Operating Leases

As of December 31, 2024 we maintain approximately 1,550 square feet of office space, which is on a month-to-month basis, at a rate of approximately $7,000 per month.

Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was approximately $141,000 and $163,000, respectively, and is included in general and administrative expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Rental payments are expensed in the consolidated statements of operations in the period to which they relate. Scheduled rent increases, if any, are amortized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Settlement of Pending or Threatened Claims

Pioneer Capital Anstalt  

In May 2024, the Company settled a dispute concerning the interpretation of certain financial terms contained within the Series AA and Series AA-2 Preferred Stock certificates of designation filed in connection with the Series AA and Series AA-2 Preferred Stock Offerings (“Pioneer Settlement”). Pioneer Capital Anstalt (“Pioneer”) filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking monetary damages and specific performance concerning the interpretation and calculation of certain financial terms applicable to Pioneer’s additional investment rights agreements acquired in connection with Pioneer’s participation in the Series AA and Series AA-2 Preferred Stock Offerings (“Pioneer AA AIRs”)(“Pioneer Action”). In order to avoid further expense, costs, and time to litigate the action, the Parties resolved the dispute, resulting in the modification of the conversion price and conversion floor price applicable to the Pioneer AA AIRs from prices ranging from $9.43 to $13.04, down to prices ranging from $1.886 to $2.608, and the extension of the exercise term for the Pioneer AA AIRs for a period of six (6) months. The modifications to the Pioneer AIRs resulted in an incremental increase in fair value totaling $213,000 which was included as a noncash legal settlement charge in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024. As a result of the reduction of the Pioneer AA AIRs conversion price, total common shares underlying the modified Pioneer AA AIRs increased from 372,610 to 1,863,049 shares.

In addition, in connection with the settlement, the Company issued to Pioneer 550,000 shares of restricted common stock valued at $516,000 on the dates of issuance, which was included as a noncash legal settlement charge in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024. In connection with the Pioneer Settlement, Pioneer filed a notice of dismissal regarding the Action.

The Company utilized an option pricing model, employing the back solve method for purposes of determining the implied common stock value of the Company for input into a Black Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of the Pioneer AA AIRs immediately before and after the modifications described above, using Level 3 inputs. Weighted average assumptions utilized in the Black Scholes option pricing model included a $0.86 implied common stock price, conversion prices ranging from $1.886 to $13.04 (based on the applicable original and modified preferred stock conversion prices), risk free interest rates ranging from 5.13% to 5.36%, terms ranging from .52 years to 1.02 years and volatility assumptions ranging from 80% to 93%.

Other

As described above, the Note Holders made a series of investments in the Company during the period commencing January 2021 and culminating in the issuance of the Notes, which were paid in full in the first quarter of 2023. During the fourth quarter of 2023, the Note Holders made certain claims arising from an interpretation of certain rights that the Note Holders had pursuant to the terms of SPA. On March 12, 2024, the Company and the Note Holders (the “Parties”) executed a Mutual General Release and Settlement Agreement (the “Note Holder Settlement Agreement”) settling all claims between the Parties with respect to the SPA. In consideration for the Note Holder Settlement Agreement, the Company agreed to issue the Parties an aggregate amount of 500,000 shares of common stock (the “Settlement Payment”). The Company accrued the fair value of the Settlement Payment as of December 31, 2023 (based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on December 31, 2023) resulting in a settlement expense of $760,000 which was included in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company issued the 500,000 shares of common stock on March 19, 2024, which were valued at $1.85 per share (the closing price of the Company’s common stock on March 19, 2024), or $924,000, resulting in additional noncash settlement expense of $164,000, which was included in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Related Party Transactions

Note Purchase Agreement. On November 19, 2024, the Company entered into a note purchase agreement with a non-employee member of the Board, as described at Note 6.

Consulting Agreement. In May 2018, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with a member of the Board, pursuant to which the board member provides the Company with strategic advice and planning services for which he receives a cash payment of $7,500 per month from the Company. The consulting agreement had an initial term ending December 31, 2019, and was extended for successive one-year periods upon mutual agreement of the board member and the Company through to fiscal year 2024. Total consulting expense under the agreement totaled $90,000 for each of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.