ITEM 1A – RISK FACTORS.

As a smaller reporting company we are not required to provide a statement of risk factors. Nonetheless, we are voluntarily providing risk factors herein.

Any investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the following information, together with the other information contained in this Annual Report, before you decide to buy our common stock. If one or more of the following events actually occurs, our business will suffer, and as a result our financial condition or results of operations will be adversely affected. In this case, the market price, if any, of our common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment in our common stock.

Currently, our focus is on the development and distribution of our pain products. We are also developing medical treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, fibromyalgia, traumatic brain injury, blood sepsis and viremia, and cancer. We face risks in developing our product candidates and services and eventually bringing them to market. We also face risks that our business model may become obsolete. The following risks are material risks that we face. If any of these risks occur, our business, our ability to achieve revenues, our operating results and our financial condition could be seriously harmed.

Risk Factors Related to the Business of the Company

We have a limited operating history and our financial results are uncertain.

We have a limited history and face many of the risks inherent to a new business. As a result of our limited operating history, it is difficult to accurately forecast our potential revenue. We were incorporated in Nevada in 2010. Our revenue and income potential is unproven and our business model is still emerging. Therefore, there can be no assurance that we will provide a return on investment in the future. An investor in our common stock must consider the challenges, risks and uncertainties frequently encountered in the establishment of new technologies, products and processes in emerging markets and evolving industries. These challenges include our ability to:

	·	execute our business model;
	·	create brand recognition;
	·	manage growth in our operations;
	·	create a customer base in a cost-effective manner;
	·	retain customers;
	·	access additional capital when required; and
	·	attract and retain key personnel.

 

There can be no assurance that our business model will be successful or that it will successfully address these and other challenges, risks and uncertainties.

 

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We will need additional funding in the future, and if we are unable to raise capital when needed, we may be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our product candidate development programs, commercial efforts, or sales efforts.

Developing products and methods and procedures of treatment and marketing developed products is costly. We will need to raise substantial additional capital in the future in order to execute our business plan and help us and our collaboration partners fund the development and commercialization of our product candidates.

In 2014 and through 2017, we raised funds through public equity offerings. We may need to finance future cash needs through public or private equity offerings, debt financings or strategic collaboration and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our shareholders may experience additional dilution, and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants and may result in high interest expense. If we raise additional funds through collaboration and licensing arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to our product candidates, processes and technologies or our development projects or to grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. If adequate funds are not available from the foregoing sources, we may consider additional strategic financing options, including sales of assets, or we may be required to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate one or more of our research or development programs or curtail some of our commercialization efforts of our operations. We may seek to access the public or private equity markets whenever conditions are favorable, even if we do not have an immediate need for additional capital.

Negative press from being in a hemp or cannabis-related business could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The hemp plant and the cannabis/marijuana plant are both part of the same  cannabis sativa genus species of plant, except that hemp, by definition, has less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) content and is legal under federal and state laws, but the same plant with a higher THC content is cannabis/marijuana, which is legal under certain state laws, but which is not legal under federal law. The similarities between these plants can cause confusion, and our activities with legal hemp may be incorrectly perceived as us being involved in federally illegal cannabis/marijuana. Also, despite growing support for the cannabis/marijuana industry and legalization of cannabis/marijuana in certain U.S. states, many individuals and businesses remain opposed to the cannabis/marijuana industry. Any negative press resulting from any incorrect perception that we have entered into the cannabis/marijuana space could result in a loss of current or future business. It could also adversely affect the public’s perception of us and lead to reluctance by new parties to do business with us or to own our common stock. We cannot assure you that additional business partners, including but not limited to financial institutions and customers, will not attempt to end or curtail their relationships with us. Any such negative press or cessation of business could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

U.S. federal, state and foreign regulation and enforcement of laws relating to cannabis and its derivatives may adversely affect our ability to sell our products and our revenue .

