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XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. Sponsored ADR (XTLB)
NASDAQ:XTLB
US Market

XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. Sponsored ADR (XTLB) Risk Analysis

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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.

XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. Sponsored ADR disclosed 38 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. Sponsored ADR reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q4, 2022

Risk Distribution
38Risks
42% Finance & Corporate
16% Tech & Innovation
16% Production
13% Macro & Political
8% Ability to Sell
5% Legal & Regulatory
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

2022
Q4
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. Sponsored ADR 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 Q4, 2022

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 16 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 16 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
38
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
38
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Dec 2022
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Dec 2022
Number of Risk Changed
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 2
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 2
See the risk highlights of XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. Sponsored ADR 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 38

Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 16/38 (42%)Above Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights13 | 34.2%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
We may fail to remain in compliance with the continued listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market and a delisting of our ADSs could make it more difficult for investors to sell their shares
Our ADSs were approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market in July 2013 where they continue to be listed. We are required to meet certain qualitative and financial tests (including having stockholders' equity of at least $2.5 million, a market value of listed securities of $35 million or $500,000 of net income from continuing operations for the most recently completed fiscal year or two of the most recently completed fiscal years, to maintain the listing of our ADSs on the Nasdaq Capital Market as set forth in Nasdaq listing rule 5550(b)(1) the ("Stockholders' Equity Requirement" or "Rule 5550(b)(1)"). If we do not maintain compliance with the continued listing requirements for Nasdaq within specified periods and subject to permitted extensions, our ADSs may be recommended for delisting (subject to any appeal we would file). If our ADSs were delisted, it could be more difficult to buy or sell our ADSs and to obtain accurate quotations, and the price of our stock could suffer a material decline. Delisting would also impair our ability to raise capital. If we fail to maintain compliance with Nasdaq's continued listing standards, we may be delisted and our ADSs will trade, if at all, only on the over-the-counter market, such as the OTC Bulletin Board or OTCQX market, and then only if one or more registered broker-dealer market makers comply with quotation requirements. In addition, delisting of our ADSs could depress the price of our ADSs, substantially limit liquidity of our ADSs and materially adversely affect our ability to raise capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all. Finally, delisting of our ADSs would likely result in our ADSs becoming a "penny stock" under the Securities Exchange Act. The principal result or effect of being designated a "penny stock" is that securities broker-dealers cannot recommend the shares but must trade it on an unsolicited basis. Penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document prepared by the SEC, which specifies information about penny stocks and the nature and significance of risks of the penny stock market. A broker-dealer must also provide the customer with bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker-dealer and sales person in the transaction, and monthly account statements indicating the market value of each penny stock held in the customer's account. In addition, the penny stock rules require that, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules; the broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser's written agreement to the transaction. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for shares that become subject to those penny stock rules. Under such circumstances, shareholders may find it more difficult to sell, or to obtain accurate quotations, for our ADSs, and our ADSs would become substantially less attractive to certain purchasers such as financial institutions, hedge funds and other similar investors.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
Shareholders' percentage ownership in us may be diluted by future issuances of share capital, which could reduce their influence over matters on which shareholders vote.
Issuances of additional shares would reduce shareholders' influence over matters on which our shareholders vote.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
There are circumstances where it may be unlawful or impractical to make distributions to the holders of the ADSs.
The deposit agreement with the depositary allows the depositary to distribute foreign currency only to those ADS holders to whom it is possible to do so. If a distribution is payable by us in New Israeli Shekels, the depositary will hold the foreign currency it cannot convert for the account of the ADS holders who have not been paid. It will not invest the foreign currency and it will not be liable for any interest. If the exchange rates fluctuate during a time when the depositary cannot convert the foreign currency, the ADS holders may lose some of the value of the distribution. The depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any ADS holders. This means that the ADS holders may not receive the distributions we make on our shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for the depository to make such distributions available to them.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
ADS holders are not shareholders and do not have shareholder rights.
The Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary, executes and delivers the ADSs on our behalf. Each ADS is a certificate evidencing a specific number of ADSs. The ADS holders will not be treated as shareholders and do not have the rights of shareholders. The depositary will be the holder of the shares underlying the ADSs. Holders of the ADSs will have ADS holder rights. A deposit agreement among us, the depositary and the ADS holders, and the beneficial owners of ADSs, sets out ADS holder rights as well as the rights and obligations of the depositary. New York law governs the deposit agreement and the ADSs. Our shareholders have shareholder rights prescribed by Israeli law. Israeli law and our Articles of Association, or Articles, govern such shareholder rights. The ADS holders do not have the same voting rights as our shareholders. Shareholders are entitled to our notices of general meetings and to attend and vote at our general meetings of shareholders. At a general meeting, every shareholder present (in person or by proxy, attorney or representative) and entitled to vote has one vote on a show of hands. Every shareholder present (in person or by proxy, attorney or representative) and entitled to vote has one vote per fully paid ordinary share on a poll. This is subject to any other rights or restrictions which may be attached to any shares. The ADS holders may instruct the depositary to vote the ordinary shares underlying their ADSs, but only if we ask the depositary to ask for their instructions. If we do not ask the depositary to ask for their instructions, the ADS holders are not entitled to receive our notices of general meeting or instruct the depositary how to vote. The ADS holders will not be entitled to attend and vote at a general meeting unless they withdraw the ordinary shares from the depository. However, the ADS holders may not know about the meeting far enough in advance to withdraw the ordinary shares. If we ask for the ADS holders' instructions, the depositary will notify the ADS holders of the upcoming vote and arrange to deliver our voting materials and form of notice to them. The depositary will try, as far as is practical, subject to the provisions of the deposit agreement, to vote the shares as the ADS holders instruct. The depositary will not vote or attempt to exercise the right to vote other than in accordance with the instructions of the ADS holders. We cannot assure the ADS holders that they will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that they can instruct the depositary to vote their shares. In addition, there may be other circumstances in which the ADS holders may not be able to exercise voting rights. The ADS holders do not have the same rights to receive dividends or other distributions as our shareholders. Subject to any special rights or restrictions attached to a share, the directors may determine that a dividend will be payable on a share and fix the amount, the time for payment and the method for payment (although we have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our ordinary stock and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future). Dividends and other distributions payable to our shareholders with respect to our ordinary shares generally will be payable directly to them. Any dividends or distributions payable with respect to ordinary shares will be paid to the depositary, which has agreed to pay to the ADS holders the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on shares or other deposited securities, after deducting its fees and expenses. The ADS holders will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of shares their ADSs represent. In addition, there may be certain circumstances in which the depositary may not pay to the ADS holders amounts distributed by us as a dividend or distribution.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to follow certain home country corporate governance practices instead of applicable SEC and Nasdaq requirements, which may result in less protection than is accorded to investors under rules applicable to domestic issuers.
