MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

The information and financial data discussed below is derived from the consolidated financial statements of Relmada for the year ended June 30, 2019 and for the year ended June 30, 2018. The consolidated financial statements of Relmada were prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. The information and financial data discussed below is only a summary and should be read in conjunction with the historical financial statements and related notes of Relmada contained elsewhere in this Report. The consolidated financial statements contained elsewhere in this Report fully represent Relmada’s financial condition and operations; however, they are not indicative of the Company’s future performance. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements” above for a discussion of forward-looking statements and the significance of such statements in the context of this Annual Report.

 

This discussion contains forward-looking statements reflecting our current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties.  Actual results may differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere herein.

 

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

 

Relmada is a clinical-stage, publicly traded biotechnology company focused on the development of d-methadone (dextromethadone, REL-1017), an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist. d-Methadone is a new chemical entity that potentially addresses areas of high unmet medical need in the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases and other disorders.

 

Our lead product candidate, d-methadone, is a New Chemical Entity (NCE) being developed as a rapidly acting, oral agent for the treatment of depression and other potential indications. We have completed Phase 1 single and multiple ascending dose studies. A Phase 2 study in major depressive disorder is ongoing, with the first patient dosed in June 2018, and the last patient was dosed in July 2019, and we expect to have top line results in the second half of 2019.

 

NMDA receptors are present in many parts of the central nervous system and play important roles in regulating neuronal activity. We believe that dextromethadone acting as a NMDA receptor antagonist can have potential applications in a number of disease indications which mitigates risk and offers significant upside.

 

The Company has a legacy portfolio of three 505b2 product candidates at various stages of development. These products are: LevoCap ER (REL-1015), an abuse resistant, sustained release dosage form of the opioid analgesic levorphanol; BuTab (oral buprenorphine, REL-1028), an oral dosage form of the opioid analgesic buprenorphine; and MepiGel (topical mepivacaine, REL-1021), an orphan drug designated topical formulation of the local anesthetic mepivacaine. These products are not currently in active development.

  

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Our four development projects are briefly described below:

 

d-Methadone (dextromethadone, REL-1017) and Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)

 

Background

 

In 2014, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimated that 15.7 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in the past year. According to data from nationally representative surveys supported by NIMH, only about half of Americans diagnosed with major depression in a given year receive treatment. Of those receiving treatment with as many as four different standard antidepressants, 33% of drug-treated depression patients do not achieve adequate therapeutic benefits according to the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) trial published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Accordingly, we believe that approximately 3 million patients with such treatment-resistant depression are in need of new treatment options.

 

In addition to the high failure rate, none of the marketed products for depression can demonstrate rapid antidepressant effects and most of the products take up to a month to show effectiveness. The urgent need for improved, faster acting antidepressant treatments is underscored by the fact that severe depression can be life-threatening, due to heightened risk of suicide.

 

Recent studies have shown that ketamine, a drug known previously as an anesthetic, can lift depression in many patients within hours. However, it is unlikely that ketamine itself will become a practical treatment for most cases of depression. It must be administered through intravenous infusion, requiring a hospital setting, and more importantly can potentially trigger adverse side effects including psychedelic symptoms (hallucinations, memory defects, panic attacks), nausea/vomiting, somnolence, cardiovascular stimulation and, in a minority of patients, hepatoxicity. Ketamine also hasn’t been thoroughly studied for long-term safety and effectiveness, and the FDA hasn’t approved it to treat depression.

 

d-Methadone Overview and Mechanism of Action

 

d-Methadone’s mechanism of action, as a non-competitive NMDA channel blocker or antagonist, is fundamentally differentiated from all currently FDA-approved antidepressants, as well as all atypical antipsychotics used adjunctively with standard, FDA-approved antidepressants. Working through the same brain mechanisms as ketamine but potentially lacking its adverse side effects, Relmada’s d-Methadone is being developed as a rapidly acting, oral agent for the treatment of depression, neuropathic pain, and/or other potential CNS pathological conditions.

