Canton Strategic Holdings, Inc. Commitments Disclosure

Note 6 – Commitments and Contingencies

 

Small Molecule Analogues

 

On December 30, 2019, the Company acquired a series of small molecule analogues pursuant to an Asset Purchase Agreement (“APA”). Pursuant to the APA, the Company is required to make a payment of $50,000 upon raising of at least $2.0 million in funding, and up to approximately $1.75 million based upon successfully meeting clinical and sales milestones. The Company included, in accounts payable at both December 31, 2024 and 2023, the $50,000 required initial payment. Milestone based payments, if any, will be expensed as incurred.

 

Research Collaboration and Product License Agreement with Minotaur Therapeutics, Inc. (“Minotaur”) and Commercial License Agreement with Taurus Biosciences, LLC (“Taurus”)

 

The Company has entered into a research collaboration and product license agreement with Minotaur (as amended, the “Minotaur Agreement”) and a commercial license agreement with Taurus (the “Taurus Agreement”) for use of certain technology, including OmniAb antibodies, to advance Picobodies against novel, unreachable, and undruggable epitopes in high-value validated targets starting with PD-1. The Minotaur Agreement and Taurus Agreement are for the development of proprietary targeted biologics, including TH 1940, against PD-1. It is anticipated that the Company will collaborate with Minotaur under the license from Taurus to discover, develop, and advance biotherapeutics against high-value validated IO targets starting with PD-1.

 

The Minotaur Agreement included an up-front payment of $150,000, which was paid in January 2023. In addition, the Company shall fund the discovery and characterization study performed by Minotaur as set forth in the Minotaur Agreement. Pursuant to the Minotaur Agreement, the Company shall pay Minotaur a milestone payment of $1,000,000 for each first Product (as defined in the Minotaur Agreement) directed against a target and first regulatory approval in the U.S. In addition, the Company shall pay a low single digit royalty on net sales until the later of (i) ten years after the First Commercial Sale (as defined in the Minotaur Agreement) of such Product in such country and (ii) the expiration of the last-to-expire Valid Claim (as defined in the Minotaur Agreement) of a Collaboration Patent (as defined in the Minotaur Agreement) or MINT Patent (as defined in the Minotaur Agreement) covering the manufacture, use, or sale of such Product. The Taurus Agreement contains single digit payments on net product sales and certain development milestone payments tied to the advancement through clinical trials and final regulatory approval.

 

Research and Development Collaboration and License Agreement with Applied Biomedical Science Institute

 

On July 5, 2023 (the “ABSI Effective Date”), the Company entered into a Research and Development Collaboration and License Agreement (the “ABSI Agreement”) with ABSI pursuant to which ABSI granted the Company an exclusive royalty-bearing, sublicensable license to the ABSI Patents (as defined in the ABSI Agreement) and a non-exclusive, royalty-bearing, sublicensable license to the ABSI Know-How (as defined in the ABSI Agreement) to Exploit (as defined in the ABSI Agreement) the ABSI Products (as defined in the ABSI Agreement) for the treatment, diagnosis, prediction, detection or prevention of disease in humans and animals worldwide (the “Territory”).

 

 

Pursuant to the ABSI Agreement, the parties shall form a committee to manage the preclinical, investigational new drug enabling studies and such other activities as shall lead to the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial of the ABSI Product. The parties will collaborate on a Target-by-Target basis to identify and evaluate ABSI Products directed against such Target (as defined below) with a view to identifying or generating suitable Products (as defined in the ABSI Agreement) for the Company to Exploit. “Target” means ErB2 (Her2) and ErbB3. Upon completion of the Discovery Timeline (as defined in the ABSI Agreement) for a Target, subject to the terms and conditions of ABSI Agreement, the Company shall exclusively own any ABSI Products against such Target. In the event the committee determines that the discovery activities are unsuccessful with respect to a Target, the Company may propose an additional target, which, upon approval by ABSI, shall replace a failed Target.