As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to follow certain home country corporate governance practices instead of those otherwise required under Nasdaq for domestic issuers. For instance, we may follow home country practice in Israel with regard to, among other things, composition and function of the audit committee and other committees of our Board of Directors and certain general corporate governance matters. In addition, in certain instances we will follow our home country law, instead of the Nasdaq, which requires that we obtain shareholder approval for certain dilutive events, such as an issuance that will result in a change of control of the company, certain transactions other than a public offering involving issuances of a 20% or more interest in the company and certain acquisitions of the stock or assets of another company. We comply with the director independence requirements of the Nasdaq, including the requirement that a majority of the Board of Directors be independent. Following our home country governance practices as opposed to the requirements that would otherwise apply to a United States company listed on Nasdaq may provide less protection than is accorded to investors under Nasdaq applicable to domestic issuers. In addition, as a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules and regulations under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, related to the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not required under the Exchange Act to file annual, quarterly and current reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as domestic companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
Holders of our ordinary shares or ADSs who are U.S. citizens or residents may be required to pay additional income taxes.
There is a risk that we will be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for certain tax years. If we are classified as a PFIC, a U.S. holder of our ordinary shares or ADSs representing our ordinary shares will be subject to special federal income tax rules that determine the amount of federal income tax imposed on income derived with respect to the PFIC shares. We will be a PFIC if either 75% or more of our gross income in a tax year is passive income or the average percentage of our assets (by value) that produce or are held for the production of passive income in a tax year is at least 50%. The risk that we will be classified as a PFIC arises because cash balances, even if held as working capital, are considered to be assets that produce passive income. Therefore, any determination of PFIC status will depend upon the sources of our income and the relative values of passive and non-passive assets, including goodwill. A determination as to a corporation's status as a PFIC must be made annually. We believe we may be a PFIC during 2022 and although we have not determined whether we will be a PFIC in 2023, or in any subsequent year, our operating results for any such years may cause us to be a PFIC. Although we may not be a PFIC in any one year, the PFIC taint remains with respect to those years in which we were or are a PFIC and the special PFIC taxation regime will continue to apply. In view of the complexity of the issues regarding our treatment as a PFIC, U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors for guidance as to our status as a PFIC.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
Our ordinary shares and ADSs trade on two different markets, and this may result in price variations and regulatory compliance issues.
ADSs representing our ordinary shares are listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, and our ordinary shares are traded on the TASE. Trading in our securities on these markets is made in different currencies and at different times, including as a result of different time zones, different trading days and different public holidays in the U.S. and Israel. Consequently, the effective trading prices of our securities on these two markets may differ. Any decrease in the trading price of our securities on one of these markets could cause a decrease in the trading price of our securities on the other market.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
Concentration of ownership of our ordinary shares among our principal stockholders may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions.
There is one shareholder (Mr. Alexander Rabinovitch, a director), who in the aggregate beneficially hold approximately 23.54% of our ordinary shares, as of March 22, 2023). As a result, this person, may have the ability to significantly influence the outcome of all matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, including the election and removal of directors and any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. In addition, such persons, acting alone or together, may have the ability to effectively control our management and affairs. Accordingly, this concentration of ownership may depress the market price of our ordinary shares or ADSs.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
Your rights and responsibilities as a shareholder will be governed by Israeli law which may differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders of U.S. companies.
We are incorporated under Israeli law. The rights and responsibilities of the holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs are governed by our Articles of Association and Israeli law. These rights and responsibilities differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders in typical U.S.-based corporations. In particular, a shareholder of an Israeli company has a duty to act in good faith toward the company and other shareholders and to refrain from abusing its power in the company, including, among other things, in voting at the general meeting of shareholders on matters such as amendments to a company's articles of association, increases in a company's authorized share capital, mergers and acquisitions and interested party transactions requiring shareholder approval. In addition, a shareholder who knows that it possesses the power to determine the outcome of a shareholder vote or to appoint or prevent the appointment of a director or executive officer in the company has a duty of fairness toward the company. There is limited case law available to assist us in understanding the implications of these provisions that govern shareholders' actions. These provisions may be interpreted to impose additional obligations and liabilities on holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs that are not typically imposed on shareholders of U.S. corporations.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10
It may be difficult to enforce a U.S. judgment against us, our officers or our directors or to assert U.S. securities law claims in Israel.
Service of process upon us, since we are incorporated in Israel, and upon our directors and officers, who reside outside the U.S., may be difficult to obtain within the U.S. In addition, because substantially all of our assets and most of our directors and officers are located outside the U.S., any judgment obtained in the U.S. against us or any of our directors and officers may not be collectible within the U.S. There is a doubt as to the enforceability of civil liabilities under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act pursuant to original actions instituted in Israel. Subject to particular time limitations and provided certain conditions are met, executory judgments of a U.S. court for monetary damages in civil matters may be enforced by an Israeli court.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 11
Provisions of Israeli law may delay, prevent or otherwise impede a merger with, or an acquisition of, our company, which could prevent a change of control, even when the terms of such a transaction are favorable to us and our shareholders.
