Commitments and Contingencies |
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| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies
Leases
The Company determines whether or not a contract contains a lease at the inception date and determines the lease classification, recognition and measurement at commencement date. The Company classifies a lease based on whether the arrangement is effectively a purchase of the underlying asset. Leases that transfer the control of the underlying asset are classified as finance leases and all others are classified as operating leases. Interest and amortization expense are recognized for operating leases on a straight-line basis. If a change to the lease term leads to a reassessment of the lease classification and remeasurement, assumptions such as the discount rate and variable rents based on a rate or index will be updated as of the remeasurement date. If an arrangement is modified, the Company will reassess whether the arrangement contains a lease. Any subsequent changes in lease payments are recognized when incurred, unless the change requires a remeasurement of the lease liability.
The Company made an accounting policy election to not recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities that arise from short term leases, which are defined as leases with a lease term of 12 months or less at the lease commencement date.
We lease office space, medical lab and research space, a distribution center, a tissue processing center and equipment. We recognize lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Certain of the Company’s leases include options for the Company to extend the lease term. None of the options were reasonably certain of exercise and therefore are not included in the measure of lease obligations and right-to-use assets.
Certain of the Company’s lease agreements include provisions for the Company to reimburse the lessor for common area maintenance, real estate taxes, and insurance, which the Company accounts for as variable lease costs. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.
The Company and Heights Union are parties to the Heights Agreement for the lease of seventy-five thousand square feet of office space in Tampa, Florida. Pursuant to the Heights Agreement, the Company will use the leased premises for general office, medical laboratory, training and meeting purposes. In September 2020, the Company began occupying the space. The lease includes a $5,250 lessor allowance to be used towards the hard and soft costs of the tenant improvements. The Company will bear the cost of any tenant improvement in excess of this allowance. Total costs of the tenant improvements were approximately $11,450. The Company concluded that it is the accounting owner of the tenant improvements. The lessor’s allowance of $5,250 for the construction of tenant improvements will be treated as an incentive. Because the Company is the accounting owner of the improvements, the lease incentive is accounted for as a reduction of the right-of-use asset and the total cost of the improvements of $12,149 is recognized on the balance sheet separate from the right-of-use asset as leasehold improvements. The improvements will be amortized over the life of the lease, which was determined to be the shorter of the useful life of the improvements or the lease term. The Company determined the commencement date of the lease was August 28, 2020 and valued the lease using a 10.6% incremental borrowing rate. The Company recorded a right-of-use asset of $13,323 and lease liability of $18,573 for the new office lease as of the commencement date.
The components of total lease expense for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were as follows:
The short-term lease cost shown above reasonably reflects the Company’s ongoing short-term lease commitment. The increase in variable lease costs is due to the common area maintenance expenses associated with the Tampa office space.
Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 was as follows:
Other information related to leases was as follows:
The weighted-average discount rate for the majority of the Company’s leases is based on the Company’s estimated incremental borrowing rate since the rates implicit in the leases were not determinable. The Company’s incremental borrowing rate is based on Management’s estimate of the rate of interest the Company would have to pay to borrow on a fully collateralized basis over a similar term an amount equal to the lease payments.
Service Agreements
On August 6, 2015, the Company entered into a License and Services Agreement (the “CTS Agreement”) with Community Blood Center (d/b/a Community Tissue Services) (“CTS”), Dayton, Ohio, an FDA registered tissue establishment. Processing of the Avance Nerve Graft pursuant to the CTS Agreement began in February 2016. The CTS Agreement initially had a five-year term ending August 31, 2020. After three previous term extensions, on February 22, 2021, the agreement was further amended to extend the term of the agreement to until December 31, 2023. Under the CTS Agreement, the Company pays CTS a facility fee for use of clean room/manufacturing, storage and office space, which the Company accounts for as an embedded lease in accordance with ASC 842, “Leases.” The Company also pays CTS for services in support of its manufacturing process such as for routine sterilization of daily supplies, providing disposable supplies, microbial services and office support. During the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company paid fees to CTS of approximately $643 and $506, respectively and are included are included in cost of goods sold on the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations.
In August 2008, the Company entered into an agreement with Cook Biotech to distribute the Axoguard products worldwide and the parties subsequently amended the agreement on February 26, 2018. Pursuant to the February 2018 amendment, the agreement expires on June 30, 2027. The Cook Biotech agreement establishes a formula for the transfer cost of the Axoguard products and requires certain minimum purchases, although, through mutual agreement, the parties have not established such minimums; and, to date, have not enforced such provision. Under the agreement, the Company provides purchase orders to Cook Biotech, and Cook Biotech fulfills the purchase orders.
