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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K/A

(Amendment No. 1)

 

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
  For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

 

or

 

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
  For the transition period from ___________ to ___________

 

Commission file number 000-13789

 

ADHERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware   11-2658569

State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation or Organization

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

8000 Innovation Parkway, Baton Rouge, LA 70820

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (919) 518-3748

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

 

Title of each class   Trading Symbol   Name of each exchange on which registered
-   -   -

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Common stock, par value $0.006 per share

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes No

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

  Large accelerated filer Accelerated filer  
       
  Non-accelerated filer Smaller reporting company  
       
  Emerging growth company    

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes No

 

The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2021, was approximately $0.8 million as computed by reference to the closing price of such common stock on the OTC Markets on such date.

 

The registrant had 17,493,237 shares of common stock (including shares not yet issued which are issuable), par value $0.006 per share, outstanding as of April 26, 2022.

 

Audit Firm ID   Auditor Name   Auditor Location
106   SALBERG & COMPANY, P.A.   Boca Raton, Florida

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

 

This Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A (the “Amendment”) amends the Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “2021 Form 10-K”) of Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) for the year ended December 31, 2021 (“Fiscal 2021”), as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 15, 2022. We are filing this Amendment to amend Part III of the 2021 Form 10-K to include the information required by and not included in Part III of the 2021 Form 10-K because we do not intend to file our definitive proxy statement within 120 days of the end of Fiscal 2021.

 

In addition, the Exhibit Index in Item 15 of Part IV of the 2021 Form 10-K is hereby amended and restated in its entirety and currently dated certifications required under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are filed as exhibits to this Amendment. Because no financial statements are contained within this Amendment, we are not filing currently dated certifications pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

Except as described above, no other changes have been made to the 2021 Form 10-K. The 2021 Form 10-K continues to speak as of the date of the 2021 Form 10-K, and we have not updated the disclosures contained therein to reflect any events which occurred at a date subsequent to the filing of the 2021 Form 10-K other than as expressly indicated in this Amendment.

 

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PART III

 

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 

As of April 21, 2022, the number of members of our Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) is fixed at four. The members of our Board as of such date are as follows:

 

Name   Age   Position  

Director Since

Andrew Kucharchuk   41   Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board   July 2020
Charles Rice   56   Director   July 2020
Trond Waerness   54   Director   April 2021
Zahed Subhan   64   Director   November 2021

 

The biographies of each director below contain information regarding the person’s service as a director, business experience, director positions held currently or at any time during the last five years, and information regarding involvement in certain legal or administrative proceedings, if applicable.

 

Andrew Kucharchuk – Mr. Kucharchuk has served as the Chariman of our Board and Chief Executive Officer since July 7, 2020. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Theralink Technologies, Inc. (“Theralink”) since 2020 after previously serving in such role from September 2015 to March 2017. Previously, he served as President and Chief Financial Officer of Theralink from February 2016 until June 2020, as Chief Executive Officer of Theralink from November 2019 until June 2020, and as Chief Financial Officer of Theralink from 2009 to September 2015. Mr. Kucharchuk has also served as Acting Chief Financial Officer of Theralink from June 2020 to September 2020.

 

We believe that Mr. Kucharchuk’s prior executive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as his financial background, make him a valuable asset to our Board.

 

Charles L. Rice – Mr. Rice has served as a director since July 10, 2020. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Theralink from November 2015 until June 2020. He is also the President of Entergy New Orleans, Inc. (“Entergy”), an electric and gas utility company, where he has served since 2010.

 

We believe that Mr. Rice’s prior management and governance experience makes him a valuable asset to our Board.

 

Trond K. Waerness – Mr. Waerness has served as a director of the Company since April 2021. Since 2016, Mr. Waerness has either founded or co-founded three successful and profitable pharmaceutical services companies including Atna Consulting Services where he currently serves as Chief Executive Officer. We believe that Mr. Waerness’ experience in various roles of pharmaceutical commercialization makes him a valuable asset to our Board.

 

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Zahed Subhan – Mr. Subhan has served as a director of the Company since November 2021. He has served as the Chief Executive Officer and director of Aestas Pharma Inc. since 2015. Mr. Subhan has also been a director of Eppin Pharma Inc. (“Eppin”) since 2013, and the Chief Executive Officer of Eppin from 2013 to 2018.

 

We believe that Mr. Subhan’s extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries makes him a valuable asset to our Board.

 

Executive Officers of Our Company

 

Biographical information concerning Andrew Kucharchuk, our Chief Executive Officer, who also serves as Chairman of the Board, is set forth above. No other executive officers are employed or are contracted by the Company.

 

Family Relationships

 

There are no familial relationships between any of our executive officers and directors.

 

Audit Committee

 

Due to our financial and operational condition, and the size of our Board, the entire Board functions as the audit committee. The Board authorized and approved the engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm, reviewed the results and scope of the audit and other services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm, reviewed our financial statements, reviewed and evaluated our internal control functions, approved or established pre-approval policies and procedures for all professional audit and permissible non-audit services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm and reviewed and approved any proposed related party transactions.

 

The Board has determined that the Company does not have an audit committee financial expert, as that term is defined in Item 407(d) of Regulation S-K, due to its lack of a separate audit committee, small size and limited resources.

 

Code of Ethics

 

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our employees, including our executive officers, and to members of our Board. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is filed as Exhibit 10.18 to this Amendment. Printed copies are available upon request without charge by contacting us at our corporate headquarters at 8000 Innovation Parkway, Baton Rouge, LA 70820 Attention: Corporate Secretary. Any amendment to or waiver of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics will be disclosed on our website promptly following the date of such amendment or waiver.

 

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Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

 

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors, executive officers, and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of our common stock to file initial reports of ownership and changes in ownership of our common stock and other equity securities with the SEC. These individuals are required by the regulations of the SEC to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. Based solely on a review of the copies of the forms furnished to us, and written representations from reporting persons, we believe that all filing requirements applicable to our officers, directors and 10% beneficial owners were complied with during the year ended December 31, 2021, except the Form 3 for Zahed Subhan, director, the Form 3 for Charles Rice, director, and the Form 3 for Trond Waerness, director, which were not timely filed. None of our directors are owners of our common stock or other equity securities.

 

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

Summary Compensation Table

 

The following table sets forth information regarding compensation paid, distributed or accrued by us during for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 by our principal executive officer our only highly compensated executive officer who served during 2021 (“Named Executive Officers”).

 

Name and

Principal

Position

(a)

 

Year

(b)

 

Salary

($))

 

Total

($)

          
Andrew Kucharchuk(1)   2021    186,000    186,000 
Chief Executive Officer   2020    60,000    60,000 

 

  (1) Mr. Kucharchuk has served as our Chief Executive Officer since July 7, 2020.

 

Andrew Kucharchuk’s Employment Agreement

 

On July 7, 2021, Mr. Kucharchuk entered into an Employment Agreement, pursuant to which we agreed to pay to Mr. Kucharchuk, a base salary of $250,000 per year for his services as Chief Executive Officer. Under his Employment Agreement Mr. Kucharchuk is also eligible to receive an annual bonus during the term of the agreement with a target amount of up to 20% of his base salary, or up to $50,000, based on performance criteria mutually determined in good faith by the Board and Mr. Kucharchuk. The Employment Agreement is for an initial term of two years, subject to an automatic renewal for successive one-year terms unless prior notice of non-renewal is given by either party.

 

Under his Employment Agreement, Mr. Kucharchuk is entitled to severance payments if his employment terminated under certain circumstances.

 

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In the event of termination by the Company without “cause,” or resignation for “good reason,” Mr. Kucharchuk is entitled to receive six months base salary and continued benefits for six months.