 

In chemistry an enantiomer, also known as an optical isomer, is one of two stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other that are non-superposable (not identical), much as one’s left and right hands are the same except for being reversed along one axis. A racemic compound, or racemate, is one that has equal amounts of left- and right-handed enantiomers of a chiral molecule. For racemic drugs, often only one of a drug’s enantiomers is responsible for the desired physiologic effects, while the other enantiomer is less active or inactive.

 

Racemic methadone has been used since the 1950s as a treatment for opioid addiction and has remained the primary therapy for this condition for more than 40 years. Methadone is a highly lipophilic molecule that is suitable for a variety of administration routes, with oral bioavailability close to 80%.

 

As a single isomer of racemic methadone, d-Methadone has been shown to possess NMDA antagonist properties with virtually no traditional opioid or ketamine-like adverse events at the expected therapeutic doses. In contrast, racemic methadone is associated with common opioid side effects that include anxiety, nervousness, restlessness, sleep problems (insomnia), nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, drowsiness, and others. It has been shown that the left (levo) isomer, l-Methadone, is largely responsible for methadone’s opioid activity, while the right (dextro) isomer, d-Methadone, is much less active as an opioid while maintaining affinity for the NMDA receptor.

 

NMDA receptors are present in many parts of the central nervous system and play important roles in regulating neuronal activity and promoting synaptic plasticity in brain areas important for cognitive functions such as executive function, learning and memory. Based on these premises, d-methadone could show benefits in several different CNS indications.

  

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d-Methadone Phase 1 Clinical Safety Studies

 

The safety data from two Company-funded d-Methadone Phase 1 clinical safety studies and a third study conducted by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center indicate that d-Methadone was safe and well tolerated in both healthy subjects and cancer patients at all projected therapeutic doses tested.

 

In November 2014, Health Canada approved a Clinical Trial Application (“CTA”) to conduct the first Phase 1 study with d-methadone. This was a Single Ascending Dose (“SAD”) study and was followed by a Multiple Ascending Dose (“MAD”) study, both in healthy volunteers. The two studies were designed to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of d-methadone in healthy, opioid-naïve subjects. The SAD study included single escalating oral doses of d-methadone to determine the maximum tolerated dose, defined as the highest dose devoid of unacceptable adverse events. In the MAD study, healthy subjects received daily oral doses of d-methadone for several days to assess its safety, pharmacokinetics and tolerability. In March 2015, we reported that d-methadone demonstrated an acceptable safety profile with no dose limiting side effects after four cohorts were exposed to increasing higher doses. In April 2015, the Company received clearance from Health Canada to continue with dose escalation and explore even higher single doses of d-methadone. In June 2015, the Company successfully completed the SAD study identifying the maximum tolerated dose and subsequently received a No Objection Letter (NOL) from Health Canada to conduct the MAD clinical study in August 2015. The MAD study was completed in January 2016 and the results successfully demonstrated a potential therapeutic dosing regimen for d-methadone with a favorable side effect and tolerability profile. The data from these studies was used to design a Phase 2a study in patients with depression.

  

d-Methadone In Vivo Study for Depression

 

In May 2016, we announced the results of an in vivo study showing that administration of d-methadone results in antidepressant-like effects in a well-validated animal model of depression, known as the forced swim test (FST), providing preclinical support for its potential as a novel treatment of depression.

 

According to the Journal of Visualized Experiments, the FST is based on the assumption that when placing an animal in a container filled with water, it will first make efforts to escape by swimming or climbing, but eventually will exhibit “immobility” that may be considered to reflect a measure of behavioral despair. This test has been extensively used because it involves the exposure of the animals to stress, which was shown to have a role in the tendency for major depression. Additionally, the FST has been shown to be influenced by some of the factors that are altered by or worsen depression in humans, including changes in food consumption and sleep abnormalities. The main advantages of this procedure are that it is relatively easy to perform and that its results are easily and quickly analyzed. Importantly, the FST’s sensitivity to a broad range of antidepressant drugs makes it a suitable screening test and is one of the most important features leading to its high predictive validity.

