Stablecoin Development Corp: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2022

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. develops and sells scientifically-created and clinically-proven eyecare, skincare and wound care products.

Our leading product, Avenova® Antimicrobial Lid and Lash Solution (“Avenova Spray”), is proven in laboratory testing to have broad antimicrobial properties as it removes foreign material including microorganisms and debris from the skin around the eye, including the eyelid. Avenova Spray is formulated with our proprietary, stable and pure form of hypochlorous acid and is cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for sale in the United States. Avenova Spray is available direct to consumers primarily through online distribution channels and is also available by prescription and dispensed by eyecare professionals for blepharitis and dry-eye disease. Other eyecare products offered under the Avenova eyecare brand include Novawipes by Avenova, Avenova Lubricant Eye Drops, Avenova Moist Heating Eye Compress, and the i-Chek eyelid and eyelash mirror by Avenova.

Through our subsidiary DERMAdoctor, LLC (“DERMAdoctor”), we offer over 30 dermatologist-developed products targeting common skin concerns, ranging from aging and blemishes to dry skin, perspiration and keratosis pilaris. DERMAdoctor branded products are marketed and sold through the DERMAdoctor website, well-known traditional and digital beauty retailers, and a network of international distributors. We acquired DERMAdoctor in November 2021 (the “DERMAdoctor Acquisition”), and since completing this transaction we have been working to integrate and expand the DERMAdoctor business in order to achieve strategic objectives contemplated by the acquisition, including revenue growth, cost reductions and overall profitability. We were not able to achieve these objectives in fiscal 2022, as DERMAdoctor’s product revenue declined in 2022 compared tour expectations, while operating costs relating to these products increased. We continue to work to achieve these objectives, as well as continuing to evaluate additional strategies for our Company and its business to address our capital and liquidity needs as discussed in this Item 1 below under “Our Capital Requirements and Strategic Initiatives”.

We also manufacture and sell our proprietary form of hypochlorous acid for the wound care market through our NeutroPhase and PhaseOne branded products. NeutroPhase and PhaseOne are used for cleansing and irrigation as part of surgical procedures, as well as treating certain wounds, burns, ulcers and other injuries. We currently sell these products through distributors.

Our Products and Marketing Approach

Avenova Branded Eyecare Products

Avenova Spray is a proprietary form of hypochlorous acid that acts as an antimicrobial solution and has been shown to neutralize bacterial toxins in laboratory tests. Because it is a gentle isotonic solution, it is well suited for daily use on the lids and lashes. Avenova Spray offers distinct advantages when compared to alternative lid and lash regimens that contain soaps, bleach, and other impurities, as Avenova Spray removes unwanted microorganisms from the skin without the use of these harmful ingredients. Avenova Spray’s target market is the millions of Americans who suffer from minor irritation of the skin around the eye (commonly referred to as blepharitis) as well as anyone who suffers from dry eye (commonly described as a gritty sandy sensation while blinking). Avenova Spray is available both over-the-counter and as a prescription. We primarily promote Avenova Spray directly to consumers on Amazon.com and Avenova.com. In total, this was our leading sales channel by unit sales and net revenue in 2022. Prescription Avenova Spray is available at optometrists’ and ophthalmologists’ offices, through our physician dispensed channel, and at most retail pharmacies across all 50 states.

Because Avenova Spray can be purchased as both an over-the-counter and prescription product, it is available to a wide range of potential customers and addressable markets. Making it available over-the-counter capitalizes on a trend to sell pharmaceutical products directly to consumers in response to increased cost shifting to consumers through high-deductible health plans. Avenova Spray is available on Avenova.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and select other online channels.

Support from ophthalmologists and optometrists for Avenova Spray remains strong. Continuous endorsement of medical professionals for Avenova has created a “doctor recommended” halo effect around our brand. This is a key differentiating factor in a crowded consumer space and is a result of our high quality and reliable efficacy. Our physician dispensed channel is particularly important in this regard as it gives patients the opportunity to purchase Avenova Spray conveniently and immediately upon recommendation in the doctor’s office. We believe this also creates repeat Avenova Spray customers who subsequently purchase Avenova Spray and other Avenova branded products through other channels.

We also make prescription Avenova Spray accessible nationwide in nearly all retail pharmacies across the United States through agreements with McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen Corporation. We continue to build our prescription business under a value pricing model. We maintain a rebate program for electronic payment transactions and in the form of instant rebate cards. The rebate cards are intended to be used by patients who either do not have insurance coverage or whose insurance coverage does not cover Avenova Spray, thereby lowering the price for the patient at the pharmacy.

We also have agreements with select preferred pharmacy networks through our Partner Pharmacy Program. These agreements provide greater control over the patient experience at consistent contract pricing. Our Partner Pharmacy Program also ensures that proper insurance reimbursement occurs, and that our patients are receiving the best possible price. In 2021, we added ImprimisRx, one of the nation’s leading ophthalmology-focused pharmaceutical businesses, to our Partner Pharmacy Program.

DERMAdoctor Branded Dermatology Products

Through the DERMAdoctor Acquisition, we added a comprehensive portfolio of dermatological solutions to address common skincare concerns including: keratosis pilaris, rosacea and eczema, anti-aging, hyperhidrosis, excessive hair, and acne. These products are organized into several product families, including: (i) Kakadu C®; (ii) KP Duty®; (iii) Total Non-scents Antiperspirant; (iv) Wrinkle Revenge®; (v) AIN’T Misbehavin’®; and (vi) Calm, Cool & Corrected®. DERMAdoctor continues to develop its pipeline of additional new products to address a variety of common skin conditions.

DERMAdoctor products are offered within the large and steadily growing skincare category of the beauty industry. The skincare market is divided into facial care, hand and body care and sun care. Within the skincare market, our DERMAdoctor products sell and compete across all major product categories with a wide variety of products at various price points. Skincare products can also be subdivided into prestige and mass segments. Prestige products are characterized by higher price points and are typically sold in high-end specialty stores and department stores.

Our marketing strategy for the DERMAdoctor brand is to focus on educating our target consumers about the unique attributes of such products, developing intimate relationships with these consumers and capitalizing on our omni-channel distribution strategy to effectively reach and engage these consumers. Our target demographic for the DERMAdoctor brand encompasses women between the ages of 25 to 65 who have a college education and an above average household income.

The skincare industry is highly competitive and subject to rapid changes due to consumer preferences and industry trends. Competition in the skincare industry is generally based on the introduction of new products, pricing of products, quality of products and packaging, brand awareness, perceived value and quality, innovation, in-store presence and visibility, promotional activities, advertising, editorials, e-commerce and mobile-commerce initiatives and other activities. These products compete with a high volume of new product introductions and existing products by diverse companies across several different distribution channels, including large multinational consumer products companies that have many skincare brands under ownership, as well as standalone skincare brands, including those that may target the latest trends or specific distribution channels. We expect our DERMAdoctor products to encounter competition for consumer recognition and market share with products that have achieved significant national and international brand name recognition and consumer loyalty, such as those offered by global prestige beauty companies like Avon Products, Inc., Elizabeth Arden, Inc., The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc., L’Oréal Group, Shiseido, Coty, Mary Kay, Inc. and The Proctor & Gamble Company, each of which have skincare brands.

NeutroPhase and PhaseOne Branded Wound Care Products

We also manufacture and sell our proprietary form of hypochlorous acid for the wound care market. Consisting of higher concentrations of hypochlorous acid, NeutroPhase and PhaseOne are used for the cleansing and irrigation of intraoperative pocket lavage, before subcutaneous closure, stage I to IV pressure injuries, stasis ulcers, leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, first-degree and second-degree burns, post-surgical wounds, grafted and donor sites, minor burns, superficial abrasions, wounds, and moistening absorbent wound dressings.

Both NeutroPhase and PhaseOne compete in a crowded wound cleanser market with many older and lower-priced products with similar uses, such as Vashe and Betadine Surgical Scrub. However, we believe our NeutroPhase and PhaseOne solutions have distinct competitive advantages because they are made without the toxic chemicals found in other products. NeutroPhase and PhaseOne are gentle, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing to skin and new tissue. PhaseOne is distributed through commercial partners in the United States, and NeutroPhase is distributed in China by Pioneer Pharma (Hong Kong) Company Ltd., who is also a stockholder of our Company.

Customers, Manufacturing and Suppliers

Avenova branded products are available on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, CVS.com and Avenova.com. Online sales now account for the majority of Avenova Spray revenue. Internationally, Avenova Spray is available in Australia through a distribution partner. NeutroPhase and PhaseOne sales rely solely on distribution partners in China and the U.S., respectively.

Our DERMAdoctor products are sold in the United States and internationally (including in China, the Middle East, Europe, Canada, and Central and South America). Such products are distributed online, through wholesale distribution, in physical store locations and, particularly as relates to international sales, through marketing and distribution agreements with local partners.

For the Avenova Spray, we currently outsource manufacturing to a contract manufacturer with facilities located in the United States. For our DERMAdoctor products, we also use third-party contract manufacturers and suppliers to obtain substantially all raw materials, components, and packaging products and to manufacture finished products relating to the DERMAdoctor brand. We utilize several different product fillers and numerous ingredient and packaging suppliers from which we source and contract the manufactures of our DERMAdoctor products.

We believe that we have good relationships with our manufacturers and that our manufacturers have adequate manufacturing capacity to satisfy our demands for all products. Further, we believe that there are often alternative sources available in the event that one or more of these manufacturers are not available. However, the products manufactured by alternative manufacturers may not be identical to our current products as some of our product formulations, particularly as relates to our DERMAdoctor products, are sometimes owned by that particular manufacturer. We continually review our manufacturing needs against the capacity of our contract manufacturers to ensure that we are able to meet our production goals, reduce costs, and operate more efficiently.

Intellectual Property

We believe that our intellectual property has substantial value and has contributed significantly to the success of our business. We rely on patents, trademarks, trade secrets and know-how to maintain our competitive position. We own over 40 live trademark registrations in the U.S., as well as trademark registrations and pending applications in many other countries internationally, with our primary trademarks including “Avenova®”, “CelleRx®”, “PhaseOne®”, “NeutroPhase®”, “DERMAdoctor®”, “Kakadu C®”, “AIN’T Misbehavin’®”, “KP Duty®” and depictions of Dr. Audrey Kunin, some of which are held directly by NovaBay and others by our wholly-owned subsidiary DERMAdoctor.

We seek to protect our intellectual property rights by a variety of means, including obtaining patents, maintaining trade secrets and proprietary know-how and technological innovation to operate, without infringing on the proprietary rights of others and to prevent others from infringing on our proprietary rights. In order to maintain our trade secrets, we rely on and use reasonable business activities to protect trade secrets, such as confidentiality/invention rights agreements with employees, confidentiality agreements with manufacturers, proprietary expertise and product formulations, continuing innovation efforts and techniques, and other know-how to develop and maintain a competitive position.

Research and Development

DERMAdoctor focuses a significant portion of its product development efforts on creating new products and improving existing products based on feedback and suggestions from its consumers. Many of these suggestions are the catalyst for new DERMAdoctor product development, as well as product extensions. DERMAdoctor’s testing activities are performed by laboratories with ISO 17025 accreditation and FDA registration. The finished products DERMAdoctor develops, including packaging, must meet adequate quality control, and performance tests before they are marketed. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we incurred total research and development expenses of approximately $174 thousand and $44 thousand, respectively.

Seasonality

Avenova Branded Products

Consistent with our peers in the United States pharmaceutical industry, prescriptions for Avenova Spray experience seasonality with the first quarter of each year typically being the lowest revenue quarter. This annual phenomenon is due to consumers facing the need to satisfy health insurance deductibles and changes to copays as each new insurance year begins. Sales of Avenova Spray through non-prescription channels, along with the other Avenova branded products, experience less seasonality with demands, with more consistent sales throughout the year.

Dermatology/Skincare Products

Our DERMAdoctor products are sold through wholesale distribution relationships with third parties such as Costco and others; therefore, we may receive periodic large orders that result in large chunks of revenue that are received in irregular intervals during the year. Historically, sales of DERMAdoctor products that contain sunscreen and antiperspirants are higher in the summer seasons and sales of DERMAdoctor products that contain moisturizers are higher in the fall and winter months.

