Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Related Party Transactions

v3.20.2
Related Party Transactions
3 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Related Party Transactions  
Related Party Transactions

14.   Related Party Transactions

Novici Biotech, LLC

In January 2012, the Company entered into an agreement with Novici Biotech, LLC (“Novici”) in which iBio’s President is a minority stockholder. Novici performs laboratory feasibility analyses of gene expression, protein purification and preparation of research samples. In addition, the Company and Novici collaborate on the development of new technologies and product candidates for exclusive worldwide commercial use by the Company. No amounts were due to Novici at both September 30, 2020 and June 30, 2020. Research and development expenses related to Novici were approximately $0 and $97,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Agreements with Eastern Capital Limited and its Affiliates

As more fully discussed in Note 11 - Stockholders' Equity, the Company entered into two share purchase agreements (the “Eastern Purchase Agreements”) with Eastern and the Standstill Agreement.

Concurrently with the execution of the Eastern Purchase Agreements, iBio entered into a contract manufacturing joint venture with the Eastern Affiliate to develop and manufacture plant-made pharmaceuticals through iBio CDMO. The Eastern Affiliate contributed $15.0 million in cash to iBio CDMO, for a 30% interest in iBio CDMO. iBio retained a 70% equity interest in iBio CDMO. As the majority equity holder, iBio has the right to appoint a majority of the members of the Board of Managers that manages the iBio CDMO joint venture. Specified material actions by the joint venture require the consent of iBio and the Eastern Affiliate. iBio contributed to the capital of iBio CDMO a royalty bearing license, which grants iBio CDMO a non-exclusive license to use the iBio’s proprietary technologies for research purposes and an exclusive U.S. license for manufacturing purposes. iBio retains all other rights in its intellectual property, including the right for itself to commercialize products based on its proprietary technologies or to grant licenses to others to do so.

In connection with the joint venture, the Second Eastern Affiliate, which controls the subject property as sublandlord, granted iBio CDMO the Sublease of a Class A life sciences building in Bryan, Texas, located on land owned by the Texas A&M system, designed and equipped for plant-made manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. The terms of the sublease are described in Note 10 – Finance Lease Obligation.

The Standstill Agreement took effect upon the issuance of the shares to Eastern pursuant to a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of 650,000 shares of common stock. The Standstill Agreement which expired on April 13, 2019, has been amended twice so that Eastern and its controlled affiliates are limited to its beneficial ownership of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock to a maximum of 48%, absent approval by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors. Eastern agreed to extend the standstill restrictions for two (2) additional years beginning with the date of Eastern’s or its controlled affiliate’s purchase of securities in the public offering with Alliance. See Note 11 - Stockholders' Equity for further information.

On February 23, 2017, the Company entered into the Eastern Exchange Agreement with the Eastern Affiliate pursuant to which the Company acquired substantially all of the interest in iBio CDMO held by the Eastern Affiliate and issued one share of the Preferred Tracking Stock in exchange for 29,990,000 units of limited liability company interests of iBio CDMO held by the Eastern Affiliate at an original issue price of $13 million. After giving effect to the transactions in the Exchange Agreement, the Company owns 99.99% of iBio CDMO and the Eastern Affiliate owns 0.01% of iBio CDMO. At any time, at the Company's election or the election of the Eastern Affiliate, the outstanding share of iBio CMO Preferred Tracking Stock may be exchanged for 29,990,000 units of limited liability company interests of iBio CDMO. Following such exchange, the Company would own a 70% interest in iBio CDMO and the Eastern Affiliate would own a 30% interest.

Director Consulting Agreement

i.e. Advising, LLC (“IEA”) was retained by the Company as a strategy and management consultant pursuant to a Consulting Agreement, dated as of February 22, 2019 (the “Consulting Agreement”), with services provided pursuant to statements of work (SOW) entered into between the Company and Consultant from time to time. Mr. Thomas Isett, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson, was the Managing Director and sole owner of IEA. Effective as of May 1, 2019, the Company entered into a Statement of Work (the “May 1, 2019 SOW”) pursuant to the Consulting Agreement, which provided for an engagement to be conducted on a retainer basis with Mr. Isett as the primary engagement resource, at a rate of $40,000 per month, and on a time and materials basis for all other engagement resources provided by IEA, billable at the rate of  $85 to $450 per hour. IEA and the Company entered into an additional SOW on December 1, 2019 (the “December 1, 2019 SOW”), which provided that Consultant would be entitled to a bonus of 3% to 4.5% of the transaction value if the Company or any of its assets were sold during the term of the Statement of Work. Consultant and the Company agreed to terminate the Consulting Agreement and both the May 1, 2019 SOW and December 1, 2019 SOW on March 10, 2020, when Mr. Isett became the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

Consulting expenses totaled approximately $150,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2019. At June 30, 2020, the Company owed the Consultant $0.

KBI Consulting

On April 1, 2020, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with KBI Consulting for business support services provided by Mr. Isett's wife. Per the consulting agreement the business support services are billed at $5,800 per month. Consulting expenses totaled approximately $17,000 and $0 for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. At both September 30, 2020 and June 30, 2020, the Company owed the Consultant $5,800.

TechCXO LLC (“TechCXO”)

In July 2020, TechCXO was retained by the Company to provide an interim principal financial officer until the Company can hire a new full-time CFO.  TechCXO assigned John Delta, TechCXO’s Managing Partner of its Mid-Atlantic region.  The Company appointed Mr. Delta as the Company’s Principal Accounting Officer as of October 1, 2020 and Principal Financial Officer as of October 13, 2020. Consulting expenses totaled approximately $191,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2020. At September 30, 2020, the Company owed TechCXO approximately $119,000.