Description of Business

Capricor Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (referred to herein as “Capricor Therapeutics” or the “Company”), is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative cell and exosome-based therapies for the treatment of diseases, with a focus on Duchenne muscular dystrophy (“DMD”), and other rare disorders. Capricor, Inc. (“Capricor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capricor Therapeutics, was founded in 2005 as a Delaware corporation based on the innovative work of its founder, Eduardo Marbán, M.D., Ph.D. After completion of a merger between Capricor and a subsidiary of Nile Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Nile”), on November 20, 2013, Capricor became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nile and Nile formally changed its name to Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. Capricor Therapeutics, together with its subsidiary, Capricor, have four drug candidates, two of which are in various stages of active development.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for Capricor Therapeutics and its wholly-owned subsidiary have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and, therefore, do not include all disclosures necessary for a complete presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flows in conformity with U.S. GAAP. In the Company’s opinion, all adjustments, consisting of normal and recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. The accompanying financial information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 29, 2019, and as amended by the Company’s Amendment No. 1 to Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC on April 1, 2019, from which the December 31, 2018 consolidated balance sheet has been derived. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2019.

Basis of Consolidation

Our condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and our wholly-owned subsidiary. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Liquidity

The Company has historically financed its research and development activities as well as operational expenses from equity financings, government grants, a payment from Janssen Biotech, Inc. (“Janssen”) pursuant to a Collaboration Agreement with Janssen and a loan award and a grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (“CIRM”).

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of March 31, 2019 were approximately $7.2 million, compared to approximately $7.3 million as of December 31, 2018. On October 19, 2017, the Company entered into a Common Stock Sales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with H.C. Wainwright & Co. LLC (“Wainwright”) to create an at-the-market equity program under which the Company from time to time offered and sold shares of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share, having an aggregate offering price of up to $14.0 million (the “ATM Program”) through Wainwright, as sales agent. The Company sold an aggregate of 8,992,331 common shares under the ATM Program at an average price of $1.30 per common share for net proceeds of approximately $11.4 million (see Note 2 - “Stockholders’ Equity” and Note 9 – “Subsequent Events”). The ATM Program expired on April 23, 2019.

The Company has been awarded various grant and loan awards, which fund, in part, various pre-clinical and clinical activities (see Note 5 – “Government Grant Awards”). As of March 31, 2019, the Company has approximately $0.6 million remaining available under its grants and awards for disbursement, pursuant to the terms of the awards.

The Company’s principal uses of cash are for research and development expenses, general and administrative expenses, capital expenditures and other working capital requirements.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

The Company’s future expenditures and capital requirements may be substantial and will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to, the following:

Based on the Company’s current estimates and largely dependent on our decisions with respect to our HOPE-2 clinical trial, the Company believes it has sufficient cash to fund operations into the fourth quarter of 2019. In the first quarter of 2019, Capricor made certain operational adjustments to further reduce expenses by slowing down certain R&D efforts, decreasing headcount, and implementing further budget restrictions in order to preserve cash resources further. Based on the Company’s available cash resources, the Company does not have sufficient cash on hand to support current operations for at least the next twelve months from the date of filing this Report on Form 10-Q. Therefore, there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

The Company’s plan to address its financial position may include potentially seeking additional financing primarily from, but not limited to, the sale and issuance of equity or debt securities, the licensing or sale of its technology and other assets, and from government grants. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business. The condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

The Company will require substantial additional capital to fund operations. The Company cannot provide assurances that financing will be available when and as needed or that, if available, financing will be available on favorable or acceptable terms. If the Company is unable to obtain additional financing when and if required, it would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and results of operations. The Company would likely need to delay, or curtail or terminate all or portions of its clinical trial programs. To the extent the Company issues additional equity securities, its existing stockholders would experience substantial dilution.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP 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 condensed consolidated financial statements. Estimates also affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The most sensitive estimates relate to the recoverability and fair value of intangible assets and the assumptions used to estimate stock-based compensation expense. Management uses its historical records and knowledge of its business in making these estimates. Accordingly, actual results may differ from these estimates.

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets that total the same such amounts shown in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows.

For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, restricted cash represents funds received under a CIRM award (the “CIRM Award”) (see Note 5 – “Government Grant Awards”). Restricted cash funds are to be allocated to the research costs as incurred. Generally, a reduction of restricted cash occurs when the Company deems certain costs are attributable to the respective award. The restricted cash balance was approximately $0.2 million and $0.3 million as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively.

Marketable Securities

The Company determines the appropriate classification of its marketable securities at the time of purchase and reevaluates such designation at each balance sheet date. All of the Company’s marketable securities are considered as available-for-sale and carried at estimated fair values. Realized gains and losses on the sale of debt and equity securities are determined using the specific identification method. Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are excluded from net income (loss) and reported in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as a separate component of stockholders’ equity.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed in the period incurred. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the related estimated useful life of the asset, which such estimated useful lives range from five to seven years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the useful life of the asset or the lease term. Depreciation was $32,476 and $23,241 for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Property and equipment consisted of the following as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018:

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

Intangible Assets

Amounts attributable to intellectual property consist primarily of the costs associated with the acquisition of certain technologies, patents, pending patents and related intangible assets with respect to research and development activities. Certain intellectual property assets are stated at cost and are amortized on a straight-line basis over the respective estimated useful lives of the assets ranging from five to fifteen years. Total amortization expense was $10,819 for both the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018. A summary of future amortization expense as of March 31, 2019 is as follows:

The Company reviews goodwill and intangible assets at least annually for possible impairment. Goodwill and intangible assets are reviewed for possible impairment between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below its carrying value. No impairment was recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018.

