UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549


FORM 10-KSB10-K

(Mark One)

xAnnual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

x Annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

forFor the fiscal year ended December 31, 20022003

¨¨Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the transition period from              to             

 

Commission File NumberNo. 000-32877


PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(Name of Small Business Issuer in its Charter)

 

Nevada

 

04-3562325

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

incorporation or organization)

Identification No.)

189 Wells Avenue, Newton, Massachusetts

 

02459

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

(Zip Code)

 

(617) 559-0033

(Registrant’s telephone numberTelephone Number, Including Area Code)


Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Name of each exchangeExchange on which registered

NoneCommon Stock, Par Value $.001

 

Not ApplicableAmerican Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act:

 

Common Stock, Par Value $0.001

(Title of Class)None

 

CheckIndicate by check mark whether the issuerregistrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the pastpreceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. YESx    NO¨

 

CheckIndicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers in responsepursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-BS-K is not contained in this form,herein, and no disclosure will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-KSB10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-KSB.10-K.¨

 

State issuer’s revenues for its most recent fiscal year: The issuerIndicate by check mark whether the registrant is a development stage company and has no revenues to report at this time.an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). YES¨    NOx

 

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of March 20,June 30, 2003 was: $30,074,585

(ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY

PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PRECEDING FIVE YEARS)

Check whether the issuer has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court. YES¨    NO¨

NOT APPLICABLE

APPLICABLE ONLY TO CORPORATE REGISTRANTSwas $49,045,386.

 

The number of shares outstanding of the issuer’s Common Stock, $.001 par value,registrant’s common stock as of March 20, 200315, 2004 was 20,072,647.24,079,300.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement for the 20032004 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III

Transitional Small Business Disclosure Format (check one): YES¨    NOx

of this Report.



TABLE OF CONTENTSINDEX TO FORM 10-K

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2003

 

PAGE

PART I1

Item 1.

Description of Business

  

  1

Item 2.

ITEM 1.
  

Description of PropertyBusiness

  

19

3

Item 3.

ITEM 2.
  

Properties

16
ITEM 3.Legal Proceedings

  

19

16

ItemITEM 4.

  

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

  

20

16

PART II

ItemITEM 5.

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities17
ITEM 6.Selected Consolidated Financial Data18
ITEM 7.  

Market for Common EquityManagement’s Discussion and Related Stockholder MattersAnalysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

  

22

19

Item 6.

ITEM 7A.
  

Plan of OperationQuantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

  

23

28

Item 7.

ITEM 8.
  

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

  

25

28

Item 8.

ITEM 9.
  

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

  

26

28
ITEM 9A.Controls and Procedures28

PART III

Item 9.

ITEM 10.
  

Directors and Executive Officers Promoters and Control Persons; Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange ActRegistrant

  

27

29

Item 10.

ITEM 11.
  

Executive Compensation

  

27

29

Item 11.

ITEM 12.
  

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

  

27

29

Item 12.

ITEM 13.
  

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

29
ITEM 14.Principal Accountant Fees and Services29

PART IV

  

27

Item 13.

ITEM 15.
  

Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules, and Reports on Form 8-K

  

27

30

Item 14.

SIGNATURES
  

Controls and Procedures

27

32


PART I

Item 1.    Description of Business

Forward-Looking StatementsFORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This annual report on Form 10-KSB10-K contains, in addition to historical information, forward-looking statements.statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements. We caution investors that actual results or business conditions may differ materially from those projected or suggested in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors including, but not limited to, the following: uncertainties as to the utility and market for our potential products; uncertainties associated with preclinical and clinical trials of our drug delivery candidates; our limited experience in product development and expected dependence on potential licensees and collaborators for commercial manufacturing, sales, distribution and marketing of our potential products; possible development by competitors of competing products and technologies; lack of assurance regarding patent and other protection of our proprietary technology; compliance with and change of government regulation of our activities, facilities and personnel; uncertainties as to the extent of reimbursement for our potential products by government and private health insurers; our dependence on key personnel; our history of operating losses and accumulated deficit; and economic conditions related to the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industry. We cannot assure you that we have identified all the factors that create uncertainties. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

 

PART I

Item 1.    Business

Corporate Formation

 

We were incorporated as “DTR-Med Pharma Corp.” under Nevada law in January 2001 for the purpose of acquiring all the outstanding stock of our predecessor, Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which was a Massachusetts corporation engaged in a drug-development business we desired to acquire. From our incorporation until just before the acquisition, we were a wholly-owned subsidiary of Developed Technology Resource, Inc., a Minnesota corporation whose common stock is publicly traded on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board. In exchange for 1,221,890 shares of our common stock, Developed Technology transferred to us certain contractual rights. As part of that process, Developed Technology distributed its holdings of our common stock to its shareholders of record as of May 7, 2001. In anticipation of the acquisition of the Massachusetts company, we changed our name to “Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc.”

On May 15, 2001, we acquired all of the outstanding common stock of thea Massachusetts corporation. We acquired these sharescorporation engaged in exchange for 12,354,670 shares of our common stock. As a result, that corporation became our wholly owned subsidiary, and its shareholders through an exchange owned approximately 91% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, with the Developed Technology shareholders owning the remaining 9%.drug delivery development business. After the acquisition, we merged with the Massachusetts corporation and are the surviving corporationcorporation. For additional information, please see Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in the merger. The merger was treatedthis Annual Report on Form 10-K. In December 2003 we organized Pro-Pharmaceuticals Securities Corp. as a capital transactionwholly-owned Delaware subsidiary the sole purpose of which is to hold our cash and was accounted for ascash equivalents in a reverse merger in which Pro-Pharmaceuticals (Massachusetts) was the accounting acquirer.tax efficient manner.

 

Our address is 189 Wells Avenue, Newton, Massachusetts 02459. Our telephone number is (617) 559-0033, fax number is (617) 928-3450, e-mail address is foley@pro-pharmaceuticals.com,squeglia@pro-pharmaceuticals.com, and our website address is www.pro-pharmaceuticals.com. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-QSB are fully accessible on our website without charge.

 

Business of Pro-Pharmaceuticals

 

Introduction

 

We are a research and developmentdevelopment-stage pharmaceutical company that intends to identify, develop and seek regulatory approval of technology that will reduce toxicity and improve the efficacy of currently existing chemotherapy drugs by combining the drugs with a number of specificour proprietary carbohydrate compounds. Our fundamental objective is to increase the body’s tolerance to the drugs by enabling targeted delivery of the drugs while

protectingin order to protect healthy tissue. This wouldOur targeting technology could also permit use of largerhigher doses of the chemotherapy drugs sincebecause current dosagesdosage levels are generally limited dueso as to concerns relating to theiravoid overly toxic effects on healthy cells. Our carbohydrate-based drug targeting and delivery system may also have applications for drugs now used to treat other diseases and chronic health conditions.

 

In technical terms, we seek to “reformulate” existing cancer chemotherapy drugs with non-toxic carbohydrate-based compounds that are recognized and adhere to specific binding sites, known as lectins, on the

surface of cancer cells. Reformulation of chemotherapy drugs already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has the following benefits for our business:

 

Our carbohydrate-based drug delivery system requiresand targeting technology may require less time for development and FDA approval, and thus reachescould reach the market sooner, because the active chemotherapy drugs are already approved and in widespread useare widely used for cancer treatment.

 

We expect fewer risks in drug development because our carbohydrate-basedproprietary compounds would be combined“reformulated” with drugs already in widespread use. Use of carbohydrate compounds with increased capacity to bind to receptors only on cancer cells and combining the drug with a harmless carbohydrate polymer will reduce the toxic effect on healthy cells and permit better calibration (including possible increase) of dosages to diseased tissue.

We foresee a readymarket demand for chemotherapy that is less toxic and has greater efficacy. Wemore effective chemotherapeutics, and believe the pharmaceutical industry would respond favorably to better drug delivery systems that upgrade existing chemotherapy treatments which patients could tolerate more easily. and targeting.

The industry would likely also be receptive to patent-protected drug delivery systems that “attach” tocombine with existing chemotherapy drugs whose efficacy has been proven and which may no longer have patent protection has expired.protection.

 

We believe that the development of drug delivery and targeting systems towhich upgrade these widely used drugs can be accomplisheddeveloped with much less investment comparedsubstantially lower costs, and result in faster returns for investors, relative to the typical expenditures made by largeof pharmaceutical companies for aengaged in new drug launch.development.

 

Our Business Strategy and Initial Objectives

 

The initial objectives of our business strategy are as follows:to:

 

Verify and extend theour carbohydrate-based drug enhancement concept utilizing our approachdelivery and targeting system for developing novel cancer chemotherapy products.

 

Expand and enhance clinical applications of at least five widely used chemotherapy drugs (5-Fluorouracil, Adriamycin®, Taxol®, Cytoxan® and Cisplatin®) by combining them with our carbohydrate-based drug delivery system.
Expand and enhance clinical applications of at least six widely used chemotherapy drugs, in addition to 5-Fluorouracil currently in our Phase I/II clinical trials, including irinotecan, doxorubicin, paclitaxel, cyclophosphamide, oxaliplatin and cisplatin, by combining them with our proprietary delivery system.

 

Demonstrate the safety and efficacy of such product candidates by means of preclinicalpre-clinical evaluation and submitting investigational new drug (“IND”) applications to the FDA.

 

Accelerate commercialization by identifying products and diseases that qualify for fast-track designation by the FDA (further described below) with respect to products to be used in treatment of types and stages of cancer for which treatments are now inadequate.

 

Leverage our carbohydrate-based drug enhancementdelivery and targeting technology by applying it to otherthrough “reformulations” of our carbohydrate compounds with FDA-approved drugs, including drugs for conditions or ailments other than cancer, that would benefit from reduced toxicity and/or greater efficacy. This strategy would enable us to increase the portfolio of drugs to which our technology may be applied without corresponding development risk and expense of creating new drugs.

 

Apply our drug enhancement systemproprietary technology to enhance proven drugs under patent protection with the aimgoal of extending the patentcommercial life of currentsuch drugs, or as tocreating new patent protection for generic drugs with expired patents, thus creating new patent protection.patents.

 

Limitations of Chemotherapy for Cancer Treatment

 

Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. The disease may be caused by patient-specific factors such as genetic predisposition, immune deficiency, hormones, diet and smoking, or external factors such as exposure to a toxic environment. It is a leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide.

The most widely used methods to treat cancer are surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Cancer patients often receive a combination of these treatments, and about half of all patients receive chemotherapy. Both radiation and chemotherapy have significant limitations that often result in treatment failure. In the case of chemotherapy, these limitations include:

 

Toxicity.    Most chemotherapy agents kill cancer cells by disrupting the cell division process. Cells are killed once they begin to undergo division and replication. Although these agents are effective on cancer cells, which generally grow rapidly through cell division, they also kill healthy non-cancerous cells as these cells undergo ordinary division. This is particularly apparent in fast-growing normal cells, such as blood cells forming bone marrow, in the digestive tract, hair follicles, and reproductive organ cells. As the chemotherapy harms healthy tissue, the effectiveness of the drug is limited because dosage levels and treatment frequency cannot exceed tolerance levels for noncancerous cells. Moreover, the chemotherapy regimen often dramatically diminishes the quality of a patient’s life through its physical and emotional side effects.

Toxicity.    Most chemotherapy agents kill cancer cells by disrupting the cell division or metabolic process. Cells are killed once they begin to undergo division and replication. Although these agents are effective on cancer cells, which generally grow rapidly through cell division, the drugs also kill healthy non-cancerous cells as they undergo ordinary division. This is particularly apparent in fast-growing normal cells, such as blood cells forming bone marrow, digestive tract tissue, hair follicles, and reproductive organ cells. As the chemotherapy harms healthy tissue, the effectiveness of the drug is limited because dosage levels and treatment frequency cannot exceed tolerance levels for non-cancerous cells. Moreover, the chemotherapy regimen often dramatically diminishes the quality of a patient’s life through its physical and emotional side effects.

 

Inability to Selectively Target Diseased Cells.    The administration of chemotherapy occurs in such a way that the drug reaches both healthy and diseased tissue. Normal cells are generally as receptive as tumors to the toxic effects of chemotherapy. Without the ability to target the drug exclusively to cancerous tissue, chemotherapy dosages must be kept within a range that healthy tissue can tolerate, thus reducing the optimal effectiveness of chemotherapy on diseased tissue.

Inability to Selectively Target Diseased Cells.    Chemotherapies as now administered reach both healthy and diseased tissue. Normal cells are generally as receptive as tumors to the toxic effects of chemotherapy. Without the ability to target the drug exclusively to cancerous tissue, chemotherapy dosages must be kept within a range that healthy tissue can tolerate, thus reducing the optimal effectiveness of chemotherapy on diseased tissue.

 

Drug Delivery Technologies

 

General

 

The ultimate objective of enhanced drug delivery is to control and optimize the localized release of a drug at the target site and rapidly eliminate from the body the portion of the drug that was not delivered to the diseased tissue. Conventional drug delivery systems such as controlled release, sustained release, transdermal systems, and others are based on a physical erosion process for delivering active product into the systemic circulation over time with the objective of improving compliance by patients with a therapy regimen. These systems do not address the biologically important issues such as site targeting, localized release and elimination of undelivered drug from the body.

The major factors that impactmust be addressed in order to reach this objective are the achievementphysical characterisitcs of this ultimate goal are:

Physical characteristics of a drug.    These characteristics affect, among other things, the drug’s interactions with the intended pharmacological target sites and undesired areas of toxicity; and

Biological characteristics of the diseased area.    These characteristics impact the ability of a drug to selectively interact with the intended target site to allow the drug to express the desired pharmacological activity.

a drug, such as its interaction with pharmacological target sites and undesired toxicity, and the biological characteristics of diseased tissue, which affects the ability of a drug to selectively interact with the target site and have the desired pharmacological result. Both of these factors are important in increasing efficacy and reducing toxicity of cancer drugs. Biotechnology affords a new opportunity in drug delivery techniques by taking advantage of biological mechanisms such as drug-cell recognition and interactions and particular physical characteristics of cancerous tissue.

 

Our Focus: Carbohydrate-Based Drug Enhancement Technology

 

We are attempting to developdeveloping a carbohydrate-based drug delivery and targeting technology to direct cancer drugs more selectively to tumor tissue so as to reduce the toxic side effects and improve the tumor reduction capacity of chemotherapy drugs now in common use. Carbohydrates are found in the structural elements of cell wallscells and, among other functions, serve as recognition elements in biomolecules, enabling molecule-cell recognition, and hence, molecular targeting. The dense concentration of chemical functional groups within carbohydrates compared to other chemicals suits them for use in cell recognition applications in biological systems.

 

Our drug enhancement technology is intended to take advantage of the following biological mechanisms to improve drug delivery:

Disease-specific carbohydrate recognition; and

Enhanced permeability and retention in tumors.

Our technology does not change the chemistry of the drugs themselves, but rather “attaches”reformulates cancer drugs towith our proprietary carbohydrate compounds, which interact with sugar-specific proteins, i.e., lectins, found on the surface of the tumor cell.cells. Because of these cell surface interactions, we believe that theseour compounds willmay increase cell permeability, resulting in increased targeted absorption of drugs by cancer cells. These cell surface interactions may also reduce the cells’ ability to adhere to each other as well as to normal tissue, resulting in diminished ability of cancer cells to metastasize, or spread to other tissue systems.

Initial Chemotherapy Applications

 

We believe that our carbohydrate-based drug delivery and targeting enhancement technology applies to essentially any oncology drug whose delivery to the target can be improved by utilizing sugar-specific recognition at the cancer cell surface. Our initial program is designed to be “risk-contained” in that it will focus on proven drugs for which there are already a great deal ofvery substantial data on their therapeutic efficacy and toxicity, along with an accumulated knowledge of their limitations. We intend to apply our drug delivery technology initially to fiveseven widely used chemotherapy agents: 5-Fluorouracil, Adriamycin®, Taxol®, Cytoxan®irinotecan, doxorubicin, paclitaxel, cyclophosphamide, oxaliplatin and Cisplatin®.cisplatin. Each of these drugs is among the most popular drugswidely used in cancer chemotherapy treatment, in the United States, and for each of these drugs there is a strong market need for improving theirits therapeutic efficacy and decreasing theirits toxicity.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), a fluorinated pyrimidine (nucleic acid component), interferes with the synthesis of DNA and inhibits the formation of RNA. DNA is the chemical inside the nucleus of a cell that carries the genetic instructions for making living organisms. RNA delivers DNA’s genetic message to the cytoplasm of a cell where proteins are made. Since DNA and RNA are essential for cell division and growth, 5-FU provokes unbalanced growth and death of the cell. The effect of DNA and RNA deprivation is most marked on those cells, such as cancer cells, which grow more rapidly and which absorb 5-FU at a more rapid rate. 5-FU is effective against cancers of the colon, rectum, breast, stomach and pancreas. This drug is toxic, resulting in side effects such as nausea, vomiting, cardiovascular damage, mouth sores, gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding, skin darkening and fatigue. 5-FU is manufactured by Roche Laboratories under the name of FluorouracilRoche®, and by SICOR Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as Adrucil® for intravenous administration. Originally patented in the late 1950s, its patent protection has expired.

 

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a fluorinated pyrimidine (a nucleic acid component). It interferes with the synthesis of DNA and inhibits the formation of RNA. Since DNA and RNA are essential for cell division and growth, the effect of 5-FU provokes unbalanced growth and death of the cell. The effect of DNA and RNA deprivation is most marked on those cells which grow more rapidly and which take up the 5-FU at a more rapid rate, such as cancer cells. 5-FU is effective against cancers of the colon, rectum, breast, stomach and pancreas. This drug is also toxic, resulting in side effects such as nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding, loss of hair, skin darkening and fatigue. 5-FU is manufactured by Roche Laboratories for intravenous administration. Originally patented in the late 1950s, its patent protection has expired.

Irinotecan, sold under its trade name Camptosar®, is a semisynthetic, water-soluble derivative of camptothecin, which is a cytotoxic alkaloid extracted from plants. Irinotecan and its active metabolite, SN-38, inhibits the activity of topoisomerase I, an enzyme that produces reversible single-strand breaks in DNA during DNA replication. Although primarily used in the treatment of colorectal cancer, it is prescribed for cancer of the cervix, esophagus, stomach, lung and pancreas. Irinotecan is toxic, resulting in side effects such as severe diarrhea, anemia, leukopenia, anorexia, nausea, fever, fatigue and abdominal pain. Its patent expires in April 2005.

 

Adriamycin® (generic name — doxorubicin hydrochloride) is a cytotoxic agent that selectively kills malignant cells and causes tumor regression. It binds to the DNA, and presumably inhibits nucleic acid synthesis. It is used to treat, among others, leukemia, cancers of the breast, ovaries, bladder, stomach and thyroid, as well as Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Adriamycin® is toxic, resulting in side effects such as nausea, vomiting, loss of hair, mouth sores, colon ulceration and heart damage. It is manufactured by Pharmacia Upjohn for intravenous administration. Originally patented in 1971, its patent protection has expired.

Doxorubicin is a cytotoxic agent that selectively kills malignant cells and causes tumor regression. It binds to the DNA, and presumably inhibits nucleic acid synthesis. It is used to treat, among others, leukemia, cancers of the breast, ovaries, bladder, stomach and thyroid, as well as Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Doxorubicin is extremly toxic, resulting in side effects such as nausea, vomiting, loss of hair, mouth sores, colon ulceration and heart damage. It is manufactured by Pharmacia Upjohn for intravenous administration. Originally patented in 1971 and marketed as Adriamycin®, its patent protection has expired.

Paclitaxel, a relatively new anti-leukemic and anti-tumor agent, suppresses cell division by binding to so-called microtubules that form in a cell’s nucleus to help move the chromosomes around during the division process. Paclitaxel is most effective against ovarian and advanced breast cancers, particularly after failure of standard chemotherapy. Studies indicate that it might be effective against leukemia, lung carcinoma, colon carcinoma, renal carcinoma, melanoma, and central nervous system carcinoma. Paclitaxel is toxic, resulting in problems ranging from irritation, drop in blood pressure and anemia to major breathing problems, hives and/or fluid buildup around the heart and bone marrow suppression. Almost all patients experience hair loss from paclitaxel, and some experience severe hypersensitivity reactions to Taxol® (paclitaxel). It is manufactured by Bristol-Myers-Squibb Company for intravenous administration. We believe that there are no patents covering the composition of paclitaxel.

Cyclophosphamide has action leading to cross-linking of RNA of tumor cells, and thereby interferes with the growth of susceptible rapidly proliferating malignant cells. It is effective against a range of cancers, such as malignant lymphomas, Hodgkin’s disease, various leukemias, and cancer of the breast and ovaries. This drug is toxic, with side effects including nausea, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, skin rash and darkening and, in extreme

cases, heart damage or failure, and secondary malignancies. It is manufactured by Bristol-Myers-Squibb Company under the brand name Cytoxan® for intravenous and oral administration. We believe that there are no patents covering the composition of cyclophosphamide.

Taxol® (generic name — paclitaxel) is a relatively new anti-leukemic and anti-tumor agent, possessing a cytotoxic activity. It suppresses cell division by binding to so-called microtubules that form in a cell’s nucleus to help move the chromosomes around during the division process. Taxol® is most effective against ovarian and advanced breast cancers, particularly after failure of standard chemotherapy. Studies indicate that it might be effective against leukemia, lung carcinoma, colon carcinoma, renal carcinoma, melanoma, and CNS carcinoma. Taxol® is toxic, and patients receiving it often develop problems ranging from rashes, drop in blood pressure and anemia to major breathing problems, hives and/or fluid buildup around the heart and bone marrow suppression. Almost all patients experience hair loss from Taxol®, and some patients experience severe hypersensitivity reactions to Taxol®. It is manufactured by Bristol-Myers-Squibb Company for intravenous administration. We believe that there are no patents covering the composition of Taxol® (paclitaxel).

 

Cytoxan® (generic name — cyclophosphamide) has action leading to cross-linking of RNA of tumor cells, and thereby interferes with the growth of susceptible rapidly proliferating malignant cells. It is effective against a range of cancers, such as malignant lymphomas, Hodgkin’s disease, various leukemias, and cancer of the breast and ovaries. This drug is toxic, with side effects including nausea, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, skin rash and darkening and, in extreme cases, heart damage or failure, and secondary malignancies. It is manufactured by Bristol-Myers-Squibb Company for intravenous and oral administration. We believe that there are no patents covering the composition of Cytoxan® (cyclophosphamide).

Oxaliplatin, sold under the trade name Eloxatin®, is classified as an alkylating agent, and belongs to a new class of platinum agents comprised of a platinum atom complexed with oxalate and diaminocyclohexane (DACH) and appears to inhibit DNA synthesis. The bulky DACH may have greater cytotoxicity than cisplatin and carboplatin. Preclinical studies have shown Oxaliplatin to be synergistic with fluorouracil and SN-38, the active metabolite of irinotecan. Although Oxaliplatin is primarily used to treat colorectal cancer, it has been used for cancers of the breast, stomach, head and neck and lung. The drug is toxic, with side effects including anemia, diarrhea, nausea, severe neuropathy, liver abnormalities, fever and vomiting. Its patent is due to expire in April 2013.

 

Cisplatin® appears to act by inhibiting DNA synthesis. It is effective against metastatic testicular and ovarian tumors (typically in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents, such as Cytoxan®, above), and advanced bladder cancer. This drug is toxic, with side effects including renal toxicity, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea and anemia. It is manufactured as PLATINOL® by Bristol-Myers-Squibb Company for intravenous injection. We believe that there are no patents covering the composition of Cisplatin®.

Cisplatin appears to act by inhibiting DNA synthesis. It is effective against metastatic testicular and ovarian tumors (typically in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents), and advanced bladder cancer. This drug is toxic, with side effects including renal toxicity, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea and anemia. It is manufactured as PLATINOL® by Bristol-Myers-Squibb Company for intravenous injection. We believe that there are no patents covering the composition of Cisplatin.

 

PreclinicalPre-clinical Studies

 

Toxicity Studies

 

Our initial toxicity studies in smaller animals, conducted in early 2001, were performed to test the potential reduction of toxicity of anticancer drugs in combination with certain of our polysaccharide compounds. The results of one study demonstrated that one of our polysaccharide compounds, DAVANATTM®, might significantly decrease the toxicity of 5-FU. A second, similar study was performed to test a potential reduction of toxicity of Adriamycin®doxorubicin in combination with each of two selected polysaccharide compounds. The results indicated that DAVANATTM® might decrease the toxicity of Adriamycin®.doxorubicin. The fact that two different cancer drugs with chemically unrelated structures showed a marked reduction of their toxicity in combination with DAVANATTM® indicates that there might be some fundamental underlying biological reasons related to this polysaccharide, rather than to the drugs, for the reduction in toxicity.

