Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning.

Tenax Therapeutics disclosed 37 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Tenax Therapeutics reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q3, 2021

Risk Distribution

30% Finance & Corporate

27% Tech & Innovation

16% Production

14% Ability to Sell

11% Legal & Regulatory

3% Macro & Political

Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.

Risk Change Over Time

2020

S&P500 Average

Sector Average

Risks removed

Risks added

Risks changed

Tenax Therapeutics Risk Factors

New Risk (0)

Risk Changed (0)

Risk Removed (0)

No changes from previous report

The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.

The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.

Risk Highlights Q3, 2021

Main Risk Category

Finance & Corporate

With 11 Risks

Finance & Corporate

With 11 Risks

Number of Disclosed Risks

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 31

Recent Changes

0Risks added

0Risks removed

0Risks changed

Since Sep 2021

0Risks added

0Risks removed

0Risks changed

Since Sep 2021

Number of Risk Changed

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

No changes from last report

S&P 500 Average: 3

See the risk highlights of Tenax Therapeutics in the last period.

Risk Word Cloud

The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 37

Finance & Corporate

Total Risks: 11/37 (30%)Above Sector Average

Share Price & Shareholder Rights4 | 10.8%

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1

The issuance of shares of our common stock upon conversion of outstanding Series B convertible preferred stock issued in connection with our acquisition of PHPM would result in substantial dilution to the interests of our other stockholders.

As part of the consideration for our acquisition of 100% of the equity of PHPM on January 15, 2021, or the PHPM Acquisition, we issued 10,232 shares of our Series B convertible preferred stock to the stockholders of PHPM. Those 10,232 shares of Series B convertible preferred stock are convertible into up to an aggregate of 10,232,000 shares of our common stock, except that 1,212,492 of the 10,232,000 issuable upon conversion of the Series B convertible preferred stock will be held back as security for certain indemnification obligations of PHPM and the former stockholders of PHPM. Each share of Series B convertible stock will automatically convert into (i) 881.5 shares of our common stock following receipt of the approval of our stockholders for the conversion of the Series B convertible preferred stock, and (ii) 118.5 shares of our common stock on January 15,2023, subject to reduction for indemnification claims. We are required to hold a meeting of our stockholders no later than July 31, 2021 for purposes of obtaining a stockholder vote on the conversion of the Series B convertible preferred stock. If stockholder approval is not obtained at such meeting, we must call a meeting every 90 days thereafter to seek stockholder approval for the conversion of the Series B convertible preferred stock until either stockholder approval for the conversion is obtained or the Series B convertible preferred stock is no longer outstanding. The issuance of shares of our common stock upon conversion of our outstanding Series B convertible preferred stock would result in substantial dilution to the interests of other stockholders.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2

Our share price has been volatile and may continue to be volatile which may subject us to securities class action litigation in the future.

Our stock price has in the past been, and is likely to be in the future, volatile. The stock market in general has experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. As a result of this volatility, our existing stockholders may not be able to sell their stock at a favorable price. The market price for our common stock may be influenced by many factors, including: - actual or anticipated fluctuations in our financial condition and operating results;- status and/or results of our clinical trials;- status of ongoing litigation;- results of clinical trials of our competitors' products;- regulatory actions with respect to our products or our competitors' products;- actions and decisions by our collaborators or partners;- actual or anticipated changes in our growth rate relative to our competitors;- actual or anticipated fluctuations in our competitors' operating results or changes in their growth rate;- competition from existing products or new products that may emerge;- issuance of new or updated research or reports by securities analysts;- fluctuations in the valuation of companies perceived by investors to be comparable to us;- share price and volume fluctuations attributable to inconsistent trading volume levels of our shares;- market conditions for biopharmaceutical stocks in general;- status of our search and selection of future management and leadership; and - general economic and market conditions, including as a result of pandemics, epidemics, or outbreaks of an infectious disease, such as COVID-19. Some companies that have had volatile market prices for their securities have had securities class action lawsuits filed against them. Such lawsuits, should they be filed against us in the future, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management's attention and resources. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3

Our failure to maintain compliance with Nasdaq's continued listing requirements could result in the delisting of our common stock.

Our common stock is currently listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market. In order to maintain this listing, we must satisfy minimum financial and other requirements. On April 24, 2020, we received a notification letter from Nasdaq's Listing Qualifications Department indicating that we were not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), because the minimum bid price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market closed below $1.00 per share for 30 consecutive business days. In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we would have had 180 calendar days to regain compliance with the minimum bid requirement; however, due to the market disruption caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Nasdaq tolled the requirement for meeting the minimum bid price until June 30, 2020. As such, we would have had 180 days from July 1, 2020, or until December 28, 2020, to achieve compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. To regain compliance, the closing bid price of our common stock had to meet or exceed $1.00 per share for at least ten consecutive business days before December 28, 2020. On June 2, 2020, we received a letter from Nasdaq notifying us that Nasdaq determined that our stock price had traded above at least $1.00 for at least 10 consecutive business days since the April 24, 2020 notice, and therefore, we had regained compliance with Nasdaq listing rule 5550(a)(2). While we intend to engage in efforts to maintain compliance, and thus maintain our listing, there can be no assurance that we will continue to meet all applicable Nasdaq Capital Market requirements in the future. In the event of future noncompliance, and if Nasdaq determines to delist our common stock, the delisting could substantially decrease trading in our common stock; adversely affect the market liquidity of our common stock as a result of the loss of market efficiencies associated with Nasdaq and the loss of federal preemption of state securities laws; adversely affect our ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms, if at all; and may result in the potential loss of confidence by investors, suppliers, customers, and employees and fewer business development opportunities. Additionally, the market price of our common stock may decline and stockholders may lose some or all of their investment.

Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4

Our bylaws contain an exclusive forum provision, which could limit our stockholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees, or agents.

Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, any North Carolina state court that has jurisdiction, or the Delaware Court of Chancery shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum any internal corporate claims, including without limitation (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of us to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case subject to said court having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants in such action. This provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the Securities Act, or any other claim for which federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. This exclusive forum provision may limit a stockholder's ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. If a court were to find the exclusive forum provision in our bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, which could harm our results of operations. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees.

Accounting & Financial Operations3 | 8.1%

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1

We have a limited operating history, and we expect a number of factors to cause our operating results to fluctuate on a quarterly and annual basis, which may make it difficult to predict our future performance.