There are (i) 34 states in the United States and the District of Columbia that have legalized hemp, (ii) 29 states and the District of Columbia that allow their citizens to use medical cannabis/marijuana and, (iii) 9 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized cannabis/marijuana for adult recreational use. Many other states are considering similar legislation. Conversely, under the federal Controlled Substance Act (the “CSA”), the policies and regulations of the federal government and its agencies are that cannabis/marijuana has no medical benefit and a range of activities are prohibited, including cultivation, possession, personal use, and interstate distribution of cannabis/marijuana. In the event the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) begins strict enforcement of the CSA in states that have laws legalizing medical and/or adult recreational cannabis/marijuana, there may be a direct and adverse impact to any future business or prospects that we may have in the cannabis/marijuana business. Even in those jurisdictions in which the manufacture and use of medical cannabis/marijuana has been legalized at the state level, the possession, use, and cultivation of cannabis/marijuana all remain violations of federal law that are punishable by imprisonment and substantial fines. Moreover, individuals and entities may violate federal law if they intentionally aid and abet another in violating these federal controlled substance laws, or conspire with another to violate them.

 

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For example, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control sent 900 warning letters to marijuana shops suspected of operating without a state license. The Bureau also issued a cease-and-desist letter to the operator of an online directory of marijuana dispensaries, products and delivery services. The letter threatened fines and criminal penalties if the company did not remove the listings for unlicensed marijuana businesses. Likewise, if we unknowingly do business with unlicensed entities or list them on our website, we may be subject to similar regulatory action that would halt our operations and affect our financial performance.

Local, state, federal, and international hemp and cannabis/marijuana laws and regulations are broad in scope and subject to evolving interpretations, which could require us to incur substantial costs associated with compliance requirements. In addition, violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could disrupt our business and result in a material adverse effect on our operations. In addition, it is possible that cannabinoid-related regulations may be enacted in the future that will be directly applicable to our business. It is also possible that the federal government will begin strictly enforcing existing laws, which may limit the legal uses of the hemp plant and its derivatives and extracts, such as cannabinoids. However, our work in hemp would continue since hemp research, development, and commercialization activities are permitted under applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. Until Congress amends the CSA or the executive branch deschedules or reschedules cannabis under it, there is a risk that federal authorities may enforce current federal law. Enforcement of the CSA by federal authorities could impair the Company’s revenue and profit, and it could even force the Company to cease manufacturing its products. The risk of strict federal enforcement of the CSA in light of congressional activity, judicial holdings, and stated federal policy, including enforcement priorities, remains uncertain.

Until such time as the federal government reclassifies marijuana from a Schedule 1 narcotic, we do not intend to pursue any involvement in the marijuana business. At this time we intend to continue only in the federally legal hemp product business. Also, if the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, or similar legislation is enacted, much of this uncertainty may be eliminated.

Our product candidates are not approved by the FDA or other regulatory authority, and we face risks of unforeseen medical problems, and up to a complete ban on the sale of our product candidates.

The efficacy and safety of pharmaceutical products is established through a process of clinical testing under FDA oversight. Our products have not gone through this process because we believe that the topical products we sell are not subject to this process. However, if an individual were to use one of our products in an improper manner, we cannot predict the potential medical harm to that individual. If such an event were to occur, the FDA or similar regulatory agency might impose a complete ban on the sale or use of our products.

 

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The FDA might not approve our product candidates for marketing and sale .

We intend to enter into agreements with larger pharmaceutical companies as collaboration partners, in part to help cover the cost of seeking regulatory approvals for our pharmaceutical and medical product candidates. We believe that FDA approval of some of our product candidates will need to undergo a full investigational new drug (IND) application with the FDA, including clinical trials. There can be no assurance that the FDA will approve our IND application or any other applications. Failure to obtain the necessary FDA approval will have a material negative affect on our operations. While we intend to license our Feldetrex® product to a larger pharmaceutical company, they in turn, may not be able to obtain the necessary approval to market and sale the product.

New regulations governing the introduction, marketing and sale of our products to consumers could harm our business.

Our pain management products have not been approved by the FDA or any other regulatory agency, and the FDA does not have a pre-market approval system for our pain management products. However, our operations could be harmed if new laws or regulations are enacted that restrict our ability to market or distribute our products or impose additional burdens or requirements on us in order to continue selling our products. In addition, the adoption of new regulations or changes in the interpretations of existing regulations may result in significant compliance costs or discontinuation of product sales and may impair the marketability of our products, resulting in significant loss of net sales.