 

Pursuant to the ABSI Agreement: (i) the Company issued ABSI 25,107 shares of its common stock which is equal to $250,000 based on the ten day trailing volume weighted-average price of the Company’s common stock prior to the date of issuance (see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for details of the July 27, 2023 issuance of the Company’s common stock to ABSI); (ii) in the event the Company closes a financing pursuant to which it receives more than $10 million in Net Proceeds (as defined in the ABSI Agreement), the Company paid ABSI an up front license fee of $250,000; (iii) upon the achievement of certain milestones as set forth in the ABSI Agreement, the Company shall pay ABSI up to an aggregate of $8,250,000; (iv) after the second anniversary of the ABSI Effective Date, the Company shall pay ABSI a low five digit amount for the first year and a mid-five digit amount thereafter during the Royalty Term (as defined in the ABSI Agreement); and (v) during the Royalty Term for each Product, the Company shall pay ABSI a quarterly royalty on the Net Sales (as defined in the ABSI Agreement) with royalties at percentages which range from the low to mid-single digits, with high Net Sales being subject to lower royalty rates, subject to adjustment as set forth in the ABSI Agreement. In addition, in the event the Company transfers all or substantially all of its rights to a Product to a third party, the Company shall pay to ABSI the percentage of Net Proceeds attributable to the transfer of the Product. Specifically, the Company shall pay ABSI amounts at percentages which range from the mid-single digit to low double digits depending on the Company Expenses (as defined in the ABSI Agreement), with higher Company Expenses being subject to lower rates.

 

On a Product-by-Product basis, upon the expiration of the last Royalty Term of such Product in the Territory, licenses granted to the Company with respect to such Product shall be deemed non-exclusive, fully paid, royalty-free, perpetual and irrevocable. The ABSI Agreement shall expire upon the expiration of the last Royalty Term of the last Product, unless such agreement is terminated earlier pursuant to its terms. The ABSI Agreement may also be terminated (i) by either the Company or ABSI for (A) a material breach of the ABSI Agreement or (B) bankruptcy, (ii) ABSI may terminate the ABSI Agreement upon the commencement of a Challenge Proceeding (as defined in the ABSI Agreement) or (iii) the Company may terminate the ABSI Agreement at any time upon 90 days prior written notice to ABSI. Upon termination or expiration of the ABSI Agreement other than as a result of a bankruptcy or Challenge Proceeding, all licenses granted to the Company pursuant to such agreement will terminate and all rights under such licenses shall revert to ABSI.

 

On March 11, 2024, the Company entered into an addendum to the ABSI Agreement to fund research services with quarterly payments of $50,000 beginning March 18, 2024 with subsequent payments due on the 18^th of each calendar quarter. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company made payments of $200,000 to ABSI.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company paid milestone fees of $500,000 to ABSI in accordance with the terms of the agreement, which included a non-cash common stock equity grant of $250,000.

 

 

Avior Patent License Agreement

 

On November 3, 2023 (the “Avior Effective Date”), the Company entered into the Avior Patent License Agreement with Avior pursuant to which the Company received an exclusive sublicensable right and license to Licensed Patent Rights and Licensed Technology to, among other things, Develop, have Developed, make, have made, use, sell, import, export and commercialize TH104 and TH103 and to practice the Licensed Technology in connection with the foregoing, throughout the world. Pursuant to the Avior Patent License Agreement, the Company shall paid Avior an up front license fee of $400,000 within ten days of the Avior Effective Date and an additional mid six-digit license fee which shall be paid in four equal installments within ten days of the end of each fiscal quarter following the Avior Effective Date. In addition, the Company shall pay Avior a high single digit percentage of any upfront payments received by it as a result of the grant of any sublicenses with respect to TH104. The Company shall also pay Avior milestone payments in the aggregate amount of $24,250,000 upon the occurrence of various development milestones (the “Development Milestone Payments”). Furthermore, the Company shall pay Avior certain fees based upon sales milestones. The payments for such sales milestones range from the low seven digits to the low eight digits with higher sales being subject to higher fees. Finally, the Company shall pay Avior royalties based on net sales. Such royalties range from low single digit percentages to mid-single digit percentages with higher sales being subject to lower percentages. The Avior Patent License Agreement shall expire upon the expiration of the final payment obligation due to Avior as set forth in such agreement. Upon the expiration of the Avior Patent License Agreement, the Company shall have a fully paid, irrevocable, freely transferable and sublicensable worldwide license to the Licensed Patent Rights and Licensed Technology to Develop, have Developed, make, have made, use, have used sell, offer for sale, have sold, import, have imported, export, have exported, commercialize or have commercialized any and all Licensed Products and to practice the Licensed Technology worldwide. Pursuant to the Avior Patent License Agreement, the Company may terminate the agreement at any time without cause, upon 30 days’ prior written notice to Avior along with payment of the next unpaid Development Milestone Payment, if any. Furthermore, either the Company or Avior may terminate the Avior Patent License Agreement (i) on written notice to the other party if the other party materially breaches any provision of the Avior Patent License Agreement and fails to cure such breach within 30 days after the breaching party receives written notice thereof or (ii) on written notice in the event that either party (A) becomes insolvent or admits its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due; (B) becomes subject, voluntarily or involuntarily, to any proceeding under any domestic or foreign bankruptcy or insolvency law, which is not fully dismissed or vacated within 60 days; (C) is dissolved or liquidated or takes any corporate action for such purpose; (D) makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or (E) has a receiver, trustee, custodian or similar agent appointed by order of any court of competent jurisdiction to take charge of or sell any material portion of its property or business. Upon termination of the Avior Patent License Agreement, the license granted pursuant to such agreement shall terminate and all rights in the Licensed Patent Rights and Licensed Products shall revert back to Avior.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company paid license fees of $600,000 to Avior in accordance with the terms of the agreement. In addition, during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company incurred milestone fees of $750,000 and $380,000, respectively.

