-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, JRo46YUsNNG4pBxwRgyiGhbbmD84sz7mQu+Hh4UqV+M+xd6rUr7L0CfVQh4ibg7D nl3fydr1AaFIiS8889XNrQ== 0000000000-05-036936.txt : 20060518 0000000000-05-036936.hdr.sgml : 20060518 20050719110524 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000000000-05-036936 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: UPLOAD PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 1 FILED AS OF DATE: 20050719 FILED FOR: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: IMMUCELL CORP /DE/ CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000811641 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: IN VITRO & IN VIVO DIAGNOSTIC SUBSTANCES [2835] IRS NUMBER: 010382980 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: UPLOAD BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 56 EVERGREEN DR CITY: PORTLAND STATE: ME ZIP: 04103 BUSINESS PHONE: 2078782770 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 56 EVERGREEN DRIVE CITY: PORTLAND STATE: ME ZIP: 04103 PUBLIC REFERENCE ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001193125-05-063555 LETTER 1 filename1.txt Via Facsimile and U.S. Mail Mail Stop 03-09 May 9, 2005 Mr. Michael F. Brigham President, Chief Executive Officer and Treasurer ImmuCell Corporation 56 Evergreen Drive Portland, ME 04103 Re: ImmuCell Corporation Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 File No. 001-12934 Dear Mr. Brigham: We have reviewed your filing and have the following comments. We have limited our review of the above referenced filing to only those issues addressed. Where our comments call for disclosure, we think you should amend your documents in response to these comments. In some of our comments, we ask you to provide us with supplemental information so we may better understand your disclosure. Please amend your 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 and respond to these comments within 15 business days or tell us when you will provide us with a response prior to the expiration of the 15- day period. If we have requested additional information as well as an amendment or if you disagree with any comment that calls for disclosure, please provide this letter prior to your amendment. You may wish to provide us with marked copies of the amendment to expedite our review. Your letter should key your responses to our comments. Detailed letters greatly facilitate our review. Please file your letter on EDGAR under the form type label CORRESP. Please understand that we may have additional comments after reviewing your amendment and responses to our comments. Please understand that the purpose of our review process is to assist you in your compliance with the applicable disclosure requirements and to enhance the overall disclosure in your filing. We look forward to working with you in these respects. We welcome any questions you may have about our comments or on any other aspect of our review. Feel free to call us at the telephone numbers listed at the end of this letter. Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 Management`s Discussion and Analysis Critical Accounting Policies, page 18 1. We believe that your disclosure related to estimates of items that reduce gross revenue such as cash rebates, returns, future rights to free or discounted products and other discounts and allowances could be improved as follows: a. Disclose the nature and amount of each accrual at the balance sheet date and the effect that could result from using other reasonably likely assumptions than what you used to arrive at each accrual such as a range of reasonably likely amounts or other type of sensitivity analysis. b. Disclose the factors that you consider in estimating each accrual such as historical return of products, levels of inventory in the distribution channel, estimated remaining shelf life, price changes from competitors and introductions of generics and/or new products. c. To the extent that information you consider in b) is quantifiable, disclose both quantitative and qualitative information and discuss to what extent information is from external sources, e.g. end- customer prescription demand, third-party market research data comparing wholesaler inventory levels to end-customer demand. For example, in discussing your estimate of product that may be returned, consider disclosing and discussing, preferably by product and in tabular format, the total amount of product in sales dollars that could potentially be returned as of the balance sheet date and disaggregated by expiration period. d. If applicable, discuss any shipments made as a result of incentives and/or in excess of your customer`s ordinary course of business inventory level. Discuss your revenue recognition policy for such shipments. e. You should consider disclosing a roll forward of the accrual for each estimate for each period presented showing the following: * Beginning balance, * Current provision related to sales made in current period, * Current provision related to sales made in prior periods, * Actual returns or credits in current period related to sales made in current period, * Actual returns or credits in current period related to sales made in prior periods, and * Ending balance. f. In your discussion of results of operations for the period to period revenue comparisons, discuss the amount of and reason for fluctuations for each type of reduction of gross revenue, i.e. product returns, chargebacks, customer rebates and other discounts and allowances, including the effect that changes in your estimates of these items had on your revenues and operations. 2. Please tell us the GAAP literature that supports capitalizing the $965,000 payment made to Nutrition 21, Inc. to buy out certain future milestone and royalty payment obligations and why you believe your accounting complies with that literature. Please tell us the terms of this agreement and the basis for your amortization period. Statements of Operations, page F-4 3. Please tell us how your classification of customer programs and incentive offerings that allow customers to earn promotional merchandise as product selling expenses rather than cost of sales complies with paragraph 10 of EITF 01-9. Note 7. Segment and Significant Customer Information, page F-17 4. Please revise your filing to include the disclosure required by paragraph 37 of SFAS 131. * * * * We urge all persons who are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of the disclosure in the filing reviewed by the staff to be certain that they have provided all information investors require. Since the company and its management are in possession of all facts relating to a company`s disclosure, they are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of the disclosures they have made. In connection with responding to our comments, please provide, in writing, a statement from the company acknowledging that * the company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing; * staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments in the filing reviewed by the staff do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and * the company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States. In addition, please be advised that the Division of Enforcement has access to all information you provide to the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance in our review of your filing or in response to our comments on your filing. You may contact Dana Hartz, Staff Accountant, at (202) 942- 2976 or Mary Mast, Senior Staff Accountant, at (202) 942-1858 if you have questions regarding the comments. In this regard, do not hesitate to contact me, at (202) 942-1803. Sincerely, Jim B. Rosenberg Senior Assistant Chief Accountant ?? ?? ?? ?? Mr. Brigham ImmuCell Corporation Page 3 -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----