We have observed a general increase in regulatory activity and activism in the United States and the regulatory landscape is becoming more complex with increasingly strict requirements. If this trend continues, we may find it necessary to alter some of the ways we have traditionally marketed our products in order to stay in compliance with a changing regulatory landscape and this could add to the costs of our operations and/or have an adverse impact on our business.

We cannot predict the nature of any future laws, regulations, interpretations, or applications, nor can we determine what effect additional governmental regulations or administrative orders, when and if promulgated, would have on our business. Future changes could include requirements to make certain changes to our products to meet new standards, the recall or discontinuation of certain products that cannot be changed, additional record keeping, expanded documentation of the properties of certain products, expanded or different labeling, and additional scientific substantiation. Any or all of these requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.

We may fail to deliver commercially successful new product candidates, methods and procedures of treatment, and treatments.

Our technology is at an early stage of research and development. We are also actively engaged in research and development of new products.

The development of commercially viable new products and methods and procedures of treatment, as well as the development of additional uses for existing products and methods and procedures of treatment, is critical to our ability to generate sales and/or sell the rights to manufacture and distribute our product and process candidates to another firm. Developing new products and methods and procedures of treatment is a costly, lengthy and uncertain process. A new product or process candidate can fail at any stage of the development or commercialization, and one or more late-stage product or process candidates could fail to receive regulatory approval.

 

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New product and process candidates may appear promising in development, but after significant investment, fail to reach the market or have only limited commercial success. This, for example, could be as a result of efficacy or safety concerns, inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals, difficulty or excessive costs to manufacture, erosion of patent term as a result of a lengthy development period, infringement of third-party patents or other intellectual property rights of others or inability to differentiate the product or process adequately from those with which it competes.

The commercialization of product and process candidates under development may not be profitable.

In order for the commercialization of our product candidates to be profitable, our product and process candidates must be cost-effective and economical to manufacture on a commercial scale. Furthermore, if our product candidates and methods and procedures of treatment do not achieve market acceptance, we may not be profitable. Subject to regulatory approval, we expect to incur significant development, sales and marketing expenses in connection with the commercialization of our new product and process candidates. Even if we receive additional financing, we may not be able to complete planned development and marketing of any or all of our product or process candidates. Our future profitability may depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:

	·	the terms and timing of any collaborative, licensing and other arrangements that we may establish;
	·	the costs of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights;
	·	the costs of establishing manufacturing and production, sales, marketing and distribution capabilities; and
	·	the effect of competing technological and market developments.

 

Even if our collaboration partners receive regulatory approval for our product and process candidates, we may not earn significant revenues from such product or process candidates. With respect to the product and methods and procedures of treatment candidates in our development pipeline that are being developed by or in close conjunction with third parties, our ability to generate revenues from such product and process candidates will depend in large part on the efforts of such third parties. To the extent that our collaboration partners are not successful in commercializing our product or process candidates, our revenues will suffer, we will incur significant additional losses and the price of our common stock will be negatively affected.

We may engage in strategic transactions that fail to enhance shareholder value.

From time to time, we may consider possible strategic transactions, including the potential acquisitions or licensing of products or technologies or acquisition of companies, and other alternatives with the goal of maximizing shareholder value. We may never complete a strategic transaction, and in the event that we do complete a strategic transaction, implementation of such transactions may impair shareholder value or otherwise adversely affect our business. Any such transaction may require us to incur non-recurring or other charges and may pose significant integration challenges and/or management and business disruptions, any of which could harm our results of operation and business prospects.

 

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Our business is heavily regulated by governmental authorities, and failure to comply with such regulation or changes in such regulations could negatively impact our financial results.

We must comply with a broad range of regulatory controls on the testing, approval, manufacturing and marketing of our product candidates, procedures and other treatments, particularly in the United States and countries of the European Union, that affect not only the cost of product development but also the time required to reach the market and the uncertainty of successfully doing so. Health authorities have increased their focus on safety when assessing the benefit risk/balance of drugs in the context of not only initial product approval but also in the context of approval of additional indications and review of information regarding marketed products. Stricter regulatory controls also heighten the risk of changes in product profile or withdrawal by regulators on the basis of post-approval concerns over product safety, which could reduce revenues and can result in product recalls and product liability lawsuits. There is also greater regulatory scrutiny, especially in the United States, on advertising and promotion and in particular on direct-to-consumer advertising.

The regulatory process is uncertain, can take many years, and requires the expenditure of substantial resources. In particular, proposed human pharmaceutical therapeutic product requirements set by the FDA in the United States, and similar health authorities in other countries, require substantial time and resources to satisfy. We may never obtain regulatory approval for our product and process candidates.

We may not be able to gain or sustain market acceptance for our services and product candidates.

Failure to establish a brand and presence in the marketplace on a timely basis could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, there can be no assurance that we will successfully complete our development and introduction of new products or product enhancements, or methods and procedures of treatment or that any such product candidates or methods and procedures of treatment will achieve acceptance in the marketplace. We may also fail to develop and deploy new products and product enhancements on a timely basis.

The market for pain management products is highly competitive, and we may not be able to compete successfully.

We intend to operate in highly competitive markets. We will likely face competition both from proprietary products of large international manufacturers and producers of generic pain management products. Most of the competitors in the industry have longer operating histories and significantly greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than us, and may be able to respond more quickly than we can to new or changing opportunities and customer requirements. Also, many competitors have greater name recognition and more extensive customer bases that they can leverage to gain market share. Such competitors are able to undertake more extensive promotional activities, adopt more aggressive pricing policies and offer more attractive terms to purchasers than we can.

 

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Significant product innovations, technical advances or the intensification of price competition by competitors could adversely affect our operating results. We cannot predict the timing or impact of competitive products or their potential impact on sales of our products under development.

If any of our major pain management products were to become subject to a problem such as unplanned loss of patent protection, unexpected side effects, regulatory proceedings, publicity affecting doctor or consumer confidence or pressure from competitive products, or if a new, more effective alternative should be introduced, the adverse impact on our revenues and operating results could be significant.

The market for products, methods and procedures of treatment and services in the pharmaceuticals industry is highly competitive, and we may not be able to compete successfully.

We intend to operate in highly competitive markets. We will likely face competition both from proprietary products of large international manufacturers and producers of generic pharmaceuticals. Most of the competitors in the industry have longer operating histories and significantly greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than us, and may be able to respond more quickly than we can to new or changing opportunities and customer requirements. Also, many competitors have greater name recognition and more extensive customer bases that they can leverage to gain market share. Such competitors are able to undertake more extensive promotional activities, adopt more aggressive pricing policies and offer more attractive terms to purchasers than we can.

Significant product innovations, technical advances or the intensification of price competition by competitors could adversely affect our operating results. We cannot predict the timing or impact of competitive products or their potential impact on sales of our product candidates.

If any of our major product candidates or methods and procedures of treatment were to become subject to a problem such as unplanned loss of patent protection, unexpected side effects, regulatory proceedings, publicity affecting doctor or patient confidence or pressure from competitive products and methods and procedures of treatment, or if a new, more effective treatment should be introduced, the adverse impact on our revenues and operating results could be significant.

We are dependent on the services of key personnel and failure to attract qualified management could limit our growth and negatively impact our results of operations.

We are highly dependent on the principal members of our management and scientific staff and certain key consultants, including our Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman of our Board of Directors. We will continue to depend on operations management personnel with pharmaceutical and scientific industry experience. At this time, we do not know of the availability of such experienced management personnel or how much it may cost to attract and retain such personnel. The loss of the services of any member of senior management or the inability to hire experienced operations management personnel could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

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If physicians and patients do not accept our current or future product candidates or methods and procedures of treatment, we may be unable to generate significant additional revenue, if any.

The products and methods and procedures of treatment that we may develop or acquire in the future may fail to gain market acceptance among physicians, health care payors, patients and the medical community. Physicians may elect not to recommend these treatments for a variety of reasons, including:

	·	timing of market introduction of competitive drugs;
	·	lower demonstrated clinical safety and efficacy compared to other drugs or treatments;
	·	lack of cost-effectiveness;
	·	lack of availability of reimbursement from managed care plans and other third-party payors;
	·	lack of convenience or ease of administration;
	·	prevalence and severity of adverse side effects;
	·	other potential advantages of alternative treatment methods; and
	·	ineffective marketing and distribution support.

 

If our product candidates and processes fail to achieve market acceptance, we would not be able to generate significant revenue.

We are exposed to the risk of liability claims, for which we may not have adequate insurance.

Since we participate in the CBD, pain management and pharmaceutical industries, we may be subject to liability claims by employees, customers, end users and third parties. We do not currently have product liability insurance. We intend to have proper insurance in place; however, there can be no assurance that any liability insurance we purchase will be adequate to cover claims asserted against us or that we will be able to maintain such insurance in the future. We intend to adopt prudent risk management programs to reduce these risks and potential liabilities; however, we have not taken any steps to create these programs and have no estimate as to the cost or time required to do so and there can be no assurance that such programs, if and when adopted, will fully protect us. We may not be able to put risk management programs in place, or obtain insurance, if we are unable to retain the necessary expertise and/or are unsuccessful in raising necessary capital in the future. Adverse rulings in any legal matters, proceedings and other matters could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Pre-clinical and clinical trials are conducted during the development of potential products and other treatments to determine their safety and efficacy for use by humans. Notwithstanding these efforts, when our treatments are introduced into the marketplace, unanticipated side effects may become evident. Manufacturing, marketing, selling and testing our product candidates under development or to be acquired or licensed, entails a risk of product liability claims. We could be subject to product liability claims in the event that our product candidates, processes, or products under development fail to perform as intended. Even unsuccessful claims could result in the expenditure of funds in litigation and the diversion of management time and resources, and could damage our reputation and impair the marketability of our product candidates and processes. While we plan to maintain liability insurance for product liability claims, we may not be able to obtain or maintain such insurance at a commercially reasonable cost. If a successful claim were made against us, and we don’t have insurance or the amount of insurance was inadequate to cover the costs of defending against or paying such a claim or the damages payable by us, we would experience a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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Other companies may claim that we have infringed upon their intellectual property or proprietary rights.

We do not believe that our product candidates and methods and procedures violate third-party intellectual property rights; however, we have not had an independent party conduct a study of possible patent infringements. Nevertheless, we cannot guarantee that claims relating to violation of such rights will not be asserted by third parties. If any of our product candidates or methods and procedures of treatment are found to violate third-party intellectual property rights, we may be required to expend significant funds to re-engineer or cause to be re-engineered one or more of those product candidates or methods and procedures of treatment to avoid infringement, or seek to obtain licenses from third parties to continue offering our product candidates or methods and procedures of treatment without substantial re-engineering, and such efforts may not be successful.

In addition, future patents may be issued to third parties upon which our product candidates and methods and procedures of treatment may infringe. We may incur substantial costs in defending against claims under any such patents. Furthermore, parties making such claims may be able to obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which effectively could block our ability to further develop or commercialize some or all of our products or methods and procedures of treatment in the United States or abroad, and could result in the award of substantial damages against us. In the event of a claim of infringement, we may be required to obtain one or more licenses from third parties. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain such licenses at a reasonable cost, if at all. Defense of any lawsuit or failure to obtain any such license could be costly and have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our success depends on our ability to protect our proprietary technology.

Our success depends, to a significant degree, upon the protection of our proprietary technology, and that of any licensors. Legal fees and other expenses necessary to obtain and maintain appropriate patent protection could be material. Insufficient funding may inhibit our ability to obtain and maintain such protection. Additionally, if we must resort to legal proceedings to enforce our intellectual property rights, the proceedings could be burdensome and expensive, and could involve a high degree of risk to our proprietary rights if we are unsuccessful in, or cannot afford to pursue, such proceedings.

Our licensors have been granted three U.S. patents: Sequential Extracorporeal Treatment of Bodily Fluids, U.S. Patent No. 9,216,386; Utilization of Stents for the Treatment of Blood Borne Carcinomas, U.S. Patent No. 8,758,287; and Medication and Treatment for Disease, U.S. Patent No. 8,865,733, in the areas of cancer, sepsis, and multiple sclerosis. We expect these patents to cover the medical treatments for multiple sclerosis, blood sepsis, and cancer and be effective until 2029. Our licensors have licensed these technologies to us pursuant to the terms of the license agreements. We anticipate that other technologies that derive from these patents will also belong to us and are covered by the license agreements. However, we have not conducted thorough prior art or novelty studies, but we are not aware of existing prior art that would prevent us from obtaining patents on our product candidates or methods and procedures of treatment. Prior art preventing us from obtaining broad patent protection is a possibility. Inability to obtain valid and enforceable patent protection would have a material negative impact on our business opportunities and success. Because the patent positions of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions, the patents may not be granted on our applications, and any future patents owned and licensed by us may not prevent other companies from developing competing products or ensure that others will not be issued patents that may prevent the sale of our products or require licensing and the payment of significant fees or royalties. Furthermore, to the extent that: (i) any of our future products or methods are not patentable; (ii) such products or methods infringe upon the patents of third parties; or (iii) our patents or future patents fail to give us an exclusive position in the subject matter to which such patents relate, our business will be adversely affected. We may be unable to avoid infringement of third-party patents and may have to obtain a license, or defend an infringement action and challenge the validity of such patents in court. A license may be unavailable on terms and conditions acceptable to us, if at all. Patent litigation is costly and time consuming, and we may be unable to prevail in any such patent litigation or devote sufficient resources to even pursue such litigation. If we do not obtain a license under such patents, are found liable for infringement and are not able to have such patents declared invalid, we may be liable for significant monetary damages, encounter significant delays in bringing products to market or may be precluded from participating in the manufacture, use or sale of products or methods of treatment requiring such licenses.

 

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We may also rely on trademarks, trade secrets and contract law to protect certain of our proprietary technology. There can be no assurance that any trademarks will be approved, that such contract will not be breached, or that if breached, we will have adequate remedies. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that any of our trade secrets will not become known or independently discovered by third parties.

Additionally, we may, from time to time, support and collaborate in research conducted by universities and governmental research organizations. There can be no assurance that we will have or be able to acquire title or exclusive rights to the inventions or technical information derived from such collaborations, or that disputes will not arise with respect to rights in derivative or related research programs conducted by us or such collaborators.

Our future growth may be inhibited by the failure to implement new technologies.

Our future growth is partially tied to our ability to improve our knowledge and implementation of medical and pharmaceutical technologies. The inability to successfully implement commercially viable medical and pharmaceutical technologies in response to market conditions in a manner that is responsive to our customers’ requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We do not own certain of our technologies, they are owned by, and licensed from, entities that are under the control of the Chairman of our Board of Directors.

We do not currently own the certain technologies necessary to conduct our operations. The patents necessary to pursue our intended business plan are under the control of our Chairman of the Board of Directors. As consideration for the two licenses, we agreed to (i) pay a royalty of five percent (5%) of any sales of products using the technology, with no minimum royalty and (ii) reimburse the licensor for any costs incurred in pursuing its proprietary rights in the licensed technology and pay any costs incurred for maintaining or obtaining the licensors’ proprietary rights in the licensed technology in the U.S. and in extending the intellectual property to other countries around the world. The licensor has the sole discretion to select other countries into which exclusive rights in the licensed technology may be pursued, and if we decline to pay those expenses, then the licensor may pay said expenses and our licensed rights in those countries will revert to the licensor. The license agreements contain provisions that require us to indemnify the licensor for any claims, including costs of litigation, brought against them related to the licenses, and require us to maintain insurance that may be burdensome. In the event of a breach of our obligations under the license agreements, the licensors are entitled to various damages and remedies, up to and including termination of said license agreements. The licensors are entities under the control of Dr. Mitchell S. Felder, the Chairman of our Board of Directors. While Dr. Felder is one of our Company’s founders and the Chairman of our Board of Directors, there can be no assurance that he will extend the offer to license these technologies to us in the future as currently contemplated.

 

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We do not intend to take our Feldetrex® product candidate past the development stage, but instead intend to enter into collaboration agreements with collaboration partners. If we are unable to enter into an agreement with collaboration partners, our Feldetrex® product candidate cannot be marketed, and it will not generate revenue for us.

We do not intend to conduct clinical trials on our Feldetrex ® product candidate. We instead intend to enter into one or more collaboration agreements with third parties to do so. However, we have not entered into any such agreements, or discussions for any such agreements, and we cannot guarantee that we will be successful in doing so. If we do not find a collaboration partner, the Feldetrex ® product candidate cannot be marketed, and it will not generate any revenue for us.

The failure to generate revenue from our Feldetrex ® product candidate will have a materially adverse effect on our overall revenues, profitability.

Risks Related To Our Common stock

The market price of our common stock may be volatile and may be affected by market conditions beyond our control.

The market price of our common stock is subject to significant fluctuations in response to, among other factors:

	·	variations in our operating results and market conditions specific to Biomedical Industry companies;
	·	changes in financial estimates or recommendations by securities analysts;
	·	announcements of innovations or new products or services by us or our competitors;
	·	the emergence of new competitors;
	·	operating and market price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable;
	·	changes in our board or management;
	·	sales or purchases of our common stock by insiders;
	·	commencement of, or involvement in, litigation;
	·	changes in governmental regulations; and
	·	general economic conditions and slow or negative growth of related markets.

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In addition, if the market for stocks in our industry or the stock market in general, experiences a loss of investor confidence, the market price of our common stock could decline for reasons unrelated to our business, financial condition or results of operations. If any of the foregoing occurs, it could cause the price of our common stock to fall and may expose us to lawsuits that, even if unsuccessful, could be costly to defend and a distraction to the board of directors and management.

If we are unable to pay the costs associated with being a public, reporting company, we may be forced to discontinue operations.

We expect to have significant costs associated with being a public, reporting company, which may raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our ability to continue as a going concern will depend on positive cash flow, if any, from future operations and on our ability to raise additional funds through equity or debt financing. If we are unable to achieve the necessary product sales or raise or obtain needed funding to cover the costs of operating as a public, reporting company, we may be forced to discontinue operations.

Our common stock is listed for quotation on the OTC Pink tier of the marketplace maintained by OTC Markets Group, Inc., which may make it more difficult for investors to resell their shares due to suitability requirements.

Our common stock is currently quoted on the OTC Pink tier of the marketplace maintained by OTC Markets Group, Inc. Broker-dealers often decline to trade in over-the-counter stocks given the market for such securities are often limited, the stocks are more volatile, and the risk to investors is greater. These factors may reduce the potential market for our common stock by reducing the number of potential investors. This may make it more difficult for investors in our common stock to sell shares to third parties or to otherwise dispose of their shares. This could cause our stock price to decline.

We recently moved down to the OTC Pink tier from the OTCQB tier. We may be unable to restore eligibility for quotation of our common stock on the OTCQB tier and this will have a negative impact on our market price. The OTC Pink marketplace also does not provide as much liquidity as the OTCQB. Many broker-dealers will not trade or recommend OTC Pink stocks for their clients. Because the OTCQB generally increases transparency by maintaining higher reporting standards and requirements and imposing management certification and compliance requirements, broker-dealers are more likely to trade stocks on the OTCQB marketplace.

Our principal shareholders have the ability to exert significant control in matters requiring shareholder approval and could delay, deter, or prevent a change in control of our company.

William A. Hartman and Dr. Mitchell S. Felder collectively own 36,257,672 shares of our outstanding common stock, 2,000,000 shares of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (which is convertible into an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares of our common stock), and through the exercise of warrants could acquire another 25,510,000 shares of our common stock. The shares of our preferred stock have 100 votes per share, giving these two shareholders approximately 25% of our current voting securities. As a result, they have the ability to influence matters affecting our shareholders, including the election of our directors, the acquisition or disposition of our assets, and the future issuance of our shares. Because they control such shares, investors may find it difficult to replace our management if they disagree with the way our business is being operated. Because the influence by these shareholders could result in management making decisions that are in the best interest of those shareholders and not in the best interest of the investors, you may lose some or all of the value of your investment in our common stock. Investors who purchase our common stock should be willing to entrust all aspects of operational control to our current management team.

 

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We do not intend to pay dividends in the foreseeable future.

We do not intend to pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. We do not plan on making any cash distributions in the manner of a dividend or otherwise. Our Board presently intends to follow a policy of retaining earnings, if any.

We have the right to issue additional common stock and preferred stock without consent of shareholders. This would have the effect of diluting investors’ ownership and could decrease the value of their investment.

We are authorized to issue up to 1,000,000,000 shares of common stock, of which there were 747,306,550 shares issued and outstanding as of April 4, 2018. An additional 127,046,066 shares may be issued and outstanding if all of our currently outstanding preferred stock and warrants were exercised and converted into common stock. Our outstanding convertible notes require a reserve of approximately 250,000,000 shares. We therefore have no additional authorized but unissued shares of our common stock. Any further issuances of shares of common stock would require that we first repurchase existing shares or obtain the consent of a majority of our shareholders to increase our authorized common stock.

In addition, our certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of shares of preferred stock, the rights, preferences, designations and limitations of which may be set by the Board of Directors. Our certificate of incorporation has authorized the issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in the discretion of our Board. The shares of authorized but undesignated preferred stock may be issued upon filing of an amended certificate of incorporation and the payment of required fees; no further shareholder action is required. If issued, the rights, preferences, designations and limitations of such preferred stock would be set by our Board and could operate to the disadvantage of the outstanding common stock. Such terms could include, among others, preferences as to dividends and distributions on liquidation. We have designated a series of convertible preferred stock, the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock. Each share of Series A Preferred Stock is convertible, at the option of the holder thereof, at any time after the issuance of such share into one (1) fully paid and non-assessable share of Common Stock. Each outstanding share of Series A Preferred Stock is entitled to one hundred (100) votes per share on all matters to which the shareholders of the Corporation are entitled or required to vote. As of the date hereof, there were 2,000,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock issued and outstanding.

Our officers and directors can sell some of their stock, which may have a negative effect on our stock price and ability to raise additional capital, and may make it difficult for investors to sell their stock at any price.

Our officers and directors, as a group, are the owners of 39,453,672 shares of our common stock, representing approximately 5.3% of our total issued shares, with convertible preferred stock, options and warrants to acquire another 54,650,000 shares of our common stock, representing approximately 7.3% of our total issued and outstanding shares of common stock. Each individual officer and director may be able to sell up to 1% of our outstanding common stock (currently approximately 7,473,065 shares) every ninety (90) days in the open market pursuant to Rule 144, which may have a negative effect on our stock price and may prevent us from obtaining additional capital. In addition, if our officers and directors are selling their stock into the open market, it may make it difficult or impossible for investors to sell their stock at any price.

 

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Our common stock is governed under The Securities Enforcement and Penny Stock Reform Act of 1990.

The Securities Enforcement and Penny Stock Reform Act of 1990 requires additional disclosure relating to the market for penny stocks in connection with trades in any stock defined as a penny stock. The Commission has adopted regulations that generally define a penny stock to be any equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. Such exceptions include any equity security listed on NASDAQ and any equity security issued by an issuer that has (i) net tangible assets of at least $2,000,000, if such issuer has been in continuous operation for three years; (ii) net tangible assets of at least $5,000,000, if such issuer has been in continuous operation for less than three years; or (iii) average annual revenue of at least $6,000,000, if such issuer has been in continuous operation for less than three years. Unless an exception is available, the regulations require the delivery, prior to any transaction involving a penny stock, of a disclosure schedule explaining the penny stock market and the risks associated therewith.

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

We have made forward-looking statements in this Annual Report, including the sections entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business,” that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Forward-looking statements include the information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, financing plans, competitive position, industry environment, potential growth opportunities, the effects of future regulation, and the effects of competition. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” or similar expressions. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including the risks outlined under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, events, levels of activity, performance or achievement. We are not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this annual report to conform these statements to actual results, unless required by law.