Note 9 - Collaboration Agreements, License and Other Research and Development Agreements

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Development Award

On November 19, 2020, the Company entered into an award agreement (the “Agreement”) with CFF, pursuant to which it received a Therapeutics Development Award of up to $4.2 million (the “Award”) (of which $484,249 had been previously received) to support the preclinical development (the “Development Program”) of the Company’s MAT2501 product candidate (the “Product”), a LNC oral formulation of the broad-spectrum aminoglycoside amikacin, for the treatment of pulmonary non-tubercular mycobacteria infections and other pulmonary diseases (the “Field”). On November 19, 2021, the Company and CFF entered into an Amendment to the Agreement which added an additional milestone payment in the amount of $321 thousand. The milestone payment was invoiced and the payment was received in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The first payment under the Agreement, in the amount of $650 thousand, became due upon execution of the Agreement. The Company invoiced the CFF in November 2020 and payment was subsequently received in February 2021. During 2021, the Company invoiced and received $2.5 million related to Agreement and the related deferred liability balance of $899 thousand is included in accrued expense and other current liabilities. The remainder of the Award will be paid to the Company upon the achievement of certain milestones related to the development program and progress of the Development Program, as set forth in the Agreement.

If the Company ceases to use commercially reasonable efforts directed to the development of MAT2501 in the Field, (an “Interruption”) and fails to resume the development of the Product after receiving from CFF notice of an Interruption, then the Company must either repay the amount of the Award actually received by the Company, or grant to CFF (1) an exclusive (even as to the Company), worldwide, perpetual, sublicensable license under technology developed under the Agreement that covers the Product for use in treating infections in CF patients (the “CF Field”), and (2) a non-exclusive, worldwide license under certain background intellectual property covering the Product, to the extent necessary to commercialize the Product in the CF Field.

Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Company is obligated to make royalty payments to CFF contingent upon commercialization of the Product in the Field up to a maximum of five (5) times the Award or approximately $21.2 million (the “Royalty Cap”), payable in three equal annual installments following the first commercial sale of the Product, the first of which is due within 90 days following the first commercial sale of the Product. The Company may also be obligated to make a payment to CFF if the Company transfers, sells or licenses the Product in the CF Field, or if the Company enters into a change of control transaction which will be applied against the Royalty Cap. In addition, the Company is also obligated to make up the two royalty payments of CFF of the approximately $4.2 million each, due in the calendar years in which specific net sales milestones are achieved.

The term of the Agreement commenced on November 19, 2020 and expires on the earlier of the date on which the Company has paid CFF all of the fixed royalty payments set forth therein, the effective date of any license granted to CFF following an Interruption, or upon earlier termination of the Agreement. Either CFF or the Company may terminate the agreement for cause, which includes the Company’s material failure to achieve certain development milestones. The Company’s payment obligations survive the termination of the Agreement.

The Company concluded that the CFF award is in the scope of ASC 808. Accordingly, as discussed in Note 3, the award amounts received from CFF upon achievement of certain milestones are recognized as credits to research and development expenses in the period the Development Program’s expenses are incurred. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized $2.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively, as credits to research and development expenses related to the CFF award. In addition, the Company concluded under the guidance in ASC 730 that it does not have an obligation to repay funds received once related research and development expenses are incurred.

Genentech Feasibility Study Agreement

On December 12, 2019, the Company entered into a feasibility study agreement (the “Agreement”) with Genentech, Inc. (“Genentech”). This feasibility study agreement will involve the development of oral formulations using the Company’s LNC platform delivery technology, which enables the development of a wide range of difficult-to-deliver molecules. Under the terms of the Agreement, Genentech shall pay to the Company a total of $100.0 thousand for three molecules, or approximately $33 thousand per molecule, which will be recognized upon the Company fulfilling its obligations for each molecule under the Agreement. On December 13, 2019, per Genentech’s request, the Company billed Genentech for the total $100 thousand and recorded the upfront consideration as deferred revenue, which is recorded in accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheets, and will recognize it over the term of the contract performance obligation period. As of December 31, 2021, the Company completed the first and second of the three molecules and the Company recognized approximately $33 thousand of Genentech revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company is scheduled to complete the remaining molecule during 2022.

Other Research and development agreements

The Company has financial obligations resulting from Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (“CRADAs”) entered into with the with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (“NIH”) as follows:

License agreement

Through the acquisition of Aquarius, the Company acquired a license from Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey (successor in interest to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) for the LNC platform delivery technology. The Second Amended and Restated Exclusive License Agreement provides for, among other things, the payment of (1) royalties on a tiered basis between low single digits and the mid-single digits of net sales of products using such licensed technology, (2) a one-time sales milestone fee of $100,000 when and if sales of products using the licensed technology reach the specified sales threshold and (3) an annual license fee of $50,000 over the term of the license agreement.