 

Enkefalos License Agreement

 

On June 17, 2024 (the “Enkefalos Effective Date”), the Company signed a letter of intent to enter into the Enkefalos License Agreement with Enkefalos Biosciences Inc. pursuant to which the Company is licensing the global rights in all fields of use for the products related to the compounds knows as cyclotides to deliver HER2 antibodies across the blood-brain barrier and all associated know-how, technology, intellectual property and related information and constructs, and any associated authorized generic rights and all related assets (collectively, the “Products” referred to in this letter as ENBI-01) from Enkefalos Biosciences, Inc. Pursuant to the Enkefalos License Agreement, the Company shall pay Enkefalos an up-front license fee of $150,000 within ten days of the Enkefalos Effective Date and an additional license fee of $150,000 to be paid 6 months after the Enkefalos Effective Date and an annual license fee of $50,000. The Company shall also pay Enkefalos milestone payments in the aggregate amount of up to $8,500,000 upon the occurrence of various development milestones (the “Enkefalos Development Milestone Payments”). Furthermore, the Company shall pay Enkefalos royalties based on net sales ranging from low single-digit percentages to mid-single digit percentages with higher sales being subject to lower percentages. The Enkefalos License Agreement shall expire upon the expiration of the final payment obligation due to Enkefalos as set forth in such agreement and upon expiration, the Company shall have a fully paid, irrevocable, freely transferable and sublicensable worldwide license to the Licensed Patent Rights and Licensed Technology to Develop, have Developed, make, have made, use, have used sell, offer for sale, have sold, import, have imported, export, have exported, commercialize or have commercialized any and all Licensed Products and to practice the Licensed Technology worldwide. Pursuant to the Enkefalos License Agreement, either the Company or Enkefalos may terminate the Enkefalos License Agreement on written notice to the other party. Upon termination of the Enkefalos License Agreement, the license granted pursuant to such agreement shall terminate and all rights in the Licensed Patent Rights and Licensed Products shall revert back to Enkefalos.

 

 

During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company incurred license fees of $150,000 to Enkefalos in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

 

Intract Patent License Agreement

 

On September 11, 2024, the Company entered into a patent license agreement (the “Intract Agreement”) with Intract. Pursuant to the Intract Agreement, the Company exclusively licensed INT-023/TH023, an oral anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) monoclonal antibody infliximab. Under the terms of the Intract Agreement, the Company licensed global development and commercialization rights (outside of South Korea) to Intract’s Soteria® and Phloral® delivery platform along with an existing supply agreement for infliximab to be used in the oral product development program. Pursuant to the Intract Agreement, the Company paid Intract an up-front license fee of $400,000 and Intract is eligible to receive additional payments upon an equity financing of the Company and additional payments for future development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as mid-single digit royalties based on net product sales. The Agreement retains a right of first refusal to continue development and commercialization after a Phase 2 clinical trial. In addition, the Company has the option to exercise the license to Intract’s platform for up to four additional targets. The term of the Intract Agreement expires upon the final payment obligation of Tharimmune and may be terminated by Tharimmune at any time upon 90 days written notice to Intract. Either party may terminate the Intract Agreement if the other party materially breaches any provision of the Intract Agreement and fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) days after the breaching party receives written notice thereof. In addition, either party may terminate the Intract Agreement on written notice in the event that either party declare: (a) becomes insolvent or admits inability to pay its debts generally as they become due; (b) becomes subject, voluntarily or involuntarily, to any proceeding under any domestic or foreign bankruptcy or insolvency law, which is not fully dismissed or vacated within sixty (60) days; (c) is dissolved or liquidated or takes any corporate action for such purpose; (d) makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or (e) has a receiver, trustee, custodian or similar agent appointed by order of any court of competent jurisdiction to take charge of or sell any material portion of its property or business.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company incurred fees of $400,000 to Intract in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

