Table of
Contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
x
|
QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
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|
EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934.
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For the quarterly period
ended June 30, 2008.
OR
o
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TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
|
|
EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934.
|
For the transition period from
to
Commission
File Number: 1-11388
PLC
SYSTEMS INC.
(Exact Name of
Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Yukon
Territory, Canada
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04-3153858
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(State or Other
Jurisdiction of
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(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
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Incorporation or
Organization)
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|
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10
Forge Park, Franklin, Massachusetts
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02038
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(Address of
Principal Executive Offices)
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(Zip Code)
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Registrants
telephone number, including area code:
(508) 541-8800
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all
reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period
that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been
subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes
x
No
o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or
a smaller reporting company. See the
definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer and smaller
reporting company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
o
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Accelerated filer
o
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Non-accelerated filer
o
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Smaller reporting company
x
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(Do not check if a smaller
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reporting company)
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Indicate by check mark whether the
registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act) Yes
o
No
x
Indicate the
number of shares outstanding of each of the issuers classes of common stock,
as of the latest practicable date.
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Class
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Outstanding at
August 8, 2008
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Common Stock, no
par value
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30,331,935
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Part I. Financial Information
Item 1. Financial
Statements
PLC
SYSTEMS INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
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June 30,
2008
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December 31,
2007
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ASSETS
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Current assets:
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Cash and cash
equivalents
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$
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5,506
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$
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8,060
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Accounts
receivable, net of allowance of $34 and $23 at June 30, 2008 and
December 31, 2007, respectively
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781
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998
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Inventories, net
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1,418
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852
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Prepaid expenses
and other current assets
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671
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823
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Total current
assets
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8,376
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10,733
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Equipment,
furniture and leasehold improvements, net
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214
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269
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Other assets
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194
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198
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Total assets
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$
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8,784
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$
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11,200
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LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY
Current
liabilities:
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|
|
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Accounts payable
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$
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304
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$
|
623
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Accrued
compensation
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624
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766
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Accrued other
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216
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326
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Deferred revenue
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2,104
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2,096
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Total current
liabilities
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3,248
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3,811
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Deferred revenue
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1,919
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2,439
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Commitments and
contingencies
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Stockholders
equity:
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Preferred stock,
no par value, unlimited shares authorized,
none issued and outstanding
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Common stock, no
par value, unlimited shares authorized,
30,332 and 30,329 shares issued and outstanding as of
June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007, respectively
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93,892
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93,891
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Additional paid
in capital
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367
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270
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Accumulated
deficit
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(90,331
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)
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(88,898
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)
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Accumulated
other comprehensive loss
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(311
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)
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(313
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)
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Total
stockholders equity
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3,617
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4,950
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Total
liabilities and stockholders equity
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$
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8,784
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$
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11,200
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The accompanying
notes are an integral part of the condensed consolidated financial statements.
3
PLC
SYSTEMS INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands,
except per share data)
(Unaudited)
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Three Months Ended
June 30,
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Six Months Ended
June 30,
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2008
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2007
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2008
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2007
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Revenues:
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Product sales
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$
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1,032
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$
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1,520
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$
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1 ,838
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$
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2,654
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Service fees
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278
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412
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640
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771
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Total revenues
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1,310
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1,932
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2,478
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3,425
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Cost of
revenues:
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|
|
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Product sales
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423
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562
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643
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1,148
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Service fees
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150
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213
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335
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421
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Total cost of
revenues
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573
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775
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978
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1,569
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Gross profit
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737
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1,157
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1,500
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1,856
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Operating
expenses:
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Selling, general
and administrative
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831
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1,076
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1,801
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2,089
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Research and development
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602
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556
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1,210
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1,047
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Total operating
expenses
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1,433
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1,632
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3,011
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3,136
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Loss from
operations
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(696
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)
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(475
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)
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(1,511
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)
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(1,280
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)
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Other income,
net
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25
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|
112
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78
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|
231
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Net loss
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$
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(671
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)
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$
|
(363
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)
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$
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(1,433
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)
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$
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(1,049
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)
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Basic and
diluted loss per share
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$
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(0.02
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)
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$
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(0.01
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)
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$
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(0.05
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)
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$
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(0.03
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)
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Weighted average
shares outstanding:
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Basic and
diluted
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30,330
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30,311
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30,330
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30,311
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The accompanying
notes are an integral part of the condensed consolidated financial statements.