In December 2011, the Company also entered into a Master Services Agreement for Clinical Research and Related Services. The Company was required to pay $151 upon execution of this agreement and the remainder monthly based on activities associated with the execution of the Company’s phase 3 pivotal clinical trial to support a biologics license application (“BLA”) for Avance Nerve Graft. In March 2020, the Company entered into an amendment to this agreement. The amendment extends the end of the study timeline from December 2020 to December 2021. It also increases the total number of subjects enrolled and the number of sites used in the studies. Payments made under this agreement were $278 and $516 for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
In June 2017, the Company entered into the Nerve End Cap Supply Agreement (the “Supply Agreement”) with Cook Biotech whereby Cook Biotech is the exclusive contract manufacturer of the Axoguard Nerve Cap and both parties have provided the other party the necessary licenses to their technologies for operation of the Supply Agreement. The Supply Agreement has a term through August 27, 2027. Under the Supply Agreement the Company provides purchase orders to Cook Biotech, and Cook Biotech fulfills the purchase orders.
Certain executive officers of the Company are parties to employment contracts. Such contracts have severance payments for certain conditions including change in control.
Concentrations
Vendor
Substantially all of the Company’s revenue is currently derived from five products, Avance Nerve Graft, Avive Soft Tissue Membrane, Axoguard Nerve Protector, Axoguard Nerve Connector, and Axoguard Nerve Cap for the treatment of peripheral nerve damage. Of these five products, Avance Nerve Graft represents approximately half of the Company’s total revenue. The Company has an exclusive distribution agreement with Cook Biotech for the purchase of Axoguard which expires June 30, 2027. The agreement with Cook Biotech establishes a formula for the transfer cost of the Axoguard products and requires certain minimum purchases by the Company, although, through mutual agreement, the parties have not established such minimums and to date have not enforced such provision.
The agreement allows for termination provisions for both parties. The loss of the ability to sell the Axoguard products could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business until other replacement products would be available.
Processor
The Company is highly dependent on the continued availability of its processing facilities at CTS in Dayton, Ohio and could be harmed if the physical infrastructure of this facility is unavailable for any prolonged period of time. In addition, disruptions could lead to significant costs and reductions in revenues, as well as a potential harm to the Company’s business reputation and financial results. In the event of disruption, the Company believes it can find and make operational a new leased facility in less than six months, but the regulatory process for approval of facilities is time-consuming and unpredictable. The Company’s ability to rebuild or find acceptable lease facilities could take a considerable amount of time and expense and could cause a significant disruption in service to its customers. Although the Company has business interruption insurance, which would cover certain costs, it may not cover all costs nor help to regain the Company’s standing in the market.
In July 2018, the Company purchased a facility, the APC, in Vandalia, Ohio, located near the CTS processing facility where Avance Nerve Graft and Avive Soft Tissue Membrane are currently processed. The APC, when and if operational, will be the new processing facility for Avance Nerve Graft and Avive Soft Tissue Membrane to provide continued capacity for growth and to support the transition of Avance Nerve Graft from a 361 HCT/P tissue product to a biologic product. The APC is comprised of a 70,000 square foot building on approximately 8.6 acres of land. The Company paid $731 for the land and this is recorded as Land within our property and equipment account on our balance sheet. The Company paid $4,300 for the building and this is recorded as projects in process as part of the property and equipment on the balance sheet.
On July 9, 2019, the Company entered into a Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Design-Builder (the “Design-Build Agreement”) with CRB Builders, L.L.C., a Missouri limited liability company (“CRB”), pursuant to which CRB will renovate and retrofit the APC. The Design-Build Agreement contains several design phase milestones that began in July 2019 and sets the date for Substantial Completion (as defined in the Design-Build Agreement) by late 2022, subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the Design-Build Agreement. The estimated cost pursuant to the Design-Build Agreement is $29,300. Additional costs associated with the renovation, purchasing of furniture and equipment, validation and certification of the APC are estimated to be $13,600. The Company temporarily deferred the construction as part of the cost containment initiatives implemented in the second quarter of 2020, and subsequently determined to resume construction in early January of 2021. As of March 31, 2021, the Company has recorded $5,766 in the current year and $21,490 to date related to renovations and design build in construction in progress. These items are recorded as projects in process as part of the property and equipment in its condensed consolidated balance sheet.
Litigation
The Company is subject to various claims, lawsuits and proceedings in the ordinary course of the Company's business, some of which have been dismissed by the Company. In the opinion of management, such claims are either adequately covered by insurance or otherwise indemnified, or are not expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a material, adverse effect on the Company's financial condition. However, it is possible that the Company's results of operations, financial position and cash flows in a particular period could be materially affected by these contingencies.
