Debt
Notes Payable
As of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company had notes payable of approximately $0.2 million and $0.7 million, respectively. The notes relate to certain insurance policies and equipment financings, require monthly payments, and mature within one year.
Long-Term Debt
On September 26, 2014, the Company entered into a loan and security agreement (the “Loan and Security Agreement”) with Oxford Finance LLC (together with its successors and assigns, the “Lender”) pursuant to which the Lender disbursed $15.0 million (the “Loan”). The debt offering/issuance costs have been recorded as debt issuance costs in other assets in the consolidated balance sheet, and were amortized to interest expense throughout the life of the Loan using the effective interest rate method.
In March 2016, concurrent with the 2016 Hitachi Transaction (see Note 3), the Company and the Lender entered into an amendment to the Loan and Security Agreement whereby (i) the Company paid $7.0 million to Lender, comprising principal, interest and early termination fees, (ii) the Company's subsidiaries PCT, PCT Allendale, LLC, and NeoStem Family Storage, LLC (collectively the "Removed Borrowers") were removed as borrowers under the Loan, (iii) Lender's security interests in any and all assets of the Removed Borrowers were released, (iv) the interest only period on the remaining outstanding Loan balance was extended until January 1, 2017, and (v) in the event the Company received gross proceeds from the sale or issuance of any equity securities or subordinated debt, or any partnership, licenses, collaboration, dividend, grant or asset sale through March 31, 2017, 20% of such proceeds will be paid to Lender, up to a $3.0 million maximum as additional partial repayment of Loan. On September 14, 2016, concurrent with the Company's September 2016 Registered Direct Offering and Concurrent Private Placement (see Note 11), the Company repaid $3.0 million of such proceeds to the Lender. The outstanding balance was approximately $5.7 million at December 31, 2016.
In May 2017, concurrent with the 2017 Hitachi Transaction (see Note 3), the Company retired the Loan in full, and paid $4.9 million to Lender, comprising principal, interest and early termination fees. The Company was making interest-only payments on the outstanding amount of the Loan on a monthly basis at a rate of 8.50% per annum. During the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company recognized $0.4 million and $1.7 million of interest expense, respectively, related to the Loan and Security Agreement.
About Debt Disclosures
Debt disclosures detail a company's borrowing structure — the types of instruments, interest rates, maturity schedule, and covenant restrictions that define its financial obligations and flexibility. This section is essential for assessing refinancing risk, interest rate exposure, and the margin of safety against financial distress.
Key signals: the maturity schedule reveals concentration risk — large maturities within 1-2 years during tight credit markets can force dilutive refinancing or asset sales. Compare the fair value of debt against carrying amount to gauge whether the market views the company's credit risk differently than the balance sheet suggests. Watch covenant compliance disclosures for tightening cushions, especially leverage and interest coverage ratios. Variable-rate debt exposure quantifies sensitivity to interest rate changes. Secured versus unsecured mix affects recovery rates and future borrowing capacity. Compare net debt-to-EBITDA against industry peers and covenant limits to assess financial health.