Quarterly report pursuant to sections 13 or 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v2.4.0.6
Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Nov. 30, 2012
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 9 - Commitments and Contingencies

On July 25, 2012, the Company and Kenneth J. Van Ness entered into a Transition Agreement (the “Transition Agreement”). Pursuant to the Transition Agreement, Mr. Van Ness stepped down as the Chairman of the Board, effective immediately. In addition, Mr. Van Ness agreed to step down as the President and CEO of the Company (see Note 10 below). Mr. Van Ness ceased to be a director on December 12, 2012, and Gregory A. Gould, a current member of the Board, serves as Chairman of the Board.

The Transition Agreement provides that, in lieu of any compensation otherwise payable to Mr. Van Ness under the Executive Employment Agreement, dated April 16, 2012, but effective as of August 9, 2011 (the “Employment Agreement”), by and between the Company and Mr. Van Ness, during the period beginning on July 18, 2012 through October 16, 2012 (the “Transition Period”) Mr. Van Ness will be paid a salary equal to $13,890 per month and will continue to receive, during the Transition Period, the fringe benefits, indemnification and miscellaneous business expense benefits provided for in the Employment Agreement. Mr. Van Ness is also entitled to (i) receive a cash severance payment equal to $13,890 per month for 33 months after the end of the Transition Period, (ii) the opportunity to elect the timing of distribution of his account balance in the Company’s 401(k) Plan, (iii) reimbursement for continuing health care insurance coverage under COBRA for nine months, and (iv) all amounts due by the Company to an affiliate of Mr. Van Ness for every month that the Company continued to occupy a portion of the real property owned by an affiliate of Mr. Van Ness located at 110 Crenshaw Lake Road, Lutz, Florida.

 

The Transition Agreement also provides that: (i)(A) the CytoDyn Inc. Stock Option Award Agreement, dated December 6, 2010, with Mr. Van Ness is amended to provide for immediate vesting of all of the 500,000 options granted at $1.19 per share, and (B) the CytoDyn Inc. Stock Option Award Agreement, dated April 16, 2012, but effective as of August 9, 2011, with Mr. Van Ness is amended to provide for (I) immediate vesting of 750,000 of the 1,500,000 options granted at $2.00 per share, and (II) forfeiture of the remaining 750,000 options; and (ii) the Company and Mr. Van Ness agreed that the expiration date of the 25,000 options granted to him on September 22, 2010, is August 8, 2016, although the Company amended the grants to waive the earlier expiration of such options if Mr. Van Ness no longer is in “Continuous Service” with the Company, as that term is defined in the Company’s Stock Incentive Plan.

Pursuant to the terms of the Transition Agreement described above, as of November 30, 2012, the Company has accrued approximately $462,000 in severance liabilities. The Company accrued for the severance to be paid to Mr. Van Ness, as Mr. Van Ness has no significant continuing service obligation to the Company. Additionally, related to the modification of the above stock option awards to Mr. Van Ness, the Company recognized approximately $1,128,000 of stock-based compensation expense during the six months ended November 30, 2012. This amount was determined based on the provisions of the above Transition Agreement, including the impact of the accelerated vesting and forfeitures.

Effective July 25, 2012, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”) with Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Progenics”) to acquire from Progenics its proprietary HIV viral-entry inhibitor drug candidate PRO 140 (“PRO 140”), a humanized anti-CCR5 monoclonal antibody, as well as certain other related assets, including the existing inventory of bulk PRO 140 drug product, intellectual property, certain related licenses and sublicenses, and United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) regulatory filings. The terms of the Asset Purchase Agreement provide for an initial cash payment at closing of $3,500,000, as well as the following milestone payments and royalties: (i) $2,500,000 at the time of the first dosing in a US Phase III trial or non-US equivalent; (ii) $500,000 upon filing a New Drug Application with the FDA or other non-US equivalent; (iii) $5,500,000 at the time of the first US new drug application approval by the FDA or other non-US approval for the sale of PRO 140; and (iv) royalty payments of up to eleven and one-half percent (11.5%) (comprised of 5% to Progenics and 3.5% and 3% to each of two sub-licensors to Progenics of certain patent estates) on net sales during the period beginning on the date of the first commercial sale of PRO 140 until the later of (a) the expiration of the last to expire patent included in the acquired assets, and (b) 10 years following the first commercial sale of PRO 140, in each case determined on a country-by-country basis. The Asset Purchase Agreement also requires the Company to pay a minimum annual license maintenance fee of the greater of $150,000 or the royalty fees paid on certain licensed products. On October 16, 2012, the acquisition of PRO 140 by the Company was closed and the Company paid $3,500,000 in cash.