 

In the Company’s FST study, male Sprague Dawley rats were administered single doses of placebo, ketamine, or d-methadone on day one (after habituation; 24 hours prior to forced swim testing). At all doses tested, d-methadone significantly decreased immobility of the rats compared to the placebo, suggesting antidepressant-like activity. In addition, the effect of d-methadone on immobility at the two highest doses tested was larger than the effect seen with ketamine. Moreover, the effects of d-methadone in the forced swim test were not caused by a stimulant effect on spontaneous locomotor activity of the rats. Locomotor activity of lab animals is often monitored to assess the behavioral effects of drugs.

 

In September 2017, we completed two additional in vivo studies to confirm and support the antidepressant-like effect of dextromethadone in validated animal models, the Novelty Suppressed Feeding Test (“NSFT”) and the Female Urine-Sniffing test (“FUST”) test. The studies were performed by Professor Ronald S. Duman, Ph.D. at Yale University School of Medicine.

 

For FUST, rats are first exposed to a cotton tip dipped in tap water and later exposed to another cotton tip infused with fresh female urine. Male behavior was video recorded and total time spent sniffing the cotton-tipped applicator is determined. For NSFT, rats were food deprived for 24 hr and then placed in an open field with food pellets in the center; latency to eat is recorded in seconds. As a control, food consumption in the home cage is quantified. Rats were administered vehicle, ketamine or d-methadone.

 

The results of the FUST demonstrate that administration of ketamine significantly increases the time male rats spent engaged in sniffing female urine compared to vehicle group. Similarly, a single dose of d-methadone significantly increased the time spent sniffing female urine compared to vehicle. In contrast, ketamine or d-methadone had no effect on time sniffing water, demonstrating that the effect of drug treatment was specific to the rewarding effects of female urine. The results of the NSFT demonstrate that a single dose of ketamine significantly decreases the latency to eat in a novel open field. Similarly, a single dose of d-methadone also significantly decreased the latency to enter and eat in the novel feed. In contrast, neither ketamine nor methadone influenced latency to feed in the home cage.

 

These findings demonstrate that ketamine and d-methadone produce rapid antidepressant actions in the FUST and NSFT, effects that are only observed after chronic administration of an SSRI antidepressant.

 

A separate in vitro electrophysiology study of d-methadone was conducted using 2 subtypes of cloned human NMDA receptors.

 

The results of this study demonstrated functional antagonist activity with d-methadone comparable to that of both racemic ketamine and the isomer [S]-ketamine.

   

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Phase 2 Program for d-Methadone

 

Combined with the results of our Phase 1 studies, the encouraging results of in vivo and in vitro studies strongly support further evaluation of d-methadone in a Phase 2 study as a rapidly acting, oral agent for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Relmada filed an Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application for the Phase 2 study with the FDA, which was accepted on January 25, 2017.

 

On April 13, 2017, we announced that the FDA granted Fast Track designation for d-methadone (REL-1017 dextromethadone) for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder. Fast Track designation is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. The purpose, according to the FDA, is to get important new drugs to the patient earlier. Drugs that receive Fast Track designation may be eligible for more frequent meetings and written communications with the FDA, accelerated review and priority approval, and rolling New Drug Application review.

 

On January 17, 2018, we announced that Relmada had acquired the global rights to develop and market dextromethadone for the treatment of neurological conditions including certain rare diseases with symptoms affecting the CNS.

 

In February 2018, Relmada initiated its Phase 2 study of d-methadone in patients with major depressive disorder.

 

In July 2019, Relmada announced the completion of dosing of the last patient in its Phase 2 study of d-methadone in patients with major depressive disorder.

 

On October 15, 2019, we reported top-line data from our Phase 2 study of d-methadone in adults with major depressive disorder. Subjects in both dose groups experienced statistically significant improvement of their depression compared to subjects in the placebo group on all efficacy measures, including: the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS); the Clinical Global Impression – Severity (CGI-S) scale; the Clinical Global Impression – Improvement (CGI-I) scale; and the Symptoms of Depression Questionnaire (SDQ). The improvement on the MADRS appeared on Day 4 in both REL-1017 dose groups and continued through Day 7 and Day 14, seven days after treatment discontinuation, with P values < 0.03 and large effect sizes (a measure of quantifying the difference between two groups), ranging from 0.7 to 1.0. Similar findings emerged from the CGI-S and CGI-I scales. The study also confirmed the favorable safety and tolerability profile of d-methadone, which was also observed in the Phase 1 studies. Subjects experienced mild and moderate adverse events  (AEs), and no serious adverse events, without significant differences between placebo and treatment groups. There was no evidence of either treatment induced psychotomimetic and dissociative AEs or withdrawal signs and symptoms upon treatment discontinuation.