 

Generally, “good reason” is defined as (i) a material diminution in Mr. Kucharchuk’s authority, duties or responsibilities due to no fault of his own, or any other action or inaction that constitutes a material breach by the Company under the Employment Agreement; or (ii) generally a relocation of the principal place of employment to a location outside of a 50-mile radius of the Company’s current headquarters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

 

Under the terms of the Employment Agreements, Mr. Kucharchuk is subject to non-competition and non-solicitation covenants during the term of his employment and for one year following termination of employment with the Company. His Employment Agreement also contains customary confidentiality and non-disparagement covenants.

 

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-end Table

 

There were no outstanding equity awards held by our Named Executive Officer as of December 31, 2021.

 

Director Compensation

 

The following table sets forth information concerning compensation for services rendered by our independent directors for the year ended December 31, 2021. However, for information about the compensation paid to those of our directors who are also Named Executive Officers (Mr. Kucharchuk), see the Summary Compensation Table above.

 

Name 

Fees Earned or

Paid in Cash ($)

 

Total

($)

Charles Rice  $24,000   $24,000 
Trond Waerness   16,000    16,000 
Zahed Subhan (1)   8,334    8,334 
           
Total:  $48,334   $48,334 

 

  (1) Mr. Zahed Subhan’s fees earned for 2021 were pursuant to an agreement dated November 1, 2021, between Mr. Subhan and the Company which provides for payment of $4,167 per month for services rendered as a member of our Board of Directors and for scientific consulting.

 

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Director Compensation Program

 

Our director compensation program generally entails paying our non-employee directors cash fees for their services. With the exception of Mr. Subhan, who pursuant to an agreement with the Company is entitled to receive monthly payments of $4,167, or $50,000 per year for services rendered as a member of the Board and for scientific consulting, our compensation program for directors for 2021 consisted of an annual cash payment of $24,000 per year, payable quarterly.

 

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

 

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the ownership of our common stock as of April 26, 2022 beneficially owned by: (i) each current director of our company; (ii) our Named Executive Officer; (iii) all current executive officers and directors of our company as a group; and (iv) all those known by us to be beneficial owners of more than 5% of our common stock.

 

To our knowledge, except as indicated in the footnotes to the following table, and subject to state community property laws where applicable, all beneficial owners named in the following table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares shown as beneficially owned by them. Unless otherwise indicated, the business address of each person in the table below is c/o Adhera Therapeutics, Inc., 8000 Innovation Parkway, Baton Rouge, LA 70820.

 

Name 

Number of

Shares

 

Percent of

Shares

Outstanding

(%)

Officers and Directors:          
Andrew Kucharchuk   -    - 
Charles Rice   -    - 
Trond Waerness   -    - 
Zahed Subhan   -    - 
5% Stockholders:          
Vuong Trieu, Ph.D.   3,533,564(2)   20.20%
Autotelic LLC   2,312,356(3)   13.22%
Autotelic Inc.   1,727,594(4)   9.88%

 

* Beneficial ownership of less than 1% is omitted.

 

(1) Applicable percentages are based on 17,493,237 of common stock outstanding as of the April 26, 2022, including shares not yet issued which are issuable and excluding securities held by or for the account of the Company. Beneficial ownership is determined under the rules of the SEC and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities. A person is deemed to be the beneficial owner of securities that can be acquired by such person within 60 days after the date of determination, whether upon the exercise of options, warrants or conversion of notes. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes to this table, we believe that each of the stockholders named in the table has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares of common stock indicated as beneficially owned by them.
(2) Dr. Trieu previously served as an executive officer and as a director of our company. Includes 2,312,356 shares held by Autotelic LLC, entity of which Dr. Trieu serves as an executive officer, 86,207 shares held by LipoMedics Inc., an entity of which Dr. Trieu serves as Chairman of the Board and as an executive officer, and 525,536 shares of common stock held by Autotelic Inc., an entity of which Dr. Trieu serves as Chairman of the Board. Information based on a Schedule 13D/A filed with the SEC on April 27, 2018.
(3) Address is 17870 Castleton Street, Suite 250, Rowland Heights, CA 91748. Dr. Vuong Trieu is the Chief Executive Officer of the entity.
(4) Address is 940 South Coast Drive, Suite 100, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Represents 525,536 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase common stock which are subject to a 9.99% beneficial ownership limitation. Dr. Vuong Trieu is the Chief Executive Officer of the entity.

 

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Equity Compensation Plan Information

 

The following table provides aggregate information as of the end of the year ended December 31, 2021 with respect to all of the compensation plans under which our common stock is authorized for issuance, including our 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan and our 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan:

 

   Number of Securities to be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights (a)  Weighted- Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants, and Rights (b) 

Number of

Securities

Remaining

Available for

Future

Issuance Under

Equity

Compensation

Plans

(Excluding

Securities

Reflected in

Column(a)) (c)

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders (1)   4,050   $1.79    8,925,950 
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders (2)   380,000   $0.98    - 
Total   384,050   $.0.99    8,925,950 

 

  (1) Consists of 4,050 shares of common stock underlying awards made pursuant to our 2014 Stock Incentive Plan.
  (2) Consists of stock options grant to non-employees during the year ended 2018.

 

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

 

Approval for Related Party Transactions

 

It is our practice and policy to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations regarding related-person transactions. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics requires that all employees, including officers and directors, disclose to the CEO the nature of any company business that is conducted with any related party of such employee, officer or director (including any immediate family member of such employee, officer or director, and any entity owned or controlled by such persons). If the transaction involves an officer or director of our company, the CEO must bring the transaction to the attention of the Board, which must review and approve the transaction in writing in advance. In reviewing such transactions the Board considers the relevant available facts and circumstances.

 

Related Party Transactions

 

Set forth below is a brief description of the transactions since January 1, 2020 in which the Company was a participant and in which any director or executive officer of the Company, any known 5% or greater stockholder of the Company or any immediate family member of any of the foregoing persons, had a direct or indirect material interest as defined in Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. As permitted by the SEC rules, discussion of employment relationships or transactions involving the Company’s executive officers and directors, and compensation solely resulting from such employment relationships or transactions, or service as a director of the Company, as the case may be, has been omitted to the extent disclosed in the Executive Compensation or the Director Compensation section of this Amendment, as applicable.

 

Transactions with BioMauris, LLC / Erik Emerson

 

During the year ended December 31, 2019, the company paid a total of approximately $32,000 for services provided by BioMauris, LLC, of which Erik Emerson, our former Chief Commercial Officer and former director of Adhera, is Executive Chairman.

 

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In July 2019, Mr. Emerson, became the owner of an equity interest of approximately 22% in Pharma Hub Network, our third-party network manager. During the third quarter of 2019, we terminated the relationship with Pharma Hub Network. For the year ended December 31, 2019, we recorded approximately $62,000 of related party expense for services provided by Pharma Hub Network.

 

Director Independence

 

The Board utilizes the Nasdaq’s standards for determining the independence of its members. In applying these standards, the Board considers commercial, industrial, banking, consulting, legal, accounting, charitable and familial relationships, among others, in assessing the independence of directors, and must disclose any basis for determining that a relationship is not material. The Board has determined that with the exception of Mr. Kucharchuk, each of our directors is independent directors within the meaning of the Nasdaq independence standards. In making this independence determination, the Board did not exclude from consideration as immaterial any relationship potentially compromising the independence of any of the above directors.

 

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

 

On April 28, 2021, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the dismissal of Baker Tilly USA, LLP (“Baker Tilly”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and approved the appointment of Salberg & Company (“Salberg”) as the Company’s new independent registered public accounting firm to perform independent audit and attestation services for the year ended December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, the Company owed Baker Tilly USA, LLP approximately $26,000 for audit fees incurred prior to the dismissal.

 

The following table sets forth the fees billed to the Company for professional services rendered by Salbergfor the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

 

Services  2021($)*  2020($)*
Audit Fees (1)  $65,000   $     - 
Audit-Related fees (2)   -    - 
Tax fees (3)   -    - 
Total fees  $65,000   $- 

 

 

*Does not include amounts billed to us by Baker Tilly, LLP, our former principal accountant, during the applicable period.