 

In subsequent pre-clinical experiments conducted in 2001 and 2002, we studied on larger animals the toxicity reduction of DAVANATTM®-1, a DAVANATTM® combination with 5-FU, which had demonstrated toxicity reduction in the prior studies. These experiments were performed in accordance with FDA guidelines and recommendations on rats (acute and long-term toxicity study) and dogs (acute and long-term toxicity study) measuring the effect of the DAVANATTM® /5-FU combination-1 on blood structure and survival of these animals. Preliminary resultsResults indicate that the DAVANATTM® /5-FU combination-1 decreased toxicity, resulting in lower animal mortality and decreased loss of blood structure components in comparison to the results in animals which were administered 5-FU alone. These studies were presented to the FDA as part of our IND submission. We conducted additional toxicity studies on rats using escalating dosages of DAVANATTM®and submitted these results to the FDA in an amendment to our IND in support of our Phase I clinical trials. The results of these additional toxicity studies were such that the FDA approvedallowed our commencement of Phase I clinical trials.

 

Efficacy Studies

 

We undertook independent studies at Southern Research Institute and Charles River Laboratories to test a potential change in the therapeutic efficacy of DAVANATTM® in a combination with 5-FU,-1, which had decreased toxicity of the drug5-FU in healthy animals. Results of the studies demonstrated that DAVANATTM® might also increase efficacy of 5-FU when administered into cancer-carrying animals. The studies, conducted with two different human colon tumors implanted into the test animals, demonstrated a decrease in tumor size following administration of 5-FU alone, as well as a significant decrease with the administration of the DAVANATTM®/5-FU combination.-1.

Two of our efficacy studies were conducted to evaluate the compatibility of DAVANATTM®with leucovorin, which is commonly used in cancer treatment with 5-FU. The studies showed that DAVANATTM® and leucovorin do not interfere with each other when administered following standard procedure,procedures, and that the DAVANATTM®/5-FU combination-1 is superior, compared to 5-FU/leucovorin when both are administered in tumor-bearing animals. Leucovorin is a folinic acid derivative, which may enhance both the therapeutic and toxic effect of 5-FU in cancer therapy. In these studies, the growth of the tumor was decreased significantly by using a DAVANATTM®/5-FU combination-1 compared to a 5-FU/leucovorin combination.

 

We also conducted a study that involved injecting radiolabeled DAVANATTM® (with and without 5-FU) into tumor-free and tumor-bearing animals. The study provided experimental data with respect to DAVANATTM® distribution in organs and tissues (liver, kidney, lungs, plasma, and tumor) and the capacity of such organs and tissue to clear DAVANATTM® after various time periods. The study suggested that DAVANATTM® may protect the liver from the toxic effect of 5-FU yet increase the amount, and hence the therapeutic effect, of 5-FU in the tumor. In other words, we have indications that DAVANATTM® may decrease toxicity and increase efficacy of 5-FU.

 

In addition to DAVANATTM®-1, in 2003 and 2004 we are alsohave been conducting pre-clinical studies for doxurubicinirinotecan, doxorubicin, oxaliplatin, paclitaxel, cyclophosphamide and paclitaxel,cisplatin both in combination with DAVANATTM®and other polysaccharide compounds. Human colon and breast xenography are being used to optimize formulations and results show that DAVANAT® exhibits a broad spectrum of activity with the tested drugs.

 

Although the foregoing studies are encouraging, the results achieved in preclinical studies with animals are often not duplicated in human patients. Please see “Risk Factors thatThat May Affect Results — Our product candidates will be based on novel technologies”Product Candidates Will Be Based On Novel Unproven Technologies”.

 

Phase I Clinical Trials

 

We submitted an investigational new drug application (IND) to the FDA on May 26, 2002 based on the pre-clinical data obtained from our 5-FU studies. The FDA accepted the IND as ofon June 26, 2002 which authorized us to begin Phase I clinical trials with humans. We filed an amendment to the IND on November 27, 2002 in order to incorporate new toxicology data and to enable us to undertake dose escalation in our Phase I trials. In response to the amendment, the FDA approvedallowed the dose escalation schema which would allow assessment in clinical trials of DAVANAT® doses anticipated to be in the range of those for which the pre-clinical studies suggested efficacy.

 

In Phase I we will evaluateare evaluating the ability of cancer patients to tolerate increasing doses of DAVANATTM® while receiving a stable dose of 5-FU for treatment of a variety of solid tumors which have not responded to accepted therapies. The Phase I study has two primary objectives: (1) to determine the maximum dose of DAVANATTM® that can be tolerated when administered with a stable dose of 5-FU, and (2) to define the dose-limiting toxicities of DAVANATTM® in combination with 5-FU. We expect that up to 40Approximately 20 male and female patients suffering from advanced solid malignancies, who failed the accepted chemotherapeutic, radiation, and/or surgical treatments, will participatehave participated in the study. We expect to enroll an additional 10 patients in the Phase I trial.

 

We have identified threeFour clinical sites and lead investigators are currently participating in which to undertake our Phase I trials. Twotrials: the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire; The Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan; the sites areOchsner Cancer Institute in a position to recruit patients. On February 10, 2003 we dosed the first patients at a private oncology treatment centerNew Orleans, Louisiana; and Florida Oncology Associates in Howell, New Jersey, at which Dr. Kenneth E. Nahum serves as our lead investigator.Jacksonville, Florida.

 

We have also engaged a professional consultant, affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, to serve as Medical Director of our Phase I/II clinical trials.

 

The pharmaceutical company, Sigma Aldrich, with which we contracted to produce DAVANATTM®, is a certified GMPGood Manufacturing Procedures (“cGMP”) facility that has manufactured sufficient quantities for the

doses that will beare needed for the Phase I/II human clinical trials. We have engaged PPD Development, to provide analytical support for stability and compatibility studies for Phase I/II. Studies show that DAVANAT® is very stable in the formulation and is compatible with intravenous infusion systems. We have provided reports to the FDA in support of our clinical trials.

 

We have engaged PRA International Inc. to serve as our independent Contract Research Organizationcontract research organization (CRO) to managemonitor and implement the clinical trials on our behalf, and Medidata Solutions Inc. to construct an on-linea Web-based electronic data capture (EDC) methodsystem to collect and aggregate the clinical trial data. We expect that this will better enableThis EDC system enables us to better manage the clinical data and increase the speed at which such data isare reported and compiled. We believe this may accelerate our commencement

Phase ll Clinical Trials

On January 8, 2004, we announced the initiation of Phase II clinical trials.trials of DAVANAT®-1 in refractory colorectal cancer patients. This trial is part of a multi-center, open-label, single dose level study in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer that have failed standard chemotherapeutic regimens. The study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous DAVANAT®-1 when administered in monthly cycles as third-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer. The objectives for the Phase II study are (i) to document the complete and partial response and the rate of stable disease with DAVANAT®-1 therapy when administered in monthly cycles to patients with metastatic carcinoma of the colon or rectum whose tumor has failed to respond to, or has progressed despite standard first- and second-line chemotherapy, and (ii) to evaluate the safety of DAVANAT®-1 in this population. Concurrent with the Phase II clinical study, we continue to enroll patients in our Phase I trial.

 

Other Carbohydrate-Cancer Drug Formulations

 

We havecontinue to chemically synthesized four novelsynthesize a library of products that are carbohydrate derivatives of Adriamycin®,doxorubicin, irinotecan, and have conducted preclinical animal experiments,paclitaxel and are currently studying both efficacy (in vitro and on cancer-carrying animals) and toxicity (on healthy animals) and efficacy (on cancer-carrying animals). Preliminary results of these experiments indicate that all four of the synthesized carbohydrate-Adriamycin® compounds, and particularly one,One compound, named Galactomycin, are significantly less toxic compared with the original Adriamycin®,has demonstrated improved therapeutic index. We continue this research in contract research facilities in Russia, England and demonstrate therapeutic efficacy as well. In the case of Galactomycin, the preliminary results indicated a therapeutic efficacy higher than that for the parent Adriamycin®. These studies were conducted at the Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia.Italy. We have started the scale-up manufacturing for Galactomycin and are currently conducting pre-clinical efficacy studies in tumor-bearing animals.

Although the foregoing studies are encouraging, the results achieved in preclinical studies with animals are often not duplicated in human patients. Please see “Risk Factors That May Affect Results — Our product candidates will be based on novel technologies” below.Product Candidates Will Be Based On Novel Unproven Technologies”.

 

Patents and Proprietary Rights

 

We have four regular utilitybuilt an intellectual property portfolio to protect our development efforts, including two issued patents and several patent applications pending in the United States, one of which has been allowed. The patent applicationspending. Issued patents cover methods and compositionscomposition for reducing side effects in chemotherapeutic formulations, and improving efficacy and reducing toxicity of a chemotherapeutic agents.drug by co-administering a polysaccharide with a chemotherapeutic agent, and enhancing the delivery of a chemotherapeutic drug by covalently binding a carbohydrate compound with a chemotherapeutic agent. In addition, international patent applications corresponding to twoseveral of our U.S. applications have been filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

 

We filed with theThe U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) applications to registerhas registered the following trademarks/service marks:trademarks: PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., DAVANAT and ADVANCING DRUGS THROUGH GLYCOSCIENCE; GLYCO-UPGRADE;  PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.; DAVANAT; UCLT; UNIVERSAL CARBOHYDRATE LINKER TECHNOLOGY and CARBOSOME. In February 2002,GLYCOSCIENCE. We filed applications with the PTO issued Notices of Allowance for the marks ADVANCING DRUGS THROUGH GLYCOSCIENCEto register additional trademarks and GLYCO-UPGRADE; in March 2002, the PTO issued a Notice of Allowance for the mark PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.; in October 2002, the PTO issued a Notice of Allowance for the mark DAVANAT; and in January 2003, the PTO issued Notices of Allowance for the marks UCLT and UNIVERSAL CARBOHYDRATE LINKER TECHNOLOGY. The mark CARBOSOME was published in the PTO’sOfficial Gazette on March 11, 2003. If no objection to the mark CARBOSOME is timely filed, a Notice of Allowance will issue for the mark in due course. We filed for second extensions of time

to provide evidence of use for the marks ADVANCING DRUGS THROUGH GLYCOSCIENCE, GLYCO-UPGRADE, and PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. and we are awaiting approval of these extension requests. In order to obtain a registration for the DAVANAT, UCLT and UNIVERSAL CARBOHYRDRATE LINKER TECHNOLOGY marks, we must file evidence of use or file for an extension of time to provide evidence of use by April 22, 2003, July 21, 2003 and July 28, 2003, respectively.servicemarks.

 

Research

 

We focus on the design and analysis of carbohydrate-based drug delivery and targeting enhancement systems. We do not anticipate building in-house research or development facilities or hiring staff in this connection other than for purposes of designing and managing our out-sourced research. Our pre-clinical testing has been conducted by outside laboratories and accredited facilities.

Our early stage research was conducted by Toxikon Corporation, based in Bedford, Massachusetts, and Charles River Laboratories, Inc., based in Wilmington, Massachusetts. Toxikon is a comprehensive compliance FDA-registered service testing laboratory that is not affiliated with Pro-Pharmaceuticals. Toxikon’s laboratory is ISO-9001 certified and EN-45001 approved, meaning that it complies with quality management standards as established by the International Organization for Standardization and other international organizations. Charles River Laboratories, a contract laboratory not affiliated with Pro-Pharmaceuticals, conducted the research on our behalf in major part through its Redfield Laboratories division in Redfield, Arkansas. Redfield Laboratories is licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct research in laboratory animals, and its conditions are in compliance with the federalFederal Animal Welfare Act. Dr. Mildred Christian, who became a director of Pro-Pharmaceuticals in October 2002, was until November 15, 2002 Executive Director of Research of Redfield Laboratories and of Argus Research, which is also a division of Charles River Laboratories. The contract research undertaken by Charles River Laboratories concluded before Dr. Christian became a director of Pro-Pharmaceuticals.

 

Our current research on toxicity and efficacy of several chemotherapy drugs both alone and in combination with our technology on cancer-carrying animals is being conducted by Charles River Laboratories and by Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Research Institute is an independent, not-for-profit contract research organization that is not affiliated with our company. In addition to the above laboratories we are conducting additional research in the United States, England, Israel, Italy and Russia.

 

As we develop products eligible for clinical trials, we intend to contract with an independent clinical research organization to design the trial protocols and arrange for and monitor the clinical trials. We also intend to rely on academic institutions or clinical research organizations to conduct, supervise or monitor some or all aspects of clinical trials involving our products. In addition, certain clinical trials for our products may be conducted by government sponsored agencies and consequently will be dependent on governmental participation and funding. Our dependence on third-party researchers will involve risks including lessened control over the timing and other aspects of any clinical trials, since we will not be conducting them on our own.

 

Our research and development expenditures totaled $1,950,299, $1,483,027, $893,457 and $893,457$4,427,033 in 2003, 2002, 2001 and 2001for the cumulative period from inception (July 10, 2000) through December 31, 2003, respectively. These totals include amounts spent by Pro-Pharmaceuticals (Massachusetts) prior to our merger in May 2001.

 

Manufacturing and Marketing

 

We are a development company and do not have, or intend to obtain, internal facilities for the manufacture of any of our products for clinical or commercial production. In order to have our products manufactured, we will initially need to develop relationships with third-party manufacturing resources, enter into collaborative arrangements with other parties that have established manufacturing capabilities or elect to have other third parties manufacture our products on a contract basis. Later we would propose to have our products manufactured and marketed pursuant to licensing agreements as discussed below.

 

We have no marketing infrastructure, and have not undertaken to develop a sales and marketing staff to commercialize pharmaceutical products. If we develop products eligible for commercial sale, we will need to rely on third parties such as licensees, collaborators, joint venture partners or independent distributors to market and sell those products. Our dependence on third-party manufacturers and marketers will involve risks relating to our lessened control, and other risks including those discussed in “Risk Factors That May Affect Results — We will depend on third parties to manufacture and market our products,” below.Will Depend On Third Parties To Manufacture And Market Our Products”.

 

We currently envision having our manufacturing and marketing operations conducted pursuant to license agreements that we would negotiate with pharmaceutical companies with respect to manufacturing and marketing of their “upgraded”upgraded drugs. While we presently contemplate offering the rights to manufacture and market an “upgraded”upgraded drug to the original pharmaceutical company that developed the drug, we will evaluate other manufacturing and marketing arrangements as well.

 

Competition

 

A number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are developing new drug delivery systemstechnologies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Drug delivery targeting technologies based on monoclonal

antibodies being developed by companies such as Seattle Genetics, Inc., Immonogen, Inc. and Berna Biotech AG and Dendreon Corporation could be competitive with our carbohydrate-based system. A few companies are developing carbohydrate technologies to improve or develop new drugs. Neose Technologies, Inc. is seeking to improve the same diseases being targeted by us.therapeutic profile of widely-used protein-based drugs and Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is developing carbohydrate technology for drug discovery and improvement. We believe we are the only company conducting research onusing carbohydrate-based technologies to reformulate widely-used chemotherapies thereby to enable targeted drug delivery. Our potential competition includes other companies developing drug delivery systems using other technologies, including systems based on other biochemical polymers. The principal competitors in the polymer area are Cell Therapeutics, Access Pharmaceuticals, Daiichi, Enzon and Pharmacia which are developing alternate drugs in combination with polymers.

We also face competition with technologies other than polymer-based delivery technologies. We believe that the principal current competitors to polymer-based targeting technology fall into two categories: monoclonal antibodies and liposomes. Several well-known companies are working on targeted monoclonal antibody therapy and on liposomal formulations, which are the major competing intravenous drug delivery formulations which deliver similar drug substances.of these toxic drugs.

 

Please see “Risk Factors That May Affect Results -- We face intense competition in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries,” below,Face Intense Competition In The Biotechnology And Pharmaceutical Industries” for additional discussion related to our current and potential competition.

 

Government Regulation

 

The research, development, testing, manufacture, labeling, promotion, advertising, distribution, and marketing, among other things, of our products are extensively regulated by governmental authorities in the United States and other countries. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)FDA regulates drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and its implementing regulations. Failure to comply with the applicable U.S. requirements may subject us to administrative or judicial sanctions, such as FDA refusal to approve pending new drug applications, warning letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, and/or criminal prosecution. Please see “Risk Factors That May Affect Results — We will need regulatory approvals to commercialize our products,” below,Will Need Regulatory Approvals To Commercialize Our Products” for additional discussion of risks related to regulatory compliance.

 

Drug Approval Process

 

No drug may be marketed in the U.S. until the drug has received FDA approval. The steps required before a drug may be marketed in the U.S. include:

 

preclinical laboratory tests, animal studies, and formulation studies,
1.pre-clinical laboratory tests, animal studies, and formulation studies,

 

submission to the FDA of an investigational new drug application, or IND, for human clinical testing, which must become effective before human clinical trials may begin,

2.submission to the FDA of an IND for human clinical testing, which must become effective before human clinical trials may begin,

 

adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the drug for each indication,
3.adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the drug for each indication,

 

submission to the FDA of a New Drug Application, or NDA,
4.submission to the FDA of a New Drug Application (“NDA”),

 

satisfactory completion of an FDA inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the drug is produced to assess compliance with current Good Manufacturing Procedures established by the FDA (“cGMP”),
5.satisfactory completion of an FDA inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the drug is produced to assess compliance with cGMP established by the FDA,

 

FDA review and approval of the NDA, and
6.FDA review and approval of the NDA, and

 

FDA review and approval of a trademark used in connection with a pharmaceutical.
7.FDA review and approval of a trademark used in connection with a pharmaceutical.

 

PreclinicalPre-clinical tests include laboratory evaluation of product chemistry, toxicity, and formulation, as well as animal studies. The results of the preclinicalpre-clinical tests, together with manufacturing information and analytical data, are submitted to the FDA as part of an IND, which must become effective before human clinical trials may begin. An IND will automatically become effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless before that time the FDA raises concerns or questions about issues such as the conduct of the trials as outlined in the IND. In such a case, the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding FDA concerns or questions before clinical trials can proceed. There is no certainty that submission of an IND will result in the FDA allowing clinical trials to begin.

 

Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational drug to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing the objectives of the study, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety, and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. Each protocol must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND.

Clinical trials typically are conducted in three sequential phases, but the phases may overlap or be combined. Each trial must be reviewed and approved by an independent Institutional Review Board (IRB) before it can begin. Study subjects must sign an informed consent form before participating in a clinical trial. Phase I usually involves the initial introduction of the investigational drug into people to evaluate its safety, dosage tolerance, pharmacodynamics, and, if possible, to gain an early indication of its effectiveness. Phase II usually involves trials in a limited patient population to (i) evaluate dosage tolerance and appropriate dosage; (ii) identify possible adverse effects and safety risks; and (iii) evaluate preliminarily the efficacy of the drug for specific indications. Phase III trials usually further evaluate clinical efficacy and test further for safety by using the drug in its final form in an expanded patient population. There is no assurance that these trials will be completed within a specified period of time, if at all.

 

Assuming successful completion of the required clinical testing, the results of the preclinicalpre-clinical studies and of the clinical studies, together with other detailed information, including information on the manufacture and composition of the drug, are submitted to the FDA in the form of an NDA requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. Before approving an NDA, the FDA usually will inspect the facility or the facilities at which the drug is manufactured, and will not approve the product unless cGMP compliance is satisfactory. If the FDA evaluates the NDA and the manufacturing facilities as acceptable, the FDA will issue an approval letter. If the FDA evaluates the NDA submission or manufacturing facilities as not acceptable, the FDA will outline the deficiencies in the submission and often will request additional testing or information. Even if an applicant submits the requested additional information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the NDA does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval. The testing and approval process requires substantial time, effort, and financial resources, and there is no assurance that any approval will be granted on a timely basis, if at all. After approval, certain changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications, manufacturing changes, or additional labeling claims are subject to further FDA review and approval.

 

FDA “Fast Track” Program; Priority Review

 

The FDA’s “fast track” program is intended to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs intended for the treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases and that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for such conditions. Under this program, the FDA can, for example, review portions of an

NDA for a fast track product before the entire application is complete, thus potentially beginning the review process at an earlier time. We intend tomay seek to have some of our products designated as fast track products, with the goal of reducing review time. There can be no guarantee that the FDA will grant any of our requests for fast track designation, that any fast track designation would affect the time of review, or that the FDA will approve the NDA submitted for any of our product candidates, whether or not fast track designation is granted. Additionally, FDA approval of a fast track product can include restrictions on the product’s use or distribution (such as permitting use only for specified medical procedures or limiting distribution to physicians or facilities with special training or experience), and can be conditioned on the performance of additional clinical studies after approval.

 

FDA procedures also provide priority review of NDAs submitted for drugs that, compared to currently marketed products, offer a significant improvement in the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of a disease. NDAs that are granted priority review are intended to be acted upon more quickly than NDAs given standard review. The FDA’s current goal is to act on 90% of priority NDAs within six months of receipt. We anticipate seeking priority review with regard to some of our product candidates. There can be no guarantee that the FDA will grant priority review status in any instance, that priority review status will affect the time of review, or that the FDA will approve the NDA submitted for any of our product candidates, whether or not priority review status is granted.

 

Post-Approval Requirements

 

If FDA approval of one or more of our products is obtained, we will be required to comply with a number of post-approval requirements. For example, holders of an approved NDA are required to report certain adverse

reactions to the FDA and to comply with certain requirements concerning advertising and promotional labeling for their products. Also, quality control and manufacturing procedures must continue to conform to cGMP after approval, and the FDA periodically inspects manufacturing facilities to assess compliance with cGMP. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money, and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain cGMP compliance. In addition, discovery of problems with a product after approval may result in restrictions on a product, manufacturer, or holder of an approved NDA, including withdrawal of the product from the market. Also, new government requirements may be established that could delay or prevent regulatory approval of our products under development.

 

FDA “Orphan Drug” Designation

 

The FDA may grant orphan drug designation to drugs intended to treat a “rarerare disease or condition, which generally is a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States. Orphan drug designation must be requested before submitting an NDA. After the FDA grants orphan drug designation, the identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are publicly disclosed by the FDA. Orphan drug designation does not convey an advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review and approval process. If a product which has an orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the indication for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan exclusivity, meaning that the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same drug for the same indication, except in certain very limited circumstances, for a period of seven years. As well, orphan drugs usually receive ten years of marketing exclusivity in the E.U.European Union.

 

Non-United States Regulation

 

Before our products can be marketed outside of the United States, they are subject to regulatory approval similar to that required in the United States, although the requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary widely from country to country. No action can be taken to market any product in a country until an appropriate application has been approved by the regulatory authorities in that country. The current approval process varies from country to country, and the time spent in gaining approval varies from that required for FDA approval. In certain countries, the sales price of a product must also be approved. The pricing review period often begins after market approval is granted. No assurance can be given that even if a product is approved by a regulatory authority, satisfactory prices will be approved for such product.

 

Environmental Regulation

 

Pharmaceutical research and development involves the controlled use of hazardous materials including but not limited to certain hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials. In connection with research, development and manufacturing activities, biotechnology and biopharmaceuticalpharmaceutical companies are subject to federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations and policies governing the use, generation, manufacture, storage, air emission, effluent discharge, handling and disposal of certain materials, biological specimens and wastes. Since we do not anticipate building in-house research, development or manufacturing facilities, but plan to have these activities conducted by contractors and other third parties, we do not anticipate that we will be directly affected by environmental regulations. However, our contractors and others conducting research, development or manufacturing activities for us may be required to incur significant costs to comply with environmental and health and safety regulations in the future, and this could in turn affect our costs of doing business and might ultimately interfere with timely completion of research or manufacturing programs if those third parties are unable to comply with environmental regulatory requirements.

 

Employees

 

As of March 20, 2003,2004, we have sixfive full-time employees allcomprised of whom are full time.our President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Vice President, Manufacturing and Product Development, Vice President of Investor Relations, and an operations administrator. Our Chief Financial Officer, Chief Scientist, and Medical Director (clinical trials) each provides service part-time as an independent contractor or consultant.

Scientific and Clinical Advisory BoardsBoard

 

We continue to recruit members for aOur Scientific Advisory Board that will includeincludes recognized scientists with expertise in the fields of carbohydrate chemistry and biochemistry, immunology, cell and molecular biology, and synthetic and medical chemistry. The Scientific Advisory Board will meetmeets periodically with our management on a regular basis and in smaller groups or individually from time to time on an informal basis. The members will assist us in identifying scientific and product development opportunities and reviewing with management the progress of our specific projects and recruiting and evaluating our scientific staff. We may also have a Clinical Advisory Board that will assist us from time to time on clinical matters.projects.