Our operations, to date, have been primarily limited to organizing and staffing our company, licensing our technology from Orion and undertaking preclinical studies and clinical trials of our product candidates. We have not yet obtained regulatory approvals for any of our clinical product candidates. Consequently, any predictions you make about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer operating history. Specifically, our financial condition and operating results have varied significantly in the past and will continue to fluctuate from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year in the future due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. Factors relating to our business that may contribute to these fluctuations include the following factors, among others: - our ability to obtain additional funding to develop our product candidates, and any further product candidate which we may develop or in-license in the future;- the need to obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates;- potential risks related to any collaborations we may enter into for our product candidates;- delays in the commencement, enrollment and completion of clinical testing, as well as the analysis and reporting of results from such clinical testing;- the success of clinical trials of our product candidates;- any delays in regulatory review and approval of product candidates in development;- our ability to establish an effective sales and marketing infrastructure;- competition from existing products or new products that may emerge;- the ability to receive regulatory approval or commercialize our products;- potential side effects of our product candidates that could delay or prevent commercialization;- potential product liability claims and adverse events;- potential liabilities associated with hazardous materials;- our ability to maintain adequate insurance policies;- our dependency on third-party manufacturers to supply or manufacture our products;- our ability to establish or maintain collaborations, licensing or other arrangements;- our ability, our partners' abilities, and third parties' abilities to protect and assert intellectual property rights;- costs related to and outcomes of potential litigation;- compliance with obligations under intellectual property licenses with third parties;- our ability to adequately support future growth; and - our ability to attract and retain key personnel to manage our business effectively. Due to the various factors mentioned above, and others, the results of any prior quarterly or annual periods should not be relied upon as indications of our future operating performance.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2

We have incurred losses since our inception, expect to continue to incur losses in the foreseeable future, and may never become profitable.

We have incurred losses since inception. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we incurred net losses of $9.9 million and $8.4 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, we had an accumulated deficit of $246.0 million. We have funded our operations since September 1990 principally through the issuance of debt and equity securities and loans from stockholders. We will continue to incur losses until we generate sufficient revenue to offset our expenses, and we anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses for at least the next several years. We expect to incur additional expenses related to our development and potential commercialization of levosimendan for pulmonary hypertension and other potential indications, as well as identifying and developing other potential product candidates, and as a result, we will need to generate significant net product sales, royalty and other revenues to achieve profitability.

Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3

Our independent registered public accounting firm auditors' report includes an explanatory paragraph stating that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

As a result of our historical operating losses and expected future negative cash flows from operations, we have concluded that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Similarly, the report of our independent registered public accounting firm on our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K includes an explanatory paragraph indicating that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern may materially and adversely affect the price per share of our common stock and make it more difficult to obtain financing. Our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K have been prepared assuming we will continue as a going concern and do not include any adjustments that might result from uncertainty about our ability to continue as a going concern.

Debt & Financing3 | 8.1%

Debt & Financing - Risk 1

We may need additional funding and if we are unable to raise capital when needed, we would be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development programs.

Developing biopharmaceutical products, including conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials and establishing manufacturing capabilities, is expensive. We expect our research and development expenses to increase in connection with our ongoing activities. In addition, our expenses could increase beyond expectations if applicable regulatory authorities, including the FDA, require that we perform additional studies to those that we currently anticipate, in which case the timing of any potential product approval may be delayed. As of December 31, 2020, we had $6.7 million of cash and cash equivalents, including the fair value of our marketable securities on hand. Based on our current operating plans, we believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our projected operating requirements through the third quarter of calendar year 2021. We will need substantial additional capital in the future in order to complete the regulatory approval and commercialization of levosimendan and to fund the development and commercialization of future product candidates. Until we can generate a sufficient amount of product revenue, if ever, we expect to finance future cash needs through public or private equity offerings, debt financings or corporate collaboration and licensing arrangements. Such funding, if needed, may not be available on favorable terms, if at all. In the event we are unable to obtain additional capital, we may delay or reduce the scope of our current research and development programs and other expenses. If adequate funds are not available, we may also be required to eliminate one or more of our clinical trials, delaying approval of levosimendan or our commercialization efforts. To the extent that we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience additional significant dilution, and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants. To the extent that we raise additional funds through collaboration and licensing arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to our technologies or our product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. We may seek to access the public or private capital markets whenever conditions are favorable, even if we do not have an immediate need for additional capital at that time. We may also consider strategic alternatives, including a sale of our company, merger, other business combination or recapitalization. Our forecast of the period of time through which our financial resources will be adequate to support our operations is a forward-looking statement and involves risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary as a result of a number of factors, including the factors discussed elsewhere in this "Risk Factors" section. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to: - the scope, rate of progress and cost of our clinical trials and other research and development activities;- the costs and timing of regulatory approval;- the costs of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights;- the effect of competing technological and market developments;- the terms and timing of any collaboration, licensing or other arrangements that we may establish;- the cost and timing of completion of clinical and commercial-scale manufacturing activities; and - the costs of establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities for any product candidates for which we may receive regulatory approval.

Debt & Financing - Risk 2

Our PPP Loan may not be forgiven or may subject us to challenges and investigations regarding qualification for the loan.

On April 30, 2020, we received a Paycheck Protection Program loan, or PPP Loan, in the principal amount of $244,657 pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, as administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration, or SBA. The PPP Loan was disbursed by First Horizon Bank, or the Lender, matures in April 2022, and has an annual interest rate of 1.00%. Monthly principal and interest payments are deferred for sixteen months. Beginning September 30, 2021, the Company is required to make monthly payments of principal and interest of approximately $31,100 to the Lender. Pursuant to the terms of the CARES Act, we may apply for and be granted forgiveness for all or a portion of the PPP Loan. Such forgiveness will be determined, subject to limitations, based on the use of the loan proceeds for qualifying expenses, which include payroll costs, rent, and utility costs. We cannot provide any assurance that we will be eligible for loan forgiveness, that we will ultimately apply for forgiveness, or that any amount of the PPP Loan will ultimately be forgiven by the SBA. Additionally, the PPP Loan application required us to certify that the current economic uncertainty made the PPP Loan request necessary to support our ongoing operations. While we made this certification in good faith after analyzing, among other things, our financial situation and access to alternative forms of capital and believe that we satisfied all eligibility criteria for the PPP Loan and that our receipt of the PPP Loan is consistent with the broad objectives of the Paycheck Protection Program of the CARES Act, the certification described above does not contain any objective criteria and is subject to interpretation. In addition, the SBA has stated that it is unlikely that a public company with substantial market value and access to capital markets will be able to make the required certification in good faith. The lack of clarity regarding loan eligibility under the program has resulted in significant media coverage and controversy with respect to public companies applying for and receiving loans. If, despite our good faith belief that we satisfied all eligibility requirements for the PPP Loan, we are found to have been ineligible to receive the PPP Loan or in violation of any of the laws or regulations that apply to us in connection with the PPP Loan, including the False Claims Act, we may be subject to penalties, including significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties and could be required to repay the PPP Loan. In the event that we seek forgiveness of all or a portion of the PPP Loan, we will also be required to make certain certifications which will be subject to audit and review by governmental entities and could subject us to significant penalties and liabilities if found to be inaccurate. In addition, our receipt of the PPP Loan may result in adverse publicity and damage to our reputation, and a review or audit by the SBA or other government entity or claims under the False Claims Act could consume significant financial and management resources. Any of these events could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Debt & Financing - Risk 3

