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Form 10-Q PURE BIOSCIENCE, INC. For: Oct 31

December 14, 2016 4:14 PM EST

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM 10-Q

 

 

 

[X] QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2016

 

[  ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Commission File Number 001-14468

 

 

 

PURE Bioscience, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   33-0530289
(State or other jurisdiction of   (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)   Identification No.)
     

1725 Gillespie Way

El Cajon, California

  92020
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (619) 596-8600

 

 

 

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. Yes [X] No [  ]

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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). Yes [X] No [  ]

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer [  ] Accelerated filer [  ]
       
Non-accelerated filer [  ] Smaller reporting company [X]

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes [  ] No [X]

 

As of December 14, 2016, there were 62,200,389 shares of the registrant’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share, outstanding.

 

 

 

   

 

 

Table of Contents

 

PURE Bioscience, Inc.

 

Form 10-Q

for the Quarterly Period Ended October 31, 2016

 

Table of Contents

 

    Page
PART I FINANCIAL INFORMATION  
Item 1. Financial Statements 3
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 14
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk 24
Item 4. Controls and Procedures 24
     
PART II OTHER INFORMATION  
Item 1. Legal Proceedings 25
Item 1A. Risk Factors 25
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds 27
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities 27
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 27
Item 5. Other Information 27
Item 6. Exhibits 29
  Signatures 31

 

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Item 1. Financial Statements

 

PURE Bioscience, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

October 31, 2016 July 31, 2016
   (Unaudited)     
Assets          
Current assets          
Cash and cash equivalents  $4,064,000   $5,194,000 
Accounts receivable   146,000    263,000 
Inventories, net   348,000    350,000 
Restricted cash   75,000    75,000 
Prepaid expenses   331,000    260,000 
Total current assets   4,964,000    6,142,000 
Property, plant and equipment, net   495,000    440,000 
Patents, net   943,000    980,000 
Total assets  $6,402,000   $7,562,000 
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity          
Current liabilities          
Accounts payable  $654,000   $479,000 
Restructuring liability   34,000    39,000 
Accrued liabilities   193,000    216,000 
Derivative liabilities   1,961,000    1,802,000 
Total current liabilities   2,842,000    2,536,000 
Deferred rent   3,000    3,000 
Total liabilities   2,845,000    2,539,000 
Commitments and contingencies (See Note 6)          
Stockholders’ equity          
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value:          
5,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued        
Common stock, $0.01 par value:          
100,000,000 shares authorized, 64,823,917 shares issued and outstanding at October 31, 2016 and July 31, 2016 649,000 649,000
Additional paid-in capital   107,870,000    107,593,000 
Accumulated deficit   (104,962,000)   (103,219,000)
Total stockholders’ equity   3,557,000    5,023,000 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity  $6,402,000   $7,562,000 

 

See accompanying notes.

 

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PURE Bioscience, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

 

   Three months ended 
   October 31, 
   2016   2015 
Net product sales  $531,000   $186,000 
Operating costs and expenses          
Cost of goods sold   265,000    54,000 
Selling, general and administrative   1,337,000    1,086,000 
Research and development   248,000    236,000 
Share-based compensation   278,000    672,000 
Total operating costs and expenses   2,128,000    2,048,000 
Loss from operations   (1,597,000)   (1,862,000)
Other income (expense)          
Fair value of derivative liabilities in excess of proceeds       (1,008,000)
Change in derivative liabilities   (159,000)   43,000 
Interest expense, net   (1,000)   (2,000)
Other income, net   14,000    9,000 
Total other expense   (146,000)   (958,000)
Net loss  $(1,743,000)  $(2,820,000)
Basic and diluted net loss per share  $(0.03)  $(0.07)
Shares used in computing basic and diluted net loss per share   64,823,917    43,019,329 

 

See accompanying notes.

 

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PURE Bioscience, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

 

   Three months ended 
   October 31, 
   2016   2015 
Operating activities          
Net loss  $(1,743,000)  $(2,820,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:          
Share-based compensation   278,000    672,000 
Amortization of stock issued for services   36,000    55,000 
Fair value of derivative liabilities in excess of proceeds       1,008,000 
Depreciation and amortization   65,000    51,000 
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities   159,000    (43,000)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:          
Accounts receivable   117,000    96,000 
Inventories   2,000    (12,000)
Prepaid expenses   (108,000)   (18,000)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities   147,000    (250,000)
Deferred rent       (1,000)
Net cash used in operating activities   (1,047,000)   (1,262,000)
Investing activities          
Investment in patents   (7,000)   (4,000)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment   (76,000)    
Net cash used in investing activities   (83,000)   (4,000)
Financing activities          
Net proceeds from the sale of common stock       6,000,000 
Net cash provided by financing activities       6,000,000 
Net increase and decrease in cash and cash equivalents   (1,130,000)   4,734,000 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   5,194,000    1,321,000 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period  $4,064,000   $6,055,000 
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information          
Cash paid for taxes  $2,000   $2,000 

 

See accompanying notes.

 

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PURE Bioscience, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

 

1. Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the consolidated accounts of PURE Bioscience, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, ETI H2O Inc., a Nevada corporation. ETI H2O, Inc. currently has no business operations and no material assets or liabilities and there have been no significant transactions related to ETI H2O, Inc. during the periods presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated. All references to “PURE,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” refer to PURE Bioscience, Inc. and our wholly owned subsidiary.

 

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, for interim financial information pursuant to the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10/Rule 8-03 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended October 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for other quarters or the year ending July 31, 2017. The July 31, 2016 balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP and included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. For more complete information, these unaudited financial statements and the notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements for the year ended July 31, 2016 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K covering such period filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on October 27, 2016.

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

2. Liquidity

 

Since our inception, we have financed our operations primarily through public and private offerings of securities, debt financing, and revenue from product sales and license agreements. We have a history of recurring losses, and as of October 31, 2016, we have incurred a cumulative net loss of $104,962,000.

 

As of October 31, 2016, we had $4,064,000 in cash and cash equivalents, and $654,000 of accounts payable. As of October 31, 2016, we have no long-term debt.

 

Subsequent to October 31, 2016, we completed a private placement pursuant to which we issued 1,176,472 shares of our common stock and warrants to purchase 1,176,472 shares of our common stock. The shares were sold at a per share purchase price of $0.85 per share, resulting in $1 million in aggregate gross proceeds. After deducting fees of approximately $225,000, the net proceeds to us were $775,000 (See Note 13 to these condensed consolidated financial statements).

 

Our future capital requirements depend on numerous forward-looking factors. These factors may include, but are not limited to, the following: the acceptance of, and demand for, our products; our success and the success of our partners in selling our products; our success and the success of our partners in obtaining regulatory approvals to sell our products; the costs of further developing our existing products and technologies; the extent to which we invest in new product and technology development; and the costs associated with the continued operation, and any future growth, of our business. The outcome of these and other forward-looking factors will substantially affect our liquidity and capital resources.

 

We expect that we will need to increase our liquidity and capital resources by one or more measures. These measures may include, but are not limited to, the following: reducing operating expenses; obtaining financing through the issuance of equity, debt, or convertible securities; entering into partnerships, licenses, or other arrangements with third parties; and reducing the exercise price of outstanding warrants. Any one of these measures could substantially reduce the value to us of our technology and its commercial potential. If we issue equity, debt or convertible securities to raise additional funds, our existing stockholders may experience dilution, and the new equity, debt or convertible securities may have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of our existing stockholders. There is no guarantee that we would be able to obtain capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all.

 

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If we are unable to obtain sufficient capital, it would have a material adverse effect on our business and operations. It could cause us to fail to execute our business plan, fail to take advantage of future opportunities, or fail to respond to competitive pressures or customer requirements. It also may require us to delay, scale back or eliminate some or all of our research and development programs, to license to third parties the right to commercialize products or technologies that we would otherwise commercialize ourselves, or to reduce or cease operations. If adequate funds are not available when needed, we may be required to significantly modify our business model and operations to reduce spending to a sustainable level.

 

We believe our available cash on-hand and cash received from financings subsequent to our quarter ended October 31, 2016, our current efforts to market and sell our products, and our ability to significantly reduce expenses, will provide sufficient cash resources to satisfy our needs over the next 12 months. However, we do not yet have, and we may never have, significant cash inflows from product sales or from other sources of revenue to offset our ongoing and planned investments in research and development projects, regulatory submissions, business development activities, and sales and marketing, among other investments. Some or all of our ongoing or planned investments may not be successful. In addition, irrespective of our cash resources, we may be contractually or legally obligated to make certain investments which cannot be postponed.

 

3. Net Loss Per Share

 

Basic net loss per common share is computed as net loss divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Our diluted net loss per common share is the same as our basic net loss per common share because we incurred a net loss during each period presented, and the potentially dilutive securities from the assumed exercise of all outstanding stock options, restricted stock units, and warrants would have an anti-dilutive effect. As of October 31, 2016 and 2015, the number of shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options, the vesting of restricted stock units, and the exercise of warrants, none of which are included in the computation of basic net loss per common share, was 10,719,394 and 23,178,331, respectively.

 

4. Comprehensive Loss

 

Comprehensive loss is defined as the change in equity during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, including unrealized gains and losses on marketable securities and foreign currency translation adjustments. For the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, our comprehensive loss consisted only of net loss.

 

5. Inventory

 

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, and net of a valuation allowance for potential excess or obsolete material. Cost is determined using the average cost method. Depreciation related to manufacturing is systematically allocated to inventory produced, and expensed through cost of goods sold at the time inventory is sold.