Our Capital Requirements and Strategic Initiatives

In our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on August 11, 2022 and November 14, 2022, and this annual report on Form 10-K, we reported that based primarily on the funds available as of June 30, 2022, September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2022, respectively, that we expected our expenses will continue to exceed our revenues, as the Company continues to invest in both its Avenova and DERMAdoctor commercialization efforts. Further, based on the amount of capital and liquidity that we had available at such time, we determined that our planned operations raised substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Additionally, we noted that changing circumstances may cause us to expend cash significantly faster than currently anticipated or planned, and that we may need to spend more cash than expected because of circumstances beyond our control that impact the broader economy such as periods of inflation, supply chain issues, the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic and international conflicts (e.g., the conflict between Russia and Ukraine).

To help address our need for liquidity and capital to fund our planned operations, we entered into two financing transactions on September 9, 2022, which resulted in our Company raising approximately $5.3 million of gross proceeds, as summarized below. In connection with these transactions, we completed a 1-for-35 reverse stock split of our common stock that was effective on November 15, 2022 (the “Reverse Stock Split”).

2022 Financing Transactions

On September 9, 2022, we entered into certain letter agreements and completed a warrant reprice transaction (the “2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction”) with each holder of the common stock purchase warrants (the “November 2021 Warrants”) that we issued in our November 2021 private placement (the “2021 Private Placement”) and with certain holders of the common stock purchase warrants that we issued in a private placement that was part of a warrant reprice transaction in July 2020 (the “July 2020 Warrants”) (the “Warrant Reprice Transaction”). The 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction resulted in gross proceeds of approximately $2.1 million. Pursuant to the terms of the letter agreements, the November 2021 Warrants (“Amended November 2021 Warrants”) and the July 2020 Warrants (“Amended July 2020 Warrants”) were amended to: (i) reduce the exercise price; (ii) provide that such warrants would not be exercisable until a later date, March 9, 2023; and (iii) in the case of the November 2021 Warrants, extend the termination date to September 11, 2028. Additionally, in connection with the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction, we issued to certain participants in the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction that exercised their Amended November 2021 Warrants and their Amended July 2020 Warrants, new common stock purchase warrants (the “September 2022 Warrants”) to purchase a number of shares of common stock equal to 100% of the number of shares that a participant exercised under its November 2021 Warrant or Amended July 2020 Warrant. The September 2022 Warrants are exercisable for an aggregate of 327,860 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.30 per share and expire on September 11, 2028.

Concurrent with the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction, we entered into a private placement transaction with accredited investors (the “2022 Private Placement”) to sell, pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated September 9, 2022 (the “2022 Securities Purchase Agreement”), units consisting of (i) 3,250 shares of Series C Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Series C Preferred Stock”), convertible into an aggregate of 516,750 shares of common stock, (ii) a short-term Series A-1 warrant to purchase common stock (“Short-Term Warrants”), which are exercisable for 515,876 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.30 per share for a period of eighteen (18) months after the date of issuance and (iii) a long-term Series A-2 warrant to purchase common stock (“Long-Term Warrants” and, together with the Short-Term Warrants, the “2022 Warrants”), which are exercisable for 515,876 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.30 per share for a period of six (6) years after the date of issuance. On November 18, 2022, we closed the 2022 Private Placement and received gross proceeds of $3.2 million from the sale of the Series C Preferred Stock and the 2022 Warrants.

Ongoing Strategic Initiatives

While the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction and the 2022 Private Placement provided needed capital for the continuing operation of our business, additional funding or substantial revenue growth will be needed in both the short- and long-term in order to continue the operation of our business according to our existing business plan. In addition to strategies to grow our revenue in fiscal year 2023 and improve liquidity, we are taking steps to reduce our operating expenses, including through streamlining operations and reducing or eliminating excess costs. Further, we are continuing to evaluate our current business plan and potential changes to our business and strategic direction. If we do not raise additional capital or our revenues do not reach sufficient levels in the near term, then we may need to implement additional cost reduction measures and make changes to our current business plan and strategic direction. Such changes may include altering our existing operations and/or pursing a strategic transaction, such as a divestiture of certain of a business or product line and related assets. We are continuing to work diligently to improve the capital, liquidity and overall financial condition of our Company.

For additional information regarding the Company’s going concern determination, plans to fund operations and ongoing strategic initiatives, see the sections captioned “Recent Developments” and “Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources” contained in Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and within Note 1, “Organization” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Government Regulation

We are subject to extensive government regulation, principally by the FDA and state and local authorities in the United States and by comparable agencies in foreign countries. Governmental authorities in the United States extensively regulate the pre-clinical and clinical testing, safety, efficacy, research, development, manufacturing, labeling, storage, record-keeping, advertising, promotion, import, export, marketing and distribution, among other things, of pharmaceutical, medical device and cosmetic products under various federal laws including the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Public Health Service Act and under comparable laws by the states in the United States and in most foreign countries. We also hold our CE Mark and ISO 13485 certifications. To maintain these certifications, we undergo significant quality control audits with the relevant European authorities every year.

FDA Approval/Clearance Requirements

Some of our products that we market in the U.S. require FDA 510(k) clearance or approval through the OTC Drug Monograph process. We believe we have obtained the required FDA clearance or approval for each of our current products, if necessary.

The FDA decides whether a device line must undergo either the 510(k) clearance or premarket approval (“PMA”). PMA is the FDA process of scientific and regulatory review to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Class III medical devices. Class III medical devices are those that support or sustain human life, are of substantial importance in preventing impairment of human health, or which present a potential, unreasonable risk of illness or injury. The PMA process is based on statutory criteria. These criteria include the level of risk that the agency perceives is associated with the device and a determination of whether the product is a type of device that is similar to devices that are already legally marketed. Devices deemed to pose relatively less risk are placed in either Class I or II, which requires the manufacturer to submit a premarket notification ("PMN") requesting 510(k) clearance, unless an exemption applies. The PMN must demonstrate that the proposed device is “substantially equivalent” in intended use and in safety and effectiveness to a legally marketed predicate device, which is a pre-existing medical device to which equivalence can be drawn, that is either in Class I, Class II, or is a Class III device that was in commercial distribution before May 28, 1976, for which the FDA has not yet called for submission of a PMA application.

Class I devices are those for which safety and effectiveness can be assured by adherence to the FDA's general regulatory controls for medical devices, or the “General Controls”, which include compliance with the applicable portions of the FDA's quality system regulations, facility registration and product listing, reporting of adverse medical events, and appropriate, truthful and non-misleading labeling, advertising, and promotional materials. Some Class I devices also require premarket clearance by the FDA through the 510(k) PMN process described below. Avenova Spray is classified as a Class I medical device. None of our products are Class II or Class III medical devices. All DERMAdoctor products are classified either as a cosmetic or an OTC monograph drug.

Pervasive and Continuing FDA Regulation

A host of regulatory requirements apply to our marketed devices, including the quality system regulation (which requires manufacturers to follow elaborate design, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures), the Medical Reporting Regulations (which require that manufacturers report to the FDA specified types of adverse events involving their products), labeling regulations, and the FDA's general prohibition against promoting products for unapproved or "off-label" uses. Unanticipated changes in existing regulatory requirements or adoption of new current Good Manufacturing Practice (“cGMP”) requirements could hurt our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Health Care Fraud and Abuse

In the United States, there are federal and state anti-kickback laws that generally prohibit the payment or receipt of kickbacks, bribes or other remuneration in exchange for the referral of patients or other health-related business. For example, the federal Anti-Kickback Law (42 U.S.C. §1320a-7b(b)) prohibits anyone from, among other things, knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting or receiving any bribe, kickback or other remuneration intended to induce the referral of patients for, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, health care products and services reimbursed by a federal health care program (including Medicare and Medicaid). Recognizing that the federal Anti-Kickback Law is broad and potentially applicable to many commonplace arrangements, the Office of Inspector General within the Department of Health and Human Services, or OIG, has issued regulations, known as the safe harbors, which identify permissible practices. If all of the requirements of an applicable safe harbor are met, an arrangement will not be prosecuted under this law. Safe harbors exist for a number of arrangements relevant to our business, including, among other things, payments to bona fide employees, certain discount arrangements, and certain payment arrangements involving GPOs. The failure of an arrangement to fit precisely within one or more safe harbors does not necessarily mean that it is illegal. However, conduct that does not fully satisfy each requirement of an applicable safe harbor may result in increased scrutiny by government enforcement authorities, such as the OIG or the Department of Justice. Violations of this federal law can result in significant penalties, including imprisonment, monetary fines and assessments, and exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs. Exclusion of a manufacturer would preclude any federal health care program from paying for its products. In addition to the federal Anti-Kickback Law, many states have their own anti-kickback laws. Often, these state laws closely follow the language of the federal law. Some state anti-kickback laws apply regardless of whether a federal health care program payment is involved. Federal and state anti-kickback laws may affect our sales, marketing and promotional activities, and relationships with health care providers or pharmacies by limiting the kinds of arrangements we may have with them.

Federal and state false claims laws prohibit anyone from presenting, or causing to be presented, claims for payment to third-party payors that are false or fraudulent. For example, the federal False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §3729 et seq.) imposes liability on any person or entity who, among other things, knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment by a federal health care program (including Medicaid and Medicare). Manufacturers, like us, can be held liable under false claims laws, even if they do not submit claims to the government, where they are found to have caused submission of false claims by, among other things, providing incorrect coding or billing advice about their products to customers that file claims, or by engaging in kickback arrangements with customers that file claims. A number of states also have false claims laws, and some of these laws may apply to claims for items or services reimbursed under Medicaid and/or commercial insurance. Sanctions under these federal and state laws may include civil monetary penalties, exclusion of a manufacturer's products from reimbursement under government programs, and imprisonment.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), created certain criminal statutes relating to health care, including health care fraud and false statements related to healthcare matters. The health care fraud statute prohibits, among others, knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any health care benefit program, including private payors. A violation of this statute is a felony and may result in fines, imprisonment, or exclusion from government sponsored programs. The false statements statute prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing, or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of, or payment for, health care benefits, items or services. A violation of this statute is a felony and may result in fines or imprisonment.

The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires certain pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to monitor and report certain payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, for disclosure to the public. Failure to submit required information may result in significant civil monetary penalties. In addition, there has been a recent trend of increased federal and state regulation of payments made to physicians for marketing, medical directorships, and other purposes. Some states mandate implementation of corporate compliance programs, along with the tracking and reporting of gifts, compensation and other remuneration to physicians, and some states limit or prohibit such gifts.

Due to the breadth of some of these laws, it is possible that some of our current or future practices might be challenged under one or more of these laws. In addition, there can be no assurance that we would not be required to alter one or more of our practices to be in compliance with these laws. Evolving interpretations of current laws or the adoption of new federal or state laws or regulations could adversely affect many of the arrangements we have with customers and physicians. Our risk of being found in violation of these laws is increased by the fact that some of these laws are open to a variety of interpretations. If our past or present operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws, we could be subject to civil and criminal penalties, which could hurt our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Third-Party Reimbursement

Historically, many customers who were prescribed Avenova Spray relied on third-party payors, such as indemnity insurers and managed care plans, to cover and reimburse all or part of the cost. As a result, demand of Avenova Spray is partially dependent in part on the coverage and reimbursement policies of these payors. Private payors often follow the coverage and reimbursement policies of Medicare. We cannot assure you that private third-party payors will cover and reimburse Avenova Spray or any of our other products in whole or in part in the future or that payment rates will be adequate. Currently, none of our products are reimbursed by federal healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and we do not anticipate they will be reimbursed by such programs in the future.

Trade Regulation

Our products, particularly our DERMAdoctor products, are also subject to regulation by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”). These laws and regulations principally relate to the ingredients, proper labeling, advertising, packaging, marketing, manufacture, safety, shipment and disposal of products.