 

Employment Agreements

 

On June 1, 2021, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Employment Agreement with the Company’s CEO, as amended periodically (the “Amended and Restated Employment Agreement”). The term of the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement commenced upon the closing of the Company’s IPO in January 2022 and continues for a period of five years and automatically renews for successive one-year periods at the end of each term unless either party provides written notice of their intent not to renew at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the then effective term. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, the CEO will receive an annual base salary of $485,000, which may be increased from time to time, and shall be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus equal to 55% of his then base salary based upon the achievement of Company and individual performance targets established by the Company’s board of directors. In addition, in the first year in which the Company’s market capitalization (as defined in the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement) equals or exceeds (i) $250 million, the CEO shall receive a cash payment of $150,000; (ii) $500 million, the CEO shall receive a cash payment of $350,000; and (iii) $1.0 billion, the CEO shall receive a cash payment of $750,000. Furthermore, following the date of the Company’s IPO, the CEO was issued an option to purchase 2,021 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $1,500.00 per share, which options shall vest over a 48-month period commencing 12 months after the date of grant. This shall be in addition to any additional equity-based compensation awards the Company may grant the CEO from time to time.

 

On January 1, 2023, in lieu of half of his 2023 salary, the CEO was issued options to purchase up to 1,374 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $146.25 per share, which options vested immediately on the date of grant.

 

 

On July 6, 2023, the Company entered into an amended and restated employment agreement (the “CEO Employment Agreement”) with the CEO. The Employment Agreement has the same terms as the COO Employment Agreement (as defined below) except, the CEO shall (i) receive a base salary of $500,000 per year, which may be increased by the Board; and (ii) be eligible to receive an annual bonus equal to 60% of his then base salary based upon the achievement of Company and individual targets to be established by the Board, in its sole discretion. In addition, in the event the CEO’s employment is terminated by the Company other than as a result of his death or Disability and other than for Cause, or if the CEO terminates his employment for Good Reason, then, in addition to the Accrued Compensation, the Company shall continue to pay the CEO’s base salary and provide health benefits for a period of 18 months following the termination date (each as defined in the CEO Employment Agreement). In addition, all Restricted Shares and Stock Options that have not vested as of the date of termination shall be forfeited and outstanding unvested time-based equity awards shall be accelerated in accordance with the applicable vesting schedule as if the CEO had been in service for an additional 12 months as of the termination date.

 

In connection with the appointment of the Company’s Chief Operating Officer, on July 11, 2023 (the “Effective Date”), the Company entered into an employment agreement (the “COO Employment Agreement”) with the COO. The COO Employment Agreement shall continue for a period of five years and, thereafter, shall automatically renew for successive one-year terms unless either party provides the other party with written notice of non-renewal at least 60 days prior to the last day of the then-current term. Pursuant to the COO Employment Agreement, the COO shall: (i) receive a base salary of $400,000 per year, which may be increased by the Board; (ii) be eligible to receive an annual bonus equal to 50% of his then base salary based upon the achievement of Company and individual targets to be established by the Board, in its sole discretion; (iii) shall be eligible to receive equity-based compensation awards as determined by the Company; (iv) receive reimbursement of reasonable business expenses; and (v) receive such other benefits that the Company may make available to its senior executives from time to time along with vacation, sick and holiday pay in accordance with the Company’s policies established and in effect from time to time.

 

In accordance with the employment agreements, the compensation committee approved a bonus of 50% in equity compensation and 50% in cash on January 13, 2025, based on corporate performance objectives earned during the year ended December 31, 2024. The total bonus earned for the CEO for the year ended December 31, 2024 was made up of cash of $156,250 and options to purchase up to 80,958 shares of the Company’s common stock. The total bonus earned for the COO for the year ended December 31, 2024 was made up of cash of $102,050 and options to purchase up to 52,875 shares of the Company’s common stock. The total cash bonus of $258,300 and total equity compensation bonus of $202,122 are recorded within accrued expenses on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2024. The equity compensation is valued at the grant and effective date of the options, which is January 13, 2025.