Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

4. Commitments and Contingencies

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4. Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
4. Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Matters

 

In June 2006, the Company received a written communication from the grantor of a license to an earlier version of its technology indicating that such license was terminated due to an alleged breach of the license agreement by the Company. The license agreement extends to its use of the technology in Japan only. While the Company does not believe that the grantor’s revocation is valid under the terms of the license agreement and no legal claim has been threatened to date, the Company cannot provide any assurance that the grantor will not take legal action to restrict its use of the technology in the licensed territory. While the Company's management does not anticipate that the outcome of this matter is likely to result in a material loss, there can be no assurance that if the grantor pursues legal action, such legal action would not have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial position or results of comprehensive loss. The Company has not accrued a loss reserve for this matter.

 

On July 25, 2011, the Company received notice of a lawsuit filed in Mexico by Cesar Mangotich Pacheco and Prodinnv, S.A. de C.V. represented by Cesar Mangotich Pacheco. The lawsuit appears to allege conversion of assets, tortious interference and defamation, among other claims. The Company is currently evaluating the lawsuit, conferring with local counsel and translating the documents it has received. The Company’s preliminary assessment is that the lawsuit is completely without merit and intends to vigorously defend its position. The Company has not accrued a loss reserve for this matter.

 

The Company, from time to time, is involved in legal matters arising in the ordinary course of its business including matters involving proprietary technology. While management believes that such matters are currently not material, there can be no assurance that matters arising in the ordinary course of business for which the Company is or could become involved in litigation, will not have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition or results of comprehensive loss.

 

Employment Agreements

 

As of June 30, 2013, the Company had employment agreements in place with five of its key executives. The agreements provide, among other things, for the payment of nine to twenty-four months of severance compensation for terminations under certain circumstances. With respect to these agreements, at June 30, 2013, potential severance amounted to $1,918,000 and aggregated annual salaries amounted to $1,360,000.

 

Commercial Agreements

 

On January 26, 2009, the Company entered into a commercial agreement with VetCure, Inc., a California corporation, to market and sell the Company’s Microcyn® Technology-based animal healthcare products branded as Vetericyn®. VetCure, Inc. later changed its name to Vetericyn, Inc. This agreement was amended on February 24, 2009, July 24, 2009, June 1, 2010, and November 1, 2010. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company provides Vetericyn, Inc. with bulk product and Vetericyn, Inc. bottles, packages, and sells Microcyn® Technology-based animal healthcare products branded as Vetericyn®. The Company receives a fixed amount for each bottle of Vetericyn® sold by Vetericyn, Inc. At the time of these 2009 transactions, Vetericyn, Inc. was wholly-owned by Robert Burlingame, who was also a director of the Company at that time. Mr. Burlingame resigned from the Company’s board of directors on February 10, 2010. 

 

On September 15, 2009, the Company entered a commercial agreement with V&M Industries, Inc., a California corporation, to market and sell certain of the Company’s Microcyn® over-the-counter liquid and gel products. V&M Industries, Inc. subsequently changed its name to Innovacyn, Inc. On June 1, 2010, September 1, 2010, and November 1, 2010, the Company amended this agreement granting Innovacyn, Inc. the exclusive right to sell certain of its over-the-counter products. At the time of the 2009 transaction, V&M Industries, Inc. was wholly-owned by Robert Burlingame, who was also a director of the Company at that time. Mr. Burlingame resigned from the Company’s board of directors on February 10, 2010.  

 

On July 1, 2011, Vetericyn, Inc. and Innovacyn, Inc. began to share profits with the Company related to the Vetericyn® and Microcyn® over-the-counter sales, resulting in the Company receiving about a 30% royalty of net revenue. During the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded revenue related to these agreements in the amounts of $741,000 and $1,136,000, respectively. The revenue is recorded in product revenues in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss (income). At June 30, 2013 and March 31, 2013, the Company had outstanding accounts receivable of $610,000 and $264,000, respectively, related to Innovacyn, Inc.

