Commitments and Contingencies |
6 Months Ended |
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Jun. 30, 2024 | |
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Commitments and Contingencies |
11. Commitments and Contingencies
Three-Way Collaborative Agreement
In May of 2023, the Company entered into a Collaborative Research Agreement (the “Collaboration”) with Inspirevax, and the National Research Council (the “Collaborators”) for research related to the Company’s vaccine product candidate. The Collaboration received non-dilutive funding from Consortium Québécois Sur La Découverte Du Médicament (the “CQDM”) a not-for-profit corporation governed by Canada created to promote, stimulate, and support drug research, development and discovery. The CQDM also provides funding for drug research and discovery projects. The project is budgeted to cost approximately $1.7 million Canadian dollars over 27 months. Each collaborator is responsible for funding a portion of the project with payments made upon certain milestones, the CQDM grant award will fund approximately 40% of the budgeted project costs with the Collaborators. As part of the Company’s efforts to focus financial resources to the development of it new lead asset, ONP-002, as of June 30, 2024, the Company has suspended its participation in the three-way agreement until additional financial resources can be allocated for the vaccine related research project.
Ladenburg Thalmann Litigation
On December 7, 2022, the Company entered into an investment banking engagement letter with Ladenburg Thalmann, (“Ladenburg”). The engagement letter was subsequently amended at various times (together with amendments to the “Engagement Letter”). The Company terminated the Engagement Letter as of August 15, 2023. Ladenburg recently sent the Company an invoice in the amount of $2,500,000, and a demand letter from Ladenburg’s general counsel demanding payment thereof followed shortly thereafter. Ladenburg is of the view that a fee is owed based on the Company’s purchase of assets from Odyssey Health, Inc. The Company strongly disagrees that any such fee is due to Ladenburg and initiated a confidential action for arbitration against Ladenburg with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) on March 12, 2024, seeking, among other things, a declaratory judgment that no such fee is owed. On April 17, 2024 Ladenburg filed a Complaint in federal court in the Southern District of Florida, and also filed motion for a temporary restraining order (“TRO”) and preliminary injunction seeking to move the venue from FINRA to the federal court in Miami-Dade County. On May 3, 2024 the Magistrate Judge assigned to the case issued a Report and Recommendation denying the motion; although Ladenburg objected to the Report and Recommendation, Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation, the District Court Judge adopted the Report and Recommendation, finalizing the Court’s denial of the requested injunctive relief. On May 9, 2024, the Company filed a motion to dismiss in the federal court action, which is still currently pending. Meanwhile, the FINRA action continues and is set to be heard in February of 2025. The Company believes Ladenburg’s claims are unlikely to prevail and intends to defend itself vigorously. It is possible, however, that there could be an unfavorable outcome or resolution of the claims asserted, which could negatively and materially impact the Company’s business, consolidated financial position and results of operations. Litigation is inherently uncertain and there can be no assurance that the Company will prevail. The Company does not include an estimate of legal fees and other related defense costs in its estimate of loss contingencies. |