Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)]

Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

v3.25.1
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2025
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

1. Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

The Company

 

Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Titan” or the “Company” or “we,” “our” or “us”) is a pharmaceutical company that was previously developing therapeutics utilizing the proprietary long-term drug delivery platform, ProNeura®, for the treatment of select chronic diseases for which steady state delivery of a drug has the potential to provide an efficacy and/or safety benefit. ProNeura consists of a small, solid implant made from a mixture of ethylene-vinyl acetate and a drug substance. The resulting product is a solid matrix that is designed to be administered subdermally in a brief, outpatient procedure and is removed in a similar manner at the end of the treatment period.

 

Our first product based on the ProNeura technology was Probuphine® (buprenorphine implant), which is approved in the United States, Canada and the European Union (“EU”) for the maintenance treatment of opioid use disorder in clinically stable patients taking 8 milligrams or less a day of oral buprenorphine. While Probuphine continues to be commercialized in the EU (as Sixmo™) by another company that had acquired the rights from us, we discontinued commercialization of the product in the United States during the fourth quarter of 2020 and subsequently sold the product in September 2023. Discontinuation of our commercial operations allowed us to focus our limited resources on product development programs and transition back to a product development company at that time.

 

In December 2021, we announced our intention to work with our financial advisor to explore strategic alternatives to enhance stockholder value, potentially including an acquisition, merger, reverse merger, other business combination, sales of assets, licensing, or other transaction. In June 2022, we implemented a plan to reduce expenses and conserve capital that included a company-wide reduction in salaries and a scale back of certain operating expenses to enable us to maintain sufficient resources as we pursued potential strategic alternatives. In July 2022, David Lazar and Activist Investing LLC acquired an approximately 25% ownership interest in Titan, filed a proxy statement and nominated six additional directors, each of whom was elected to our board of directors (the “Board”) at a special meeting of stockholders held on August 15, 2022 (the “Special Meeting”). The exploration and evaluation of possible strategic alternatives by the Board has continued following the Special Meeting. Following the election of the new directors at the Special Meeting, Dr. Marc Rubin was replaced as our Executive Chairman, and David Lazar assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer. In connection with the termination of his employment as Executive Chairman, Dr. Rubin received aggregate severance payments of approximately $0.4 million. In December 2022, we implemented additional cost reduction measures including a reduction in our workforce. In June 2023, David Lazar sold his approximately 25% ownership interest in Titan to Choong Choon Hau. Mr. Lazar resigned his position as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer in April 2024. Our then Chairman of the Board of Directors, Seow Gim Shen, assumed the position as our Chief Executive Officer in April 2024.

 

On September 1, 2023 (the “Closing Date”), we closed on the sale of certain ProNeura assets, including our portfolio of drug addiction products, in addition to other early development programs based on the ProNeura drug delivery technology (the “ProNeura Assets”). In July 2023, we entered into an asset purchase agreement (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”) with Fedson, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Fedson”), for the sale of the ProNeura Assets. Our addiction portfolio consisted of the Probuphine and Nalmefene implant programs. The ProNeura Assets constituted only a portion of our assets. In August 2023, we entered into an Amendment and Extension Agreement (the “Amendment”) to the Asset Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which Fedson agreed to purchase our ProNeura Assets for a purchase price of $2.0 million, consisting of (i) $500,000 in readily available funds, paid in full on the Closing Date, (ii) $500,000 in the form of a promissory note due and payable on October 1, 2023 (the “Cash Note”) and (iii) $1,000,000 in the form of a promissory note due and payable on January 1, 2024 (the “Escrow Note”). We will also be eligible to receive potential milestone payments of up to $50 million on future net sales of the products and certain royalties on future net sales of the products. As further consideration, Fedson assumed all liabilities related to a pending employment claim against us. On the Closing Date, Fedson delivered a written guaranty by a principal of Fedson of all of Fedson’s obligations under both the Cash Note and Escrow Note. The Cash Note included provisions, which Fedson has exercised, allowing Fedson to extend the payment of the Cash Note to November 1, 2023, and again to December 1, 2023 upon payment of $5,000 for each extension. The Cash Note and Escrow Note were paid in December 2023 and January 2024, respectively. We received the funds from the escrow account in February 2024.

 

In April 2024, David Lazar, our Chief Executive Officer, Kate Beebe DeVarney, Ph.D., our President and Chief Operating Officer and a member of our Board of Directors, and three other members of our Board of Directors, Eric Greenberg, Matthew C. McMurdo and David Natan, resigned their positions with the Company. Pursuant to the terms of their respective settlement agreements, we made payments in aggregate of approximately $1.2 million. The Board of Directors subsequently appointed Firdauz Edmin Bin Mokhtar and Francisco Osvaldo Flores García as independent directors of the Company to fill two of the vacancies created by the resignations. In addition, Seow Gim Shen was appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer and continued to serve as the Company’s Chairman of the Board, which he had done since October 12, 2023.

