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(3) MAYO LICENSING AGREEMENT
Overview
On June 11, 2009, the Company entered into a license agreement (the “License Agreement”) with MAYO Foundation for Medical Education and Research (“MAYO”). Under the License Agreement, MAYO granted the Company an exclusive, worldwide license within the field (the “Field”) of stool or blood based cancer diagnostics and screening (excluding a specified proteomic target) with regard to certain MAYO patents, and a non-exclusive worldwide license within the Field with regard to certain MAYO know-how. The licensed patents cover advances in sample processing, analytical testing and data analysis associated with non-invasive, stool-based DNA screening for colorectal cancer. Under the License Agreement, the Company assumes the obligation and expense of prosecuting and maintaining the licensed patents and is obligated to make commercially reasonable efforts to bring products covered by the licenses to market. Pursuant to the License Agreement, the Company granted MAYO two common stock purchase warrants with an exercise price of $1.90 per share covering 1,000,000 and 250,000 shares of common stock, respectively. The Company will also make payments to MAYO for up-front fees, fees once certain milestones are reached by the Company, and other payments as outlined in the agreement. In addition to the license to intellectual property owned by MAYO, the Company will receive product development and research and development efforts from MAYO personnel. The Company determined that the payments made for intellectual property should not be capitalized as the future economic benefit derived from the transactions is uncertain. The Company is also liable to make royalty payments to MAYO on potential future net sales of any products developed from the licensed technology.
Warrants
The warrants granted to MAYO were valued based on a Black-Scholes pricing model at the date of the grant. The warrants were granted with an exercise price of $1.90 per share of common stock. The grant to purchase 1,000,000 shares was immediately exercisable and the grant to purchase 250,000 shares vests and becomes exercisable over a four year period. The total value of the warrants was calculated to be $2.1 million and a non-cash charge of $1.7 million was recognized as research and development expense in the second quarter of 2009 and the remaining $0.4 million non-cash charge is being recognized straight-line over the four year vesting period.
In March of 2010, MAYO partially exercised its warrant covering 1,000,000 shares by utilizing the cashless exercise provision contained in the warrant. As a result of this exercise for a gross amount of 200,000 shares, in lieu of paying a cash exercise price, MAYO forfeited its rights with respect to 86,596 shares leaving it with a net amount of 113,404 shares.
In September of 2010, MAYO partially exercised its warrant covering the remaining 800,000 shares by utilizing the cashless exercise provision contained in the warrant. As a result of this exercise for a gross amount of 300,000 shares, in lieu of paying a cash exercise price, MAYO forfeited its rights with respect to 97,853 shares leaving it with a net amount of 202,147 shares.
In June of 2011, MAYO partially exercised its warrant covering the remaining 500,000 shares by utilizing the cashless exercise provision contained in the warrant. As a result of this exercise for a gross amount of 250,000 shares, in lieu of paying a cash exercise price, MAYO forfeited its rights with respect to 60,246 shares leaving it with a net amount of 189,754 shares. The warrant now covers a total of 250,000 shares.
Royalty Payments
The Company will make royalty payments to MAYO based on a percentage of net sales of products developed from the licensed technology starting in the third year of the agreement. Minimum royalty payments will be $10,000 in 2012 and $25,000 per year thereafter through 2029, the year the last patent expires.
Other Payments
Other payments under the MAYO agreement include an upfront payment of $80,000, a milestone payment of $250,000 on the commencement of patient enrollment in a human cancer screening clinical trial, and a $500,000 payment upon FDA approval of the Company’s cancer screening test. The upfront payment of $80,000 was made in the third quarter of 2009 and expensed to research and development in the second quarter of 2009. The Company began enrollment in its FDA trial in June of 2011 and the milestone payment of $250,000 was made in June of 2011. It is uncertain as to when the FDA will approve the Company’s cancer screening test. Therefore, the $500,000 milestone payment has not been recorded as a liability. The Company periodically evaluates the status of the FDA trial. |