Bioxcel Therapeutics (BTAI) Risk Analysis

We expect that significant additional capital will be needed in the future to continue our planned operations, including, without limitation, funding our trials and studies, marketing and commercializing our products and funding our operations. Accordingly, we have sold, and in the future may sell, common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in a manner we determine from time to time. To the extent we raise additional capital by issuing additional shares of common stock or securities convertible or exchangeable for our common stock, our stockholders may experience substantial dilution, and new investors could gain rights superior to our existing stockholders. In March 2024, we issued and sold in a registered direct offering 3,054,609 shares of our common stock, accompanying warrants to purchase up to 8,619,636 shares of our common stock and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 5,565,027 shares of our common stock (see Note 11, Common Stock Financing Activities in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for additional information). The number of shares of common stock underlying our outstanding warrants is significant in relation to our outstanding common stock (20.3% as of October 23, 2024), which could have a negative effect on the market price of our common stock and make it more difficult for us to raise funds through future equity offerings. In the event these warrants are exercised, our stockholders will experience additional dilution. To the extent outstanding stock options or warrants are exercised, there would be further dilution to our existing stockholders, which could impact the price of our common stock.

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to comply with the rules under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act related to disclosure controls and procedures in the future, or, if we discover material weaknesses and other deficiencies in our internal control and accounting procedures, our stock price could decline significantly and raising capital could be more difficult. We have discovered material weaknesses in the past. If future material weaknesses or significant deficiencies are discovered or if we otherwise fail to achieve and maintain the adequacy of our internal control, we may not be able to ensure that we can conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Moreover, effective internal controls are necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and are important to helping prevent financial fraud. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our business and operating results could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, and the trading price of our common stock could drop significantly.

We will require additional future funding to support current and anticipated future expenses. We currently anticipate continuing to develop and conduct clinical trials with respect to our current and any future product candidates; seek to identify and develop additional product candidates; acquire or in-license other product candidates or technologies; seek regulatory approvals for our product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials, if any; establish sales, marketing, distribution and other commercial infrastructure to support the commercialization of products for which we may obtain marketing approval; require the manufacture of larger quantities of product candidates for clinical development and, potentially, commercialization; maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; hire and retain limited additional personnel, such as clinical, quality control and scientific personnel; add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our product development and help us comply with our obligations as a public company; and add equipment and physical infrastructure to support our research and development programs. We have been and may continue to be required to expend significant funds to continue to commercialize IGALMITM in the U.S. and advance the development of BXCL501, BXCL701, BXCL502 and our other product candidates. In addition, while we may seek one or more collaborators for future development of our current product candidates or any future product candidates that we may develop for one or more indications, we may not be able to enter into a collaboration for any of our product candidates for such indications on suitable terms, on a timely basis or at all. In any event, our existing cash will not be sufficient to fund all of the efforts that we plan to undertake or to fund the completion of development of our product candidates or our other preclinical programs. Accordingly, we will be required to obtain further funding through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations and licensing arrangements or other sources. We may also seek third-party investments in or other strategic options for our subsidiary, OnkosXcel. Further financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. In addition, we are reliant on the financial institutions with which we hold our cash and cash equivalents. If such institutions were to close, we may not be able to recover all of our cash or cash equivalents held at such institutions. Moreover, market volatility, credit crises, adverse macroeconomic conditions, such as high interest or inflation rates, or other factors, as well as Company-specific factors such as the progress of our development pipeline, adverse clinical events or results, regulatory investigations, or ongoing or potential legal proceedings, could also adversely impact our ability to access capital as and when needed. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy. Management believes that, after giving effect to the Reprioritization and other restructuring actions, the Company's cash and cash equivalents of $40.4 million as of September 30, 2024 will allow the Company to fund its operations and meet its liquidity requirements through the end of 2024. However, the ultimate expected cost benefit resulting from the Reprioritization and other cost-saving initiatives cannot be assured, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to extend our cash runway by meeting the conditions for additional funding under the terms of our Credit Agreement (defined below) or otherwise. In addition, the failure to raise additional financing in accordance with the minimum capital raising requirements of our Credit Agreement would trigger an event of default thereunder. The Fourth Amendment to our Credit Agreement includes covenants that we will receive, (i) after March 20, 2024, which is the effective date of the Fourth Amendment, and on or before April 15, 2024, at least $25.0 million in gross proceeds from the issuance of our common stock, warrants and/or pre-funded warrants, and/or in non-refundable cash consideration from partnering transactions entered into after March 20, 2024 (so long as such partnering transactions would not require us or any of our subsidiaries to make any cash investments in connection with the partnering transactions and no such cash investments are made), and (ii) after March 20, 2024 and on or before November 30, 2024, at least $50.0 million (for the avoidance of doubt, inclusive of amounts previously counted toward the preceding clause (i)) in gross proceeds from the issuance of our common stock, warrants and/or pre-funded warrants, and/or in cash and/or non-cash consideration (measured at fair market value, as determined by the Administrative Agent (as defined in the Credit Agreement) in its sole discretion from partnering transactions entered into after March 20, 2024. Failure to perform this covenant would constitute (A) a default under the Credit Agreement and (B) an event of default under the Credit Agreement, subject to a cure period in the case of clause (i) of the preceding sentence, until May 15, 2024. For the avoidance of doubt, failure to perform clause (ii) would constitute an immediate event of default under the Credit Agreement without any cure or grace period. Furthermore, our estimate as to how long we expect our existing cash to be able to continue to fund our operations is based on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Further, changing circumstances, some of which may be beyond our control, could cause us to consume capital significantly faster than we currently anticipate, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned. Our future funding requirements, both short-term and long-term, will depend on many factors, including: - the scope, progress, timing, costs, and results of clinical trials of our product candidates, including any delays that have occurred or may occur due to the recent developments with the TRANQUILITY program;- our ability to enter into and the terms and timing of any collaborations, licensing agreements or other arrangements;- the costs, timing and outcome of seeking regulatory approvals;- the costs of commercialization activities for IGALMITM and for any of our product candidates that receive marketing approval, to the extent such costs are not the responsibility of any future collaborators, including the costs and timing of establishing product sales, marketing, distribution and manufacturing capabilities;- revenue received from commercial sales of IGALMITM and our current and future product candidates;- the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and protecting our intellectual property rights and defending against intellectual property related claims;- the number of future product candidates that we pursue and their development requirements;- changes in regulatory policies or laws that may affect our operations;- changes in physician acceptance or medical society recommendations that may affect commercial efforts;- the costs of acquiring potential new product candidates or technology;- the costs of operating as a public company;- the extent to which our operations continue;- the costs of legal proceedings and investigations; and - costs associated with any adverse market conditions or other macroeconomic factors. As we continue our research and development activities, we will require additional resources to continue as a going concern. We can provide no assurance that we will successfully obtain additional resources to improve our financial condition. If we are unable to obtain necessary additional capital, we could be compelled to pursue alternative options, including, without limitation, implementing further workforce reductions, reducing or ceasing product development programs and advancement of our clinical trials and product candidates, selling our assets or seeking other strategic alternatives.

We obtained Breakthrough Therapy Designation for BXCL501 for the acute treatment of agitation associated with dementia, and we may seek additional Breakthrough Therapy designations for our product candidates if the clinical data support such a designation for one or more product candidates. A Breakthrough Therapy is defined as a drug or biologic that is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs or biologics, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. For product candidates that have been designated as Breakthrough Therapies, interaction and communication between the FDA and the sponsor of the trial can help to identify the most efficient path for clinical development while minimizing the number of patients placed in ineffective control regimens. Product candidates designated as Breakthrough Therapies by the FDA also receive the benefits associated with Fast Track designation, including the potential for rolling review of an NDA. Designation as a Breakthrough Therapy is within the discretion of the FDA. Accordingly, even if we believe one of our product candidates meets the criteria for designation as a Breakthrough Therapy, the FDA may disagree and instead determine not to make such designation. In any event, the receipt of a Breakthrough Therapy designation for a product candidate may not result in a faster development process, review or approval compared to drugs considered for approval under non-expedited FDA review procedures and does not assure ultimate approval by the FDA. In addition, even if one or more of our product candidates qualify as breakthrough therapies, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification or decide that the period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened.