  

d-methadone (dextromethadone, REL-1017) in other indications

 

In addition to developing dextromethadone in major depression, Relmada is initiating work in additional indications. In particular, we have initiated a preclinical program to test the potential efficacy of dextromethadone in Rett syndrome. Rett syndrome is an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder with high unmet need caused by Mecp2 gene mutation. Loss of Mecp2 disrupts synaptic function and structure and neuronal networks. Rett syndrome is an Orphan Disease affecting ~15,000 in U.S., primarily girls, with no approved therapy. The disease begins with a short period of developmental stagnation, then rapid regression in language and motor skills, followed by long-term stability.

 

Studies of ketamine, a NMDAR antagonist with mechanistic similarities with dextromethadone, in Rett Syndrome mouse models show that low-dose ketamine acutely reverses multiple disease manifestations and chronic administration of ketamine improves Rett Syndrome progression, providing a solid rationale to pursue this indication with dextromethadone.

 

Other indications that Relmada may explore in the future, potentially includes restless leg syndrome and other glutamatergic system activation related diseases.

  

In January 2018, we entered into an Intellectual Property Assignment Agreement (the “Assignment Agreement”) and License Agreement (the “License Agreement” and together with the Assignment Agreement, the “Agreements”) with Dr. Charles E. Inturrisi and Dr. Paolo Manfredi (collectively, the “Licensor”). Pursuant to the Agreements, Relmada assigned its existing rights, including patents and patent applications, to d-methadone in the context of psychiatric use (the “Existing Invention”) to Licensor. Licensor then granted Relmada under the License Agreement a perpetual, worldwide, and exclusive license to commercialize the Existing Invention and certain further inventions regarding d-methadone in the context of other indications such as those contemplated above.

  

LevoCap ER (REL-1015)

 

LevoCap ER (REL-1015) is a novel version of a proven drug product. LevoCap ER -is an extended release, abuse deterrent, and proprietary formulation of levorphanol (levo-3-hydroxy-N-methyl-morphinan), a unique, broad spectrum opioid with additional “non-opioid” mechanisms of action. In particular, levorphanol binds to all three opioid receptor subtypes involved in analgesia (mu, kappa, and delta), the NMDA receptor, and the norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake pumps, whereas morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and other opioids are highly selective for the mu receptor subtype. Due to its multi-modal mechanism of action, levorphanol could achieve analgesia in patients resistant to other strong opioids. In clinical studies, levorphanol has demonstrated a remarkably broad spectrum of analgesic activity against many different types of pain including neuropathic pain, post-surgical pain, and chronic pain in patients refractory to other opioids.

 

Levorphanol is a potent opioid analgesic first introduced in the U.S. around 1953 for the treatment of moderate to severe pain where an opioid analgesic is appropriate. Extended-release (long-acting opioid) agents may be preferable to immediate release formulations due to better patient adherence, less dose-watching, and result in improved sleep. Both immediate- and extended-release opioids can potentially be crushed to produce concentrated drug with greater appeal to abusers. Intentional crushing or extracting the active ingredient from the extended-release dosage form by addicts and recreational drug users can destroy the timed-release mechanism and result in a rapid surge of drug into the bloodstream for the purpose of achieving a high or euphoric feeling. Serious side effects and death have been reported from such misuse.   

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LevoCap ER is the first product candidate utilizing SECUREL™, Relmada’s proprietary abuse deterrent extended release technology for opioid drugs. SECUREL dosage forms cannot be easily crushed for inhalation or to obtain rapid euphoria from high blood levels when swallowed. It is also exceedingly difficult for intravenous abusers to extract the active drug from the dosage form using common solvents, including alcohol.