Foreign Regulation

Many foreign countries in which we market or may market our products have regulatory bodies and restrictions similar to those of the FDA, CPSC and FTC. International sales are subject to foreign government regulation, the requirements of which vary substantially from country to country. The time required to obtain approval by a foreign country may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA approval and the requirements may differ.

In addition, we export DERMAdoctor products outside of the United States, and those products are subject to several United States statutes and regulations that regulate exportation from the United States. These products do not require an export license so long as the product is not shipped or otherwise transferred to a comprehensively embargoed country or for a potentially prohibited purpose. DERMAdoctor has developed, maintains and follows internal controls to ensure that it is not exporting its products to embargoed countries or for prohibited purposes.

Other U.S. Regulation

We must also comply with numerous federal, state, municipal and local laws relating to matters such as health and safety laws and regulations relating to, among other matters, safe working conditions, product stewardship and environmental protection, including those relating to the handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of hazardous substances and waste materials, and the registration and evaluation of chemicals. We maintain policies and procedures to monitor and control environmental, health and safety risks, and to monitor compliance with applicable environmental, health and safety requirements.

Human Resources

As of December 31, 2022, on a consolidated basis, we had a total of 33 employees, 29 of whom were full-time employees and 4 were part-time employees. None of our employees are represented by labor unions or covered by collective bargaining agreements. We comply with the latest employment best practices and consider our relationship with our employees to be good.

Facilities

Our principal executive office is located in Emeryville, California. We are party to an Office Lease (the “Lease”), dated August 24, 2016, as subsequently amended on January 24, 2022, pursuant to which we lease approximately 7,675 rentable square feet of real property located on the eleventh floor (Suite 1150) at 2000 Powell Street, Emeryville, California 94608 from KBSIII Towers at Emeryville, LLC (the “Landlord”), for our principal executive offices. The expiration date of the Lease is July 31, 2027, unless earlier terminated pursuant to the provisions of the Lease. We believe that our office and administration facilities are suitable and adequate for our current operations and its current purpose, but we may require additional space and facilities as our business expands.

Our wholly-owned subsidiary, DERMAdoctor, is party to a lease with Green Bay Packaging Inc., as landlord, and DERMAdoctor, as tenant, dated August 27, 2019 (the “Subsidiary Lease”), for 19,136 square feet of space located at 4346 Belgium Boulevard, Building 2, Riverside, Missouri, which DERMAdoctor utilizes for light manufacturing, storage, distribution of products and administrative functions. The lease commenced on October 1, 2019 and expires on December 31, 2024.

Available Information

Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are available free of charge on our corporate website, located at www.novabay.com (http://www.novabay.com), as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Our website is not part of this annual report on Form 10-K. The SEC also maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy, information statements and other information regarding issuers at http://www.sec.gov.

Our business is subject to a number of risks, the most important of which are discussed below. You should consider carefully the following risks in addition to the other information contained in this report and our other filings with the SEC before deciding to buy, sell or hold our common stock. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and the market price of our common stock could be materially adversely affected, the value of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing our Company, but those that we consider to be material. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also significantly impair our business operations. Past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods. Please also read carefully the section in this report above entitled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

Risks Relating to Our Business

There is uncertainty about our ability to continue as a going concern.

We have sustained operating losses for the majority of our corporate history. In fiscal 2022, our expenses exceeded our revenues, as we continue to invest in our Avenova and DERMAdoctor commercialization efforts. We will need to generate significant revenues to achieve and maintain profitability, which we have not been able to achieve to date. Our operating cash flow currently is not sufficient to support our ongoing operations, and we expect to continue incurring operating losses and negative cash flows until revenues reach a level sufficient to support ongoing growth and operations. Accordingly, our current cash resources are not sufficient to fund operations at the expected level of activity beyond the third quarter of 2023. As such, additional funding or substantial revenue growth will be needed in both the short- and long-term in order to pursue our business plan. We are continuing to evaluate our current business plan and potential changes to our business and strategic direction. If we do not raise additional capital or our revenues do not reach sufficient levels in the near term, then we may need to implement additional cost reduction measures and changes to our current business plan and strategic direction. Such changes may include altering our existing operations and/or pursing a strategic transaction, such as a divestiture of certain business or product lines and related assets. As a result of these circumstances, our financial statements include explanatory disclosures expressing substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of the uncertainty regarding our ability to continue as a going concern. Future reports on our financial statements may continue to include such disclosures. If we cannot continue as a going concern, our stockholders may lose their entire investment in our securities.

We require additional capital to finance our operations as currently conducted, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all and may result in dilution to our existing stockholders.

Our current cash resources are not sufficient to fund operations at the expected level of activity beyond the third quarter of 2023, and we therefore require additional capital to fund our operations. As of December 31, 2022, our cash and cash equivalents were $5.4 million and we had an accumulated deficit of $158.2 million. If we raise additional capital through public or private equity offerings, the ownership interest of our existing stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect our stockholders’ rights. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, we may be subject to covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt or making capital expenditures. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing on commercially reasonable terms or at all when needed, we may have to implement additional cost reduction measures and/or make changes to our current business, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our business may be adversely affected by the continuing coronavirus outbreak.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had and continues to have widespread, evolving, and unpredictable impacts on global society, economies, financial markets and business practices. Overall, the impact of COVID-19 to date has been minimal on the sales of Avenova Spray and the sales of DERMAdoctor products as an increase in online sales has made up for the decrease in revenue from other channels. DERMAdoctor shifted from brick-and-mortar retail partners to online direct-to-consumer marketing during pandemic related shutdowns. Although we and DERMAdoctor have not experienced a material disruption in our supply chain to date due to COVID-19, as the pandemic continues and regions face resurgence of COVID-19, including variants of the virus, and outbreaks of other contagious diseases and related uncertainties, the availability of raw materials, goods and/or services from our suppliers could be disrupted and/or not provided in a timely manner or in the quantities that we require in order to operate our business in the ordinary course, which could materially and adversely affect our product sales, customer service levels and our overall business. In addition, any increases in the costs of goods and services for our business that could result from such disruptions in our supply chain or as a result of inflation in the overall costs of goods and services may adversely affect our profit margins if we are unable to pass along any higher costs in the form of price increases or otherwise achieve cost efficiencies in our operations.

Our future success is largely dependent on the successful commercialization of our products, particularly Avenova Spray and our DERMAdoctor products.

If we are unable to establish and maintain adequate sales, marketing and distribution capabilities or enter into or maintain agreements with third parties to do so, we may be unable to successfully commercialize our products, including Avenova Spray and our DERMAdoctor products. While we believe we are working to create an efficient commercial organization, we may not be able to correctly judge the size and experience of the sales and marketing force and the scale of distribution necessary to be successful. Establishing and maintaining sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities are expensive and time-consuming. Such expenses may be disproportionate compared to the revenues we may be able to generate on sales of Avenova branded, and/or our DERMAdoctor branded products, which could cause our commercialization efforts to be unprofitable or less profitable than expected.

Acceptance and use of Avenova and/or DERMAdoctor branded products by physicians, retail partners, wholesale customers and other customers may depend on a number of factors including: (i) perceptions by members of the healthcare community, including physicians, about the safety and effectiveness of our products; (ii) published studies demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of our products relative to competing products; (iii) availability of reimbursement for our products from government or commercial payers as relates to Avenova Spray; and (iv) effectiveness of marketing and distribution efforts by us and our licensees and distributors, if any. The failure of any of our products to find market acceptance would harm our business and could require us to seek additional financing to fund our operations.

Goodwill, intangible and other assets from our DERMAdoctor Acquisition have become impaired which adversely impacted our profitability in 2022, and we may be required to record additional charges to earnings if there is further impairment in the future

We are required under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) to test our goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently if indicators for potential impairment exist. Additionally, at least annually at year end, or more frequently at interim periods, we periodically review our intangible and other long-lived assets for impairment. During the fourth quarter of 2022, we performed our annual testing for goodwill, intangible and other long-lived asset impairment which resulted in us recording a goodwill, intangible and other asset impairment charge of an aggregate of $6.7 million relating to our DERMAdoctor business for the year ended December 31, 2022, which significantly increased our net losses for the year. In the future, we may be required to record an additional significant charge to our earnings in our consolidated financial statements during the period in which any impairment of our goodwill or intangible and other long-lived assets is determined. This could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price.

We face substantial competition in the eyecare and the skincare markets in which we operate.

Avenova Spray faces intense competition in the eyecare market, which is focused on cost-effectiveness, price, service, product effectiveness and quality, patient convenience and technological innovation. There is substantial competition in the eyecare market from companies of all sizes in the United States and abroad, including, among others, large companies such as Allergan plc and Shire plc, and against products such as Restasis, Xiidra, eye wipes, baby shampoo and soap. There are also over-the-counter products that contain hypochlorous acid that compete with Avenova Spray.

For our DERMAdoctor products that operate in the skincare and beauty industries, we also face vigorous competition from companies globally, including large multinational consumer products companies that have many skincare brands under ownership and standalone skincare brands, including those that may target the latest trends or specific distribution channels. The skincare and beauty industries are highly competitive and subject to rapid changes due to consumer preferences and industry trends. Competition in the skincare industry is generally based on the introduction of new products, pricing of products, quality of products and packaging, brand awareness, perceived value and quality, innovation, in-store presence and visibility, promotional activities, advertising, editorials, e-commerce and mobile-commerce initiatives and other activities. We must compete with a high volume of new product introductions and existing products by diverse companies across several different distribution channels. Our skincare and other beauty products face, and will continue to face, competition for consumer recognition and market share with products that have achieved significant national and international brand name recognition and consumer loyalty, such as those offered by global prestige beauty companies like Avon Products, Inc., Elizabeth Arden, Inc., The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Inc., L’Oréal Group, Shiseido, Coty, Mary Kay, Inc. and The Proctor & Gamble Company, each of which have launched skincare brands. In addition, we compete with brands including Dr. Dennis Gross, Kate Somerville, Murad, Perricone M.D., Dr. Brandt, Clarins, Clinique, Dermalogica, Exuviance, La Roche-Posay and Vichy. Additionally, competition may increase as existing competitors enhance their offerings or additional companies enter our markets or modify their existing products to compete directly with our products.

These companies that we compete against in the eyecare, skincare and beauty industries may have substantially greater financial, technical and marketing resources, longer operating histories, greater brand recognition and larger customer bases than we do and may be able to respond more effectively to changing business and economic conditions than we can. Larger competitors in the skincare and beauty industry have substantially greater financial resources for new product research, development and commercialization, both in the U.S. and/or internationally, on a scale that our operations and financial resources are not able to match making it difficult for us to compete with these companies. Additionally, these larger competitors are able to manufacture and maintain product inventories for longer periods of time for the commercialization of their products then we are able to due to our more limited capital resources and liquidity. If our competitors respond more quickly to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements, our products may be rendered obsolete or non-competitive. In addition, if our competitors develop more effective or affordable products, or achieve earlier intellectual property protection or product commercialization than we do, our operating results will materially suffer. Competition may increase further as existing competitors enhance their offerings or additional companies enter our markets or modify their existing products to compete directly with our products. We may not be able to sustain growth as competitive pressures, including pricing pressure from competitors, increase. Our ability to compete depends on the continued strength of our brand and products, the success of our marketing, innovation and execution strategies, the continued diversity of our product offerings, the successful management of new product introductions and innovations, strong operational execution, including in order fulfillment, and our success in entering new markets and expanding our business in existing geographies. If we are unable to continue to compete effectively, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We are dependent on third parties to supply raw materials used in our products and to manufacture our products. Any interruption or failure by these suppliers or other disruptions to our supply chain may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our ability to make, move, and sell our products is critical to our success. Prior to the DERMAdoctor Acquisition we have historically predominately relied on a single product, Avenova Spray, for our primary revenue stream, which is comprised of our proprietary, stable and pure form of hypochlorous acid. In acquiring DERMAdoctor, we greatly expanded our product offerings and operations, as DERMAdoctor has an extensive global platform, currently selling over 30 dermatologist-developed products in the U.S. and various other countries, with over 40 commercial relationships that supply its products from around the globe. While product sales in the United States have historically driven DERMAdoctor’s revenue, it has strategically sought international opportunities for the sale and distribution of its products. DERMAdoctor’s products are currently offered internationally in China, the Middle East, Europe, Canada, and Central and South America. With this larger operational business and range of product offerings around the globe, comes additional opportunity for us, as well as corresponding additional operating costs and risks in certain areas. A key risk area, which is emphasized further by the current pandemic environment and conflict between Russia and Ukraine, is that of supply chain risk. Our subsidiary, DERMAdoctor, also uses third party contract manufacturers and suppliers, some internationally, to obtain substantially all raw materials, components, and packaging products and to manufacture finished products.

