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14. Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, Mustang identified triggering events that required an impairment of the asset group consisting of its’ right-of-use asset and associated leasehold improvements. The assessment concluded that impairment existed, and the impairment loss was allocated to the leasehold improvements and right-of-use assets based on the relative carrying amounts of the assets (see Note 3).

During three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded the following as lease costs for the periods presented:

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The following tables summarize quantitative information about the Company’s operating leases, under the adoption of ASC Topic 842, Leases:

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Indemnification

In accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and indemnification agreements, the Company has indemnification obligations to its officers and directors for certain events or occurrences, subject to certain limits, while they are serving at the Company’s request in such capacity. There have been no claims to date, and the Company has director and officer insurance to address such claims. The Company and its subsidiaries and partner companies also provide indemnification of contractual counterparties (sometimes without monetary caps) to clinical sites, service providers and licensors.

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Legal Proceedings

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In the ordinary course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries and partner companies may be subject to both insured and uninsured litigation. Suits and claims may be brought against the Company by customers, suppliers, partners and/or third parties (including tort claims for personal injury arising from clinical trials of the Company’s product candidates and property damage) alleging deficiencies in performance, breach of contract, etc., and seeing resulting alleged damages.

University of Tennessee Research Foundation v. Caelum Biosciences, Inc.

Caelum Biosciences, Inc. (“Caelum”), a former subsidiary of Fortress that was sold to AstraZeneca’s Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. subsidiary (“Alexion”) in October 2021, was the defendant in a lawsuit brought by The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (“UTRF”) captioned as University of Tennessee Research Foundation v. Caelum Biosciences, Inc., No. 19-cv-00508, which was formerly pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee (the “UTRF Litigation”). UTRF brought claims against Caelum, for, inter alia, trade secret misappropriation. UTRF primarily alleged that Caelum unauthorizedly used non-patent trade secrets owned by UTRF in the development of Caelum’s 11-1F4 monoclonal antibody, known as CAEL-101. Under the agreement pursuant to which Alexion acquired Caelum (as amended, the “DOSPA”), Fortress had certain indemnification obligations of Caelum pertaining to the UTRF litigation and maintained a consent right over any potential settlements of the UTRF litigation by Caelum.

On September 16, 2024, Caelum and UTRF entered into a stipulation with the court pursuant to which UTRF’s claims were dismissed without prejudice; on October 16, 2024, Caelum and UTRF entered into a definitive settlement agreement (the “UTRF-Caelum Settlement Agreement”) pursuant to which UTRF’s claims were dismissed with prejudice and Caelum agreed to make an upfront payment and additional potential milestone-based payments to UTRF.  Fortress and the other sellers under the DOSPA are explicit releasees and third party beneficiaries under the UTRF-Caelum Settlement Agreement.  In connection with the execution of the UTRF-Caelum Settlement Agreement, Caelum, Alexion and Fortress entered into an amendment to the DOSPA (the “DOSPA Amendment”), which, inter alia: (1) terminated any continuing indemnification by Fortress and the other sellers under the DOSPA in respect of the UTRF Litigation; (2) reduced the amounts of the potential future earn-out payments potentially owing to the sellers under the DOSPA (including Fortress) from an aggregate amount up to $350 million to an aggregate amount up to $295 million; (3) released to Caelum all amounts remaining in an escrow fund that had been established at the time of the Alexion acquisition to backstop potential indemnifiable damages, including those incurring under the UTRF Litigation (with 100% of such released amount constituting reimbursement for legal fees and other expenses incurred by Caelum in defending the UTRF Litigation); and (4) memorialized Fortress’ consent for Caelum to settle the UTRF Litigation.  Neither the UTRF-Caelum Settlement Agreement nor the DOSPA Amendment implicates any out-of-pocket payment by Fortress or any other seller under the DOSPA.  Fortress remains eligible to receive approximately $19 million upon regulatory approval of CAEL-101 and approximately $125 million in the aggregate across all remaining regulatory and sales milestones.