15. Related Party Transactions

The Company’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, individually and through certain trusts over which he has voting and dispositive control, beneficially owns approximately 11.5% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Stock as of September 30, 2023. The Company’s Executive Vice Chairman, Strategic Development owns approximately 11.0% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Stock as of September 30, 2023.

Avenue September 2023 Private Placement

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In September 2023, Avenue entered into an unwritten agreement with Fortress and the Company’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, a director on the board of directors of Avenue (the “Private Placement Investors”), pursuant to which Avenue agreed to issue and sell 767,085 shares (the “Avenue September 2023 Private Placement Shares”) of Avenue common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $550,000 in a private placement transaction (the “Avenue September 2023 Private Placement”) exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder. The Avenue common shares were purchased by the Private Placement Investors at a price per Avenue September 2023 Private Placement Share of $0.717, which was the “consolidated closing bid price” of the Avenue common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market as of September 7, 2023, in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5365(c). The gross proceeds to Avenue from the Avenue September 2023 Private Placement were approximately $550,000. Avenue did not incur any underwriting or placement agent fees associated with the Avenue September 2023 Private Placement. Avenue intends to use the net proceeds from the Avenue September 2023 Private Placement for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

Shared Services Agreement with TG Therapeutics, Inc (“TGTX”)

In July 2015, TGTX and the Company entered into an arrangement to share the cost of certain research and development employees. The Company’s Executive Vice Chairman, Strategic Development, is Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TGTX. Under the terms of the Agreement, TGTX will reimburse the Company for the salary and benefit costs associated with these employees based upon actual hours worked on TGTX related projects. In connection with the shared services agreement, for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 the Company invoiced TGTX $0.1 million and $0.1 million, respectively; for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company invoiced TGTX $0.3 million and $0.7 million, respectively. At September 30, 2023, $0.1 million is due from TGTX related to this arrangement.

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Shared Services Agreement with Journey

On November 12, 2021, Journey and the Company entered into an arrangement to share the cost of certain legal, finance, regulatory, and research and development employees. The Company’s Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is the Executive Chairman of Journey. Under the terms of the arrangement, Journey began reimbursing the Company for the salary and benefit costs associated with these employees based upon actual hours worked on Journey related projects following the completion of their initial public offering in November 2021. In addition, Journey reimburses the Company for various payroll-related costs and selling, general and administrative costs incurred by Fortress for the benefit of Journey. For the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company’s employees have provided services to Journey totaling approximately $11,000 and $7,000, respectively; for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company’s employees have provided services to Journey totaling approximately $47,000 and $0.1 million, respectively. At September 30, 2023, approximately $11,000 is due from Journey related to this arrangement.

Desk Share Agreement with TGTX

The Desk Share Agreement with TGTX, as amended, requires TGTX to pay their share of the average annual rent for office space in New York, NY and Waltham, MA, the latter until December 31, 2022 only, based on actual percentage of the office space occupied on a month-by-month basis. For the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company had paid $0.6 million and $0.9 million in rent, respectively, and in connection with the Company’s Desk Share Agreement with TGTX, has invoiced TGTX approximately $0.5 million and $0.5 million, respectively, for their prorated share of the rent base. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company had paid $1.5 million and $1.4 million in rent, respectively, and in connection with the Company’s Desk Share Agreement with TGTX, has invoiced TGTX approximately $1.4 million and $1.4 million, respectively, for their prorated share of the rent base. At September 30, 2023, there was no balance due from TGTX related to this arrangement.

Checkpoint Collaborative Agreements with TGTX

Checkpoint has entered into various agreements with TGTX to develop and commercialize certain assets in connection with its licenses, including a collaboration agreement for some of the Dana Farber licensed antibodies, and a sublicense agreement for the Jubilant family of patents. Checkpoint believes that by partnering with TGTX to develop these compounds in therapeutic areas outside of its business focus, it may substantially offset its preclinical costs and milestone costs related to the development and marketing of these compounds in solid tumor indications.  Effective September 30, 2023, Checkpoint and TGTX agreed to mutually terminate both the collaboration agreement and the sublicense agreement.