Damage or disruption to our supply chain, including third-party manufacturing, assembly or transportation and distribution capabilities, due to weather, including any potential effects of climate change, natural disaster, fire or explosion, terrorism, pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), strikes, government action, armed conflict, war (such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine) or other reasons beyond our control or the control of our suppliers and business partners, could impair our ability to manufacture or sell our products. Failure to take adequate steps to mitigate the likelihood or potential impact of such events, or to effectively manage such events if they occur, particularly when a product is sourced from a single supplier or location, could adversely affect our business or financial results.

Further, we rely on third parties to supply raw materials, components, and packaging products, to manufacture finished products, and distribute our products. Any interruption or failure by our suppliers, distributors and other partners to meet their obligations on schedule or in accordance with our expectations, misappropriation of our proprietary information, including trade secrets and know-how, or any termination by these third parties of their arrangements with us, which, in each case, could be the result of one or many factors outside of our control, could delay or prevent the manufacture or commercialization of our products, disrupt our operations or cause reputational harm to our company, particularly with wholesale customers, any or all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

DERMAdoctor’s operating results are dependent on sales to a few significant retail partners and wholesale customers and the loss of, or substantial decline in, sales or increase in costs to sell our products to one or more of these retail partners and/or wholesale customers could have a material adverse effect on our expected future revenues and profitability.

Retail partners and wholesale partners that purchase our DERMAdoctor products account for most of net sales revenue, and the loss of all or a portion of the sales to any one of these customers could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations generated by the DERMAdoctor business. A small group of retail partners and wholesale customers accounted for most of DERMAdoctor’s gross sales revenue for 2022, which we expect to continue for the foreseeable future. Although DERMAdoctor developed long-standing relationships with its major retail partners and wholesale customers, it generally does not, consistent with industry norms, have written agreements or advance commitments that require these retail partners or wholesale customers to buy from DERMAdoctor or to purchase a minimum amount of DERMAdoctor products. As a result, these retail partners and wholesale customers are not contractually committed to purchase specified quantities of DERMAdoctor products from us at specific times, and, therefore, the product quantities and the purchasing cycles for such products are difficult to predict and may fluctuate each year. Wholesale customers generally place large orders shortly before such products are needed. Therefore, our DERMAdoctor business relies on both having available capital resources to produce such products and its third-party suppliers and manufacturers to be able to quickly respond to DERMAdoctor product needs. If we do not have the capital resources and/or such supply chain is interrupted, it could cause a material adverse effect on our business, reputation with our wholesale customers and our financial condition and results of operations. In fiscal 2022, we experienced a decline from our retail partners and wholesale customers in amount and frequency of sales of DERMAdoctor products in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to sales from the fourth quarter in 2021, and we expect that this may continue into 2023 with inflationary and/or recessionary conditions in the U.S. and internationally adversely impacting consumer demand for discretionary premium products such as those in the beauty and skincare industry. Additionally, certain of our online retail partners increased the fulfillment fees they charged us for sales of our products through their platform, which increased our cost of sales and adversely impacted our gross profit in 2022.

If we underestimate or overestimate demand for our products and do not maintain appropriate inventory levels, our net revenues or working capital could be negatively impacted.

Our ability to manage our inventory levels to meet demand for our products is important for our business. If we overestimate or underestimate demand for any of our products, including our DERMAdoctor products, we may not maintain appropriate inventory levels, we could have excess inventory that we may need to hold for a long period of time, write down, sell at prices lower than expected or discard, which could negatively impact our reputation, net sales, working capital or cash flows from working capital, or cause us to incur excess and obsolete inventory charges. We also could have inadequate inventories which could hinder our ability to meet demand, including those of our wholesale and other customers and our retail partners of DERMAdoctor and Avenova branded products. We have sought and continue to seek to improve our payable terms, which could adversely affect our relations with our suppliers. In addition, we have significant working capital needs to meet customer demand for DERMAdoctor products, as the nature of the DERMAdoctor business requires us to produce and maintain certain inventory levels to fulfill our customer and retail partner demand. We generally finance our working capital needs through our cash and cash flows from operations, and if we do not have enough cash and cash flows from our operations, then we may not be able to produce the inventories required to meet demand, which could result in a loss of sales, the loss of wholesale customers and/or retail partners and adversely impact our reputation.

Potential disruptions to our distribution facility could cause interruptions or delays in our business and adversely affect our net sales and results of operations.

Our ability to meet the needs of our consumers and retail customers depends on the proper operation of our Riverside, Missouri distribution facility, where a significant portion of our inventory that is not in transit is housed. Although we currently insure our inventory, our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover the full extent of any loss or damage to our inventory or distribution facility, and any loss, damage or disruption of this facility, or loss or damage of the inventory and contents stored there, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. A natural disaster or other catastrophic event, such as a fire, flood, severe storm, break-in, terrorist attack or other comparable event could cause loss of inventory and interruptions or delays in our business and could render us unable to accept or fulfill customer orders in a timely manner, or at all. Our warehouse is located in an area that has historically been subject to severe storms and tornados. This increases our susceptibility to the risk that severe weather conditions could harm the operations of our distribution facility. In the event that a storm, tornado, fire, natural disaster, or other catastrophic event were to destroy a significant part of the facility or interrupt our operations for an extended period of time, our net sales could be reduced, and our results of operations could be harmed.

Significant disruptions of information technology systems or breaches of information security could adversely affect our businesses.

We rely upon information technology systems to operate our businesses. In the ordinary course of business, we collect, store and transmit large amounts of confidential information (including, but not limited to, personal information and intellectual property), and we deploy and operate an array of technical and procedural controls to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of such confidential information. We also have outsourced aspects of our operations to third parties, including significant elements of our information technology infrastructure and, as a result, we are managing independent vendor relationships with third parties who may or could have access to our confidential information. The size and complexity of our information technology and information security systems, and those of our third-party vendors with whom we contract, make such systems potentially vulnerable to service interruptions or to security breaches from inadvertent or intentional actions by our employees or vendors, or from attacks by malicious third parties. Such attacks are of ever-increasing levels of sophistication and are made by groups and individuals with a wide range of motives and expertise, including organized criminal groups, “hacktivists,” nation states and others. While we have invested in the protection of data and information technology, there can be no assurance that our efforts will prevent service interruptions or security breaches. Any such interruption or breach of our systems could adversely affect our business operations and/or result in the loss of critical or sensitive confidential information or intellectual property, and could result in financial, legal, business and reputational harm to us.

Adverse U.S. or international economic and political conditions could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business is sensitive to general economic conditions and consumer spending. Therefore, we face risks associated with U.S. and international economic conditions, including a recession or other economic downturn, and are subject to events beyond our control including armed conflict, war, public health crises (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), trade disputes, economic sanctions, and their collateral impacts. In particular, consumer spending on discretionary premium items such as skincare and beauty products, as well as eyecare products, is influenced and may be impacted by general economic conditions, wage and salary levels, trends in consumer confidence and spending, interest rates, inflation, and the availability of discretionary income and consumer credit. Accordingly, adverse U.S. or international economic conditions, including recessionary conditions, or periods of inflation or high energy prices may contribute to higher unemployment levels, decreased consumer spending, reduced credit availability and declining consumer confidence and demand, poses a risk to our business. A further and future decline in consumer spending or in retailer and consumer confidence and demand for discretionary premium products such as our beauty and skincare products, would have a significant negative impact on our net sales and our profitability. These economic conditions could cause some of our retail customers or suppliers to experience cash flow or credit problems and impair their financial condition, which could disrupt our business and adversely affect product orders, payment patterns and default rates and increase our bad debt expense. In addition, deterioration in global financial markets could make future financing difficult or more expensive, which could have a material adverse effect on our ability to finance the acquisition of inventory for sale to our customers. Abrupt political change, terrorist activity, and armed conflict and any escalation or expansion thereof, pose a risk of further general economic disruption. In February 2022, armed conflict escalated between Russia and Ukraine and has been ongoing since such time. The sanctions imposed by the U.S. and other countries against Russia following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to date include restrictions on selling or importing goods, services, or technology in or from affected regions and travel bans and asset freezes impacting connected individuals and political, military, business and financial organizations in Russia. The U.S. and other countries could impose wider sanctions and take other actions should the conflict continue to escalate. It is not possible to predict the broader consequences of this conflict, which could include further sanctions, embargoes, regional instability, geopolitical shifts and adverse effects on macroeconomic conditions, currency exchange rates and financial markets, all of which could impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risk Related to Government Regulation

We expect continuous revenue from sales of Avenova Spray, which is classified as a cleared medical device by the FDA, but we cannot guarantee that the FDA will continue to allow us to market and sell Avenova Spray as a cleared medical device, which marketing inability would halt our sales and marketing of Avenova Spray and cause us to lose revenue and materially and adversely affect our results of operations and the value of our business.

Our ability to continue commercializing Avenova Spray and generating revenue from Avenova Spray depends upon, among other things:

• the FDA allowing us to continue marketing Avenova Spray as an FDA cleared medical device;
• acceptance in the medical community;
• the safety of Avenova Spray’s predicate devices;
• the number of patients who use Avenova Spray;
• coverage or reimbursement by third-party payors of Avenova Spray;
• our ability to successfully market Avenova Spray to both doctors and patients; and
• the amount and nature of competition from competing companies with similar products.

Revenue from the Avenova brand will be subject to, among other things, regulatory and commercial and market uncertainties that may be outside of our control. The clearance that we have received from the FDA for our Avenova Spray, NeutroPhase, PhaseOne and other products is subject to strict limitations on the indicated uses for which the products may be marketed. The labeling, packaging, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion, and record keeping for all our products, including those that are not subject to FDA clearance, are subject to extensive regulatory requirements.

In addition, there can be no assurance that government regulations applicable to our products will not change and thereby prevent the marketing of some or all our products for a period of time or permanently. The FDA’s policies may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could modify, prevent or delay regulatory approval of our products. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of adverse government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the U.S. or in other countries. We cannot guarantee that Avenova Spray, our other cleared products, or products that may be approved or cleared for marketing in the future, will not be materially adversely impacted by a change in industry standards or regulations. If changes to industry standards, practices or regulations applicable to Avenova Spray or our other cleared products that we may market and sell in the future cause a delay in continued commercialization or if we cannot make a change to satisfy the industry standards, practices or regulations, we may not be able to meet market demand which may have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

Additionally, the FDA may request that we submit another 510(k) premarket submission that compares to another predicate device. If we are unable to find an adequate predicate device that is substantially equivalent to Avenova Spray for the treatment claims that we use to sell and market Avenova Spray, we may not be able to obtain the necessary FDA clearance to continue to market and sell Avenova Spray without performing comprehensive clinical trials. In such event, we would need to seek premarket approval from the FDA for the applicable product before we could continue to sell and market Avenova Spray in the United States, which would be significantly more time consuming, expensive, and uncertain.

Our commercialized products such as Avenova and DERMAdoctor branded products are not approved by the FDA as a drug, and we rely solely on the 510(k) clearance for Avenova Spray and certain of our other products as a medical device.

