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Collaborative Research, Development, and License Agreements
6 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Collaborative Research, Development, and License Agreements

Note 6. Collaborative Research, Development, and License Agreements

License Agreements

From June 2021 to February 2022, certain patents owned or sublicensed by the Company became the subject of inter partes review proceedings filed by Cellink AB and its subsidiaries (collectively, “BICO Group AB”). The Company and BICO Group AB were also engaged in litigation regarding patent infringement during the same time period. On February 22, 2022, the Company and BICO Group AB signed a settlement and patent license agreement (“License Agreement”) to close all matters noted above. In addition to closing all legal matters and patent disputes noted above, as part of the agreement, the Company agreed to grant a non-exclusive license to BICO Group AB to use the Company’s aforementioned patents for its business operations of manufacturing and selling bioprinters as well as bioinks. The Company concluded that the nature of the license granted represents functional intellectual property.

As part of the License Agreement, BICO Group AB agreed to pay the Company ongoing sales-based royalties (based on percentages of BICO Group AB’s net sales) for the use of the granted license. The sales-based royalties became effective beginning on February 22, 2022, the effective date of the License Agreement, and continue until the expiration of the last surviving licensed patent. As the sales-based royalties are required to be paid 45 days after the end of every quarter, there is variable consideration that must be estimated to determine royalty revenue within a given reporting period. For the six months ended September 30, 2023, the Company

recorded $75,000 of royalty revenue based on sales-based royalties from the License Agreement. This recognized revenue is related to sales-based royalties earned from April 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023.

Also as part of the License Agreement, certain patents involved in the agreement are sublicensed by the Company from the University of Missouri and Clemson University. See below for further information.

University of Missouri

In March 2009, the Company entered into a license agreement with the Curators of the University of Missouri ("University of Missouri") to in-license certain technology and intellectual property relating to self-assembling cell aggregates and intermediate cellular units. The Company received the exclusive worldwide rights to commercialize products comprising this technology for all fields of use. The Company is required to pay the University of Missouri royalties ranging from 1% to 3% of net sales of covered tissue products, and of the fair market value of covered tissues transferred internally for use in the Company’s commercial service business, depending on the level of net sales achieved by the Company each year.

The license agreement with the University of Missouri also includes an additional sales royalty of 3% of all revenue received from a sublicensee, when such sublicense is entered pursuant to settlement of litigation. Such revenue shall include, but not be limited to, all option fees, license issue fees (up-front payments), license maintenance fees, equity, and all royalty payments. Such revenue shall not include research funding provided to licensee by sublicensee. However, per the agreement, in the event that the Company defends the technology by litigation, it can offset any royalties due by legal expenses incurred. No royalty expense related to sales-based royalties has been recorded to date.

On December 5, 2022, the Company amended the license agreement with the University of Missouri, where the Company agreed to pay a single, up-front payment of $50,000 to the University of Missouri in exchange for the aforementioned licensed intellectual property to be fully paid up by the Company. As a result, the Company will continue to have rights to the licensed intellectual property until its expiration, but will no longer owe minimum annual royalty payments, royalty payments based on net sales, or any other payments (other than patent annuities and any prosecution costs) in the future.

Clemson University

In May 2011, the Company entered into a license agreement with Clemson University Research Foundation ("CURF") to in-license certain technology and intellectual property relating to ink-jet printing of viable cells. The Company received the exclusive worldwide rights to commercialize products comprising this technology for all fields of use. The Company is required to pay CURF royalties ranging from 1.5% to 3% of net sales of covered tissue products and the fair market value of covered tissues transferred internally for use in the Company’s commercial service business, depending on the level of net sales reached each year. The license agreement terminates upon expiration of the patents licensed, which are expected to expire in May 2024, and is subject to certain conditions as defined in the license agreement. Minimum annual royalty payments of $20,000 were due for two years beginning in calendar 2014, and $40,000 per year beginning in calendar 2016. Royalty payments of $40,000 were made in each of the years ended March 31, 2023 and 2022. The annual minimum royalty is creditable against royalties owed during the same calendar year.

 

In addition to the annual royalties noted above, CURF is owed 40% of all payments including but not limited to, upfront payments, license fees, issue fees, maintenance fees, and milestone payments received from third parties, including sublicensees, in consideration for sublicensing rights to licensed products. However, per the agreement, in the event that the Company defends the technology by litigation, it can offset any royalties due by legal expenses incurred. As of September 30, 2023, the Company’s legal expenses exceeded royalties owed from the upfront payment and sales-based royalties related to the license agreement. Therefore, no royalty expense to CURF was recorded for the six months ended September 30, 2023. No royalty expense related to sales-based royalties has been recorded to date.