 

(1) Audit Fees These consisted of the aggregate fees for professional services rendered in connection with (i) the audit of our annual financial statements, (ii) the review of the financial statements included in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, June 30 and September 30, 2021 and (iv) services provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.

 

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(2) Audit-Related Fees These consisted principally of the aggregate fees related to audits that are not included Audit Fees.
   
(3) Tax Fees – These consist of professional services rendered in connection with tax compliance, tax planning and federal and state tax returns for the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

 

Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

 

The Board has the authority to appoint or replace our independent registered public accounting firm (subject, if applicable, to stockholder ratification). The Board is also responsible for the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent registered public accounting firm regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work. The independent registered public accounting firm was engaged by, and reports directly to, the Board.

 

The Board pre-approves all audit services and permitted non-audit services (including the fees and terms thereof) to be performed for us by our independent registered public accounting firm, subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in Section 10A(i)(1)(B) of the Exchange Act and Rule 2-01(c)(7)(i)(C) of Regulation S-X, provided that all such excepted services are subsequently approved prior to the completion of the audit. We have complied with the procedures set forth above, and the Board has otherwise complied with the provisions of its charter.

 

PART IV

 

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

 

(1) Financial Statements
   
  Our consolidated financial statements are set forth in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and are incorporated herein by reference.
   
(2) Financial Statement Schedules
   
  No financial statement schedules have been filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K because they are not applicable or are not required or because the information is otherwise included herein.
   
(3) Exhibits required by Regulation S-K

 

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Exhibit

Number

  Description
2.1   Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of March 31, 2010 by and among the Registrant, Cequent Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Calais Acquisition Corp. and a representative of the stockholders of Cequent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 2.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated March 31, 2010, and incorporated herein by reference).
2.2   Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 15, 2016, by and among the Registrant, IThena Acquisition Corporation, IThenaPharma Inc. and Vuong Trieu as the representative of IThenaPharma Inc. (filed as Exhibit 2.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated November 15, 2016, and incorporated herein by reference).
3.1   Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant dated July 20, 2005 (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 20, 2005, incorporated herein by reference).
3.2   Certificate of Amendment of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, dated June 10, 2008 (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 10, 2008, and incorporated herein by reference).
3.3   Certificate of Amendment of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, dated July 21, 2010 (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 21, 2010, and incorporated herein by reference).
3.4   Certificate of Amendment of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, dated July 18, 2011 (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 14, 2011, and incorporated herein by reference).
3.5   Certificate of Amendment of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, dated December 22, 2011 (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated December 22, 2011, and incorporated herein by reference).
3.6   Certificate of Amendment of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, dated August 1, 2017 (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 1, 2017, and incorporated herein by reference).
3.7   Certificate of Amendment of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Registrant, dated October 4, 2018 (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 4, 2018, and incorporated herein by reference.
3.8   Certificate of Designation, Rights and Preferences of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock dated January 17, 2007 (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated January 19, 2007, incorporated herein by reference).
3.9   Amended Designation, Rights, and Preferences of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, dated June 10, 2008 (filed as Exhibit 3.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 10, 2008, and incorporated herein by reference).
3.10   Certificate of Designations or Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series B Preferred Stock dated December 22, 2011 (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated December 22, 2011, incorporated herein by reference).
3.11   Certificate of Designation of Rights, Preferences and Privileges of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated March 7, 2014, incorporated herein by reference).
3.12   Certificate of Designation of Rights, Preferences and Privileges of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 5, 2015, incorporated herein by reference).
3.13   Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series E Convertible Preferred Stock of the Registrant (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 16, 2018, incorporated herein by reference).

 

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3.14   Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series F Convertible Preferred Stock of the Registrant (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 11, 2018, incorporated herein by reference).
3.15   Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant dated August 21, 2012 (filed as Exhibit 3.7 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, incorporated herein by reference).
4.1   Form of Secured Promissory Note issued by the Registrant to select accredited investors on June 26, 2020 (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 30, 2020, incorporated herein by reference).
4.2   Form of Convertible Promissory Note issued by the Registrant on February 5, 2020 (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 5, 2020, incorporated herein by reference).
4.3   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant issued by the Registrant on February 5, 2020 (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 5, 2020, incorporated herein by reference).
4.4   Form of Convertible Promissory Note issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on June 26, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 30, 2021, incorporated her herein by reference).
4.5   Form of Convertible Promissory Note issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on October 30, 2020 (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated November 5, 2020, incorporated her herein by reference).
4.6   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrants issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on October 30, 2020 (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated November 5, 2020, and incorporated herein by reference)
4.7   Form of Convertible Promissory Note issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on January 31, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 9, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference).
4.8   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrants issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on January 31, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 9, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference)
4.9   Form of Convertible Promissory Note issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on April 12, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 23, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference).
4.10   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrants issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on April 12, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 23, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference)
4.11   Form of Convertible Promissory Note issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on June 25, 2021. (filed as Exhibit 4.5 to our Current Report on Form 10-Q dated August 23, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference)
4.12   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrants issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on June 25, 2021. (filed as Exhibit 4.6 to our Current Report on Form 10-Q dated August 23 ,2021, and incorporated herein by reference)
4.13   Form of Convertible Promissory Note issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on August 12, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 18, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

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4.14   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrants issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on August 12, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 18 , 2021, and incorporated herein by reference)
4.15   Form of Convertible Promissory Note issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on August 18, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 24, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference).
4.16   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrants issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on August 18, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 24, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference)
4.17   Form of Convertible Redeemable Promissory Note issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on October 8 , 2021 (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 13, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference).
4.18   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrants issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on October 8, 2021. (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 13, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference)

4.19

  Form of Convertible Redeemable Promissory Note issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on October 7, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated November 12, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference).

4.20

   Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrants issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on October 7, 2021. (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated November 12, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference)
4.21   Form of Convertible Redeemable Promissory Note issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on March 15, 2022 (filed as Exhibit 4.21 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K dated April 15, 2022, and incorporated herein by reference)^
10.1   License Agreement dated as of March 20, 2009 by and between Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc. and the Registrant (filed as Exhibit 10.3 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q/A for the quarter ended March 31, 2009, and incorporated herein by reference). (1)
10.2   2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan of the Registrant (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated September 15, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference).**
10.3   License Agreement dated February 6, 2017 between the Registrant and Lipomedics Inc. (filed as Exhibit 10.5 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2017, and incorporated herein by reference).(1)
10.4   Settlement Agreement, dated April 4, 2019, by and between Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. and Robert C. Moscato, Jr. (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 4, 2019, and incorporated herein by reference).**
10.5   Form of Subscription Agreement used in connection with the offering of the Series F Convertible Preferred Stock of the Registrant (filed as Exhibit 10.34 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, incorporated herein by reference).
10.6   2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan of the Registrant (filed as Exhibit 10.35 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, incorporated herein by reference).

 

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10.7   Security Agreement, dated as of June 26, 2020, among the Registrant, IThena Pharma, Inc., Cequent Pharmaceuticals, Inc., MDRNA Research, Inc., the purchasers of secured promissory notes identified on the signature pages thereto, and Jeff S. Phillips as agent (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 30, 2020, and incorporated herein by reference).
10.8   Securities Purchase Agreement dated as of February 5, 2020 between the Registrant and the purchasers identified in the signature pages thereto (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 5, 2020, incorporated herein by reference).
10.9   License Agreement between Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. and Melior Pharmaceuticals II, LLC dated July 28, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 4, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference).
10.10   License Agreement between Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. and Melior Pharmaceuticals I, LLC dated August 20, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 10.11 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K dated April 15, 2022, and incorporated herein by reference) ^
10.11   Addendum to License Agreement Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. and Melior Pharmaceuticals I, LLC dated August 20, 2021 dated February 16, 2022 (filed as Exhibit 10.12 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K dated April 15, 2022, and incorporated herein by reference) ^
10.12   Form of Securities Purchase Agreement issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on August 18, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 24, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference)
10.13   Form of Securities Purchase Agreement issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on October 8, 2021. (filed as Exhibit 4.3 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 13, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference)
10.14   Form of Securities Purchase Agreement issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on October 7, 2021. (filed as Exhibit 4.3 to our Current Report on Form 8-K dated November 12, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference)
10.15   Form of Securities Purchase Agreement issued by Adhera Therapeutics, Inc. to select accredited investors on March 15, 2022. (filed as Exhibit 10.16 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K dated April 15, 2022, and incorporated herein by reference)^
10.16   Employment Agreement with Andrew Kucharchuk dated July 5, 2021(2)
10.17   Agreement with Zahed Subhan dated November 1, 2021(2)
10.18   Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (2)
16.1   Letter of Baker Tilly USA, LLP dated May 11, 2021 (filed as Exhibit 16.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-KA dated May 5, 2021)
21.1  

Subsidiaries of the Registrant. (filed as Exhibit 21.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K dated April 7, 2021, and incorporated herein by reference)

23.1   Consent of Baker Tilly US, LLP, independent registered accounting firm (filed as Exhibit 23.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K dated April 15, 2022, and incorporated herein by reference)^
31.1   Certification of our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 and 15d-14 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (2)
32.1   Certification of our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (3)^
101INS   Inline XBRL Instance Document ^
101SCH   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document ^
101CAL   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document ^
101DEF   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document ^
101LAB   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document ^
101PRE   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document ^
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

 

(1) Portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment under Rule 24b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, amended, and the omitted material has been separately filed with the SEC.
(2) Filed herewith.
(3) Furnished herewith.
** Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
^ Previously filed with our 2021 Form 10-K, originally filed with the SEC on April 15, 2022, which is being amended hereby.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

  ADHERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
   
Date: April 29, 2022 By: /s/ Andrew Kucharchuk
   

Andrew Kucharchuk

Chief Executive Officer

 

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Exhibit 10.16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.18

 

Adhera Therapeutics, Inc.

 

CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS

 

Effective Date: May 3, 2004

 

I.INTRODUCTION

 

This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics helps ensure compliance with legal requirements and our standards of business conduct. All Company employees are expected to read and understand this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, uphold these standards in day-to-day activities, comply with all applicable policies and procedures, and ensure that all agents and contractors are aware of, understand and adhere to these standards.

 

Because the principles described in this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics are general in nature, you should also review all applicable Company policies and procedures for more specific instruction, and contact the Human Resources Department or Legal Department if you have any questions.

 

Nothing in this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, in any Company policies and procedures, or in other related communications (verbal or written) creates or implies an employment contract or term of employment.

 

We are committed to continuously reviewing and updating our policies and procedures. Therefore, this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is subject to modification. This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics supersedes all other such codes, policies, procedures, instructions, practices, rules or written or verbal representations to the extent they are inconsistent.

 

Please sign the acknowledgment form at the end of this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and return the form to the Human Resources Department indicating that you have received, read, understand and agree to comply with the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. The signed acknowledgment form will be located in your personnel file.

 

II. COMPLIANCE IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS

 

Ethical business conduct is critical to our business. As an employee, your responsibility is to respect and adhere to these practices. Many of these practices reflect legal or regulatory requirements. Violations of these laws and regulations can create significant liability for you, the Company, its directors, officers, and other employees.

 

Part of your job and ethical responsibility is to help enforce this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. You should be alert to possible violations and report possible violations to the Human Resources Department. You must cooperate in any internal or external investigations of possible violations. Reprisal, threats, retribution or retaliation against any person who has in good faith reported a violation or a suspected violation of law, this Code of Business Conduct or other Company policies, or against any person who is assisting in any investigation or process with respect to such a violation, is prohibited.

 

 

 

 

Violations of law, this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, or other Company policies or procedures should be reported to the Human Resources Department.

 

Violations of law, this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics or other Company policies or procedures by Company employees can lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination.

 

In trying to determine whether any given action is appropriate, use the following test.

Imagine that the words you are using or the action you are taking is going to be fully disclosed in the media with all the details, including your photo. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of this information being made public, perhaps you should think again about your words or your course of action.

 

In all cases, if you are unsure about the appropriateness of an event or action, please seek assistance in interpreting the requirements of these practices by contacting the Human Resources Department.

 

III. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE COMPANY AND ITS STOCKHOLDERS

 

A. General Standards of Conduct

 

The Company expects all employees, agents and contractors to exercise good judgment to ensure the safety and welfare of employees, agents and contractors and to maintain a cooperative, efficient, positive, harmonious and productive work environment and business organization. These standards apply while working on our premises, at offsite locations where our business is being conducted, at Company-sponsored business and social events, or at any other place where you are a representative of the Company. Employees, agents or contractors who engage in misconduct or whose performance is unsatisfactory may be subject to corrective action, up to and including termination. You should review our employment handbook for more detailed information.

 

B. Applicable Laws

 

All Company employees, agents and contractors must comply with all applicable laws, regulations, rules and regulatory orders. Company employees located outside of the United States must comply with laws, regulations, rules and regulatory orders of the United States, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.S. Export Control Act, in addition to applicable local laws. Each employee, agent and contractor must acquire appropriate knowledge of the requirements relating to his or her duties sufficient to enable him or her to recognize potential dangers and to know when to seek advice from the Human Resources Department on specific Company policies and procedures. Violations of laws, regulations, rules and orders may subject the employee, agent or contractor to individual criminal or civil liability, as well as to discipline by the Company. Such individual violations may also subject the Company to civil or criminal liability or the loss of business.

 

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C. Conflicts of Interest

 

Each of us has a responsibility to the Company, our stockholders and each other. Although this duty does not prevent us from engaging in personal transactions and investments, it does demand that we avoid situations where a conflict of interest might occur or appear to occur. The Company is subject to scrutiny from many different individuals and organizations. We should always strive to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

 

What constitutes conflict of interest? A conflict of interest exists where the interests or benefits of one person or entity conflict with the interests or benefits of the Company.

Examples include:

 

(i) Employment/Outside Employment. In consideration of your employment with the Company, you are expected to devote your full attention to the business interests of the Company. You are prohibited from engaging in any activity that interferes with your performance or responsibilities to the Company or is otherwise in conflict with or prejudicial to the Company. Our policies prohibit any employee from accepting simultaneous employment with a Company supplier, customer, developer or competitor, or from taking part in any activity that enhances or supports a competitor’s position. Additionally, you must disclose to the Company any interest that you have that may conflict with the business of the Company. If you have any questions on this requirement, you should contact your supervisor or the Human Resources Department.

 

(ii) Outside Board Service. It is a conflict of interest to serve as a director, general partner, manager, officer or similar position of any company that competes with the Company. Although you may serve as a director, general partner, manager, officer or similar position of a Company supplier, customer, developer, or other business partner, our policy requires that you first obtain approval from the Company’s Chief Financial Officer before accepting such a position. Employees are required to obtain prior written authorization from our Company for service as a director, general partner, manager, officer or similar position with any privately-held or public business entity or as an appointee to any kind of governmental or quasi-governmental agency or body. Any compensation you receive should be commensurate to your responsibilities. Such approval may be conditioned upon the completion of specified actions. Service solely as a director or trustee of nonprofit corporations engaged in charitable activities does not require approval unless that activity could involve improper conflicts of interest.

 

(iii) Business Interests. If you are considering investing in a Company customer, supplier, developer or competitor, you must first take great care to ensure that these investments do not compromise your responsibilities to the Company. Many factors should be considered in determining whether a conflict exists, including the size and nature of the investment; your ability to influence the Company’s decisions; your access to confidential information of the Company or of the other company; and the nature of the relationship between the Company and the other company. Any proposed personal investments in other companies which with the Company does business should be notified in advance to the Chief Financial Officer who shall advise you on the appropriate approvals, if any, required in such circumstances.

 

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(iv) Related Parties. As a general rule, you should avoid conducting Company business with a relative or significant other, or with a business in which a relative or significant other is associated in any significant role and you may not attempt to give or direct Company business to companies in which a relative or significant other has a financial or other interest unless such transaction has been disclosed to the Chief Financial Officer and the appropriate Company approvals have been obtained. Relatives include spouse, sister, brother, daughter, son, mother, father, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, step relationships, and in-laws. Significant others include persons living in a spousal (including same sex) or familial fashion with an employee.

 

If such a related party transaction is unavoidable, you must fully disclose the nature of the related party transaction to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. If determined to be material to the Company by the Chief Financial Officer, the Company’s Audit Committee must review and approve in writing in advance such related party transactions. The most significant related party transactions, particularly those involving the Company’s directors or executive officers, must be reviewed and approved in writing in advance by the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors. The Company must report all such material related party transactions under applicable accounting rules, federal securities laws, SEC rules and regulations, and securities market rules. Any dealings with a related party must be conducted in such a way that no preferential treatment is given to this business.

 

The Company discourages the employment of relatives and significant others in positions or assignments within the same department and prohibits the employment of such individuals in positions that have a financial dependence or influence (e.g., an auditing or control relationship, or a supervisor/subordinate relationship). The purpose of this policy is to prevent the organizational impairment and conflicts that are a likely outcome of the employment of relatives or significant others, especially in a supervisor/subordinate relationship. If a question arises about whether a relationship is covered by this policy, the Human Resources Department is responsible for determining whether an applicant’s or transferee’s acknowledged relationship is covered by this policy. The Human Resources Department shall advise all affected applicants and transferees of this policy. Willful withholding of information regarding a prohibited relationship/reporting arrangement may be subject to corrective action, up to and including termination. If a prohibited relationship exists or develops between two employees, the employee in the senior position must bring this to the attention of his/her supervisor. The Company retains the prerogative to separate the individuals at the earliest possible time, either by reassignment or by termination, if necessary.

 

(v) Other Situations. Because other conflicts of interest may arise, it would be impractical to attempt to list all possible situations. If a proposed transaction or situation raises any questions or doubts in your mind you should consult the Human Resources Department.

 

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D. Corporate Opportunities

 

Employees, officers and directors may not exploit for their own personal gain opportunities that are discovered through the use of corporate property, information or position unless the opportunity is disclosed fully in writing to the Company’s Board of Directors and the Board of Directors declines to pursue such opportunity.

 

E. Protecting the Company’s Confidential Information

 

The Company’s confidential information is a valuable asset. The Company’s confidential information includes product architectures; source codes; product plans and road maps; names and lists of customers, dealers, and employees; and financial information. This information is the property of the Company and may be protected by patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws. All confidential information must be used for Company business purposes only. Every employee, agent and contractor must safeguard it. THIS RESPONSIBILITY INCLUDES NOT DISCLOSING THE COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION SUCH AS INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMPANY’S PRODUCTS OR BUSINESS OVER THE INTERNET. You are also responsible for properly labeling any and all documentation shared with or correspondence sent to the Company’s outside counsel as “Attorney-Client Privileged”. This responsibility includes the safeguarding, securing and proper disposal of confidential information in accordance with the Company’s policy on Maintaining and Managing Records set forth in Section III.I of this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. This obligation extends to confidential information of third parties, which the Company has rightfully received under Non-Disclosure Agreements. See the Company’s policy dealing with Handling Confidential Information of Others set forth in Section IV.D of this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

 

(i) Proprietary Information and Invention Agreement. When you joined the Company, you signed an agreement to protect and hold confidential the Company’s proprietary information. This agreement remains in effect for as long as you work for the Company and after you leave the Company. Under this agreement, you may not disclose the Company’s confidential information to anyone or use it to benefit anyone other than the Company without the prior written consent of an authorized Company officer.

 

(ii) Disclosure of Company Confidential Information. To further the Company’s business, from time to time our confidential information may be disclosed to potential business partners. However, such disclosure should never be done without carefully considering its potential benefits and risks. If you determine in consultation with your manager and other appropriate Company management that disclosure of confidential information is necessary, you must then contact the Company’s Chief Financial Officer to ensure that an appropriate written nondisclosure agreement is signed prior to the disclosure. The Company has standard nondisclosure agreements suitable for most disclosures. You must not sign a third party’s nondisclosure agreement or accept changes to the Company’s standard nondisclosure agreements without review and approval by the Company’s outside counsel. In addition, all Company materials that contain Company confidential information, including presentations, must be reviewed and approved by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer prior to publication or use. Furthermore, any employee publication or publicly made statement that might be perceived or construed as attributable to the Company, made outside the scope of his or her employment with the Company, must be reviewed and approved in writing in advance by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and must include the Company’s standard disclaimer that the publication or statement represents the views of the specific author and not of the Company.

 

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(iii) Requests by Regulatory Authorities. The Company and its employees, agents and contractors must cooperate with appropriate government inquiries and investigations. In this context, however, it is important to protect the legal rights of the Company with respect to its confidential information. All government requests for information, documents or investigative interviews must be referred to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. No financial information may be disclosed without the prior approval of the Chief Financial Officer.

 

(iv) Company Spokespeople. Specific policies have been established regarding who may communicate information to the press and the financial analyst community. All inquiries or calls from the press and financial analysts should be referred to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer or Investor Relations Department. The Company has designated its CEO, CFO and Investor Relations Department as official Company spokespeople for financial matters. The Company has designated its Investor Relations Department as official Company spokespeople for marketing, technical and other such information. These designees are the only people who may communicate with the press on behalf of the Company.

 

F. Obligations Under Securities Laws-“Insider” Trading

 

Obligations under the U.S. securities laws apply to everyone. In the normal course of business, officers, directors, employees, agents, contractors and consultants of the Company may come into possession of significant, sensitive information. This information is the property of the Company — you have been entrusted with it. You may not profit from it by buying or selling securities yourself, or passing on the information to others to enable them to profit or for them to profit on your behalf. The purpose of this policy is both to inform you of your legal responsibilities and to make clear to you that the misuse of sensitive information is contrary to Company policy and U.S. securities laws.

 

Insider trading is a crime, penalized by fines of up to $5,000,000 and 20 years in jail for individuals. In addition, the SEC may seek the imposition of a civil penalty of up to three times the profits made or losses avoided from the trading. Insider traders must also disgorge any profits made, and are often subjected to an injunction against future violations. Finally, insider traders may be subjected to civil liability in private lawsuits.

 

Employers and other controlling persons (including supervisory personnel) are also at risk under U.S. securities laws. Controlling persons may, among other things, face penalties of the greater of $5,000,000 or three times the profits made or losses avoided by the trader if they recklessly fail to take preventive steps to control insider trading.

 

Thus, it is important both to you and the Company that insider-trading violations not occur. You should be aware that stock market surveillance techniques are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and the chance that U.S. federal or other regulatory authorities will detect and prosecute even small-level trading is significant. Insider trading rules are strictly enforced, even in instances when the financial transactions seem small. You should contact the Company’s Chief Financial Officer if you are unsure as to whether or not you are free to trade.

 

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The Company has imposed a trading blackout period on members of the Board of Directors, executive officers and certain designated employees who, as a consequence of their position with the Company, are more likely to be exposed to material nonpublic information about the Company. These directors, executive officers and employees generally may not trade in Company securities during the blackout period.

 

For more details, and to determine if you are restricted from trading during trading blackout periods, you should review the Company’s Insider Trading Compliance Program. You can request a copy of this policy from the Chief Financial Officer. You should take a few minutes to read the Insider Trading Compliance Program carefully, paying particular attention to the specific policies and the potential criminal and civil liability and/or disciplinary action for insider trading violations. Employees, agents and contractors of the Company who violate this Policy are also subject to disciplinary action by the Company, which may include termination of employment or of business relationship. All questions regarding the Company’s Insider Trading Compliance Program should be directed to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.

 

G. Prohibition Against Short Selling of Company Stock

 

No Company director, officer or other employee, agent or contractor may, directly or indirectly, sell any equity security, including derivatives, of the Company if he or she (1) does not own the security sold, or (2) owns the security, does not deliver it against such sale (a “short sale against the box”) within twenty days thereafter, or does not within five days after such sale deposit it in the mails or other usual channels of transportation. No Company director, officer or other employee, agent or contractor may engage in short sales. A short sale, as defined in this policy, means any transaction whereby one may benefit from a decline in the Company’s stock price. While employees who are not executive officers or directors are not prohibited by law from engaging in short sales of Company’s securities, the Company has adopted as policy that employees may not do so.

 

H. Use of Company’s Assets

 

(i) General. Protecting the Company’s assets is a key fiduciary responsibility of every employee, agent and contractor. Care should be taken to ensure that assets are not misappropriated, loaned to others, or sold or donated, without appropriate authorization. All Company employees, agents and contractors are responsible for the proper use of Company assets, and must safeguard such assets against loss, damage, misuse or theft. Employees, agents or contractors who violate any aspect of this policy or who demonstrate poor judgment in the manner in which they use any Company asset may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or business relationship at the Company’s sole discretion. Company equipment and assets are to be used for Company business purposes only. Employees, agents and contractors may not use Company assets for personal use, nor may they allow any other person to use Company assets. Employees who have any questions regarding this policy should bring them to the attention of the Company’s Human Resources Department.

 

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(ii) Physical Access Control. The Company has and will continue to develop procedures covering physical access control to ensure privacy of communications, maintenance of the security of the Company communication equipment, and safeguard Company assets from theft, misuse and destruction. You are personally responsible for complying with the level of access control that has been implemented in the facility where you work on a permanent or temporary basis. You must not defeat or cause to be defeated the purpose for which the access control was implemented.

 

(iii) Company Funds. Every Company employee is personally responsible for all Company funds over which he or she exercises control. Company agents and contractors should not be allowed to exercise control over Company funds. Company funds must be used only for Company business purposes. Every Company employee, agent and contractor must take reasonable steps to ensure that the Company receives good value for Company funds spent, and must maintain accurate and timely records of each and every expenditure. Expense reports must be accurate and submitted in a timely manner. Company employees, agents and contractors must not use Company funds for any personal purpose.

 

(iv) Computers and Other Equipment. The Company strives to furnish employees with the equipment necessary to efficiently and effectively do their jobs. You must care for that equipment and use it responsibly only for Company business purposes. If you use Company equipment at your home or off site, take precautions to protect it from theft or damage, just as if it were your own. If the Company no longer employs you, you must immediately return all Company equipment. While computers and other electronic devices are made accessible to employees to assist them to perform their jobs and to promote Company’s interests, all such computers and electronic devices, whether used entirely or partially on the Company’s premises or with the aid of the Company’s equipment or resources, must remain fully accessible to the Company and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, will remain the sole and exclusive property of the Company.

 

Employees, agents and contractors should not maintain any expectation of privacy with respect to information transmitted over, received by, or stored in any electronic communications device owned, leased, or operated in whole or in part by or on behalf of the Company. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Company retains the right to gain access to any information received by, transmitted by, or stored in any such electronic communications device, by and through its employees, agents, contractors, or representatives, at any time, either with or without an employee’s or third party’s knowledge, consent or approval.

 

(v) Software. All software used by employees to conduct Company business must be appropriately licensed. Never make or use illegal or unauthorized copies of any software, whether in the office, at home, or on the road, since doing so may constitute copyright infringement and may expose you and the Company to potential civil and criminal liability. In addition, use of illegal or unauthorized copies of software may subject the employee to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. The Company’s IT Department will inspect Company computers periodically to verify that only approved and licensed software has been installed. Any non-licensed/supported software will be removed.

 

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(vi) Electronic Usage. The purpose of this policy is to make certain that employees utilize electronic communication devices in a legal, ethical, and appropriate manner. This policy addresses the Company’s responsibilities and concerns regarding the fair and proper use of all electronic communications devices within the organization, including computers, e-mail, connections to the Internet, intranet and extranet and any other public or private networks, voice mail, video conferencing, facsimiles, and telephones. Posting or discussing information concerning the Company’s products or business on the Internet without the prior written consent of the Company’s Chief Financial Officer is prohibited. Any other form of electronic communication used by employees currently or in the future is also intended to be encompassed under this policy. It is not possible to identify every standard and rule applicable to the use of electronic communications devices. Employees are therefore encouraged to use sound judgment whenever using any feature of our communications systems. The complete set of policies with respect to electronic usage of the Company’s assets is located with the Manager of Information Technology. You are expected to review, understand, and sign indicating your acknowledgment of such policies and procedures.

 

I. Maintaining and Managing Records

 

The purpose of this policy is to set forth and convey the Company’s business and legal requirements in managing records, including all recorded information regardless of medium or characteristics. Records include paper documents, CDs, computer hard disks, floppy disks, microfiche, microfilm or all other media. The Company is required by local, state, federal, foreign and other applicable laws, rules and regulations to retain certain records and to follow specific guidelines in managing its records. Civil and criminal penalties for failure to comply with such guidelines can be severe for employees, agents, contractors and the Company, and failure to comply with such guidelines may subject the employee, agent or contractor to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or business relationship at the Company’s sole discretion. Employees should refer to the Company’s Document Retention Policy for further information.

 

J. Records on Legal Hold.

 

A legal hold suspends all document destruction procedures in order to preserve appropriate records under special circumstances, such as litigation or government investigations. The Company determines and identifies what types of Company records or documents are required to be placed under a legal hold. Every Company employee, agent and contractor must comply with this policy. Failure to comply with this policy may subject the employee, agent or contractor to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or business relationship at the Company’s sole discretion.

 

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The Company will notify you if a legal hold is placed on records for which you are responsible. You then must preserve and protect the necessary records in accordance with instructions from the Company. RECORDS OR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED UNDER A LEGAL HOLD MUST NOT BE DESTROYED, ALTERED OR MODIFIED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. A legal hold remains effective until it is officially released in writing by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. If you are unsure whether a document has been placed under a legal hold, you should preserve and protect that document while you check with the Chief Financial Officer.

 

If you have any questions about this policy you should contact the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.

 

K. Payment Practices

 

(i) Accounting Practices. The Company’s responsibilities to its stockholders and the investing public require that all transactions be fully and accurately recorded in the Company’s books and records in compliance with all applicable laws. False or misleading entries, unrecorded funds or assets, or payments without appropriate supporting documentation and approval are strictly prohibited and violate Company policy and the law. Additionally, all documentation supporting a transaction should fully and accurately describe the nature of the transaction and be processed in a timely fashion.

 

(ii) Political Contributions. The Company reserves the right to communicate its position on important issues to elected representatives and other government officials. It is the Company’s policy to comply fully with all local, state, federal, foreign and other applicable laws, rules and regulations regarding political contributions. The Company’s funds or assets must not be used for, or be contributed to, political campaigns or political practices under any circumstances without the prior written approval of the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and, if required, the Board of Directors.

 

(iii) Prohibition of Inducements. Under no circumstances may employees, agents or contractors offer to pay, make payment, promise to pay, or issue authorization to pay any money, gift, or anything of value to customers, vendors, consultants, etc. that is perceived as intended, directly or indirectly, to improperly influence any business decision, any act or failure to act, any commitment of fraud, or opportunity for the commission of any fraud. Inexpensive gifts, infrequent business meals, celebratory events and entertainment, provided that they are not excessive or create an appearance of impropriety, do not violate this policy. Questions regarding whether a particular payment or gift violates this policy should be directed to Human Resources.

 

L. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

 

The Company requires full compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by all of its employees, agents, and contractors.

 

The anti-bribery and corrupt payment provisions of the FCPA make illegal any corrupt offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization to pay any money, gift, or anything of value to any foreign official, or any foreign political party, candidate or official, for the purpose of: influencing any act or failure to act, in the official capacity of that foreign official or party; or inducing the foreign official or party to use influence to affect a decision of a foreign government or agency, in order to obtain or retain business for anyone, or direct business to anyone.

 

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All Company employees, agents and contractors whether located in the United States or abroad, are responsible for FCPA compliance and the procedures to ensure FCPA compliance. All managers and supervisory personnel are expected to monitor continued compliance with the FCPA to ensure compliance with the highest moral, ethical and professional standards of the Company. FCPA compliance includes the Company’s policy on Maintaining and Managing Records in Section III.I of this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

 

Laws in most countries outside of the United States also prohibit or restrict government officials or employees of government agencies from receiving payments, entertainment, or gifts for the purpose of winning or keeping business. No contract or agreement may be made with any business in which a government official or employee holds a significant interest, without the prior approval of the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.

 

M. Export Controls

 

A number of countries maintain controls on the destinations to which products or software may be exported. Some of the strictest export controls are maintained by the United States against countries that the U.S. government considers unfriendly or as supporting international terrorism. The U.S. regulations are complex and apply both to exports from the United States and to exports of products from other countries, when those products contain U.S.-origin components or technology. Software created in the United States is subject to these regulations even if duplicated and packaged abroad. In some circumstances, an oral presentation containing technical data made to foreign nationals in the United States may constitute a controlled export. The Company’s outside counsel can provide you with guidance on which countries are prohibited destinations for Company products or whether a proposed technical presentation to foreign nationals may require a U.S. Government license.

 

IV.RESPONSIBILITIES TO OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR SUPPLIERS

 

A. Customer Relationships

 

If your job puts you in contact with any Company customers or potential customers, it is critical for you to remember that you represent the Company to the people with whom you are dealing. Act in a manner that creates value for our customers and helps to build a relationship based upon trust. The Company and its employees have provided products and services for many years and have built up significant goodwill over that time. This goodwill is one of our most important assets, and the Company employees, agents and contractors must act to preserve and enhance our reputation.

 

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B. Payments or Gifts from Others

 

Under no circumstances may employees, agents or contractors accept any offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization to pay any money, gift, or anything of value from customers, vendors, consultants, etc. that is perceived as intended, directly or indirectly, to influence any business decision, any act or failure to act, any commitment of fraud, or opportunity for the commission of any fraud. Inexpensive gifts, infrequent business meals, celebratory events and entertainment, provided that they are not excessive or create an appearance of impropriety, do not violate this policy. Questions regarding whether a particular payment or gift violates this policy are to be directed to the Company’s Director of Human Resources.

 

Gifts given by the Company to suppliers or customers or received from suppliers or customers should always be appropriate to the circumstances and should never be of a kind that could create an appearance of impropriety. The nature and cost must always be accurately recorded in the Company’s books and records.

 

C. Publications of Others

 

The Company subscribes to many publications that help employees do their jobs better. These include newsletters, reference works, online reference services, magazines, books, and other digital and printed works. Copyright law generally protects these works, and their unauthorized copying and distribution constitute copyright infringement. You must first obtain the consent of the publisher of a publication before copying publications or significant parts of them.

 

D. Handling the Confidential Information of Others

 

The Company has many kinds of business relationships with many companies and individuals. Sometimes, they will volunteer confidential information about their products or business plans to induce the Company to enter into a business relationship. At other times, we may request that a third party provide confidential information to permit the Company to evaluate a potential business relationship with that party. Whatever the situation, we must take special care to handle the confidential information of others responsibly. We handle such confidential information in accordance with our agreements with such third parties. See also the Company’s policy on Maintaining and Managing Records in Section III.I of this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

 

(i) Appropriate Nondisclosure Agreements. Confidential information may take many forms. An oral presentation about a company’s product development plans may contain protected trade secrets. A customer list or employee list may be a protected trade secret.

 

You should never accept information offered by a third party that is represented as confidential, or which appears from the context or circumstances to be confidential, unless an appropriate nondisclosure agreement has been signed with the party offering the information. THE COMPANY’S IN-HOUSE LEGAL COUNSEL CAN PROVIDE NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS TO FIT ANY PARTICULAR SITUATION, AND WILL COORDINATE APPROPRIATE EXECUTION OF SUCH AGREEMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY. Even after a nondisclosure agreement is in place, you should accept only the information necessary to accomplish the purpose of receiving it, such as a decision on whether to proceed to negotiate a deal. If more detailed or extensive confidential information is offered and it is not necessary, for your immediate purposes, it should be refused.

 

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(ii) Need-to-Know. Once a third party’s confidential information has been disclosed to the Company, we have an obligation to abide by the terms of the relevant nondisclosure agreement and limit its use to the specific purpose for which it was disclosed and to disseminate it only to other Company employees with a need to know the information. Every employee, agent and contractor involved in a potential business relationship with a third party must understand and strictly observe the restrictions on the use and handling of confidential information. When in doubt, consult the Company’s Chief Financial Officer or In-house Legal Counsel.

 

(iii) Notes and Reports. When reviewing the confidential information of a third party under a nondisclosure agreement, it is natural to take notes or prepare reports summarizing the results of the review and, based partly on those notes or reports, to draw conclusions about the suitability of a business relationship. Notes or reports, however, can include confidential information disclosed by the other party and so should be retained only long enough to complete the evaluation of the potential business relationship. Subsequently, they should be either destroyed or turned over to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer or in- house Legal Counsel for safekeeping or destruction. They should be treated just as any other disclosure of confidential information is treated: marked as confidential and distributed only to those Company employees with a need to know.

 

(iv) Competitive Information. You should never attempt to obtain a competitor’s confidential information by improper means, and you should especially never contact a competitor regarding their confidential information. While the Company may, and does, employ former employees of competitors, we recognize and respect the obligations of those employees not to use or disclose the confidential information of their former employers.

 

E. Selecting Suppliers

 

The Company’s suppliers make significant contributions to our success. To create an environment where our suppliers have an incentive to work with the Company, they must be confident that they will be treated lawfully and in an ethical manner. The Company’s policy is to purchase supplies based on need, quality, service, price and terms and conditions. The Company’s policy is to select significant suppliers or enter into significant supplier agreements though a competitive bid process where possible. Under no circumstances should any Company employee, agent or contractor attempt to coerce suppliers in any way. The confidential information of a supplier is entitled to the same protection as that of any other third party and must not be received before an appropriate nondisclosure agreement has been signed. A supplier’s performance should never be discussed with anyone outside the Company. A supplier to the Company is generally free to sell its products or services to any other party, including competitors of the Company. In some cases where the products or services have been designed, fabricated, or developed to our specifications the agreement between the parties may contain restrictions on sales.

 

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F. Government Relations

 

It is the Company’s policy to comply fully with all applicable laws and regulations governing contact and dealings with government employees and public officials, and to adhere to high ethical, moral and legal standards of business conduct. This policy includes strict compliance with all local, state, federal, foreign and other applicable laws, rules and regulations. If you have any questions concerning government relations you should contact the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.

