ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations includes a number of forward-looking statements that reflect Management’s current views with respect to future events and financial performance. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate” and “continue,” or similar words. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of us and members of its management team as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements.

Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by us in this report and in our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Important factors known to us could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in the future operating results over time. We believe that its assumptions are based upon reasonable data derived from and known about our business and operations. No assurances are made that actual results of operations or the results of our future activities will not differ materially from its assumptions. Factors that could cause differences include, but are not limited to: the COVID-19 pandemic, including its impact on the Company, substantial competition; our possible need for additional financing; uncertainties of patent protection and litigation; uncertainties of government or third party payor reimbursement; limited research and development efforts and dependence upon third parties; and risks related to failure to obtain clearances or approvals from the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and noncompliance with FDA regulations.

Business Overview

We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, licensing, acquiring and developing small molecules and biologics to treat and prevent human disease and alleviate suffering. Tonix’s portfolio is primarily composed of central nervous system, or CNS, and immunology product candidates. The CNS portfolio includes both small molecules and biologics to treat pain, neurologic, psychiatric and addiction conditions. The immunology portfolio includes vaccines to prevent infectious diseases and biologics to address organ rejection, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Our lead programs are TNX-102 SL*, a sublingual tablet for the management of fibromyalgia, or FM, and TNX-1800**, a live replicating virus vaccine to protect against COVID-19. 

Our most advanced CNS product candidate is TNX-102 SL*, a proprietary sublingual tablet formulation of cyclobenzaprine, or CBP, designed for bedtime administration. TNX-102 SL has active investigational new drug applications, or IND’s, for FM, posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, agitation in Alzheimer’s disease, or AAD, and alcohol use disorder, or AUD. TNX-102 SL is in mid-Phase 3 development for the management of FM which is a pain disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain, non-restorative sleep, fatigue and impaired cognition.  We reported positive results from its Phase 3 RELIEF study in December 2020 and expect interim analysis data from a second Phase 3 study, RALLY, in the third quarter of 2021¹, followed by topline data in the first quarter of 2022. We completed enrollment of 50% of participants in the RALLY study in March 2021. For TNX-102 SL in PTSD, we completed the Phase 3 RECOVERY trial and reported topline results in the fourth quarter of 2020 in which TNX-102 SL did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint. As a next step, we intend to meet with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to discuss potential new endpoints for the indication of treatment of PTSD. We expect to begin enrolling a Phase 3 study of TNX-102 SL in police in Kenya in the third quarter of 2021. PTSD is a serious psychiatric condition that develops in response to experiencing a traumatic event. The AAD program is Phase 2 ready with an active IND and FDA Fast Track designation. AAD, which includes emotional lability, restlessness, irritability, and aggression, is one of the most distressing and debilitating of the behavioral complications of Alzheimer’s disease. The AUD program is also Phase 2 ready with an active IND. AUD is a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive alcohol use, loss of control over alcohol intake, and a negative emotional state when not using alcohol.  

Other CNS candidates in development include TNX-1900* (intranasal potentiated oxytocin), which is in development as a candidate for prophylaxis of chronic migraine and for the treatment of craniofacial pain, insulin resistance and related conditions. TNX-1900 was acquired from Trigemina, Inc. in 2020 and licensed from Stanford University in 2020. We intend to submit an IND to the FDA in the third quarter of 2021 and initiate a Phase 2 study in migraine in the third quarter of 2021. Tonix also licensed technology to use TNX-1900 for the treatment of insulin resistance from the University of Geneva. TNX-2900* is another intranasal oxytocin-based therapeutic in development for the treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome, or PWS. The technology for TNX-2900 was licensed from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research. PWS, an orphan condition, is a rare genetic disorder of failure to thrive in infancy, associated with uncontrolled appetite later in life.

TNX-601 CR* (tianeptine oxalate and naloxone controlled-release tablets) is another CNS product candidate in development as a treatment for major depressive disorder, or depression, as well as for PTSD and neurocognitive dysfunction associated with corticosteroid use. We completed a Phase 1 trial for formulation development outside of the U.S. Based on official minutes from a pre-IND meeting with the FDA, we expect to be in a position to initiate a Phase 2 study for the treatment of depression in the fourth quarter of 2021, pending results of toxicology studies.

TNX-1300** (double-mutant cocaine esterase) is also in Tonix’s CNS portfolio and is in Phase 2 development for the treatment of life-threatening cocaine intoxication. TNX-1300 has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation, or BTD by the FDA. TNX-1300 was licensed from Columbia University in 2019 after a Phase 2 study showed that it rapidly and efficiently disintegrates cocaine in the blood of volunteers who had received intravenous, or i.v., cocaine. We expect to initiate a Phase 2 open-label safety study of TNX-1300 in an emergency room setting in the third quarter of 2021.

Our immunology portfolio includes vaccines to prevent infectious diseases and biologics to address organ rejection, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Our lead vaccine candidate, TNX-1800**, is a live replicating vaccine based on the horsepox viral vector platform to protect against COVID-19, primarily by eliciting a T cell immune response. We reported positive immune response data in non-human primates in the fourth quarter of 2020 and reported positive efficacy data from animal challenge studies using live SARS-CoV-2 in the first quarter of 2021. TNX-801**, a live horsepox virus vaccine for percutaneous administration, is in the pre-IND stages of development to protect against smallpox and monkeypox. Both TNX-1800 and TNX-801 are based on the proprietary horsepox viral vector platform. We expect to initiate a Phase 1 safety study of TNX-1800 for COVID-19 in the first half of 2022.