 

Inventories consist of the following:

 

October 31, 2016 July 31, 2016
Raw materials  $98,000   $120,000 
Finished goods   250,000    230,000 
   $348,000   $350,000 

 

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6. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Severance Agreement

 

On August 13, 2013, the Company entered into a Severance and Release Agreement with Dennis Brovarone, a former Board member. Mr. Brovarone will receive $91,000, payable in 60 monthly installments of approximately $1,600, commencing December 11, 2013 for amounts previously accrued as of July 31, 2013. Approximately $34,000 remains payable under the agreement and is included in the accrued restructuring liability section of the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of October 31, 2016.

 

7. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

 

In accordance with GAAP, if indicators of impairment exist, we assess the recoverability of the affected long-lived assets by determining whether the carrying value of such assets can be recovered through undiscounted future operating cash flows. If impairment is indicated, we measure the amount of such impairment by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the fair value of the asset and we record the impairment as a reduction in the carrying value of the related asset and a charge to operating results. Estimating the undiscounted future cash flows associated with long-lived assets requires judgment, and assumptions could differ materially from actual results. During the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, no impairment of long-lived assets was indicated or recorded.

 

8. Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

Fair value is defined as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, the authoritative guidance establishes a three-tier value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

 

  Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
     
  Level 2 – Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
     
  Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

 

In connection with the October and November 2015 Private Placement and a prior Bridge Loan, we issued warrants with derivative features. These instruments are accounted for as derivative liabilities (See Note 9 to these consolidated financial statements).

 

We used Level 3 inputs for the valuation methodology of the derivative liabilities. The estimated fair values were computed using a Monte Carlo option pricing model based on various assumptions. Our derivative liabilities are adjusted to reflect estimated fair value at each period end, with any decrease or increase in the estimated fair value being recorded in other income or expense accordingly, as adjustments to the fair value of the derivative liabilities. Various factors are considered in the pricing models we use to value the warrants, including the Company’s current stock price, the remaining life of the warrants, the volatility of the Company’s stock price, and the risk free interest rate. Future changes in these factors will have a significant impact on the computed fair value of the warrant liabilities. As such, we expect future changes in the fair value of the warrants to vary significantly from quarter to quarter.

 

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The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the derivative liabilities for the three months ended October 31, 2016:

 

Fair Value of Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)

 

   Warrant 
   Liabilities 
Balance at July 31, 2015  $4,000 
Issuances   9,867,000 
Settlement of warrant liabilities   (13,550,000)
Adjustments to estimated fair value   5,481,000 
Balance at July 31, 2016  $1,802,000 
Issuances    
Settlement of warrant liabilities    
Adjustments to estimated fair value   159,000 
Balance at October 31, 2016  $1,961,000 

 

9. Derivative Liabilities

 

On October 23, 2015 (the “October Closing Date”), we completed a first closing of a private placement financing (the “2015 Private Placement Financing”), where we issued, among other securities, a warrant to purchase up to an aggregate of 6,666,666 shares of common stock with a term of five years and a warrant to purchase up to an aggregate of 8,666,666 shares of common stock with a term of six months (See Note 10 to these consolidated financial statements).

 

On November 23, 2015, we completed a second and final closing of the 2015 Private Placement Financing, where we issued, among other securities a warrant to purchase up to an aggregate of 2,222,217 shares of common stock with a term of five years and a warrant to purchase up to an aggregate of 2,820,670 shares of common stock with a term of six months.

 

We accounted for the combined 20,376,219 warrants issued in connection with the 2015 Private Placement Financing in accordance with the accounting guidance for derivatives. The applicable accounting guidance sets forth a two-step model to be applied in determining whether a financial instrument is indexed to an entity’s own stock, which would qualify such financial instruments for a scope exception. This scope exception specifies that a contract that would otherwise meet the definition of a derivative financial instrument would not be considered as such if the contract is both (i) indexed to the entity’s own stock and (ii) classified in the stockholders’ equity section of the entity’s balance sheet. We determined the warrants were ineligible for equity classification due to anti-dilution provisions set forth therein.

 

During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2016, (i) all 2,820,670 of the six-month warrants issued in the second and final closing were exercised, (ii) the six-month warrants issued in the first closing expired and (iii) the five-year warrants issued in the first closing were cancelled.

 

On the October Closing Date, the derivative liabilities were recorded at an estimated fair value of $7,008,000. Given that the fair value of the derivative liabilities exceeded the total proceeds of the private placement of $6,000,000, no net amounts were allocated to the common stock. The $1,008,000 amount by which the recorded liabilities exceeded the proceeds was charged to other expense at the October Closing Date.

 

As of October 31, 2016, we had a warrant liability of $1,952,000 related to the 2,222,217 warrants outstanding issued in connection with the November closing of the 2015 Private Placement Financing. The following assumptions were used as inputs to the model at October 31, 2016: stock price of $1.10 per share and a warrant exercise price of $0.45 per share as of the valuation date; our historical stock price volatility of 90.00%; risk free interest rate on U.S. treasury notes of 1.2%; warrant expiration of 4.1 years.

 

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In addition, as of October 31, 2016, we had a warrant liability of $9,000 related to 132,420 warrants issued pursuant to a Bridge Loan financing that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2012. Currently there are 9,709 warrants outstanding issued in connection with the Bridge Loan. The following assumptions were used as inputs to the model at October 31, 2016: stock price of $1.10 per share and a warrant exercise price of $0.20 per share as of the valuation date; our historical stock price volatility of 55.89%; risk free interest rate on U.S. treasury notes of 0.20%; warrant expiration of 0.15 years.

 

On October 31, 2016, the total value of the derivative liabilities was $1,961,000. The change in fair value of the warrant liabilities for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, was an increase of $159,000 and a decrease of $43,000, respectively, which was recorded as a change in derivative liabilities in the condensed consolidated statement of operations. We have revalued the derivative liabilities as of October 31, 2016, and will continue to do so on each subsequent balance sheet date until the securities to which the derivative liabilities relate are exercised or expire, with any changes in the fair value between reporting periods recorded as other income or expense.

 

10. Stockholders’ Equity

 

Private Placements

 

In the October closing of the 2015 Private Placement Financing we received aggregate gross proceeds to us of $6.0 million. We did not engage a placement agent or investment banker to facilitate the Private Placement Financing.

 

During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2016, all of the Six-Month Warrants issued on the October Closing Date expired and the Five-Year Warrants issued on the October Closing Date were cancelled.

 

We also entered into a registration rights agreement with the Investors in the 2015 Private Placement Financing (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which we are obligated, upon request of the Investor in the October closing of the 2015 Private Placement Financing and subject to certain conditions, to file with the SEC as soon as practicable, but in any event within 60 days after receiving such applicable request, a registration statement on Form S-1 (the “2015 Resale Registration Statement”) to register the Purchase Shares and the Warrant Shares for resale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and other securities issued or issuable with respect to or in exchange for the Purchase Shares or Warrant Shares. We are obligated to use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the 2015 Resale Registration Statement to be declared effective by the SEC as promptly as reasonably practicable after the filing of the Resale Registration Statement, but no monetary penalty or liquidated damages will be imposed upon the Company if the Registration Statement is not declared effective by the SEC.

 

Other Activity

 

On April 13, 2016, we entered into a two-year service agreement for general financial advisory services. In accordance with the agreement we issued 250,000 shares of common stock, with a value of $290,000. The value was capitalized to prepaid expense and is being amortized over the term of the agreement. During the three months ended October 31, 2016, we recognized $36,000 of expense related to these services.

 

11. Share-Based Compensation

 

Restricted Stock Units

 

For the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, share-based compensation expense for outstanding restricted stock units (“RSUs”) was $52,000 and $656,000 respectively. Of the 1,285,000 RSUs outstanding, we currently expect 250,000 to vest based on service conditions. As of October 31, 2016, there was $94,000 of unrecognized non-cash compensation cost related to RSUs we expect to vest, which will be recognized over a weighted average period of 0.53 years.

 

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Stock Option Plans

 

In February 2016, we amended and restated our 2007 Equity Incentive Plan, or the Plan, to, among other changes, increase the number of shares of common stock issuable under the Plan by 4,000,000 shares and extend the term of the Plan until February 4, 2026. The Plan provides for the grant of incentive and non-qualified stock options, as well as other share-based payment awards, to our employees, directors, consultants and advisors. These awards have up to a 10-year contractual life and are subject to various vesting periods, as determined by the Compensation Committee or the Board of Directors. Our 2007 Equity Incentive Plan is the only active plan pursuant to which options to acquire common stock or restricted stock awards can be granted and are currently outstanding. As of October 31, 2016, there were approximately 1.9 million shares available for issuance under the Plan.

 

During the three months ended October 31, 2016, we issued 100,000 options to purchase common stock to a member of our Scientific Advisory Board. The options vest quarterly over one year and carry a five-year term. No options were granted during the three months ended October 31, 2015.

 

A summary of our stock option activity is as follows:

 

  Shares     Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price
    Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
 
Outstanding at July 31, 2015     434,218     $ 4.07     $  
Granted     1,850,000     $ 1.07          
Exercised         $          
Cancelled     (6,250 )   $ 14.72          
Outstanding at July 31, 2016     2,277,968     $ 1.60     $ 48,000  
Granted     100,000     $ 1.02          
Exercised         $          
Cancelled         $          
Outstanding at October 31, 2016     2,377,968     $ 1.58     $ 124,000  

 

At October 31, 2016, options to purchase 1,415,135 shares of common stock were exercisable. These options had a weighted-average exercise price of $1.91, an aggregate intrinsic value of $93,000, and a weighted average remaining contractual term of 3.04 years. The weighted average grant date fair value for options granted during the year ended October 31, 2016 was $0.49.