We are, and may in the future become, subject to various legal proceedings, claims and investigations that arise in or outside the ordinary course of business. For example, on July 7, 2023, plaintiff Katelyn Martin filed a class action complaint against the Company and certain executives in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, captioned Martin v. BioXcel Therapeutics, et al., 3:23-cv-00915 (D. Conn). On October 4, 2023, pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, the court appointed two co-Lead Plaintiffs. The co-Lead Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on December 5, 2023, alleging violations of Sections 10(b) and 20A of the Exchange Act and SEC Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. On July 11, 2024, the Court dismissed the amended complaint without prejudice and, on August 1, 2024, co-Lead Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint. The second amended complaint alleges that defendants made false or misleading statements regarding the TRANQUILITY II trial and the development of BXCL501 for an expanded indication related to the treatment of certain Alzheimer's-related agitation. The Company moved to dismiss the second amended complaint on September 6, 2024. The Court has not yet ruled on the motion. On November 28, 2023, Plaintiffs Pratheesan Panancherry and Jeffrey Bastress filed a stockholder derivative complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut purportedly on behalf of the Company and against Vimal Mehta, Richard I. Steinhart, Peter Mueller, June Bray, Sandeep Laumas, Michael Miller, Michal Votruba, and Krishnan Nandabalan as Defendants, and the Company as Nominal Defendant under the caption Panancherry et al v. Mehta et al, 3:23-cv-1554. Following the initial action, Plaintiffs Maria Vomvolakis (3:24-cv-3) and Kelly Fowler (3:24-cv-203) each filed separate stockholder derivative complaints in the District of Connecticut raising similar claims as Panancherry and Bastress, including business torts and violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The cases have been consolidated under the caption In re BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. Stockholder Derivative Litigation, 3:23-cv-1554 (D. Conn.). The consolidated action is currently stayed. On January 11, 2024, Plaintiff Jeremy Smith filed a stockholder derivative complaint in the United States District Court for the United States District Court for the District of Delaware purportedly on behalf of the Company and against Vimal Mehta, Peter Mueller, June Bray, Sandeep Laumas, Michael Miller, Michal Votruba, Richard I. Steinhart, Robert Risinger, and Krishnan Nandabalan as Defendants, and the Company as Nominal Defendant under the caption Smith v. Mehta et al, 1:24-cv-00041. Following the initial action, Plaintiff Janice Korff filed a stockholder derivative complaint in the District of Delaware raising similar claims as Smith (1:24-cv-130), including business torts and violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The cases have been consolidated under the caption In re BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. Derivative Litigation, 1:24-cv-00041 (D. Del.). The consolidated action is currently stayed. The Company is also cooperating with a formal investigation of the Company and certain of its officers and directors by the SEC, relating to the Company's public disclosures, including about product sales and the receipt of a Form 483 by an investigator at one of the Company's clinical trial sites in the TRANQUILITY II study, and trading in the securities of the Company. The Company has produced documents, and current and former officers and employees of the Company have testified before the SEC. The above-captioned proceedings, as well as any investigation or proceeding that may be instituted by the SEC may result in substantial costs or liabilities, as well as a diversion of management's attention and resources, which could harm our business, result in a decline in the market price of our common stock and impact our financing efforts. The potential costs and liabilities associated with legal proceedings, claims and investigations involving us or members of our leadership team is uncertain, and the results of such legal proceedings, claims and investigations cannot be predicted with certainty. Lawsuits and other administrative or legal proceedings that may arise can involve substantial costs, including the costs associated with investigation, litigation and possible settlement, judgment, penalty or fine. In addition, lawsuits and other legal proceedings may be time consuming to defend or prosecute and may require a commitment of management and personnel resources that will be diverted from our normal business operations. Also, our insurance coverage may be insufficient, our assets may be insufficient to cover any amounts that exceed our insurance coverage, and we may have to pay damage awards or otherwise may enter into settlement arrangements in connection with such claims. Moreover, we may be unable to continue to maintain our existing insurance at a reasonable cost, if at all, or to secure additional coverage, which may result in costs associated with lawsuits and other legal proceedings being uninsured. Any such payments or settlement arrangements in current or future litigation could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition. Even if the plaintiffs' claims are not successful, current or future litigation could result in substantial costs and significantly and adversely impact our reputation and divert management's attention and resources, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition, and negatively affect the price of our common stock. In addition, such lawsuits may make it more difficult to finance our operations. Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies with publicly traded stock or who obtain funding through the stock market often experience significant stock price volatility, based on events beyond their control, including outcomes of clinical trials, actions of regulators and product approvals. Such further litigation, may result in substantial costs and a diversion of management's attention and resources, which could harm our business and result in a decline in the market price of our common stock.