As a company incorporated under the laws of the State of Israel, we are subject to Israeli corporate law regulates mergers, requires tender offers for acquisitions of shares above specified thresholds, requires special approvals for transactions involving directors, officers or significant shareholders and regulates other matters that may be relevant to these types of transactions. For example, a merger may not be consummated unless at least 50 days have passed from the date that a merger proposal was filed by each merging company with the Israel Registrar of Companies and at least 30 days from the date that the shareholders of both merging companies approved the merger. In addition, the holder of a majority of each class of securities of the target company must approve a merger. Moreover, a full tender offer can only be completed if the acquirer receives at least 95% of the issued share capital (provided that a majority of the offerees that do not have a personal interest in such tender offer shall have approved the tender offer, except that if the total votes to reject the tender offer represent less than 2% of the company's issued and outstanding share capital, in the aggregate, approval by a majority of the offerees that do not have a personal interest in such tender offer is not required to complete the tender offer), and the shareholders, including those who indicated their acceptance of the tender offer, may, at any time within six months following the completion of the tender offer, petition the court to alter the consideration for the acquisition (unless the acquirer stipulated in the tender offer that a shareholder that accepts the offer may not seek appraisal rights). Furthermore, Israeli tax considerations may make potential transactions unappealing to us or to those of our shareholders whose country of residence does not have a tax treaty with Israel exempting such shareholders from Israeli tax. For example, Israeli tax law does not recognize tax-free share exchanges to the same extent as U.S. tax law. With respect to mergers, Israeli tax law allows for tax deferral in certain circumstances but makes the deferral contingent on the fulfillment of numerous conditions, including a holding period of two years from the date of the transaction during which sales and dispositions of shares of the participating companies are restricted. Moreover, with respect to certain share swap transactions, the tax deferral is limited in time, and when such time expires, the tax becomes payable even if no actual disposition of the shares has occurred. These and other similar provisions could delay, prevent or impede an acquisition of us or our merger with another company, even if such an acquisition or merger would be beneficial to us or to our shareholders.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 12
Our stock price can be volatile, which increases the risk of litigation and may result in a significant decline in the value of your investment.
The trading price of the ADSs representing our ordinary shares is likely to be highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in price in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include: - developments concerning our drug candidates;- announcements of technological innovations by us or our competitors;- introductions or announcements of new products by us or our competitors;- developments in the markets of the field of activities and changes in customer attributes;- announcements by us of significant acquisitions, in/out license transactions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments;- changes in financial estimates by securities analysts;- actual or anticipated variations in interim operating results and near-term working capital as well as failure to raise required funds for the continued development and operations of the company;- expiration or termination of licenses, patents, research contracts or other collaboration agreements;- conditions or trends in the regulatory climate and the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries;- failure to obtain orphan drug designation status for the relevant drug candidates in the relevant regions;- increase in costs and lengthy timing of the clinical trials according to regulatory requirements;- failure to increase awareness of our products;- changes in reimbursement policy by governments or insurers in markets we operate or may operate in the future;- any changes in the regulatory environment relating to our drug candidates;- changes in the market valuations of similar companies;     - geopolitical instabilities, including the war between Russia and Ukraine; and         - additions or departures of key personnel. In addition, equity markets in general, and the market for biotechnology and life sciences companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of companies traded in those markets. These broad market and industry factors may materially affect the market price of the ADSs, regardless of our development and operating performance. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company's securities, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against that company. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could cause us to incur substantial costs to defend such claims and divert management's attention and resources even if we prevail in the litigation, all of which could seriously harm our business.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 13
The ADSs are traded in small volumes, limiting ability to sell ADSs that represent ordinary shares at a desirable price, if at all.
The trading volume of the ADSs has historically been low. Even if the trading volume of the ADSs increases, we can give no assurance that it will be maintained or will result in a desirable stock price. As a result of this low trading volume, it may be difficult to identify buyers to whom shareholders can sell ADSs in desirable volume and shareholders may be unable to sell your ADSs at an established market price, at a price that is favorable, or at all. A low volume market also limits shareholders' ability to sell large blocks of the ADSs at a desirable or stable price at any one time. Shareholders should be prepared to own the ADSs indefinitely.
Accounting & Financial Operations1 | 2.6%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
We previously identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting for the year ended December 31, 2020. We may identify further material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting for future fiscal years. If we do not remediate material weaknesses or are unable to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, the accuracy and timeliness of our financial reporting may be adversely affected.
Our management previously identified a deficiency that was concluded to represent a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting related to our improper classification of the Company's warrants as equity (and not as a non-current liability). The SEC defines the term "material weakness" as "a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis." To remediate the material weakness, we developed a new quarterly control to review the proper classification of warrant instruments. This control includes the participation of the CFO, Controller and outside legal counsel to ensure that the accounting and financial reporting impacts are appropriately analyzed. While we have remediated the previously identified material weakness, we may discover future deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting, including those identified through testing conducted by us or subsequent testing by our independent registered public accounting firm. Any failure to maintain or implement required new or improved controls, or any difficulties we encounter in their implementation, could result in additional material weaknesses or significant deficiencies and cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations or result in material misstatements in our financial statements. Furthermore, any failure in the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting could have a material adverse impact on our ability to report our financial results in an accurate and timely manner.
Debt & Financing1 | 2.6%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
We will need additional capital in the future. If additional capital is not available, we may not be able to continue to operate our business pursuant to our business plan or we may have to discontinue our operations entirely.
Our net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $901 thousand. If we continue to use cash at this rate we will need significant additional financing, which we may seek to raise through, among other things, public and private equity offerings and debt financing. Any equity financings will likely be dilutive to existing stockholders, and any debt financings will likely involve covenants restricting our business activities. Additional financing may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all.
Corporate Activity and Growth1 | 2.6%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
Any acquisitions or in-licensing transactions we make may dilute your equity or require a significant amount of our available cash and may not be scientifically or commercially successful.
As part of our business strategy, we may effect acquisitions or in-licensing transactions to obtain additional businesses, products, technologies, capabilities and personnel. If we complete one or more such transactions in which the consideration includes our ordinary shares or other securities, your equity may be significantly diluted. If we complete one or more such transactions in which the consideration includes cash, we may be required to use a substantial portion of our available cash. Acquisitions and in-licensing transactions also involve a number of operational risks, including: - difficulty and expense of assimilating the operations, technology or personnel of the business;- our inability to attract and retain management, key personnel and other employees necessary to conduct the business;- our inability to maintain relationships with key third parties, such as alliance partners, associated with the business;- exposure to legal claims for activities of the business prior to the acquisition;- the diversion of our management's attention from our other drug development businesses; and - the potential impairment of goodwill and write-off of in-process research and development costs, adversely affecting our reported results of operations. In addition, the basis for completing the acquisition or in-licensing could prove to be unsuccessful as the drugs or processes involved could fail to be scientifically or commercially viable. We may also be required to pay third parties substantial transaction fees, in the form of cash or ordinary shares, in connection with such transactions. If any of these risks occur, it could have an adverse effect on both the business we acquire or in-license and our existing operations.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 6/38 (16%)Below Sector Average
Innovation / R&D3 | 7.9%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
If the clinical data related to our drug candidates and technologies do not confirm positive early clinical data or preclinical data, our corporate strategy and financial results will be adversely impacted.