 

LevoCap ER can be developed under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. Following an exchange of correspondence and meeting with the FDA in January 2017, we have defined a path forward for the Phase 3 clinical study for LevoCap ER and a new drug application (“NDA”) filing. In light of the promising data generated by Relmada’s d-methadone research program, and Relmada’s focus on the d-methadone program, Relmada is currently limiting the investments in LevoCap ER.

  

BuTab (REL-1028)

 

BuTab (REL-1028) represents a novel formulation of oral, modified release buprenorphine as a potential therapeutic for both chronic pain and opioid dependence. Buprenorphine has been widely used by the sublingual and transdermal routes of administration, but was believed to be ineffective by the oral route because of poor oral bioavailability. We have completed a preclinical program to better define the pharmacokinetic profile of BuTab and to assess the time course of systemic absorption of buprenorphine using several different oral modified release formulations of buprenorphine in dogs, compared to an intravenous administration. Based on the results of this work, we obtained approval from Health Canada and initiated a Phase 1 pharmacokinetic study in healthy volunteers in the second quarter of 2015. This trial was completed in the fourth quarter of 2015. The absolute bioavailability of BuTab relative to intravenous (IV) administration exceeded published data with non-modified buprenorphine when administered orally and compares favorably with a currently marketed transdermal patch. There were no safety or tolerability issues. The data generated by this study will guide formulation optimization and inform the design of subsequent clinical pharmacology studies. BuTab can be developed under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. In light of the promising data generated by Relmada’s d-methadone research program, and Relmada’s focus on the d-methadone program, Relmada is currently limiting the investments in BuTab.

 

MepiGel (REL-1021)

 

MepiGel (REL-1021), is a proprietary topical dosage form of the local anesthetic mepivacaine for the treatment of painful peripheral neuropathies, such as painful diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia and painful HIV-associated neuropathy. Mepivacaine is an anesthetic (numbing medicine) that blocks the nerve impulses that send pain signals to the brain. It is chemically related to bupivacaine but pharmacologically related to lidocaine. Mepivacaine is currently indicated for infiltration, nerve block and epidural anesthesia. Relmada has received two FDA Orphan Drug Designations for mepivacaine, one each for “the treatment of painful HIV-associated neuropathy” and for “the management of postherpetic neuralgia,” or PHN. We have selected the formulations to be advanced into clinical studies for MepiGel after the evaluation of results from in vitro and ex vivo studies comparing various topical prototypes of mepivacaine that were conducted by MedPharm Ltd, a specialist formulation development company recognized internationally for its expertise in topical and transdermal products. Multiple toxicology studies were successfully conducted and completed in 2015. MepiGel can be developed under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. In light of the promising data generated by Relmada’s d-methadone research program, and Relmada’s focus on the d-methadone program, Relmada is currently limiting the investments in MepiGel.

 

Overview of the 505(b)(2) Pathway

 

Part of our strategy is the utilization of FDA’s 505(b)(2) new drug application process for approval. The 505(b)(2) NDA is one of three FDA drug approval pathways and represents an appealing regulatory strategy for many companies. The pathway was created by the Hatch-Waxman Amendments of 1984, with 505(b)(2) referring to a section of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The provisions of 505(b)(2) were created, in part, to help avoid unnecessary duplication of studies already performed on a previously approved (“reference” or “listed”) drug; the section gives the FDA express permission to rely on data not developed by the NDA applicant.

 

A 505(b)(2) NDA contains full safety and effectiveness reports but allows at least some of the information required for NDA approval, such as safety and efficacy information on the active ingredient, to come from studies not conducted by or for the applicant. This can result in a less expensive and faster route to approval, compared with a traditional development path [such as 505(b)(1)], while creating new, differentiated products with tremendous commercial value.