Our business and future growth depend on the development, use and sale of products that are subject to FDA regulation, clearance and approval. Under the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other laws, we are prohibited from promoting our products for off-label uses. This means that we may not make claims about the safety or effectiveness of our products and may not proactively discuss or provide information on the use of our products, except as allowed by the FDA. Our products, particularly our DERMAdoctor products, are also subject to regulation by the CPSC and the FTC. These laws and regulations principally relate to the ingredients, proper labeling, advertising, packaging, marketing, manufacture, safety, shipment and disposal of such products. As Avenova Spray is a medical device, we may only make very limited claims that pertain to its cleared intended use. Without claims of efficacy, market acceptance of our products may be slow. The 510(k) status of Avenova Spray also affects our ability to obtain formal insurance reimbursement by payors and affects our ability to obtain Medicare coverage.

The FDA does not currently require pre-market approval for products intended to be sold as non-prescription skincare products, so long as they are not marketed for the treatment or prevention of a disease, or as affecting the structure or function of the human body. However, the FDA may in the future require pre-market approval, clearance, or registration/notification of skincare products. Moreover, such products could also be regulated as both drugs and skincare simultaneously, as the categories are not mutually exclusive. If the FDA determines that any of our products intended to be sold as skincare should be classified and regulated as drug products, and we are unable to comply with applicable drug requirements, we may be unable to continue to market those products. Any inquiry into the regulatory status of our skincare products and any related interruption in the marketing and sale of these products could damage our reputation and image in the marketplace.

There is significant risk that the FDA or other federal or state law enforcement authorities may determine that the nature and scope of our sales and marketing activities constitutes the promotion of our products for non-FDA-approved uses in violation of applicable law and as the sale of unapproved drugs, which is prohibited under applicable law. We face the risk that the FDA may take enforcement action against us for the way that we promote and sell our products. This risk may grow with the increased visibility of Avenova Spray online, as well as the FDA’s increased focus on antimicrobial products in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also face the risk that the FDA or other regulatory authorities might pursue enforcement actions based on past activities that we have discontinued or changed, including sales activities, arrangements with institutions and doctors, educational and training programs and other activities.

Government investigations concerning the promotion of unapproved drug products, off-label uses and related issues are typically expensive, disruptive and burdensome and generate negative publicity. If our promotional activities are found to be in violation of applicable law or if we agree to a settlement in connection with an enforcement action, we would likely face significant fines and penalties and be required to substantially limit and change our sales and promotion activities.

Developments after a product reaches the market may adversely affect sales of our products.

Even after obtaining regulatory clearances, certain developments may decrease demand for our products, including the re-review of products that are already marketed; new scientific information and evolution of scientific theories; the recall or loss of regulatory clearance of products that are already marketed; changing government standards or public expectations regarding safety, efficacy, or labeling changes; and greater scrutiny in advertising and promotion. If previously unknown side effects are discovered or if there is an increase in negative publicity regarding known side effects of a product, it could significantly reduce demand for the product or require us to take actions that could negatively affect sales, including removing the product from the market, restricting its distribution or applying for labeling changes. In addition, some health authorities appear to have become more cautious when examining new products and are re-reviewing select products that are already marketed, adding further to the uncertainties in the regulatory processes.

There is also greater regulatory scrutiny, especially in the United States, on advertising (in particular, direct to consumer advertising), promotion and pricing of pharmaceutical products. Certain regulatory changes or decisions could make it more difficult for us to sell our products. If we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may be subject to fines, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory clearance, product recalls, seizure of products, operating restrictions, injunctions, warning letters, criminal prosecution and other enforcement actions. Any of these events could prevent us from marketing our products and our business may not be able to continue past such concerns. If any of the above occurs to Avenova Spray, or our DERMAdoctor products, our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.

We do not have our own manufacturing capacity, and we rely on partnering arrangements or third-party manufacturers for the manufacture of our products and potential products.

The FDA and other governmental authorities require that all our products, including those of DERMAdoctor, be manufactured in strict compliance with federal Quality Systems Regulations (“QSR”) and other applicable government regulations and corresponding foreign standards. We do not currently operate manufacturing facilities for production of our products. As a result, we have partnered with third parties to manufacture our products or rely on contract manufacturers to supply, store and distribute our products and help us meet legal requirements. As we have limited control over our commercial partners, any performance failure on their part (including failure to deliver compliant, quality components or finished goods on a timely basis or properly branded products) could affect the commercialization of our products, producing additional losses and reducing or delaying product revenues. If any of our commercial partners or manufacturers have violated or is alleged to have violated any laws or regulations during the performance of their obligations to us, it is possible that we could suffer significant financial, operational and reputational harm or other negative outcomes, including costly corrective actions, including suspending manufacturing operations, changing product formulations, suspending sales of nonconforming products, or initiating product recalls, change product labelling, packaging or advertising or take other corrective action and possible legal consequences.

Our products require precise, high-quality manufacturing. The failure to achieve and maintain high manufacturing standards could result in patient injury or death, product recalls or withdrawals, delays or failures in product testing or delivery, cost overruns or other problems that could seriously harm our business. Contract manufacturers and partners often encounter difficulties involving production yields, quality control and quality assurance, as well as shortages of qualified personnel. Accordingly, we and our third-party manufacturers are also subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA to determine compliance with the FDA's requirements, including primarily current cGMP, the QSR, medical device reporting regulations (where applicable for Avenova Spray), proper and compliant labeling and other applicable government regulations and corresponding foreign standards, including ISO 13485.

The results of these inspections can include inspectional observations on FDA’s Form 483, untitled letters, warning letters, or other forms of enforcement. If the FDA were to conclude that we are not in compliance with applicable laws or regulations, or that any of our FDA-cleared products are ineffective, make additional therapeutic claims that are not commensurate to the accepted labeling claims, or pose an unreasonable health risk, the FDA could take a number of regulatory actions, including preventing us from manufacturing any or all of our products or performing laboratory testing on human specimens, which could materially adversely affect our business. In addition, a prolonged interruption in the manufacturing of one or more of our products as a result of non-compliance could decrease our supply of products available for sale, which could reduce our net sales, gross profits and market share, as well as harm our overall business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

Avenova Spray’s FDA-clearance and our other products that have been cleared by the FDA or products that we may obtain FDA-clearance in the future, if at all, are subject to limitations on the intended uses for which the product may be marketed, which can reduce our potential to successfully commercialize the product and generate revenue from the product. If the FDA determines that our promotional materials, labeling, training or other marketing or educational activities constitute promotion of an unapproved use, it could request that we cease or modify our training or promotional materials or subject us to regulatory enforcement actions. It is also possible that other federal, state or foreign enforcement authorities might take action if they consider our training or other promotional materials to constitute promotion of an unapproved use, which could result in significant fines or penalties under other statutory authorities. In addition, we may be required to conduct costly post-market testing and surveillance to monitor the safety or effectiveness of our products, and we must comply with medical device reporting requirements where applicable for Avenova Spray, including the reporting of adverse events and malfunctions related to our products. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with our products, including unanticipated adverse events or adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, manufacturing problems, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements such as QSR, may result in changes to labeling, restrictions on such products or manufacturing processes, withdrawal of the products from the market, voluntary or mandatory recalls, a requirement to repair, replace or refund the cost of any medical device we manufacture or distribute, fines, suspension of regulatory clearance to one or all of our products that may be cleared in the future, product seizures, injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties which would adversely affect our business, operating results and prospects.

If we were to lose, or have restrictions imposed on, FDA clearances we may receive in the future, our business, operations, financial condition and results of operations would likely be materially adversely impacted.

Risks Relating to Owning Our Common Stock

The price of our common stock may fluctuate substantially, which may result in losses to our stockholders.

The stock prices of our company and many other companies in our market segments have generally experienced wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control, including those that are unrelated to our operating performance. Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. The market price of our common stock is likely to be volatile and could fluctuate in response to, among other things:

• the announcement of new products by us or our competitors;
• the announcement of partnering arrangements by us or our competitors;
• our ability to effectively manage our future growth;
• actual or anticipated variations in quarterly operating results;
• our cash position;
• our failure to meet the estimates and projections of the investment community or that we may otherwise provide to the public;
• adverse developments concerning our suppliers or distributors;
• adverse developments concerning our customers, including the reduction in products purchased and/or loss of customers;
• our inability to obtain adequate supplies and components for our products or inability to do so at acceptable prices;
• the failure to increase net sales or increases in our operating expenses;
• changes in our earnings estimates, investors’ perceptions, recommendations by securities analysts or our failure to achieve analysts' earnings estimates;
• the sale of a substantial number of shares of common stock by any large stockholder, especially within a short period of time;
• general, economic and market conditions, including volatility in the financial markets, a decrease in consumer confidence and other factors unrelated to our operating performance or the operating performance of our competitors; and
• other events or factors, many of which are beyond our control.

Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.

Under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” generally defined as a greater than 50% change (by value) in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes (such as research tax credits) to offset its post-change income may be limited. Since our formation, we have raised capital through the issuance of capital stock on many occasions which, combined with the purchasing stockholders’ subsequent disposition of those shares, may have resulted in one or more changes of control, as defined by Section 382 of the Code. We have not currently completed a study to assess whether any change of control has occurred, or whether there have been multiple changes of control since our formation, due to the significant complexity and cost associated with such study. If we have experienced a change of control at any time since our formation, our NOL carryforwards and tax credits may not be available, or their utilization could be subject to an annual limitation under Section 382. In addition, since we may need to raise additional funding to finance our operations, we may undergo further ownership changes in the future. If we earn net taxable income, our ability to use our pre-change NOL carryforwards to offset United States federal taxable income may be subject to limitations, which could potentially result in increased future tax liability to us.

If we are unable to comply with the continued listing requirements of the NYSE American, then our common stock would be delisted from the NYSE American, which would limit investors’ ability to effect transactions in our common stock and subject us to additional trading restrictions.

Our common stock is currently listed on the NYSE American LLC (“NYSE American”) and the continued listing of our common stock on the NYSE American is contingent on our continued compliance with a number of listing requirements. If we are unable to comply with the continued listing requirements of the NYSE American, our common stock would be delisted from the NYSE American, which would limit investors’ ability to effect transactions in our common stock and subject us to additional trading restrictions. In order to maintain our listing, we must maintain certain share prices, financial and share distribution targets, including maintaining a minimum amount of stockholders’ equity and a minimum number of public stockholders, as well as satisfy other listing requirements of the NYSE American. In addition to these objective standards, NYSE American may delist the securities of any issuer for other reasons involving the judgment of NYSE American. For example, the NYSE American Company Guide (the “Company Guide”) provides that the NYSE American may suspend or remove from listing any common stock selling for a substantial period of time at a low price per share, if the issuer shall fail to effect a reverse split of such shares within a reasonable time after being notified that NYSE American deems such action to be appropriate under all the circumstances. On October 3, 2022, we received a letter from the NYSE American stating that we were not, at that time, in compliance with certain NYSE American continued listing standards (“Deficiency Letter”). Specifically, the Deficiency Letter indicated that we were not in compliance with Section 1003(f)(v) of the Company Guide because the NYSE American staff determined that our common stock has been selling for a low price per share for a substantial period of time. We regained compliance with the NYSE American listing requirements that were set forth in this Deficiency Notice by effecting our Reverse Stock Split. There is no assurance that we will be able to maintain compliance with the NYSE American continued listing rules and/or continue its listing on the NYSE American in the future.

If the NYSE American delists our common stock from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another national securities exchange, we expect the common stock would qualify to be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:

• a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
• reduced liquidity for our securities;
• substantially impair our ability to raise additional funds;
• result in a loss of institutional investor interest and a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future;
• a determination that our common stock is a “penny stock,” which will require brokers trading in our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;
• a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and
• potential breaches of representations or covenants of our agreements pursuant to which we made representations or covenants relating to our compliance with applicable listing requirements, which, regardless of merit, could result in costly litigation, significant liabilities and diversion of our management’s time and attention and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, business and results of operations.

15

We may issue additional shares of our common stock, other series or classes of preferred stock or other equity securities without your approval, which would dilute your ownership interests and may depress the market price of your shares.