4
PLC SYSTEMS INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
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Six Months Ended
June 30
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2008
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2007
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Operating
activities:
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Net loss
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$
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(1,433
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)
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$
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(1,049
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)
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|
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Adjustments to
reconcile net loss to net cash
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provided by
(used for) operating activities:
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Depreciation and
amortization
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50
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44
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Compensation
expense from stock options
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97
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70
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Loss on
retirement of equipment
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35
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Change in assets
and liabilities:
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Accounts
receivable
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217
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(550
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)
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Inventory
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(566
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)
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265
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Prepaid expenses
and other assets
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152
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132
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Accounts payable
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(319
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)
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(71
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)
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Deferred revenue
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(515
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)
|
(357
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)
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Accrued
liabilities
|
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(253
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)
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202
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Net cash used for
operating activities
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(2,535
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)
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(1,314
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)
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|
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Investing
activities:
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Maturity of
investments
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4,000
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Purchase of
equipment
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(27
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)
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(82
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)
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Net cash
provided by (used for) investing activities
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(27
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)
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3,918
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|
|
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|
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Financing
Activities:
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|
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Net proceeds
from issuance of common stock
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1
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1
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|
|
|
|
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Effect of
exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
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7
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6
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Net increase
(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
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(2,554
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)
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2,611
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Cash and cash
equivalents at beginning of period
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8,060
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6,034
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Cash and cash
equivalents at end of period
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$
|
5,506
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$
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8,645
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The accompanying
notes are an integral part of the condensed consolidated financial statements.
5
PLC
SYSTEMS INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2008
1. Business
PLC
Systems Inc. (PLC or the Company) is a medical device company specializing
in innovative technologies for the cardiac and vascular markets. The Company pioneered and manufactures the
CO
2
Heart Laser System
(the Heart Laser System) that cardiac
surgeons use to perform carbon dioxide (CO
2
) transmyocardial revascularization, or
TMR, to alleviate symptoms of severe angina.
The Company also manufactures
CO
2
surgical laser tubes and provides contract
assembly services on general purpose
CO
2
lasers, which it sells to a single customer on
an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) basis.
In
addition, the Company has begun initial commercialization in the European Union
(EU) of its newest product, RenalGuard
TM
. RenalGuard is designed
to reduce the potentially toxic effects that contrast media can have on the
kidneys when it is administered to patients during certain medical imaging
procedures. It is believed that allowing contrast media to dwell in the kidneys
can lead to contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), a potentially deadly form of
acute kidney injury. By inducing and maintaining a high urine flow rate before,
during and after these medical imaging procedures, the Company believes the incidence
rates of CIN in at-risk patients can be reduced. RenalGuard facilitates this
increased urine clearance, enabling the body to more rapidly void the contrast
media, thereby reducing its overall resident time and toxic effects in the
kidney.
The
Company received full Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to conduct
its first human clinical trial utilizing RenalGuard under an investigational
device exemption (IDE). This pilot clinical trial was designed to evaluate
the safety of RenalGuard and its ability to accurately measure and balance
fluid inputs and outputs on patients undergoing a catheterization imaging
procedure where contrast media would be administered. In February 2008, the Company submitted
an IDE supplement to the FDA seeking approval to move from its pilot study to a
pivotal clinical trial to study the safety and effectiveness of RenalGuard in
the prevention of CIN. In March 2008, the FDA granted the Company
conditional approval to begin this pivotal study. The Company is also
supporting a randomized controlled trial utilizing RenalGuard that is being
conducted in Milan, Italy; it is designed to determine the effectiveness of
RenalGuard in preventing CIN in at-risk patients. The Company announced in July 2008
that it will delay the start of the U.S. pivotal trial until such time as it
can obtain data from the clinical trial in Italy that it hopes will enable it
to raise sufficient additional capital necessary to complete the U.S. study.
RenalGuard
is currently approved for sale in the EU as a general fluid balancing device.
The RenalGuard System consists of a proprietary, closed loop,
software-controlled console and accompanying single-use sets that can be used
by physicians and nurses to manage patient fluid levels. RenalGuard operates by
first collecting and measuring patient urine outputs and then in real-time
precisely matches these urine outputs with a prescribed replacement fluid by
means of intravenous infusion. The RenalGuard System, with its matched fluid
replacement capability, is intended to minimize the risk of over- or
under-hydration during medical procedures where creating and maintaining high
urine outputs is deemed beneficial to patients.