Revenue Recognition

For contracts completed as of December 31, 2017, revenue was recognized in accordance with ASC 605 and other superseded standards. The company applied ASU 606 using the modified retrospective approach for all contracts in process as of January 1, 2018.

Government Research Grants

Generally, government research grants that provide funding for research and development activities are recognized as income when the related expenses are incurred, as applicable. Because the terms of the CIRM Award allow Capricor to elect to convert the grant into a loan after the end of the project period, the CIRM Award is being classified as a liability rather than income (see Note 5 - “Government Grant Awards”). Grant income is due upon submission of reimbursement request. The transaction price varies for grant income based on the expenses incurred under the awards.

Miscellaneous Income

Revenue is recognized in connection with the delivery of doses which were developed as part of our past R&D efforts. Income is recorded when the Company has satisfied the obligations as identified in the contracts with the customer (see Note 8 – “Related Party Transactions”). Miscellaneous income is due upon billing. Miscellaneous income is based on contracts with fixed transaction prices.

Rent

Rent expense for the Company’s leases, which generally have escalating rental amounts over the term of the lease, is recorded on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The difference between the rent expense and rent paid has been recorded as deferred rent in the consolidated balance sheet under accounts payable and accrued expenses. Rent is amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the applicable lease, without consideration of renewal options.

Research and Development

Costs relating to the design and development of new products are expensed as research and development as incurred in accordance with FASB ASC 730-10, Research and Development . Research and development costs amounted to approximately $1.8 million and $2.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) generally represents all changes in stockholders’ equity during the period except those resulting from investments by, or distributions to, stockholders. The Company’s comprehensive loss was approximately $2.5 million and $3.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The Company’s other comprehensive income (loss) is related to a net unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities. For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company’s other comprehensive gain (loss) was $(12,393) and $8,709, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based employee compensation arrangements in accordance with guidance issued by the FASB, which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all share-based payment awards made to employees, consultants, and directors based on estimated fair values.

The Company estimates the fair value of stock-based compensation awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as an expense over the requisite service periods in the Company’s statements of operations. The Company estimates the fair value of stock-based compensation awards using the Black-Scholes model. This model requires the Company to estimate the expected volatility and value of its common stock and the expected term of the stock options, all of which are highly complex and subjective variables. The variables take into consideration, among other things, actual and projected stock option exercise behavior. For employees and directors, the expected life was calculated based on the simplified method as described by the SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 110, Share-Based Payment. For other service providers, the expected life was calculated using the contractual term of the award. The Company's estimate of expected volatility was based on the historical stock price of the Company. The Company has selected a risk-free rate based on the implied yield available on U.S. Treasury securities with a maturity equivalent to the expected term of the options.

Loss per Share

The Company reports earnings per share in accordance with FSAB ASC 260-10, Earnings per Share. Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing income (loss) available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed similarly to basic earnings (loss) per share except that the denominator is increased to include the number of additional common shares that would have been outstanding if the potential common shares had been issued and if the additional common shares were dilutive.

For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, warrants and options to purchase were 6,476,034 and 8,077,236 shares of common stock, respectively, which have been excluded from the computation of potentially dilutive securities. Dilutive potential common shares, which primarily consist of stock options issued to employees, consultants, and directors as well as warrants issued, have been excluded from the diluted loss per share calculation because their effect is anti-dilutive.

Fair Value Measurements

Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value in the balance sheet are categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair value. The categories are as follows:

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

The following tables summarize the fair value measurements by level for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

Carrying amounts reported in the balance sheet of cash and cash equivalents, grants receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate fair value due to their relatively short maturity. The carrying amounts of the Company’s marketable securities are based on market quotations from national exchanges at the balance sheet date. Interest and dividend income are recognized separately on the income statement based on classifications provided by the brokerage firm holding the investments. The fair value of borrowings is not considered to be significantly different from its carrying amount because the stated rates for such debt reflect current market rates and conditions.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”) , which supersedes existing guidance on accounting for leases in Leases (Topic 840) and issued additional clarification throughout 2018. Under the new guidance, a lessee should recognize assets and liabilities that arise from its leases and disclose qualitative and quantitative information about its leasing arrangements. The Company elected the optional transition method to apply the standard as of January 1, 2019 as the effective date and therefore, did not apply the standard to comparative periods. The Company did not apply the recognition requirements to short-term leases and recognized those lease payments in the Consolidated Statements of Operations on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company also elected the available package of practical expedients in transition which allowed us to not re-assess whether existing or expired arrangements contain a lease, the lease classification of existing or expired leases, or whether previous initial direct costs would qualify for capitalization under the new lease standard. The adoption of this update did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting , which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for nonemployee share-based payment transactions resulting from expanding the scope of Topic 718 to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. The Company early adopted ASU 2018-07 and all subsequent updates related to this topic on a prospective basis effective July 1, 2018. The adoption of this update did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-18, Collaborative Arrangements (Topic 808): clarifying the interaction between Topic 808 and Topic 606. The amendments in the update clarifies that certain transactions between collaborative arrangement participants should be accounted for as revenue under Topic 606 when the collaborative arrangement participant is a customer in the context of a unit of account; adds unit-of-account guidance in Topic 808 to align with the guidance in Topic 606 when an entity is assessing whether the collaborative arrangement or a party of the arrangement is within the scope of Topic 606; requires that in a transaction with a collaborative arrangement participant that is not directly related to sales to third parties, presenting the transaction together with revenue recognized under Topic 606 is precluded if the collaborative arrangement participant is not a customer. The amendments for this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