We are likely to attempt to raise additional capital through issuances of debt or equity securities, which may cause our stock price to decline, dilute the ownership interests of our existing stockholders, and/or limit our financial flexibility.

Historically we have financed our operations through the issuance of equity securities and debt financings, and we expect to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. As of December 31, 2020, we had $6.7 million of cash and cash equivalents, including the fair value of our marketable securities on hand. Based on our current operating plans, we believe our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our projected operating requirements through the third quarter of calendar year 2021. To the extent that we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience significant dilution of their ownership interests. Debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants that limit our financial flexibility or otherwise restrict our ability to pursue our business strategies. Additionally, if we issue shares of common stock, or securities convertible or exchangeable for common stock, the market price of our existing common stock may decline. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining any additional capital resources in a timely manner, on favorable terms, or at all.

Corporate Activity and Growth1 | 2.7%

Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1

Any collaboration we enter with third parties to develop and commercialize any future product candidates may place the development of our product candidates outside our control, may require us to relinquish important rights or may otherwise be on terms unfavorable to us.

We may enter into collaborations with third parties to develop and commercialize future product candidates. Our dependence on future partners for development and commercialization of our product candidates would subject us to a number of risks, including the following: - we may not be able to control the amount and timing of resources that our partners may devote to the development or commercialization of our product candidates or to their marketing and distribution;- partners may delay clinical trials, provide insufficient funding for a clinical trial program, stop a clinical trial or abandon a product candidate, repeat or conduct new clinical trials or require a new formulation of a product candidate for clinical testing;- disputes may arise between us and our partners that result in the delay or termination of the research, development or commercialization of our product candidates or that result in costly litigation or arbitration that diverts management's attention and resources;- partners may experience financial difficulties;- partners may not properly maintain or defend our intellectual property rights, or may use our proprietary information, in such a way as to invite litigation that could jeopardize or invalidate our intellectual property rights or proprietary information or expose us to potential litigation;- business combinations or significant changes in a partner's business strategy may adversely affect a partner's willingness or ability to meet its obligations under any arrangement;- a partner could independently move forward with a competing product candidate developed either independently or in collaboration with others, including our competitors; and - the collaborations with our partners may be terminated or allowed to expire, which would delay the development and may increase the cost of developing our product candidates.

Tech & Innovation

Total Risks: 10/37 (27%)Above Sector Average

Innovation / R&D4 | 10.8%

Innovation / R&D - Risk 1

Delays in the enrollment and completion of clinical testing could result in increased costs to us and delay or limit our ability to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates.

Delays in the enrollment and completion of clinical testing could significantly affect our ability to gain FDA approval of current product candidates and could significantly increase our future product development costs. The completion of clinical trials requires us to identify and maintain a sufficient number of trial sites, many of which may already be engaged in other clinical trial programs for the same indication as our product candidates or may be required to withdraw from our clinical trial as a result of changing standards of care or may become ineligible to participate in clinical studies. The enrollment and completion of clinical trials can be delayed for a variety of other reasons, including delays related to: - reaching agreements on acceptable terms with prospective trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among trial sites;- obtaining institutional review board, or IRB, approval to conduct a clinical trial at numerous prospective sites;- recruiting and enrolling patients to participate in clinical trials for a variety of reasons, including meeting the enrollment criteria for our study and competition from other clinical trial programs for the same indication as our product candidates;- maintaining and supplying clinical trial material on a timely basis; and - collecting, analyzing and reporting final data from the clinical trials. In addition, a clinical trial may be suspended or terminated by us, the FDA or other regulatory authorities due to a number of factors, including: - failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols;- inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial sites by the FDA or other regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold;- unforeseen safety issues or any determination that a trial presents unacceptable health risks; and - lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial, including unforeseen costs due to enrollment delays, requirements to conduct additional trials and studies and increased expenses associated with the services of our CROs and other third parties. Changes in regulatory requirements and guidance may occur and we may need to amend clinical trial protocols to reflect these changes with appropriate regulatory authorities. Amendments may require us to resubmit our clinical trial protocols to IRBs for re-examination, which may impact the costs, timing or successful completion of a clinical trial. If we experience delays in the completion of, or if we terminate, our clinical trials, the commercial prospects for our product candidates will be harmed, and our ability to generate product revenues will be delayed. In addition, many of the factors that cause, or lead to, a delay in the commencement or completion of clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of a product candidate. Even if we are able to ultimately commercialize our product candidates, other therapies for the same or similar indications may have been introduced to the market and established a competitive advantage.

Innovation / R&D - Risk 2

We are limited in the number of products we can simultaneously pursue and therefore our survival depends on our success with a small number of product opportunities.

We have limited financial resources, so at present we are primarily focusing these resources on developing levosimendan for the treatment of PH-HFpEF and imatinib for the treatment of PAH, in addition to exploring strategic alternatives in order to maximize stockholder value. At present, we intend to commit most of our resources to advancing our existing product candidates to the point they receive regulatory approval for the treatment of various pulmonary hypertension indications. If as a consequence of the results of our planned Phase 3 trials, or the results of prior clinical trials performed using levosimendan or imatinib, we are unable to receive regulatory approval of one or both of our existing product candidates, then we may not have resources to pursue development of any other products and our business could terminate.

Innovation / R&D - Risk 3

The development of our product candidates is subject to a high level of technological risk.