6
There
are currently several medical procedures, such as cisplatin chemotherapy, where
inducing high urine flow rates is deemed beneficial for patients and is a
standard of care. In addition, high urine flow rates are frequently seen in
post kidney transplant patients where the careful monitoring and replacement of
fluid losses is necessary to avoid the risk of damage to the transplanted
kidney. Accurate and timely matching of replacement fluids is important in
these instances in order to best preserve and/or optimize kidney function.
RenalGuard provides an automated method of measuring urine outputs and then
matching these outputs with replacement fluid inputs, eliminating to a large
degree what is otherwise an intensive and time consuming manual balancing task
for physicians and nurses in these situations. The Company is establishing a
distribution network in the EU with the intent to market RenalGuard into these
already existing markets for general balancing applications utilizing the
device.
On
March 20, 2007, the Company entered into a distribution agreement with
Novadaq Corp. (Novadaq), a subsidiary of Novadaq Technologies Inc., pursuant
to which the Company appointed Novadaq as its exclusive distributor in the
United States for its TMR business. The
agreement amended and restated the exclusive distribution agreement between the
Company and Edwards Lifesciences LLC (Edwards), which had been assigned by
Edwards to Novadaq on the same date. The
agreement with Novadaq reflects substantially the same roles, responsibilities
and financial terms as the previous agreement with Edwards.
2.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying
unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been
prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for
interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10
of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do
not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted
accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments
(consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair
presentation have been included.
Operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2008
are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year
ending December 31, 2008. These
financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated
financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Companys Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.
The preparation of financial
statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles requires
the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts
of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities
at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues
and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from
those estimates.
3. New Accounting Pronouncements
In
September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 157, Fair Value Measurements
(SFAS No. 157). SFAS No. 157 is effective for financial
statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. On February 6, 2008, the FASB announced
it will issue a FASB Staff Position to allow a one-year deferral of adoption of
SFAS No. 157 for non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities that
are recognized at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. SFAS No. 157
provides a common fair value hierarchy for companies to follow in determining
fair
7
value
measurements in the preparation of financial statements and expands disclosure
requirements relating to how such fair value measurements are developed. SFAS No. 157
clarifies the principle that fair value should be based on the assumptions that
the marketplace would use when pricing an asset or liability, rather than
company specific data. The Company is
currently assessing the impact that SFAS No. 157 will have on its results
of operations and financial position.
In February 2007, the FASB
issued SFAS No. 159, The Fair
Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities
(SFAS No. 159). SFAS No. 159,
which includes an amendment to SFAS No. 115, Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities,
permits entities the option to measure many financial instruments and certain
other items at fair value. SFAS No. 159 is effective for fiscal years
beginning after November 15, 2007.
On January 1, 2008, the Company adopted SFAS 159, which did not
have a material effect on its results of operations or financial condition.
4. Inventories
Inventories are stated at the
lower of cost (computed on a first-in, first-out method) or market value and
include allocations of labor and overhead.
As of June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007, inventories
consisted of the following (in thousands):
|
|
June 30,
2008
|
|
December 31,
2007
|
|
Raw materials
|
|
$
|
921
|
|
$
|
560
|
|
Work in progress
|
|
171
|
|
151
|
|
Finished goods
|
|
326
|
|
141
|
|
|
|
$
|
1,418
|
|
$
|
852
|
|
At June 30, 2008 and December 31,
2007, inventories are stated net of a specific obsolescence allowance of
$617,000 and $524,000, respectively.
5. Stock-Based
Compensation
Stock Option Plans
In May 2005, the Companys
shareholders approved the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan (the 2005 Plan). The 2005 Plan has replaced the 1997 Executive
Stock Option Plan, 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, 2000 Non-Statutory Stock Option
Plan and 2000 Non-Qualified Performance and Retention Equity Plan
(collectively, the Previous Plans), under which no further awards can be
granted.