TNX-2100** is a skin test we are developing to measure SARS-CoV-2 exposure and T cell immunity. It is an intradermal test to measure delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to SARS-CoV-2. We have manufactured GMP peptides designed to stimulate SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells and expect to submit an IND to the FDA in the third quarter of 2021 and initiate a first-in-human clinical study in the fourth quarter of 2021.

TNX-3500* (sangivamycin) is an antiviral inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2. It has demonstrated broad-spectrum activity in laboratory-based assays against the coronaviruses SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. Tonix licensed this compound from OyaGen, Inc. and intends to develop it as a treatment for COVID-19 and potentially other viral disorders. The active ingredient of TNX-3500 has been studied for safety in humans in prior studies on cancer patients at the U.S. National Cancer Institute but has not been approved for marketing in any jurisdiction. Tonix intends to conduct further animal studies and submit an IND in the first half of 2022.

TNX-1500** is a humanized monoclonal antibody, or mAb, directed against CD40-ligand, or CD40L, engineered to modulate binding to Fc receptors, that is being developed to prevent and treat organ transplant rejection as well as to treat autoimmune conditions. We expect to have GMP TNX-1500 product ready in the third quarter of 2021. In experiments at the Massachusetts General Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, TNX-1500 product candidate is being studied as monotherapy or in combination with mycophenolate mofetil in heart and kidney organ transplants in non-human primates. Preliminary results from an ongoing experiment in heart transplants indicated that TNX-1500 appeared to have comparable efficacy to historical experiments using the chimeric mouse-human anti-CD40L monoclonal antibody (mAb) hu5c8 and no evidence of thrombosis has been observed.

Finally, our preclinical pipeline includes TNX-1600*, TNX-1700**, TNX-701* and TNX-2300**. TNX-1600 is an inhibitor of the reuptake of neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine (a triple reuptake inhibitor). TNX-1600 was licensed from Wayne State University in 2019 and is being developed as a treatment for PTSD, depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. TNX-1700 is a recombinant modified form of Trefoil Family Factor 2, or rTFF2, that was licensed from Columbia University in 2019, and is a biologic being developed to treat gastric and pancreatic cancers. TNX-701 is an undisclosed small molecule, which is being developed to prevent deleterious effects of radiation exposure which has the potential to be used as a medical countermeasure to improve biodefense. Tonix is also developing TNX-2300** as a second COVID-19 vaccine under an option agreement with Kansas State university. TNX-2300 is a live replicating viral vector based on the bovine parainfluenza virus.

¹Pending agreement from FDA on statistical analysis plan.

*TNX-102 SL, TNX-601 CR, TNX-1600, TNX-1900, TNX-2900, TNX-3500 and TNX-701 are investigational new drugs and have not been approved for any indication.

**TNX-1800, TNX-801, TNX-2300, TNX-2100, TNX-1300, TNX-1500 and TNX-1700 are investigational new biologics and have not been approved for any indication. 

 Results of Operations

We anticipate that our results of operations will fluctuate for the foreseeable future due to several factors, such as the progress of our research and development efforts and the timing and outcome of regulatory submissions. Due to these uncertainties, accurate predictions of future operations are difficult or impossible to make.

Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 Compared to Three Months Ended March 31, 2020

Research and Development Expenses. Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were $15.3 million, an increase of $10.6 million, or 226%, from $4.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. This increase is predominately due to timing of milestones related to the Phase 3 RELIEF study and the initiation of a second phase 3 study of TNX-102 SL for FM, RALLY, in the third quarter of 2020, as well as activities to prepare for initiation of Phase 2 clinical studies of TNX-1300, TNX-1900 and TNX-601 by the end of 2021. New activities related to the development of TNX-1800 as a potential COVID-19 vaccine, and increased spending related to our development pipeline also contributed to the increase.

General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were $5.4 million, an increase of $2.8 million, or 108%, from $2.6 million incurred in the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase is primarily due to an increase in compensation expense of $0.7 million driven by increased salaries and additional personnel hired during the second half of 2020, an increase in legal fees of $0.6 million due to increased corporate legal fees and patent prosecution costs, increased financial reporting expenses of $1.0 million due to shareholder meetings held during the year, an increase in investor relations/public relations costs of $0.1 million, and an increase in insurance premiums of $0.1 million.

Net Loss. As a result of the forgoing, the net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $20.7 million, compared to a net loss of $7.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020, an increase of $13.4 million or 184%.

License Agreements

On April 14, 2021, we and OyaGen, Inc. (“OyaGen”) entered into an exclusive License Agreement (the “OyaGen License Agreement”) pursuant to which OyaGen granted us an exclusive license to certain patents and technical information related to an antiviral inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2, sangivamycin, and to develop and commercialize products thereunder, and to acquire rights to any technology based on the thereon for the prevention or treatment of Covid-19 developed by OyaGen during the term of the License Agreement.

As consideration for entering into the License Agreement, we agreed to pay a low-seven digit license fee to OyaGen, and agreed to issue to OyaGen and an affiliated entity an aggregate of 2,752,294 shares of our common stock, which is unregistered and subject to a six-month lock-up and a voting agreement, pursuant to which OyaGen and the affiliated entity have agreed to vote the common stock on any matter put to a vote of the shareholders of the Company in accordance with management’s recommendations. The OyaGen License also provides for single-digit royalties and contingent milestone payments.