We may issue additional shares of our common stock, other series or classes of preferred stock, in addition to our Series B Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock” and together with the Series C Preferred Stock, the “Preferred Stock”) and Series C Preferred Stock, units, warrants or other equity securities of equal or senior rank in the future in order to fund our operations, provide working capital and for other purposes, including in connection with, among other things, future acquisitions, repayment of outstanding indebtedness, repricing of warrants or other outstanding securities or pursuant to our 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan. These issuances of additional securities shall occur without stockholder approval in most circumstances. Our issuance of additional shares of our common stock, preferred stock or other equity securities of equal or senior rank could have the following effects:

• your proportionate ownership interest in NovaBay will decrease;
• the relative voting strength of each previously outstanding share of common stock may be diminished; and/or
• the market price of your shares of common stock may decline.

We may require additional capital funding that may not be available to us or, if received, may not be available to us on favorable terms, which may impair the value of our common stock, Series B Preferred Stock and Series C Preferred Stock.

If our working capital needs exceed our current expectations, or we expand more rapidly than currently anticipated, we may need to raise additional capital through public or private equity offerings or debt financings. Our future capital requirements depend on many factors including our cash position, revenue and our overall operating expenses. We do not know whether additional financing will be available when needed or will be available on terms favorable to us. If we cannot raise needed funds on acceptable terms, we may not be able to develop new products or enhance our existing products, be able to fully fund the commercialization and sale of our products, take advantage of future opportunities or respond to competitive pressures or unanticipated requirements. To the extent we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience substantial dilution and the new equity securities may have greater rights, preferences or privileges than our existing common stock, Series B Preferred Stock and Series C Preferred Stock.

As a result of the conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock, the conversion of the Series C Preferred Stock, the exercise of the 2022 Warrants, the exercise of the September 2022 Warrants and the exercise of our other common stock purchase warrants previously issued, our stockholders will experience significant dilution.

We have a significant number of Company securities that are or will be convertible and/or exercisable into shares of our common stock. These Company securities include 2,250 shares of Series C Preferred Stock that are convertible into 357,750 shares of common stock (subject to potential increase or other adjustment in the number of shares due to applicable anti-dilution adjustments), the 2022 Warrants issued in the 2022 Private Placement that are exercisable into 1,031,752 shares of common stock, the 11,620 shares of Series B Preferred Stock that are convertible into 1,847,580 shares of common stock (subject to potential increase or other adjustment in the number of shares due to applicable anti-dilution adjustments), the September 2022 Warrants issued in the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction that are exercisable for an aggregate of 327,860 shares of common stock, and all of our other outstanding common stock purchase warrants that are exercisable for an aggregate of 945,907 shares of common stock (collectively, the “Other Warrants”). As of March 27, 2023, we had 2,035,444 shares of common stock issued and outstanding. Accordingly, upon the conversion or exercise (as applicable) of some or all of the Series B Preferred Stock, the Series C Preferred Stock, the 2022 Warrants, the New Reprice Warrants, the Other Warrants, as well as the exercise of stock options and other equity based awards that have been or will be issued and/or granted by us, the percentage ownership and voting power held by our existing stockholders will be significantly reduced and our stockholders will experience significant dilution.

Offers or availability for sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock, including as a result of the conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock and the Series C Preferred Stock and/or the exercise of the 2022 Warrants, the September 2022 Warrants and the Other Warrants may cause the price of our publicly traded securities to decline and make it more difficult for us to raise capital in the future.

Sales of a significant number of shares of our common stock in the public market could depress the market price of our common stock and make it more difficult for us to raise funds through future offerings of common stock. For example, sales of shares of common stock that are issuable upon conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock and the Series C Preferred Stock and/or the exercise of the 2022 Warrants, the September 2022 Warrants and the Other Warrants may cause the price of our publicly traded securities to decline. The shares of common stock underlying the shares of Series B Preferred Stock and Series C Preferred Stock, the 2022 Warrants, the September 2022 Warrants and other outstanding warrants represent, in the aggregate, approximately 222% of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding as of March 27, 2023. Upon conversion or exercise, as the case may be, of those securities, the shares of common stock we issue upon such conversion or exercise could be sold into the public market, and such sales could be significant and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock. Additionally, such conversion or exercise could make it more difficult for us to raise additional financing through the sale of equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and/or at a price that we deem reasonable or appropriate, or at all.

If we offer common stock or other securities in the future and the price that we sell those securities for is less than the current conversion price of our Series B Preferred Stock or the Series C Preferred Stock, then we will be required to issue additional shares of common stock to the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock and the Series C Preferred Stock, as the case may be, upon conversion, which will be dilutive to all of our other stockholders.

The Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series B Preferred Stock (the “Series B Certificate of Designation”) and the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series C Preferred Stock (“Series C Certificate of Designation”) both contain, anti-dilution provisions that require the lowering of the conversion price, as then in effect, to the purchase price of equity or equity-linked securities issued by us in subsequent offerings, if lower than the current conversion price. A reduction in the conversion price of either series of preferred stock will result in a greater number of shares of common stock being issuable upon conversion of such preferred stock for no additional consideration, causing greater dilution to our stockholders. For example, the consummation of the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction triggered the anti-dilution protection in the Series B Certificate of Designation, and as a result there are an additional 1,847,580 shares of common stock that are issuable upon conversion of the 11,620 shares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding as of the date of this report. Furthermore, as there is no floor on the conversion price for the Series B Preferred Stock or the Series C Preferred Stock, and, therefore, we cannot determine the total number of shares issuable upon conversion that may occur in the future. In addition, it is possible that we may not have a sufficient number of authorized and available shares of common stock in the future to satisfy the conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock and/or Series C Preferred Stock, as the case may be, if we enter into a future transaction that reduces the applicable conversion price of such securities.

We have not paid dividends or repurchased stock in the past and do not expect to pay dividends or repurchase stock in the future, and any return on investment may be limited to the value of our stock.

We have never paid cash dividends on, or repurchased shares of, our common stock and do not anticipate paying cash dividends or repurchasing shares of our common stock in the foreseeable future. In addition, we do not anticipate paying any dividends or repurchasing any shares of our Preferred Stock; however, if we pay dividends on our shares of common stock, we are required to pay dividends on our Preferred Stock on an as converted basis. The payment of dividends on, or the repurchase of shares of, our common stock or Preferred Stock will depend on our earnings, financial condition and other business and economic factors affecting us at such time as our Board of Directors may consider relevant. If we do not pay dividends or repurchase stock, holders of our common stock will experience a return on their investment in our shares only if our stock price appreciates.

Risks Related to Potential Litigation

The pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries are characterized by patent litigation, and any litigation or claim against us may impose substantial costs on us, place a significant strain on our financial resources, divert the attention of management from our business and harm our reputation.

There has been substantial litigation in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries with respect to the manufacture, use and sale of new products that are the subject of conflicting patent rights. For the most part, these lawsuits relate to the validity, enforceability, and infringement of patents. We rely upon patents, trade secrets, know-how, continuing technological innovations and licensing opportunities to develop and maintain our competitive position, and we may initiate claims to defend our intellectual property rights as a result. Other parties may have issued patents or be issued patents that may prevent the sale of our products or know-how or require us to license such patents and pay significant fees or royalties to produce our products. In addition, future patents may be issued to third parties which our technology may infringe. Because patent applications can take many years to issue and because patent applications are not published for a period of time, or in some cases at all, there may be applications now pending of which we are unaware that may later result in issued patents that our products infringe.

Intellectual property litigation, regardless of outcome, is expensive and time-consuming, would divert management's attention from our business and could have a material negative effect on our business, operating results, or financial condition. If a dispute involving our proprietary technology were resolved against us, it could mean the earlier entry of some or all third parties seeking to compete in the marketplace for a given product, and a consequent significant decrease in the price we could charge for our product. If such a dispute alleging that our technology or operations infringed third-party patent rights were to be resolved against us, we might be required to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorney's fees if we were found to have willfully infringed a third party's patent, to the party claiming infringement, to develop non-infringing technology, to stop selling any products we develop, to cease using technology that contains the allegedly infringing intellectual property or to enter into royalty or license agreements that may not be available on acceptable or commercially practical terms, if at all.

If our product or products cause an unexpected reaction to a patient or patient(s) or customer(s) in certain ways that may have caused or contributed to serious injury, we may be subject to product liability claims, and if product liability lawsuits are brought against us, they could result in costly litigation and significant liabilities.

Despite all reasonable efforts to ensure safety, it is possible that we or our distributors will sell our products or products that we currently do not sell but may sell in the future, which are defective, to which patients/customers react in an unexpected manner, or which are alleged to have side effects or otherwise not work for the product’s intended purpose. The manufacture and sale of such products may expose us to potential liability, including regulatory enforcement actions, and the industries in which our products are likely to be sold have been subject to significant product liability litigation.

Any claims, with or without merit, could result in costly litigation, reduced sales, significant liabilities and diversion of our management's time and attention, and could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, financial condition, business and results of operations. We cannot make assurances that any liability insurance coverage that we qualify for, if at all, will fully satisfy any liabilities brought for any event or injury that is attributed to our product or products.

If a product liability claim is brought against us, we may be required to pay legal and other expenses to defend the claim and, if the claim is successful, damage awards may not be covered, in whole or in part, by our insurance. We may not have sufficient capital resources to pay a judgment, in which case our creditors could levy against our assets. We may also be obligated to indemnify our collaborators and make payments to other parties with respect to product liability damages and claims. Defending any product liability claims, or indemnifying others against those claims, could require us to expend significant financial and managerial resources.

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, our competitors could develop and market products similar to ours that may reduce demand for our products.

Our success, competitive position and potential future revenues will depend in significant part on our ability to protect our intellectual property. We rely on the patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws of the U.S. and other countries, as well as confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, to protect our intellectual property rights. We apply for patents covering our technologies as we deem appropriate.

There is no assurance that any patents issued to us, or in-licensed or assigned to us by third parties will not be challenged, invalidated, found unenforceable or circumvented, or that the rights granted thereunder will provide competitive advantages to us. If we or our collaborators or licensors fail to file, prosecute, obtain or maintain certain patents, our competitors could market products that contain features and clinical benefits similar to those of any products we develop, and demand for our products could decline as a result. Further, although we have taken steps to protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology, third parties may be able to design around our patents or, if they do infringe upon our technology, we may not be successful or have sufficient resources in pursuing a claim of infringement against those third parties. Any pursuit of an infringement claim by us may involve substantial expense and diversion of management attention.

We also rely on trade secrets and proprietary know-how that we seek to protect by confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, and collaborators. If these agreements are not enforceable, or are breached, we may not have adequate remedies for any breach, and our trade secrets and proprietary know-how may become known or be independently discovered by competitors.

We operate in the State of California. California law prevents us from imposing a delay before an employee, who may have access to trade secrets and proprietary know-how, can commence employment with a competing company. Although we may be able to pursue legal action against competitive companies improperly using our proprietary information, we may not be aware of any use of our trade secrets and proprietary know-how until after significant damage has been done to our Company.

Furthermore, the laws of foreign countries may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the U.S. If our intellectual property does not provide significant protection against foreign or domestic competition, our competitors, including generic manufacturers, could compete more directly with us, which could result in a decrease in our market share. All of these factors may harm our competitive position.

Our principal executive offices and administrative operations are located at 2000 Powell Street, Suite 1150, Emeryville, California. In total, we lease approximately 7,675 square feet of office space in the facility pursuant to the Lease expiring on July 31, 2027.

Our wholly-owned subsidiary, DERMAdoctor, leases approximately 19,136 square feet of space at 4346 Belgium Boulevard, Building 2, Riverside, Missouri, for light manufacturing, storage, distribution of products and administrative functions, pursuant to the Subsidiary Lease expiring on December 31, 2024.

From time to time, the Company may be involved in various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. As of December 31, 2022, there were no matters that, in the opinion of management, would ultimately result in liability that would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Part II, Item 8 of this report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Words such as "expects," "anticipated," "will," "may," "goals," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "concludes," determines," variations of these words, and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. As a result of many factors, including those set forth under the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Item 1A. and elsewhere in this report, our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon assumptions made that we believed to be reasonable at the time and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Therefore, actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly revise or update any forward-looking statements after the date of this report, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Overview

We are a company focused on the development and sale of scientifically-created and clinically-proven eyecare, skincare and wound care products.