On June 18, 2008, the Board
of Directors approved an amendment increasing the number of shares of common
stock authorized for issuance under the 2005 Plan by an additional 2,000,000
shares. The number of stock options that
may be granted under the 2005 Plan is equal to 4,156,175 shares of common stock
(subject to adjustment in the event of stock splits and other similar events),
plus such number of shares as may become available under the Previous Plans
after the date of the adoption of the 2005 Plan because any award previously
granted under any such plan expires or is terminated, surrendered or cancelled
without having been fully exercised
8
or
is forfeited in whole or in part or otherwise results in any common stock not
being issued, provided that such number of additional shares may not exceed
2,535,492. Incentive stock options are
issuable only to employees of the Company, while non-qualified stock options
may be issued to non-employee directors, consultants and others, as well as to
employees. The options granted under the Previous Plans and the 2005 Plan
become exercisable either immediately, or ratably over one to four years from
the date of grant, and expire ten years from the date of grant. Under the 2005 Plan, the per share exercise
price of incentive stock options may not be less than the fair market value of
the common stock on the date the option is granted. The 2005 Plan provides that the Company may
not grant non-qualified stock options at an exercise price less than 85% of the
fair market value of the Companys common stock.
The Company grants stock options
to its non-employee directors. Generally, new non-employee directors receive an
initial grant of an option to purchase 30,000 shares of the Companys common
stock that vests in installments over three years. Once the initial grant has fully vested,
non-employee directors (other than the Chairman of the Board) receive an annual
grant of an option to purchase 15,000 shares of the Companys common stock that
generally vests in four equal quarterly installments. The Chairman of the Board
receives an annual grant of an option to purchase 30,000 shares of the Companys
common stock that generally vests in four equal quarterly installments. All
such options have an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the
Companys common stock on the date of grant.
Options granted during 2008 and
2007 vest ratably annually over a three year period for employees and ratably
quarterly over a one year period for non-employee directors.
The
following is a summary of option activity under all plans (in thousands, except
per option data):
|
|
Number
of
Options
|
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (Years)
|
|
Outstanding,
December 31, 2007
|
|
5,298
|
|
$
|
0.96
|
|
|
|
Granted
|
|
549
|
|
0.37
|
|
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
(38
|
)
|
0.61
|
|
|
|
Expired
|
|
(50
|
)
|
5.11
|
|
|
|
Outstanding,
June 30, 2008
|
|
5,759
|
|
$
|
0.94
|
|
6.22
|
|
Exercisable,
June 30, 2008
|
|
4,716
|
|
$
|
0.95
|
|
4.93
|
|
9
The
following table summarizes unvested option activity during the six months ended
June 30, 2008:
|
|
Number
of
Options
|
|
Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
|
|
|
|
(In thousands, except weighted average data)
|
|
Unvested,
December 31, 2007
|
|
895
|
|
$
|
0.47
|
|
Granted
|
|
549
|
|
0.25
|
|
Vested
|
|
(363
|
)
|
0.46
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
(38
|
)
|
0.43
|
|
Unvested,
June 30, 2008
|
|
1,043
|
|
$
|
0.35
|
|
SFAS No. 123(R)
The Company records share-based compensation
pursuant to SFAS No. 123 (revised 2004), Share-based Payment.
The Company recorded compensation expense of $48,000
and $97,000 in the three and six months ended June 30, 2008, respectively,
as compared to $37,000 and $70,000 in the three and six months ended June 30,
2007, respectively. As of June 30,
2008, the Company had $343,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related
to its unvested options, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted
average period of 1.9 years.
The weighted average fair value
of options issued during the three and six months ended June 30, 2008 was
estimated using the Black-Scholes model.
|
|
Three and
Six Months Ended
June 30, 2008
|
|
Expected life
(years)
|
|
5.50-6.00
|
|
Interest rate
|
|
2.92%-3.55%
|
|
Volatility
|
|
63.9%-73.6%
|
|
Expected
dividend yield
|
|
None
|
|
Value of option
granted
|
|
$0.22-$0.27
|
|
The expected life was calculated
in 2008 and 2007 using the simplified method. The risk-free interest rate is
based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant for
the expected term period. Expected
volatility is based exclusively on historical volatility data of the Companys
common stock. The Company estimates an
expected forfeiture rate based on its historical forfeiture activity. Actual results, and future changes in
estimates, may differ substantially from the Companys current estimates. The weighted average fair value of options
granted during the three months ended June 30, 2008 was $0.25.
Stock Purchase Plan
The
Company has a 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the Purchase Plan) for all
eligible employees whereby shares of the Companys common stock may be
purchased at six-month intervals at 95% of the closing price of the Companys
common stock on the last business day of the relevant plan period. Employees may purchase shares having a value
not exceeding
10
10%
of their gross compensation during an offering period, subject to certain
additional limitations. Under the
Purchase Plan, employees of the Company purchased 2,455 shares of common stock
in the six months ended June 30, 2008 at an average price of $0.37 per
share and 5,179 shares of common stock in the year ended December 31, 2007
at an average price of $0.47. At June 30, 2008, 313,618 shares were
reserved for future issuance under the Purchase Plan.