On February 11, 2021, we entered into a license agreement (the “Inserm License Agreement”) pursuant to which we licensed technology using oxytocin-based therapeutics for the treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome and non-organic failure to thrive disease from Inserm (the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research), Aix-Marseille Université and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Toulouse. The Inserm License Agreement provides for the payment of annual fees and milestone payments upon the occurrence of specified sales milestones, totaling approximately $0.4 million, as well royalties on net sales of products based on the licensed technology, and assignment/transfer and sublicense royalties. As of March 31, 2021, no milestone payments have been accrued or paid in relation to this agreement. 

On September 16, 2019, we entered into an exclusive License Agreement (the “Columbia License Agreement”) with the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York (“Columbia”) pursuant to which Columbia granted to us an exclusive license, with the right to sublicense, certain patents and technical information (collectively, the “TFF2 Technology”) related to a recombinant Trefoil Family Factor 2 (TFF2), and to develop and commercialize products thereunder (each, a “TFF2 Product”). Pursuant to the terms of the Columbia License Agreement, Columbia has reserved for itself the right to practice the TFF2 Technology for academic research and educational purposes.

We paid a five-digit license fee to Columbia as consideration for entering into the Columbia License Agreement, which was recorded to research and development expenses in the statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2019. We are obligated to use Commercially Reasonable Efforts, as defined in the Columbia License Agreement, to develop and commercialize the TFF2 Product, and to achieve specified developmental milestones.

We have agreed to pay Columbia single-digit royalties on net sales of (i) TFF2 Products sold by us or a sublicensee and (ii) any other products that involve material or technical information related to the TFF2 Product and transferred to us pursuant to the License Agreement (“Other Products”) sold by us or a sublicensee. Royalties on each particular TFF2 Product are payable on a country-by-country and Product-by-Product basis until the latest of (i) the date of expiration of the last valid claim in the last to expire of the issued patents covered by the Columbia License Agreement, and (ii) a specified period of time after the first commercial sale of a TFF2 Product in the country in question. Royalties on each particular Other Product are payable on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis until a specified period of time after the first commercial sale of such particular Other Product in such country. Royalties payable on net sales of the TFF2 Product and Other Products may be reduced by 50% of the royalties payable by us to any third party for intellectual property rights which are necessary for the practice of the rights licensed to us under the Columbia License Agreement, provided that the royalty payable on a TFF2 Product or Other Product may not be reduced by more than 50%.

We are also obligated to make contingent milestone payments to Columbia totaling $4.1 million on a Product-by-Product basis upon the achievement of certain development, approval and sales milestones related to a TFF2 Product. In addition, we shall pay Columbia 5% of consideration, other than royalty payments and certain other categories of consideration, payable to us by a sublicensee. As of March 31, 2021, no milestone payments have been accrued or paid in relation to this agreement.

On May 20, 2019, we entered into an exclusive License Agreement (the “License Agreement”) with Columbia pursuant to which Columbia, for itself and on behalf of the University of Kentucky and the University of Michigan (collectively, the “Institutions”) granted to us an exclusive license, with the right to sublicense, certain patents, technical information and material (collectively, the “Technology”) related to a double-mutant cocaine esterase, and to develop and commercialize products thereunder (each, a “Product”). Pursuant to the terms of the License Agreement, Columbia has reserved for itself and the Institutions the right to practice the Technology for academic research and educational purposes. 

We agreed to pay a six-digit license fee to Columbia as consideration for entering into the License Agreement. We are obligated to use Commercially Reasonable Efforts, as defined in the License Agreement, to develop and commercialize the Product, and to achieve specified developmental milestones. The first 50% of the license fee was paid by June 30, 2019, while the remaining 50% license fee, was paid during the second quarter of 2020. Both installments of the license fee were recorded to research and development expenses in the 2019 statement of operations.

We agreed to pay Columbia single-digit royalties on net sales of (i) Products sold by us or a sublicensee and (ii) any other products that involve material or technical information related to the Product and transferred to us pursuant to the License Agreement (“Other Products”) sold by us or a sublicensee. Royalties on each particular Product are payable on a country-by-country and Product-by-Product basis until the latest of (i) the date of expiration of the last valid claim in the last to expire of the issued patents covered by the License Agreement, (ii) a specified period of time after the first commercial sale of a Product in the country in question, or (iii) expiration of any market exclusivity period granted by a regulatory agency. Royalties on each particular Other Product are payable on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis until the later of (i) a specified period of time after the first commercial sale of such particular Other Product in such country or (ii) expiration of any market exclusivity period granted by a regulatory agency. Royalties payable on net sales of the Product and Other Products may be reduced by 50% of the royalties payable by us to any third party for intellectual property rights which are necessary for the practice of the rights licensed to us under the License Agreement, provided that the royalty payable on a Product or Other Product may not be reduced by more than 50%.

We are also obligated to make contingent milestone payments to Columbia totaling $3 million on a Product-by-Product basis upon the achievement of certain development, approval and sales milestones related to a Product. In addition, we shall pay Columbia 5% of consideration, other than royalty payments and certain other categories of consideration, payable to us by a sublicensee. As of March 31, 2021, no milestone payments have been accrued or paid in relation to this agreement.