 

On August 19, 2024, we entered into a Merger and Contribution and Share Exchange Agreement (the “Merger Agreement”) regarding a business combination with TalenTec Sdn. Bhd. (formerly known as KE Sdn. Bhd.) (“TalenTec”). The Merger Agreement was approved by our Board of Directors. If the Merger Agreement is approved by our stockholders and the stockholders of TalenTec (and the other closing conditions are satisfied or waived in accordance with the Merger Agreement), and upon consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the “Merger Closing”), the Company will be combined with TalenTec in a “reverse merger” transaction consisting of two steps:

 

  1. TTNP Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”), a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Black Titan Corporation (formerly known as BSKE Ltd.) (“Black Titan”), a Cayman Islands exempted company, will merge with and into Titan (the “Merger”); the separate existence of Merger Sub will cease; and Titan will be the surviving corporation of the Merger and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Black Titan.
     
  2. Within five business days after the proxy statement/prospectus relating to the proposed transaction becomes effective, shareholders of TalenTec may elect to enter into a share exchange agreement (the “Share Exchange Agreement”) with Titan and Black Titan, pursuant to which, immediately following the Merger, each TalenTec shareholder entering into the Share Exchange Agreement will contribute and exchange all of his TalenTec shares in exchange for ordinary shares of Black Titan. The Company may terminate the Merger Agreement if fewer than all TalenTec shareholders enter into the Share Exchange Agreement within the specified period.

 

Seow Gim Shen, who served as our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, was previously the holder of 47.4% of the outstanding shares of TalenTec. In addition, Mr. Seow was previously the sole stockholder of The Sire Group Ltd. (“Sire”), which is the holder of Series AA Preferred Stock, currently convertible into 150,087 shares of our common stock. Mr. Seow subsequently sold all of his TalenTec shares to Danny Vincent Dass and sold all of his Sire shares to Jeffrey Chung. Upon completion of the Merger, the existing security holders of TalenTec and Titan (excluding Sire and current Titan directors and officers) expect to own approximately 79.89% and 20.11%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of the combined company. Such ownership percentages could be subject to proportional dilution for any required financing in connection with the Merger Closing.

 

Completion of the Merger is subject to the approval of the Merger by our stockholders and the issuance of shares related to the Merger, approval of the listing by Nasdaq of Black Titan on the Nasdaq Capital Market, post-Merger, and satisfaction or waiver of other customary conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the proposed Merger will be consummated. The Company has been working diligently with TalenTec and Black Titan to prepare a joint proxy statement/prospectus in respect of the Merger, which was initially filed by Black Titan confidentially with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on October 2, 2024. Subsequent amendment filings were made on February 13, 2025 and April 24, 2025 for purposes of addressing comments received from the SEC.

 

On October 24, 2024, Seow Gim Shen notified our Board of Directors of his decision to resign as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of the Company for personal reasons and not as a result of any disagreement with our Board or management on any matter relating to our operations, policies or practices. We anticipate that the resignation of Mr. Seow will not impact the Merger Closing with TalenTec.

 

On November 6, 2024, our Board of Directors appointed Brynner Chiam, a director of the Company, as acting principal executive officer and acting principal financial officer of the Company. Mr. Chiam continued to serve on our Board of Directors while he concurrently served as acting principal executive officer and acting principal financial officer. At that time, the Company also launched a search to identify a full-time chief executive officer. Mr. Chiam has not received and will not receive any additional compensation in connection with his service as acting principal executive officer and acting principal financial officer and has not entered into an employment agreement in connection with his service in those roles.

 

On December 2, 2024, our Board of Directors appointed Mr. Chay Weei Jye as Chief Executive Officer, effective December 2, 2024. On March 20, 2025, we entered into an Employment Agreement with Chay Weei Jye, our Chief Executive Officer (the “Chay Agreement”), pursuant to which Mr. Chay will continue to serve as our Chief Executive Officer. Pursuant to the terms of the Chay Agreement, Mr. Chay will be paid a base salary of $60,000 per year and will participate in the Company’s equity incentive plan. Mr. Chay will be eligible to receive an annual bonus, with a target of fifty percent (50%) of his base salary.

 

On March 26, 2025, we received a notice (the “Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications staff of Nasdaq notifying the Company that our stockholders’ equity as reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2024 (“2024 10-K”) did not satisfy the stockholders’ equity continued listing requirement under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) for the Nasdaq Capital Market, which requires that a listed company’s stockholders’ equity be at least $2,500,000 (the “Equity Rule”). In our 2024 10-K, we reported stockholders’ equity of $2,440,000, and, as a result, did not satisfy the Equity Rule.

