NOTE 5 — DEBT

Loan and Security Agreement

On January 16, 2015, the Company entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (as amended, the “Loan Agreement”) with Oxford Finance LLC (“Oxford”) and Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB” and, together with Oxford, the “Lenders”), providing for term loans to the Company in an aggregate principal amount of up to $15 million, in two tranches (the “Term Loans”).

The Company drew down the initial Term Loans in the aggregate principal amount of $10 million (the “Term A Loans”), on January 16, 2015. The Term A Loans bear interest at a fixed rate of 7.05% per annum. The Company believes that the Company's debt obligations accrue interest at rates which approximate prevailing market rates for instruments with similar characteristics and, accordingly, the carrying values for these instruments approximate fair value.

In August 2015, the Lenders and the Company entered into a First Amendment to the Loan Agreement, amending certain milestones related to the six month extension of the interest-only repayment period of the Term A Loans. By raising at least $30.0 million in gross capital (including at least $20.0 million from the sale of equity securities) and completing the first dosing of its Phase 1/2 clinical trial for MIN-117 prior to December 31, 2015, the Company achieved the interest-only milestones under the Loan Agreement and elected to extend the interest-only period an additional six months and reduce the repayment term by six months. Through August 1, 2016, the Company was obligated only to make monthly interest payments on the outstanding principal balance on the Term A Loans, followed by 24 months of equal principal and interest payments.

On or prior to March 31, 2016, the Company was permitted to borrow additional term loans in the aggregate principal amount up to $5 million, subject to the satisfaction of certain borrowing conditions, including the Company’s achievement of primary endpoints on its Phase 2a trials for MIN-117 and seltrorexant programs. In June 2016, the Company irrevocably elected not to borrow the additional $5 million available under the Term Loans.

The Company paid a facility fee at the time of borrowing of $75,000 for access to the Term Loans and will be required to pay a final payment of 5.1% of the total amount borrowed, which has been included as a component of the debt discount and is amortized to interest expense over the term of the loans. The outstanding Term A Loans and debt discount are as follows:

	September 30, 2017
Term A Loans	$	4,758,116
Less: debt discount and financing costs		(30,235	)
Less: current portion		(5,194,337	)
Accrued portion of final payment		466,456
Long-term portion	$	-

For the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company recognized interest expense of $0.1 million and $0.3 million respectively, including $0.1 million in both periods, related to the debt discount. For the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company recognized interest expense of $0.5 million and $0.8 million respectively, including $0.2 million and $0.3 million, respectively, related to the debt discount.

The Term Loans mature on August 1, 2018. The Company may prepay all, but not less than all, of the loaned amount upon 30 days’ advance notice to the Lenders, provided that the Company will be obligated to pay a prepayment fee equal to (i) 3% of the outstanding balance, if the loan is prepaid within 24 months of the funding date, (ii) 2% of the outstanding balance, if the loan is prepaid between 24 and 36 months of the funding date and (iii) 1% of the outstanding balance, if the loan is prepaid thereafter (each, a “Prepayment Fee”). The expected remaining repayment of the $10.0 million Term A loan principal is as follows:

2017		1,267,412
2018		3,490,704
Total Term A Loans	$	4,758,116

The Company’s obligations under the Loan Agreement are secured by a first priority security interest in substantially all of its assets, other than its intellectual property. The Company has also agreed not to pledge or otherwise encumber its intellectual property assets, except that it may grant certain exclusive and non-exclusive licenses of its intellectual property as set forth in the Loan Agreement. In addition, the Company pledged all of its equity interests in Minerva Neurosciences Securities Corporation and 65% of its equity interests in Mind-NRG, Sarl as security for its obligations under the Loan Agreement.

Upon the occurrence of certain events, including but not limited to the Company’s failure to satisfy its payment obligations under the Loan Agreement, the breach of certain of its other covenants under the Loan Agreement, or the occurrence of a material adverse change, the Lenders will have the right, among other remedies, to declare all principal and interest immediately due and payable, to take control of the Company’s cash in its SVB deposit account, and will have the right to receive the final payment fee and, if the payment of principal and interest is due prior to maturity, the applicable Prepayment Fee. As of September 30, 2017, the Company was in compliance with all covenants set forth in the Loan Agreement.