Asset Purchase Agreements 

On December 22, 2020, we entered into an asset purchase agreement (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”) with Katana Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Katana”) pursuant to which we acquired Katana assets related to insulin resistance and related syndromes, including obesity (the “Katana Assets”). In connection with the acquisition of the Assets, we assumed Katana’s rights and obligations under that certain Exclusive License Agreement by and between Katana and The University of Geneva (“Geneva”) (the “Geneva License “Agreement”) pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption Agreement with Geneva (“Geneva Assignment and Assumption Agreement”), dated December 22, 2020. As consideration for entering into the Asset Purchase Agreement, we paid $0.7 million to Katana. The costs associated with the cash payments were recorded to research and development expenses in the statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020. Because the Katana intellectual property was acquired prior to FDA, the cash consideration totaling $0.7 million, was expensed as research and development costs since there is no alternative future use and the acquired intellectual property does not constitute a business.

Pursuant to the terms of the Geneva Assignment and Assumption Agreement, Geneva granted us an exclusive license, with the right to sublicense, certain patents related to the Katana Assets. We are obligated to use commercially reasonable efforts to diligently develop, manufacture, and sell products claimed or covered by the patent and will use commercially reasonable efforts to diligently develop markets for such products. The Geneva License Agreement specifies developmental milestones and the period of time during which such milestones must be completed and provides for an annual maintenance fee payable to Geneva.

As of March 31, 2021, no milestone payments have been accrued or paid in relation to this agreement.

On June 11, 2020, we entered into an asset purchase agreement (the “Trigemina Asset Purchase Agreement”) with Trigemina, Inc. (“Trigemina”) and certain shareholders named therein (the “Executive Shareholders”) pursuant to which we acquired Trigemina assets related to migraine and pain treatment technologies (the “Trigemina Assets”). In connection with the acquisition of the Trigemina Assets, we assumed Trigemina’s rights and obligations under that certain Amended and Restated Exclusive License Agreement, dated November 30, 2007, as amended, by and between Trigemina and The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (“Stanford”) (the “Stanford License “Agreement”) pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption Agreement with Stanford (“Assignment and Assumption Agreement”), dated June 11, 2020. As consideration for entering into the Trigemina Asset Purchase Agreement, we paid $824,759 to Trigemina and issued to Trigemina 2,000,000 shares of our common stock and paid Stanford $250,241 pursuant to the terms of the Assignment and Assumption Agreement. The common stock is unregistered and subject to a 12 month lock-up and a Shareholder Voting Agreement, dated June 11, 2020, pursuant to which Trigemina and the Executive Shareholders have agreed to vote the common stock on any matter put to a vote of our shareholders in accordance with management’s recommendations. Both the costs associated with the cash payments and share issuance, totaling $2.4 million, were recorded to research and development in the statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020. Because the Trigemina intellectual property was acquired prior to FDA approval, the cash and stock consideration was expensed as research and development costs since there is no alternative future use and the acquired intellectual property does not constitute a business.

Pursuant to the terms of the Assignment and Assumption Agreement, Stanford has granted us an exclusive license, with the right to sublicense, certain patents related to the Trigemina Assets. Stanford has reserved for itself the right to practice under the patents for academic research and educational purposes. We are obligated to use commercially reasonable efforts to diligently develop, manufacture, and sell products claimed or covered by the patent and will use commercially reasonable efforts to diligently develop markets for such products. The Stanford License Agreement specifies developmental milestones and the period of time during which such milestones must be completed, and provides for an annual maintenance fee payable to Stanford.

As of March 31, 2021, no milestone payments have been accrued or paid in relation to this agreement.

On August 19, 2019, we entered into an asset purchase agreement (the “TRImaran Asset Purchase Agreement”) with TRImaran Pharma, Inc. (“TRImaran”) and the selling shareholders named therein (the “Selling Shareholders”) pursuant to which we acquired TRImaran’s assets related to certain pyran-based compounds (the “TRImaran Assets”). In connection with the acquisition of the TRImaran Assets, we entered into a First Amended and Restated Exclusive License Agreement (the “WSU License Agreement”) with Wayne State University (“WSU”) on August 19, 2019. As consideration for entering into the TRImaran Asset Purchase Agreement, we paid $100,000 to TRImaran and have assumed certain liabilities of TRImaran totaling $68,500. The $168,500 was recorded to research and development expenses in the statement of operations in 2019. Upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory and sales milestones, we also agreed to pay TRImaran and the Selling Shareholders, in restricted stock or cash, at our option, a total of approximately $3.4 million. Pursuant to the terms of the TRImaran Asset Purchase Agreement, TRImaran and the Selling Shareholders are prohibited from disclosing confidential information related to the TRImaran Assets and are restricted from engaging, for a period of three years, in the development or commercialization of any therapeutic containing any pyran-based drug compound for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or major depressive disorder. Also for a period of three years, if TRImaran or any Selling Shareholder engage in the research or development of any potential therapeutic compound for the treatment of any central nervous system disorder, TRImaran or such Selling Shareholder is obliged to provide notice and opportunity to Tonix to make an offer to acquire or license rights with respect to such product candidate. As of December 31, 2020, no milestone payments have been accrued or paid in relation to this agreement.