Contribution Agreement with Avenue

On May 11, 2022, the Company entered into a stock contribution agreement (the “Contribution Agreement”) with Avenue, pursuant to which the Company agreed to transfer ownership of 100% of its shares (common and preferred) in Baergic to Avenue. Under the Contribution Agreement, the Company also agreed to assign to Avenue certain intercompany agreements existing between Fortress and Baergic, including a Founders Agreement, by and between Fortress and Baergic, dated as of March 9, 2017, and Management Services Agreement, by and between Fortress and Baergic, dated as of March 9, 2017. Consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Contribution Agreement is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent, including, inter alia: (i) the closing of an equity financing by Avenue resulting in gross proceeds of at least $7.5 million, (ii) the agreement by minority Avenue shareholder InvaGen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“InvaGen”) to (A) have 100% of its shares in Avenue repurchased by Avenue and (B) terminate certain of the agreements into which it entered with Avenue and/or the Company in connection with InvaGen’s 2019 equity investment in Avenue, which would eliminate certain negative consent rights of InvaGen over Avenue and restore certain rights and privileges of Fortress in Avenue (all upon terms to be agreed upon with InvaGen); and (iii) the sustained listing of Avenue’s common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market.  On October 11, 2022, Avenue announced the closing of an underwritten public offering in which it received net proceeds of approximately $10.4 million.  The offering, together with the October 2022 repurchase of Avenue common shares held by InvaGen, resulted in the consummation of the Contribution Agreement in November 2022 (see Note 3, Asset Purchase Agreements).

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Cyprium 9.375% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock Dividend Obligation

Pursuant to a private placement in August 2020, Cyprium sold shares of its 9.375% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock (“Cyprium PPS”); as of September 30, 2023, there are 316,600 shares of Cyprium PPS outstanding.

Pursuant to the terms of the Cyprium PPS, shareholders on the record date are entitled to receive a monthly cash dividend of $0.19531 per share which yields an annual dividend of $2.34375 per share. The Cyprium PPS will automatically be redeemed upon the first (and only the first) bona fide, arm’s-length sale of a Priority Review Voucher (a “PRV Sale”) issued by the FDA in connection with the approval of CUTX-101, Cyprium’s copper histidinate product candidate. Upon the PRV Sale, each share of Cyprium PPS will be automatically redeemed in exchange for a payment equal to twice (2x) the $25.00 liquidation preference, plus accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the redemption date.

An optional exchange to Fortress Series A Preferred Stock is available after 24 months from the issuance date so long as a sale of the PRV has not occurred. Additionally, if a PRV Sale has not occurred by September 30, 2024 the Cyprium PPS is either automatically exchanged for Fortress Series A Preferred Stock or cash at the discretion of Fortress. The Cyprium PPS is fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Fortress.

Founders Agreement

The Company has entered into Founders Agreements and, in some cases, exchange agreements with certain of its subsidiaries as described in the 2022 Form 10-K. The following table summarizes, by partner company/subsidiary, the effective date of the Founders Agreements and Payment-in-Kind (“PIK”) dividend or equity fee payable to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Founders Agreements, exchange agreements, and the subsidiaries' certificates of incorporation:

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Management Services Agreements

The Company has entered into Management Services Agreements (the “MSAs”) with certain of its partner companies/subsidiaries as described in the 2022 Form 10-K. The following table summarizes the effective date of each MSA and the annual consulting fee payable by the partner company/subsidiary to the Company in quarterly installments:

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Note 2:  Due to the November 2022 consummation of the Contribution Agreement between the Company and Avenue, Avenue (and not the Company) is now eligible to receive MSA fees from Baergic in accordance with the terms of the Founders Agreement and Baergic’s Certificate of Incorporation.

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Fees and Stock Grants Received by Fortress

Fees recorded in connection with Fortress’ agreements with its subsidiaries and partner companies are eliminated in consolidation. These include management services fees, issuance of common shares of partner companies in connection with third party raises and annual stock dividend or issuances on the anniversary date of respective Founders Agreements.