RepliCel Life Sciences (REPCF) Risk Analysis
Risk Overview Q4, 2022
Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Dec 31, 2022, filed May 01, 2023
Risk Change Over Time
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1The Company is exposed to certain risks if it loses the arbitration that it has commenced against Shiseido Company Limited
The Company entered into a Collaboration and Technology Transfer Agreement with Shiseido, one of the world's largest cosmetic companies. Both companies agreed to work towards establishing a clinical research program in Asia, with the goal of increasing the available human clinical data on RCH-01. The Parties agreed to collaborate as any new improvements to the RCH-01 technology were developed by either party. This agreement gave Shiseido an exclusive geographic license to use the Company's RCH-01 hair regeneration technology in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and the ASEAN countries representing a population of approximately 2.1 billion people. In mid-2016, Shiseido alleged RepliCel had breached its obligations in the agreement which Shiseido alleged were potentially terminal to future obligations pursuant to the agreement. RepliCel has vigorously denied the existence of such breach and insists on the ongoing validity of the respective obligations on both parties pursuant to the agreement. In 2021 the Company attempted to engage Shiseido in settlement discussions by written letters, without success. The Company and Aceris Law filed a Notice of Arbitration with the International Center for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), which is the arbitral tribunal that has jurisdiction over the agreement. The Company issued a Press Release advising shareholders of this milestone. Shiseido served the Company with its Response to the Notice of Arbitration and the Company's legal counsel reviewed Shiseido's Response with the Company. Based on Shiseido's Response to the Notice of Arbitration, the Company made a strategic and legally necessary step of terminating the Agreement with Shiseido. The Company has material risks with the arbitration including losing its claim and potentially losing rights to its RCH-01 hair regeneration technology in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and the ASEAN countries.
Risk Highlights Q4, 2022
Risk Word Cloud
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 24
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1AddedThe Company is exposed to certain risks if it loses the arbitration that it has commenced against Shiseido Company Limited
The Company entered into a Collaboration and Technology Transfer Agreement with Shiseido, one of the world's largest cosmetic companies. Both companies agreed to work towards establishing a clinical research program in Asia, with the goal of increasing the available human clinical data on RCH-01. The Parties agreed to collaborate as any new improvements to the RCH-01 technology were developed by either party. This agreement gave Shiseido an exclusive geographic license to use the Company's RCH-01 hair regeneration technology in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and the ASEAN countries representing a population of approximately 2.1 billion people. In mid-2016, Shiseido alleged RepliCel had breached its obligations in the agreement which Shiseido alleged were potentially terminal to future obligations pursuant to the agreement. RepliCel has vigorously denied the existence of such breach and insists on the ongoing validity of the respective obligations on both parties pursuant to the agreement. In 2021 the Company attempted to engage Shiseido in settlement discussions by written letters, without success. The Company and Aceris Law filed a Notice of Arbitration with the International Center for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), which is the arbitral tribunal that has jurisdiction over the agreement. The Company issued a Press Release advising shareholders of this milestone. Shiseido served the Company with its Response to the Notice of Arbitration and the Company's legal counsel reviewed Shiseido's Response with the Company. Based on Shiseido's Response to the Notice of Arbitration, the Company made a strategic and legally necessary step of terminating the Agreement with Shiseido. The Company has material risks with the arbitration including losing its claim and potentially losing rights to its RCH-01 hair regeneration technology in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and the ASEAN countries.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2Conflicts of interest may arise as a result of our company's directors and officers being directors or officers of other life sciences companies.
Certain of our company's directors and officers are, or may become, directors or officers of other life sciences companies. While we are engaged in the business of developing a new autologous cell replication technology, such associations may give rise to conflicts of interest from time to time. Our company's directors are required by law to act honestly and in good faith with a view to our company's best interests and to disclose any interest that they may have in any project or opportunity. If a conflict of interest arises at a meeting of our company's board of directors, any director in a conflict must disclose his interest and abstain from voting on such matter. In determining whether or not our company will participate in any project or opportunity, our company's directors will primarily consider the degree of risk to which our company may be exposed and our financial position at the time.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3Our articles contain provisions indemnifying our officers and directors against all costs, charges and expenses incurred by them.