Our drug candidates and technologies are in clinical stages. Specifically, our product candidate, hCDR1 is planned for and/or ready for advanced clinical studies. In order for our candidates to proceed to later stage clinical testing or marketing approval, they must show positive clinical results. Preliminary results of pre-clinical, clinical observations or clinical tests do not necessarily predict the final results, and promising results in pre-clinical, clinical observations or early clinical testing might not be obtained in later clinical trials. Drug candidates in the later stages of clinical development may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy traits despite having progressed through initial clinical testing. Any negative results from future tests may prevent us from proceeding to later stage clinical testing or marketing approval, which would materially impact our corporate strategy, and our financial results may be adversely impacted.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 2
If we are unable to successfully complete our clinical trial programs for our drug candidates, or if such clinical trials take longer to complete than we project, our ability to execute our current business strategy will be adversely affected.
Whether or not and how quickly we complete clinical trials depends in part upon the rate at which we are able to engage clinical trial sites and, thereafter, the rate of enrollment of patients, and the rate at which we are able to collect, clean, lock and analyze the clinical trial database. Patient enrollment is a function of many factors, including the size of the patient population, the proximity of patients to clinical sites, the eligibility criteria for the study, the existence of competitive clinical trials, and whether existing or new drugs are approved for the indication we are studying. We are aware that other companies are planning clinical trials that will seek to enroll patients with the same diseases and stages as we are studying. If we experience delays in identifying and contracting with sites and/or in patient enrollment in our clinical trial programs, we may incur additional costs and delays in our development programs, and may not be able to complete our clinical trials on a cost-effective or timely basis.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 3
We have not yet commercialized any products or technologies, and we may never become profitable.
We have not yet commercialized any products or technologies, and we may never be able to do so. We do not know when or if we will complete any of our product development efforts, obtain regulatory approval for any product candidates incorporating our technologies or successfully commercialize any approved products. Even if we are successful in developing products that are approved for marketing, we will not be successful unless these products gain market acceptance for appropriate indications at favorable reimbursement rates. The degree of market acceptance of these products will depend on a number of factors, including: - the timing of regulatory approvals in the countries, and for the uses, we seek;- the competitive environment;- the establishment and demonstration in the medical community of the safety and clinical efficacy of our products and their potential advantages over existing therapeutic products;- our ability to enter into strategic agreements with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with strong marketing and sales capabilities;- the adequacy and success of distribution, sales and marketing efforts; and - the pricing and reimbursement policies of government and third-party payors, such as insurance companies, health maintenance organizations and other plan administrators. Physicians, patients, third-party payors or the medical community in general may be unwilling to accept, utilize or recommend, and in the case of third-party payors, cover any of our products or products incorporating our technologies. As a result, we are unable to predict the extent of future losses or the time required to achieve profitability, if at all. Even if we successfully develop one or more products that incorporate our technologies, we may not become profitable.
Trade Secrets3 | 7.9%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
Litigation or third-party claims of intellectual property infringement could require us to spend substantial time, money and other resources defending such claims and adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize our products.
Third parties may assert that we are using their proprietary technology without authorization. In addition, third parties may have or obtain patents in the future and claim that our products infringe their patents. If we are required to defend against patent suits brought by third parties, or if we sue third parties to protect our patent rights, we may be required to pay substantial litigation costs, and our management's attention may be diverted from operating our business. In addition, any legal action against our licensors or us that seeks damages or an injunction of our commercial activities relating to the affected products could subject us to monetary liability and require our licensors or us to obtain a license to continue to use the affected technologies. We cannot predict whether our licensors or we would prevail in any of these types of actions or that any required license would be made available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. In addition, any legal action against us that seeks damages or an injunction relating to the affected activities could subject us to monetary liability and/or require us to discontinue the affected technologies or obtain a license to continue use thereof. In addition, there can be no assurance that our patents or patent applications or those licensed to us will not become involved in opposition or revocation proceedings instituted by third parties. If such proceedings were initiated against one or more of our patents, or those licensed to us, the defense of such rights could involve substantial costs and the outcome could not be predicted. Competitors or potential competitors may have filed applications for, may have been granted patents for, or may obtain additional patents and proprietary rights that may relate to compounds or technologies competitive with ours. If patents are granted to other parties that contain claims having a scope that is interpreted to cover any of our products (including the manufacture thereof), there can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain licenses to such patents at reasonable cost, if at all, or be able to develop or obtain alternative technology.
Trade Secrets - Risk 2
If we are unable to adequately protect our intellectual property, third parties may be able to use our technology, which could adversely affect our ability to compete in the market.