 

The Notice had no immediate effect on our listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. In accordance with Nasdaq rules, the Company has 45 calendar days from the date of the Notice to submit a plan to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1). We intend to submit a compliance plan within 45 days of the date of the Notice and will evaluate available options to resolve the deficiency and regain compliance. If our compliance plan is accepted, we may be granted up to 180 calendar days from March 26, 2025 to evidence compliance. As a result of the completion of our Private Placement transaction with Blue Harbour Asset Management L.L.C-FZ on April 11, 2025, as described further below, the Company believes it has stockholders’ equity of at least $2.5 million. The Company awaits Nasdaq’s formal confirmation that it has evidenced compliance with the Equity Rule. Furthermore, if deemed compliant, Nasdaq will continue to monitor the Company to ensure its ongoing compliance with the Equity Rule and, if at the time of filing of the Company’s next periodic financial statements that covers the period following the closing of the Private Placement, the Company does not evidence compliance with the Equity Rule, the Company may be subject to delisting from Nasdaq. See Note 9. Subsequent Events.

 

On March 27, 2025, our Board appointed Gabriel Loh as an independent director of the Company. The Board determined that Mr. Loh is “independent” as defined under the relevant rules of the SEC and The Nasdaq Stock Market and appointed him to serve as a member of the Audit Committee.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statement presentation. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2025 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2025, or any future interim periods.

 

The balance sheet as of December 31, 2024 is derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These unaudited condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and footnotes thereto included in our 2024 10-K.

 

The accompanying condensed financial statements have been prepared assuming we will continue as a going concern.

 

As of March 31, 2025, we had cash of approximately $1.9 million, which we believe is sufficient to fund our planned operations through the first quarter of 2026. We are exploring several financing and strategic alternatives; however, there can be no assurance that our efforts will be successful.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Going Concern Assessment

 

We assess going concern uncertainty in our financial statements to determine if we have sufficient cash on hand and working capital, including available borrowings on loans, to operate for a period of at least one year from the date the financial statements are issued or available to be issued, which is referred to as the look-forward period as defined by Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (“ASU No. 2014-15”). As part of this assessment, based on conditions that are known and reasonably knowable to us, we will consider various scenarios, forecasts, projections, estimates and will make certain key assumptions, including the timing and nature of projected cash expenditures or programs, and our ability to delay or curtail expenditures or programs, if necessary, among other factors. Based on this assessment, as necessary or applicable, we make certain assumptions around implementing curtailments or delays in the nature and timing of programs and expenditures to the extent we deem probable those implementations can be achieved, and we have the proper authority to execute them within the look-forward period in accordance with ASU No. 2014-15.

 

Based upon the above assessment, our efforts to reduce operating costs and expenditures, and given our existing cash and projected disbursements, we concluded that, at the date of filing the financial statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2025, we had sufficient cash to fund our operations for the next 12 months without additional funds. Accordingly, the financial statements do not include adjustments that would be necessary if the going concern assumption were inappropriate.

 

Stock-Based Compensation

 

We recognize compensation expense using a fair-value based method for all stock-based payments including stock options and restricted stock awards and stock issued under an employee stock purchase plan. These standards require companies to estimate the fair value of stock-based payment awards on the date of grant using an option pricing model. See Note 3. Stock Plans for a discussion of our stock-based compensation plans.

 

Cash

 

Our investment policy emphasizes liquidity and preservation of principal over other portfolio considerations. We select investments that maximize interest income to the extent possible given these two constraints. We satisfy liquidity requirements by investing excess cash in securities with different maturities to match projected cash needs and limit concentration of credit risk by diversifying our investments among a variety of high credit-quality issuers and limiting the amount of credit exposure to any one issuer. The estimated fair values have been determined using available market information. We do not use derivative financial instruments in our investment portfolio.

 

We maintain significant cash balances at financial institutions which throughout the year regularly exceed the federally insured limit of $250,000. Any loss incurred or a lack of access to such funds could have a significant adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

All investments with original maturities of three months or less are considered to be cash equivalents. We had no cash equivalents as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024.

 

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

 

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets consist primarily of prepaid insurance, prepaid rent, prepaid payroll, and other expenses. Prepaid expenses are recorded at cost and are amortized over the periods benefited using the straight-line method. The Company reviews prepaid expenses at each balance sheet date and adjusts the carrying amounts as necessary to reflect the remaining estimated benefit.

 

Leases

 

We determine whether the arrangement is or contains a lease at inception. Operating lease right-of-use assets and lease liabilities are recognized at the present value of the future lease payments at commencement date. The interest rate implicit in lease contracts is typically not readily determinable, and therefore, we utilize our incremental borrowing rate, which is the rate incurred to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment. Certain adjustments to the right-of-use asset may be required for items such as initial direct costs paid or incentives received.

 

Lease expense is recognized over the expected term on a straight-line basis. Operating leases are recognized on our condensed balance sheets as right-of-use assets, operating lease liabilities current and operating lease liabilities non-current.

 

We leased our office facility under an operating lease that expired in June 2024 and was not renewed. Rent expense associated with this lease was approximately $32,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

 

Subsequent Events

 

We have evaluated events that have occurred after March 31, 2025 and through the date that our condensed financial statements are issued. See Note 9. Subsequent Events.

 

Fair Value Measurements

 

Financial instruments, including receivables, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, are carried at cost, and their fair values are approximated due to the short-term nature of these instruments.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

See Note 1 to our financial statements included in our 2024 10-K for information on recent accounting pronouncements.