Other recent accounting pronouncements issued by the FASB, including its Emerging Issues Task Force, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the SEC, did not or are not believed by management to have a material impact on the Company’s present or future consolidated financial statement presentation or disclosures.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

Common Stock Sales Agreement

On October 19, 2017, the Company entered into the Sales Agreement with Wainwright, establishing the ATM Program. The common stock sold in the ATM Program was distributed at the market prices prevailing at the time of sale. The Sales Agreement provided that Wainwright would be entitled to compensation for its services at a commission rate of 3.0% of the gross sales price per share of common stock sold plus reimbursement of certain expenses. From inception through expiration of the ATM Program on April 23, 2019, the Company sold an aggregate of 8,992,331 shares at an average price of approximately $1.30 per common share for net proceeds of approximately $11.4 million (see Note 9 – “Subsequent Events”). The Company paid 3.0% cash commission on the gross proceeds, plus reimbursement of expenses of the placement agent and legal fees in the aggregate amount of approximately $0.4 million.

Outstanding Shares

At March 31, 2019, the Company had 33,661,346 shares of common stock issued and outstanding.

Stock Options

The Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) has approved three stock option plans: (i) the 2006 Stock Option Plan, (ii) the 2012 Restated Equity Incentive Plan (which superseded the 2006 Stock Option Plan) (the “2012 Plan”), and (iii) the 2012 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan (the “2012 Non-Employee Director Plan”).

At the time the merger between Capricor and Nile became effective, 4,149,710 shares of common stock were reserved under the 2012 Plan for the issuance of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards and performance unit/share awards to employees, consultants and other service providers. Included in the 2012 Plan are the shares of common stock that were originally reserved under the 2006 Stock Option Plan. Under the 2012 Plan, each stock option granted will be designated in the award agreement as either an incentive stock option or a nonstatutory stock option. Notwithstanding such designation, however, to the extent that the aggregate fair market value of the shares with respect to which incentive stock options are exercisable for the first time by the participant during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and any parent or subsidiary) exceeds $100,000, such options will be treated as nonstatutory stock options.

On June 2, 2016 at the Company’s annual stockholder meeting, the stockholders approved a proposal to amend the 2012 Plan, to, among other things, increase the number of shares of common stock of the Company that may be issued under the 2012 Plan to equal the sum of 4,149,710 plus 2% of the outstanding shares of common stock as of December 31, 2015, with the number of shares that may be issued under the 2012 Plan automatically increasing thereafter on January 1 of each year, commencing with January 1, 2017, by 2% of the outstanding shares of common stock as of the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year (rounded down to the nearest whole share). Additionally, in connection with the proposed increase in the total number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2012 Plan, the Company increased the number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to options that are intended to qualify as incentive stock options from 4,149,710 shares to 4,474,809 shares. The Third Amendment to the 2012 Plan provided that an additional 325,099 shares be added to the 2012 Plan for the fiscal year 2016. In addition, for the fiscal years beginning on January 1, 2019 and 2018, the amount of shares that were added was equal to 627,754 and 525,409 shares, respectively.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

At the time the merger between Capricor and Nile became effective, 2,697,311 shares of common stock were reserved under the 2012 Non-Employee Director Plan for the issuance of stock options to members of the Board who are not employees of the Company.

Each of the Company’s stock option plans are administered by the Board, or a committee appointed by the Board, which determines the recipients and types of awards to be granted, as well as the number of shares subject to the awards, the exercise price and the vesting schedule. Currently, stock options are granted with an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant, and generally vest over a period of one to four years. The term of stock options granted under each of the plans cannot exceed ten years.

The estimated weighted average fair value of the options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2018 were approximately $1.45 per shares. No options were granted during the three months ended March 31, 2019.

The Company estimates the fair value of each option award using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Company used the following assumptions to estimate the fair value of stock options issued in the three months ended March 31, 2018 as no options were issued during the three months ended March 31, 2019:

Employee and non-employee stock-based compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:

The Company does not recognize an income tax benefit as the Company believes that an actual income tax benefit may not be realized. For non-qualified stock options, the loss creates a timing difference, resulting in a deferred tax asset, which is fully reserved by a valuation allowance.

Common stock, stock options or other equity instruments issued to non-employees (including consultants) as consideration for goods or services received by the Company are accounted for based on the fair value of the equity instruments issued. The fair value of stock options is determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Historically, the Company periodically re-measured the fair value for non-qualified option grants recording an expense over the applicable vesting periods. However, in the third quarter of 2018, the Company early adopted ASU 2018-07. The Company calculates the fair value for non-qualified options as of the date of grant and expenses over the applicable vesting periods. We account for estimated forfeitures at the date of grant.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

The aggregate intrinsic value represents the difference between the exercise price of the options and the estimated fair value of the Company’s common stock for each of the respective periods.

The aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised was zero and $521,678 for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Cash Concentration

The Company has historically maintained checking accounts at two financial institutions. These accounts are each insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for up to $250,000. Historically, the Company has not experienced any significant losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. As of March 31, 2019, the Company maintained approximately $7.1 million of uninsured deposits.

