3.    Business Combination

On October 7, 2024, the Company entered into a Share Exchange Agreement (the “Exchange Agreement”) with Sealbond Limited, a British Virgin Islands corporation (“Sealbond”), pursuant to which the Company acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Pharmagesic (Holdings) Inc., a Canadian corporation (“Pharmagesic”) (such transaction, the “Combination”). Prior to the Combination, Pharmagesic was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sealbond and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of CK Life Sciences Int’l., (Holdings) Inc. (“CKLS”), a listed entity on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Under the terms of the Exchange Agreement, on October 7, 2024 (the “Closing”), in exchange for all of the outstanding common shares of Pharmagesic immediately prior to the Effective Time, the Company issued to Sealbond, as sole shareholder of Pharmagesic, an aggregate of (A) 211,383 shares of the Company’s unregistered Common Stock, which shares shall represent a number of shares equal to no more than 19.99% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock as of immediately before the Effective Time and (B) 2,108.3854 shares of the Company’s unregistered Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Series A Preferred Stock”) (as described below). The issuance of the shares of Common Stock and Series A Preferred Stock to Sealbond occurred on October 9, 2024. Each share of Series A Preferred Stock is

convertible into 10,000 shares of Common Stock, subject to certain conditions described in the Exchange Agreement.

The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) approved the Exchange Agreement and the related transactions, and the consummation of the Combination was not subject to approval of Company stockholders. Pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, the Company agreed to hold a stockholders’ meeting to submit the certain matters to its stockholders for their consideration, including: (i) the approval of the conversion of shares of Series A Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock in accordance with the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the “Conversion Proposal”) and (ii) the approval of a “change of control” under Nasdaq Listing Rules 5110 and 5635(b) (the “Change of Control Proposal”); and together with the Conversion Proposal, the “Meeting Proposals”). In connection with these matters, the Company agreed to file a proxy statement on Schedule 14A with the SEC at any time between the interim analysis readout of the Phase 2b study for Halneuron^® and June 30, 2026, or earlier, if mutually agreed upon by both parties.

The Company’s transaction costs of $4.9 million were expensed as incurred and included in the General and Administration expenses in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations.

The transaction was accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method, the total purchase price of the acquisition is allocated to the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the fair values as of the date of the acquisition. Consideration paid is comprised of the estimated fair value of various securities issued including the Series A  Preferred Stock and Common Stock issued to Sealbond, the sole shareholder of Pharmagesic. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, the preliminary purchase price allocation was updated, including the related determination of fair value of these securities issued as consideration, the allocation of consideration to the specific in-process research and development programs acquired and the related tax implications for the updates to the purchase price allocation.  

The fair value of the consideration totaled approximately $71.3 million, summarized as follows:

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The Company recorded the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the date of the Combination based on the information available at that date. The following table presents the allocation of the purchase price to the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the Combination date:

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The fair value of IPR&D was capitalized as of the Combination date and accounted for as indefinite-lived intangible assets until completion or disposition of the assets or abandonment of the associated research and development efforts. Upon successful completion of the development efforts, the useful lives of the IPR&D assets will be determined based on the anticipated period of regulatory exclusivity and will be amortized within operating expenses. Until that time, the IPR&D assets will be subject to impairment testing and will not be amortized. The goodwill recorded related to the acquisition is the excess of the fair value of the consideration transferred by the acquirer over the fair value of the net identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of the Combination. The goodwill recorded is not deductible for tax purposes.

The following summarizes the Company’s intangible assets and goodwill acquired in connection with the Combination and their carrying value as of December 31, 2024.

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Intangible asset fair values for the two IPR&D programs were determined using the Multi-Period Excess Earnings Method (“MPEEM”) which is a form of the income approach. Under the MPEEM, the fair value of an intangible asset is equal to the present value of the asset's incremental after-tax cash flows (excess earnings) remaining after deducting the market rates of return on the estimated value of contributory assets (contributory charge) over its remaining useful life. To calculate fair value of acquired IPR&D programs under the MPEEM, the Company uses probability-weighted cash flows discounted at a rate considered appropriate given the significant inherent risks associated with drug development by development-stage companies. Cash flows were calculated based on estimated projections of revenues and expenses related to each program and then reduced by a contributory charge on requisite assets employed. Contributory assets included debt-free working capital, net fixed assets and assembled workforce. Rates of return on the contributory assets were based on rates used for comparable market participants. Cash flows were assumed to extend through the market exclusivity period estimated to be provided by trade-secrets and patents for the synthetic manufacture of drug product. The resultant cash flows were then discounted to present value using a weighted-average cost of equity capital for companies with profiles substantially similar to that of each acquired IPR&D program, which the Company believes represents the rate that market participants would use to value the assets. The Company compensated for the phase of development of each program by probability-adjusting its estimation of the expected future cash flows. The projected cash flows were based on significant assumptions, such as the time and resources needed to complete the development and approval of each IPR&D program, estimates of revenue and operating profit related to the program considering its stage of development, the life of the potential commercialized product and associated risks, including the inherent difficulties and uncertainties in drug development, such as obtaining marketing approval from the FDA and other regulatory agencies, and risks related to the viability of and potential alternative treatments in any future target markets.

Unaudited Pro Forma Financial Information

The following unaudited pro forma financial information reflects the consolidated results of operations of the Company as if the Combination had taken place on January 1, 2023. The unaudited pro forma financial

information is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations as they would have been had the transactions been effected on the assumed date.

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Nonrecurring pro forma transaction costs directly attributable to the Combination was $4.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. There were no such costs for the year ending December 31, 2023. The costs deducted included success fees of $3.6 million in the aggregate incurred with financial advisors in connection with the Combination.