  

On August 9, 2012, the Company, along with its Mexican subsidiary and manufacturer Oculus Technologies of Mexico S.A. de C.V., entered into a license, exclusive distribution and supply agreement with More Pharma Corporation, S. de R.L. de C.V. (“More Pharma”) (the “License Agreement”). For a one-time payment of $500,000, the Company granted More Pharma an exclusive license, with the right to sublicense under certain conditions and with the Company’s consent, to all of the Company’s proprietary rights related to certain of its pharmaceutical products for human application that utilize the Company’s Microcyn® Technology within Mexico. For an additional one-time payment of $3,000,000, the Company also agreed to appoint More Pharma as the exclusive distributor of certain of its products in Mexico for the term of the agreement. Additionally, the Company granted More Pharma an exclusive license to certain of the Company’s then-held trademarks in exchange for a payment of $100,000. The Company has the ability to terminate the agreement if certain annual purchase minimums are not met. The term of the agreement is twenty-five years from the effective date of August 15, 2012. The term of the License Agreement will automatically renew after the twenty-five year term for successive two year terms as long as More Pharma has materially complied with any and all of the obligations under the License Agreement, including but not limited to, meeting the minimum purchase requirements set forth therein.

 

Additionally, on August 9, 2012, the Company entered into an exclusive distribution and supply agreement with More Pharma (the “Distribution Agreement”). For a one-time payment of $1,500,000, the Company granted More Pharma exclusive ability to market and sell certain of its pharmaceutical products for human application that utilize the Company’s Microcyn® Technology. The Company also appointed More Pharma as its exclusive distributor, with the right to execute sub-distribution agreements under certain conditions and with the Company’s consent, within the following countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba & Curacao, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, British Guyana, British Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guyana, Grenada, Guadalupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, St. Bartolome, St. Vincent & Grenades, Surinam, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, Uruguay, Venezuela and Virgin Islands.

 

The Company will recognize the $5,100,000 related to the License Agreement and the Distribution Agreement as revenue on a straight line basis consistent with the Company’s historical experience with contracts with similar terms, which is typically over three to five years of the contract. Additionally, the Company capitalized $214,000 of its transaction costs related to the License Agreement and the Distribution Agreement, which will be amortized by the Company as expense on a straight line basis consistent with the related revenue recognition practices. At June 30, 2013 and March 31, 2013, the Company had outstanding accounts receivable of $847,000 and $580,000, respectively, due from More Pharma. During three months ended June 30, 2013, the Company recognized $375,000 related to the amortization of the upfront fees received in the transaction. Additionally, during the three months ended June 30, 2013, the Company recognized $16,000 as expense related to the transaction costs of the transaction. The Company recognizes product sales on a sell-through basis as More Pharma sells products through to its customers.

 

Other Matters

 

Ruthigen, Inc.

 

On January 18, 2013, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Ruthigen, Inc., was incorporated in the State of Nevada. Ruthigen has established independent offices in Santa Rosa, California.

 

On August 2, 2013, the Company entered into a separation agreement with Ruthigen, Inc., that contains key provisions relating to the Company’s ongoing relationship with Ruthigen, and more specifically governs its relationship with Ruthigen following the completion of Ruthigen’s intended initial public offering. The Company previously announced its entry into a license and supply agreement and a shared services agreement with Ruthigen. Each of these agreements has been entered into in the overall context of the separation of the Company’s business and its novel biotechnology business into two separate, publicly-traded companies. The effective date for all three agreements is the closing date of Ruthigen’s intended initial public offering, if any should occur.

 

License and Supply Agreement

Pursuant to the license and supply agreement, the Company agreed to exclusively license certain of its proprietary technology to Ruthigen to enable Ruthigen’s research and development and commercialization of the newly discovered RUT58-60, and any improvements to it, in the United States, Canada, European Union and Japan, referred to as the Territory, for certain invasive procedures in human treatment as defined in the license and supply agreement.

 

In addition, the license and supply agreement provides Ruthigen with the exclusive option, exercisable within the first five years following the effective date of the agreement, to expand the license to certain other therapeutic indications upon payment of a license expansion fee of $10 million within the first two years following the effective date of the agreement or, after the two–year period, the same fee plus certain out-of-pocket costs the Company may incur in developing products for any of the indications. Additionally, the Company will be prohibited from using the licensed proprietary technology to sell products that compete with Ruthigen’s products within the Territory, and Ruthigen cannot sell any device or product that competes with the Company’s products being sold or developed as of the effective date of the license and supply agreement.