CIRM Grant Award (HOPE)

On June 16, 2016, Capricor entered into the CIRM Award with CIRM in the amount of approximately $3.4 million to fund, in part, Capricor’s Phase I/II HOPE-Duchenne clinical trial investigating CAP-1002 for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy-associated cardiomyopathy. Pursuant to terms of the CIRM Award, the disbursements were tied to the achievement of specified operational milestones. If CIRM determines, in its sole discretion, that Capricor has not complied with the terms and conditions of the CIRM Award, CIRM may suspend or permanently cease disbursements or pursue other remedies as allowed by law. In addition, the terms of the CIRM Award include a co-funding requirement pursuant to which Capricor is required to spend approximately $2.3 million of its own capital to fund the CIRM funded research project. If Capricor fails to satisfy its co-funding requirement, the amount of the CIRM Award may be proportionately reduced. The CIRM Award is further subject to the conditions and requirements set forth in the CIRM Grants Administration Policy for Clinical Stage Projects. Such requirements include, without limitation, the filing of quarterly and annual reports with CIRM, the sharing of intellectual property pursuant to Title 17, California Code of Regulations (CCR) Sections 100600-100612, and the sharing with the State of California of a fraction of licensing revenue received from a CIRM funded research project and net commercial revenue from a commercialized product which resulted from the CIRM funded research as set forth in Title 17, CCR Section 100608. The maximum royalty on net commercial revenue that Capricor may be required to pay to CIRM is equal to nine times the total amount awarded and paid to Capricor. 

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

After completing the CIRM funded research project and after the award period end date, estimated to be in 2019, Capricor has the right to convert the CIRM Award into a loan, the terms of which will be determined based on various factors, including the stage of the research and development of the program at the time the election is made. On June 20, 2016, Capricor entered into a Loan Election Agreement with CIRM whereby, among other things, CIRM and Capricor agreed that if Capricor elects to convert the grant into a loan, the term of the loan would be five years from the date of execution of the applicable loan agreement; provided that the term of the loan will not exceed ten years from the date on which the CIRM Award was granted. Beginning on the date of the loan, the loan shall bear interest on the unpaid principal balance, plus the interest that has accrued prior to the election point according to the terms set forth in CIRM’s Loan Policy (the “New Loan Balance”), at a per annum rate equal to the LIBOR rate for a three-month deposit in U.S. dollars, as published by the Wall Street Journal on the loan date, plus one percent. Interest shall be compounded annually on the outstanding New Loan Balance commencing with the loan date and the interest shall be payable, together with the New Loan Balance, upon the due date of the loan. If Capricor elects to convert the CIRM Award into a loan, certain requirements of the CIRM Award will no longer be applicable, including the revenue sharing requirements. Capricor has not yet made its decision as to whether it will elect to convert the CIRM Award into a loan. Since Capricor may be required to repay some or all of the amounts awarded by CIRM, the Company accounts for this award as a liability rather than income. 

In 2016, Capricor received $3.1 million under the terms of the CIRM Award. In September 2017, the Company completed the second operational milestone tied to the last patient completing one year of follow-up, for which approximately $0.3 million was received by Capricor in November 2017. As of March 31, 2019, the Company’s liability balance for the CIRM Award was $3.4 million, of which approximately $0.2 million is recorded as restricted cash, due to the fact that Capricor is required to expend approved project costs in order to use these funds.

On August 8, 2017, the Company entered into an Amendment to the CIRM Notice of Award pursuant to which CIRM approved the Company’s request to use the remaining estimated project funds of the CIRM Award for technology transfer activities in support of the manufacture of CAP-1002 to a designated contract manufacturing organization (“CMO”) which will help enable Capricor to offer access to CAP-1002 to patients from the control arm of the HOPE-Duchenne trial via an open-label extension protocol. On September 7, 2018, the Company entered into an Amendment to the CIRM Notice of Award pursuant to which CIRM added an additional operational milestone which would be satisfied by completion of certain activities related to technology transfer. On January 23, 2019, the Company entered into an Amendment to the CIRM Notice of Award pursuant to which CIRM added an additional operational milestone which would be satisfied by completion of certain activities related to the HOPE-OLE clinical trial.

NIH Grant Award (HLHS)

In September 2016, Capricor was approved for a grant from the NIH to study CAP-2003 (cardiosphere-derived cell exosomes) for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Under the terms of the NIH grant, disbursements will be made to Capricor in an amount up to approximately $4.2 million, subject to annual and quarterly reporting requirements as well as completion of the study objectives. As of March 31, 2019, approximately $0.7 million has been incurred under the terms of the NIH grant award. At this time, the Company is in the process of closing out this grant award, subject to completing customary close-out documentation with no additional expenses expected to be incurred.

U.S. Department of Defense Grant Award

In September 2016, Capricor was approved for a grant award from the Department of Defense in the amount of approximately $2.4 million to be used toward developing a scalable, commercially-ready process to manufacture CAP-2003. Under the terms of the award, disbursements will be made to Capricor over a period of approximately three years, subject to annual and quarterly reporting requirements. As of March 31, 2019, approximately $1.8 million has been incurred under the terms of the award.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

Leases

Capricor leases space for its corporate offices pursuant to a lease that was originally effective for a two-year period beginning July 1, 2013 with an option to extend the lease for an additional twelve months. On May 25, 2016, Capricor entered into a Third Amendment to Lease (the “Third Lease Amendment”) with The Bubble Real Estate Company, LLC. Under the terms of the Third Lease Amendment, the lease term extension commenced on July 1, 2016 and was to end on December 31, 2018. The base rent increased to $22,995 per month for the first twelve months of the term, commencing July 1, 2016, increased to $23,915 per month for the second twelve months of the term, commencing July 1, 2017, and, thereafter, increased to $24,872 per month for the remainder of the lease term, commencing July 1, 2018. On January 11, 2019, Capricor entered into a Fourth Amendment to Lease (the “Fourth Lease Amendment”) with The Bubble Real Estate Company, LLC. Under the terms of the Fourth Lease Amendment, the lease term extension commenced on January 1, 2019 and will end on December 31, 2019 with a base rent of $25,867 per month. Effective April 1, 2019, the Company has agreed to deliver to the landlord an unconditional, irrevocable, transferrable letter of credit in the amount of $232,803 to cover payments of rent for the remainder of the lease term.