Our commercial success will depend in part on our ability and the ability of our licensors to obtain and maintain patent protection on our drug products and technologies and successfully defend these patents and technologies against third-party challenges. As part of our business strategy, our policy is to actively file patent applications in the U.S. and internationally to cover methods of use, new chemical compounds, pharmaceutical compositions and dosing of the compounds and composition and improvements in each of these. Because of the extensive time required for development, testing and regulatory review of a potential product, it is possible that before we commercialize any of our products, any related patent may expire or remain in force for only a short period following commercialization, thus reducing any advantage of the patent. The patent positions of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies can be highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions. No consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims allowed in biotechnology patents has emerged to date. Accordingly, the patents we use may not be sufficiently broad to prevent others from practicing our technologies or from developing competing products. Furthermore, others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or design around our patented technologies. The patents we use may be challenged or invalidated or may fail to provide us with any competitive advantage. Generally, patent applications in the U.S. are maintained in secrecy for a period of at least 18 months. Since publication of discoveries in the scientific or patent literature often lag behind actual discoveries, we are not certain that we were the first to make the inventions covered by each of our pending patent applications or that we were the first to file those patent applications. We cannot predict the breadth of claims allowed in biotechnology and pharmaceutical patents, or their enforceability. Third parties or competitors may challenge or circumvent our patents or patent applications, if issued. If our competitors prepare and file patent applications in the U.S. that claim compounds or technology also claimed by us, we may be required to challenge competing patent rights, which could result in substantial cost, even if the eventual outcome is favorable to us. While we have the right to defend patent rights related to the licensed drug candidates and technologies, we are not obligated to do so. In the event that we decide to defend our licensed patent rights, we will be obligated to cover all of the expenses associated with that effort. We also rely on trade secrets to protect technology where we believe patent protection is not appropriate or obtainable. Trade secrets are difficult to protect. While we require our employees, collaborators and consultants to enter into confidentiality agreements, this may not be sufficient to protect our trade secrets or other proprietary information adequately. In addition, we share ownership and publication rights to data relating to some of our drug candidates and technologies with our research collaborators and scientific advisors. If we cannot maintain the confidentiality of this information, our ability to protect our proprietary information will be at risk.
Trade Secrets - Risk 3
Because all of our proprietary drug candidates and technologies are licensed to us by third parties, termination of these license agreements could prevent us from developing our drug candidates.
We do not own any of our drug candidates and technologies. We have licensed the rights, patent or otherwise, to our drug candidates from third parties. We have licensed hCDR1 from Yeda Research and Development Company Ltd., or Yeda. We licensed a use patent for the use of rHuEPO from Yeda and Mor Research Applications Ltd., or Mor which we acquired from Bio-Gal Limited, or Bio-Gal. These license agreements require us to meet development or financing milestones and impose development and commercialization due diligence requirements on us. In addition, under these agreements, we must pay royalties on sales of products resulting from licensed drugs and technologies and pay the patent filing, prosecution and maintenance costs related to the licenses. While we have the right to defend patent rights related to our licensed drug candidates and technologies, we are not obligated to do so. In the event that we decide to defend our licensed patent rights, we will be obligated to cover all of the expenses associated with that effort. If we do not meet our obligations in a timely manner, or if we otherwise breach the terms of our agreements, our licensors could terminate the agreements, and we would lose the rights to our drug candidates and technologies. Specifically, our license agreement with Yeda imposes certain obligations on us, including obligations to use diligent efforts to meet development thresholds, funding requirements, payment obligations and commercialization. If we are unable to meet our obligations, some or all of our rights under the agreement may be restricted or terminated. The license agreement may be terminated by Yeda upon 45 days prior written notice if either we fail to meet certain development milestones or commercial sales shall have commenced and there shall be a period of 6 months of no sales, subject to certain exceptions. Yeda shall also be entitled to terminate the license agreement if we were to commence legal action against Yeda challenging the validity of any of the licensed patents, and we were unsuccessful in such challenge, in which event we would be required to pay to Yeda liquidated damages of $8 million. Either party may also terminate the license agreement in the case of a material breach that remains uncured or certain bankruptcy events. The Company has decided not to conduct Phase 2 under the license agreement by itself, and instead is seeking a strategic partner for the conduct of Phase 2. As a result, the second milestone under the license agreement (commencement of Phase 2) has not been met yet. Accordingly, the license agreement may be terminated by Yeda upon 45 days prior written notice. To date, while the Company and Yeda have held discussions regarding further amendment to the payment scheme under the license agreement, they have not reached an agreement regarding such amendment. If the license agreement were to be terminated by Yeda, we would lose our rights to HCDR1 and thus would not be able to develop hCDR1, which would have a material adverse effect on our business. From time to time, in the ordinary course of business, we may have disagreements with our licensors or collaborators regarding the terms of our agreements or ownership of proprietary rights, which could lead to delays in the research, development, collaboration and commercialization of our drug candidates, or could require or result in litigation or arbitration, which could be time-consuming and expensive.
Production
Total Risks: 6/38 (16%)Above Sector Average
Employment / Personnel3 | 7.9%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
Our Chief Financial Officer is not required to work exclusively for us, which could materially and adversely affect us and our business.
Itay Weinstein, our Chief Financial Officer, is not required to work exclusively for us and does not devote all of his time to our operations. Since serving as our Chief Financial Officer, he has devoted approximately 6 hours a week of his time to the operation of our business. He also serves as a Partner of the accounting firm Shimony C.P.A. It is possible that his pursuit of other activities may slow our operations and impact our ability to timely complete our financial statements.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
If we lose our key personnel or are unable to attract and retain additional personnel, our business could be harmed.
As of March 22, 2023, we have no employees, we have only four part-time service providers. To successfully develop our drug candidates and technologies, we must cooperate with third parties or to be able to attract and retain highly skilled personnel, including consultants and employees. The retention of their services cannot be guaranteed. Our failure to retain and/or recruit such professionals might impair our performance and materially affect our technological and product development capabilities and our product marketing ability.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 3
Under applicable U.S. and Israeli law, we may not be able to enforce covenants not to compete and therefore may be unable to prevent our competitors from benefiting from the expertise of some of our former employees. In addition, employees may be entitled to seek compensation for their inventions irrespective of their agreements with us, which in turn could impact our future profitability.
We generally enter into non-competition agreements with our employees and key consultants. These agreements prohibit our employees and key consultants, if they cease working for us, from competing directly with us or working for our competitors or clients for a limited period of time. We may be unable to enforce these agreements under the laws of the jurisdictions in which our employees work and it may be difficult for us to restrict our competitors from benefitting from the expertise our former employees or consultants developed while working for us. For example, Israeli courts have required employers seeking to enforce non-compete undertakings of a former employee to demonstrate that the competitive activities of the former employee will harm one of a limited number of material interests of the employer which have been recognized by the courts, such as the secrecy of a company's confidential commercial information or the protection of its intellectual property. If we cannot demonstrate that such interests will be harmed, we may be unable to prevent our competitors from benefiting from the expertise of our former employees or consultants and our ability to remain competitive may be diminished. In addition, Chapter 8 to the Israeli Patents Law, 5727-1967, or the Patents Law, deals with inventions made in the course of an employee's service and during his or her term of employment, whether or not the invention is patentable, or service inventions. Section 134 of the Patents Law, sets forth that if there is no agreement which explicitly determines whether the employee is entitled to compensation for the service inventions and the extent and terms of such compensation, such determination will be made by the Compensation and Rewards Committee, a statutory committee of the Israeli Patents Office. As a result, it is unclear if, and to what extent, our research and development employees may be able to claim compensation with respect to our future revenue. As a result, we may receive less revenue from future products if such claims are successful, which in turn could impact our future profitability.