 

Overview of Orphan Drug Status

 

In accordance with laws and regulations pertaining to the Regulatory Agencies, a sponsor may request that the Regulatory Agencies designate a drug intended to treat a “Rare Disease or Condition” as an “Orphan Drug.” For example, in the United States, a “Rare Disease or Condition” is defined as one which affects less than 200,000 people in the United States, or which affects more than 200,000 people but for which the cost of developing and making available the product is not expected to be recovered from sales of the product in the United States. Upon the approval of the first NDA or BLA for a drug designated as an orphan drug for a specified indication, the sponsor of that NDA or BLA is entitled to 7 years of exclusive marketing rights in the United States unless the sponsor cannot assure the availability of sufficient quantities to meet the needs of persons with the disease. In Europe, this exclusivity is 10 years, and in Australia it is 5 years. However, orphan drug status is particular to the approved indication and does not prevent another company from seeking approval of an off-patent drug that has other labeled indications that are not under orphan or other exclusivities. Orphan drugs may also be eligible for federal income tax credits for costs associated with such as the disease state, the strength and complexity of the data presented, the novelty of the target or compound, risk-management approval and whether multiple rounds of review are required for the agency to evaluate the submission. There is no guarantee that a potential treatment will receive marketing approval or that decisions on marketing approvals or treatment indications will be consistent across geographic areas

 

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Results of Operations

 

For the year ended June 30, 2019 versus June 30, 2018

 

Research and Development Expense

 

Total research and development spending for the year ended June 30, 2019 was approximately $7,024,800, as compared to $2,942,600 for the same period of 2018, an increase of $4,082,200. The increase in research and development expenses was primarily due to:

 

  Increase in study costs of $4,334,200 associated with the execution of our Phase 2a study;
     
  Increase in manufacturing and drug storage costs of $186,200
     
  Increase in pre-clinical and toxicology expenses of $297,300
     
  Increase in stock based compensation expense of research and development staff of $153,500.
     
  Decrease in research expenses of $913,700

 

General and Administrative Expense

 

Total general and administrative expenses were approximately $5,703,200 for the year ended June 30, 2019, as compared to $3,974,900 for the prior year, an increase of $1,728,300. The increase in general and administrative expenses was primarily due to:

 

  Increase in legal and settlement expenses from the resolution of the “Babul” litigation of $1,249,900;
     
  Increase in stock-based compensation of $542,400;
     
  Increase in other G&A of $121,100
     
  Decreased non-litigation professional fees of $185,100; 

 

Change in Fair Value of Derivative Liabilities

 

The change in the fair value of derivative liabilities was an unrealized loss of approximately $54,600 for the year ended June 30, 2019, as compared to the prior year unrealized loss of $708,900.

 

For the year ended June 30, 2019, the Company elected to early adopt ASU 2017-11 and reversed the derivative liability into equity effective July 1, 2018. During the year ended June 30, 2019, the Company had warrants resulting from equity offerings in May 2014 and June 2014 that do not have fixed settlement provisions because their exercise prices may be lowered if the Company issues securities at lower prices in the future, the Company concluded that the instruments are not indexed to the Company’s stock. These warrants expired unexercised in the quarter ended June 30, 2019.

 

For the year ended June 30, 2018, derivative liabilities included warrants issued with the May 2014 and June 2014 offerings. The derivative liability would decrease when warrants were exercised, expire or when the anti-dilution feature was eliminated. The anti-dilution feature will be eliminated when the Company is up-listed to a National Exchange (NYSE or NASDAQ). The derivative liabilities were affected by factors that are subject to significant fluctuations and are not under the Company’s control. Therefore, the resulting effect upon our net income or loss was subject to significant fluctuations. The accounting guidance applicable to these warrants required the Company (assuming all other inputs to the pricing model remain constant) to record a non-cash loss when the Company’s stock price was rising and to record non-cash income when the Company’s stock price was decreasing.

  

Interest Income and Expense, Net

 

Net interest expense for the year ended June 30, 2019 was approximately $761,000 as compared to net interest expense of $1,336,800 for the year ended June 30, 2018. The difference primarily consisted of decreased interest expense resulting from the extinguishment of the two-year convertible promissory notes on October 18, 2018.