Our articles contain provisions limiting the liability of our officers and directors for all acts, receipts, neglects or defaults of themselves and all of our other officers or directors or for any loss, damage or expense incurred by our company which may happen in the execution of the duties of such officers or directors. Such limitations on liability may reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against our company's officers and directors and may discourage or deter our shareholders from suing our company's officers and directors based upon breaches of their duties to our company, though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit our company and our shareholders.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4As a majority of our directors and officers are residents of countries other than the United States, investors may find it difficult to enforce, within the United States, any judgments obtained against our company, directors and officers.
A majority of our directors and officers are nationals and/or residents of countries other than the United States, and all or a substantial portion of such persons' assets are located outside the United States. Consequently, it may be difficult for United States investors to effect service of process in the United States upon those directors or officers who are not residents of the United States, or to realize in the United States upon judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities under United States legislation. There is substantial doubt whether an original action based solely upon such civil liabilities could be brought successfully in Canada against any of such persons or our company.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5If our business is unsuccessful, our shareholders may lose their entire investment.
Although shareholders will not be bound by or be personally liable for our expenses, liabilities or obligations beyond their total original capital investment, should we suffer a deficiency in funds with which to meet our obligations, the shareholders as a whole may lose their entire investment in our company.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6Trading of our company's common shares on the Pink Sheets (operated by the OTC Markets Group) and the TSX Venture Exchange is limited and sporadic, making it difficult for our company's shareholders to sell their common shares or liquidate their investments.
The trading price and volume of our company's common shares has been and may continue to be subject to wide fluctuations. The stock market has generally experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of companies. There can be no assurance that trading prices previously experienced by our company's common shares will be matched or maintained. Trading in our common shares has been limited and sporadic and accordingly there is no guarantee that an investor will be able to liquidate any or all of its investment. These broad market and industry factors may adversely affect the market price of the common shares, regardless of our company's operating performance. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company's securities, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted. Such litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs for our company and a diversion of management's attention and resources.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7Investors' interests in our company will be diluted and investors may suffer dilution in their net book value per share if we issue additional options to any of our officers, directors, employees or consultants.
Because our company's success is highly dependent upon our directors, officers and consultants, we have granted, and may again in the future grant, options to some or all of our key officers, directors, employees and consultants to purchase our common shares as non-cash incentives. Options may be granted at exercise prices below that of our common shares prevailing in the public trading market at the time or may be granted at exercise prices equal to market prices at times when the public market is depressed. To the extent that significant numbers of such options may be granted and exercised, the interests of our company's other shareholders may be diluted.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8Investors' interests in our company will be diluted and investors may suffer dilution in their net book value per share if our company issues additional common shares or raises funds through the sale of equity securities.
In the event that our company is required to issue additional common shares in order to raise financing for working capital, investors' interests in our company will be diluted and investors may suffer dilution in their net book value per share depending on the price at which such securities are sold. The dilution may result in a decline in the market price of our common shares.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9Penny stock rules limit the ability of our shareholders to sell their stock.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted regulations which generally define "penny stock" to be any equity security that has a market price (as defined) less than $5.00 per share or an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. Our securities are covered by the penny stock rules, which impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell to persons other than established customers and accredited investors. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document in a form prepared by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which provides information about penny stocks and the nature and level of risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer also must provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction and monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer's account. The bid and offer quotations, and the broker-dealer and salesperson compensation information, must be given to the customer orally or in writing prior to effecting the transaction and must be given to the customer in writing before or with the customer's confirmation. In addition, the penny stock rules require that prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from these rules, the broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser's written agreement to the transaction. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in the secondary market for the stock that is subject to these penny stock rules. Consequently, these penny stock rules may affect the ability of broker-dealers to trade our securities.
See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.