Pursuant to the terms of the WSU License Agreement, WSU granted us an exclusive license, with the right to sublicense, certain patents, technical information and material (collectively, the “Technology”) related to the TRImaran Assets. WSU has reserved for itself the right to practice the Technology for academic research and educational purposes. We are obligated to use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain regulatory approval for one or more products utilizing the Technology (“WSU Products”) and to use commercially reasonable marketing efforts throughout the term of the WSU License Agreement. The WSU License Agreement specifies developmental milestones and the period of time during which such milestones must be completed and provides for an annual maintenance fee payable to WSU. We are obligated to substantially manufacture WSU Products in the United States if WSU Products will be sold in the United States.

Pursuant to the WSU License Agreement, we paid $75,000 to WSU as reimbursement of certain patent expenses, and, upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory and sales milestones, we also agreed to pay WSU, milestone payments totaling approximately $3.4 million. We also agreed to pay WSU single-digit royalties on net sales of WSU Products sold by us or a sublicensee on a tiered basis based on net sales, and additional sublicense fees on certain consideration received from sublicensees. Royalties on each particular WSU Product are payable on a country-by-country and Product-by-Product basis until the date of expiration of the last valid claim in the last to expire of the issued patents covered by the WSU License Agreement. Royalties payable on net sales of WSU Products may be reduced by 50% of the royalties payable by us to any third party for intellectual property rights which are necessary for the practice of the rights licensed to us under the WSU License Agreement, provided that the royalty payable on a WSU Product may not be reduced by more than 50%. Each party also has the right to terminate the agreement for customary reasons such as material breach and bankruptcy. The WSU License Agreement contains provisions relating to termination, indemnification, confidentiality and other customary matters for an agreement of this kind. As of March 31, 2021, no milestone payments have been accrued or paid in relation to this agreement.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of March 31, 2021, we had working capital of $167.1 million, comprised primarily of cash and cash equivalents of $164.2 million and prepaid expenses and other of $9.0 million, offset by $2.9 million of accounts payable, $2.8 million of accrued expenses and current lease liabilities of $0.4 million. A significant portion of the accounts payable and accrued expenses are due to work performed in relation to our Phase 3 clinical trial in FM and our vaccine program. For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, we used approximately $21.1 million and $9.3 million of cash in operating activities, respectively, which represents cash outlays for research and development and general and administrative expenses in such periods. The increase in cash outlays principally resulted from an increase in research and development and general and administrative activities. For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, net proceeds from financing activities were $108.7 million and $28.8 million, respectively, predominately from the sale of our common stock and warrants. Cash used by investing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, was $0.5 million and $0 respectively, related to the purchase of property and equipment.

We believe that our cash resources at March 31, 2021, and the proceeds that we raised from equity offerings subsequent to the end of the first quarter of 2021, will meet our operating and capital expenditure requirements through March 31, 2022, but not beyond.

We continue to face significant challenges and uncertainties and, as a result, our available capital resources may be consumed more rapidly than currently expected due to changes we may make in our research and development spending plans. These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for the one year period from the date of filing of this Form 10-K. We have the ability to obtain additional funding through public or private financing or collaborative arrangements with strategic partners to increase the funds available to fund operations. Without additional funds, we may be forced to delay, scale back or eliminate some of our research and development activities, or other operations and potentially delay product development in an effort to provide sufficient funds to continue our operations. If any of these events occurs, our ability to achieve our development and commercialization goals would be adversely affected.

Future Liquidity Requirements

We expect to incur losses from operations for the near future. We expect to incur increasing research and development expenses, including expenses related to additional clinical trials and the buildout of our research and development operations and manufacturing. We will not have enough resources to meet our operating requirements for the one-year period from filing date of this report.

Our future capital requirements will depend on a number of factors, including the progress of our research and development of product candidates, the timing and outcome of regulatory approvals, the costs involved in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining, defending and enforcing patent claims and other intellectual property rights, the status of competitive products, the availability of financing and our success in developing markets for our product candidates.

We will need to obtain additional capital in order to fund future research and development activities. Future financing may include the issuance of equity or debt securities, obtaining credit facilities, or other financing mechanisms. Even if we are able to raise the funds required, it is possible that we could incur unexpected costs and expenses, fail to collect significant amounts owed to us, or experience unexpected cash requirements that would force us to seek alternative financing. Furthermore, if we issue additional equity or debt securities, shareholders may experience additional dilution or the new equity securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of existing holders of our common stock.

If additional financing is not available or is not available on acceptable terms, we may be required to delay, reduce the scope of or eliminate our research and development programs, reduce our commercialization efforts or obtain funds through arrangements with collaborative partners or others that may require us to relinquish rights to certain product candidates that we might otherwise seek to develop or commercialize independently.

February 2021 Financing

On February 8, 2021, we entered into a securities agreement (“the February 2021 Financing”) with A.G.P/Alliance Global Partners (“AGP”), relating to the issuance and sale of 58,333,334 shares of our common stock, in a registered direct public offering. The public offering price for each share of common stock was $1.20. The February 2021 Financing closed on February 9, 2021. AGP purchased the shares at a seven percent discount to the then current public price, for an aggregate discount of $4.9 million. We incurred other offering expenses of approximately $0.1 million. We received net proceeds of approximately $65.0 million, after deducting the underwriting discount and other offering expenses.