 

The initial members of our Scientific Advisory Board are: Dr. are the following:

David Platt, Ph.D., is our PresidentChairman and Chief Executive Officer, a founding stockholder and a director; Dr. Anatole A. Klyosov; Dr. Dale H. Conaway, a director; Dr. Edgar Ben-Josef, a director; Dr. Mildred Christian, a director; Dr. Henry Esber;co-inventor of our patented technology. From 1992 to 2000, he was Chairman and Dr. Irwin I. Goldstein. Additional information about the business and educational backgroundsChief Executive Officer of Dr. Klyosov, Dr. Esber and Dr. Goldstein is set forth below. InformationSafeScience, Inc. (now known as to Dr. Platt’s business and educational background is included in “Executive Officers of Pro-Pharmaceuticals” in Part I of this Form 10-KSB. Information about the business and educational backgrounds of Dr. Conaway, Dr. Ben-Josef and Dr. Christian is included under the heading “Proposal No. 1 — Election of Directors” in our Proxy Statement to be filed with the SEC in connection with our 2003 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

Dr. Klyosov is Manager, Research and Development, for Thermo FibergenGlycoGenesys, Inc. (AMEX: TFG); Nasdaq SmallCap: GLGS), a biotechnology company that developsinvolved in research and manufacturesdevelopment of products including biotechnological materialsfor treating cancer and fiber-based composites.immune system diseases. From 1991 to 1992, Dr. Platt was a research scientist with the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and from 1988 to 1990 was a research fellow at Wayne State University and the Michigan Cancer Foundation in Detroit (re-named Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute). Previously, he was a research fellow in the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. Dr. Platt received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and earned an M.S. and a B.S. degree from Hebrew University. He also earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Technion in Haifa, Israel. Dr. Platt has servedpublished peer review articles and holds many patents, primarily in this capacitythe field of carbohydrate chemistry.

Anatole A. Klyosov, Ph.D.,D.Sc., is a founding stockholder and, by virtue of being a co-inventor of our patented technology and a consultant to us through his company, MIR International Inc., has the title Chief Scientist. He is Vice President, Research & Development for Kadant Composites, Inc., a subsidiary of Kadant, Inc. (NYSE: KAI), where he has directed since 1996.1996 a laboratory performing work in biochemistry, microbiology, polymer engineering and other fields in the development of composite polymer-based products. From 1990 to June 1998 Dr. Klyosov served aswas Visiting Professor of Biochemistry, at Harvard Medical School, Center for Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences, Harvard Medical School and Medicine, wherefrom 1981 to 1990 he studied an enzyme involved in angiogenesiswas Professor and Head of cancer cells, glucocorticoid receptors, and biochemistrythe Carbohydrates Research Laboratory at the A.N. Bach Institute of alcohol abuse.Biochemistry, USSR Academy of Sciences. Dr. Klyosov receivedwas elected as a member of the World Academy of Art and Sciences and is the recipient of several distinguished awards including the USSR National Prize in Science and Technology. He has published more than 230 peer review articles in scientific journals, authored books on enzymes, carbohydrates, and biotechnology, and holds more than 20 patents. He also been a consultant to various organizations including the World Bank and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and serves on the editorial boards of scientific journals in the field of biochemistry and biotechnology. Dr. Klyosov earned his Ph.D. degree in Physical Chemistry from Moscow State University in 1972, and a D.Sc. degreedegrees in Physical Chemistry, and Biochemistryan M.S. degree in Enzyme Kinetics, from Moscow State University.

Dale H. Conaway, D.V.M., is the Deputy Regional Director (Southern Region) and Chief Veterinary Medical Officer for the Office of Research Oversight, an office within the Veterans Health Administration under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. From 1998 to 2001, he served as Manager of the Equine Drug Testing and Animal Disease Surveillance Laboratories for the Michigan Department of Agriculture. From 1994 to 1998 he was Regulatory Affairs Manager for the Michigan Department of Public Health Vaccine Production Division. Dr. Conaway received a D.V.M. degree from Tuskegee Institute and an M.S. degree in pathology from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University. He is also a member of our board of directors.

Eliezer Zomer, Ph.D., is our Vice President, Manufacturing and Product Development. Dr. Zomer was the founder of ALICOM Biological Control where he served from 2000 to 2002, was Vice President of Product Development at SafeScience Inc. (now known as GlycoGenesys, Inc.; Nasdaq SmallCap: GLGS) from 1998 to 2000, and was Vice-President of Research and Development at Charm Sciences, Inc. from 1987 to 1998. He served as Associate Researcher at Harvard Medical School from 1986 to 1994. Dr. Zomer received an M.Sc. degree in industrial microbiology from the University of Tel Aviv and a Ph.D. in 1977.biochemistry from the University of Massachusetts and undertook post-doctoral study at the National Institutes of Health.

Edgar Ben-Josef, M.D., is Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, at the University of Michigan Medical School and previously had been Associate Professor (2000 to 2003) and Assistant Professor (1995 to 2000) in radiation oncology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. Since 1995, he has served as an attending physician at the Gershenson Radiation Oncology Center, Karmanos Cancer Institute, in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Klyosov owns 50%Ben-Josef received B.Med.Sc. and M.D. degrees from The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of MIRMedicine in Jerusalem, Israel. He is also a member of our board of directors.

Mildred S. Christian, Ph.D., is President and Chief Executive Officer of Argus International, Inc., which providesa provider of consulting services regardingin regulatory affairs, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Argus Health Products, LLC, which develops and internationally distributes preventive and maintenance health care products for health care professionals and the over-the-counter market. Until 2002, she was Executive Director of Research of Argus and Redfield Laboratories, both divisions of Charles River Laboratories. Before founding Argus Research Laboratories in 1979 and Argus International in 1980, Dr. Christian spent 14 years in drug development at McNeil Laboratories, a division of Johnson & Johnson Corporation. She has participated at all levels in the performance, evaluation and submission in over 1,800 pre-clinical studies, from protocol to final report. Dr. Christian is a member of 20 professional organizations, including current service as Councilor of the European Teratology Society and Secretary/Treasurer of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences, and was past president of the Teratology Society, the American College of Toxicology, and the Academy of Toxicological Sciences. She is an honorary member of the Society of Quality Assurance and founding editor of theJournal of Toxicological Sciences. She has edited or contributed to several major textbooks and is the author of over 120 papers and abstracts published in U.S. and international journals. Dr. Christian earned her Ph.D. from Thomas Jefferson University in developmental anatomy and pharmacology. She is also a member of our research and development.board of directors.

 

Dr.Henry J. Esber, isPh.D., has been Executive Director of Business Development for Primedica Corporation, a contract research organization. Dr. Esber has served in this capacity for more than five years. Dr. Esber is a co-founderorganization, since 1998. From 1995 to 1997, he was Director of Marketing at Genzyme Transgenics Corporation, and a directorpreviously was Vice President of BioQuantMarketing at BioDevelopment Laboratories (1993-1995) and TSI Corporation (formerly BioSignature Diagnostics, Inc.)(1992-1993), a developerboth of immunochemistry

kits for diagnosis and assessment of immunological diseases.which were acquired by Genzyme Transgenics. He is also a co-founder of Advanced Drug Delivery, Inc., a biotechnology company that focuses on development of drug delivery systems using co-polymers or other modifications for use in the area of cancer and other diseases. Dr. Esber serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of several U.S. and non-U.S. biotechnology companies including Celltek Biotechnologies, Inc., BioQuant Corporation and Delmont Laboratories.is the author of over 100 technical publications. Dr. Esber received a B.S. degree in Biologybiology from the College of William and Mary, in 1961, ana M.S. degree in Medical Parasitology–Public Health and Parasitology from the University of North Carolina, in 1963, and a Ph.D. degree in Immunology/Immunology–Microbiology from West Virginia University Medical Center in 1967.Center.

 

Dr.Irwin Goldstein, Ph.D., is Emeritus Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan Medical School, and was Professor from 1972 to 1999. He is the recipient of many professional awards and is the author of over 200 publications. HeDr. Goldstein received a B.A. degree in Chemistry from Syracuse University, and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Minnesota, St. Paul—Minneapolis.Minnesota.

 

Risk Factors That May Affect ResultsZbigniew J. Witczak, Ph.D.

This annual report on Form 10-KSB contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, is Associate Professor at the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy, Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania). From 1991 to 1999 he was Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Studies, School of Pharmacy, at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Witczak has extensive industrial and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipatedacademic experience in these forward-looking statements as a resultcarbohydrates. In 2002, he chaired the Division of certain factors, including the risks faced by us described below and elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-KSB.

We are at an early stage of development without operating history.

We are a development-stage venture without operating history, and we have not generated any revenues to date. We have no therapeutic products available for sale, and none are expected to be commercially available for several years, if at all. We may never generate revenue or become profitable, even if we are able to commercialize any products.

We have incurred net losses to date and depend on outside capital.

Our accumulated deficit as of December 31, 2002 was approximately $7,833,000, which includes approximately $2,427,000 of various non-cash charges related to certain equity transactions. We will need to conduct significant research, development, testing and regulatory compliance activities that, together with projected general and administrative expenses, we expect will result in substantial and possibly increasing operating losses for at least the next several years. Accordingly, we will not be generating our own capital and will remain dependent on outside sources of financing during that time.

As of December 31, 2002, we had approximately $1,921,000 in cash and cash equivalents. We have budgeted expenditures for the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2003 of approximately $3,700,000. We attempted to fund these expenditures through proceeds of a private placement that we began in September 2002 and terminated as of January 14, 2003. We raised $4,311,000 prior to termination, of which approximately $3,223,000 was raised in 2002.

We will require substantial funds to continue our research and development programs, conduct preclinical studies and clinical trials. We may need to raise additional capital repeatedly in order to continue funding our operations. We may raise such capital through public or private equity financings, partnerships, debt financings, bank borrowings, or other sources. Additional funding may not be available on favorable terms or at all. If adequate funds are not otherwise available, we may curtail operations significantly. To obtain additional funding, we may need to enter into arrangements that require us to relinquish rights to certain technologies, products and/or potential markets. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity, or securities convertible into equity, our equity holders may experience dilution of their proportionate ownershipCarbohydrate Chemistry of the company.

Our product candidates will be based on novel technologies.

Our product candidates will be based upon novel technologies that we plan to use to apply to drugs currently usedAmerican Chemical Society (ACS) and is the current chair of its awards committee. He has published more than 80 research papers and holds patents in the treatmentfield of cancercarbohydrate, medicinal and other diseases. These technologies have not been proven. Carbohydrates are difficult to synthesize,biological chemistry, and we may not be able to synthesize carbohydrates that would be usable as delivery vehicles for the anti-cancer drugs we plan to work with. Preclinical results in animal studies are not necessarily predictive of outcomes in human clinical trials. Our product candidates may not be proven safe or effective. If this technology does not work, our product candidates may not develop into commercial products.

We will need regulatory approvals to commercialize our products.

We do not have any product approved for sale in the U.S. or any foreign market. We must obtain approval from the FDA in order to sell our products in the U.S. and from foreign regulatory authorities in order to sell our drug products in other countries. We have not yet submitted any application for approval to the FDA. Once an application is submitted, the FDA could reject the application or require us to conduct additional clinical or other studies as part of the regulatory review process. Delays in obtaining or failure to obtain FDA approvals would prevent or delay the commercialization of our products, which would prevent, defer or decrease our receipt of revenues.

The regulatory review and approval process is lengthy, expensive and uncertain. Extensive preclinical and clinical data and supporting information must be submitted to the FDA for each indication for each product candidate in order to secure FDA approval.

In addition to initial regulatory approval, our product candidates will be subject to extensive and rigorous ongoing domestic and foreign government regulation, as we discuss in more detail in “Government Regulation,” above. Any approvals, once obtained, may be withdrawn if compliance with regulatory requirements is not maintained or safety problems are identified. Failure to comply with these requirements may subject us to stringent penalties.

Our product candidates may not be successfully commercialized.

Even if our product candidates are successful in clinical trials, they may not be successfully commercialized. All of our compounds currently are in research or development, and none has been submitted for marketing approval. Prior to commercialization, each product candidate will require significant additional research, development and preclinical testing and extensive clinical investigation before submission of any regulatory application for marketing approval. Potential products may be found ineffective or cause harmful side effects during preclinical testing or clinical trials, fail to receive necessary regulatory approvals, be difficult to manufacture on a large scale, be uneconomical to produce, fail to achieve market acceptance, or be precluded from commercialization by proprietary rights of third parties.

We have only recently begun clinical trials and results are uncertain.

We have one product candidate in clinical trials. Clinical trials are expensive, time-consuming and may not be successful. They involve the testing of potential therapeutic agents, or effective treatments, in humans in three phases (phases I, II, and III) to determine the safety and efficacy of the product candidates necessary for an approved drug. Many products in human clinical trials fail to demonstrate the desired safety and efficacy characteristics. Even if our products progress successfully through initial human testing, they may fail in later stages of development. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials, even after reporting promising results in earlier trials. In addition, data obtained from clinical trials are susceptible to varying interpretations. Government regulators and our collaborators may not agree with our interpretation of our future clinical trial results.

We will be dependent on others to conduct our clinical trials. We intend to rely on academic institutions or clinical research organizations to conduct, supervise or monitor some or all aspects of clinical trials involving our products. In addition, certain clinical trials for our products may be conducted by government-sponsored agencies and consequently will be dependent on governmental participation and funding. We will have less control over the timing and other aspects of these clinical trials than if we conducted them entirely on our own. We cannot assure you that these trials will commence or be completed as we expect or that they will be conducted successfully. Failure to commence or complete, or delays in, any of our planned clinical trials could delay or prevent the commercialization of our products and harm our business. The actual timing of clinical trials can vary dramatically due to factors such as delays, scheduling conflicts with participating clinicians and clinical institutions and the rate of patient accruals. We cannot assure you that clinical trials involving our product candidates will commence or be completed as forecasted.

Our competitive position depends on protection of our intellectual property.

Development and protection of our intellectual property are critical to our business. If we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, competitors may be able to practice our technologies. Our success depends in part on our ability to:

obtain patent protection for our products or processes both in the United States and other countries

protect trade secrets

prevent others from infringing on our proprietary rights

Since patent applications in the United States are maintained in secrecy for at least portions of their pendency periods (published on U.S. patent issuance or, if earlier, 18 months from earliest filing date for most applications) and since other publication of discoveries in the scientific or patent literature often lags behind actual discoveries, we cannot be certain that we are the first to make the inventions to be covered by the patent applications we intend to file. The patent position of biopharmaceutical firms generally is highly uncertain and involves complex legal and factual questions. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has not established a consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims that it will allow in biotechnology patents. If it allows broad claims, the number and cost of patent interference proceedings in the U.S. and the risk of infringement litigation may increase. If it allows narrow claims, the risk of infringement may decrease, but the value of our rights under our patents, licenses and patent applications may also decrease.

We cannot assure you that all of our patent applications in which we have rights will issue as patents or that the claims of any issued patents will afford meaningful protection for our technologies or products. In addition, patents issued to us or our licensors may be challenged and subsequently narrowed, invalidated or circumvented. Litigation, interference proceedings or other governmental proceedings that we may become involved in with respect to our proprietary technologies or the proprietary technology of others could result in substantial cost to us. Patent litigation is widespread in the biotechnology industry, and any patent litigation could harm our business. Costly litigation might be necessary to protect our patent position or to determine the scope and validity of third-party proprietary rights, and we may not have the required resources to pursue such litigation or to protect our patent rights. An adverse outcome in litigation with respect to the validity of any of our patents could subject us to significant liabilities to third parties, require disputed rights to be licensed from third parties or require us to cease using a product or technology.

Although we require our scientific and technical employees and consultants to enter into broad assignment of inventions agreements, we have not required Dr. Platt to do so. He has, however, assigned all his patents and patent applications of inventions related to our company’s business. We also rely upon trade secrets, proprietary know-how and continuing technological innovation to remain competitive. Third parties may independently develop such know-how or otherwise obtain access to our technology. While our employees, consultants and corporate partners with access to proprietary information generally will be required to enter into confidentiality agreements, these agreements may not be honored.

Patents issued to third parties may cover our products as ultimately developed. We may need to acquire licenses to these patents or challenge the validity of these patents. We may not be able to license any patent rights on acceptable terms or successfully challenge such patents. The need to do so will dependserves on the scope and validityeditorial board of these patents and ultimately on the final design or formulation of the products and services that we develop. We may not be able to meet our obligations under those licenses that we do enter into. If we enter into a license agreement for intellectual property underlying any of our products, and that license were to be terminated, we may lose our right to market and sell any products based on the licensed technology.

Our products could infringe on the intellectual property rights of others.

Although we attempt to monitor the patent filings of our competitors in an effort to guide the design and development of our products to avoid infringement, third parties may challenge the patents that have been issued or licensed to us. We may have to pay substantial damages, possibly including treble damages, for past infringement if it is ultimately determined that our products infringe a third party’s patents. Further, we may be prohibited from selling our products before we obtain a license, which, if available at all, may require us to pay substantial royalties. Even if infringement claims against us are without merit, defending a lawsuit takes significant time, may be expensive and may divert management attention from other business concerns.

Our lack of operating experience may cause us difficulty in managing our growth.

We have limited or no experience in manufacturing or procuring products in commercial quantities, conducting other later-stage phases of the regulatory approval process, selling pharmaceutical products, or negotiating, establishing and maintaining strategic relationships. Any growth of our company will require us to improve and expand our management and our operational and financial systems and controls. If we are unable to do so, our business and financial condition would be materially harmed. If rapid growth occurs, it may strain our operational, managerial and financial resources.

Our business is subject to technological obsolescence.

Biotechnology and related pharmaceutical technology have undergone and are subject to rapid and significant change. We expect that the technologies associated with biotechnology research and development will continue to develop rapidly. Any compounds, products or processes that we develop may become obsolete before we recover any expenses incurred in connection with developing these products.

We face intense competition in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are intensely competitive. We have numerous competitors in the United States and elsewhere. Our competitors include major, multinational pharmaceutical and chemical companies, specialized biotechnology firms and universities and other research institutions. Many of these competitors have greater financial and other resources, larger research and development staffs and more effective marketing and manufacturing organizations, than we do. In addition, academic and government institutions have become increasingly aware of the commercial value of their research findings. These institutions are now more likely to enter into exclusive licensing agreements with commercial enterprises, including our competitors, to market commercial products. Smaller companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large pharmaceutical and established biotechnology companies. Many of these competitors have significant products that have been approved or are in development and operate large, well-funded research and development programs.

Our competitors may succeed in developing or licensing technologies and products that are more effective or less costly than any we are developing. Our competitors may succeed in obtaining FDA or other regulatory approvals for product candidates before we do. In particular, we face direct competition from many companies focusing on delivery technologies. Products resulting from our research and development efforts, if approved for sale, may not compete successfully with our competitors’ existing products or products under development.

We will depend on third parties to manufacture and market our products.

We do not have, and do not intend to develop, internal facilities for the manufacture of any of our products for clinical or commercial production. Our Vice President of Manufacturing and Product Development designs and develops specifications for, and monitors the “out-sourced” manufacture of, compounds to be used in our pre-clinical studies, clinical trials and anticipated products. Accordingly, we will continue to need to develop relationships with third-party manufacturing resources, enter into collaborative arrangements with licensees or other parties which have established manufacturing capabilities or elect to have other third parties manufacture our products on a contract basis. We expect to be dependent on such collaborators or third parties to supply us in a timely way with products manufactured in compliance with standards imposed by the FDA and foreign regulators. The manufacturing facilities of contract manufacturers may not comply with applicable manufacturing regulations of the FDA nor meet our requirements for quality, quantity or timeliness.

In addition, we have no direct experience in marketing, sales or distribution, and we do not intend to develop a sales and marketing infrastructure to commercialize pharmaceutical products. If we develop products eligible for commercial sale, we will need to rely on third parties such as licensees, collaborators, joint venture partners or independent distributors to market and sell those products. We may not be able to obtain access to a marketing and sales force with sufficient technical expertise and distribution capability. Also, we will not be able to control the resources and effort that a third party will devote to marketing our products. If we are unable to develop and maintain relationships for the necessary marketing and sales capabilities, we may fail to gain market acceptance for our products, and our revenues could be impaired.

We depend on key personnel to develop our products and pursue collaborations.

We are highly dependent on Dr. David Platt, President and Chief Executive Officer; Dr. Anatole Klyosov; and Dr. Eliezer Zomer, Vice President of Manufacturing and Product Development. Dr. Klyosov is a member of our Scientific Advisory Board and he owns 50% of MIR International, Inc., which provides consulting services regarding our research and development. The loss of any of these persons, or failure to attract or retain other key personnel, could prevent us from pursuing collaborations or developing our products and core technologies.

Recruiting and retaining qualified scientific personnel to perform research and development work are critical to our success. There is intense competition for qualified scientists and managerial personnel from numerous pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as from academic and government organizations, research institutions and other entities. In addition, we may face particular difficulties because there is a limited number of scientists specializingjournals in carbohydrate chemistry and related fields. In 1997, Dr. Witczak co-editedCarbohydrates in Drug Design, which has since become a principal focus of our company. We expect to rely on consultants and advisors, including our scientific and clinical advisors, to assist us in formulating our research and development strategy. Any of those consultants or advisors could be employed by other employers, or be self-employed, and might have commitments to, or consulting or advisory contracts with, other entities that may limit their availability to us. Such other employment, consulting or advisory relationships could place our trade secrets at risk, even if we require non-disclosure agreements.

Our insurance coverage may not be adequate in all circumstances.

In the future, we may,leading reference in the ordinary coursefield. In 2000, Dr. Witczak was awarded the Melville L. Wolform Award of business, be subjectthe ACS for his outstanding research contribution to substantial claims by,carbohydrate chemistry. Dr Witczak received a M.S. degree in organic chemistry from the University of Lodz and liability to, persons alleging injurya Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University, Lodz, Poland. He worked as a result of taking products we have under development. If we are successfulpostdoctoral fellow with Professor Roy L. Whistler, a renowned authority in having products approved by the FDA, the sale of such products would expose us to additional potential product liability and other claims resulting from their use. This liability may result from claims made directly by consumers or by pharmaceutical companies or others selling such products. Although we currently have insurance coverage for both product liability and professional liability, it is possible that we will not be able to maintain such insurance on acceptable terms. Any inability to maintain insurance coverage on acceptable terms could prevent or limit the commercialization of any products we develop. A successful product liability claim in excess of our insurancecarbohydrate chemistry at Purdue University.

coverage could exceed our net worth. While we desire to reduce our risk by obtaining indemnity undertakings with respect to such claims from licensees and distributors of our products, we may not be able to obtain such undertakings and, even if we do, they may not be sufficient to limit our exposure to claims.

Health care cost containment initiatives may limit our returns.

Our ability to commercialize our products successfully will be affected by the ongoing efforts of governmental and third-party payors to contain or reduce the cost of health care. Governmental and other third-party payors increasingly are attempting to contain health care costs by challenging prices charged for health care products and services, and denying or limiting coverage and reimbursement amounts for new therapeutic products, and for FDA-approved products considered experimental or investigational, or which are used for disease indications without FDA marketing approval.

In addition, the trend toward managed health care in the United States, the growth of organizations such as health maintenance organizations, and legislative proposals to reform health care and government insurance programs could significantly influence the purchase of health care services and products, resulting in lower prices and reducing demand for our products.

Even if we succeed in bringing any products to the market, they may not be considered cost-effective and third-party reimbursement might not be available or sufficient. If adequate third-party coverage is not available, we may not be able to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in research and product development. In addition, legislation and regulations affecting the pricing of pharmaceuticals may change in ways adverse to us before or after any of our proposed products are approved for marketing.

Our ability to conduct animal testing could be limited in the future.

Our research and development activities have involved, and will continue to involve, animal testing.Such activities have been the subject of controversy and adverse publicity. Animal rights groups and other organizations and individuals have attempted to stop animal testing activities by pressing for legislation and regulation in these areas. To the extent the activities of these groups are successful, our business could be materially harmed.

Stock prices for biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are volatile.

The market price for securities of biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies historically has been highly volatile, and the market from time to time has experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. Fluctuations in the trading price or liquidity of our common stock may adversely affect our ability to raise capital through future equity financings.

Factors that may have a significant impact on the market price and marketability of our common stock include: announcements of technological innovations or new commercial therapeutic products; announcements of results of preclinical testing and clinical trials; developments or disputes concerning patent rights; adverse changes in governmental regulation and the status of our regulatory approvals or applications; and changes in health care policies and practices.

Our stockholders’ ability to trade our shares could be adversely affected, because our stock is not listed on any exchange or quoted on Nasdaq, and is a “penny stock.”

Currently, our shares are traded on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB) sponsored by the National Association of Securities Dealers. Trading in our shares is not consistent on a daily basis and our stockholders may be unable to sell their shares when they want or at a favorable price. We have not listed our

capital stock on any exchange and cannot assure that in the near term we would be able to meet the listing standards for any exchange or for the Nasdaq National Market or the Nasdaq SmallCap Market.