 

We use the Black-Scholes valuation model to calculate the fair value of stock options. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the vesting period using the straight-line method. The fair value of stock options was estimated at the grant date using the following weighted average assumptions:

 

    October 31, 2016  
Volatility     74.71 %
Risk-free interest rate     0.93 %
Dividend yield     0.0 %
Expected life     2.81 years  

 

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Volatility is the measure by which our stock price is expected to fluctuate during the expected term of an option. Volatility is derived from the historical daily change in the market price of our common stock, as we believe that historical volatility is the best indicator of future volatility.

 

The risk-free interest rates used in the Black-Scholes calculations are based on the prevailing U.S. Treasury yield as determined by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

 

We have never paid dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Accordingly, we have assumed no dividend yield for purposes of estimating the fair value of our share-based compensation.

 

The weighted average expected life of options was estimated using the average of the contractual term and the weighted average vesting term of the options. Certain options granted to consultants are subject to variable accounting treatment and are required to be revalued until vested.

 

Stock-based compensation expense is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, and therefore is reduced by expected forfeitures. We have not had significant forfeitures of stock options granted to employees and directors as a significant number of our historical stock option grants were fully vested at issuance or were issued with short vesting provisions. Therefore, we have estimated the forfeiture rate of our outstanding stock options as zero.

 

The total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock option grants as of October 31, 2016 was approximately $280,000 and the weighted average period over which these grants are expected to vest is 0.44 years.

 

For the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, share-based compensation expense for stock options was $226,000 and $16,000 respectively.

 

12. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

No recent accounting pronouncements or other authoritative guidance have been issued that management considers likely to have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

13. Subsequent Events

 

Private Placement Financing

 

On December 1, 2016, we completed an initial closing (the “December Closing”) of a private placement financing (the “2016 Private Placement Financing”) to accredited investors. We raised $1 million in the December Closing of (i) an aggregate of 1,176,472 shares (collectively, the “2016 Purchase Shares”) of our common stock at a purchase price of $0.85 per share and (ii) warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,176,472 shares of Common Stock with a term of five years (the “2016 Investor Warrants”, and the shares issuable upon exercise of the 2016 Investor Warrants, collectively, the “2016 Warrant Shares”). The securities issued in the 2016 Private Placement Financing were issued pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement entered into with the accredited investors (the “Investors”).

 

We utilized the services of a placement agent for the 2016 Private Placement Financing. In connection with the 2016 Private Placement Financing, we paid such placement agent an aggregate cash fee of $100,000 and issued to such placement agent or its designees a warrant (the “2016 Placement Agent Warrant”) to purchase 117,647 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.275 per share. The terms of the 2016 Placement Agent Warrant are substantially identical to the 2016 Investor Warrants, other than the exercise price and the holder’s ability to exercise the 2016 Placement Agent Warrant on a cashless basis at its discretion. Additionally, we agreed to pay the placement agent a $12,000 due diligence fee and to reimburse the placement agent for fees of counsel up to $35,000.

 

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The net proceeds to us from the December Closing, after deducting the forgoing fees and other offering expenses, are expected to be approximately $775,000. We expect to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, including our research and development efforts, and for general administrative expenses and working capital.

 

The 2016 Investor Warrants have a five-year term, and will be exercisable in whole or in part, at an exercise price equal to $1.25 per share. The Warrants are exercisable on a cashless basis if at any time after the six-month anniversary of the December Closing date, there is no effective registration statement registering, or no current prospectus available for, the resale of the December Warrant Shares by the holder, subject to certain exceptions. We also entered into a registration rights agreement with the Investors (the “2016 Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which we will be obligated to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as soon as practicable, but in any event, the earlier of (i) 30th calendar day following the final closing date of the 2016 Private Placement Financing or (ii) January 30, 2017, a registration statement on Form S-1 (the “2016 Resale Registration Statement”) to register the 2016 Purchase Shares and the 2016 Warrant Shares for resale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and other securities issued or issuable with respect to or in exchange for the 2016 Purchase Shares or 2016 Warrant Shares. The Company is obligated to use its commercially reasonable best efforts to cause the 2016 Resale Registration Statement to be declared effective by the SEC within 45 days after the filing of the 2016 Resale Registration Statement (or within 75 days if the 2016 Resale Registration Statement is subject to a full review by the SEC). Additionally, the 2016 Registration Rights Agreement provides for certain monetary penalties if the 2016 Resale Registration Statement is not filed or declared effective prior to certain dates as set forth in the 2016 Registration Rights Agreement.

 

The issuance and sale of the 2016 Purchase Shares, 2016 Investor Warrants, the 2016 Placement Agent Warrant, the 2016 Warrant Shares and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the 2016 Placement Agent Warrant (collectively, the “Securities”) were issued and sold in reliance upon an exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act.

 

RSU Termination

 

On December 13, 2016, we entered into an RSU Cancellation Agreement with our officers and directors who received restricted stock unit awards (the “RSUs”) in October 2013 as compensation for their continued services to us over a required vesting period. Under this Agreement, our officers and directors agreed to cancel RSUs representing the right to receive an aggregate of 3.9 million vested shares of our common stock. Pursuant to the terms of the cancelled RSUs, we would have been required to settle and deliver these vested shares to the individual officers and directors prior to January 1, 2017, which would have triggered a taxable event. Our officers and directors, in their individual capacities, voluntarily agreed to cancel their respective RSUs based on their determination that cancelling the RSUs would be in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders. The individual officers and directors reached this conclusion for the following reasons:

 

  1. Conserves our Available Cash Resources. The RSUs held by our officers provide these individuals with the right to require us to pay the applicable state and federal taxes due upon the settlement and delivery of their vested RSU shares in exchange for the individual cancelling and returning to us that number of shares of common stock equal in value to the our contractual tax payment obligation. By agreeing to cancel the RSUs, we will not be required to utilize our available cash resources to pay the tax payments on behalf of our officers, and as a result, it can conserve its available cash resources to support the continued implementation of our business plan.
     
  2. Reduces Pressure on Our Stock Price. The RSUs held by our non-employee directors provide these individuals with the right to immediately sell into the public market that number of shares of common stock sufficient to cover the applicable state and federal taxes payable as a result of the settlement and delivery of their vested RSU shares. Our common stock currently has a limited daily trading volume, and the sale or the potential sale of a substantial number of shares of common stock by our officers and directors to cover their federal and state tax obligations would adversely affect the market price of our common stock, which in turn, could harm our ability to raise funds to support our operations or require us to raise funds at terms and valuations that would be more dilutive to our existing stockholders.

 

Each of our officers and directors who are parties to the RSU Cancellation Agreement agreed to cancel their RSUs and the shares of common stock underlying the RSUs in their individual capacities as stockholders and equity award holders, and without any agreement or promise from us or our officers or directors to issue them equity, equity-based awards or cash compensation in the future in exchange for entering into the Agreement. A copy of the RSU Cancellation Agreement is attached as Exhibit 10.1 to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and incorporated herein by reference.

 

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

All references in this Item 2 and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report to “PURE,” “we”, “our,” “us” and the “Company” refer to PURE Bioscience, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and our wholly owned subsidiary, ETI H2O, Inc., a Nevada corporation. ETI H2O, Inc. currently has no business operations and no material assets or liabilities and there have been no significant transactions related to ETI H2O, Inc. during the periods presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements contained elsewhere in this Quarterly Report.

 

The discussion in this section contains forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “should,” “would” or “will” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause our actual results to differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements we make. Several risks and uncertainties we face are discussed in more detail under “Risk Factors” in Part II, Item 1A of this Quarterly Report or in the discussion and analysis below. You should, however, understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all risks and uncertainties and you should not consider the risks and uncertainties identified by us to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties that could materially affect us. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements we make herein because some or all of them may turn out to be wrong. We undertake no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events and developments, except as required by law. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes to those financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

 

Overview

 

Company Overview

 

We are focused on developing and commercializing proprietary antimicrobial products that provide safe and cost-effective solutions to the health and environmental challenges of pathogen and hygienic control. Our technology platform is based on patented stabilized ionic silver, and our initial products contain silver dihydrogen citrate, or SDC. SDC is a broad-spectrum, non-toxic antimicrobial agent, which offers 24-hour residual protection and formulates well with other compounds. As a platform technology, we believe SDC is distinguished from existing products in the marketplace because of its superior efficacy, reduced toxicity and the inability of bacteria to form a resistance to it.

 

Our SDC-based technology platform has potential application in a number of industries. Our near-term focus is on offering products that address food safety risks across the food industry supply chain. In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that foodborne illnesses affect more than 48 million people annually in the U.S., causing 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 fatalities. The CDC estimated that more than 9 million of these foodborne illnesses were attributed to major pathogens. The CDC reported that contaminated produce was responsible for approximately 46% of the foodborne illnesses caused by pathogens and 23% of the foodborne illness-related deaths in the US between 1998 and 2008. Among the top pathogens contributing to foodborne illness in the U.S. are Norovirus, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus, Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli and Listeria. Salmonella is the leading cause of hospitalization, followed by Norovirus, and is the leading cause of deaths related to foodborne illness.