We have devoted, and will continue to devote, a substantial portion of our financial and managerial resources to pursue Phase 3 clinical trials for our product candidates. The biomedical field has undergone rapid and significant technological changes. Technological developments may result in our products becoming obsolete or non-competitive before we are able to recover any portion of the research and development and other expenses we have incurred to develop and clinically test levosimendan. As our opportunity to generate substantial product revenues within the next three to four years is most likely dependent on successful testing and commercialization of levosimendan for pulmonary hypertension, any such occurrence would have a material adverse effect on our operations and could result in the cessation of our business.

Innovation / R&D - Risk 4

We are required to conduct additional clinical trials in the future, which are expensive and time consuming, and the outcome of the trials is uncertain.

We expect to commit a substantial portion of our financial and business resources over the next three years to clinical testing of our product candidates and advancing these products to regulatory approval for use in one or more medical applications. All of these clinical trials and testing will be expensive and time consuming and the timing of the regulatory review process is uncertain. The applicable regulatory agencies may suspend clinical trials at any time if they believe that the subjects participating in such trials are being exposed to unacceptable health risks. We cannot assure you that we will be able to complete our clinical trials successfully or obtain FDA or other governmental or regulatory approval of our product candidates, or that such approval, if obtained, will not include limitations on the indicated uses for which our product candidiates may be marketed. Our business, financial condition and results of operations are critically dependent on obtaining capital to advance our testing program and receiving FDA and other governmental and regulatory approvals of our products. A significant delay in or failure of our planned clinical trials or a failure to achieve these approvals would have a material adverse effect on us and could result in major setbacks or jeopardize our ability to continue as a going concern.

Trade Secrets4 | 10.8%

Trade Secrets - Risk 1

We may infringe or be alleged to infringe intellectual property rights of third parties.

Our products or product candidates may infringe on, or be accused of infringing on, one or more claims of an issued patent or may fall within the scope of one or more claims in a published patent application that may be subsequently issued and to which we do not hold a license or other rights. Third parties may own or control these patents or patent applications in the United States and abroad. These third parties could bring claims against us or our collaborators that would cause us to incur substantial expenses and, if successful against us, could cause us to pay substantial damages. Further, if a patent infringement suit were brought against us or our collaborators, we or they could be forced to stop or delay research, development, manufacturing or sales of the product or product candidate that is the subject of the suit. If we are found to infringe the patent rights of a third party, or in order to avoid potential claims, we or our collaborators may choose or be required to seek a license from a third party and be required to pay license fees or royalties or both. These licenses may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Even if we or our collaborators were able to obtain a license, the rights may be nonexclusive, which could result in our competitors gaining access to the same intellectual property. Ultimately, we could be prevented from commercializing a product, or be forced to cease some aspect of our business operations, if, as a result of actual or threatened patent infringement claims, we or our collaborators are unable to enter into licenses on acceptable terms. There have been substantial litigation and other proceedings regarding patent and other intellectual property rights in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. In addition to infringement claims against us, we may become a party to other patent litigation and other proceedings, including interference proceedings declared by the USPTO and opposition proceedings in the European Patent Office, regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our products. Our products, after commercial launch, may become subject to Paragraph IV certification under the Hatch-Waxman Act, thus forcing us to initiate infringement proceedings against such third-party filers. The cost to us of any patent litigation or other proceeding, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their substantially greater financial resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete in the marketplace. Patent litigation and other proceedings may also absorb significant management time. Many of our employees were previously employed at universities or other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. We try to ensure that our employees do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us. We may, however, be subject to claims that we or these employees have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed intellectual property, trade secrets or other proprietary information of any such employee's former employer. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims and, even if we are successful in defending ourselves, could result in substantial costs to us or be distracting to our management. If we fail to defend any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel.

Trade Secrets - Risk 2

It is difficult and costly to protect our proprietary rights, and we may not be able to ensure their protection.

Our commercial success will depend in part on obtaining and maintaining patent protection and trade secret protection of our future product candidates, if any, and the methods used to manufacture them, as well as successfully defending these patents against third-party challenges. Our ability to stop third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing our products is dependent upon the extent to which we have rights under valid and enforceable patents or trade secrets that cover these activities. We license certain intellectual property from Orion that covers our product candidate levosimendan. The principal United States patents that we license from Orion expired in September 2020. We rely on Orion to file, prosecute and maintain patent applications and otherwise protect the intellectual property to which we have a license, and we have not had and do not have primary control over these activities for certain of these patents or patent applications and other intellectual property rights. We cannot be certain that such activities by third parties have been or will be conducted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or will result in valid and enforceable patents and other intellectual property rights. Our enforcement of certain of these licensed patents or defense of any claims asserting the invalidity of these patents would also be subject to the cooperation of the third parties. The patent positions of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies can be highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions for which important legal principles remain unresolved. No consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims allowed in biopharmaceutical patents has emerged to date in the United States. The biopharmaceutical patent situation outside the United States is even more uncertain. Changes in either the patent laws or in interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property. Accordingly, we cannot predict the breadth of claims that may be allowed or enforced in the patents we own or to which we have a license from a third party. Further, if any of our patents are deemed invalid and unenforceable, it could impact our ability to commercialize or license our technology. The degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain because legal means afford only limited protection and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep our competitive advantage. For example: - others may be able to make compositions or formulations that are similar to our product candidates but that are not covered by the claims of our patents;- we might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by our issued patents or pending patent applications;- we might not have been the first to file patent applications for these inventions;- others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or duplicate any of our technologies;- it is possible that our pending patent applications will not result in issued patents;- our issued patents may not provide us with any competitive advantages, or may be held invalid or unenforceable as a result of legal challenges by third parties;- we may not develop additional proprietary technologies that are patentable; or - the patents of others may have an adverse effect on our business. We also may rely on trade secrets to protect our technology, especially where we do not believe patent protection is appropriate or obtainable. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. Although we use reasonable efforts to protect our trade secrets, our employees, consultants, contractors, outside scientific collaborators and other advisors may unintentionally or willfully disclose our information to competitors. Enforcing a claim that a third party illegally obtained and is using any of our trade secrets is expensive and time consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, courts outside the United States are sometimes less willing to protect trade secrets. Moreover, our competitors may independently develop equivalent knowledge, methods and know-how.

Trade Secrets - Risk 3

We rely on confidentiality agreements that, if breached, may be difficult to enforce and could have a material adverse effect on our business and competitive position.