January 2021 Financing

On January 11, 2021, we entered into a securities purchase agreement (“the January 2021 Financing”) with AGP, relating to the issuance and sale of 50,000,000 shares of our common stock, in a registered direct public offering. The public offering price for each share of common stock was $0.80. The January 2021 Financing closed on January 13, 2021. AGP purchased the shares at a seven percent discount to the then current public price, for an aggregate discount of $2.8 million. We incurred other offering expenses of approximately $0.3 million. We received net proceeds of approximately $36.9 million, after deducting the underwriting discount and other offering expenses.

At-the-Market Offering

On April 8, 2020, we entered into a sales agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with AGP pursuant to which we may issue and sell, from time to time, shares of the our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50.0 million in at-the-market offerings (“ATM”) sales. On the same day, we filed a prospectus supplement under a shelf registration relating to the Sales Agreement. AGP will act as sales agent and will be paid a 3% commission on each sale under the Sales Agreement. Our common stock will be sold at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, and, as a result, prices will vary. On September 4, we filed an amended prospectus supplement under a shelf registration relating to the Sales Agreement to increase the aggregate offering price to $100.0 million in ATM sales under the Sales Agreement. During the quarter ended March 31, 2021, we sold approximately 9.5 million shares of common stock under the Sales Agreement, for gross proceeds of approximately $7.0 million. Subsequent to March 31, 2021, we sold 2.6 million shares of common stock under the Sales Agreement, for gross proceeds of approximately $3.2 million. On April 19, 2021, we filed an amended prospectus supplement under a shelf registration relating to the Sales Agreement to increase the aggregate offering price to $170.0 million in ATM sales under the Sales Agreement.

March 2020 Financing

On February 28, 2020, we entered into an underwriting agreement (“the February 28th Financing”) with AGP, relating to the issuance and sale of 14,550,000 shares of our common stock, in a registered direct public offering. The public offering price for each share of common stock was $1.10. The February 28th Financing closed on March 3, 2020. AGP purchased the shares at a seven percent discount to the then current public price, for an aggregate discount of $1.1 million. We incurred other offering expenses of approximately $0.1 million. We received net proceeds of approximately $14.8 million, after deducting the underwriting discount and other offering expenses.

February 2020 Financing

On February 7, 2020, we entered into an underwriting agreement (“the February 20 Financing”) with AGP pursuant to which we sold securities consisting of 3,837,000 Class A Units at a public offering price of $0.57 per unit, with each unit consisting of one share of common stock and one warrant to purchase one share of common stock, and 5,313 Class B Units at a public offering price of $1,000 per unit, with each unit consisting of one share of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, with a conversion price of $0.57 per share, convertible into 1,754.386 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase 1,754.386 shares of our common stock. The warrants have an exercise price of $0.57, are immediately exercisable and expire five years from the date of issuance.

The February 2020 Financing closed on February 11, 2020. AGP purchased the Class A and Class B Units at a seven-percent discount to the public offering price, for an aggregate discount of approximately $0.5 million. We incurred other offering expenses of approximately $0.5 million. We received net proceeds of approximately $6.5 million, after deducting the underwriting discount and other offering expenses.

After allocating proceeds to the warrants issued with the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, the effective conversion price of the Series B Convertible Preferred stock was determined to be less than the fair value of the underlying common stock at the date of commitment, resulting in a beneficial conversion feature (“BCF”) at that date. Since the Series B Preferred Stock has no stated maturity or redemption date and is immediately convertible at the option of the holder, the discount created by the BCF of $1.3 million, based on intrinsic value, was charged to additional paid in capital as a “deemed dividend” and included in net loss to common stockholders.

During the first quarter of 2020, all 5,313 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock were converted into common stock.

During February and March 2020, 10.8 million of the warrants issued in the February 2020 Financing, with an exercise price of $0.57, were exercised for proceeds of approximately $6.2 million.

November 2019 Financing

On November 14, 2019, we entered into an underwriting agreement with AGP pursuant to which we sold securities consisting of 547,420 Class A Units at a public offering price of $1.94 per unit, with each unit consisting of one share of common stock, one warrant to purchase one share of common stock (“primary warrant”) and one-half of one warrant to purchase one half of one share common stock (“common warrant”), and 7,938 Class B Units at a public offering price of $1,000 per unit, with each unit consisting of one share of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, with a conversion price of $1.94 per share, convertible into 515.464 shares of common stock, primary warrants to purchase 515.464 shares of common stock, and common warrants to purchase 257.732 shares of our common stock. The primary warrants have an exercise price of $1.94, are immediately exercisable and expire five years from the date of issuance. The common warrants have an exercise price of $1.94, are exercisable and expire 12 months from the date of issuance. The common warrants are exercisable on a cashless basis at the option of the holder on the earlier of 30 days from issuance and the date by which an aggregate of $9.0 million of our securities were traded.

The November 2019 Financing closed on November 19, 2019. AGP purchased the Class A and Class B Units at a seven-percent discount to the public offering price, for an aggregate discount of approximately $0.6 million. We incurred other offering expenses of approximately $0.5 million. We received net proceeds from the November 2019 Financing of approximately $7.9 million, after deducting the underwriting discount and other offering expenses.

After allocating proceeds to the warrants issued with the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, the effective conversion price of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock was determined to be less than the fair value of the underlying common stock at the date of commitment, resulting in a BCF at that date. Since the Series A Preferred Stock has no stated maturity or redemption date and is immediately convertible at the option of the holder, the discount created by the BCF of $2.5 million, based on the intrinsic value, was charged to additional paid in capital as a “deemed dividend” and included in net loss to common stockholders.