In addition, our stock is subject to SEC regulations that impose limitations upon the manner in which certain low priced equity securities, referred to as “penny stocks,” are publicly traded. Under these regulations, a penny stock is defined as any equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions, for which we do not now qualify. Regulations require the delivery, prior to any transaction involving a penny stock, of a disclosure schedule explaining the penny stock market and the associated risks. They also require certain broker-dealers who recommend penny stocks to persons other than established customers and certain accredited investors to make a special written suitability determination for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to a transaction prior to sale. These requirements make it more difficult to effect transactions in penny stocks as compared to other securities.

Since our stock currently trades below $5.00 per share, our shares would be considered a “penny stock” and our stockholders’ ability to trade our shares could accordingly be adversely affected.

Four principal stockholders own enough shares to control the company.

Four of our principal stockholders, David Platt, James Czirr, Offer Binder and Anatole Klyosov, own or control approximately 65% of our outstanding shares of our common stock, and Dr. Platt and Mr. Czirr together own approximately 52%. Some or all of these stockholders, acting in concert, will be able to continue to elect the Board of Directors and take other corporate actions requiring stockholder approval, such as recapitalization or other fundamental corporate action, as well as dictate the direction and policies of our company. Such concentration of ownership also could have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of the company that might otherwise be beneficial to stockholders.

Item 2.    Description of PropertyProperties

 

We entered into a 5-year sublease commencing June 1, 2001 for approximately 2,830 square feet for our executive offices located at 189 Wells Avenue, Suite 200, Newton, Massachusetts 02459. The base rent for the year ended December 31, 2003 iswas approximately $106,000 ($8,833 per month), and is subject to increase in subsequent years. The sublease is a so-called “triple net” lease, meaning that we must pay our proportionate share of items such as property taxes, insurance and operating costs.

We completed a build-out of our office space in 2002, at a cost of approximately $104,000 before related Our 2004 budget includes capital expenditures such as office furnishings.to add offices and upgrade certain equipment. We believe that upon completion our currently leased facilities as modified by the buildout, arewill be suitable and adequate to meet our requirements for the near term.foreseeable future.

 

Item 3.    Legal Proceedings

 

Pro-Pharmaceuticals isOn May 14, 2003 a former employee, who was our Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Strategy, commenced a lawsuit in Massachusetts Superior Court against us and filed a related complainant letter with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Plaintiff asserted claims for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy and of employee protection provided for under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and seeks monetary damages and reinstatement of her position. On August 25, 2003, the Department of Labor reported that its investigator found the Plaintiff’s allegations are without merit and dismissed the complaint. The Plaintiff objected to the findings and requested a hearing by an Administrative Law Judge at the Department. Other than continuation of pre-trial discovery, there have been no material developments. On October 31, 2003, we received an informal inquiry from the Securities and Exchange Commission requesting information related to the foregoing. We timely responded in November and December 2003 and have not received a party to any litigation or legal proceedings.further communication from the SEC on this matter.

 

On February 13, 2004, we received an order from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to provide information concerning our offerings of securities. We timely responded and believe our offerings comply with Massachusetts law. We believe the Massachusetts investigation may be related to the matters disclosed in the preceding paragraph.

Each of the foregoing matters is subject to various uncertainties, and it is possible one or more may be resolved unfavorably. Management believes that any liability that may ultimately result from the resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

On January 29, 2004, Dr. Platt, was subject toour Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, filed a non-competition covenant with a prior employer now known aslawsuit in Massachusetts Superior Court against GlycoGenesys, Inc. (Nasdaq SmallCap: GLGS). Althoughfor various claims including breach of contract. In its answer GlycoGenesys innames us as a February 2001 letter alleged thatcounterclaim defendant alleging tortious interference and misappropriation of proprietary rights, and seeks monetary damages and injunctive relief related to our intellectual property. On March 19, 2004, we answered the counterclaim and denied any liability. We and Dr. Platt wasintend to contest these counterclaims vigorously and believe we will ultimately prevail. However, if we do not in compliance with the covenant, GlycoGenesys did not take further action. The non-competition covenant expired by its termsprevail, there could be a material adverse impact on June 30, 2002.our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Item 4.    Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

 

No matters werematter was submitted to a vote of our security holders, through solicitation of proxies or otherwise,stockholders during the lastfourth quarter of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002.

Executive Officers of Pro-Pharmaceuticals

Information about the executive officers of Pro-Pharmaceuticals as of March 20, 2003, is set forth below:

Name


Age


Position


David Platt, Ph.D.

49

President, Chief Executive Officer, Treasurer, Secretary and Director

Maureen Foley

61

Chief Operating Officer

James Czirr

49

Executive Vice President of Business Development and Director

Eliezer Zomer, Ph.D.

56

Vice President of Manufacturing and Product Development

Dr. Platt has served as our President, Chief Executive Officer, Treasurer, Secretary and a director since May 15, 2001. Previously, he had been President, Chief Executive Officer, Treasurer, Clerk and a director of Pro-Pharmaceuticals (Massachusetts), the Company’s predecessor, since its founding in July 2000. He was Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of SafeScience Inc. (now known as GlycoGenesys, Inc.) (Nasdaq SmallCap: GLGS) (formerly IGG International, Inc.), a biotechnology company involved in research and development of products for treating cancer and immune system diseases, from December 1992 through May 2000. Dr. Platt had been Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of Agricultural Glycosystems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SafeScience, from its inception in June 1995 through May 2000. Agricultural Glycosystems manufactures and markets complex carbohydrate compounds for use in agriculture. Dr. Platt received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, in 1988, and also earned an M.S. degree in 1983 and a B.S. degree in 1978 from Hebrew University. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1980 from Technicon in Haifa, Israel.

Ms. Foley has served as our Chief Operating Officer since October 2001 and prior to that time served as our Manager of Operations since January 2001. She has been involved in the start-up of several high tech companies, where she has been responsible for the establishment and administration of business operations including human resources and benefits, accounting and finance, marketing, product development, and project management. Her experience at start-up companies includes the following: From June 2000 to December 2000, she provided business operations services as described for eHealthDirect, Inc., a developer of medical records processing software. From October 1999 to May 2000 she provided business operations services for ArsDigita, Inc., a developer of business software and programs. From June 1996 to August 1999, Ms. Foley served with Thermo Fibergen Inc., a subsidiary of Thermo Electron Corporation, a paper waste processing developer. She is a director and Chairman of Tax/Eze, Inc. a tax preparation and financial services company, and a director of Stewart/Precision, Inc., a metal fabricator, and Ergonics, Inc., a project management firm. Ms. Foley is a graduate of The Wyndham School, Boston, Massachusetts, with a major in Mechanical Engineering.

Mr. Czirr has served as Executive Vice President of Business Development and a director since May 15, 2001. He had been a director of Pro-Pharmaceuticals (Massachusetts), our predecessor, since its founding in July 2000. He has been an independent corporate and public relations consultant for over ten years, working with various companies concerning business strategies, including issues such as organization of production, finance and capital programs, marketing strategies and incentive programs. He is a director of the following company that is subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934: NACO Industries Inc.,covered by this report.

which manufactures polyvinyl chloride fittings for use in agriculture, municipal and industrial applications. Mr. Czirr received a B.B.A. degree from the University of Michigan in 1976, and has completed post-graduate courses at the University of Toledo School of Business Administration, and at the College for Financial Planning.

Dr. Eliezer Zomer has served as Vice President of Manufacturing and Product Development since May 1, 2002, and provided part-time consulting services to Pro-Pharmaceuticals since mid 2001. Before joining the company, Dr. Zomer had been the founder of Alicon Biological Control, an Israeli company, where he served from November 2000 to July 2002;Vice President of Product Development at SafeScience, Inc. (now known as GlycoGenesys, Inc.) (Nasdaq SmallCap: GLGS) from December 1998 to July 2000; and Vice-President of Research and Development at Charm Sciences, Inc. from June 1987 to November 1998. Dr. Zomer received a B.Sc. degree in industrial microbiology from the University of Tel Aviv in 1972, a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Massachusetts in 1978, and undertook post-doctoral study at the National Institutes of Health.

The employment of our Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations, whom we hired in October 2002, terminated as of March 7, 2003.

None of the persons specified above share any familial relationship. Other than the persons specified above, there are currently no significant employees that we expect to make a significant contribution to our business.

To the best of our knowledge, there are no material proceedings to which any of our directors (all of whom are current nominees) or executive officers is a party adverse to, or has a material interest adverse to, Pro-Pharmaceuticals. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no events under any bankruptcy act, no criminal proceedings and no judgments or injunctions that are material to the evaluation of the ability or integrity of any director, executive officer, promoter or control person of Pro-Pharmaceuticals during the past five years.

PART II

 

Item 5.    Market for Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters

Item 5.Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

Market for OurPrice Range of Common Stock

 

OurSince September 10, 2003, our common stock trades under the symbol PROH“PRW” on the American Stock Exchange. The high and low closing prices for our common stock as reported on the American Stock Exchange, for the periods indicated, were:

   High

  Low

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2003

        

September 10, 2003 to September 30, 2003

  $6.14  $5.40

Fourth Quarter

  $5.29  $3.11

Prior to September 10, 2003, our common stock traded under the symbol “PROH” on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board Electronic Quotation System maintained by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Our stock commenced trading on September 9, 2002. Approximately thirteen professional market makers hold themselves out as willing to make a market in our common stock. Following is information aboutThe following table sets forth the range of high and low bid prices for our common stock for each fiscal quarter since our stock commenced trading.trading on September 9, 2002. These quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission, and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.

 

Quarter Ended


    

High Bid Quotation


    

Low Bid Quotation


9/30/02

    

$

4.00

    

$

2.00

12/31/02

    

$

3.34

    

$

2.70

   High Bid
Quotation


  Low Bid
Quotation


Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2003

        

First Quarter

  $3.14  $2.41

Second Quarter

  $4.66  $2.30

July 1, 2003 to September 9, 2003

  $4.85  $3.60

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2002

        

September 9, 2002 to September 30, 2002

  $4.00  $2.00

Fourth Quarter

  $3.34  $2.70

 

Holders of Common Stock

 

As of March 26, 2003,23, 2004 there were 331approximately 398 holders of record of our common stock.

Use of Proceeds

On December 31, 2003 we filed a registration statement on Form S-3, which became effective on January 26, 2004, to register for re-sale 9,639,742 shares of common stock although we believe that there are additional beneficial ownersheld by certain stockholders who purchased the shares in certain of our common stock who own their shares in “street name.”prior private placements. The selling stockholders will receive all proceeds from the sales of such stock. We will not receive any proceeds from such sales.

 

Dividends

 

There have been no cash dividends declared on our common stock since our company was formed. Dividends are declared at the sole discretion of our Board of Directors. Our intention is not to declare cash dividends and retain all cash for our operations.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The information in the table below is as of December 31, 2002. See also the Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 7.

     

Number of securities to be issued upon

exercise of

outstanding options, warrants and rights


    

Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights


    

Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a))


Plan category


    

(a)

    

(b)

    

(c)

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders

    

345,000

    

$

3.50

    

1,655,000

Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders

    

224,000

    

$

3.50

    

N/A

Total

    

569,000

          

1,655,000

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

In September 2002, we began a private placement of up to 10 million shares of common stock at $1.00 per share, exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 506 of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933. As of December 31, 2002, we had sold 3,223,360 shares for gross proceeds of $3,223,360. This offering was closed on January 14, 2003. Subsequent to December 31, 2002 and prior to closing the offering, we sold an additional 1,088,000 shares for additional gross proceeds of $1,088,000.

We agreed to compensate a registered investment adviser with respect to shares purchased by its clients based on the recommendation of the adviser. This adviser was entitled to receive 173,500 shares of common stock as of December 31, 2002, and an additional 2,500 subsequent to year-end, for a total of 176,000 shares as of the closing of the private placement. We also agreed to compensate a finder registered under applicable law, and such finder’s agents, for identifying qualified investors. One of the finder’s agents was entitled to receive 750 shares of common stock as of December 31, 2002, and the finder and another of its agents were entitled to receive in aggregate an additional 9,750 shares and $2,750 in cash as of the closing.

We also agreed to compensate one of our officers for identifying qualified investors. As of December 31, 2002, the officer was entitled to receive 2,100 shares of common stock, and an additional 7,000 subsequent to year-end, for a total of 9,100 shares as of the closing. The shares due to the officer were accounted for as compensation, which was charged to general and administrative expenses in the statement of operations.

Item 6.    Plan of OperationSelected Consolidated Financial Data

 

The following table sets forth financial data for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, 2001, and for the period from inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2000 and cumulative period since inception (July 10, 2000) through December 31, 2003. This Plan of Operationselected financial data should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and other partsrelated notes included in Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-KSB contain forward-looking statements that involve risks10-K.

   Fiscal Year Ended December 31,

  Period from
Inception
(July 10, 2000)
to
December 31,
2000


  

Cumulative

Period from
Inception
(July 10, 2000)
to
December 31,
2003


 
   2003

  2002

  2001

   

Consolidated Statements of Operations Data:

                     

Operating expenses:

                     

Research and development

  $1,950,299  $1,483,027  $893,457  $100,250  $4,427,033 

General and administrative

   2,987,867   1,804,192   1,288,634   66,700   6,147,393 
   


 


 


 


 


Operating loss

   (4,938,166)  (3,287,219)  (2,182,091)  (166,950)  (10,574,426)

Interest and other income

   68,925   24,258   24,917   261   118,361 

Interest and other expenses (1)

   (3,880)  (415,416)  (1,813,099)  (17,893)  (2,250,288)
   


 


 


 


 


Net loss

  $(4,873,121) $(3,678,377) $(3,970,273) $(184,582) $(12,706,353)
   


 


 


 


 


Net loss per share—basic and diluted

  $(0.23) $(0.22) $(0.29) $(0.01)    
   


 


 


 


    

Weighted average shares outstanding—basic and
diluted (2)

   21,360,572   16,374,524   13,601,795   12,354,670     

   As of December 31,

   2003

  2002

  2001

  2000

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

                

Working capital

  $7,318,338  $1,327,173  $1,021,239  $23,133

Total assets

   8,001,975   2,283,167   1,766,547   227,940

Convertible notes payable (3)

   —     —     195,000   79,245

Stockholders’ equity

   7,624,066   1,616,374   1,215,845   46,328

Notes:

(1)Interest expense in 2001 includes $1,241,357 relating to a beneficial conversion feature and $503,019 relating to the fair value of certain warrants issued to induce the conversion of the notes prior to maturity.
(2)Basic and diluted net loss per share is the same for each reporting period as the anti-dilutive shares were not included in the per-share calculations.
(3)Net of discount of $205,255 at December 31, 2000.

Item 7.    Management’s Discussion and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements included in this document are based on information available to us on the date hereof,Analysis of Financial Condition and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a resultResults of a number of factors, including those set forth in “Risk Factors That May Affect Results” and elsewhere in this Form 10-KSB.Operations

Overview

 

We are a development-stage company engaged in research and development of drug technologies to enable targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs. We intend initially to “reformulate” existing widely used chemotherapies with our proprietary carbohydrate compounds. We believe our technology may increase the body’s tolerance to these toxic drugs by targeting the delivery directly to cancerous cells and increase the efficacy, thereby creating a preferable treatment to existing first line oncology regimens. Our goal is to develop and commercialize a new generation of reformulated drugs enabling targeted delivery. For additional information, please see “Item 1. Business — Business of Pro-Pharmaceuticals”.

All of our drug candidates are currently in preclinical and clinical development. To commercialize our drug candidates, we will be required to successfully complete preclinical studies and clinical trials to obtain regulatory approvals. We do not expect to file a New Drug Application (“NDA”) for a drug candidate before 2006 even if development of our drug candidates continues successfully. Any delay in obtaining or failure to obtain required approvals will materially adversely affect our ability to generate revenues from commercial sales relating to our drug candidates. We expect our sources of funding for the next several years to come from finance transactions.

We are devoting substantially all of our efforts toward product research and development, and raising capital. We have no source of revenue and have incurred significant losses to date. We have incurred net losses of $12,706,353 for the cumulative period from inception (July 10, 2000) through December 31, 2003. Our losses have resulted principally from costs associated with research and development expenses, including clinical trial costs, and general and administrative activities. As a result of planned expenditures for future research, discovery, development and commercialization activities, we expect to incur additional operating losses for the foreseeable future.

We have raised $17,131,735 in capital principally through the issuance of convertible notes, the sale of common stock through a public offering and the sale of common stock and warrants through private placements. From inception (July 10, 2000) through December 31, 2003, we used cash of $9,023,156 for our operations. At December 31, 2003, we had $7,607,818 of cash and cash equivalents available to fund future operations, which our management believes is sufficient to fund our operations through at least April 30, 2005.

Because we lack revenue and must continue our research and development, we must continually identify new sources of capital and complete financing transactions in order to continue our business. We must continually monitor the monthly “burn rate” of our capital resources.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in Part IV, Item 15 “Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules and Reports on Form 8-K”. Certain of our accounting policies, however, are critical to the portrayal of our financial position and results of operations and require the application of significant judgment by our management, which subjects them to an inherent degree of uncertainty. In applying our accounting policies, our management uses its best judgment to determine the appropriate assumptions to be used in the determination of certain estimates. Those estimates are based on our historical experience, terms of existing contracts, our observance of trends in the industry, information available from other outside sources, and on various other factors that we believe to be appropriate under the circumstances. We believe that the critical accounting policies discussed below involve more complex management judgment due to the sensitivity of the methods, assumptions and estimates necessary in determining the related asset, liability, revenue and expense amounts.

Stock-Based Compensation.    We account for stock-based compensation to employees and non-employee directors in accordance with Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock

Issued to Employees”, and related interpretations. Under APB No. 25, no compensation expense is recorded for stock options and restricted stock awards granted at fair market value with fixed terms. We account for stock or other equity-based compensation to non-employees utilizing the fair value method in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation”, and the Emerging Issues Task Force Abstract No. 96-18, “Accounting for Equity Instruments That Are Issued to Other Than Employees for Acquiring, or in Conjunction with Selling Goods or Services”, and the related interpretations. Under the fair value method, compensation is recorded at the fair value of the consideration received or the fair value of the equity instrument until the final measurement date, which is the earlier of performance completion or vesting. Fluctuations in the quoted market price of the Company’s stock covered by the unvested equity instrument are reflected as adjustments to deferred compensation and compensation expense over the related service period.

We determine the fair value of the equity instrument by using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which requires us to make certain assumptions. Some of the assumptions, such as the risk-free interest rate, come from published sources. Other assumptions, such as the expected life of the equity instrument or the expected volatility of the Company’s stock, are subjective and may differ from period to period. Accordingly, changes in the value of the Company’s stock or changes in the assumptions used to calculate the fair value of the equity instruments, such as the expected life of the options, could have a significant effect on our results of operations in any period.

We consider equity compensation to be an important component in attracting and retaining key employees. During 2003 we awarded approximately 1,647,250 stock options to employees and non-employee members of our Board of Directors. Because the exercise price of the options granted equal the fair market value of a share of our common stock on the date of grant and the options have fixed terms, we recorded no stock compensation expense on these awards. If we had used the fair value method provided for under SFAS No. 123 our reported net loss of $4,873,121 would have increased by $2,824,135 to $7,697,256 in 2003.

Accrued Expenses.    As part of the process of preparing our financial statements, we are required to estimate accrued expenses. This process involves identifying services that third parties have performed on our behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred on these services as of each balance sheet date in our financial statements. Examples of estimated accrued expenses include contract service fees, such as amounts paid to clinical research organizations (CRO) and investigators in conjunction with pre-clinical and clinical trials, and professional service fees, such as attorneys and accountants. In connection with these service fees, our estimates are most affected by our understanding of the status and timing of services provided relative to the actual services incurred by the service providers. In the event that we do not identify certain costs that have been incurred or we under- or over-estimate the level of services or costs of such services, our reported expenses for a reporting period could be understated or overstated. The date on which certain services commence, the level of services performed on or before a given date, and the cost of services are often subject to our judgment. We make these judgments based upon the facts and circumstances known to us in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

Income Taxes.    We determine if our deferred tax assets and liabilities are realizable on an ongoing basis by assessing our valuation allowance and by adjusting the amount of such allowance, as necessary. In the determination of the valuation allowance, we have considered future taxable income and the feasibility of tax planning initiatives. Should we determine that it is more likely than not that we will realize certain of our deferred tax assets for which we previously provided a valuation allowance, an adjustment would be required to reduce the existing valuation allowance. In addition, we operate within multiple taxing jurisdictions and are subject to audit in these jurisdictions. These audits can involve complex issues, which may require an extended period of time for resolution. Although we believe that adequate consideration has been made for such issues, there is the possibility that the ultimate resolution of such issues could have an adverse effect on the results of our operations.

Results of Operations

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2003 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2002

Research and Development Expenses.    Research and development expenses were $1,950,299 in 2003, or 32% higher than the $1,483,027 incurred in 2002. Research and development expenses primarily represent costs of outside laboratories, clinical research organizations, data management services, medical consultants, drug manufacturing for clinical trials and salaries and other personnel-related expenses, including stock compensation. The increase reflects the costs to initiate and conduct the Phase I clinical trial of DAVANAT®-1, which began in February 2003. We expect the Phase I trial to be completed in 2004. In 2004, we began a concurrent Phase II clinical trial of DAVANAT®-1. We are continuing to develop our pipeline of additional drug candidates. Accordingly, we expect that our research and development costs will continue to increase in 2004 and thereafter and could comprise a higher percentage of our annual expenditures.

General and Administrative Expenses.    General and administrative expenses were $2,987,867 in 2003, or 66% higher than the $1,804,192 incurred in 2002. General and administrative expenses primarily represent salaries and other personnel-related expenses, including stock compensation, legal and accounting fees, consultants, corporate governance, insurance, rent, depreciation and other office costs. The increase in costs in 2003 was primarily due to the significant expansion of our business development activities and to costs associated with further strengthening our finance functions, including the addition of a financial expert on the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors and a Chief Financial Officer. Approximately $378,385 of the increase in costs was due to stock-based compensation charges, primarily relating to options granted to consultants serving in business development capacities and our former Chief Financial Officer who resigned in October 2003. We have since secured the services of a new Chief Financial Officer on a consulting basis.

Interest and Other Income.    Interest and other income was $68,925 in 2003 compared to $24,258 in 2002 and primarily consists of interest income on short-term investments. The increase in interest income is due to higher average cash balances as we raised approximately $9,959,442 in new financing in 2003 compared to $3,636,941 in 2002. Average interest rates in 2003 were approximately 10 basis points below the average interest rates in 2002.

Interest Expense.    Interest expense was $3,880 in 2003 compared to $415,416 in 2002. The decrease in interest expense in 2003 is due to the lower debt balances as the convertible notes payable were converted into common stock or repaid in 2002 and 2001. Approximately $406,612 of the interest expense in 2002 represented the fair value of warrants issued to placement agents in connection with the 2001 debt offering and the fair value of shares of common stock issued to the holders of $195,000 of convertible notes as consideration for our extension of the maturity date beyond December 31, 2001.

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2002 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2001

Research and Development Expenses.    Research and development expenses were $1,483,027 in 2002, or 66% higher than the $893,457 incurred in 2001. The increase reflects the costs associated with hiring a Vice President – Product Development and Manufacturing, filing our Investigational New Drug (IND) application for DAVANAT® with the Food and Drug Administration, obtaining IND status for DAVANAT® in July 2002 and scaling-up manufacturing of the drug compound for purposes of the Phase I clinical trials. The costs in 2001 represent expenses incurred to conduct the required animal studies prior to filing the IND application.

General and Administrative Expenses.    General and administrative expenses were $1,804,192 in 2002, or 40% higher than the $1,288,634 incurred in 2001. The increase was due primarily to the full year impact of a new office lease and related facility costs, several new employees, and the added costs associated with being a public company, including the purchase of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.

Interest and Other Income.    Interest and other income was $24,258 in 2002 as compared to $24,917 in 2001. Higher average cash balances in 2002 were offset by significantly lower yields as average interest rates were approximately 30 basis points below the average interest rates in 2001.

Interest Expense.    Interest expense was $415,416 in 2002 compared to $1,813,099 in 2001. As described above, interest expense in 2002 included approximately $406,612 representing the fair value of warrants issued to placement agents in connection with the 2001 debt offering and the fair value of common stock issued to certain note holders to extend the maturity date beyond December 31, 2001. Interest expense in 2001 included $1,241,357 for amortization of the debt discount on the convertible notes payable and $503,019 representing the fair value of warrants issued in August 2001 to induce the holders to convert their notes to common stock prior to maturity. The balance of the reduction in interest expense in 2002 was primarily due to lower average debt balances as the holders of $1,125,602 of such notes converted to common stock in August 2001.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As described above in the Overview and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we are in the development stage and have not generated any revenues to date. Since our inception on July 10, 2000, we have financed our operations primarily through private placements of convertible debt, shares of common stock and warrants, and a public offering of shares of common stock. To date, we have raised a total of $17,131,735 from these offerings and have $7,607,818 of cash available at December 31, 2003.