Our policy is to enter into agreements relating to the non-disclosure and non-use of confidential information with third parties, including our contractors, consultants, advisors and research collaborators, as well as agreements that purport to require the disclosure and assignment to us of the rights to the ideas, developments, discoveries and inventions of our employees and consultants while we employ them. However, these agreements can be difficult and costly to enforce. Moreover, to the extent that our contractors, consultants, advisors and research collaborators apply or independently develop intellectual property in connection with any of our projects, disputes may arise as to the proprietary rights to the intellectual property. If a dispute arises, a court may determine that the right belongs to a third party, and enforcement of our rights can be costly and unpredictable. In addition, we rely on trade secrets and proprietary know-how that we seek to protect in part by confidentiality agreements with our employees, contractors, consultants, advisors or others. Despite the protective measures we employ, we still face the risk that: - these agreements may be breached;- these agreements may not provide adequate remedies for the applicable type of breach; or - our trade secrets or proprietary know-how will otherwise become known. Any breach of our confidentiality agreements or our failure to effectively enforce such agreements would have a material adverse effect on our business and competitive position.

Trade Secrets - Risk 4

We may incur substantial costs as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to patent and other intellectual property rights and we may be unable to protect our rights to, or use, our technology.

If we or our partners choose to go to court to stop someone else from using the inventions claimed in our patents, that individual or company has the right to ask the court to rule that these patents are invalid and/or should not be enforced against that third party. These lawsuits are expensive and would consume time and other resources even if we were successful in stopping the infringement of these patents. In addition, there is a risk that the court will decide that these patents are not valid and that we do not have the right to stop the other party from using the inventions. There is also the risk that, even if the validity of these patents is upheld, the court will refuse to stop the other party on the ground that such other party's activities do not infringe our rights to these patents. Furthermore, a third party may claim that we or our manufacturing or commercialization partners are using inventions covered by the third party's patent rights and may go to court to stop us from engaging in our normal operations and activities, including making or selling our product candidates. These lawsuits are costly and could affect our results of operations and divert the attention of managerial and technical personnel. There is a risk that a court would decide that we or our commercialization partners are infringing the third party's patents and would order us or our partners to stop the activities covered by the patents. In addition, there is a risk that a court will order us or our partners to pay the other party damages for having violated the other party's patents. We have agreed to indemnify certain of our commercial partners against certain patent infringement claims brought by third parties. The biotechnology industry has produced a proliferation of patents, and it is not always clear to industry participants, including us, which patents cover various types of products or methods of use. The coverage of patents is subject to interpretation by the courts, and the interpretation is not always uniform. If we are sued for patent infringement, we would need to demonstrate that our products or methods of use either do not infringe the patent claims of the relevant patent and/or that the patent claims are invalid, and we may not be able to do this. Proving invalidity, in particular, is difficult since it requires a showing of clear and convincing evidence to overcome the presumption of validity enjoyed by issued patents. Because some patent applications in the United States may be maintained in secrecy until the patents are issued, because patent applications in the United States and many foreign jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing and because publications in the scientific literature often lag behind actual discoveries, we cannot be certain that others have not filed patent applications for technology covered by our issued patents or our pending applications, or that we were the first to invent the technology. Our competitors may have filed, and may in the future file, patent applications covering technology similar to ours. Any such patent application may have priority over our patent applications or patents, which could further require us to obtain rights to issued patents by others covering such technologies. If another party has filed a U.S. patent application on inventions similar to ours, we may have to participate in an interference proceeding declared by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, to determine priority of invention in the United States. The costs of these proceedings could be substantial, and it is possible that such efforts would be unsuccessful if, unbeknownst to us, the other party had independently arrived at the same or similar invention prior to our own invention, resulting in a loss of our U.S. patent position with respect to such inventions. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our operations.

Cyber Security1 | 2.7%

Cyber Security - Risk 1

We have a significant securityholder, which could exert substantial influence over our business.

As of March 25, 2021, to our knowledge, Armistice Capital, LLC, or Armistice, held 2,019,995 shares of our common stock, warrants to purchase up to 2,072,538 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $1.93 per share, warrants to purchase up to 2,360,313 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $1.04 per share, warrants to purchase up to 7,783,616 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $0.903 per share, and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 5,260,005 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $0.0001 per share. In addition, two members of our Board of Directors are affiliates of Armistice. Under the terms of the warrants and pre-funded warrants issued to Armistice, Armistice is not permitted to exercise such warrants to the extent that such exercise would result in Armistice (and its affiliates) beneficially owning more than 19.99% (or 4.99% in the case of the warrants with the $1.04 and $1.93 exercise prices per share) of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants. After giving effect to the beneficial ownership limitations currently in effect with respect to the warrants and pre-funded warrants held by Armistice to our knowledge, as of March 25, 2021, Armistice beneficially owned 19.99% of our outstanding common stock. If the warrants and pre-funded warrants held by Armistice could be exercised without the beneficial ownership limitations, then as of March 25, 2021, Armistice would have beneficially owned 60.09% of our common stock. Although there are contractual limitations on the beneficial ownership of Armistice, if Armistice were to exercise its warrants for common stock, it could be able to exert substantial influence over our business, including, for example, the ability to delay, defer or prevent a change of control, entrench our management and our Board of Directors or delay or prevent a merger, consolidation or other business combination.

Technology1 | 2.7%

Technology - Risk 1

Our business and operations would suffer in the event of computer system failures, cyber-attacks or deficiencies in our cyber-security.

Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal computer systems, and those of third parties on which we rely, are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, malware, natural disasters, terrorism, war, telecommunication and electrical failures, cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusions over the Internet, attachments to emails, persons inside our organization, or persons with access to systems inside our organization. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments, and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. If such an event were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material disruption of our product development programs. For example, the loss of clinical trial data from completed or ongoing or planned clinical trials could result in delays in our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or reproduce the data. To the extent that any disruption or security breach was to result in a loss of or damage to our data or applications, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur material legal claims and liability, and damage to our reputation, and the further development of our product candidates could be delayed. Our disclosure controls and procedures address cybersecurity and include elements intended to ensure that there is an analysis of potential disclosure obligations arising from security breaches. We also maintain compliance programs to address the potential applicability of restrictions against trading while in possession of material, nonpublic information generally and in connection with a cyber-security breach. However, a breakdown in existing controls and procedures around our cyber-security environment may prevent us from detecting, reporting or responding to cyber incidents in a timely manner and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and value of our stock.