 

Other Income 

  

On March 10, 2016 and effective as of January 1, 2016, Relmada entered into an Office Space License Agreement (the License) with Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Actinium), for office space located at 275 Madison Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10016. The term of the License was for three years from the effective date, with an automatic renewal provision. The cost of the License is approximately $16,600 per month for Actinium, subject to customary escalations and adjustments. The Company recorded the license fees as other income in the consolidated statements of operations. On June 6, 2017, the landlord and Relmada agreed to assign the lease for all of the office space at 275 Madison Avenue to Actinium. As of such date all rights, titles, and interest to the lease, including related duties, liabilities, and obligations, were transferred from the Company to Actinium. Pursuant to the assignment of the lease, the Company derecognized its deferred rent liability and recorded gain on assignment of office lease.

  

On June 8, 2017, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated License Agreement with Actinium. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Actinium will continue to license the furniture, fixtures, equipment and tenant improvements located in the office (FFE) for a license fee of $7,529 per month until December 8, 2022. Actinium shall have at any time during the term of this agreement the right to purchase the FFE for $496,909, less any previously paid license fees. The license of FFE qualifies as a sales-type lease. At inception, the Company derecognized the underlying assets, recognized a discounted lease payments receivable using the discount rate of 8.38% and recognized a loss on the lease of fixed assets.

 

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Income Taxes

 

The Company did not provide for income taxes for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 since there were losses for both years and a full valuation allowance against all deferred tax assets.

 

Loss per Common Share

 

The Company recorded a net loss of approximately $17,318,100 and $8,960,900 or $2.74 and $2.86 per common share (adjusted for the 4:1 reverse stock split), basic and diluted, for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, based on the factors described above.

 

Liquidity

 

As shown in the accompanying financial statements, the Company incurred negative operating cash flows of $10,497,854 for the year ended June 30, 2019 and has an accumulated deficit of $111,662,367 from inception through June 30, 2019. During the year ended June 30, 2019, the Company incurred non-recurring expenses of approximately $1,600,000 related to the settlement with Najib Babul (see Note 12) and related legal fees.

 

Relmada has funded its past operations through equity raises and most recently in the year ended June 30, 2019 Relmada raised net proceeds from the sale of common stock and warrants of $17,760,635. Further, the Company was able to reduce its debt obligations by converting $8,030,365 of promissory notes and accrued interest into common stock.

 

In Note 2 of the notes to the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended June 30, 2018, and subsequently in each of the Company’s quarterly unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, management stated that the Company had incurred significant losses, negative operating cash flows and as of those dates needed to raise additional funds to meet its obligations and sustain its operations. As a result, the Company concluded that there was substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

 

Management believes that due to the following it has obtained sufficient funding to alleviate the probability of substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for the next twelve months from the issuance of these consolidated financial statements. Of the above mentioned financings of $17,760,635, the Company raised approximately $10,900,000 in the fourth quarter through private placements of common stock and warrants, and subsequent to June 30, 2019, the Company raised approximately an additional $975,000 through private placements of common stock and exercises of outstanding investor warrants, which resulted in the Company having approximately $7,735,000 in cash and cash equivalents at September 23, 2019. Based on its budgeted cash flow requirements, the Company believes these funds are sufficient to fund its ongoing operations for at least one year after the issuance of these consolidated financial statements. The Company expects that the cash burn rate for the 12 months ended September 30, 2020, will be between $5-6 million, which includes approximately $2 million of discretionary research and development (“R&D”) spending, as the data analysis on the Phase 2a clinical trial is completed and the planning and preparation for the next clinical trial is conducted. Regardless of the results of any ongoing clinical trial, we have control over our expenditures and have the ability to adjust spending accordingly based on the budgeted cash flow requirements developed and the excess cash on hand.

 

The results of the Company’s ongoing clinical trial, when known, will impact the size and scope of any subsequent trials, and will affect the timing of additional financings through public or private sales of equity or debt securities or from bank or other loans or through strategic collaboration and/or licensing agreements. Any such expenditures related to any subsequent trials will not be incurred until such additional financing is raised. Further, additional financing related to subsequent trials does not affect the Company’s conclusion that based on the cash on hand and the budgeted cash flow requirements, the Company has sufficient funds to maintain operations for the next twelve months from the issuance of these consolidated financial statements.