 

Ruthigen will be required to make a total of $8,000,000 in payments to the Company based upon the completion of certain development and other future milestones, and at the time of drug approval, if any should occur, supplemented with royalty payments, which will vary between three percent and 20 percent, increasing upon achievement of various net annual sales thresholds and dependent upon the country of sale.

 

Shared Services Agreement

The Company also entered into a shared services agreement with Ruthigen that would take effect upon the completion of Ruthigen’s proposed initial public offering, if any should occur, pursuant to which it will provide Ruthigen with general services, including general accounting, human resources, laboratory personnel and shared R&D resources while Ruthigen plans to establish an independent facility and systems. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, Ruthigen will be financed by the Company until the completion of the proposed initial public offering, if any should occur, and after such event, Ruthigen would become responsible for its own expenses.

 

Separation Agreement

The Company has entered into a separation agreement with Ruthigen that contains key provisions relating to its ongoing relationship with Ruthigen following the completion of Ruthigen’s intended initial public offering. The separation agreement takes effect upon the closing of Ruthigen’s intended initial public offering and terminates on the earlier of 8.5 years following the closing of the offering, or when the parties mutually agree to terminate it. The separation agreement also contains a series of restrictions on the Company’s ability to transfer the Ruthigen shares it owns. The Company is restricted from transferring any of the Ruthigen shares it owns during the first year (the “lock up period”) immediately following Ruthigen’s intended initial public offering.

 

Following the one-year lock up period, transfers by the Company of the Ruthigen shares it owns must be conducted with the consent of Ruthigen’s board of directors or within the prescribed requirements for such transfers set forth in the separation agreement. These prescribed requirements include that the transfers must be in private placement transactions, the purchase price discount may not exceed certain percentages depending on the transferee, the amount of shares transferred in a given transfer (or series of transfers comprising a single transaction) may not exceed the greater of 5% of Ruthigen’s outstanding shares or $1,500,000 in net proceeds to the Company, as well as certain other requirements set forth in the separation agreement. In addition to the prescribed manner for the Company to conduct transfers described above, if, following a minimum of 41.5 months following the closing of Ruthigen’s initial public offering have lapsed under the separation agreement and the Company has not consummated transfers of the Ruthigen shares it owns resulting in at least $3.8 million in net proceeds to the Company, then the Company has a one-time transfer and registration right to transfer the Ruthigen shares it owns in an amount equal to the difference between $3.8 million and the Ruthigen shares transferred by the Company pursuant to the separation agreement as of the time the Company elects to exercise its one-time right. Transfers conducted using this one-time right must be conducted with the consent of Ruthigen’s board of directors or within the prescribed requirements for such transfers set forth in the separation agreement, including, for example, that the purchase price discount may not exceed certain percentages, the amount of shares transferred may not exceed $3,800,000 in net proceeds to the Company, as well as certain other requirements set forth in the separation agreement.

 

The separation agreement also provides for certain cooling off periods between market attempts and/or successful transfers, the length of which are dependent upon whether and how many Ruthigen shares the Company transfers. The majority of the material restrictions and obligations contained in the separation agreement lapse if and when the Company and its subsidiaries (other than Ruthigen) own less than 19.9% of the outstanding shares of Ruthigen’s common stock.

 

The separation agreement also sets forth the methodology for the allocation of the operational and offering related expenses incurred prior to and in connection with Ruthigen’s intended initial public offering for which Ruthigen is required to reimburse the Company. Ruthigen will also reimburse the Company for expenses such as salaries and benefits advanced or paid on Ruthigen’s behalf, or for Ruthigen’s benefit, during a transition period following the closing of Ruthigen’s intended initial public offering.

 

The separation agreement provides that each party will indemnify, defend and hold harmless the other party and its affiliates for third party claims asserted against the other party. This includes an indemnification by the Company to Ruthigen related to obligations that the Company has under certain loan and security agreements entered into by the Company with Venture Lending & Leasing V, Inc. and Venture Lending & Leasing VI, Inc. The separation agreement also provides that, so long as the Company shall maintain a directors’ and officers’ insurance program covering the past and present officers and directors of the Company, the program shall be standard in the Company’s industry and the Company shall not exclude any former director of the Company from any insurance policy coverage if such coverage is made available to the Company’s then existing directors and officers.