The Facilities Lease which Capricor entered into with CSMC is for a term of three years commencing June 1, 2014 and replaced the month-to-month lease that was previously in effect between CSMC and Capricor. The monthly lease payment under the Facilities Lease was $15,461 per month for the first six months of the term and increased to $19,350 per month for the remainder of the term. The amount of rent expense is subject to annual adjustments according to increases in the Consumer Price Index. The Facilities Lease expired on May 31, 2017 and transitioned to a month-to-month tenancy. On August 10, 2017, the Company and CSMC entered into the First Amendment to the Facilities Lease effective August 1, 2017 (the “First Amendment”) pursuant to which the term of the Facilities Lease was extended for an additional 12-month period, and the Company was granted an option to further extend the term for an additional 12-month period thereafter through July 31, 2019. Under the First Amendment, the total monthly rent increased from $19,350 to $19,756. In addition, pursuant to the First Amendment, the premises covered by the Facilities Lease now also include the manufacturing facility currently being utilized by Capricor. In lieu of further increasing the monthly rental payment set forth in the First Amendment, the Company has also agreed to provide doses of CAP-1002 for use in CSMC’s clinical trials for a negotiated amount of monetary compensation. On July 19, 2018, the Company exercised its option to extend the term of the Facilities Lease with CSMC for an additional 12-month period through July 31, 2019. The monthly lease payment for the extended term will remain at $19,756. On September 7, 2018, Capricor entered into a Second Amendment to the CSMC Facilities Lease pursuant to which Capricor was granted two consecutive 1-year options to extend the term of the Facilities Lease through July 31, 2021. Capricor entered into a Third Amendment to the CSMC Facilities Lease reducing the square footage of the leased premises, which resulted in a rent reduction of approximately $4,000 per month which became effective March 1, 2019.

In addition, the Company entered into a month-to-month lease agreement with University Center Lane Tenant, LLC, pursuant to which the Company leased office space located in San Diego, California. The lease commenced March 1, 2018 and the rental payment was $4,190 per month. The Company terminated the lease effective February 28, 2019.

Unless renewed, each of the leases described above will not be in effect for fiscal year 2020. Included within the table below, future minimum rental payments to related parties totaled approximately $63,220. A summary of future minimum rental payments required under operating leases as of March 31, 2019 is as follows:

Expenses incurred under operating leases to unrelated parties for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 were $84,601 and $77,264, respectively. Expenses incurred under operating leases to related parties for each of the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 were $55,317 and $59,268, respectively.

Legal Contingencies

The Company is not a party to any material legal proceedings at this time.  From time to time, the Company may become involved in various legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of its business or otherwise.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

Accounts Payable

Over the normal course of business, disputes with vendors may arise. If a vendor dispute payment is probable and able to be estimated, we will record an estimated liability.

Employee Severances

In the first quarter of 2019, the Board of Directors approved severance packages for all current full-time employees based on length of service and position ranging up to six months of their base salaries subject to certain conditions. No liability has been recorded as of March 31, 2019.

Capricor’s Technology - CAP-1002, CAP-1001, CSps and Exosomes

Capricor has entered into exclusive license agreements for intellectual property rights related to certain cardiac-derived cells with Università Degli Studi Di Roma La Sapienza (the “University of Rome”), The Johns Hopkins University (“JHU”) and CSMC. In addition, Capricor has filed patent applications related to the technology developed by its own scientists.

University of Rome License Agreement

Capricor and the University of Rome entered into a License Agreement, dated June 21, 2006 (the “Rome License Agreement”), which provides for the grant of an exclusive, world-wide, royalty-bearing license by the University of Rome to Capricor (with the right to sublicense) to develop and commercialize licensed products under the licensed patent rights in all fields. Capricor has a right of first negotiation, for a certain period of time, to obtain a license to any new and separate patent applications owned by the University of Rome utilizing cardiac stem cells in cardiac care.

Pursuant to the Rome License Agreement, Capricor paid the University of Rome a license issue fee, is currently paying minimum annual royalties in the amount of 20,000 Euros per year, and is obligated to pay a lower-end of a mid-range double-digit percentage on all royalties received as a result of sublicenses granted, which are net of any royalties paid to third parties under a license agreement from such third party to Capricor. The minimum annual royalties are creditable against future royalty payments.

The Rome License Agreement will, unless extended or sooner terminated, remain in effect until the later of the last claim of any patent or until any patent application comprising licensed patent rights has expired or been abandoned. Under the terms of the Rome License Agreement, either party may terminate the agreement should the other party become insolvent or file a petition in bankruptcy. Either party may terminate the agreement upon the other party’s material breach, provided that the breaching party will have up to 90 days to cure its material breach. Capricor may also terminate for any reason upon 90 days’ written notice to the University of Rome.

The Johns Hopkins University License Agreement

Capricor and JHU entered into an Exclusive License Agreement, effective June 22, 2006 (the “JHU License Agreement”), which provides for the grant of an exclusive, world-wide, royalty-bearing license by JHU to Capricor (with the right to sublicense) to develop and commercialize licensed products and licensed services under the licensed patent rights in all fields and a nonexclusive right to the know-how. In May 2009, the JHU License Agreement was amended to add additional patent rights to the JHU License Agreement in consideration of a payment to JHU and reimbursement of patent costs. Capricor and JHU executed a Second Amendment to the JHU License Agreement, effective as of December 20, 2013, pursuant to which, among other things, certain definitions were added or amended, the timing of certain obligations was revised and other obligations of the parties were clarified. Under the JHU License Agreement, Capricor is required to exercise commercially reasonable and diligent efforts to develop and commercialize licensed products covered by the licenses from JHU.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

Pursuant to the JHU License Agreement, JHU was paid an initial license fee and, thereafter, Capricor is required to pay minimum annual royalties on the anniversary dates of the JHU License Agreement. The minimum annual royalties range from $5,000 on the first and second anniversary dates to $20,000 on the tenth anniversary date and thereafter. The minimum annual royalties are creditable against a low single-digit running royalty on net sales of products and net service revenues, which Capricor is also required to pay under the JHU License Agreement, which running royalty may be subject to further reduction in the event that Capricor is required to pay royalties on any patent rights to third parties in order to make or sell a licensed product. In addition, Capricor is required to pay a low double-digit percentage of the consideration received by it from sublicenses granted, and is required to pay JHU certain defined development milestone payments upon the successful completion of certain phases of its clinical studies and upon receiving approval from the FDA. The development milestones range from $100,000 upon successful completion of a full Phase I clinical study to $1,000,000 upon full FDA market approval and are fully creditable against payments owed by Capricor to JHU on account of sublicense consideration attributable to milestone payments received from a sublicensee. The maximum aggregate amount of milestone payments payable under the JHU License Agreement, as amended, is $1,850,000. In May 2015, Capricor paid the development milestone related to Phase I that was owed to JHU pursuant to the terms of the JHU License Agreement.

The JHU License Agreement will, unless sooner terminated, continue in effect in each applicable country until the date of expiration of the last to expire patent within the patent rights, or, if no patents are issued, then for twenty years from the effective date. Under the terms of the JHU License Agreement, either party may terminate the agreement should the other party become insolvent or file a petition in bankruptcy, or fail to cure a material breach within 30 days after notice. In addition, Capricor may terminate for any reason upon 60 days’ written notice.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center License Agreements

License Agreement for CDCs

On January 4, 2010, Capricor entered into an Exclusive License Agreement with CSMC (the “Original CSMC License Agreement”) for certain intellectual property related to its CDC technology. In 2013, the Original CSMC License Agreement was amended twice resulting in, among other things, a reduction in the percentage of sublicense fees which would have been payable to CSMC. Effective December 30, 2013, Capricor entered into an Amended and Restated Exclusive License Agreement with CSMC (the “Amended CSMC License Agreement”) which amended, restated, and superseded the Original CSMC License Agreement, pursuant to which, among other things, certain definitions were added or amended, the timing of certain obligations was revised and other obligations of the parties were clarified.

The Amended CSMC License Agreement provides for the grant of an exclusive, world-wide, royalty-bearing license by CSMC to Capricor (with the right to sublicense) to conduct research using the patent rights and know-how and develop and commercialize products in the field using the patent rights and know-how. In addition, Capricor has the exclusive right to negotiate for an exclusive license to any future rights arising from related work conducted by or under the direction of Dr. Eduardo Marbán on behalf of CSMC. In the event the parties fail to agree upon the terms of an exclusive license for any future rights, Capricor will have a non-exclusive license to such future rights, subject to royalty obligations.

Pursuant to the Original CSMC License Agreement, CSMC was paid a license fee and Capricor was obligated to reimburse CSMC for certain fees and costs incurred in connection with the prosecution of certain patent rights. Additionally, Capricor is required to meet certain spending and development milestones. The annual spending requirements ranged from $350,000 to $800,000 each year between 2010 and 2017 (with the exception of 2014, for which there was no annual spending requirement).

Pursuant to the Amended CSMC License Agreement, Capricor remains obligated to pay low single-digit royalties on sales of royalty-bearing products as well as a low double-digit percentage of the consideration received from any sublicenses or other grant of rights. The above-mentioned royalties are subject to reduction in the event Capricor becomes obligated to obtain a license from a third party for patent rights in connection with the royalty-bearing product. In 2010, Capricor discontinued its research under some of the patents.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

The Amended CSMC License Agreement will, unless sooner terminated, continue in effect on a country by country basis until the last to expire of the patents covering the patent rights or future patent rights. Under the terms of the Amended CSMC License Agreement, unless waived by CSMC, the agreement shall automatically terminate: (i) if Capricor ceases, dissolves or winds up its business operations; (ii) in the event of the insolvency or bankruptcy of Capricor or if Capricor makes an assignment for the benefit of its creditors; (iii) if performance by either party jeopardizes the licensure, accreditation or tax exempt status of CSMC or the agreement is deemed illegal by a governmental body; (iv) within 30 days for non-payment of royalties; (v) after 90 days’ notice from CSMC if Capricor fails to undertake commercially reasonable efforts to exploit the patent rights or future patent rights; (vi) if a material breach has not been cured within 90 days; or (vii) if Capricor challenges any of the CSMC patent rights. If Capricor fails to undertake commercially reasonable efforts to exploit the patent rights or future patent rights, and fails to cure that breach after 90 days’ notice from CSMC, instead of terminating the license, CSMC has the option to convert any exclusive license to Capricor to a non-exclusive or co-exclusive license. Capricor may terminate the agreement if CSMC fails to cure any material breach within 90 days after notice.

On March 20, 2015, Capricor and CSMC entered into a First Amendment to the Amended CSMC License Agreement, pursuant to which the parties agreed to delete certain patent applications from the list of scheduled patents which Capricor determined not to be material to the portfolio.

On August 5, 2016, Capricor and CSMC entered into a Second Amendment to the Amended CSMC License Agreement (the “Second License Amendment”), pursuant to which the parties agreed to add certain patent applications to the schedule of patent rights set forth in the agreement. Under the Second License Amendment, (i) the description of scheduled patent rights has been replaced by a revised schedule that includes six additional patent applications; (ii) Capricor paid an upfront fee of $2,500; and (iii) Capricor reimbursed CSMC approximately $10,000 for attorneys’ fees and filing fees that were incurred in connection with the additional patent applications.

On December 26, 2017, Capricor entered into a Third Amendment to the Amended CSMC License Agreement thereby amending the CDCs License (the “Third License Amendment”).  Under the Third License Amendment, (i) the description of scheduled patent rights has been replaced by a revised schedule that includes seven additional patent applications; and (ii) Capricor is required to reimburse CSMC approximately $50,000 for attorneys’ fees and filing fees that were incurred in connection with the additional patent rights. 

On June 20, 2018, Capricor and CSMC entered into a Fourth Amendment to the Amended CSMC License Agreement (the “Fourth License Amendment”). Under the Fourth License Amendment, the description of scheduled patent rights has been replaced by a revised schedule that includes two additional patent applications.

License Agreement for Exosomes

On May 5, 2014, Capricor entered into an Exclusive License Agreement with CSMC (the “Exosomes License Agreement”), for certain intellectual property rights related to exosomes technology. The Exosomes License Agreement provides for the grant of an exclusive, world-wide, royalty-bearing license by CSMC to Capricor (with the right to sublicense) in order to conduct research using the patent rights and know-how and to develop and commercialize products in the field using the patent rights and know-how. In addition, Capricor has the exclusive right to negotiate for an exclusive license to any future rights arising from related work conducted by or under the direction of Dr. Eduardo Marbán on behalf of CSMC. In the event the parties fail to agree upon the terms of an exclusive license, Capricor shall have a non-exclusive license to such future rights, subject to royalty obligations.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

Pursuant to the Exosomes License Agreement, CSMC was paid a license fee and Capricor reimbursed CSMC for certain fees and costs incurred in connection with the preparation and prosecution of certain patent applications. Additionally, Capricor is required to meet certain non-monetary development milestones and is obligated to pay low single-digit royalties on sales of royalty-bearing products as well as a single-digit percentage of the consideration received from any sublicenses or other grant of rights. The above-mentioned royalties are subject to reduction in the event Capricor becomes obligated to obtain a license from a third party for patent rights in connection with the royalty bearing product.

The Exosomes License Agreement will, unless sooner terminated, continue in effect on a country by country basis until the last to expire of the patents covering the patent rights or future patent rights. Under the terms of the Exosomes License Agreement, unless waived by CSMC, the agreement shall automatically terminate: (i) if Capricor ceases, dissolves or winds up its business operations; (ii) in the event of the insolvency or bankruptcy of Capricor or if Capricor makes an assignment for the benefit of its creditors; (iii) if performance by either party jeopardizes the licensure, accreditation or tax exempt status of CSMC or the agreement is deemed illegal by a governmental body; (iv) within 30 days for non-payment of royalties; (v) after 90 days if Capricor fails to undertake commercially reasonable efforts to exploit the patent rights or future patent rights; (vi) if a material breach has not been cured within 90 days; or (vii) if Capricor challenges any of the CSMC patent rights. If Capricor fails to undertake commercially reasonable efforts to exploit the patent rights or future patent rights, and fails to cure that breach after 90 days’ notice from CSMC, instead of terminating the license, CSMC has the option to convert any exclusive license to Capricor to a non-exclusive or co-exclusive license. Capricor may terminate the agreement if CSMC fails to cure any material breach within 90 days after notice.

On February 27, 2015, Capricor and CSMC entered into a First Amendment to Exosomes License Agreement (the “First Exosomes License Amendment”). Under the First Exosomes License Amendment, (i) the description of scheduled patent rights has been replaced by a revised schedule that includes four additional patent applications; (ii) Capricor was required to pay CSMC an upfront fee of $20,000; (iii) Capricor was required to reimburse CSMC approximately $34,000 for attorneys’ fees and filing fees that were incurred in connection with the additional patent rights; and (iv) Capricor is required to pay CSMC certain defined product development milestone payments upon reaching certain phases of its clinical studies and upon receiving approval for a product from the FDA. The product development milestones range from $15,000 upon the dosing of the first patient in a Phase I clinical trial of a product to $75,000 upon receipt of FDA approval for a product.  The maximum aggregate amount of milestone payments payable under the Exosomes License Agreement, as amended, is $190,000. 

On June 10, 2015, Capricor and CSMC entered into a Second Amendment to Exosomes License Agreement, thereby amending the Exosomes License Agreement further to add an additional patent application to the Schedule of Patent Rights.

On August 5, 2016, Capricor and CSMC entered into a Third Amendment to the Exosomes License Agreement (the “Third Exosomes License Amendment”), pursuant to which the parties agreed to add certain patent applications to the schedule of patent rights under the agreement. Under the Third Exosomes License Amendment, (i) the description of scheduled patent rights has been replaced by a revised schedule that includes three additional patent applications; (ii) Capricor paid CSMC an upfront fee of $2,500; and (iii) Capricor reimbursed CSMC approximately $16,000 for attorneys’ fees and filing fees that were incurred in connection with the additional patent applications.