The ability of the FDA and foreign regulatory authorities to review and approve new products can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, statutory, regulatory and policy changes, the FDA's or foreign regulatory authorities' ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, and other events that may otherwise affect the FDA's or foreign regulatory authorities' ability to perform routine functions. Average review times at the FDA and foreign regulatory authorities have fluctuated in recent years as a result of some of these aforementioned issues. In addition, government funding of other government agencies that fund research and development activities is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable. Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies, such as the EMA, following its relocation to Amsterdam and corresponding staff changes, may also slow the time necessary for new drug or modifications to approved drugs to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, over the last several years, the U.S. government has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, have had to furlough critical FDA employees and stop critical activities. Separately, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA postponed most inspections of domestic and foreign manufacturing facilities at various points. Even though the FDA has since resumed standard inspection operations, any resurgence of the virus or emergence of new variants may lead to inspectional or administrative delays. If a prolonged government shutdown occurs, or if global health concerns prevent the FDA or other regulatory authorities from conducting their regular inspections, reviews or other regulatory activities, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA or other regulatory authorities to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The global data protection landscape is rapidly evolving, and we are or may become subject to numerous state, federal and foreign laws, requirements and regulations governing the collection, use, disclosure, retention, and security of personal data, such as information that we may collect in connection with clinical trials in the U.S. and abroad. Additionally, our use of AI and machine learning may be subject to laws and evolving regulations regarding the use of AI or machine learning, controlling for data bias, and anti-discrimination, and we may not always be able to anticipate how to respond to these laws or regulations. Further, there is an increase in litigation in a number of jurisdictions, including the United States, relating to the use of AI, particularly generative AI. New laws regulating AI are at an advanced stage of the legislative process in the EU, and it is possible that new laws and regulations will be adopted in the United States and in other non-U.S. jurisdictions, or that existing laws and regulations may be interpreted in ways that would affect the operation of our learning platforms, online testing business and data analytics and the way in which we use AI and machine learning technology. In Europe, on December 8, 2023, the European Union legislators reached a political agreement on the EU Artificial Intelligence Act ("EU AI Act") which establishes a comprehensive, risk-based governance framework for AI in the EU market. The EU AI Act is expected to enter into force in 2024, and the majority of the substantive requirements will apply two years later. The EU AI Act will apply to companies that develop, use and/ or provide AI in the EU and includes requirements around transparency, conformity assessments and monitoring, risk assessments, human oversight, security, accuracy, general purpose AI and foundation models, and proposes fines for breach of up to 7% of worldwide annual turnover. In addition, on September 28, 2022, the European Commission proposed two Directives seeking to establish a harmonized civil liability regime for AI in the EU. Once fully applicable, this regulatory framework is expected to have a material impact on the way AI is regulated in the EU, and together with developing guidance and/ or decisions in this area, may affect our use of AI and our ability to provide, improve or commercialize our services, require additional compliance measures and changes to our operations and processes, result in increased compliance costs and potential increases in civil claims against us, and could adversely affect our business, operations and financial condition. Implementation standards and enforcement practices are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future, and we cannot yet determine the impact future laws, regulations, standards, or perception of their requirements may have on our business. This evolution may create uncertainty in our business, affect our ability to operate in certain jurisdictions or to collect, store, transfer use and share personal information, necessitate the acceptance of more onerous obligations in our contracts, result in liability or impose additional costs on us. The cost of compliance with these laws, regulations and standards is high and is likely to increase in the future. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with federal, state or foreign laws or regulation, our internal policies and procedures or our contracts governing our processing of personal information could result in negative publicity, government investigations and enforcement actions, claims by third parties and damage to our reputation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our operations, financial performance and business. As our operations and business grow, we may become subject to or affected by new or additional data protection laws and regulations and face increased scrutiny or attention from regulatory authorities. In the U.S., HIPAA imposes, among other things, certain standards relating to the privacy, security, transmission, and breach reporting of individually identifiable health information. Most healthcare providers, including research institutions from which we obtain patient health information, are subject