On January 9, 2019, Plaintiff Neil Einhorn, on behalf of himself and others similarly situated, filed a putative class action complaint in the United Stated District Court for the Middle District of Florida alleging violations of the federal securities laws against Axogen, Inc., certain of its directors and officers (“Individual Defendants”), and Axogen’s 2017 Offering Underwriters and 2018 Offering Underwriters (collectively, with the Individual Defendants, the “Defendants”), captioned Einhorn v. Axogen, Inc., et al., No. 8:19-cv-00069 (M.D. Fla.). Plaintiff asserts that Defendants made false or misleading statements in
connection with the Company’s November 2017 registration statement issued regarding its secondary public offering in November 2017 and May 2018 registration statement issued regarding its secondary public offering in May 2018, and during a class period of August 7, 2017 to December 18, 2018. In particular, Plaintiff asserts that Defendants issued false and misleading statements and failed to disclose to investors: (1) that the Company aggressively increased prices to mask lower sales; (2) that the Company’s pricing alienated customers and threatened the Company’s future growth; (3) that ambulatory surgery centers form a significant part of the market for the Company’s products; (4) that such centers were especially sensitive to price increases; (5) that the Company was dependent on a small number of surgeons whom the Company paid to generate sales; (6) that the Company’s consignment model for inventory was reasonably likely to lead to channel stuffing; (7) that the Company offered purchase incentives to sales representatives to encourage channel stuffing; (8) that the Company’s sales representatives were encouraged to backdate revenue to artificially inflate metrics; (9) that the Company lacked adequate internal controls to prevent such channel stuffing and backdating of revenue; (10) that the Company’s key operating metrics, such as number of active accounts, were overstated; and (11) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects, were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. Axogen was served on January 15, 2019. On February 4, 2019, the court granted the parties’ stipulated motion which provided that Axogen is not required to file a response to the complaint until thirty days after Plaintiff files a consolidated amended complaint. On June 19, 2019, Plaintiff filed an Amended Class Action Complaint, and on July 22, 2019, Defendants filed a motion to dismiss. Plaintiff filed opposing papers on August 12, 2019. The Court held a status hearing on September 11, 2019 and stayed all deadlines regarding the parties’ obligations to file a case management report. On December 4, 2019 the parties’ presented oral arguments. On April 21, 2020, the Court dismissed the complaint without prejudice, finding the Plaintiff failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. The Plaintiff filed a Second Amended Class Action Complaint on June 22, 2020. Axogen filed a motion to dismiss on August 6, 2020. The Plaintiff filed an opposition on September 20, 2020. The Court held oral argument on February 25, 2021. The Company and Individual Defendants dispute the allegations and intend to vigorously defend against the Complaint. The amount of loss, if any, cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.
Jackson v. Zaderej, et al., No. 8:19-cv-01976 U.S. District Court (M.D. FL). On August 12, 2019, Plaintiff Harvey Jackson, derivatively on behalf of Axogen, filed a verified shareholder derivative complaint for violations of securities laws, breach of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets and unjust enrichment against Quentin S. Blackford, Gregory G. Freitag, Mark Gold, Jamie M. Grooms, Alan M. Levine, Peter J. Mariani, Guido Neels, Robert J. Rudelius, Amy Wendell, and Karen Zaderej (the “Individual Defendants”) and Nominal Defendant Axogen, Inc. (“Axogen”) (collectively, “Defendants”). Plaintiff asserts that the Individual Defendants, who are current or former Axogen officers or directors, issued a false proxy statement for the election of directors in violation of Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, breached their fiduciary duties, wasted corporate assets and were unjustly enriched by allowing Axogen to make false public statements to investors based on the same claims in the report issued December 18, 2018 by Seligman Investments (the same allegations that form the basis for the Einhorn matter and the Bussey shareholder demand). Plaintiff demands judgment in the Company’s favor against all Individual Defendants as follows: (A) declaring that Plaintiff may maintain this action on behalf of Axogen, and that Plaintiff is an adequate representative of Company; (B) declaring that the Individual Defendants have breached and/or aided and abetted the breach of their fiduciary duties to Axogen; (C) determining and awarding to Axogen the damages sustained by it because of the violations set forth above from each of the Individual Defendants, jointly and severally, together with pre- and post-judgment interest thereon; (D) directing Axogen and the Individual Defendants to take all necessary actions to reform and improve its corporate governance and internal procedures to comply with applicable laws and protect Axogen and its shareholders from a repeat of the damaging events described therein, including, but not limited to, putting forward for shareholder vote the following resolutions for amendments to the Company’s Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation and the following actions as may be necessary to ensure proper corporate governance policies: (i) a proposal to strengthen the Board’s supervision of operations and develop and implement procedures for greater shareholder input into the policies and guidelines of the Board, (ii) a provision to permit the shareholders of Axogen to nominate at least six candidates for election to the Board; and (iii) a proposal to ensure the establishment of effective oversight of compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (E) awarding Axogen restitution from Individual Defendants, and each of them; (F) awarding Plaintiff the costs and disbursements of this action, including reasonable attorneys’ and experts’ fees, costs, and expenses; and (G) granting such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper. The Defendants filed a motion to dismiss on October 22, 2019. In response, Plaintiffs voluntarily withdrew their complaint and the matter was dismissed without prejudice by the court on November 5, 2019.