Supply Chain3 | 7.9%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
If we do not establish or maintain drug development and marketing arrangements with third parties, we may be unable to commercialize our drug candidates and technologies into products.
We do not possess all of the capabilities to fully commercialize our drug candidates and technologies on our own. From time to time, we may need to contract with third parties to: - assist us in developing, testing and obtaining regulatory approval for some of our compounds and technologies;- manufacture our drug candidates; and - market and distribute our products. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to successfully enter into agreements with such third-parties on terms that are acceptable to us. If we are unable to successfully contract with third parties for these services when needed, or if existing arrangements for these services are terminated, whether or not through our actions, or if such third parties do not fully perform under these arrangements, we may have to delay, scale back or end one or more of our drug development programs or seek to develop or commercialize our drug candidates and technologies independently, which could result in delays. Further, such failure could result in the termination of license rights to one or more of our drug candidates and technologies. Moreover, if these development or marketing agreements take the form of a partnership or strategic alliance, such arrangements may provide our collaborators with significant discretion in determining the efforts and resources that they will apply to the development and commercialization of our products. Accordingly, to the extent that we rely on third parties to research, develop or commercialize our products, we may be unable to control whether such products will be scientifically or commercially successful.
Supply Chain - Risk 2
If third parties on which we will have to rely for clinical trials do not perform as contractually required or as we expect, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our products.
We will have to depend on independent clinical investigators, and other third-party service providers to conduct the clinical trials of our drug candidates and technologies. We also may, from time to time, engage a clinical research organization for the execution of our clinical trials. We will rely heavily on these parties for successful execution of our clinical trials, but we will not control many aspects of their activities. Nonetheless, we are responsible for confirming that each of our clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan and protocol. Our reliance on these third parties that we do not control does not relieve us of our responsibility to comply with the regulations and standards of the FDA and/or other foreign regulatory agencies/authorities relating to good clinical practices. Third parties may not complete activities on schedule or may not conduct our clinical trials in accordance with regulatory requirements or the applicable trial's plans and protocols. The failure of these third parties to carry out their obligations could delay or prevent the development, approval and commercialization of our products, or could result in enforcement action against us.
Supply Chain - Risk 3
If the third parties upon whom we rely to manufacture our products do not successfully manufacture our products, our business will be harmed.
We do not currently have the ability to manufacture the compounds that we need to conduct our clinical trials and, therefore, rely upon, and intend to continue to rely upon, certain manufacturers to produce and supply our drug candidates for use in clinical trials and for future sales. In order to commercialize our products, such products will need to be manufactured in commercial quantities while adhering to all regulatory and other local requirements, all at an acceptable cost. We may not be able to enter into future third-party contract manufacturing agreements on acceptable terms, if at all. If our contract manufacturers or other third parties fail to deliver our product candidates for clinical use on a timely basis, with sufficient quality, and at commercially reasonable prices, and we fail to find replacement manufacturers or sources, we may be required to delay or suspend clinical trials or otherwise discontinue development and production of our drug candidates. Our contract manufacturers will be required to produce our clinical drug candidates under strict compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP, in order to meet acceptable regulatory standards for our clinical trials. If such standards change, the ability of contract manufacturers to produce our drug candidates on the schedule we require for our clinical trials may be affected. In addition, contract manufacturers may not perform their obligations under their agreements with us or may discontinue their business before the time required by us to successfully produce and market our drug candidates. Any difficulties or delays in our contractors' manufacturing and supply of drug candidates could increase our costs, cause us to lose revenue or make us postpone or cancel clinical trials. In addition, our contract manufacturers will be subject to ongoing periodic, unannounced inspections by the FDA and corresponding foreign or local governmental agencies to ensure strict compliance with, among other things, cGMP, in addition to other governmental regulations and corresponding foreign standards. We will not have control over, other than by contract, third-party manufacturers' compliance with these regulations and standards. No assurance can be given that our third-party manufacturers will comply with these regulations or other regulatory requirements now or in the future. In the event that we are unable to obtain or retain third-party manufacturers, we will not be able to commercialize our products as planned. If third-party manufacturers fail to deliver the required quantities of our products on a timely basis and at commercially reasonable prices, our ability to develop and deliver products on a timely and competitive basis may be adversely impacted and our business, financial condition or results of operations will be materially harmed.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 5/38 (13%)Above Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment2 | 5.3%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
We are currently operating in a period of economic uncertainty and capital markets disruption, which has been significantly impacted by geopolitical instability due to the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected by any negative impact on the global economy and capital markets resulting from the conflict in Ukraine or any other geopolitical tensions.
U.S. and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the escalation of geopolitical tensions and the start of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops was reported. Although the length and impact of the ongoing military conflict is highly unpredictable, the conflict in Ukraine could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in credit and capital markets. Additionally, Russia's prior annexation of Crimea, recent recognition of two separatist republics in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine and subsequent military interventions in Ukraine have led to sanctions and other penalties being levied by the United States, European Union and other countries against Russia, Belarus, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, and the so-called Luhansk People's Republic, including agreement to remove certain Russian financial institutions from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or SWIFT, payment system. Additional potential sanctions and penalties have also been proposed and/or threatened. Russian military actions and the resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets. Any of the abovementioned factors could affect our business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial. Any such disruptions may also magnify the impact of other risks described in this prospectus.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2
Conditions in the Middle East and in Israel may harm our operations.