to privacy and security regulations promulgated under HIPAA. If we are determined to act as a covered entity or business associate under HIPAA and be directly regulated under HIPAA, any person acting on our behalf may be prosecuted under HIPAA's criminal provisions either directly or under aiding-and-abetting or conspiracy principles. Consequently, depending on the facts and circumstances, we could face substantial criminal penalties if we knowingly receive individually identifiable health information from a HIPAA-covered healthcare provider or research institution that has not satisfied HIPAA's requirements for disclosure of individually identifiable health information. Certain states have also adopted comparable privacy and security laws and regulations, some of which may be more stringent than HIPAA. Such laws and regulations will be subject to interpretation by various courts and other governmental authorities, thus creating potentially complex compliance issues for us and our future customers and strategic partners. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (collectively, the "CCPA"), requires covered businesses that process the personal information of California residents to, among other things: provide certain disclosures to California residents regarding the business's collection, use, and disclosure of their personal information; receive and respond to requests from California residents to access, delete, and correct their personal information, or to opt out of certain disclosures of their personal information, and enter into specific contractual provisions with service providers that process California resident personal information on the business's behalf. If we are subject to or affected by HIPAA, the CCPA, or other domestic privacy and data protection laws, any liability from failure to comply with the requirements of these laws could adversely affect our financial condition. In Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") went into effect in May 2018 and imposes strict requirements for processing the personal data of individuals within the EEA. Companies that must comply with the GDPR face increased compliance obligations and risk, including more robust regulatory enforcement of data protection requirements and potential fines for noncompliance of up to €20 million or 4% of the annual global revenues of the noncompliant company, whichever is greater. Among other requirements, the GDPR regulates transfers of personal data subject to the GDPR to third countries that have not been found to provide adequate protection to such personal data, including the U.S., and the efficacy and longevity of current transfer mechanisms between the EEA, and the United States remains uncertain. On July 10, 2023, the European Commission adopted its Adequacy Decision in relation to the new EU-US Data Privacy Framework ("DPF"), rendering the DPF effective as a GDPR transfer mechanism to U.S. entities self-certified under the DPF. We expect the existing legal complexity and uncertainty regarding international personal data transfers to continue. In particular, we expect the DPF Adequacy Decision to be challenged and international transfers to the United States and to other jurisdictions more generally to continue to be subject to enhanced scrutiny by regulators. As supervisory authorities issue further guidance on personal data export mechanisms, including circumstances where the standard contractual clauses cannot be used, and/or start taking enforcement action, we could suffer additional costs, complaints and/or regulatory investigations or fines, and/or if we are otherwise unable to transfer personal data between and among countries and regions in which we operate, it could affect the manner in which we provide our services, the geographical location or segregation of our relevant systems and operations, and could adversely affect our financial results. Further, since January 1, 2021, companies have had to comply with the GDPR and also the UK GDPR, which, together with the amended UK Data Protection Act 2018, retains the GDPR in UK national law. The UK GDPR mirrors the fines under the GDPR (i.e., fines up to the greater of £17.5 million or 4% of global turnover). On October 12, 2023, the UK Extension to the DPF came into effect (as approved by the UK Government), as a data transfer mechanism from the UK to U.S. entities self-certified under the DPF. Although we work to comply with applicable laws, regulations and standards, our contractual obligations and other legal obligations, these requirements are evolving and may be modified, interpreted and applied in an inconsistent manner from one jurisdiction to another, and may conflict with one another or other legal obligations with which we must comply. Any failure or perceived failure by us or our employees, representatives, contractors, consultants, collaborators, or other third parties to comply with such requirements or adequately address privacy and security concerns, even if unfounded, could result in additional cost and liability to us, damage our reputation, and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We are exposed to the risk of employee fraud or other misconduct. Misconduct by employees could include intentional failures to comply with any regulations applicable to us, to provide accurate information to regulatory authorities, to comply with manufacturing standards we have established, to comply with federal and state health care fraud and abuse laws and regulations, or to report financial information or data accurately or disclose unauthorized activities to us. In particular, sales, marketing and business arrangements in the health care industry are subject to extensive laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud, misconduct, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Employee misconduct could also involve the improper use of information obtained during clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, but it is not always possible to identify and deter employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risk.