Novitzki v. Zaderej, et al, 19-CA-11745 DIV L (13th Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough Cnty., Fl.). On November 11, 2019, Plaintiff Joseph Novitzki, derivatively on behalf of Axogen, filed a verified stockholder derivative complaint for breach of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets and unjust enrichment against Karen Zaderej, Gregory G. Freitag, Peter J. Mariani, Amy Wendell, Robert J. Rudelius, Mark Gold, Guido Neels, and Jamie M. Grooms (the “Individual Defendants”) and Nominal Defendant Axogen, Inc. (“Axogen”) (collectively, “Defendants”). Plaintiff asserts that the Individual Defendants, who are current or former Axogen officers or directors, breached their fiduciary duties, wasted corporate assets and were unjustly enriched by allowing Axogen to make false public statements to investors based on the same claims in the report issued December 18, 2018 by Seligman Investments (the same allegations that form the basis for the Einhorn matter and the Bussey
shareholder demand). Plaintiff demands judgment in the Company’s favor against all Individual Defendants as follows: (a) against all of the defendants and in favor of the Company for the amount of damages sustained by the Company as a result of the defendants' breaches of fiduciary duties, waste of corporate assets, and unjust enrichment; (B) directing Axogen to take all necessary actions to reform and improve its corporate governance and internal procedures to comply with applicable laws and to protect Axogen and its stockholders from a repeat of the damaging events described herein, including, but not limited to, putting forward for stockholder vote, resolutions for amendments to the Company’s Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation and taking such other action as may be necessary to place before stockholders for a vote of the following corporate governance policies: (1) directing Axogen to employ an independent, third-party expert to calculate the Company's market size (including the dollar values of Axogen's total addressable market and portion of the market relating to extremity trauma and OMF); (2) a provision to control insider selling; (3) a proposal to strengthen Axogen’s oversight of its disclosure procedures; (4) a proposal to strengthen the Company's controls over financial reporting; (5) a proposal to strengthen the Board's supervision of operations and develop and implement procedures for greater stockholder input into the policies and guidelines of the Board; and (6) a provision to permit the stockholders of Axogen to nominate at least three candidates for election to the Board; (C) extraordinary equitable and/or injunctive relief as permitted by law, equity, and state statutory provisions sued hereunder, including attaching, impounding, imposing a constructive trust on, or otherwise restricting the proceeds of defendants' trading activities or their other assets so as to assure that plaintiff on behalf of Axogen has an effective remedy; (D) Awarding to Axogen restitution from defendants, and each of them, and ordering disgorgement of all profits, benefits, and other compensation obtained by the defendants, including all ill-gotten gains from insider selling by defendants; (E) awarding to plaintiff the costs and disbursements of the action, including reasonable attorneys' fees, accountants' and experts' fees, costs, and expenses; and (F) granting such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper. After Defendants’ counsel had multiple discussions with Plaintiff’s counsel pointing out that it’s complaint was deficient for the same reasons argued in Jackson, the Plaintiff agreed to voluntarily dismiss the complaint without prejudice, which the court so-ordered on January 24, 2020.
Bach v. Zaderej, et al., 27-cv-20-5997 (Hennepin Cnty., Minn.). On April 21, 2020, Plaintiff Michael Bach, derivatively on behalf of Axogen, filed a verified stockholder derivative complaint for breach of fiduciary duty, insider selling, corporate waste and unjust enrichment against Karen Zaderej, Gregory G. Freitag, Peter J. Mariani, Amy Wendell, Robert J. Rudelius, Mark Gold, Guido Neels, Jamie M. Grooms, Quentin S. Blackford, and Alan M. Levine (the “Individual Defendants”) and Nominal Defendant Axogen, Inc. (“Axogen”) (collectively, “Defendants”). The Bach Complaint has not yet been served on Defendants and therefore no response is necessary at this time.
These matters are subject to various uncertainties and it is possible that it may be resolved unfavorably to the Company. However, while it in not possible to predict with certainty the outcome of the matter, the Company and the Individual Defendants dispute the allegations and intend to vigorously defend themselves.
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