Production

Total Risks: 6/37 (16%)Above Sector Average

Manufacturing1 | 2.7%

Manufacturing - Risk 1

We must continually monitor the safety of our products once approved and marketed for signs that their use may elicit serious and unexpected side effects and adverse events, which could jeopardize our ability to continue marketing the products. We may also be required to conduct post-approval clinical studies as a condition to licensing a product.

As with all pharmaceutical products, the use of our products could sometimes produce undesirable side effects or adverse reactions or events (referred to cumulatively as adverse events). For the most part, we would expect these adverse events to be known and occur at some predicted frequency. When adverse events are reported to us, we will be required to investigate each event and circumstances surrounding it to determine whether it was caused by our product and whether it implies that a previously unrecognized safety issue exists. We will also be required to periodically report summaries of these events to the applicable regulatory authorities. In addition, the use of our products could be associated with serious and unexpected adverse events, or with less serious reactions at a greater than expected frequency. This may be especially true when our products are used in critically ill or otherwise compromised patient populations. When these unexpected events are reported to us, we will be required to make a thorough investigation to determine causality and implications for product safety. These events must also be specifically reported to the applicable regulatory authorities. If our evaluation concludes, or regulatory authorities perceive, that there is an unreasonable risk associated with the product, we would be obligated to withdraw the impacted lot(s) of that product. Furthermore, an unexpected adverse event of a new product could be recognized only after extensive use of the product, which could expose us to product liability risks, enforcement action by regulatory authorities and damage to our reputation and public image. A serious adverse finding concerning the risk of our products by any regulatory authority could adversely affect our reputation, business and financial results. When a new product is approved, the FDA or other regulatory authorities may require post-approval clinical trials, sometimes called Phase 4 clinical trials. If the results of such trials are unfavorable, this could result in the loss of the license to market the product, with a resulting loss of sales.

Employment / Personnel2 | 5.4%

Employment / Personnel - Risk 1

We depend on the services of a limited number of key personnel.

Our success is highly dependent on the continued services of a limited number of scientists and support personnel. The loss of any of these individuals could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, our success will depend, among other factors, on the recruitment and retention of additional highly skilled and experienced management and technical personnel. There is a risk that we will not be able to retain existing employees or to attract and retain additional skilled personnel on acceptable terms given the competition for such personnel among numerous large and well-funded pharmaceutical and health care companies, universities, and non-profit research institutions, which could negatively affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Employment / Personnel - Risk 2

Under current law, we may not be able to enforce all employees' covenants not to compete and therefore may be unable to prevent our competitors from benefiting from the expertise of some of our former employees.

We have entered into non-competition agreements with certain of our employees. These agreements prohibit our employees, if they cease working for us, from competing directly with us or working for our competitors for a limited period. Under current law, we may be unable to enforce these agreements against certain of our employees and it may be difficult for us to restrict our competitors from gaining the expertise our former employees gained while working for us. If we cannot enforce our employees' non-compete agreements, we may be unable to prevent our competitors from benefiting from the expertise of our former employees.

Supply Chain3 | 8.1%

Supply Chain - Risk 1

Uncertainty of third-party reimbursement could affect our future results of operations.

Sales of medical products largely depend on the reimbursement of patients' medical expenses by governmental health care programs and private health insurers. We will be required to report detailed pricing information, net of included discounts, rebates and other concessions, to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, for the purpose of calculating national reimbursement levels, certain federal prices, and certain federal rebate obligations. If we report pricing information that is not accurate to the federal government, we could be subject to fines and other sanctions that could adversely affect our business. In addition, the government could change its calculation of reimbursement, federal prices, or federal rebate obligations which could negatively impact us. There is no guarantee that government health care programs or private health insurers will reimburse for the sales of our products or permit us to sell our products at high enough prices to generate a profit.

Supply Chain - Risk 2

Our collaborations with outside scientists and consultants may be subject to restriction and change.

We work with chemists, biologists and other scientists at academic and other institutions, and consultants who assist us in our research, development, regulatory and commercial efforts, including the members of our scientific advisory board. These scientists and consultants have provided, and we expect that they will continue to provide, valuable advice on our programs. These scientists and consultants are not our employees, may have other commitments that would limit their future availability to us and typically will not enter into non-compete agreements with us. If a conflict of interest arises between their work for us and their work for another entity, we may lose their services. In addition, we will be unable to prevent them from establishing competing businesses or developing competing products. For example, if a key scientist acting as a principal investigator in any of our clinical trials identifies a potential product or compound that is more scientifically interesting to his or her professional interests, his or her availability to remain involved in our clinical trials could be restricted or eliminated.

Supply Chain - Risk 3

We depend on third parties to manufacture our products.

We do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities for the commercial-scale production of our products. Pursuant to the terms of our license for levosimendan, Orion is our sole manufacturing source for levosimendan. Accordingly, our business is susceptible to disruption, and our results of operations can be adversely affected, by any disruption in supply or other adverse developments in our relationship with Orion. If supply from Orion is delayed or terminated, or if its facilities suffer any damage or disruption, we may need to successfully qualify an alternative supplier in a timely manner in order to not disrupt our business. If we cannot obtain an alternate manufacturer in a timely manner, we would experience a significant interruption in supply of levosimendan, which could negatively affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Ability to Sell

Total Risks: 5/37 (14%)Above Sector Average

Demand2 | 5.4%

Demand - Risk 1

Health care reform and controls on health care spending may limit the price we can charge for our products and the amount we can sell.

As a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, collectively, the ACA, enacted in March 2010, substantial changes have occurred and are expected to continue to occur in the system for paying for health care in the United States, including changes made in order to extend medical benefits to those who currently lack insurance coverage. This comprehensive health care reform legislation also included provisions to control health care costs and improve health care quality. Together with ongoing statutory and budgetary policy developments at a federal level, this health care reform legislation could include changes in Medicare and Medicaid payment policies and other health care delivery administrative reforms that could potentially negatively impact our business. Because not all the administrative rules implementing health care reform under the legislation have been finalized, and because of ongoing federal fiscal budgetary pressures not yet resolved for federal health programs, the full impact of the ACA and of further statutory actions to reform healthcare payment on our business is unknown, but there can be no assurances that health care reform legislation will not adversely impact either our operational results or the manner in which we operate our business. There have been judicial and Congressional challenges to the ACA and there may be additional challenges and amendments to the ACA in the future. We expect that the ACA, as well as other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and lower reimbursement, and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. Cost of care could be reduced by reducing the level of reimbursement for medical services or products (including those biopharmaceuticals that we intend to produce and market), or by restricting coverage (and, thereby, utilization) of medical services or products. In either case, a reduction in the utilization of, or reimbursement for, our products could have a materially adverse impact on our financial performance. Moreover, recently there has been heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their commercial products. We cannot predict what healthcare reform initiatives may be adopted in the future.

Demand - Risk 2

The market may not accept our products.

Even if regulatory approval is obtained, there is a risk that the efficacy and pricing of our products, considered in relation to our products' expected benefits, will not be perceived by health care providers and third-party payers as cost-effective, and that the price of our products will not be competitive with other new technologies or products. Our results of operations may be adversely affected if the price of our products is not considered cost-effective or if our products do not otherwise achieve market acceptance.

Sales & Marketing3 | 8.1%

Sales & Marketing - Risk 1

We currently have no approved drug products for sale, and we cannot guarantee that we will ever have marketable drug products.

We currently have no approved drug products for sale. The research, testing, manufacturing, labeling, approval, selling, marketing, and distribution of drug products are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory authorities in the United States and other countries, with regulations differing from country to country. We are not permitted to market our product candidates in the United States until we receive approval of a New Drug Application, or NDA, from the FDA for each product candidate. We have not submitted an NDA or received marketing approval for any of our product candidates, and obtaining approval of an NDA is a lengthy, expensive and uncertain process. In addition, markets outside of the United States also have requirements for approval of drug candidates which we must comply with prior to marketing. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee that we will ever have marketable drug products. Prior to obtaining approval to commercialize a product candidate in the United States or abroad, we or our collaborators must demonstrate with substantial evidence from well-controlled clinical trials, and to the satisfaction of the FDA, that such product candidates are safe and effective for their intended uses. Results from preclinical studies and clinical trials can be interpreted in different ways. Even if we believe the preclinical or clinical data for our product candidates are promising, such data may not be sufficient to support approval by the FDA and other regulatory authorities. Additionally, the FDA may also require us to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials for our product candidates either prior to or post-approval, or it may object to elements of our clinical development program.

Sales & Marketing - Risk 2

We have no experience in the sale and marketing of medical products.

We have no experience in the sale and marketing of approved medical products and marketing the licensing of such products before FDA or other regulatory approval. We have not decided upon a commercialization strategy in these areas. We do not know of any third party that is prepared to distribute our products should they be approved. If we decide to establish our own commercialization capability, we will need to recruit, train and retain a marketing staff and sales force with sufficient technical expertise. We do not know whether we can establish a commercialization program at a cost that is acceptable in relation to revenue or whether we can be successful in commercializing our product. Factors that may inhibit our efforts to commercialize our products directly and without strategic partners include: - our inability to recruit and retain adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel;- the inability of sales personnel to obtain access to or persuade adequate numbers of physicians to prescribe our products;- the lack of complementary products to be offered by sales personnel, which may put us at a competitive disadvantage relative to companies with more extensive product lines; and - unforeseen costs and expenses associated with creating and sustaining an independent sales and marketing organization. Failure to successfully commercialize our products or to do so on a cost-effective basis would likely result in failure of our business.

Sales & Marketing - Risk 3

We may enter into distribution arrangements and marketing alliances for certain products and any failure to successfully identify and implement these arrangements on favorable terms, if at all, may impair our ability to commercialize our product candidates.

We do not anticipate having the resources in the foreseeable future to develop sales and marketing capabilities for all of the products we develop, if any. We may pursue arrangements regarding the sales and marketing and distribution of one or more of our product candidates and our future revenues may depend, in part, on our ability to enter into and maintain arrangements with other companies having sales, marketing and distribution capabilities and the ability of such companies to successfully market and sell any such products. Any failure to enter into such arrangements and marketing alliances on favorable terms, if at all, could delay or impair our ability to commercialize our product candidates and could increase our costs of commercialization. Any use of distribution arrangements and marketing alliances to commercialize our product candidates will subject us to a number of risks, including the following: - we may be required to relinquish important rights to our products or product candidates;- we may not be able to control the amount and timing of resources that our distributors or collaborators may devote to the commercialization of our product candidates;- our distributors or collaborators may experience financial difficulties;- our distributors or collaborators may not devote sufficient time to the marketing and sales of our products; and - business combinations or significant changes in a collaborator's business strategy may adversely affect a collaborator's willingness or ability to complete its obligations under any arrangement. We may need to enter into additional co-promotion arrangements with third parties where our own sales force is neither well situated nor large enough to achieve maximum penetration in the market. We may not be successful in entering into any co-promotion arrangements, and the terms of any co-promotion arrangements we enter into may not be favorable to us.

Legal & Regulatory

Total Risks: 4/37 (11%)Below Sector Average

Regulation3 | 8.1%

Regulation - Risk 1

Our activities are and will continue to be subject to extensive government regulation, which is expensive and time consuming, and we will not be able to sell our products without regulatory approval.

Our development, marketing and distribution of levosimendan is, and will continue to be, subject to extensive regulation, monitoring and approval by the FDA and other regulatory agencies. There are significant risks at each stage of the regulatory scheme. Product approval stage During the product approval stage, we attempt to prove the safety and efficacy of our product for its indicated uses. There are numerous problems that could arise during this stage, including: - the data obtained from laboratory testing and clinical trials are susceptible to varying interpretations, which could delay, limit or prevent FDA and other regulatory approvals;- adverse events could cause the FDA and other regulatory authorities to halt trials;- at any time, the FDA and other regulatory agencies could change policies and regulations that could result in delay and perhaps rejection of our products;- if a prolonged government shutdown occurs, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions; and - even after extensive testing and clinical trials, there is no assurance that regulatory approval will ever be obtained for any of our products. Post-commercialization stage Discovery of previously unknown problems with our products, or unanticipated problems with our manufacturing arrangements, even after FDA and other regulatory approvals of our products for commercial sale may result in the imposition of significant restrictions, including withdrawal of the product from the market. Additional laws and regulations may also be enacted that could prevent or delay regulatory approval of our products, including laws or regulations relating to the price or cost-effectiveness of medical products. Any delay or failure to achieve regulatory approval of commercial sales of our products is likely to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The FDA and other regulatory agencies continue to review products even after they receive agency approval. If and when the FDA or another regulatory agency outside the United States approves one of our products, its manufacture and marketing will be subject to ongoing regulation, which could include compliance with current good manufacturing practices, adverse event reporting requirements and general prohibitions against promoting products for unapproved or "off-label" uses. We are also subject to inspection and market surveillance by the FDA for compliance with these and other requirements. Any enforcement action resulting from failure, even by inadvertence, to comply with these requirements could affect the manufacture and marketing of levosimendan or our other products. In addition, the FDA or other regulatory agencies could withdraw a previously approved product from the market upon receipt of newly discovered information. The FDA or another regulatory agency could also require us to conduct additional, and potentially expensive, studies in areas outside our approved indicated uses.