We rely, in part, on BioXcel LLC and access to its EvolverAI, to complement our in-house, uniquely integrated AI-to-drug-development capability. EvolverAI is a research and development engine created and owned by BioXcel LLC, to identify, research and develop potential product candidates in neuroscience and immuno-oncology. We negotiated the Services Agreement with BioXcel LLC pursuant to which BioXcel LLC agreed to perform certain intellectual property prosecution and management and research and development activities for us utilizing its EvolverAI. Under the Services Agreement, we have an option, exercisable until December 31, 2024, to enter into a separate collaborative services agreement with BioXcel LLC pursuant to which BioXcel LLC shall perform product identification and related services for us utilizing its EvolverAI. We agreed to pay BioXcel LLC $18,000 per month from March 13, 2023, to December 31, 2024 in exchange for this option. We agreed to negotiate any such collaborative services agreement in good faith and to incorporate reasonable market-based terms, including consideration for BioXcel LLC reflecting a low, single-digit royalty on net sales and reasonable development and commercialization milestone payments, provided that (i) development milestone payments shall not exceed $10 million in the aggregate and not be payable prior to proof of concept in humans and (ii) commercialization milestone payments shall be based on reaching annual net sales levels, be limited to 3% of the applicable net sales level, and not exceed $30 million in the aggregate. In addition, at the time of our initial public offering ("IPO"), BioXcel LLC granted us (i) a first right to negotiate exclusive rights to any additional product candidates in the fields of neuroscience and immuno-oncology that BioXcel LLC may identify on its own and not in connection with BioXcel LLC's provision of services to us under the Services Agreement and (ii) an exclusivity agreement in the neuroscience and immuno-oncology fields whereby BioXcel LLC agreed not develop drugs, or engage in preclinical discovery for the purpose of developing drugs, in the neuroscience and immuno-oncology fields for or on behalf of a third party, utilizing EvolverAI or otherwise. This first right to negotiate and exclusivity period expired on March 12, 2023, and there is no assurance that we will extend the terms of the agreement. We are continuing to assess our ongoing business needs. On September 19, 2023, the Company, Krishnan Nandabalan, Ph.D., InveniAI LLC ("Inveni") and Invea Therapeutics, Inc. ("Invea") and the other parties thereto entered into a non-compete agreement pursuant to which Dr. Nandabalan, Inveni and Invea agreed not to compete with the Company and its controlled affiliates in the fields of neuroscience and immuno-oncology for a period of five years from September 19, 2023 and not to solicit employees of the Company or its controlled affiliates for a period of two years from September 19, 2023. Inveni and Invea are subsidiaries of BioXcel LLC. If our rights under the Services Agreement were to become limited or if we are otherwise precluded from conducting research and development using EvolverAI, or if BioXcel LLC, Inveni or Invea do not fulfill their obligations under the agreements, such development could materially adversely affect our future operating results, financial condition, and prospects. Furthermore, certain individuals conducting services on our behalf are not our employees, and we cannot control whether they devote sufficient time, skill and resources to our ongoing development programs. We also cannot ensure that BioXcel LLC retains sufficient resources or personnel or otherwise to conduct its operations. BioXcel LLC may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting research and development activities, which could impede their ability to devote appropriate time to our research and development programs. BioXcel LLC is not currently restricted from using EvolverAI to perform drug discovery services for our direct competitors, and if we do not extend the exclusivity period in the neuroscience and immuno-oncology fields, this could harm our competitive position and adversely affect our future operating results and financial condition.