 

G. Lobbying

 

Employees, agents or contractors whose work requires lobbying communication with any member or employee of a legislative body or with any government official or employee in the formulation of legislation must have prior written approval of such activity from the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. Activity covered by this policy includes meetings with legislators or members of their staffs or with senior executive branch officials. Preparation, research, and other background activities that are done in support of lobbying communication are also covered by this policy even if the communication ultimately is not made.

 

H. Government Contracts

 

It is the Company’s policy to comply fully with all applicable laws and regulations that apply to government contracting. It is also necessary to strictly adhere to all terms and conditions of any contract with local, state, federal, foreign or other applicable governments. The Company’s outside counsel must review and approve all contracts with any government entity.

 

I. Free and Fair Competition

 

Most countries have well-developed bodies of law designed to encourage and protect free and fair competition. The Company is committed to obeying both the letter and spirit of these laws. The consequences of not doing so can be severe for all of us.

 

These laws often regulate the Company’s relationships with its distributors, resellers, dealers, and customers. Competition laws generally address the following areas: pricing practices (including price discrimination), discounting, terms of sale, credit terms, promotional allowances, secret rebates, exclusive dealerships or distributorships, product bundling, restrictions on carrying competing products, termination, and many other practices.

 

Competition laws also govern, usually quite strictly, relationships between the Company and its competitors. As a general rule, contacts with competitors should be limited and should always avoid subjects such as prices or other terms and conditions of sale, customers, and suppliers. Employees, agents or contractors of the Company may not knowingly make false or misleading statements regarding its competitors or the products of its competitors, customers or suppliers. Participating with competitors in a trade association or in a standards creation body is acceptable when the association has been properly established, has a legitimate purpose, and has limited its activities to that purpose.

 

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No employee, agent or contractor shall at any time or under any circumstances enter into an agreement or understanding, written or oral, express or implied, with any competitor concerning prices, discounts, other terms or conditions of sale, profits or profit margins, costs, allocation of product or geographic markets, allocation of customers, limitations on production, boycotts of customers or suppliers, or bids or the intent to bid or even discuss or exchange information on these subjects. In some cases, legitimate joint ventures with competitors may permit exceptions to these rules as may bona fide purchases from or sales to competitors on non-competitive products, but the Company’s outside counsel must review all such proposed ventures in advance. These prohibitions are absolute and strict observance is required. Collusion among competitors is illegal, and the consequences of a violation are severe.

 

Although the spirit of these laws, known as “antitrust,” “competition,” or “consumer protection” or unfair competition laws, is straightforward, their application to particular situations can be quite complex. To ensure that the Company complies fully with these laws, each of us should have a basic knowledge of them and should involve our legal counsel early on when questionable situations arise.

 

J. Industrial Espionage

 

It is the Company’s policy to lawfully compete in the marketplace. This commitment to fairness includes respecting the rights of our competitors and abiding by all applicable laws in the course of competing. The purpose of this policy is to maintain the Company’s reputation as a lawful competitor and to help ensure the integrity of the competitive marketplace. The Company expects its competitors to respect our rights to compete lawfully in the marketplace, and we must respect their rights equally. Company employees, agents and contractors may not steal or unlawfully use the information, material, products, intellectual property, or proprietary or confidential information of anyone including suppliers, customers, business partners or competitors.

 

V.WAIVERS

 

Any waiver of any provision of this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for a member of the Company’s Board of Directors or an executive officer must be approved in writing by the Company’s Board of Directors and promptly disclosed. Any waiver of any provision of this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics with respect to any other employee, agent or contractor must be approved in writing by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.

 

VI.DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS

 

The matters covered in this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics are of the utmost importance to the Company, its stockholders and its business partners, and are essential to the Company’s ability to conduct its business in accordance with its stated values. We expect all of our employees, agents, contractors and consultants to adhere to these rules in carrying out their duties for the Company.

 

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The Company will take appropriate action against any employee, agent, contractor or consultant whose actions are found to violate these policies or any other policies of the Company. Disciplinary actions may include immediate termination of employment or business relationship at the Company’s sole discretion. Where the Company has suffered a loss, it may pursue its remedies against the individuals or entities responsible. Where laws have been violated, the Company will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities. You should review the Company’s policies and procedures contained in the Employee Handbook for more detailed information.

 

VII.HOW TO REPORT YOUR CONCERNS

 

A. Where to Direct Questions. If you have questions about this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics or concerns about any of the matters listed here, please first consider speaking with your immediate manager or supervisor if that person was not involved in the matter giving rise to your questions. If you do not wish to communicate with that person on the matter, please feel free to contact any member of our management.

 

B. Good Faith Concerns Are Protected. We encourage each of our employees to report any concerns that others in the Company may have engaged in illegal or unethical conduct relating to our business. We do not discriminate against employees who report their good faith concerns to us. In addition, the Company may not discharge or otherwise discriminate in any manner against, or threaten or harass, an employee for any lawful act by the employee to provide information or assist in an investigation by us or any other governmental authority or agency, of violations of applicable securities laws or any applicable law relating to fraud against shareholders.

 

C. False Claims Are Prohibited. It is a violation of our standards for any employee to communicate a report claiming illegal or unethical conduct which the employee knows to be false.

 

D. Where to Report Your Concerns. If you wish to report or discuss any problem concerning our Company or the matters outlined in this document, please promptly inform your supervising manager, or report the matter to the Chief Financial Officer. If you wish to communicate any matter anonymously, you are free to do so, and we will maintain the confidentiality of your communication to the extent possible under applicable laws. The Company has established a toll-free telephone number through a third party vendor for communications intended to be confidential. The phone number is posted on the Company intranet and on the bulletin board in the lunchroom. The third party vendor acts as an intermediary to anonymously report back any communications to the Company’s Director of Human Resources. Communications may also be made in writing by mailing a letter without indicating your name or address to the Company’s address, Attention: Chairman of the Audit Committee.

 

E. Audit Committee Available to Hear About Accounting Matters. In addition to the above, if you have concerns about accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters relating to our Company, you are also free to contact the audit committee of our board of directors directly. Inquiries or communications intended to be anonymous should be mailed in writing without indicating your name or address to the Company’s address, Attention: Chairman of the Audit Committee.

 

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F. Procedures for Investigating and Resolving Concerns. Reports of possible violations of this code will be forwarded to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee may, in its discretion, assume responsibility for evaluating any possible violation and directing or conducting any investigation or may delegate any portion of such responsibility the board of directors (the “Board”), another committee, the Chief Financial Officer or another person or entity. If the Audit Committee chooses to assume responsibility for evaluating any possible violation or directing or conducting any investigation where the investigation concerns a possible violation by a member of the Board, the Audit Committee, not including that member, shall assume such responsibility. The Audit Committee shall have the authority to engage independent counsel and other advisers, as it deems necessary, to assist in its investigation and decision process. After conducting the investigation, the results will be evaluated and the Company shall authorize such swift response, follow-up and preventive actions, if any, as are deemed necessary and appropriate to address the substance of the reported possible violation. The Company reserves the right to take whatever action it believes appropriate, up to and including discharge of any employee determined to have engaged in improper conduct.

 

VIII. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT OF CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS

 

I have received and read the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. I understand the standards and policies contained in the Company Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and understand that there may be additional policies or laws specific to my job. I further agree to comply with the Company Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

 

If I have questions concerning the meaning or application of the Company Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, any Company policies, or the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to my job, I know I can consult my manager or the Company’s Human Resources Department, knowing that my questions or reports to these sources will be maintained in confidence.

 

Employee Name

 

Signature

 

Date

 

Please sign and return this form to your supervisor.

 

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Exhibit 31.1

 

ADHERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER

AND PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER

PURSUANT TO SECTION 302

 

I, Andrew Kucharchuk, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K/A of Adhera Therapeutics, Inc.;

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report.

 

Date: April 29, 2022

 

/s/ Andrew Kucharchuk  

Andrew Kucharchuk

Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer)