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Research Collaboration and License Agreement
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Research Collaboration and License Agreement License Agreements
Sanford Burnham Prebys
In December 2015, Cend entered into a license agreement with Sanford Burnham Prebys (“SBP”) under which Cend was granted an exclusive, worldwide, royalty-bearing license to certain patent rights and know-how controlled by SBP related to the development of certepetide. At the time the license agreement was entered into, Cend’s founding shareholder was an executive at SBP. The agreement provides the Company with the rights to grant and authorize sublicenses to use, sell, and otherwise exploit the patent rights. As consideration for the license, Cend issued a total of 382,030 shares of common stock, as adjusted for the Reverse Stock Split and Exchange Ratio. The Company is required to pay an annual license maintenance fee of $10 thousand increasing to $20 thousand on year seven of the agreement. The Company could also be required to make milestone payments to SBP upon completion of certain regulatory and commercial milestones. The aggregate potential milestone payments are approximately $10.6 million. The Company has also agreed to pay SBP royalties of 4% of net sales of products sold by the Company, or through a sublicense, subject to certain reductions. Additionally, the Company is obligated to pay SBP 25% of any sublicensing income received, which, pursuant to the technology transfer agreement with Impilo, resulted in SBP receiving 191,500 shares of the Company’s pre-seed preferred stock in Impilo on October 3, 2023.
The agreement will expire upon the later of (i) the final abandonment of all pending patent applications within the licensed patents or (ii) the expiration of the last to expire patent within the licensed patents. The agreement may be terminated in its entirety by the Company at any time by giving SBP sixty days’ prior written notice. The agreement may be terminated in its entirety by SBP if the Company, at any time, defaults in the payment of any sum when due and fails to make such payment within thirty days after receipt of written notice. The agreement may be terminated in its entirety by either SBP or the Company (i) in the event of an uncured material breach by the other party, or (ii) in the event the other party (a) files for, or is involuntarily petitioned with, bankruptcy (other than dissolution or winding up for the purposes of reconstruction or amalgamation), (b) makes an assignment of all or substantially all of its assets for the benefit of creditors, or (c) has a receiver or trustee is appointed and is unable to secure a dismissal, stay or other suspension of such proceedings within thirty days. Upon termination of the agreement for any reason, all rights and obligations of the Company with respect to the patents and patent applications shall terminate and revert to SBP.
SBP did not own shares of the Company’s common stock as of September 30, 2025.
Research Collaboration and License Agreements
Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement - Qilu Pharmaceutical
In February 2021, Cend entered into an Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement (the “Qilu Agreement”) in which Cend granted an exclusive license to Qilu for the development and commercialization of certepetide in the Territory (defined as the Greater Area of China including China, Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan). Under the terms of the agreement, Qilu is solely responsible for the development of certepetide in its Territory. In consideration for the license, Qilu made an upfront payment of $10.0 million to Cend, which was recognized as revenue by Cend prior to the Company's acquisition of Cend on September 15, 2022 (the “Cend Merger”). In addition, Cend received and recognized as revenue a $5.0 million development milestone prior to the Cend Merger. The Company is eligible to receive additional development and commercial milestone payments up to $96.0 million and $125.0 million, respectively, tiered royalties on net sales ranging from 10% to 15%, and tiered sublicensing revenues ranging from 12% to 35%.
On March 25, 2024, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with Lingmed whereby Lingmed is entitled to 5.0% of any future milestone payments received by the Company under the Qilu Agreement. In addition, Lingmed is entitled to a sum of $250 thousand with respect to the first future milestone received by the Company.
Unless terminated early, the Qilu Agreement will continue in effect until the expiration of all Qilu payment obligations. Either party may terminate the Qilu Agreement if an undisputed material breach by the other party is not cured within a defined period of time, or upon notice for insolvency-related events of the other party that are not discharged within a defined time period. Qilu may terminate the Qilu Agreement in its entirety, at any time with at least sixty days written notice. All rights and obligations of Qilu with respect to such licensed patents and patent applications would terminate simultaneously.
Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement - Kuva Labs
In November 2024, the Company entered into an Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement in which the Company granted an exclusive license to Kuva Labs, Inc. (Kuva) to explore the synergistic potential of the Company's certepetide as a targeting and delivery agent for Kuva’s NanoMark™ imaging technology in solid tumors. Under the Agreement, Kuva will assume full responsibility for research, development, and commercialization costs, while the Company will be responsible for
supplying certepetide for additional consideration pursuant to a Clinical Supply Agreement. In consideration for the license, the Company recognized $1.0 million as revenue upon delivery of the license in November 2024. The Company is eligible to receive additional development and commercial milestone payments up to $1.5 million and $17.5 million, respectively, a 5.0% percent royalty on net sales, and sublicensing revenues of 50%.