Our head executive office, our research and development facilities, as well as some of our planned clinical sites are or will be located in Israel. Our officers and most of our directors are residents of Israel. A significant asset of ours is the investment in the shares of InterCure Ltd., an Israeli company. Accordingly, political, economic, and military conditions in Israel and the surrounding region may directly affect our business and operations. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, a number of armed conflicts have taken place between Israel and its neighboring countries, and between Israel and the Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups. Any hostilities involving Israel or the interruption or curtailment of trade between Israel and its trading partners could adversely affect our operations and results of operations. In recent years, the hostilities involved missile strikes against civilian targets in various parts of Israel, including areas in which our employees and some of our consultants are located, and negatively affected business conditions in Israel. Our offices, located in Ramat Gan, Israel, are within the range of the missiles and rockets that have been fired sporadically at Israeli cities and towns from Gaza and South Lebanon since 2006, with escalations in violence during which there were a substantially larger number of rocket and missile attacks aimed at Israel. In addition, Iran has threatened to attack Israel and is widely believed to be developing nuclear weapons. Iran is also believed to have a strong influence among extremist groups in the region, such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and various rebel militia groups in Syria. Since September 2015, there has been an increase in terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians including shootings, stabbings and car rammings which has impacted the general feeling of personal safety in the country. These situations may potentially escalate in the future to more violent events which may affect Israel and us. Any armed conflicts, terrorist activities or political instability in the region could adversely affect business conditions, could harm our results of operations and could make it more difficult for us to raise capital. Parties with whom we do business may decline to travel to Israel during periods of heightened unrest or tension, forcing us to make alternative arrangements when necessary in order to meet our business partners face to face. In addition, the political and security situation in Israel may result in parties with whom we have agreements involving performance in Israel claiming that they are not obligated to perform their commitments under those agreements pursuant to force majeure provisions in such agreements. Further, in the past, the State of Israel and Israeli companies have been subjected to economic boycotts. Several countries still restrict business with the State of Israel and with Israeli companies. These restrictive laws and policies may have an adverse impact on our operating results, financial condition or the expansion of our business. Our commercial insurance does not cover losses that may occur as a result of events associated with the security situation in the Middle East. Although the Israeli government currently covers the reinstatement value of direct damages that are caused by terrorist attacks or acts of war, we cannot assure you that this government coverage will be maintained. Any losses or damages incurred by us could have a material adverse effect on our business. Any armed conflicts or political instability in the region would likely negatively affect business conditions and could harm our results of operations. Further, the State of Israel and Israeli companies have been subjected to an economic boycott. Several countries still restrict business with the State of Israel and with Israeli companies. These restrictive laws and policies may have an adverse impact on our operating results, financial condition or the expansion of our business.
International Operations1 | 2.6%
International Operations - Risk 1
Our international clinical trials may be delayed or otherwise adversely impacted by social, political and economic factors affecting the particular foreign country.
We may conduct clinical trials in different geographical locations. Our ability to successfully initiate, enroll and complete a clinical trial in any of these countries, or in any future foreign country in which we may initiate a clinical trial, are subject to numerous risks unique to conducting business in foreign countries, including: - difficulty in establishing or managing relationships with clinical research organizations and physicians;- different standards for the conduct of clinical trials and/or health care reimbursement;- our inability to locate qualified local consultants, physicians, and partners;- the potential burden of complying with a variety of foreign laws, medical standards and regulatory requirements, including the regulation of pharmaceutical products and treatment; and - general geopolitical risks, such as political and economic instability, and changes in diplomatic and trade relations. Any disruption to our international clinical trial program could significantly delay our product development efforts.
Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 2.6%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
Effects of the COVID-19 virus (hereafter, "Coronavirus")
The outbreak of the Coronavirus in the world in the first half of 2020 and its spread, causes great uncertainty in the world capital markets and had major macroeconomic implications, which were characterized by sharp declines and volatility in many securities' prices. As of the date of issuance of the financial reporting, there has been no material effect of the Coronavirus on the operations and financial results of the Company. The Company is monitoring and will continue to monitor the developments around the world in connection with the spread of the Coronavirus, and will examine the implications for its business.
Capital Markets1 | 2.6%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
Our results of operations may be adversely affected by inflation and foreign currency fluctuations.
We hold most of our cash, cash equivalents and bank deposits in U.S. dollars. As we are located in Israel, a significant portion of our expenses are in New Israeli Shekels, or NIS, mainly due to payment to Israeli employees and suppliers. Our investment in the shares of InterCure Ltd. is also in NIS. As a result, we could be exposed to the risk that the U.S. dollar will be devalued against the NIS or other currencies, and consequentially our financial results could be harmed. To protect against currency fluctuations, we may decide to hold a significant portion of our cash, cash equivalents, bank deposits and marketable securities in NIS, as well as to enter into currency hedging transactions. These measures, however, may not adequately protect us from the adverse effects of inflation in Israel. In addition, we are exposed to the risk that the rate of inflation in Israel will exceed the rate of devaluation of the New Israeli Shekel in relation to the U.S. dollar or that the timing of any devaluation may lag behind inflation in Israel.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 3/38 (8%)Below Sector Average
Competition1 | 2.6%
Competition - Risk 1
If our competitors develop and market products that are less expensive, more effective or safer than our products, our revenues and results may be harmed and our commercial opportunities may be reduced or eliminated.
The pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive. Our commercial opportunities may be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and market products that are less expensive, more effective or safer than our products. Other companies have drug candidates in various stages of pre-clinical or clinical development to treat diseases for which we are also seeking to discover and develop drug candidates. Some of these potential competing drugs are already commercialized or are further advanced in development than our drug candidates and may be commercialized earlier. Even if we are successful in developing safe, effective drugs, our products may not compete successfully with products produced by our competitors, who may be able to market their drugs more effectively. Our competitors include pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies, as well as universities and public and private research institutions. In addition, companies that are active in different but related fields present substantial competition for us. Many of our competitors have significantly greater capital resources, larger research and development staffs and facilities and greater experience in drug development, regulation, manufacturing and marketing than we do. These organizations also compete with us to recruit qualified personnel, attract partners for joint ventures or other collaborations, and license technologies that are competitive with ours. As a result, our competitors may be able to more easily develop products that could render our technologies or our drug candidates obsolete or noncompetitive. Development of new drugs, medical technologies and competitive medical devices may damage the demand for our products without any certainty that we will successfully and effectively contend with those competitors.