Net cash used in operations increased to $4,152,157 in 2003, from $2,982,602 and $1,799,309 in 2002 and 2001, respectively. The increased use of cash in operations is primarily related to clinical research and data management costs incurred in connection with our Phase I clinical trial of DAVANAT®-1, expansion of our business development activities and added costs associated with being a public company. In 2001, we initiated preclinical studies of DAVANAT®-1. In 2002, we completed the animal studies and filed an IND application, which was approved in June 2002. In February 2003, we began our Phase I clinical trials and expect to complete those trials in 2004. In January 2004, we initiated a concurrent Phase II clinical trial of DAVANAT®-1. Accordingly, we expect our research and development costs to continue to increase in 2004.

Net cash used in investing activities was $105,700 in 2003, $138,278 in 2002 and $171,116 in 2001. The investing activities primarily consist of fixed assets purchases and patent costs. Fixed asset purchases were higher in 2001 and 2002 as we added staff and relocated to new offices. Expenditures in 2004 are expected to approximate $75,000 as we build out the remaining work areas in the office. Patent costs increased in 2003 due to the continued development of our drug pipeline.

Net cash provided by financing activities was $9,944,442 in 2003, $3,550,941 in 2002 and $3,256,852 in 2001. Net cash provided by financing activities in 2003 resulted from the sale of common stock and warrants in three private placements with net proceeds of $9,944,442. In 2002, the net cash provided by financing activities resulted from one private placement and one public offering of common stock with net proceeds totaling $3,636,941. The net cash provided from financing activities in 2001 included $2,220,750 in net proceeds from the sale of common stock and warrants, and $1,036,102 from the sale of convertible notes. Except for $86,000 of notes repaid in 2002, all convertible notes were converted into common stock and warrants in 2001 and 2002.

We believe that our cash on hand of $7,607,818 at December 31, 2003 will be sufficient to enable us to meet our financing and operating obligations through at least April 30, 2005. We will require more cash to fund our operations over the long-term and believe that we will be able to obtain additional financing. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining such new financing or, if available, that such financing will be on terms favorable to us.

Payments Due Under Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes the payments due under our contractual obligations at December 31, 2003, and the effect such obligations are expected to have on liquidity and cash flow in future periods:

   Payments due by period

Contractual Obligations


  Total

  Less than
1 year


  1 - 3
years


  3 - 5
years


  More than
5 years


Operating leases

  $262,000  $107,000  $155,000  $—    $—  
   

  

  

  

  

In connection with the operating lease for our office space in Newton, Massachusetts included in the table above, a commercial bank has issued a letter of credit collateralized by cash we had on deposit with that bank. As of December 31, 2003, we held $21,933 of restricted cash. The letter of credit expires on May 31, 2004, and we expect to renew the letter of credit for an additional 12 months prior to its expiration.

In addition to the contractual obligations described above, we have entered into contracts with a clinical research organization and a data management company in connection with our Phase I clinical trial of DAVANAT®-1. Our expenditure commitments under the two contracts represent 5% and 15% of the contracted budgetary amounts respectively. Although the two contracts are cancelable upon 30 days’ notice, we intend to continue the services through completion of the Phase I clinical trials in 2004. Our remaining obligation under the two contracts at December 31, 2003 is approximately $250,000.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have not created, and are not party to, any special-purpose or off-balance sheet entities for the purpose of raising capital, incurring debt or operating parts of our business that are not consolidated into our financial statements. We do not have any arrangements or relationships with entities that are not consolidated into our financial statements that are reasonably likely to materially affect our liquidity or the availability of capital resources.

FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT FUTURE RESULTS

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below and the other information before deciding to invest in our common stock. The risks described below are not the only ones facing our company. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial may also adversely affect our business. We have attempted to identify below the major factors that could cause differences between actual and planned or expected results, but we cannot assure you that we have identified all of those factors.

If any of the following risks actually happen, our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected. In this case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.

Risks Related to Pro-Pharmaceuticals

We Are At An Early Stage Of Development With Limited Operating History.    We are a development-stage company with a limited operating history, and we have not generated any revenues to date. We have raised funds primarily through private placementsno therapeutic products available for sale, and none are expected to be commercially available for several years, if at all. We may never generate revenue or become profitable, even if we are able to commercialize any products.

We Have Incurred Net Losses To Date And Depend On Outside Capital.    Our accumulated deficit as of convertible debtDecember 31, 2003 was $12,706,353, which includes approximately $2,427,000 various non-cash charges related to certain equity transactions. We will need to continue to conduct significant research, development, testing and shares of common stock, and a public offering of shares of common stock. Most recently, we raised a total of approximately $4,311,000 in a private placement of common stock begun in September 2002 and completed in January 2003. See “Item 5. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.” We intend to dedicate the proceeds ofregulatory compliance activities that, private placement to research and development, including expenses of Phase I/II clinical trials of our drug candidate for which the FDA approved our investigational new drug application, andtogether with projected general and administrative expenses.expenses, we expect will result in substantial operating losses for the next several years. Accordingly, we will not be generating sales or other revenue and will remain dependent on outside sources of financing during that time. If we are unable to raise funds from outside sources for our continuing operations, we may be adversely affected.

 

AsWe may raise such capital through public or private equity financings, partnerships, debt financings, bank borrowings, or other sources. Additional funding may not be available on favorable terms or at all. If adequate funds are not otherwise available, we may curtail operations significantly. To obtain additional funding, we may need to enter into arrangements that require us to relinquish rights to certain technologies, products and/or potential markets. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity, or securities convertible into equity, our equity holders may experience dilution of their proportionate ownership of the company.

Based on $7,607,818 of available cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2002,2003, we had $1,921,233 in cash and workingbelieve that we have sufficient capital of $1,327,173. Our budgeted expenditures for the year ending December 31, 2003, total $3,700,000, including research and development expenditures of $2,200,000 and general and administrative expenditures of $1,500,000.to fund our operations through at least April 30, 2005.

 

We planOur Product Candidates Will Be Based On Novel Unproven Technologies.    Our product candidates will be based upon novel unproven technologies using proprietary carbohydrate compounds in “reformulations” of drugs currently used in the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Carbohydrates are difficult to raise additional capital through private placements or of public offerings of equity securities in order to cover our budget. If we are limited to the capital we have raised to date,synthesize, and we may be unable to proceed with our current plan of operations and meet our obligations for the next twelve months. Given our current attempts to raise additional capital, we believe we willnot be able to proceed with our current plan of operations and meet our obligationssynthesize carbohydrates that would be usable as delivery vehicles for the next twelve months. Ifanti-cancer drugs we do not raise the additional funds, we would slow or halt our research and development expenditures until adequate funding becomes available. Our business structure is somewhat flexible because we outsource most of our research and development.plan to work with.

 

Our financial statements have been presented on a going-concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. We are in the development stage, have

incurred a net loss since inception of $7,833,232 and expect to incur additional losses in the near future. These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Successful completion of our development program and, ultimately, the attainment of profitable operations is dependent upon future events, including maintaining adequate financing to fulfill our development activities and achieving a level of sales adequate to support our cost structure. We are actively seeking additional financing to fund future operations, but cannot assure we will be successful.

Have Only Recently Begun Clinical Trials And Results Are Uncertain.We have one product candidate in Phase Ihuman clinical trials. DuringPre-clinical results in animal studies are not necessarily predictive of outcomes in human clinical trials. Clinical trials are expensive, time-consuming and may not be successful. They involve the next twelvetesting of potential therapeutic agents, or effective treatments, in humans, typically in three phases, to determine the safety and efficacy of the product candidates necessary for an approved drug. Many products in human clinical trials fail to demonstrate the desired safety and efficacy characteristics. Even if our products

progress successfully through initial human testing, they may fail in later stages of development. We will be dependent on others to conduct our clinical trials, including clinical research organizations and, possibly, government-sponsored agencies. These trials may not start or be completed as we forecast, or may be unsuccessful.

Our Product Candidates May Not Be Successfully Commercialized.    Even if our product candidates are successful in clinical trials, they may not be successfully commercialized. Potential products may fail to receive necessary regulatory approvals, be difficult to manufacture on a large scale, be uneconomical to produce, fail to achieve market acceptance, or be precluded from commercialization by proprietary rights of third parties.

Our Lack Of Operating Experience May Cause Us Difficulty In Managing Our Growth.    We have no direct experience in manufacturing or procuring products in commercial quantities, conducting other later-stage phases of the regulatory approval process, selling pharmaceutical products, or negotiating, establishing and maintaining strategic relationships. Any growth of our company will require us to expand our management and our operational and financial systems and controls. If we are unable to do so, our business and financial condition would be materially harmed. If rapid growth occurs, it may strain our operational, managerial and financial resources.

We Will Depend On Third Parties To Manufacture And Market Our Products.    We do not have, and do not now intend to develop, facilities for the manufacture of any of our products for clinical or commercial production. Accordingly, we will need to develop relationships with manufacturers and enter into collaborative arrangements with licensees or have others manufacture our products on a contract basis. We expect to depend on such collaborators to supply us with products manufactured in compliance with standards imposed by the FDA and foreign regulators.

In addition, we have no direct experience in marketing, sales or distribution, and we do not intend to develop a sales and marketing infrastructure to commercialize our pharmaceutical products. If we develop commercial products, we will need to rely on licensees, collaborators, joint venture partners or independent distributors to market and sell those products.

We Depend On Key Individuals To Develop Our Products And Pursue Collaborations.    We are highly dependent on Dr. David Platt, President and Chief Executive Officer; Dr. Anatole Klyosov, a member of our Scientific Advisory Board and a consultant; and Dr. Eliezer Zomer, Vice President, Manufacturing and Product Development. The loss of any of these persons, or failure to attract or retain other key personnel, could prevent us from pursuing collaborations or developing our products and core technologies.

We Have Been Named a Counterclaim Defendant in a Lawsuit Instituted by Dr. Platt.    Dr. Platt filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts in January 2004 against GlycoGenesys, Inc. for claims including breach of contract. In its answer GlycoGenesys names us as a counterclaim defendant alleging tortious interference and misappropriation of proprietary rights, and seeks monetary damages and injunctive relief related to our intellectual property. On March 19, 2004, we answered the counterclaim and denied any liability. We and Dr. Platt intend to contest these counterclaims vigorously. If we do not prevail there could be a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Risks Related to the Drug Development Industry

We Will Need Regulatory Approvals To Commercialize Our Products.    We currently do not have products approved for sale in the U.S. or any foreign market. We are required to obtain approval from the FDA in order to sell our products in the U.S. and from foreign regulatory authorities in order to sell our products in other countries. The FDA’s review and approval process is lengthy, expensive and uncertain. Extensive pre-clinical and clinical data and supporting information must be submitted to the FDA for each indication for each product candidate in order to secure FDA approval. The FDA could reject an application or require us to conduct additional clinical or other studies as part of the regulatory review process. Delays in obtaining or failure to obtain FDA approvals would prevent or delay the commercialization of our products, which would prevent, defer or decrease our receipt of revenues. If we receive initial regulatory approval, our product candidates will be subject to extensive and rigorous ongoing domestic and foreign government regulation.

Our Competitive Position Depends On Protection Of Our Intellectual Property.    Development and protection of our intellectual property are critical to our business. If we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, competitors may be able to practice our technologies. Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain patent protection for our products or processes in the United States and other countries, protect trade secrets, and prevent others from infringing on our proprietary rights.

Since patent applications in the United States are maintained in secrecy for at least portions of their pendency periods (published on U.S. patent issuance or, if earlier, 18 months from earliest filing date for most applications) and since other publication of discoveries in the scientific or patent literature often lags behind actual discoveries, we anticipatecannot be certain that we are the first to make the inventions to be covered by our patent applications. The patent position of biopharmaceutical firms generally is highly uncertain and involves complex legal and factual questions. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has not established a consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims that it will allow in biotechnology patents.

We cannot assure you that all of our patent applications will issue as patents or that the claims of any issued patents will afford meaningful protection for our technologies or products. In addition, patents issued to us or our licensors may be challenged and subsequently narrowed, invalidated or circumvented. Patent litigation is widespread in the biotechnology industry and could harm our business. Litigation might be necessary to protect our patent position or to determine the scope and validity of third-party proprietary rights, and we may not have the required resources to pursue such litigation or to protect our patent rights.

Although we require our scientific and technical employees and consultants to enter into broad assignment of inventions agreements, and all of our employees, consultants and corporate partners with access to proprietary information to enter into confidentiality agreements, these agreements may not be honored.

We have recently been named as a counterclaim defendant in a lawsuit instituted by Dr. Platt. See “Risks Related to Pro-Pharmaceuticals” above.

Our Products Could Infringe The Intellectual Property Rights Of Others.    We cannot assure that products based on our patents or intellectual property that we license from others will not be challenged by a third party claiming infringement of its proprietary rights. If we were not able to successfully defend our patents or licensed rights, we may have to pay substantial damages, possibly including treble damages, for past infringement.

We Face Intense Competition In The Biotechnology And Pharmaceutical Industries.    The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are intensely competitive. We face direct competition from U.S. and foreign companies focusing on drug delivery technologies which are rapidly evolving. Our competitors include major, multinational pharmaceutical and chemical companies, specialized biotechnology firms and universities and other research institutions. Many of these competitors have greater financial and other resources, larger research and development activitiesstaffs and more effective marketing and manufacturing organizations, than we do. In addition, academic and government institutions are increasingly likely to enter into exclusive licensing agreements with commercial enterprises, including our competitors, to market commercial products based on technology developed at such institutions. Our competitors may succeed in developing or licensing technologies and products that are more effective or less costly than ours, or succeed in obtaining FDA or other regulatory approvals for product candidates before we do.

Health Care Cost Containment Initiatives and The Growth Of Managed Care May Limit Our Returns.    Our ability to commercialize our products successfully will include continuationbe affected by the ongoing efforts of this Phase I first-in-man clinical trialgovernmental and third-party payors to contain the cost of health care. These entities are challenging prices of health care products and services, denying or limiting coverage and reimbursement amounts for new therapeutic products, and for FDA-approved products considered experimental or investigational, or which are used for disease indications without FDA marketing approval.

Even if we succeed in bringing any products to the market, they may not be considered cost-effective and third-party reimbursement might not be available or sufficient. If adequate third-party coverage is not available, we may not be able to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in research and product development. In addition, legislation and regulations affecting the pricing of pharmaceuticals may change in ways adverse to us before or after any of our proposed products are approved for marketing.

Our Insurance Coverage May Not Be Adequate In All Circumstances.    In the future, we may, in the ordinary course of business, be subject to claims by, and liability to, persons alleging injury as discussed abovea result of taking products we have under “ — Researchdevelopment. If we are successful in having products approved by the FDA, the sale of such products would expose us to additional potential product liability and Development — Phase I Clinical Trials,other claims resulting from their use. This liability may result from claims made directly by consumers or by pharmaceutical companies or others selling such products. Although we currently have insurance coverage for both product liability and professional liability, it is possible that we will not be able to maintain such insurance on acceptable terms. Any inability to maintain insurance coverage on acceptable terms could prevent or limit the commercialization of any products we develop.

Risks Related to Our Stock

Stock Prices for Biopharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies Are Volatile.    The market price for securities of biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies historically has been highly volatile, and the market from time to time has experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. Fluctuations in the trading price or liquidity of our common stock may adversely affect our ability to raise capital through future equity financings.

Large Sales Could Reduce The Trading Price Of Our Common Stock.    We listed our common stock on the American Stock Exchange in September 2003, prior to which our stock traded on the OTC Bulletin Board. Accordingly, there is a limited history of trading of our stock on a national exchange and, based on varying trading volume to date, our stock could be considered “thinly traded. In the last six months of 2003 we undertook the registration on behalf of certain of our stockholders a total of 11,358,835 shares of our common stock and 832,635 shares of stock issuable upon exercise of immediately-exercisable warrants. In general, shares of registered common stock may be re-sold into the public markets without volume or other restrictions. Large sales of our registered shares could place substantial downward pressure on the trading price of our common stock, particularly if the amount sold significantly exceeds the then-current trading volume of our stock.

Four Principal Stockholders Own Enough Shares To Control The Company.    Four of our principal stockholders, David Platt, James Czirr, Offer Binder and Anatole Klyosov own or control approximately 47% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, and Dr. Platt and Mr. Czirr together own approximately 37%. Some or all of these stockholders, acting in concert, may be able to substantially influence the election of the Board of Directors and other corporate actions requiring stockholder approval, such as recapitalization or other fundamental corporate action, as well as continuing preclinical animal experimentsthe direction and policies of our company. Such concentration of ownership also could have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of the company that might otherwise be beneficial to study toxicity and efficacy of 5-FU and other cancer chemotherapies both in combination with our polysaccharide compounds and, in the case of Adriamycin, as chemically modified with sugar residues via “linkers” of a certain chemical structure that are our proprietary technology.stockholders.

 

We do not anticipate building in-house researchChanges In Laws, Regulations And Financial Accounting Standards May Affect Our Reported Results Of Operations.    The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related regulations may result in changes in accounting standards or development facilities, or hiring staffaccepted practices within our industry and could add significant new costs to conduct those activities. Consequently, we do not expectbeing a public company. New laws, regulations and accounting standards, as well as potential changes to make any purchases or salescurrently accepted accounting practices, including the expensing of plant or significant equipment during the next twelve months. We currently have six employees, all full-time. We have hired a Chief Financial Officer whose employment commences asstock options, could adversely affect our reported financial results and negatively affect our stock price. Additional unanticipated expenses incurred to comply with new requirements could also negatively impact our results of April 1, 2003. We do not expect a substantial increase to our employee headcount.operations.

Item 7.7A.    Financial StatementsQuantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

IndexMarket risk represents the risk of loss that may impact our financial position, operating results or cash flows due to Financial Statementschanges in the U.S. interest rates. The primary objective of our investment activities is to preserve cash until it is required to fund operations. To minimize risk, we maintain our portfolio of cash and cash equivalents in operating bank accounts and money market funds. Since our investments are short-term in duration, we believe that we are not subject to any material market risk exposure. We do not have any interest-bearing debt, foreign currency or other derivative financial instruments.

Page


1.      Independent Auditors’ Report for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001

F-1

2.      Independent Auditors’ Report for the period from inception (July 10, 2000) through December 31, 2000

F-2

3.      Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2002 and 2001

F-3

4.      Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001, for the period from inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2000, and for the cumulative period from inception to December 31, 2002

F-4

5.      Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001, and for the period from inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2000

F-5

6.      Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001, for the period from inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2000, and for the cumulative period from inception to December 31, 2002

F-6

7.      Notes to Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001, and for the period from inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2000

F-7

 

Item 8.    Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

The financial statements required by this item are attached to this Annual Report on Form 10-K beginning on Page F-1.

Item 9.    Changes inIn and Disagreements withWith Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

 

The information below has been previously included in our Current Report on Form 8-K filedNone.

Item 9A.    Controls and Procedures

In accordance with Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), Rules 13a - 15(e) and 15d - 15(e), we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the SEC on February 25, 2002,participation of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as amendedwell as other key members of our management, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and filed withprocedures as of the SEC as Form 8-K/A on March 8, 2002.

On February 15, 2002,end of the period covered by this report. Under the direction of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we dismissed Scillia Dowling & Natarelli LLC asevaluated our independent auditors. On February 22, 2002, we engaged Deloitte & Touche LLP asdisclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, and concluded that (i) our independent auditors to audit our financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001. The decision to dismiss Scillia Dowling & Natarelli LLCdisclosure controls and to retain Deloitte & Touche LLP was approved by our Board of Directors and Audit Committee.

The report of Scillia Dowling & Natarelli LLC on our financial statementsprocedures were effective as of December 31, 2000,2003 and for(ii) no change in internal control over financial reporting occurred during the period from July 10, 2000 (Inception) toquarter ended December 31, 2000, and the review reports of Scillia Dowling & Natarelli LLC on our2003 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, such internal control over financial statements as of June 30, 2001 and September 30, 2001 and for the three-month and year-to-date periods, did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles. We have only filed financial statements since our July 10, 2000 date of inception. On March 31, 2001, we engaged Scillia Dowling & Natarelli LLC as our independent auditors to audit our financial statements for the period commencing July 10, 2000 (Inception) to December 31, 2000. From July 10, 2000 (Inception) through February 15, 2002, there were no disagreements between Scillia Dowling & Natarelli LLC and us on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Scillia Dowling & Natarelli LLC, would have caused it to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in connection with its reports on our financial statements. Prior to March 31, 2001, another independent auditor had opined on our financial statements. A discussion of this auditor’s resignation can be seen under “Item 2. Plan of Operation — Business Combination and Ownership” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2001, as filed with the SEC on November 14, 2001. No disagreements were reported therein.

From March 31, 2001, we did not consult with Deloitte & Touche LLP on items which involved (i) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, (ii) the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on our financial statements, or (iii) the subject matter of a disagreement or “reportable event.”

Before we filed the Form 8-K in its original and amended versions in which the above matters were disclosed, we furnished Scillia Dowling & Natarelli LLC with a copy of the above disclosure as included in each of the original and amended forms, respectively, and requested it in each case to furnish a letter addressed to the SEC stating whether Scillia Dowling & Natarelli LLC agrees with the above statements. Copies of the letters are attached as Exhibit 16.1 and Exhibit 16.2 to the Form 8-K/A as filed with the SEC on March 8, 2002. A copy of the letter with respect to the original Form 8-K disclosure was also attached as Exhibit 16 to the Form 8-K as filed with the SEC on February 25, 2002.reporting.

PARTPart III

 

Item 9.10.    Directors and Executive Officers Promoters and Control Persons; Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange ActRegistrant

 

Information about our directorsThe information required by this Item will be contained in our definitive Proxy Statement to be filed with the SECSecurities and Exchange Commission in connection with our 20032004 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 28, 200325, 2004 (the “Proxy“2004 Proxy Statement”) under the caption “Proposal No. 1 — Electioncaptions “Election of Directors”, “Board of Directors Meetings and Committees of the Board”, “Executive Officers” and “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Information concerningWe have adopted a code of ethics that applies to all our executivedirectors, officers and employees. This code is furnished in Part Ipublicly available on our website atwww.pro-pharmaceuticals.com. Amendments to the code of this Annual Reportethics and any grant of a waiver from a provision of the code requiring disclosure under applicable SEC and American Stock Exchange rules will be disclosed on Form 10-KSB under a separate unnumbered caption (“Executive Officers of Pro-Pharmaceuticals”).

The remaining information required by this item is incorporated by reference from the information under the caption “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” contained in our Proxy Statement.

Peter Hauser, a director, resigned for personal reasons from our Board of Directors effective March 20, 2003.website.

 

Item 10.11.    Executive Compensation

 

The information required regarding executive compensationby this Item is incorporated by reference from the information under the captionscaption “Executive Compensation” and “Compensation of Directors and Advisors” contained in theour 2004 Proxy Statement.

 

Item 11.12.    Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

 

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from the information contained under the caption “Ownership of Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Common Stock” contained in theour 2004 Proxy Statement.

 

Item 12.13.    Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

 

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from the information under the caption “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” contained in theour 2004 Proxy Statement.

 

Item 13.14.    Principal Accountant Fees and Services

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference from the information under the captions “Audit Fees”, “Audit-Related Fees”, “Tax Fees”, “All Other Fees” and “Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures” contained in our 2004 Proxy Statement.

Part IV

Item 15.    Exhibits, Financial DataStatement Schedules, and Reports on Form 8-K

 

(a)Exhibits

The Exhibits filed as part of this Form 10-KSB are listed on the Exhibit Index immediately preceding such Exhibits, which Exhibit Index is incorporated herein by reference.

(b)Reports on Form 8-K

We did not file any reports on Form 8-K during the three months ended December 31, 2002.

Item 14.    Controls and Procedures

(a)Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.    Based on his evaluation as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-KSB, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-14(c) and 15d-14(c) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms.

(b)Changes in internal controls. There were no significant changes in our internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect these controls subsequent to the date of their evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

SIGNATURES

In accordance with Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Registrant has caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on March 26, 2003.

PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.


Registrant

By:

    /s/    DAVID PLATT


 

Name: David Platt, Ph.D.

Title: President

In accordance with the Exchange Act, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature


Title


Date


/s/    DAVID PLATT


David Platt, Ph.D.

President, Chief Executive Officer, Treasurer, Secretary and Director (Principal Executive, Financial and Accounting Officer)

March 26, 2003

    *


James Czirr

Executive Vice President of Business Development and Director

March 26, 2003

    *


Burton C. Firtel

Director

March 26, 2003

    *


Dale H. Conaway, D.V.M.

Director

March 26, 2003

    *


David H. Smith

Director

March 26, 2003


Edgar Ben-Josef, M.D.

Director

March     , 2003

    *


Mildred Christian, Ph.D.