As of December 31, 2019, all 7,938 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock were converted into common stock.

With the February 2020 Financing, warrants that were issued as part of the November 2019 financing were repriced at $0.57. As a result of the issuance of common stock in February 2020 for less than the November 2019 warrant exercise price, a repricing of the warrants issued in the November 2019 financing was triggered. We recognized a one-time non-cash “deemed dividend” of $0.5 million, representing the increase in the fair value of the warrants. The “deemed dividend” was charged to additional paid in capital and included in net loss to stockholders. During February and March 2020, 2.3 million of the warrants issued in the November 2019 financing, with an exercise price of $0.57, were exercised for proceeds of approximately $1.3 million.

Stock Compensation

Stock Incentive Plans

2019 Stock Incentive Plan

On May 3, 2019, our stockholders approved the Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”). The 2019 Plan provided for the issuance of up to 140,000 shares of common stock. With the adoption of the Amended and Restated 2020 Plan (as defined below), no further grants may be made under the 2019 Plan. On January 16, 2020, our stockholders approved the Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. 2020 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”). The 2020 Plan provided for the issuance of up to 600,000 shares of common stock. With the adoption of the Amended and Restated 2020 Stock Incentive Plan, no further grants may be made under the 2020 Plan.

On May 1, 2020, our stockholders approved the Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. Amended and Restated 2020 Stock Incentive Plan (“Amended and Restated 2020 Plan”), and together with the 2020 Plan and the 2019 Plan, the “Plans”).

Under the terms of the Amended and Restated 2020 Plan, we may issue (1) stock options (incentive and nonstatutory), (2) restricted stock, (3) SARs, (4) RSUs, (5) other stock-based awards, and (6) cash-based awards. The Amended and Restated 2020 Plan provides for the issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of common stock, which amount will be increased to the extent that awards granted under the Plans are forfeited, expire or are settled for cash (except as otherwise provided in the Amended and Restated 2020 Plan). In addition, the Amended and Restated 2020 Plan contains an “evergreen provision” providing for an annual increase in the number of shares of our common stock available for issuance under the Amended and Restated 2020 Plan on January 1 of each year for a period of ten years, commencing on January 1, 2021 and ending on (and including) January 1, 2030, in an amount equal to the difference between (x) twenty percent (20%) of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding on December 31st of the preceding calendar year, and (y) the total number of shares of common stock reserved under the Amended and Restated 2020 Plan on December 31st of such preceding calendar year (including shares subject to outstanding awards, issued pursuant to awards or available for future awards). The Board of Directors determines the exercise price, vesting and expiration period of the grants under the Amended and Restated 2020 Plan. However, the exercise price of an incentive stock option may not be less than 110% of fair value of the common stock at the date of the grant for a 10% or more shareholder and 100% of fair value for a grantee who is not a 10% shareholder. The fair value of the common stock is determined based on quoted market price or in absence of such quoted market price, by the Board of Directors in good faith. Additionally, the expiration period of grants under the Amended and Restated 2020 Plan may not be more than ten years. As of March 31, 2021, 18,883,676 shares were available for future grants under the Amended and Restated 2020 Plan.

We measure the fair value of stock options on the date of grant, based on the Black Scholes option pricing model using certain assumptions discussed below, and the closing market price of our common stock on the date of the grant. The fair value of the award is measured on the grant date. One-third of most stock options granted pursuant to the Plans vest 12 months from the date of grant and 1/36th each month thereafter for 24 months and expire ten years from the date of grant. In addition, we issue options to directors which vest over a one-year period. We also issue premium options to executive officers which have an exercise price greater than the grant date fair value and have issued performance-based options which vest when target parameters are met, subject in each case to a one year minimum service period prior to vesting. Stock-based compensation expense related to awards is amortized over the applicable vesting period using the straight-line method.

The weighted average fair value of options granted for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 was $1.10 and $0.35 per share, respectively.

Stock-based compensation expense relating to options granted of $1.2 million, of which $0.8 million and $0.4 million, related to General and Administration and Research and Development, respectively was recognized for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. 

Stock-based compensation expense relating to options granted of $0.4 million, of which $0.3 million and $0.1 million, related to General and Administration and Research and Development, respectively was recognized for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. 

As of March 31, 2021, we had approximately $18.4 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested awards granted under the Plans, which the Company expects to recognize over a weighted average period of 2.67 years.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

On May 3, 2019, our stockholders approved the Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holdings Corp. 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2019 ESPP”). As a result of adoption of the 2020 ESPP, as defined below, by the stockholders, no further grants may be made under the 2019 ESPP Plan. On May 1, 2020, our stockholders approved the Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holdings Corp. 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2020 ESPP”).

The 2020 ESPP allows eligible employees to purchase up to an aggregate of 300,000 shares of our common stock. Under the 2020 ESPP, on the first day of each offering period, each eligible employee for that offering period has the option to enroll for that offering period, which allows the eligible employees to purchase shares of our common stock at the end of the offering period. Each offering period under the 2020 ESPP is for six months, which can be modified from time-to-time. Subject to limitations, each participant will be permitted to purchase a number of shares determined by dividing the employee’s accumulated payroll deductions for the offering period by the applicable purchase price, which is equal to 85 percent of the fair market value of our common stock at the beginning or end of each offering period, whichever is less. A participant must designate in his or her enrollment package the percentage (if any) of compensation to be deducted during that offering period for the purchase of stock under the 2020 ESPP, subject to the statutory limit under the Code. As of March 31, 2021, 245,553 shares were available for future sales under the 2020 ESPP.