Sales & Marketing2 | 5.3%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
Even if we or our collaborative/strategic partners or potential collaborative/strategic partners receive approval to market our drug candidates, if our products fail to achieve market acceptance, we will never record meaningful revenues.
Even if our products are approved for sale, they may not be commercially successful in the marketplace. Market acceptance of our product candidates will depend on a number of factors, including: - perceptions by members of the health care community, including physicians, of the safety and efficacy of our products;- the rates of adoption of our products by medical practitioners and the target populations for our products;- the potential advantages that our products offer over existing treatment methods or other products that may be developed;- the cost-effectiveness of our products relative to competing products including potential generic competition;- the availability of government or third-party pay or reimbursement for our products;- the side effects of our products which may lead to unfavorable publicity concerning our products or similar products; and - the effectiveness of our and/or our partners' sales, marketing and distribution efforts. Specifically, hCDR1, if successfully developed and commercially launched for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE, and Sjogren's syndrome, or SS, on the one hand, will compete with both currently marketed and new products marketed by other companies. Health care providers may not accept or utilize any of our product candidates. Physicians and other prescribers may not be inclined to prescribe our products unless our products bring clear and demonstrable advantages over other products currently marketed for the same indications. Because we expect sales of our products to generate substantially all of our revenues in the long-term, the failure of our products to find market acceptance would harm our business and could require us to seek additional financing or other sources of revenue.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 2
Future issuances or sales of the ADSs could depress the market for the ADSs.
Future issuances of a substantial number of the ADSs, or the perception by the market that those issuances could occur, could cause the market price of our ordinary shares or ADSs to decline or could make it more difficult for us to raise funds through the sale of equity in the future. Also, if we make one or more significant acquisitions in which the consideration includes ordinary shares or other securities, your portion of shareholders' equity in us may be significantly diluted.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 2/38 (5%)Below Sector Average
Regulation1 | 2.6%
Regulation - Risk 1
We have limited experience in conducting and managing clinical trials necessary to obtain regulatory approvals. If our drug candidates and technologies do not receive the necessary regulatory approvals, we will be unable to commercialize our products.
We have not received, and may never receive, regulatory approval for commercial sale for hCDR1. We currently do not have any drug candidates pending approval with the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA or with regulatory authorities of other countries. We will need to conduct significant additional research and human testing before we can apply for product approval with the FDA or with regulatory authorities of other countries. In order to obtain FDA approval to market a new drug product, we or our potential partners must demonstrate proof of safety and efficacy in humans. To meet these requirements, we and/or our potential partners will have to conduct "adequate and well-controlled" clinical trials. Clinical development is a long, expensive and uncertain process. Clinical trials are very difficult to design and implement, in part because they are subject to rigorous regulatory requirements. Satisfaction of regulatory requirements typically depends on the nature, complexity and novelty of the product and requires the expenditure of substantial resources. The commencement and rate of completion of clinical trials may be delayed by many factors, including: - obtaining regulatory approvals to commence a clinical trial;- reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective CROs, and trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites;- slower than expected rates of patient recruitment due to narrow screening requirements and competing clinical studies;- the inability of patients to meet protocol requirements imposed by the FDA or other regulatory authorities;- the need or desire to modify our manufacturing process;- delays, suspension, or termination of the clinical trials due to the institutional review board responsible for overseeing the study at a particular study site; and - governmental or regulatory delays or "clinical holds" requiring suspension or termination of the trials. Following the completion of a clinical trial, regulators may not interpret data obtained from pre-clinical and clinical tests of our drug candidates and technologies the same way that we do, which could delay, limit or prevent our receipt of regulatory approval. In addition, the designs of any clinical trials may not be reviewed or approved by the FDA prior to their commencement, and consequently the FDA could determine that the parameters of any studies are insufficient to demonstrate proof of safety and efficacy in humans. Failure to approve a completed study could also result from several other factors, including unforeseen safety issues, the determination of dosing, low rates of patient recruitment, the inability to monitor patients adequately during or after treatment, the inability or unwillingness of medical investigators to follow our clinical protocols, and the lack of effectiveness of the trials. Additionally, the regulators could determine that the studies indicate the drugs may have serious side effects. In the U.S., this is called a black box warning, which is a type of warning that appears on the package insert for prescription drugs indicating that they may cause serious adverse effects. A black box warning means that medical studies indicate that the drug carries a significant risk of serious or even life-threatening adverse effects. If the clinical trials fail to satisfy the criteria required, the FDA and/or other regulatory agencies/authorities may request additional information, including additional clinical data, before approval of marketing a product. Negative or inconclusive results or medical events during a clinical trial could also cause us to delay or terminate our development efforts. If we experience delays in the testing or approval process, or if we need to perform more or larger clinical trials than originally planned, our financial results and the commercial prospects for our drug candidates and technologies may be materially impaired. Clinical trials have a high risk of failure. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical industry, including biotechnology companies, have suffered significant setbacks in clinical trials, even after achieving promising results in earlier trials. It may take us many years to complete the testing of our drug candidates and technologies, and failure can occur at any stage of this process. Even if regulatory approval is obtained, our products and their manufacture will be subject to continual review, and there can be no assurance that such approval will not be subsequently withdrawn or restricted. Changes in applicable legislation or regulatory policies, or discovery of problems with the products or their manufacture, may result in the imposition of regulatory restrictions, including withdrawal of the product from the market, or result in increased costs to us.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 2.6%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
We face product liability risks and may not be able to obtain adequate insurance.
The use of our drug candidates and technologies in clinical trials, and the sale of any approved products, exposes us to liability claims. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we may incur substantial liabilities or be required to cease clinical trials of our drug candidates and technologies or limit commercialization of any approved products. We believe that we will be able to obtain sufficient product liability insurance coverage for our planned clinical trials. We intend to expand our insurance coverage to include the commercial sale of any approved products if marketing approval is obtained; however, insurance coverage is becoming increasingly expensive. We may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost. We may not be able to obtain additional insurance coverage that will be adequate to cover product liability risks that may arise. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, product liability claims may result in: - decreased demand for a product;- damage to our reputation;- inability to continue to develop a drug candidate or technology;- withdrawal of clinical trial volunteers; and - loss of revenues. Consequently, a product liability claim or product recall may result in material losses.
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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