 

Effects of Inflation

 

Our assets are primarily monetary, consisting of cash and cash equivalents. Because of their liquidity, these assets are not directly affected by inflation. Because we intend to retain and continue to use our equipment, we believe that the incremental inflation related to replacement costs of such items will not materially affect our operations. However, the rate of inflation affects our expenses, such as those for employee compensation and contract services, which could increase our level of expenses and the rate at which we use our resources.

 

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Contractual Obligations

 

The following tables sets forth our contractual obligations for the next five years and thereafter:

 

    Total     Less than
1 year
    1 - 2 years     3 - 5 years     More than
5 years
 
Office lease   $ 45,000     $ 45,000     $       -     $       -     $       -  
      -       -       -       -       -  
      -       -       -       -       -  
Total obligations   $ 45,000     $ 45,000     $ -     $ -     $ -  

  

The following tables sets forth selected cash flow information for the periods indicated below:

 

    For the
Year Ended
June 30,
2019
   

For the
Year Ended
June 30,

2018

 
Cash used in operating activities   $ (10,497,854 )   $ (6,002,078 )
Cash used in investing activities     -       (12,391 )
Cash raised in financing activities     17,475,465       6,542,900  
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents     6,977,611     $ 528,431  

 

For the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, cash used in operating activities was $10,497,854 and $6,002,078, respectively, primarily due to the net loss for each respective period, of approximately $17,318,100 and $8,960,900, respectively. This was offset by non-cash expenses which primarily consisted of stock-based compensation of $1,213,996 and $517,999, the change in the fair value of derivative liabilities of $54,634 and $708,901, loss on extinguishment of promissory note of $3,774,468 and $0 and amortization of deferred financing costs of $661,168 and $1,029,183, respectively, for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018. There were changes in operating assets and liabilities for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 of approximately $1,140,500 and $700,100, respectively.

   

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that is material to investors.

 

Seasonality

 

We do not have a seasonal business cycle.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The significant estimates are incurred costs of clinical studies, stock-based compensation expense, valuation of derivative financial liabilities, and income taxes and valuation of deferred tax assets.

 

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Research and Development

 

Research and development costs primarily consist of research contracts for the advancement of product development, salaries and benefits, stock-based compensation, and consultants. The Company expenses all research and development costs in the period incurred. The Company makes an estimate of costs in relation to clinical study contracts. The Company analyzes the progress of studies, including the progress of clinical studies and phases, invoices received and contracted costs when evaluating the adequacy of the amount expensed and any related prepaid asset and accrued liability.

 

Stock-Based Compensation

 

The Company measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award. That cost is recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award - the requisite service period. The grant-date fair value of employee share options is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model adjusted for the unique characteristics of those instruments. Compensation expense for warrants granted to non-employees is determined by the fair value of the consideration received or the fair value of the equity instruments issued, whichever is more reliably measured, and is recognized over the service period. The expense is subsequently adjusted to fair value at the end of each reporting period until such warrants vest, and the fair value of such instruments, as adjusted, is expensed over the related vesting period. Adjustments to fair value at each reporting date may result in income or expense, depending upon the estimate of fair value and the amount of expense recorded prior to the adjustment. The Company reviews its agreements and the future performance obligation with respect to the unvested warrants for its vendors or consultants. When appropriate, the Company will expense the unvested warrants at the time when management deems the service obligation for future services has ceased.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method. Accordingly, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in the tax rate is recognized in income or expense in the period that the change is effective. Tax benefits are recognized when it is probable that the deduction will be sustained. A valuation allowance is established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of a deferred tax asset will either expire before the Company is able to realize the benefit, or that future deductibility is uncertain. As of June 30, 2019 and 2018, the Company recorded a valuation allowance to the full extent of our net deferred tax assets since the likelihood of realization of the benefit does not meet the more likely than not threshold.

  

Derivatives

 

All derivatives are recorded at fair value on the balance sheet. The Company has determined fair values using market based pricing models incorporating readily prices and or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable (supported by little or no market activity) that requires judgment and estimates.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

The Company lists material recent accounting pronouncements in Note 2 of the consolidated financial statements.

  

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