6. Revenue Recognition
The
Company records revenue from the sale of TMR kits at the time of shipment to
Novadaq. TMR kit revenues include the
amount invoiced to Novadaq for kits shipped pursuant to purchase orders
received, as well as an amortized portion of deferred revenue related to a
payment of $4,533,333 received in February 2004. This payment was made in exchange for a
reduction in the prospective purchase price the Company receives upon a sale of
the kits. The Company is amortizing this
payment into its Consolidated Statements of Operations as revenue over a seven
year period (culminating in 2010) under the units-of-revenue method as
prescribed by Emerging Issues Task Force 88-18, Sales of Future Revenue. The Company determined that a seven year
timeframe was the most appropriate amortization period based on a valuation
model it used to assess the economic fairness of the payment. Factors the
Company considered in developing this valuation model included the estimated
foregone revenues over a seven year period resulting from the reduction in the
prospective purchase price payable to the Company, a discount rate deemed
appropriate to this transaction and an estimate of the remaining economic
useful life of the current TMR kit design, without any benefit being given to
potential future product improvements the Company may make. The Company reviews annually, and adjusts if
necessary, the prospective revenue amortization rate for kits based on its best
estimate of the total number of kits likely remaining to be shipped to hospital
customers by Novadaq through 2010. The Company recorded amortization of
$167,000 and $347,000 in the three and six months ended June 30, 2008,
respectively, as compared to $181,000 and $371,000 in the three and six months
ended June 30, 2007, respectively, which is included in revenues in the
Consolidated Statements of Operations.
TMR
lasers are billed to Novadaq in accordance with purchase orders that the
Company receives. Invoiced TMR lasers
are recorded as other current assets and deferred revenue on the Companys
Consolidated Balance Sheet until such time as the laser is shipped to a
hospital, at which time the Company records revenue and cost of revenue.
Under
the terms of the Novadaq TMR distribution agreement, once Novadaq has recovered
a prescribed amount of revenue from a hospital for the use or purchase of a TMR
laser, any additional revenues earned by Novadaq are shared with the Company
pursuant to a formula established in the distribution agreement. The Company
only records its share of such additional revenue, if any, at the time the
revenue is earned.
The Company records all other product revenue, including
sales of TMR lasers and kits to international customers, sales of RenalGuard
consoles and single-use sets and OEM sales of surgical tubes and general
purpose CO
2
lasers, at the time of shipment.
Revenues
from service and maintenance contracts are recognized ratably over the life of
the contract.
11
Installation
revenues related to a TMR laser transaction are recorded as a component of
service fees when the laser is installed.
7. Loss per Share
In
the three and six months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007, basic and diluted
loss per share have been computed using only the weighted average number of
common shares outstanding during the period without giving effect to any
potential future issuances of common stock related to stock option programs,
since their inclusion would be antidilutive.
For
the three months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007, 5,759,000 and 5,322,000
shares, respectively, and for the six months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007,
5,759,000 and 5,322,000 shares, respectively, attributable to outstanding stock
options were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share
because the effect would have been antidilutive. The following table sets forth the
computation of basic and diluted loss per share:
|
|
Three Months Ended
June 30,
|
|
Six Months Ended
June 30,
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
(In thousands, except per share data)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic:
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
$
|
(671
|
)
|
$
|
(363
|
)
|
$
|
(1,433
|
)
|
$
|
(1,049
|
)
|
Weighted average
shares outstanding
|
|
30,330
|
|
30,311
|
|
30,330
|
|
30,311
|
|
Basic loss per
share
|
|
$
|
(0.02
|
)
|
$
|
(0.01
|
)
|
$
|
(0.05
|
)
|
$
|
(0.03
|
)
|
Diluted:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss
|
|
$
|
(671
|
)
|
$
|
(363
|
)
|
$
|
(1,433
|
)
|
$
|
(1,049
|
)
|
Weighted average
shares outstanding
|
|
30,330
|
|
30,311
|
|
30,330
|
|
30,311
|
|
Assumed impact
of the exercise of outstanding dilutive stock options using the treasury
stock method
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average
common and common equivalent shares
|
|
30,330
|
|
30,311
|
|
30,330
|
|
30,311
|
|
Diluted loss per
share
|
|
$
|
(0.02
|
)
|
$
|
(0.01
|
)
|
$
|
(0.05
|
)
|
$
|
(0.03
|
)
|
8. Comprehensive Loss
Total comprehensive loss for the three and six months
ended June 30, 2008 amounted to $673,000 and $1,431,000, respectively, as
compared to $360,000 and $1,044,000 in the three and six months ended June 30,
2007, respectively. Comprehensive loss
is comprised of net loss plus the increase/decrease in currency translation
adjustment.