Director

March 26, 2003

*By:

    /s/    DAVID PLATT


David Platt, Ph.D., Attorney-in-Fact

CERTIFICATION

I, David Platt, certify that:

(a) 1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-KSB of Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc.;

2.Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this annual report;

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this annual report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4.The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and have:Consolidated Financial Statements

 

 a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in whichThe Consolidated Financial Statements are filed as part of this annual report is being prepared;report.

 

 b)     2. evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this annual report (the “Evaluation Date”); andConsolidated Financial Statement Schedules

 

 c) presented in this annual report our conclusions about the effectivenessAll schedules are omitted because of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation asabsence of conditions under which they are required or because the Evaluation Date;

5.The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, torequired information is included in the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):Consolidated Financial Statements or notes thereto.

 

 a)     3. all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and have identified for the registrant’s auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; andExhibits

 

b)any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal controls; and

Exhibit

Number


   

Description of Document


  

Note

Reference


3.1   

Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant, dated January 26, 2001

  1
3.2   

Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant

  2
10.1   

Assignment and Assumption Agreement, dated April 23, 2001, by and between Developed Technology Resource, Inc. and DTR-Med Pharma Corp.

  1
10.2   

Stock Exchange Agreement, dated April 25, 2001, by and among Developed Technology Resource, Inc., DTR-Med Pharma Corp., Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Massachusetts) and the Shareholders (as defined therein)

  1
10.3   

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2001 Stock Incentive Plan

  2
10.4   

Consulting Agreement, dated as of March 14, 2002, as amended November 14, 2002, by and between Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Burton Firtel

  4
10.5   

Consulting Agreement, dated as of January 16, 2003, by and between Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and David H. Smith

  4
10.6   

Employment Agreement, dated effective as of April 1, 2003, by and between Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and David A. Christopher (Agreement Terminated)

  5
10.7   

Securities Purchase Agreement, dated October 2, 2003, by and among Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the Purchasers named therein

  6
10.8   

Registration Rights Agreement, dated October 2, 2003, by and among Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the Purchasers named therein

  6
10.9   

Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant issued to Rodman & Renshaw, Inc.

  6
10.10   

Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant issued to the Purchasers under the Securities Purchase Agreement

  6
10.11   

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2003 Non-employee Director Stock Incentive Plan

  7
10.12*  

Consulting Agreement, dated as of November 12, 2003, by and between Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Charles F. Harney

   
10.13*  

Employment Agreement, dated effective as of January 2, 2004, by and between Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and David Platt

   
16.1   

Letter from Scillia Dowling & Natarelli LLC to the Commission, dated February 25, 2002, concerning change in certifying accountant

  3
16.2   

Letter from Scillia Dowling & Natarelli LLC to the Commission, dated March 7, 2002, concerning change in certifying accountant

  3

6.The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have indicated in this annual report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

Dated: March 26, 2003


/s/    DAVID PLATT


David Platt, Ph.D.

President, Chief Executive Officer, Treasurer, Secretary and Director (Principal Executive, Financial and Accounting Officer)

Exhibit

Number


 

Description of Document


  

Note

Reference


3.1

Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant, dated January 26, 2001

*

3.2

21.1

Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant

**

10.1

Assignment and Assumption Agreement, dated April 23, 2001, by and between Developed Technology Resource, Inc. and DTR-Med Pharma Corp.

*

10.2

Stock Exchange Agreement, dated April 25, 2001, by and among Developed Technology Resource, Inc., DTR-Med Pharma Corp., Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Massachusetts) and the Shareholders (as defined therein)

*

10.3

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2001 Stock Incentive Plan

**

10.4

Consulting Agreement, dated as of March 14, 2002, as amended November 14, 2002, by and between Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Burton Firtel

10.5

Consulting Agreement, dated as of January 16, 2003, by and between Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and David H. Smith

16

Letter from Scillia Dowling & Natarelli LLC to the Commission, dated February 25, 2002, concerning change in certifying accountant

***

21

 

Subsidiaries of the Registrant

  

None

24

23.1
* 

PowersIndependent Auditors’ Consent of AttorneyDeloitte & Touche LLP

   

99

31.1
* 

Certification Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officerthe Securities Exchange Act of 1934

31.2*

Certification Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

32.1**

Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

32.2**

Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

   

* Filed herewith.
**Furnished herewith and not “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
1Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form 10-SB, as filed with the Commission on June 13, 2001.
**2 Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended September 30, 2001, as filed with the Commission on November 14, 2001.
***3 Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K8-K/A as filed with the Commission on March 8, 2002.
4Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002, as filed with the Commission on March 31, 2003.
5Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended June 30, 2003, as filed with the Commission on August 14, 2003.
6Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K/A as filed with the Commission on October 10, 2003 for the period October 2, 2003.
7Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-8, as filed with the Commission on October 22, 2003.

(b)Reports on Form 8-K

On October 6, 2003, we filed a Current Report on Form 8-K under Item 5 to report the completion of a private placement of 1,314,571 shares of common stock and 723,022 common stock warrants.

On November 14, 2003, we filed a Current Report on Form 8-K under Items 5 and 7 to report the issuance to the Company of two U.S patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

On February 25, 2002.2004, we filed a Current Report on Form 8-K under Item 5 which contained an exhibit of our press release dated such date in which we disclosed the counterclaim against us initiated by GlycoGenesys, Inc. and Dr. Platt’s notice of intent to terminate his license with such company.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on March 30, 2004.

PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By

    /s/    DAVID PLATT        


Name: David Platt, Ph.D.

Title: Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature


Title


Date


/s/    DAVID PLATT


David Platt, Ph.D.

President, Chief Executive Officer and DirectorMarch 30, 2004

/s/    CHARLES F. HARNEY


Charles F. Harney

Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)March 30, 2004

/s/    EDGAR BEN-JOSEF


Edgar Ben-Josef, M.D.

DirectorMarch 30, 2004

/s/    MILDRED S. CHRISTIAN


Mildred S. Christian, Ph.D.

DirectorMarch 30, 2004

/s/    DALE H. CONAWAY


Dale H. Conaway, D.V.M.

DirectorMarch 30, 2004

/s/    BURTON C. FIRTEL


Burton C. Firtel

DirectorMarch 30, 2004

/s/    STEVEN PRELACK


Steven Prelack

DirectorMarch 30, 2004

/s/    JERALD K. ROME


Jerald K. Rome

DirectorMarch 30, 2004

/s/    DAVID H. SMITH


David H. Smith

DirectorMarch 30, 2004

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

Page

1.Independent Auditors’ ReportF-1
2.Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2003 and 2002F-2
3.Consolidated Statements of Operations for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003, and for the cumulative period from inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2003F-3
4.Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003, and for the cumulative period from inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2003F-4
5.Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003, and for the cumulative period from inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2003F-6
6.Notes to Consolidated Financial StatementsF-7


INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT

 

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a development stage company)

, Newton, MassachusettsMA

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a development stage company) (the “Company”) as of December 31, 20022003 and 2001,2002, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years thenin the period ended December 31, 2003, and for the period from inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2002.2003. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. The Company’s financial statements as of December 31, 2000, and for the period from inception (July 10, 2000) through December 31, 2000, were audited by other auditors, whose report, dated April 10, 2002, expressed an unqualified opinion on those statements. The financial statements for the period from inception (July 10, 2000) through December 31, 2000 reflect a cumulative net loss of $184,582. The other auditors’ report has been furnished to us, and our opinion, insofar as it relates to the amounts included for such prior periods, is based solely on the report of such other auditors.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits and the report of the other auditors provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, based on our audit and the report of other auditors, the 2002 and 2001such consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2003 and 2002, and 2001, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years thenin the period ended December 31, 2003, and for the period from inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2002, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. The Company is a development stage enterprise engaged in developing technology that will reduce the toxicity and improve the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company’s net loss since inception and expectations of additional losses in the future raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans concerning these matters are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

/s/    Deloitte & Touche LLP

Boston, Massachusetts

March 24, 2003

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT

To the Stockholders

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A development stage company)

Newton, Massachusetts

We have audited the accompanying statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) for the period from inception (July 10, 2000) through December 31, 2000. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the results of operations and cash flows of the Company for the period from inception (July 10, 2000) through December 31, 2000, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

/s/ Scillia DowlingDeloitte & Natarelli LLCTouche LLP

Hartford, ConnecticutBoston, Massachusetts

April 10, 2002

March 30, 2004

PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(A Development StageDevelopment-Stage Company)

 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

DECEMBER 31, 20022003 AND 20012002


 

  2003

 2002

 

ASSETS


  

2002


   

2001


      

CURRENT ASSETS:

         

Cash and cash equivalents

  

$

1,921,233

 

  

$

1,491,172

 

  $7,607,818  $1,921,233 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

  

 

72,733

 

  

 

11,561

 

   88,429   72,733 

Deferred offering costs

  

 

—  

 

  

 

69,208

 

  


  


  


 


Total current assets

  

 

1,993,966

 

  

 

1,571,941

 

   7,696,247   1,993,966 
  


  


  


 


PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT—Net

  

 

177,160

 

  

 

111,540

 

INTANGIBLE ASSETS

  

 

85,090

 

  

 

56,115

 

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT—NET

   143,933   177,160 

INTANGIBLE ASSETS—NET

   134,844   85,090 

DEPOSITS AND OTHER ASSETS

  

 

26,951

 

  

 

26,951

 

   26,951   26,951 
  


  


  


 


TOTAL ASSETS

  

$

2,283,167

 

  

$

1,766,547

 

  $8,001,975  $2,283,167 
  


  


  


 


LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

         

CURRENT LIABILITIES:

         

Accounts payable

  

$

302,899

 

  

$

236,223

 

  $143,749  $279,686 

Accrued expenses

  

 

174,644

 

  

 

119,479

 

Accounts payable—related party

   22,306   23,213 

Accrued expenses—related party

   —     122,046 

Other accrued expenses

   211,854   67,598 

Offering costs payable

  

 

174,250

 

  

 

—  

 

   —     174,250 

Convertible notes payable

  

 

15,000

 

  

 

195,000

 

  


  


  


 


Total current liabilities

  

 

666,793

 

  

 

550,702

 

   377,909   666,793 

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 8)

      

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 9)

   

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:

         

Common stock, $0.001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized, 5,000,000 undesignated shares, 19,034,647 and 15,524,410 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2002 and 2001, respectively

  

 

19,034

 

  

 

15,524

 

Common stock, $0.001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 5,000,000 undesignated shares; 24,079,300 and 19,034,647 shares of common stock issued and outstanding at December 31, 2003 and 2002, respectively

   24,079   19,034 

Additional paid-in capital

  

 

9,635,531

 

  

 

5,446,751

 

   20,376,051   9,635,531 

Stock subscriptions receivable

  

 

(150,000

)

  

 

—  

 

   —     (150,000)

Deferred compensation

  

 

(54,959

)

  

 

(91,575

)

   (69,711)  (54,959)

Deficit accumulated during the development stage

  

 

(7,833,232

)

  

 

(4,154,855

)

   (12,706,353)  (7,833,232)
  


  


  


 


Total stockholders’ equity

  

 

1,616,374

 

  

 

1,215,845

 

   7,624,066   1,616,374 
  


  


  


 


TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

  

$

2,283,167

 

  

$

1,766,547

 

  $8,001,975  $2,283,167 
  


  


  


 


 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(A Development StageDevelopment-Stage Company)

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2003, 2002 AND 2001, AND CUMULATIVE PERIOD

FROM INCEPTION (JULY 10, 2000)

TO DECEMBER 31, 2000, AND CUMULATIVE PERIOD FROM INCEPTION TO DECEMBER 31, 20022003


 

  

Year Ended December 31, 2002


   

Year Ended December 31, 2001


   

Period from Inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2000


   

Cumulative Period from Inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2002


 

OPERATING EXPENSES:

            
  Years Ended December 31,

 

Cumulative

Period from

Inception

(July 10,

2000) to
December 31,
2003


 
  2003

 2002

 2001

 

OPERATING EXPENSES: (a)

   

Research and development

  

$

1,483,027

 

  

$

893,457

 

  

$

100,250

 

  

$

2,476,734

 

  $1,950,299  $1,483,027  $893,457  $4,427,033 

General and administrative (a)

  

 

1,804,192

 

  

 

1,288,634

 

  

 

66,700

 

  

 

3,159,526

 

General and administrative

   2,987,867   1,804,192   1,288,634   6,147,393 
  


  


  


  


  


 


 


 


Total operating expenses

  

 

(3,287,219

)

  

 

(2,182,091

)

  

 

(166,950

)

  

 

(5,636,260

)

   (4,938,166)  (3,287,219)  (2,182,091)  (10,574,426)

INTEREST INCOME

  

 

24,258

 

  

 

24,917

 

  

 

261

 

  

 

49,436

 

INTEREST AND OTHER INCOME

   68,925   24,258   24,917   118,361 

INTEREST AND OTHER EXPENSES:

               

Amortization of debt discount on convertible notes

  

$

—   

 

  

$

1,241,357

 

  

$

16,655

 

  

$

1,258,012

 

   —     —     1,241,357   1,258,012 

Debt conversion expense

  

 

—  

 

  

 

503,019

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

503,019

 

   —     —     503,019   503,019 

Interest expense on convertible notes

  

 

415,416

 

  

 

68,723

 

  

 

1,238

 

  

 

485,377

 

   —     415,416   68,723   485,377 

Other interest expense

   3,880   —     —     3,880 
  


  


  


  


  


 


 


 


Total interest and other expenses

  

 

(415,416

)

  

 

(1,813,099

)

  

 

(17,893

)

  

 

(2,246,408

)

   (3,880)  (415,416)  (1,813,099)  (2,250,288)

NET LOSS

  

$

(3,678,377

)

  

$

(3,970,273

)

  

$

(184,582

)

  

$

(7,833,232

)

  $(4,873,121) $(3,678,377) $(3,970,273) $(12,706,353)
  


  


  


  


  


 


 


 


NET LOSS PER SHARE—BASIC AND DILUTED

  $(0.23) $(0.22) $(0.29) 
  


 


 


 

NET LOSS PER SHARE—Basic and diluted

  

$

(0.22

)

  

$

(0.29

)

  

$

(0.01

)

   
  


  


  


   

WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING—Basic and diluted

  

 

16,374,524

 

  

 

13,601,795

 

  

 

12,354,670

 

   
  


  


  


   

WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING—BASIC AND DILUTED

   21,360,572   16,374,524   13,601,795  
  


 


 


 

(a) The following summarizes the allocation of the stock-based compensation charge:

               

Research and development

  $135,152  $—    $—    $135,152 

General and administrative

  

$

105,329

 

  

$

147,317

 

  

$

—  

 

  

$

252,646

 

   483,714   105,329   147,317   736,360 
  


 


 


 


Total

  $618,866  $105,329  $147,317  $871,512 
  


 


 


 


 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(A Development StageDevelopment-Stage Company)

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2003, 2002 AND 2001, AND CUMULATIVE PERIOD

FROM INCEPTION (JULY 10, 2000) TO DECEMBER 31, 20002003


  

Common Stock


                  
  

Number of Shares


 

$0.001 Par Value


 

Additional Paid-in Capital


   

Subscription Receivable


   

Deferred Compensation


  

Deficit Accumulated During the Development Stage


   

Total Stockholders’ Equity


 

Issuance of founders shares

 

12,354,670

 

$

12,355

 

$

(3,355

)

  

$

—  

 

  

$

—  

 

 

$

—  

 

  

$

9,000

 

Beneficial conversion feature and rights to common stock embedded in convertible note

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

 

221,910

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

221,910

 

Net loss

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

(184,582

)

  

 

(184,582

)

  
 

 


  


  


 


  


BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2000

 

12,354,670

 

 

12,355

 

 

218,555

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

(184,582

)

  

 

46,328

 

  
 

 


  


  


 


  


Issuance of common stock and beneficial conversion feature related to convertible note

 

660,321

 

 

660

 

 

1,035,442

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

1,036,102

 

Issuance of common stock in connection with reverse merger of Pro-Pharmaceuticals-NV

 

1,221,890

 

 

1,222

 

 

105,778

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

107,000

 

Conversion of notes payable and accrued interest to common stock

 

598,229

 

 

598

 

 

1,125,004

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

1,125,602

 

Issuance of warrants to induce conversion of notes payable

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

 

503,019

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

503,019

 

Issuance of common stock and warrants (net of issuance costs of $16,750)

 

689,300

 

 

689

 

 

2,220,061

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

2,220,750

 

Deferred compensation relating to issuance of stock options

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

 

238,892

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

(238,892

)

 

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

Amortization of deferred compensation

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

147,317

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

147,317

 

Net loss

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

(3,970,273

)

  

 

(3,970,273

)

  
 

 


  


  


 


  


BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2001

 

15,524,410

 

 

15,524

 

 

5,446,751

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

(91,575

)

 

 

(4,154,855

)

  

 

1,215,845

 

  
 

 


  


  


 


  


Issuance of common stock (net of issuance costs of $49,208)

 

185,999

 

 

186

 

 

601,603

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

601,789

 

Issuance of common stock related to 2002 private placement (net of issuance costs of $212,458)

 

3,223,360

 

 

3,223

 

 

3,007,679

 

  

 

(150,000

)

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

2,860,902

 

Conversion of extension costs related to convertible notes to common stock

 

48,750

 

 

49

 

 

170,576

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

170,625

 

Conversion of notes payable and accrued interest to common stock

 

52,128

 

 

52

 

 

104,222

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

104,274

 

Stock compensation expense related to issuance of options to consultant

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

 

41,056

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

41,056

 

Issuance of warrants to purchase common stock in consideration for placement of convertible notes payable

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

 

235,987

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

235,987

 

Deferred compensation relating to issuance of stock options

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

 

10,901

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

(10,901

)

 

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

Amortization of deferred compensation

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

47,517

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

47,517

 

Stock compensation expense related to fair market revaluation

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

 

16,756

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

—  

 

  

 

16,756

 

Net loss

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

 

 

(3,678,377

)

  

 

(3,678,377

)

  
 

 


  


  


 


  


BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2002

 

19,034,647

 

$

19,034

 

$

9,635,531

 

  

$

(150,000

)

  

$

(54,959

)

 

$

(7,833,232

)

  

$

1,616,374

 

  
 

 


  


  


 


  


  Common Stock

 Additional
Paid-in
Capital


  Stock
Subscription
Receivable


  Deferred
Compensation


  Deficit
Accumulated
During the
Development
Stage


  Total
Stockholders’
Equity


 
  Number
of Shares


 $0.001 Par
Value


     

Issuance of founders shares

 12,354,670 $12,355 $(3,355) $—    $—    $—    $9,000 

Beneficial conversion feature and rights to common stock embedded in convertible note

 —    —    221,910   —     —     —     221,910 

Net loss

 —    —    —     —     —     (184,582)  (184,582)
  
 

 


 


 


 


 


BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2000

 12,354,670  12,355  218,555   —     —     (184,582)  46,328 
  
 

 


 


 


 


 


Issuance of common stock and beneficial conversion feature related to convertible note

 660,321  660  1,035,442   —     —     —     1,036,102 

Issuance of common stock in connection with reverse merger of Pro-Pharmaceuticals-NV

 1,221,890  1,222  105,778   —     —     —     107,000 

Conversion of notes payable and accrued interest to common stock

 598,229  598  1,125,004   —     —     —     1,125,602 

Issuance of warrants to induce conversion of notes payable

 —    —    503,019   —     —     —     503,019 

Issuance of common stock and warrants (net of issuance costs of $16,750)

 689,300  689  2,220,061   —     —     —     2,220,750 

Deferred compensation relating to issuance of stock options

 —    —    238,892   —     (238,892)  —     —   

Amortization of deferred compensation

 —    —    —     —     147,317   —     147,317 

Net loss

 —    —    —     —     —     (3,970,273)  (3,970,273)
  
 

 


 


 


 


 


BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2001

 15,524,410  15,524  5,446,751   —     (91,575)  (4,154,855)  1,215,845 
  
 

 


 


 


 


 


Issuance of common stock (net of issuance costs of $49,208)

 185,999  186  601,603   —     —     —     601,789 

Issuance of common stock related to 2002 private placement (net of issuance costs of $212,458)

 3,223,360  3,223  3,007,679   (150,000)  —     —     2,860,902 

Conversion of notes payable and accrued interest to common stock

 100,878  101  274,798   —     —     —     274,899 

Stock compensation expense related to issuance of options to consultant

 —    —    41,056   —     —     —     41,056 

Issuance of warrants to purchase common stock in consideration for placement of convertible notes payable

 —    —    235,987   —     —     —     235,987 

Deferred compensation relating to issuance of stock options

 —    —    10,901   —     (10,901)  —     —   

Amortization of deferred compensation

 —    —    —     —     47,517   —     47,517 

Stock compensation expense related to fair market revaluation

 —    —    16,756   —     —     —     16,756 

Net loss

 —    —    —     —     —     (3,678,377)  (3,678,377)
  
 

 


 


 


 


 


 

See notes to financial statements.(Continued)

 

PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(A Development StageDevelopment-Stage Company)

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2003, 2002 AND 2001, AND CUMULATIVE PERIOD

FROM INCEPTION (JULY 10, 2000) TO DECEMBER 31, 2003


  Common Stock

 Additional
Paid-in
Capital


 Stock
Subscription
Receivable


  Deferred
Compensation


  Deficit
Accumulated
During the
Development
Stage


  Total
Stockholders’
Equity


 
  Number
of Shares


 $0.001 Par
Value


     

BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2002

 19,034,647  19,034  9,635,531  (150,000)  (54,959)  (7,833,232)  1,616,374 
  
 

 

 


 


 


 


Issuance of common stock to investors in 2002 Private Placement (net of issuance costs of $17,500)

 1,088,000  1,088  1,069,412  —     —     —     1,070,500 

Issuance of common stock to consultants for services related to 2002 Private Placement

 12,250  12  12,238  —     —     —     12,250 

Receipt of subscription receivable

 —    —    —    150,000   —     —     150,000 

Conversion of accrued expenses to common stock and options

 201,704  202  302,304  —     —     —     302,506 

Issuance of common stock to investors in 2003 private placements (net of issuance costs of $688,309)

 3,719,070  3,719  7,028,726  —     —     —     7,032,445 

Fair value of common stock warrants issued to investors in 2003 private placements

 —    —    1,242,270  —     —     —     1,242,270 

Fair value of common stock warrants issued to placement agents in 2003 private placements

 —    —    451,977  —     —     —     451,977 

Stock compensation expense related to issuance of common stock and options

 7,000  7  148,739  —     —     —     148,746 

Issuance of common stock options in consideration for investor relations services

 —    —    29,280  —     —     —     29,280 

Stock compensation expense related to accelerated option vesting

 —    —    40,000  —     —     —     40,000 

Cashless exercise of employee stock options

 16,629  17  73,983  —             74,000 

Deferred compensation relating to issuance of stock options

 —    —    204,731  —     (204,731)  —     —   

Amortization of deferred compensation

 —    —    —    —     326,839   —     326,839 

Deferred compensation expense related to fair market revaluation

 —    —    136,860  —     (136,860)  —     —   

Net loss

 —    —    —    —     —     (4,873,121)  (4,873,121)
  
 

 

 


 


 


 


BALANCE, DECEMBER 31, 2003

 24,079,300 $24,079 $20,376,051 $—    $(69,711) $(12,706,353) $7,624,066 
  
 

 

 


 


 


 


(Concluded)

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(A Development-Stage Company)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2003, 2002 AND 2001, THEAND CUMULATIVE PERIOD

FROM INCEPTION (JULY 10, 2000) TO DECEMBER 31, 2000, AND CUMULATIVE PERIOD FROM INCEPTION TO DECEMBER 31, 20022003


 

 Years Ended December 31,

 Cumulative
Period from
Inception
(July 10, 2000) to
December 31,
2003


 
  

Year Ended December 31, 2002


   

Year Ended December 31, 2001


   

Period from Inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2000


   

Cumulative Period from Inception (July 10, 2000) to December 31, 2002


  2003

 2002

 2001

 

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:

             

Net loss

  

$

(3,678,377

)

  

$

(3,970,273

)

  

$

(184,582

)

  

$

(7,833,232

)

 $(4,873,121) $(3,678,377) $(3,970,273) $(12,706,353)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

             

Depreciation

  

 

43,683

 

  

 

12,156

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

55,839

 

Stock based compensation expense

  

 

105,329

 

  

 

147,317

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

252,646

 

Depreciation and amortization

  89,173   43,683   12,156   145,012 

Stock-based compensation expense

  618,866   105,329   147,317   871,512 

Amortization of deferred extension costs through interest expense

  

 

167,497

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

167,497

 

  —     167,497   —     167,497 

Settlement of accrued interest through issuance of common stock

  

 

10,274

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

10,274

 

  —     10,274   —     10,274 

Amortization of debt discount on convertible notes

     

 

1,241,357

 

  

 

16,655

 

  

 

1,258,012

 

  —     1,241,357   1,258,012 

Writeoff of intangible assets

  

 

—  

 

  

 

107,000

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

107,000

 

  —     —     107,000   107,000 

Debt conversion expense

  

 

—  

 

  

 

503,019

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

503,019

 

  —     —     503,019   503,019 

Interest expense related to issuance of warrants to purchase common stock

  

 

235,987

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

235,987

 

  —     235,987   —     235,987 

Changes in current assets and liabilities:

             

Prepaid and other expenses

  

 

11,164

 

  

 

(80,769

)

  

 

—  

 

  

 

(69,605

)

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

  (15,696)  11,164   (80,769)  (85,301)

Deposits and other assets

  

 

—  

 

  

 

(12,451

)

  

 

(14,500

)

  

 

(26,951

)

  —     —     (12,451)  (26,951)

Accounts payable

  

 

66,676

 

  

 

157,094

 

  

 

70,101

 

  

 

293,871

 

Accrued expenses

  

 

55,165

 

  

 

96,241

 

  

 

23,238

 

  

 

174,644

 

  


  


  


  


Accounts payable and accrued expenses

  28,621   121,841   253,335   497,136 
 


 


 


 


Net cash used in operating activities

  

 

(2,982,602

)

  

 

(1,799,309

)

  

 

(89,088

)

  

 

(4,870,999

)

  (4,152,157)  (2,982,602)  (1,799,309)  (9,023,156)
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

             

Purchases of property and equipment

  

 

(109,303

)

  

 

(123,696

)

  

 

—  

 

  

 

(232,999

)

  (39,360)  (109,303)  (123,696)  (272,359)

Increase in patents costs and other assets

  

 

(28,975

)

  

 

(47,420

)

  

 

(8,695

)

  

 

(85,090

)

  (66,340)  (28,975)  (47,420)  (151,430)
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


Net cash used in investing activities

  

 

(138,278

)

  

 

(171,116

)

  

 

(8,695

)

  

 

(318,089

)

  (105,700)  (138,278)  (171,116)  (423,789)
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:

             

Net proceeds from issuance of common stock and warrants

  

 

—  

 

  

 

2,220,750

 

  

 

9,000

 

  

 

2,229,750

 

  9,944,442   3,636,941   2,220,750   15,811,133 

Net proceeds from issuance of common stock

  

 

3,636,941

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

3,636,941

 

Net proceeds from issuance of convertible notes payable

  

 

—  

 

  

 

1,036,102

 

  

 

284,500

 

  

 

1,320,602

 

  —     1,036,102   1,320,602 

Repayment of convertible notes payable

  

 

(86,000

)

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

(86,000

)

  —     (86,000)  —     (86,000)

Proceeds from shareholder advances

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

9,028

 

  

 

9,028

 

  —     —     —     9,028 
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


Net cash provided by financing activities

  

 

3,550,941

 

  

 

3,256,852

 

  

 

302,528

 

  

 

7,110,321

 

  9,944,442   3,550,941   3,256,852   17,054,763 
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

  

 

430,061

 

  

 

1,286,427

 

  

 

204,745

 

  

 

1,921,233

 

  5,686,585   430,061   1,286,427   7,607,818 

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD

  

 

1,491,172

 

  

 

204,745

 

  

 

—  

 

  

 

—  

 

  1,921,233   1,491,172   204,745   —   
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD

  

 

1,921,233

 

  

 

1,491,172

 

  

 

204,745

 

  

 

1,921,233

 

 $7,607,818  $1,921,233  $1,491,172  $7,607,818 
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE – Cash paid for interest

 $490  $17,051  $—    $18,779 
 


 


 


 


SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION – Cash paid for interest

  

$

17,051

 

  

$

—  

 

  

$

1,238

 

  

$

18,289

 

NONCASH FINANCING ACTIVITIES

 

Issuance of warrants in connection with equity offerings

  1,503,259   235,987   866,328   2,605,574 
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


Conversion of accrued expenses into common stock

  302,506   —     —     302,506 
 


 


 


 


NONCASH FINANCING ACTIVITIES:

            

Deferred stock compensation expense

  

$

10,901

 

  

$

—  

 

  

$

—  

 

  

$

10,901

 

Cashless exercise of employee stock options

  74,000   —     —     74,000 
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


Conversion of convertible notes and accrued interest to common stock

  

$

94,000

 

  

$

1,125,602

 

  

$

—  

 

  

$

1,219,602

 

Conversion of convertible notes and accrued interest into common stock

  —     94,000   1,125,602   1,219,602 
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


Offering costs payable

  

$

174,250

 

  

$

—  

 

  

$

—  

 

  

$

174,250

 

Conversion of extension costs related to convertible notes into common stock

  —     170,625   —     170,625 
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


Issuance of warrants to induce conversion of notes payable

  

$

—  

 

  

$

503,019

 

  

$

—  

 

  

$

503,019

 

  —     —     503,019   503,019 
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


Issuance of common stock and warrants

  

$

—  

 

  

$

866,328

 

  

$

—  

 

  

$

1,102,315

 

  


  


  


  


Conversion of convertible notes and accrued interest to common stock

  

$

170,625

 

  

$

1,125,602

 

  

$

—  

 

  

$

866,328

 

  


  


  


  


Issuance of stock to acquire Pro-Pharmaceuticals-NV

  

$

—  

 

  

$

107,000

 

  

$

—  

 

  

$

107,000

 

  —     —     107,000   107,000 
  


  


  


  


 


 


 


 


 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

PRO-PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(A DEVELOPMENT STAGEDEVELOPMENT-STAGE COMPANY)

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2002 AND 2001, AND THE PERIOD FROM INCEPTION

(JULY 10, 2000) TO DECEMBER 31, 2000


 

1.     NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

1.NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

 

Nature of Business Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), was is a development stage life sciences company established in July 2000. The Company is in the development stage and is in the process of developing technology that is intended to reduce toxicity and improve the efficacy of currently existing chemotherapy drugs by combining the drugs with a number of specificproprietary carbohydrate compounds. The carbohydrate-based drug delivery system may also have applications for drugs now used to treat other diseases and chronic health conditions.

 

The Company is devoting substantially all of its efforts toward product research and development, and raising capital.

One of its Its first product candidatescandidate began Phase I clinical trials in February 2003. This same product candidate began concurrent Phase II clinical trials in January 2003.
2004.

 

As shown in the consolidated financial statements, the Company incurred net losses of $12,706,353 for the cumulative period from inception (July 10, 2000) through December 31, 2003. The Company expects to incur additional losses and use additional cash in its operations in the near future. To date, the Company has raised $7,187,000$17,131,735 in capital principally through (i) the issuance of convertible notes,notes; (ii) the sale of common stock through a public offeringoffering; and (iii) the sale of common stock and warrants through private placements.

From inception (July 10, 2000) through December 31, 2003, the Company used cash of $9,023,156 in its operations. At December 31, 2003, the Company had $7,607,818 of cash and cash equivalents available to fund future operations, which management believes is sufficient cash to fund its operations through at least April 30, 2005.

 

The Company is subject to a number of risks similar to those of other development-stage companies, including dependence on key individuals, uncertainty of product development and generation of revenues, dependence on outside sources of capital, risks associated with clinical trials of products, dependence on third-party collaborators for research operations, need for regulatory approval of products, risks associated with protection of intellectual property, and competition with larger, better-capitalized companies.

The Company’s financial statements have been presented on a going-concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company is in the development stage, has incurred a net loss since inception of $7,833,232 and expects to incur additional losses in the near future. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Successful completion of the Company’s development program and, ultimately, the attainment of profitable operations is dependent upon future events, including obtaining adequate financing to fulfill its development activities and achieving a level of revenues adequate to support the Company’s cost structure. The Company will seek additional financing to fund future operations and future significant investments in the business. However, there can beThere are no assuranceassurances, however, that the Company will be able to obtain additional financing on acceptablefavorable terms, or at all.all, or successfully market its products.

 

Reverse Merger Transaction - On May 15, 2001, Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Nevada corporation organized in January 2001 (“Pro-Pharmaceuticals-NV”), issued 12,354,670 shares of its common stock to the stockholders of Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation organized in July 2000 (“Pro-Pharmaceuticals-MA”), in exchange for all of the outstanding shares of the common stock of Pro-Pharmaceuticals-MA. Following the exchange of stock, Pro-Pharmaceuticals-MA as a wholly-owned subsidiary merged with Pro-Pharmaceuticals-NV which is the surviving corporation in the merger. At the time of the merger, the common shares issued to the stockholders of Pro-Pharmaceuticals-NV represented a majority of the Company’s common stock, thus enabling those stockholders to retain voting and operating control of the Company. The merger was treated as a capital transaction and was accounted for as a reverse merger in which Pro-Pharmaceuticals-MA was the accounting acquirer. The historical results presented are those of Pro-Pharmaceuticals-MA, the accounting acquirer. Information concerning common stock in 2000 has been restated on an equivalent-share basis.

2.    SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

2.SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect the application of certain accounting policies, as described in this note and elsewhere in the accompanying notes to financial statements.

 

Basis of Consolidation – The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and Pro-Pharmaceuticals Securities Corp., its wholly owned subsidiary, which was incorporated in Delaware on December 23, 2003. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptionsjudgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, and liabilities, revenue, expenses and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities atliabilities. Management’s estimates are based primarily on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents – The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of 90 days or less at the time of acquisition to be cash equivalents.

Deferred Offering Costs– At December 31, 2001 deferred offering costs of $69,208 consisted of legal and other direct costs pertaining to a public offering of the Company’s stock, which began on December 15, 2001. No proceeds related to the public offering were raised during 2001; therefore, these costs were offset against proceeds of $650,998 raised in 2002.

 

Property and Equipment – Property and equipment, including leasehold improvements, are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation, and are depreciated using the straight-line method over the lesser of the estimated useful lives of the assets or the related lease term. The Company periodically evaluates the recoverability of its long-lived tangible assets based on the expected undiscounted cash flows and recognizes impairments, if any, based on expected discounted future cash flows.

The estimated useful lives of property and equipment are as follows:

 

Asset Classification


  

Estimated Useful Life



Computers and office equipment

  

Three years

Furniture and fixtures

  

Five years

Leasehold improvements

  

Life of lease

 

Intangible Assets– Intangible assets include patent costs, which consistconsisting primarily of related legal fees, which are capitalized as incurred and are amortized over the estimated useful lifelives of the patents. As of December 31, 2002, and 2001, all patents were pending and none of the costs havehad been amortized. In accordance with SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets”,During 2003, the Company reviews allwas issued two patents and began amortizing intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability of these assets is determined by comparing the forecasted undiscounted net cash flows of the operation to which the assets relatecosts relating to the carrying amount.

In 2001, the Company evaluated its amortizing intangible assets for impairmentissued patents over their estimated useful lives of five years. Amortization expense in 2003 and determined that the carrying amount of contractual rights exceeded the future undiscounted cash flows by approximately $107,000, which the Company properly wrote off as ofaccumulated amortization at December 31, 2001. In 2002, the Company determined that the carrying value of its amortizing intangible assets had not been impaired.2003 totaled $16,586.

 

Deposits and Other Assets – OtherDeposits and other assets consist principally of lease deposits on the Company’s leased executive office space.

 

Long-Lived Assets –In accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets”, the Company reviews all long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held or used is measured by comparison of the carrying value of the asset to the future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such asset is considered to be impaired, the impairment recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds the discounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset.

In 2003 and 2002, the Company recorded no adjustment to the carrying value of the long-lived assets. In 2001, the Company determined that the carrying amount of the contractual rights of its amortizing intangible assets exceeded the future undiscounted cash flows by approximately $107,000, which the Company wrote off as of December 31, 2001.

Research and Development Expenses – Costs associated with research and development are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses include, among other costs, salaries and other personnel-related costs, and costs incurred by outside laboratories and other accredited facilities in connection with clinical trials and preclinical studies

 

Stock-Based CompensationAs allowed by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation”,At December 31, 2003, the Company has elected to account for stock-based compensation at intrinsic value with disclosure of the effects of fair value accounting on net loss and net loss per share on a pro forma basis. At December 31, 2002, the Company had one stockequity incentive plan, which is described more fully in Note 7.8. The Company accounts for awards issuedstock-based compensation to employees and non-employee directors under the intrinsic method in accordance with Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees,” and the related interpretations. Under APB No. 25, no compensation expense is recognized for stock options and restricted stock awards granted at fair market value and with fixed terms.

plan under the recognition and measurement principles of Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees,” and the related interpretations. No stock-based employee compensation cost is reflected in net income, as all options granted under the plan had an exercise price equal to the market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant. Since the Company adopted its stock incentive plan in 2001, fiscal year 2000 is not presented below. In addition, the Company did not grant options to employees during 2001; therefore, no adjustment is made between the reported and pro-forma net income. The following table illustrates the effect on net loss and net loss per share if the Company had applied the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123:

   

2002


   

2001


 

Net loss, as reported

  

$

(3,678,377

)

  

$

(3,970,273

)

Deduct: Total stock-based employee compensation expense determined under fair value based method for all awards, net of related tax effects

  

 

(354,160

)

  

 

—  

 

   


  


Net loss, pro forma

  

$

(4,032,537

)

  

$

(3,970,273

)

   


  


Net loss per share:

          

Basic and diluted-as reported

  

$

(0.22

)

  

$

(0.29

)

Basic and diluted pro forma

  

$

(0.25

)

  

$

(0.29

)

 

Stock optionsor other equity-based compensation granted to non-employees areis accounted for under the fair value method in accordance with SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation”, and the Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) Abstract No. 96-18, “Accounting for Equity Instruments That Are Issued to Other Than Employees for Acquiring, or in Conjunction with Selling, Goods or Services,” and the related interpretations, which generally requiresinterpretations. Under this method, compensation is recorded at the fair value of optionsthe consideration received or the fair value of the equity instrument until the final measurement date, which is the earlier of performance completion or vesting. Compensation related to be periodicallystock appreciation rights and other variable stock option or award plans are remeasured at the end of each reporting period. Fluctuations in the quoted market price of the Company’s stock covered by unvested equity instruments are reflected as an adjustment to deferred compensation and charged tocompensation expense as they are earned over the performance period. periods the related service is performed.

The fair value of the equity instruments granted to non-employees, including options and warrants, is determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. CompensationKey assumptions used to apply this option-pricing model are as follows:

   2003

 2002

 2001

 Cumulative
Period from
Inception
(July 10, 2000)
to December 31,
2003


Risk-free interest rate

  

1.51% - 2.45%

 

2.25% - 2.32%

 3.91% 

1.51% - 3.91%

Expected life of the options and warrants

  3 years 3 years 3 years 3 years

Expected volatility of the underlying stock

  95% 95% 95% 95%

Expected dividend rate

  None None None None

Stock-based compensation expense for non-employee options recorded in the accompanying financial statements wastotaled $618,866, $105,329 and $147,317 for the years ended December 31,in 2003, 2002, and 2001, respectively. In addition, the Company has issued warrants in connection with certain equity and debt financings. Based on the nature of the transactions, the fair value of these warrants has been recorded as offering costs or interest expense, as appropriate—see Note 7.

Had the Company used the fair-value method to measure all stock-based compensation awarded to employees and non-employee directors, the Company’s net loss and basic and diluted loss per share would have been as follows at December 31:

   2003

  2002

  2001

  Cumulative
Period from
Inception
(July 10, 2000) to
December 31,
2003


 

Net loss—as reported

  $(4,873,121) $(3,678,377) $(3,970,273) $(12,706,353)

Add stock-based compensation expense included in reported net loss

   114,000   —     —     114,000 

Deduct stock-based compensation determined under the fair-value method

   (2,938,135)  (354,160)  —     (3,292,295)
   


 


 


 


Net loss—pro forma

  $(7,697,256) $(4,032,537) $(3,970,273) $(15,884,648)
   


 


 


 


Basic and diluted loss per share:

                 

As reported

  $(0.23) $(0.22) $(0.29)    

Pro forma

  $(0.36) $(0.25) $(0.29)    

 

Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with SFAS No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes”. This statement requires an asset and liability approach to accounting for income taxes based upon the future expected values of the related assets and liabilities. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and for tax loss and credit carryforwards, and are measured using the expected tax rates estimated to be in effect when such basis differences reverse. A valuation allowance is provided forValuation allowances are established, if necessary, to reduce the deferred tax asset to the amount of deferred tax assets that based on currently available evidence, arewill more likely than not expected to be realized.

 

Net Loss per Share – Basic and diluted net loss per share is presented in conformity with SFAS No. 128, “Earnings perPer Share”, for all periods presented. In accordance with SFAS No. 128, basic and diluted net. Basic loss per common share was determined by dividing net loss applicable to common stockholders byis calculated using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period, lessyear. Diluted loss per share is calculated using the weighted-average number of common shares subjectand common share equivalents resulting from outstanding options and warrants, except where such items would be anti-dilutive.

The loss used to repurchase. Diluted weighted-average shares arecalculate basic and diluted loss per share for the same as basic weighted-average shares since the inclusion of 1,852,423 and 2,078,091 shares atyears ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001 respectively, issuablewas equal to the reported net loss for each period.

A reconciliation between the shares used for computation of basic and diluted income per share is as follows:

   2003

  2002

  2001

Shares for basic computation

  21,360,572  16,374,524  13,601,795

Effect of dilutive stock options and warrants

  —    —    —  
   
  
  

Shares for dilutive computation

  21,360,572  16,374,524  13,601,795
   
  
  

Anti-dilutive shares were not included in the per-share calculations for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001 due to the reported net losses for those years. Anti-dilutive shares which could exist pursuant to the exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants and conversion of convertible debt would have been antidilutive.at December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001 totaled approximately 4,434,890, 1,852,423 and 2,078,091, respectively.

Comprehensive Income (Loss) – Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in equity of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from nonownernon-owner sources. The Company does not have any items of comprehensive income (loss) other than net losses as reported.

 

Fair Value of Financial InstrumentsSFAS No. 107, “Disclosures About Fair Value of Financial Instruments”, requires disclosure of the fair value of certain financial instruments. The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash equivalents, accounts payable and convertible notes payable.accrued expenses. The estimated fair value of these financial instruments approximates their carrying value due to thetheir short-term nature of these instruments.nature.

 

Concentration of Credit Risk – The Company has no significant concentrations of credit risk, such as foreign exchange contracts or other hedging arrangements. Financial instruments that subject the Company to credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents. The Company maintains cash equivalents with well-capitalized financial institutions.

 

Reclassifications– Certain reclassificationsprior period amounts have been made to the 2000 and 2001 financial statements in orderreclassified to conform to the 2002current year presentation.

 

Segment Information – SFAS No. 131, “Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information”, requires companies to report selected information about operating segments, as well as enterprise-wide disclosures about products, services, geographic areas and major customers. Operating segments are determined based on the way management organizes its business for making operating decisions and assessing performance. The Company has concluded that it operates in one operating segment.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements –In December 2002, the FASB issued SFAS No. 148, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation-Transition and Disclosure, an amendment of FASB Statement No. 123”, to provide alternative methods of transition for a voluntary change to the fair value based method of accounting for stock-based employee compensation. In addition, this statement amends the disclosure requirements of SFAS No. 123 to require prominent disclosures in both annual and interim financial statements about the method of accounting for stock-based employee compensation and the effect of the method used on reported results. Management has determined that it will continue to account for stock-based compensation to employees under the provisions of APB No. 25 and it will make all disclosures in its financial reports. The amendments to SFAS No. 123 provided for under SFAS No. 148 are effective for financial statements for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2002. The disclosure requirements of SFAS No. 148 have been implemented in Note 2, “Significant Accounting Policies” and the interim disclosure requirements will be adopted by the Company in the first quarter of 2003.

3.    PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

3.PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

 

Property and equipment consists of the following at December 31:

 

  

2002


   

2001


   2003

 2002

 

Leasehold improvements

  

$

103,762

 

  

$

27,269

 

  $ 103,762  $103,762 

Computer and office equipment

  

 

76,675

 

  

 

56,681

 

  100,850   76,675 

Furniture and fixtures

  

 

52,562

 

  

 

39,746

 

  67,747   52,562 
  


  


  

 


Total

  

 

232,999

 

  

 

123,696

 

  272,359   232,999 

Less accumulated depreciation

  

 

(55,839

)

  

 

(12,156

)

  (128,426)  (55,839)
  


  


  

 


Property and equipment—net

  

$

177,160

 

  

$

111,540

 

  $ 143,933  $177,160 
  


  


  

 


4.OTHER ACCRUED EXPENSES

 

Other accrued expenses consist of the following at December 31:

   2003

  2002

Legal and accounting fees

  $141,814  $22,457

Scientific and clinical fees

   40,500   —  

Accrued vacation

   13,846   15,000

Other

   15,694   30,141
   

  

Total

  $211,854  $67,598
   

  

5.4.    RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

For the period from inception (July 10, 2000) through December 31, 2000, the Company paid two of its stockholders $25,000 and $12,500, respectively, for fees associated with research and development and the day-to-day operations of the Company. A stockholder and spouse of a Company officer was paid approximately $8,000 for services during the year ended December 31, 2001. Included in convertible notes payable for the year ended December 31, 2000 was $7,000 due to this same individual.

 

During 2001, theThe Company hadhas entered into various consulting agreements, each terminable on thirty days notice, with certain related parties as follows: (i) a corporation controlled by a person who is a stockholder, and former director and officer, of the Company for financing and business development services subsequently

(subsequently terminated when such person became an employee of the Company in 2002), (ii) a corporation controlled by a person who is a stockholder, and former officer, of the Company for research and development services, including reimbursable expenses, and (iii) an individual who is a stockholder of the Company for management and consultant services, and (iv) a corporation controlled by a person who is a stockholder and director of the Company for scientific advisory services. The Company hadtotal related party consulting expenses and related reimbursement expenses of $202,000, $203,000 and $77,000 for 2002, 2001 and 2000, respectively relatedpaid to these three individuals.corporations and individuals were $162,000, $202,000 and $203,000 for 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively.

 

During 2002, a board memberIn addition, the stockholder and stockholderdirector of the Company provided consulting services to the Company. In 2003, such individualdescribed under (iv) above agreed to receive compensation for suchcertain 2002 scientific advisory services in the form of 25,32425,354 shares of common stock and 25,32425,354 options at an exercise price of $2.96 to purchase common stock of the Company. As of December 31, 2002, the Company recorded the deemed fair value of such compensation of approximately $121,956$122,000 as an accrued liability. The common stock has been valued at $75,972,$76,062, based on the closing price of the publicly traded shares of common stock on the date of grant. The options were valued at $45,984 using the Black-Scholes option pricing,option-pricing model, based on a deemed fair value of the Company’s common stock of $3.00 per share, an assumed volatilityshare. The accrued liability at December 31, 2002 was converted to equity in 2003 when the 25,354 shares of 95%, a risk-free interest rate of 2.91%, a weighed average expected life of three years,common stock and a dividend rate of 0.0%.25,354 options were issued to this individual.

 

5.    CONVERTIBLE NOTESIn addition, the Company issued stock options to three members of the Board of Directors in 2003 and to one member of the Board of Directors in 2001 and 2002 in consideration for services performed—see Note 8.

6.CONVERTIBLE NOTES

 

During 2001 and 2000, the Company issued $1,036,102 and $284,500 of convertible notes, respectively. In August 2001, the Company offered warrants to holders of its outstanding convertible notes as an inducement to convert prior to the maturity of the notes. Holders representing $1,125,602 of the outstanding principal and accrued interest chose to convert at a conversion price of $2.00 per share and received 598,229 common shares and 562,801 warrants. The warrants have an exercise price of $6.50 per share and are immediately exercisable. As described in Note 6,7, the Company valued the warrants at $503,019 using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, and recorded such value as a debt conversion 2001.

 

In May 2002, the Company extended the maturity date on the $195,000 of convertible notes payable at December 31, 2001. In consideration for the extension, the holders received one-quarter of one share of the Company’s common stock for each whole dollar amount of principal outstanding, or 48,750 shares of common stock. The Company deferred $170,625 in costs associated with the extension, based on the fair value of the Company’s common stock of $3.50 at the time of the extension. These deferred convertible notes payable costs arewere amortized ratably over the twelve-month extended term of the notes, or expensed immediately upon conversion of the note prior to the extended maturity date.

 

In June 2002, $80,000 in convertible notenotes payable and $10,274 in related accrued interest was converted into 45,128 shares of common stock. In October 2002, the Company settled a convertible note payable of $100,000

$100,000 through a cash payment of $86,000 and conversion of the remaining $14,000 of principal into 7,000 shares of common stock pursuant to the original terms of the note. In addition, $17,051 of related accrued interest was repaid in cash.

 

As of December 31, 2002, one convertible note payable of $15,000, which will mature in April 2003, remained outstanding, and $3,128 in related extension costs remained unamortized. During 2002, $167,497 of the deferred convertible notes payable extension costs werewas amortized to expense.

