flows could be materially impacted.
Loss Contingencies
We may be subject to various claims, including claims with customers and vendors, pending and potential legal actions for damages, investigations relating to laws and regulations and other matters arising out of the normal conduct of our business. When a loss is considered probably and reasonably estimable, we record a liability in the amount of our best estimate for the ultimate loss. However, the likelihood of a loss with respect to a particular contingency is often difficult to predict and determining a meaningful estimate of the loss or a range of loss may not be practicable based on the information available and the potential effect of future events and decisions by third party that will determine the ultimate resolution of the contingency. Moreover, it is not uncommon for such matters to be resolved over many years, during which time relevant developments and new information must be reevaluated at least quarterly to determine both the likelihood of potential loss and whether it is possible to reasonably estimate a range of possible loss. When a material loss is reasonably possible or probably, but a reasonable estimate cannot be made, disclosure of the proceeding is provided. Legal fees are recognized as incurred when the legal services are provided.
We review all contingencies at least quarterly to determine whether the likelihood of loss has changed and to assess whether a reasonable estimate of the potential loss or range of the loss can be made. As discussed above, development of a meaningful estimate of loss or a range of potential loss is complex when the outcome is directly dependent on future negotiations with our decision by third parties, such as regulatory agencies, the court system and other interest parties.
Stock-Based Compensation
We account for stock-based compensation to employees in accordance with ASC 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation”. ASC 718 requires companies to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments, including stock options, based on the grant date fair value of the award and to recognize it as compensation expense over the period the employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award, usually the vesting period. Stock option forfeitures are recognized at the date of employee termination. Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2018-07 for the accounting of share-based payments granted to non-employees for goods and services.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
For more information on recently issued accounting standards, see “Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies”, to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included herein under “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplemental Data”.
ITEM 7A. | QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK |
Pursuant to Item 305(e) of Regulation S-K (§ 229.305(e)), the Company is not required to provide the information required by this Item as it is a “smaller reporting company,” as defined by Rule 229.10(f)(1).
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ITEM 8. | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA |
TABLE OF CONTENTS TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Consolidated Financial Statements
Table of Contents
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (Firm ID: |
55 |
Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (MaloneBailey, LLP, Houston, Texas, Firm ID: ) | 57 |
Consolidated Balance Sheets | 58 |
Consolidated Statements of Operations | 59 |
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity | 60 |
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows | 61 |
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | 62 |
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and
Stockholders of TRxADE HEALTH Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of TRxADE Health, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2023, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Emphasis of a matter – Going concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations and has a net capital deficiency that raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 2. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
Fair value of acquired intangible assets
Description of the matter
As discussed in Note 1 and Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements, on July 31, 2023, the Company acquired Superlatus, Inc. in a transaction accounted for as a business combination. As a result of the transaction, the Company recognized acquired technology associated with the generation of future income. The acquisition-date fair value of the acquired technology was $9.8 million.
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We identified the evaluation of the acquisition-date fair value of the acquired technology as a critical audit matter. A high degree of subjective auditor judgment was required to evaluate the key assumptions within the discounted cash flows model used to estimate the acquisition-date fair value of the acquired technology, specifically the revenue growth rate, margin, and discount rate. There was limited observable market information related to these assumptions and the estimated acquisition-date fair value of the acquired technology was sensitive to minor changes in such assumptions.
How We Addressed the Matter in our Audit
The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter.
● | We evaluated the Company’s revenue growth rate and margin assumptions by comparing them to the pre-acquisition budget and the Company’s historical financial results. | |
● | We evaluated the discount rate used by comparing it to a discount rate that was developed using publicly available market data for comparable entities. | |
● | We compared the revenue growth rate, margin, to those of comparable entities | |
● | We validated the mathematical accuracy of the management’s calculations. |
Impairment of Goodwill
Description of the Matter
As reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2023, the Company impaired all goodwill as of December 31, 2023. As disclosed in Notes 1 to the consolidated financial statements, goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually or more frequently if indicators of impairment require the performance of an interim impairment assessment. As a result of these assessments, management concluded that there was an impairment to goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2023, in the amount of $5.1 million.
Auditing management’s impairment tests of goodwill is complex and highly judgmental due to the significant measurement uncertainty in determining the fair values of the reporting units. In particular, the fair value estimates of the reporting units were sensitive to changes in significant assumptions such as discount rates, revenue growth rates, operating margins, estimated spending on capital expenditures, terminal growth rates, and comparable company specific information. These assumptions are affected by current and expected future market or economic conditions.
How We Addressed the Matter in our Audit
Our audit procedures related to the selection of the discount rates used and forecasts of future net sales, operating margins, operating expenses, and other market and economic data of the reporting units, involved:
● | Obtaining an understanding of the Company’s process and related controls to evaluate goodwill for impairment. | |
● | Evaluating the reasonableness of managements forecasts of future net sales, operating margins, and operating expenses by comparing the forecasts to historical results, marketing plans relevant economic factors, and other comparable company and industry information. |
/s/
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2023
April 22, 2024
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of
TRxADE HEALTH, INC.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of TRxADE HEALTH, INC. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022, and the related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Going Concern Matter
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations and has a net capital deficiency that raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 2. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/
www.malonebailey.com
We have served as the Company’s auditor from 2013 to 2023.
March 27, 2023
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TRxADE HEALTH, INC.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
December 31, 2023 and 2022
December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
2023 | 2022 | |||||||
Assets | ||||||||
Current Assets | ||||||||
Cash | $ | $ | ||||||
Accounts receivable, net | ||||||||
Inventory | ||||||||
Prepaid assets | ||||||||
Notes receivable | ||||||||
Other receivables | ||||||||
Current assets of discontinued operations | ||||||||
Total Current Assets | ||||||||
Property, plant and equipment, net | ||||||||
Intangible assets and capitalized software, net | ||||||||
Security deposits | ||||||||
Operating lease right-of-use assets | ||||||||
Noncurrent assets of discontinued operations | ||||||||
Total Assets | $ | $ | ||||||
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity | ||||||||
Current Liabilities | ||||||||
Accounts payable | ||||||||
Accrued liabilities | ||||||||
Other current liabilities | ||||||||
Contingent funding liabilities | ||||||||
Lease liabilities – current portion | ||||||||
Notes payable – current portion | ||||||||
Warrant liability | ||||||||
Purchase price payable | ||||||||
Current liabilities of discontinued operations | ||||||||
Total Current liabilities | ||||||||
Long Term Liabilities | ||||||||
Lease liabilities – net of current portion | ||||||||
Notes payable | ||||||||
Total Liabilities | ||||||||
Stockholders’ Equity | ||||||||
Series A preferred stock, $ | par value; shares authorized; issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022||||||||
Series B preferred stock, $ | par value; shares authorized; outstanding as of December 31, 2023, and as December 31, 2022||||||||
Series C preferred stock, $ | par value; shares authorized; issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023, and as of December 31, 2022||||||||
Common stock, $ | par value; shares authorized; , and shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively||||||||
Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||
Retained deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Total TRxADE Health, Inc stockholders’ equity | ||||||||
Non-controlling interest in subsidiary | ( | ) | ||||||
Total stockholders’ equity | ||||||||
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | $ | $ |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
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TRxADE HEALTH, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
2023 | 2022 | |||||||
Revenues | $ | $ | ||||||
Cost of sales | ||||||||
Gross Profit | ||||||||
Operating Expenses: | ||||||||
Loss on inventory investment | ||||||||
Wage and salary expense | ||||||||
Professional fees | ||||||||
Accounting and legal expense | ||||||||
Technology expense | ||||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||
Total operating expenses | ||||||||
Operating Loss | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Nonoperating Income (Expense) | ||||||||
Change in fair value of warrant liability | ( | ) | ||||||
Interest income | ||||||||
Goodwill impairment | ( | ) | ||||||
Gain on disposal of asset | ||||||||
Other income | ||||||||
Interest expense | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Total nonoperating income (expense) | ( | ) | ||||||
Net loss from continuing operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net loss on discontinued operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net Loss | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net loss attributable to TRxADE Health, Inc. | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests | ( | ) | ||||||
Net loss per common share from continuing operations | ||||||||
Basic | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Diluted | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Net loss per common share from discontinued operations | ||||||||
Basic | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Diluted | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Net loss attributable to common stockholders | ||||||||
Basic | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Diluted | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Weighted average common shares outstanding | ||||||||
Basic | ||||||||
Diluted |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
59 |
TRxADE HEALTH, INC.
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity
Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
Series B Preferred Stock | Series C Preferred Stock |
Common Stock | Additional | Non-Controlling | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | $ Amount | Shares | $ Amount |
Shares | $ Amount |
Paid-in Capital | Accumulated Deficit |
Interest in Subsidiary | Stockholders’ Equity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance at December 31, 2021 | $ | - | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ |