UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 40-F

 

 

(Check one)

Registration statement pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

or

 

Annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

For the fiscal year ended: March 31, 2020

Commission File Number: 001-33526

 

 

NEPTUNE WELLNESS SOLUTIONS INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Québec

2836

Not Applicable

(Province or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

(Primary Standard Industrial

Classification Code Number (if applicable))

(I.R.S. Employer Identification

Number (if applicable))

 

545 Promenade du Centropolis

Suite 100

Laval, Québec,

Canada H7T 0A3

(450) 687-2262

(Address and telephone number of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

CT Corporation System

28 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10005

(212) 894-8940

(Name, address (including zip code) and telephone number (including area code) of agent for service in the United States)

 

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.

 

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Shares

NEPT

The Nasdaq Stock Market

 

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

 

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None

 

For annual reports, indicate by check mark the information filed with this Form:

 

☒  Annual Information Form

☒  Audited Annual Financial Statements

 

 

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report:

 

Common Shares outstanding as of March 31, 2020: 99,338,135

 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act 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 an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

 Emerging Growth Company  ☐     

 

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, 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.

 

 


 


 

 

DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

 

Neptune Wellness Solution Inc.’s (the “Registrant”) Principal Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Principal Financial Officer (“CFO”) have concluded that, based on an evaluation of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), as required by Rules 13a-15(b) and 15d-15(b) under the Exchange Act, the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of March 31, 2020. 

 

Please see the section entitled “Limitation on Scope of design” below.

 

MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

 

The Registrant’s management, with the participation of the CEO and CFO, is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act). The Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Registrant; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Registrant are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Registrant; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Registrant’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

 

The Registrant’s management assessed the effectiveness of the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting as of March 31, 2020. In making this assessment, the Registrant’s management used the criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. The Registrant’s management, including the CEO and CFO, concluded that, as of March 31, 2020, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting was effective.

 

Limitation on scope of design

 

The Registrant has limited the scope of its disclosure control and procedures and internal control over financial reporting to exclude controls, policies and procedures of a business acquired not more than 365 days before the last day of the period covered by the annual filing. The Registrant acquired the assets of SugarLeaf Labs LLC and Forest Remedies LLC (collectively “SugarLeaf”) on July 24, 2020 and has elected to exclude the SugarLeaf business from its assessment of the design and effectiveness of its disclosure control and procedures and internal control over financial reporting of the Company for the year ended March 31, 2020.

 

The table below presents the summary financial information included in the Corporation’s consolidated annual financial statements for the excluded controls related to the acquired business:

SugarLeaf

 

July 24 -

 

Selected financial information from the statement of earnings

 

March 31, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total revenues

$

 

2,682

 

Loss from operating activities

 

 

7,589

 

As impairment loss on goodwill was tested as part of the Corporation’s testing of its disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting and has been excluded from the table above.

 

 


 

SugarLeaf

 

As at

 

Selected financial information from the statement of financial position

 

March 31, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total current assets

$

 

6,046

 

Total non-current assets

 

 

6,325

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

855

 

Total non-current liabilities

 

 

5,374

 

 

As the goodwill and intangible assets were tested as part of the Corporation’s testing of its disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, it has been excluded from the table above.

 

KPMG LLP’s attestation report, “Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of March 31, 2020, accompanies the Registrant’s Audited Consolidated Financial Statements as at March 31, 2020 and 2019, and for the fiscal years then ended, which are audited by KPMG LLP, and which are attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2. 

 

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING CONTROLS

 

The Registrant’s management, including the CEO and CFO, does not expect that its disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Registrant have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the control. The design of any system of controls also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions; over time, control may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected. 

 

CHANGES IN INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

 

There were no changes in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT

 

The Registrant’s board of directors has determined that it has at least one audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee. Ms. Hélène F. Fortin has been determined to be such audit committee financial expert and is independent, as that term is defined by the NASDAQ’s listing standards applicable to the Registrant. The Securities and Exchange Commission has indicated that the designation of Ms. Fortin as an audit committee financial expert does not make Ms. Fortin an “expert” for any purpose, impose any duties, obligations or liability on Ms. Fortin that are greater than those imposed on members of the audit committee and board of directors who do not carry this designation or affect the duties, obligations or liability of any other member of the audit committee or board of directors.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Registrant has adopted a code of ethics entitled “Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for Directors, Officers and Employees” that applies to all directors, officers and employees, including the Registrant’s CEO, CFO and

 


 

principal accounting officer. The Registrant’s code of ethics is available on the Registrant’s Internet website: www.neptunecorp.com.

 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

 

The disclosure provided under “Report on Audit Committee—External Auditor Fees” in Exhibit 99.1, the Registrant’s Annual Information Form, is incorporated by reference herein.

 

AUDIT COMMITTEE PRE-APPROVAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

The disclosure provided under “Charter of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors—Responsibilities for Engaging External Auditors” in Schedule “A” of Exhibit 99.1, the Registrant’s Annual Information Form, is incorporated by reference herein. None of the services described above under “External Auditor Fees” were approved by the audit committee pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

 

OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

 

The disclosure provided under “Consolidated Off Balance Sheet Arrangements and Contractual Obligations” in Exhibit 99.3, the Registrant’s Management Discussion and Analysis of the Financial Situation and Operating Results for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 (“Management’s Discussion and Analysis”), is incorporated by reference herein. 

 

TABULAR DISCLOSURE OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

 

The disclosure provided under “Consolidated Off Balance Sheet Arrangements and Contractual Obligations” in Exhibit 99.3, Management’s Discussion and Analysis, is incorporated by reference herein.

 


 


 

IDENTIFICATION OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

 

The Registrant has a separately-designated standing audit committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act. The Registrant’s audit committee is composed of the following directors: Ms. Hélène F. Fortin, Mr. John M. Moretz and Mr. Richard P. Schottenfeld. 

 

INTERACTIVE DATA FILE

 

The Registrant is submitting as Exhibit 101 to this annual report on Form 40-F, and posting to its Internet website at www.neptunecorp.com, its Interactive Data File.

 

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

 

Not applicable. 

 

DIFFERENCES IN NASDAQ AND QUÉBEC CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENTS

 

NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 5615(a)(3) permits a foreign private issuer to follow its home country practice in lieu of certain of the requirements of the Rule 5600 Series. A foreign private issuer that follows a home country practice in lieu of one or more provisions of the Rule 5600 Series is required to disclose in its annual report filed with the Commission, or on its website, each requirement of the Rule 5600 Series that it does not follow and describe the home country practice followed by the issuer in lieu of such NASDAQ corporate governance requirements. The Registrant does not follow NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 5620(c), but instead follows its home country practice. The NASDAQ minimum quorum requirement under Rule 5620(c) for a meeting of shareholders is 33.33% of the outstanding shares of common voting stock. The Registrant’s quorum requirement, as set forth in the Registrant’s by-laws, is that a quorum for a meeting of the Registrant’s holders of common shares is the attendance, in person or by proxy, of the shareholders representing 10% of the Registrant’s common shares. The foregoing is consistent with the laws, customs and practices in Québec and the rules and policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange.

  

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

 

The information provided under the heading “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in Exhibit 99.1, contained in the Registrant’s Annual Information Form, is incorporated by reference herein.

  

UNDERTAKING AND CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS

 

A. Undertaking

 

The Registrant undertakes to make available, in person or by telephone, representatives to respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff, and to furnish promptly, when requested to do so by the Commission staff, information relating to: the securities in relation to which the obligation to file this annual report on Form 40-F arises; or transactions in said securities.

 

B. Consent to Service of Process

 

The Registrant has previously filed with the Commission a Form F-X in connection with the class of securities in relation to which the obligation to file this report arises.

 

Any change to the name or address of the agent for service of process of the Registrant shall be communicated promptly to the Commission by an amendment to the Form F-X referencing the file number of the relevant registration statement.

 

 

 


 


 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

 

 

Exhibits

 

 

Description

 

 

 

 

99.1

 

Annual Information Form for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 dated June 10, 2020

 

 

 

99.2

 

Consolidated Financial Statements as at March 31, 2020 and 2019 and the fiscal years then ended, and the accompanying auditors’ reports, dated June 10, 2020

 

 

 

99.3

 

Management Discussion and Analysis of the Financial Situation and Operating Results for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, dated June 10, 2020

 

 

 

99.4

 

Consent of KPMG LLP

 

 

 

99.5

 

Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certifications:

 

Certification of the Registrant’s Principal Executive Officer

 

Certification of the Registrant’s Principal Financial Officer

 

 

 

99.6

 

Section 1350 Certifications:

 

Certification of the Registrant’s Principal Executive Officer

 

Certification of the Registrant’s Principal Financial Officer

 

 

 

101

 

Interactive Data File

 

 

 


 


 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 40-F and has duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.

 

 

 

NEPTUNE WELLNESS SOLUTIONS INC.

 

 

 

 

June 10, 2020

 

By:

/s/ Michael Cammarata

 

 

 

Name: Michael Cammarata

 

 

 

Title: Principal Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANNUAL INFORMATION FORM

 

Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 10, 2020

 

 

 

 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Basis of Presentation

 

1

Market and Industry Data

 

1

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

2

Corporate Structure

 

3

General Development of the Corporation

 

4

Description of the Business

 

9

Risk Factors

 

30

Dividends

 

53

Description of Our Share Capital

 

53

Market for Our Securities

 

54

Directors and Officers

 

56

Cease Trade Orders, Bankruptcies, Penalties or Sanctions

 

60

Legal Proceedings and Regulatory Actions

 

61

Interest of Management and Others in Material Transactions

 

62

Escrowed Securities

 

62

Transfer Agents and Registrars

 

62

Material Contracts

 

63

Interest of Experts

 

63

Report on Audit Committee

 

63

Additional Information

 

65

Schedule “A” Charter of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors

 

A-1

 

 

 

 


 

Basis of Presentation

As used in this annual information form (“AIF”), unless the context otherwise requires, references to “Neptune”, the “Corporation”, “we”, “us”, “our” or similar expressions refer to Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. (previously Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc.) and its subsidiaries, collectivelly or individually.

Unless otherwise noted, in this AIF, all information is presented as of March 31, 2020. All references in this AIF to “dollars”, “CDN$” and “$” refer to Canadian dollars and references to “US$” refer to United States dollars, unless otherwise expressly stated.

References in this AIF to our fiscal year refer to the fiscal year ended March 31. For example, references to “Fiscal 20” refer to our fiscal year ended March 31, 2020.

We have proprietary and usage rights to a number of company names, product names, trade names and trademarks used in this AIF that are important to our business, such as, NEPTUNE WELLNESS SOLUTIONS ®, MaxSimil® Forest Remedies and Ocean Remedies™. We may omit the registered trademark (®) and trademark (™) symbols and any other related symbols for such trademarks and all related trademarks, including those related to specific products or services, when used in this AIF.

 

Market and Industry Data

Market data and certain industry data and forecasts included in this AIF were obtained or derived from internal company surveys, market research, publicly available information, reports of governmental agencies and industry publications and surveys. We have relied upon industry publications as our primary sources for third-party industry data and forecasts. Industry surveys, publications and forecasts generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but that the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed. We have not independently verified any of the data from third-party sources, nor have we ascertained the underlying economic assumptions relied upon therein. Similarly, internal surveys, industry forecasts and market research, which we believe to be reliable based upon management’s knowledge of the industry, have not been independently verified. By their nature, forecasts are particularly likely to be inaccurate, especially over long periods of time. In addition, we do not know what assumptions regarding general economic growth were used in preparing the forecasts cited in this AIF. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding Neptune’s industry data presented herein, our estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this AIF. While we believe our internal business research is reliable and market definitions are appropriate, neither such research nor definitions have been verified by any independent source. This AIF may only be used for the purpose for which it has been published.


1


 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This AIF contains certain information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws, both of which we refer to as forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements relating to certain expectations, projections, new or improved product introductions, market expansion efforts, and other information related to our business strategy and future plans. Forward-looking statements can, but may not always, be identified by the use of words such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “predict”, “potential”, “targeting”, “intend”, “could”, “might”, “would”, “should”, “believe”, “objective”, “ongoing”, “assumes”, “goal”, “likely” and similar references to future periods or the negatives of these words and expressions and by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including market and economic conditions, business prospects or opportunities, future plans and strategies, projections, technological developments, anticipated events and trends and regulatory changes that affect us, our customers and our industries. Although the Corporation and management believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable and based on reasonable assumptions and estimates, there can be no assurance that these assumptions or estimates are accurate or that any of these expectations will prove accurate. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive risks, uncertainties and contingencies that could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements.

Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those anticipated by us and expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this AIF. Such statements are based on a number of assumptions and risks which may prove to be incorrect, including, without limitation, assumptions about: the performance of our production facilities; our ability to maintain customer relationships and demand for our products; the overall business and economic conditions; the potential financial opportunity of our addressable markets; the competitive environment; the protection of our current and future intellectual property rights; our ability to recruit and retain the services of our key personnel; our ability to develop commercially viable products; our ability to pursue new business opportunities such as legal cannabis oil production; our ability to obtain additional financing on reasonable terms or at all; our ability to complete and, as applicable, integrate our acquisitions and generate synergies; and the impact of new laws and regulations in Canada, the United States or any other jurisdiction where we are currently doing business or intend to do business.

Many factors could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the factors discussed under “Risk Factors”. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressly or impliedly expected or estimated in such statements. Shareholders and investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based might not occur. Although the Corporation cautions that the foregoing list of risk factors, as well as those risk factors presented under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this AIF, are not exhaustive, shareholders and investors should carefully consider them and the uncertainties they represent and the risks they entail. The forward-looking statements contained in this AIF are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Unless otherwise indicated, forward-looking statements in this AIF describe our expectations as of the date of this AIF and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. We do not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by applicable securities laws.


2


 

Corporate Structure

Name, Address and Incorporation

Neptune was incorporated under Part IA of the Companies Act (Québec) on October 9, 1998 and is now governed by the Business Corporations Act (Québec). Neptune’s head office and registered office is located at 545 Promenade du Centropolis, Suite 100, Laval, Québec, Canada, H7T 0A3 and its website address is www.neptunecorp.com. The common shares of Neptune (“Common Shares”) are listed and posted for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) and on the NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) under the symbol “NEPT”.

Since its incorporation, Neptune has amended its articles on numerous occasions. The Corporation first amended its articles on May 30, 2000 to convert its then issued and outstanding shares into newly-created classes of shares. The Corporation’s articles were also amended on May 31, 2000 to create Series A Preferred Shares. On August 29, 2000, the Corporation converted all its issued and outstanding Class A shares into Class B subordinate shares. On September 25, 2000, the Corporation further amended its share capital to eliminate its Class A shares and converted its Class B subordinate shares into Common Shares. On November 1, 2013, the Corporation amended its articles of incorporation to reflect certain changes to items relating to board matters. On August 22, 2018, the Corporation amended its articles of incorporation to change its name to Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc.

Intercorporate Relationships

The activities of Neptune are conducted either directly or through its subsidiaries. The table below lists the principal subsidiaries of Neptune as at March 31, 2020, as well as their jurisdiction of organization and the percentage held by Neptune in each of them.

 

Name

 

Jurisdiction of Organization

 

Percentage Held by Neptune

Biodroga Nutraceuticals Inc.

 

Québec

 

100%

9354-7537 Québec Inc.

 

Québec

 

100%

Neptune Holding USA, Inc.

 

Delaware

 

100%

Sugarleaf Labs, Inc.

 

Delaware

 

100%

 

Biodroga Inc. was acquired by Neptune on January 7, 2016, and on March 1, 2016, it was amalgamated with an inactive subsidiary of Neptune, NeuroBioPharm Inc., and became Biodroga Nutraceutical Inc. (“Biodroga”).

9354-7537 Québec Inc. was incorporated on February 6, 2017. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Neptune that was created with the intent of submitting an application to become a Licensed Producer under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (“ACMPR”) and to obtain a Control Substance Licence (also referred to as a Dealer’s Licence) under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (“CDSA”), which was transitioned to an application for a license for standard processing under the Cannabis Act and the Cannabis Regulations with the coming into force of the new legislation and regulations on October 17, 2018. See “Description of the Business – Business Overview & Mission”.

On May 3, 2019, Neptune incorporated Neptune Holdings USA, Inc., a Delaware corporation wholly-owned by Neptune, which was created in connection with the proposed acquisition of the business of SugarLeaf Labs, LLC and Forest Remedies LLC (collectively, “SugarLeaf”). See “General Development of the Corporation – Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2020 – Acquisition of the Assets of Hemp Processor SugarLeaf”.

On May 3, 2019, Neptune incorporated Neptune Acquisition USA, Inc., a Delaware corporation wholly-owned by Neptune Holding USA, Inc., which was created in connection with the proposed acquisition of the business of SugarLeaf. On May 13, 2019, Neptune filed a Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation to change its name to Sugarleaf Labs, Inc. See “General Development of the Corporation – Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2020 – Acquisition of the Assets of Hemp Processor SugarLeaf”.

Recent Subsidiaries since March 31, 2020

On April 16, 2020, Neptune incorporated Neptune Health & Wellness Innovation, Inc., a Delaware corporation wholly-owned by Neptune Holding USA, Inc. The Corporation intends to operate its health and wellness products business, including but not limited to hand sanitizer products. Please see sections entitled “Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2020” and “Recent Business Developments” under the heading “General Development of the Corporation”, below.

3


 

On May 21, 2020, Neptune incorporated Neptune Forest, Inc., Neptune Ocean, Inc., and Neptune Growth Ventures, Inc., each a Delaware corporation wholly-owned by Neptune Holding USA, Inc.  The Corporation intends to commercialize the Forest Remedies and Ocean Remedies brands through Neptune Forest, Inc. and Neptune Ocean, Inc., respectively.

Neptune Growth Ventures, Inc. has been formed to act as Neptune’s strategic investment arm and technology incubator. The Corporation will actively invest in emerging and innovative companies, helping them to scale globally and grow into new markets while creating new brands, technologies and business models to drive the industries in which the Corporation operates.

On May 22, 2020, Neptune incorporated 9418-1252 Quebec Inc. and Neptune Wellness Brands Canada, Inc., each a Quebec corporation wholly-owned by Neptune. The Corporation intends to commercialize branded products in Canada through Neptune Wellness Brands Canada, Inc. 9418-1252 Quebec Inc. will hold certain assets of the Corporation relating to its facility in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

General Development of the Corporation

Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2018

Application with Health Canada under ACMPR

In April 2017, the Corporation submitted a written application to Health Canada to become a Licensed Producer of medical cannabis, which at that time had been confirmed by the agency as having cleared the Security Clearance Process and being in active review.

Transaction Concluded with Aker BioMarine

On August 7, 2017, Neptune and Aker BioMarine Antarctic AS (“Aker BioMarine”) concluded an agreement whereby Aker BioMarine acquired Neptune’s intellectual property, list of customers and krill oil inventory for a cash consideration of aproximately $43 million (US$34 million) paid at closing (the “Aker Transaction”). As a result of the Aker Transaction, Neptune exited bulk krill oil manufacturing and distribution activities and Aker BioMarine became the exclusive krill oil supplier to Neptune’s solutions business.

Neptune’s Sherbrooke facility was not part of the Aker Transaction, and was kept to be used for the development of unique extractions targeted towards high potential growth segments such as in the legal cannabis industry. A large number of our employees saw their employment terminated as part of the Aker Transaction.

Phase I - $5M Investment in Cannabis Extraction Capacity

On November 14, 2017, Neptune announced a capital investment of $5 million for the payment of building improvements and specific equipment required to process cannabis oil at our current extraction facility. It was completed by August 2018, on time and on budget.

Licensing Agreement Combining MaxSimil Technology with Cannabinoids

On November 27, 2017, we announced the signature of an exclusive, worldwide and royalty-bearing licensing agreement for the use of the MaxSimil® technology, a patented omega-3 fatty acid delivery technology and strong growth driver of Neptune’s solutions business, in combination with cannabis-derived products. This new agreement allows us to research, manufacture, formulate, distribute and sell monoglyceride omega-3-rich ingredients in combination with cannabis and/or cannabinoid-rich hemp-derived ingredients for medical and adult use applications.

The Corporation believes the MaxSimil® technology has the ability to enhance absorption of lipid-based and lipid-soluble ingredients such as cannabinoids, essential fatty acids including EPA and DHA omega-3s, vitamins A, D, K and E, CoQ10 and others. This could be especially beneficial in increasing the absorption of ingredients which are not easily absorbed, such as cannabidiol (“CBD”).

4


 

Business Update Meeting

 

On November 28, 2017, Neptune held a business update meeting in New York City to discuss its entry into the legal cannabis market in Canada via the extraction and commercialization of cannabis oil. In Fiscal 2018, Neptune’s Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) at that time, Jim Hamilton, and other members of senior management conducted an in-depth overview of the cannabis market in Canada, the Corporation’s business plans, a timeline of anticipated milestones and the potential economics of this new business venture.

 

Loss of Control of Subsidiary Acasti

 

On December 27, 2017, Acasti Pharma Inc. (“Acasti”) concluded a public financing. Immediately before the financing, Neptune owned 33.96% of Acasti’s common shares and had determined it had de facto control over Acasti and therefore consolidated Acasti’s financial results. After the financing, the ownership interest of the Corporation in Acasti decreased to 20.39%, and 12.12% on a fully diluted basis. As a result, management determined that the Corporation lost de facto control of Acasti and stopped consolidating Acasti’s financial results. As of the date of this AIF, following the issuance of addtionnal shares by Acasti in connection with other public or private financings, the Corporation has an interest of less than 5% in Acasti.

Research Agreement Combining Krill Oil with Cannabinoids

 

On January 19, 2018, Neptune announced an exclusive research agreement with the purpose of developing new medical and wellness targeted cannabinoid-based products, such as CBD combined with krill oil whose combination use would be exclusive to Neptune. The new products will be aimed at the growing number of federal jurisdictions worldwide, such as Canada, that have or will legalize cannabinoids for medicinal and/or adult use.

 

Co-Development Agreement for Medicinal Cannabis Applications

 

On February 12, 2018, Neptune and Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. announced that they entered into an agreement for the co-development, commercialization and marketing of purified cannabinoid oil-based products to address pain and inflammation relief applications for the natural health products and pet veterinary markets.

 

Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2019

Transaction Concluded with Canopy Growth Corporation

On June 19, 2018, the Corporation announced that it had entered into a multi-year processing agreement with Canopy Growth Corporation (“Canopy Growth”). Under the terms of the agreement, the Corporation will supplement Canopy Growth’s extraction, refinement, and extract product formulation capacity to provide extracted cannabis products.

Two Patent Applications for Innovative Cannabis Extraction Processes

On August 9, 2018, the Corporation announced that it had filed two applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for patents related to the extraction of cannabis material. See “Patent Applications” under the heading “Description of the Business”, below.

License from Health Canada

On September 17, 2018, Neptune announced that it received a Confirmation of Readiness letter from Health Canada in regard to its application to become a Licensed Producer under the ACMPR (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations). Health Canada’s positive response marked another important regulatory step forward to obtaining Neptune’s licence to produce cannabis oil supporting its timeline to commence commercialization during Fiscal 2019.

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On January 7, 2019, Neptune announced that it received a License for Standard Processing from Health Canada under the Cannabis Act. The Standard Processing License, issued on January 4, 2019, enables Neptune to possess cannabis, to produce cannabis (other than obtain it by cultivating, propagating or harvesting it) and to sell its products or its services to other license holders.

Phase II – 5 Million Investment in Cannabis Extraction Expansion

On June 5, 2018, Neptune announced an investment of $4.8 million to expand the capacity of its extraction facility to 200,000 kg of input material annually. This expansion was completed on time and on budget in April 2019. See “Description of the Business - Our Products – Cannabis Products and Services”.

Transaction concluded with Lonza

On December 21, 2018, the Corporation announced that it had entered into a multi-year intellectual property (IP) licencing and capsule sale agreement with Lonza (SWX: LONN). With an initial annual capacity of up to 200 million capsules, this licensing agreement will allow Neptune to seek to become a large-scale Licaps® manufacturer in the Canadian cannabis sector.

Commercial Production and Shipping of Cannabis Extracts

On March 26, 2019, the Corporation completed initial commercial cannabis extracts production lots and was shipping same from its licensed, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices, mandated by the Natural Health Products Directorate of Health Canada) facility, in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2020

Acquisition of the Assets of Hemp Processor SugarLeaf

On July 24, 2019, Neptune completed the acquisition of the assets of substantially all of the assets of Sugarleaf Labs, LLC and Forest Remedies LLC (collectively, “SugarLeaf”), a North Carolina-based commercial hemp company (the “SugarLeaf Acquisition”). Neptune paid an initial consideration for SugarLeaf of $23.7 million (US$18.1 million), through a combination of $15.8 million (US$12.0 million) in cash and $8.0 million (US$6.1 million) in Common Shares (1,587,301 Common Shares). Additionally, by achieving certain annual adjusted EBITDA and other performance targets, earnouts could reach $173.5 million (US$132.0 million). A portion of the earnout is to be paid by the issuance of a fixed number of Common Shares upon the achievement of certain performance targets. The three additional earnout payments, if earned, are to be paid over three years following the acquisition with a combination of cash or Common Shares, with at least 50% in cash. The initial cash consideration of the transaction was funded with the proceeds of a private placement financing by the Corporation completed in July 2019 (the “July 2019 Private Placement”). We filed a business acquisition report on Form 51-102F4 with respect to the SugarLeaf Acquisition on October 4, 2019 which is available under the Corporation’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Through SugarLeaf, Neptune established a U.S.-based hemp extract supply chain, gaining a 24,000 square foot facility located in the U.S. Southeast region. SugarLeaf’s cutting-edge cold ethanol technology has a processing capacity of 1,500,000 kg of biomass annually and uses hemp cultivated by licensed American growers consistent with federal and state regulations to yield high-quality full- and broad-spectrum hemp extracts. The U.S. market for hemp is developing rapidly and represents a significant opportunity for the consumer products industry.

The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, and simultaneous acknowledgment by the FDA of the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status of three hemp seed-derived food ingredients, coincided with increased consumer demand for hemp products, and specifically, hemp extracts. Although the FDA is currently deliberating its approach to how consumer products containing hemp-derived CBD will be regulated, and the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) is in the process of developing final regulations governing the production of hemp in the U.S. following public comment on the Interim Final Rule (“IFR”), numerous companies are initiating product development strategies to meet demand for these products once a clear path to market is provided by the regulatory agencies. Neptune intends to operate its activities in compliance with applicable state and federal U.S. laws.

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During the year ended March 31, 2020, Neptune determined there was an impairment indicator due to a decline in hemp-derived CBD refined oil pricing as well as a decrease in forecasted sales volumes for the SugarLeaf business. This resulted in a goodwill impairment loss of $82.1 million and a gain of $97.2 million related to a reduction in the fair value of the contingent consideration payable to the former owners of the SugarLeaf business.

Turn-Key Hemp Product Solutions

On April 15, 2019, Neptune announced that its Solutions Business has begun offering turnkey product development solutions with hemp-derived ingredients to business customers in the United States. A U.S.-based supply chain of licensed hemp extract producers has been established, and initial purchase orders are being processed. SugarLeaf will be the main supplier for the turnkey product development solutions with hemp-derived ingredients to our business customers in the United States.

Settlement on Claims

On May 10, 2019, the Corporation announced that it had settled certain claims made by the Corporation’s former chief executive officer against the Corporation in respect of the termination of his employment with the Corporation. Neptune agreed to issue 600,000 Common Shares from treasury and transfer 2,100,000 shares of Acasti held by Neptune to the former chief executive officer, in exchange for a full and final release on all procedures in connection with this case.

Transaction Concluded with Tilray

On June 7, 2019, Neptune entered into a definitive agreement to provide extraction, and purification services to Tilray Inc. (“Tilray”), a global leader in cannabis research, cultivation, production, and distribution. Neptune will receive, at its facility in Sherbooke, Quebec, cannabis and hemp biomass from Tilray. Neptune will provide extraction services to produce various extract formats which include crude resin, winterized oil and distillate extracts.

Transaction Concluded with TGOD

On June 12, 2019, Neptune announced the signature of a three-year contract with The Green Organic Dutchman (“TGOD”). Neptune will provide extraction services as well as turnkey packaging solutions to TGOD covering a range of product forms such as capsules, vape pens, sprays, topicals, sachets, tinctures, and others.

Strategic Partnership with American Media LLC

On October 4, 2019, Neptune announced a new strategic partnership with American Media LLC (“American Media”) to help support the growth of Neptune’s brands in the United States, including Forest Remedies™, and Ocean Remedies™. American Media owns and operates leading celebrity and health and fitness media brands such as Men’s Journal®, Us Weekly®, OK!, Life & Style and enthusiast brands including Powder, Surfer and Bike. As reported by American Media, its portfolio of brands has a combined total circulation of over 2.3 million and reaches over 47 million readers each month. American Media’s wide reach in mobile and online media has over 60 million unique visitors and over 762 million page views monthly.

Under the terms of the partnership agreement, American Media will provide advertising and creative services to Neptune to support the marketing and commercialization of Neptune’s consumer-facing brands in the U.S. American Media will also have the opportunity to become a shareholder in Neptune. On October 3, 2019, Neptune issued to American Media 3,000,000 warrants, each warrant allowing the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of US$8.00 per share and expiring on the fifth anniversary of such issuance. The warrants will vest proportionally to the services rendered by American Media. Upon exercise of the warrants, American Media will be required to hold the Common Shares acquired for a minimum of 6 months.

In addition, on February 5, 2020, Neptune announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with American Media to help support the launch of Neptune’s Ocean Remedies™ brand and product line. Under the terms of this expanded partnership agreement, American Media will provide advertising and creative services to Neptune to support

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the marketing and commercialization of Neptune’s Ocean Remedies™ brand in the U.S. American Media will provide Neptune with marketing and creative services valued at US$4.7 million in exchange for 1,175,000 warrants that Neptune will issue to American Media. Each warrant gives the holder the right to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of US$8.00 per share and expires on the fifth anniversary of such issuance. Upon exercise of the warrants, American Media will be required to hold the Common Shares acquired for a minimum of six months. Neptune expects to leverage most of the advertising services provided by American Media in the next 12 months.

Definitive Agreement with International Flavors & Fragrances

On November 11, 2019, Neptune announced that it entered into a collaboration agreement with International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (“IFF”) to co-develop hemp-derived products for the mass retail and health and wellness markets. App Connect Service, Inc. (“App Connect”), a company indirectly controlled by Michael Cammarata, CEO and Director of Neptune, is also a party to the agreement to provide related branding strategies and promotional activities.

Under this strategic product development partnership, IFF will leverage its intellectual property for taste, scent and nutrition to provide essential oils and product development resources. Neptune will leverage its proprietary cold ethanol extraction processes and formulation intellectual property to deliver high quality, full- and broad-spectrum extracts for the development, manufacture and commercialization of hemp-derived products, infused with essential oils, for the cosmetics, personal care and household cleaning products markets.

As further detailed below, the first products have been launched under Neptune’s Forest Remedies™ brand. The initial launch will include a variety of topical products across the aromatherapy category. Additional category launches should follow and the total stock-keeping unit (“SKU”) count could ultimately exceed 50 SKUs. Neptune will be responsible for the marketing and sale of the products. Neptune will receive amounts from product sales and in turn will pay a royalty to each of IFF and App Connect associated with the sales of co-developed products. The payment of royalties to App Connect, subject to certain conditions, has been approved by the TSX.

In conjunction with the co-development partnership, Neptune issued to IFF 2,000,000 warrants, each warrant allowing the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of US$12.00 per share and expiring on the fifth anniversary of such issuance.

Amended and Restated Processing Agreement with Canopy Growth Corporation

On November 12, 2019, Neptune entered into an amended and restated processing agreement with Canopy Growth Corporation (“Canopy”) to amend their multi-year agreement whereby Neptune supplements Canopy’s extraction, refinement and extract product formulation capacity. Under this amended and restated agreement, Neptune and Canopy agreed to amend the schedule of processing volumes committed to Neptune by Canopy as well as remove certain preferential rights previously granted to Canopy with respect to Neptune’s capacity and pricing. Neptune and Canopy also agreed to negotiate volume and pricing based on market conditions for all orders following June 30, 2020.

Updates on Non-Core Investments

On January 13, 2020, Neptune announced the sale of 1,964,694 shares of Acasti for net proceeds of $5,318 as part of a monetizing process for the Corporation’s non-core investments.

Launch of Forest Remedies and Ocean Remedies

On February 13, 2020, Neptune announced the official launch of its Forest Remedies and Ocean Remedies brands by launching 11 SKUs of hemp extracts, including six ingestible oils, two soothing balms, one soft gel bottle, a massage oil, and a pet soother. Such Forest Remedies products were crafted using Neptune’s hemp extracts, which are produced with its proprietary cold ethanol extraction process and tested for purity at third-party laboratories. Furthermore, in collaboration with IFF, as of March 31, 2020 Neptune launched eighteen essential oils SKUs, which are commercialized under the Forest Remedies brand. Neptune also launched Ocean

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Remedies directly on a second website (www.oceanremedies.com). Neptune’s krill oil products, and any other future omega 3 products, will be commercialized under this brand.

Establishment of At-the-Market Program

On March 11, 2020, Neptune entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement with Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”) pursuant to which Neptune may from time to time sell, through at-the-market (“ATM”) offerings with Jefferies acting as sales agent, such Common Shares as would have an aggregate offer price of up to US$50,000,000. 

Hand Sanitizer Products

In March 2020, Neptune commenced its expansion into the production and sale of hand sanitizer products. Neptune expects to utilize its facilities in Sherbrooke, Quebec and Conover, North Carolina, as well as third-party manufacturers, to produce and sell hand sanitizer gel products for retail and wholesale distribution.

Recent Business Developments

Thermometer Products

Additionally, in May 2020, Neptune announced the launch of Neptune Air, a non-contact infrared thermometer optimized for measuring a person’s temperature while reducing cross-contamination risk and minimizing the risk of spreading disease. Neptune is developing multiple versions of its thermometer products for consumers, businesses and government customers, as well as white label turnkey solutions.  

Description of the Business

Business Overview & Mission

Neptune is a diversified and fully integrated health and wellness company. Through its flagship consumer-facing brands, Forest Remedies™ and Ocean Remedies™, Neptune is redefining health and wellness by building a broad portfolio of natural, plant-based, sustainable and purpose-driven lifestyle brands and consumer packaged goods products in key health and wellness markets, including hemp, nutraceuticals, personal care and home care.  Leveraging decades of expertise in extraction and specialty ingredient formulation, Neptune is a leading provider of turnkey product development and supply chain solutions to businesses and government customers across several health and wellness verticals, including legal cannabis and hemp, nutraceuticals and white label consumer packaged goods.  We utilize a highly flexible and  cost-efficient supply chain infrastructure that can be scaled up and down or into adjacent product categories to quickly adapt to market demand. Neptune’s corporate headquarters is located in Laval, Quebec, with a 50,000-square-foot production facility located in Sherbrooke, Quebec and a 24,000 square-foot facility located in North Carolina. Neptune’s vision is to provide wellness solutions that deliver optimal health and wellness. Our mission is to leverage our scientific and technological expertise to create and provide our global customers with the best-available products and wellness solutions.

In April 2017, the Corporation applied for a license with Health Canada in order to be able to produce cannabis oil under the ACMPR, which was transitioned to an application for a license for standard processing under the Cannabis Act and the Cannabis Regulations with the coming into force of the new legislation and regulations on October 17, 2018. On January 4, 2019, the Corporation received a standard processing license from Health Canada, which will allow Neptune to process and sell cannabis and to pursue its cannabis-related activities. There is no guarantee that any prospective projects in the industry will be successful.

On June 14, 2019, Neptune received license amendments from Health Canada, which included the expansion of cannabis operation areas to include an additional extraction room where Neptune performs cold ethanol extraction. Neptune has opted for a cold ethanol extraction technology, due to its speed, which could be up to 5x faster than our CO2 extraction equipment and due to its energy efficiency, as it consumes up to 2x less energy than our CO2 technology. Our cold ethanol extraction process combined with the high level of automation at Neptune’s Sherbrooke facility should position the Corporation as a cost efficient cannabinoid extractor in Canada.

The amendment from Health Canada received on June 14, 2019 also included the expansion for an encapsulation room where Neptune produces cannabis oil capsules using the Licaps® technology licensed from Lonza Group AG.

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The encapsulation equipment has a capacity of up to 200 million capsules annually. The Licaps® technology supports differentiated product offerings through its various delivery systems, colors and branding possibilities. Furthermore, it is an effective technology for variable and multiple product formulation runs.

In February 2020, Neptune launched its Forest Remedies® and Ocean Remedies™ brands. Under the Forest Remedies™ brand, Neptune intends to commercialize a full line of health and wellness products with and without CBD. The initial launch of the Forest Remedies™ brand will be focused in the United-States and may expand to Canada once Neptune obtains its license amendment from Health Canada to include the authorization to sell cannabis products. Neptune expects the Forest Remedies™ brand to be available at retailers across the United States. In addition, Neptune rebranded OCEANO³ to Ocean Remedies™.

In April 2020, Neptune expanded into the production and sale of hand sanitizer products. Neptune expects to utilize its facilities in Sherbrooke, Quebec and Conover, North Carolina and third-party manufacturers to produce and sell hand sanitizer gel products at retail and wholesale. Additionally, in May 2020, Neptune announced the launch of Neptune Air, a non-contact infrared thermometer optimized for measuring a person’s temperature while reducing cross-contamination risk and minimizing the risk of spreading disease. The expansion of Neptune’s product portfolio with products including hand sanitizers and non-contact thermometers is a strategic response to COVID-19 and utilizes a highly flexible and cost efficient supply chain infrastructure that can be scaled up and down quickly to adapt to market demand.

B2B Strategy

Consistent with our strategic focus of providing wellness products while leveraging our know-how, large-scale extraction and application technology capabilities, our objective is to become a world leader in extraction, purification and formulation of value-added cannabis products and hemp extracts. With our business-to-business (“B2B”) strategy we intend to pursue two business verticals: (i) extract and purify cannabis and hemp biomass received from our customers and return concentrated crude oil in a bulk format back to the same customers, and (ii) provide turnkey formulation, manufacturing and packaging solutions where we transform cannabinoids extracts into finished products, after which we label, seal and package onsite. These finished products could include tinctures, sprays, topicals, vapor products and edibles and beverages.

Cannabis Products and Services

In Canada, Neptune signed multi-year agreements to provide extraction services to Canopy Growth Corporation (‟Canopy”) and Tilray Inc. The Corporation also signed a multi-year agreement with The Green Organic Dutchman (‟TGOD”) to provide extraction, formulation and manufacturing services and transform TGOD’s biomass into finished product forms. Neptune has other extraction clients for which it provides extraction services with and without long-term contracts. In the United States, Neptune provides extraction services to hemp farmers using its cutting-edge cold ethanol equipment located at our Conover facility in North Carolina. Neptune extracts cannabinoids and terpenes within the hemp flower and purifies them into full and broad-spectrum hemp extracts. Broad hemp spectrum extracts have a higher cannabinoid concentration and are well suited for ingestible products. Full spectrum hemp extracts retain more terpenes and benefit from an “entourage effect” believed to have a higher potency than broad-spectrum hemp extracts and are regularly used in topical products. We are implementing improved procedures and policies at our Conover facility to meet quality assurance and quality control specifications.

The market for hemp extracts in the United States has seen a significant level of volatility in the last 12 months where pricing for hemp derived CBD refined oil has declined by more than 60%. This decrease in bulk hemp extract prices is having a negative impact on the Corporation’s B2B bulk extract sales. Prices for hemp biomass have followed a similar pattern which has put pressure on tolling fees in the United States. Given the nascent nature of the federally legal hemp extract industry, the Corporation has limited visibility on the evolution of future prices. Based on an internal assessment of Neptune’s opportunities, business risks and market conditions, the Corporation decided to deemphasize its U.S. tolling activities to increase its focus on bulk oil sales, turnkey solutions, branded products and consumer products. The Corporation has entered into supply contracts with large health and wellness companies in the United States to supply them with bulk hemp-derived extracts oil which they transform into finished products to be commercialized under their brands. Neptune sources its hemp from a selected group of two dozen hemp farmers

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based in the United States. The hemp biomass is received at the Corporation’s facility in North Carolina where it is extracted, purified and blended into bulk extracts.

Specialty Ingredients

Neptune offers a variety of specialty ingredients, including our specialty ingredient MaxSimil. Leveraging our global network of suppliers, we also source a variety of other marine oils, seed oils, and specialty ingredients that are available for sale. Our specialty ingredients usually come in bulk soft gels or other finished forms, serve as a dietary supplement to consumers, and are available under distributors’ private labels, primarily in the Canadian and U.S. nutraceutical markets.

MaxSimil®

MaxSimil is a novel, patented delivery platform that enhances the absorption of lipid-based and lipid-soluble nutraceuticals. MaxSimil mimics the human digestive process using enzymes to deliver absorption-ready, pre-digested lipid-based products such as Omega-3 fish oils.

Krill Oil & Formulations Derived from NKO®

As described in “Licencing Agreements” under the heading “Intellectual Property”, below, Neptune has entered into a trademark licence agreement with Aker BioMarine, in connection with the Aker Transaction, pursuant to which Neptune is granted a licence to use certain NKO trademarks in furtherance of the manufacturing of products containing krill oil where all krill oil contained in such products is sourced or received by Neptune exclusively from Aker BioMarine, provided that Neptune may not manufacture and/or sell krill products for private label use (i.e., for sale or distribution under a brand owned, licensed or controlled by a retailer), unless expressly agreed to by Aker BioMarine, or engage in any service, product or involvement, directly or indirectly in the extraction of krill oil from any raw material containing krill biomass.

NKO is a marine oil extracted from krill (Euphasia superba) which we first commercialized in 2003. NKO’s elevated content of phospholipids rich in omega-3 fatty acids (EPA & DHA) and antioxidants, such as astaxanthin, vitamin A and vitamin E offers a safe and effective product free of preservatives with clinically tested health benefits.

Formulations derived from NKO that target more specific conditions include NKO Beat™, which targets heart and circulation health, NKO Flex™, which targets bone and joint health, and NKO Focus™, which targets brain and vision health. Prior to the Aker Transaction, we launched these three formulations available in finished soft gels in the B2B industry available under distributors’ private labels.

Marine & Seed Oils

We offer a variety of natural grade (TG form) and concentrated fish oils. These fish oils are selected from high quality sources and tested using the International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS), the fish oil industry’s most stringent quality control standards.

Our seed oils, pressed from carefully selected and tested seeds derived from sources including camelia, chia seed, hemp seed, flaxseed, evening primrose, olive and coconut, our seed oils can be used in multiple delivery forms and are a good source of omega-3,5,6,7,9 and 11.

Other Specialty Ingredients

We offer a range of specialty extracts and vitamins for sale in bulk. All our ingredients are sourced from our network of partners to customize condition specific solutions. Some of our ingredients include vitamin E, asthaxanthin, phospholipids, plant sterols.

Turnkey Solutions – Customized Consumer Products

With more than 50 years of combined experience in the nutrition industry, the Corporation, through its nutraceuticals products segment also formulates, develops, and provides to customers turnkey nutrition solutions.

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These are available in various unique delivery forms such as liquids and capsules, which can also include specialty ingredients.

As a turnkey solution provider of omega-3s and other functional ingredients, we provide specialized nutraceutical products to branded marketers in the nutraceutical industry, primarily in North America. We develop and distribute to branded marketers products which primarily include omega-3s and hemp and CBD ingredients, as well as other essential nutritional ingredients that are used in specialty formulations, such as vitamin E, astaxanthin, marine or vegetable based phospholipids and plant sterols. We develop, design and formulate these solutions to branded marketers as turnkey finished supplements that are ready for sale under their private label, primarily as softgel capsules and liquids, and occasionaly in bulk form. Through our global network of suppliers, we source ingredients and formulate the customized product. The ingredients are sent to third-party manufacturers, where the formula is developed in a liquid, powder or capsule form and then packaged. We are responsible for quality testing each product, which is then to be approved for sale.

From time to time, we reformulate existing products to address market developments and trends and to respond to customer requests. We also seek to develop new products. New products ideas are derived from a number of sources, including internally, trade publications, scientific and health journals, consultants, distributors and other third parties. Prior to reformulating existing products or introducing new products, we investigate product formulations as they relate to regulatory compliance and other issues. Our management continually assesses and analyzes developing market trends to detect and proactively address what they believe are areas of unmet or growing demand that represent an opportunity for us.

Pet Supplements – A Specialized Turn-Key Solution

Pet owners want to offer the best to their four-legged friends. As part of its turn-key solutions services, Neptune also develops human-grade omega-3 products and other customized formulations specifically for pets. Our pet supplements are formulated to contain low levels of contaminants and are available in different concentrations, answering the raising demand for human-grade omega-3 solutions for pets.

B2C Strategy

Neptune recently launched its Forest Remedies® and Ocean Remedies™ brands. Under its Forest Remedies™ brand, Neptune has started commercializing health and wellness products with and without CBD or hemp extracts, including essential oil products co-developed with IFF. The initial launch of the Forest Remedies™ brand is focused in the United States, with potential expansion into the sale of essential oil products in Canada. Neptune expects the Forest Remedies™ brand to be available at retailers across the United States.

Neptune also is also rebranding OCEANO³ to Ocean Remedies™, under which the Corporation’s omega-3 products were previously commercialized. Among the several initiatives underway is a clinical study to determine if MaxSimil® fish oil, when used as a carrier oil, can increase the absorption of cannabinoids in humans. The Corporation has increased our clinical activity because of the benefits we anticipate in combining our omega-3 formulations with cannabinoids and have increased the size of our R&D team accordingly.

Forest Remedies™. Forest Remedies™ products currently encompass two categories. Forest Remedies™ hemp products have been carefully crafted using Neptune’s hemp extracts which are produced with its proprietary extraction process and tested for purity at third-party laboratories. Neptune extracts active ingredients from the hemp plant using non-GMO ethanol, refined for maximum cannabinoid retention to produce high-quality, activated full spectrum extracts with profiles that reflect the natural composition of the hemp plant. Additionally, Forest Remedies™ essential oil products have been co-developed with IFF, leveraging IFF’s intellectual property for taste, scent and nutrition.

In April 2020, Neptune entered into an agreement with Dr. Jane Goodall, the legendary wildlife conservationist, to co-develop natural health and wellness products under the Forest Remedies™ brand with naturally-sourced hemp extract, essential oils and hand sanitizer products. The products that will be developed through this licensing partnership will be co-branded as “Forest Remedies™, by Dr. Jane Goodall.” Neptune anticipates a Summer 2020

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launch of co-developed products. As part of this partnership, a percentage of all sales of these products will be donated to support Dr. Goodall’s environmental conservation and reforestation initiatives.

Ocean Remedies™. Ocean Remedies™ offers consumers a source of omega-3 supplements. The omega-3 fatty acids in the Ocean Remedies™ krill oil have been demonstrated to be 2.5 times better absorbed than fish oil1. Ocean Remedies™ krill oil offers high eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), phospholipid levels and astaxanthin, a natural antioxidant. Ocean Remedies™ has been certified by Friend of the Sea for sustainable krill harvesting.

Neptune’s Market

Cannabis Activities

Neptune believes that the cannabis industry is rapidly evolving, we believe that speed is essential to gain a foothold. Neptune currently holds a processing licence and processing input material by means of CO2 extraction and its cold ethanol technology. In April 2020, Neptune’s Phase II expansion became operational and approved to run product for customers, bringing out potential capacity for extraction to up to 200,000kg of input material.

CIBC Capital Markets estimates recreational cannabis sales at $2.5 billion Canadian dollars in 2020, lower than its previous estimate of $3.4 billion. Canadians spent $1.2 billion on non-medical cannabis in 2019. Statistics Canada data showed cannabis sales in December climbed 8.1 per cent to $146 million, demonstrating an increase in sales for the third month in row.

According to the National Cannabis Survey (NCS), more Canadians began to use cannabis during the first quarter of 2019. Fifty percent of first time post-legalization users are situated in the 45+ age category. Nearly 30% of cannabis users obtained all of their cannabis from a legal source. More than 50% of Canadians confirmed getting a portion of their supply from a legal source.

In the year following the legalization (October 2018-Octobe 2019) the retail non-medical cannabis market grew significantly, with retailers of legal cannabis establishing more than 400 brick-and-mortar stores and registering $908 million in online and retail store sales.

According to Statistics Canada, 16.7% of Canadians consumed cannabis in the fourth quarter of 2019. The largest percentage of use were found in the 25-34 age group (26.9%), followed by the 15-24 (24%) and 35-44 group (20.1%).  

Hemp Activities – USA

In July of 2019, Neptune completed the acquisition of the assets of American hemp processor SugarLeaf.

According to a report published by Cowen Washington Research Group in February 2019, the U.S. hemp market is set to be a US$16 billion dollar category by 2025 (includes nutraceuticals, topicals, beverages, food, beauty and vapor products).

According to a SPINS Satori report on CBD/Hemp Data by Functional Ingredient for the 52 weeks ended March 22, 2020, the top three brands in the Natural Channel were Plus CBD Oil, Charlotte’s Web and Garden of Life, owning, respectively, 21.33%, 15.59% and 8.45% of total sales.

Nutraceutical Activities

Neptune sells a wide range of specialty ingredients and turnkey solutions in the dietary supplement market. In 2018, the U.S. retail supplement market totaled US$46 billion according to the NBJ Supplement Business Report

 

1 

Clinical Study Report. NO. BTS 275/07, Feb. 16, 2009. Esslingen, Germany.

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published in July 2019. The specialty supplements category accounted for US$8.26 billion of which US$1.2 billion was attributed to fish and animal oils.

The nutraceutical industry is global, competitive and fragmented. Distribution channels include specialized and mass retail chains, multi-level marketing organizations, web-based retailers, direct to consumer, heath food stores and healthcare practitioners. The world retail market for dietary supplements is highly fragmented, and is comprised of a large number of products and many small manufacturers.

Part of the Corporation’s strategy is to move further up the value chain, and build on its current solution business by further progressing into specialized product development services, such as formulation and blending, which Neptune believes it follows market trends in the dietary supplement space. As the industry develops, we believe businesses are increasingly looking for tailored solutions, such as condition-specific formulations, something that we can facilitate. In turn this creates increased customer interaction, they are much more engaged and proactive when it comes to their health, opportunity and “stickiness” due to the heightened partnering created through customized offerings.

In the past, Neptune has mostly focused on indications such as heart, joint, inflammation and brain health. Following market trends, the Corporation has enlarged its ingredient and turnkey solutions offering and now also focuses on sports nutrition, digestive health, mitochondrial health and weight management. We believe the following factors, among others, should favor the growth of the nutraceutical market:

 

 

improved understanding and scientific knowledge of the contribution of diet in health maintenance and disease prevention;

 

increased consumer demand for dietary supplements that help to maintain vitality and promote health; and

 

increased health care costs and the trend towards self-treatment with a focus on natural products.

Hand Sanitizer Products

Neptune began scaling up its production efforts of hand sanitizer products in March 2020 as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We believe that demand for hand sanitizer products will remain elevated and increase even following resolution of the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers incorporate the use of hand sanitizer into daily routines to prevent germs and protect their health.

According to MARKET ANALYSIS 2020 from Grand View Research, the North American market was valued at  US$863.4 million in 2019 and is expected to register a CAGR of 9.8% over the forecast period to reach US$1,819.1 million by 2027. This represents a 6% increase versus prior year.

Competition

The nutraceutical, cannabis, hemp and health and wellness products industries are highly competitive. There are many companies, public and private universities, and research organizations actively engaged in the research and development of products that may be similar to our products. It is probable that the number of companies seeking to develop products similar to our products will increase. Many of these and other existing or potential competitors have substantially greater financial, technical and human resources than we do and may be better equipped to develop, manufacture and market products.

The Corporation is competing in a growing cannabis industry subject to rapid changes and developments. As of the date of this AIF, there are a growing number of licensed cannabis processors, and a growing number of licensed cannabis producers which have the ability to conduct in-house extraction. The Corporation believes that a higher number of approved producers will be beneficial to its business as it will increase its supply, and its B2B customer base. However, should the demand for cannabis extracts increase, and the application backlog with Health Canada be processed, the Corporation believes new competitors will enter the market. The Corporation faces the challenge of competing with companies of varying sizes and at varying stages of licensing and levels of development of related products in the cannabis industry. Other companies working in cannabinoid processing may develop products targeting the same conditions that we may be focusing on, and such competing products may be superior to our current and potential products.

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We seek to differentiate our products and marketing from our competitors based on product quality, customer service, marketing support, pricing and innovation, and believe that our strategy enables us to effectively compete in the marketplace. For additional information regarding the competitive nature of our businesses, see “Risks Related to Our Business” under the heading “Risk Factors”, below.

Manufacturing and Supply

Canadian Cannabis Products – Extracts and Formulations

We retrofited our existing production facility located in Sherbrooke, Province of Québec, Canada to comply with Health Canada requirements under the Cannabis Act, in order to produce our cannabis extracts and formulations at our existing site. Our GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices, mandated by the Natural Health Products Directorate of Health Canada) production facility features robust safety measures and equipment, which allows for enhanced manufacturing practices. We also operate a laboratory at our facility, which allows us to conduct research, new product development and quality control analysis in‑house.

As a condition for obtaining our licence to produce cannabis oil under the Cannabis Act, Health Canada required multiple compliance measures to be taken, including the addition of physical barriers, visual monitoring, recording devices, intrusion detection, as well as other important controls around access to the Corporation’s existing Sherbrooke facility. For additional information regarding the regulatory context of the cannabis industry, see “Risks Related to the Cannabis Industry” under the heading “Risk Factors”, below.

Based on our expected growth rate and planned investment in our equipments and facilities, we believe that our manufacturing capacity will be sufficient to meet our requirements for the near future. Our intention is to maximize the return on investment in our manufacturing unit.

United States Hemp Products – Extracts and Formulations

Through the SugarLeaf Acquisition, Neptune established a U.S.-based hemp extract supply chain, gaining a 24,000 square foot facility located in the Southeastern United States. SugarLeaf’s cutting-edge cold ethanol technology has a processing capacity of up to 1,500,000 kg of biomass annually. SugarLeaf uses hemp cultivated by licensed American growers consistent with federal and state regulations to yield high-quality full and broad-spectrum hemp extracts. Additionally, some of our hemp products may be manufactured in whole or in part by third party manufacturers located in the United States. The U.S. market for hemp is developing rapidly and represents a significant opportunity for the consumer products industry.

Nutraceutical Products

Our other nutraceutial products are manufactured by third party manufacturers located in North America. In order to meet demand for our nutraceutical products, we have developed relationships with selected contract manufacturers. We believe that we are not dependent on any such contract manufacturer and that, if necessary, our current selected contract manufacturers could be replaced with minimal disruption to our operations, if need be.

We subcontract the encapsulation process and the packaging of our products to third parties in Canada and the United States.

We currently purchase raw materials for the manufacturing of our products from suppliers recognized for their quality and consistency. Our quality control staff requires full disclosure on the part of our suppliers and we periodically conduct on-site audits of their facilities. For strategic reasons, certain of our key raw materials are sourced from single suppliers. However, in the event that we were unable to source an ingredient from a current supplier, we believe that we could generally obtain the same ingredient or an equivalent from an alternative supplier, with minimal disruption to our operations.

We are constantly looking at ways to improve the logistics of our operations and optimize processes in place.

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Hand Sanitizer Products

Our hand sanitizer products are currently manufactured by third party manufacturers located in North America. Neptune has also completed the submission to the FDA for registration of its Conover, North Carolina facility for the production of hand sanitizers. Neptune intends to formulate hand sanitizer products at its manufacturing facilities in both Sherbrooke, Quebec and Conover, North Carolina in order to meet demand.

Sales and Distribution

Cannabis Activities

The Corporation intends to manufacture, sell and distribute its cannabis products initially to other Canadian licence holders, provincal distributors, such as the Ontario Cannabis Store and the Société québécoise du cannabis, and other private distributors authorized to conduct business legally in Canada and globally. As cannabis becomes legalized for medicinal purposes in other countries, the Corporation intends to also benefit from those business opportunities.

U.S. Hemp Activities

Through its subsidiary Sugarleaf, the Corporation provides hemp processing services and bulk hemp extract sales. Through its subsidiary Biodroga, the Corporation provides certain services related to the fulfillment of orders for bulk unlabeled (or finished and labeled) products, including hemp-derived products in the United States. The Corporation’s services include arranging for the manufacturing and distribution of products produced and/or distributed by third parties.

Nutraceutical Activities

The Corporation sells its nutraceutical products mainly in bulk softgels or liquids to multiple distributors and customers, who commercialize these products under their private label. While the Corporation may have orders in place with approximately 100 different distributors and customers at any one time, the majority of the Corporation’s sales are concentrated with a small group of distributors and customers. During Fiscal 2020, one customer represented 25.6% (Fiscal 2019 – one customer represented 21%) of total nutraceuticals consolidated revenues of the Corporation. Agreements with these distribution partners may be terminated or altered by them unilaterally in certain circumstances.

Consumer Sales in the United States

In the United States, we intend to sell our products to mass retailers, grocery stores, warehouse clubs and other retail outlets primarily through a network of brokers. Certain products, including Forest Remedies™ and Ocean Remedies™, are currently sold through e-commerce, including on our websites www.forestremedies.com and www.oceanremedies.com.

Online orders of Forest Remedies™ and Ocean Remedies™ are handled by our distribution personnel and a third party contractor retained by us. Once an internet order is completed, our computer system forwards the order to the distribution center, where all necessary distribution and shipping documents are printed to facilitate processing. Then, the orders are prepared, picked, packed and shipped continually throughout the business day. Completed orders are bar-coded and scanned and the merchandise and ship date are verified and entered automatically into the customer order file for access by sales associates before shipment. All orders are distributed through common carriers.

We currently distribute all our products to our customers through contract and common carriers.

During Fiscal 2020, approximately 50.5% (Fiscal 2019 – 56%) of our consolidated revenues were made to customers in the United States, 49.1% to customers in Canada (Fiscal 2019 – 35%) and 0.4% to customers in other countries (Fiscal 2019 – 9%). Neptune’s consolidated revenues for Fiscal 2020 amounted to $29.6 million, a $5.2 million increase from $24.4 million for Fiscal 2019. Our sales are not cyclical or seasonal.

Employees

As of March 31, 2020, we had 165 employees working at our business offices in Laval and Vaudreuil and at our production facilities in Sherbrooke and Conover, North Carolina. Our employees possess specialized skills and

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knowledge in the following fields, which we believe are valuable assets of the Corporation: (i) oil extraction processes, (iii) scientific knowledge, (iv) commercialization and business development, (v) regulatory affairs, (vi) corporate and legal matters, (vii) clinical validation of biological therapeutic properties, and (viii) quality assurance/quality control. We consider our relations with our employees to be good and our operations have never been interrupted as the result of a labor dispute.

Facilities

Our headquarters are located in leased offices in both Laval and Vaudreuil, Province of Québec, Canada, where our general and administrative departments primarily operate. We also own a production facility in Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada where we also conduct laboratory activities, and lease a production facility in Conover, North Carolina, where SugarLeaf operates.

Intellectual Property

We consistently evaluate the importance of obtaining intellectual property protection for our technology brands, products, applications and processes and maintaining trade secrets. When applicable to our business and products, we seek to obtain, license and enforce patents, protect our proprietary information and maintain trade secret protection without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. We also make use of trade secrets, proprietary unpatented information and trademarks to protect our technology and enhance our competitive position.

Brand Names and Trademarks

NEPTUNETM, NEPTUNE WELLNESS SOLUTIONSTM, Forest Remedies™, Ocean Remedies™, OCEAN03™, ECSentisalsTM, KetoChargedTM and Asta-Guard™ are trademarks of the Corporation. MaxSimil®, NKOTM, NKO BeatTM, NKO FlexTM and NKO FocusTM are trademarks authorized for use by the Corporation.

Patent Applications

On August 9, 2018, Neptune filed two applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for patents related to the extraction of cannabis material. The extraction processes provide highly-efficient methods to obtain cannabinoids and other desired compounds from the cannabis plant at a greater purity than conventional methods. Both processes are applicable to marijuana and hemp and have been incorporated into the Corporation’s GMP-certified extraction facility in Sherbrooke. The first patent application outlines a method of extracting and isolating compounds from plants of the Cannabis genus at low temperature by using a cold organic solvent. The second patent application similarly provides for a method for extracting compounds from cannabis at low temperature, but without the use of organic solvents. Specifically, this patent relates to a process for high recovery of cannabinoids and terpenes by using natural solvents.

Licensing Agreements

The Corporation has received a judgment from the Superior Court of Québec (the “Court”) regarding certain previously disclosed claims made by the Corporation’s former chief executive officer (the “Former CEO”) against the Corporation in respect of certain royalty payments alleged to be owed and owing to the Former CEO pursuant to the terms of an agreement entered into on February 23, 2001 between Neptune and a corporation controlled by the Former CEO (the “Agreement”). The Corporation had also filed a counterclaim against the Former CEO disputing the validity and interpretation of certain clauses contained in the Agreement and claiming the repayment of certain amounts previously paid to the Former CEO pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. Under the terms of the Agreement, it was alleged by the Former CEO that annual royalties be payable to the Former CEO, with no limit to its duration, of 1% of the sales and other revenues made by Neptune; the interpretation of which was challenged by the Corporation.

Pursuant to the judgment rendered on March 21, 2019, which Neptune has appealed, the Court ruled in favour of the Former CEO and rejected the counterclaim filed by the Corporation. As a result, the Court awarded the Former CEO payments determined by the Court to be owed under the Agreement of 1% of all sales and revenues of the Corporation incurred since March 1, 2014, which final payments remain to be determined taking into account interest, judicial cost and other expenses. The Court also declared that, pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the royalty

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payments of 1% of the future sales and other revenue made by the Corporation on a consolidated basis are to be payable by the Corporation to the Former CEO biannually, but only to the extent that the cost of the royalty would not cause the Corporation to have a negative earnings before interest, taxes and amortization (in which case, the payments would be deferred to the following fiscal year).

On May 17, 2019, the Corporation’s Motion for leave to appeal was presented to a judge of the Québec Court of Appeal, who expressed the opinion that the Corporation could appeal without necessity of obtaining leave. In order to ensure the protection of the Corporation’s rights, the judge deferred the motion to the panel who will hear the merits of the appeal. The parties have presented their appeal factum to the panel on their positions and further action by the panel is pending.

On September 30, 2016, Neptune entered into an exclusive, worldwide, and royalty-bearing licensing agreement for the use of the MaxSimil® technology, a patented omega-3 fatty acid delivery technology, and strong growth driver of Neptune’s nutraceutical business. The agreement allows Neptune to manufacture, distribute, and sell MaxSimil in the nutraceutical field worldwide. The terms also cover potential collaboration between Neptune and its contracting partner on clinical trials. In order to keep its exclusivity, Neptune has to sell a minimum volume per year or pay the minimal amount.

On November 27, 2017, Neptune entered into an exclusive, worldwide, and royalty-bearing licensing agreement for the use of the MaxSimil® technology, in combination with cannabis-derived products. This new agreement allows Neptune to research, manufacture, formulate, distribute, and sell monoglyceride omega-3-rich ingredients in combination with cannabis and/or cannabinoid-rich or hemp derived ingredients for medical and adult use applications. The Corporation believes the MaxSimil® technology has the ability to enhance absorption of lipid-based and lipid soluble ingredients such as cannabinoids, essential fatty acids including EPA and DHA omega-3s, vitamins A, D, K and E, CoQ10 and others. This could be especially beneficial in increasing the absorption of ingredients which are not easily absorbed, such as CBD.

In connection with the Aker Transaction, Aker BioMarine (as licensor) and Neptune (as licensee) entered into a trademark licence agreement effective as of August 7, 2017 (the “Aker Trademark Licence Agreement”), pursuant to which Neptune has the limited, exclusive, terminable (as permitted under such agreement), royalty-free, fully paid up, worldwide, non-transferable, non-sublicensable (except as provided in such agreement) right and licence to use the NKO Beat™, NKO Flex™ and NKO Focus™ trademarks, solely in furtherance of the manufacturing of products containing krill oil where all krill oil contained in such products is sourced or received by Neptune exclusively from Aker BioMarine, the whole under the terms of a patent licence agreement between Aker BioMarine and Neptune effective as of the same date (the “Aker Patent Licence Agreement”). Pursuant to the Aker Trademark Licence Agreement, Neptune also has a limited, non-exclusive, terminable (as permitted under such agreement), royalty-free, fully paid up, worldwide, non-transferable, non-sublicensable (except as provided in such agreement) right and licence to use the NKO and NKO & Design trademarks, the whole under the terms of the Aker Patent Licence Agreement.

Pursuant to the Aker Patent Licence Agreement, Aker BioMarine (as licensor) has granted to Neptune (as licensee) a limited, terminable (as permitted under such agreement), royalty-free, fully paid-up, non-exclusive, worldwide, non-transferable, nonsublicensable (except as provided under such agreement) right and license to use krill oil purchased only and exclusively Aker BioMarine, under a supply agreement entered into between Aker BioMarine and Neptune effective as of August 7, 2017 (the “Aker Supply Agreement”), to make, have made, use, offer to sell, sell and import licensed products solely in furtherance of Neptune’s business as described further therein. In the event that Aker BioMarine fails to supply the krill oil under the terms of the Aker Supply Agreement, or terminates the Aker Supply Agreement, the Aker Patent Licence Agreement provides that Aker BioMarine will grant to Neptune a licence to use certain patents and/or trade secrets to enable Neptune to extract krill oil from any raw material containing krill biomass.

Canadian Regulatory Framework

On October 17, 2018, the Cannabis Act (Canada) and the Cannabis Regulations came into force in Canada, legalizing the sale of cannabis for adult recreational use. Prior to the promulgation of the Cannabis Act and the Cannabis Regulations, only the sale of cannabis for medical purposes was legal, which was regulated by the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (“ACMPR”) under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (“CDSA”). The Cannabis Act and the Cannabis Regulations replaced the CDSA and the ACMPR as the governing

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laws and regulations in respect of the production, processing, sale and distribution of cannabis for medical and adult recreational use.

The Cannabis Act provides a licensing and permitting scheme for the cultivation, processing, importation, exportation, testing, packaging, labelling, sending, delivery, transportation, sale, possession and disposal of cannabis for adult recreational use, implemented by the Cannabis Regulations. The Cannabis Act and the Cannabis Regulations maintain separate access to cannabis for medical purposes. Under the Cannabis Act and the Cannabis Regulations, import and export permits will only be issued in respect of cannabis for medical or scientific purposes or in respect of industrial hemp and in accordance with the Industrial Hemp Regulations. Import and export permits will not be issued in respect of cannabis for adult recreational use.

The Cannabis Regulations, among other things, set out regulations relating to the following matters: (1) licences, permits and authorizations; (2) security clearances and physical security measures; (3) good production practices; (4) cannabis products; (5) packaging and labelling; (6) cannabis for medical purposes; (7) drugs containing cannabis; (8) combination products and devices; (9) importation and exportation for medical or scientific purposes; (10) document retention; and (11) reporting and disclosure.

Licences, Permits and Authorizations

The Cannabis Regulations establish six classes of licences: cultivation licences; processing licences; analytical testing licences; sales for medical purposes licences; research licences; and cannabis drug licences. The Cannabis Regulations also create subclasses for cultivation licences (standard cultivation, micro-cultivation and nursery) and processing licences (standard processing and micro-processing). Different licences and each subclass therein carry differing rules and requirements that are intended to be proportional to the public health and safety risks posed by each licence category and subclass. The Cannabis Regulations provide that all licences issued under the Cannabis Act must include both the effective date and expiry date of the licence and may be renewed on or before the expiry date.

The Industrial Hemp Regulations under the Cannabis Act came into force on October 17, 2018. The Industrial Hemp Regulations remained largely the same as they were under the CDSA but now they permit the sale of hemp plants to cannabis licence holders and the use of additional parts of the hemp plant (i.e., flowers and leaves), and licensing requirements were introduced in accordance with the low risk posed by industrial hemp. The Industrial Hemp Regulations define “industrial hemp” as cannabis plants – or any part of the plant – in which the concentration of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is 0.3% or less in the flowering heads and leaves.

Security Clearances

Certain people associated with cannabis licensees, including individuals occupying a “key position” such as directors, officers, large shareholders and individuals identified by the Minister of Health (the “Minister”), must hold a valid security clearance issued by the Minister. Under the Cannabis Regulations, the Minister may refuse to grant security clearances to individuals with associations to organized crime or with past convictions for, or an association with, drug trafficking, corruption or violent offences. This was largely the approach in place under the ACMPR and other related regulations governing the licensed production of cannabis for medical purposes. Individuals who have histories of non-violent, lower-risk criminal activity (for example, simple possession of cannabis, or small-scale cultivation of cannabis plants) are not precluded from participating in the legal cannabis industry, and the grant of security clearance to such individuals is at the discretion of the Minister and such applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Security clearances issued under the ACMPR are considered to be security clearances for the purposes of the Cannabis Act and Cannabis Regulations.

Cannabis Tracking System

Under the Cannabis Act, the Minister is authorized to establish and maintain a national cannabis tracking system. The Cannabis Regulations provide the Minister with the authority to make a ministerial order that would require specified persons to report specific information about their authorized activities with cannabis, in the form and manner specified by the Minister.

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The ministerial order regarding the Cannabis Tracking System (together with the licensing portal, collectively known as the “Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System”) was published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on September 5, 2018 and came into effect on October 17, 2018 (the “2018 Ministerial Order”). The 2018 Ministerial Order was repealed and replaced by the new ministerial order, the Cannabis Tracking System Order, published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on June 26, 2019 and in force on October 17, 2019 in order to address the unique public health and public safety risks associated with the three new classes of cannabis, being edible cannabis, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals (collectively, the “New Classes of Cannabis”) authorized by the Regulations Amending the Cannabis Regulations (New Classes of Cannabis) (the “Amending Regulations”) on October 17, 2019.

The purpose of this system is to enable the submission of licence applications, amendments and renewals through an online portal and track the flow of cannabis throughout the supply chain as a means of preventing the illegal inversion and diversion of cannabis into and out of the regulated system. Under the Cannabis Tracking and Licensing System, a holder of a licence for cultivation, licence for processing, or a licence for sale for medical purposes is required to submit monthly reports to Health Canada.

Cannabis Products

The Cannabis Regulations set out the requirements for cannabis products and permits the sale of dried cannabis, cannabis oil, fresh cannabis, cannabis plants, cannabis plant seeds, edible cannabis, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals. THC content is limited by the Cannabis Regulations.

Prior to the passage of the Amending Regulations, the Cannabis Act only permitted the sale of dried cannabis, cannabis oil, fresh cannabis, cannabis plants and cannabis plant seeds. The Amending Regulations permit the production and sale of the New Classes of Cannabis. As is the case for the licence requirements for dried or fresh cannabis and cannabis oil, a processing licence is required in order to produce edible cannabis, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals, and to package and label these types of cannabis products for sale to consumers. Holders of processing licences issued prior to October 17, 2019 were required to implement additional production and facility quality controls before they could begin manufacturing products belonging to New Classes of Cannabis. The Cannabis Regulations require the filing of a notice with Health Canada at least 60 days before releasing a new product to the market. As a result, December 16, 2019 was the earliest date that products in the New Classes of Cannabis could be made available for sale.

In addition, if a holder of a processing licence chooses to process edible cannabis and food products on the same site, then the production, packaging, labelling, and storage of cannabis and the production, packaging, and labelling of food products will need to be conducted in separate buildings. All cannabis production is required to occur in a separate building from any food production.

Packaging & Labeling

The Cannabis Regulations set out strict requirements pertaining to the packaging and labelling of cannabis products. These requirements are intended to promote informed consumer choice and allow for the safe handling and transportation of cannabis, while also reducing the appeal of cannabis to youth.

All cannabis products are required to be packaged in a manner that is tamper-proof and child-resistant in accordance with the Cannabis Regulations and in plain packaging. The Cannabis Regulations impose strict limits on the use of colours, graphics, and other special characteristics of packaging. Cannabis package labels must include specific information, such as: (i) product source information, including the class of cannabis and the name, phone number and email of the licence holder; (ii) a mandatory health warning, rotating between Health Canada’s list of standard health warnings; (iii) the Health Canada standardized cannabis symbol; and (iv) information specifying THC and CBD content.

Promotion

The Cannabis Act sets out restrictions regarding the promotion of cannabis products. Subject to a few exceptions, all promotions of cannabis products are prohibited unless authorized by the Cannabis Act. While these restrictions also apply to the New Classes of Cannabis, the Amending Regulations also prohibit certain representations and associations on products, their packages and labels and associated promotional activity, including: certain flavours in

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cannabis extracts (e.g. confectionary, dessert, soft drink, and energy drink) that are appealing to youth; health or cosmetic benefits unless registered as a health product; energy value and nutrient content representations that go beyond those permitted in the list of ingredients and in the cannabis-specific nutrition facts table; statements reasonably likely to create the impression the edible cannabis or accessory is intended to meet particular dietary requirements; and promotion that could reasonably associate the cannabis, the cannabis accessory or the service related to cannabis with an alcoholic beverage, a tobacco product or a vaping product.

Product Composition

The Amending Regulations introduced restrictions on product composition specific to each New Class of Cannabis including specific THC limits. Examples of other product-specific restrictions include:

 

Edible cannabis: must be shelf stable; only food and food additives will be allowed to be used as ingredients in edible cannabis and the use of food additives will need to be in accordance with the limits and purposes that are prescribed for foods; must not have caffeine added, however the use of ingredients containing naturally occurring caffeine will be permitted in edible cannabis products provided that the total amount of caffeine in each immediate container does not exceed 30 milligrams; must not contain alcohol in excess of 0.5% w/w; must not contain anything that would cause the sale of the edible cannabis, if it was a food regulated under the Food and Drugs Act, to be prohibited and must not be fortified with vitamins or mineral nutrients.

 

Cannabis extracts: must not contain ingredients that are sugars, sweeteners or sweetening agents, nor any ingredient listed on Column 1 of Schedule 2 to the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (which is a list of ingredients that are prohibited in vaping products) except if those ingredients and their levels are naturally occurring in an ingredient used to produce the extract.

 

Cannabis topicals: must not contain anything that may cause injury to the health of the consumer when the product is used as intended or in a reasonably foreseeable way.

 

Health Products Containing Cannabis

Under the current regulatory framework, cannabis is not permitted for use in a natural health product or a non-prescription drug product, as phytocannabinoids are included as prescription drugs on the Human and Veterinary Prescription Drug List (“PDL”). Although Health Canada has previously authorized prescription drug products containing cannabis, the agency maintains that there remains significant scientific uncertainty regarding the pharmacological actions, therapeutic effectiveness and safety of the majority of phytocannabinoids. The cannabis-based prescription drug products that have been authorized by Health Canada have been studied, authorized and used in specific conditions. While these authorized products have contributed to the global body of knowledge concerning the safety and efficacy of cannabis-based therapies, Health Canada has stated that the presence of scientific uncertainty and limited market experience gives rise to the need for a precautionary approach. Listing all phytocannabinoids on the PDL addresses this uncertainty by allowing healthcare practitioners to monitor and manage any unanticipated effects. All phytocannabinoids will remain listed on the PDL until there is sufficient scientific evidence (e.g., as demonstrated through a submission to Health Canada) to change the prescription status of a particular phytocannabinoid when used in specific conditions.

Cannabis is also expressly prohibited for use in cosmetic products as it is included on Health Canada’s Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist, List of Ingredients Prohibited for Use in Cosmetic Products.

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Provincial and Territorial Regulatory Regimes

While the Cannabis Act provides for the regulation of the commercial production of cannabis for adult recreational purposes and related matters by the federal government, the Cannabis Act includes provisions stipulating that the provinces and territories of Canada have authority to regulate other aspects of adult recreational use cannabis (similar to what is currently the case for liquor and tobacco products), such as retail sale and distribution, minimum age requirements above that in place under the Cannabis Act, places where cannabis can be consumed, and a range of other matters. The governments of every Canadian province and territory have, to varying degrees, regulatory regimes for the distribution and sale of cannabis for adult recreational purposes within those jurisdictions. Each of these Canadian jurisdictions has established a minimum age of 19 years for cannabis use, except for Québec and Alberta, where the minimum age is 21 and 18, respectively.

Québec: In Québec, all recreational cannabis is managed and sold through outlets of the Société québécoise du cannabis, a subsidiary of the Société des alcools du Québec, and its online site.

Ontario: In Ontario, the distribution and online retail sale of recreational cannabis is conducted through the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation, under the oversight of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (the “AGCO”). Ontario also permits the sale of recreational cannabis through private brick-and-mortar retailers. Initially, Ontario employed a “phased” approach to retail licensing, setting a maximum cap of 25 licenses available to be issued to allow operators to open for business beginning April 1, 2019. The Ontario government has now moved to open the market for private cannabis retail stores in Ontario. In addition to removing the cap on the number of private retail stores in Ontario, the previously mandated regional distribution limiting the number of retail stores permitted in each region will be maintained only until March 2, 2020 and then eliminated entirely. The AGCO expects to issue up to 20 Retail Store Authorizations per month, beginning in April 2020. Federally licensed producers may now own or control, directly or indirectly, up to 25% of a corporation holding a cannabis Retail Operator License (required to hold a Retail Store Authorization) in Ontario, an increase from the previous threshold of 9.9%. Until August 31, 2020 each retail operator (and its affiliates) may own a maximum of 10 cannabis stores, increasing to 30 cannabis stores in September 2020 and increasing again to 75 cannabis stores in September 2021.

British Columbia: In British Columbia, recreational cannabis is to be sold through both public and privately-operated stores, with the provincial Liquor Distribution Branch handling wholesale distribution.

Alberta: In Alberta, cannabis products are sold by private retailers that receive their products from a government-regulated distributor (the Alberta Gaming & Liquor Commission), similar to the distribution system currently in place for alcohol in the province. Only licensed retail outlets are to be permitted to sell cannabis with online sales run by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.

Saskatchewan: In Saskatchewan, recreational cannabis is sold by private retailers. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (the “SLGA”) has selected operators for the province’s 51 cannabis private retail store permits, with municipalities having the option of opting out of having a cannabis store if they choose. Saskatchewan is the only jurisdiction to allow for private distribution and wholesale (but regulated by the SLGA).

Manitoba: In Manitoba, cannabis distribution and wholesale is government-run by the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation (the “MBLL”), with retail sale privately operated. Manitoba has opened the cannabis retail application process to all prospective retailers. This includes the introduction of a new controlled-access licence for retailers. Manitoba will also continue to offer age-restricted licences for retailers wishing to open stand-alone stores. To become a retailer, applicants will be required to successfully complete the required application process, enter into a Cannabis Store Retailer Agreement with MBLL, and be issued an applicable licence from the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba.

New Brunswick: In New Brunswick, recreational cannabis is sold and online sales are run by Cannabis NB, a subsidiary of a network of tightly-controlled, stand-alone stores through the New Brunswick Liquor Corporation (the “NBLC”). The NBLC also controls the distribution and wholesale of cannabis in the province. The New Brunswick government has issued a request for proposals in order to find a single private operator to take over the Cannabis NB operations which would privatize the government-operated corporation created to handle retail sale of adult use cannabis. This would result in the retail model changing from government-operated to privately-operated in New Brunswick.

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Nova Scotia: In Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (the “NSLC”) is responsible for the regulation of cannabis in the province, and recreational cannabis is only to be sold publicly through government-operated storefronts and online sales. There is no private licensing of retail. The NSLC also controls the distribution and wholesale of cannabis in the province.

Prince Edward Island: In Prince Edward Island, similar to Nova Scotia, sale of cannabis is government-run through government retail sales and online. There is no private licensing of retail. The PEI Cannabis Management Corporation is responsible for the distribution and wholesale of cannabis in the province.

Newfoundland and Labrador: In Newfoundland and Labrador, recreational cannabis is sold through licensed private retail stores, with its crown-owned liquor corporation, the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corp. (the “NLC”), overseeing the wholesale and distribution to the private sellers. The NLC controls the possession, sale and delivery of cannabis, and sets prices. It is also the initial online retailer, although licenses may later be issued to private interests.

Yukon: The Yukon limits the initial distribution and sale of recreational cannabis to government outlets and government-run online stores and allows for the later licensing of private retailers. The Yukon Liquor Corporation is responsible for the distribution and wholesale of cannabis in the territory while the Cannabis Licensing Board is the regulatory body in the Yukon.

Northwest Territories: The Northwest Territories relies on the N.W.T. Liquor and Cannabis Commission to control the importation and distribution of cannabis, whether through retail outlets or by mail order service run by the Liquor Commission. Communities in the Northwest Territories will be able to hold a plebiscite to prohibit cannabis sales in their communities, similar to options currently available to restrict alcohol in the Northwest Territories.

Nunavut: Nunavut permits the sale of cannabis through private retailers, including online. The Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Commission is responsible for distribution and wholesale in the territory.

United States Regulatory Matters

General Overview of Hemp

The following overview is subject to and qualified by the more detailed descriptions in the following sections titled “United States Federal Regulation of Hemp,” “State Regulation of Hemp,” “FDA Regulation of Hemp,” “Future Uncertainty of Legal Status” and “The Corporation’s Regulatory Compliance Activities.”

Hemp, like marijuana, is a variety of the plant species Cannabis sativa L. By definition, hemp contains 0.3% THC or less on a dry weight basis. The Corporation does not produce or sell medicinal or recreational marijuana or any products derived therefrom in the United States. Rather, the Corporation sells hemp-derived products. All hemp contained in such products is produced pursuant to the 2014 Farm Bill and/or the 2018 Farm Bill and applicable state and local laws.

As explained below, the 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp (and its derivatives, extracts, and cannabinoids) from the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). Accordingly, hemp, which was previously regulated by the DEA as a Schedule I substance pursuant to the CSA (with certain limited exceptions, including hemp produced in compliance with the 2014 Farm Bill), is now expressly removed from the CSA and regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) (in coordination with state departments of agriculture and tribal authorities) as an agricultural crop. Notably, however, hemp derivatives may still be considered a controlled substance under state law, as states take varying approaches to regulating the production and sale of hemp and hemp-derived compounds such as CBD. For example, some states explicitly authorize and regulate the production and sale of hemp derivatives; other states maintain outdated drug laws that do not distinguish between marijuana and hemp; and still other states adhere to the FDA’s current position that it is unlawful to introduce food containing added CBD into interstate commerce, or to market CBD products as, or in, dietary supplements, regardless of whether the substances are hemp-derived, and thus altogether prohibit the sale of ingestible CBD products.

23


 

United States Federal Regulation of Hemp

The 2014 Farm Bill loosened the longstanding prohibition on cultivating industrial hemp in the United States by allowing cultivation under state research programs pursuant to certain specified conditions (as set forth below). The 2014 Farm Bill defines “industrial hemp” as “the plant Cannabis sativa L., and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabionol concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis.”

The scope of the 2014 Farm Bill limited hemp to cultivation that is: (a) for research purposes (inclusive of market research, which multiple federal agencies have confirmed includes commercial sales with a research purpose); (b) part of an “agricultural pilot program” or other agricultural or academic research; and (c) permitted by state law. The 2014 Farm Bill did not provide a federal regulatory framework, and thus the various state pilot programs implemented pursuant to the 2014 Farm Bill maintain different requirements and take differing approaches regarding the registration of cultivators and processors, the involvement of institutions of higher education, and the scope of permitted commercial activities. Some states altogether prohibited the production of hemp.

Activities determined to be compliant with the 2014 Farm Bill are protected from federal interference by an appropriations rider (the “Appropriations Rider”), which has been renewed on several occasions, including most recently on December 20, 2019 through H.R. 1158. The Appropriations Rider generally prohibits the federal government’s use of funds in contravention of the 2014 Farm Bill and specifically prohibits such federal interference with regard to the “transportation, processing, sale, or use of . . . hemp, or seeds of such plant, that is grown or cultivated in accordance with the [2014 Farm Bill], within or outside the [s]tate in which the . . . hemp is grown or cultivated.”

The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill materially altered federal law governing hemp by removing hemp from the CSA and establishing a federal regulatory framework for hemp production in the United States. The 2018 Farm Bill defines “hemp” as “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.” Among other provisions, the 2018 Farm Bill: (a) explicitly amends the CSA to exclude all parts of the cannabis plant (including its cannabinoids, derivatives, and extracts) containing a delta-9 THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis from the CSA’s definition of “marihuana”; (b) permits the commercial production and sale of hemp; (c) precludes states, territories, and Indian tribes from prohibiting the interstate transport of lawfully-produced hemp through their borders; and (d) establishes the USDA as the primary federal agency regulating the cultivation of hemp in the United States, while allowing states, territories, and Indian tribes to obtain (or retain) primary regulatory authority over hemp activities within their borders after receiving approval of their proposed hemp production plan from the USDA. Any such plan submitted by a state, territory, or Indian tribe to the USDA must meet or exceed minimum federal standards and receive USDA approval. Any state, territory, or Indian tribe that does not submit a plan to the USDA, or whose plan is not approved by the USDA, will be regulated by the USDA; provided that, states retain the ability to prohibit hemp production within their borders. Notwithstanding the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill and the publication of the IFR, the 2014 Farm Bill remains in effect through October 31, 2020. Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable state plan approved by the USDA, a cultivator authorized to cultivate industrial hemp pursuant to the 2014 Farm Bill may continue to do so through October 31, 2020.

The 2018 Farm Bill neither affects nor modifies the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (the “FD&C Act”). Accordingly, the FDA will continue to regulate food, drugs, dietary supplements, and cosmetics containing hemp and/or hemp-derived compounds. As a producer and marketer of hemp-derived products, the Corporation must comply with the FDA regulations applicable to manufacturing and marketing of those products. See the section titled “FDA Regulation of Hemp” below.

Importantly, marijuana continues to be classified as a Schedule I substance under the CSA. As a result, any cannabinoids (including CBD) derived from marijuana, as opposed to hemp, remain Schedule I substances under U.S. federal law.

24


 

State Regulation of Hemp

At present, the Corporation sources hemp in the United States from proprietary operations and contract suppliers located in Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee that comply with state and federal regulations. In the future, the Corporation may also source hemp from Georgia. These states’ hemp regulations are summarized below.

Georgia: In May 2019, Georgia enacted the “Georgia Hemp Farming Act” which established a commercial hemp program in accordance with the 2018 Farm Bill and removes “hemp” as defined in the 2018 Farm Bill from the definitions of marijuana and THC under state law.2 The Georgia Department of Agriculture (“GDA”) has issued rules establishing standards and procedures for cultivating and processing hemp in Georgia, and these rules have been incorporated into the Georgia Hemp Plan approved by the USDA on March 10, 2020.3,4  Georgia’s hemp production plan has been reviewed and approved by the USDA, and the GDA has begun accepting applications for hemp processor permits.5,6 The GDA opened the hemp grower license application period on March 23, 2020.7

While the Corporation itself does not cultivate or process hemp in Georgia and while the Corporation does not currently plan to source hemp from Georgia, third-party suppliers of hemp to the Corporation may operate in Georgia in the future, if permitted by applicable GDA regulations. In the event the Corporation sources hemp from Georgia in the future, it will take steps to ensure that the Georgia-based suppliers with whom it contracts are lawfully licensed in Georgia, will require suppliers to represent and warrant their compliance with Georgia law, and will obtain a copy of the applicable hemp license issued to such supplier.

Maine: The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (“DACF”) issues licenses to plant, grow, harvest, possess, process, sell and buy industrial hemp for commercial purposes under the 2014 Farm Bill framework.8 Seeds must be acquired from a certified seed source, and the pilot program does not regulate processing.9 DACF recently issued new administrative rules for growing hemp that went into effect on February 5, 2020.10 Maine provides an affirmative defense against prosecution for the unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs for selling industrial hemp, although it appears the defense may only apply to industrial hemp grown under the state’s program.11 The state recently amended its definition of “hemp” to better align with the 2018 Farm Bill definition.12 As of April 30, 2020, Maine had not submitted a hemp production plan for USDA approval, and has indicated that it will continue to operate under its 2014 pilot program.13

While the Corporation does not cultivate or process hemp in Maine, it does take steps to ensure that the Maine-based suppliers with whom it contracts are lawfully licensed in Maine, requires suppliers to represent and warrant their compliance with Maine law and obtains a copy of the applicable hemp license issued to such supplier.

North Carolina: Enacted in 2016, North Carolina’s industrial hemp pilot program permits the commercial production of industrial hemp products under the 2014 Farm Bill framework.14 The state offers two types of cultivation licenses: one for strictly research purposes, and the other for research with intent to market the final product

 

2 

HB 213, 2019-2020 Reg. Sess. (Ga. 2019).

3 

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. C. 40-32.

4 

GDA, Georgia Hemp Plan (Jan. 2020), http://agr.georgia.gov/hemp/Georgia-Hemp-Plan.pdf.

5 

USDA, Status of State and Tribal Hemp Production Plans for USDA Approval”, https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp/state-and-tribal-plan-review (last updated April 29, 2020).

6 

GDA, Press Release, Georgia Hemp Processor Permit Application Available (Mar. 2, 2020), http://agr.georgia.gov/georgia-hemp-processor-permit-application-available.aspx.

7 

GDA, Press Release, USDA Approves Georgia Hemp Plan; License Application Opens March 23 (Mar. 10, 2020), http://agr.georgia.gov/usda-approves-georgia-hemp-plan-license-application-opens-march-23.aspx.

8 

ME. STAT. tit. 7 § 2231 (2018).

9 

Id.

10 

01-001 C.M.R. ch. 274 (2020).

11 

ME. STAT. tit. 17-a § 1103 (2018) (“It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the substance trafficked in is hemp.”).

12 

ME. STAT. tit. 7 § 2231(1) (2018).

13 

Status of State and Tribal Hemp Production Plans for USDA Approval - Hemp, U.S. DEP’T OF AGRIC., https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp/state-and-tribal-plan-review (last updated April 29, 2020).

14 

02 NCAC 62.0101-.0109 (2017).

25


 

(contemplating the sale of finished hemp products). Permitted research purposes include “promoting research into the development of industrial hemp and commercial markets for North Carolina industrial hemp and hemp products.”15 “Marijuana” is defined in North Carolina’s controlled substances law to exclude “industrial hemp” as defined by state law, but only when the industrial hemp is produced and used in compliance with the state’s program.16 Further, “industrial hemp,” as excluded from the state’s definition of marijuana, is narrowly defined as that which is “cultivated or possessed by a grower licensed by the Commission,” and does not contain the explicit reference to “extracts” that is included in the definition of hemp under the 2018 Farm Bill.17 In addition, processors may register with the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Commission to process industrial hemp.18

Although hemp and CBD products cultivated and processed out-of-state are widely available for purchase and sale in North Carolina, and many interpret the law as permitting the sale of these products, the state’s restrictive statutory definitions of “marijuana” and “industrial hemp” create risk for those engaging in commercial hemp activity outside of the state’s regulated program. North Carolina adopts the FD&C Act by reference and likewise takes the position that products containing CBD may not be sold as food or dietary supplements for humans or animals. Notably, in response to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ distribution of warning letters to businesses selling CBD food, drinks, and animal food,19 Joe Reardon, Assistant Commissioner for the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services stated that CBD oils, topicals, and tinctures remain permitted if no health claims are made;20 however, it should also be noted that this qualifier is not substantiated by state law and is less restrictive than the FDA’s position. As of April 30, 2020, North Carolina has not submitted a hemp production plan for USDA approval, and has indicated that it will continue to operate under its 2014 pilot program.21

SugarLeaf Labs, Inc. is a registered processor in good standing with the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Commission. Additionally, the Corporation takes steps to ensure that the North Carolina-based suppliers with whom it contracts are lawfully licensed in North Carolina, requires suppliers to represent and warrant their compliance with North Carolina law, and obtains a copy of the applicable license issued to such supplier.

South Carolina: South Carolina classifies hemp as an agricultural commodity and exempts THC found in hemp and hemp products from the definition of marijuana under state law.22 South Carolina’s hemp program under the 2014 Farm Bill framework was expanded via passage of the Hemp Farming Act (“HFA”) in March 2019.23 The HFA explicitly provides that its program requirements do “not apply to the possession, handling, transport, or sale of hemp products and extracts, including those containing hemp-derived cannabinoids, including CBD,” and that “nothing in this chapter authorizes any person to violate any federal or state law or regulation.”24 Further, although much of the original industrial hemp program requirements were repealed and replaced by the HFA, all current program participants will remain subject to the laws and regulations in place prior to the passage of the HFA until their licenses expire. As of April 30, 2020, South Carolina’s hemp production plan has been approved by the USDA.25

 

15 

N.C. GEN. STAT. § 106-568.55(9) (2018).

16 

N.C. GEN. STAT. § 90-87(16) (2018).

17 

N.C. GEN. STAT. § 106-568.51(7) (2018).

18 

North Carolina Dept. of Agrix. & Consumer Servs., “Industrial Hemp Pilot Program: Registered Processors”, https://www.ncagr.gov/hemp/ProcessorsInfo.htm#

19 

North Carolina Dept. of Agric. & Consumer Servs., Press Release, Regulators Notify Industry Regarding CBD Product in the Marketplace (February 8, 2019), http://www.ncagr.gov/paffairs/release/2019/RegulatorsnotifyindustryregardingCBDproductsinthemarketplace.htm.

20 

Jayne Wester, That Trendy CBD Product in Your Smoothie? Adding It Is Illegal, NC Officials Say, CHARLOTTE OBSERVER(February 15, 2019), https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/crime/article226150860.html (“The idea is that you can let oils and tinctures dissolve under your tongue instead of swallowing them – so they aren’t officially considered food, he said”).

21 

USDA, “Status of State and Tribal Hemp Production Plans for USDA Approval”, https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp/state-and-tribal-plan-review (last updated April 29, 2020).

22 

S.C. CODE ANN. §§ 46-55-10 (2018).

23 

HB 3449, 123rd Gen. Assemb., 2019 Reg. Sess. (S.C. 2019).

24 

Id.

25 

USDA, “Status of State and Tribal Hemp Production Plans for USDA Approval”, https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp/state-and-tribal-plan-review (last updated April 29, 2020).

26


 

While the Corporation does not grow or process hemp in South Carolina, it does take steps to ensure that the South Carolina-based suppliers with whom it contracts are lawfully licensed in South Carolina, requires suppliers to represent and warrant their compliance with South Carolina law, and obtains a copy of the applicable hemp license issued to such supplier.

Tennessee: Tennessee’s industrial hemp pilot program permits the cultivation of hemp under the 2014 Farm Bill framework and does not expressly limit the sale or transfer of such hemp post-harvest.26 Under applicable state regulation, any person may possess, distribute, or store “nonviable industrial hemp or hemp products” if the industrial hemp was grown or processed in compliance with applicable state laws.27 On April 9, 2019, HB 0844 was signed into law directing the state commissioner of agriculture to develop a hemp production plan under the 2018 Farm Bill. As of April 30, 2020, Tennessee’s hemp production plan is pending resubmission to the USDA after the state’s first submission was rejected by the USDA.28

While the Corporation does not cultivate or process hemp in Tennessee, it does take steps to ensure that the Tennessee-based suppliers with whom it contracts are lawfully licensed in Tennessee, requires suppliers to represent and warrant their compliance with Tennessee law, and obtains a copy of the applicable hemp license issued to such supplier.

FDA Regulation of Hemp

The FD&C Act is the primary food and drug law in the United States. Among other provisions, the FD&C Act prohibits the movement in interstate commerce of adulterated and misbranded food, drugs, devices and cosmetics. The FDA is charged with protecting the public health by, among other things, ensuring the safety of the country’s food supply, including human and animal foods and dietary supplements.29 As explained below, the FDA has consistently taken the position that it is unlawful to introduce food containing added CBD into interstate commerce, or to market CBD products as, or in, dietary supplements, regardless of whether the substances are hemp-derived, because CBD is an active ingredient in an FDA-approved drug and was the subject of substantial clinical investigations, the existence of which were made public, before it was marketed as a food or dietary supplement. On the date that the 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law, the FDA released a statement from then-Commissioner Scott Gottlieb reaffirming its position that products containing CBD may not be sold as food or dietary supplements, and the FDA has issued similar statements from time to time, including most recently on March 5, 2020. The FDA’s position creates additional barriers to lawfully selling CBD and CBD-based products in the United States. In addition, although the FDA has not taken the position that CBD is prohibited in cosmetics, the agency can take action if it has information that an ingredient or cosmetic product is unsafe to consumers.

Regarding dietary supplements, the FDA’s position is rooted in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (the “DSHEA”), an amendment to the FD&C Act establishing a legal framework governing the composition, safety, labeling, manufacturing and marketing of dietary supplements in the United States. Under DSHEA, dietary ingredients marketed in the United States prior to October 15, 1994 may be used in dietary supplements without notifying the FDA. By contrast, any and all “new” dietary ingredients (i.e., dietary ingredients “not marketed in the United States before October 15, 1994”) must be the subject of a new dietary ingredient notification submitted to the FDA unless the ingredient has been “present in the food supply as an article used for food” and is not “chemically altered.” Any new dietary ingredient notification must provide the FDA with evidence of a “history of use or other evidence of safety” establishing that use of the dietary ingredient “will reasonably be expected to be safe.” Excluded from the DSHEA’s definition of a dietary supplement is: “an article that is approved as a new drug” or “an article authorized for investigation as a new drug… for which substantial clinical investigations have been instituted and for which the existence of such investigations has been made public”, with certain limited exceptions.30

The FDA has taken the position that CBD is excluded from the dietary supplement definition under DSHEA. As noted above, if a substance (such as CBD) is an active ingredient in a drug product that has been approved as a new

 

26 

TENN. COMP. R. & REGS. 0080-06-28-.01 to -.09 (2018).

27 

TENN. COMP. R. & REGS. 0080-06-28-.05(1) (2018).

28 

Status of State and Tribal Hemp Production Plans for USDA Approval - Hemp, U.S. DEP’T OF AGRIC., https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp/state-and-tribal-plan-review (last updated April 29, 2020).

29 

FDA, “What We Do,” https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/what-we-do (last updated Mar. 28, 2018).

30 

21 U.S.C. § 321(ff)(3)(B).

27


 

drug under the FD&C Act, or has been authorized for investigation as a new drug for which substantial clinical investigations have been instituted and for which the existence of such investigations has been made public, then products containing that substance are excluded from the statutory definition of a dietary supplement. The FDA considers a substance to be “authorized for investigation as a new drug” if it is the subject of an Investigational New Drug application (“IND”) that has gone into effect. There is an exception to the prohibition if the substance was “marketed as” a dietary supplement or a conventional food before the drug was approved or before the new drug investigations were authorized. However, the FDA has stated that it is not aware of any evidence that CBD was marketed in conventional foods or dietary supplements prior to being subject to substantial clinical investigations. Rather, the FDA has concluded that CBD cannot be marketed as a dietary supplement because it has been the subject of substantial clinical investigations as a new drug (known as “IND Preclusion”). More specifically, according to the FDA, substantial clinical investigations for Sativex (which contains delta-9 THC and CBD), sponsored by Greenwich Biosciences, the U.S. subsidiary of London-based GW Pharmaceuticals, were authorized prior to the sales and marketing of CBD as a dietary supplement.31 Therefore, the FDA takes the position that, based on available evidence, CBD is excluded from the dietary supplement definition and cannot be sold or marketed as such.

On July 16, 2019, the FDA issued a consumer update regarding its efforts to address “unanswered questions about the science, safety, and quality of products containing CBD.”32 Specifically, the FDA noted concerns regarding potential liver toxicity, questions about cumulative exposure to CBD over time, the effects of CBD on special populations (e.g., the elderly, children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women), and the safety of CBD for use in animals including pets. On October 16, 2019, the FDA issued another consumer update cautioning against the use of CBD, THC, and marijuana during pregnancy or while breastfeeding due to the current lack of comprehensive research studying the effects of CBD on the developing fetus, pregnant mother, or breastfed baby.33 On November 25, 2019, the FDA issued another consumer update echoing these and other concerns related to CBD. In addition, in 2019, the FDA published 22 warning letters issued to firms that market products containing CBD, several of which were co-issued by the FTC for violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act based on unsubstantiated advertising.34

Despite the FDA’s position, the Corporation believes there are differing interpretations among state and federal regulatory agencies, legislators, academics and businesses as to whether cannabinoids, including CBD, were present in the food supply and marketed as such prior to October 15, 1994, and/or whether the inclusion of cannabinoids is otherwise permitted by the FDA as dietary ingredients. For example, while the FDA has focused its enforcement and public statements on CBD products, the Corporation believes the IND Preclusion does not apply to “full spectrum” or “broad spectrum” hemp extracts which may contain CBD (among other cannabinoids) as a natural or inherent constituent. In its March 5, 2020 public update and report to Congress, the FDA acknowledged that some product developers may be marketing “full spectrum” or “broad spectrum” hemp extracts as foods or dietary supplements, rather than CBD isolates. The FDA did not assert that such products that contain CBD as a natural constituent will conclusively be regulated the same way as products marketed as and containing CBD isolate. However, the FDA indicated that it is considering how such products compare to CBD isolates, which may impact the FDA’s evaluation of the regulatory status and compliance of such products. As a result, the Corporation believes the distribution and sale of its hemp-based products intended for human consumption may be permissible notwithstanding the FDA’s public statements regarding CBD, because the Corporation does not market or promote products containing CBD isolates, and rather sells only products containing “full spectrum” or “broad spectrum” hemp. Moreover, the Corporation believes that uncertainties regarding such products cannot be resolved without further federal legislation, regulation or a definitive judicial interpretation of existing legislation and rules. A determination that hemp products containing CBD or other cannabinoids were not present in the food supply, marketed prior to October 15, 1994, and/or are not otherwise permissible for use as a dietary ingredient, may have a material adverse effect upon the Corporation and its business. Moreover, the FDA’s continued and widespread enforcement of the IND Preclusion based on the FDA’s interpretation of the FD&C Act may have a material adverse effect upon the Corporation and its business.

 

31 

FDA, “FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis Derived Products: Questions and Answers,” https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd#qandas (last updated Mar. 5, 2020).

32 

Id.

33 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “What You Should Know About Using Cannabis, Including CBD, When Pregnant or Breastfeeding,” https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/what-you-should-know-about-using-cannabis-including-cbd-when-pregnant-or-breastfeeding.

34 

See generally https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/warning-letters-and-test-results-cannabidiol-related-products.

28


 

Notably, the FDA has stated that given the “substantial public interest in marketing and accessing CBD in food, including dietary supplements,” the FDA “is committed to evaluating the regulatory frameworks for non-drug uses, including products marketed as foods and dietary supplements.”35 The FDA has also stated that “[t]he statutory provisions that currently prohibit marketing CBD in these forms also allow the FDA to issue a regulation creating an exception, and some stakeholders have asked that the FDA consider issuing such a regulation to allow for the marketing of CBD in conventional foods or as a dietary supplement, or both.”36 It is unclear whether the FDA will in fact issue such a regulation. In connection with the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (the “FCAA 2020”), Congress included “$2,000,000 for research, policy evaluation, market surveillance, issuance of an enforcement discretion policy, and appropriate regulatory activities with respect to products under the jurisdiction of the FDA which contain CBD and meet the definition of hemp” pursuant to the 2018 Farm Bill. Congress also established an expectation for the FDA to provide, within sixty (60) days of the enactment of the FCAA 2020, “a report regarding the [FDA’s] progress toward obtaining and analyzing data to help determine a policy of enforcement discretion and the process in which CBD meeting the definition of hemp will be evaluated for use in products” and to perform “a sampling study of the current CBD marketplace to determine the extent to which products are mislabeled or adulterated,” and issue a report regarding the same, within 180 days of the enactment of the FCAA 2020.37 On March 5, 2020, the FDA issued the first report to Congress in connection with the FCAA and published a statement to update the public on its work to date on CBD.38,39 This update enumerates the various factors the FDA continues to consider and evaluate in relation to hemp-derived CBD products, and notes the agency has indefinitely re-opened a public docket on products containing cannabis-derived compounds in order to more efficiently collect safety data and other information related to hemp-derived CBD products.40 The report and update both state that the FDA is currently evaluating a risk-based enforcement policy for CBD; however, they made no immediate change to the status quo. The FDA did not provide any specifics as to whether or when it will release an enforcement policy or what such a policy would contain. The agency stated that “[a]ny enforcement policy would need to further the goals of protecting the public and providing more clarity to industry and the public regarding the FDA’s enforcement priorities while we take potential steps to establish a clear regulatory pathway”.41 The update also states that the FDA will continue to take action against unlawful CBD products that pose a risk of harm to the public, including but not limited to products marketed with claims of therapeutic benefits, products marketed with false statements (such as omitted ingredients and incorrect statements about CBD content), products with contaminants (such as heavy metals or high levels of THC), and products marketed to vulnerable populations (such as children and infants) or that otherwise put the public at risk.

The Corporation believes it is in compliance with applicable law and has not received any citations or notices of violation which may have an impact on the Corporation’s business activities or operations.

Future Uncertainty of Legal Status

A number of considerations and uncertainties regarding the cultivation, sourcing, production and distribution of hemp and hemp-derived products remain. Applicable laws and regulations remain subject to change, as differing interpretations among federal, state and local regulatory agencies, law enforcement, legislators, academics and businesses regarding the treatment and legal status of certain hemp products and hemp derivatives and extracts abound. As noted above, these uncertainties are unlikely to be resolved absent further federal legislation, regulation or a definitive judicial interpretation of existing legislation and rules.

 

35 

Amy Abernathy, M.D., Ph.D., et al., “FDA is Committed to Sound, Science-based Policy on CBD,” fda.gov, https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-voices-perspectives-fda-leadership-and-experts/fda-committed-sound-science-based-policy-cbd.

36 

Id.

37 

Joint Explanatory Statement, FCAA 2002, https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HR%201865%20-%20SOM%20FY20.pdf.

38 

“Report to the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations and the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, Cannabidiol (CBD) Report in Response to Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020” (2020).

39 

FDA, “FDA Advances Work Related to Cannabidiol Products with Focus on Protecting Public Health, Providing Market Clarity,” https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-advances-work-related-cannabidiol-products-focus-protecting-public-health-providing-market (Mar. 5, 2020).

40 

Id.

41 

Id.

29


 

The Corporation’s Regulatory Compliance Activities

The Corporation’s senior management team regularly monitors the development of applicable federal, state, and local laws in the United States and the Corporation engages legal counsel to ensure it is operating in compliance with all applicable U.S. laws and permits. These compliance-related activities include, when and as applicable:

 

ensuring all raw materials are sourced in compliance with the 2014 Farm Bill and/or the 2018 Farm Bill, as well as applicable state and local laws;

 

evaluating supply chain partners for quality standards;

 

setting and maintaining quality standards through raw material specifications;

 

employing qualified quality assurance personnel; and

 

ensuring processing activities performed in North Carolina comply with all applicable laws regulations.

 

General Overview of Hand Sanitizers

On June 17, 1994, the FDA issued a tentative final monograph, or “TFM” on hand sanitizers as over-the-counter drug products.  The TFM designated the active ingredients ethanol, or “EtOH,” or “ethyl alcohol” as a Category I active ingredient so long as the concentrations of EtOH in the finished is 60-95%.  Active ingredients designated as Category I are considered, by rule, “generally recognized as safe and effective,” or “GRAS/E.”  In April 2020, an FDA final rule went into effect downgrading the designation of EtOH to a Category IIISE active ingredient.  Category IIISE active ingredients have insufficient data available to permit final classification of GRAS/E.  

However, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or “CARES Act” legislated that active ingredients designated as Category IIISE under a tentative final monograph may be marketed as over-the-counter drug products until the FDA issues a final administrative order determining that EtOH is not GRAS/E.  Therefore, hand sanitizers that are in strict compliance with the 1994 TFM on hand sanitizers may now be marketed and sold in the United States.  

Overview of Hand Sanitizer Exemption During the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis

On January 31, 2020, the Secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services determined that the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in a public health emergency.   During a formally declared public health emergency, the Secretary may circumvent public participation in temporary rules and guidances.  The current COVID-19 public health crisis declaration resulted in the Food & Drug Administration’s implementation of the “Temporary Policy for Preparation of Certain Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer Products During the Public Health Emergency (COVID-19) Guidance for Industry,” or “FDA Hand Sanitizer Guidance” without prior public notice and comment.  The FDA Hand Sanitizer Guidance generally provides, among other things, manufacturers a temporary exemption from the strict current Good Manufacturing Practices, or “cGMP” requirements codified in 21 CFR Part 211.  The FDA Hand Sanitizer Guidance will last only while the Secretary maintains that the United States is in a public health crisis.  

General Overview of FDA's Medical Device Regulation

The FDA also has broad authority over the regulation of medical devices marketed for sale in the United States. The FDA regulates the research, clinical testing, manufacturing, safety, labeling, storage, recordkeeping, premarket clearance or approval, promotion, distribution and production of medical devices.

Under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, the FDA classifies medical devices into one of three classes: Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3. Medical devices deemed to pose lower risk are placed into either Class 1 or Class 2.

Class 1 medical devices are deemed to pose the lowest risk to the patient. Accordingly, Class 1 medical devices are subject to the lowest degree of regulatory scrutiny and need only comply with the FDA's General Controls. The General Controls include compliance with the registration, listing, adverse event reporting requirements, and applicable portions of the Quality Systems Regulation, or QSR, as well as the general misbranding and adulteration prohibitions. Unless specifically exempted in the regulations, general controls require a company that intends to market a Class 1 medical device, to gain clearance for marketing through the 510(k) process. Many Class 1 medical devices, however, are exempt from 510(k) clearance because the level of risk is low.

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Class 2 medical devices are considered higher risk devices than Class I medical devices. Class 2 medical devices are subject to General Controls as well as additional Special Controls. Special Controls may include labeling requirements, mandatory performance standards, and post market surveillance. Generally companies that intend to market Class 2 medical devices, like us, must comply with applicable regulations and submit a 510(k) premarket submission for review to receive clearance to list and market their medical devices. The 510(k) must establish substantial equivalence to a predicate medical device. Some Class 2 medical devices are exempt from filing a 510(k) but in some instances, Class 2 medical devices may be required to file a Premarket Approval, or PMA, application.

Medical devices deemed by the FDA to pose the greatest risk, such as life-sustaining, life-supporting or implantable devices, or devices deemed not substantially equivalent to a previously cleared medical device, are classified as Class 3 medical devices and require a PMA before commercialization.

All medical device manufacturers must register their establishments with the FDA; such registrations require the payment of user fees. In addition, both 510(k) premarket submissions and PMA applications are subject to the payment of user fees, paid at the time of submission for FDA review.  We intend to sell non-contact infrared thermometers (“Thermometers”) which may require FDA 510(k)-clearance.  

If required to obtain 510(k)-clearance for our Thermometers in the future, we may be required to submit a premarket notification demonstrating that the proposed medical device is substantially equivalent to a previously cleared 510(k) device. FDA's 510(k) clearance pathway usually takes from three to twelve months. On average the review time is approximately six months, but it can take significantly longer than twelve months in some instances, as the FDA may require additional information, including clinical data, to make a determination regarding substantial equivalence.

After a medical device receives 510(k) clearance, any modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a new or major change in its intended use, will require a new 510(k) clearance or, depending on the modification, require a PMA. The FDA requires each manufacturer to determine whether the proposed change requires submission of a new 510(k) notice, or a premarket approval, but the FDA can review any such decision and can disagree with a manufacturer's determination. If the FDA disagrees with a manufacturer's determination, the FDA can require the manufacturer to cease marketing and/or recall the modified device until 510(k) clearance or premarket approval is obtained. If the FDA requires us to seek 510(k) clearance or premarket approval for any modifications to a previously cleared product, we may be required to cease marketing or recall the modified device until we obtain this clearance or approval. Also, in these circumstances, we may be subject to significant regulatory fines or penalties.

Overview of  Thermometer Exemption During the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis

On January 31, 2020, the Secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services determined that the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in a public health emergency.   During a formally declared public health emergency, the Secretary may circumvent public participation in temporary rules and guidances.  The current COVID-19 public health crisis declaration resulted in the Food & Drug Administration’s implementation of the “Enforcement Policy for Clinical Electronic Thermometers During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID19) Public Health Emergency,” or “FDA Thermometer Guidance.”  The enforcement policy in this guidance applies to clinical electronic thermometers, which are regulated as Class 2 devices under 21 CFR 880.2910.  Without the FDA Thermometer Guidance, all new manufacturers of clinical electronic thermometers would be required to apply for 510(k)-clearance before marketing and selling such thermometers.  

 

Fever is a common symptom of COVID-19, typically appearing 2-14 days after exposure.  The FDA implemented the FDA Thermometer Guidance to increase the number of screening and diagnostic tools that could possibly assist in the identification of those individuals who may be infected with COVID-19.  During the COVID-19 public health crisis, the FDA does not intend to object to the distribution and use of clinical electronic thermometers that are not currently 510(k)-cleared where such devices do not create an undue risk in light of the public health emergency.  Therefore, during the COVID-19 public health crisis, we are permitted to sell  Thermometers without submitting a 510(k) application.  The enforcement discretion policy under FDA Thermometer Guidance will remain in effect only while the Secretary maintains that the United

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States is in a public health crisis.  At which time that Secretary declares that the public health crisis is over, we will likely need to obtain 510(k) clearance to continue marketing our Thermometers.  

Risk Factors

Investing in our securities cinvolves a high degree of risk. Prospective investors should carefully consider the following risks, as well as the other information contained in this AIF and the other information in our publicly filed documents before investing in our securities. The occurrence of any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects. These risks are not the only risks we face; risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. This AIF also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors. See the section titled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

Risks Related to Our Business

We have reported negative cash flows from operating activities and may do so in future periods.

Despite the Corporation’s positive cash and cash equivalents position of $16.6 million as at March 31, 2020 and that the Corporation continues to operate as a going concern, the Corporation reported negative cash flow from operating activities of $31.4 million and $8.2 million for Fiscal 2020 and Fiscal 2019, respectively, and has historically, in certain prior fiscal years, reported negative cash flow from operating activities. The Corporation may also continue to have negative cash flow from operating activities until sufficient levels of sales are achieved. Although the Corporation anticipates that it will have positive cash flow from operating activities in future periods, it cannot guarantee that such future positive cash flow from operating activities will be obtained. In addition, negative cash flows may continue longer than the Corporation has planned for which could cause liquidity issues.

The Corporation may also be unable to obtain future borrowings in an amount sufficient to enable them to pay debt or to fund other liquidity needs. If sufficient liquidity is not obtained, the Corporation may need to refinance or restructure all or a portion of its debt on or before maturity, sell assets or borrow more money or issue equity, which may not be possible on terms satisfactory to the Corporation, or at all. In addition, any refinancing could be at higher interest rates and may require the Corporation to comply with more onerous covenants which could further restrict its business operations. If the Corporation continues to report negative cash flows from operating activities, or any failure to obtain any required additional financing on favourable terms, or at all, such events could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition and results of operation of the Corporation.

We may not be able to maintain our operations without additional funding.

As of March 31, 2020, Neptune had $16.6 million of cash and cash equivalents. We had negative cash flows from operating activities of $31.4 million during Fiscal 2020. We may be unable to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or to obtain future borrowings in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our debt or to fund our other liquidity needs. If we do not have sufficient liquidity, we may need to refinance or restructure all or a portion of our debt on or before maturity, sell assets or borrow more money or issue equity, which we may not be able to do on terms satisfactory to us or at all. In addition, any refinancing could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants which could further restrict our business operations. We may also try to raise the necessary capital through securities offerings. Such offerings are subject to market conditions and are beyond our control. Our existing ATM has available capacity as of the date of this annual report of US$31.4 million. There are several conditions that must be met in order for us to access the ATM and it only commits the agent to use commercial reasonable efforts, and thus is not a guaranteed source of financing. Further the ATM may be cancelled by the agent at their sole discretion at any time with 10 trading days’ notice. We have no other arranged sources of financing available to us. Our failure to obtain any required additional financing on favourable terms, or at all, would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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We are subject to risks inherent to the cannabis industry.

We operate our cannabis business in a highly regulated and rapidly evolving market. Sometimes new risks emerge and management may not be able to predict all of them, or be able to predict how they may cause actual results to be different from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Failure to comply with the requirements of the license(s) or any failure to maintain the license(s) would have a material adverse impact on the business, financial condition and operating results of the Corporation.

The industry is subject to extensive controls and regulations, which may significantly affect the financial condition of market participants. The marketability of any product may be affected by numerous factors that are beyond our control and which cannot be predicted, such as changes to government regulations, including those relating to taxes and other government levies that may be imposed. Changes in government levies, including taxes, could reduce the Corporation’s earnings and could make future capital investments or the Corporation’s operations uneconomic.

We are subject to laws and regulations and guidelines, changes in which could increase our costs and individually or in the aggregate adversely affect our business.

We are subject to laws and regulations affecting our operations in a number of areas. These laws and regulations affect the Corporation’s activities in areas including, but not limited to, the cannabis industry in Canada, the hemp business in the United States, consumer protection, labor, intellectual property ownership and infringement, import and export requirements, and environmental, health and safety.

The successful execution of our business objectives is contingent upon compliance with all applicable laws and regulatory requirements and obtaining all other required regulatory approvals, which may be onerous and expensive. Any such costs, which may rise in the future as a result of changes in these laws and regulations or in their interpretation and the expansion of the Corporation’s business, could individually or in the aggregate make the Corporation’s products and services less attractive to our customers, delay the introduction of new products, or cause the Corporation to implement policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. There can be no assurance that the Corporation’s employees, contractors, or agents will not violate such laws and regulations or Neptune’s policies and procedures.

We may be unable to manage our growth effectively.

Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize our products and to compete effectively will depend, in part, on our ability to manage any future growth effectively. To that end, we must be able to continue to improve our operational and financial systems and managerial controls and procedures, and we will need to continue to expand, train and manage our technology and workforce. We must also maintain close coordination among our technology, compliance, accounting, finance, marketing and sales organizations. We cannot assure you that we will manage our growth effectively. If we fail to do so, our business could be materially harmed.

To support our growth, we may have to further increase our investment in technology, facilities, personnel and financial and management systems and controls. We may also have to further expand our procedures for monitoring and assuring our compliance with applicable regulations, and may need to integrate, train and manage a growing employee base. The expansion of our existing businesses, and expansion into new businesses and the resulting growth of our employee base will increase our need for internal audit and monitoring processes that are more extensive and broader in scope than those we have historically required. We may not be successful in identifying or implementing all of the processes that are necessary. Further, unless our growth results in an increase in our revenues that is proportionate to the increase in our costs associated with this growth, our operating margins and profitability will be adversely affected.

Acquisitions or investments may not yield the returns expected, which, in turn, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We expect to selectively pursue strategic acquisitions, as well as additional strategic and other investments, in the future as suitable opportunities arise. Acquisitions and other investments present challenges, including geographical coordination, personnel integration and retention of key management personnel, systems integration, the potential disruption of each company’s respective ongoing businesses, possible inconsistencies in standards, controls,

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procedures, and policies, unanticipated costs of terminating or relocating facilities and operations, unanticipated expenses relating to such integration, contingent obligations, and the reconciliation of corporate cultures. Those operations could divert management’s attention from the business, cause a temporary interruption of or loss of momentum in the business, and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Acquisitions may be an important source of new products, technologies, customers, geographies and channels to market. The inability to consummate and integrate new acquisitions on advantageous terms, or the failure to achieve a favorable return on our strategic and other investments, could adversely affect our ability to grow and compete effectively.

Failure to successfully establish and manage acquisitions, collaborations, joint ventures or partnerships could adversely affect our growth.

We also evaluate and enter into collaborations, joint ventures or partnerships from time to time to enhance our research and development efforts or expand our product portfolios and technology. The process of establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships is difficult and time-consuming to negotiate, document and implement. We may not be able to successfully negotiate such arrangements or the terms of the arrangements may not be as favorable as anticipated. Furthermore, our ability to generate revenues from such collaborations will depend on our partners’ abilities and efforts to successfully perform the functions assigned to them in these arrangements and these collaborations may not lead to development or commercialization of products in the most efficient manner, or at all. In addition, from time to time, we have acquired, and we may acquire, only a majority or minority interest in companies and provided or may provide earnouts for the former owners along with the ability, at our option, or obligation, at the former owners’ option, to purchase the minority interests at a future date at an established price. These investments may have additional risks and may not be as efficient as other operations as we may have fiduciary or contractual obligations to the minority investors and may rely on former owners for the continuing operation of the acquired business. If we are unable to successfully establish and manage these collaborative relationships and majority investments it could adversely affect our future growth.

Markets for our products and services are highly competitive, and we may be unable to compete effectively in these markets.

Our products and services, including our consumer products, are offered in highly competitive markets that may be characterized by aggressive price competition and resulting downward pressure on gross margins, frequent introduction of new products and services, short product life cycles, evolving industry standards, continual improvement in product price/performance characteristics, rapid adoption of technological advancements by competitors and price sensitivity on the part of consumers and businesses.

Additionally, our consumer products may compete on the basis of product performance, brand recognition and price. Advertising, promotion, merchandising and packaging also have significant impacts on consumer purchasing decisions. A newly introduced consumer product (whether improved or newly developed) usually encounters intense competition requiring substantial expenditures for advertising, sales promotion and trade merchandising. If a product gains consumer acceptance, it typically requires continued advertising, promotional support and product innovations to maintain its relative market position. If our advertising, marketing and promotional programs are not effective or adequate, our net sales may be negatively impacted.

Some of our competitors are larger than us and have greater financial resources. These competitors may be able to spend more aggressively on advertising and promotional activities, introduce competing products more quickly and respond more effectively to changing business and economic conditions than we can. Competitive activity may require the Corporation to increase its spending on advertising and promotions and/or reduce prices, which could lead to reduced sales, margins and net earnings.

We may not meet timelines for project development.

The Corporation’s business is dependent on a number of key inputs and their related costs including raw materials and supplies related to its operations, as well as electricity, water and other utilities. Any significant interruption or negative change in the availability or economics of the supply chain for key inputs could materially impact the business, financial condition operating results, and timelines for project development of the Corporation. Any inability to secure required supplies and services or to do so on appropriate terms could have a materially adverse impact on the business, financial condition, operating results, and timelines for project development of the Corporation.

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Product contamination or tampering or issues or concerns with respect to product quality, safety and integrity could adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition or results of operations.

Product contamination or tampering, the failure to maintain high standards for product quality, safety and integrity, including with respect to raw materials and ingredients obtained from suppliers, or allegations (whether or not valid) of product quality issues, mislabeling, misbranding, spoilage, allergens, adulteration or contamination with respect to products in our portfolio may reduce demand for such products, and cause production and delivery disruptions or increase costs, which could adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition or results of operations. If any of the products in our portfolio are mislabeled or become unfit for consumption or cause injury, illness or death, or if appropriate resources are not devoted to product quality and safety (particularly as we expand our portfolio into new categories) or to comply with changing product safety requirements, we could decide to, or be required to, recall products and/or we may be subject to liability or government action, which could result in payment of damages or fines, cause certain products to be unavailable for a period of time, result in destruction of product inventory, or result in adverse publicity (whether or not valid), which could reduce consumer demand and brand equity. Moreover, even if allegations of product contamination or tampering or suggestions that our products were not fit for consumption or use are meritless, the negative publicity surrounding assertions against us or products in our portfolio or processes could adversely affect our reputation or brands. Our business could also be adversely affected if consumers lose confidence in product quality, safety and integrity generally, even if such loss of confidence is unrelated to products in our portfolio. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, if we do not have adequate insurance, if we do not have enforceable indemnification from suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, joint venture partners or other third parties or if indemnification is not available, the liability relating to such product claims or disruption as a result of recall efforts could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We are subject to credit risk from our customers.

The Corporation is subject to credit risk of its customers, and its profitability and cash flow are dependent on receipt of timely payments from clients. Any delay in payment by the Corporation’s customers may have an adverse effect on the Corporation’s profitability, working capital and cash flow. There is no assurance that the Corporation will be able to collect all or any of its trade receivables in a timely matter. If any of the Corporation’s clients face unexpected situations such as financial difficulties, the Corporation may not be able to receive full or any payment of the uncollected sums or enforce any judgment debts against such clients, and the Corporation’s business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. Receivables from selected customers are covered by credit insurance, with a typical coverage amount of 90% of the invoiced amount, but there can be no assurance that such insurance will be available for all of the Corporation’s customers.

Our sales are often made without long-term commitments, and there can be no assurance that future sales will be sustained.

Sales of our products are often made pursuant to individual purchase orders or contracts and not under long-term commitments. The Corporation’s clients frequently do not provide any assurance of minimum or future sales and are generally not contractually prohibited from purchasing alternative products from our competitors at any time. Accordingly, we are exposed to competitive pricing pressures on each potential order. Our clients may also engage in the practice of purchasing products from more than one provider to avoid dependence on sole-source suppliers for certain of their needs. The existence of these practices may make it more difficult for us to increase prices, gain new clients and win repeat business from existing clients.

Conflicts of interest may arise between the Corporation and its officers and directors, which could adversely affect our operations.

The Corporation may be subject to various potential conflicts of interest because of the fact that some of its officers and directors may potentially be engaged in a range of business activities. In addition, its executive officers and directors may potentially devote time to their outside business interests, so long as such activities do not materially or adversely interfere with their duties to the Corporation. In some cases, the Corporation’s executive officers and directors may have fiduciary obligations associated with these business interests that interfere with their ability to devote time to the Corporation’s business and affairs and that could adversely affect the Corporation’s operations.

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In addition, we may also become involved in other transactions which conflict with the interests of its directors and officers who may from time to time deal with persons, firms, institutions or corporations with which the Corporation may be dealing, or which may be seeking investments similar to those the Corporation desires. The interests of these persons could conflict with the Corporation’s interests. In addition, from time to time, these persons may be competing with the Corporation for available investment opportunities. Conflicts of interest, if any, will be subject to the procedures and remedies provided under applicable laws. In particular, in the event that such a conflict of interest arises at a meeting of the Corporation’s directors, a director who has such a conflict will abstain from voting for or against the approval of such participation or such terms. In accordance with applicable laws, the Corporation’s directors are required to act honestly, in good faith and in the Corporation’s best interests.

Our ability to forecast revenues, costs and sales is limited by a number of factors.

We must rely largely on our own market research to forecast sales as detailed forecasts are not generally obtainable from other sources for our products. A failure in the demand for our products to materialize as a result of competition, technological change or other factors could have a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations and financial condition of the Corporation.

We may also, from time to time, hold finished goods in inventory and such inventory has a shelf life. Finished goods in our inventory includes cannabis products that may reach expiration and not be sold. Even though on a regular basis, management reviews the amount of inventory on hand, reviews the remaining shelf life and estimates the time required to manufacture and sell such inventory, write-down of inventory may still be required. Any such write-down of inventory could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Because we will rely on our manufacturing operations to produce a significant amount of the cannabis and hemp-based products we expect to sell, disruptions in our manufacturing system or losses of manufacturing certifications could adversely affect our sales and customer relationships

We own, manage, and operate a manufacturing, processing facility in Sherbrooke, Québec, where we plan to produce all, or nearly all of the cannabis oil that we expect to sell to our customers and operate a hemp extraction facility in Conover, North Carolina following the acquisition of the business of SugarLeaf. Accordingly, we are highly dependent on the uninterrupted and efficient operation of our facilities. Any significant disruption in our operations at our facilities for any reason, including as a result of regulatory requirements, quality of raw material, equipment failures, natural disasters, fires, accidents, work stoppages, power outages, or other reasons, could disrupt our supply of products to our customers, adversely affecting our sales and customer relationships, and our business financial condition and/or results of operations could be materially adversely affected. Lost sales or increased costs that we may experience during a disruption of operations may not be recoverable under our insurance policies. Additionally, our ability to meet a significant increase in demand for our products, or to supply our customers during a significant disruption, would be dependent on our ability to secure and maintain appropriate third-party manufacturing or supply arrangements. There is no assurance that we would be able to maintain such supply arrangements on terms favourable to us, or at all. Should we fail to maintain such arrangements or to replace them on terms favourable to us, our business, financial condition, and operations would be negatively impacted.

Our future success depends on the sales of our consumer products and turnkey solutions products.

We derive a large portion of our revenues from the sale of our turnkey solutions products and expect to derive an increasing portion of our revenues from the sale of consumer products. Our investments in and strategies used for our brand marketing are critical to achieve brand awareness with current customers, educate potential new customers and convert potential new customers into customers. However, there can be no assurance that our principal products will continue to receive, maintain or increase market acceptance. The inability to successfully commercialize our turnkey solutions and specialty ingredient products, in the future, for any reason, would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, prospects and ability to continue operations. The overall commercialization success of our products depends on several factors, including:

 

continued market acceptance of our products by the nutraceutical market;

 

the amount of resources devoted by our distribution partners to continue the commercialization efforts of our products in our core geographic markets;

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maintaining supply of our products to meet the purchase orders of our distribution partners;

 

receipt of regulatory approvals for our products from regulatory agencies in certain territories in which we wish to expand our commercialization efforts;

 

the number of competitors in our market;

 

protecting and enforcing our intellectual property and avoiding patent infringement claims.

Our activities rely on certain third-party suppliers, contract manufacturers and distributors, and such reliance may adversely affect us if the third parties are unable or unwilling to fulfill their obligations.

For our consumer product and nutraceutical activities, we purchase certain important ingredients and raw materials from third-party suppliers and, in certain cases, we engage contract manufacturers to supply us with finished products. Part of our strategy is to enter into and maintain arrangements with third parties related to the development, testing, production, packaging, and commercialization of our products to our customers which are then responsible for the marketing and distribution of the products. Our revenues are dependent to a great extent on the successful efforts of these third parties. Entering into strategic relationships can be a complex process and our interests and the interests of our partners may not be or remain aligned with our interests.

Real or perceived quality control problems with raw materials outsourced from certain regions or finished products manufactured by contract manufacturers could negatively impact consumer confidence in our products or expose us to liability. In addition, disruption in the operations of any such supplier or manufacturer or material increases in the price of raw materials, for any reason, such as changes in economic and political conditions, tariffs, trade disputes, regulatory requirements, import restrictions, loss of certifications, power interruptions, fires, hurricanes, drought or other climate-related events, war, or other events, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Also, currency fluctuations could result in higher costs for raw materials purchased abroad.

Some of our current and future partners may decide to compete with us, refuse or be unable to fulfill or honour their contractual obligations to us, or change their plans to reduce their commitment to, or even abandon, their relationships with us. There can be no assurance that our partners will market our products successfully or that any such third-party collaboration will be on favourable terms. We may not be able to control the amount and timing of resources our partners devote to our products. In addition, we may incur liabilities relating to the distribution and commercialization of our products. While the agreements with such customers generally include customary indemnification provisions indemnifying us for liabilities relating to third-party manufacturing, encapsulation or packaging of our products, there can be no assurance that these indemnification rights will be sufficient in amount, scope or duration to fully offset the potential liabilities associated with our distributors’ handling and use of our products. Any such liabilities, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Insurance coverage, even where available, may not be sufficient to cover losses we may incur.

Our current and expected business activities expose us to the risk of liabilities arising from our operations. For example, we may be liable for claims brought by users of our products or by employees, customers or other third parties for personal injury or property damage occurring in the course of our operations. We seek to minimize these risks through various insurance contracts from third-party insurance carriers. However, our insurance coverage is subject to large individual claim deductibles, individual claim and aggregate policy limits, and other terms and conditions. We retain an insurance risk for the deductible portion of each claim and for any gaps in insurance coverage. We do not view insurance, by itself, as a material mitigant to these business risks.

We cannot assure that our insurance will be sufficient to cover our losses. Any losses that insurance does not substantially cover could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. The insurance industry has become more selective in offering some types of insurance, such as product liability, product recall, property and directors’ and officers’ liability insurance. Our current insurance program is consistent with both our past level of coverage and our risk management policies. However, we cannot assure that we will be able to obtain comparable insurance coverage on favorable terms, or at all, in the future.

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If our risk management methods are not effective, our business, reputation and financial results may be adversely affected.

We have methods to identify, monitor, and manage our risks; however, these methods may not be fully effective. Some of our risk management methods may depend upon evaluation of information regarding markets, customers or other matters that are publicly available or otherwise accessible by us. That information may not in all cases be accurate, complete, up-to-date, or properly evaluated. If our methods are not fully effective or we are not successful in monitoring or evaluating the risks to which we are or may be exposed, our business, reputation, financial condition and operating results could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, our insurance policies may not provide adequate coverage.

We may be subject to product liability claims or regulatory action.

As a manufacturer and distributor of products which are ingested by humans, we face the risk of exposure to product liability claims, regulatory action, and litigation if products we produce are alleged to have caused loss or injury. We may be subject to these types of claims due to allegations that our products caused or contributed to injury or illness, failed to include adequate instructions for use, or failed to include adequate warnings concerning possible side effects or interactions with other substances. This risk exists for our nutraceutical products, however, the risk is exacerbated for our cannabis and hemp-based products, by the fact that cannabis and hemp use may increase the risk of experiencing adverse events or other side effects. Previously unknown adverse reactions resulting from human consumption of cannabis and hemp-based products alone or in combination with other medications or substances could also occur. In addition, the manufacture and sale of cannabis and hemp-based products, like the manufacture and sale of any ingested product, involves a risk of injury to consumers due to tampering by unauthorized third parties or product contamination. We may have to recall cannabis and hemp-based products we produce, or nutraceuticals products we as a result of potential contamination and quality assurance concerns. A product liability claim or regulatory action against us could result in increased costs and could adversely affect our reputation and goodwill with our customers. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain product liability insurance on acceptable terms or with adequate coverage against potential liabilities. Such insurance is expensive and may not be available in the future on acceptable terms, or at all. The inability to obtain sufficient insurance coverage on reasonable terms or to otherwise protect against potential product liability claims could result in us becoming subject to significant liabilities that are uninsured.

Our products may be subject to recalls for a variety of reasons, which could require us to expend significant management and capital resources.

Manufacturers and distributors of products are sometimes subject to the recall or return of their products for a variety of reasons, including product defects, such as contamination, adulteration, unintended harmful side effects, or interactions with other substances, packaging safety, and inadequate or inaccurate labeling disclosure. If any of the products produced by us are recalled due to an alleged product defect or for any other reason, we could be required to incur the unexpected expense of the recall and any legal proceedings that might arise in connection with the recall. As a result of any such recall, we may lose a significant amount of sales and may not be able to replace those sales at an acceptable margin or at all. In addition, a product recall may require significant management attention or damage our reputation and goodwill or that of our products or brands.

Additionally, product recalls may lead to increased scrutiny of our operations by Health Canada and applicable sate authorities, requiring further management attention, increased compliance costs and potential legal fees, fines, penalties and other expenses. Any product recall affecting the cannabis or hemp industry more broadly, whether or not involving us, could also lead consumers to lose confidence in the safety and security of the products sold by license holders generally.

Although we have detailed procedures in place for testing its products, there can be no assurance that any quality, potency or contamination problems will be detected in time to avoid unforeseen product recalls, regulatory action or lawsuits. Additionally, if one of our significant brands were subject to recall, the image of that brand and the Corporation could be harmed. A recall for any of the foregoing reasons could lead to decreased demand for our products and could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations and financial condition of the Corporation. Product recalls may also lead to increased scrutiny of the Corporation’s operations by the FDA or other regulatory agencies, requiring further management attention and potential legal fees and other expenses.

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Our manufacturers may be unable to comply with cGMP requirements.

All manufacturers and suppliers of over-the-counter products must comply with applicable current Good Manufacturing Practices regulations (“cGMP”) enforced by the FDA for the manufacture of the Corporation’s products, which are enforced by the FDA through its facilities inspection program. The FDA may conduct inspections of the Corporation’s third-party manufacturers to assure they are in compliance with such regulations. These cGMP requirements include quality control, quality assurance and the maintenance of records and documentation, among other items. The Corporation’s manufacturers may be unable to comply with these cGMP requirements and with other regulatory requirements. A failure to comply with these requirements may result in fines, product recalls or seizures and related publicity requirements, injunctions, total or partial suspension of production, civil penalties, warning or untitled letters, import or export bans or restrictions, and criminal prosecution and penalties. Any of these penalties could delay or prevent the promotion, marketing, or sale of the Corporation’s products. If the safety of any products supplied to the Corporation is compromised due to a third-party manufacturer’s failure to adhere to applicable laws or for other reasons, the Corporation may not be able to successfully sell its products. The Corporation cannot assure you that its third-party manufacturers will continue to reliably supply products to the Corporation at the levels of quality, or the quantities, the Corporation requires, and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including cGMP requirements.

The public health crisis may end while we have excess inventory of our Thermometers.

 

We intend to sell our Thermometers without FDA premarket clearance or approval during the public health crisis, which is permitted by the FDA pursuant to an enforcement discretion policy in effect during the COVID-19 pandemic to the extent the products comply with certain expectations of the FDA as espoused in the FDA's policy.  The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services may declare that the public health crisis has concluded at which time, all exemptions including the exemption that allows us to sell our Thermometers without FDA premarket clearance or approval may also conclude.  The Secretary may make such declaration at any time and without public warning or notice.  If such declaration is made, it may immediately snap back requirements that we cannot meet without regulatory clearances or approvals.  Without such regulatory clearances or approvals, we may be left with excess inventory that we will not be able to sell which could negatively affect the future earnings of our business.  

The FDA may declare that ethanol is not generally recognized as safe and effective for use in Hand Sanitizers like ours.  

 

We intend to manufacture at least one type of Hand Sanitizer according to the 1994 Tentative Final Monograph.  But ethanol has been designated a Category IIISE active ingredient.  Category IIISE active ingredients may be marketed and sold under such designation until the FDA determines whether the active ingredient is safe and effective.  Through an administrative process, the FDA may determine that ethanol for use in hand sanitizers is safe and effective and re-designate as a Category I.  In the alternative, the FDA may determine that ethanol is not safe and effective and re-designate ethanol as a Category II.  If ethanol is re-designated as a Category II active ingredient, ethanol cannot be marketed and sold in hand sanitizers.  If one or more of our types of Hand Sanitizers cannot be sold under the 1994 Tentative Final Monograph, we may be required to immediately stop all sales and recall remaining Hand Sanitizers which would cause us to have excess inventory that we will not be able to sell and could negatively affect the future earnings of our business.  

If we are not able to sell our Thermometers after the public health crisis ends, there is no guarantee that the FDA will grant our Thermometers the necessary 510(k) clearance to continue to market and sell the Thermometers, which would adversely affect our ability to grow our business.

 

Without the public health crisis in effect, thermometers like ours would likely require affirmative marketing authorization granted by the FDA. The FDA may not approve or clear our Thermometers for the indications that are necessary or desirable for successful commercialization. Indeed, the FDA may altogether refuse our requests for 510(k) clearance, de novo reclassification or PMA for our Thermometers should we apply for the necessary regulatory approval or clearance.  

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Even if our Thermometers are cleared or approved by the FDA, modifications to our Thermometers may require new regulatory clearances or approvals, or may require us to recall or cease marketing it until the necessary clearances or approvals are obtained.

 

Any modifications to our Thermometers following marketing authorization in the United States, if any, may require new regulatory approvals or clearances such as 510(k) clearances or premarket approvals, or require us to recall or cease marketing the modified devices until these clearances or approvals are obtained. Any modification to a 510(k)-cleared device that could significantly affect its safety or efficacy, or that would constitute a major change in its intended use, requires a new 510(k) clearance or, possibly, a PMA. The FDA requires device manufacturers to initially make and document a determination of whether or not a modification requires a new approval, supplement or clearance. A manufacturer may determine that a modification could not significantly affect safety or efficacy and does not represent a major change in its intended use, so that no new 510(k) clearance is necessary. However, the FDA can review a manufacturer’s decision and may disagree. The FDA may also on its own initiative determine that a new clearance or approval is required. We may make modifications to our Thermometers in the future that we believe do not or will not require additional clearances or approvals. Further, our products could be subject to recall if we or the FDA determines, for any reason, that our products are not safe or effective or do not otherwise comply with regulatory requirements. Any recall or FDA requirement that we seek additional approvals or clearances could result in significant delays, fines, increased costs associated with modification of a product, loss of revenue, enforcement actions and potential operating restrictions imposed by the FDA.

Our Thermometers or Hand Sanitizers may in the future be subject to product recalls that could harm our reputation, business and financial results.

 

The FDA and similar foreign governmental authorities have the authority to require the recall of certain commercialized products in the event of material deficiencies or defects in design or manufacture or a public health/safety issue. In the case of the FDA's authority to require a recall must be based on an FDA finding that there is a reasonable probability that the device would cause serious adverse health consequences or death. We may also choose to voluntarily recall a drug or device. A government-mandated or voluntary recall by us or one of our distributors could occur as a result of component failures, manufacturing errors, design or labeling defects or other deficiencies and issues. Once marketed, recalls of any of our products, including our Thermometers or Hand Sanitizers, would divert managerial and financial resources and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. FDA requires that certain classifications of medical device recalls be reported to the FDA within 10 working days after the recall is initiated. Companies are required to make a report to the FDA of any correction or removal of a medical device if the correction or removal was initiated to reduce a risk to health posed by the device or to remedy a violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act caused by the Thermometers or Hand Sanitizers which may present a risk to health. Even if the voluntary recalls are not reportable to FDA, companies are required to maintain certain records of recalls. We may initiate voluntary recalls involving our products in the future that we determine do not require us to notify the FDA. If the FDA disagrees with our determinations, they could require us to report those actions as recalls. A future recall announcement could harm our reputation with customers and negatively affect our sales. In addition, the FDA could take enforcement action against us based on our failure conduct or report the recalls when they were conducted.

Competing forms of health products designed to support skin and wound sanitizing may be more desirable to consumers or may make our products obsolete.

 

There are currently many different consumer health products designed for skin and wound sanitizing that are being marketed to our potential customers. Further development of any of these types of products may lead to advancements in technology that may make our Hand Sanitizers obsolete. Consumers may prefer alternative products. We cannot guarantee that consumer health products designed for skin and wound sanitizing who will be purchasing our product will continue to grow within the industry as a whole. Any developments that contribute to the obsolescence of our products may substantially impact our business reducing our ability to commence or sustain generating revenues.

We are subject to foreign currency fluctuations, which could adversely affect our financial results.

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We are exposed to the financial risk related to the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates and the degrees of volatility of those rates. Currency risk relates to the portion of our business transactions denominated in currencies other than the Canadian dollar.

During Fiscal 2020, approximately 35% of our revenues were in U.S. dollars, and the majority of our expenses, including the purchase of raw materials, were in U.S. dollars. If the values of foreign currencies including the United States dollar and Euro fluctuate significantly more than expected in the foreign exchange markets, our operating results and financial condition may be adversely affected.

We must successfully maintain and/or upgrade our information technology systems, and our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We rely on various information technology systems to manage our operations. Over the last several years, we have implemented, and we continue to implement, modifications and upgrades to such systems, including changes to legacy systems, replacing legacy systems with successor systems with new functionality, and acquiring new systems with new functionality. These types of activities subject us to inherent costs and risks associated with replacing and changing these systems, including impairment of our ability to fulfill customer orders, potential disruption of our internal control structure, substantial capital expenditures, additional administration and operating expenses, retention of sufficiently skilled personnel to implement and operate the new systems, demands on management time and other risks and costs of delays or difficulties in transitioning to or integrating new systems into our current systems. These implementations, modifications, and upgrades may not result in productivity improvements at a level that outweighs the costs of implementation, or at all. In addition, the difficulties with implementing new technology systems may cause disruptions in our business operations and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

We may be exposed to risks and costs associated with security breaches, data loss, credit card fraud and identity theft that could cause us to incur unexpected expenses and loss of revenue as well as other risks.

The protection of customer, employee, suppliers and other business data is critical to us. Federal, state, provincial and international laws and regulations govern the collection, retention, sharing, and security of data that we receive from and about our employees, customers and suppliers. The regulatory environment surrounding information security and privacy has been increasingly demanding in recent years and may see the imposition of new and additional requirements by provincial, state, and federal governments as well as foreign jurisdictions in which we do business. Compliance with these requirements may result in cost increases due to necessary systems changes and the development of new processes to meet these requirements by us. In addition, customers have a high expectation that we will adequately protect their personal information. If we or our service providers fail to comply with these laws and regulations, or experience a significant breach of customer, employee, supplier or other company data, our reputation could be damaged and result in an increase in service charges, suspension of service, lost sales, fines or lawsuits.

The use of credit payment systems makes us more susceptible to a risk of loss in connection with these issues, particularly with respect to an external security breach of customer information controlled by us, or by third parties under arrangements with us (including those with whom we have strategic alliances). A portion of our sales require the collection of certain customer data, such as credit card information. In order for our sales channel to function, we and other parties involved in processing customer transactions must be able to transmit confidential information, including credit card information, securely over public networks. In the event of a security breach, theft, leakage, accidental release or other illegal activity with respect to employee, customer, supplier or other company data, we could become subject to various claims, including those arising out of thefts and fraudulent transactions, and may also result in the suspension of credit card services. This could cause consumers to lose confidence in our security measures, harm our reputation as well as divert management attention, and expose us to potentially unreserved claims and litigation. Any loss in connection with these types of claims could be substantial. In addition, if our electronic payment systems are damaged or cease to function properly, we may have to make significant investments to fix or replace them, and we may suffer interruptions in our operations in the interim. In addition, we are reliant on these systems, not only to protect the security of the information stored, but also to appropriately track and record data. Any failures or inadequacies in these systems could expose us to significant unreserved losses, which could materially and

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adversely affect our earnings and the market price of securities. Our brand reputation would likely be damaged as well.

If we fail to comply with data protection laws in the U.S. and abroad, we may be subject to fines, penalties and other costs.

Recently, there has been heightened regulatory and enforcement focus on data protection in the U.S. (at both the state and federal level) and abroad, and an actual or alleged failure to comply with applicable U.S. or foreign data protection regulations or other data protection standards may expose us to litigation (including, in some instances, class action litigation), fines, sanctions or other penalties, which could harm our reputation and adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. This regulatory environment is increasingly challenging and may present material obligations and risks to our business, including significantly expanded compliance burdens, costs and enforcement risks. For example, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which became effective in May 2018, greatly increases the jurisdictional reach of EU law and adds a broad array of requirements related to personal data, including individual notice and opt-out preferences and the public disclosure of significant data breaches. Additionally, violations of the GDPR can result in fines of as much as 4% of a company’s annual revenue. Other governments have enacted or are enacting similar data protection laws, including data localization laws that require data to stay within their borders. Beginning in 2020, we will also be required to comply with certain additional requirements under the California Consumer Privacy Act. All of these evolving compliance and operational requirements, as well as the uncertain interpretation and enforcement of laws, impose significant costs and regulatory risks that are likely to increase over time. Our failure to comply with these evolving regulations could expose us to fines, penalties and other costs that could adversely impact our financial results

Increasing awareness of health and wellness are driving changes in the consumer products industry, and if we are unable to react in a timely and cost-effective manner, our results of operations and future growth may be adversely affected.

We must continually anticipate and react, in a timely and cost-effective manner, to changes in consumer preferences and demands, including changes in demand driven by increasing awareness of health and wellness and demands for transparency or cleaner labels with respect to product ingredients by consumers and regulators. Consumers, especially in developed economies such as the U.S. and Canada, are rapidly shifting away from products containing artificial ingredients to all-natural, healthier alternatives. In addition, there has been a growing demand by consumers, non-governmental organizations and, to a lesser extent, governmental agencies to provide more transparency in product labeling and our customers have been taking steps to address this demand, including by voluntarily providing product-specific ingredients disclosure. These two trends could affect the types and volumes of our ingredients and compounds that our customers include in their consumer product offerings and, therefore, affect the demand for our products. If we are unable to react to or anticipate these trends in a timely and cost-effective manner, our results of operations and future growth may be adversely affected

We are required to make estimates and assumptions in the preparation of our financial statements.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, as provided in the notes accompanying its financial statements, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities, equity, revenue and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. The Company’s operating results may be adversely affected if the assumptions change or if actual circumstances differ from those in the assumptions, which could cause the Company’s operating results to fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors, resulting in a decline in the share price of the Company. Critical judgments in applying accounting policies that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognized in the consolidated financial statements include the following: assessing the recognition of contingent liabilities, which requires judgment in evaluating whether there is a probable outflow of economic benefits that will be required to settle matters subject to litigation, assessing if performance criteria on options and DSU will be achieved in measuring the stock-based compensation expense, assessing the fair value of services rendered in exchange of warrants, assessing the recognition period to be used in recording stock-based compensation that is based on market and non-market conditions, as well as bonuses that are based on achievement of market capitalization targets, and assessing the criteria for recognition of tax assets. Assumptions and estimation uncertainties that have a significant risk of resulting in a

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material adjustment within the next financial year include the following: estimating the recoverable amount of non-financial assets, estimating the fair value of bonus and options that are based on market and non-market conditions, estimating the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and consideration transferred of the acquired business, including the related contingent consideration, and estimating the litigation provision as it depends upon the outcome of proceedings.

We are subject to taxation in multiple jurisdictions, and changes in taxation may impact our earnings.

The Company will operate and will be subject to income tax and other forms of taxation (which are not based upon income) in multiple tax jurisdictions. Taxation laws and rates which determine taxation expenses may vary significantly in different jurisdictions, and legislation governing taxation laws and rates is also subject to change. Therefore, the Company’s earnings may be impacted by changes in the proportion of earnings taxed in different jurisdictions, changes in taxation rates, changes in estimates of liabilities and changes in the amount of other forms of taxation. The Company may have exposure to greater than anticipated tax liabilities or expenses. The Company will be subject to income taxes and non- income taxes in a variety of jurisdictions and its tax structure is subject to review by both domestic and foreign taxation authorities and the determination of the Company’s provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities will require significant judgment.

We are subject to anti-money laundering laws and regulations in multiple jurisdictions, which include restrictions on cannabis-related businesses.

The Corporation will be subject to a variety of laws and regulations domestically and in the United States that involve money laundering, financial recordkeeping and proceeds of crime, including the U.S. Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970 (commonly known as the Bank Secrecy Act), as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (Canada), the Criminal Code (Canada), as amended and the rules and regulations thereunder, and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by governmental authorities in the United States and Canada.

In February 2014, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FCEN”) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a memorandum providing instructions to banks seeking to provide services to marijuana related businesses (the “FCEN Memo”). The FCEN Memo states that in some circumstances, it may not be appropriate to prosecute banks that provide services to marijuana-related businesses for violations of federal money laundering laws. It refers to supplementary guidance that Deputy Attorney General Cole issued to federal prosecutors relating to the prosecution of money laundering offenses predicated on cannabis-related violations of the CSA. It is unclear at this time whether the current administration will follow the guidelines of the FCEN Memo. Under U.S. federal law, banks, or other financial institutions that provide a cannabis-related business with a checking account, debit or credit card, small business loan, or any other service could be found guilty of money laundering, aiding, and abetting, or conspiracy.

If any of the Corporation’s investments, or any proceeds thereof, any dividends or distributions therefrom, or any profits or revenues accruing from such investments in the United States or Canada were found to be in violation of money laundering legislation or otherwise, such transactions may be viewed as proceeds of crime under one or more of the statutes noted above or any other applicable legislation. This could restrict or otherwise jeopardize the ability of the Corporation to declare or pay dividends, effect other distributions or subsequently repatriate such funds back to Canada. Furthermore, while the Corporation has no current intention to declare or pay dividends on its Common Shares in the foreseeable future, the Corporation may decide or be required to suspend declaring or paying dividends without advance notice and for an indefinite period of time.

Laws in the United States may make it difficult for us to open bank accounts for our business.

Since the production and possession of cannabis is currently illegal under U.S. federal law, it is possible that banks may refuse to open bank accounts for the deposit of funds from businesses involved with the cannabis industry. Similarly, because the 2018 Farm Bill has not yet been fully implemented; the Corporation relies on exemptions promulgated pursuant to the 2014 Farm Bill; and the FDA continues to assert that CBD cannot be added to food or dietary supplements, it is possible that banks may refuse to open bank accounts for the deposit of funds related to the Corporation’s hemp operations. The inability to open bank accounts with certain institutions could materially and adversely affect the business of the Corporation.

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We are party to and may become party to future litigation and regulatory proceedings.

We are party to existing litigation cases and could become party to litigation from time to time in the ordinary course of business, which could adversly affect our business. Should any litigation in which Neptune is or becomes involved be decided against us, such a decision could adversely affect our ability to continue operating and the market price for the Common Shares and could require the use of significant resources. Even if Neptune is involved in litigation and is successful, litigation can redirect significant company resources and attention away from our business and may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, financial performance or financial prospects.

Moreover, from time to time, the Company may be a party to legal and regulatory proceedings, including matters involving governmental agencies, entities with whom it does business and other proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. The Company will evaluate its exposure to these legal and regulatory proceedings and establish reserves for the estimated liabilities in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Assessing and predicting the outcome of these matters involves substantial uncertainties. Unexpected outcomes in these legal proceedings, or changes in management’s evaluations or predictions and accompanying changes in established reserves, could have an adverse impact on the Company’s financial results.

Significant uncertainty remains with respect to the future impact of COVID-19 on our business.

Depending on the duration and severity of the current COVID-19 pandemic, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks in this AIF, such as risks relating to the successful completion of our growth and expansion projects, including our ability to obtain regulatory approvals on the expected timelines or at all; our ability to maintain adequate internal controls in the event that our employees are restricted from accessing our regular offices for a significant period of time; and restricted access to capital and increased borrowing costs.

Catastrophic events outside of our control, including pandemics, may harm our results of operations or damage our facilities.

A catastrophic event where we have our operations, offices or manufacturing facilities, such as an earthquake, tsunami, flood, typhoon, fire, power disruption or other natural or manmade disaster, computer virus, cyber attack, terrorist attack, war, riot, civil unrest or other conflict, or an outbreak of a public health crisis including epidemics, pandemics (such as COVID-19) or outbreaks of new infectious diseases or viruses, as well as related events that can result in volatility and disruption to global supply chains, operations, mobility of people, patterns of consumption and service, and the financial markets. A catastrophic event where Neptune has important operations could disrupt the Corporation’s operations or those of its contractorsa nd impair production or distribution of its products, damage inventory, interrupt critical functions or otherwise negatively affect its business, harming Neptune’s results of operations.

We may be negatively impacted by the value of our intangible assets.

We are required to review the carrying value of our intangible assets for impairment annually or when events change. Intangible assets include net book value of product rights, trademarks and process know-how covered by certain patented and non-patented information. Management reviews the carrying value based on projected future results. If events such as generic competition or inability to manufacture or obtain supply of product occur that may cause sales of the related products to decline, we adjust the projected results accordingly. Any impairment in the carrying value results in a write-down of the intangible asset that is charged to income during the period in which the impairment is determined. Any write-down of intangible assets may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period in which the write-down occurs.

Our commercial success depends, in part, on our intellectual property rights.

Our success depends in part on our ability to develop products, obtain patents, protect our trade secrets and operate without infringing third-party exclusive rights or without others infringing our exclusive rights or those granted to us under licence. The patent position of a corporation is generally uncertain and involves complex legal, factual and scientific issues, several of which remain unresolved. We do not know whether we will be able to develop other patentable proprietary technology and/or products. Furthermore, we cannot be completely certain that our future patents, if any, will provide a definitive and competitive advantage or afford protection against competitors with similar technology. Furthermore, we cannot give any assurance that such patents will not be challenged or

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circumvented by others using alternative technology or whether existing third-party patents will prevent us from marketing our products. In addition, competitors or potential competitors may independently develop, or have independently developed products as effective as ours or invent or have invented other products based on our patented products.

If third-party licences are required, we may not be able to obtain them, or if obtainable, they may not be available on reasonable terms. Furthermore, we could develop or obtain alternative technologies related to third-party patents that may inadvertently cover its products. Inability to obtain such licences or alternative technologies could delay the market launch of certain of our products, or even prevent us from developing, manufacturing or selling certain products. In addition, we could incur significant costs in defending ourselves in patent infringement proceedings initiated against us or in bringing infringement proceedings against others.

In some cases, we cannot determine with any certainty whether we have priority of invention in relation to any new product or new process covered by a patent application or if we were the first to file a patent application for any such new invention. Furthermore, in the event of patent litigation there can be no assurance that our patents would be held valid or enforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction or that a court would rule that the competitor’s products or technologies constitute patent infringement.

Moreover, part of our technological know-how constitutes trade secrets. We require that our employees, consultants, advisers and collaborators sign confidentiality agreements. However, these agreements may not provide adequate protection in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of our trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information.

Claims that our technology or products infringe on intellectual property rights of others could be costly to defend or settle, could cause reputational injury and would divert the attention of our management and key personnel, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

A failure by us to protect our intellectual property may have a material adverse effect on our ability to develop and commercialize our products.

We will be able to protect our intellectual property rights from unauthorized use by third parties only to the extent that our intellectual property rights are covered and protected by valid and enforceable patents or are effectively maintained as trade secrets. We try to protect our intellectual property position by, among other things, filing patent applications related to our proprietary technologies, inventions and improvements that are important to the development of our business. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) released a policy on May 2, 2019 clarifying that, with certain exceptions, USPTO will accept applications for trademarks for products that meet the definition of hemp. It is possible that USTPO changes this policy or later takes the position that the current policy does not apply to the Corporation’s products. Accordingly, there is risk certain intellectual property may not be afforded trademark protection. The inability to protect intellectual property could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, and financial condition.

Because the patent position of companies involves complex legal and factual questions, the issuance, scope, validity, and enforceability of patents cannot be predicted with certainty. Patents, if issued, may be challenged, invalidated, reexamined or circumvented. If our patents are invalidated or found to be unenforceable, we would lose the ability to exclude others from making, using or selling the inventions claimed. Moreover, an issued patent does not guarantee us the right to use the patented technology or commercialize a product using that technology. Third parties may have blocking patents that could be used to prevent us from developing our product candidates, selling our products or commercializing our patented technology. As a result, patents that we own may not allow us to exploit the rights conferred by our intellectual property protection.

We also rely on trade secrets, know-how and technology, which are not protected by patents, to maintain our competitive position. We try to protect this information by entering into confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to such confidential information, such as our current and prospective suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, commercial partners, employees and consultants. Any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose confidential information to our competitors. It is possible that a competitor will make unauthorized use of such information, and that our competitive position could be disadvantaged.

Enforcing a claim that a third party infringes on, or is using, an illegally obtained intellectual property right, including a trade secret or know-how, is expensive and time-consuming and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition,

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enforcing such a claim could divert management’s attention from our business. If any intellectual property right was to be infringed by, disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor, our competitive position could be harmed. Any adverse outcome of such litigation or settlement of such a dispute could subject us to significant liabilities, could put one or more of our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly, could put one or more of our pending patent applications at risk of not issuing, or could facilitate the entry of generic products. Any such litigation could also divert our research, technical and management personnel from their normal responsibilities.

Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation. For example, confidential information may be disclosed, inadvertently or as ordered by the court, in the form of documents or testimony in connection with discovery requests, depositions or trial testimony. This disclosure would provide our competitors with access to our proprietary information and may harm our competitive position.

We are subject to risks inherent to the nutraceutical industry.

In December 2006, the U.S. Congress passed legislation requiring companies that manufacture or distribute dietary supplements to report serious adverse events allegedly associated with their products to the U.S. FDA and institute recordkeeping procedures for all alleged adverse events (serious and non-serious). The legislation requires manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements to report to the U.S. FDA any serious adverse event reports received, even if the party making the report provides no medical or other information to the manufacturer or distributor. There is a risk that consumers, the press or government regulators could misinterpret adverse event reports as evidence of causation by the ingredient or product complained of, which could lead to consumer confusion, damage to our reputation, banned or recalled ingredients or products, increased insurance costs, class action litigation and a potential increase in product liability litigation, among other things. Distribution of our products outside Canada and the United States is also subject to comprehensive government regulation. Regulations, specifically requirements in respect of product releases on the market and the time involved in respect of regulatory assessment and the sanctions imposed in the event of infringement vary from country to country. No assurance can be given that we will obtain the requisite approvals in the relevant countries or that we will not incur significant expense in obtaining regulatory approvals or maintaining them in effect. In addition, on February 11, 2019, the FDA announced that it intends to modernize its laws and regulations governing dietary supplements. Any such changes may have a material effect on the Corporation.

We are heavily dependent on the export of products to the United States. The U.S. FDA is able to block the import entry of any product that “appears” to violate U.S. law, which represents a low evidentiary standard for the U.S. FDA. Future changes in U.S. requirements and interpretations of those requirements, coupled with the “appears” to violate the law standard for refusing entry of imported products, increases the possibility that our products may not have full access to the U.S. market and poses additional risks to our business.

Our inability to maintain our regulatory approvals and permits could adversely affect our business and financial results.

The Corporation is required to obtain and maintain certain federal and state permits, licenses and approvals in the jurisdictions where its products are manufactured and/or sold. There can be no assurance that the Corporation will be able to obtain or maintain necessary licenses, permits or approvals. Any material delay or inability to receive these items is likely to delay and/or inhibit the Corporation’s ability to conduct its business, and would have an adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Associated with a Change in U.S. Administrations.

The United States presidential election will occur in November 2020. This upcoming election creates political uncertainty as to the position the United States will take with respect to world affairs and events. This uncertainty may include issues such as enforcement of the U.S. federal laws. Implementation by the U.S. of new legislative or regulatory regimes could impose additional costs on the Corporation, decrease U.S. demand for the Corporation’s products or otherwise negatively impact the Corporation, which may have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s business, financial condition and operations.

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Risks Related to the Cannabis Industry

Limited standardized research on the effect of cannabis.

To date, there is limited standardization in the research of the effects of cannabis, and future clinical research studies may lead to conclusions that dispute or conflict with our understanding and belief regarding the medical benefits, viability, safety, efficacy, dosing and social acceptance of cannabis.

Research in Canada, the United States and internationally regarding the medical benefits, viability, safety, efficacy and dosing of cannabis or isolated cannabinoids (such as CBD and THC) remains in relatively early stages.

Future research and clinical trials may draw opposing conclusions to statements in this prospectus or could reach different or negative conclusions regarding the medical benefits, viability, safety, efficacy, dosing or other facts and perceptions related to cannabis, which could adversely affect social acceptance of cannabis and the demand for our products.

The cannabis industry and market are relatively new in Canada, and this industry and market may not continue to exist or develop as anticipated or we may ultimately be unable to succeed in this industry and market.

As a license holder authorized to process cannabis, we will be operating our business in a relatively new industry and market, and our success in the cannabis market will depend in part on our ability to attract and retain customers. In addition to being subject to general business risks applicable to a business involving an agricultural product and a regulated consumer product, we will need to make significant investments in our business strategy. These investments include the procurement of high value raw material, extraction equipment, site improvements and research and development projects. We expect that competitors will undertake similar investments to compete with us. Competitive conditions, consumer preferences, customer requirements and spending patterns in this industry and market are relatively unknown and may have unique circumstances that differ from other existing industries and markets and cause our future efforts to develop our business to be unsuccessful or to have undesired consequences for us. As a result, we may not be successful in our efforts to attract customers or to develop new cannabis products and produce and distribute these cannabis products, or these activities may require significantly more resources than we currently anticipate in order to be successful.

We will compete for market share with other companies licensed by Health Canada, some of which may have longer operating histories and more financial resources and manufacturing and marketing experience than we have.

As a holder of a license for standard processing, we expect to face competition from license holders and other potential competitors which may have longer operating histories and more financial resources and manufacturing and marketing experience than we have. In addition, it is possible that the cannabis industry will undergo consolidation, creating larger companies with financial resources, manufacturing and marketing capabilities and product offerings much greater than ours. As a result of this competition, we may be unable to develop our operations as currently proposed, on terms we consider acceptable, or at all.

There are currently a significant number of applications for cannabis licenses being processed by Health Canada. The number of licenses granted and the number of license holders ultimately authorized by Health Canada could have an adverse impact on our ability to compete for market share in Canada’s cannabis industry. We expect to face competition from new market entrants that are granted licenses under the Cannabis Act or existing license holders that are not yet active in the industry. If a significant number of new licenses are granted by Health Canada, we expect increased competition for market share and the competition may place downward price pressure on cannabis products as new entrants may increase extraction, purification and formulation capacity.

As a holder of a license for standard processing, we may also face competition from unlicensed and unregulated market participants, including individuals or groups that are able to process cannabis without a license and illegal dispensaries and black-market participants selling cannabis and cannabis-based products in Canada. These competitors may be able to offer products with higher concentrations of active ingredients than we may be authorized to produce and sell and using delivery methods, including edibles, concentrates and vaporizers, that we will be prohibited from currently offering to individuals in Canada. The competition presented by these participants, and any unwillingness by consumers currently utilizing these unlicensed distribution channels to begin purchasing from license holders for any reason, or any inability of law enforcement authorities to enforce existing laws prohibiting the unlicensed cultivation and sale of cannabis and cannabis-based products, could adversely affect the licit cannabis

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market, result in increased competition through the black market for cannabis, or may have an adverse impact on the public perception of cannabis use and licensed cannabis producers.

In addition, the Cannabis Act permits consumers in Canada to produce a limited amount of cannabis for their own medical or adult recreational purposes or to designate a person to produce a limited amount of cannabis on their behalf for medical purposes. Widespread reliance upon this allowance could reduce the current or future consumer demand for cannabis from license holders.

If the number of users of cannabis in Canada increases, the demand for products will increase. This could result in the competition in the cannabis industry becoming more intense as current and future competitors begin to offer an increasing number of diversified cannabis products. Conversely, if there is a contraction in the market for cannabis in Canada, competition for market share may increase. To remain competitive, we intend to invest in research and development; however, we may not have sufficient resources to establish research and development efforts on a competitive basis.

Our activities and resources in the Canadian cannabis industry rely on a single facility.

To date, our activities and resources in the Canadian cannabis industry have been primarily focused on our facility located in Sherbrooke, Québec, and we will continue to focus on such facility for the foreseeable future. Adverse changes or developments affecting this facility could have a material and adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

We may be unable to attract or retain key personnel with sufficient experience in the cannabis industry, and we may be unable to attract, develop and retain additional employees required for our development and future success.

Our success will be largely dependent on the performance of our management team and certain employees and our continuing ability to attract, develop, motivate and retain highly qualified and skilled employees. Qualified individuals are in high demand, and we may incur significant costs to attract and retain them. The loss of the services of any key personnel, or an inability to attract other suitably qualified persons when needed, could prevent us from executing on our business plan and strategy, and we may be unable to find adequate replacements on a timely basis, or at all.

Each director and officer of a company that holds a license is subject to the requirement to obtain and maintain a security clearance from Health Canada. Under the Cannabis Act, certain additional key personnel are required to obtain and maintain a security clearance. Under the Cannabis Act, a security clearance cannot be valid for more than five years and must be renewed before the expiry of a current security clearance. There is no assurance that any of our existing personnel who presently or may in the future require a security clearance will be able to obtain or renew such clearances or that new personnel who require a security clearance will be able to obtain one. A failure by an individual in a key operational position to maintain or renew his or her security clearance could result in a reduction or complete suspension of our operations. In addition, if an individual in a key operational position leaves us, and we are unable to find a suitable replacement who is able to obtain a security clearance in a timely manner, or at all, we may not be able to conduct our operations at planned production volume levels or at all.

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Unfavorable publicity or consumer perception regarding the cannabis industry could decrease demand for our products and adversely impact our operating results.

We believe the cannabis industry is highly dependent upon consumer perception regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of cannabis and related products distributed to such consumers. Consumer perception of our products can be significantly influenced by scientific research or findings, regulatory investigations, litigation, media attention and other publicity regarding the consumption of cannabis products. There can be no assurance that future scientific research, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other research findings or publicity will be favourable to the cannabis market or any particular product, or consistent with earlier publicity. Future research reports, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other publicity that are perceived as less favourable than, or that question, earlier research reports, findings or publicity could have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products and the business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows of the Corporation. Our dependence upon consumer perceptions means that adverse scientific research reports, findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or other publicity, whether or not accurate or with merit, could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation, the demand for our products, and the business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows of the Corporation.

Further, adverse publicity reports or other media attention regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of cannabis and related products in general, or our products specifically, or associating the consumption of cannabis or related products with illness or other negative effects or events, could have such a material adverse effect. Such adverse publicity reports or other media attention could arise even if the adverse effects associated with such products resulted from consumers’ failure to consume such products appropriately or as directed. The increased usage of social media and other web-based tools used to generate, publish and discuss user-generated content and to connect with other users has made it increasingly easier for individuals and groups to communicate and share opinions and views in regard to the Corporation and our activities, whether true or not. Although we believe that we operate in a manner that is respectful to all stakeholders and that we take care in protecting our image and reputation, we do not ultimately have direct control over how it is perceived by others. Reputational loss may result in decreased investor confidence, increased challenges in developing and maintaining community relations and an impediment to our overall ability to advance our projects, thereby having a material adverse impact on our financial performance, financial condition, cash flows and growth prospects.

We are subject to risks inherent to suppliers in an agricultural business, including the risk of crop failure.

Cannabis is an agricultural product. As such, its supply is subject to the risks inherent in the agricultural business, including risks of crop failure presented by weather, insects, plant diseases, and similar agricultural risks. There can be no assurance that natural elements, such as insects and plant diseases, will not interrupt production activities with our suppliers and partners and have an adverse effect on our business.

We rely on third parties for our supply of cannabis.

We do not cultivate cannabis to supply ourselves with cannabis leaves, flowers and trim to operate our extraction business. We currently obtain cannabis from third parties in amounts sufficient to operate our extraction business. However, there can be no assurance that there will continue to be a supply of cannabis available for us to process or purchase a sufficient amount of cannabis to operate our business. Additionally, the price of cannabis may rise which would increase our cost of goods. If we are unable to acquire the cannabis required to operate our extraction business or if the price of cannabis increases, it could have a material adverse impact on our business, our financial condition and results from operations.

If any of our key suppliers fails to provide inputs meeting our quality standards, we may need to source cannabis, equipment or other inputs from other suppliers, which may result in additional costs and delay in the delivery of our products and services to our clients. There is no assurance that our suppliers will be able to supply and deliver the required materials to us in a timely manner or that the materials they will not be defective or substandard. Any delay in the delivery of materials, or any defect in the materials, supplied to the Corporation may materially and adversely affect or delay its production schedule and affect its product quality. If we cannot secure materials of similar quality and at reasonable prices from alternative suppliers in a timely manner, or at all, we may not be able to deliver its products to our clients on time with required quality. The Corporation’s suppliers, service providers and distributors may elect, at any time, to breach or otherwise cease to participate in supply, service or distribution agreements, or other relationships, upon which our operations rely. Loss of its suppliers, service providers or distributors would have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s business and operational results.

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We may not be able to transport our cannabis products to customers in a safe and efficient manner.

We will depend on fast and efficient third-party transportation services to distribute our cannabis products. Any prolonged disruption of third-party transportation services could have a material adverse effect on our sales volumes or our end users’ satisfaction with our services. Rising costs associated with third-party transportation services used by us to ship our products may also adversely impact our profitability, and more generally our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The security of products during transportation will be of the utmost concern. A breach of security during transport or delivery could result in the loss of high-value product. A failure to take steps necessary to ensure the safekeeping of cannabis could also have an impact on our ability to operate under our license(s), to renew or receive amendments to such licenses, or to receive required new licenses.

Our cannabis products may be subject to recalls for a variety of reasons, which could require us to expend significant management and capital resources.

Manufacturers and distributors of products are sometimes subject to the recall or return of their products for a variety of reasons, including product defects, such as contamination, adulteration, unintended harmful side effects or interactions with other substances, packaging safety and inadequate or inaccurate labeling disclosure. If any of the cannabis products produced by us are recalled due to an alleged product defect or for any other reason, we could be required to incur the unexpected expense of the recall and any legal proceedings that might arise in connection with the recall. As a result of any such recall, we may lose a significant amount of sales and may not be able to replace those sales at an acceptable margin or at all. In addition, a product recall may require significant management attention or damage our reputation and goodwill or that of our products or brands.

 

Additionally, product recalls may lead to increased scrutiny of our operations by Health Canada, requiring further management attention, increased compliance costs and potential legal fees, fines, penalties and other expenses. Any product recall affecting the cannabis industry more broadly, whether or not involving us, could also lead consumers to lose confidence in the safety and security of the products sold by license holders generally.

The tax burden related to our expected cannabis and hemp-related activities is still uncertain.

Tax regimes, including excise taxes and sales taxes, can disproportionately affect the price of our products, or disproportionately affect the relative price of our products versus other cannabis and hemp-based products. Because our expected products are targeted at the premium cannabis market, tax regimes based on sales price can place us at a competitive disadvantage in certain price-sensitive markets. As a result, our volume and profitability may be adversely affected in these markets.

Additionally, the Corporation may incur significant tax liabilities if the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) continues to determine that certain expenses of businesses working with the cannabis plant are not permitted tax deductions under section 280E of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Code”). Section 280E of the Code prohibits businesses from deducting certain expenses associated with trafficking controlled substances (within the meaning of Schedule I and II of the CSA). The IRS has invoked section 280E of the Code in tax audits against various cannabis businesses in the U.S. that are permitted under applicable state laws. Although the IRS issued a clarification allowing the deduction of certain expenses, the scope of such items is interpreted very narrowly, and the bulk of operating costs and general administrative costs are not permitted to be deducted. While there are currently several pending cases before various administrative and federal courts challenging these restrictions, there is no guarantee that these courts will issue an interpretation of section 280E of the Code favorable to cannabis businesses.

Canadian Regulatory Risks

We must comply with requirements for licenses and permits in Canada and the failure to maintain these could adversely affect our operations.

Certain operations of the Corporation require it to obtain licenses for the production and distribution of cannabis products, and in some cases, renewals of existing licenses from, and the issuance of permits by Health Canada. The Corporation believes that it currently holds or has applied for all necessary licenses and permits to carry on the activities which it is currently conducting under applicable laws and regulations. In addition, the Corporation will apply for, as the need arises, all necessary licenses and permits to carry on the activities it expects to conduct in the

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future. However, the ability of the Corporation to obtain, sustain or renew any such licenses and permits on acceptable terms, or at all, is subject to changes in regulations and policies and to the sole discretion of the applicable authorities or other governmental agencies. Any loss of interest in any such required license or permit, or the failure of any governmental authority to issue or renew such licenses or permits upon acceptable terms, or at all, would have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, and results of the operations of the Corporation.

As a holder of a license for standard processing, we will be subject to ongoing inspections by Health Canada to monitor our compliance with its licensing requirements. Our license(s) that we obtained, or may in the future obtain, in Canada may be revoked or restricted at any time in the event that we are found not to be in compliance. Should we fail to comply with the applicable regulatory requirements or with conditions set out under our license(s), should our license(s) not be renewed when required, or be renewed on different terms, or should our license(s) be revoked, we may not be able to produce, process or distribute cannabis products.

We operate in Canada out of our existing facility located in Sherbrooke, Québec, which is required to comply with Health Canada requirements. Our facility is therefore subject to the adherence of ongoing standards and thresholds in order to maintain the appropriate certificate. Although the Corporation believes it will continue to meet such ongoing requirements, there is no guarantee that the required certification will be maintained. Any loss in certification would have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, and results of the operations of the Corporation.

Our current license with Health Canada expires on January 4, 2022. Prior to the expiration, we must submit to Health Canada an application for renewal of such license. There can be no assurance that we will be able to renew our existing license and any failure to renew such license would have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and operating results.

The adult use cannabis industry and regulations governing the industry are still developing.

Cannabis for adult use only became legal in Canada in late 2018. As a result, the industry and the regulations governing the industry are rapidly developing. If they develop in ways that differ from the Corporation’s expectations, the business and results of operations may be adversely impacted.

In addition, regulations are continuing to be developed for different aspects of the adult-use cannabis industry in Canada. On October 17, 2019, amendments to the Cannabis Regulations came into force which introduced a regulatory regime for three new classes of cannabis products: edibles containing cannabis, topicals containing cannabis and cannabis extracts. The regulations and market for such products and adult recreational-use cannabis generally may not develop, or may not develop as the Corporation expects or on the timeline that is expected, which could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s business and results of operations.

Further, certain jurisdictions have announced that not all classes will be immediately available for sale. Québec and Newfoundland & Labrador have announced that vaping products will not be immediately available for sale. Québec has also introduced restrictions on the sale of most categories of edible products. Such restrictions or new restrictions in other jurisdictions may have an adverse impact on the Corporation’s business and operations.

We may not able to comply with changes to the provincial and territorial regulatory frameworks.

While the Cannabis Act provides for the regulation of the commercial production of cannabis for adult recreational use and related matters by the federal government, the Cannabis Act and includes provisions stipulating that the provinces and territories of Canada have authority to regulate other aspects of adult recreational use cannabis, such as retail sale and distribution, minimum age requirements above that in place under the Cannabis Act, places where cannabis can be consumed, and a range of other matters.

The governments of every Canadian province and territory have implemented regulatory regimes for the distribution, sale and consumption of cannabis for adult recreational use within those jurisdictions. However, these frameworks continue to change and evolve since the legalization of adult use cannabis. For example, in Quebec, more restrictive regulations regarding consumption and minimum age have been enacted, and in other provinces changes to licensing and retail are being contemplated. Such changes may adversely impact the Corporation’s business and operations. Further, there is no guarantee that the current provincial and territorial regulatory regimes will remain in place or unchanged. There is no assurance that the Corporation will be able to comply or continue to comply with applicable existing and new regulations.

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In addition to competition from licensed produsers, we face competition from illegal dispensaries and black market suppliers.

In addition to competition from licensed producers and those able to produce cannabis legally without a license, the Corporation also faces competition from unlicensed and unregulated market participants, including illegal dispensaries and black-market suppliers selling cannabis and cannabis-based products in Canada.

Despite the legalization of medical and adult recreational-use cannabis in Canada, black market operations remain and are a substantial competitor to our business. In addition, illegal dispensaries and black market participants may be able to (i) offer products with higher concentrations of active ingredients that are either expressly prohibited or impracticable to produce under current Canadian regulations, and (ii) use delivery methods that the Corporation is currently prohibited from offering to individuals in Canada, (iii) use marketing and branding strategies that are restricted under the Cannabis Act and Cannabis Regulations, and (iv) make claims not permissible under the Cannabis Act and other regulatory regimes. As these illicit market participants do not comply with the regulations governing the medical and adult-use cannabis industry in Canada, their operations may also have significantly lower costs.

As a result of the competition presented by the black market for cannabis, any unwillingness by consumers currently utilizing these unlicensed distribution channels to begin purchasing from licensed producers for any reason or any inability or unwillingness of law enforcement authorities to enforce laws prohibiting the unlicensed cultivation and sale of cannabis and cannabis-based products could (i) result in the perpetuation of the black market for cannabis, (ii) adversely affect our market share and (iii) adversely impact the public perception of cannabis use and licensed cannabis producers and dealers, all of which would have a materially adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition.

U.S. Regulatory Risks

Changes to state or federal regulation could make it difficult for us to produce and sell our products in the United States.

The 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law on December 20, 2018. The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the CSA and established a federal regulatory framework for hemp production in the United States. Among other provisions, the 2018 Farm Bill: (a) explicitly amends the CSA to exclude all parts of the cannabis plant (including its cannabinoids, derivatives, and extracts) containing a delta-9 THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis from the CSA’s definition of “marihuana”; (b) permits the commercial production and sale of hemp; (c) precludes states, territories, and Indian tribes from prohibiting the interstate transport of lawfully-produced hemp through their borders; and (d) establishes the USDA as the primary federal agency regulating the cultivation of hemp in the United States, while allowing states, territories, and Indian tribes to obtain (or retain) primary regulatory authority over hemp activities within their borders after receiving approval of their proposed hemp production plan from the USDA. Any such plan submitted by a state, territory, or Indian tribe to the USDA must meet or exceed minimum federal standards and receive USDA approval. Any state, territory, or Indian tribe that does not submit a plan to the USDA, or whose plan is not approved by the USDA, will be regulated by the USDA; provided that, states retain the ability to prohibit hemp production within their borders.

Marijuana continues to be classified as a Schedule I substance under the CSA. As a result, any cannabinoids (including CBD) derived from marijuana, as opposed to hemp, or any products derived from hemp containing in excess of 0.3% THC on a dry-weight basis, remain Schedule I substances under U.S. federal law. Cannabinoids derived from hemp are indistinguishable from those derived from marijuana, and confusion surrounding the nature of our products, inconsistent interpretations of the definition of “hemp”, inaccurate or incomplete testing, farming practices and law enforcement vigilance or lack of education could result in our products being intercepted by federal and state law enforcement as marijuana and could interrupt and/or have a material adverse impact on the Corporation’s business. The Corporation could be required to undertake processes that could delay shipments, impede sales or result in seizures, proper or improper, that would be costly to rectify or remove and which could have a material adverse effect on the business, prospects, results of operations or financial condition of the Corporation. If the Corporation mistakes in processing or labeling and THC in excess of 0.3% on a dry-weight basis was found in our products, the

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Corporation could be subject to enforcement and prosecution under local, state, and federal laws which would have a negative impact on the Corporation’s business and operations.

Notwithstanding the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill and the publication of the USDA’s IFR, the 2014 Farm Bill will remain in effect through October 31, 2020. Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable state plan approved by the USDA, a cultivator authorized to cultivate industrial hemp pursuant to the 2014 Farm Bill may continue to do so through October 31, 2020. Under both the 2014 Farm Bill and the 2018 Farm Bill, states have authority to adopt their own regulatory regimes, and as such, regulations will likely continue to vary on a state-by-state basis. States take varying approaches to regulating the production and sale of hemp and hemp-derived products under the 2014 Farm Bill and state food and drug laws. The variance in state law and that state laws governing hemp production are rapidly changing may increase the chance of unfavorable law enforcement interpretation of the legality of our operations. Further, such variance in state laws that may frequently change increases the Corporation’s compliance costs and risk of error.

While some states explicitly authorize and regulate the production and sale of hemp products or otherwise provide legal protection for authorized individuals to engage in commercial hemp activities, other states maintain outdated drug laws that do not distinguish between marijuana, hemp and/or hemp-derived CBD, resulting in hemp being classified as a controlled substance under state law. In these states, sale of CBD, notwithstanding origin, is either restricted to state medical or adult-use marijuana program licensees or remains otherwise unlawful under state criminal laws. Variance in hemp regulation across jurisdictions is likely to persist. This patchwork of state laws may, for the foreseeable future, materially impact the Corporation’s business and financial condition, limit the accessibility of certain state markets, cause confusion amongst regulators, and increase legal and compliance costs.

Unfavorable interpretations of laws governing hemp processing activities could subject us to enforcement or other legal proceedings and limit our business and prospects.

There are no express protections in the United States under applicable federal or state law for possessing or processing hemp biomass derived from lawful hemp not exceeding 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis and intended for use in finished product, but that may temporarily exceed 0.3% THC during the interim processing stages. While it is a common occurrence for hemp biomass to have variance in THC content during interim processing stages after cultivation but prior to use in finished products, there is risk that state or federal regulators or law enforcement could take the position that such hemp biomass is a Schedule I controlled substance in violation of the CSA and similar state laws. Further, there is a risk that North Carolina state regulators and/or law enforcement may interpret provisions of North Carolina law prohibiting unlawful marijuana activity to apply to in-process hemp at our SugarLeaf facility so that such activity is considered unlawful under state law.

In the event that the Corporation’s operations are deemed to violate any laws or if we are deemed to be assisting others to violate a state or federal law, the Corporation could be subject to enforcement actions and penalties, and any resulting liability could cause the Corporation to modify or cease its operations.

Changes to regulatory compliance requirement, including the FDA’s position on CBD and other cannabinoids as Food or Dietary Ingredients, could adversely affect our business prospects and financial results.

The production, labeling and distribution of the Corporation’s products are regulated by various federal, state and local laws and agencies. These laws and regulations change frequently and may restrict the sale of the Corporation’s products in certain states or entirely. In addition, governmental authorities may commence regulatory or legal proceedings, which could restrict the permissible scope of the Corporation’s product claims or the Corporation’s ability to sell its products in the future. The shifting compliance environment and the need to build and maintain robust systems to comply with different regulations in multiple jurisdictions increases the possibility that the Corporation may violate one or more of the requirements. If the Corporation’s operations are found to be in violation of any such laws or any other governmental regulations, the Corporation may be subject to penalties, including, without limitation, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, or the curtailment or restructuring of the Corporation’s operations, any of which could adversely affect the Corporation’s business and financial results.

The 2018 Farm Bill expressly preserves the FDA’s authority to regulate certain products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds under the FD&C Act. Certain provisions of the FD&C Act preclude a substance from being added to a food and prohibit a substance from being marketed as a dietary supplement or dietary ingredient if

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such substance has been approved by the FDA as a new drug, or if such substance has an authorized IND under which substantial clinical investigations have been instituted and the existence of such investigations has been made public. Because CBD is the subject of public drug trials and is in an FDA-approved drug, the FDA takes the position that it is unlawful under the FD&C Act to introduce food containing added CBD into interstate commerce, or to market CBD as, or in, dietary supplements, regardless of whether the substances are hemp-derived. Additionally, the FDA requires any product (including hemp-derived products) intended for use as a drug, to be subject to certain safety standards and approved by the FDA for its intended use before it may be introduced into interstate commerce.

To date, the FDA has been clear in its position, and has consistently repeated its position, through public statements and enforcement. The FDA has enforced its position through warning letters to companies marketing CBD products as dietary supplements, particularly where such marketing includes health and/or medical claims that establish CBD products are intended for use as drugs. State regulatory agencies have enforced similar policies through warning letters, seizures, and, in some cases, more serious legal action. Failure to comply with the FD&C Act and applicable state law may result in, among other things, injunctions, product withdrawals, recalls, product seizures, fines and criminal prosecutions. Further, the Corporation’s advertising is subject to regulation by both the FTC under the Federal Trade Commission Act and the FDA under the FD&C Act and its regulations, and the FTC has taken its own action against companies marketing CBD products with unsubstantiated claims.

While the FDA has focused its enforcement and public statements on CBD products, in its March 5, 2020 public update and report to Congress it acknowledged that some product developers may be marketing “full spectrum” or “broad spectrum” hemp extracts as foods or dietary supplements, rather than CBD isolates. The FDA did not assert that such products that contain CBD as a natural constituent will conclusively be regulated the same way as products marketed as and containing CBD isolate. However, the FDA indicated that it is considering how such products compare to CBD isolates, which may impact the FDA’s evaluation of the regulatory status and compliance of such products. The Corporation’s hemp-derived products are produced from “full spectrum” or “broad spectrum” hemp extracts, and not from CBD isolate, and the Corporation therefore believes that its products are not precluded from marketing at this time. Any determination by a court or federal agency that hemp-derived materials that incidentally include CBD as a natural constituent of the hemp-derived product is not permissible for use as a dietary ingredient, or is an adulterant, would have a materially adverse effect upon the Corporation and its business. At any point, enforcement strategies of a given agency can change and may result in increased enforcement efforts, which would materially impact the Corporation’s business. Additionally, some states also permit advertising and labeling laws to be enforced by their attorney general, who may seek relief for consumers, class action certifications, class-wide damages and product recalls of products sold by the Corporation. Private lawsuits may also seek relief for individual (or a class of) consumers, including class-wide damages and product recalls of products sold by the Corporation. Any actions against the Corporation by governmental authorities or private litigants could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s business, financial condition and operations.

International expansion of our business could expose us to further regulatory risks and compliance costs.

If the Corporation intends to expand internationally or engage in the international sale of hemp-derived products, it will become subject to the laws and regulations of the foreign jurisdictions in which it operates, or in which it imports or exports products or materials, including, but not limited to, customs regulations in the importing and exporting countries. The laws governing hemp and hemp-derived cannabinoids differ in various jurisdictions and are subject to change. Under the 1961 United Nation Single Convention, all extracts of the cannabis plant are considered Schedule I substances.

The varying laws and rapidly changing regulations may impact the Corporation’s operations, including, but not limited to, the Corporation’s ability to ensure compliance. In addition, the Corporation may avail itself of proposed legislative changes in certain jurisdictions to expand its product portfolio, which expansion may include business and regulatory compliance risks as yet undetermined. Failure by the Corporation to comply with the evolving regulatory framework in any jurisdiction could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in international legal, regulatory, or governmental requirements could adversely affect our business.

The legal and regulatory requirements and local business culture and practices in the foreign countries in which the Corporation may expand are different from those in which it currently operates. The Corporation’s officers and

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directors will be required to rely, to a great extent, on local legal counsel and consultants in order to keep abreast of material legal, regulatory and governmental developments as they pertain to, and affect the Corporation’s business operations, and to assist with governmental relations. The Corporation must rely, to some extent, on those members of management and the board of directors who have previous experience working and conducting business in these countries, if any, in order to enhance the Corporation’s understanding of, and appreciation for, the local business culture and practices. The Corporation will be required to also rely on the advice of local experts and professionals in connection with current and new regulations that develop in respect of the cultivation and sale of cannabis as well as in respect of banking, financing, labour, litigation and tax matters in these jurisdictions. Any developments or changes in such legal, regulatory or governmental requirements or in local business practices are beyond the Corporation’s control. The impact of any such changes may adversely affect the Corporation’s business.

Risks Related to Our Securities

The following risk factors apply with respect to the Corporation’s securities.

Volatility in the market price of our Common Shares may affect your ability to sell shares on favourable terms.

The market price of the Common Shares may be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond the Corporation’s control. This volatility may affect the ability of holders of Common Shares to sell their securities at an advantageous price. Market price fluctuations in the Common Shares may be due to the Corporation’s operating results failing to meet expectations of securities analysts or investors in any period, downward revision in securities analysts’ estimates, adverse changes in general market conditions or economic trends, acquisitions, dispositions or other material public announcements by the Corporation or its competitors, along with a variety of additional factors. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of the Common Shares.

Financial markets have periodically at times experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that have particularly affected the market prices of equity securities of companies and that have often been unrelated to the operating performance, underlying asset values or prospects of such companies. Accordingly, the market price of the Common Shares may decline even if the Corporation’s operating results, underlying asset values or prospects have not changed. Additionally, these factors, as well as other related factors, may cause decreases in asset values that are deemed to be other than temporary, which may result in impairment losses. There can be no assurance that continuing fluctuations in price and volume will not occur. If such increased levels of volatility and market turmoil continue, the Corporation’s operations could be adversely impacted and the trading price of the Common Shares may be materially adversely affected.

We do not currently intend to pay any cash dividends on our Common Shares in the foreseeable future.

We have never paid any cash dividends on our Common Shares. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our Common Shares in the foreseeable future because, among other reasons, we currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance our business. The future payment of cash dividends will be dependent on factors such as cash on hand and achieving profitability, the financial requirements to fund growth, our general financial condition and other factors our board of directors may consider appropriate in the circumstances. Until we pay cash dividends, which we may never do, our shareholders will not be able to receive a return on their Common Shares unless they sell them.

If there is insufficient liquidity in our Common Shares, it could adversely affect your ability to sell your shares.

Shareholders of the Corporation may be unable to sell significant quantities of Common Shares into the public trading markets without a significant reduction in the price of their Common Shares, or at all. There can be no assurance that there will be sufficient liquidity of the Common Shares on the trading market, and that the Corporation will continue to meet the listing requirements of the TSX and NASDAQ or achieve listing on any other public stock exchange. There can be no assurance that an active and liquid market for the Common Shares will be maintained and an investor may find it difficult to resell Common Shares.

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Certain Canadian laws could delay or deter a change of control.

The Investment Canada Act (Canada) subjects an acquisition of control of a Corporation by a non-Canadian to government review if the value of the assets as calculated pursuant to the legislation exceeds a threshold amount. A reviewable acquisition may not proceed unless the relevant minister is satisfied that the investment is likely to be a net benefit to Canada.

Any of the foregoing could prevent or delay a change of control and may deprive or limit strategic opportunities for our shareholders to sell their shares.

We may pursue opportunities or transactions that may adversely affect our business and financial condition.

Our management, in the ordinary course of our business, regularly explores potential strategic opportunities and transactions. These opportunities and transactions may include strategic joint venture relationships, significant debt or equity investments in Neptune by third parties, the acquisition or disposition of material assets, the licensing, acquisition or disposition of material intellectual property, the development of new product lines or new applications for our existing products, significant distribution arrangements, the sale of all of the shares of Neptune and other similar opportunities and transactions. The public announcement of any of these or similar strategic opportunities or transactions might have a significant effect on the price of our securities. Our policy is to not publicly disclose the pursuit of a potential strategic opportunity or transaction unless we are required to do so by applicable law, including applicable securities laws relating to continuous disclosure obligations. There can be no assurance that investors who buy or sell our securities are doing so at a time when we are not pursuing a particular strategic opportunity or transaction that, when announced, would have a significant effect on the price of our securities.

In addition, any such future corporate development may be accompanied by certain risks, including exposure to unknown liabilities of the strategic opportunities and transactions, higher than anticipated transaction costs and expenses, the difficulty and expense of integrating operations and personnel of any acquired companies, disruption of our ongoing business, diversion of management’s time and attention, and possible dilution to shareholders. We may not be able to successfully overcome these risks and other problems associated with any future acquisitions and this may adversely affect our business and financial condition.

Risks Related to Our Status as a Foreign Private Issuer

As a foreign private issuer, we are subject to different reporting and disclosure requirement under U.S. securities laws and regulations than a domestic U.S. issuer, which may limit the information publicly available to our U.S. shareholders.

We are a foreign private issuer under applicable U.S. federal securities laws. As a result, we do not file the same reports that a U.S. domestic issuer would file with the SEC, although we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC the continuous disclosure documents that we are required to file in Canada under Canadian securities laws. In addition, our officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the U.S. Exchange Act. Therefore, our shareholders may not know on as timely a basis when our officers, directors and principal shareholders purchase or sell Common Shares as the reporting periods under the corresponding Canadian insider reporting requirements are longer. In addition, as a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the proxy rules under the U.S. Exchange Act.

We may lose our foreign private issuer status in the future, which could result in significant additional costs and expenses to us

We may in the future lose our foreign private issuer status if a majority of our Common Shares are held in the United States and we fail to meet the additional requirements necessary to avoid loss of foreign private issuer status. The regulatory and compliance costs to us under U.S. federal securities laws as a U.S. domestic issuer may be significantly more than the costs we incur as a Canadian foreign private issuer.

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U.S. investors may be unable to enforce certain judgments against us in Canada.

Neptune is a corporation existing under the Business Corporations Act (Québec). A number of our directors and officers are residents of Canada or other jurisdictions outside of the United States, and substantially all of our assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult to effect service within the United States upon the Corporation or upon its directors and officers. Execution by United States courts of any judgment obtained against the Corporation or any of the Corporation’s directors or officers in United States courts may be limited to the assets of such companies or such persons, as the case may be, located in the United States. It may also be difficult for holders of securities who reside in the United States to realize in the United States upon judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon civil liability and the civil liability of the Corporation’s directors and executive officers under the United States federal securities laws. The Corporation has been advised that a judgment of a U.S. court predicated solely upon civil liability under U.S. federal securities laws or the securities or “blue sky” laws of any state within the United States, would likely be enforceable in Canada if the United States court in which the judgment was obtained has a basis for jurisdiction in the matter that would be recognized by a Canadian court for the same purposes. However, there may be doubt as to the enforceability in Canada against these non-U.S. entities or their controlling persons, directors and officers who are not residents of the United States, in original actions or in actions for enforcement of judgments of courts of the United States, of liabilities predicated solely upon U.S. federal or state securities laws.

 

Dividends

We do not anticipate paying any dividend on our Common Shares in the foreseeable future. We presently intend to retain future earnings to finance the expansion and growth of our business. Any future determination to pay dividends will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements and other factors the Board of Directors deems relevant. In addition, the terms of any future debt or credit facility may preclude us from paying dividends.

 

Description of Our Share Capital

The authorized share capital of the Corporation is comprised of an unlimited number of Common Shares and an unlimited number of preferred shares (“Preferred Shares”), issuable in one or more series. In accordance with our articles of incorporation, we created the “Series A Preferred Shares”, which are non-voting shares.

As at March 31, 2020, there were a total of (i) 99,338,135 Common Shares and no Preferred Shares issued and outstanding, (ii) options to purchase 17,067,427 Common Shares issued and outstanding, (iii) deferred share units which settle in 48,313 Common Shares issued and outstanding, (iv) restricted share units which settle in 2,099,998 Common Shares issued and outstanding and (v) warrants to purchase 6,175,000 Common Shares issued and outstanding.

Common Shares

Voting Rights

Each Common Share entitles its holder to receive notice of, and to attend and vote at, all annual or special meetings of the shareholders of the Corporation. Each Common Share entitles its holder to one vote at any meeting of the shareholders, other than meetings at which only the holders of a particular class or series of shares are entitled to vote due to statutory provisions or the specific attributes of this class or series.

Dividends

Subject to the prior rights of the holders of Preferred Shares ranking before the Common Shares as to dividends, the holders of Common Shares are entitled to receive dividends as declared by the board of directors of the Corporation from the Corporation’s funds that are duly available for the payment of dividends.

Winding-Up and Dissolution

In the event of the Corporation’s voluntary or involuntary winding-up or dissolution, or any other distribution of the Corporation’s assets among its shareholders for the purposes of winding up its affairs, the holders of Common Shares shall be entitled to receive, after payment by the Corporation to the holders of Preferred Shares ranking prior

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to Common Shares regarding the distribution of the Corporation’s assets in the case of winding-up or dissolution, share for share, the remainder of the property of the Corporation, with neither preference nor distinction.

The foregoing description of the terms of the Common Shares does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the Articles and general by-laws of the Corporation, each of which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Preferred Shares

The Preferred Shares carry no voting rights. Preferred Shares may be issued at any time, in one or more series. The Corporation’s board of directors has the power to set the number of Preferred Shares and the consideration per share, as well as to determine the provisions attaching to each series of Preferred Shares (including dividends, redemption rights and conversion rights, where applicable). The shares in each series of Preferred Shares rank prior to the Common Shares of the Corporation with regard to payment of dividends, reimbursement of capital and division of assets in the event of the Corporation’s winding-up or dissolution. The holders of Preferred Shares shall not be entitled to receive notice of, or to attend or vote at the meetings of the shareholders, except: (i) in the event of a separate meeting or vote by class or by series as specified by law, (ii) where entitled to vote by class or series on amendments to the attributes attaching to the class or series, or (iii) where applicable, in the event of the Corporation’s omission to pay the number of periodical dividends, whether consecutive or not, as applicable to any series.

The board of directors of the Corporation has passed a by-law creating the Series A Preferred Shares. Series A Preferred Shares may be issued only as part of an acquisition by the Corporation of other companies or material assets. Series A Preferred Shares are non-voting, and entitle holders thereof to a fixed, preferential and non-cumulative annual dividend of 5% of the amount paid for the said shares.

 

Market for Our Securities

The Common Shares are listed and posted for trading on the TSX under the symbol “NEPT” and NASDAQ under the symbol “NEPT”.

Trading Prices and Volumes

The following table sets out the high and low prices and total trading volume of the Common Shares as reported by the TSX and NASDAQ for each month of our Fiscal 2020.

Period

TSX (CDN$)

NASDAQ (US$)

 

High

Low

Average Daily Volume

Total Monthly Volume

High

Low

Average Daily Volume

Total Monthly Volume

March 2020

2.97

1.35

262,946

5,784,810

2.22

0.96

1,052,580

23,156,767

February 2020

3.18

2.21

286,145

5,436,770

2.40

1.67

929,425

17,659,083

January 2020

4.31

3.01

215,972

4,751,400

3.31

2.27

687,341

14,434,162

December 2019

4.08

3.25

189,297

3,785,950

3.10

2.47

577,857

12,135,004

November 2019

4.76

3.25

245,373

5,152,850

3.60

2.46

749,848

14,996,967

October 2019

5.28

4.33

147,881

3,253,400

3.96

3.13

559,415

12,866,567

September 2019

6.15

4.49

181,939

3,638,790

4.66

3.40

751,540

15,030,809

August 2019

7.65

5.21

280,493

5,890,360

5.80

3.93

1,034,741

22,764,310

July 2019

8.60

5.50

593,120

13,048,650

6.57

4.20

1,648,808

36,273,783

June 2019

6.96

5.17

480,725

9,614,510

5.22

3.86

1,548,204

30,964,094

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Period

TSX (CDN$)

NASDAQ (US$)

 

High

Low

Average Daily Volume

Total Monthly Volume

High

Low

Average Daily Volume

Total Monthly Volume

May 2019

6.16

4.97

265,755

5,846,610

4.54

3.70

653,395

14,374,693

April 2019

5.86

4.17

343,561

7,214,800

4.35

3.13

661,636

13,894,356

 

Issuance of Securities

For information in respect of options and warrants to purchase Common Shares and Common Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise of options and warrants, see the notes to our Fiscal 2020 financial statements. We did not otherwise issue any class of securities of Neptune that is not listed or quoted on a marketplace during Fiscal 2020.

 

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Directors and Officers

Directors

The table below sets out the name, place of residence, principal occupation and security holding in the Corporation and the period during which each such director has so served as well as the member of each committee of the Board of Directors as of the date hereof. Directors are elected at each annual shareholders meeting for a term that expires on the date of the Corporation’s next annual shareholders meeting or until his or her successor is duly elected, unless prior thereto the director resigns or otherwise vacates office.

 

Name and Place of Residence

Principal Occupation

Position Within the Corporation

Year of Nomination as Director of the Corporation

Common Shares, Directly or Indirectly, Beneficially Owned as of March 31, 2020

John Moretz (1)(2)(3)(5)(6)
North Carolina, USA

Chief Executive Officer and President, Moretz Marketing LLC

Director, Chairman of the Board and Chair of the Special Transaction Committee

2014

3,955,816

Joseph Buaron (4)(6)
Ontario, Canada

Co-Founder and CTO – goPeer Corporation

 

Director and Chair of the Operations and IT Committee

2020

-

Michael Cammarata (3)(5)(6)
Florida, USA

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation

Director, President and Chief Executive Officer

2019

1,582,775

Ronald Denis (2)(3)(4)
Québec, Canada

Chief of Surgery at Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur, Montréal

Director

2000

-

Michael A. De Geus (6)
Virginia, United States of America

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Leatherback Gear, LLC

Director

2020

-

Hélène F. Fortin (1)(2)(3)(5)

Québec, Canada

Chartered Professional Accountant

Director, Chair of the Audit Committee and Chair of the Governance Committee

2018

100

Richard P. Schottenfeld (1)(3)(4)(5)

New York, USA

Managing Partner & CEO of Schottenfeld Group, LLC

Director, Chair of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee and Chair of the Nominating Committee

2016

3,537,540

(1)    Member of the Audit Committee of the Corporation

(2)    Member of the Governance Committee

(3)    Member of the Nominating Committee

(4)    Member of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee

(5)    Member of the Special Transaction Committee

(6)    Member of the Operations and IT Committee

 

The information as to outstanding Common Shares beneficially owned or over which the above-named individuals exercise control or direction and the foregoing information is not within the knowledge of the Corporation and has been furnished by the respective persons.

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Officers

The following table sets out the name, place of residence and position held with us for each of our executive officers as of March 31, 2020.

Name and Place of Residence

Position Held

With the Corporation Since

Common Shares, Directly or Indirectly, Beneficially Owned as of March 31, 2020

Michael Cammarata

Florida, USA

President and Chief Executive Officer

2019

1,582,775

David Mayers

Ontario, Canada

Chief Operating Officer

2020

-

Jean-Daniel Bélanger

Québec, Canada

Vice President, Legal Affairs & Corporate Secretary

2012

-

Jacqueline Khayat

Quebec, Canada

Vice President, Business Development

2014

-

Claudie Lauzon (1)

Québec, Canada

Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

2009

-

Stephen Lijoi

New York, USA

VP, Operations

2019

-

Michel Timperio

Québec, Canada

President, Cannabis Business

2010

78,489

Graham Wood

Québec, Canada

Chief Scientific Officer

2019

-

(1)    On April 7, 2020, Neptune appointed Toni Rinow as Chief Financial Officer at which time Ms. Lauzon ceased serving as Interim Chief Financial Officer.

 

As of March 31, 2020, the directors and executive officers and key members of our management, as a group, beneficially owned or exercised control or direction over approximately 9,154,720 (9.21%) of the outstanding Common Shares of Neptune.

The following are brief biographies of Neptune’s directors and executive officers and key members of our management as of the date hereof:

Board of Directors

Mr. John Moretz – Director

Mr. Moretz currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Moretz Marketing, LLC and is Managing Director of Kathy Ireland, LLC. In addition, he is the Managing Director of various real estate entities, including LaMoe, LLC and Moretz Mills, LLC. Mr. Moretz spent 39 years in the textile industry building and marketing numerous consumer brands. He served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gold Toe Moretz Holdings Corp. and its subsidiaries prior to its acquisition by Gildan Activewear Inc. in 2012. Mr. Moretz founded Moretz Marketing in 1987 to create and manage lifestyle brands licensing opportunities. He serves on the following boards: Neptune Wellness Solutions-Chairman, LED Technologies, Blowing Rock Brewery, and McCubbin Hosiery, LLC.

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Joseph Buaron - Director

 

Mr. Buaron is co-founder and CTO of goPeer, Canada’s first regulated consumer peer-to-peer lender, he additionally serves as Chief Strategy Officer to Loti Wellness Inc., a Canadian self-care consumer brand. Prior, Mr. Buaron served as CTO of Schmidt’s Naturals, where he led the technology, AI, digital marketing and consumer support divisions through transition from start-up to enterprise, and subsequently through the acquisition by Unilever, and the integration that followed. Mr. Buaron is a seasoned CTO with over two-decades related experience as an entrepreneur, investor, programmer, solutions architect, and DevOps engineer. His passion for technology reflects his recognition for the tremendous impact it has on our lives and its potential for creating a better tomorrow. Immersed in technology, Mr. Buaron strives to provide vision, leadership, form relationships, and eliminate barriers to allow the brightest minds to flourish.

 

Michael Cammarata – Director, Chief Executive Officer

 

Mr. Cammarata became CEO of Neptune Wellness Solutions July 8, 2019. Mr. Cammarata is the founder of Random Occurrence, a venture capital and private equity firm. He invested in and cofounded Schmidt’s Naturals, one of the world’s fastest growing wellness brands, leading it from fledgling start-up to acquisition in 2017 by Unilever and onto record breaking growth in 2018. He remained CEO of Schmidt’s Naturals until June 2019, leading its rapid expansion into new and innovative products, retailers and global markets. Mr. Cammarata is a new breed of unconventional CEO with a personal mission to invest and scale companies globally that will make sustainable innovation and modern wellness solutions accessible to the world. He believes that natural products are the future and that every person deserves natural products that work and minimize their harm to people, the planet and animals. Through all his investments, Mr. Cammarata is looking toward future technologies, including AI and machine learning to create stronger connections and personalized products for customers. He is a passionate advocate for ending animal testing in cosmetics. Raised in New York, Mr. Cammarata’s dyslexia made school challenging, but that perspective allowed him to identify opportunities others missed. He became a technology and marketing wunderkind by his mid-teens. He rapidly gained a reputation as an innovative entrepreneur, creating $85 million in revenue by his twenties.

 

Michael A. de Geus – Director

 

Mr. de Geus is a highly accomplished security executive with domestic and international cyber investigative and physical security experience. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Leatherback Gear, LLC., a producer of bullet proof backpacks. He also served as a Special Agent in federal law enforcement with the Department of Homeland Security and has served on various assignments both physically and with cyber security since 2008. Previously, he served as the Director of Sales at Koro Sun Report in the Fiji Islands and as a consultant for MD Consulting, working on various projects from developing branding and new store layouts to helping with various start-up companies. Mr. de Geus is a Ph.D. Candidate in Public Policy specializing in Homeland Security at Walden University, holds a Master of Science in International Relations from the Troy State University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from California State University Fullerton.

 

Dr. Ronald Denis – Director

 

Dr. Denis has been Chief of Surgery and director of the Trauma Program at Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur in Montréal since 1997. Also, since 1987, Dr. Denis has occupied the position of medical co-director of the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix. Dr. Denis sits on several scientific boards and management committees.

 

Hélène F. Fortin – Director

 

Ms. Fortin has been practicing public accounting for more than 35 years. A member of CPA Québec, she lectured in Accounting and Auditing during more than 20 years at many universities in both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She was actively involved from 1982 to 2018 with the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CPA Canada), on the Interprovincial Board of Evaluators, and with the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board during which time the 36 international standards of auditing were adopted in Canada from 2006 to 2009. She has been serving on boards of directors of large public and private corporations since 2003 which provides her with exposure to the best practices within a wide range of organizations, including Loto Québec, a Crown Corporation of the Province of Québec, as Chair of the Board of Directors, UBS Bank (Canada), Institute of Corporate Directors/Quebec, VoiceAge

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Corporation, and the federal department audit committees of the Public Service Commission. Former positions include the following Boards: CBC/Radio-Canada, Hydro-Québec, Infrastructure Québec, Concordia University, Assuris, Bellus Health and the audit committee for the federal Canada Economic Development Agency Quebec regions, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She is also actively involved with asset management and financing/funding strategies in her role as trustee/advisor for large pension plans, estates, and foundations.

 

Richard P. Schottenfeld – Director

 

Mr. Schottenfeld is the founder and Chairman of Schottenfeld Group holding, the parent company of Koyote Capital which is a proprietary trading firm in New York City. He has also served as the general partner of Schottenfeld Associates and the Schottenfeld Opportunity Fund. Mr. Schottenfeld is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College with degrees in both Economics and Government. Mr. Schottenfeld has been a frequent guest on CNBC and other business news programs.

 

Executive Officers

Dr. Toni Rinow – Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Dr. Rinow is well known for accelerating revenue streams through acquisitions, corporate development, sales and marketing, and financings in the global healthcare and consumer product markets. Her professional career has included leadership roles in both public and private pharmaceutical and consumer product organizations, where she spearheaded acquisitions across Canada, Latin America, and India.

She has successfully facilitated the negotiation of significant international corporate alliances  and oversaw a large life science investment portfolio. She previously held the position of General Manager of Jubilant DraxImage, a global leader in nuclear medicine.

She has a keen interest in robotics, natural language processing and machine learning especially with a focus on the retail consumer markets and was trained at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In addition to her double Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and Accounting from McGill University, she holds a doctorate in physical chemistry from the Université de Montréal (Ph.D), and a chemical engineering degree from the European Higher Institute of Chemistry in Strasbourg, France. Dr. Rinow believes in giving back to the community and sits on the Board of Directors of several not-for-profit organizations.

Mr. Jean-Daniel Bélanger – Vice President, Legal Affairs & Corporate Secretary

Mr. Bélanger joined the Corporation as Director Corporate Affairs in November 2012 and has been acting as Secretary of the Board since June 2014. Appointed VP Legal Affairs in June 2017, he is in charge of all legal, and corporate law matters. A 2018 finalist as Quebec General Counsel of the year – Small/Mid Cap Companies, and finalist at the 2015 Canadian General Counsel Awards as “Leader of Tomorrow”, he holds a law degree from the Université de Montréal (2005) and has been a member of the Québec Bar since 2006. Prior to joining the Corporation, Mr. Bélanger was a partner in a Montreal boutique securities law firm, where he practiced in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and securities, and general corporate and commercial law. He is also a member of the Board of Québec Bourse, a non-profit organization promoting public market access in Quebec.

Ms. Jackie Khayat – Vice President, Business Development – Cannabis Business

Ms. Khayat joined Neptune in 2014 as Director of Sales. With more than 15 years of combined nutraceutical and healthcare sales experience, she has played a key role in the execution of global strategies and development of new markets. In 2017, she was promoted to the role of VP International Sales and most recently to the role of VP Business Development for Neptune’s Cannabis Business where she plays a strategic role in the commercialization of this important business category. Prior to joining Neptune, Ms. Khayat has held several key positions in global companies such as 3M Canada. She graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the Université de Montréal in 2001 with a Science degree specializing in Nutrition. She has also earned a Graduate Degree in Management from HEC Montreal and is now completing her Executive Master of Business Administration at Concordia University.

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Mr. Stephen LijoiVice President, Operations

Mr. Lijoi oversees all of Neptune’s extraction, manufacturing and packaging operations at the Corporation’s two facilities, Sherbrooke, Quebec and Conover, North Carolina. He has over 30 years of experience in quality assurance and overseeing all aspects of pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement manufacturing operations. His wide-ranging experience includes positions with global companies, supervising over 1000 employees, managing rapid capacity expansions and holding responsibilities with several manufacturing facilities in various countries. He has also been involved with comprehensive cGMP and FDA regulatory programs and standards.

Mr. David Mayers – Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Mayers brings to Neptune 30 years of senior level executive leadership experience and expertise in Corporate Strategy execution, M&A implementation, R&D, Quality, Supply Chain, Operations and Facility Expansion across several industries, including cannabis extraction, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and health and wellness. David previously served as Chief Operating Officer of MediPharm Labs Inc., a global leader in specialized, research-driven pharmaceutical-quality cannabis extraction where he was responsible for strategic direction and daily operation of the organization, including direct responsibility of Manufacturing, HR, R&D, IT, Security, Quality, Project Management, Procurement and Supply Chain. Prior to MediPharm, he served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Impopharma Inc., a specialty generic pharmaceutical company developing innovative nasal and pulmonary inhalation products for the U.S. market, where he was responsible for strategic direction and operation of the organization. David previously served as President of WellSpring Pharma Services, a division of WellSpring Pharmaceuticals, as well as Vice President of Operations and Director of Quality Control at Purdue Pharma.

Mr. Michel Timperio – President, Cannabis Business

Mr. Timperio was appointed President of Neptune’s Cannabis Business in 2017 where he plays an essential role in helping position the Corporation in business segments characterized by larger size and growth. During his 20-year career at Neptune, he held positions of chairman of the Board of Directors from 2000-2008 and VP of Business Development where he was instrumental in the Corporation’s early development and growth by helping create a new nutrition products category, omega-3 krill oil. His entrepreneurial drive lead him to build a start-up venture in residential construction components. He previously worked for large corporations, including Armstrong World Industries and Reichhold Chemicals, where he held senior management business development positions. Mr. Timperio also had a political career; he was active as alderman for 20 years for one of the largest cities in Québec. He obtained his Bachelor of Commerce at Concordia University.

Dr. Graham Wood – Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Graham Wood joined Neptune as Chief Scientific Officer in 2019. He leads the corporation’s clinical programs, research and development strategy and product development efforts to deliver high quality differentiated products to the global natural product and legal cannabis industries. Dr. Wood has twenty years of clinical research experience, including as the Chief R&D Officer at Altasciences, where he was responsible for developing innovative nonclinical and clinical techniques and overseeing the clinical pharmacology study designs. He was also Chief Executive Officer at Manna Research, which he grew from a single clinical research site to the largest family practice site network in Canada. As President at Cetero Research, he was responsible for the early and late stage clinical development conducted at the Cetero facilities in Toronto and Miami. He holds a PhD in Neurology and Neurosurgery from McGill University and worked as Fellow at the National Institute of Health.

Cease Trade Orders, Bankruptcies, Penalties or Sanctions

Except as set forth below, to the knowledge of Neptune, none of the directors or executive officers of the Corporation:

 

(a)

is, or has been, within the last ten years, a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of any Corporation that:

 

(i)

was subject to a cease trade order, an order similar to a cease trade order, or an order that denied the relevant Corporation access to any exemption under applicable securities legislation, that was in effect for a period of more than 30 consecutive days (an “Order”), which Order was issued while the director or executive officer was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer; or

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(ii)

was subject to an Order that was issued after the director or executive officer ceased to be a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer;

Except as set forth below, to the knowledge of Neptune, no director or executive officer of the Corporation, or shareholder holding a sufficient number of securities of the Corporation to affect materially the control of the Corporation:

 

(a)

is, or has been, within the last ten years, a director or executive officer of any Corporation that, while that person was acting in that capacity, or within a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets; or

 

(b)

has, within the last ten years, become bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or become subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold his or its assets of the proposed director.

To the knowledge of Neptune, no director, executive officer or shareholder holding a sufficient number of securities of the Corporation to affect materially the control of the Corporation has been subject to:

 

(a)

any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority; or

 

(b)

any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable security holder in deciding whether to vote for a proposed director.

 

Legal Proceedings and Regulatory Actions

The Corporation is engaged from time-to-time in various legal proceedings and claims that have arisen in the ordinary course of business. The outcome of such proceedings and claims against the Corporation is subject to future resolution, including the uncertainties of litigation. Based on information currently known to the Corporation, the most significant outstanding proceedings and claims are as follows:

 

(a)

The Corporation has received a judgment from the Superior Court of Québec (the “Court”) regarding certain previously disclosed claims made by the Corporation’s former chief executive officer (the “Former CEO”) against the Corporation in respect of certain royalty payments alleged to be owed and owing to the Former CEO pursuant to the terms of an agreement entered into on February 23, 2001 between Neptune and a corporation controlled by the Former CEO (the “Agreement”). The Corporation had also filed a counterclaim against the Former CEO disputing the validity and interpretation of certain clauses contained in the Agreement and claiming the repayment of certain amounts previously paid to the Former CEO pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. Under the terms of the Agreement, it was alleged by the Former CEO that annual royalties be payable to the Former CEO, with no limit to its duration, of 1% of the sales and other revenues made by Neptune; the interpretation of which was challenged by the Corporation.

Pursuant to the judgment rendered on March 21, 2019, which Neptune has appealed, the Court ruled in favour of the Former CEO and rejected the counterclaim filed by the Corporation. As a result, the Court awarded the Former CEO payments determined by the Court to be owed under the Agreement of 1% of all sales and revenues of the Corporation incurred since March 1, 2014, which final payments remain to be determined taking into account interest, judicial cost and other expenses. The Court also declared that, pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the royalty payments of 1% of the future sales and other revenue made by the Corporation on a consolidated basis are to be payable by the Corporation to the Former CEO biannually, but only to the extent that the cost of the royalty would not cause the Corporation to have a negative earnings before interest, taxes and amortization (in which case, the payments would be deferred to the following fiscal year).

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On May 17, 2019, the Corporation’s Motion for leave to appeal was presented to a judge of the Québec Court of Appeal, who expressed the opinion that the Corporation could appeal without necessity of obtaining leave. In order to ensure the protection of the Corporation’s rights, the judge deferred the motion to the panel who will hear the merits of the appeal. The parties have presented their appeal factum to the panel on their positions and the parties are pending a hearing date on this matter.

 

(b)

In August 2014, the Corporation initiated arbitration proceedings against a former customer claiming the approximate amount of $5 million (US$3.7 million) for unpaid krill oil products sold and delivered under a distributorship agreement entered into in December 2011. The full amount receivable has been written-off. In August 2018, this former customer amended its counterclaim to seek from the Corporation the approximate amount of $193 million in damages (AU$201 million). As of the date hereof, no agreement has been reached. The Corporation intends to pursue its claim and to vigorously defend against this counterclaim. Arbitration for the hearing occurred in July 2019. The Corporation is waiting for the arbitral award.

Although the outcome of these and various other claims and legal proceedings against the Corporation as at March 31, 2020 cannot be determined with certainty, based on currently available information, management believes that the ultimate outcome of these matters, individually and in aggregate, would not have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s financial position or overall trends in results of operations.

On November 6, 2015, Neptune and its insurers filed a motion to institute proceedings before the Superior Court of Montreal against 17 defendants (engineering firms and engineers), alleging that the defendants had not taken all the appropriate measures to ensure that Neptune’s plant met the safety standards and the required construction standards, and were therefore jointly responsible for the explosion that took place on November 8, 2012. The total claim of the plaintiffs amounts to $24.4 million, with approximately $7 million representing Neptune’s claim. No trial date has been set.

 

Interest of Management and Others in Material Transactions

To the Corporation’s knowledge and other than as set forth herein, there are no material interests, direct or indirect, of directors, executive officers, any shareholder who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, more than 10% of any class or series of voting securities of the Corporation, or any associate or affiliate of such persons, in any transaction within the last three most recently completed fiscal years or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or would reasonably be expected to materially affect the Corporation.

On November 11, 2019, the Corporation entered into a collaboration agreement with International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. to co-develop hemp-derived CBD products for the mass retail and health and wellness markets. App Connect Service, Inc. (“App Connect”) is also a party to the agreement to provide related branding strategies and promotional activities and will be paid royalties in connection with these activities. App Connect is indirectly controlled by Mr. Michael Cammarata.

 

Escrowed Securities

To the knowledge of the Corporation, as of the date hereof, no securities of any class of securities of the Corporation are held in escrow or subject to contractual restrictions on transfer or are anticipated to be held in escrow or subject to contractual restrictions on transfer.

Transfer Agents and Registrars

Computershare Trust Company of Canada, at its offices in Montreal, is the transfer agent and registrar for our Common Shares.

66


 

Material Contracts

The following is a list of the Corporation’s material contracts required to be listed under applicable Canadian securities laws that the Corporation has entered into since April 1, 2019 or prior thereto but which are still in effect:

 

(a)

the License for Standard Processing from Health Canada issued on January 4, 2019 to a subsidiary of the Corporation, 9354-7537 Québec Inc.;

 

(b)

the asset purchase agreement dated May 9, 2019 with SugarLeaf in respect of the SugarLeaf Acquisition, as described under “General Development of the Corporation – Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2020 – Acquisition of the Assets of Hemp Processor SugarLeaf”;

 

(c)

the registration rights agreement dated October 2, 2019, by and between Neptune and certain persons set forth thereunder, pursuant to which the Corporation agreed to provide registration rights to certain of its investors;

 

(d)

the amended and restated processing agreement with Canopy Growth dated November 12, 2019, as described under “General Development of the Corporation – Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2020 – Amended and Restated Processing Agreement with Canopy Growth Corporation”;and

 

(e)

The Open Market Sale Agreement with Jefferies LLC, dated as of March 11, 2020, as described under  “General Development of the Corporation – Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2020  –Establishment of At the Market Program”.

 

Independent auditors

KPMG are the auditors of the Corporation and have confirmed with respect to the Corporation that they are independent within the meaning of the relevant rules and related interpretations prescribed by the relevant professional bodies in Canada and any applicable legislation or regulations, and also that they are independent accountants with respect to the Corporation under all relevant US professional and regulatory standards.

 

Report on Audit Committee

Audit Committee’s Charter

The Charter of the Audit Committee is annexed to this circular as Schedule A. The Charter was adopted by the Board of Directors, and lastly amended on November 14, 2017.

Composition of the Audit Committee

The Audit Committee is currently composed of three (3) members of Board of Directors: Ms. Hélène F. Fortin, acting as Chair person of the Committee, Mr. John M. Moretz and Mr. Richard P. Schottenfeld. From the experience set forth below, the Corporation believes that these persons have sufficient knowledge and background to actively participate on the Audit Committee. Under National Instrument 52-110 - Audit Committees, a member of an Audit Committee is “independent” if he or she has no direct or indirect material relationship with the issuer, that is, a relationship which could, in the view of the Board of Directors, reasonably interfere with the exercise of the member’s independent judgment.

All members of the Audit Committee are considered to be “financially literate” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities regulations in that they each have the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raided by the Corporation financial statements.

67


 

Relevant Education and Experience

The following describes the relevant education and experience of each member of the Audit Committee that shows their (a) understanding of the accounting principles used by the Corporation to prepare its financial statements, (b) ability to assess the general application of such accounting principles, (c) experience preparing, auditing, analyzing or evaluating financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to those that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Corporation’s financial statements or experience actively supervising one or more persons engaged in such activities, and (d) understanding of internal controls and procedures for financial reporting.

Ms. Hélène F. Fortin Holding a graduate degree in Public Accounting with honours from McGill University, Hélène F. Fortin also earned a magna cum laude Bachelor of Business Administration degree with specialization in accounting and finance from Concordia University. She became a chartered accountant in 1982 and earned the title of ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors in 2006 after completing the Directors Education Program. She has been practising public accounting for more than 35 years. A member of CPA Quebec, the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec (OCPAQ), she was a member of the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board of CPA Canada (the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants) from 2006 to 2009, and has assisted the association’s Interprovincial Board of Evaluators for more than 30 years, all the while teaching accounting and certification in several Québec universities. She sits on numerous boards of major corporations and a variety of organizations, including the Institute of Corporate Directors (Québec section), the USB Bank (Canada), and VoiceAge presiding over the Audit, Governance, Human Resources, Finance and Retirement Fund Management committees. She also is the chairperson of the board of Loto Quebec since 2007, and a member of audit committees for federal departments. She formerly was a director on numerous boards including Concordia University, Hydro Quebec, Infrastructure Quebec, CBC Radio-Canada, Assuris, and Bellus Health. She actively contributes to training on the governance of corporations and boards of directors as an author, guest speaker, and workshop leader. Ms. Fortin earned the title of Fellow of the OCPAQ in February 2010, and of CPA Quebec in 2012.

Mr. John Moretz Mr. Moretz currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Moretz Marketing, LLC and is Managing Director of Kathy Ireland, LLC. In addition, he is the Managing Director of various real estate entities, including LaMoe, LLC and Moretz Mills, LLC. Mr. Moretz spent 39 years in the textile industry building and marketing numerous consumer brands. He served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gold Toe Moretz Holdings Corp. and its subsidiaries prior to its acquisition by Gildan Activewear Inc. in 2012. Mr. Moretz founded Moretz Marketing in 1987 to create and manage lifestyle brands licensing opportunities.

Mr. Richard P. Schottenfeld – Mr. Schottenfeld is the founder and Chairman of Schottenfeld Group holding, the parent company of Koyote Capital which is a proprietary trading firm in New York City. He has also served as the general partner of Schottenfeld Associates and the Schottenfeld Opportunity Fund. Mr. Schottenfeld is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College with degrees in both Economics and Government. Mr. Schottenfeld has been a frequent guest on CNBC and other business news programs.

External Auditor Fees

 

 

 

Financial Year Ended March 31, 2020

 

Financial Year Ended March 31, 2019

Audit Fees (1)

 

$561,400

 

$356,000

Audit-Related Fees (2)

 

$553,000

 

$35,000

Tax Fees (3)

 

$87,100

 

$54,000

Other Fees (4) ……………………..…

 

$9,200

 

 

Total Fees Paid

 

$1,210,700

 

$445,000

 

 

1.

“Audit fees” consist of fees for professional services for the audit of the Corporation’s annual financial statements, interim reviews , securities filings, Sarbanes–Oxley Act Section 404 opinion on internal control over financial reporting and consultations on accounting or disclosure issues.

 

2.

“Audit-related fees” consist of fees for professional services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Corporation’s financial statements and which are not reported under “Audit Fees” above.

 

3.

“Tax fees” consist of fees for professional services for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning. Tax fees include, but are not limited to, preparation of tax returns and R&D tax credit claims.

 

4.

“Other fees” consist of fees for other professional advisory services.

68


 

 

Additional Information

Additional information, including directors’ and officers’ remuneration and indebtedness, principal holders of the Corporation’s securities, options to purchase securities and interests of informed persons in material transactions, if applicable, is contained in Neptune’s management proxy circular for its 2019 annual and special meeting of shareholders held on August 14, 2019 and will be contained in Neptune’s management proxy circular for its annual and special meeting of shareholders to be held on August 12, 2020. Additional financial information is also provided in the Corporation’s financial statements and MD&A for the most recently completed fiscal year. These documents and additional information related to Neptune are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.html.

 

 

69


 

A.

Schedule “A”
Charter of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors assists the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to the quality and integrity of the accounting, auditing and reporting practices of the Corporation and such other duties as directed by the Board of Directors or imposed by legislative authorities or stock exchanges.

Structure and Organization

1.

The membership of the Committee will consist of at least three independent members of the Board of Directors, the majority of whom will not be employees, controlling shareholders or executives of the Corporation or of any associates or affiliates of the Corporation. Committee members and the Committee Chairman shall be designated by and serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. All members must be financially literate and at least one member must have accounting or related financial management expertise, in each case in the judgment of the Board of Directors.

2.

The Committee shall meet at least four times per year or more frequently as circumstances require. The Committee may ask members of management or others to attend meetings and provide pertinent information as necessary. The required quorum for the Committee will be the majority of the members forming the Committee.

3.

The Committee is expected to maintain free and open communication with management and the external auditors.

4.

The Committee has the authority to investigate any matter brought to its attention and to retain outside counsel for this purpose if, in its judgment, that is appropriate.

General Responsibilities

The Committee shall:

1.

Meet periodically with representatives of the external auditors, the internal audit manager (if any) and management in separate sessions, if considered necessary, to discuss any matters that the Committee or these groups believe should be discussed privately with the Committee. Provide sufficient opportunity for the external auditors to meet with the Audit Commitee as appropriate without members of management being present.

2.

Prepare the minutes of all Committee meetings and report of such meetings to the Board of Directors.

3.

Review and reassess the adequacy of this Charter annually.

Responsibilities for Engaging External Auditors

The Committee shall:

1.

Recommend for approval by the Board of Directors and ratification by the shareholders the selection and retention of an independent firm of chartered professional accountants as external auditors, approve compensation of the external auditors, and review and approve in advance the discharge of the external auditors.

2.

Review the independence of the external auditors. In considering the independence of the external auditors, the Committee will review the nature of the services provided by the external auditors and the fees charged, and such other matters as the Committee deems appropriate.

3.

Ensure that the external auditors are in good standing with the Canadian Public Accountability Board (CPAB) and that the CPAB has not imposed any sanction on them. The Audit Committee is also responsible for ensuring that the external auditors comply with the rotation requirements with respect to partners involved in the audit of the Corporation.

4.

Arrange for the external auditors to be available to the Board of Directors at least annually to help provide a basis for the Board’s approval of the external auditors’ appointment.

A-1

 


 

5.

Approve all allowable non-audit related services to be provided to the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries by the Corporation’s external auditors if applicable.

6.

Non-audit services of minimal amount satisfy the pre-approval requirements on the following conditions:

 

(a)

that the aggregate amount of all non-audit services that were not pre-approved is reasonably expected to constitute no more than five per cent of the total amount of fees paid by the Corporation and its subsidiaries to the Corporation’s external auditors during the fiscal year in which the services are provided;

 

(b)

that the Corporation or its subsidiaries, as the case may be, did not recognize the services as non-audit services at the time of the engagement; and

 

(c)

that the services are promptly brought to the attention of the Audit Committee and approved, prior to the completion of the audit, by the Audit Committee or by one or more of its members to whom authority to grant such approvals had been delegated by the Audit Committee.

Responsibilities for Oversight of the Quality and Integrity of Accounting, Auditing and Reporting Practices of the Corporation

The Committee shall:

1.

Directly review the work of the external auditors engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an auditor’s report or performing other audit, review or attestation services for the Corporation. The Committee shall be directly responsible of the resolution of disagreements between management and the external auditors regarding financial reporting.

2.

Review the Corporation’s financial statements, management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A) and annual and interim earnings press releases together with management and the external auditors, if applicable, before the Corporation publicly discloses this information. This review should cover the quality of the financial reporting and such other matters as the Committee deems appropriate.

3.

Review with the external auditors and management the audit plan of the external auditors for the current year.

4.

Review with financial and accounting personnel, the adequacy and effectiveness of the accounting, financial, and computerized information systems controls of the Corporation, and the results of any external audit procedures, if applicable.

5.

Establish procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters. Such complaints are to be treated confidentially and anonymously. On a quarterly basis, the Committee shall monitor and report in the minutes of meeting any such complaint.

6.

Review and approve all related party transactions undertaken by the Corporation.

Periodic Responsibilities

The Committee shall:

1.

Review periodically with management any legal and regulatory matters that may have a material impact on the Corporation’s financial statements, compliance policies and compliance programs.

2.

Review with management and approve transactions involving management and/or members of the Board of Directors, which would require disclosure under Toronto Stock Exchange rules.

3.

Supervise the corporate compliance program and periodically review whether any improvements should be made thereto and make appropriate recommendations to management.

4.

Perform such other functions assigned by law, the Corporation’s Articles or bylaws, or by the Board of Directors.

A-2

 


 

5.

Review services and related fees for work done by the external auditors as well as an updated projection of the total costs for the fiscal year.

6.

Review and approve the engagement policy of the Corporation with respect to partners, employees, former partners and employees of the current and previous external auditors of the Corporation.

7.

Implement a process for the identification of the principal business risks and monitor the implementation of appropriate methods of risk management. This process will require consultation with management in order to determine how risks are handled and to solicit the opinion of the internal audit department with respect to the effectiveness of the risk limitation strategies.

Authority of the Audit Committee

The Committee shall have the authority to:

1.

Engage independent counsel and other advisors as it determines necessary to carry out its duties.

2.

Pay the compensation for any advisors employed by the Committee. The Committee shall notify the Board of Directors on the extent of the financing required to pay for the compensation of the independent expert advisors retained to advise the Committee.

3.

Communicate directly with the internal and external auditors.

A-3

 

Exhibit 99.2

 

Consolidated Financial Statements of

neptune WELLNESS SOLUTIONS inc.

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KPMG LLPTelephone     (514) 840-2100

600 de Maisonneuve Blvd. WestFax                  (514) 840-2187

Suite 1500, Tour KPMGInternet           www.kpmg.ca

Montréal (Québec)  H3A 0A3

Canada

 

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc.

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. (the "Company") as of March 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive loss, changes in equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the two year period ended March 31, 2020 and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of March 31, 2020 and 2019, and its financial performance and its cash flows for each of the years in the two year period ended March 31, 2020, in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of March 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, and our report dated June 10, 2020 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 3(q) to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for leases as of April 1, 2019, due to the adoption of IFRS 16, Leases using a modified retrospective transition approach.

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

 

KPMG LLP is a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG

network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative

("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity.

KPMG Canada provides services to KPMG LLP.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page 2

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since fiscal 2007.

 

Montréal, Canada

June 10, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

*CPA auditor, CA, public accountancy permit No. A120841

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KPMG LLPTelephone     (514) 840-2100

600 de Maisonneuve Blvd. WestFax                  (514) 840-2187

Suite 1500, Tour KPMGInternet         www.kpmg.ca

Montréal (Québec)  H3A 0A3

Canada

 

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc.

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc.’s (the "Company") internal control over financial reporting as of March 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of March 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated statements of financial position of the Company as of March 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive loss, changes in equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended March 31, 2020 and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements), and our report dated June 10, 2020 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.

The Company acquired the assets of SugarLeaf Labs LLC and Forest Remedies LLC (collectively "SugarLeaf") during the year ended March 31, 2020, and management excluded from its assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of March 31, 2020, internal control over financial reporting associated with total current assets of $6,046,000, total non-current assets of $6,325,000, total current liabilities of $855,000, total non-current liabilities of $5,374,000, total revenues of $2,682,000 and loss from operating activities of $7,589,000 included in the consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the year ended March 31, 2020. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of the Company also excluded an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of SugarLeaf.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying "Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting". Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

KPMG LLP is a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG

network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative

("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity.

KPMG Canada provides services to KPMG LLP.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page 2

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

 

Montréal, Canada

June 10, 2020

 

 

*CPA auditor, CA, public accountancy permit No. A120841

 


 

neptune WELLNESS SOLUTIONS inc.

Consolidated Financial Statements

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019  

Financial Statements

 

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

1

Consolidated Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Loss

2

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity

3

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

5

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

6

 

 

 

 


 

neptune wellness solutions inc.

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

As at March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019 (1)

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents (note 22)

 

$

16,577,076

 

 

$

9,819,351

 

Short-term investment (note 22)

 

 

36,000

 

 

 

48,000

 

Trade and other receivables (note 5)

 

 

10,793,571

 

 

 

5,806,388

 

Prepaid expenses

 

 

2,296,003

 

 

 

1,093,677

 

Inventories (note 6)

 

 

9,092,538

 

 

 

5,038,161

 

Other asset (note 20 (a))

 

 

 

 

 

2,835,000

 

 

 

 

38,795,188

 

 

 

24,640,577

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment (note 7)

 

 

60,028,574

 

 

 

47,023,973

 

Right-of-use assets (note 8)

 

 

1,386,254

 

 

 

 

Intangible assets (note 9)

 

 

25,518,287

 

 

 

7,650,598

 

Goodwill (note 9)

 

 

42,333,174

 

 

 

6,750,626

 

Tax credits recoverable (note 18)

 

 

184,470

 

 

 

152,464

 

Other asset (note 20 (a))

 

 

530,000

 

 

 

4,002,337

 

Total assets

 

$

168,775,947

 

 

$

90,220,575

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trade and other payables (note 10)

 

$

12,451,669

 

 

$

8,519,239

 

Lease liabilities (note 8)

 

 

450,125

 

 

 

 

Loans and borrowings (note 11)

 

 

3,180,927

 

 

 

3,466,501

 

Deferred revenues

 

 

17,601

 

 

 

25,070

 

Provisions (note 12)

 

 

1,115,703

 

 

 

7,964,576

 

 

 

 

17,216,025

 

 

 

19,975,386

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred lease inducements

 

 

 

 

 

207,745

 

Lease liabilities (note 8)

 

 

1,141,314

 

 

 

 

Long-term payables (note 13)

 

 

555,440

 

 

 

855,337

 

Deferred tax liabilities (note 18)

 

 

5,015,106

 

 

 

197,181

 

Other liability (note 24)

 

 

1,217,769

 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

 

 

25,145,654

 

 

 

21,235,649

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share capital (note 14)

 

 

213,876,454

 

 

 

131,083,698

 

Warrants (note 14 (f))

 

 

18,597,776

 

 

 

648,820

 

Contributed surplus

 

 

69,173,313

 

 

 

39,165,706

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income

 

 

5,517,376

 

 

 

758,066

 

Deficit

 

 

(163,534,626

)

 

 

(102,671,364

)

Total equity

 

 

143,630,293

 

 

 

68,984,926

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commitments and contingencies (note 21)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subsequent event (note 25)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity

 

$

168,775,947

 

 

$

90,220,575

 

(1)

The Corporation has initially applied IFRS 16 as at April 1, 2019. Under the transition method chosen, comparative information is not restated. Refer to note 3 (q).

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

On behalf of the Board:

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ John Moretz

 

/s/ Michael Cammarata

John Moretz

 

Michael Cammarata

Chairman of the Board

 

President and CEO

 

 

 

1


 

NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Consolidated Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Loss

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 

 

March 31,

2020

 

 

March 31,

2019 (1)

 

Revenue from sales and services

 

$

27,722,571

 

 

$

23,163,016

 

Royalty revenues

 

 

1,630,717

 

 

 

1,279,026

 

Other revenues

 

 

224,516

 

 

 

 

Total revenues (note 23)

 

 

29,577,804

 

 

 

24,442,042

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of sales (note 6)

 

 

(31,416,251

)

 

 

(16,827,594

)

Gross profit

 

 

(1,838,447

)

 

 

7,614,448

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research and development expenses, net of tax credits and grants of $73,930 (2019 -

   $82,584)

 

 

(2,870,497

)

 

 

(7,211,553

)

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

(64,664,389

)

 

 

(15,285,716

)

Litigation provisions (note 12)

 

 

 

 

 

(7,930,383

)

Impairment loss on goodwill (note 9)

 

 

(85,548,266

)

 

 

 

Loss from operating activities

 

 

(154,921,599

)

 

 

(22,813,204

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance income (note 16)

 

 

2,035,218

 

 

 

246,652

 

Finance costs (note 16)

 

 

(583,707

)

 

 

(455,136

)

Change in fair value of contingent consideration (note 4)

 

 

97,208,166

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

98,659,677

 

 

 

(208,484

)

Loss before income taxes

 

 

(56,261,922

)

 

 

(23,021,688

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income tax expense (note 18)

 

 

(4,601,340

)

 

 

(170,011

)

Net loss

 

 

(60,863,262

)

 

 

(23,191,699

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unrealized gains on investments (note 20 (a))

 

 

1,320,431

 

 

 

251,597

 

 

Net change in unrealized foreign currency losses on translation of net investments

   in foreign operations

 

 

3,438,879

 

 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized loss on derivatives designated as cash flow hedges

 

 

 

 

 

(19,090

)

Total other comprehensive income

 

 

4,759,310

 

 

 

232,507

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total comprehensive loss

 

$

(56,103,952

)

 

$

(22,959,192

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic and diluted loss per share

 

$

(0.68

)

 

$

(0.29

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic weighted average number of common shares

 

 

89,972,395

 

 

 

79,539,984

 

Diluted weighted average number of common shares

 

 

89,972,395

 

 

 

79,539,984

 

 

 

(1)

The Corporation has initially applied IFRS 16 as at April 1, 2019. Under the transition method chosen, comparative information is not restated. Refer to note 3 (q).

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

 

2


 

NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 

Attributable to equity holders of the Corporation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share Capital

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

other comprehensive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number

 

 

Dollars

 

 

Warrants

 

 

Contributed

surplus

 

 

Investment

in equity instruments

 

 

Cumulative

translation

account

 

 

Deficit

 

 

Total

 

Balance at March 31, 2019 (1)

 

 

79,987,292

 

 

$

131,083,698

 

 

$

648,820

 

 

$

39,165,706

 

 

$

758,066

 

 

$

 

 

$

(102,671,364

)

 

$

68,984,926

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss for the period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(60,863,262

)

 

 

(60,863,262

)

Other comprehensive income for the period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,320,431

 

 

 

3,438,879

 

 

 

 

 

 

4,759,310

 

Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,320,431

 

 

 

3,438,879

 

 

 

(60,863,262

)

 

 

(56,103,952

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transaction with equity holders recorded directly

   in equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contributions by and distribution to equity holders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share-based payment transactions (note 17)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16,594,588

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16,594,588

 

Warrants exercised (note 14 (f))

 

 

750,000

 

 

 

3,176,320

 

 

 

(648,820

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,527,500

 

Warrants in exchange of services rendered by

   non-employees (note 14 (f))

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18,597,776

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18,597,776

 

Share options exercised (note 14 (b))

 

 

2,067,418

 

 

 

6,553,243

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2,622,819

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,930,424

 

DSUs released (note 14 (c))

 

 

333,279

 

 

 

492,989

 

 

 

 

 

 

(492,989

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RSUs released, net of tax (note 14 (d))

 

 

437,849

 

 

 

3,099,004

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4,061,081

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(962,077

)

Private placement, net of issuance costs (note 14 (g))

 

 

9,415,910

 

 

 

51,432,131

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

51,432,131

 

At-The-Market Offering, net of issuance costs

   (note 14 (h))

 

 

4,159,086

 

 

 

6,760,099

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6,760,099

 

Business acquisition (notes 4 and 14 (i))

 

 

1,587,301

 

 

 

7,966,970

 

 

 

 

 

 

20,589,908

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

28,556,878

 

Provisions settled in shares (note 14 (e))

 

 

600,000

 

 

 

3,312,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,312,000

 

Total contributions by and distribution to equity holders

 

 

19,350,843

 

 

 

82,792,756

 

 

 

17,948,956

 

 

 

30,007,607

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

130,749,319

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at March 31, 2020

 

 

99,338,135

 

 

$

213,876,454

 

 

$

18,597,776

 

 

$

69,173,313

 

 

$

2,078,497

 

 

$

3,438,879

 

 

$

(163,534,626

)

 

$

143,630,293

 

 

(1)

The Corporation has initially applied IFRS 16 as at April 1, 2019. Under the transition method chosen, comparative information is not restated. Refer to note 3 (q).

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

3


 

NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity, Continued

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 

Attributable to equity holders of the Corporation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share Capital

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

other comprehensive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number

 

 

Dollars

 

 

Warrants

 

 

Contributed

surplus

 

 

Investment

in equity instruments

 

 

Cash flow

hedges

 

 

Deficit

 

 

Total

 

Balance at March 31, 2018

 

 

78,804,212

 

 

$

128,483,507

 

 

$

648,820

 

 

$

36,355,549

 

 

$

506,469

 

 

$

19,090

 

 

$

(79,479,665

)

 

$

86,533,770

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss for the period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(23,191,699

)

 

 

(23,191,699

)

Other comprehensive income (loss) for the period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

251,597

 

 

 

(19,090

)

 

 

 

 

 

232,507

 

Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

251,597

 

 

 

(19,090

)

 

 

(23,191,699

)

 

 

(22,959,192

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transaction with equity holders recorded directly

   in equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contributions by and distribution to equity holders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share-based payment transactions (note 17)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,712,415

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,712,415

 

Share options exercised (note 14 (b))

 

 

1,047,523

 

 

 

2,396,141

 

 

 

 

 

 

(698,208

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,697,933

 

DSUs released (note 14 (c))

 

 

135,557

 

 

 

204,050

 

 

 

 

 

 

(204,050

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total contributions by and distribution to equity holders

 

 

1,183,080

 

 

 

2,600,191

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,810,157

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5,410,348

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at March 31, 2019 (1)

 

 

79,987,292

 

 

$

131,083,698

 

 

$

648,820

 

 

$

39,165,706

 

 

$

758,066

 

 

$

 

 

$

(102,671,364

)

 

$

68,984,926

 

 

(1)

The Corporation has initially applied IFRS 16 as at April 1, 2019. Under the transition method chosen, comparative information is not restated. Refer to note 3 (q).

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

 

4


 

neptune wellness solutions inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019 (1)

 

Cash flows used in operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss for the period

 

$

(60,863,262

)

 

$

(23,191,699

)

Adjustments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

 

 

3,005,017

 

 

 

2,351,617

 

Amortization of right-of-use assets

 

 

378,309

 

 

 

 

Amortization of intangible assets

 

 

5,000,910

 

 

 

704,705

 

Net loss from sale of property, plant and equipment

 

 

14,165

 

 

 

32,333

 

Impairment loss on goodwill (note 9)

 

 

85,548,266

 

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 

16,594,588

 

 

 

3,712,415

 

Impairment loss on inventories (note 6)

 

 

2,081,943

 

 

 

 

Non-employees compensation related to warrants (note 14 (f))

 

 

18,597,776

 

 

 

 

Recognition of deferred revenues

 

 

(25,070

)

 

 

(107,635

)

Amortization of deferred lease inducements

 

 

 

 

 

(59,356

)

Net finance (income) expense

 

 

(1,451,511

)

 

 

208,484

 

Unrealized foreign exchange loss

 

 

979,505

 

 

 

20,158

 

Change in fair value of contingent consideration (note 4)

 

 

(97,208,166

)

 

 

 

Income taxes expense (note 18)

 

 

4,601,340

 

 

 

170,011

 

 

 

 

(22,746,190

)

 

 

(16,158,967

)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities (note 19)

 

 

(8,684,797

)

 

 

8,004,507

 

 

 

 

(31,430,987

)

 

 

(8,154,460

)

Cash flows used in investing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maturity of previously restricted short-term investments

 

 

12,000

 

 

 

2,374,000

 

Interest received

 

 

151,219

 

 

 

222,700

 

Business acquisition, net of cash acquired (note 4)

 

 

(15,770,400

)

 

 

 

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

 

 

(13,785,701

)

 

 

(6,738,554

)

Acquisition of intangible assets

 

 

(487,184

)

 

 

(2,352,205

)

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

 

 

7,103

 

 

 

 

Sales of Acasti shares (note 20 (a))

 

 

5,317,770

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(24,555,193

)

 

 

(6,494,059

)

Cash flows from financing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Variation of the bank line of credit (note 19 (c))

 

 

(620,000

)

 

 

130,000

 

Repayment of loans and borrowings (note 19 (c))

 

 

(3,807,132

)

 

 

(1,357,454

)

Increase in loans and borrowings, net of financing fees (note 19 (c))

 

 

3,996,392

 

 

 

 

Payment of lease liabilities (note 8)

 

 

(384,494

)

 

 

 

Interest paid

 

 

(359,825

)

 

 

(281,510

)

Private placement (note 14 (g))

 

 

53,970,867

 

 

 

 

At-The-Market Offering (note 14 (h))

 

 

7,069,220

 

 

 

 

Issuance of shares costs (note 14 (g) and (h))

 

 

(2,847,857

)

 

 

 

Proceeds from exercise of options (note 14 (b))

 

 

3,930,424

 

 

 

1,697,933

 

Proceeds from exercise of warrants (note 14 (f))

 

 

2,527,500

 

 

 

 

Withholding taxes paid pursuant to the settlement of non-treasury RSUs (note 17 (b))

 

 

(962,077

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

62,513,018

 

 

 

188,969

 

Foreign exchange gain (loss) on cash and cash equivalents held in foreign currencies

 

 

230,887

 

 

 

(8,206

)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

 

 

6,757,725

 

 

 

(14,467,756

)

Cash and cash equivalents as at April 1, 2019 and 2018

 

 

9,819,351

 

 

 

24,287,107

 

Cash and cash equivalents as at March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

$

16,577,076

 

 

$

9,819,351

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents is comprised of:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash

 

$

16,577,076

 

 

$

3,676,704

 

Cash equivalents

 

 

 

 

 

6,142,647

 

 

(1)

The Corporation has initially applied IFRS 16 as at April 1, 2019. Under the transition method chosen, comparative information is not restated. Refer to note 3 (q).

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

5


 

NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

1.

Reporting entity:

Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. (the "Corporation" or "Neptune") is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Québec) (formerly Part 1A of the Companies Act (Québec)). The Corporation is domiciled in Canada and its registered office is located at 545 Promenade du Centropolis, Laval, Québec, H7T 0A3. The consolidated financial statements of the Corporation comprise the Corporation and its subsidiaries, Biodroga Nutraceuticals Inc. ("Biodroga"), SugarLeaf Labs, Inc. ("SugarLeaf"), 9354-7537 Québec Inc. and Neptune Holding USA, Inc.

Neptune is a diversified and fully integrated health and wellness company. Through its flagship consumer-facing brands, Forest Remedies™ and Ocean Remedies™, Neptune is redefining health and wellness by building a broad portfolio of natural, plant-based, sustainable and purpose-driven lifestyle brands and consumer packaged goods products in key health and wellness markets, including hemp, nutraceuticals, personal care and home care. Leveraging decades of expertise in extraction and specialty ingredient formulation, Neptune is a leading provider of turnkey product development and supply chain solutions to businesses and government customers across several health and wellness verticals, including legal cannabis and hemp, nutraceuticals and white label consumer packaged goods. The Company utilizes a highly flexible and low cost supply chain infrastructure that can be scaled up and down or into adjacent product categories to quickly adapt to market demand. Neptune’s corporate headquarters is located in Laval, Quebec, with a 50,000 square-foot production facility located in Sherbrooke, Quebec and a 24,000 square-foot facility located in North Carolina.

2.

Basis of preparation:

 

(a)

Statement of compliance:

These consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB").

The consolidated financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on June 10, 2020.

 

(b)

Basis of measurement:

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, except for the following:

 

Share-based compensation transactions which are measured pursuant to IFRS 2, Share-based payment (note 3 (l)(ii));

 

Acquisition of SugarLeaf including the acquired assets and liabilities and the related contingent consideration (note 4); and

 

Financial asset which is measured at fair value (note 20 (a)).

Certain of the Corporation’s accounting policies and disclosures require the determination of fair value, for both financial and non-financial assets and liabilities. In establishing fair value, the Corporation uses a fair value hierarchy based on levels as defined below:

 

Level 1: defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets.

 

Level 2: defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable.

 

Level 3: defined as inputs that are based on little or no little observable market data, therefore requiring entities to develop their own assumptions.

 

(c)

Functional and presentation currency:

These consolidated financial statements are presented in Canadian dollars, which is the functional currency of the parent company.

 

(d)

Use of estimates and judgments:

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events and actions that the Corporation may undertake in the future. Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimates are revised and in any future periods affected.

 

 

 

 

6


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Critical judgments in applying accounting policies that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognized in the consolidated financial statements include the following:

 

Assessing the recognition of contingent liabilities, which requires judgment in evaluating whether there is a probable outflow of  economic benefits that will be required to settle matters subject to litigation (notes 12 and 21);

 

Assessing if performance criteria on options and DSUs will be achieved in measuring the stock-based compensation expense (note 17);

 

Assessing the fair value of services rendered in exchange of warrants (note 14 (f));

 

Assessing the recognition period to be used in recording stock-based compensation that is based on market and non-market conditions, as well as bonuses that are based on achievement of market capitalization targets (notes 17 and 24); and

 

Assessing the criteria for recognition of tax assets (note 18).

Assumptions and estimation uncertainties that have a significant risk of resulting in a material adjustment within the next financial year include the following:

 

Estimating the recoverable amount of non-financial assets (notes 3 (f)(ii) and 9);

 

Estimating the fair value of bonus and options that are based on market and non-market conditions (notes 17 and 24);

 

Estimating the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and consideration transferred of the acquired business, including the related contingent consideration (note 4); and

 

Estimating the litigation provision as it depends upon the outcome of proceedings (note 12).

3.

Significant accounting policies:

The accounting policies set out below have been applied consistently to all periods presented in these consolidated financial statements, and have been applied consistently by the Corporation’s subsidiaries.

 

(a)

Basis of consolidation:

Subsidiaries

The Corporation’s subsidiaries, all of which are wholly-owned, and their jurisdiction of incorporation are as follows:

Subsidiary

Jurisdiction of Incorporation

Biodroga Nutraceuticals Inc.

Quebec

SugarLeaf Labs, Inc.

Delaware (with a Certificate of Authority to operate in North Carolina)

Neptune Holding USA, Inc.

Delaware

9354-7537 Québec Inc.

Quebec

 

(i)

Business combinations and related goodwill:

Business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition method as at the acquisition date, when control is transferred. The consideration transferred for the acquisition of a business is the fair value of the assets transferred, and any liability and equity interests issued by the Corporation on the date control of the acquired company is obtained. Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities and contingent liabilities assumed in a business combination are generally measured initially at their fair values at the acquisition date. The Corporation measures goodwill as the fair value for the consideration transferred including the recognized amount of any non-controlling interest in the acquiree, less the net recognized amount of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed, all measured at the acquisition date. If this consideration is lower than the fair value of the net assets of the business acquired, the difference is recognized immediately in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income or loss as a gain from a bargain purchase.

Restructuring, transaction costs other than those associated with the issue of debt or equity securities, and other direct costs of a business combination are not considered part of the business acquisition transaction and are expensed as incurred.


7


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Subsequent recognition of goodwill:

After initial recognition, goodwill is measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. Goodwill is not amortized but tested for impairment at least annually and upon occurrence of an indication of impairment. The impairment testing process is described in the appropriate section of these accounting policies.

Subsidiaries:

Subsidiaries are entities controlled by the Corporation. The financial statements of subsidiaries are included in the consolidated financial statements from the date that control commences until the date that control ceases. Control exists when the Corporation is exposed to, or has the right to, variable returns from its involvement with the entity and has the ability to affect those returns through its power over the entity.

 

(ii)

Transactions eliminated on consolidation:

Intra-group balances and transactions, and any unrealized income and expenses arising from intra-group transactions, are eliminated in preparing the consolidated financial statements.

 

(b)

Financial instruments:

All financial instruments, including derivatives, are recognized in the consolidated statement of financial position initially at fair value when the Corporation becomes a party to the contractual obligations of the instrument. Transaction costs that are directly attributable to the acquisition or issuance of financial instruments that are not subsequently recognized at fair value are added or deducted from the financial asset or liability and are amortized using the effective interest rate method over the expected life of the related asset/liability.

 

(i)

Offsetting of financial instruments

Financial assets and financial liabilities are offset and the net amount reported in the consolidated statement of financial position if, and only if, there is a currently enforceable legal right to offset the recognized amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis, or to realize the assets and settle the liabilities simultaneously.

 

(ii)

Financial assets:

On initial recognition, the Corporation classifies its financial assets as subsequently measured at either amortized cost or fair value, depending on its business model for managing the financial assets and the contractual cash flow characteristics of the financial assets.

Financial asset measured at amortized cost:

A financial asset is subsequently measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method and net of any impairment loss if it meets both of the following conditions and is not designated as at fair value through profit or loss:

 

it is held within a business model whose objective is to hold assets to collect contractual cash flows; and

 

its contractual terms give rise on specified dates to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and interest on the principal amount outstanding.

The financial assets of the Corporation that are measured at amortized cost consist of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, and trade and other receivables. Interest income, foreign exchange gains and losses and impairment are recognized in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income (loss).

Financial assets measured at fair value:

Certain financial assets including debt investments and equity investments that are not held for trading are accounted for as fair value through other comprehensive income or loss. Subsequent changes in fair value of these financial assets are recorded in other comprehensive income or loss, except for foreign exchange gains or losses and expected credit loss and reversal that are recognized in profit or loss. Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income for equity investments are not reclassified to profit or loss under any circumstances. Dividends on such instruments are recognized in profit or loss unless dividends clearly represents a recovery of a repayment of part of the cost of the investment. The Corporation has an equity instrument measured at fair value through other comprehensive income or loss (refer to note 20 (a)). All financial assets not classified as measured at amortized cost or fair value through other comprehensive income are measured at fair value through profit or loss. In addition, on initial recognition, the Corporation may irrevocably designate a financial asset that otherwise meets the requirements to be measured at amortized cost or at fair value through other comprehensive income or loss as at fair value through profit or loss if doing so eliminates or significantly reduces an accounting mismatch that would otherwise arise. Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss are

8


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

subsequently measured at fair value. Net gains and losses, including any interest or dividend income, are recognized in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income (loss). The Corporation currently has no such financial instruments.

Derecognition of financial assets:

Financial assets are derecognized when the Corporation’s contractual rights to the cash flows from the respective assets have expired or the Corporation has transferred its rights to the cash flows from the respective assets and either (i) the Corporation has transferred substantially all of the risks and rewards of the assets or (ii) the Corporation has neither exposure to the risks inherent in those assets nor entitlement to rewards from them. Any gain or loss on derecognition is recognized in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income (loss).

 

(iii)

Financial liabilities and equity instruments:

Debt and equity instruments issued by the Corporation are classified as either financial liabilities or as equity in accordance with the substance of the contractual arrangements and the definitions of a financial liability and an equity instrument.

On initial recognition, the Corporation classifies its financial liabilities as subsequently measured at either amortized cost or fair value.

Financial liabilities measured at amortized cost:

A financial liability is subsequently measured at amortized cost, using the effective interest method. The Corporation currently classifies loans and borrowings, trade and other payables and long-term payables as financial liabilities measured at amortized cost.

Financial liabilities measured at fair value:

Financial liabilities at fair value are initially recognized at fair value and are remeasured at each reporting date with any changes therein recognized in net income. The Corporation currently has no significant financial liabilities measured at fair value.

An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of an entity after deducting all of its liabilities. Equity instruments issued by the Corporation are recognized at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs and applicable income taxes.

Derecognition of financial liabilities:

Financial liabilities are derecognized when the obligations under the liabilities are discharged, cancelled, expired or are replaced by a new liability with substantially modified terms. Any gain or loss on derecognition is recognized in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income (loss).

Effective interest method:

The effective interest method is a method of calculating the amortized cost of a financial asset or financial liability and of allocating interest income or expense over the relevant period. The effective interest rate is the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash receipts/payments (including all fees and points paid or received that form an integral part of the effective interest rate, transaction costs and other premiums or discounts) through the expected life of the financial instrument, or (when appropriate) a shorter period, to the net carrying amount on initial recognition.

 

(iv)

Share capital:

Common shares are classified as equity. Incremental costs directly attributable to the issue of common shares are recognized as a deduction from equity, net of any tax effects.

 

(v)

Other equity instruments:

Warrants, options and rights over the Corporation’s equity issued outside of share-based payment transactions that do not meet the definition of a liability instrument are recognized in equity.

 

(vi)

Derivative financial instruments and hedge accounting:

Derivative financial instruments:

The Corporation has issued liability-classified derivatives over its own equity. Embedded derivative is separated from the host contract and accounted for separately if the economic characteristics and risks of the host contract and the embedded derivative are not closely related, a separate instrument with the same terms as the embedded derivative would meet the definition of a derivative, and the combined instrument is not measured at fair value through profit or loss.

9


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Derivatives and separable embedded derivatives are recognized initially at fair value; attributable transaction costs are recognized in profit or loss as incurred. Subsequent to initial recognition, derivatives and separable embedded derivatives are measured at fair value, and all changes in their fair value are recognized immediately in profit or loss. The Corporation has not had liability-classified derivatives over its own equity for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. The Corporation has not had significant derivatives for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.

Hedge accounting:

Derivatives that qualify as hedging instruments must be designated as either a “cash flow hedge”, when the hedged risk is a variability in the future cash flows of the hedged item, or a “fair value hedge”, when the hedged risk is a variability in the fair value of the hedged item. Any derivative instrument that does not qualify for hedge accounting is marked-to-market at each reporting date and the gains or losses are included in net income (loss).

Cash flow hedges:

For derivative financial instruments designated as cash flow hedges, the effective portion of changes in their fair value is recognized in other comprehensive income in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income and presented in the cash flow hedges reserve in equity. Any ineffectiveness is recognized in net income (loss) immediately as it arises in the same consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive loss account as the hedged item when realized.

Should a cash flow hedging relationship become ineffective or the hedging relationship be terminated, previously unrealized gains and losses remain within the cash flows hedges reserve until the hedged item is settled and any future changes in value of the derivative are recognized in net income (loss) prospectively.

When the hedged item is realized, amounts recognized in the cash flow hedge reserve are reclassified to the same consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive loss account or reclassified to the related non-financial asset in which the hedged item is recorded. If the hedged item ceases to exist before the hedging instrument expires, the unrealized gains or losses within the cash flow hedge reserve are immediately reclassified to net income (loss).

Use of derivative financial instruments:

Derivative financial instruments are utilized, from time to time, by the Corporation in the management of its foreign currency exposures and interest-rate market risks. These derivative financial instruments are used as a method for meeting the risk reduction objectives of the Corporation by generating offsetting cash flows related to the underlying position in respect of amount and timing of forecasted foreign currency cash flows and interest payments.

When it utilizes derivatives in hedge accounting relationships, the Corporation formally documents and designates all of its eligible hedging relationships. This process involves associating all derivatives to specific assets and liabilities on the consolidated statement of financial position or with forecasted or probable transactions. The Corporation also formally assesses the effectiveness of hedging relationships at inception and on an on-going basis.

 

(c)

Inventories:

Inventories are measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value. The cost of finished goods, raw materials, supplies and spare parts is based on the weighted-average cost method. The cost of finished goods and work in progress includes expenditures incurred in acquiring the inventories, production or conversion costs, sub-contractors costs and other costs incurred in bringing them to their existing location and condition, as well as production overheads based on normal operating capacity.

Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less the estimated costs of completion and selling expenses.

 

(d)

Property, plant and equipment:

 

(i)

Recognition and measurement:

Items of property, plant and equipment are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses.

Cost includes expenditures that are directly attributable to the acquisition of the asset. The cost of self-constructed assets includes the cost of materials and direct labour, any other costs directly attributable to bringing the assets to a working condition for their intended use, the costs of dismantling and removing the items and restoring the site on which they are located and borrowing costs on qualifying assets.

Purchased software that is integral to the functionality of the related equipment is capitalized as part of that equipment.

10


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

When parts of an item of property, plant and equipment have significantly different useful lives, they are accounted for as separate items (major components) of property, plant and equipment.

Gains and losses on disposal of an item of property, plant and equipment are determined by comparing the proceeds from disposal with the carrying amount of property, plant and equipment, and are recognized in net profit or loss.

 

(ii)

Subsequent costs:

The cost of replacing a part of an item of property, plant and equipment is recognized in the carrying amount of the item if it is probable that the future economic benefits embodied within the part will flow to the Corporation, and its cost can be measured reliably. The carrying amount of the replaced part is derecognized. The costs of the day-to-day servicing of property, plant and equipment are recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

 

(iii)

Depreciation:

Depreciation is calculated over the depreciable amount, which is the cost of an asset less its residual value.

Depreciation is recognized in profit or loss on either a straight-line basis or a declining basis over the estimated useful lives of each part of an item of property, plant and equipment, since this most closely reflects the expected pattern of consumption of the future economic benefits embodied in the asset.

The estimated useful lives for the current and comparative periods are as follows:

 

Asset

Method

 

Period/Rate

 

 

 

 

Building and building components

Straight-line

 

20 to 40 years

Laboratory, R&D and plant equipment

Straight-line

 

10 to 20 years

Furniture and office equipment

Declining balance

 

20% to 30%

Computer equipment

Straight-line

 

2 to 5 years

 

Depreciation methods, useful lives and residual values are reviewed at each financial year-end and adjusted prospectively, if appropriate.

 

(e)

Intangible assets:

 

(i)

Research and development:

Expenditure on research activities, undertaken with the prospect of gaining new scientific or technical knowledge and understanding, is recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

Development activities involve a plan or design for the production of new or substantially improved products and processes. Development expenditure is capitalized only if development costs can be measured reliably, the product or process is technically and commercially feasible, future economic benefits are probable, and the Corporation intends to and has sufficient resources to complete development and to use or sell the asset. The expenditure capitalized includes the cost of materials, direct labour, overhead costs that are directly attributable to preparing the asset for its intended use, and borrowing costs on qualifying assets. There are no capitalized development costs during the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. Other development expenditure is recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

Capitalized development expenditure is measured at cost less accumulated amortization and accumulated impairment losses.

 

(ii)

Other intangible assets:

Intangible assets acquired separately are measured on initial recognition at cost. The cost of intangible assets acquired in a business combination is its fair value as at the date of acquisition. Internally generated intangible assets, excluding capitalized development and patent costs, are not capitalized and the expenditure is reflected in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income (loss) in the year in which the expenditure is incurred. Following initial recognition, intangible assets are carried at cost less any accumulated amortization and any accumulated impairment losses.

The useful lives of intangible assets are assessed as either finite or indefinite. The Corporation has no indefinite life intangible assets.

Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized over their useful economic life and assessed for impairment whenever there is an indication that the intangible asset may be impaired. The residual value, amortization period and amortization method for an

11


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

intangible asset with a finite useful life are reviewed at least at each financial year-end and adjusted prospectively, if applicable. Changes in the expected useful life or the expected pattern of consumption of future economic benefits embodied in the asset are accounted for by changing the amortization period or method, as appropriate, and are treated as changes in accounting estimates which are accounted for prospectively.

Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized as follows:

Asset

Method

 

Period/Rate

 

 

 

 

Non compete agreements

Straight-line

 

3 years

Customer relationships

Straight-line

 

10 years

Farmer relationships

Straight-line

 

3 years

License agreements

Straight-line

 

31 months to 12 years

Website and trademarks

Straight-line

 

4 years

Computer software

Straight-line

 

3 to 5 years

Amortization is calculated over the cost of the asset less its residual value.

Amortization is recognized in profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of intangible assets, from the date that they are available for use, since this most closely reflects the expected pattern of consumption of the future economic benefits embodied in the asset. The estimated useful lives for the current and comparative periods are described above.

 

(iii)

Subsequent expenditure:

Subsequent expenditure is capitalized only when it increases the future economic benefits embodied in the specific asset to which it relates. All other expenditures, including expenditure on internally generated goodwill and brands, are recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

 

(f)

Impairment:

 

 

(i)

Financial assets:

Loss allowances for “expected credit losses” (“ECLs”) are measured on either of the following bases:

 

12-month ECLs: these are ECLs that result from possible default events within the 12 months after the reporting date; and

 

Lifetime ECLs: these are ECLs that result from all possible default events over the expected life of a financial instrument.

The Corporation has elected to measure loss allowances for trade accounts receivable at an amount equal to lifetime ECLs.

The Corporation measures loss allowances for other receivables by determining whether the credit risk of a financial asset has increased significantly since initial recognition and when estimating ECLs. The Corporation considers reasonable and supportable information that is relevant and available without undue cost or effort. This includes both quantitative and qualitative information and analysis, based on the Corporation’s historical experience and informed credit assessment, including forward-looking information.

The Corporation considers a financial asset to be in default when the borrower is unlikely to pay its credit obligations to the Corporation in full, without recourse by the Corporation to actions such as recovering inventory or the Corporation’s credit insurance.

The maximum period considered when estimating ECLs is the maximum contractual period over which the Corporation is exposed to credit risk.

 

Measurement of ECLs:

ECLs are a probability-weighted estimate of credit losses. Credit losses are measured as the present value of all cash shortfalls (i.e. the difference between the cash flows due to the entity in accordance with the contract and the cash flows that the Corporation expects to receive). The Corporation establishes an impairment loss allowance on a collective and individual assessment basis, by considering past events, current conditions and forecasts of future economic conditions. Collective assessment is carried out by grouping together trade accounts receivable with similar characteristics. ECLs are discounted at the effective interest rate of the financial asset.


12


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Credit-impaired financial assets:

At each reporting date, the Corporation assesses whether financial assets carried at amortized cost are credit-impaired. A financial asset is ‘credit-impaired’ when one or more events that have a detrimental impact on the estimated future cash flows of the financial asset have occurred. Examples of events that could occur are:

 

significant financial difficulty of the borrower;

 

a breach of contract, such as a default or past due event;

 

it is becoming probable that the borrower will enter bankruptcy or other financial reorganization; or

 

the disappearance of an active market for that financial asset because of financial difficulties.

It may not be possible to identify a single discrete event; instead, the combined effect of several events may have caused financial assets to become credit-impaired.

 

Presentation of impairment:

Loss allowances for financial assets measured at amortized cost are deducted from the gross carrying amount of the assets. Impairment losses related to trade and other receivables are presented in selling, general and administrative expenses of the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income (loss).

 

Write-off:

The gross carrying amount of a financial assets is written off when the Corporation has no reasonable expectations of recovering a financial asset in its entirety or a portion thereof.

 

(ii)

Non-financial assets:

The carrying amounts of the Corporation’s non-financial assets, other than inventories, tax credits receivable and recoverable and deferred tax assets, are reviewed at each reporting date to determine whether there is any indication of impairment. If any such indication exists, then the asset’s recoverable amount is estimated. For intangible assets that have indefinite useful lives or that are not yet available for use, the recoverable amount is estimated each year at the same date.

The recoverable amount of an asset or cash-generating unit is the greater of its value in use and its fair value less costs to sell. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset. For the purpose of impairment testing, assets that cannot be tested individually are grouped together into the smallest group of assets that generates cash inflows from continuing use that are largely independent of the cash inflows of other assets or groups of assets (the ''cash-generating unit'', or ''CGU'').

An impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount of an asset or its CGU exceeds its estimated recoverable amount. Impairment losses are recognized in profit or loss.

Impairment losses recognized in prior periods are assessed at each reporting date for any indications that the loss has decreased or no longer exists. An impairment loss is reversed if there has been a change in the estimates used to determine the recoverable amount. An impairment loss is reversed only to the extent that the asset’s carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined, net of depreciation or amortization, if no impairment loss had been recognized.

Goodwill:

Goodwill is tested for impairment annually and when circumstances indicate that the carrying value may be impaired. Impairment is determined for goodwill by assessing the recoverable amount of each CGU to which the goodwill relates. The Corporation defines its CGUs based on the way it internally monitors and derives economic benefits from the acquired goodwill. Impairment losses for a CGU is first allocated to reduce goodwill. An impairment loss in respect of goodwill is not reversed in future periods.

 

(g)

Provisions:

A provision is recognized if, as a result of a past event, the Corporation has a present legal or constructive obligation that can be estimated reliably, and it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation. Provisions are usually determined by discounting the expected future cash flows at a pre-tax rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the liability. The unwinding of the discount is recognized as finance cost.

13


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 

(i)

Onerous contracts:

A provision for onerous contracts is recognized when the expected benefits to be derived by the Corporation from a contract are lower than the unavoidable cost of meeting its obligations under the contract. The provision is measured at the present value of the lower of the expected cost of terminating the contract and the expected net cost of continuing with the contract. Before a provision is established, the Corporation recognizes any impairment loss on the assets associated with that contract.

 

(ii)

Contingent liability:

A contingent liability is a possible obligation that arises from past events and of which the existence will be confirmed only by the occurrence or non-occurrence of one or more uncertain future events not within the control of the Corporation; or a present obligation that arises from past events (and therefore exists), but is not recognized because it is not probable that a transfer or use of assets, provision of services or any other transfer of economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation, or the amount of the obligation cannot be estimated reliably.

 

(h)

Revenue:

Sale of products:

Revenue from the sale of goods in the course of ordinary activities is recognized at a point in time when control of the assets is transferred to the customer. The Corporation transfers control generally on shipment of the goods or in some cases, upon reception by the customer. Revenue is measured based on the consideration the Corporation expects to be entitled to receive in exchange of assets as specified in contracts with customers. For some arrangements in which the Corporation is entitled to non-cash consideration, revenue is measured at the fair value of exchanged assets as specified in contracts with customers. Revenue is presented net of returns.

Processing services:

The Corporation is involved in the extraction, purification and formulation of health and wellness products. Revenue earned on processing services is recognized as the services are rendered in accordance with contractual terms, recovery of the consideration is probable and the amount of revenue can be measured reliably. The Corporation recognizes revenue from processing services in proportion to the stage of completion of the service at the reporting date. The stage of completion is assessed based on surveys of work performed. All related production costs are expenses as incurred.

Royalty revenues:

Royalties are earned under the terms of the applicable agreement and are recognized when it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

 

(i)

Government grants:

Government grants, consisting of grants and investment tax credits, are recorded as a reduction of the related expense or cost of the asset acquired. Government grants are recognized when there is reasonable assurance that the Corporation has met or will meet the requirements of the approved grant program and there is reasonable assurance that the grant will be received.

Grants that compensate the Corporation for expenses incurred are recognized in profit or loss in reduction thereof on a systematic basis in the same years in which the expenses are recognized. Grants that compensate the Corporation for the cost of an asset are recognized in profit or loss on a systematic basis over the useful life of the asset.

 

(j)

Lease:

The Company adopted IFRS 16, Leases, on April 1, 2019 (refer to note 3 (q)). At inception, the Corporation assesses whether a contract is, or contains, a lease based on whether the contract conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration.  

The Corporation recognizes a right-of-use asset and a lease liability at the commencement date of the lease, i.e. the date the underlying asset is available for use.

The details of the new significant accounting policies in relation to the Corporation’s leases effective April 1, 2019 are set out below (refer to note 3 (q)).


14


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Right-of-use assets

Right-of-use assets are measured at cost, less any accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses, and adjusted for remeasurement of lease liabilities. Cost of right-of-use assets is comprised of:

 

the initial measurement amount of the lease liabilities recognized;

 

any lease payments made at or before the commencement date, less any lease incentives received;

 

any initial direct costs incurred; and

 

an estimate of costs to dismantle and remove the underlying asset, restore the site on which it is located or restore the underlying asset to the condition required by the terms and conditions of the lease contract.

Right-of-use assets are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the lesser of i) the estimated useful life of the underlying assets; and ii) the lease term.

Lease liabilities

Lease liabilities are initially measured at the present value of the lease payments that are not paid at the commencement date over the lease term. The present value of the lease payments is determined using the lessee’s incremental borrowing rate at the commencement date if the interest rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable. The incremental borrowing rate is a function of the lessee’s incremental borrowing rate, the nature of the underlying asset, the location of the asset, the length of the lease and the currency of the lease contract. Generally, the Corporation uses the lessee’s incremental borrowing rate for the present value. At the commencement date, lease payments generally include fixed payments, less any lease incentives receivable, variable lease payments that depend on an index (e.g. based on inflation index) or a specified rate, lease extension options, if reasonably certain that it will be exercised, and payments of penalties for terminating the lease, if the lease term reflects the lessee exercising the option to terminate the lease. Lease payments also include amounts expected to be paid under residual value guarantees and the exercise price of a purchase option if the Corporation is reasonably certain to exercise that option.

Variable lease payments that do not depend on an index or a specified rate are not included in the measurement of lease liabilities but instead are recognized as expenses in the period in which the event or condition that triggers the payment occurs.

After the commencement date, the carrying amount of lease liabilities is increased to reflect the accretion of interest and reduced to reflect lease payments made. In addition, the carrying amount of lease liabilities is remeasured when there is a change in future lease payments arising from a change in an index or specified rate, if there is a modification to the lease terms and conditions, a change in the estimate of the amount expected to be payable under residual value guarantee, or if the Corporation changes its assessment of whether it will exercise a termination, extension or purchase option. The remeasurement amount of the lease liabilities is recognized as an adjustment to the right-of-use asset, or in the consolidated statement of earnings when the carrying amount of the right-of-use asset is reduced to zero.

Classification and presentation of lease-related expenses

Depreciation charge for right-of-use assets, expenses related to variable lease payments not included in the measurement of lease liabilities and loss (gain) related to lease modifications are allocated in the Corporation’s consolidated statement of earnings based on their function within the Corporation, while interest expense on lease liabilities is presented within finance costs.  

Cash flows classification

Lease payments related to the principal portion of the lease liabilities are classified as cash flows from financing activities and lease payments related to the interest portion of the lease liabilities are classified as interest paid within cash flows from financing activities. Lease incentives received are classified as cash flows from investing activities. Variable lease payments not included in the measurement of lease liabilities are classified as cash flows from operating activities.

Significant judgment in determining the lease term of contracts with extension options and termination options

The Corporation determines the lease term as the non-cancellable period of the lease, together with any periods covered by an option to extend the lease, if it is reasonably certain to be exercised, or any periods covered by an option to terminate the lease, if it is reasonably certain not to be exercised. The Corporation applies judgment in assessing whether it is reasonably certain to exercise its options to extend its leases or to not exercise its options to terminate its leases, by considering all facts and circumstances that create an economic incentive to exercise an extension option or not to exercise a termination option. The assessment is reviewed if a significant event or a significant change in circumstances occurs which affects this assessment and that is within the control of the Corporation.  

15


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 

(k)

Foreign currency:

Transactions in foreign currencies that are not hedged are translated to the respective functional currencies of the Corporation’s subsidiaries at the exchange rate in effect on the date of the transaction. The monetary assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of a subsidiary are translated at the exchange rates prevailing at the statement of financial position date and translation gains and losses are included in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income (loss). Non-monetary items denominated in foreign currencies other than the functional currency are translated at historical rates.

The assets and liabilities of foreign operations, whose functional currency is not the Canadian dollar, are translated into Canadian dollars at the exchange rates in effect at the statement of financial position date. Revenue and expenses that are not hedged are translated at the exchange rate in effect on the date of the transaction. Differences arising from the exchange rate changes are included in other comprehensive income (loss) in the cumulative translation account.

On disposal of a foreign operation where control is lost, the cumulative amount of the exchange differences recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) relating to that particular foreign operation is recognized in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income (loss) as part of the gain or loss on disposal.

 

(l)

Employee benefits:

 

(i)

Short-term employee benefits:

Short-term employee benefit obligations are measured on an undiscounted basis and are expensed as the related service is provided.

A liability is recognized for the amount expected to be paid under short-term cash bonus or profit-sharing plans if the Corporation has a present legal or constructive obligation to pay this amount as a result of past service provided by the employee, and the obligation can be estimated reliably.

 

(ii)

Share-based payment transactions:

The grant date fair value of share-based payment awards granted to employees is recognized as an employee expense, with a corresponding increase in contributed surplus, over the period that the employees unconditionally become entitled to the awards. The grant date fair value takes into consideration market performance conditions when applicable. The amount recognized as an expense is adjusted to reflect the number of awards for which the related service and non-market performance vesting conditions are expected to be met, such that the amount ultimately recognized as an expense is based on the number of awards that meet the related service and non-market performance conditions at the vesting date.

The fair value of the share-based payment transactions is measured based on valuation models. Measurement inputs include share price on measurement date, exercise price of the instrument, expected volatility (based on the historical volatility), weighted average expected life of the instruments (based on contractual life, tranche vesting term and general option holder behaviour), expected dividends, and the risk-free interest rate (based on government bonds). Service and non-market performance conditions attached to the transactions, if any, are not taken into account in determining fair value.

The fair value of share-based payment awards granted to non-employees is the fair value of the identifiable goods or services or the fair value of the equity instrument granted if the goods or services are not reliably measurable. Measurement date of the fair value is the date at which the Corporation receives the goods or services from the non-employees or the grant date of the instrument when the goods or services are unidentifiable. Goods or services are recognized in expense, with a corresponding increase in contributed surplus over the period that the services are received.

 

(iii)

Termination benefits:

Termination benefits are recognized as an expense when the Corporation is committed demonstrably, without realistic possibility of withdrawal, to a formal detailed plan to either terminate employment before the normal retirement date, or to provide termination benefits as a result of an offer made to encourage voluntary redundancy. Termination benefits for voluntary redundancies are recognized as an expense if the Corporation has made an offer of voluntary redundancy, it is probable that the offer will be accepted, and the number of acceptances can be estimated reliably. If benefits are payable more than 12 months after the reporting year, then they are discounted to their present value.

 

(m)

Finance income and finance costs:

Finance income comprises interest income on funds invested. Interest income is recognized as it accrues in profit or loss, using the effective interest method.

16


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Finance costs comprise interest expense and accretion on borrowings, unwinding of the discount on provisions and long-term payables, financing costs, penalty on debt reimbursement and bank charges. Borrowing costs that are not directly attributable to the acquisition, construction or production of a qualifying asset are recognized in profit or loss using the effective interest method.

Foreign currency gains and losses are reported on a net basis.

The Corporation recognizes interest income as a component of investing activities and interest cost as a component of financing activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows.

 

(n)

Income tax:

Income tax expense comprises current and deferred taxes. Current and deferred taxes are recognized in profit or loss except to the extent that they relate to a business combination, or items recognized directly in equity or in other comprehensive income or loss.

Current tax is the expected tax payable or receivable on the taxable income or loss for the year, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted at the reporting date, and any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous years.

Deferred tax is recognized in respect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes. Deferred tax is not recognized for the following temporary differences: the initial recognition of assets or liabilities in a transaction that is not a business combination and that affects neither accounting nor taxable profit or loss, and differences relating to investments in subsidiaries and jointly controlled entities to the extent that it is probable that they will not reverse in the foreseeable future. In addition, deferred tax is not recognized for taxable temporary differences arising on the initial recognition of goodwill. Deferred tax is measured at the tax rates that are expected to be applied to temporary differences when they reverse, based on the laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset if there is a legally enforceable right to offset current tax liabilities and assets, and they relate to income taxes levied by the same tax authority on the same taxable entity or on different tax entities, but they intend to settle current tax liabilities and assets on a net basis or their tax assets and liabilities will be realized simultaneously.

A deferred tax asset is recognized for unused tax losses, tax credits and deductible temporary differences, to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profits will be available against which they can be utilized. Deferred tax assets are reviewed at each reporting date and are reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that the related tax benefit will be realized.

 

(o)

Earnings per share:

The Corporation presents basic and diluted earnings per share ("EPS'') data for its common shares. Basic EPS is calculated by dividing the profit or loss attributable to common shareholders of the Corporation by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, adjusted for own shares held. Diluted EPS is determined by adjusting the profit or loss attributable to common shareholders and the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, adjusted for own shares held, for the effects of all dilutive potential common shares, which comprise warrants, share options and deferred share units granted to employees and directors.

 

(p)

Segment reporting:

An operating segment is a component of the Corporation that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses, including revenues and expenses that relate to transactions with any of the Corporation’s other components. All operating segments’ operating results are reviewed regularly by the Corporation’s CEO to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and for which discrete financial information is available.

 

(q)

New standards and interpretations adopted during the year:

 

(i)

Leases:

In January 2016, the IASB issued IFRS 16, Leases, which replaced IAS 17, Leases. IFRS 16 sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract, the customer (lessee) and the supplier (lessor). IFRS 16 eliminates the classification of leases as either operating leases or finance leases, introduces a single lessee accounting model and requires a lessee to recognize assets and liabilities for all leases with a term of more than 12 months, unless the underlying asset is of low value.

The Corporation has adopted IFRS 16 using the modified retrospective method of adoption, with the effect of initially applying this standard recognized at the date of initial application, i.e. April 1, 2019. Under this method, the Corporation elected to measure right-of-use of asset as equal to lease liability, adjusted for amounts previously recorded for deferred lease inducements or prepaid rent as at the date of adoption. Accordingly, the cumulative effect of initially applying IFRS 16 is nil on the opening balance of retained earnings as at April 1, 2019. The comparative information has not been restated, i.e. it is presented, as previously reported, under IAS 17 and related interpretations.

17


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Transition options and practical expedients

The Corporation has elected to apply the following transition options and practical expedients available under IFRS 16:

 

Lease definition: to grandfather the assessment of which transactions are leases on the date of initial application. Accordingly, the Corporation applied IFRS 16 only to contracts that were previously identified as leases under IAS 17, Leases, and IFRIC 4, Determining whether an Arrangement contains a Lease, and applied the definition of leases under IFRS 16 only to contracts entered on or after the date of initial application;

 

 

Short-term leases and leases of low-value items recognition exemptions:  related lease payments are recognized as an expense on straight-line basis or another basis if that basis is more representative; and

 

 

Leases with a short remaining term: when lease term ends within 12 months of the date of initial application, the lease may be classified as short-term leases.

 

The Corporation has elected not to apply the following transition options and practical expedients available under IFRS 16:  

 

Use of hindsight;

 

 

Impairment and onerous leases;

 

 

Initial direct costs;

 

 

Discount rates; and

 

 

Non-lease components.

 

Impact of adopting IFRS 16

The most significant impact as a result of adopting IFRS 16 related to the accounting for the Corporation’s operating leases, as the nature of expenses related to most of the Corporation’s leases changed as IFRS 16 replaced the straight-line operating lease expense with a depreciation charge for right-of-use assets and interest expense on lease liabilities.  

Under IAS 17, the Corporation classified each of its leases at the inception date as either a finance lease or an operating lease, based on the extent to which risks and rewards of ownership were transferred to the Corporation. Most of the Corporation’s leases were classified as operating leases as they did not transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the Corporation. Lease payments related to the Corporation’s operating leases were recognized as rent expense in the consolidated income statements on a straight-line basis over the lease term and presented as part of cash flows from operating activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows. Any prepaid rent and deferred lease inducements were recognized under “Prepaid expenses” and “Deferred lease inducements”, respectively, in the consolidated statements of financial position as at March 31, 2019.  

Upon adoption of IFRS 16, the Corporation recognized right-of-use assets for leases previously classified as operating leases. Right-of-use assets were measured for an amount equal to the lease liability adjusted for prepaid rent and deferred lease inducements. Lease liabilities were measured at the present value of the remaining lease payments on a discounted basis, using the incremental borrowing rate at the date of initial application.


18


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

The following table summarizes the impacts of adopting IFRS 16 on the Corporation’s consolidated statement of financial position as at April 1, 2019:

 

Impact of adopting IFRS 16 as at April 1st, 2019

Note

 

Increase

(decrease)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

Prepaid expenses

(i)

 

$

(22,127

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

Right-of-use of assets

(ii)

 

 

1,176,744

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total assets

 

 

$

1,154,617

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

Lease liabilities

(ii)

 

$

334,872

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

Lease liabilities

(ii)

 

 

1,027,490

 

Deferred lease inducements

(i)

 

 

(207,745

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity

 

 

$

1,154,617

 

 

 

(i)

Prepaid expenses and deferred lease inducements related to previous operating leases were derecognized and netted against the right-of-use assets.

 

(ii)

Lease liabilities of $1,362,362 and related right-of-use assets of $1,176,744 were recognized and presented separately on the consolidated statement of financial position. There was no adjustment from the adoption of IFRS 16 on the opening retained earnings as at April 1, 2019 due to the Corporation choice on transition method.

Reconciliation of operating lease commitments to lease liabilities recognized

When measuring lease liabilities, the Corporation discounted lease payments using its incremental borrowing rate as at April 1, 2019. The weighted average incremental borrowing rate applied as at April 1, 2019 was 5.14%. The lease liabilities as at April 1, 2019 can be reconciled to the operating lease commitments as at March 31, 2019 as follows:

 

Reconciliation of operating leases commitments to lease liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating lease commitments as at March 31, 2019

 

 

$

1,587,571

 

Non-lease components separated from lease components

 

 

 

(60,755

)

Other

 

 

 

(15,189

)

Effect of discounting

 

 

 

(149,265

)

Discounted lease liabilities as at April 1st, 2019

 

 

$

1,362,362

 

19


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 

(ii)

Income tax:

On June 7, 2017, the IASB issued IFRIC 23, Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments (the “Interpretation”). The Interpretation provided guidance on the accounting for current and deferred tax liabilities and assets in circumstances in which there is uncertainty over income tax treatments.

The Interpretation requires an entity to:

 

Contemplate whether uncertain tax treatments should be considered separately, or together as a group, based on which approach provides better predictions of the resolution;

 

Reflect an uncertainty in the amount of income tax payable (recoverable) if it is probable that it will pay (or recover) an amount for the uncertainty; and

 

Measure a tax uncertainty based on the most likely amount or expected value depending on whichever method better predicts the amount payable (recoverable).

The Corporation has adopted the Interpretation which did not have an impact on the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements.

 

 

(r)

New standards and interpretations not yet adopted:

A number of new standards, and amendments to standards and interpretations, are not yet effective for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, and have not been applied in preparing these consolidated financial statements. Management does not expect that any of the new standards and amendments to existing standards issued but not yet effective would have a material impact on the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements.

4.

Acquisition of SugarLeaf Labs:

On July 24, 2019, Neptune completed the acquisition of the assets of SugarLeaf. Neptune paid an initial consideration for SugarLeaf of $23,737,370 (US $18,062,220), a combination of $15,770,400 (US $12,000,000) in cash and $7,966,970 (US $6,062,220) or 1,587,301 in common shares. Additionally, by achieving certain annual adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") and other performance targets, earnouts could reach $173,474,400 (US $132,000,000). A portion of the earnout is to be paid by the issuance of a fixed number of shares upon the achievement of certain performance targets. The three additional earnout payments are to be paid over the next three years with a combination of cash or common shares, with at least 50% in cash.

As at July 24, 2019, the Corporation recorded $114,965,763 as contingent consideration, which represented its fair value at the date of acquisition, net of the initial consideration paid. Of the total contingent consideration, an amount of $20,589,908 was classified as contributed surplus, representing the fair value at the date of acquisition of the fixed number of shares that are required to be issued upon the achievement of certain performance targets. The contingent consideration classified as contributed surplus will not be remeasured and settlement is accounted for in equity. Contingent consideration of $94,375,855 was classified as a liability representing the present value of the expected payout in cash or a variable number of common shares for the earnouts of the next three years. The contingent consideration classified as a liability is required to be remeasured at fair value at each reporting date and subsequent changes to the fair value will be recognized in the statement of earnings. As at March 31, 2020, the fair value of the contingent consideration liability was revalued to nil (refer to change in fair value of contingent consideration below).

The acquisition has been accounted for using the acquisition method with the results of the operations of SugarLeaf being included in the consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition. The contingent consideration liability is included in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The fair value was determined considering the expected earnout payments, discounted to present value using a risk-adjusted discount rate of 16% for cash based payments and 26.3% for earnout payments payable in cash or common shares. The risk-adjusted discount rate was calculated based on SugarLeaf’s weighted average cost of capital. The key unobservable inputs used related to the risk-adjusted discount rate, forecasted sales growth and EBITDA, growth margin as well as projected selling, general and administrative expenses.

 


20


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Varying the above risk-adjusted discount rate to reflect a 1% movement would have the following effects on the contingent consideration at the acquisition date, assuming that all other variables remained constant:

 

 

 

Increase

 

 

Decrease

 

Effect of change in assumption on:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contingent consideration - Classified as a liability

 

$

(1,076,784

)

 

$

1,105,768

 

Contingent consideration - Classified as contributed surplus

 

 

(55,764

)

 

 

56,704

 

 

 

$

(1,132,548

)

 

$

1,162,472

 

 

Varying the above hemp derived CBD refined oil pricing to reflect a 10% movement would have the following effects on the contingent consideration at the acquisition date, assuming that all other variables remained constant:

 

 

 

Increase

 

 

Decrease

 

Effect of change in assumption on:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contingent consideration - Classified as a liability

 

$

5,765,653

 

 

$

(18,166,584

)

Contingent consideration - Classified as contributed surplus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

5,765,653

 

 

$

(18,166,584

)

 

The initial cash consideration of this transaction was funded with the proceeds of the private placement. On July 18, 2019, the Corporation completed a private placement of 9,415,910 common shares with both existing and new institutional investors resulting in gross proceeds to the Corporation of approximately $53,970,867 (US $41,430,004). Transaction costs related to the Private Placement amounted to approximately $2,538,736 resulting in net proceeds of $51,432,131 (note 14 (g)).

 


21


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

The following table summarizes the purchase price of the acquisition, the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted Final Consideration

 

Assets acquired

 

 

 

 

    Trade and other receivables

$

 

151,178

 

    Inventories

 

 

1,130,965

 

    Property and equipment

 

 

1,936,574

 

    Right-of-use asset

 

 

499,797

 

    Customer relationships

 

 

9,173,116

 

    Farmer relationships

 

 

12,208,918

 

 

 

 

25,100,548

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities assumed

 

 

 

 

    Trade and other payables

$

 

125,956

 

    Lease liability

 

 

522,843

 

 

 

 

648,799

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net assets acquired

 

 

24,451,749

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Goodwill

 

 

115,817,746

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross purchase consideration

$

 

140,269,495

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less: Settlement of pre-existing relationship

 

 

(1,566,362

)

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase price

$

 

138,703,133

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consist of:

 

 

 

 

    Cash

$

 

15,770,400

 

    Common shares

 

 

7,966,970

 

    Contingent consideration - Classified as a liability

 

 

94,375,855

 

    Contingent consideration - Classified as contributed surplus

 

 

20,589,908

 

Purchase price

$

 

138,703,133

 

The Corporation has recorded an adjustment to its previously reported preliminary purchase price allocation reported in prior quarters to reclassify $70,748 from property and equipment to goodwill.

Through SugarLeaf, Neptune establishes a U.S.-based hemp extract supply chain, gaining a 24,000 square foot facility located in North Carolina. SugarLeaf's cold ethanol processing facility uses hemp cultivated by licensed American growers to yield high-quality full and broad-spectrum hemp extracts.

The 2018 Farm Bill, which was signed into law on December 20, 2018, amended federal law to provide that all parts of the cannabis plant (including its cannabinoids, derivatives and extracts) containing a delta-9 THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis would be classified as hemp and would no longer be considered controlled substances. However, despite the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, there remains a patchwork of Federal and State legislation and uncertainties in their application that could materially impact the Company's business and financial condition. Additionally, demand for products containing cannabis, hemp or their derivatives is dependent on a number of social, political and economic factors that are beyond the Company's control, each of which could cause price fluctuations or decreases in market demand or supply that could adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

From the date of acquisition, the SugarLeaf business has contributed $2,681,688 to the total revenues from sales and services and $12,340,025 to the consolidated loss from operating activities excluding the impairment loss on goodwill of SugarLeaf. Had this business acquisition been effected as at the beginning of the 2020 fiscal year, management estimates that the Corporation’s total revenues from sales and services for the year ended March 31, 2020 would have been approximately $29,232,317 and the consolidated loss from operating activities excluding the impairment loss on goodwill for the year ended March 31, 2020 would have been approximately $72,554,121. The Corporation considers these

22


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

pro-forma figures to represent an initial approximate measure of the performance of the combined Corporation and to provide an initial reference point of comparisons in future periods. In determining these amounts, management has assumed the fair value adjustments, and acquisition costs related to this business combination, would have been the same as if the acquisition would have occurred on April 1, 2019.

Neptune and SugarLeaf were parties to a pre-existing agreement under which Neptune made prepayments for the purchase of product from SugarLeaf of $1,566,362. The pre-existing relationship was effectively terminated when Neptune acquired SugarLeaf.

Acquisition-related costs for the year ended March 31, 2020 of $2,210,727 have been excluded from the consideration transferred and have been recognized as an expense within selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive loss and within the corporate segment.

The fair value, as well as the gross amount of the trade accounts receivable amount to $151,178 of which a negligible amount was expected to be uncollectible at the acquisition date.

The goodwill recognized in connection with this acquisition is primarily attributable to synergies with existing business, and other intangibles that do not qualify for separate recognition including assembled workforce. Goodwill has been allocated to the cannabis segment, which represents the lowest level at which goodwill is monitored internally. Goodwill and intangible assets are deductible for income tax purposes.

As at March 31, 2020, the purchase price allocation is final.

Change in fair value of contingent consideration liability:

 

Balance at April 1, 2019

 

$

 

Additions through a business combination

 

 

94,375,855

 

Change in fair value

 

 

(97,208,166

)

Effect of movements in exchange rates

 

 

2,832,311

 

Balance at March 31, 2020

 

$

 

The contingent consideration liability is included in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of the contingent liability was remeasured as at March 31, 2020 which included consideration of revised expected earnout payments, discounted at 15.0% for payments to be paid in cash (16.0% at acquisition) and 20.0% for payments to be paid in cash or in shares (26.3% at acquisition). The risk-adjusted discount rates were calculated based on SugarLeaf’s weighted average cost of capital and incorporate risk factors specific to each category of contingent consideration. The decrease in risk-adjusted discount rates from the acquisition date is due to the decrease in the inherent risk of the projected cash flows used to estimate payments.

The key unobservable inputs used related to the risk-adjusted discount rate, forecasted sales growth and EBITDA, growth margin as well as projected selling, general and administrative expenses. The forecasted sales growth and EBITDA decreased materially from those used at the date of acquisition due to a decline in hemp derived CBD refined oil pricing to $1,310 per kilogram at March 31, 2020 ($5,000 at acquisition), as well as a decrease in forecasted sales volumes.

Varying the above risk-adjusted discount rate to reflect a 1% movement or the above hemp derived CBD refined oil pricing to reflect a 10% movement in the price, assuming all other variables remain constant, would have an impact of nil on the contingent consideration at March 31, 2020.


23


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

5.

Trade and other receivables:

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trade receivables

 

$

8,836,645

 

 

$

4,889,612

 

Sales taxes receivable

 

 

747,061

 

 

 

697,561

 

Accrued and other receivables

 

 

1,190,640

 

 

 

136,487

 

Tax credits receivable

 

 

14,336

 

 

 

49,685

 

Grants receivables

 

 

4,889

 

 

 

33,043

 

 

 

$

10,793,571

 

 

$

5,806,388

 

The Corporation’s exposure to credit and foreign exchange risks related to trade and other receivables is presented in note 20 (b).

6.

Inventories:

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raw materials

 

$

5,065,731

 

 

$

3,410,613

 

Work in progress

 

 

2,790,815

 

 

 

281,027

 

Finished goods

 

 

553,828

 

 

 

635,914

 

Supplies and spare parts

 

 

682,164

 

 

 

710,607

 

 

 

$

9,092,538

 

 

$

5,038,161

 

Cost of sales for the year ended March 31, 2020 was comprised of inventory costs of $28,038,207 (2019 - $15,418,032), other costs of $1,296,101 (2019 - $1,409,562) and impairment loss on inventories of $2,081,943 (2019 - nil).

24


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

7.

Property, plant and equipment:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Building

 

 

Laboratory,

 

 

Furniture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and building

 

 

R&D and plant

 

 

and office

 

 

Computer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Land

 

 

components

 

 

equipment

 

 

equipment

 

 

equipment

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at March 31, 2018

 

$

228,630

 

 

$

23,163,119

 

 

$

26,901,440

 

 

$

445,360

 

 

$

372,111

 

 

$

51,110,660

 

Additions

 

 

 

 

 

2,290,779

 

 

 

5,206,225

 

 

 

783

 

 

 

100,560

 

 

 

7,598,347

 

Disposals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(40,000

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(40,000

)

Balance at March 31, 2019

 

 

228,630

 

 

 

25,453,898

 

 

 

32,067,665

 

 

 

446,143

 

 

 

472,671

 

 

 

58,669,007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additions through a business

   acquisition (note 4)

 

 

 

 

 

1,161,182

 

 

 

683,498

 

 

 

89,288

 

 

 

2,606

 

 

 

1,936,574

 

Additions

 

 

 

 

 

5,488,474

 

 

 

8,229,923

 

 

 

74,902

 

 

 

172,657

 

 

 

13,965,956

 

Disposals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(12,145

)

 

 

 

 

 

(2,788

)

 

 

(14,933

)

Effect of movements in exchange rates

 

 

 

 

 

81,288

 

 

 

45,957

 

 

 

6,251

 

 

 

182

 

 

 

133,678

 

Balance at March 31, 2020

 

$

228,630

 

 

$

32,184,842

 

 

$

41,014,898

 

 

$

616,584

 

 

$

645,328

 

 

$

74,690,282

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated depreciation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at March 31, 2018

 

 

 

 

 

3,451,791

 

 

 

5,276,487

 

 

 

295,464

 

 

 

277,342

 

 

 

9,301,084

 

Disposals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7,667

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7,667

)

Depreciation for the year

 

 

 

 

 

771,634

 

 

 

1,509,432

 

 

 

30,840

 

 

 

39,711

 

 

 

2,351,617

 

Balance at March 31, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

4,223,425

 

 

 

6,778,252

 

 

 

326,304

 

 

 

317,053

 

 

 

11,645,034

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disposals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(361

)

 

 

 

 

 

(407

)

 

 

(768

)

Depreciation for the year

 

 

 

 

 

872,351

 

 

 

2,023,525

 

 

 

38,952

 

 

 

70,189

 

 

 

3,005,017

 

Effect of movements in exchange rates

 

 

 

 

 

1,920

 

 

 

9,515

 

 

 

773

 

 

 

217

 

 

 

12,425

 

Balance at March 31, 2020

 

$

 

 

$

5,097,696

 

 

$

8,810,931

 

 

$

366,029

 

 

$

387,052

 

 

$

14,661,708

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net carrying amounts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31, 2019

 

$

228,630

 

 

$

21,230,473

 

 

$

25,289,413

 

 

$

119,839

 

 

$

155,618

 

 

$

47,023,973

 

March 31, 2020

 

 

228,630

 

 

 

27,087,146

 

 

 

32,203,967

 

 

 

250,555

 

 

 

258,276

 

 

 

60,028,574

 

From the balance of property, plant and equipment, an amount of $8,263,652 (2019 - $5,181,494) represents assets which are not yet in service as at March 31, 2020.

Depreciation expense has been recorded in the following accounts in the consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive income (loss):

 

 

 

Years ended

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of sales

 

$

2,755,243

 

 

$

 

Research and development expenses

 

 

 

 

 

2,115,631

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

249,774

 

 

 

235,986

 

 

 

$

3,005,017

 

 

$

2,351,617

 

8.

Leases:

 

The Corporation has entered into lease contracts mainly for its premises, which expire through the year 2024.

 

25


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 

(a)

Right-of-use assets

 

 

Buildings

 

 

Equipment

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance as at April 1st, 2019

$

1,138,729

 

 

$

38,015

 

 

$

1,176,744

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business acquisition (note 4)

 

499,797

 

 

 

 

 

 

499,797

 

Additions

 

 

 

 

54,063

 

 

 

54,063

 

Amortization for the period

 

(364,740

)

 

 

(13,569

)

 

 

(378,309

)

Effect of movements in exchange rates

 

33,959

 

 

 

 

 

 

33,959

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance as at March 31, 2020

$

1,307,745

 

 

$

78,509

 

 

$

1,386,254

 

 

Amortization of right-of-use assets is included in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income (loss) in the following captions:

 

 

 

Year ended

March 31,

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Included in cost of sales

 

$

56,378

 

Included in general and administrative expenses

 

 

321,931

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total amortization

 

$

378,309

 

 

The Corporation recorded a revenue of $111,366 for the year ended March 31, 2020 from subleasing right-of-use of assets. There is no contract related to this sublease between the Corporation and the third party. Therefore, there is no lease term. Moreover, revenue varies depending on the use that is made by the third party.

 

 

(b)

Lease liabilities

 

The following table summarizes the lease liabilities amounts recognized in the consolidated statement of financial position as at March 31, 2020:

 

 

 

March 31,

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current

 

$

450,125

 

Non-current

 

 

1,141,314

 

 


26


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

The following table summarizes changes to the lease liabilities for the year ended March 31, 2020:

 

 

 

Year ended

March 31,

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance as at April 1st, 2019

 

$

1,362,362

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business acquisition (note 4)

 

 

522,843

 

Additions

 

 

54,063

 

Payments

 

 

(490,831

)

Interest expense

 

 

106,337

 

Effect of movements in exchange rate

 

 

36,665

 

Balance as at March 31, 2020

 

$

1,591,439

 

 

 

(c)

Cash outflow for leases recognized in the consolidated statement of cash flows

 

 

 

Year ended

March 31,

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating activities:

 

 

 

 

Cash outflow for non-lease components not included in the

   measurement of lease liabilities

 

$

(27,378

)

Cash inflow for income from sublease

 

 

111,366

 

 

 

$

83,988

 

Financing activities:

 

 

 

 

Cash outflow for principal portion of lease liabilities

 

$

(384,494

)

Cash outflow for interest portion of lease liabilities - included

   within interest paid

 

 

(106,337

)

 

 

$

(490,831

)

 

 

 

 

 

Total net cash outflow for leases

 

$

(406,843

)

 

Interest expense on leases liabilities for the year ended March 31, 2020 of $106,337 is presented under finance costs (note 16).

 

Expense for non-lease components presented in selling, general and administrative expenses amounted to $27,378 for the year ended March 31, 2020.

 

Prior the adoption of IFRS 16, during the year ended March 31, 2019, an amount of $295,892 was recognized as an expense in respect of operating leases. An amount of $247,554 has been recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses, nil has been recorded in cost of sales and $48,338 has been recorded in research and development. Included in these amounts are the Corporation’s share of operating costs and taxes under the terms of the leases, in the amount of $58,304 and $109,402, respectively.

 

 

(d)

Maturity analysis – contractual undiscounted cash flows

 

 

 

March 31,

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less than 1 year

 

$

556,742

 

Between 1 and 5 years

 

 

1,292,002

 

More than 5 years

 

 

 

Total contractual undiscounted cash flows of lease liabilities

 

$

1,848,744

 

 

27


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

9.

Intangible assets and goodwill:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-compete

 

 

Customer

 

 

Farmer

 

 

 

 

 

 

License

 

 

Website and

 

 

Computer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodwill

 

 

agreements

 

 

relationships

 

 

relationships

 

 

Patents

 

 

agreements

 

 

trademarks

 

 

software

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at March 31, 2018

 

$

6,750,626

 

 

$

400,000

 

 

$

4,100,000

 

 

$

 

 

$

360,820

 

 

$

2,305,803

 

 

$

 

 

$

71,271

 

 

$

13,988,520

 

Additions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,745,840

 

 

 

 

 

 

301,829

 

 

 

3,047,669

 

Balance at March 31, 2019

 

 

6,750,626

 

 

 

400,000

 

 

 

4,100,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

360,820

 

 

 

5,051,643

 

 

 

 

 

 

373,100

 

 

 

17,036,189

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additions through a business acquisition (note 4)

 

 

115,817,746

 

 

 

 

 

 

9,173,116

 

 

 

12,208,918

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

137,199,780

 

Additions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

61,455

 

 

 

119,616

 

 

 

 

 

 

181,071

 

Effect of movements in exchange rates

 

 

8,107,771

 

 

 

 

 

 

642,160

 

 

 

854,680

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9,604,611

 

Balance at March 31, 2020

 

$

130,676,143

 

 

$

400,000

 

 

$

13,915,276

 

 

$

13,063,598

 

 

$

360,820

 

 

$

5,113,098

 

 

$

119,616

 

 

$

373,100

 

 

$

164,021,651

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated amortization:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at March 31, 2018

 

$

 

 

$

297,111

 

 

$

920,767

 

 

$

 

 

$

360,820

 

 

$

351,562

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,930,260

 

Amortization for the year

 

 

 

 

 

102,889

 

 

 

410,004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

181,716

 

 

 

 

 

 

10,096

 

 

 

704,705

 

Balance at March 31, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

400,000

 

 

 

1,330,771

 

 

 

 

 

 

360,820

 

 

 

533,278

 

 

 

 

 

 

10,096

 

 

 

2,634,965

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amortization for the year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,030,433

 

 

 

2,745,599

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,145,681

 

 

 

4,578

 

 

 

74,619

 

 

 

5,000,910

 

Impairment loss

 

 

85,548,266

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

85,548,266

 

Effect of movements in exchange rates

 

 

2,794,703

 

 

 

 

 

 

33,923

 

 

 

157,423

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,986,049

 

Balance at March 31, 2020

 

$

88,342,969

 

 

$

400,000

 

 

$

2,395,127

 

 

$

2,903,022

 

 

$

360,820

 

 

$

1,678,959

 

 

$

4,578

 

 

$

84,715

 

 

$

96,170,190

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net carrying amounts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31, 2019

 

$

6,750,626

 

 

$

 

 

$

2,769,229

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

4,518,365

 

 

$

 

 

$

363,004

 

 

$

14,401,224

 

March 31, 2020

 

 

42,333,174

 

 

 

 

 

 

11,520,149

 

 

 

10,160,576

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,434,139

 

 

 

115,038

 

 

 

288,385

 

 

 

67,851,461

 

Amortization expense has been recorded in the following accounts in the consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive income (loss):

 

 

 

Years ended

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of sales

 

$

40,384

 

 

$

 

Research and development expenses

 

 

 

 

 

10,096

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

4,960,526

 

 

 

694,609

 

 

 

$

5,000,910

 

 

$

704,705

 

An impairment test of goodwill is performed on an annual basis, or more frequently if an impairment indicator is triggered. Impairment is determined by assessing the recoverable amount of the group of CGUs to which goodwill is allocated and comparing it to the CGUs’ carrying amount. For the purpose of impairment testing, this represents the lowest level within the Corporation at which the goodwill is monitored for internal management purposes.


28


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

The aggregate amount of goodwill is allocated to each CGU as follows:

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biodroga - Nutraceutical segment

$

3,283,626

 

 

$

6,750,626

 

SugarLeaf - Cannabis segment

 

39,049,548

 

 

 

 

 

$

42,333,174

 

 

$

6,750,626

 

During the third quarter of 2020, management determined there was an impairment indicator due to a decline in hemp derived CBD refined oil pricing as well as a decrease in forecasted sales volumes for the SugarLeaf CGU. The recoverable amount of the SugarLeaf CGU was determined using the value-in-use basis, and was determined to be lower than the carrying value, resulting in a goodwill impairment loss of $44,096,585. During the fourth quarter of 2020, the hemp derived CBD refined oil pricing continued to face a decline and the forecasted sales volume continued to decrease. As a result, during the fourth quarter of 2020, the Corporation recorded an additional goodwill impairment loss of $37,984,681 as it concluded that the recoverable amount based on the value in use was less than the carrying value of the CGU.   

The value in use was estimated using discounted cash flow forecasts with a pre-tax discount rate of 18% for the third and fourth quarter impairment tests. The discount rate represents the weighted average cost of capital ("WACC") for comparable companies operating in similar industries as the CGU, based on publicly available information. Determination of the WACC requires separate analysis of the cost of equity and debt, and considers a risk premium based on an assessment of risk related to the projected cash flows of the CGU. The recoverable amount of the SugarLeaf CGU at March 31, 2020 is $69,395,970.

Cash flows were projected using actual operating results, past experience and five-year financial budgets that reflect current economic conditions and include a terminal growth rate of 2.5% for the third and fourth quarter impairment tests.

The Corporation performed its annual impairment testing of the nutraceutical goodwill as at March 31, 2020. The recoverable amount of Biodroga operations CGU was determined using the value-in-use basis, and was determined to be lower than the carrying value, as such an impairment expense of $3,467,000 was recorded in the year ended March 31, 2020.  

The value-in-use of the CGU was estimated using discounted cash flow forecasts with a pre-tax discount rate of 14.25%. The discount rate represents the WACC for comparable companies operating in similar industries as the CGU, based on publicly available information. Determination of the WACC requires separate analysis of the cost of equity and debt, and considers a risk premium based on an assessment of risks related to the projected cash flows of the CGU.

Cash flows were projected based on past experience, actual operating results and the three-year business plan including a terminal growth rate of 2.0%.

The assumptions used by the Corporation in the cash flow forecast discounting model are classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy, signifying that they are not based on observable market data. The model is particularly sensitive to the future expected cash flows in the upcoming periods, should these not be realized, an impairment loss may be needed in future periods.

10.

Trade and other payables:

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trade payables

 

$

5,157,772

 

 

$

3,002,341

 

Accrued liabilities and other payables

 

 

3,271,958

 

 

 

3,319,546

 

Employee salaries and benefits payable

 

 

3,089,673

 

 

 

1,434,567

 

Short-term portion of long-term payables

 

 

932,266

 

 

 

762,785

 

 

 

$

12,451,669

 

 

$

8,519,239

 

The Corporation’s exposure to foreign exchange and liquidity risks related to trade and other payables is presented in note 20 (b).

29


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

11.

Loans and borrowings:

This note provides information about the contractual terms of the Corporation’s loans and borrowings, which are measured at amortized cost.

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loans and borrowings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revolving facility of $5,000,000 secured through a first-ranking mortgage on all movable assets of

Biodroga current and future, corporeal and incorporeal, and tangible and intangible. The

Corporation is subject to certain financial covenants under this secured facility. As at

March 31, 2020, Neptune was in compliance with these financial covenants. Amounts are net of

transaction costs of $69,073. (i)

 

$

3,180,927

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loan, bearing interest at prime rate plus 1.70%, secured through a first-ranking mortgage on all

movable assets of Biodroga current and future, corporeal and incorporeal, and tangible and

intangible, reimbursed during the year.

 

 

 

 

 

2,846,501

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Authorized bank line of credit of $2,500,000 bearing interest at prime rate plus 0.50%, reimbursed and extinguished during the year.

 

 

 

 

 

620,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,180,927

 

 

 

3,466,501

 

Less current portion of loans and borrowings

 

 

3,180,927

 

 

 

3,466,501

 

Loans and borrowings

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

(i)

During the year ended March 31, 2020, Neptune closed a revolving line of credit with a large Canadian financial institution for an amount of $5,000,000 to support the nutraceutical segment. As at March 31, 2020, the Corporation has drawn banker’s acceptances for $3,250,000 with maturity dates from May 28, 2020 to June 1st, 2020. The banker’s acceptances bear interest at banker’s acceptances rate at issuance plus 2.45%.

Some of the proceeds resulting from the private placement (refer to note 14 (g)) were used to completely reimburse the loan and the bank line of credit during the year ended March 31, 2020.

During the year ended March 31, 2020, interest expense of $337,096 (2019 - $284,032) was recognized on loans and borrowings.

The Corporation’s exposure to liquidity risks related to loans and borrowings is presented in note 20 (b).

12.   Provisions

 

(a)

During the year ended March 31, 2019, the Corporation received a judgment from the Superior Court of Québec (the “Court”) regarding certain previously disclosed claims made by a corporation controlled by a Corporation’s former chief executive officer (a “Former CEO”) against the Corporation in respect of certain royalty payments alleged to be owed and owing to a Former CEO pursuant to the terms of an agreement entered into on February 23, 2001 between Neptune and a Former CEO (the “Agreement”). The Corporation had also filed a counterclaim against a Former CEO disputing the validity and interpretation of certain clauses contained in the Agreement and claiming the repayment of certain amounts previously paid to a Former CEO pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. Under the terms of the Agreement, it was alleged by a Former CEO that annual royalties be payable to a Former CEO, with no limit to its duration, of 1% of the sales and other revenues made by Neptune; the interpretation of which was challenged by the Corporation.

Pursuant to the judgment rendered on March 21, 2019, which Neptune has appealed, the Court ruled in favour of a Former CEO and rejected the counterclaim filed by the Corporation. As a result, the Court awarded a Former CEO payments determined by the Court to be owed under the Agreement of 1% of all sales and revenues of the Corporation incurred since March 1, 2014, which final payments remain to be determined taking into account interest, judicial cost and other expenses. The Court also declared that, pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the royalty payments of 1% of the future sales and other revenue made by the Corporation on a consolidated basis are to be payable by the Corporation to a Former CEO biannually, but only to the extent that the cost of the royalty would not cause the Corporation to have a negative earnings before interest, taxes and amortization (in which case, the payments would be deferred to the following fiscal year).

30


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

A litigation provision of $2,130,074 was recorded in the consolidated statement of financial position of the year ended March 31, 2019 to cover the estimated cost of the judgement in accordance with the ruling above, including legal and administrative proceedings, and also estimated legal fees for the appeal. During the year ended March 31, 2020, the Corporation paid $1,200,537 related to the portion of the judgment not contested by Neptune and also paid $106,817 in legal fees for the appeal. During the year ended March 31, 2020, an additional amount of $292,983 has been recorded as a provision for royalty payments owed on consolidated revenues and as expenses related to the litigation, in the selling, general and administrative expenses of the of the consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive loss. The provision recorded for this litigation is $1,115,703 as at March 31, 2020.

The timing of cash outflows of litigation provision is uncertain as it depends upon the outcome of the appeal. Management does not believe it is possible to make assumptions on the evolution of the cases beyond the statement of financial position date.

On May 17, 2019, the Corporation’s Motion for leave to appeal was presented to a judge of the Québec Court of Appeal, who expressed the opinion that the Corporation could appeal without necessity of obtaining leave. In order to ensure the protection of the Corporation’s rights, the judge deferred the motion to the panel who will hear the merits of the appeal. The Corporation filed its appeal factum on July 30, 2019 and a Former CEO filed his appeal on September 30, 2019.

 

(b)

In addition to the above, a Former CEO of the Corporation was claiming the payment of approximately $8,500,000 and the issuance of equity instruments for severance entitlements under his employment contract terminated in April 2014. On May 10, 2019, Neptune announced a settlement regarding these claims. Pursuant to the agreement entered, Neptune agreed to issue 600,000 common shares from treasury (in accordance with securities regulation) and transfer 2,100,000 shares of Acasti held by the Corporation to a Former CEO. The common shares of Acasti transferable to a Former CEO of $2,835,000 were presented as current other assets in the statement of financial position of the year ended March 31, 2019 (note 20 (a)). In addition, Neptune agreed to reimburse nominal legal fees.

As at March 31, 2019, a provision of $5,834,502 was recorded in the consolidated statement of financial position relating to this settlement. During the year ended March 31, 2020, the 2,100,000 shares in Acasti held by the Corporation were transferred and the 600,000 common shares from treasury were issued to a Former CEO. Neptune received full and final release on all claims in connection with this case.  

13.  Long-term payables:

 

(a)

On September 30, 2016, Neptune through its subsidiary Biodroga entered into an exclusive, worldwide and royalty bearing commercial agreement with Ingenutra Inc. for its patented and clinically studied MaxSimil specialty ingredient. The agreement provides Neptune with the right to manufacture, distribute and sell MaxSimil in the nutraceutical field.

As at September 30, 2016, Neptune has recorded an intangible asset of $935,804 at the discounted fair value (US$850,000) and a long-term payable of the same amount. During the year ended March 31, 2020, the Corporation signed a termination agreement with Ingenutra Inc. which provides the Corporation to pay the remaining royalties attributable to the intangible asset in quarterly instalments until July 2021. Under the initial agreement, a royalty fee of $376,940 has been recorded in cost of sales for the year ended March 31, 2020 (2019 - $341,825) in the consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive loss.

As at March 31, 2020, the short-term and long-term payable to Ingenutra Inc. are respectively $362,266 and $106,886 (2019 - $542,285 and $111,686). The short-term portion is included in Trade and other payables in the consolidated statement of financial position.

The minimum annual volumes to be reached according to the agreement are terminated under the termination agreement. At the same date, the Corporation signed an agreement for the same patents with the founder of the speciality agreement. In connection with this new agreement, Neptune must pay royalties based on sales, using this specialty ingredient. Minimum annual volumes must be reached for the duration of the agreement of 8 years (refer to note 21 (a)(i)).

 

(b)

On December 21, 2018, Neptune entered into a multi-year IP licencing and capsule agreement with Lonza, a global leader in the life sciences industry.  

On that date, Neptune has recorded an intangible asset of $2,718,208 with a corresponding amount in liabilities. The amount of liabilities consisted of an upfront payment of $1,768,260 (US$1,300,000), which was paid in February 2019, and payments in the next twelve months based on minimum volume commitments of $147,000 and future royalty payments based on minimum volume commitments, irrespective of the volume achieved, with a present value of $802,948. In addition, all royalties based on net sales of capsules greater than the minimum volume requirements will be recorded as incurred in cost of goods sold. The intangible asset will be amortized over a 31 months period and the expense will be presented in the cost of goods sold. This 5 year agreement also includes a supply agreement for empty capsules.

31


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

As at March 31, 2020, the short-term and long-term payable to Lonza are respectively $570,000 and $448,554 (2019 - $220,500 and $743,651). The short-term portion is included in Trade and other payables in the consolidated statement of financial position. During the year ended March 31, 2020, the Corporation recorded a penalty fee for late commercialization according to the agreement of $158,064 in the cost of sales in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income (loss).

14.

Capital and other components of equity:

 

(a)

Share capital:

Authorized capital stock:

Unlimited number of shares without par value:

 

Common shares

Preferred shares, issuable in series, rights, privileges and restrictions determined at time of issuance:

 

Series A preferred shares, non-voting, non-participating, fixed, preferential and non-cumulative dividend of 5% of paid-up capital, exchangeable at the holder’s option under certain conditions into common shares (none issued and outstanding).

 

(b)

Share options exercised:

During the year ended March 31, 2020, Neptune issued 2,067,418 common shares of the Corporation upon exercise of options at a weighted average exercise price of $1.90 per common share for a total cash consideration of $3,930,424.

During the year ended March 31, 2019, Neptune issued 1,047,523 common shares of the Corporation upon exercise of options at a weighted average exercise price of $1.62 per common share for a total cash consideration of $1,697,933.

 

(c)

DSUs released:

During the year ended March 31, 2020, Neptune issued 333,279 common shares of the Corporation to former CEO, former Chief Financial Officer and to former member of the Board of Directors at a weighted average price of $1.48 per common share for past services.

During the year ended March 31, 2019, Neptune issued 135,557 common shares of the Corporation to former members of the Board of Directors at a weighted average price of $1.51 per common share for past services.

 

(d)

RSUs released:

During the year ended March 31, 2020, Neptune issued 437,849 common shares of the Corporation to the CEO as part of his employment agreement at a weighted average price of $5.80 per common share. Withholding taxes of $962,077 were paid pursuant to the issuance of these RSUs resulting in the Corporation not issuing an additional 262,153 RSUs.

 

(e)

Provision and liability settled in shares:

During the year ended March 31, 2020, Neptune issued 600,000 common shares of the Corporation to a Former CEO of the Corporation as part of a settlement regarding severance entitlements under his employment contract terminated in April 2014 (refer to note 12 (b)).

During the year ended March 31, 2019, Neptune issued 630,681 common shares of the Corporation at a price of $1.35 per common share as final payment of a liability of $858,000 (US$625,000). Total issuance costs related to this transaction amounted to $9,930 and were recorded against share capital.

32


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 

(f)

Warrants:

The warrants of the Corporation are composed of the following as at March 31, 2020 and 2019:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

Number

 

 

Number

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number

 

 

Number

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

outstanding

 

 

vested

 

 

Amount

 

 

outstanding

 

 

vested

 

 

Amount

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warrants IQ financing (i)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

 

 

 

750,000

 

 

 

750,000

 

 

$

648,820

 

Warrants IFF (ii)

 

 

2,000,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

388,281

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warrants AMI (iii)

 

 

4,175,000

 

 

 

3,300,000

 

 

 

18,209,495

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6,175,000

 

 

 

3,300,000

 

 

$

18,597,776

 

 

 

750,000

 

 

 

750,000

 

 

$

648,820

 

 

(i)

During the year ended March 31, 2020, Neptune issued 750,000 common shares of the Corporation for warrants exercised for a total cash consideration of $2,527,500.

 

(ii)

During the year ended March 31, 2020, Neptune granted 2,000,000 warrants with an exercise price of US$12.00 expiring on November 7, 2024. The warrants, granted in exchange for services to be rendered by nonemployees, vest in four equal biannual installments, starting on May 7, 2020. As at March 31, 2020, the fair value of the services to be rendered has been estimated using the fair value of the warrants using the Black-Scholes option pricing model to be $999,443 (US$0.7 million) of which $388,281 was recognized as an expense during the year ended March 31, 2020. The Corporation used a risk-free rate of 1.70%, a volatility of 81% and a contractual life of 5 years in the model. These inputs are classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. Each quarter-end, the fair value of the non vested warrants will be revaluated.

 

(iii)

During the year ended March 31, 2020, Neptune granted 4,175,000 warrants with an exercise price of US$8.00 expiring on October 3, 2024 and February 5, 2025. The warrants, granted in exchange for services to be rendered by non-employees, vest proportionally to the services rendered. The fair value of the warrants is based on the fair value of the services which are reliably measurable. The fair value has been estimated to $23,131,195 (US$16.7 million) of which $18,209,495 was recognized as an expense during the year ended March 31, 2020.

 

(g)

Private placement:

On July 18, 2019, Neptune completed a private placement of 9,415,910 common shares of the Corporation at a purchase price of US$4.40 per common share for total gross proceeds to the Corporation of $53,970,867 (US$41,430,004). Total issue costs related to this transaction amounted to $2,538,736 and were recorded against share capital.

 

(h)

At-The-Market Offering:

On March 11, 2020, Neptune entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement with Jefferies LLC pursuant to which the Corporation may from time to time sell, through at-the-market (ATM) offerings with Jefferies LLC acting as sales agent, such common shares as would have an aggregate offer price of up to $70,310,000 (US$50,000,000). The Corporation sold a total of 4,159,086 common shares of the Corporation through the ATM over the NASDAQ stock market, for gross proceeds of $7,069,220 (US$4,971,104) and net proceeds of $6,760,099. The 3% commissions paid and transaction costs amounted to $309,121. The shares were sold at the prevailing market prices which resulted in a weighted average price of US$1.20 per share.

Subsequent to year-end, the Corporation sold a total of 5,411,649 shares through the ATM program over the NASDAQ stock market, for gross proceeds of $19,229,883 and net proceeds of $18,652,987. The 3% commissions paid and transaction costs amounted to $843,835. The shares were sold at the prevailing market prices which resulted in an average of approximately US$2.53 per share.

 

(i)

SugarLeaf Acquisition:

On July 24 2019, as part of the initial consideration paid for the acquisition of SugarLeaf, Neptune issued 1,587,301 common shares of the Corporation for total consideration of $7,966,970, representing the fair value of the common shares at the date of acquisition (refer to note 4).

33


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

15.

Personnel expenses:

 

 

 

Years ended

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salaries and other short-term employee benefits

 

$

17,245,401

 

 

$

7,665,614

 

Severance

 

 

385,182

 

 

 

 

Share-based compensation

 

 

16,471,766

 

 

 

3,712,415

 

 

 

$

34,102,349

 

 

$

11,378,029

 

 

 

16.

Finance income and finance costs:

(a) Finance income:

 

 

 

Years ended

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest income

 

$

151,219

 

 

$

234,700

 

Foreign exchange gain

 

 

1,883,999

 

 

 

11,952

 

Finance income

 

$

2,035,218

 

 

$

246,652

 

(b) Finance costs:

 

 

 

Years ended

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest charges and other finance costs

 

$

(477,370

)

 

$

(455,136

)

Interest on lease liabilities (note 8)

 

 

(106,337

)

 

 

 

Finance costs

 

$

(583,707

)

 

$

(455,136

)

 

17.

Share-based payments:

At March 31, 2020, the Corporation had the following share-based payment arrangements:

 

(a)

Corporation stock option plan:

 

(i)

Stock option plan:

The Corporation has established a stock option plan for directors, employees and consultants. Awards under the plan grants a participant the right to purchase a certain number of Common Shares, subject to certain conditions described below, at an exercise price equal to at least 100% of the Market Price (as defined below) of the Common Shares on the grant date. The “Market Price” of Common Shares as of a particular date shall generally mean the volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares (VWAP), calculated by dividing the total value by the total volume of Common Shares traded for a relevant period on the TSX (and if listed on more than one stock exchange, then the highest of such closing prices) during the last ten (10) Business Days prior to the Grant Date (10-day VWAP). The terms and conditions for exercising options and purchasing the underlying Common Shares are set by the Board of Directors, and subject to, among others, the following limitations: the term of the options cannot exceed ten years and every stock option granted under the stock option plan will be subject to conditions no less restrictive than a minimum vesting period of 18 months with gradual and equal acquisition vesting on no less than a quarterly basis; the Corporation can issue a number of Common Shares not exceeding 25% of the number of Common Shares issued and outstanding at the time of any grant pursuant to the stock option plan; the total number of Common Shares issuable to a single holder pursuant to the stock option plan cannot exceed 20% of the Corporation’s total issued and outstanding Common Shares at the time of the grant, with the maximum of 2% for any one consultant.

34


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

The number and weighted average exercise prices of stock options are as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

exercise

 

 

Number of

 

 

exercise

 

 

Number of

 

 

 

price

 

 

options

 

 

price

 

 

options

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options outstanding at April 1, 2019 and 2018

 

$

2.02

 

 

 

9,651,085

 

 

$

1.92

 

 

 

10,091,546

 

Granted

 

 

5.35

 

 

 

1,597,939

 

 

 

4.59

 

 

 

333,062

 

Exercised (note 14 (b))

 

 

1.90

 

 

 

(2,067,418

)

 

 

1.65

 

 

 

(747,523

)

Forfeited (i)

 

 

3.53

 

 

 

(1,139,179

)

 

 

4.65

 

 

 

(26,000

)

Options outstanding at March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

$

2.50

 

 

 

8,042,427

 

 

$

2.02

 

 

 

9,651,085

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options exercisable at March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

$

2.20

 

 

 

3,666,651

 

 

$

1.99

 

 

 

3,390,310

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options outstanding

 

 

Exercisable options

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

remaining

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

contractual

 

 

Number of

 

 

number of

 

 

average

 

Exercise

 

life

 

 

options

 

 

options

 

 

exercise

 

price

 

outstanding

 

 

outstanding

 

 

exercisable

 

 

price

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$1.24 - $1.91

 

 

1.42

 

 

 

931,248

 

 

 

759,152

 

 

$

1.54

 

$1.92 - $2.05

 

 

2.23

 

 

 

4,294,779

 

 

 

1,291,779

 

 

 

1.98

 

$2.06 - $2.36

 

 

1.70

 

 

 

1,375,000

 

 

 

1,350,000

 

 

 

2.16

 

$2.37 - $5.19

 

 

4.10

 

 

 

622,161

 

 

 

140,720

 

 

 

4.60

 

$5.20 - $6.65

 

 

5.19

 

 

 

819,239

 

 

 

125,000

 

 

 

6.31

 

 

 

 

2.49

 

 

 

8,042,427

 

 

 

3,666,651

 

 

$

2.20

 

 

 

(i)

On July 8, 2019, Neptune announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Member of the Board of Directors following the resignation of the previous CEO. According to the immediately preceding CEO’s amended employment agreement, the immediately preceding CEO was entitled to his unvested options that vested on a pro-rata basis as of his termination employment date. As a result of applying the clauses of this agreement, 638,493 of his outstanding unvested options vested with an accelerated vesting date and 510,794 of his unvested options were forfeited at the separation date resulting in a stock-based compensation expense of $32,854 during the year ended March 31, 2020.

The Vice-President & Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Corporation left the Corporation with an effective date of November 11, 2019. According to his separation agreement, the former Vice-President and CFO was entitled to his unvested options with an accelerated vesting date resulting in an expense of 264,274 during the year ended March 31, 2020.

35


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

The fair value of options granted has been estimated according to the Black-Scholes option pricing model and based on the weighted average of the following assumptions for options granted to employees during the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019:

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise price

 

$

5.35

 

 

$

4.59

 

Share price

 

$

5.05

 

 

$

4.82

 

Dividend

 

 

 

 

Risk-free interest

 

 

1.47

%

 

 

1.92

%

Estimated life (years)

 

4.17

 

 

3.39

 

Expected volatility

 

 

65.63

%

 

 

55.93

%

 

The weighted average fair value of the options granted to employees during the year ended March 31, 2020 is $2.37 (2019 - $2.05). There were 100,000 options granted to non-employees during the year ended March 31, 2020 (nil for 2019).

Stock-based compensation recognized under this plan amounted to $4,075,689 for the year ended March 31, 2020 (2019 - $3,577,748).

 

(ii)

Non-market performance options:

On July 8, 2019, the Corporation granted 3,500,000 non-market performance options under the Corporation stock option plan at an exercise price of US$4.43 per share to the new CEO, expiring on July 8, 2029. These options vest after the attainment of non-market performance conditions within the following ten years. These non-market performance options required the approval of amendments to the stock option plan in the previous shareholders’ meeting and therefore the fair value of these options was revaluated on the shareholders’ meeting date. None of these non-market performance options have vested as at March 31, 2020.

The number and weighted average exercise prices of performance options are as follows:

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

exercise

 

 

Number of

 

 

 

price

 

 

options

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options outstanding at April 1, 2019

 

$

 

 

 

 

Granted

 

 

5.90

 

 

 

3,500,000

 

Options outstanding at March 31, 2020

 

$

5.90

 

 

 

3,500,000

 

 

The fair value of the CEO non-market performance options granted has been estimated according to the Black-Scholes option pricing model at the grant date using the following assumptions:

 

 

 

Year ended

March 31,

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise price

 

$

5.90

 

Share price

 

$

6.42

 

Dividend

 

 

Risk-free interest

 

 

1.59

%

Estimated life (years)

 

10

 

Expected volatility

 

 

69.00

%

The expected volatility was based on the historical volatility of the Corporation’s stock.

The weighted average fair value of the non-market performance options granted to the CEO during the year ended March 31, 2020 is $4.86.

36


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

The fair value at grant date is $17,011,365 and the period over which the expense is being recognized was initially up to 9.7 years. As at March 31, 2020, a change in the estimated probability of achievement of the non-market performance conditions resulted in a reversal of expense related to the last tranche not expected to vest, and the recognition of the expense related to the two first tranches over a longer number of years, ranging from 7.7 to 9.7 years. This change in the estimated probability of achievement of the non-market performance conditions resulted in a revised amount to be expensed of $9,720,798, of which an expense of $747,128 has already been recorded, thus the remaining unrecognized amount to be recognized over the remaining period is $8,973,670.

Stock-based compensation recognized under this plan amounted to $747,124 for the year ended March 31, 2020 (2019 - nil).

 

(iii)

Market performance options:

On July 8, 2019, the Corporation granted 5,500,000 market performance options under the Corporation stock option plan at an exercise price of US$4.43 per share to the new CEO, expiring on July 8, 2029. These options vest after the attainment of market performance conditions within the following ten years. Some of these market performance options required the approval of amendments to the stock option plan in the previous shareholders meeting and therefore the fair value of these options was revaluated on the shareholders meeting date. As at March 31, 2020, 750,000 market performance options had vested.

The number and weighted average exercise prices of market performance options are as follows:

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

exercise

 

 

Number of

 

 

exercise

 

 

Number of

 

 

 

price

 

 

options

 

 

price

 

 

options

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options outstanding at April 1, 2019 and 2018

 

$

1.55

 

 

 

25,000

 

 

$

1.55

 

 

 

325,000

 

Granted

 

 

5.88

 

 

 

5,500,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised (note 14 (b))

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.55

 

 

 

(300,000

)

Options outstanding at March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

$

5.86

 

 

 

5,525,000

 

 

$

1.55

 

 

 

25,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options exercisable at March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

$

5.66

 

 

 

775,000

 

 

$

1.55

 

 

 

25,000

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

Options outstanding

 

 

Exercisable options

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

remaining

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

contractual

 

 

Number of

 

 

number of

 

 

average

 

Exercise

 

life

 

 

options

 

 

options

 

 

exercise

 

price

 

outstanding

 

 

outstanding

 

 

exercisable

 

 

price

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$1.55

 

 

0.55

 

 

 

25,000

 

 

 

25,000

 

 

$

1.55

 

$5.88

 

 

9.28

 

 

 

5,500,000

 

 

 

750,000

 

 

 

5.80

 

 

 

 

9.24

 

 

 

5,525,000

 

 

 

775,000

 

 

$

5.66

 

The fair value of market performance options granted has been estimated according to a risk-neutral Monte Carlo simulation pricing model based on the grant date following assumptions for options granted to the CEO:

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise price

 

 

 

$

5.88

 

Share price

 

 

 

$

6.28

 

Dividend

 

 

 

 

Risk-free interest

 

 

 

 

1.69

%

Estimated life (years)

 

 

 

10

 

Expected volatility

 

 

 

 

68.13

%

37


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

The expected volatility was based on the historical volatility of the Corporation’s stock.

The weighted average fair value of the non-market performance options granted to the CEO during the year ended March 31, 2020 is $4.29.

The fair value at grant date is $23,614,977 and the period over which the expense is being recognized is 9.78 years and will be recognized regardless of whether the market conditions are achieved.

Stock-based compensation recognized under this plan amounted to $2,260,597 for the year ended March 31, 2020 (2019 - $40,942). Unrecognized compensation cost at March 31, 2020 is $21,354,380.

 

(b)

Deferred Share Units (‘’DSUs’’) and Restricted Share Units (‘’RSUs’’):

The Corporation has established an equity incentive plan for employees, directors and consultants of the Corporation. The plan provides for the issuance of restricted share units, performance share units, restricted shares, deferred share units and other share-based awards, subject to restricted conditions as may be determined by the Board of Directors. Upon fulfillment of the restricted conditions, as the case may be, the plan provides for settlement of the awards outstanding through shares.

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

exercise

 

 

Number of

 

 

exercise

 

 

Number of

 

 

 

price

 

 

DSUs

 

 

price

 

 

DSUs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DSUs outstanding at April 1, 2019 and 2018

 

$

1.56

 

 

 

448,387

 

 

$

1.50

 

 

 

570,752

 

Granted

 

 

5.60

 

 

 

8,924

 

 

 

3.79

 

 

 

19,788

 

Forfeited

 

 

1.75

 

 

 

(75,719

)

 

 

3.79

 

 

 

(6,596

)

Released through the issuance of common shares (note 14 (c))

 

 

1.48

 

 

 

(333,279

)

 

 

1.51

 

 

 

(135,557

)

DSUs outstanding at March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

$

2.60

 

 

 

48,313

 

 

$

1.56

 

 

 

448,387

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DSUs exercisable at March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

$

2.47

 

 

 

45,730

 

 

$

1.50

 

 

 

285,089

 

Of the 48,313 DSUs outstanding as at March 31, 2020, 6,596 DSUs vested upon achievement of performance conditions, 11,058 DSUs vested upon services to be rendered during a period of twelve months from date of grant, 2,583 DSUs will vested after the completion of service to be rendered and 28,076 vested DSUs were granted for past services. The fair value of the DSUs is determined to be the share price at the date of grant and is recognized as stock-based compensation, through contributed surplus, over the vesting period.

The weighted average fair value of the DSUs granted during the year ended March 31, 2020 was $5.60 (2019 - $3.79).

Stock-based compensation recognized under this plan amounted to ($14,445) for the year ended March 31, 2020 (2019 - $93,725).

As part of the employment agreement of the new CEO, the Corporation granted RSUs which vest over three years in 36 equal instalments. The fair value of the RSUs is determined to be the share price at the date of grant and is recognized as stock-based compensation, through contributed surplus, over the vesting period. The fair value of the RSUs granted during the year ended March 31, 2020 was $5.80 per unit.

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

average

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

share

 

 

Number of

 

 

 

price

 

 

RSUs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RSUs outstanding at April 1, 2019

 

$

 

 

 

 

Granted

 

 

5.80

 

 

 

2,800,000

 

Released through the issuance of common shares (note 14 (d))

 

 

5.80

 

 

 

(437,849

)

Withheld as payment of withholding taxes (note 14 (d))

 

 

5.80

 

 

 

(262,153

)

RSUs outstanding at March 31, 2020

 

$

5.80

 

 

 

2,099,998

 

38


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Stock-based compensation recognized under this plan amounted to $9,525,623 for the year ended March 31, 2020 (2019 - nil). Unrecognized compensation cost at March 31, 2020 is $6,718,656.

Stock-based compensation is included in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive income (loss) in the following captions:

 

 

 

Years ended

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Included in cost of sales

 

$

330,691

 

 

$

 

Included in selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

15,888,976

 

 

 

2,666,000

 

Included in research and development expenses

 

 

374,921

 

 

 

1,046,415

 

Total stock-based compensation

 

$

16,594,588

 

 

$

3,712,415

 

 

18.

Income taxes:

Deferred taxes expense:

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Origination and reversal of temporary differences

 

$

(6,300,795

)

 

$

(5,016,319

)

Change in unrecognized deductible temporary differences

 

 

10,902,135

 

 

 

5,186,330

 

Deferred tax expense

 

$

4,601,340

 

 

$

170,011

 

 

Reconciliation of effective tax rate:

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loss before income taxes

 

$

(56,261,922

)

 

$

(23,021,688

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic combined Canadian statutory income tax rate 1

 

 

26.58

%

 

 

26.68

%

Income tax

 

$

(14,954,419

)

 

$

(6,142,186

)

Increase (decrease) resulting from:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in unrecognized deductible temporary differences

 

 

10,902,135

 

 

 

5,186,330

 

Permanent difference on impairment on goodwill

 

 

4,525,915

 

 

 

 

Non-deductible stock-based compensation

 

 

4,410,842

 

 

 

990,472

 

Difference in statutory tax rates of foreign subsidiaries

 

 

(190,567

)

 

 

 

Other permanent differences and other

 

 

(92,566

)

 

 

135,395

 

Total tax expense

 

$

4,601,340

 

 

$

170,011

 

 

1

The Canadian combined statutory income tax rate has decreased due to a reduction in the provincial statutory income tax rate.

Recognized deferred tax assets and liabilities:

39


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

The details of changes of deferred income taxes are as follows for the year ended March 31, 2020:

 

 

 

Balance as at

 

 

Foreign

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance as at

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

exchange

 

 

Recognized in

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2019

 

 

effect

 

 

net income

 

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tax losses carried forward

 

$

5,926,010

 

 

$

104,541

 

 

$

1,902,655

 

 

$

7,933,206

 

Research and development expenses

 

 

244,173

 

 

 

 

 

 

67,738

 

 

 

311,911

 

Intangible assets

 

 

(1,041,732

)

 

 

27,293

 

 

 

686,591

 

 

 

(327,848

)

Right-of-use assets

 

 

 

 

 

(5,165

)

 

 

(344,365

)

 

 

(349,530

)

Goodwill

 

 

 

 

 

(311,098

)

 

 

(6,744,802

)

 

 

(7,055,900

)

Property, plant and equipment

 

 

(3,813,728

)

 

 

(37,777

)

 

 

(804,544

)

 

 

(4,656,049

)

Lease liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

5,621

 

 

 

202,260

 

 

 

207,881

 

Tax credits receivable

 

 

(40,555

)

 

 

 

 

 

(8,330

)

 

 

(48,885

)

Prepaid royalty income

 

 

(1,471,349

)

 

 

 

 

 

441,457

 

 

 

(1,029,892

)

 

 

$

(197,181

)

 

$

(216,585

)

 

$

(4,601,340

)

 

$

(5,015,106

)

The details of changes of deferred income taxes are as follows for the year ended March 31, 2019:

 

 

 

Balance as at

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance as at

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

Recognized in

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2018

 

 

net income

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tax losses carried forward

 

$

7,341,814

 

 

$

(1,415,804

)

 

$

5,926,010

 

Research and development expenses

 

 

245,177

 

 

 

(1,004

)

 

 

244,173

 

Intangible assets

 

 

(1,196,882

)

 

 

155,150

 

 

 

(1,041,732

)

Property, plant and equipment

 

 

(4,463,815

)

 

 

650,087

 

 

 

(3,813,728

)

Tax credits receivable

 

 

(40,708

)

 

 

153

 

 

 

(40,555

)

Prepaid royalty income

 

 

(1,912,756

)

 

 

441,407

 

 

 

(1,471,349

)

 

 

$

(27,170

)

 

$

(170,011

)

 

$

(197,181

)

 

As at March 31, 2020, no deferred tax liability was recognized for temporary differences arising from investments in subsidiaries because the Corporation controls the decisions affecting the realization of such liabilities and it is probable that the temporary differences will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

As at March 31, 2020, the amounts and expiry dates of tax attributes and temporary differences, for which no tax assets have been recognized, which are available to reduce future years’ taxable income were as follows. Deferred tax assets have not been recognized in respect of these items because it is not probable that future taxable profit will be available against which the Corporation can utilise the benefits there from.

 

 

 

Federal

 

 

Provincial

 

Tax losses carried forward

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2035

 

$

11,254,000

 

 

$

6,276,000

 

2036

 

 

3,052,000

 

 

 

3,052,000

 

2037

 

 

9,050,000

 

 

 

10,499,000

 

2038

 

 

27,000

 

 

 

22,000

 

2039

 

 

9,971,000

 

 

 

10,595,000

 

2040

 

 

42,768,000

 

 

 

42,768,000

 

 

 

$

76,122,000

 

 

$

73,212,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research and development expenses, without time limitation

 

$

11,415,000

 

 

$

16,091,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other deductible temporary differences, without time limitation

 

$

5,212,000

 

 

$

5,212,000

 

40


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

As at March 31, 2020, the Corporation had realized and unrealized capital losses of $20,386,757 ($21,733,388 in 2019) that can be carried forward indefinitely, for which no deferred tax assets have been recognized. These losses may only be applied against future capital gains and the Corporation does not expect to generate capital gains in the near future.

 

Tax credits receivable and recoverable:

Tax credits receivable comprise research and development investment tax credits receivable from the provincial government amounting to $14,336 ($49,685 as at March 31, 2019) which relate to qualifiable research and development expenditures under the applicable tax laws.

Tax credits recoverable of $184,470 ($152,464 as at March 31, 2019) comprise research and development investment tax credits recoverable against income taxes otherwise payable to the federal government.

Unused federal Research and Development investment tax credits, for which no benefit has been recognized, may be used to reduce future federal income taxes payable and expire as follows:

 

2022

 

$

76,000

 

2023

 

 

217,000

 

2024

 

 

75,000

 

2025

 

 

54,000

 

2026

 

 

91,000

 

2027

 

 

145,000

 

2028

 

 

64,000

 

2029

 

 

107,000

 

2030

 

 

206,000

 

2031

 

 

244,000

 

2032

 

 

129,000

 

2033

 

 

124,000

 

2034

 

 

106,000

 

2035

 

 

263,000

 

2036

 

 

210,000

 

2037

 

 

159,000

 

2038

 

 

63,000

 

2039

 

 

41,000

 

 

 

$

2,374,000

 

The amounts recorded as tax credits receivable or recoverable are subject to a government tax audit and the final amount received may differ from those recorded.

19.

Supplemental cash flow disclosure:

 

(a)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trade and other receivables

 

$

(5,005,467

)

 

$

(165,944

)

Prepaid expenses

 

 

(2,895,616

)

 

 

(720,733

)

Inventories

 

 

(4,737,264

)

 

 

223,168

 

Trade and other payables

 

 

5,165,884

 

 

 

680,689

 

Deferred revenues

 

 

14,539

 

 

 

22,751

 

Provisions

 

 

(1,226,873

)

 

 

7,964,576

 

Changes in operating assets and liabilities

 

$

(8,684,797

)

 

$

8,004,507

 

41


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 

(b)

Non-cash transactions:

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acquired property, plant and equipment included in trade and other payables

 

$

1,637,180

 

 

$

1,316,567

 

Intangible assets included in trade and other payables

 

 

712,553

 

 

 

557,480

 

Intangible assets included in long-term payables

 

 

379,948

 

 

 

841,134

 

Provision settled in shares of the Corporation (note 12 (b))

 

 

3,312,000

 

 

 

 

Deferred lease inducements against right-of-use assets for IFRS 16

   transition (note 3 (q)(i)))

 

 

207,745

 

 

 

 

Prepaid rent applied against right-of-use assets for IFRS 16 transition (note 3 (q)(i)))

 

 

22,127

 

 

 

 

Settlement of pre-existing relationship included in prepaid expenses (note 4)

 

 

1,228,635

 

 

 

 

Common shares of Acasti held by the Corporation transferred to settle

   provision (note 12 (b))

 

 

2,310,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

(c)

Reconciliation of movements of liabilities to cash flows arising from financing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Cash (used in) provided by financing activities

 

 

Non-cash changes

 

 

 

 

 

Balance as at

March 31,

2019

 

Proceeds

 

Repayments

 

 

Accretion of interest

 

Financing and discounted fees

 

Balance as at

March 31,

2020

 

Loan

$

2,846,501

 

$

 

$

(2,957,132

)

 

$

110,631

 

$

 

$

 

Facility of credit

 

 

 

4,100,000

 

 

(850,000

)

 

 

34,535

 

 

(103,608

)

 

3,180,927

 

Bank line of credit

 

620,000

 

 

 

 

(620,000

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total long-term debt

$

3,466,501

 

$

4,100,000

 

$

(4,427,132

)

 

$

145,166

 

$

(103,608

)

$

3,180,927

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash (used in) provided by financing activities

 

 

Non-cash changes

 

 

 

 

 

Balance as at

March 31,

2018

 

 

 

 

Proceeds

 

 

 

 

Repayments

 

 

 

Accretion of

interest

 

 

Financing and

discounted

fees

 

 

 

Changes in fair value

 

Balance as at

March 31,

2019

 

Loan

$

3,891,077

 

 

$

(1,071,433

)

 

$

32,599

 

$

(5,742

)

 

$

2,846,501

 

Balance of purchase price

 

261,596

 

 

 

(261,596

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bank line of credit

 

490,000

 

 

130,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

620,000

 

Finance lease liabilities

 

18,683

 

 

 

(18,683

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total long-term debt

$

4,661,356

 

$

130,000

 

$

(1,351,712

)

 

$

32,599

 

$

(5,742

)

$

 

$

3,466,501

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest rate swap asset used

   for hedging

$

(19,090

)

$

 

$

 

 

$

 

$

 

$

19,090

 

$

 

 

20.

Financial instruments:

 

(a)

Financial instruments – carrying values and fair values:

Financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are the investment in Acasti Pharma Inc. (“Acasti”) and contingent consideration (refer to note 4).

As at March 31, 2020, the Corporation has 1,000,000 common shares of Acasti (5,064,694 as at March 31, 2019). The fair value of the investment in Acasti was determined to be $530,000 or $0.53 per share as at March 31, 2020 ($6,837,337 or $1.35 per share as at March 31, 2019). During the year ended March 31, 2020, 2,100,000 Acasti shares held by the Corporation were transferred to settle a litigation with a Former CEO (refer to note 12 (b)) with a change in fair value loss of $525,000 and 1,964,694 Acasti shares held by the

42


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Corporation were sold for net proceeds of $5,317,770 and a change in fair value loss of $896,313. The net change in fair value of the investment including any gain or loss on the transfer or sale of the shares amounted to a $1,320,431 gain (2019 - $251,597 gain), for the year ended March 31, 2020 and was recognized in other comprehensive income (loss).

The Corporation has determined that the carrying values of its short-term financial assets and liabilities approximate their fair value given the short-term nature of these instruments. The carrying value of the short-term investment also approximates its fair value given the short-term maturity of the reinvested funds. For variable rate loans and borrowings, the fair value is considered to approximate the carrying amount.

The fair value of the fixed rate loans and borrowings and long-term payable is determined by discounting future cash flows using a rate that the Corporation could obtain for loans with similar terms, conditions and maturity dates. The fair value of these instruments approximates the carrying amounts and was measured using level 3 inputs.

 

(b)

Management of risks arising from financial instruments:

In the normal course of business, the Corporation is subject to various risks relating to credit, foreign exchange, interest rate and liquidity. The Corporation manages these risk exposures on an ongoing basis. The Corporation’s management is responsible for determining the acceptable level of risk and only uses derivative financial instruments to manage existing or anticipated risks, commitments or obligations based on its past experience. The following analysis provides a measurement of risks arising from financial instruments.

 

(i)

Credit risk:

Credit risk is the risk of a loss if a customer or counterparty to a financial asset fails to meet its contractual obligations, and arises primarily from the Corporation’s trade receivables. The Corporation may also have credit risk relating to cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, which are managed by dealing only with highly-rated Canadian institutions. The carrying amount of these financial assets, as disclosed in the consolidated statements of financial position, represents the Corporation’s credit exposure at the reporting date. The Corporation’s trade receivables and credit exposure fluctuate throughout the year. The Corporation’s average trade receivables and credit exposure during the year may be higher than the balance at the end of that reporting period.

As at March 31, 2020, two customer accounted for respectively 13.3% and 11.4% of total trade accounts included in trade and other receivables. As at March 31, 2019, one customer accounted for 23.3% of total trade accounts included in trade and other receivables.

Most of the Corporation's customers are distributors for a given territory and are privately-held and publicly owned companies. The profile and credit quality of the Corporation’s customers vary significantly. Adverse changes in a customer’s financial position could cause the Corporation to limit or discontinue conducting business with that customer, require the Corporation to assume more credit risk relating to that customer’s future purchases or result in uncollectible accounts receivable from that customer. Such changes could have a material adverse effect on business, consolidated results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Customers do not provide collateral in exchange for credit, except in unusual circumstances. Receivables from selected customers are covered by credit insurance, with coverage amount usually of 90% of the invoicing, with the exception of some customers under specific terms. The information available through the insurers is the main element in the decision process to determine the credit limits assigned to customers.

The Corporation’s extension of credit to customers involves considerable judgment and is based on an evaluation of each customer’s financial condition and payment history. The Corporation has established various internal controls designed to mitigate credit risk, including a credit analysis by the insurer which recommends customers' credit limits and payment terms that are reviewed and approved by the Corporation. The Corporation reviews periodically the insurer's maximum credit quotation for its customers. New customers are subject to the same process as regular customers. The Corporation has also established procedures to obtain approval by senior management to release goods for shipment when customers have fully-utilized approved insurers credit limits. From time to time, the Corporation will temporarily transact with customers on a prepayment basis where circumstances warrant. The Corporation’s credit controls and processes cannot eliminate credit risk.

43


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

The aging of trade receivable balances and the allowance for doubtful accounts as at March 31, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current

 

$

5,744,599

 

 

$

3,872,893

 

Past due 0-30 days

 

 

930,050

 

 

 

792,910

 

Past due 31-120 days

 

 

1,993,731

 

 

 

27,885

 

Past due over 121 days

 

 

891,888

 

 

 

812,770

 

Trade receivables

 

 

9,560,268

 

 

 

5,506,458

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less expected credit loss

 

 

(723,623

)

 

 

(616,846

)

 

 

$

8,836,645

 

 

$

4,889,612

 

 

The Corporation recognizes an impairment loss allowance under IFRS 9 based on expected credit losses on trade accounts receivable. In its assessment, management estimates the expected credit losses based on actual credit loss experience and informed credit assessment, taking into consideration current conditions and forward-looking information.

The movement in expected credit loss in respect of trade receivables was as follows:

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance, beginning of year

 

$

616,846

 

 

$

605,964

 

Bad debt expenses

 

 

132,283

 

 

 

5,952

 

Foreign exchange loss

 

 

8,896

 

 

 

4,930

 

Reversal of the expected credit loss

 

 

(34,402

)

 

 

 

Balance, end of year

 

$

723,623

 

 

$

616,846

 

 

As at March 31, 2020, the expected credit loss on other receivables is $45,587 (2019 - $43,275).

 

(ii)

Foreign exchange rate risk:

The Corporation is exposed to the financial risk related to the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates and the degrees of volatility of those rates. Foreign currency risk is limited to the portion of the Corporation's business transactions denominated in currencies other than the Canadian dollar. Fluctuations related to foreign exchange rates could cause unforeseen fluctuations in the Corporation's operating results.

Approximately 35% (2019 - 67%) of the Corporation’s revenues are in US dollars. Most of the expenses, including for the purchase of raw materials are made in US dollars. There is a financial risk related to the fluctuation in the value of the US dollar in relation to the Canadian dollar.

The following table provides an indication of the Corporation’s significant foreign exchange currency exposures as stated in Canadian dollars at the following dates:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

EURO

 

 

US$

 

 

EURO

 

 

US$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

5,936

 

 

$

8,422,874

 

 

$

9,736

 

 

$

623,698

 

 

Trade and other receivables

 

 

 

 

 

4,224,026

 

 

-

 

 

 

2,853,473

 

 

Trade and other payables and lease liabilities

 

 

(51,852

)

 

 

(7,115,681

)

 

 

(263,232

)

 

 

(1,303,107

)

 

Long-term payables

 

 

 

 

 

(448,554

)

 

 

 

 

 

(111,686

)

 

 

 

$

(45,916

)

 

$

5,082,665

 

 

$

(253,496

)

 

$

2,062,378

 

 

44


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

The following exchange rates are those applicable for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

Average

 

 

Reporting

 

 

Average

 

 

Reporting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

US$ per CAD

 

 

1.3306

 

 

 

1.4062

 

 

 

1.3122

 

 

 

1.3349

 

EURO per CAD

 

 

1.4784

 

 

 

1.5511

 

 

 

1.5192

 

 

 

1.4975

 

 

Based on the Corporation’s foreign currency exposures noted above, varying the above foreign exchange rate to reflect a 5% strengthening of the US dollar would have increased (decreased) the net loss as follows, assuming that all other variables remained constant:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

EURO

 

 

US$

 

 

EURO

 

 

US$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase (decrease) in net profit

 

$

(2,296

)

 

$

254,132

 

 

$

(12,675

)

 

$

103,118

 

An assumed 5% weakening of the foreign currency would have had an equal but opposite effect on the basis that all other variables remained constant.

 

(iii)

Interest rate risk:

Interest rate risk is the risk that the fair value or future cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate because of changes in market rates.

The Corporation’s exposure to interest rate risk as at March 31, 2020 and 2019 is as follows:

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

Short-term fixed interest rate

Short-term investments

Short-term fixed interest rate

Loans and borrowings

Fixed and variable interest rates

 

 

 

The risk that the Corporation will realize a loss as a result of the decline in the fair value of its short-term investments is limited because these short-term investments have short-term maturities and are generally held to maturity.

The capacity of the Corporation to reinvest the short-term amounts with equivalent returns will be impacted by variations in short-term fixed interest rates available in the market.

The fixed rate borrowings expose the Corporation to a fair value risk but not cash flow interest rate risk.

Based on currently outstanding loans and borrowings at variable rates, an assumed 0.5% interest rate increase during the year ended March 31, 2020 would have increased consolidated net loss by $6,167 with an equal opposite effect for an assumed 0.5% decrease.

 

(iv)

Liquidity risk:

Liquidity risk is the risk that the Corporation will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they fall due. The Corporation manages liquidity risk through the management of its capital structure and financial leverage, as outlined in note 22. It also manages liquidity risk by continuously monitoring actual and projected cash flows. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors review and approve the Corporation's operating budgets, and review certain material transactions outside the normal course of business.

45


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

The following are the contractual maturities of financial liabilities as at March 31, 2020 and 2019:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

Carrying

 

 

Contractual

 

 

Less than

 

 

1 to

 

 

More than

 

Required payments per year

 

amount

 

 

cash flows

 

 

1 year

 

 

5 years

 

 

5 years

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trade and other payables and long-term payables

 

$

13,007,109

 

 

$

13,007,109

 

 

$

12,451,669

 

 

$

555,440

 

 

$

 

Loans and borrowings *

 

 

3,180,927

 

 

 

3,208,864

 

 

 

3,208,864

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

16,188,036

 

 

$

16,215,973

 

 

$

15,660,533

 

 

$

555,440

 

 

$

 

 

 

*

Includes interest payments to be made at the contractual rate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

Carrying

 

 

Contractual

 

 

Less than

 

 

1 to

 

 

More than

 

Required payments per year

 

amount

 

 

cash flows

 

 

1 year

 

 

5 years

 

 

5 years

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trade and other payables and long-term payable

 

$

9,374,576

 

 

$

9,374,576

 

 

$

8,519,239

 

 

$

855,337

 

 

$

 

Loans and borrowings *

 

 

3,466,501

 

 

 

3,577,595

 

 

 

3,577,595

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

12,841,077

 

 

$

12,952,171

 

 

$

12,096,834

 

 

$

855,337

 

 

$

 

 

 

*

Includes interest payments to be made at the contractual rate.

21.

Commitments and contingencies:

 

(a)

Commitments:

 

(i)

On November 2, 2017, Neptune has entered into an exclusive commercial agreement for a speciality ingredient in combination with cannabinoids coming from cannabis or hemp for a period of 11 years with minimum annual volumes of sales starting in 2019.  On January 31, 2020, Neptune has entered into other commercial agreements for the same speciality ingredient in combination with fish oil products for a period of 8 years in replacement of a previous terminated agreement (refer to note 13). According to these agreements signed with the same third party, Neptune will pay royalties on sales. To maintain the exclusivity, Neptune must reach minimum annual volumes of sales for the duration of the agreements for which minimum volumes are being reached. The corresponding total remaining amount of minimum royalties is $5,310,000.

 

(ii)

On December 21, 2018, Neptune entered into a 5-year IP licencing and capsule agreement with Lonza. All royalties based on net sales of capsules greater than the minimum volume requirements will be recorded as incurred in cost of goods sold.

 

(iii)

As of March 31, 2020, Neptune has purchase commitments in the approximate amount of $858,593 related to projects that are capital in nature.

 

(iv)

During the year ended March 31, 2019, the Corporation has entered into a contract for security of its cannabis manufacturing facility. This contract results in an annual expense of approximately $172,000 for 5 years. The Corporation has also entered into various other contracts and the remaining commitment related to those contracts amounts to $1,616,206 as of March 31, 2020.

 

(b)

Contingencies:

In the normal course of operations, the Corporation is involved in various claims and legal proceedings. The most significant of which are ongoing are as follows:

 

(i)

On March 21, 2019, the Corporation received a judgment from the Superior Court of Québec (the “Court”) regarding certain previously disclosed claims made by a corporation controlled by a Former CEO against the Corporation in respect of certain royalty payments alleged to be owed and owing to a Former CEO pursuant to the terms of an agreement entered into on February 23, 2001 between Neptune and a Former CEO (the “Agreement”). The Court declared that under the terms of the agreement, the Corporation should pay royalties of 1% of its revenues in semi-annual instalments, for an unlimited period. Some of the terms of this agreement are being disputed. Based on currently available information, a provision of $1,115,703 has been recognized (refer to note 12 (a)) for this claim as of March 31, 2020.

46


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

 

(ii)

The Corporation initiated arbitration in August 2014 against a krill oil customer that owed approximately $5,202,940 (US$3,700,000). The full amount of trade receivable has been written-off in February 2015. This customer is counterclaiming a sum in damages. During the year ended March 31, 2019, the counterclaim amount was amended to $173 million (AUD$201 million). The Corporation intends to continue to pursue its claim for unpaid receivable and to vigorously defend against this amended counterclaim. Arbitration for the hearing occurred in July 2019. The Corporation is waiting for the arbitral award. Based on currently available information, no provision has been recognised for this case as at March 31, 2020.

The outcome of these claims and legal proceedings against the Corporation cannot be determined with certainty and is subject to future resolution, including the uncertainties of litigation.

22.

Capital management:

The Corporation’s objective in managing capital is to ensure sufficient liquidity to develop its technologies and commercialize its products, finance its research and development activities, including the cannabis activities, selling, general and administrative expenses, its overall capital expenditures and those related to its debt reimbursement. The Corporation also needs to ensure adequate financing to support M&A activities. The Corporation is not exposed to external requirements by regulatory agencies regarding its capital. The Corporation is subject to certain financial covenants under its secured facility of credit. As of March 31, 2020, the Corporation was in compliance with these financial covenants.

In recent years, the Corporation has financed its liquidity needs primarily through the cash coming from the sale of the krill business, a private placement, as well as the issuance of debt, warrants and common shares. The Corporation optimizes its liquidity needs by non-dilutive sources whenever possible, including research tax credits, investment tax credits, interest income and revenues from strategic partnerships, collaboration agreements and government assistance.

The Corporation defines capital as being the total of shareholders’ equity and loans and borrowings.

The Corporation’s primary objectives when managing capital are to:

 

Ensure that the Corporation will continue as a going concern while providing an appropriate investment return to its shareholders;

 

Optimize leverage position of the nutraceutical segment by generating positive cash flows and reducing the short-term debt;

 

Have sufficient liquidity until the generation of positive cash-flows in the cannabis segment while preserving a financial flexibility in order to continue to develop unique extracts and formulations in high potential growth segments such as medical and wellness cannabinoid-based products;

 

Maintain financial flexibility in order to have access to capital in the event of future acquisitions.

As at March 31, 2020 cash amounted to $16,577,076 (2019 – $3,676,704), and cash equivalents amounted to nil (2019 – $6,142,647).

The Corporation’s short-term investment as at March 31, 2020 and 2019 are as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

Maturity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maturity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

date

 

Rate

 

 

Amount

 

 

date

 

Rate

 

 

Amount

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term investment

 

April 28, 2020

 

 

1.40

%

 

 

36,000

 

 

Dec. 11, 2019

 

 

1.40

%

 

 

48,000

 

 

23.

Operating segments:

The Corporation’s reportable segments are the nutraceutical and the cannabis segments. The nutraceutical segment offers turnkey solutions including services such as raw material sourcing, formulation, quality control and quality assurance primarily for omega-3 and hemp-derived ingredients under different delivery forms such as softgels, capsules and liquids. In the cannabis segment, Neptune provides extraction and purification services from cannabis and hemp biomass. The Company also offers formulation and manufacturing solutions for value added product forms such as tinctures, sprays, topicals, vapor products and edibles and beverages.

Information regarding the results of each reportable segment is included below. Performance is measured based on segment income (loss) before corporate expenses, as included in the internal management reports that are reviewed by the Corporation’s Chief Operating Decision Maker, as management believes that such information is the most relevant in evaluating the results of our segments relative to other entities

47


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

that operate within these industries. Due to the impairment of goodwill and change in fair value of the contingent consideration in the Cannabis segment during the year, performance is now measured using segment income (loss) before corporate expenses. The prior periods did not require adjustments as the only difference between the prior measure of “segment income (loss) from operating activities before corporate expenses” and the new measure of “segment income (loss) before corporate expenses” is the change in fair value of contingent consideration which only occurred in fiscal 2020.

The Sherbrooke and North Carolina facilities are used for the extraction, purification and formulation of cannabis and hemp oil extracts and are presented under the cannabis segment information.

 

(a)

Information about reportable segments:

Year ended March 31, 2020:

 

 

 

Nutraceutical

 

 

Cannabis

 

 

Corporate

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue from external sales, royalties and other revenues

 

$

21,278,218

 

 

$

8,075,070

 

 

$

224,516

 

 

$

29,577,804

 

Gross profit (loss)

 

 

6,573,249

 

 

 

(8,636,212

)

 

 

224,516

 

 

 

(1,838,447

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research and development expenses net of credits

   and grants

 

 

(456,659

)

 

 

(2,413,838

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2,870,497

)

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

(11,241,606

)

 

 

(18,830,149

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(30,071,755

)

Impairment loss on goodwill

 

 

(3,467,000

)

 

 

(82,081,266

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(85,548,266

)

Segment income (loss) before contingent consideration and corporate expenses

 

 

(8,592,016

)

 

 

(111,961,465

)

 

 

224,516

 

 

 

(120,328,965

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in fair value of contingent consideration

 

 

 

 

 

97,208,166

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

97,208,166

 

Segment income (loss) before corporate expenses

 

 

(8,592,016

)

 

 

(14,753,299

)

 

 

224,516

 

 

 

(23,120,799

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unallocated costs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate general and administrative expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(34,592,634

)

 

 

(34,592,634

)

Net finance income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,451,511

 

 

 

1,451,511

 

Income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4,601,340

)

 

 

(4,601,340

)

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(60,863,262

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

(674,776

)

 

 

(7,212,875

)

 

 

(496,585

)

 

 

(8,384,236

)

Stock-based compensation

 

 

(489,960

)

 

 

(1,243,401

)

 

 

(14,861,227

)

 

 

(16,594,588

)

Reportable segment assets

 

 

18,030,922

 

 

 

132,284,082

 

 

 

18,460,943

 

 

 

168,775,947

 

Reportable segment goodwill

 

 

3,283,626

 

 

 

39,049,548

 

 

 

 

 

 

42,333,174

 

Reportable segment liabilities

 

 

6,695,013

 

 

 

9,987,632

 

 

 

8,463,009

 

 

 

25,145,654

 

48


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Year ended March 31, 2019:

 

 

 

Nutraceutical

 

 

Cannabis

 

 

Corporate

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue from external sales and royalties

 

$

24,429,592

 

 

$

12,450

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

24,442,042

 

Gross profit

 

 

7,601,998

 

 

 

12,450

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7,614,448

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research and development expenses net of credits

   and grants

 

 

(488,152

)

 

 

(6,723,401

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7,211,553

)

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

(4,524,704

)

 

 

(1,846,031

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6,370,735

)

Segment income (loss) before corporate expenses

 

 

2,589,142

 

 

 

(8,556,982

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5,967,840

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unallocated costs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate general and administrative expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

(8,914,981

)

 

 

(8,914,981

)

Litigation provisions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7,930,383

)

 

 

(7,930,383

)

Net finance income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(208,484

)

 

 

(208,484

)

Income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(170,011

)

 

 

(170,011

)

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(23,191,699

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

(718,519

)

 

 

(2,125,727

)

 

 

(212,076

)

 

 

(3,056,322

)

Stock-based compensation

 

 

(492,133

)

 

 

(1,046,415

)

 

 

(2,173,867

)

 

 

(3,712,415

)

Reportable segment assets

 

 

21,007,447

 

 

 

50,980,849

 

 

 

18,232,279

 

 

 

90,220,575

 

Reportable segment goodwill

 

 

6,750,626

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6,750,626

 

Reportable segment liabilities

 

 

7,330,354

 

 

 

3,150,146

 

 

 

10,755,149

 

 

 

21,235,649

 

 

 

(b)

The Corporation derives sales revenue from the sales of goods which are recognized at a point in time and the processing services which are recognized over time as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

Years ended

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

Segment

 

2020

 

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At a point in time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutraceutical products

 

Nutraceutical

 

$

19,647,501

 

 

$

23,150,566

 

Cannabis and hemp products

 

Cannabis

 

 

636,630

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Processing services

 

Cannabis

 

 

7,438,440

 

 

 

12,450

 

 

 

 

 

$

27,722,571

 

 

$

23,163,016

 

 

(c)

Geographic information:

 

 

 

Year ended

 

Year ended

 

 

 

March 31,

2020

 

 

March 31,

2019

 

 

 

Nutraceutical

 

 

Cannabis

 

 

Royalties

 

 

Corporate

 

 

Total

revenues

 

 

Nutraceutical

 

 

Royalties

 

 

Total

revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canada

 

$

8,859,621

 

 

$

5,375,057

 

 

$

66,376

 

 

$

224,516

 

 

$

14,525,570

 

 

$

8,606,834

 

 

$

25,210

 

 

$

8,632,044

 

United States

 

 

10,671,733

 

 

 

2,700,013

 

 

 

1,564,341

 

 

 

 

 

 

14,936,087

 

 

 

12,513,336

 

 

 

1,253,816

 

 

 

13,767,152

 

Other countries

 

 

116,147

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

116,147

 

 

 

2,042,846

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,042,846

 

 

 

$

19,647,501

 

 

$

8,075,070

 

 

$

1,630,717

 

 

$

224,516

 

 

$

29,577,804

 

 

$

23,163,016

 

 

$

1,279,026

 

 

$

24,442,042

 

49


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Revenue is attributed to geographical locations based on the origin of customers’ location.

The Corporation’s property plant and equipment located in Canada are in the amount of $54,842,682 and the property plant and equipment located in the United States of America are in the amount of $5,815,892.

 

 

(d)

Non cash-consideration:

During the year ended March 31, 2020, the Corporation realized revenues for non-cash consideration amounting to $168,955 (2019 – nil).

 

(e)

Information about major customers:

During the year ended March 31, 2020, the Corporation realized revenues from the nutraceutical segment amounting to $5,033,261 from one customer accounting for 25.62% of nutraceutical revenues. During the year ended March 31, 2020, the Corporation realized revenues from the cannabis segment amounting to $2,215,592 from one customer accounting for 27.44% of cannabis revenues.

During the year ended March 31, 2019, the Corporation realized revenues from the nutraceutical segment amounting to $5,108,976 from one customer accounting for 20.90% of consolidated revenues.

24.

Related parties:

Key management personnel compensation:

The key management personnel are the officers of the Corporation and members of the Board of Directors. They control 9% of the voting shares of the Corporation as at March 31, 2020.

Key management personnel compensation includes the following for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019:

 

 

 

Years ended

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term benefits

 

$

5,680,693

 

 

$

2,861,645

 

Share-based compensation costs

 

 

15,787,235

 

 

 

3,088,053

 

Severance (i)

 

 

272,788

 

 

 

 

Long-term incentive (ii)

 

 

1,150,298

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

22,891,014

 

 

$

5,949,698

 

 

 

(i)

In the year ended March 31, 2020, an expense $272,788 was recorded related to the change in the management team as part termination severance.

 

 

(ii)

In the year ended March 31, 2020, an expense of $1,150,298 was recorded related to long-term incentive. The payable related to this long-term incentive of $1,217,769 is presented under Other liability in the consolidated statement of financial situation. According to the employment agreement with the CEO, a long-term incentive of $21,093,000 (US$15 million) is payable if the Corporation’s US market capitalization is at least $1.4 billion (US$1 billion) during its term agreement. Based on the risk-neutral Monte Carlo simulation, the Corporation could reach this market capitalization in 7.64 years and therefore the incentive is being recognized over the estimated period to achievement of 7.64 years. The assumptions used in the simulation include a risk free-rate of 0.70% and a volatility of 67.9%.

 

On November 11, 2019, Neptune announced that it entered into a collaboration agreement with International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (“IFF”) to co-develop hemp-derived products for the mass retail and health and wellness markets. App Connect Service, Inc. (“App Connect”), a company indirectly controlled by Michael Cammarata, CEO and Director of Neptune, is also a party to the agreement to provide related branding strategies and promotional activities.

Under this strategic product development partnership, IFF will leverage its intellectual property for taste, scent and nutrition to provide essential oils and product development resources. Neptune will leverage its proprietary cold ethanol extraction processes and formulation intellectual property to deliver high quality, full- and broad-spectrum extracts for the development, manufacture and commercialization of hemp-derived products, infused with essential oils, for the cosmetics, personal care and household cleaning products markets.

50


NEPTUNE wellness solutions INC.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, Continued

 

For the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019

 

 

Neptune will be responsible for the marketing and sale of the products. Neptune will receive amounts from product sales and in turn will pay a royalty to each of IFF and App Connect associated with the sales of co-developed products. The payment of royalties to App Connect, subject to certain conditions, has been approved by the TSX.

25. Subsequent event:

The Corporation issued common shares. Refer to note 14 (h).

 

51

Exhibit 99.3

 

 

MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF THE FINANCIAL SITUATION AND OPERATING RESULTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED MARCH 31, 2020 AND 2019

 

INTRODUCTION

 

This management discussion and analysis (‟MD&A”) comments on the financial results and the financial situation of Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. (‟Neptune”, the ‟Corporation” or the ‟Company”), formerly Neptune Technologies and Bioressources Inc., including its subsidiaries, Biodroga Nutraceuticals Inc. (‟Biodroga”), SugarLeaf Labs, Inc. (‟SugarLeaf”), 9354-7537 Québec Inc. and Neptune Holding USA, Inc. for the three-month periods and years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. Additional information on the Corporation, as well as registration statements and other public filings, are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

 

In this MD&A, financial information for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 is based on the audited consolidated financial statements of the Corporation, which were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS”), as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB”). In accordance with its terms of reference, the Audit Committee of the Corporation’s Board of Directors reviews the contents of the MD&A and recommends its approval to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors approved this MD&A on June 10, 2020. Disclosure contained in this document is current to that date, unless otherwise noted.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all references to the terms ‟we”, ‟us”, ‟our”, ‟Neptune”, ‟enterprise”, ‟Company” and ‟Corporation” refer to Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. and its subsidiaries. Unless otherwise noted, all amounts in this report refer to thousands of Canadian dollars. References to ‟CAD” and ‟USD” refer to Canadian dollars and US dollars, respectively. Information disclosed in this report has been limited to what management has determined to be ‟material”, on the basis that omitting or misstating such information would influence or change a reasonable investor’s decision to purchase, hold or dispose of the Corporation’s securities.

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Statements in this MD&A that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute ‟forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws and Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other unknown factors that could cause the actual results of Neptune to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms "believes," "belief," "expects," "intends," "projects," "anticipates," "will," "should," or "plans" to be uncertain and forward-looking. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this management analysis of the financial situation and operating results. Forward-looking information in this MD&A includes, but is not limited to, information or statements about our ability to successfully develop, produce, supply, promote or generate any revenue from the sale of any cannabis-based and hemp-based products in the legal market.

 

1


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

The forward-looking statements contained in this MD&A are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and the ‟Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information” section contained in Neptune’s latest Annual Information Form (the ‟AIF”), which also forms part of Neptune’s latest annual report on Form 40-F, and which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml and on the Investors section of Neptune’s website at www.neptunecorp.com. All forward-looking statements in this MD&A are made as of the date of this MD&A. Neptune does not undertake to update any such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in Neptune public securities filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian securities commissions. Additional information about these assumptions and risks and uncertainties is contained in the AIF under ‟Risk Factors”.

 

Caution Regarding Non-IFRS Financial Measures

The Corporation uses two adjusted financial measures, Adjusted Segment Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (Adjusted Segment EBITDA) and Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (Adjusted EBITDA) to assess its operating performance. These non-IFRS financial measures are comprised of adjustments that are derived from the Corporation’s financial statements and are presented in a consistent manner. The Corporation uses these measures for the purposes of evaluating its historical and prospective financial performance, as well as its performance relative to competitors. These measures also help the Corporation to plan and forecast for future periods as well as to make operational and strategic decisions. The Corporation believes that providing this information to investors, in addition to IFRS measures, allows them to see the Corporation’s results through the eyes of management, and to better understand its historical and future financial performance.

 

Securities regulations require that companies caution readers that earnings and other measures adjusted to a basis other than IFRS do not have standardized meanings and are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures used by other companies. Accordingly, they should not be considered in isolation. The Corporation uses Adjusted Segment EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to measure its performance from one period to the next without the variation caused by certain adjustments that could potentially distort the analysis of trends in our operating performance, and because the Corporation believes it provides meaningful information on the Corporation’s financial condition and operating results. Neptune’s method for calculating Adjusted Segment EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may differ from that used by other corporations.

 

Neptune obtains its Adjusted Segment EBITDA measurement by adding depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation and impairment loss on goodwill to segment income (loss) before corporate expenses. Neptune obtains its Adjusted EBITDA measurement by adding to net income (loss), net finance costs, depreciation and amortization and income tax expense and by subtracting income tax recovery and net finance income. Other items such as stock-based compensation, litigation provisions, acquisition costs, change in fair value of contingent consideration, impairment loss on goodwill and severance and related costs that do not impact core operating performance of the Corporation are also added back as they may vary significantly from one period to another. Adjusting for these items does not imply they are non-recurring.

 

A reconciliation of segment income (loss) before corporate expenses to Adjusted Segment EBITDA and a reconciliation of net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA are presented later in this document.

 

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

 

Neptune is a diversified and fully integrated health and wellness company. Through its flagship consumer-facing brands, Forest Remedies™ and Ocean Remedies™, Neptune is redefining health and wellness by building a broad portfolio of natural, plant-based, sustainable and purpose-driven lifestyle brands and consumer packaged goods products in key health and wellness markets, including hemp, nutraceuticals, personal care and home care. Leveraging decades of expertise in extraction and specialty ingredient formulation, Neptune is a leading provider of turnkey product development and supply chain solutions to businesses and government customers across several health and wellness verticals, including legal cannabis and hemp, nutraceuticals and white label consumer packaged goods. The Company utilizes a highly flexible and low cost supply chain infrastructure that can be scaled up and down or into adjacent product categories to quickly adapt to market demand. Neptune’s corporate headquarters is located in Laval, Quebec, with a 50,000 square-foot production facility located in Sherbrooke, Quebec and a 24,000 square-foot facility located in North Carolina. Its head office is located in Laval, Quebec.

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management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

Founded in 1998, Neptune was previously a biotech Company and conducted some of the first research on the health benefits of krill oil and the unique, more-easily-absorbed “phospholipid” molecular structure of the fats contained within it. Neptune secured a family of patents for an extraction process as well as composition and method of use.

 

From 2003 to 2017, at its Sherbrooke, Québec facility, Neptune extracted omega-3 from frozen krill and sold bulk krill oil to large nutraceutical and health & wellness companies across the world. In 2017, Neptune exited the bulk krill manufacturing business and sold its krill intellectual property and inventory to Aker BioMarine for US$34 million. Neptune kept its extraction equipment and modern, highly automated facility and executed a strategic pivot into the cannabis industry. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the krill intellectual property and inventory has been used to fund the transition into the cannabis industry and fund the retrofit of the Sherbrooke facility to meet the stringent cannabis-related requirements of Health Canada.

 

Our team of extraction specialists provides the Company with valuable expertise which has facilitated the Company’s transition to extracting cannabinoids. Our Sherbrooke production facility features robust safety measures and equipment, which allows for enhanced manufacturing practices. We also operate a laboratory at our Sherbrooke facility, which allows us to conduct research, new product development and quality control analysis in‑house.

 

On January 4, 2019, we received our license to process cannabis from Health Canada. The Health Canada license enables Neptune to handle dried cannabis, to manufacture and purify cannabis extracts and cannabis oil, and to sell its products or services to other license holders. Neptune completed in March 2019 its initial commercial production lots and started shipping cannabis extracts from its licensed GPP (Good Production Practice) facility in Sherbrooke, Quebec to B2B customers.

 

On June 14, 2019, Neptune received license amendments from Health Canada, which included the expansion of cannabis operation areas to include an additional extraction room where Neptune performs cold ethanol extraction. Neptune has opted for a cold ethanol extraction technology, due to its speed, which could be up to 5x faster than our CO2 extraction equipment and due to its energy efficiency, as it consumes up to 2x less energy than our CO2 technology. Our cold ethanol extraction process combined with the high level of automation at Neptune’s Sherbrooke facility should position the Company as a low-cost cannabinoid extractor in Canada.

 

The amendment from Health Canada received on June 14, 2019 also included the expansion for an encapsulation room where Neptune produces cannabis oil capsules using the Licaps® technology licensed from Lonza Group AG. The encapsulation equipment has a capacity of up to 200 million capsules annually. The Licaps® technology supports differentiated product offerings through its various delivery systems, colors and branding possibilities. Furthermore, it is an effective technology for variable and multiple product formulation runs.

 

On July 24, 2019, Neptune completed the acquisition of the assets of SugarLeaf, a hemp processor based in North Carolina. Neptune paid an initial consideration for SugarLeaf of $23,737 (US$18,062), a combination of $15,770 (US $12,000) in cash and $7,967 (US $6,062) or 1,587,301 in common shares (the "SugarLeaf Transaction").

 

Through SugarLeaf, Neptune established a U.S.-based hemp extract supply chain, gaining a 24,000 square foot facility located in the important U.S. Southeast region. SugarLeaf’s cutting-edge cold ethanol technology has a processing capacity of 1,500,000 kg of biomass annually and uses hemp cultivated by licensed American growers consistent with federal and state regulations to yield high-quality full and broad-spectrum hemp extracts. The U.S. market for hemp is developing rapidly and represents a significant opportunity for the consumer products industry.

 

Neptune also operates a nutrition turnkey solutions business where the Company offers turnkey solutions including services such as raw material sourcing, formulation, quality control and quality assurance primarily for omega-3 and hemp-derived ingredients under different delivery forms such as soft gels, capsules and liquids. The Company has seen a significant interest from its legacy nutraceutical and health & wellness clients to source CBD infused finished products and bulk ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

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management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

CORPORATE STRATEGY

 

Neptune’s vision is to provide wellness solutions that deliver optimal health and wellness. Our mission is to leverage our scientific and innovation expertise to create and provide our B2B and B2C customers with the best-available nutritional products and wellness solutions.

 

Markets – Canada

According to a report published by RBC Capital Markets in December 2018, Canadian spending on cannabis is at similar levels to wine and spirits spending. RBC predicts that the shift away from the illicit market into the legal market is expected to exceed 80% by 2022. The Canadian recreational cannabis market at the wholesale level is expected to reach $3.4 billion by 2022 according to RBC, with the medical market representing an incremental $1 billion. Neptune believes that the Canadian nutraceutical and wellness market for CBD product is also a significant opportunity which could develop over time.  

 

Markets – United-States

According to a report published by Cowen Washington Research Group in February 2019, the hemp extracts and CBD market in the United-States is expected to reach US$16 billion dollar by 2025 which includes nutraceuticals, topicals, beverages, food, beauty and vapor products. In a summary report from HelloMD/Brightfield Group published in 2018, the three main reasons for consuming CBD are anxiety, pain and general relaxation.

 

The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill in 2018, and simultaneous acknowledgment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (‟FDA”) of the Generally Recognized As Safe (‟GRAS”) status of three hemp seed-derived ingredients, fuelled the already heightened consumer demand for hemp products, and specifically, hemp extracts. Although the U.S. FDA is currently deliberating their approach on how consumer products containing hemp-derived CBD will be regulated and the United States Department of Agriculture (‟USDA”) is in the process of developing regulations governing the production of hemp in the U.S., numerous companies are initiating product development strategies to meet demand for these products once a clear path to market is provided by the regulatory agencies. Neptune intends to operate its activities in compliance with applicable state and federal U.S. laws.

 

Our B2B strategy

Consistent with our strategic focus of providing wellness products while leveraging our know-how, large-scale extraction and application technology capabilities, our objective is to become a world leader in extraction, purification and formulation of value-added cannabis products and hemp extracts. With our B2B strategy we intend to pursue two business verticals: (i) Extract and purify cannabis and hemp biomass received from our customers and return concentrated crude oil in a bulk format back to the same customers, and (ii) Provide turnkey formulation, manufacturing and packaging solutions where we transform cannabinoids extracts into finished products, after which we label, seal and package onsite. These finished products could include tinctures, sprays, topicals, vapor products and edibles and beverages.

 

In Canada, we signed multi-year agreements to provide extraction services to Canopy Growth Corporation (‟Canopy”) and Tilray Inc. We also signed a multi-year agreement with The Green Organic Dutchman (‟TGOD”) to provide extraction, formulation and manufacturing services and transform TGOD’s biomass into finished product forms which include tinctures, capsules, vape pens and topical products amongst others. We have other extraction clients for which we provide extraction services without long-term contracts.

 

On April 8, 2020, Neptune announced that its phase II expansion at its Sherbrooke, Quebec facility is operational and has been approved to run product for customers bringing the Company’s capacity to 200,000 kg. The Company anticipates that its cold ethanol technology, combined with the high level of automation at Neptune’s Sherbrooke facility, will increase production speed up to 5x compared to its CO2 technology, while using 2x less energy.

 

In the United-States we provide extraction services to hemp farmers using our cutting-edge cold ethanol equipment located at our Conover facility in North Carolina. We extract cannabinoids and terpenes within the hemp flower and purify them into full and broad-spectrum hemp extracts. Broad hemp spectrum extracts have a higher cannabinoid concentration and are well suited for ingestible products given most of the hemp aftertaste has been removed. Full hemp spectrum extracts retain more terpenes and benefit from an “entourage effect” believed to have a higher potency than broad-spectrum hemp extracts and are regularly

4


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

used in topical products. We are implementing improved procedures and policies at our Conover facility to meet quality assurance and quality control specifications.

 

The market for hemp extracts in the United States has seen a significant level of volatility in the last twelve months where pricing for hemp derived CBD refined oil has declined by more than 60%. This decrease in bulk hemp extract prices is having a negative impact on the Company’s B2B bulk extract sales. Prices for hemp biomass have followed a similar pattern which has put pressure on tolling fees in the United States. Given the nascent nature of the federally legal hemp extract industry the Company has limited visibility on the evolution of future prices. Based on an internal assessment of Neptune’s opportunities, business risks and market conditions, we have decided to deemphasize our U.S. tolling activities to increase our focus on bulk oil sales, turnkey solutions, our branded products and consumer product relationships.

 

We also entered into supply contracts with large health and wellness companies in the United States and supply them with bulk hemp-derived extracts oil which they transform into finished products to be commercialized under their brands. We source our hemp from a selected group of two dozen hemp farmers based in the United States. The biomass is received at our facility in North Carolina where we extract, purify and blend the cannabinoids into bulk extracts.

 

Our B2C strategy

We recently launched our Forest Remedies® and Ocean Remedies™ brands. Under our Forest Remedies™ brand, we intend to commercialize a full line of health and wellness products with and without CBD. The initial launch of the Forest Remedies™ brand will be focused in the United-States and will expand to Canada once we obtain our license amendment from Health Canada to include the authorization to sell cannabis products. Neptune expects the Forest Remedies™ brand to be available at retailers across the United States.

 

Neptune is also rebranding OCEANO³ to Ocean Remedies™. The Company’s omega-3 products will be commercialized under Ocean Remedies™ brand. Among the several initiatives underway is a clinical study to determine if MaxSimil® fish oil, when used as a carrier oil, can increase the absorption of cannabinoids in humans. We have increased our clinical activity because of the benefits we anticipate in combining our omega-3 formulations with cannabinoids and have increased the size of our R&D team accordingly.

 

Forest Remedies™. Forest Remedies™ products have been carefully crafted using Neptune’s hemp extracts which are produced with our proprietary extraction process and tested for purity at third-party laboratories. We extract active ingredients from the hemp plant using non-GMO ethanol, refined for maximum cannabinoid retention to produce high-quality, activated full spectrum extracts with profiles that reflect the natural composition of the hemp plant.

 

Ocean Remedies™. Ocean Remedies™ offers consumers a rich source of omega-3 supplements. The omega-3 fatty acids in the Ocean Remedies™ krill oil have been demonstrated to be 2.5 times better absorbed than fish oil¹. Ocean Remedies™ krill oil offers high eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), phospholipid levels and astaxanthin, a natural antioxidant. Ocean Remedies™ has been certified by Friend of the Sea for sustainable krill harvesting.

 

 

In Canada we plan to commercialize, under the Neptune® brand, derived product forms of cannabis such as tinctures, capsules, concentrates and other refined products destined to frequent cannabis consumers. We will accelerate our commercialization efforts upon receipt of our license from Health Canada to sell cannabis products. We plan to first distribute our cannabis 2.0 products in the province of Quebec and expand nationally afterwards.

 

 

 

 

 

¹Clinical Study Report. NO. BTS 275/07, Feb. 16, 2009. Esslingen, Germany.

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management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

Commercialization of Natural, Plant-based Hand Sanitizer Products

On April 2, 2020, Neptune announced that it had received Health Canada authorization to commercialize natural, plant-based hand sanitizer products. The Company has also engaged with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Canada's largest federal research and development organization, to support NRC’s efforts to facilitate the development, manufacturing and ultimately commercialization of solutions to meet COVID-19 related needs.

 

Neptune will leverage its product formulation expertise to develop natural, plant-based sanitizers that effectively kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria, made with a specialized blend of essential oils and fruit extract. The product will be formulated at the Company’s production and processing facilities in Sherbrooke, Quebec and Conover, North Carolina, and also with the help of its contract manufacturing partners.

 

On April 9, 2020, Neptune announced that it had successfully completed a submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for registration of its facility in Conover, North Carolina as an over-the-counter (OTC) drug manufacturer to prepare alcohol-based hand sanitizers under the agency’s temporary policy for such products during the public health emergency (COVID-19). Registration of the Conover facility with FDA enables the company to begin manufacturing alcohol-based hand sanitizers to help address the increased demand for these products by consumers and health care professionals.

 

Neptune is currently sourcing new supply of raw material inputs to ensure ample product supply at launch, which is expected in Summer 2020. Neptune intends to sell its hand sanitizer formulations to consumer-packaged goods (CPG) brands as well as retailers seeking private label owned brands to offer to their customers in the U.S. and Canada. The Company also plans to supply the U.S. and Canadian governments and healthcare systems with sanitizer products through both direct and indirect channels.

 

Strategic Partnership with American Media LLC

On October 4, 2019, Neptune announced a new strategic partnership with American Media LLC (“American Media”) to help support the growth of Neptune’s brands in the U.S., including Forest Remedies™ and Ocean Remedies™. American Media owns and operates leading celebrity and health & fitness media brands such as Men’s Journal®, Us Weekly®, OK!, Life & Style and enthusiast brands including Powder, Surfer and Bike. As reported by American Media, its portfolio of brands has a combined total circulation of over 2.3 million and reach over 47 million readers each month. American Media’s wide reach in mobile and online media has over 60 million unique visitors and over 762 million page views monthly. This wide reach will help accelerate the growth of Neptune’s consumer-facing products into the U.S. retail landscape.

 

Under the terms of the partnership agreement, American Media will provide advertising and creative services to Neptune to support the marketing and commercialization of Neptune’s consumer-facing brands in the U.S. American Media will also have the opportunity to become a shareholder in Neptune with the issuance to American Media of 3,000,000 warrants, each warrant allowing the holder to purchase one common share of Neptune at an exercise price of US$8.00 per share and with a 5-year expiration date (October 3, 2024). The warrants, granted in exchange of services, vest proportionally to the services rendered. The fair value of the warrants is based on the fair value of the services which are reliably measurable. The fair value has been estimated at $16.5 million (US$12 million) of which $10,852 and $11,676, respectively, were recognized as an expense during the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020.

 

On February 5, 2020, Neptune expanded its strategic partnership with American Media, where American Media will provide advertising and creative services to Neptune to support the marketing and commercialization of Neptune’s Ocean Remedies™ brand in the U.S. According to the terms of the agreement, American Media will provide Neptune with marketing and creative in exchange for 1,175,000 warrants which Neptune will issue to American Media. Each warrant gives the holder the right to purchase one common share of Neptune at an exercise price of US$8.00 per share and with a 5-year expiration date (February 5, 2025). The fair value has been estimated at $6.5 million (US$4.7 million) which was recognized as an expense during the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020.

 

Definitive Agreement with International Flavors & Fragrances

On November 11, 2019, Neptune announced that it entered into a collaboration agreement with International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (“IFF”) to co-develop hemp-derived products for the mass retail and health & wellness markets. Under this

6


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

strategic product development partnership, IFF will leverage its intellectual property for taste, scent and nutrition to provide essential oils and product development resources.

 

Neptune will leverage its proprietary cold ethanol extraction processes and formulation intellectual property to deliver high quality, full- and broad-spectrum extracts for the development, manufacture and commercialization of hemp-derived products, infused with essential oils, for the cosmetics, personal care and home care markets. The agreement represents a significant event in the development of Neptune’s global cannabis business, expanding our business model from primarily B2B to include a robust B2C business platform.

 

Under the terms of the agreement, IFF also has the opportunity to become a shareholder of Neptune through the issuance to IFF of 2,000,000 warrants, each warrant allowing the holder to purchase one common share of Neptune at an exercise price of US$12.00 per share with a 5-year expiration date (November 7, 2024). The warrants, granted in exchange of services, vest in four equal biannual installments. As at March 31, 2020, the fair value of the services to be rendered has been estimated with the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to be $999 (US$748) of which $159 and $388, respectively, were recognized as an expense during the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020. Each quarter-end, the fair value of the non-vested warrants will be revaluated.

 

CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT

 

Updates on Non-Core Investments

On January 13, 2020, Neptune announced the sale of 1,964,694 shares of Acasti Pharma Inc. for net proceeds of $5,318 as part of a monetizing process for the Company’s non-core investments. Neptune still owns 1 million shares in Acasti. The net proceeds are intended to be channeled towards the deployment of Neptune’s cannabis 2.0 products.

 

Amended and Restated Agreement with Canopy

On November 20, 2019, Neptune announced that Canopy and Neptune mutually decided to review the terms of their processing agreement. The parties have agreed to an amended schedule of processing volumes committed to Neptune by Canopy. In addition, the parties agreed to remove certain preferential rights previously granted to Canopy with respect to Neptune’s capacity and pricing. Neptune and Canopy also agreed to negotiate volume and pricing based on market conditions for all orders following June 30, 2020. The 3-year term of the agreement remains unchanged and expires on June 30, 2022.

 

Completion of a Private Placement

On July 18, 2019, Neptune completed a private placement with both existing and new institutional investors resulting in gross proceeds to the Company of $53,971 (US$41,430) (“The Offering”). Upon closing of the Offering, the Company issued an aggregate of 9,415,910 common shares of the Company (“Shares”) at a purchase price of US$4.40 per share. A portion of the net proceeds from the Offering was used by the Company to fund the initial cash consideration for the acquisition of the assets of SugarLeaf while the balance of such net proceeds will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes, as explained below.

 

Neptune Establishes At-The-Market-Program

On March 11, 2020, Neptune entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement with Jefferies LLC pursuant to which the Company may from time to time sell, through at-the-market (“ATM”) offerings with Jefferies LLC acting as sales agent, such common shares as would have an aggregate offer price of up to $70,310 (US$50,000). As at March 31, 2020, the Corporation sold a total of 4,159,086 common shares through the ATM over the NASDAQ stock market, for gross proceeds of $7,069 (US$4,971) and net proceeds of $6,760. The 3% commission paid and transaction costs amounted to $309. The shares were sold at the prevailing market prices which resulted in a weighted average price of US$1.20 per share.

 

Neptune currently intends to use the proceeds from sales related to the ATM program, if any, together with its existing capital, for operating expenses, capital expenditure requirements and general corporate purposes, including funding Neptune’s growth initiatives and research and development to further advance Neptune’s innovation strategies through in-house development, partnerships or acquisitions.

 

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management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

Subsequent to year-end, the Corporation sold a total of 5,411,649 shares through the ATM program over the NASDAQ stock market, for gross proceeds of $19,230 and net proceeds of $18,653. The 3% commissions paid and transaction costs amounted to $844. The shares were sold at the prevailing market prices which resulted in an average of approximately US$2.53 per share.

 

Changes to the Board of Directors

On February 12, 2020, Neptune announced the resignation of Philippe Trudeau from the Board of Directors following his recent appointment as President and CEO at Adrien Gagnon Natural Health Inc. Effective February 12, 2020, Richard Schottenfeld replaced Mr. Trudeau as Chairperson of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee of the Company.

 

On April 6, 2020, Neptune announced the appointment of Joseph Buaron, a seasoned Chief Technology Officer with over two decades of related experience as an entrepreneur, programmer, solutions architect, and DevOps engineer, to the Board of Directors. Mr. Buaron is the Co-founder and CTO of goPeer, Canada’s first regulated consumer peer to peer lender. Additionally, he serves as Chief Strategy Officer of Loti Wellness Inc., a Canadian self care consumer brand. Prior to goPeer and Loti Wellness, he served in multiple senior technology and system administrator positions at Unilever, Schmidt’s Naturals, Paymentus, Acuity Ads Inc., and EQ Works (Formerly Cyberplex Inc.). He also founded and served as president of Future Point Inc., which provided leading and innovative web and application hosting solutions until the company was sold in 2007.

 

On April 6, 2020, Neptune also announced the appointment of Michael A. de Geus, a highly accomplished security executive with domestic and international cyberinvestigative and physical security experience. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Leatherback Gear, LLC., a producer of bullet proof backpacks. He also served as a Special Agent in federal law enforcement with the Department of Homeland Security and has served on various assignments both physically and with cyber security since 2008. Previously, he served as the Director of Sales at Koro Sun Report in the Fiji Islands and as a consultant for MD Consulting, working on various projects from developing branding and new store layouts to helping with various start-up companies. Mr. de Geus is a Ph.D. Candidate in Public Policy specializing in Homeland Security at Walden University, holds a Master of Science in International Relations from the Troy State University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from California State University Fullerton.

 

New Appointments on the Management Team

On March 2, 2020, Neptune announced the appointment of Scott Antony as Senior Vice President of U.S. Retail Sales. Mr. Antony served as VP of Sales for Unilever’s Target Division, where he developed and managed the company’s Target relationship, one of Unilever’s largest and most strategic customers in North America. In this role, Mr. Antony led a complete business turnaround doubling Unilever’s sales with Target while achieving continuous market share growth. Prior, Mr. Antony led Unilever’s Safeway Division, where he established a sales team from the ground up and supervised, trained, and mentored a team of 25 top performers responsible for sales, supply chain, shopper marketing, business development, category management, digital and ecommerce, category insights and customer service. At Unilever, Mr. Antony also held the positions of Director of Sales Strategy & Operations, Director of Business Development and Director of Sales Strategy & Integration.

 

On March 9, 2020, Neptune announced the appointment of David Mayers as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Mayers brings to Neptune 30 years of senior level executive leadership experience and expertise in Corporate Strategy execution, M&A implementation, R&D, Quality, Supply Chain, Operations and Facility Expansion across several industries, including cannabis extraction, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and health and wellness. Mr. Mayers previously served as Chief Operating Officer of MediPharm Labs Inc., a global leader in specialized, research-driven pharmaceutical-quality cannabis extraction where he was responsible for strategic direction and daily operation of the organization, including direct responsibility of Manufacturing, HR, R&D, IT, Security, Quality, Project Management, Procurement and Supply Chain. Prior to MediPharm, he served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Impopharma Inc., a specialty generic pharmaceutical company developing innovative nasal and pulmonary inhalation products for the U.S. market, where he was responsible for strategic direction and operation of the organization. Mr. Mayers previously served as President of WellSpring Pharma Services, a division of WellSpring Pharmaceuticals, as well as Vice President of Operations and Director of Quality Control at Purdue Pharma.

 

On April 7, 2020, Neptune announced the appointment of Dr. Toni Rinow, MBA as Chief Financial Officer. A transformational finance and business leader with 20 years of experience, Dr. Toni Rinow is a catalyst for growth and strategic global expansion in healthcare and consumer product companies and well known for accelerating revenue streams through acquisitions, corporate development, sales and marketing, and financings. With a proven track record in international corporate development and sales

8


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

and financing of companies, she held leadership roles in public and private healthcare organizations, where she spearheaded acquisitions across Canada, Latin America, Europe and India. Dr. Rinow holds a double Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and Accounting and Finance from McGill University. In addition she holds a doctorate in physical chemistry from the Université de Montréal (Ph.D), and a chemical engineering degree from the European Higher Institute of Chemistry in Strasbourg, France. Toni has a keen interest in robotics, natural language processing and machine learning especially with a focus on the retail consumer markets and was trained at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Rinow believes in giving back to the community and sits on the Board of Directors of several non-for profit organizations.

 

On April 15, 2020, Neptune announced the appointment of Caroline Fontein as E-Commerce Manager to lead and grow Neptune’s direct-to-consumer e-commerce business across its Forest Remedies and Ocean Remedies brands, as well as future consumer brands. Ms. Fontein joins Neptune from SmartyPants Vitamins, a leading vitamin and supplements brand, where she served as Digital Marketing & Communications Manager. At SmartyPants, she was responsible for leading highly-successful digital marketing and communication strategies and managing campaign budgets on multiple platforms to support brand and sales goals, deliver ROI and ensure best-in-class user experience across all paid and organic consumer touch points.

 

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

On April 21, 2020, Neptune announced that the Company has entered into an exclusive partnership with legendary wildlife conservationist, Dr. Jane Goodall to co-develop natural health and wellness products under the Forest Remedies™ brand, the plant-based wellness brand with naturally sourced hemp extract and essential oils sourced from the highest-quality botanicals from around the world. As part of this partnership, a percentage of all products will be donated to support Dr. Goodall’s environmental conservation and reforestation initiatives. Under this partnership, Neptune has made an initial $25 donation and will donate five percent of all sales from co-developed products to the Jane Goodall Institute.

On May 19, 2020, Neptune announced that it has entered into an extraction partnership for hemp processing resulting in revenues to the Corporation of a minimum of $16.5 million over the next six months. Under the terms of the agreement, Neptune will process 44,000 kg of crude and distillate extracts from hemp biomass in four installments over six months.

 

Issuance of Shares

During the year ended March 31, 2020, Neptune issued (i) 2,067,418 common shares of the Corporation for stock options exercised, (ii) 333,279 common shares for deferred share units released and (iii) 600,000 common shares to a former CEO of the Corporation as part of a settlement regarding severance entitlements under his employment contract terminated in April 2014. During the year ended March 31, 2020, Neptune also issued 750,000 common shares of the Corporation upon the exercise of warrants for a total cash consideration of $2,528. During the year ended March 31, 2020, the Corporation issued 437,849 common shares for restricted share units released as part of the CEO’s employment agreement. As described above, in July 2019, (i) 9,415,910 common shares were issued by the Corporation in connection with a private placement and (ii) 1,587,301 common shares were issued as part of the consideration in connection with the SugarLeaf Transaction. As at March 31, 2020, there were 6,175,000 warrants outstanding (156,250 of which were exercisable) compared to 750,000 warrants outstanding at March 31, 2019.

 

SEGMENT DISCLOSURES

 

The Corporation’s reportable segments are the nutraceutical and the cannabis segments. The nutraceutical segment offers turnkey solutions including services such as raw material sourcing, formulation, quality control and quality assurance primarily for omega-3 and hemp-derived ingredients under different delivery forms such as softgels, capsules and liquids. In the cannabis segment, Neptune provides extraction and purification services from cannabis and hemp biomass. The Company also offers formulation and manufacturing solutions for value added product forms such as tinctures, sprays, topicals, vapor products and edibles and beverages.

 

Information regarding the results of each reportable segment is included below. Performance is measured based on segment income (loss) before corporate expenses, as included in the internal management reports that are reviewed by the Corporation’s Chief Operating Decision Maker, as management believes that such information is the most relevant in evaluating the results of our segments relative to other entities that operate within these industries. Due to the impairment of goodwill and change in fair

9


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

value of the contingent consideration in the cannabis segment during the quarter, performance is now measured using segment income (loss) before contingent consideration and corporate expenses. The prior periods did not require adjustments as the only difference between the prior measure of “segment income (loss) from operating activities before corporate expenses” and the new measure of “segment income (loss) before corporate expenses” is the change in fair value of contingent consideration which only occurred in fiscal 2020.

 

The Sherbrooke and North Carolina facilities are used for the extraction, purification and formulation of cannabis and hemp oil extracts and are presented under the cannabis segment information.


10


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

Selected financial information by segment is as follows:

 

The following tables show selected financial information by segment:

 

Three-month period ended March 31, 2020

 

Nutraceutical

 

Cannabis

 

Corporate

 

Total

 

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

Total revenues

 

5,500

 

 

4,006

 

 

24

 

 

9,530

 

Gross profit (loss)

 

1,760

 

 

(2,881

)

 

24

 

 

(1,097

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R&D expenses, net of tax credits and grants

 

(36

)

 

(910

)

 

 

 

 

(946

)

SG&A expenses

 

(7,900

)

 

(13,490

)

 

 

 

 

(21,390

)

Impairment loss on goodwill

 

(3,467

)

 

(37,984

)

 

 

 

 

(41,451

)

Segment income (loss) before contingent consideration and corporate expenses

 

(9,643

)

 

(55,265

)

 

24

 

 

(64,884

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in fair value of contingent consideration

 

 

36,782

 

 

 

 

 

36,782

 

Segment income (loss) before corporate expenses

 

(9,643

)

 

(18,483

)

 

24

 

 

(28,102

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unallocated costs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate general and administrative expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8,007

)

 

(8,007

)

Net finance income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,545

 

 

1,545

 

Income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4,675

)

 

(4,675

)

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(39,239

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted Segment EBITDA1 reconciliation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment loss before corporate expenses

 

(9,643

)

 

(18,483

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

169

 

 

2,316

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Impairment loss on goodwill

 

3,467

 

 

37,984

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in fair value of contingent consideration

 

 

(36,782

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation

 

127

 

 

418

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted Segment EBITDA1

 

(5,880

)

 

(14,547

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA1 reconciliation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(39,239

)

Add (deduct):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,612

 

Net finance income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1,545

)

Change in fair value of contingent consideration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(36,782

)

Stock-based compensation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,356

 

Litigation provisions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

118

 

Impairment loss on goodwill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

41,451

 

Income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4,675

 

Adjusted EBITDA1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(25,354

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 The Adjusted Segment EBITDA and the Adjusted EBITDA are not standard measures endorsed by IFRS requirements.

11


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

Three-month period ended March 31, 2019

 

Nutraceutical

 

Cannabis

 

Corporate

 

Total

 

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

Total revenues

 

5,652

 

 

12

 

 

 

 

 

5,664

 

Gross profit

 

1,523

 

 

12

 

 

 

 

 

1,535

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R&D expenses, net of tax credits and grants

 

(172

)

 

(1,898

)

 

 

 

 

(2,070

)

SG&A expenses

 

(1,138

)

 

(373

)

 

 

 

 

(1,511

)

Segment income (loss) before corporate expenses

 

213

 

 

(2,259

)

 

 

 

 

(2,046

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unallocated costs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate general and administrative expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2,354

)

 

(2,354

)

Litigation provisions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7,930

)

 

(7,930

)

Net finance costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(38

)

 

(38

)

Income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(16

)

 

(16

)

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(12,384

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted Segment EBITDA1 reconciliation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment income (loss) before corporate expenses

 

213

 

 

(2,259

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

156

 

 

554

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation

 

123

 

 

245

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted Segment EBITDA1

 

492

 

 

(1,460

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA1 reconciliation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(12,384

)

Add (deduct):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

765

 

Net finance costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

38

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

928

 

Income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16

 

Litigation provisions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7,930

 

Adjusted EBITDA1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2,707

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 The Adjusted Segment EBITDA and the Adjusted EBITDA are not standard measures endorsed by IFRS requirements.

12


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

Year ended March 31, 2020

 

Nutraceutical

 

Cannabis

 

Corporate

 

Total

 

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

Total revenues

 

21,278

 

 

8,075

 

 

225

 

 

29,578

 

Gross profit (loss)

 

6,573

 

 

(8,636

)

 

225

 

 

(1,838

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R&D expenses, net of tax credits and grants

 

(456

)

 

(2,414

)

 

 

 

 

(2,870

)

SG&A expenses

 

(11,242

)

 

(18,830

)

 

 

 

 

(30,072

)

Impairment loss on goodwill

 

(3,467

)

 

(82,081

)

 

 

 

 

(85,548

)

Segment income (loss) before contingent consideration and corporate expenses

 

(8,592

)

 

(111,961

)

 

225

 

 

(120,328

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in fair value of contingent consideration

 

 

97,208

 

 

 

 

 

97,208

 

Segment income (loss) before corporate expenses

 

(8,592

)

 

(14,753

)

 

225

 

 

(23,120

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unallocated costs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate general and administrative expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(34,593

)

 

(34,593

)

Net finance income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,451

 

 

1,451

 

Income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4,601

)

 

(4,601

)

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(60,863

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted Segment EBITDA1 reconciliation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment loss before corporate expenses

 

(8,592

)

 

(14,753

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

675

 

 

7,213

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Impairment loss on goodwill

 

3,467

 

 

82,081

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in fair value of contingent consideration

 

 

(97,208

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation

 

490

 

 

1,243

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted Segment EBITDA1

 

(3,960

)

 

(21,424

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA1 reconciliation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(60,863

)

Add (deduct):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8,384

 

Net finance income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1,451

)

Change in fair value of contingent consideration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(97,208

)

Stock-based compensation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16,594

 

Litigation provisions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

349

 

Impairment loss on goodwill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

85,548

 

Acquisition costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,211

 

Severance and related costs3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,263

 

Income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4,601

 

Adjusted EBITDA1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(40,572

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total assets

 

18,031

 

 

132,284

 

 

18,461

 

 

168,776

 

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investment

 

1,395

 

 

30

 

 

15,188

 

 

16,613

 

Working capital2

 

4,011

 

 

7,762

 

 

9,806

 

 

21,579

 

1 The Adjusted Segment EBITDA and the Adjusted EBITDA are not standard measures endorsed by IFRS requirements.

2 The working capital is presented for information purposes only and represents a measurement of the Corporation’s short-term financial health mostly used in financial circles. The working capital is calculated by subtracting current liabilities from current assets. Because there is no standard method endorsed by IFRS, the results may not be comparable to similar measurements presented by other public companies.

3 On July 8, 2019, Neptune appointed a new Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Member of the Board of Directors. The immediately preceding CEO stepped down from his role as CEO. According to his amended employment agreement, he was entitled to a termination severance and his unvested options vested based on a prorate basis of his termination employment date.

13


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

Year ended March 31, 2019

 

Nutraceutical

 

Cannabis

 

Corporate

 

Total

 

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

Total revenues

 

24,430

 

 

12

 

 

 

 

 

24,442

 

Gross profit

 

7,602

 

 

12

 

 

 

 

 

7,614

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R&D expenses, net of tax credits and grants

 

(488

)

 

(6,723

)

 

 

 

 

(7,211

)

SG&A expenses

 

(4,525

)

 

(1,846

)

 

 

 

 

(6,371

)

Segment income (loss) before corporate expenses

 

2,589

 

 

(8,557

)

 

 

 

 

(5,968

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unallocated costs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate general and administrative expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8,915

)

 

(8,915

)

Litigation provisions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7,930

)

 

(7,930

)

Net finance costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(209

)

 

(209

)

Income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(170

)

 

(170

)

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(23,192

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted Segment EBITDA1 reconciliation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment income (loss) before corporate expenses

 

2,589

 

 

(8,557

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

719

 

 

2,126

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation

 

492

 

 

1,046

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted Segment EBITDA1

 

3,800

 

 

(5,385

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA1 reconciliation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(23,192

)

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,056

 

Net finance costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

209

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,713

 

Income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

170

 

Litigation provisions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7,930

 

Adjusted EBITDA1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8,114

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total assets

 

21,007

 

 

50,981

 

 

18,232

 

 

90,220

 

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments

 

276

 

 

 

9,591

 

 

9,867

 

Working capital2

 

2,543

 

 

(629

)

 

2,751

 

 

4,665

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 The Adjusted Segment EBITDA and the Adjusted EBITDA are not standard measures endorsed by IFRS requirements.

2 The working capital is presented for information purposes only and represents a measurement of the Corporation’s short-term financial health mostly used in financial circles. The working capital is calculated by subtracting current liabilities from current assets. Because there is no standard method endorsed by IFRS, the results may not be comparable to similar measurements presented by other public companies.

 

14


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

OPERATING RESULTS OF THE NUTRACEUTICAL SEGMENT

 

Key ratios of the nutraceutical segment

 

Three-month periods ended

 

 

Years ended

 

 

March 31,

2020

 

March 31,

2019

 

 

March 31,

2020

 

March 31,

2019

 

Key ratios (in % of total revenues):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross margin

 

32

%

 

27

%

 

 

31

%

 

31

%

R&D expenses net of tax credits and grants

 

1

%

 

3

%

 

 

2

%

 

2

%

SG&A expenses

 

144

%

 

20

%

 

 

53

%

 

19

%

 

Revenues

Total revenues for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 amounted to $5,500 representing a decrease of $152 or 3% compared to $5,652 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019. Total revenues for the year ended March 31, 2020 amounted to $21,278, representing a decrease of $3,152 or 13% compared to $24,430 for the year ended March 31, 2019. The decrease for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 is attributable to the challenges that the nutraceutical business faces due to customer concentration in the industry, partially offset by an increase in royalty revenue from our krill licensee as stated below.

 

Total revenues for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 include $601 of royalty revenues compared to $115 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019. Total revenues for the year ended March 31, 2020 include $1,631 of royalty revenues compared to $1,279 for the year ended March 31, 2019. Royalty streams come from licensing agreements on MaxSimil® and on an existing licensing agreement that was excluded from the sale of assets that occurred in 2017. The increase for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 is attributable to the timing of the sales of our licensee which has an impact on royalty revenue.

 

Gross Profit

Gross profit is calculated by deducting the cost of sales from total revenues. Cost of sales consists primarily of costs incurred to manufacture products, including sub-contractors, freight expenses and duties on raw materials, storage and handling costs and lab testing on raw materials and finish goods.

 

Gross profit for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 amounted to $1,760 compared to $1,523 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019. Gross profit for the year ended March 31, 2020 amounted to $6,573 compared to $7,602 for the year ended March 31, 2019. The increase in gross profit for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 compared to the three-month period ended March 31, 2019 was directly related to the product revenue mix. The decrease in gross profit for the year ended March 31, 2020 compared to the year ended March 31, 2019 was directly related to the decrease in revenues.  

 

Gross margin in % of total revenues increased from 27% for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019 to 32% for the three-month ended March 31, 2020. Gross margin in % of total revenues were stable at 31% for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. The increase for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 is mainly attributable to the product revenue mix.

