Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Note 1 - Nature of Business and Liquidity

v3.23.3
Note 1 - Nature of Business and Liquidity
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Notes to Financial Statements  
Nature of Operations [Text Block]

Note 1 Nature of Business and Liquidity

 

Nature of Business

 

Monopar Therapeutics Inc. (“Monopar” or the ”Company”) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative treatments for cancer patients. Monopar currently has three compounds in development: 1) camsirubicin (generic name for MNPR-201, GPX-150; 5-imino-13-deoxydoxorubicin), a Phase 1b clinical stage novel analog of doxorubicin engineered specifically to retain anticancer activity while minimizing toxic effects on the heart; 2) MNPR-101 RIT and MNPR-101-Zr, a preclinical stage uPAR-targeted antibody being developed as a radioimmunotherapeutic and companion diagnostic for advanced cancers; and 3) an early stage camsirubicin analog, MNPR-202, for various cancers. On March 27, 2023, the Company discontinued its Validive Phase 2b/3 VOICE trial based upon its Data Safety Monitoring Board’s determination that the trial did not meet the pre-defined threshold for efficacy of a 15% absolute difference in severe oral mucositis prevention between Validive and placebo. The Company continued to record clinical site close-out related expenses for Validive in Q3 2023. The Company is not anticipating incurring any license or royalty obligations or incurring any significant expenses beyond Q3 2023 related to Validive.

 

Liquidity

 

The Company has incurred an accumulated deficit of approximately $58.4 million as of September 30, 2023. To date, the Company has primarily funded its operations with the net proceeds from the Company’s initial public offering of its common stock on Nasdaq, sales of its common stock in the public market through at-the-market sales agreements, private placements of convertible preferred stock and of common stock and cash provided in the camsirubicin asset purchase transaction. Management estimates that currently available cash will provide sufficient funds to enable the Company to meet its obligations at least through November 2024. The Company’s ability to fund its future operations, including the continued clinical development of camsirubicin and continued development of its radiopharmaceutical program, is dependent upon its ability to execute its business strategy, to obtain additional funding and/or to execute collaborative research agreements. There can be no certainty that future financing or collaborative research agreements will occur in the amounts required or at a time needed to maintain operations, if at all.

 

The termination of the Company’s Validive clinical trial at the end of March 2023 resulted in a decrease in the Company’s stock price. The closing bid price of the Company’s stock fell below $1.00 for more than 30 consecutive trading days, and on August 28, 2023, the Company received a notice from Nasdaq stating that it is out of compliance with Nasdaq listing standards giving the Company 180 days to regain compliance. While the Company intends to apply for a second 180-day period to regain compliance, there can be no assurance that the Company will regain compliance within Nasdaq’s original or potential extended time limits and requirements. If the Company does not regain compliance, we would face delisting and it may have serious adverse consequences on the Company’s ability to raise funds, which may cause Monopar to delay, restructure or otherwise reconsider its operations.

 

Market variables over which the Company has no control, such as inflation of product costs, higher capital costs, labor rates and fuel, freight and energy costs, as well as geopolitical events could cause the Company to suffer significant increases in its operating and administrative expenses.

 

The Russia-Ukraine war, and resulting sanctions against Russia and Russian entities or allies, have increased fuel costs and may cause shipping delays. In addition, the Israel-Hamas war has created additional uncertainties. The broader economic, trade and financial market consequences are uncertain at this time, which may increase the cost of supplies for the Company’s clinical materials, may delay the manufacture of its clinical materials, may increase costs of other goods and services, or make it more difficult or costly to raise additional financing, any of which could cause an adverse effect on the Company’s clinical and development program and on the Company’s financial condition.

 

The coronavirus disease (“COVID-19”) continues to affect economies and business around the world. Due to many uncertainties, the Company is unable to estimate COVID-19’s financial impact or duration in light of treatment options and potential surges of new cases from current or future COVID-19 variants or its potential impact on the Company’s current clinical trial and development programs, including COVID-19’s effect on drug candidate manufacturing, shipping, patient recruitment at clinical sites and regulatory agencies around the globe.