 

Based on these statistics, we believe there is a significant market opportunity for our safe, non-toxic and effective SDC-based solutions. We currently offer PURE® Hard Surface as a food contact surface sanitizer and disinfectant to restaurant chains and food processors. We also offer PURE Control® as a direct food contact processing aid. We received the required FDA approvals to market PURE Control® as a direct food contact processing aid for raw poultry and fresh produce in December 2015 and January 2016, respectively. In July 2016, we received a “No Objection Letter” from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) granting approval for SDC-based PURE Control to be used as a spray or dip applied to poultry carcasses, parts and organs in pre-OLR (on-line reprocessing) and post chill processing of fresh poultry. We have not, however, received the required approval from the USDA to utilize PURE Control in OLR poultry processing, which effectively restricts our ability to commercialize PURE Control for poultry processing until we receive such additional approval. We continue our on-going plant trials to optimize the application of PURE Control, including with higher concentrations of SDC, in OLR to gain USDA approval for use in that stage of poultry processing. Based on these on-going plant trials, we have submitted an additional FCN to the FDA to allow us to use higher concentrations of SDC in poultry processing to have the flexibility to adjust to varying plant and processing conditions. We are continuing to work with the FDA to obtain approval for the higher concentrations of SDC in poultry processing and expect to receive FDA approval in the second calendar quarter of 2017. Additionally, we are currently testing and continuing development of PURE Control to allow us to seek regulatory approval to also utilize PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid for raw meats, including beef and pork. In addition to our direct sales efforts with PURE Hard Surface and PURE Control, we market and sell our SDC-based products indirectly through third-party distributors.

 

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Business Strategy

 

Our goal is to become a sustainable company by commercializing the SDC-based products we have developed with our proprietary technology platform. We are focused on delivering leading antimicrobial products that address food safety risks across the food industry supply chain. Key aspects of our business strategy include:

 

    Expanding sales and distribution for our products into the food industry with a focus on a dual track of food safety market opportunities:

 

      Hard Surface Disinfectant - commercializing our current EPA registered PURE Hard Surface disinfectant and sanitizer for use in foodservice operations and food manufacturing.
       
      Direct Food Contact - commercializing FDA approved PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid for fresh produce; commercializing FDA approved PURE Control as a food processing and intervention aid for food processors treating raw poultry subject to further USDA approval for OLR poultry processing and FDA approval for higher concentrations of SDC; expecting to commercialize, subject to both FDA and USDA approval, the use of SDC as a food processing and intervention aid for food processors treating raw beef and pork.

 

  Establishing strategic alliances to maximize the commercial potential of our technology platform;
     
  Developing additional proprietary products and applications; and
     
  Protecting and enhancing our intellectual property.

 

In addition to our current products addressing food safety, we intend to leverage our technology platform through licensing and distribution collaborations in order to develop new products and enter into new markets that could potentially generate multiple sources of revenue.

 

Our Products

 

Our near-term focus is on delivering leading antimicrobial products that address food safety risks across the food industry supply chain. We currently offer PURE Hard Surface as a food contact surface sanitizer and disinfectant to restaurant chains and food processors. We also offer PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid. We received the required FDA approvals to market PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid for raw poultry and fresh produce in December 2015 and January 2016, respectively. In July 2016, we received a “No Objection Letter” from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) granting approval for SDC-based PURE Control to be used as a spray or dip applied to poultry carcasses, parts and organs in pre-OLR (on-line reprocessing) and post chill processing of fresh poultry. We have not, however, received the required approval from the USDA to utilize PURE Control in OLR poultry processing, which effectively restricts our ability to commercialize PURE Control for poultry processing until we receive such additional approval. We continue our on-going plant trials to optimize the application of PURE Control, including with higher concentrations of SDC, in OLR to gain USDA approval for use in that stage of poultry processing. Based on these on-going plant trials, we have submitted an additional FCN to the FDA to allow us to use higher concentrations of SDC in poultry processing to have the flexibility to adjust to varying plant and processing conditions. We are continuing to work with the FDA to obtain approval for the higher concentrations of SDC in poultry processing and expect to receive FDA approval in the second calendar quarter of 2017. Additionally, we are currently testing and continuing development of PURE Control to allow us to seek regulatory approval to also utilize PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid for raw meats, including beef and pork.

 

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In addition to our direct sales efforts with PURE Hard Surface and PURE Control, we market and sell our SDC-based products indirectly through third-party distributors. In addition to PURE Hard Surface and PURE Control, we manufacture and sell (i) SDC-based products for end use, (ii) products preserved with SDC and (iii) SDC as a raw material ingredient for manufacturing use.

 

PURE® Hard Surface Disinfectant and Sanitizer (Ready to Use)

 

PURE Hard Surface is our SDC-based, patented and EPA-registered, ready-to-use hard surface disinfectant and food contact surface sanitizer. PURE Hard Surface combines high efficacy and low toxicity with bacterial and viral kill times as few as 30-seconds and 24-hour residual protection. The product completely kills resistant pathogens such as MRSA and Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (NDM-1), and effectively eliminates dangerous fungi and viruses including HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Norovirus, Influenza A, Avian Influenza and H1N1. It also eradicates hazardous food pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria. PURE Hard Surface delivers broad-spectrum efficacy yet remains classified as least-toxic by the EPA. The active ingredient, SDC, has been designated as “Generally Recognized as Safe”, or GRAS, for use on food processing equipment, machinery and utensils.

 

PURE Control®

 

We have the necessary regulatory approvals from the FDA to offer PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid for fresh produce and raw poultry. We also have regulatory approvals from the USDA for certain methods of application of PURE Control on poultry and we are also performing additional trials to gain further USDA approvals for additional food contact applications for poultry. Additionally, we are currently testing and continuing development of PURE Control to allow us to seek regulatory approval to also utilize PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid for raw meats, including beef and pork.

 

Poultry Processing Aid. In December 2015, we received the required approvals from the FDA stating that our FCN (food contact notification) for SDC as a raw poultry processing aid is complete. We have received a “No Objection Letter” from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) granting approval for SDC-based PURE Control to be used as a spray or dip applied to poultry carcasses, parts and organs in pre-OLR (on-line reprocessing) and post chill processing of fresh poultry. We have not, however, received the required approval from the USDA to utilize PURE Control in OLR poultry processing, which effectively restricts our ability to commercialize PURE Control for poultry processing until we receive such additional approval. We continue our on-going plant trials to optimize the application of PURE Control, including with higher concentrations of SDC, in OLR to gain USDA approval for use in that stage of poultry processing. Based on these on-going plant trials, we have submitted an additional FCN to the FDA to allow us to use higher concentrations of SDC in poultry processing to have the flexibility to adjust to varying plant and processing conditions. We are continuing to work with the FDA to obtain approval for the higher concentrations of SDC in poultry processing and expect to receive FDA approval in the second calendar quarter of 2017.

 

Testing data conducted by Dr. James Marsden at Kansas State University and submitted in support of our FCN showed that, SDC achieved an average reduction in Salmonella of 2.75 log10 CFU/cm2 when applied as an OLR (online reprocessing) spray and 6.28 log10 CFU/cm2 when combined with an immersion chilling process simulating current U.S. industry practices. We believe that testing by Dr. Marsden provides support to the following benefits of SDC for poultry processing:

 

    The use of SDC antimicrobial solution in poultry processing has the potential to enable plants to achieve non-detectable Salmonella levels post-chill process.
     
  A sensory evaluation of SDC showed no difference in color, appearance or odor in treated poultry.
     
  SDC has a neutral to positive impact on yield.
     
  SDC offers a highly effective alternative to hazardous and difficult to blend chemicals currently used as treatments in raw poultry processing.
     
  SDC is a significant improvement over current processing practices. The product is:

 

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    Easier to handle and dilute;
       
    Non-corrosive to processing equipment;
       
    Does not create noxious fumes; and
       
    Poultry processors will also benefit from the highly stable solution, ease of use and improved worker safety.

 

Produce Processing Aid. In January 2016, we received the required approvals from the FDA stating that our FCN for SDC as a spray or dip on processed fruits and vegetables is complete. We were not required to obtain any approvals from the USDA to use PURE Control as a produce processing aid.

 

Data from testing conducted by Dr. James Marsden at Kansas State University and submitted in support of our FCN for produce showed that SDC achieved average reductions up to 2.36 log10 CFU/cm2 when applied alone as a spray and up to 3.10 log10 CFU/cm2 when combined with chlorine wash, simulating current processing practices. Sensory evaluations of produce treated with SDC indicated no difference in color, appearance or odor to untreated controls; and SDC had no effect on the nutritional composition of the produce.

 

Currently, produce processors target achieving only a 1 log10 CFU/cm2 reduction per intervention treatment. Data suggests that by incorporating SDC, processors can improve their results 100-fold with only one step. This represents a significant advantage to produce processors as well as improvement to the safety of processed produce going to the consumer.

 

Other Processing Aids under Development. We are currently testing and continuing development of PURE Control to allow us to seek regulatory approval to also utilize PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid for raw meats, including beef and pork. Subject to successful pilot testing results and development, we intend to submit for both FDA and USDA approval during calendar 2017. In addition, we may identify other food processing opportunities for SDC.

