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Related Party Transactions |
16. Related Party Transactions Founders Agreement and Management Services Agreement The Company has entered into Founders Agreements with each of the Fortress partner companies and subsidiaries listed in the table below. Pursuant to each Founders Agreement, in exchange for the time and capital expended in the formation of each partner company/subsidiary and the identification of specific assets the acquisition of which result in the formation of a viable emerging growth life science company, Fortress will loan each such partner company/subsidiary an amount representing the up-front fee required to acquire assets. Each Founders Agreement has a term of 15 years, which upon expiration automatically renews for successive one-year periods unless terminated by the Company or upon a Change in Control (as defined in the Founders Agreement) occurs. In connection with each Founders Agreement the Company received a number of either Class A Preferred shares or Class A Common Stock – see Note 20). The Class A Preferred Stock or Class A Common Stock (such stock, the “Founders Stock”) is identical to common stock other than as to voting rights, conversion rights and the Payment-in-Kind (“PIK”) Dividend right (as described below). Each share of Founders Stock is entitled to vote the number of votes that is equal to one and one-tenth (1.1) times a fraction, the numerator of which is the sum of (A) the shares of outstanding common stock and (B) the whole shares of common stock into which the shares of outstanding Founders Stock are convertible and the denominator of which is the number of shares of outstanding Founders Stock. Thus, the Founders Stock will at all times constitute a voting majority. Each share of Founders Stock is convertible, at the holder’s option, into one fully paid and nonassessable share of common stock of such partner company/subsidiary, subject to certain adjustments. The holders of Founders Stock, as a class, are entitled receive on each effective date or “Trigger Date” (defined as the date that the Company first acquired, whether by license or otherwise, ownership rights to a product) of each agreement (each a “PIK Dividend Payment Date”) and on each anniversary date of such date until the date all outstanding Founders Stock is converted into common stock or redeemed (and the purchase price is paid in full), pro rata per share dividends paid in additional fully paid and nonassessable shares of common stock (“PIK Dividends”) such that the aggregate number of shares of common stock issued pursuant to such PIK Dividend is equal to two and one-half percent (2.5%) of such partner company or subsidiary’s fully-diluted outstanding capitalization on the date that is one (1) business day prior to any PIK Dividend Payment Date. The Company has reached agreements with several of the partner companies and subsidiaries to change the PIK Dividend Interest Payment Date to January 1 of each year - a change that has not and will not result in the issuance of any additional partner company/subsidiary common stock beyond that amount to which the Company would otherwise be entitled absent such change(s). The Company owns 100% of the Founders Stock of each partner company/subsidiary that has a Founders Agreement with the Company. As additional consideration under the Founders Agreement, each partner company and subsidiary with which the Company has entered into a Founders Agreement will also: (i) pay an equity fee in shares of the common stock of such partner company/subsidiary, payable within five (5) business days of the closing of any equity or debt financing for each partner company/subsidiary or any of its respective subsidiaries that occurs after the effective date of the Founders Agreement and ending on the date when the Company no longer has majority voting control in such partner company or subsidiary’s voting equity, equal to two and one-half (2.5%) of the gross amount of any such equity or debt financing; and (ii) pay a cash fee equal to four and one-half percent (4.5%) of such partner company or subsidiary’s annual net sales, payable on an annual basis, within ninety (90) days of the end of each calendar year. In the event of a Change in Control, each such partner company/subsidiary will pay a one-time change in control fee equal to five (5x) times the product of (A) net sales for the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the change in control and (B) four and one-half percent (4.5%). In the case of Urica, however, the obligation to pay Fortress royalties under the Founders Agreement survives any such Change in Control.
The following table summarizes, by subsidiary, the PIK dividends, annual equity fees, and equity fees recorded by the Company in accordance with the terms of the Founders Agreements, Exchange Agreements and the partner companies’/subsidiaries’ certificates of incorporation for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 ($ in thousands):
Management Services Agreements The Company has entered into Management Services Agreements (the “MSAs”) with certain of its partner companies and subsidiaries. Pursuant to each MSA, the Company’s management and personnel provide advisory, consulting and strategic services to each such partner company/subsidiary for an initial period of five (5) years (with such initial terms automatically renewing for successive five-year periods unless terminated by the Company or the partner company/subsidiary on at least 90 days’ notice prior to the expiration of any such five-year period). Such services may include, without limitation, (i) advice and assistance concerning any and all aspects of each such company’s operations, clinical trials, financial planning and strategic transactions and financings and (ii) conducting relations on behalf of each such company with accountants, attorneys, financial advisors and other professionals (collectively, the “Services”). Each such partner company/subsidiary is obligated to utilize clinical research services, medical education, communication and marketing services and investor relations/public relation services of companies or individuals designated by Fortress, provided those services are offered at market prices. However, such companies are not obligated to take or act upon any advice rendered from Fortress, and Fortress shall not be liable to any such partner company/subsidiary for its actions or inactions based upon Fortress’ advice. Fortress and its affiliates, including all members of Fortress’ Board of Directors, have been contractually exempted from fiduciary duties to each such partner company/subsidiary relating to corporate opportunities. The following table summarizes, by partner company/subsidiary, the effective date of the MSA and the annual consulting fee payable by the partner company/subsidiary to Fortress in quarterly installments ($ in thousands):
Fees and Stock Issuances 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. Shared Services Agreement with 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 Interim 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 years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company invoiced TGTX $0.9 million and $0.4 million, respectively. At December 31, 2024, there was approximately $36,000 due from TGTX related to this arrangement. Desk Share Agreement with TGTX The Desk Share Agreement between the Company and TGTX, as amended, requires TGTX to pay 65% of the average annual rent for the Company’s New York, NY office space. Additionally, the Company has reserved the right to execute desk share agreements with other third parties and those arrangements will affect the cost of the lease actually borne by the Company. Each initial Desk Share Agreement has a term of five years. In connection with the Company’s Desk Share Agreement with TGTX for the New York, NY office space, for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had paid $2.9 million and $2.8 million in rent, respectively, and invoiced TGTX approximately $1.7 million and $1.8 million respectively, for their prorated share of the rent base. At December 31, 2024, there were no amounts due from TGTX related to this arrangement. Avenue Subscription and Forgiveness Agreement
On November 13, 2024, the Company entered into a Subscription and Forgiveness Agreement with Avenue, whereby the Company agreed to convert 50% of a total of $0.5 million owed by Avenue under the MSA into newly issued common stock of Avenue and forgive the remaining 50% of the accrued balance. Therefore, Avenue issued a total of 122,850 shares to the Company based on the closing price of $2.035 on the day prior to the execution of the agreement.
Avenue September 2023 Private Placement
In September 2023, Avenue entered into an arrangement with Fortress and Dr. Lindsay A. Rosenwald (Dr. Rosenwald and Fortress, together, the “Avenue Private Placement Investors”), pursuant to which Avenue agreed to issue and sell 10,227 shares of Avenue common stock for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $550,000 in a private placement transaction. The Avenue common shares were purchased at a price per share of $53.775, by the Avenue Private Placement Investors, which was the “consolidated closing bid price” of the Avenue common stock on Nasdaq as of September 7, 2023, in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5365(c). The net proceeds to Avenue from the private placement were approximately $550,000. Board Services Agreement In December 2016, Checkpoint entered into an advisory agreement effective January 1, 2017 with Caribe BioAdvisors, LLC (“Caribe”), owned by Michael S. Weiss, to provide the advisory services of Mr. Weiss as Chairman of the Board. Pursuant to the agreement, Caribe will be paid an annual cash fee of $60,000, in addition to any and all annual equity incentive grants paid to members of the board. In June 2023, Mr. Weiss assigned the agreement with Checkpoint to Hawkins BioVentures, LLC, also owned by Michael Weiss. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, Checkpoint recognized approximately $153,000 and $110,000 in expenses related to the advisory agreement, including approximately $93,000 and $50,000 in expenses related to annual equity incentive grants.
Checkpoint Collaborative Agreements with TGTX Checkpoint previously 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. Effective September 30, 2023, Checkpoint and TGTX agreed to mutually terminate both the collaboration agreement and the sublicense agreement. Shared Services Agreement with Journey In November 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 reimburses the Company for the salary and benefit costs associated with these employees based upon actual hours worked on Journey-related projects. 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 year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company’s employees have provided services to Journey totaling approximately $38,000 and $0.1 million, respectively. At December 31, 2024, approximately $0.6 million is due from Journey, primarily related to reimbursable expenses incurred by Fortress on behalf of Journey. 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 December 31, 2024, there are 320,000 shares of Cyprium PPS outstanding. The Cyprium PPS is fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Fortress. 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, a product candidate previously developed by Cyprium. Upon the PRV Sale, each share of Cyprium PPS will be automatically redeemed in exchange for a payment equal to twice the $25.00 liquidation preference, plus accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the redemption date. If a PRV Sale has not occurred by March 31, 2026 (the “Exchange Date), the Cyprium PPS will automatically be exchanged for Fortress Series A Preferred Stock or cash, at the discretion of Fortress. |