The U.S. government and other governments have shown significant interest in pursuing health care reform. Any government-adopted reform measures could adversely impact the pricing of health care products and services in the U.S. or internationally and the amount of reimbursement available from governmental agencies or other third-party payors for IGALMITM and the product candidates that we develop. The continuing efforts of the U.S. and foreign governments, insurance companies, managed care organizations and other payors of health care services to contain or reduce health care costs may adversely affect our ability to set prices for our products, which we believe are fair, and our ability to generate revenues and achieve and maintain profitability. New laws, regulations and judicial decisions, or new interpretations of existing laws, regulations and decisions, that relate to health care availability, methods of delivery or payment for products and services, or sales, marketing or pricing, may limit our potential revenue, and we may need to revise our research and development programs. The pricing and reimbursement environment may change in the future and become more challenging due to several reasons, including policies advanced by the current executive administration in the U.S., new health care legislation or fiscal challenges faced by government health administration authorities. Specifically, in both the U.S. and some foreign jurisdictions, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory proposals to change the health care system in ways that could affect our ability to sell our products profitably. For example, in the U.S., the ACA, which was enacted in 2010, has substantially changed the way health care is financed by both government health plans and private insurers, and significantly impacts the pharmaceutical industry. For example, the ACA imposed a non-deductible excise tax on pharmaceutical manufacturers or importers that sell branded prescription drugs to government programs. In addition, as part of the ACA's provisions closing a funding gap that existed in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, manufacturers are required to provide a discount on branded prescription drugs for drugs provided to certain beneficiaries who fall within the "donut hole." Similarly, the ACA increased the level of Medicaid rebates payable by manufacturers of brand-name drugs from 15.1% to 23.1% of the average manufacturer price and required collection of rebates for drugs paid by Medicaid managed care organizations. The ACA also included changes to the Public Health Service's 340B drug pricing program (the "340B program") including expansion of the list of eligible covered entities that may purchase drugs under the program. Since its enactment, there have been judicial, executive and Congressional challenges to certain aspects of the ACA. On June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the most recent judicial challenge to the ACA brought by several states without specifically ruling on the constitutionality of the ACA. Thus, the ACA will remain in effect in its current form. In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the U.S. since the ACA was enacted. These changes include the Budget Control Act of 2011, which resulted in aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers, which went into effect on April 1, 2013, and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, will remain in effect through 2032, unless additional Congressional action is taken. Furthermore, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, further reduced Medicare payments to several types of providers, including hospitals, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. More recently, on March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law, which eliminates the statutory Medicaid drug rebate cap, beginning January 1, 2024. Most significantly, on August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 ("IRA") into law. This statute marks the most significant action by Congress with respect to the pharmaceutical industry since adoption of the ACA in 2010. Among other things, the IRA requires manufacturers of certain drugs to engage in price negotiations with Medicare (beginning in 2026), with prices that can be negotiated subject to a cap; imposes rebates under Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D to penalize price increases that outpace inflation (first due in 2023); and replaces the Part D coverage gap discount program with a new discounting program (beginning in 2025). The IRA permits the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") to implement many of these provisions through guidance, as opposed to regulation, for the initial years. On August 29, 2023, HHS announced the list of the first ten drugs that will be subject to price negotiations. HHS has issued and will continue to issue guidance implementing the IRA, although the Medicare drug price negotiation program is currently subject to legal challenges. While the impact of the IRA on the pharmaceutical industry and our business cannot yet be fully determined, it is likely to be significant. The cost of prescription pharmaceuticals in the U.S. will likely continue to be the subject of considerable discussion. Members of Congress and the Biden Administration have indicated they will continue to pursue further legislative or administrative measures to control prescription drug costs. There have been several Congressional inquiries, as well as legislative and regulatory initiatives and executive orders designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drug products. We cannot predict with certainty what impact any federal or state health reforms will have on us, but such changes could impose new or more stringent regulatory requirements on our activities or result in reduced reimbursement for our products, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Individual states in the U.S. continue to consider and have enacted legislation to limit the growth of health care costs, including the cost of prescription drugs and combination products. A number of states have either implemented or are considering implementation of drug price transparency legislation that may prevent or limit our ability to take price increases at certain rates or frequencies. Requirements under such laws include advance notice of planned price increases, reporting price increase amounts and factors considered in taking such increases, wholesale acquisition cost information disclosure to prescribers, purchasers, and state agencies, and new product notice and reporting. Such legislation could limit the price or payment for certain drugs, and a number of states are authorized to impose civil monetary penalties or pursue other enforcement mechanisms against manufacturers who fail to comply with drug price transparency requirements, including the untimely, inaccurate, or incomplete reporting of drug pricing information. If we are found to have violated state law requirements, we may become subject to penalties or other enforcement mechanisms, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Furthermore, there has been increased interest by third-party payors and governmental authorities in reference pricing systems and publication of discounts and list prices. It is likely that federal and state legislatures within the U.S. and foreign governments will continue to consider changes to existing health care legislation. We cannot predict the reform initiatives that may be adopted in the future or whether initiatives that have been adopted will be repealed or modified. The continuing efforts of governments, insurance companies, managed care organizations and other payors of health care services to contain or reduce costs of health care may adversely affect the demand for IGALMITM and any other drug products for which we may obtain regulatory approval, our ability to set a price that we believe is fair for our products, our ability to obtain adequate coverage and reimbursement approval for a product, our ability to generate revenues and achieve or maintain profitability, and the level of taxes that we are required to pay. In the EU, similar developments may affect our ability to profitably commercialize our product candidates, if approved. In addition to continuing pressure on prices and cost containment measures, legislative developments at the EU or member state level may result in significant additional requirements or obstacles that may increase our operating costs. The delivery of healthcare in the EU, including the establishment and operation of health services and the pricing and reimbursement of medicines, is almost exclusively a matter for national, rather than EU, law and policy. National governments and health service providers have different priorities and approaches to the delivery of health care and the pricing and reimbursement of products in that context. In general, however, the healthcare budgetary constraints in most EU member states have resulted in restrictions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines by relevant health service providers. Coupled with ever-increasing EU and national regulatory burdens on those wishing to develop and market products, this could prevent or delay marketing approval of our product candidates, restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect our ability to commercialize our product candidates, if approved. In markets outside of the U.S. and EU, reimbursement and healthcare payment systems vary significantly by country, and many countries have instituted price ceilings on specific products and therapies. On December 13, 2021, Regulation No 2021/2282 on Health Technology Assessment ("HTA") amending Directive 2011/24/EU, was adopted. While the regulation entered into force in January 2022, it will only begin to apply from January 2025 onwards, with preparatory and implementation-related steps to take place in the interim. Once applicable, it will have a phased implementation depending on the concerned products. The regulation intends to boost cooperation among EU member states in assessing health technologies, including new medicinal products as well as certain high-risk medical devices, and providing the basis for cooperation at the EU level for joint clinical assessments in these areas. It will permit EU member states to use common HTA tools, methodologies, and procedures across the EU, working together in four main areas, including joint clinical assessment of the innovative health technologies with the highest potential impact for patients, joint scientific consultations whereby developers can seek advice from HTA authorities, identification of emerging health technologies to identify promising technologies early, and continuing voluntary cooperation in other areas. Individual EU member states will continue to be responsible for assessing non-clinical (e.g., economic, social, ethical) aspects of health technology, and making decisions on pricing and reimbursement.

As a result of outbreaks from variants of COVID-19, or other pandemics, epidemics or outbreaks of infectious disease, we may experience disruptions that could severely impact our business, preclinical studies and clinical trials, including: - delays or difficulties in initiating, operating and completing our clinical trials;- interruption of key clinical trial activities, such as clinical trial site data monitoring, due to limitations on travel imposed or recommended by governments, employers and others or interruption of clinical trial subject visits and study procedures, which may impact the integrity of subject data and clinical study endpoints;- interruption or delays in the operations of the FDA or other regulatory authorities, which may impact review and approval timelines;- interruption of, or delays in receiving, supplies of our product candidates from our contract manufacturing organizations due to staffing shortages, production slowdowns or stoppages and disruptions in delivery systems; and - other interruptions or delays to our sourced discovery and clinical activities. If we or any of the third parties with whom we engage were to experience shutdowns or other business disruptions from COVID-19 or other pandemics, epidemics or outbreaks of infectious disease, our ability to conduct our business in the manner and on the timelines presently planned could be materially and negatively impacted.