Our leading product, Avenova Spray, is proven in laboratory testing to have broad antimicrobial properties as it removes foreign material including microorganisms and debris from the skin around the eye, including the eyelid. Avenova Spray is formulated with our proprietary, stable and pure form of hypochlorous acid and is cleared by the FDA for sale in the United States. Avenova Spray is available direct to consumers primarily through online distribution channels and is also available by prescription and dispensed by eyecare professionals for blepharitis and dry-eye disease. Other eyecare products offered under the Avenova eyecare brand include Novawipes by Avenova, Avenova Lubricant Eye Drops, Avenova Moist Heating Eye Compress, and the i-Chek eyelid and eyelash mirror by Avenova.

Through our subsidiary DERMAdoctor, LLC (“DERMAdoctor”), we offer over 30 dermatologist-developed products targeting common skin concerns, ranging from aging and blemishes to dry skin, perspiration and keratosis pilaris. DERMAdoctor branded products are marketed and sold through the DERMAdoctor website, well-known traditional and digital beauty retailers, and a network of international distributors. We acquired DERMAdoctor in November 2021, and since completing the DERMAdoctor Acquisition we have been working to integrate and expand the DERMAdoctor business in order to achieve strategic objectives that we expected by completing this acquisition, including revenue growth, cost reductions and achieving overall profitability. We have not been able to achieve these objectives in fiscal 2022, as DERMAdoctor’s product revenue declined in 2022 compared to 2021, while operating costs relating to these products remained substantially the same. We are working to achieve our overall objectives, as well as continuing to evaluate additional strategies for our Company and its business to address our capital and liquidity needs.

We also manufacture and sell our proprietary form of hypochlorous acid for the wound care market through our NeutroPhase and PhaseOne branded products. NeutroPhase and PhaseOne are used for cleansing and irrigation as part of surgical procedures, as well as treating certain wounds, burns, ulcers and other injuries. We currently sell these products through distributors.

Recent Developments

To help address our need for liquidity and capital to fund our planned operations, we entered into two financing transactions on September 9, 2022, which resulted in our Company raising approximately $5.3 million of gross proceeds, as summarized below. In connection with these transactions, effective November 15, 2022, we completed the Reverse Stock Split, a 1-for-35 reverse stock split of our common stock.

2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction

On September 9, 2022, we entered into certain letter agreements and completed the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction with each of the holders of the November 2021 Warrants and certain holders of the July 2020 Warrants. The 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction resulted in gross proceeds of approximately $2.1 million.

Pursuant to the letter agreements, the November 2021 Warrants and the July 2020 Warrants were amended to: (1) reduce the exercise price; (2) provide that such warrants would not be exercisable until a later date, March 9, 2023; and (3) in the case of the November 2021 Warrants, extend the termination date to September 11, 2028. Additionally, in connection with the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction, we issued to certain participants in the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction that exercised their November 2021 Warrants, as amended, or their Amended July 2020 Warrants, as applicable, the September 2022 Warrants to purchase up to a number of shares of common stock, equal to 100% of the number of shares of Common Stock that a participant exercised. The September 2022 Warrants are exercisable for an aggregate of 327,860 shares of Common Stock.

For additional information regarding the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction, the November 2021 Warrants, as amended, the Amended July 2020 Warrants and the September 2022 Warrants, see Note 13, “Warrant Liability” and Note 14, “Stockholders’ Equity” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this report.

2022 Private Placement

Concurrent with the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction on September 9, 2022, we entered into the 2022 Private Placement, a private placement transaction with certain accredited investors to sell, pursuant to the 2022 Securities Purchase Agreement, units consisting of: (1) 3,250 shares of Series C Preferred Stock convertible into an aggregate of 516,750 shares of common stock , (2) the Short-Term Warrants exercisable for 515,876 shares of common stock, and (3) the Long-Term Warrants exercisable for 515,876 shares of common stock. On November 18, 2022, we closed the 2022 Private Placement and received gross proceeds of $3.2 million from the sale of the Series C Preferred Stock and the 2022 Warrants. For additional information regarding the 2022 Private Placements, see Note 14, “Stockholders’ Equity” in Part II, Item 8 of this report.

NYSE Notice

On October 3, 2022, we received a notification from the NYSE American stating that the Company is not in compliance with Section 1003(f)(v) of the NYSE American Company Guide because the Company’s shares of common stock were determined by the NYSE American staff to have been selling for a low price per share for a substantial period of time. We regained compliance with the NYSE American listing requirements by effecting our Reverse Stock Split effective November 15, 2022.

Financial Overview and Outlook

We have incurred net losses and generated negative cash flows from operations since inception and expect to incur losses in the future as we continue to commercialize our eyecare and skincare products and integrate the DERMAdoctor business. Our net losses were $10.6 million and $5.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, we had an accumulated deficit of $158.2 million, total current assets of $11.3 million and total assets of $16.4 million.

Included in our net losses for the year ended December 31, 2022, was an impairment of our DERMAdoctor business of approximately $6.8 million. Approximately $6.7 million of the total impairment was reflected in the goodwill, intangible and other asset impairment caption in our consolidated statements of operations, and approximately $0.1 million was reflected in the general and administrative caption in our consolidated statements of operations. The impact of the DERMAdoctor impairment on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022 was as follows; goodwill was reduced by $4.2 million, other intangible assets, net was reduced by $2.6 million, and property and equipment, net was reduced by $0.1 million. Refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this report for further information on the impairment of our DERMAdoctor business.

We expect to grow commercial sales of Avenova branded products and expect to grow commercial sales of our DERMAdoctor branded products through an expansion of domestic and international market penetration, with a particular focus on online channels, and the development of new product offerings under both brand names.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, as well as the reported revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. In preparing these consolidated financial statements, management has made its best estimates and judgments of certain amounts, giving due consideration to materiality. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and judgments. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

While our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this report, we believe that the following accounting estimates are most critical to fully understanding and evaluating our reported financial results.

Impairment of Goodwill, Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets and Long-Lived Assets

We review goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets for impairment at least annually or whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that any such asset may be impaired, that the carrying amount of any such asset may not be fully recoverable or that the useful life of the asset, if applicable, is no longer appropriate. Management uses judgement in making critical assumptions and estimates in determining when an impairment assessment should be recorded, if more frequent than annually, or in the completion of any such assessment. This includes cash flow projections that look several years into the future and assumptions on variables such as future sales and operating margin growth rates, economic conditions, probability of success, market competition, inflation and discount rates. Changes in judgments with respect to these assumptions and estimates could impact any such impairments recorded such as those recorded in the fourth quarter of 2022 as further described in Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, in Part II, Item 8 of this report.

Valuation of Contingent Consideration Resulting from a Business Combination

We revalue any outstanding contingent obligations to pay future consideration related to business combinations at the end of each quarter and record increases or decreases in their fair value within our consolidated statements of operations. Increases or decreases in fair value of the contingent consideration liabilities can result from updates to assumptions such as the expected timing or probability of achieving the specified milestones. Significant judgment is employed in determining these assumptions as of the acquisition date and for each subsequent period. Updates to assumptions could have a significant impact on our results of operations in any given period, including adjustments recorded during the year ended December 31, 2022 as further described in Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, in Part II, Item 8 of this report.

Estimates of Future Product Returns

The Company records revenue in an amount that reflets the consideration which the Company expects to receive. Accordingly, revenue is reduced for estimated future product returns. The Company’s estimates for returns are updated quarterly based on historical data of actual returns. Actual future returns experience may differ significantly from historical data and could result in significant future adjustments, including a reduction of revenue recognized.

Common Stock Warrant Liabilities

For warrants that are classified as liabilities, the Company records the fair value of the warrants at each balance sheet date and records changes in the estimated fair value as a non-cash gain or loss in the consolidated statements of operations. The fair values of these warrants are determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, the Binomial Lattice (“Lattice”) valuation model, or the Monte Carlo simulation model where deemed appropriate. These values are subject to a significant degree of management’s judgment.

Results of Operations

Comparison of Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021

(in thousands)

(in thousands)

Impact of DERMAdoctor Acquisition

The 2021 results above include the financial results of DERMAdoctor beginning at the time of the closing of the DERMAdoctor Acquisition on November 5, 2021 (see Note 3, “Business Combination” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this report) which includes product revenue, net, of $0.6 million, goods sold of $0.3 million, $0.2 million in sales and marketing costs and $0.3 million in general and administrative costs. Accordingly, the 2021 results do not represent a full year of DERMAdoctor financial results while the 2022 results do reflect a full year of DERMAdoctor financial results.

Effect of Change in Accounting and Revision of Prior Period Financial Statements

As discussed in “Revenue Adjustment and Revenue Recognition” above and in more detail in Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statement in Part II, Item 8 of this report, during the year ended December 31, 2022, we made an accounting policy change election related to fulfillment fees paid to third-party online retailers such as Amazon. While reviewing our accounting policy for fulfillment fees, we identified an immaterial error on our previously issued consolidated financial statements whereby we had been incorrectly presenting revenue net of selling commissions paid to third-party online retailers. Beginning in the third quarter of 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2022, we began expensing them as incurred as sales and marketing expenses within our consolidated statements of operations. Changes and revisions to prior period amounts presented in this report have been made to conform to the current period presentations. For year ended December 31, 2021, the result of these changes and revisions was an increase of $1.8 million in product revenue, net, which was offset by an increase of $0.9 million in product cost of goods sold and $0.9 million in sales and marketing expenses. These changes and revisions that were applied for the year ended December 31, 2021 and did not impact operating loss, net loss or loss per share in our consolidated statement of operations. The changes and revisions also did not impact cash or ending cash balances in our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2021, or in previously issued annual Company financial statements.

Total Net Sales, Cost of Goods Sold and Gross Profit

Product revenue, net, increased by $4.2 million, or 41%, to $14.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $10.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

The increase in product revenue, net, was primarily the result of $4.2 million from the sale of DERMAdoctor products recognized during the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to revenue recognized from DERMAdoctor products of $0.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The 2022 results include sales from DERMAdoctor products for the entire fiscal year while the 2021 results include sales recognized only after the DERMAdoctor Acquisition on November 5, 2021 through December 31, 2021.

Revenue from Avenova Spray decreased by $0.8 million in 2022 from $8.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 to $7.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease reflects an unanticipated increase in expired Avenova Spray units returned from retail pharmacies for product purchased prior to the launch of our over-the-counter Avenova Spray product in 2019 and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The decrease was also due to an overall decrease in physician dispensed units sold and units sold through the pharmacy channels. These decreases were partially offset by a continued increase in the number of over-the-counter Avenova Spray units sold through online channels. Additionally, the Company recorded an increase of $0.6 million in revenue from other Avenova branded optical products, including the Company’s NovaWipes by Avenova and Avenova Moist Heating Eye Compress Mask.

Additionally, product revenue, net, from the Company’s NeutroPhase and PhaseOne branded wound care products was $0.9 million higher during the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.

Cost of goods sold increased by $2.9 million, or 80%, to $6.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $3.7 million for year ended December 31, 2021. This increase was primarily due to $2.7 million in cost of goods sold recognized from the sales of DERMAdoctor products for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the cost of goods sold from sales of DERMAdoctor products of $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. In addition, cost of goods sold increased in relation to the increase in Avenova branded optical products other than Avenova Spray and wound care products sold in the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.

Gross profit increased by $1.3 million, to $7.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $6.5 million for the comparable period in 2021, which is a result of the increase in total sales, net, offset by the increase in the cost of goods sold for the same period.

Research and development

Research and development expenses increased by $130 thousand to $174 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $44 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2021. The 2022 results include costs incurred for DERMAdoctor research and development activities incurred for the entire fiscal year while the 2021 results include costs recognized only after the DERMAdoctor Acquisition was completed on November 5, 2021 through December 31, 2021.

Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing expenses decreased by $0.3 million, or 4%, to $7.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $8.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease was due primarily to lower digital advertising and related consulting costs incurred for the Company’s Avenova Spray and other eye care products in the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. Additionally, results for the year ended December 31, 2021, include marketing costs incurred in conjunction with the Company’s CelleRx Clinical Reset product with no comparable expenditures during the same period in 2022. These decreases in sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 were partially offset by an increase of $2.2 million in sales and marketing costs incurred for DERMAdoctor products compared to $0.2 million recognized in the same period of 2021. The 2022 results include costs of the DERMAdoctor business that we incurred for the entire fiscal year while the 2021 results include costs recognized only after the DERMAdoctor Acquisition was completed on November 5, 2021 through December 31, 2021.

General and administrative

General and administrative expenses increased $0.3 million to $7.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, from $7.2 million for the comparable period in 2021.

Results for the year ended December 31, 2022 include ongoing DERMAdoctor general and administrative operating costs and amortization of intangibles related to the DERMAdoctor Acquisition, and the DERMAdoctor impairment of property plant and equipment recorded for the year ended December 31, 2022. The 2022 results include these expenses for the entire fiscal year while the 2021 results include costs recognized only after the DERMAdoctor Acquisition was completed on November 5, 2021 through December 31, 2021. Additionally, during year ended December 31, 2021, the Company received an insurance reimbursement for costs incurred in conjunction with a dispute with the Company’s former Interim President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer which reduced general and administrative costs in the 2021 period. Offsetting these increases were lower legal and professional fees and variable compensation and non-cash stock-based compensation expenses recorded in the 2022 period. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we incurred legal and other professional fees related to the DERMAdoctor Acquisition with no comparable DERMAdoctor Acquisition legal and professional fees incurred in the 2022 period.

Goodwill, intangible and other asset impairment

In connection with the impairment of our DERMAdoctor business, we recorded a goodwill, intangible and other asset impairment charge of $6.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2022. Goodwill related to our DERMAdoctor business was impaired by $4.2 million as of December 31, 2022, and our indefinite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets related to our DERMAdoctor business was reduced by $2.6 million. We did not record any goodwill impairment charges for the year ended December 31, 2021, for further details refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, in Part II, Item 8 of this report.

Non-cash loss on modification of common stock warrants

During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recorded a $1.9 million non-cash loss on the modification of common stock warrants, which occurred due to amendments to the Amended July 2020 Warrants and the November 2021 Warrants, as amended, in connection with the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction with no comparable result in the prior year period. For additional information regarding the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction, please see Note 13, “Warrant Liability” and Note 14, “Stockholder’s Equity”, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, in Part II, Item 8 of this report.

Non-cash gain on changes in fair value of warrant liability

Adjustments to the fair value of warrant liabilities resulted in a gain of $5.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to a gain of $4.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. For additional information regarding the warrant liabilities and their valuation, please see Note 13, “Warrant Liability”, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, in Part II, Item 8 of this report.

Non-cash gain on changes in fair value of contingent liability

Adjustments to the fair value of contingent liability resulted in a gain of $0.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 with no comparable adjustment for the prior year period. This contingent liability related to potential future contingent consideration of earn out payments that could have become payable as part of the DERMAdoctor Acquisition if specified milestone events were achieved. As of December 31, 2022, we determined that the above-mentioned milestones were not met for the first calendar year of the post-closing earn out and are not expected to be met in the second calendar year of the post-closing earn out, based on projections; therefore, the liability for the potential earn out payments was determined to be zero.

Other expense, net

Other expense, net, was $276 thousand and $1.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The other expense, net in 2022 was primarily due to an expense of $166 thousand related to the issuance of the September 2022 Warrants. The other expense, net for the year ended December 31, 2021, represented issuance costs related to the November 2021 Warrants. For additional information on our September 2022 Warrants and November 2021 Warrants, please see Note 14, “Stockholder’s Equity”, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, in Part II, Item 8 of this report.

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2022, our cash and cash equivalents were $5.4 million, compared to $7.5 million as of December 31, 2021. Our cash and cash equivalents include approximately $2.1 million in aggregate gross proceeds received from the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction, and $3.2 million in aggregate gross proceeds from the 2022 Private Placement. Based primarily on the funds available on December 31, 2022, we believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents and cash flows generated from product sales will be sufficient to fund our existing operations and meet our planned operating expenses into at least the third quarter of 2023. We have sustained operating losses for the majority of our corporate history and expect that our 2023 expenses will exceed our 2023 revenues, as we continue to invest in both Avenova and DERMAdoctor commercialization efforts. Additionally, we expect to continue incurring operating losses and negative cash flows until revenues reach a level sufficient to support ongoing growth and operations. Accordingly, we have determined that our planned operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Additionally, changing circumstances may cause us to expend cash significantly faster than currently anticipated, and we may need to spend more cash than currently expected because of circumstances beyond our control that impact the broader economy such as periods of inflation, supply chain issues, the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic and international conflicts.

Our long-term liquidity needs will be largely determined by the success of commercialization efforts. To address our current liquidity and capital needs, we have and continue to evaluate different plans and strategic transactions to fund operations, including: (1) raising additional capital through debt and equity financings or from other sources; (2) reducing spending on operations, including reducing spending on one or more of our sales and marketing programs or restructuring operations to change our overhead structure; (3) out-licensing rights to certain of our products or product candidates, pursuant to which we would receive cash milestones or an upfront fee; and/or (4) entering into license agreements to sell new products. We may issue securities, including common stock, preferred stock, convertible debt securities and warrants through additional private placement transactions or registered public offerings, which may require the filing of a Form S-1 or Form S-3 registration statement with the SEC. In the absence of one or more additional transactions and/or substantial revenue growth from our commercialization efforts, there will be substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date these audited financial statements are issued, and we will be required to scale back or terminate operations and/or seek protection under applicable bankruptcy laws. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming we will continue to operate as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities in the normal course of business. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts of liabilities that may result from uncertainty related to its ability to continue as a going concern.

Cash Used in Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities was $6.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, which consisted primarily of a net loss of $10.6 million, a non-cash loss of $1.9 million on the modification of common stock warrants, a non-cash gain of $5.4 million on the change in fair value of our warrant liability, a non-cash gain of $0.6 million on the change in fair value of our contingent liability, impairment of our DERMAdoctor business including goodwill, intangible assets and property and equipment totaling $6.8 million, the amortization of intangible assets and depreciation of property and equipment of $0.5 million, stock-based compensation expenses of $0.2 million, and a net increase of $0.5 million in our net operating assets and liabilities.

Net cash used in operating activities was $9.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, which consisted primarily of a net loss of $5.8 million, adjusted primarily by non-cash gain of $4.6 million on the change in fair value of warrant liability, stock-based compensation expenses of $0.9 million, and a net decrease of $38 thousand in our net operating assets and liabilities.

Cash Used in Investing Activities

For the year ended December 31, 2022, cash used in investing activities was $0.1 million, which was primarily the result of capital expenditures for the purchase of property and equipment.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, cash used in investing activities was $12.0 million which was primarily the result of $12.0 million, net of cash, paid at closing of the DERMAdoctor Acquisition (see Note 3, “Business Combination” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this report). Capital expenditures were $52 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2021, for the purchase of property and equipment.

Cash Provided by Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 of $4.6 million was primarily related to the net proceeds received in the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction of $1.7 million, and the net proceeds received in the 2022 Private Placement of $3.0 million (including the issuance of Series C Preferred Stock and the issuance of the 2022 Warrants), partially offset by $0.1 million for the repayment of our DERMAdoctor line of credit, which was terminated in the first quarter of 2022. See Note 13, “Warrant Liability” and Note 14, “Stockholders’ Equity” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this report for further information regarding the 2022 Warrant Reprice Transaction and the 2022 Private Placement.

Net cash provided by financing activities was $16.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The Company received net proceeds of $14.9 million from the 2021 Private Placement. Additionally, the Company received net proceeds of $1.8 million from an at-the-market offering and equity program (“ATM Program”) with Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. (“Ladenburg”). See Note 14, “Stockholders’ Equity” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this report for further information regarding the 2021 Private Placement and the ATM Program.

Net Operating Losses and Tax Credit Carryforwards

As of December 31, 2022, we had net operating loss carryforwards for federal and state income tax purposes of $133.0 million and $111.0 million, respectively. The federal net operating loss carryforwards consist of $94.9 million generated before January 1, 2018, which will begin to expire in 2024 and $38.1 million that will carry forward indefinitely but are subject to an 80% limitation for years following December 31, 2021. The state net operating loss carryforwards will begin to expire in 2028. As of December 31, 2022, we also had tax credit carryforwards for federal income tax purposes of $0.5 million and $0.1 million for state tax purposes. If not utilized, the federal tax credits will begin expiring in 2031. The state tax credits have an indefinite carryover period.

Current federal and California tax laws include substantial restrictions on the utilization of net operating loss carryforwards in the event of an ownership change of a corporation. Accordingly, our ability to utilize net operating loss carryforwards may be limited as a result of such ownership changes. Such a limitation could result in the expiration of carryforwards before they are utilized.

Inflation

Our costs are subject to fluctuations, particularly due to changes in the price of raw and packing materials and the cost of labor, transportation and operating supplies. Therefore, our business results depend, in part, on our continued ability to manage these fluctuations through pricing actions, costs savings projects and sourcing decisions, while maintaining and improving margins and market share. Failure to manage these fluctuations could adversely impact our results of operations or cash flows.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements at December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of SEC Regulation S-K.

Seasonality

Dermatology/Skincare Products

Our DERMAdoctor products are sold through wholesale distribution relationships with third parties such as Costco and others; therefore, we may receive periodic large orders that result in large chunks of revenue that are received in irregular intervals during the year. Historically sales of DERMAdoctor products that contain sunscreen and antiperspirants are higher in the summer seasons and sales of DERMAdoctor products that contain moisturizers are higher in the fall and winter months. In addition, DERMAdoctor products will typically experience an uptick in sales during the fourth quarter around the holidays of each country in which its products are sold, particularly in the United States and China.

Contractual Obligations

Our contractual cash commitments as of December 31, 2022 were as follows (in thousands):

Our commitments as of December 31, 2022 consisted primarily of facility operating leases.

The total commitment for the facility leases were $2.2 million due over the leases’ terms as of December 31, 2022. Our corporate headquarters lease was amended in 2022, which included extending the lease term until 2027.

See Note 12, “Commitments and Contingencies” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this report for further information regarding these leases.

Our market risk consists principally of interest rate risk on our cash and cash equivalents. Our exposure to market risk is limited primarily to interest income sensitivity, which is affected by changes in interest rates, particularly because our current liquid assets at December 31, 2022 were held in cash and cash equivalents.

Our investment policy restricts our investments to high-quality investments and limits the amounts invested with any one issuer, industry, or geographic area. The goals of our investment policy are as follows: preservation of capital, assurance of liquidity needs, best available return on invested capital, and minimization of capital taxation. Some of the securities in which we invest may be subject to market risk. This means that a change in prevailing interest rates may cause the principal amount of the investment to fluctuate. For example, if we hold a security that was issued with an interest rate fixed at the then-prevailing rate and the prevailing interest rate later rises, the principal amount of our investment will probably decline. To minimize this risk, in accordance with our investment policy, we maintain our cash and cash equivalents in short-term marketable securities, including money market mutual funds, Treasury bills, Treasury notes, certificates of deposit, commercial paper, and corporate and municipal bonds. The risk associated with fluctuating interest rates is limited to our investment portfolio. Due to the short-term nature of our investment portfolio, we believe we have minimal interest rate risk arising from our investments. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, a 10% change in interest rates would have had an immaterial effect on the value of our investment portfolio. We do not use derivative financial instruments in our investment portfolio. We do not hold any instruments for trading purposes.

With most of our focus on the domestic U.S. market, we have not had any material exposure to foreign currency rate fluctuations.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

As of the end of the period covered by this report, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Assessing the costs and benefits of such controls and procedures necessarily involves the exercise of judgment by management. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected.

Based upon that evaluation at December 31, 2022, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure, at the reasonable assurance level, that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms and were effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act was accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting.

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022. Our management utilized the criteria set forth in “Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013)” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission to conduct an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022. Our management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2022, our internal control over financial reporting was effective based on these criteria.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting which has materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.