Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

7. Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments

Leases

August 31, 2020, the Company entered into an office sublease of approximately 5,263 square feet of office space in San Francisco. The term of the sublease expired on May 31, 2021. The rent sublease is $15,000 per month beginning on October 1, 2020, which includes operating expenses and taxes. The Company recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis over the non-cancelable lease period. Rent expense, included in general and administrative expenses in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations, was zero and $60,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, respectively. As of September 30, 2022, there were no remaining commitment under the lease.

On April 6, 2021, the Company entered into an office lease agreement of approximately 10,526 square feet of office space in San Francisco, inclusive of office space covered under the previous sublease agreement. The term of the lease began on September 1, 2021 and will expire on February 28, 2025, unless terminated earlier. The lease had an early occupancy provision which entitled the Company to use a portion of the leased premises on June 1, 2021, free of rent obligation. In addition, the Company has the option to extend the lease for one three-year period after the expiration date. This option was not included as part of the lease term as the Company was not reasonably certain to exercise it, hence the lease term only includes the noncancellable period of three years plus the period of early occupancy.

The base rent under the lease were $42,000 monthly for the first 12 months, $43,000 monthly for the next 12 months and $45,000 for the last twelve months. The lease agreement only contained one lease component, that is, the lease of the office space. Non-lease components such as payment of building operating costs and share in real property taxes were accounted for separately and were not considered as part of the total lease payments. The lease was classified as an operating lease.

On October 7, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement for the lease of office premises from November 1, 2021 to April 30, 2022, subject to automatic renewal for subsequent periods until terminated by either party. Base rent amounted to €10,000 or approximately $10,500. If the contract is not terminated within 12 months, the lease amount will be increased in line with the index of relevant inflation at each annual expiration of the start date of the contract. The lessor has the right to decline the renewal of the contract. Upon the happening of certain specified events, the lessor may immediately withdraw from the contract. The Company is required leave the occupied spaces immediately in the same condition in which they were found in the event of contract termination or expiry. The Company paid deposit of €20,000 or approximately $21,000 to the lessor. On January 26, 2022, the lease agreement was amended whereby the term was extended by 20 months from May 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023. All other contract provisions remained the same.

On December 22, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement for the lease of two separate vehicles for 48 months expiring on November 30, 2025. Total monthly lease payment amounted to €2,000 or approximately $2,100 payable in advance. The Company elected to include both the lease and non-lease components as a single component and account for it as a lease. The Company also paid a total deposit of €19,000 or approximately $20,000, exclusive of VAT. Early termination of the contracts requires the payment of specified amounts.

On December 24, 2021, the Company entered into the first amendment of the lease of office space in San Francisco. The expiration of the lease was extended to February 28, 2025 due to the change in the commencement date of one of the leased premises to March 1, 2022. The base rent under the lease amendment remained the same but will only be due starting March 1, 2022. The rent in one of the leased premises currently being occupied by the Company was and will still be $21,000 until the new commencement date. The lease amendment constituted a lease modification where the Company remeasured the original lease liability using a discount rate determined at the effective date of the modification and the amount of remeasurement of the lease liability was recognized as an adjustment to the corresponding right-of-use asset without affecting profit or loss.

On January 25, 2022, the Company entered into an agreement for the lease of office premises from March 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023, subject to automatic renewal for subsequent periods until terminated by either party. Base rent amounted to €4,000 or approximately $4,200. A similar agreement was entered with the lessor for the lease of premises to be used as office space from November 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023, subject to automatic renewal for subsequent periods until terminated by either party. Base rent amounted to €3,817 or approximately $4,000. If the contracts are not terminated within 12 months, the lease amounts will be increased in line with the index of relevant inflation at each annual expiration of the start date of the contract. The lessor has the right to decline the renewal of the contracts. Upon the happening of certain specified events, the lessor may immediately withdraw from the contracts. The Company is required leave the occupied spaces immediately in the same conditions in which they were found in the event of contract termination or expiry. The Company paid deposit of €9,000 or approximately $9,500 to the Lessor.

In May 2022, the Company entered into an agreement for the lease of one vehicle for 48 months expiring on April 30, 2026. Total monthly lease payment amounted to €833 or approximately $880 payable in advance. The Company elected to include both the lease and non-lease components as a single component and account for it as a lease. The Company also paid a total deposit of €21,000 or approximately $22,000, exclusive of VAT. Early termination of the contracts requires the payment of specified amounts.

The table below provided additional details of the office space lease presented in the condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021:

	September 30,		December 31
	2022		2021
(in thousands)	(unaudited)
Operating lease - right-of-use asset	$	1,104	$	1,084
Operating lease liability, current		418		240
Operating lease liability, net of current portion		738		919
Total	$	1,156	$	1,159
Weighted-average remaining life (years)		2.08		3.21
Weighted-average discount rate		18.52%		21.10%

For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, and 2021, cash paid for operating lease liabilities recognized under operating cash flows amounted to $384,000 and $0 respectively.

The following table summarizes the undiscounted cash payment obligations for the operating lease liability as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021:

	September 30,		December 31
	2022		2021
(in thousands)	(unaudited)
2022		146		463
2023		601		518
2024		565		534
2025		121		89
2026		3		—
Total undiscounted operating lease payments		1,436		1,604
Imputed interest expenses		(280)		(445)
Total operating lease liability		1,156		1,159
Less: Operating lease liability, current		418		240
Operating lease liability, net of current portion	$	738	$	919

On October 10, 2021, the Company also entered into a short-term office lease in Milan, Italy. The term of the lease began on November 1, 2021, subject to automatic renewal equal to the present term until terminated by mutual agreement. On January 26, 2022, the lease agreement was amended whereby the term was extended by 20 months from May 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023. The Company recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis over the non-cancellable lease period.

Rent and lease expense included in the general and administrative expenses in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 was approximately $45,000 and $341,000, respectively. Accordingly, rent and lease expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 was approximately $103,000 and $123,000, respectively.

Purchase Commitment

On September 3, 2020, the Company entered into a manufacturing and supply agreement (the “Agreement”) with Glenmark Life Sciences Limited (“Glenmark”), pursuant to which Glenmark will continue to serve as the Company’s manufacturer of crofelemer for use in Mytesi, the Company’s human prescription drug product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and for other crofelemer-based products manufactured by the Company or its affiliates for human or animal use. The term of the Agreement is approximately 2.5 years (i.e., until March 31, 2023) and may be extended for successive two-year renewal terms upon mutual agreement between the parties thereto. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, Glenmark will supply crofelemer to the Company. The Agreement contains provisions regarding the rights and responsibilities of the parties with respect to manufacturing specifications, forecasting and ordering, delivery arrangements, payment terms, confidentiality and indemnification, as well as other customary provisions. The Agreement includes a commitment for the purchase from Glenmark of a minimum quantity of 300 kilograms of crofelemer per year, pro-rated for partial years, where the Company may be obligated to pay any shortfall. Either party may terminate the Agreement for any reason with 12 months prior written notice to the other party. In addition, either party may terminate the Agreement upon written notice as a result of a material breach of the Agreement that remains uncured for a period of 90 days. If the Company terminates the Agreement as a result of a material breach caused by Glenmark, the Company will not be obligated to pay for any minimum quantity shortfall. As of September 30, 2022, the remaining commitment is 149 kilograms.

Master Services Agreement (“MSA”)

On October 5, 2020, the Company entered into another MSA for clinical research organization services (the “2020 MSA”) and a service order under such 2020 MSA with Integrium. The service order covers the Company’s planned upcoming pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial for cancer-therapy related diarrhea. As consideration for its services, the

Company will pay Integrium a total amount of up to approximately $12.4 million, later reduced to approximately $6.0 million, that will be paid over the term of the engagement and based on the achievement of certain milestones. The 2020 MSA will terminate upon the satisfactory performance of all services to be provided thereunder unless earlier terminated by the parties. For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, and 2021, the Company paid Integrium $1.0 million and $972,000, respectively, under the MSA.

Asset Transfer and Transition Commitment

On September 25, 2017, the Company entered into the Termination, Asset Transfer and Transition Agreement dated September 22, 2017 with Glenmark. As a result of the agreement, the Company now controls commercial rights for Mytesi for all indications, territories and patient populations globally, and also holds commercial rights to the existing regulatory approvals for crofelemer in Brazil, Ecuador, Zimbabwe and Botswana. In exchange, the Company agrees to pay Glenmark 25% of any payment it receives from a third party to whom the Company grants a license or sublicense or with whom the Company partners in respect of, or sells or otherwise transfers any of the transferred assets, subject to certain exclusions, until Glenmark has received a total of $7.0 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, and 2021, the Company paid Glenmark $1.8 million and $1.9 million, respectively.

Revenue Sharing Commitment Update

On December 14, 2017, the Company announced its entry into a collaboration agreement with Seed Mena Businessmen Services LLC (“SEED”) for Equilevia™, the Company's non-prescription, personalized, premium product for total gut health in equine athletes. According to the terms of the Agreement, the Company will pay SEED 15% of total revenue generated from any clients or partners introduced to the Company by SEED in the form of fees, commissions, payments or revenue received by the Company or its business associates or partners, and the agreed-upon revenue percentage increases to 20% after the first million dollars of revenue. In return, SEED will provide the Company access to its existing United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) network and contacts and assist the Company with any legal or financial requirements. The agreement became effective on December 13, 2017 and will continue indefinitely until terminated by either party pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. No payments have been made to date.

Legal Proceedings

On July 20, 2017, a putative class action complaint was filed in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, Civil Action No. 3:17 cv 04102, by Tony Plant (the “Plaintiff”).

The Company answered the complaint on August 2, 2019; the answer denied the material allegations of the second amended complaint. Following the completion of document discovery, the parties engaged in a mediation that resulted in an agreement in principle to settle the litigation on a class-wide basis for $2.6 million.

On May 27, 2021, the court gave the final approval to the proposed settlement and the entire settlement consideration will be provided by the Company’s director and officer liability insurance carrier. Under the loss recovery model in ASC 450 and in reference to ASC 410, the ultimate net income effect of the recognized loss and the insurance proceeds directly related to the recognized loss is zero.

Contingencies

From time to time, the Company maybe a party to various legal actions, both inside and outside the U.S., arising in the ordinary course of its business or otherwise. The Company accrues amounts, to the extent they can be reasonably estimated, that the Company believes will result in a probable loss (including, among other things, probable settlement value), to adequately address any liabilities related to legal proceedings and other loss contingencies. A loss or a range of loss is disclosed when it is reasonably possible that a material loss will incur and can be estimated, or when it is reasonably possible that the amount of a loss, when material, will exceed the recorded provision. The Company did not have any material accruals for any currently active legal action in its consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2022, as the Company could not predict the ultimate outcome of these matters, or reasonably estimate the potential exposure.