 

6.    STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

7.STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

2001 Private Placement –From May 25, 2001 through December 3, 2001, the Company sold a total of 689,300 shares of common stock for proceeds of $2,220,750, net of $16,750 of issuance costs through a private placement of securities (the “2001 Private Placement”) of securities.. Each share sold in the 2001 Private Placement included a warrant to purchase common stock of the Company. These warrants are described below.

 

Public Offering – On December 13, 2001, the Company commenced a public offering of 1,428,572 shares of common stock, at a price to the public of $3.50 per share. The Company concluded the offering on June 30, 2002. The Company sold 185,999 shares of $0.001 par value common stock in this offering for proceeds of $601,789, net of $49,208 of issuance costs, all in 2002.

 

2002 Private Placement – In September 2002, the Company began a private placement (the “2002 Private Placement”) of up to 10 million shares of common stock at $1.00 per share, exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 506 of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933. As of December 31, 2002, the Company had sold 3,223,360 shares for proceeds of $2,860,902, net of issuance costs of $212,458 and stock subscription receivable of $150,000, which related to shares purchased but for which payment had not been received as of December 31, 2002. This offering was closed on January 14, 2003, although subsequent to year end the Company sold an additional 1,088,000 shares for additional gross proceeds of $1,088,000.$1,070,500, net of $17,500 of offering costs.

 

The Company agreed to compensate a registered investment advisoradviser with respect to shares purchased by its clients. As of December 31, 2002, the advisoradviser was entitled to receivedreceive 173,500 shares of common stock. The Company also agreed to compensate a finder registered under applicable law, and such finder’s agents, for identifying qualified investors. As of December 31, 2002, one of the finder’s agents was entitled to receive 750 shares of common stock. On January 14, 2003, the Company closed the 2002 Private Placement, at which point the Company agreed to issue the advisoradviser an additional 2,500 shares, and the finder and its other agent an aggregate of 9,750 additional shares and $2,500 in cash in connection with the shares sold subsequent to December 31, 2002 and through the closing date.

 

Shares placed by such registered advisor,adviser, finder and finder’s agent were accounted for as offering costs and valued at $1.00 per share, consistent with the price paid for the shares placed in the offering. Such offering costs were netted against the proceeds of the 2002 Private Placement. Since none of the 174,250 shares had been issued as of December 31, 2002, the Company recorded the obligation to issue such shares as offering costs payable. The additional 12,250 shares issued in January 2003 were also valued at $1.00 per share and included in the $17,500 offering costs recorded at the closing.

 

During 2002, the Company also agreed to issue an employee 2,100 shares of common stock to an employee for finding investors in connection with the 2002 Private Placement. None of the shares had been issued as of December 31, 2002. Accordingly, the Company recorded the obligation to general and administrative expenses in the statement of operations in the amount of $6,300. On January 14, 2003, the Company closed the 2002 Private Placement, at which point the Company agreed to issue such employee an additional 7,000 shares in connection with shares sold subsequent to December 31, 2002 and through the closing date. The Company recorded an additional obligation of $21,000 to general and administrative expenses in 2003 representing the fair value of the additional 7,000 shares.

May 2003 Private Placement – In May 2003, the Company began a private placement of up to 2.5 million shares of common stock at $2.00 per share, exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 506 of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933. As of the closing on July 15, 2003, the Company had sold 2,399,500 shares of common stock for proceeds of $4,394,065, net of issuance costs of $404,935. The issuance costs include $260,989 related to the fair value of 109,613 common stock warrants (exercisable at $5.40 per share) issued to the finders in connection with the offering. These warrants are described below.

 

October 2003 “PIPE” Transaction– On October 2, 2003 the Company closed a private offering, structured as a so-called “PIPE” (Private Investment, Public Equity), exempt from registration under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, in which it sold to institutional investors 1,314,571 of the 1,428,571 offered shares of common stock at $3.50 per share and 657,293 common stock warrants (exercisable at $5.29 per share) for proceeds of $3,865,650, net of issuance costs of $735,350. The issuance costs include $190,988 related to the fair value of 65,729 common stock warrants (exercisable at $6.86 per share) issued to the placement agent in connection with this offering. These warrants are described below.

Common Stock WarrantsThe Company has issued common stock warrants in connection with the execution of certain equity and debt financings and consulting agreements. The fair value of common stock warrants is determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The key assumptions are described in Note 2.

The following table summarizes information with regard to outstanding warrants issued in connection with equity and debt financings as of December 31, 2003:

Issued in Connection With


  Number
Issued


  Exercise
Price


  Exercisable Date

  Expiration Date

2001 Private Placement

  689,300  $5.00-$6.50  May 25, 2001 to
December 3, 2001
  May 25, 2005 to
December 3, 2005

Convertible notes:

            

Noteholders—inducement to convert

  562,801  6.50  October 1, 2001  October 1, 2005

Placement Agents

  110,000  3.50  February 1, 2002  February 1, 2012

May 2003 Private Placement

            

Placement Agents

  109,613  5.40  July 15, 2003  July 15, 2006

October 2003 PIPE Transaction

            

Investors

  657,293  5.29  October 2, 2003  October 2, 2008

Placement Agent

  65,279  6.86  October 2, 2003  October 2, 2006
   
         

Total

  2,194,286         
   
         

None of the above warrants have been exercised as of December 31, 2003.

In connection with the 2001 Private Placement, the Company issued 339,200 and 550,100350,100 warrants to purchase common stock at $6.50 and $5.00 per share, respectively. All of the warrants are exercisable immediately and expire through December 2005. The Company, upon giving written notice, may accelerate the exercise of the warrants and effect an early termination thereof in the event of either of the following: (i) the Company files a new drug application (“NDA”) with the Food and Drug Administration or (ii) the market price exceeds $11.00 and $10.00 for warrants with exercise prices of $6.50 and $5.00, respectively on any 10 trading days within a period of 20 consecutive trading days, as defined. In the event of acceleration, the unexercised warrants automatically terminate without payment by the Company upon the thirtieth day following the written notice. The Company valued the warrants at $886,328 using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, based on a deemed fair market value of the Company’s common stock of $2.28 per share, an assumed volatility of 95%, a risk-free interest rate of 3.91%, a weighted-average expected life of three years, and a dividend rate of 0.0%.share.

 

As described in Note 5,6, in August 2001, the Company offered warrants to holders of its outstanding convertible notes as an inducement to convert prior to the maturity of the notes. Holders representing $1,125,602

$1,125,602 of the outstanding principal and accrued interest chose to convert at a conversion price of $2.00 per share and received 598,229 common shares and 562,801 warrants. These warrants have an exercise

price of $6.50 per share and are immediately exercisable. The warrants expire on October 1, 2005, however, the Company may, upon giving written notice, accelerate the exercise of the warrant and effect an early termination thereof in the event of either of the following: (i) the Company files a new drug application (“NDA”) with the Food and Drug Administration, or (ii) the market price exceeds $11.00 on any 10 trading days within a period of 20 consecutive trading days as defined. In the event of acceleration, the unexercised warrants automatically terminate without payment by the Company upon the thirtieth day following the written notice. The Company valued the warrants at $503,019 using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, based on a deemed fair market value of the Company’s common stock of $2.28 per share, an assumed volatility of 95%, a risk-free interest rate of 3.91%, a weighted-average expected life of three years, and a dividend rate of 0.0%.share. The value of the warrants has been recorded as a debt conversion expense.

 

In 2001,2002, the Company incurred a liability of $50,000issued 110,000 warrants to findersthe agents in connection with the 2001 debt offering. In March 2002, the Company settled this liability by issuing 110,000 warrants. The warrants are exercisable immediately at an exercise price of $3.50 per share and have a 10 year life. The Company valued these warrants at $235,987 based on a deemed fair value of the Company’s common stock of $3.50 per share and recorded such value as interest expense in the statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2002.

In connection with the May 2003 Private Placement, the Company issued 109,613 warrants exercisable at $5.40 per share to its placement agents. The Company valued the warrants using the Black-Scholes option pricing model,at $260,989 based on a deemed fair market value of the Company’s common stock of $3.50$4.30 per share and recorded the warrant value as offering costs with a corresponding increase to additional paid-in capital.

In connection with the October 2003 PIPE Transaction, the Company issued 657,293 warrants with an assumed volatilityexercise price of 95%,$5.29 per share to the investors and 65,279 warrants with an exercise price of $6.86 per share to its placement agent. The fair value of the warrants was determined based on a risk-free interest ratefair market value of 3.91%,the Company’s common stock of $5.29 per share. As the shares of common stock were issued at a weighted average expected lifediscount to their fair market value at the closing of three yearsthe October 2003 PIPE Transaction, the Company used the relative fair value method to record the value of the warrants. Accordingly, $1,242,270 of the proceeds has been attributed to the warrants and recorded as an increase to additional paid-in capital. The $190,988 fair value of the warrants issued to the placement agent has been recorded as offering costs and a dividend rate of 0.0%.corresponding increase to additional paid-in capital.

 

7.    STOCK INCENTIVE PLANIn 2004, the Company’s Board of Directors approved an increase, subject to stockholder approval, of the number of “undesignated” shares that the Company is authorized to issue by 5,000,000 such that the total number of authorized “undesignated” shares following the effectiveness of such increase would be 10,000,000. The Company intends to present the matter to its stockholders for approval at the next meeting of stockholders.

8.STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

 

In October 2001, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted the Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2001 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”“Incentive Plan”), which permits awards of incentive and nonqualified stock options and other forms of incentive compensation to employees and non-employees such as directors and consultants. The Board reserved 2,000,000 shares of common stock for issuance upon exercise of grants made under the Incentive Plan. Options granted under the Incentive Plan generally have a vesting period ranging fromvest either immediately toor over a period of 2up to two years, and expire 5 years to 10 years from the grant date. At December 31, 2002 and 2001, 1,431,000 and 1,800,0002003, there were 189,000 shares were available for future grant under the Incentive Plan. In 2004, the Board approved an increase, subject to stockholder approval, of the number of shares of common stock subject to the Incentive Plan respectively. by 3,000,000 such that the total number of shares subject to awards under the Incentive Plan following the effectiveness of such increase would be 5,000,000. The Company intends to present the matter to its stockholders for approval at the next meeting of stockholders.

In September 2003, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted the Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2003 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan (the “Director Plan”), which permits awards of stock options to non-employee directors. The Company intends to present the Director Plan for approval at the next meeting of its stockholders. The Board reserved 1,000,000 shares of common stock for issuance upon exercise of grants made under the Director Plan. No grants have been made under the Director Plan.

In addition, the Company has awarded 464,604 non-plan stock option grants to non-employees. The non-plan grants have vesting periods and expiration dates similar to those options granted under the Incentive Plan. All 464,604 non-plan grants are outstanding at December 31, 2003.

Information about options granted and outstanding during these periods is as follows:

 

  

Shares


    

Exercise Price Per Share


    

Weighted Average Exercise Price


Outstanding, December 31, 2000

  

—  

    

$

—  

    

$

—  

Granted

  

200,000

    

 

3.50

    

 

3.50

Exercised

  

—  

    

 

—  

    

 

—  

Cancelled

  

—  

    

 

—  

    

 

—  

  
    

    

  Shares

 Exercise Price
Per Share


  Weighted Average
Exercise Price


Outstanding, December 31, 2001

  

200,000

    

 

3.50

    

 

3.50

  200,000  $3.50  $3.50

Granted

  

369,000

    

 

3.50

    

 

3.50

  369,000   3.50   3.50

Exercised

  

—  

    

 

—  

    

 

—  

  —     —     —  

Cancelled

  

—  

    

 

—  

    

 

—  

  —     —     —  
  
    

    

  

 

  

Outstanding, December 31, 2002

  

569,000

    

$

3.50

    

$

3.50

  569,000   3.50   3.50

Granted

  2,057,604   2.92 – 4.05   3.78

Exercised

  (50,000)  2.97   2.97

Cancelled

  (351,000)  2.97 – 4.05   3.58
  
    

    

  

 

  

Outstanding, December 31, 2003

  2,225,604  $2.92 – 4.05  $3.76
  

 

  

 

The following tables summarize information about stock options outstanding at December 31, 2002:2003:

 

Options Outstanding


    

Options Exercisable


Exercise Price


    

Number of Shares


    

Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)


    

Weighted Average Exercise Price


    

Number of Shares


    

Weighted Average Exercise Price


$3.50

    

569,000

    

9.45

    

$

3.50

    

365,086

    

$

3.50


    
    
    

    
    

SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation”, requires the measurement of the fair value of stock options to be included in the statement of income or disclosed in the notes to the financial statements. The Company has determined that it will continue to account for stock-based compensation for employees under APB Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees”, and elect the disclosure-only alternative under SFAS No. 123.

Options Outstanding


  Options Exercisable

Exercise Price


  Number of
Shares


  Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (Years)


  Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price


  Number of
Shares


  Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price


$ 2.92 – $ 4.05

  2,225,604  8.55  $3.76  1,866,938  $3.73

  
  
  

  
  

 

The Company has computed the pro forma disclosures required under SFAS No. 123 for its stock compensation plan for employees during the years ended358,666 of unvested options at December 31, 20022003 vest as follows: 325,333 in 2004 and 2001 using the Black-Scholes option pricing model under the fair value method as prescribed by SFAS No. 123. The assumptions used for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001 are as follows:

   

2002


  

2001


Dividend yield

  

0%

  

0%

Expected volatility

  

95%

  

95%

Risk-free interest rate

  

2.25% - 2.32%

  

—  

Expected life

  

3 years

  

3 years

The pro forma results are presented33,333 in Note 2 to these financial statements.2005.

 

During 2001, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with a non-employee, who was also a Board member and former member of the Audit Committee, pursuant to which the Company granted 200,000 options to purchase common stock at an exercise price of $3.50 in consideration for services to be performed. AsAt the time of issuance, these options were valued at $238,892 using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, based on a deemed fair market value of the Company’s common stock of $2.28 per share, an assumed volatility of 95%, a risk-free interest rate of 3.91%, a weighted average expected life of three years, and a dividend rate of 0.0%.share. A portion of these options vested during fiscal years 2001 and 2002, and the remainder will vest duringvested in 2003. Consulting expense is estimated based onThe Company recorded fair value pursuant to SFAS No. 123adjustments of $27,613 and EITF No. 96-18 until the final measurement date, which is the earlier of performance completion or vesting. Under Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation (“FIN”) No. 28, “Accounting for Stock Appreciation Rights and Other Variable Stock Option or Award Plans, an interpretation of APB Opinions No. 15 and 25”, compensation related to stock appreciation rights and other variable stock option or award plans should be measured at the end of each period. Fluctuations in the quoted market value of the Company’s stock covered by the option grant should be reflected as an adjustment of deferred compensation and compensation expense over the periods the related service is performed. Accordingly, the Company recorded a charge to compensation expense related to the fair value adjustment of $16,756 related to the unvested consultant options during 2002.2003 and 2002, respectively. Total expense for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001 related to these options was $71,671, $64,273 and $147,317, respectively.

 

In March 2002, the Company entered into a second agreement with the same non-employee, by which the Company granted 2,000 options a month to purchase common stock at an exercise price of $3.50 in consideration for monthly consulting services. On November 11, 2002 such agreement was superceded by an amendment, which was effective retroactively to the date of the original agreement, March 1, 2002. Under the amended agreement, the Company granted 24,000 options on March 1, 2002, which vest at a rate of 2,000 options per month, as services are performed. These options were valued using the Black-Scholes option pricingoption-pricing model, based on a deemed fair market value of the Company’s common stock of $3.50 per share, an assumed volatility of 95%, a risk-free interest rate range of 3.91%, a weighted average expected life of three years, and a dividend rate of 0.0%.share. During 2002, the Company recorded a $41,056 charge to stock compensation expense related to the

20,000 options that vested during the year under the amended agreement. As of December 31, 2002, the Company had deferred compensation of $10,901 that related to the remaining unvested options, which was recognized in 2003.

In June 2003, the Company entered into a third agreement with the same non-employee, by which the Company granted 24,000 options effective retroactively to March 1, 2003, which vest at a rate of 2,000 options per month as services are performed. These options were valued using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, based on a fair market value of the Company’s common stock of $3.50 per share. During 2003, the Company recorded fair value adjustments of $21,183 and stock compensation charges of $39,692 related to the options that vested during the year under the agreement. As of December 31, 2002, the Company had deferred compensation of $14,894 that related to the remaining unvested options, which will be recognized in 2004.

In January 2003, the Company granted 100,000 options at an exercise price of $3.50 to a Board Member for consulting services unrelated to services performed as a director. One-third of the options vested immediately and the balance vests in equal amounts on the first and second anniversaries of the award. The options were valued using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, based on a fair market value of the Company’s common stock of $2.80 per share. During 2003, the Company recorded fair value adjustments of $82,327 and stock compensation charges of $191,605 related to these options. As of December 31, 2003, the Company had deferred compensation of $46,543 related to the unvested options, which will be recognized over the future vesting period.

In May 2003, the Company granted 10,000 options at an exercise price of $3.50 to a new member of the Scientific Advisory Board. One-half of the options vested immediately and the balance vests on the second anniversary. These options were valued using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model based on a fair market value of the Company’s common stock of $2.80 per share. During 2003, the Company recorded fair value adjustments of $5,737 and stock compensation charges of $12,970 related to these options. As of December 31, 2003, the Company had deferred compensation of $8,274 related to the unvested options, which will be recognized over the future vesting period.

In September 2003, the Company granted 25,000 options each to a Board Member and to a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for consulting services. The options were exercisable immediately at $4.05 per share. These options were valued using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model based on a deemed fair market value of the Company’s common stock of $4.05 per share. The Company recorded a $122,092 charge to stock compensation expense in 2003 related to these awards.

In October 2003, in connection with the resignation of its former Chief Financial Officer, the Company accelerated the vesting on 100,000 options granted to such officer in September 2003 at an exercise price of $4.05, which was equal to the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant. As the fair market value of the common stock was $4.45 per share at the time the vesting was accelerated, the Company recorded a $40,000 charge to stock compensation expense as required under APB No. 25 and related interpretations. Also, in October 2003, such officer exercised on a cashless basis 50,000 options at an exercise price of $2.97 per share in October 2003. As the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of exercise was $4.45 per share, the Company recorded a charge of $74,000 to stock compensation expense in 2003 related to the exercise of these options.

In March 2004, the Company issued 25,000 options in fulfillment of a September 2003 agreement with an investor relations firm. The agreement obligated the Company to pay a monthly retainer and issue options at a rate of 5,000 options per month, up to a maximum of 100,000 options, exercisable at $5.80 per share as services are performed. The Company concluded the engagement in February 2004. The options are exercisable immediately and expire on March 26, 2007. Accordingly, the Company recorded $29,280 as stock compensation expense on the 15,000 options that vested as of December 31, 2003. The $29,280 fair value was determined based on a fair market value of the Company’s common stock when vested. The Company will record additional stock compensation expense of approximately $23,000 in 2004 relating to the 10,000 options earned by such firm for services in January and February 2004.

9.COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

8.    COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Research and Development Commitments – During 2002, the Company entered into contracts with PRA International, Inc. (“PRA”), a clinical research organization, (a “CRO”and Medidata, Inc. (“Medidata”) and, a data management company, the initial assignments under which will beare to assist with the Phase I clinical trials expected to extend through 2003, of the Company’s DavanatDAVANAT® product in combination with 5-Fluorouracil, (“5-FU”), a chemotherapy drug. Thedrug the Company hireddesignated DAVANAT®-1. PRA Interntional, Inc. (“PRA”), a CRO, towill serve as the overall manager of the clinical trials for which PRA will provide assistanceincluding in design, management and implementation. The Company’s expenditure commitments under its PRA contract, terminable at any time onupon 30 days’ notice, representsrepresent 5% of the contracted budgetary amounts. The projected target date of completion of this engagement with PRA is November 2004. The Company hired Medidata Solutions, Inc.was engaged for purposes of electronic collection, analysis and management of the data generated by the Company’s Phase I clinical trials. The Company’s expenditure commitment under its Medidata contract, terminable at any time onupon 30 days’ notice, represents 15% of the contracted budgetary amounts, less fees previously paid or payable. The projected target date of completion of the engagements with PRA and Medidata is May 2004.

 

Lease Commitments –The Company leases its facility under a noncancelable operating lease that expires in May 2006. In connection with the operating lease, the Company has issued a letter of credit, which is renewed annually, in the amount of $21,933 as part of the security deposit.

Future minimum rental payments under this operating lease as of December 31, 2002 are approximately as follows:

 

Year Ending December 31,


      

2003

  

$

106,000

2004

  

 

107,000

   107,000

2005

  

 

109,000

   109,000

2006

  

 

46,000

   46,000
  

  

Total lease payments

  

$

368,000

  $262,000
  

  

 

Rent expense under this operating lease was approximately$110,300, $98,000, $50,000 and $50,000$258,300 for the years ended December 31,2003, 2002, and 2001 $0 for the period ended December 31, 2000 and $148,000 for the cumulative period from inception (July 10, 2000) throughto December 31, 2002.2003, respectively.

 

9.    INCOME TAXESContingency – On May 14, 2003, a former employee, who was the Company’s Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Strategy, commenced a lawsuit in Massachusetts against the Company and filed a related complainant letter with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Plaintiff asserted claims for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy and of employee protection provided for under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and seeks monetary damages and reinstatement of her position. On August 25, 2003, the Department of Labor reported that its investigator found the Plaintiff’s allegations are without merit and dismissed the complaint. The Plaintiff objected to the findings and requested a hearing by an Administrative Law Judge at the Department. Other than continuation of pre-trial discovery, there have been no material developments. On October 31, 2003, the Company received an informal inquiry from the Securities and Exchange Commission requesting information related to the foregoing. The Company timely responded in November and December 2003 and has not received a further communication from the SEC on this matter.

On February 13, 2004, the Company received an order from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to provide information concerning its offerings of securities. The Company timely responded and believes its offerings comply with Massachusetts law. The Company believes the Massachusetts investigation may be related to the matters disclosed in the preceding paragraph.

Each of the foregoing matters is subject to various uncertainties, and it is possible one or more may be resolved unfavorably. Management believes that any liability that may ultimately result from the resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

On January 29, 2004, Dr. Platt, the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts against GlycoGenesys, Inc. for various claims including breach of contract. In its answer GlycoGenesys names the Company as a counterclaim defendant alleging tortious interference and misappropriation of proprietary rights, and seeks monetary damages and injunctive relief related to the Company’s intellectual property. On March 19, 2004, the Company answered these counterclaims and denied any liability. The Company and Dr. Platt intend to contest these counterclaims vigorously and believe they will prevail. However, if the Company does not prevail, there could be a material adverse impact on the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.

10.INCOME TAXES

 

The components of the net deferred tax assetassets are as follows at December 31:

 

  

2002


   

2001


   2003

 2002

 

Operating loss carryforwards

  

$

2,299,000

 

  

$

909,000

 

  $4,120,000  $2,299,000 

Tax credit carryforwards

  

 

138,000

 

  

 

86,000

 

   250,000   138,000 

Temporary differences

  

 

(4,000

)

  

 

(2,000

)

Other temporary differences

   (4,000)  (4,000)
  


  


  


 


  

 

2,433,000

 

  

 

993,000

 

   4,366,000   2,433,000 

Less valuation allowance

  

 

(2,433,000

)

  

 

(993,000

)

   (4,366,000)  (2,433,000)
  


  


  


 


Net deferred tax asset

  

$

—  

 

  

$

—  

 

  $—    $—   
  


  


  


 


 

As of December 31, 2002,2003, the Company has federal and state net operating loss carryforwards totaling approximately $5,434,000$9,600,000 and $8,900,000, respectively, which expire beginning in 2022. In addition, the Company has federal and state research and development and investment tax credits of approximately $100,000$165,000 and $85,000, respectively, which expire between 2022 and 2023.beginning in 2018. If substantial changes in the Company’s ownership should occur as defined by Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”), there could be annual limitations on the amount of carryforwards which may be realized in future periods. Because of the Company’s limited operating history and its recorded losses, management has provided, in each of the last two years, a 100% allowance against the Company’s net deferred tax assets.

 

11.SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

F-15

Summarized quarterly financial data for the last two years are as follows:

   First
Quarter


  Second
Quarter


  Third
Quarter


  Fourth
Quarter


 

2003

                 

Operating expenses

  $953,066  $981,856  $1,399,988  $1,603,256 

Net loss

   (944,866)  (974,608)  (1,382,455)  (1,571,192)

Net loss per share:

                 

Basic

   (0.05)  (0.05)  (0.06)  (0.07)

Diluted

   (0.05)  (0.05)  (0.06)  (0.07)

2002

                 

Operating expenses

  $717,169  $841,501  $639,022  $1,089,527 

Net loss

   (952,293)  (942,410)  (663,560)  (1,120,114)

Net loss per share:

                 

Basic

   (0.06)  (0.06)  (0.04)  (0.06)

Diluted

   (0.06)  (0.06)  (0.04)  (0.06)

* * * * * *

F-19