On December 26, 2017, Capricor and CSMC entered into a Fourth Amendment to Exosomes License Agreement, thereby amending the Exosomes License (the “Fourth Exosomes License Amendment”). Under the Fourth Exosomes License Amendment, (i) the description of scheduled patent rights was replaced by a revised schedule that includes seven additional patent applications; (ii) Capricor is required to reimburse CSMC approximately $50,000 for attorneys’ fees and filing fees that were incurred in connection with the additional patent rights; and (iii) a schedule to the Exosomes License was modified to extend the milestone deadline for filing an IND for at least one product to December 31, 2018.

On June 20, 2018, Capricor and CSMC entered into a Fifth Amendment to the Exosomes License Agreement (the “Fifth License Amendment”). Under the Fifth License Amendment, (i) the description of scheduled patent rights has been replaced by a revised schedule that includes four additional patent applications; and (ii) Capricor is required to reimburse CSMC approximately $27,000 for attorneys’ fees and filing fees that were incurred in connection with the additional patent rights. 

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

On September 25, 2018, Capricor and CSMC entered into a Sixth Amendment to the Exosomes License Agreement (the “Sixth License Amendment”). Under the Sixth License Amendment, the milestone deadline for filing an IND for at least one product has been extended to December 31, 2019. If the Company does not file an IND by December 31, 2019, or negotiate an additional extension of the milestone deadline, CSMC would have the option to convert the exclusive license to a non-exclusive license or to a co-exclusive license or terminate the license under Title 35, Section 203 of the United States Code. Prior to exercising such option, Capricor has the opportunity to cure the failure to file an IND for a period of 90 days after its receipt of written notice from CSMC of its intent to exercise its option.

Lease and Sub-Lease Agreement

As noted above, Capricor is a party to lease agreements with CSMC, which holds more than 10% of the outstanding capital stock of Capricor Therapeutics (see Note 6 – “Commitments and Contingencies”), and CSMC has served as an investigative site in Capricor’s clinical trials. Additionally, Dr. Eduardo Marbán, who holds approximately 9% of the outstanding capital stock of Capricor Therapeutics and participates as an observer at the Company’s meetings of the Board of Directors, is the Director of the Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute, a co-founder of Capricor and the Chairman of the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board.

On April 1, 2013, Capricor entered into a sublease with Reprise Technologies, LLC, a limited liability company which is wholly owned by Dr. Frank Litvack, the Company’s Executive Chairman and member of its Board of Directors, for $2,500 per month. The sublease is on a month-to-month basis. For each of the three months periods ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, Capricor recognized $7,500 in sublease income from the related party. Sublease income is recorded as a reduction to general and administrative expenses.

Consulting Agreements

In 2013, Capricor entered into a Consulting Agreement with Dr. Frank Litvack, the Company’s Executive Chairman and a member of its Board of Directors, whereby Capricor agreed to pay Dr. Litvack $10,000 per month for consulting services. The agreement is terminable upon 30 days’ notice. Additionally, beginning in 2016, Capricor retained the services of Lit Digital Media, LLC whose sole member is Harry Litvack, the son of Dr. Frank Litvack. Lit Digital Media provided services to the Company related to social media and public relations, and the Company paid Lit Digital Media approximately $1,500 per month for such services. On January 31, 2019, we terminated the services of Lit Digital Media.

Payables to Related Party

At March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the Company had accounts payable and accrued expenses to related parties totaling $38,066 and $106,366, respectively. CSMC accounts for $27,973 and $100,191 of the total accounts payable and accrued expenses to related parties as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. CSMC expenses relate to research and development and clinical trial costs. During the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company paid CSMC approximately $100,000 and $200,000, respectively, for such costs.

Related Party Clinical Trials

Capricor has agreed to provide cells for investigational purposes in two clinical trials sponsored by CSMC. These cells were developed as part of the Company’s past research and development efforts. The first trial is known as “Regression of Fibrosis and Reversal of Diastolic Dysfunction in HFpEF Patients Treated with Allogeneic CDCs.” Dr. Eduardo Marbán is the named principal investigator under the study. The second trial is known as “Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension treated with Cardiosphere-derived Allogeneic Stem Cells.” In both studies, Capricor will provide the necessary number of doses of cells and will receive a negotiated amount of monetary compensation which is estimated to be approximately $2.1 million over several years. For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company recognized approximately $108,000 and $93,000, respectively, as revenue. As of March 31, 2019, and December 31, 2018, approximately $45,000 and $269,000, respectively, is outstanding and recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets.

CAPRICOR THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Notes to CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED financial statements

(unaudited)

Related Party Agreement

On May 10, 2018, Capricor and TrialTech Medical, Inc., a corporation in which Dr. Frank Litvack, our Executive Chairman and a director, is a co-founder, shareholder and chairman, entered into an agreement whereby TrialTech Medical, Inc. would provide clinical trial services to Capricor for its HOPE-2 clinical trial. In December 2018, Capricor ceased the use of those services. Total costs incurred under the agreement were approximately $42,600.

Common Stock Sales Agreement

Subsequent to March 31, 2019 and through the expiration of the ATM Program on April 23, 2019, the Company sold an aggregate of 1,005,590 common shares at an average price of approximately $0.56 per common share for net proceeds of approximately $0.5 million. The Company paid 3.0% cash commission on the gross proceeds, plus reimbursement of expenses of the placement agent in the aggregate amount of approximately $18,900.