 

Additional SDC-Based Products

 

In addition to PURE Hard Surface and PURE Control, we manufacture and sell (i) SDC-based products for end use, (ii) products preserved with SDC and (iii) SDC as a raw material ingredient for manufacturing use. These products include:

 

Product Name   Product Use   EPA Registration
PURE Complete Solution:        
PURE® Multi-Purpose and Floor Cleaner Concentrate   Cleaner   Not applicable
PURE® Multi-Purpose Hi-Foam Cleaner Concentrate   Cleaner   Not applicable
Axen®30   Disinfectant   Axen30
Axenohl®   Raw material ingredient   Axenohl
SILVÉRION®   Raw material ingredient   Not applicable

 

PURE Complete Solution

 

Our PURE Complete Solution is comprised of PURE Hard Surface and concentrated cleaning products that were launched as companion products to PURE Hard Surface. The PURE Complete Solution offers a comprehensive, cost-effective and user-friendly cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing product line to end-users including our targeted foodservice, food manufacturing and food processing customers. We can also target this product line to hospital and medical care facilities; janitorial service providers and the distributors that supply them.

 

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PURE® Multi-Purpose and Floor Cleaner Concentrate (End-User Dilutable)

 

PURE Multi-Purpose and Floor Cleaner, is an environmentally responsible cleaning product that is protected by SDC. SDC ensures the quality and safety of PURE Multi-Purpose and Floor Cleaner without human or environmental exposure to toxic chemical preservatives. PURE Multi-Purpose and Floor Cleaner is non-toxic and non-flammable and contains no EDTA, phosphates, ammonia or bleach as well as no VOCs or NPEs. This efficient cleaner provides professional strength cleaning in a concentrate formula that yields a 1:96 – 1:256 use dilution that is safe for use on all resilient surfaces, including floors, glass and food contact surfaces.

 

PURE® Multi-Purpose Hi-Foam Cleaner Concentrate (End-User Dilutable)

 

PURE Multi-Purpose Hi-Foam Cleaner is an environmentally responsible, professional strength high foam forming cleaning product that is protected by SDC. SDC ensures the quality and safety of PURE Multi-Purpose Hi-Foam Cleaner without human or environmental exposure to toxic chemical preservatives. PURE Multi-Purpose Hi-Foam Cleaner is non-toxic and non-flammable and contains no EDTA, phosphates, ammonia or bleach as well as no VOCs or NPEs. PURE Multi-Purpose Hi-Foam Cleaner provides high foam cleaning in a concentrate formula that yields a 1:50 use dilution that is safe for use on stainless steel equipment, resilient floors, walls and painted surfaces.

 

Axen® 30 (Ready-to-Use)

 

Axen30 is our patented and EPA-registered hard surface disinfectant and is a predecessor ready-to-use product to PURE Hard Surface. Axen30 is currently sold on a limited basis by distributors under their respective private labels.

 

Axenohl® (Raw Material Ingredient)

 

Axenohl is our patented and EPA-registered SDC-based antimicrobial formulation for use as a raw material ingredient in the manufacturing of EPA-registered products. Axenohl is a colorless, odorless and stable solution that provides fast acting efficacy against bacteria, viruses and fungi when manufactured into consumer and commercial disinfecting and sanitizing products.

 

SILVÉRION® (Raw Material Ingredient)

 

SILVÉRION is our patented SDC-based antimicrobial formulation for use as a raw material ingredient in the manufacturing of personal care products. It can be used as either an active ingredient or a preservative. SILVÉRION is a colorless, odorless and stable solution that provides ionic silver in a water-soluble form. It provides fast acting efficacy at low concentrations against a broad-spectrum of bacteria, viruses, yeast and molds. SILVÉRION is currently sold domestically and outside of the United States in various personal care products.

 

Financial Overview

 

This financial overview provides a general description of our revenue and expenses.

 

Revenue

 

We contract manufacture and sell SDC-based products for end use, and as a raw material for manufacturing use. We also license our products and technology to development and commercialization partners. Revenue is recognized when realized or realizable and earned. Any amounts received prior to satisfying revenue recognition criteria are recorded as deferred revenue.

 

Cost of Goods Sold

 

Cost of goods sold for product sales includes direct and indirect costs to manufacture products, including materials consumed, manufacturing overhead, shipping costs, salaries, benefits, reserved inventory, and related expenses of operations. Depreciation related to manufacturing is systematically allocated to inventory produced, and expensed through cost of goods sold at the time inventory is sold.

 

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Selling, General and Administrative

 

Selling, general and administrative expense consists primarily of salaries and other related costs for personnel in business development, sales, finance, accounting, information technology, and executive functions. Other selling, general and administrative costs include product marketing, advertising, and trade show costs, as well as public relations and investor relations, facility costs, and legal, accounting and other professional fees.

 

Research and Development

 

Our research and development activities are focused on leveraging our technology platform to develop additional proprietary products and applications. Research and development expense consists primarily of personnel and related costs, product registration expenses, and third-party testing. We expense research and development costs as incurred.

 

Other Income (Expense)

 

We record interest income, interest expense, change in derivative liabilities, as well as other non-operating transactions, as other income (expense) in our condensed consolidated statements of operations.

 

Results of Operations

 

Fluctuations in Operating Results

 

Our results of operations have fluctuated significantly from period to period in the past and are likely to continue to do so in the future. We anticipate that our results of operations will be affected for the foreseeable future by several factors that may contribute to these periodic fluctuations, including the demand for our products, the timing and amount of our product sales, and the progress and timing of expenditures related to sales and marketing, as well as product development. Due to these fluctuations, we believe that the period-to-period comparisons of our operating results are not a reliable indication of our future performance.

 

Comparison of the Three Months Ended October 31, 2016 and 2015

 

Net Product Sales

 

Net product sales were $531,000 and $186,000 for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The increase of $345,000 was primarily attributable to new customer sales in the food safety industry, as well as sales fluctuations within our existing legacy customer base.

 

For the three months ended October 31, 2016, one individual customer accounted for 59% of our net product sales. No other individual customer accounted for 10% or more of our net product sales. The geographic breakdown of net product sales was as follows: 100% U.S.

 

For the three months ended October 31, 2015, three individual customers accounted for 41%, 14%, and 12%, and of our net product sales, respectively. No other individual customer accounted for 10% or more of our net product sales. The geographic breakdown of net product sales was as follows: 100% U.S.

 

Cost of Goods Sold

 

Cost of goods sold was $265,000 and $54,000 for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The increase of $211,000 was attributable to increased net product sales.

 

Gross margin as a percentage of net product sales, or gross margin percentage, was 50% and 71% for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The decrease in gross margin percentage was primarily attributable to the sale of lower margin formulations and packaging configurations of our products during the quarter ended October 31, 2016 as compared with the prior period.

 

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Selling, General and Administrative Expense

 

Selling, general and administrative expense was $1,337,000 and $1,086,000 for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The increase of $251,000 was primarily attributable to increased business development and marketing costs and personnel and professional service costs offset by decreased legal fees.

 

Research and Development Expense

 

Research and development expense was $248,000 and $236,000 for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The increase of $12,000 was primarily attributable to third-party testing and research supporting our FDA approval efforts.

 

Share-Based Compensation

 

Share-based compensation expense was $278,000 and $672,000 for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The decrease of $394,000 is primarily due to the vesting of restricted stock units granted to employees and directors supporting our selling, general and administrative, and research and development functions during the prior fiscal year.

 

Fair Value of Derivative Liabilities in Excess of Proceeds.

 

The fair value of derivative liabilities in excess of proceeds was zero and $1,008,000 for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively (See Note 9 to the condensed consolidated financial statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q).

 

Change in Derivative Liabilities

 

Change in derivative liabilities for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015 was an increase of $159,000 and a decrease of $43,000, respectively. The increase is due to the warrants issued in connection with the 2015 Private Placement Financing, as well as, warrant exercises, expirations, and cancellations and updates to the assumptions used in the fair value pricing model for warrants at the end of the reporting period (See Notes 8 and 9 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q).

 

Interest Expense

 

Interest expense for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015 was $1,000 and $2,000, respectively.

 

Other Income (Expense)

 

Other income for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015 was $14,000 and $9,000, respectively.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

Since our inception, we have financed our operations primarily through public and private offerings of securities, debt financing, and revenue from product sales and license agreements. We have a history of recurring losses, and as of October 31, 2016 we have incurred a cumulative net loss of $104,962,000.

 

Subsequent to October 31, 2016, we completed a private placement pursuant to which we sold 1,176,472 shares of our common stock and warrants to purchase 1,176,472 shares of our common stock. The shares were sold at a per share purchase price of $0.85 per share, resulting in $1,000,000 in aggregate gross proceeds. After deducting fees of approximately $225,000, the net proceeds to us were $775,000 (See Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q).

 

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As of October 31, 2016, we had $4,064,000 in cash and cash equivalents compared with $5,194,000 in cash and cash equivalents as of July 31, 2016. The net decrease in cash and cash equivalents was primarily attributable to the use of cash to fund our operations. Additionally, as of October 31, 2016, we had $2,842,000 of current liabilities, including $654,000 in accounts payable, compared with $2,536,000 of current liabilities, including $479,000 in accounts payable as of July 31, 2016. The net increase in current liabilities was primarily due to the timing of accounts payable and the derivative liability incurred from the issuance of warrants associated with our November 2015 financing.

 

In addition, from time to time we have entered into employment agreements with our executives that, under certain cases, provide for the continuation of salary and certain other benefits if these executives are terminated under specified circumstances. These agreements generally expire upon termination for cause or when we have met our obligations under these agreements. As of October 31, 2016, no events have occurred resulting in the obligation of any such payments.

 

Our future capital requirements depend on numerous forward-looking factors. These factors may include, but are not limited to, the following: the acceptance of, and demand for, our products; our success and the success of our partners in selling our products; our success and the success of our partners in obtaining regulatory approvals to sell our products; the costs of further developing our existing products and technologies; the extent to which we invest in new product and technology development; and the costs associated with the continued operation, and any future growth, of our business. The outcome of these and other forward-looking factors will substantially affect our liquidity and capital resources.

 

We expect that we will need to increase our liquidity and capital resources by one or more measures. These measures may include, but are not limited to, the following: reducing operating expenses; entering into partnerships, licenses, or other arrangements with third parties; and reducing the exercise price of outstanding warrants. These measures could substantially reduce the value to us of our technology and its commercial potential as it may be necessary to enter into arrangements with less favorable terms than otherwise possible. Additionally, we may issue equity, debt or convertible securities to obtain financing, which may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, and the new equity, debt or convertible securities may have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of our existing stockholders. Further, a reduction in operating expenses will require a reduction in the sales, marketing, and other commercialization activities required to bring our products to market. There is no guarantee that we would be able to obtain capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all.

 

If we are unable to obtain sufficient capital, it would have a material adverse effect on our business and operations. It could cause us to fail to execute our business plan, fail to take advantage of future opportunities, or fail to respond to competitive pressures or customer requirements. It also may require us to delay, scale back or eliminate some or all of our research and development programs, to license to third parties the right to commercialize products or technologies that we would otherwise commercialize ourselves, or to reduce or cease operations altogether. If adequate funds are not available when needed, we may be required to significantly modify our business model and operations to reduce spending to a sustainable level.

 

We believe our available cash on-hand and cash received from financings subsequent to our quarter ended October 31, 2016, our current efforts to market and sell our products, and our ability to significantly reduce expenses, will provide sufficient cash resources to satisfy our needs over the next 12 months. However, we do not yet have, and we may never have, significant cash inflows from product sales or from other sources of revenue to offset our ongoing and planned investments in corporate infrastructure, research and development projects, regulatory submissions, business development initiatives, and sales and marketing activities, among other investments. Some or all of our ongoing or planned investments may not be successful and could result in further losses. In addition, irrespective of our cash resources, we may be contractually or legally obligated to make certain investments which cannot be postponed.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and related disclosures. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

 

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In addition, the condensed consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report have been prepared and presented on a basis assuming we will continue as a going concern. Until we can generate significant cash from operations, we expect to continue to fund our operations with the proceeds of offerings of our equity and debt securities. However, we cannot assure you that additional financing will be available when needed or that, if available, financing will be obtained on terms favorable to us or to our stockholders. If we raise additional funds from the issuance of equity securities, substantial dilution to our existing stockholders would likely result. If we raise additional funds by incurring debt financing, the terms of the debt may involve significant cash payment obligations as well as covenants and specific financial ratios that may restrict our ability to operate our business. Further, any contracts or license arrangements we enter into to raise funds may require us to relinquish our rights to our products or technology, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to enter into any such contracts or license arrangements on acceptable terms, or at all. Having insufficient funds may require us to delay or scale back our marketing, distribution and other commercialization activities or cease our operations altogether. Our financial statements do not include any adjustment relating to recoverability or classification of recorded assets and classification of recorded liabilities.

 

We believe the following accounting policies and estimates are critical to aid you in understanding and evaluating our reported financial results.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

We sell our products to distributors and end users. We record revenue when we sell products to our customers, rather than when our customers resell products to third parties. When we sell products to our customers, we reduce the balance of our inventory with a corresponding charge to cost of goods sold. We do not currently have any consignment sales.

 

Terms of our product sales are generally FOB shipping point. Product sales are recognized when delivery of the products has occurred (which is generally at the time of shipment), title has passed to the customer, the selling price is fixed or determinable, collectability is reasonably assured and we have no further obligations. Any amounts received prior to satisfying these revenue recognition criteria are recorded as deferred revenue. We record product sales net of discounts at the time of sale and report product sales net of such discounts.

 

We also license our products and technology to development and commercialization partners. License fee revenue consists of product and technology license fees earned. If multiple-element arrangements require on-going services or performance, then upfront product and technology license fees under such arrangements are deferred and recognized over the period of such services or performance. Non-refundable amounts received for substantive milestones are recognized upon achievement of the milestone. Any amounts received prior to satisfying these revenue recognition criteria are recorded as deferred revenue.

 

Share-Based Compensation

 

We grant equity-based awards under share-based compensation plans or stand-alone contracts. We estimate the fair value of share-based payment awards using the Black-Scholes option valuation model. This fair value is then amortized over the requisite service periods of the awards. The Black-Scholes option valuation model requires the input of subjective assumptions, including price volatility of the underlying stock, risk-free interest rate, dividend yield, and expected life of the option. Share-based compensation expense is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, and therefore is reduced by expected forfeitures. Changes in assumptions used under the Black-Scholes option valuation model could materially affect our net loss and net loss per share.

 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

 

In accordance with GAAP, if indicators of impairment exist, we assess the recoverability of the affected long-lived assets by determining whether the carrying value of such assets can be recovered through undiscounted future operating cash flows. If impairment is indicated, we measure the amount of such impairment by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the fair value of the asset and we record the impairment as a reduction in the carrying value of the related asset and a charge to operating results. Estimating the undiscounted future cash flows associated with long-lived assets requires judgment, and assumptions could differ materially from actual results.

 

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For purposes of testing impairment, we group our long-lived assets at the lowest level for which there are identifiable cash flows independent of other asset groups. Currently, there is only one level of aggregation for our intangible assets. We assess the impairment of long-lived assets, consisting of property, plant, and equipment and our patent portfolio, whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Examples of such events or circumstances include:

 

  an asset group’s ability to continue to generate income from operations and positive cash flow in future periods;
     
  loss of legal ownership or title to the asset(s);
     
  significant changes in our strategic business objectives and utilization of the asset(s); and
     
  the impact of significant negative industry or economic trends.

 

Additionally, on a quarterly basis we review the significant assumptions underlying our impairment assessment to determine whether our previous conclusions remain valid.

 

Recoverability of assets to be held and used in operations is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to the future net cash flows expected to be generated by the assets. The factors used to evaluate the future net cash flows, while reasonable, require a high degree of judgment and the results could vary if the actual results are materially different than the forecasts. In addition, we base useful lives and amortization or depreciation expense on our subjective estimate of the period that the assets will generate revenue or otherwise be used by us. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less selling costs.

 

We also periodically review the lives assigned to our intangible assets to ensure that our initial estimates do not exceed any revised estimated periods from which we expect to realize cash flows from the assets. If a change were to occur in any of the above-mentioned factors or estimates, the likelihood of a material change in our reported results would increase.

 

Derivative Financial Instruments

 

We do not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow or market or foreign currency risks.

 

We review the terms of the common stock, warrants and convertible debt we issue to determine whether there are derivative instruments, including embedded conversion options that are required to be bifurcated and accounted for separately as derivative financial instruments. In circumstances where the host instrument contains more than one embedded derivative instrument, including a conversion option, that is required to be bifurcated, the bifurcated derivative instruments are accounted for as a single, compound derivative instrument.

 

Derivatives are initially recorded at fair value and are then revalued at each reporting date with changes in the fair value reported as non-operating income or expense. When the equity or convertible debt instruments contain embedded derivative instruments that are to be bifurcated and accounted for as liabilities, the total proceeds received are first allocated to the fair value of all the bifurcated derivative instruments. The remaining proceeds, if any, are then allocated to the host instruments themselves, usually resulting in those instruments being recorded at a discount from their face value.

 

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

See Note 12 to the condensed consolidated financial statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

 

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

We do not have any off balance sheet arrangements.

 

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

As a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, and as provided in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K, we are electing scaled disclosure reporting obligations and therefore are not required to provide the information requested by this Item.

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives.

 

As required by Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act, our management conducted an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our Principal Executive Officer and our Principal Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report. Based on the foregoing evaluation, our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer concluded that as of the end of the period covered by this report our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

 

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

In connection with the evaluation required by Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(d), our management, under the supervision and with the participation of our Principal Executive Officer and our Principal Financial Officer, concluded that there were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting during the three months ended October 31, 2016 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal controls over financial reporting.

 

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PART II – Other Information

 

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. The impact and outcome of litigation, if any, is subject to inherent uncertainties, and any adverse result in these or other matters may arise from time to time that could harm our business. We are not currently aware of any such legal proceedings or claims to which we or our wholly owned subsidiary is a party or of which any of our property is subject that we believe will have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors

 

In evaluating us and our common stock, we urge you to carefully consider the risks and other information in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as the risk factors disclosed in Item 1A. to Part I of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2016, which we filed with the SEC on October 27, 2016 (the “Form 10-K”). The risks and uncertainties described in “Item 1A — Risk Factors” of our Form 10-K have not materially changed, other than the risk factors disclosed below. Any of the risks discussed in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or any of the risks disclosed in Item 1A. to Part I of our Form 10-K, as well as additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial, could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition or prospects.

 

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

 

Our future capital needs are uncertain, and we currently expect that we will need additional funds in the future which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all.

 

Our capital requirements will depend on many factors, including, among other factors:

 

    the acceptance of, and demand for, our products;
     
  the success of our strategic partners in developing and selling products derived from our technology;
     
  the costs of further developing our existing, and developing new, products or technologies;
     
  the extent to which we invest in new technology, testing and product development;
     
  the timing of vendor payments and of the collection of receivables, among other factors affecting our working capital;
     
  the exercise of outstanding options or warrants to acquire our common stock;
     
  the number and timing of acquisitions and other strategic transactions, if any; and
     
  the costs associated with the continued operation, and any future growth, of our business.

 

On December 1, 2016, we raised $1 million in a private placement financing of common stock and warrants to purchase common stock. See Note 13 to the condensed consolidated financial statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Therefore, as of December 14, 2016, we believe that our current cash resources are sufficient to meet our anticipated needs during the next twelve months. However, we do not yet have, and we may never have, significant cash inflows from product sales or from other sources of revenue to offset our ongoing and planned investments in corporate infrastructure, research and development projects, regulatory submissions, business development activities, and sales and marketing, among other investments. Some or all of our ongoing or planned investments may not be successful. In addition, irrespective of our cash resources, we may be contractually or legally obligated to make certain investments, which cannot be postponed.

 

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We expect that we will need to increase our liquidity and capital resources by one or more measures, which may include reducing operating expenses, entering into partnerships, licenses, or other arrangements with third parties, reducing the exercise price of outstanding warrants, or through other means, any one of which could reduce the value to us, perhaps substantially, of our technology and its commercial potential. Additionally, we may raise funds in future periods through the issuance of debt, equity, or convertible securities, which could cause dilution to our existing investors and any new equity or debt securities may have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of our existing stockholders. There is no guarantee that we would be able to obtain capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all. Insufficient funds would result in a material adverse effect on our business and operations and could cause us to fail to execute our business plan, fail to take advantage of future opportunities, or fail to respond to competitive pressures or customer requirements, and further may require us to delay, scale back or eliminate some or all of our research and product development programs, license to third parties the right to commercialize products or technologies that we would otherwise commercialize ourselves, or to reduce or cease operations. If adequate funds are not available when needed, we may be required to significantly modify our business model and operations to reduce spending to a sustainable level. Such modification of our business model and operations could also result in an impairment of assets which cannot be determined at this time. Furthermore, if we incur additional debt, it may increase our leverage relative to our earnings or to our equity capitalization.

 

As of December 14, 2016, we have 76,719,783 shares of common stock issued and outstanding or reserved for issuance. Shares reserved for issuance include shares under equity compensation plans, vested and unvested options, warrants, and unvested restricted stock units. Our current authorized capital stock is limited to 100,000,000 shares of common stock and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Any increase in our authorized capital stock would require the approval of a majority of our stockholders as well as the approval of our Board of Directors. If we were unable to increase our authorized capital stock for any reason, our ability to raise additional capital through the issuance of equity or convertible debt would be severely compromised and we may be unable to obtain equity or convertible debt capital at all.

 

If we are unable to obtain the required regulatory approvals from the FDA and USDA, or if such efforts are delayed, our ability to commercialize PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid will be harmed and our business and operating results will suffer.

 

We intend to offer PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid where it is applied as a wash for produce, meat and poultry as an intervention to prevent or kill various food-borne pathogens. To date, we have received the required FDA approvals to market PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid for raw poultry and fresh produce in December 2015 and January 2016, respectively. No additional approval from the USDA is required for fresh produce. In July 2016, we received a “No Objection Letter” from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) granting approval for SDC-based PURE Control to be used as a spray or dip applied to poultry carcasses, parts and organs in pre-OLR (on-line reprocessing) and post chill processing of fresh poultry. We have not, however, received the required approval from the USDA to utilize PURE Control in OLR poultry processing, which effectively restricts our ability to commercialize PURE Control for poultry processing until we receive such additional approval. We are continuing our on-going plant trials to optimize the application of PURE Control, including with higher concentrations of SDC, in OLR to gain USDA approval for use in that stage of poultry processing, but there is no assurance that we will obtain such approval on a timely basis, or at all. Based on these on-going plant trials, we have submitted an additional FCN to the FDA to allow us to use higher concentrations of SDC in poultry processing and we are continuing to work with the FDA to obtain approval for the higher concentrations of SDC in poultry processing. There is no assurance, however, that we will receive the required approvals from the FDA and USDA for higher concentrations of SDC. Additionally, we are currently testing and continuing development of PURE Control to allow us to apply for regulatory approval to also utilize PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid for raw meats, including beef and pork. If we are unable to obtain the required regulatory approvals from the FDA and USDA, or if such efforts are delayed, our ability to commercialize PURE Control as a direct food contact processing aid for poultry and as a direct food contact processing aid for raw meets will be restricted and our business and operating results will suffer.

 

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Risks Related to Our Common Stock

 

Potential sales or issuances of our common stock to raise capital, or the perception that such sales could occur, could cause dilution to our current stockholders and the price of our common stock to fall.

 

We have historically supported our operations through the issuance of equity and expect to continue to do so in the future. For example, on December 1, 2016, we completed a private placement financing of 1,176,472 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase 1,176,472 shares of common stock for aggregate gross proceeds of $1 million. After deducting fees of approximately $225,000, the net proceeds to us were $775,000 (See Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q). Although we may not be successful in obtaining financing through equity sales on terms that are favorable to us in the future, if at all, any such sales that do occur could result in substantial dilution to the interests of existing holders of our common stock. Additionally, the sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock or other equity securities to any new investors, or the anticipation of such sales, could cause the trading price of our common stock to fall.

 

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

 

None.

 

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

 

None.

 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

 

Not Applicable.

 

Item 5. Other Information

 

On December 13, 2016, we entered into an RSU Cancellation Agreement with our officers and directors who received restricted stock unit awards (the “RSUs”) in October 2013 as compensation for their continued services to us over a required vesting period. Under this Agreement, our officers and directors agreed to cancel RSUs representing the right to receive an aggregate of 3.9 million vested shares of our common stock. Pursuant to the terms of the cancelled RSUs, we would have been required to settle and deliver these vested shares to the individual officers and directors prior to January 1, 2017, which would have triggered a taxable event. Our officers and directors, in their individual capacities, voluntarily agreed to cancel their respective RSUs based on their determination that cancelling the RSUs would be in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders. The individual officers and directors reached this conclusion for the following reasons:

 

  1. Conserves our Available Cash Resources. The RSUs held by our officers provide these individuals with the right to require us to pay the applicable state and federal taxes due upon the settlement and delivery of their vested RSU shares in exchange for the individual cancelling and returning to us that number of shares of common stock equal in value to the our contractual tax payment obligation. By agreeing to cancel the RSUs, we will not be required to utilize our available cash resources to pay the tax payments on behalf of our officers, and as a result, it can conserve its available cash resources to support the continued implementation of our business plan.

 

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  2. Reduces Pressure on Our Stock Price. The RSUs held by our non-employee directors provide these individuals with the right to immediately sell into the public market that number of shares of common stock sufficient to cover the applicable state and federal taxes payable as a result of the settlement and delivery of their vested RSU shares. Our common stock currently has a limited daily trading volume, and the sale or the potential sale of a substantial number of shares of common stock by our officers and directors to cover their federal and state tax obligations would adversely affect the market price of our common stock, which in turn, could harm our ability to raise funds to support our operations or require us to raise funds at terms and valuations that would be more dilutive to our existing stockholders.

 

Each of our officers and directors who are parties to the RSU Cancellation Agreement agreed to cancel their RSUs and the shares of common stock underlying the RSUs in their individual capacities as stockholders and equity award holders, and without any agreement or promise from us or our officers or directors to issue them equity, equity-based awards or cash compensation in the future in exchange for entering into the Agreement. A copy of the RSU Cancellation Agreement is attached as Exhibit 10.1 to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and incorporated herein by reference.

 

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Item 6. Exhibits

 

The following Exhibits are filed as part of this report pursuant to Item 601 of Regulation S-K:

 

3.1   Certificate of Incorporation of PURE Bioscience, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on October 29, 2012)
     
3.1.1   Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of PURE Bioscience, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1.1 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on October 29, 2012)
     
3.2   Bylaws of PURE Bioscience, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on October 29, 2012)
     
3.2.1   Amendment to the Bylaws of PURE Bioscience, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2.1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on October 29, 2012)
     
4.1   Form of Investor Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on September 2, 2009)
     
4.2   Wharton Capital Markets LLC Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on March 16, 2012)
     
4.3   Form of Underwriter’s Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on September 13, 2012)
     
4.4   Morrison & Foerster LLP Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on January 31, 2013)
     
4.5   Form of Investor Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC April 23, 2013)
     
4.6   Form of Investor Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC August 27, 2014)
     
4.7  

Form of Five-Year Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.11 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on October 28, 2015)

     
4.8  

Form of Six-Month Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.11 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on October 28, 2015)

     
4.9   Form of Investor Warrant in 2016 Private Placement Financing (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC December 7, 2016)
     
4.10   Form of Placement Agent Warrant in 2016 Private Placement Financing (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC December 7, 2016)
     
10.1   Form of Securities Purchase Agreement in 2016 Private Placement Financing (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC December 7, 2016)
     
10.2   Form of Registration Rights Agreement in 2016 Private Placement Financing (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC December 7, 2016)
     
10.3*#   RSU Cancellation Agreement, dated as of December 13, 2016, by and among the Company and the officers and directors party thereto.

 

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31.1 *   Certification of Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
     
31.2 *   Certification of Principal Financial Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
     
32.1 *   Certification of Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
     
32.2 *   Certification of Principal Financial Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
     
101 *   The following materials from the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended October 31, 2016, formatted in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language): (i) Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at October 31, 2016 and July 31, 20156; (ii) Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015; (iii) Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended October 31, 2016 and 2015; and (iv) Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

 

 

* Filed herewith.
   
# Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement

 

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Signatures

 

Pursuant to the requirement of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

  PURE BIOSCIENCE, INC.
     
Date: December 14, 2016 By: /s/ HENRY R. LAMBERT
    Henry R. Lambert, Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
     
Date: December 14, 2016 By: /s/ MARK S. ELLIOTT
    Mark S. Elliott, Vice President, Finance (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

 

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RSU CANCELLATION AGREEMENT

 

This RSU CANCELLATION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of December 13, 2016, is entered into by and between Pure Bioscience, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the individuals listed on Schedule A attached hereto (each, a “Holder” and collectively, the “Holders”).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, in August 2013, the Company announced a new business strategy focused on the commercialization of its SDC-based products to address food safety risks across the food industry supply chain.

 

WHEREAS, as part of this new business strategy, the Company announced the appointment of a new management team and the election of a new Board of Directors, each comprised of experts in food safety or the food industry supply chain.

 

WHEREAS, following this restructuring, the Board of Directors issued restricted stock unit awards (each, an “RSU” and collectively, the “RSUs”) to the Company’s officers and directors as compensation for their future services to the Company over a required vesting period.

 

WHEREAS, each Holder is an officer and/or director of the Company, and received an RSU for their services to the Company for that number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock listed on Schedule A.

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the RSUs, the Company is required to settle and deliver the vested shares of Common Stock underlying the RSUs to the Holders prior to January 1, 2017.

 

WHEREAS, the settlement and delivery of the vested shares of Common Stock is a taxable event.

 

WHEREAS, the RSU award agreements provide those Holders who are serving as officers of the Company with the right to require the Company to pay the applicable state and federal taxes due upon settlement and delivery of such Holder’s RSU on behalf of the Holder in exchange for the Holder cancelling and returning to the Company that number of shares of Common Stock equal in value to the Company’s contractual tax payment obligation.

 

WHEREAS, the RSUs provide those Holders who are serving as non-employee directors with the right to immediately sell that number of shares of Common Stock sufficient to cover the applicable state and federal taxes payable as a result of the settlement and delivery of their respective RSUs.

 

WHEREAS, the Company’s operations are not yet profitable and it currently has limited available cash resources to support its operations, and as a result, the contractual requirement to use its existing cash resources to satisfy the tax payments due upon the settlement and delivery of the RSUs held by its officers could hinder its ability to implement its business plan and continue as a going concern.

 

 

 

 

WHEREAS, the Company’s Common Stock has a limited daily trading volume and the sale or the proposed sale of substantial number of shares of its Common Stock by its officers and directors in the public market to cover the federal and state taxes due upon settlement and delivery of the RSUs would adversely affect the market price of the Company’s Common Stock, which could harm the Company’s ability to raise funds to support its operations or require it to raise funds at terms and valuations that would be more dilutive to its existing stockholders.

 

WHEREAS, each of the Holders own shares of the Company’s Common Stock, and/or rights to acquire shares of the Company’s Common Stock, in addition to the RSUs.

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in connection with the foregoing, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.       Cancellation of RSUs. Upon the date hereof and without further action on the part of the Company or the Holder, each Holder agrees to cancel such Holder’s RSU listed on Schedule A hereto and to forfeit the settlement and delivery of the shares of Common Stock issuable to the Holder under the RSU (the “RSU Shares”).

 

2.       Representations of Holder. Each Holder represents and warrants that he currently owns all right, title and interest in his RSU free and clear of any all security interests, liens, encumbrances, third party rights, community property rights or other similar rights and he has not disposed of or transferred any interest of any kind in his RSU (or the RSU Shares). Each Holder acknowledges that, as of the date hereof, he no longer will have any equity or ownership interest of any kind in the RSU (or the RSU Shares) or any future rights to receive any payment or additional consideration for the RSU (or the RSU Shares). Each Holder acknowledges that he has had an opportunity to discuss the Company’s business, management and financial affairs with the management of the Company, but is not relying on any statements or representations made by the Company or its management in his decision to enter into this Agreement or to cancel the RSUs (or the RSU Shares), including any promise or agreement by the Company (or its officers, directors or advisors) to issue shares of Common Stock or any other equity award or consideration to replace the cancelled RSU and RSU Shares.

 

3.       Advice of Counsel and Tax Advisors. Each Holder acknowledges that the Company and its agents and representatives have not provided him with any legal, investment or tax advice in connection with this Agreement, and that he has had the opportunity to receive the advice of his respective counsel and tax advisors prior to signing this Agreement.

 

4.       Entire Agreement. Each Holder acknowledges that this Agreement is a full and accurate embodiment of the understanding between such Holder and the Company, and that it supersedes any prior agreements or understandings made by the parties. The terms of this Agreement may not be modified, except by mutual consent of the Company and each Holder. Any and all modifications must be reduced to writing and signed by the parties to be effective.

 

 

 

 

5.       Governing Law and Venue. This Agreement shall be deemed to have been executed and delivered within the State of California, and it shall be construed, interpreted, governed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to choice of law principles. In the event of any dispute in connection with this Agreement, the venue in which said dispute will be resolved will be San Diego, California and each party hereby consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts located in San Diego, California in connection with any dispute relating to or arising out of this Agreement.

 

6.       Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

7.       Good Faith Compliance and Further Assurances. Each Holder agrees to cooperate in good faith and to do all things necessary to effectuate this Agreement, including taking all such other actions necessary (including signing any necessary agreements, certificates or documents) to cancel his RSU, the RSU Shares, and any other obligations or duties of the Company under the terms of his RSU.

 

[Signature page follows]

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement intending to be legally bound as of the date first written above.

 

  COMPANY:
     
  PURE BIOSCIENCE, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Hank Lambert
  Name: Hank Lambert
  Title: Chief Executive Officer
     
  HOLDERS:
   
  /s/ Dave J. Pfanzelter
  Dave J. Pfanzelter
     
  /s/ Henry R. Lambert
  Henry R. Lambert
     
  /s/ Gary D. Cohee
  Gary D. Cohee
     
  /s/ David Theno, Jr., Ph.D
  David Theno, Jr., Ph.D
     
  /s/ William Otis
  William Otis
     
  /s/ Tom Y. Lee
  Tom Y. Lee

 

Signature Page to RSU Cancellation Agreement

 

 

 

 

Schedule A

 

List of Holder RSUs

 

Holder  Date of Grant  RSU Shares 
Dave J. Pfanzelter  10/23/2013   2,800,000 
Henry R. Lambert  10/23/2013   300,000(1)
Gary D. Cohee  10/23/2013   200,000 
David Theno, Jr., PhD  10/23/2013   200,000 
William Otis  10/23/2013   200,000 
Tom Y. Lee  10/24/2014   200,000 
Total:      3,900,000(1)

 

(i) 200,000 of the RSU Shares awarded pursuant to this RSU were previously cancelled based on performance-based conditions set forth in the RSU award agreement.

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 31.1

 

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE

SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Henry R. Lambert, Chief Executive Officer of PURE Bioscience, Inc., certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this report on Form 10-Q of PURE Bioscience, Inc.;
   
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
   
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
   
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

  a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
     
  b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
     
  c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
     
  d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

  (a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
     
  (b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: December 14, 2016 By: /s/ HENRY R. LAMBERT
    Henry R. Lambert
    Chief Executive Officer
    (Principal Executive Officer)

 

   

 

 

Exhibit 31.2

 

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE

SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Mark S. Elliott, Vice President, Finance and Principal Financial Officer / Principal Accounting Officer of PURE Bioscience, Inc., certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this report on Form 10-Q of PURE Bioscience, Inc.;
   
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
   
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
   
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

  a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
     
  b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
     
  c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
     
  d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

  (a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
     
  (b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: December 14, 2016 By: /s/ MARK S. ELLIOTT
    Mark S. Elliott
    Vice President, Finance
    (Principal Financial Officer / Principal Accounting Officer)

 

   

 

 

Exhibit 32.1

 

CERTIFICATION

PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

Pursuant to the requirement set forth in Rule 13a-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted by Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the undersigned officer of Pure Bioscience, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby certifies, to such officer’s knowledge, that:

 

  (i) the accompanying report on Form 10-Q of the Company for the period ended October 31, 2016, to which this Certificate is attached (the “Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act; and
     
  (ii) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

Date: December 14, 2016 By: /s/ Henry R. Lambert
   

Henry R. Lambert

Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Pure Bioscience, Inc. and will be retained by Pure Bioscience, Inc. and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

 

This certification has not been, and shall not be deemed, “filed” with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Pure Bioscience, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act (whether made before or after the date of the Form 10-Q), irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.

 

   

 

 

 

Exhibit 32.2

 

CERTIFICATION

PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

Pursuant to the requirement set forth in Rule 13a-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted by Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the undersigned officer of Pure Bioscience, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby certifies, to such officer’s knowledge, that:

 

(i)the accompanying report on Form 10-Q of the Company for the period ended October 31, 2016, to which this Certificate is attached (the “Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act; and
   
(ii)the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

Date: December 14, 2016 By: /s/ Mark S. Elliott
   

Mark S. Elliott

(Principal Financial Officer / Principal Accounting Officer)

 

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Pure Bioscience, Inc. and will be retained by Pure Bioscience, Inc. and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

 

This certification has not been, and shall not be deemed, “filed” with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Pure Bioscience, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act (whether made before or after the date of the Form 10-Q), irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.

 

   

 

 



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