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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2025
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

NOTE G — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Operating Leases

The Company leases office space under an operating lease in Stony Brook, New York for its corporate headquarters. The lease is for a 30,000 square foot building. The Company entered into an amended lease agreement on February 1, 2023. The initial term is for three years and expires on February 1, 2026. The lease for the corporate headquarters requires monthly payments of $48,861, which is adjusted annually based on the US Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) and was adjusted to monthly payments of $52,440 commencing on February 1, 2025. In lieu of a security deposit, the Company provided a standby letter of credit of $750,000. In addition, the Company also had 2,500 square feet of laboratory space, for which it entered into an amended lease agreement on February 1, 2023. The initial lease term for the laboratory space was one year from the commencement date and was extended until January 31, 2025. Effective February 1, 2025, the Company extended this lease for 2,000 square feet of laboratory space until January 31, 2026. On February 28, 2025, the Company vacated one of its laboratory suites and currently leases 1,000 square feet under this lease amendment. The base rent for the new lease term is monthly payments of $4,346 and the lease is terminable by the Company upon one month’s written notice to the landlord. The total rent expense for the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2025 was $178,612 and $364,582, respectively.

Employment Agreement

The employment agreement with Dr. James Hayward, the Company’s CEO, entered into in July 2016 provides that he will be the Company’s CEO and will continue to serve on the Company’s board of directors (“Board of Directors”). The initial term was from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017, with automatic one-year renewal periods unless either party provides the other with 90 days’ advance written notice of non-renewal. On July 28, 2017, the employment agreement was renewed for a successive one-year term and the employment agreement has been renewed for successive one-year terms, most recently as of June 30, 2024. The Board of Directors,

acting in its discretion, may grant annual bonuses to the CEO. The CEO will be entitled to certain benefits and perquisites and will be eligible to participate in retirement, welfare and incentive plans available to the Company’s other employees.

NOTE G — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES continued

Employment Agreement, continued

The employment agreement with the CEO also provides that if he is terminated before the end of the initial or a renewal term by the Company without cause or if the CEO terminates his employment for good reason, then, in addition to previously earned and unpaid salary, bonus and benefits, and subject to the delivery of a general release and continuing compliance with restrictive covenants, the CEO will be entitled to receive a pro rata portion of the greater of either (X) the annual bonus he would have received if employment had continued through the end of the year of termination or (Y) the prior year’s bonus; salary continuation payments for two years following termination equal to the greater of (i) three times base salary or (ii) two times base salary plus bonus; Company-paid COBRA continuation coverage for 18 months post-termination; continuing life insurance benefits (if any) for two years; and extended exercisability of outstanding vested options (for three years from termination date or, if earlier, the expiration of the fixed option term). If termination of employment as described above occurs within six months before or two years after a change in control of the Company, then, in addition to the above payments and benefits, all of the CEO’s outstanding options and other equity incentive awards will become fully vested and the CEO will receive a lump sum payment of the amounts that would otherwise be paid as salary continuation. In general, a change in control will include a 30% or more change in ownership of the Company.

Upon termination due to death or disability, the CEO will generally be entitled to receive the same payments and benefits he would have received if his employment had been terminated by the Company without cause (as described in the preceding paragraph), other than salary continuation payments.

On October 29, 2021, the Board of Directors amended the existing compensatory arrangement with the CEO to increase his salary to $450,000, effective November 1, 2021. On January 24, 2025, the Company entered into a voluntary letter agreement with the CEO to provide for an 11% reduction to the CEO’s annual base salary, from $450,000 to $400,000, effective as of January 18, 2025 through December 31, 2025. The CEO also agreed to waive any right to resign for “good reason” under his employment agreement with the Company as a result of the foregoing salary reduction.

Litigation

From time to time, the Company may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings which arise in the ordinary course of business. When the Company is aware of a claim or potential claim, it assesses the likelihood of any loss or exposure. If it is probable that a loss will result and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated, the Company will record a liability for the loss. In addition to the estimated loss, the recorded liability includes probable and estimable legal costs associated with the claim or potential claim. Litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties, and an adverse result in these or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm the Company’s business. There is no pending litigation involving the Company at this time.