UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
x
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QUARTERLY
REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
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For
the quarterly period ended September 30, 2008.
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OR
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¨
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TRANSITION
REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE EXCHANGE
ACT
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For
the transition period from ________ to
__________
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Commission
File Number: 000-50614
ORAGENICS,
INC.
(Exact
name of small business issuer as specified in its charter)
FLORIDA
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59-3410522
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(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
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(IRS Employer Identification No.)
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13700 Progress
Boulevard
Alachua,
Florida 32615
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(386)
418-4018
(Issuer's
telephone number)
Check
whether the issuer (1) filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13
or
15(d) of the Exchange Act during the past 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 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,”
“non-accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act.
Large
accelerated filer
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¨
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Accelerated
filer
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¨
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Non-accelerated
filer
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¨
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Smaller
reporting company
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x
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Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨
No
x
State
the
number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common equity,
as of the latest practicable date:
As
of
November 4th,
2008,
there were 38,318,478 shares of Common Stock, $.001 par value,
outstanding.
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Page
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PART
I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
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Item
1.
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Financial
Statements
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3 |
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Balance
Sheets as of September 30, 2008 (unaudited) and December 31, 2007
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3
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Statements
of Operations for the Three and Nine Months ended September 30, 2008
and
2007 (unaudited)
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4
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Statements
of Cash Flows for the Nine Months ended September 30, 2008 and 2007
(unaudited)
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5
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Notes
to Financial Statements (unaudited)
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6
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Item
2.
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Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
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8
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Item
4T.
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Controls
and Procedures
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18
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PART
II – OTHER INFORMATION
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Item
1A.
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Risk
Factors
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19
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Item
2.
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Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
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23
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Item
6.
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Exhibits
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26
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PART
I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM
1. FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
Oragenics,
Inc.
Balance
Sheets
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September 30,
2008
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December 31,
2007
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(Unaudited)
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Assets
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Current
assets:
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Cash
and cash equivalents
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$
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2,699,760
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$
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475,508
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Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
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184,086
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116,520
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Total
current assets
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2,883,846
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592,028
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Property
and equipment, net
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382,802
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559,349
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Total
assets
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$
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3,266,648
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$
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1,151,377
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Liabilities
and stockholders’ equity
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Current
liabilities:
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Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
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$
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377,829
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$
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244,994
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Current
portion of note payable
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52,963
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–
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Deferred
compensation
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42,750
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86,500
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Total
current liabilities
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473,542
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331,494
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Stockholders’
equity:
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Preferred
stock, no par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and
outstanding at September 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007
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–
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–
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Common
stock, $0.001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 38,318,478
and
28,002,443 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2008 and
December 31, 2007, respectively
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38,318
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28,002
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Additional
paid-in-capital
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19,750,446
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14,762,674
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Accumulated
deficit
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(16,995,658
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)
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(13,970,793
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)
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Total
stockholders’ equity
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2,793,106
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819,883
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Total
liabilities and stockholders’ equity
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$
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3,266,648
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$
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1,151,377
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See
accompanying notes.
Oragenics,
Inc.
Statements
of Operations
(Unaudited)
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Three months ended
September 30
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Nine months ended
September 30
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2008
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2007
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2008
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2007
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Revenue
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$
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100,000
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$
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46,584
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$
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225,000
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$
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106,345
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Operating
expenses:
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Research
and development
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503,685
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337,021
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1,474,725
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1,109,297
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General
and administration
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749,515
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205,300
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1,816,123
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644,725
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Total
operating expenses
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(1,253,200
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)
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542,321
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3,290,848
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1,754,022
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Loss
from operations
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(1,153,200
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)
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(495,737
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)
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(3,065,848
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)
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(1,647,677
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)
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Other
income:
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Interest
income
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15,083
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8,403
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29,413
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22,797
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Gain
on sale of property and equipment
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–
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–
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4,860
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–
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Sales
tax refund
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–
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–
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6,710
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–
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Total
other income
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15,083
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8,403
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40,983
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22,797
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Net
loss
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$
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(1,138,117
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)
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$
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(487,334
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)
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$
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(3,024,865
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)
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$
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(1,624,880
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)
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Basic
and diluted net loss per share
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$
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(0.03
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)
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$
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(0.02
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)
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$
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(0.09
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)
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$
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(0.07
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)
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Shares
used to compute basic and diluted net loss per share
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38,317,573
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25,976,356
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33,975,257
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24,111,436
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See
accompanying notes.
Oragenics,
Inc.
Statements
of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)
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Nine months ended September 30
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2008
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2007
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Operating
activities
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Net
loss
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$
|
(3,024,865
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)
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$
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(1,624,880
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)
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Adjustments
to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating
activities:
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Depreciation
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190,565
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206,528
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Gain
on sale of property and equipment
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(4,860
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)
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Stock-based
compensation expense resulting from fair value based
method
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486,088
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134,606
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Changes
in operating assets and liabilities:
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Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
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(67,566
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)
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(97,013
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)
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Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
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132,835
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(34,473
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)
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Deferred
compensation
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(43,750
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)
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(45,500
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)
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Net
cash used in operating activities
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(2,331,553
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)
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(1,460,732
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)
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Investing
activities
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Purchases
of property and equipment
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(51,408
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)
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(9,861
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)
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Proceeds
from sale of property and equipment
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42,250
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–
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Net
cash used in investing activities
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(9,158
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)
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(9,861
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)
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Financing
activities
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Net
proceeds from note payable
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52,963
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Net
proceeds from issuance of common stock
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4,512,000
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1,698,990
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Net
cash provided by financing activities
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4,564,963
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1,698,990
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|
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Net
increase in cash and cash equivalents
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2,224,252
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228,397
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Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of period
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475,508
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707,278
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Cash
and cash equivalents at end of period
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$
|
2,699,760
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$
|
935,675
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See
accompanying notes.
Oragenics,
Inc.
Notes
to Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
1. |
Organization
and Significant Accounting Policies
|
Oragenics,
Inc. (d/b/a ONI BioPharma, Inc., formerly known as Oragen, Inc.) (the “Company”
or “ONI”) was incorporated in November 1996; however, operating activity did not
commence until 1999. The Company is dedicated to developing technologies
associated with oral health, broad spectrum antibiotics and general health
benefits.
Basis
of
Presentation
The
accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements as of September 30, 2008
and December 31, 2007 and for the three and nine months ended September 30,
2008
and 2007 have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for interim financial
information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation
S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes
required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of
management, the accompanying financial statements include all adjustments,
consisting of normal recurring accruals, necessary for a fair presentation
of
the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows for the periods
presented. The results of operations for the interim period September 30, 2008
are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the
year
ended December 31, 2008 or any future period.
These
financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial
statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2007, which are
included in our Annual Report on Form 10-KSB filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 18, 2008. In that report the Company disclosed
that
it expects to incur substantial expenditures to further develop each of its
technologies and that it believes its working capital will be insufficient
to
meet the business objectives as presently structured and that without sufficient
capital to fund its operations, the Company will be unable to continue as a
going concern. The accompanying financial statements do not include any
adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. However,
the
Company currently believes that it will have sufficient resources to
commercialize selective products and that it will obtain funding to further
develop and commercialize other products.
Net
loss
per share is computed using the weighted average number of shares of common
stock outstanding. Common equivalent shares from stock options and warrants
are
excluded as their effect is anti-dilutive.
Income
taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax
assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable
to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing
assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and
tax
credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using
enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which
those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect
on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rate is recognized
in
operations in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred tax assets
are reduced to estimated amounts expected to be realized by the use of a
valuation allowance.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting
for Uncertainty in Income Taxes, an interpretation of FASB Statements
No. 109”
(FIN
48). FIN 48 clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes by
prescribing a two-step method of first evaluating whether a tax position has
met
a more likely than not recognition threshold and second, measuring that tax
position to determine the amount of benefit to be recognized in the financial
statements. FIN 48 provides guidance on the presentation of such positions
within a classified statement of financial position as well as on derecognition,
interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure, and
transition. FIN 48 was adopted by the Company effective January 1, 2007. As
a result of the implementation of FIN 48, the Company did not recognize a change
in its tax liabilities or assets as of September 30, 2008.