9. Warranty
and Preventative Maintenance Costs
The
Company warranties its products against manufacturing defects under normal use
and service during the warranty period.
The Company obtains similar warranties from a majority of its suppliers,
including those who supply critical Heart Laser System components. In addition,
12
under
the terms of its TMR distribution agreement with Novadaq, the Company is able
to bill Novadaq for actual warranty costs, including preventative maintenance
services, up to a specified amount during the warranty period.
The Company evaluates the
estimated future unrecoverable costs of warranty and preventative maintenance
services for its installed base of lasers on a quarterly basis and adjusts its
warranty reserve accordingly. The
Company considers all available evidence, including historical experience and
information obtained from supplier audits.
Changes in the warranty
accrual were as follows (in thousands):
|
|
Three Months Ended
June 30,
|
|
Six Months Ended
June 30,
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
Balance,
beginning of period
|
|
$
|
60
|
|
$
|
60
|
|
$
|
60
|
|
$
|
60
|
|
Change in
liability for warranties issued during the period
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Change in
liability for pre-existing warranties
|
|
(50
|
)
|
|
|
(50
|
)
|
|
|
Balance, end of
period
|
|
$
|
10
|
|
$
|
60
|
|
$
|
10
|
|
$
|
60
|
|
Item 2.
Managements Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This quarterly report
(including certain information incorporated herein by reference) contains
forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). Statements containing
terms such as believes, plans, expects, anticipates, intends, estimates
and similar expressions reflect uncertainty and are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are based upon current plans and expectations and
involve known and unknown important risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking
statements. Such important factors and uncertainties include, but are not
limited to, those set forth below in Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors, and
elsewhere in this quarterly report.
Overview
We are a medical device
company specializing in innovative technologies for the cardiac and vascular
markets. We pioneered and manufacture
the Heart Laser System that cardiac surgeons use to perform TMR to alleviate
symptoms of severe angina. We also manufacture
CO
2
surgical laser
tubes and provide contract assembly services on general purpose
CO
2
lasers.
In addition, in 2007 we
initiated our pilot clinical safety trial for RenalGuard. RenalGuard is designed
to reduce the potentially toxic effects that contrast media can have on the
kidneys when it is administered to patients undergoing image-guided procedures,
such as those performed when placing drug-eluting stents. It is believed that
allowing contrast media to dwell in the kidneys can lead to CIN. By inducing
and maintaining a high urine flow rate before, during and after these
image-guided procedures, it is believed the incidence rates of CIN in at-risk
patients can be reduced. RenalGuard facilitates this increased urine clearance
enabling the body to more rapidly void the contrast media, thereby reducing its
overall resident time and toxic effects in the kidney.
13
We
enrolled a total of 23 patients in our initial pilot safety study. Based upon
the positive safety data collected in the study and discussions we had with the
FDA, we elected to stop enrolling new patients in the pilot study in November 2007. We submitted an IDE supplement to the FDA in February 2008
seeking approval to move from our pilot study to a pivotal clinical trial to
study the safety and effectiveness of RenalGuard in the prevention of CIN. In March 2008,
the FDA granted us conditional approval to begin our pivotal study. We have received
approval to study RenalGuard on 246 patients at up to 30 U.S. clinical sites.
In July 2008 we announced that we would delay the start of this pivotal
trial until such time as we can obtain data from the clinical trial being
conducted in Milan, Italy that we hope will enable us to raise sufficient
additional capital necessary to complete the U.S. study.
Our
U.S. distributor for the Heart Laser System (Novadaq currently and Edwards
prior to March 20, 2007) is our largest customer, accounting for 83% of
our total revenues in both the three and six months ended June 30, 2008
and 85% in the year ended December 31, 2007, respectively. We expect a high level of sales concentration
to continue in the near future with Novadaq as our largest customer because it
holds the exclusive U.S. distribution rights for our TMR products.