The 2020 and 2019 ESPP are considered compensatory plans with the related compensation cost expensed over the six-month offering period. For the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, $47,000 and $0, respectively were expensed. In January 2020, 1,578 shares that were purchased as of December 31, 2019, under the 2019 ESPP, were issued. Accordingly, during the first quarter of 2020, approximately $2,000 of employee payroll deductions accumulated at December 31, 2019, related to acquiring such shares, was transferred from accrued expenses to additional paid in capital. The remaining $7,000 was returned to the employees. As of December 31, 2020, approximately $32,000 of employee payroll deductions have accumulated and have been recorded in accrued expenses. In January 2021, 54,447 shares that were purchased as of December 31, 2020, under the 2020 ESPP, were issued. Accordingly, during the first quarter of 2021, approximately $28,000 of employee payroll deductions accumulated at December 31, 2020, related to acquiring such shares, was transferred from accrued expenses to additional paid in capital. The remaining $4,000 was returned to the employees.

Commitments

Research and Development Contracts

We have entered into contracts with various contract research organizations with outstanding commitments aggregating approximately $30.0 million at March 31, 2021 for future work to be performed.

Operating leases

As of March 31, 2021, future minimum lease payments are as follows (in thousands):

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and expenses. We evaluate our estimates and judgments on an ongoing basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

Research and Development. We outsource our research and development efforts and expense the related costs as incurred, including the cost of manufacturing product for testing, licensing fees and costs associated with planning and conducting clinical trials. The value ascribed to patents and other intellectual property acquired was expensed as research and development costs, as it related to particular research and development projects and had no alternative future uses.

We estimate our accrued expenses. Our clinical trial accrual process is designed to account for expenses resulting from our obligations under contracts with vendors, consultants and clinical research organizations and clinical site agreements in connection with conducting clinical trials. The financial terms of these contracts are subject to negotiations, which vary from contract to contract and may result in payment flows that do not match the periods over which materials or services are provided to us under such contracts. We account for trial expenses according to the progress of the trial as measured by participant progression and the timing of various aspects of the trial. We determine accrual estimates that take into account discussions with applicable personnel and outside service providers as to the progress or state of completion of trials, or the services completed. During the course of a clinical trial, we adjust our clinical expense recognition if actual results differ from our estimates. We make estimates of our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date based on the facts and circumstances known to us at that time. Our clinical trial accruals and prepaid assets are dependent upon the timely and accurate reporting of contract research organizations and other third-party vendors.

Stock-Based Compensation. All stock-based payments to employees and to nonemployee directors for their services as directors consisted of grants of restricted stock and stock options, which are measured at fair value on the grant date and recognized in the condensed consolidated statements of operations as compensation expense over the relevant vesting period. In addition, for awards that vest immediately and are nonforfeitable, the measurement date is the date the award is issued.

Accounting for sale of Class B Units in November 2019 and February 2020 including beneficial conversion feature. In connection with the November 2019 and February 2020 underwritten offerings, we issued warrants to purchase our common stock and convertible preferred stock. To account for the transaction, we calculated the relative fair value of each instrument issued in the financing. We also determined if a beneficial conversion feature existed. A beneficial conversion feature is defined as a nondetachable conversion feature that is in the money at the commitment date. A conversion feature is in the money if its conversion price is less than the current fair value of the share. For purposes of measuring a beneficial conversion feature, the effective conversion price should be based on the proceeds allocated to the convertible instrument.

We determined the fair value of the warrants to purchase common stock, using a Monte Carlo simulation, for the November 2019 financing, which is a statistical method used to generate a defined number of share price paths to develop a reasonable estimate of the range of future expected share prices. We determined the fair value of the warrants, using the black-scholes method, for the February 2020 warrants. Estimates and assumptions impacting the fair value measurement include the number of shares for which the warrants are exercisable, remaining contractual term of the warrants, risk-free interest rate, expected dividend yield and expected volatility of the price of the underlying common shares. We estimate expected share volatility based on our historical volatility for a term equal to the contractual term of the warrants adjusted for a discount that a market participant would have taken when pricing the instrument. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve for time periods approximately equal to the remaining contractual term of the warrants. We estimated a 0% expected dividend yield based on the fact that we have never paid or declared dividends and do not intend to do so in the foreseeable future. In general, the assumptions used in calculating the fair value of the warrant represent management’s best estimates, but the estimates involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management judgment. We determine the fair value of the convertible preferred stock utilizing the price of the common stock on the commitment date. We then allocated the relative fair value between the preferred shares and the warrants. Since the effective conversion price of the Preferred Stock is less than the fair value of the underlying common stock at the date of commitment, there is a beneficial conversion feature at the commitment date. Since the Preferred Stock has no stated maturity or redemption date and is immediately convertible at the option of the holder, the discount created by the beneficial conversion feature was charged to additional paid in capital as a “deemed dividend” and impacted earnings per share, reflected as an increase to loss to common stockholders.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Other than contractual obligations incurred in the normal course of business, we do not have any off-balance sheet financing arrangements or liabilities, guarantee contracts, retain or contingent interests in transferred assets or any obligation arising out of a material variable interest in an unconsolidated entity.