Regulation - Risk 2

After our products are commercialized, we expect to spend considerable time and money complying with federal and state laws and regulations governing their sale, and, if we are unable to fully comply with such laws and regulations, we could face substantial penalties.

Health care providers, physicians and others will play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of our clinical products. Our arrangements with third-party payers and customers may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other health care laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we will market, sell and distribute our products. Applicable federal and state health care laws and regulations are expected to include, but not be limited to, the following: - the federal anti-kickback statute is a criminal statute that makes it a felony for individuals or entities knowingly and willfully to offer or pay, or to solicit or receive, direct or indirect remuneration, in order to induce the purchase, order, lease, or recommending of items or services, or the referral of patients for services, that are reimbursed under a federal health care program, including Medicare and Medicaid;- the federal False Claims Act imposes liability on any person who knowingly submits, or causes another person or entity to submit, a false claim for payment of government funds, with penalties that include three times the government's damages plus civil penalties for each false claim; in addition, the False Claims Act permits a person with knowledge of fraud, referred to as a qui tam plaintiff, to file a lawsuit on behalf of the government against the person or business that committed the fraud, and, if the action is successful, the qui tam plaintiff is rewarded with a percentage of the recovery;- the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act imposes obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information;- the Social Security Act contains numerous provisions allowing the imposition of a civil monetary penalty, a monetary assessment, exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, or some combination of these penalties; and - many states have analogous state laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which, in some cases, impose more strict requirements than the federal laws and may require pharmaceutical companies to comply with certain price reporting and other compliance requirements. Our failure to comply with any of these federal and state health care laws and regulations, or health care laws in foreign jurisdictions, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, result of operations and cash flows.

Regulation - Risk 3

Governments outside the United States tend to impose strict price controls and reimbursement approval policies, which may adversely affect our prospects for generating revenue outside the United States.

Although we only have distribution rights in the United States and Canada for levosimendan, in some countries, particularly European Union countries and Canada, the pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is subject to governmental control. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after the receipt of marketing approval for a product. In addition, there can be considerable pressure by governments and other stakeholders on prices and reimbursement levels, including as part of cost containment measures. Political, economic and regulatory developments may further complicate pricing negotiations, and pricing negotiations may continue after reimbursement has been obtained. To obtain or maintain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries with respect to any product candidate that achieves regulatory approval, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of our product candidate to other available therapies. If reimbursement of our products upon approval, if at all, is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, our prospects for generating revenue, if any, could be adversely affected which would have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Further, if we achieve regulatory approval of any product, we must successfully negotiate product pricing for such product in individual countries. As a result, the pricing of our products, if approved, in different countries may vary widely, thus creating the potential for third-party trade in our products in an attempt to exploit price differences between countries. This third-party trade of our products could undermine our sales in markets with higher prices.

Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 2.7%

Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1

Product liability lawsuits against us could cause us to incur substantial liabilities, limit sales of our existing products and limit commercialization of any products that we may develop.

Our business exposes us to the risk of product liability claims that are inherent in the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of biotechnology products. We face an inherent risk of product liability exposure related to the testing of our product candidates in human clinical trials and an even greater risk when we commercially sell any products. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against claims that our product candidates or products caused injuries, we could incur substantial liabilities. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in: - decreased demand for our products and any product candidates that we may develop;- injury to our reputation;- withdrawal of clinical trial participants;- costs to defend the related litigation;- substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients;- loss of revenue; and - the inability to commercialize any products that we may develop. We currently maintain limited product liability insurance coverage for our clinical trials in the total amount of $3 million. However, our profitability will be adversely affected by a successful product liability claim in excess of our insurance coverage. There can be no assurance that product liability insurance will be available in the future or be available on reasonable terms.

Macro & Political

Total Risks: 1/37 (3%)Below Sector Average

Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 2.7%

Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1

A pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak of an infectious disease, such as COVID-19, or coronavirus, may materially and adversely affect our business and our financial results.

The spread of COVID-19 has affected segments of the global economy and may affect our operations, including the potential interruption of our clinical trial activities and our supply chain. The continued spread of COVID-19 may result in a period of business disruption, including delays in our clinical trials or delays or disruptions in our supply chain. In addition, there could be a potential effect of COVID-19 to the business at FDA or other health authorities, which could result in delays of reviews and approvals, including with respect to our product candidates. The continued spread of COVID-19 globally could adversely affect our clinical trial operations in the United States and elsewhere, including our ability to recruit and retain patients and principal investigators and site staff who, as healthcare providers, may have heightened exposure to COVID-19 if an outbreak occurs in their geography. Further, some patients may be unable to comply with clinical trial protocols if quarantines or travel restrictions impede patient movement or interrupt healthcare services, or if the patients become infected with COVID-19 themselves, which would delay our ability to initiate and/or complete planned clinical and preclinical studies in the future. COVID-19 may also affect employees of third-party clinical research organizations, or CROs, located in affected geographies that we rely upon to carry out our clinical trials, which could result in inefficiencies due to reductions in staff and disruptions to work environments. The spread of COVID-19, or another infectious disease, could also negatively affect the operations at our third-party manufacturers, which could result in delays or disruptions in the supply of our product candidates. In addition, we have taken temporary precautionary measures intended to help minimize the risk of the virus to our employees, including temporarily requiring all employees to work remotely, suspending all non-essential travel worldwide for our employees, and discouraging employee attendance at industry events and in-person work-related meetings, which could negatively affect our business. We cannot presently predict the scope and severity of any potential business shutdowns or disruptions. If we or any of the third parties with whom we engage, however, were to experience shutdowns or other business disruptions, our ability to conduct our business in the manner and on the timelines presently planned could be materially and negatively affected, which could have a material adverse impact on our business and our results of operation and financial condition.

See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?

Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.

They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.

It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.

How do companies disclose their risk factors?

Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.

Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.

Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.

According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.

How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?

Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.

You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.

Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.

A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.

What are all the risk factor categories?

TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.

1. Financial & Corporate

Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.

2. Legal & Regulatory

Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.

3. Production

Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.

4. Technology & Innovation

Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.

5. Ability to Sell

Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.

6. Macro & Political

Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.

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