 

Research and Development (R&D) Expenses Net of Tax Credits and Grants

R&D expenses amounted to $36 in the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 compared to $172 in the three-month period ended March 31, 2019, a decrease of $136. R&D expenses amounted to $456 in the year ended March 31, 2020 compared to $488 in the year ended March 31, 2019, a decrease of $32. The decrease for the three-month period and the year ended March 31, 2020 is attributable to the timing of research and development activities.

 

Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) Expenses

SG&A expenses amounted to $7,900 in the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 compared to $1,138 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $6,762. SG&A expenses amounted to $11,242 in the year ended March 31, 2020 compared to $4,525 for the year ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $6,717. The increase in the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 is mainly attributable to a non-cash marketing expense rendered in exchange of warrants for an amount of $6,534.

15


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

Impairment loss on goodwill

The Corporation performed its annual impairment testing of the nutraceutical goodwill as at March 31, 2020. The recoverable amount of Biodroga operations CGU was determined using the value-in-use basis, and was determined to be lower than the carrying value, as such an impairment expense of $3,467 was recorded in the year ended March 31, 2020.  

 

The value-in-use of the CGU was estimated using discounted cash flow forecasts with a discount rate of 14.25%. The discount rate represents the WACC for comparable companies operating in similar industries as the CGU, based on publicly available information. Determination of the WACC requires separate analysis of the cost of equity and debt, and considers a risk premium based on an assessment of risks related to the projected cash flows of the CGU.

 

Cash flows were projected based on past experience, actual operating results and the three-year business plan including a terminal growth rate of 2.0%

 

Adjusted Segment EBITDA1

Adjusted Segment EBITDA of the nutraceutical segment amounted to ($5,880) for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, a decrease of $6,372 compared to the three-month period ended March 31, 2019. Adjusted Segment EBITDA of the nutraceutical segment amounted to $(3,960) for the year ended March 31, 2020, a decrease of $7,760 compared to the year ended March 31, 2019. The decrease of the Adjusted Segment EBITDA for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 is mainly attributable to a non-cash marketing expense rendered in exchange of warrants for an amount of $6,534, as well as the gross profit increase, the decrease in R&D expenses, and the increase in SG&A, as explained above.

 

OPERATING RESULTS OF THE CANNABIS SEGMENT

 

Revenues

Neptune commenced commercial cannabis extraction at its Sherbrooke, Quebec facility during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2019. Revenues include the operations of SugarLeaf from the acquisition date July 24, 2019. Total revenues for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 attributable to the cannabis segment amounted to $4,006 and $8,075, respectively.

 

Gross Profit

Total gross profit attributable to the cannabis segment for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 was ($2,881) and ($8,636), respectively. Included in cost of goods sold are the Corporation’s fixed costs and overhead of the Sherbrooke and North Carolina facilities as well as related depreciation and amortization expenses, both of which represent the majority of the cost of goods sold for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020. An impairment loss on inventories of $2,082 due to a decline in hemp-derived CBD refined oil pricing is also included in the cost of goods sold for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020.

 

Research and Development (R&D) Expenses Net of Tax Credits and Grants

R&D expenses net of tax credits and grants of the cannabis segment amounted to $910 in the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 compared to $1,898 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019. R&D expenses net of tax credits and grants of the cannabis segment amounted to $2,414 in the year ended March 31, 2020 compared to $6,723 for the year ended March 31, 2019. The decrease for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 is mainly related to the reclassification of salaries and benefits and facility costs and overhead of Sherbrooke which are now presented in cost of sales since commercial operations commenced, partially offset by a non-cash expense related to co-development services rendered in exchange of warrants for an amount of $159 and $388, respectively, and the R&D expenses of SugarLeaf.

 

Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) Expenses

SG&A expenses of the cannabis segment amounted to $13,490 in the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 compared to $373 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019. SG&A expenses of the cannabis segment amounted to $18,830 in the

 

1 The Adjusted Segment EBITDA is not a standard measure endorsed by IFRS requirements.

 

16


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

year ended March 31, 2020 compared to $1,846 for the year ended March 31, 2019. The increase in SG&A expenses for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 is mainly attributable to the acquisition of SugarLeaf and to a non-cash marketing expense rendered in exchange of warrants for an amount of $10,852 and $11,676, respectively.

 

Adjusted Segment EBITDA1

Adjusted Segment EBITDA amounted to ($14,547) for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 compared to ($1,460) for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019. Adjusted Segment EBITDA amounted to ($21,424) for the year ended March 31, 2020 compared to ($5,385) for the year ended March 31, 2019. The decrease in Adjusted Segment EBITDA for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 is mainly attributable to a non-cash marketing expense rendered in exchange of warrants for an amount of $10,852 and $11,676, respectively, as well as the gross profit decrease and to the increase in SG&A, as explained above.

 

Acquisition of the Assets of SugarLeaf

On July 24, 2019, Neptune completed the acquisition of the assets of SugarLeaf. Neptune paid an initial consideration for SugarLeaf of $23,737 (US$18,062), a combination of $15,770 (US$12,000) in cash and $7,967 (US$6,062) or 1,587,301 in common shares. Additionally, by achieving certain annual adjusted EBITDA and other performance targets, earnouts could reach $173,474 (US$132,000). A portion of the earnout is to be paid by the issuance of a fixed number of shares upon the achievement of certain performance targets. The three additional earnout payments are to be paid over the next three years with a combination of cash or common shares, with at least 50% in cash.

 

As at July 24, 2019, the Corporation recorded $114,966 as contingent consideration, which represented its fair value at the date of acquisition, net of the initial consideration paid. Of the total contingent consideration, an amount of $20,590 was classified as contributed surplus, representing the fair value at the date of acquisition of the fixed number of shares that are required to be issued upon the achievement of certain performance targets. The contingent consideration classified as contributed surplus will not be remeasured and settlement is accounted for in equity. Contingent consideration of $94,376 was classified as a liability representing the present value of the expected payout in cash or a variable number of common shares for the earnouts of the next three years. The contingent consideration classified as a liability is required to be remeasured at fair value at each reporting date and subsequent changes to the fair value will be recognized in the statement of earnings. As at March 31, 2020, the fair value of the contingent consideration liability was revalued to nil (refer to change in fair value of contingent consideration below).

 

The acquisition has been accounted for using the acquisition method with the results of the operations of SugarLeaf being included in the consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition. The contingent consideration liability is included in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The fair value was determined considering the expected earnout payments, discounted to present value using a risk-adjusted discount rate of 16% for cash-based payments and 26.3% for earnout payments payable in cash or common shares. The risk-adjusted discount rate was calculated based on SugarLeaf’s weighted average cost of capital. The key unobservable inputs used related to the risk-adjusted discount rate, forecasted sales growth and EBITDA, growth margin as well as projected selling, general and administrative expenses.

 

Varying the above risk-adjusted discount rate to reflect a 1% movement would have the following effects on the contingent consideration at the acquisition date, assuming that all other variables remained constant:

 

 

 

Increase

 

 

Decrease

 

Effect of change in assumption on:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contingent consideration - Classified as a liability

 

$

(1,077

)

 

$

1,106

 

Contingent consideration - Classified as contributed surplus

 

 

(56

)

 

 

57

 

 

 

$

(1,133

)

 

$

1,163

 

 


 

1 The Adjusted Segment EBITDA is not a standard measure endorsed by IFRS requirements.

17


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

Varying the above risk-adjusted discount rate to reflect a 10% movement would have the following effects on the contingent consideration at the acquisition date, assuming that all other variables remained constant:

 

 

 

Increase

 

 

Decrease

 

Effect of change in assumption on:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contingent consideration - Classified as a liability

 

$

5,766

 

 

$

(18,167

)

Contingent consideration - Classified as contributed surplus

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

$

5,766

 

 

$

(18,167

)

 

The initial cash consideration of this transaction was funded with the proceeds of the private placement. On July 18, 2019, the Corporation completed a private placement of 9,415,910 common shares with both existing and new institutional investors resulting in gross proceeds to the Corporation of approximately $53,971 (US$41,430). Transaction costs related to the private placement amounted to approximately $2,539 resulting in net proceeds of $51,432.

 

The following table summarizes the purchase price of the acquisition, the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date:

 

 

 

Adjusted Final

Consideration

 

Assets acquired

 

 

 

 

    Trade and other receivables

$

 

151

 

    Inventories

 

 

1,131

 

    Property and equipment

 

 

1,937

 

    Right-of-use asset

 

 

500

 

    Customer relationships

 

 

9,173

 

    Farmer relationships

 

 

12,209

 

 

 

 

25,101

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities assumed

 

 

 

 

    Trade and other payables

$

 

126

 

    Lease liability

 

 

523

 

 

 

 

649

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net assets acquired

 

 

24,452

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Goodwill

 

 

115,818

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross purchase consideration

$

 

140,269

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less: Settlement of pre-existing relationship

 

 

(1,566

)

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase price

$

 

138,703

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consist of:

 

 

 

 

    Cash

$

 

15,770

 

    Common shares

 

 

7,967

 

    Contingent consideration - Classified as a liability

 

 

94,376

 

    Contingent consideration - Classified as contributed surplus

 

 

20,590

 

Purchase price

$

 

138,703

 

 

18


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

The Corporation has recorded an adjustment to its previously reported preliminary purchase price allocation reported in prior quarters to reclassify $71 from property and equipment to goodwill.

Through SugarLeaf, Neptune establishes a U.S.-based hemp extract supply chain, gaining a 24,000 square foot facility located in North Carolina. SugarLeaf's cold ethanol processing facility uses hemp cultivated by licensed American growers to yield high-quality full and broad-spectrum hemp extracts.

 

The 2018 Farm Bill, which was signed into law on December 20, 2018, amended federal law to provide that all parts of the cannabis plant (including its cannabinoids, derivatives and extracts) containing a delta-9 THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis would be classified as hemp and would no longer be considered controlled substances. However, despite the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, there remains a patchwork of Federal and State legislation and uncertainties in their application that could materially impact the Company's business and financial condition. Additionally, demand for products containing cannabis, hemp or their derivatives is dependent on a number of social, political and economic factors that are beyond the Company's control, each of which could cause price fluctuations or decreases in market demand or supply that could adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

From the date of acquisition, the SugarLeaf business has contributed $2,682 to the total revenues and $12,340 to the consolidated loss from operating activities excluding the impairment loss on goodwill of SugarLeaf. Had this business acquisition been effected as at the beginning of the 2020 fiscal year, management estimates that the Corporation’s total revenues from sales and services for the year ended March 31, 2020 would have been approximately $29,232 and the consolidated loss from operating activities excluding the impairment loss on goodwill for the year ended March 31, 2020 would have been approximately $72,554. The Corporation considers these pro-forma figures to represent an initial approximate measure of the performance of the combined Corporation and to provide an initial reference point of comparisons in future periods. In determining these amounts, management has assumed the fair value adjustments, and acquisition costs related to this business combination, would have been the same as if the acquisition would have occurred on April 1, 2019.

 

Neptune and SugarLeaf were parties to a pre-existing agreement under which Neptune made prepayments for the purchase of product from SugarLeaf of $1,566. The pre-existing relationship was effectively terminated when Neptune acquired SugarLeaf.

 

Acquisition-related costs for the year ended March 31, 2020 of $2,211 have been excluded from the consideration transferred and have been recognized as an expense within selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of earnings and comprehensive loss and within the corporate segment.

 

The goodwill recognized in connection with this acquisition is primarily attributable to synergies with existing business, and other intangibles that do not qualify for separate recognition including assembled workforce. Goodwill has been allocated to the cannabis segment, which represents the lowest level at which goodwill is monitored internally. Goodwill and intangible assets are deductible for income tax purposes.

 

As at March 31, 2020, the purchase price allocation is final.

 

Change in fair value of contingent consideration liability:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at April 1, 2019

 

$

 

Additions through a business combination

 

 

94,376

 

Change in fair value

 

 

(97,208

)

Effect of movements in exchange rates

 

 

2,832

 

Balance at March 31, 2020

 

$

 

 

The contingent consideration liability is included in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of the contingent consideration liability was remeasured as at March 31, 2020 which included consideration of revised expected earnout payments, discounted at 15.0% for payments to be paid in cash (16.0% at acquisition) and 20.0% for payments to be paid in cash or in shares (26.3% at acquisition). The risk-adjusted discount rates were calculated based on SugarLeaf’s weighted average cost

19


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

of capital and incorporate risk factors specific to each category of contingent consideration. The decrease in risk-adjusted discount rates from the acquisition date is due to the decrease in the inherent risk of the projected cash flows used to estimate payments.

 

The key unobservable inputs used related to the risk-adjusted discount rate, forecasted sales growth and EBITDA, growth margin as well as projected selling, general and administrative expenses. The forecasted sales growth and EBITDA decreased materially from those used at the date of acquisition due to a decline in hemp derived CBD refined oil pricing to $1.3 per kilogram at March 31, 2020 ($5 at acquisition) as well as a decrease in forecasted sales volumes.

 

Varying the above risk-adjusted discount rate to reflect a 1% movement or the above hemp derived CBD refined oil pricing to reflect a 10% movement in the price, assuming all other variables remain constant, would have an impact of nil on the contingent consideration at March 31, 2020.

 

Goodwill

An impairment test of goodwill is performed on an annual basis, or more frequently if an impairment indicator is triggered. Impairment is determined by assessing the recoverable amount of the group of cash-generating units ("CGU") to which goodwill is allocated and comparing it to the CGUs’ carrying amount. For the purpose of impairment testing, this represents the lowest level within the Corporation at which the goodwill is monitored for internal management purposes.

 

During the third quarter of 2020, management determined there was an impairment indicator due to a decline in hemp derived CBD refined oil pricing as well as a decrease in forecasted sales volumes for the SugarLeaf CGU. The recoverable amount of the SugarLeaf CGU was determined using the value in use basis, and was determined to be lower than the carrying value, resulting in a goodwill impairment loss of $44,097. During the fourth quarter of 2020, the hemp derived CBD refined oil pricing continued to face a decline and the forecasted sales volume continued to decrease due to the economic situation. As a result, during the fourth quarter of 2020, the Corporation recorded an additional goodwill impairment loss of $37,984 as it concluded that the recoverable amount based on the value in use was less than the carrying value of the CGU.    

 

The value in use was estimated using discounted cash flow forecasts with a discount rate of 18%. The discount rate represents the weighted average cost of capital ("WACC") for comparable companies operating in similar industries as the CGU, based on publicly available information. Determination of the WACC requires separate analysis of the cost of equity and debt and considers a risk premium based on an assessment of risks related to the projected cash flows of the CGU.

 

Cash flows were projected using actual operating results, past experience and four-year financial budgets that reflect current economic conditions and include a terminal growth rate of 2.5%.

 

The assumptions used by the Corporation in the value in use model are classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The model is particularly sensitive to the future expected cash flows in the upcoming periods, should these not be realized, an impairment loss may be needed in future periods.

 

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS

 

Corporate general and administrative expenses

The Corporate general and administrative expenses are amounts that are not allocated to the segments and consist of the following types of expenses: salaries and benefits including stock-based compensation of administration and marketing departments, including board of directors, corporate and legal fees, professional fees, communications and investor relations, and expenses related to head office such as insurance, information technology and human resources expenses. Corporate general and administrative expenses amounted to $8,007 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 compared to $2,354 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $5,653. Corporate general and administrative expenses amounted to $34,593 for the year ended March 31, 2020 compared to $8,915 for the year ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $25,678.

 

The increase for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 is mainly attributable to an increase in stock-based compensation of $2,255, an increase in salaries, benefits and bonus of $2,150, an increase in corporate, professional and

20


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

accounting fees of $342, an increase in representation and travelling fees of $110, an increase in investor relations fees of $103, and in litigation provision of $118.

 

The increase for the year ended March 31, 2020 is mainly attributable to an increase in stock-based compensation of $12,711, an increase in salaries, benefits and bonus of $4,626 (an amount of $1,218 has been recorded for a long-term bonus under employment agreement of the CEO), severance and related costs of $1,263 related to the CEO change, an increase in litigation legal fees of $1,599, acquisition costs of $2,211, an increase in representation and travelling fees of $364, an increase in IT expenses of $227, an increase in marketing expenses of $352, an increase in depreciation and amortization of $285, an increase in litigation provision of $349 and an increase in human resources fees of $694 due to recruiting fees.

 

Net finance costs  

The net finance income amounted to $1,545 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 compared to a net finance cost of $38 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019, a change of $1,583. The net finance income amounted to $1,451 for the year ended March 31, 2020 compared to a net finance cost of $209 for the year ended March 31, 2019, a change of $1,660. The net finance income for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 is mainly attributable to a foreign exchange gain due to the increase in the US foreign exchange rate applied to the gross proceeds on the private placement and under the ATM in US.

 

Change in fair value of contingent consideration

The change in fair value of contingent consideration amounted to a gain of $36,782 and $97,208, respectively, for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020. Refer to the Contingent consideration section in the cannabis segment results above.

 

Income taxes

The net loss of the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 includes an income tax expense of $4,675 compared to an income tax expense of $16 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019. The net loss of the year ended March 31, 2020 includes an income tax expense of $4,601 compared to an income tax expense of $170 for the year ended March 31, 2019. The increase in the income tax expense for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 is mainly due to a deferred tax liability resulting from the net change in the contingent gain and goodwill related to SugarLeaf. Prior to the impairment and contingent consideration reversal in the fourth quarter, these amounts offset and therefore, no timing difference existed.

 

Net loss

The Corporation realized a net loss for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 of $39,239 compared to $12,384 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $26,855. The Corporation realized a net loss for the year ended March 31, 2020 of $60,863 compared to $23,192 for the year ended March 31, 2019, an increase of $37,671. The increase in net loss, respectively, for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 is mainly attributable to an increase in stock-based compensation expense related to new CEO, an increase in depreciation and amortization, in impairment loss on goodwill, an increase of income tax expense as well as for the same reasons as stated in the Adjusted EBITDA section below, partially offset by a change in fair value of contingent consideration.

 

Adjusted EBITDA1

Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $22,647 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 to an Adjusted EBITDA of ($25,354) compared to the three-month period ended March 31, 2019. Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $32,458 for the year ended March 31, 2020 to an Adjusted EBITDA of ($40,572) compared to the year ended March 31, 2019. The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA for the three-month period and year ended March 31, 2020 compared to 2019 is mainly attributable to investments made in the cannabis segment to grow the workforce in anticipation of increased sales volume as well as an increase in salaries and benefits. The decrease can also be explained by a non-cash expense for marketing and co-development services rendered in exchange of warrants, an increase in legal fees, and same reasons as stated in the Corporate general and administrative expenses above.


 

1 The Adjusted EBITDA is not a standard measure endorsed by IFRS requirements.

21


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

CONSOLIDATED LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

 

Our operations, R&D program, investment in cannabis activities, capital expenditures and acquisitions are mainly financed through the cash that came from the gross proceeds of the private placement, the sale of the krill business, liquidities, as well as the issuance of debt, warrants and common shares.

 

Operating Activities

During the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, the cash used in operating activities amounted to $5,956. The cash flows used by operations before the change in operating assets and liabilities amounted to $4,945. The change in operating assets and liabilities amounting to $1,011, mainly resulting from variations in trade and other receivables, prepaid expenses, deferred revenues and trade and other payables, decreased the cash flows used by operations to $5,956. This use of cash in operating activities mainly reflects the investment of the Corporation in the cannabis business development and prepaid expenses related to the establishment of the ATM.

 

During the three-month period ended March 31, 2019, the cash used in operating activities amounted to $3,281. The cash flows used by operations before the change in operating assets and liabilities amounted to $10,579. The change in operating assets and liabilities amounting to $7,297, mainly resulting from variations in litigation provisions, trade and other receivables, inventories, prepaid expenses and trade and other payables, decreased the cash flows used by operations to $3,281. This use of cash in operating activities mainly reflects the investment of the Corporation in the cannabis business development and new developments in certain litigation matters.

 

During the year ended March 31, 2020, the cash used in operating activities amounted to $31,431. The cash flows used by operations before the change in operating assets and liabilities amounted to $22,746. The change in operating assets and liabilities amounting to $8,685, mainly resulting from variations in litigation provisions, trade and other receivables, inventories, prepaid expenses and trade and other payables, decreased the cash flows used by operations to $31,431. This use of cash in operating activities mainly reflects the investment of the Corporation in the cannabis business development, new developments in certain litigation matters, prepaid expenses related to the establishment of the ATM, acquisition costs and the expenses related to the new CEO.

 

During the year ended March 31, 2019, the cash used in operating activities amounted to $8,154. The cash flows used by operations before the change in operating assets and liabilities amounted to $16,159. The change in operating assets and liabilities amounting to $8,005, mainly resulting from variations in litigation provisions, trade and other receivables, inventories, prepaid expenses and trade and other payables, decreased the cash flows used by operations to $8,154. This use of cash in operating activities mainly reflects the investment of the Corporation in the cannabis business development and new developments in certain litigation matters.

 

Investing Activities

During the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, the cash flows used for investing activities were mainly for acquisition of property, plant and equipment ($5,087) required at the Sherbrooke and North Carolina facilities for the cannabis business and acquisition of intangible assets ($181). Investing activities also include interest received of $26.

 

During the three-month period ended March 31, 2019, except for the maturity of short-term investment generating $12 of cash, the cash flows used for investing activities were mainly for acquisition of property, plant and equipment ($809), computer software ($113) required at the Sherbrooke facility for the cannabis business and at the head office and the payment of licence agreements ($1,882) mainly related to IP licencing with Lonza (refer to Multi-year IP licencing and capsule agreement with Lonza). Investing activities also include interest received of $26.

 

During the year ended March 31, 2020, except for the sale of Acasti shares generating $5,318, the cash flows used for investing activities were mainly for acquisition of Sugarleaf ($15,770) as well as acquisitions of PPE ($13,786) required at the Sherbrooke and North Carolina facilities for the cannabis business and acquisition of intangible assets ($487). Investing activities also include interest received of $151.

 

22


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

During the year ended March 31, 2019, except for the maturity of short-term investment generating $2,374 of cash, the cash flows used for investing activities were mainly for acquisition of PPE ($6,738), computer software ($260) required at the Sherbrooke facility for the cannabis business and at the head office and payment of licence agreements ($2,092) mainly related to IP licencing with Lonza (refer to Multi-year IP licencing and capsule agreement with Lonza). Investing activities also include interest received of $223.

 

Financing Activities

During the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, the financing activities generated $7,029 of cash mainly from the net proceeds of the At-the-Market-Offering of $6,717, from the exercise of options of the Corporation for $1,445, partially offset by the net decrease in loans and borrowings of $600, the withholding taxes paid pursuant to the settlement of non-Treasury restricted share units of $331, the payment of lease liabilities of $105 and interest paid of $96.

 

During the three-month period ended March 31, 2019, the financing activities generated $337 of cash mainly for the variation of the bank line of credit of $620 and the exercise of options of the Corporation for $43, partially offset by the repayment of loans and borrowings of $269 and for interest paid of $57.

 

During the year ended March 31, 2020, the financing activities generated $62,513 of cash mainly from the net proceeds of the private placement for $51,475, the net proceeds of the ATM of $6,717, the exercise of options and warrants of the Corporation for $6,458, partially offset by the withholding taxes paid pursuant to the settlement of non-Treasury restricted share units of $962, the repayment of the bank line of credit of $620, the payment of lease liabilities of $384 and interest paid of $360.

 

During the year ended March 31, 2019, the financing activities generated $189 of cash mainly for the exercise of options of the Corporation for $1,698 and the variation of the bank line of credit of $130, partially offset by the repayment of loans and borrowings of $1,357 and for interest paid of $282.

 

At March 31, 2020, the Corporation’s liquidity position, consisting of cash and cash equivalents, was $16,577. The Corporation also has a short-term investment of $36. The Corporation has a revolving facility of $5,000 (expiring on Nov 2020), of which $3,181 was used as at March 31, 2020.

 

Our existing ATM has available capacity as of the date of this annual report of $31.4 million. There are several conditions that must be met in order for us to access the ATM and it only commits the agent to use commercial reasonable efforts, and thus is not a guaranteed source of financing. Further the ATM may be cancelled by the agent at their sole discretion at any time with 10 trading days’ notice. We have no other arranged sources of financing available to us. Our failure to obtain any required additional financing on favourable terms, or at all, would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We expect the Corporation will continue to have negative cash flow from operating activities until a sufficient level of sales are achieved, which are anticipated to occur within the next fiscal year. However, negative cash flows may continue longer than the Company has planned. If we do not have sufficient liquidity, we may need to refinance or restructure all or a portion of our debt on or before maturity, sell assets or borrow more money or issue equity, which we may not be able to do on terms satisfactory to us or at all.

 

The Corporation’s objective in managing capital is to ensure sufficient liquidity to develop its technologies and commercialize its products, finance its research and development activities, including the cannabis activities, selling, general and administrative expenses, its overall capital expenditures and those related to its debt reimbursement. The Corporation also needs to ensure adequate financing to support M&A activities. The Corporation is not exposed to external requirements by regulatory agencies regarding its capital.


23


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

The following table sets out selected consolidated financial information for the three-month periods and years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. Variations in these amounts have been explained in the segment disclosures section above.

 

 

 

Three-month periods ended

 

 

Years ended

 

 

March 31,

2020

 

 

March 31,

2019

 

 

March 31,

2020

 

 

March 31,

2019

 

 

March 31,

2018

 

 

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

Total revenues

 

 

9,530

 

 

 

5,664

 

 

 

29,578

 

 

 

24,442

 

 

 

27,646

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA1

 

 

(25,354

)

 

 

(2,707

)

 

 

(40,572

)

 

 

(8,114

)

 

 

(12,306

)

 

Net loss

 

 

(39,239

)

 

 

(12,384

)

 

 

(60,863

)

 

 

(23,192

)

 

 

9,339

 

 

Basic and diluted loss per share

 

 

(0.41

)

 

 

(0.16

)

 

 

(0.68

)

 

 

(0.29

)

 

 

0.22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

168,776

 

 

 

90,220

 

 

 

98,597

 

 

Working capital2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21,579

 

 

 

4,665

 

 

 

26,472

 

 

Non-current financial liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,915

 

 

 

855

 

 

 

250

 

 

Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

143,630

 

 

 

68,985

 

 

 

86,534

 

 

 

SELECTED CONSOLIDATED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA

 

As explained in other sections, the Corporation revenues are primarily generated by the nutraceutical and cannabis segments. Quarterly data is presented below.

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

December 31,

 

 

September 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2019

 

 

2019

 

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Total Revenues

 

 

9,530

 

 

 

9,175

 

 

 

6,512

 

 

 

4,361

 

Adjusted EBITDA1

 

 

(25,354

)

 

 

(7,054

)

 

 

(4,581

)

 

 

(3,583

)

Net income (loss)

 

 

(39,239

)

 

 

5,603

 

 

 

(20,775

)

 

 

(6,452

)

Basic and diluted income (loss) per share

 

 

(0.41

)

 

 

0.06

 

 

 

(0.23

)

 

 

(0.08

)

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

December 31,

 

 

September 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

2019

 

 

2018

 

 

2018

 

 

2018

 

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Total Revenues

 

 

5,664

 

 

 

6,538

 

 

 

7,071

 

 

 

5,168

 

Adjusted EBITDA1

 

 

(2,707

)

 

 

(1,923

)

 

 

(1,228

)

 

 

(2,257

)

Net loss

 

 

(12,384

)

 

 

(3,658

)

 

 

(3,050

)

 

 

(4,100

)

Basic and diluted loss per share

 

 

(0.16

)

 

 

(0.05

)

 

 

(0.04

)

 

 

(0.05

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 The Adjusted EBITDA is not a standard measure endorsed by IFRS requirements. A reconciliation to the Corporation’s net loss is presented above.

2 The working capital is presented for information purposes only and represents a measurement of the Corporation’s short-term financial health mostly used in financial circles. The working capital is calculated by subtracting current liabilities from current assets. Because there is no standard method endorsed by IFRS, the results may not be comparable to similar measurements presented by other public companies.

24


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

The decrease in revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 is related to a decrease in royalty revenues and in solutions business and the net loss includes litigation provisions of $7,930. The net loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 includes severance and related costs of $412, acquisition costs of $367 and legal fees for litigation of $1,037. The net loss for the quarter ended September 30, 2019 includes stock-based compensation of $7,879, acquisition costs of $1,792, depreciation and amortization of $2,133, severance and related costs of $850, change in fair value of contingent consideration of $4,083 and litigation legal fees of $561. The net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2019 includes a change in fair value of contingent consideration of $64,509, stock-based compensation of $4,503, depreciation and amortization of $2,556, non-cash expense related to services in exchange of warrants of $1,053 and an impairment loss on goodwill of $44,096. The net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 includes a change in fair value of contingent consideration of $36,782, stock-based compensation of $3,356, depreciation and amortization of $2,612, impairment loss on inventories of $2,082, non-cash expense related to services in exchange of warrants of $17,544, income tax expense of $4,675 and an impairment loss on goodwill of $41,451.

 

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL POSITION

 

The following table details the significant changes to the statement of financial position (other than equity) at March 31, 2020 compared to March 31, 2019:

 

Accounts

Increase

(Reduction)

 

Comments

Cash and cash equivalents

 

6,758

 

Refer to "Consolidated liquidity and capital resources"

Short-term investments

 

(12

)

Release of restriction on short-term investments

Trade and other receivables

 

4,987

 

Timing of receipt of accounts receivables and acquisition of SugarLeaf

Prepaid expenses

 

1,202

 

Renewal of services and acquisition of SugarLeaf

Inventories

 

4,054

 

Increase in work in progress and finished goods for future sales and

acquisition of SugarLeaf, net of an impairment on inventories

Other assets

 

(2,835

)

Portion of investment in Acasti transferred as part of settlement of litigation

Property, plant and equipment

 

13,005

 

Improvement to Sherbrooke facility for cannabis business net of depreciation, increase due to acquisition of SugarLeaf

Right-of-use of assets

 

1,386

 

Adoption of IFRS 16 - Leases. Refer to "Changes in Accounting Policies

and Future Accounting Changes." Acquisition of SugarLeaf

Intangible assets

 

17,868

 

Intangible assets recognized on acquisition of SugarLeaf. Refer to "Acquisition of the Assets of SugarLeaf", slightly offset by amortization of intangible asset

Goodwill

 

35,583

 

Goodwill recognized on acquisition of SugarLeaf, net of impairment loss. Refer to "Acquisition of the Assets of SugarLeaf"

Tax credits recoverable

 

32

 

Additional tax credits on eligible expenses

Other non-current asset

 

(3,472

)

Partial sale of the investment in Acasti and change in fair value of the investment in Acasti

Trade and other payables

 

3,932

 

Increase in purchases related to inventories and PPE  and acquisition of SugarLeaf

Lease liabilities

 

1,591

 

Adoption of IFRS 16 - Leases. Refer to "Changes in Accounting Policies and Future Accounting Changes". Increase due to acquisition of SugarLeaf

Loans and borrowings

 

(286

)

Net repayments on loans

Deferred revenues

 

(7

)

Payments received for future revenues to be shipped

Provisions

 

(6,849

)

Settlement in common shares and transfer of investment in Acasti

Deferred lease inducements

 

(208

)

Adoption of IFRS 16 - Leases. Refer to "Changes in Accounting Policies

and Future Accounting Changes"

Long-term payables

 

(300

)

Reclassified to trade and other payables

Deferred tax liabilities

 

4,818

 

Income tax expense

Other liability

 

1,218

 

Increase in long-term incentive to the CEO

 

See the statement of changes in equity in the consolidated financial statements for details of changes to the equity accounts from March 31, 2019.

 

 

25


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Key management personnel compensation

 

The key management personnel are the officers of the Corporation and members of the Board of Directors. They control 9% of the voting shares of the Corporation. Refer to note 24 of the consolidated financial statements for related parties disclosures related to key management personnel compensation.

 

On November 11, 2019, Neptune announced that it entered into a collaboration agreement with International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (“IFF”) to co-develop hemp-derived products for the mass retail and health and wellness markets. App Connect Service, Inc. (“App Connect”), a company indirectly controlled by Michael Cammarata, CEO and Director of Neptune, is also a party to the agreement to provide related branding strategies and promotional activities.

 

Under this strategic product development partnership, IFF will leverage its intellectual property for taste, scent and nutrition to provide essential oils and product development resources. Neptune will leverage its proprietary cold ethanol extraction processes and formulation intellectual property to deliver high quality, full- and broad-spectrum extracts for the development, manufacture and commercialization of hemp-derived products, infused with essential oils, for the cosmetics, personal care and household cleaning products markets.

 

As further detailed below, the first products have been launched under Neptune’s Forest Remedies™ brand. The initial launch will include a variety of topical products across the aromatherapy category. Additional category launches should follow and the total stock-keeping unit (“SKU”) count could ultimately exceed 50 SKUs. Neptune will be responsible for the marketing and sale of the products. Neptune will receive amounts from product sales and in turn will pay a royalty to each of IFF and App Connect associated with the sales of co-developed products. The payment of royalties to App Connect, subject to certain conditions, has been approved by the TSX.

 

CONSOLIDATED OFF BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

 

The following are the contractual maturities of financial liabilities and other contracts as at March 31, 2020:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31, 2020

 

Required payments per year

 

Carrying

amount

 

 

Contractual

Cash flows

 

 

Less than

1 year

 

 

1 to

3 years

 

 

4 to

5 years

 

 

More than

5 years

 

Trade and other payables and long-term payables

 

$

13,007

 

 

$

13,007

 

 

$

12,452

 

 

$

555

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Lease liability(i)

 

$

1,591

 

 

$

1,849

 

 

$

557

 

 

$

904

 

 

$

388

 

 

 

Loans and borrowings(ii)

 

 

3,181

 

 

 

3,209

 

 

 

3,209

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research and development contracts

 

 

 

 

577

 

 

 

577

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditure commitment

 

 

 

 

1,335

 

 

 

1,335

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other liability (iii)

 

 

1,218

 

 

 

21,093

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21,093

 

Other agreements (iv)

 

 

 

 

1,250

 

 

 

734

 

 

 

344

 

 

 

172

 

 

 

 

 

$

18,997

 

 

$

42,320

 

 

$

18,864

 

 

$

1,803

 

 

$

560

 

 

$

21,093

 

(i)

Includes interest payments to be made on lease liabilities corresponding to discounted effect.

(ii)

Includes interest payments to be made on loans and borrowings.

(iii)

According to the employment agreement with the CEO, a long-term incentive is payable if the Corporation reaches a level of market capitalization (refer to note 24 of consolidated financial statements).

(iv)

According to the Agreement (refer to the Contingencies section below), the Corporation must pay royalties of 1% of its revenues for an unlimited period. The amount above does not include any royalties because the amount cannot be determined.

 

 

26


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

Under the terms of its financing agreements, the Corporation is required to meet certain financial covenants. As of March 31, 2020, Neptune was compliant with all of its borrowing covenant requirements.

 

The Corporation has no significant off balance sheet arrangements as at March 31, 2020, except for the following commitments.

 

On November 2, 2017, Neptune has entered into an exclusive commercial agreement for a speciality ingredient in combination with cannabinoids coming from cannabis or hemp for a period of 11 years with minimum annual volumes of sales starting in 2019. On January 31, 2020, Neptune has entered into other commercial agreements for the same speciality ingredient in combination with fish oil products for a period of 8 years in replacement of a previous terminated agreement (refer to note 13 of the consolidated financial statements). According to these agreements signed with the same third party, Neptune will pay royalties on sales. To maintain the exclusivity, Neptune must reach minimum annual volumes of sales for the duration of the agreement for which minimum volumes are being reached. The corresponding total remaining amount of minimum royalties is $5,310. This is not reflected in the above table.

 

On December 21, 2018, Neptune entered into a 5-year IP licencing and capsule agreement with Lonza. All royalties based on net sales of capsules greater than the minimum volume requirements will be recorded as incurred in cost of goods sold. This is not reflected in the above table.

 

As at March 31, 2020, Neptune has purchase commitments in the approximate amount of $1,355 related to projects that are capital in nature. This is reflected in the above table.

 

During the year ended March 31, 2019, the Corporation has entered into a contract for security of its cannabis manufacturing facility. This contract results in an annual expense of approximately $172 for the next 5 years. The Corporation has also entered into various other contracts and the remaining commitment related to those contracts amounts to $1,727 as of March 31, 2020. This is reflected in the table above.

 

CONTINGENCIES

 

In the normal course of operations, the Corporation is involved in various claims and legal proceedings. The most significant of which are ongoing are as follow:

 

(i)

On March 21, 2019, the Corporation received a judgment from the Superior Court of Québec (the “Court”) regarding certain previously disclosed claims made by a corporation controlled by a Former CEO against the Corporation in respect of certain royalty payments alleged to be owed and owing to a Former CEO pursuant to the terms of an agreement entered into on February 23, 2001 between Neptune and a Former CEO (the “Agreement”). The Court declared that under the terms of the agreement, the Corporation should pay royalties of 1% of its revenues in semi-annual instalments, for an unlimited period. Some of the terms of this agreement are being disputed. Based on currently available information, a provision of $1,116 has been recognized for this claim as of March 31, 2020.

 

(ii)

The Corporation initiated arbitration in August 2014 against a krill oil customer that owed approximately $5,203 (US$3,700). The full amount of trade receivable has been written-off in February 2015. This customer is counterclaiming a sum in damages. During the year ended March 31, 2019, the counterclaim amount was amended to $173 million (AUD$201 million). The Corporation intends to continue to pursue its claim for unpaid receivable and to vigorously defend against this amended counterclaim. Based on currently available information, no provision has been recognized for this case as at March 31, 2020. Arbitration for the hearing occurred in July 2019. The Corporation is waiting for the arbitral award.

 

The outcome of these claims and legal proceedings against the Corporation cannot be determined with certainty and is subject to future resolution, including the uncertainties of litigation.       

 


27


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

PROVISIONS

 

In addition to the above provision recorded under the terms of an agreement entered into with a corporation controlled by a Former CEO of the Corporation, Neptune has settled a claim for which a provision was recognized as at March 31, 2019. On May 10, 2019, Neptune announced a settlement with a former CEO of the Corporation. Pursuant to the agreement entered, Neptune agreed to issue 600,000 common shares from treasury (in accordance with securities regulation) and transfer 2,100,000 shares of Acasti held by the Corporation to a Former CEO. As at March 31, 2019, the common shares of Acasti transferable to a Former CEO of $2,835 were presented as current other assets in the statement of financial position. In addition, Neptune agreed to reimburse nominal legal fees.

 

As at March 31, 2019, a provision of $5,835 was recorded in the consolidated statement of financial position relating to this settlement. During the year ended March 31, 2020, the 2,100,000 shares in Acasti held by the Corporation were transferred and the 600,000 common shares from treasury were issued to a Former CEO. Neptune received full and final release on all claims in connection with this case.

 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

 

The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with IFRS. In preparing the consolidated financial statements for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, management made estimates in determining transaction amounts and statement of financial position balances. Certain policies have more importance than others. We consider them critical if their application entails a substantial degree of judgement or if they result from a choice between numerous accounting alternatives and the choice has a material impact on reported results of operation or financial position. The following sections describe the Corporation’s most significant accounting policies and the items for which critical estimates were made in the consolidated financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the notes to the consolidated financial statements for the years ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.

 

Use of estimates and judgments

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

 

Estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events and actions that the Corporation may undertake in the future. Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimates are revised and in any future periods affected.

 

Critical judgments in applying accounting policies that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognized in the consolidated financial statements include the following:

 

Assessing the recognition of contingent liabilities, which requires judgment in evaluating whether there is a probable outflow of economic benefits that will be required to settle matters subject to litigation;

 

Assessing if performance criteria on options and DSU will be achieved in measuring the stock-based compensation expense;

 

Assessing the fair value of services rendered in exchange of warrants;

 

Assessing the recognition period to be used in recording stock-based compensation that is based on market and non-market conditions; as well as bonuses that are based on achievement of market capitalization targets; and

 

Assessing the criteria for recognition of tax assets.

Assumptions and estimation uncertainties that have a significant risk of resulting in a material adjustment within the next financial year include the following:

 

Estimating the recoverable amount of non-financial assets;

 

Estimating the fair value of bonus and options that are based on market and non-market conditions

 

Estimating the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and consideration transferred of the acquired business, including the related contingent consideration; and

 

Estimating the litigation provision as it depends upon the outcome of proceedings.

28


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

Non-financial assets

The carrying amounts of the Corporation’s non-financial assets, and other than inventories, tax credits receivable and recoverable and deferred tax assets, are reviewed at each reporting date to determine whether there is any indication of impairment. If any such indication exists, then the asset’s recoverable amount is estimated. For intangible assets that have indefinite useful lives or that are not yet available for use, the recoverable amount is estimated each year at the same date.

 

The recoverable amount of an asset or cash-generating unit is the greater of its value in use and its fair value less costs to sell. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset. For the purpose of impairment testing, assets that cannot be tested individually are grouped together into the smallest group of assets that generates cash inflows from continuing use that are largely independent of the cash inflows of other assets or groups of assets (the ''cash-generating unit'', or ''CGU'').

 

An impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount of an asset or its CGU exceeds its estimated recoverable amount. Impairment losses are recognized in profit or loss.

 

Impairment losses recognized in prior periods are assessed at each reporting date for any indications that the loss has decreased or no longer exists. An impairment loss is reversed if there has been a change in the estimates used to determine the recoverable amount. An impairment loss is reversed only to the extent that the asset’s carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined, net of depreciation or amortization, if no impairment loss had been recognized.

 

Goodwill

Goodwill is tested for impairment annually and when circumstances indicate that the carrying value may be impaired. Impairment is determined for goodwill by assessing the recoverable amount of each CGU to which the goodwill relates. The Corporation defines its CGUs based on the way it internally monitors and derives economic benefits from the acquired goodwill. Impairment losses for a CGU is first allocated to reduce goodwill. An impairment loss in respect of goodwill is not reversed in future periods.

 

Provisions

A provision is recognized if, as a result of a past event, the Corporation has a present legal or constructive obligation that can be estimated reliably, and it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation. Provisions are usually determined by discounting the expected future cash flows at a pre-tax rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the liability. The unwinding of the discount is recognized as finance cost.

 

Income tax

The Corporation is required to make an assessment of whether deferred tax asset or liability has to be recognized in respect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes. Deferred tax is measured at the tax rates that are expected to be applied to temporary differences when they reverse, based on the laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date. Deferred tax assets are reviewed at each reporting date and are reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that the related tax benefit will be realized.

 

Also refer to notes 2(d), 3, 4, 9, 12, 14(f), 17, 18 and 24 of the consolidated annual financial statements.

 

CHANGE IN ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND FUTURE ACCOUNTING CHANGES

 

The Corporation has adopted IFRS 16, Leases, using the modified retrospective method of adoption, with the effect of initially applying this standard recognized at the date of initial application, i.e. April 1, 2019. The comparative information in the financial statements and management discussion and analysis has not been restated, i.e. it is presented, as previously reported, under IAS 17 and related interpretations.

Refer to note 3(q) to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.

 

29


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES AND INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

In compliance with the Canadian Securities Administrators’ National Instrument 52-109, the Corporation has filed certificates signed by Mr. Michael Cammarata, in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer (‟CEO”) and Dr. Toni Rinow, in her capacity as Chief Financial Officer (‟CFO”) that, among other things, report on the design and effectiveness of disclosure controls and procedures and the design and effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting.

 

Disclosure controls and procedures ("DC&P")

Management of Neptune, including the CEO and the CFO, has designed DC&P, or has caused them to be designed under their supervision, in order to provide reasonable assurance that material information relating to the Corporation has been made known to them and that information required to be disclosed in the Corporation’s filings is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in securities legislation.

 

An evaluation was carried out, under the supervision of the CEO and the CFO, of the design and effectiveness of our DC&P. Based on this evaluation, the CEO and the CFO concluded that the DC&P are effective as at March 31, 2020.

 

Internal controls over financial reporting ("ICFR")

The CEO and the CFO have also designed ICFR or have caused them to be designed under their supervision, in order to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes.

 

An evaluation was carried out, under the supervision of the CEO and the CFO, of the design and effectiveness of our ICFR. Based on this evaluation, the CEO and the CFO concluded that the ICFR are effective as at March 31, 2020, using the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) on Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013 Framework).

 

There have been no changes in the Corporation’s ICFR during the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affecting its ICFR.

 

Limitation on scope of design

 

The Corporation has limited the scope of its DC&P and ICFR to exclude controls, policies and procedures of a business acquired not more than 365 days before the last day of the period covered by the annual filing. The Corporation elected to exclude the SugarLeaf business acquired as allowed by National Instrument 52-109.

 

The table below presents the summary financial information included in the Corporation’s consolidated annual financial statements for the excluded controls related to the acquired business:

SugarLeaf

 

July 24 -

 

Selected financial information from the statement of earnings

 

March 31, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total revenues

$

 

2,682

 

Loss from operating activities (1)

 

 

7,589

 

 

(1)

Excludes acquisition related costs incurred

As the impairment loss on goodwill was tested as part of the Corporation’s testing of DC&P and ICFR, it has been excluded from the table above.

30


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

SugarLeaf

 

As at

 

Selected financial information from the statement of financial position

 

March 31, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total current assets

$

 

6,046

 

Total non-current assets

 

 

6,325

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

855

 

Total non-current liabilities

 

 

5,374

 

 

As the goodwill and intangible assets were tested as part of the Corporation’s testing of DC&P and ICFR, it has been excluded from the table above.

RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

Investing in securities of the Corporation involves a high degree of risk. Prospective investors should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in our filings with securities regulators, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our latest annual information form and Form 40-F, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml and, without limitation, the following risks:

 

 

The risk relating to negative cash flows from operating activities until sufficient levels of sales are achieved;

 

The risk relating to our potential need for additional funding to execute our growth strategy;

 

The risk inherent to the cannabis industry;

 

The risk relating to laws and regulations and guidelines, changes in which could increase our costs and individually or in the aggregate adversely affect our business;

 

The risk that we may be unable to manage our growth efficiently or execute our growth strategy;

 

The risk relating to acquisitions or investments that may not yield the retruns expected, which, in turn, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations;

 

The risk of failure to successfully establish and manage acquisitions, collaborations, joint ventures or partnerships could adversely affect our growth;

 

The risk relating to markets for our products and services that are highly competitive, and we may be unable to compete effectively in these markets;

 

The risk that we may not meet timelines for project development;

 

The risk that we are subject to credit risk from our customers;

 

The risk that our sales are often made without long-term commitments;

 

The risk that conflicts of interest may arise between us and our officers and directors;

 

The risk relating to product contamination or tampering or issues or concerns with respect to product quality, safety and integrity could adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition or results of operations;

 

The risk relating to our ability to properly forecast revenues, costs and sales;

 

The risk that we rely on our manufacturing operations to produce a significant amount of the cannabis and hemp-based products we expect to sell;

 

The risk relating to our future success that depends on the sales of our consumer products and turnkey solutions products;

 

The risk that our activities rely on certain third-party suppliers, contract manufacturers and distributors, and such reliance may adversely affect us if the third parties are unable or unwilling to fulfill their obligations;

 

The risk that insurance coverage, even when available, may not be sufficient to cover losses we may incur;

 

The risk relating to the fact that if our risk management methods are not effective, our business, reputation and financial results may be adversely affected;

 

The risk that we may be subject to product liability claims or regulatory action;

 

The risk that our products may be subject to recalls for a variety of reasons, which could require us to expend significant management and capital resources;

 

The risk relating to our manufacturers that may be unable to comply with cGMP requirements;

 

The risk relating to foreign currency fluctuations, which could adversely affect our financial results;

31


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

 

The risk that we must successfully maintain and/or upgrade our information technology systems, and our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations;

 

The risk that we may be exposed to risks and costs associated with security breaches, data loss, credit card fraud and identity theft that could cause us to incur unexpected expenses and loss of revenue as well as other risks;

 

The risk that if we fail to comply with data protection laws in the U.S. and abroad, we may be subject to fines, penalties and other costs;

 

The risk that increasing awareness of health and wellness are driving changes in the consumer products industry, and if we are unable to react in a timely and cost-effective manner, our results of operations and future growth may be adversely affected;

 

The risk that we are required to make estimates and assumptions in the preparation of our financial statements;

 

The risk that we are subject to taxation in multiple jurisdictions, and changes in taxation may impact our earnings;

 

The risk relating to compliance with anti-money laundering laws and regulations in multiple jurisdictions, which include restrictions on cannabis-related businesses;

 

The risk relating to laws in the United States that may make it difficult for us to open bank accounts for our business;

 

The risk relating to the fact that we are party to and may become party to future litigation and regulatory proceedings;

 

The risk relating to significant uncertainty that remains with respect to the future impact of COVID-19 on our business;

 

The risk of catastrophic events outside of our control, including pandemics, that may harm our results of operations or damage our facilities;

 

The risk that we may be negatively impacted by the value of our intangible assets;

 

The risk relating to our commercial success that depends, in part, on our intellectual property rights;

 

The risk that a failure by us to protect our intellectual property may have a material adverse effect on our ability to develop and commercialize our products;

 

The risk inherent to the nutraceutical industry;

 

The risk relating to our inability to maintain our regulatory approvals and permits that could adversely affect our business and financial results.

 

Scheduled Maintenance, Unplanned Repairs, Equipment Outages and Logistical Disruptions; and

 

The risk associated with a change in U.S.

 

The Corporation is exposed, amongst the risks highlighted above, to the industry-specific risks and other additional risks described in more detail below.

 

Risks Related to the Cannabis Industry

 

Limited standardized research on the effect of cannabis;

 

The cannabis industry and market are relatively new in Canada, and this industry and market may not continue to exist or develop as anticipated or we may ultimately be unable to succeed in this industry and market;

 

We will compete for market share with other companies licensed by Health Canada, some of which may have longer operating histories and more financial resources and manufacturing and marketing experience than we have;

 

Our activities and resources in the Canadian cannabis industry rely on a single facility;

 

We may be unable to attract or retain key personnel with sufficient experience in the cannabis industry, and we may be unable to attract, develop and retain additional employees required for our development and future success;

 

Unfavorable publicity or consumer perception regarding the cannabis industry could decrease demand for our products and adversely impact our operating results;

 

We are subject to risks inherent to suppliers in an agricultural business, including the risk of crop failure;

 

We rely on third parties for our supply of cannabis;

 

We may not be able to transport our cannabis products to customers in a safe and efficient manner;

 

Our cannabis products may be subject to recalls for a variety of reasons, which could require us to expend significant management and capital resources; and

 

The tax burden related to our expected cannabis and hemp-related activities is still uncertain.

 


32


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

Canadian Regulatory Risks

 

We must comply with requirements for licenses and permits in Canada and the failure to maintain these could adversely affect our operations;

 

The adult use cannabis industry and regulations governing the industry are still developing;

 

We may not able to comply with changes to the provincial and territorial regulatory frameworks; and

 

In addition to competition from licensed producers, we face competition from illegal dispensaries and black market suppliers.

 

U.S. Regulatory Risks

 

Changes to state or federal regulation could make it difficult for us to produce and sell our products in the United States;

 

Unfavorable interpretations of laws governing hemp processing activities could subject us to enforcement or other legal proceedings and limit our business and prospects;

 

Changes to regulatory compliance requirement, including the FDA’s position on CBD and other cannabinoids ad Food or Dietary Ingredients, could adversely affect our business prospects and financial results;

 

International expansion of our business could expose us to further regulatory risks and compliance costs; and

 

Changes in international legal, regulatory, or governmental requirements could adversely affect our business.

 

Risks Related to Our Securities

 

Volatility in the market price of our Common Shares may affect your ability to sell shares on favourable terms;

 

We do not currently intend to pay any cash dividends on our Common Shares in the foreseeable future;

 

If there is insufficient liquidity in our Common Shares, it could adversely affect your ability to sell your shares;

 

Certain Canadian laws could delay or deter a change of control; and

 

We may pursue opportunities or transactions that may adversely affect our business and financial condition.

 

Risks Related to Our Status as a Foreign Private Issuer

 

As a foreign private issuer, we are subject to different reporting and disclosure requirement under U.S. securities  laws and regulations than a domestic U.S. issuer, which may limit the information publicly available to our U.S. shareholders;

 

We may lose our foreign private issuer status in the future, which could result in significant additional costs and expenses to us; and

 

U.S. investors may be unable to enforce certain judgments against us in Canada.

 

Risks related to financial instruments

 

This section provides disclosures relating to the nature and extent of the Corporation’s exposure to risks arising from financial instruments, including credit risk, foreign exchange rate risk, interest rate risk and liquidity risk, and how the Corporation manages those risks. Refer to note 20(b) of the consolidated financial statements for additional information.

 

Credit risk

Credit risk is the risk of a loss if a customer or counterparty to a financial asset fails to meet its contractual obligations, and arises primarily from the Corporation’s trade receivables. The Corporation may also have credit risk relating to cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, which are managed by dealing only with highly-rated Canadian institutions. The carrying amount of these financial assets, as disclosed in the consolidated statements of financial position, represents the Corporation’s credit exposure at the reporting date. The Corporation’s trade receivables and credit exposure fluctuate throughout the year. The Corporation’s average trade receivables and credit exposure during the year may be higher than the balance at the end of that reporting period.

 

Most sales' payment terms are set in accordance with industry practice. As at March 31, 2020, two customers accounted for respectively 13.3% and 11.4% of total trade accounts included in trade and other receivables. As at March 31, 2019, one customer accounted for 23.3% of total trade accounts included in trade and other receivables.

 

Most of the Corporation's customers are distributors for a given territory and are privately-held and publicly-held companies. The profile and credit quality of the Corporation’s customers vary significantly. Adverse changes in a customer’s financial position could cause the Corporation to limit or discontinue conducting business with that customer, require the Corporation to assume

33


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

more credit risk relating to that customer’s future purchases or result in uncollectible accounts receivable from that customer. Such changes could have a material adverse effect on business, consolidated results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

 

Customers do not provide collateral in exchange for credit, except in unusual circumstances. Receivables from selected customers are covered by credit insurance, with coverage amount usually of 90% of the invoicing, with the exception of some customers under specific terms. The information available through the insurers is the main element in the decision process to determine the credit limits assigned to customers.

 

The Corporation’s extension of credit to customers involves considerable judgment and is based on an evaluation of each customer’s financial condition and payment history. The Corporation has established various internal controls designed to mitigate credit risk, including a credit analysis by the insurer which recommends customers' credit limits and payment terms that are reviewed and approved by the Corporation. The Corporation reviews periodically the insurer's maximum credit quotation for each of its clients. New clients are subject to the same process as regular clients. The Corporation has also established procedures to obtain approval by senior management to release goods for shipment when customers have fully-utilized approved insurers credit limits. From time to time, the Corporation will temporarily transact with customers on a prepayment basis where circumstances warrant. The Corporation’s credit controls and processes cannot eliminate credit risk.

 

Foreign exchange rate risk

The Corporation is exposed to the financial risk related to the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates and the degrees of volatility of those rates. Foreign currency risk is limited to the portion of the Corporation's business transactions denominated in currencies other than the Canadian dollar. Fluctuations related to foreign exchange rates could cause unforeseen fluctuations in the Corporation's operating results.

 

Approximately 35% (2019 - 67%) of the Corporation’s revenues are in US dollars. Most of the expenses, including for the purchase of raw materials, are made in US dollars. There is a financial risk related to the fluctuation in the value of the US dollar in relation to the Canadian dollar.

 

Interest rate risk

Interest rate risk is the risk that the fair value or future cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate because of changes in market rates.

 

The risk that the Corporation will realize a loss as a result of the decline in the fair value of its short-term investments is limited because these short-term investments have short-term maturities and are generally held to maturity.

 

The capacity of the Corporation to reinvest the short-term amounts with equivalent returns will be impacted by variations in short-term fixed interest rates available in the market.

 

The fixed rate borrowings expose the Corporation to a fair value risk but not cash flow interest rate risk.

 

Liquidity risk

Liquidity risk is the risk that the Corporation will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they fall due. The Corporation manages liquidity risk through the management of its capital structure and financial leverage, as outlined in the Consolidated Liquidity and Capital Resources section. It also manages liquidity risk by continuously monitoring actual and projected cash flows.

 

The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors review and approve the Corporation's operating budgets, and review the most important material transactions outside the normal course of business.

 

Additional risks and uncertainties, including those of which the Corporation is currently unaware or that it deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Corporation’s business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operation and prospects.

 


34


management discussion and analysis of the financial situation and operating results

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Updated and additional Corporation information is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

 

As at June 10, 2020, the total number of common shares issued and outstanding is 106,217,703 and the Corporation’s common shares were being traded on the TSX and on NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol ‟NEPT”. There are also (i) 15,796,199 options issued and outstanding, (ii) 75,671 deferred share units issued and outstanding, (iii) 2,094,442 restricted share units issued and outstanding and (iv) 6,175,000 warrants issued and outstanding. Each option, restricted share unit, deferred share unit and warrant is exercisable into one common share to be issued from treasury of the Corporation.

 

35

Exhibit 99.4

 

KPMG LLP Telephone (514) 840-2100

600 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West Fax (514) 840-2187

Suite 1500, Tour KPMG Internet www.kpmg.ca

Montréal (Québec) H3A 0A3

Canada

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

 

The Board of Directors of Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc.

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements (No. 333-182617 and 333-189884) on Form S-8 and (No. 333-229631) on Form F-10 of Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. of our report dated June 10, 2020 with respect to the consolidated statements of financial position as at March 31, 2020 and March 31, 2019, the related consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive loss, changes in equity and cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended March 31, 2020, and the related notes and our report dated June 10, 2020 on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which reports appear in the annual report on Form 40-F of Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, and further consent to the use of such reports in such annual report on Form 40-F. Our report refers to a change in the method of accounting for leases.

 

 

June 10, 2020

Montreal, Canada

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*CPA auditor, CA, public accountancy permit No. A120841 

 

EXHIBIT 99.5

 

RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) CERTIFICATIONS

 

I, Michael Cammarata, Principal Executive Officer of Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc., certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 40-F of Neptune Wellness Solutions 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;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the issuer as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4. The issuer’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the issuer and have:

 

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the issuer, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the issuer’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the issuer’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the issuer’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. The issuer’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the issuer’s auditors and the audit committee of the issuer’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the issuer’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the issuer’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

/s/ Michael Cammarata

 

Michael Cammarata

Principal Executive Officer

June 10, 2020

 



RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) CERTIFICATIONS

 

I, Toni Rinow, Principal Financial Officer of Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc., certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 40-F of Neptune Wellness Solutions 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;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the issuer as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4. The issuer’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the issuer and have:

 

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the issuer, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the issuer’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the issuer’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the issuer’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. The issuer’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the issuer’s auditors and the audit committee of the issuer’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the issuer’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the issuer’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

/s/ Toni Rinow

 

Toni Rinow

Principal Financial Officer

June 10, 2020

 

EXHIBIT 99.6

 

SECTION 1350 CERTIFICATIONS

 

Pursuant to section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (subsections (a) and (b) of section 1350 of chapter 63 of title 18 of the United States Code), the undersigned officer of Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. (the “Company”), hereby certifies, to such officer’s knowledge, that:

 

This annual report on Form 40-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 (the “Report”) of the Company fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

 

/s/ Michael Cammarata

 

Michael Cammarata

Principal Executive Officer

June 10, 2020

 



SECTION 1350 CERTIFICATIONS

 

Pursuant to section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (subsections (a) and (b) of section 1350 of chapter 63 of title 18 of the United States Code), the undersigned officer of Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. (the “Company”), hereby certifies, to such officer’s knowledge, that:

 

This annual report on Form 40-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 (the “Report”) of the Company fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

 

/s/ Toni Rinow

 

Toni Rinow

Principal Financial Officer

June 10, 2020