4. |
Fair
Value of Financial Instruments
|
SFAS
No.
157, Fair
Value Measurements (“SFAS
157”), defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and expands
disclosures about fair value measurements. SFAS 157 establishes a three-tier
fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value
as follows:
Level
1. Observable
inputs such as quoted prices in active markets;
Level
2.
Inputs,
other than the quoted prices in active markets, that are observable either
directly or indirectly; and
Level
3.
Unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require
the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.
The
Company does not have any assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a
recurring basis at September 30, 2008. The Company did not have any fair value
adjustments for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a nonrecurring
basis during the nine months ended September 30, 2008.
5.
|
Stock
Options Issued During 3rd
Quarter, 2008
|
During
the quarter, the Company issued 320,000 stock options of which 60,000 vested
immediately. The remaining options that have yet to vest will vest subject
to
the price of the stock reaching certain levels. The stock options were granted
(1) to existing employees to supplement options that were previously granted
that had exercise prices far out-of-the-money, and (2) to executive employees
who recently joined the Company or will join the Company in the coming months.
This increase in the number of options granted was partially offset by the
number of stock options that have been forfeited. Since the beginning of the
3rd
Quarter,
2008, through the date of this filing, 665,000 options that were previously
granted have been forfeited. From January, 1, 2008 to the date of this filing,
905,000 stock options have been forfeited. Stock option compensation expense
is
a non-cash expense and is included in research and development and general
and
administrative expenses in the accompanying statements of
operations.
6.
|
Outstanding
Warrants and Stock Options
|
As
of the
date of this filing there are approximately 5,855,278 warrants outstanding
and
there are approximately 3,945,000 stock options have been granted that have
not
been forfeited. The total number of outstanding warrants and unexercised stock
options is 9,800,278. If all warrants and stock options were exercised, the
total number of outstanding shares would be approximately
48,118,756.
ITEM
2. MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The
following information should be read in conjunction with the Financial
Statements, including the notes thereto, included elsewhere in this Form 10-Q.
This discussion contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties. Our actual results and the timing of certain events could
differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements
as a
result of certain factors, including, but not limited to, those set forth herein
and elsewhere in this Form 10-Q.
Oragenics,
Inc. d/b/a ONI BioPharma, Inc, (the “Company” or “ONI”) has changed its strategy
as it has the name under which it does business. ONI is no longer strictly
a
research and development company, but, as management expects, is now securely
on
the road towards the commercialization of some of its products. ONI is also
moving forward with the clinical testing of other products to achieve
registration in as timely a manner as possible. These opportunities have derived
from our focus on creating novel technologies that apply to individual products
as well as platforms from which numerous products can be developed.
Third
Quarter Highlights & Recent Events
During
the quarter and up to the date of this filing, the following significant events
occurred:
|
§
|
Successful
Synthesis of Lantibiotic using DPOLTtm.
We
announced the successful synthesis of an antibiotic using its proprietary
DPOLTtm
technology. The molecule belongs to a class of antibiotics called
Lantibiotics that were first discovered over 80 years ago. Although
there
are now over 50 different Lantibiotics known, this is the first report
of
a cost-effective method for making one in sufficient amounts and
with
sufficient purity to enable comprehensive testing and commercial
viability. As a first step in further development, the Company has
retained Almac Sciences, a leading contract manufacturer and a division
of
the Almac Group, to refine and scale-up GMP production of the synthetic
MU1140tm
analogue to achieve sufficient quantities for it to be fully tested
for
regulatory approval. It is estimated that the regulatory process
will take
three years before this drug could become available. Other synthetic
Lantibiotics will follow as they are developed and
tested.
|
|
§
|
Marketing
of ProBiora3tm
and EvoraPlustm.
We
announced the launch of our marketing program for ProBiora3, our
oral
probiotic technology, which will initially include the introduction
of
EvoraPlustm
into the marketplace. EvoraPlustm
is
the first of several products to be launched under the Evoratm
brand, which is our house brand. We anticipate the next Evora product
that
we will launch will be EvoraPettm.
In our estimation, the initial response to ProBiora3tm
and EvoraPlustm
has been exceptional. We have had several meetings with some of the
largest retailers in the US who have expressed a strong interest
in our
products. We have received orders for both ProBiora3tm
and EvoraPlustm
and expect to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
For
further information, please visit www.probiora3.com
and www.evoraplus.com.
|
|
§
|
Diagnostics.
We
recently entered into a Collaboration Agreement with a major, global
diagnostics company regarding our gene targets for various stages
of
colorectal cancer that we discovered using the PCMATtm
platform. We have also initiated a new internal program for both
the
PIVIATtm
and PCMATtm
platforms. Under this initiative whereby we will augment our development
work by including the validation of gene targets we have discovered
through the use of the platforms. We anticipate that this will in
turn
make our gene targets more valuable and decrease time to market for
any
test that utilizes them.
|
|
§
|
Formation
of Mexican Subsidiary. We
initiated the formation of a Mexican Subsidiary. We anticipate that
this
Subsidiary will provide us with several advantages including reduced
cost
for clinical trials and access to the Latin American markets. We
will
begin marketing EvoraPlustm
in
Mexico as soon as regulatory approval is achieved. We will also initiate
further clinical trials for our SMaRTtm
Replacement Therapy technology which provides a one-time application
for
life-time prevention of dental caries (tooth decay). We have also
begun
the process of forming a collaboration with the Instituto de
Biolotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (“IBUNAM”), the
premier biotechnology institute in Mexico generally recognized as
having
the best and brightest scientists in Mexico. We expect to work with
IBUNAM
on several projects including projects to discover novel gene targets
using our PIVIATtm
and PCMATtm
platforms.
|
Since
ONI’s inception, the Company has funded a significant portion of its operations
from the public and private sales of its securities. There have been no
significant revenues from operations during the last two years. All of our
revenues have been from sponsored research agreements and various governmental
grants. At this time we have not generated revenues from sales of products.
Currently, we anticipate purchase orders and/or revenues from the sale of
EvoraPlustm,
our
oral probiotic, as early as the 4th
quarter
of the current calendar year.
Management
believes that we are now positioned over the next several months to generate
revenues from a number of technologies. Furthermore, with respect to products
that are not ready for immediate commercialization, we are taking what we regard
to be concrete steps in completing the research and development of pending
products and platforms. Consequently, our proofs of concept are essentially
complete, and we are taking the steps necessary to bring our product portfolio
to market, with the expectation, but not assurance that our products, where
necessary, will be approved for marketing.
Business
Objectives and Milestones
We
have a
number of products and platforms. For ease in understanding, we have broken
these products and platforms down into four distinct Divisions:
(1)
Consumer Products, which consists of ProBiora3tm,
the
Evoratm
product
line and LPT3-04tm;
(2)
Diagnostics, which consists of the PIVIATtm
and
PCMATtm
platforms;
(3)
Antibiotics, which consists of the DPOLTtm
lantibiotic synthesis platform; and
(4)
Replacement Therapy, which consists of our SMaRTtm
Replacement Therapy technology.
Consumer
Products
The
specific goal for our consumer products is to rapidly and effectively
commercialize ProBiora3tm
and
LPT3-04tm.
ProBiora3tm
(Probiotics)
ProBiora3tm
contains
three naturally occurring, live microorganisms that helps maintain dental and
oral health when administered to the host in adequate amounts. The use of yogurt
containing live Lactobacillus
cultures
is an example of a probiotic application. We will market ProBiora3tm
under
self-proclaimed GRAS (“Generally Recognized As Safe”) status, which will
expedite our marketing efforts because it relieves us of the need for extensive
regulatory oversight. Two sets of subjects completed our ProBiora3tm
human
study in 2006, and we believe the results confirmed that the product is safe
for
human use and demonstrated a substantial effect of Probiora3 in reducing the
levels of specific bacteria in the mouths of young, healthy adult subjects.
ONI
has
developed a bifurcated strategy where we will establish two separate brands;
(1)
where the actual technology, ProBiora3tm,
will be
branded as an active ingredient for licensing and private labeling, and (2)
where we will market products under the brand name Evoratm,
our
house brand. Evoratm
products
will contain different ratios, or blends, of the three natural strains contained
in ProBiora3tm
and
potentially different delivery mechanisms such that each product will be
tailored to the needs of specific markets. The Evoratm
products
currently in production or the product pipeline are:
· EvoraPlustm,
a
product with equal weight of all three strains that is optimally designed for
the general
consumer
market.
· EvoraPettm,
a
product that has a mixture which focuses exclusively on gum disease, a problem
endemic
with
cats
and dogs.
· EvoraKidstm,
a
product that has a greater concentration of strains designed to reduce dental
caries,
which
is
more of an issue for children.
Other
Evoratm
products
with different formulations and delivery systems are also in planning.
EvoraPlustm
will be
the first product to market with EvoraPettm
expected
to follow shortly thereafter. EvoraPlustm
will be
a probiotic mint packaged in a 60 unit box with four 15 dose blister packs.
The
intended usage is to take one mint twice a day after brushing. As such, one
box
is designed to include a one-month’s supply of EvoraPlustm.
ONI has
completely outsourced the manufacturing and fulfillment process to a large,
GMP
certified manufacturer with the ability to scale production to meet our expected
needs. The product is currently in production with anticipated completion in
late October. It is anticipated that manufacturing costs will fall as production
is scaled.
We
believe ONI has made significant progress regarding the launch
EvoraPlustm.
ONI has
three primary channels in which it will market EvoraPlustm;
(1)
Mass Retail, (2) Direct to Consumer (“DTC”), and (3) Dental Professionals.
Regarding the Mass Retail channel, ONI has retained an experienced team of
brokers to market the product to the largest retailers in the United States.
Several initial meetings with several major retailers have already taken place.
The response has been positive and management expects several orders beginning
in the fourth quarter, 2008. ONI also plans on marketing through one or more
television shopping networks by the end of the year. In the DTC channel, a
one-minute spot television ad is currently in production and will run in key
markets once product manufacturing has been completed. ONI has also developed
an
Internet strategy to market the product directly through our www.evoraplus.com
website,
which is expected to go live in the fourth quarter of 2008. Lastly, we have
made
significant progress in the Dental Professionals channel as well. The Company
recently had a meeting with a large dental health company provides products
and
services to over 600 dental offices. Although discussions are at an early stage,
they have expressed a strong interest in marketing the product to their clients
and distributing it to independent dental offices. Lastly, we plan on
aggressively marketing our products in Mexico and Latin America through our
Mexican Subsidiary, which the Company is currently in the process of forming.
We
anticipate that we will begin selling and distributing EvoraPlustm
in
Mexico in the first half of 2009.
Despite
our efforts to commercialize ProBiora3tm,
there
can be no assurances that we will meet our timeline for commercialization or
that the product will meet the sales projections we have
anticipated.
LPT3-04tm
LPT3-04tm
is a
small molecule weight management agent for which we filed a U.S. patent
application on April 5, 2006 to protect our intellectual property rights to
the
agent and its analogs. As a natural substance, LPT3-04tm
is
orally available, and we believe it has an excellent safety and tolerability
profile. As with ProBiora3tm,
LPT3-04tm
would
fall under the self-proclaimed GRAS status and we will be able to market
products containing the technology without the burden of substantial regulatory
oversight in most, if not all, of the markets in which we plan on introducing
products.
Our
strategy for our LPT3-04tm
is
similar to that of our oral probiotic in that we plan on developing a bifurcated
strategy where we market the technology as an active ingredient for licensing
or
private labeling and we develop a house brand to market to consumers directly
and through mass retail. We plan on developing several products under the house
brand that will vary by formulation and delivery mechanism. We will also develop
a product for the Pet Market since obesity is a problem that is present in
the
animal markets as well. Design work for the house brand is in progress and
we
anticipate having it completed by year’s end. We may also market directly to
Medical Professionals and Veterinary Offices.
We
are
currently in the process of developing an adequate delivery system for
LPT3-04tm.
We
anticipate that this process will be complete by the end of the first quarter,
2009. Once this has been accomplished, we plan on initiating subsequent and
more
comprehensive human trials. These trials are currently expected to begin in
early 2009. Our Mexican Subsidiary will play a crucial role in penetrating
the
Mexican and Latin American markets for our weight loss product. We anticipate
that we will initiate marketing in Mexico and Latin America shortly after we
launch in the US. We may also look to our Mexican Subsidiary for conducting
clinical trials for the products.
Diagnostics
The
goal
of our Diagnostics unit is to utilize the PIVIATtm
and
PCMATtm
platforms to identify and secure intellectual property rights to gene targets
associated with the natural onset and progression of infections, cancers and
other diseases in humans, animals, and agricultural products. We believe these
platforms provide a number of profitable business models from which to realize
value.
PIVIATtm
and PCMATtm
Proteomics-based
In
Vivo
Induced
Antigen Technology (PIVIATtm)
is a
platform technology that enables rapid identification of novel targets for
use
in the diagnosis and treatment of human infectious diseases. The method is
faster, more cost effective, and more sensitive than other methods currently
in
use to identify such targets. As an example, a recent tuberculosis project
has
yielded 44 novel targets for Mycobacterium
tuberculosis that
are
currently being analyzed for their use in vaccine and diagnostic
strategies.
We
are
currently in discussions with various collaborators to look at specific
diagnostic markers and to develop vaccines utilizing our PIVIATtm
gene
targets.
Proteomics-based
Change Mediated Antigen Technology (PCMATtm)
is a
platform technology that was derived from and greatly extends the potential
applicability of PIVIATtm.
This
technology rapidly identifies proteins (and their genes) that are expressed
when
a cell undergoes any sort of change. PCMATtm
has been
used to identify proteins of plants that are expressed when it becomes infected.
Such genes are excellent targets for manipulation to increase the resistance
of
the plant to infection. It has also been used to identify novel proteins of
human bowel cells that are expressed when the cell undergoes transformation
to a
cancerous cell. Such proteins are excellent targets for new diagnostics and
therapeutic strategies. PCMATtm
has the
potential to study an extraordinary range of medical and agricultural
applications.
The
first
major commercial effort that we have undertaken utilizing the PCMATtm
platform
has been to extract genetic targets from tissue samples containing colorectal
cancer. Colorectal cancer affects millions of people worldwide. The current
“Gold Standard” in the detection of colorectal cancer is the use of a
colonoscopy. Due to the invasive nature and cost of colonoscopies, patient
compliance is low. As such, many cases of bowel cancer go undetected until
the
cancer has reached an advanced stage. Using the PCMATtm
diagnostic platform, we have discovered what we believe to be unique genetic
markers that appear during the earliest stages of colorectal cancer. As
announced, we recently entered into a Collaboration Agreement with a major,
global diagnostics company regarding our gene targets for various stages of
colorectal cancer that we discovered using the PCMATtm
platform. Although we are highly optimistic about this Collaboration Agreement,
there can be no assurances that this Agreement will result in a diagnostic
test
that will be marketed to appropriate health care professionals, nor can there
be
any assurance that upon further examination, the diagnostic company will elect
to use these markers.
At
present, we are further developing our strategy to include the subsequent
validation of gene targets after they are identified through our two platforms.
This subsequent validation will make discovered targets significantly more
valuable. It will also afford us with the ability to continue the development
process in-house and potentially design our own diagnostic tests. To that end,
we have identified a number of diseases that hold the greatest promise for
future revenues from a diagnostic test. We plan on utilizing our platforms
to
discover gene targets for these diseases. We will then proceed accordingly.
We
will
also use our Mexican Subsidiary in conjunction with the Instituto de
Biolotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (“IBUNAM”), the premier
biotechnology institute in Mexico, for a number of PIVIATtm
and
PCMATtm
projects. Most of these projects will focus on diseases that are problematic
to
Mexico and Latin America such as cholera and dengue fever. Projects will not
only include human diseases but also diseases present in agriculture. As well
as
applicable problems that are present in the mining industry.
Antibiotics
The
cornerstone of our Antibiotics Division is the DPOLTtm
(Differentially Protected Orthogonal Lantionine Technology) Synthetic Chemistry
Platform, which affords us the ability to synthesize a unique class of
antibiotics known as lantibiotics.
DPOLTtm
(Differentially Protected Orthogonal Lantionine Technology)
DPOLTtm
is a
novel organic chemistry synthesis platform that will enable large scale, cost
effective production of clinical grade MU1140 and 50 other known lantibiotics.
Over the past 80 years, efforts to devise methods to investigate the usefulness
of this class of antibiotics have met with uniform failure. DPOLTtm
is
anticipated to lead to 6-10 new antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action.
This represents a substantial potential pipeline of antibiotics to replace
ones
that are currently failing due to the development of bacterial resistance.
As
mentioned earlier, we announced the successful synthesis of an antibiotic using
our proprietary DPOLTtm
technology. The molecule belongs to a class of antibiotics called Lantibiotics
that were first discovered over 80 years ago. Although there are now over 50
different Lantibiotics known, this is the first report of a cost-effective
method for making one in sufficient amounts and with sufficient purity to enable
comprehensive testing and commercial viability.
This
initial antibiotic is very closely related to ONI’s lead antibiotic, MU 1140,
which has the potential to treat a wide variety of infections, including those
caused by MRSA and other drug resistant Gram positive bacteria. Domestically,
hospital borne infections alone have been on the rise, with an estimated
two-million patients contracting dangerous infection annually leading to
one-hundred-thousand deaths. Preliminary studies indicate that MU1140 may be
the
first new antibiotic in 35 years for the treatment of tuberculosis. In addition
to MU 1140, this technology will allow us to synthesize all 50 of the known
lantibiotics and to conveniently modify their structures in order to improve
their usefulness as antibiotics for the treatment of infectious diseases. In
effect, DPOLTtm
will
provide a much needed pipeline of antibiotics at a time when drug resistant
bacteria are on the rise.
As
a
first step in further development, the Company has retained a leading contract
manufacturer to refine and scale-up GMP production of the synthetic MU 1140
analog to achieve sufficient quantities for it to be fully tested for regulatory
approval. It is estimated that the regulatory process will take a minimum of
three years before this drug could become available. Other lantibiotics will
follow as they are developed and tested.
Now
that
we have successfully synthesized our target molecule, we have arranged to have
the synthetic version of MU 1140 scaled to production by one of Europe’s largest
and most reputable peptide manufacturers. This, in turn, should provide ONI
with
enough synthetic MU 1140 to conduct preclinical testing as well as phase I,
II
& III FDA clinical trials. Provided the funding for such trials is
available. We will also be able to scale production such that it will be
sufficient to allow us to commercialize synthetic MU 1140. Once all phases
of
FDA clinical trials, or equivalent clinical trials required by other regulatory
bodies, have been successfully completed and we have received the appropriate
approvals to begin marketing.
Replacement
Therapy
Our
Replacement Therapy Division is centered on SMaRTtm
Replacement Therapy, our product for dental caries (tooth decay).
SMaRTtm
Replacement Therapy
SMaRTtm
Replacement Therapy offers the potential for lifelong protection against dental
caries following a single, painless application of a genetically modified
bacterial strain to the surfaces of the teeth. This technology is currently
approved for FDA phase 1b clinical trials. At present, ONI plans on initiating
these trials through its Mexican Subsidiary. We anticipate that phase 1b
clinical trials will be approved and begin during the first half of 2009 in
Mexico. Management believes that conducting the trials in Mexico provides
several potential advantages such as: (1) cost efficiencies, (2) faster
regulatory approval, and (3) political expediency. Unlike the US Health Care
System, the system in Mexico, as in many other countries, is focused more on
preventative medicine due to the extreme costs associated with treatment.
SMaRTtm
Replacement Therapy is an ideal technology to employ proactively. Approximately
80% of the adult population in the world suffers from diseases of the oral
cavity. Problems in the oral cavity often lead to other, related health
problems. This is evidenced by recent studies that link poor oral hygiene to
cardiovascular disease. We are hopeful that upon registration of the product
that appropriate agencies of the Mexican Government or other countries where
SMaRTtm
is
registered will purchase the product for use in public health
initiatives.
Global
Expansion
ONI’s
technologies have global implications. To address these implications ONI has
developed a comprehensive, global strategy. Although we are domiciled in the
United States, we feel that there are numerous advantages in utilizing overseas
talent and markets for a variety of our products and technologies.
Some
of
the initiatives that are currently in progress are:
Mexico
ONI
is in
the process of establishing a majority owned subsidiary in Mexico, with key
Mexican investors prominent in the healthcare and biotech sectors. Our Mexican
Subsidiary is expected to be the first of several anticipated Subsidiaries
in
strategic locations worldwide. Our Mexican Subsidiary is expected to provide
the
Company a multitude of advantages such as access some of Mexico’s top
scientists, a more cost effective environment to conduct clinical trials and
a
regulatory environment where the focus is on the promotion of preventative
medicine, which should make our technologies and products more appealing. ONI
is
in the process of establishing a joint venture with the Instituto de
Biolotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (“IBUNAM”), which is
the premier biotechnology institute in Mexico. IBUNAM has excellent facilities
and a substantial talent base from which the Company can draw. The Mexican
subsidiary will also exploit the products and platforms that it is developing,
throughout other Central and South American countries.
South
America
ONI
is
exploring partnerships or strategic collaborations in Chile, which may lead
to
the licensing of its products in Chile or further collaboration similar to
that
in Mexico.
Europe
ONI
expects to also have several initiatives in Europe. For example, the scaling
and
mass production of Synthetic MU 1140 will be performed by a top-tier European
peptide manufacturer. The Company may conduct clinical trials for a number
of
products in Europe. Lastly, ONI plans on establishing a major marketing
initiative in Europe for its Consumer Products. These products would also be
expected to be manufactured in Europe.
Mutual
Recognition
We
are
contemplating several strategies that will allow us to leverage our Subsidiaries
and expedite or facilitate entry into alternative markets. One such example
is
through mutual recognition. Our
Mexican Subsidiary will utilize Mexican treaty benefits with Spain in
furtherance of the commercialization of its products in Spain. Utilizing EU
mutual recognition provisions, ONI and its subsidiaries will further
commercialize its consumer products and diagnostic platforms in other EU member
states.
Research
& Development Accounting and Valuation of Intellectual
Property
Accounting
for research & development (R&D) activities is an area of divergence
between U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP) and
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Under U.S. GAAP, all
R&D expenditures are charged to expense when incurred. Under IFRS,
intangible assets arising from development are recognized if specific criteria
are met. Currently, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the International Accounting
Standards Board (IASB) are in the process of working together to consider
the potential convergence of these current accounting standards into a single
global standard.
Management
believes that several of the Company's technologies (SMaRTtm,
M-1140,
DPOLTtm,
PCMATtm,
PIVIATtm,
Probiora3tm,
and
LPT3-04tm),
had
the Company chosen to commercialize in prior years, may have met the
technical feasibility requirement under IAS for capitalization of intangible
assets. To the extent such international
accounting standards would have been applicable to the Company, had the
Company chosen to commercialize in prior years, management believes certain
of
the qualifying costs historically expensed by the Company for research
and development of its intellectual property under U.S. GAAP may have been
capitalized and recorded as an intangible asset with a
corresponding potential increase in stockholders’ equity. During this
period of time we did not have any material or significant revenues and a
significant portion of our expenses consisted of research and development
expenses. The application of IAS to the Company’s intellectual property research
and development expenditures, on a going forward basis, may reduce the losses
reported by us under U.S. GAAP due to our recent commercialization of products.
Management believes the presentation of this non-GAAP financial information
is
useful to provide an understanding of how current accounting initiatives, on
a
going forward basis, may result in a different presentation of the financial
condition of the Company from U.S. GAAP.
Critical
Accounting Policies
Our
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations
are
based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance
with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The
preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America requires us to make estimates
and assumptions that affect reported amounts and related disclosures. We
consider an accounting estimate to be critical if it requires assumptions to
be
made that were uncertain at the time the estimate was made; and changes in
the
estimate or different estimates that could have been made could have a material
impact on our results of operations or financial condition. Our financial
statements do not include any significant estimates other than stock based
compensation that would have a material impact on our results of operations
or
financial condition.
New
Accounting Pronouncements
In
September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued SFAS
No. 157, Fair
Value Measurements (“SFAS
157”). SFAS 157 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair
value in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and expands
disclosures about fair value measurements. SFAS 157 is effective for fiscal
years beginning after November 15, 2007. In February 2008, the FASB
deferred the effective date of SFAS 157 until the fiscal year beginning after
November 15, 2008 for all non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities,
except those that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial
statements on a recurring basis (at least annually). The partial adoption of
SFAS 157 for financial assets and liabilities did not have a material effect
on
the Company’s financial statements. The remaining requirements of SFAS 157 are
not expected to have a material effect on the Company’s financial
statements.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, The
Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial
Liabilities
(“SFAS
159”), which gives entities the option to measure eligible financial assets, and
financial liabilities at fair value on an instrument by instrument basis, that
are otherwise not permitted to be accounted for at fair value under other
accounting standards. The election to use the fair value option is available
when an entity first recognizes a financial asset or financial liability.
Subsequent changes in fair value must be recorded in earnings. This statement
is
effective as of the beginning of a Company’s first fiscal year after
November 15, 2007. The adoption of SFAS 159 did not have an effect on the
Company’s financial statements as it did not elect this fair value
option.
In
June
2007, the FASB ratified Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 06-11,
Accounting
for Income Tax Benefits of Dividends on Share-Based Payment Awards
(“EITF
06-11”). EITF 06-11 specifies how companies should recognize the income tax
benefit received on dividends that are (a) paid to employees holding
equity-classified nonvested shares, equity-classified nonvested share units,
or
equity-classified outstanding share options and (b) charged to retained
earnings under SFAS 123(R). The adoption of EITF 06-11 did not have a material
impact on the Company’s financial statements.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141 (revised 2007), Business
Combinations
(“SFAS
141R”). SFAS 141R establishes principles and requirements for an acquiring
entity to recognize and measure in its financial statements the identifiable
assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, any noncontrolling interest in the
acquired entity and the goodwill acquired. SFAS 141R expands on required
disclosures to improve the statement users’ abilities to evaluate the nature and
financial effects of business combinations. SFAS 141R is effective for fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2008. The Company is currently
evaluating the potential impact, if any, of the adoption of SFAS 141R on its
financial statements.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, Noncontrolling
Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements—an amendment of ARB
No. 51
(“SFAS
160”). SFAS 160 requires that a noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary be
reported within equity and the amount of consolidated net income attributable
to
the noncontrolling interest be identified in the consolidated financial
statements. SFAS 160 calls for consistency in the manner of reporting changes
in
the parent’s ownership interest and requires fair value measurement of any
noncontrolling equity investment retained in a deconsolidation. SFAS No.
160 also establishes disclosure requirements that clearly identify and
distinguish between the interests of the parent and the interests of the
noncontrolling owners. SFAS No. 160 is effective for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 2008. The Company is currently evaluating the potential
impact, if any, of the adoption of SFAS 160 on its financial
statements.
In
March
2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, Disclosures
about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities — an amendment of FASB
Statement No. 133 (“SFAS
161”). This statement amends SFAS No. 133 by requiring enhanced
disclosures about an entity’s derivative instruments and hedging activities, but
does not change SFAS No. 133’s scope or accounting. SFAS 161
requires increased qualitative, quantitative and credit-risk disclosures about
the entity’s derivative instruments and hedging activities. SFAS 161 is
effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years,
beginning after November 15, 2008, with earlier adoption permitted. The
adoption of SFAS 161 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s
financial statements.
Results
of Operations
Three
Months Ended September 30, 2008 and 2007
We
had
$100,000 in revenues in the three months ended September 30, 2008 compared
with
$46,584 in revenues in the same period in 2007. The revenue was attributable
to
NSF SBIR Grant revenue we received for work utilizing our DPOLTtm
platform. Our third quarter operating expenses increased by 131.1% to $1,253,200
in the three months ended September 30, 2008 from $542,321 in the same period
in
2007. Research and development (R&D) expenses increased 49.5% to $503,685 in
the three months ended September 30, 2008 from $337,021 in the same period
in
2007. This increase was primarily due to continued work on synthetic MU 1140
using our DPOLTtm
platform
and our work utilizing our diagnostic platforms. General and administration
(G&A) expenses increased 265.1% to $749,515 in the three months ended
September 30, 2008 from $205,300 in the same period in 2007, reflecting the
shift in corporate focus to commercialization. The increase can be attributed
to
the Company’s recruitment of a new management team, the continued use of outside
consultants for business development to help facilitate our marketing plans
for
our technology.
Interest
income increased 79.5% to $15,083 in the three months ended September 30, 2008
from $8,403 during the same period in 2007. This increase is primarily due
to
the Company’s strengthened cash position.
We
incurred net losses of $1,138,117 and $487,334 during the three months ended
September 30, 2008 and 2007, respectively. The increase in our net loss was
principally caused by the increase in general and administrative expenses due
to
the shift in Company focus from development to commercialization and increases
in stock option expense.
Nine
Months Ended September 30, 2008 and 2007
We
had
revenues of $225,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2008 compared with
$106,345 in revenues in the same period in 2007. The revenue was attributable
to
NSF SBIR Grant revenue we received for work utilizing our DPOLTtm
platform. Our operating expenses increased by 87.6% to $3,290,848 in the nine
months ended September 30, 2008 from $1,754,022 in the same period in 2007.
Research and development (R&D) expenses increased 32.9% to $1,474,725 in the
nine months ended September 30, 2008 from $1,109,297 in the same period in
2007.
This increase was primarily due to continued work on synthetic MU 1140 using
our
DPOLTtm
platform, our work utilizing our diagnostic platforms, and clinical trials
for
our LPT3-04tm
weight
loss product. General and administration (G&A) expenses increased 181.7% to
$1,816,123 in the nine months ended September 30, 2008 from $644,725 in the
same
period in 2007, reflecting the shift in corporate focus to commercialization.
The increase can be attributed to the increased cash position due to our
financing and the exercise of warrants, and the Company’s recruitment of a new
management team and the continued use of outside consultants for business
development to help facilitate our marketing plans for our technology and from
stock option compensation expense.
Interest
income increased 29.0% to $29,413 in the nine months ended September 30, 2008
from $22,797 during the same period in 2007.
We
incurred net losses of $3,024,865 and $1,624,880 during the nine months ended
September 30, 2008 and 2007, respectively. The increase in our net loss was
principally caused by the increase in general and administrative expenses due
to
the shift in Company focus from development to commercialization and increase
in
stock options expense.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Since
our
inception, we have funded our operations through the sale of equity securities
in private placement and our initial public offering, the sale of equity
securities and warrants in private placements, debt financing and grants. For
the nine months ended September 30, 2008, we have received proceeds from the
following: (i) award of a two-year $500,000 NSF Phase II grant for our DPOLT
technology; (ii) outstanding warrants to acquire 4,536,364 shares of our common
stock were exercised which provided $1,996,000 in proceeds to us and resulted
in
the issuance of 4,536,364 shares of our common stock; and (iii) the sale of
5,777,778 shares of our common stock in a private placement to accredited
investors at a price of $0.45 per share resulting in proceeds of $2,600,000
before fees and expenses.
Our
operating activities used cash of $2,331,553 for the nine months ended September
30, 2008 and $1,460,732 for the nine months ended September 30, 2007. Our
working capital was $2,410,304 as of September 30, 2008. Cash used by operations
in the nine months ended September 30, 2008 resulted primarily from our net
loss
from operations of $3,024,865.
Our
investing activities provided net reduction in cash of $9,158 during the nine
month period ended September 30, 2008 versus net reduction in cash of $9,861
for
the same period ending September 30, 2007.
Our
financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 provided
net
cash of $4,564,963 from the issuance of shares in private placements, the
exercise of warrants, and the financing of insurance premiums. Additional
details of our financing activities are provided below:
Private
Placement-June 2008
On
June
12, 2008, our Securities Purchase Agreement with accredited investors became
binding and we closed on $2,600,000 in equity based financing with net proceeds
of $2,515,000. We issued a total of 5,777,778 shares of restricted common stock
in the private placement. The shares were sold to accredited investors at $0.45
per share. Each participating investor also received warrants to purchase shares
of common stock at the price of $1.30 per share. One warrant was issued for
each
share of common stock issued for a total of 5,777,778 shares that may be
acquired upon exercise of the warrants. The warrants are exercisable and expire
June 12, 2013. We intend to use the net proceeds of the private placement,
including any proceeds from exercise of the warrants, for working capital and
general corporate purposes.
Warrant
Exercises-Q1 2008
On August 7,
2007, we closed on $1,171,591 in equity based financing. We issued a total
of
4,600,000 shares of restricted common stock and warrants to acquire 4,600,000
shares of common stock in a private placement to accredited investors. The
shares were sold to accredited investors at $0.25 per share, except that per
AMEX requirements, our former CEO, Dr. Ronald Evens acquired his shares at
$0.44 per share, which was the closing share price on August 7, 2007. Each
warrant to purchase shares of common stock is exercisable at the price of $0.58
per share. The warrants expire on August 8, 2008 (the “August 2007
Warrants”). On January 31, 2008 we amended the August 2007 Warrants, to
reduce the exercise price to $0.44, which was the fair market value on the
date
of the amendment for a designated period of time (from January 28, 2008 to
February 29, 2008) following which the exercise price reverted back to
$0.58. Prior to the expiration of the August 2007 Warrants, 3,386,364 were
issued upon exercise at the amended exercise price resulting in additional
working capital proceeds to us of $1,490.000. The remaining unexercised August
2007 warrants expired unexercised on August 8, 2008.
On March 6,
2006, we issued a total of 1,500,000 shares of our common stock and warrants
to
purchase 1,500,000 shares of our common stock in a private placement to
accredited investors. We received gross proceeds of $600,000 in the private
placement and incurred estimated costs of approximately $75,000 resulting in
net
proceeds of approximately $525,000. Each warrant is exercisable on or before
February 8, 2008 to acquire one share of common stock at a price of $0.60
per share (the “March 2006 Warrants”). On January 17, 2008 we amended the
March 2006 Warrants. Pursuant to the amendment, the warrant exercise price
was
reduced to $0.44, which was the fair market value on the date of the amendment.
Prior to the expiration of the March 2006 Warrants, 1,150,000 were issued upon
exercise at the amended exercise price resulting in additional working capital
proceeds to us of $506,000. The remaining unexercised March 2006 Warrants
expired and are no longer outstanding.
Warrant
Exercises Q1 2007
On December 14,
2005, we issued a total of 2,937,500 shares of our common stock and warrants
to
purchase 2,937,500 shares of our common stock in a private placement to
accredited investors. The issuance of the shares of common stock and warrants
was made pursuant to the exemptions from registration provided by
Section 4(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D promulgated there
under. We received gross proceeds of $1,175,000 in the private placement and
incurred estimated costs of approximately $70,000 resulting in net proceeds
of
approximately $1,105,000. The warrants representing shares of common stock
were
exercisable by the accredited investors at any time over a two-year period
at an
exercise price of $0.60 per share. On January 16, 2007, we called all
outstanding warrants associated with our December, 2005 private placement
pursuant to the terms of the warrant. A total of 1,387,500 warrants were
exercised that provided $832,500 in additional working capital and following
the
call of the warrants no further warrants associated with the private placement
remain outstanding.
NSF
SBIR Grants
On
February 15, 2008, we were awarded a two year NSF SBIR Phase II grant to
advance development of its small peptide antibiotic synthesis program using
the
Company’s proprietary DPOLTtm.
This
federal grant will support studies focused on the synthesis and testing of
our
lead antibiotic, MU 1140. While the grant will total $500,000, to date we have
received $225,000 of these restricted funds with the remaining balance to be
issued during the remaining two-year grant period.
Line
of Credit
On
October 20, 2008, the Company obtained from Signature Bank of New York, a
revolving line of credit in the amount of up to $1,000,000, for the purpose
of
providing working capital to the Company. It is secured by cash collateral
of
the Company in the same amount deposited with Signature Bank, bears interest
at
the Prime Rate of Signature Bank, as effective from time to time, and has a
final maturity of October 20, 2009. Other than submission of periodic financial
information of the Company to Signature Bank, the loan documentation evidencing
the revolving line of credit does not contain any financial
covenants.
Capital
Requirements for Commercialization and Continued
Operations
While
management is encouraged by the aforementioned financings and revolving line
of
credit, the available proceeds are insufficient, alone, to regain final
compliance with the NYSE Alternext US LLC (formerly known as the American
Stock Exchange, hereinafter
the “Exchange” or “ASE”), on October 27, 2008 we received a letter from the ASE
confirming its intention to proceed with the filing of an application with
the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") to delist the common stock of the
Company from the Exchange. The notice from the Exchange indicates that the
ASE
staff has decided that the Company does not meet the following continued listing
standards under the ASE Company Guide: Section 1003(a)(ii) in that the Company's
stockholders' equity is less than $4.0 million and it has sustained losses
in
three of its four most recent fiscal years. On October 31, 2008, the Company
filed a request to appeal the Exchange’s determination and requested a hearing
before a panel of the Exchange. As of the date hereof, no date has been set
for
such hearing, but the hearing is expected to be held within 45 days. During
this
period, the Company’s common stock will continue to be listed on the Exchange
pending the outcome of the appeal. The Company plans to appeal and if the
Company's position is accepted by the panel, this would allow the Company to
continue its listing. Additionally, the Exchange's minimum listing requirements
will increase the minimum shareholder equity requirement to $6.0 million at
year
end. Currently, our plan is to have in excess of $6.0 million in shareholder
equity by year end, thereby complying with the continued listing requirements.
However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to increase our
shareholders equity or that the Company's request for continued listing will
ultimately be granted. Also, while the Company is considering alternatives
for
repositioning itself on other exchanges, including ongoing discussions with
potential listing sponsors and market makers, the Company expects that its
shares will be listed on another exchange or quoted on a quotation medium prior
to any termination in trading on the ASE. Should the Company’s appeal be denied,
management does believe that following the effectiveness of the Company’s
delisting, trading in the Company’s common stock would be conducted on the OTC
Bulletin Board in the United States.
Our
business is based on commercializing entirely new and unique technologies,
and
our current business plan contains a variety of assumptions, expectations and
customer adoption rates that are subject to uncertainty, including assumptions
and expectations about manufacturing capabilities, clinical testing cost and
pricing, regulatory matters, continuing technological improvements, strategic
licensing relationships and other relevant matters. These assumptions take
into
account recent financings, as well as expected but currently unidentified
additional financings.
We have
experienced losses from operations during the last three fiscal years and have
an accumulated deficit of $16,995,658 as of September 30, 2008. The net loss
from operations for the third quarter of 2008 was $1,138,117. Cash used in
operations for the year ended December 31, 2007 was $1,913,760 and for the
nine
months ending September 30, 2008 was $2,331,553. As of September 30, 2008,
our
principal source of liquidity was $2,699,760 of cash and cash equivalents.
Our
current and historical operating results occurred while developing and
attempting to commercialize and manufacture products from entirely new and
unique technologies. Our business plan requires significant spending related
primarily to the commercialization of our consumer products, clinical testing,
as well as conducting basic research. These factors place a significant strain
on our limited financial resources. Our ultimate success depends on our ability
to continue to generate revenue and to raise capital for our operations.
Our
capital requirements for the remainder of 2008 will depend on numerous factors,
including the success of our commercialization efforts and of our research
and
development, the resources we devote to develop and support our technologies
and
the success of pursuing strategic licensing and funded product development
relationships with external partners. Subject to our ability to generate income
and cash flow from our consumer products and our ability to raise additional
capital through joint ventures and/or partnerships, we expect to need to incur
substantial expenditures to further commercialize or develop each of our
technologies including continued increases in costs related to research,
preclinical testing and clinical studies, as well as significant costs
associated with being a public company.
We
will
require substantial funds to conduct research and development and preclinical
and Phase I clinical testing of our licensed, patented technologies and to
develop sublicensing relationships for the Phase II and III clinical testing
and
manufacture and marketing of any products that are approved for commercial
sale.
We must generate additional capital resources to enable us to continue as a
going concern. Our plans include seeking financing, alliances or other
partnership agreements with entities interested in our technologies, or other
business transactions that would generate sufficient resources to assure
continuation of our operations and research and development programs as well
as
seeking equity financing.
Our
future success depends on our ability to continue to raise capital and
ultimately generate revenue and attain profitability. We cannot be certain
that
additional capital, whether through selling additional debt or equity securities
or obtaining a line of credit or other loan, will be available to us or, if
available, will be on terms acceptable to us. If we issue additional securities
to raise funds, these securities may have rights, preferences, or privileges
senior to those of our common stock, and our current stockholders may experience
substantial dilution.
We
will
continue to seek additional funds for conducting
clinical studies for our LPT3-04tm
weight
loss agent,
and the
commercialization of ProBiora3tm
and
LPT3-04tm. As
we
move into more advanced stages concerning our product development and testing
our monthly budget of needed operating capital is likely to increase. Our
available
working capital at
September 30, 2008 is $2,410,304
which
includes the proceeds from the financing activities discussed above. While
we
believe our available working capital is sufficient for us to continue to
operate through the next nine months, we expect to continue to need to raise
capital to operate beyond this period. If additional capital is not raised,
we
would likely need to adjust our anticipated plan of operations until we are
able
to acquire the necessary funds.
ITEM
4T. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We
maintain “disclosure controls and procedures,” as such term is defined in Rule
13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), 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 in the Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms,
and
that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management,
including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as
appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. We
conducted an evaluation (the “Evaluation”), under the supervision and with the
participation of our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer
(“CFO”), of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure
controls and procedures (“Disclosure Controls”) as of the end of the period
covered by this report pursuant to Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act. Based on
this Evaluation, our CEO and CFO concluded that our Disclosure Controls were
effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.
Changes
in Internal Controls
We
have
also evaluated our internal controls for financial reporting, and there have
been no significant changes in our internal controls or in other factors that
could significantly affect those controls subsequent to the date of their last
evaluation.
PART
II – OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
You
should carefully consider the risks described below which update the risk
factors contained in our Annual Report on Form 10KSB for the year ended December
31, 2007, as well as the risks described in the risk factors in such form 10KSB
before making an investment decision in our securities. These risk factors
are
effective as of the date of this Form 10-Q and
shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement
contained in our future filings incorporated herein by reference modifies or
replaces such statement. All of these risks may impair our business operations.
The forward-looking statements in this Form 10-Q and
in the documents incorporated herein by reference involve risks and
uncertainties and actual results may differ materially from the results we
discuss in the forward-looking statements. If any of the following risks
actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations
could
be materially adversely affected. In that case, the trading price of our stock
could decline, and you may lose all or part of your
investment.
We
have a limited operating history with significant losses and expect losses
to
continue for the foreseeable future.
We
have
yet to establish any history of profitable operations. Our profitability will
require the successful commercialization of one or more of the technologies
we
either license or own. No assurances can be given when this will occur or that
we will ever be profitable.
We
may continue to require additional financing in the
future
If
we are
not able to generate sufficient revenues or raise additional capital, among
other things:
|
· |
We
may need to curtail or cease operations and be unable to pursue further
development of
our technologies;
|
|
· |
We
may be unable to pursue patenting some of our technologies and development
of our technologies and
products;
|
|
· |
We
may have to lay-off personnel;
|
|
· |
We
could be unable to continue to make public
filings;
|
|
· |
We
may be de-listed from the American Stock Exchange;
and
|
|
· |
Our
licenses for our SMaRTtm
Replacement Therapy technology and MU 1140 technology could be
terminated
which would significantly harm our
business.
|
AtSeptember
30, 2008 and December 31, 2007, we had working capital of approximately
$2,410,304 and $260,534, respectively. The report of independent registered
public accounting firm’s report as of and for the year ended December 31, 2007,
includes an explanatory paragraph stating that our recurring losses from
operations and limited working capital raise substantial doubt about our
ability
to continue as a going concern. We have an operating cash flow deficit of
$2,331,553 for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 and have sustained
operating cash flow deficit of $1,913,760 in 2007. Our ability to obtain
additional funding may determine our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our
financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from
the
outcome of this uncertainty.
We
can offer you no assurance the government and the public will accept our
licensed patented technologies. If they do not, we will be unable to generate
sufficient revenues from our technologies, which may cause us to cease
operations.
The
commercial success of our DPOLTtm
platform, SMaRTtm
Replacement Therapy, ProBiora3tm,
LPT3-04tm
and
other technologies will depend in part on government and public acceptance
of
their production, distribution and use. Biotechnology has enjoyed and continues
to enjoy substantial support from the scientific community, regulatory agencies
and many governmental officials in the United States and around the world.
Future scientific developments, media coverage and political events may diminish
such support. Public attitudes may be influenced by claims that health products
based on biotechnology are unsafe for consumption or pose unknown risks to
the
environment or to traditional social or economic practices. Securing
governmental approvals for, and consumer confidence in, such products poses
numerous challenges, particularly outside the United States. The market success
of technologies developed through biotechnology such as ours could be delayed
or
impaired in certain geographical areas because of such factors. Products based
on our technologies may compete with a number of traditional dental therapies
and drugs manufactured and marketed by major pharmaceutical companies and other
biotechnology companies. Market acceptance of products based on our technologies
will depend on a number of factors including potential advantage over
alternative treatment methods. We can offer you no assurance that dentists,
physicians, patients or the medical and dental communities in general will
accept and utilize products developed from our technologies. If they do not,
we
may be unable to generate sufficient revenues from our technologies, which
may
cause us to have to cease operations.
We
are subject to the risks of doing business in Mexico and
internationally.
We
have
initiated steps to conduct a joint venture in Mexico through a subsidiary
related to the research, development, manufacture, registration, marketing
and
commercialization of certain of our products. While we anticipate that this
joint venture will provide us with certain advantages including reduced costs
for clinical trials and access to the Latin American markets, we have no
experience in conducting business in Mexico, Latin America or internationally.
We may encounter certain risks of doing business in Mexico, Latin America and
internationally including:
|
•
|
differences
in protection of our intellectual property rights;
|
|
•
|
unexpected
changes in, or impositions of, legislative or regulatory requirements;
|
|
•
|
political
and economic instability;
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
fluctuations
in foreign exchange rates;
|
|
•
|
potential
trade restrictions and exchange controls; and
|
|
•
|
the
burden of complying with foreign laws.
|
Our
exposure to these risks could cause us to be unable to attain the anticipated
benefits of our Mexican joint venture and our business could be adversely
impacted.
If
our expected collaborative partnerships do not materialize or fail to perform
as
expected, we will be unable to develop our products as
anticipated.
We
expect
to enter into collaborative arrangements with third parties to develop certain
products by sublicensing our technologies to strategic partners. We cannot
assure you that we will be able to enter into these collaborations or that,
if
entered, they will produce successful products. If we fail to maintain our
existing collaborative arrangements or fail to enter into additional
collaborative arrangements, the number of products from which we could receive
future revenues would decline.
Our
dependence on collaborative arrangements with third parties subjects us to
a
number of risks. These collaborative arrangements may not be on terms favorable
to us. Agreements with collaborative partners typically allow partners
significant discretion in electing whether or not to pursue any of the planned
activities. We cannot control the amount and timing of resources our
collaborative partners may devote to products based on the collaboration, and
our partners may choose to pursue alternative products. Our partners may not
perform their obligations as expected. Business combinations or significant
changes in a collaborative partner’s business strategy may adversely affect a
partner’s willingness or ability to complete its obligations under the
arrangement. Moreover, we could become involved in disputes with our partners,
which could lead to delays or termination of the collaborations and
time-consuming and expensive litigation or arbitration. Even if we fulfill
our
obligations under a collaborative agreement, our partner can terminate the
agreement under certain circumstances. If any collaborative partner were to
terminate or breach our agreement with it, or otherwise fail to complete its
obligations in a timely manner, our chances of successfully commercializing
products would be materially and adversely affected.
We
are currently dependent upon a single company to manufacture our products.
Since
we
currently have no manufacturing facilities, we are dependent upon establishing
relationships with independent manufacturers to supply our product needs. We
currently rely on one key contract manufacturer as our single source supplier
for ProBiora3tm
and the
Evoratm
line of
products. If our contract manufacturer is unable or unwilling to produce these
products we would not be able to manufacture them until a qualified alternative
manufacturer is identified, which could impair our ability to commercialize
these products and harm our business. We may not be able to find alternative
manufacturers on favorable terms or at all. In addition, competitors who do
own
their own manufacturing may have an advantage over us with respect to pricing,
availability of product and in other areas through their control of the
manufacturing process.
Risk
Factors Relating to our Common Stock
We
may be unable to maintain the listing of our common stock on the NYSE Alternext
US (formerly the American Stock Exchange) and that would make it more difficult
for stockholders to dispose of their common stock.
Our
common stock is listed on the NYSE Alternext US (“ASE”). We cannot guarantee
that it will always be listed. The ASE rules for continual listing include
minimum market capitalization and other requirements, which we may not meet
in
the future, particularly if the price of our common stock declines or we are
unable to raise additional capital to continue operations.
On
April
25, 2007 we received notification from the ASE that we were not in compliance
with the ASE’s continued listing requirements because our shareholders’ equity
is less than $2,000,000 and we have experienced losses from continuing
operations and/or net losses in two of our most recent fiscal years. We
submitted a plan on May 24, 2007 to the ASE for regaining compliance with all
of
the continued listing standards. On July 2, 2007, the ASE notified the Company
that it had completed its review and determined that the Company’s compliance
plan made a reasonable demonstration of the Company’s ability to regain
compliance with the continued listing standards by the end of the plan period,
October 27, 2008 (the “Plan Period”), and was therefore continuing the Company’s
listing pursuant to an extension.
On
May 14, 2008, the Company received a notice from the ASE that a review of
the Company’s Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2007 and Form
10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2008 indicated that it did not meet
certain of the ASE’s additional continued listing standards. Specifically, the
Company was not in compliance with Section 1003(a)(ii) of the Company Guide
because its stockholders’ equity is less than the required $4,000,000 and
because it has losses from continuing operations and net losses in three of
its
four most recent fiscal years. The Company provided a revised plan of compliance
and supporting documentation, dated June 13, 2008, (the “Revised Plan”) to the
ASE with respect to its previously announced noncompliance with
Section 1003(a)(i) of the Company Guide and such Revised Plan was
subsequently approved by the ASE subject to compliance by the Plan Period.
On
October 27, 2008 the Company received a letter from the ASE confirming the
Exchange's intention to proceed with the filing of an application with the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") to delist the common stock of the
Company from the Exchange. The notice from the Exchange indicated that the
ASE
staff decided that the Company did not meet the following continued listing
standards under the ASE Company Guide: Section 1003(a)(ii) in that the Company's
stockholders' equity is less than $4 million and it has sustained losses in
three of its four most recent fiscal years. On October 31, 2008, the Company
filed a request to appeal the Exchange’s determination and requested a hearing
before a panel of the Exchange. As of the date hereof, no date has been set
for
such hearing, but the hearing is expected to be held within 45 days. During
this
period, the Company’s common stock will continue to be listed on the Exchange
pending the outcome of the appeal. The Company intends to provide evidence
of
compliance which, if accepted by the panel, would allow the Company to continue
its listing. However, there can be no assurance that the Company's request
for
continued listing will ultimately be granted. Also, while the Company is
considering alternatives for repositioning itself on other exchanges, including
ongoing discussions with potential listing sponsors and market makers, the
Company expects that its shares will be listed on another exchange or quoted
on
a quotation medium prior to any termination in trading on the ASE. Should the
Company’s appeal be denied, management does believe that following the
effectiveness of the Company’s delisting, trading in the Company’s common stock
would be conducted on the OTC Bulletin Board in the United States. This would
make it more difficult for stockholders to dispose of their common stock and
more difficult to obtain accurate quotations on our common stock. This could
have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock. There can be no
assurances that a market maker will make a market in our common stock on the
OTC
Bulletin Board or any other stock quotation system. Furthermore, securities
quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board generally have significantly less
liquidity than securities traded on a national securities exchange, not only
in
the number of shares that can be bought and sold, but also through delays in
the
timing of transactions, reduction in securities analyst and news media coverage,
and lower market prices than might otherwise be obtained. As a result,
purchasers of shares of our common stock may find it difficult to resell their
shares at prices quoted in the market or at all. Furthermore, because of the
limited market and generally low volume of trading in our common stock, our
common stock is more likely to be affected by broad market fluctuations, general
market conditions, fluctuations in our operating results, changes in the
market’s perception of our business, and announcements made by us, our
competitors or parties with whom we have business relationships. Our ability
to
issue additional securities for financing or other purposes, or to otherwise
arrange for any financing we may need in the future, may also be materially
and
adversely affected by the fact that our securities are not traded on a national
securities exchange.
Our
stock price historically has been volatile and our stock’s trading volume has
been low.
Because
of the low trading volume and lack of market liquidity, some institutional
investors may find it difficult to buy and sell our stock in a sufficiently
timely manner, which makes an investment in our Company’s stock less appealing.
The market price of our common stock has been and is expected to continue to
be
highly volatile. Factors, including announcements of technological innovations
by us or other companies, regulatory matters, new or existing products or
procedures, concerns about our financial position, operating results,
litigation, government regulation, developments or disputes relating to
agreements, patents or proprietary rights, may have a significant impact on
the
market price of our stock. In addition, potential dilutive effects of future
sales of shares of common stock by us and by stockholders, including Fusion
Capital, and subsequent sales of common stock acquired by the holders of
warrants and options could have an adverse effect on the market price of our
shares.
Forward-Looking
Statements
This
10-Q
contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include statements
regarding, among other things, (a) our anticipated needs for and availability
of
working capital, (b) our future financing plans, (c) our strategies, (d) our
projected sales and profitability,(e) anticipated trends in our industry.
Forward-looking statements, which involve assumptions and describe our future
plans, strategies, and expectations, are generally identifiable by use of the
words “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,”
“intend,” or “project” or the negative of these words or other variations on
these words or comparable terminology. This information may involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual
results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the future
results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by any
forward-looking statements. These statements may be found under “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis or Plan of Operation” and “Business,” as well as in this
10-Q generally. Actual events or results may differ materially from those
discussed in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors,
including, without limitation, the risks outlined under “Risk Factors” and
matters described in this 10-Q generally. In light of these risks and
uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements
contained in this filing will in fact occur. In addition to the information
expressly required to be included in this filing, we will provide such further
material information, if any, as may be necessary to make the required
statements, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not
misleading.
ITEM
2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
We
issued
the following restricted securities during the period covered by this report
to
the named individual pursuant to exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933
including Section 4(2):
On
September 1, 2008, we were obligated to issue 1,893 shares of common stock
to
our consultant, Certified Nutrition for Less, LLC. The obligation to issue
the
shares was incurred in accordance with the consulting agreement entered into
between the Company and the consultant. The price per share was
$0.528.
The
offering and sale of the common stock was made in reliance upon the exemption
from registration provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 as
a
transaction by the issuer not involving a public offering.
SIGNATURES
In
accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, the registrant caused
this
report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized
on this 5th
day of
November, 2008.
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ORAGENICS,
INC.
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|
|
BY:
|
/s/
Stanley B. Stein
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|
|
Stanley
B. Stein, President and Chief Executive
Officer
|
EXHIBIT
INDEX
Exhibit
Number
|
Exhibit
Description
|
Form
|
File
No
|
Exhibit
|
Filing
Date
|
Filed
Herewith
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.1
|
Revolving
Line of Credit Agreement between Signature Ban and the Company dated
October 20, 2008
|
8-K
|
001-32188
|
10.1
|
10/24/08
|
|
31.1
|
Certification
of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 and Rule 15d-14(a),
promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
31.2
|
Certification
of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 and Rule 15d-14(a),
promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
32.1
|
Certification
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section
906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Chief Executive Officer).
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
32.2
|
Certification
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section
906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Chief Financial Officer).
|
|
|
|
|
X
|