Approximately
89% of our
revenues in both the three and six months ended June 30, 2008 and 87% in
the year ended December 31, 2007, respectively, came from the sale and
service of TMR lasers and related disposable kits. We believe that the number
of opportunities for new TMR laser sales to hospital customers, and
specifically sales of our HL2 laser, is likely to continue to decline in future
quarters as a result of (1) a diminishing number of available hospitals
that have not already implemented a TMR program that are still likely to do so
in the future and (2) continuing financial pressures that hospitals face,
in particular for the funding of new capital equipment purchases, in light of
ongoing cutbacks in both Medicare and private insurance reimbursement rates for
all medical procedures. In addition, we have seen a recent downward trend in
the price at which new TMR lasers are being sold in the market as competition
for the remaining available customers increases. As such, we expect to continue
to see a decline in revenue generated from the sale of HL2 lasers in future
quarters and TMR revenues in future quarters will be more dependent on the sale
of TMR kits and service revenues.
Aggregate
TMR kit
shipments to U.S. hospitals decreased approximately 19% and 18% in the three
and six months ended June 30, 2008 as compared to the three and six months
ended June 30, 2007. We believe it
is likely that our TMR revenues in the second half of 2008 will be lower than
the corresponding 2007 periods due to an expected decline in new TMR laser
shipments
.
Our
management
reviews a
number of key performance indicators to assist in determining how to allocate
resources and run our day to day operations. These indicators include (1) actual
prior quarterly sales trends, (2) projected TMR laser and kit sales for
the next four quarters, as provided by Novadaq in a rolling 12 month sales
forecast, (3) projected future sales of RenalGuard consoles and single-use
sets, (4) research and development progress as measured against internal
project plan objectives, (5) budget to actual financial expenditure
results, (6) inventory levels (both our own and Novadaqs) and (7) short
term and long term projected cash flows of the business.
14
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our
financial statements are based on the application of significant accounting
policies, many of which require us to make significant estimates and
assumptions (see Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements). We believe that the following are some of the
more material judgment areas in the application of our accounting policies that
currently affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the
lower of cost (computed on a first-in, first-out method) or market value and
include allocations of labor and overhead.
A specific obsolescence allowance is provided for slow moving, excess and
obsolete inventory based on our best estimate of the net realizable value of
inventory on hand taking into consideration factors such as (1) actual
trailing 12 month sales, (2) expected future product line demand, based in
part on sales forecast input received from Novadaq, and (3) service part
stocking levels which, in managements best judgment, are advisable to maintain
in order to meet warranty, service contract and time and material spare part
demands. Historically, we have found our
reserves to be adequate.
Accounts
Receivable
Accounts receivable is stated at
the amount we expect to collect from the outstanding balance. We continuously monitor collections from
customers, and we maintain a provision for estimated credit losses based upon historical
experience and any specific customer collection issues that we have
identified. Historically, we have not
experienced significant losses related to our accounts receivable. Collateral
is not generally required. If the financial condition of our customers were to
deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments,
additional allowances may be required.
Research
and Development
Research and development costs
are expensed as incurred.
Warranty
and Preventative Maintenance Costs
We
warranty our products against manufacturing defects under normal use and
service during the warranty period. We
obtain similar warranties from a majority of our suppliers, including those who
supply critical Heart Laser System components.
In addition, under the terms of our TMR distribution agreement with
Novadaq, we are able to bill Novadaq for actual warranty costs, including
preventative maintenance services, up to a specified amount during the warranty
period.
We
evaluate the estimated future unrecoverable costs of warranty and preventative
maintenance services for our installed base of lasers on a quarterly basis and
adjust our warranty reserve accordingly.
We consider all available evidence, including historical experience and
information obtained from supplier audits.
15
Revenue
Recognition
We
record revenue from the sale of TMR kits at the time of shipment to
Novadaq. TMR kit revenues include the
amount invoiced to Novadaq for kits shipped pursuant to purchase orders
received, as well as an amortized portion of deferred revenue related to a
payment of $4,533,333 received in February 2004. This payment was made in exchange for a
reduction in the prospective purchase price we receive upon a sale of the
kits. We are amortizing this payment
into our Consolidated Statements of Operations as revenue over a seven year
period (culminating in 2010) under the units-of-revenue method as prescribed by
Emerging Issues Task Force 88-18, Sales of Future Revenue. We determined that a seven year timeframe was
the most appropriate amortization period based on a valuation model we used to
assess the economic fairness of the payment. Factors we considered in
developing this valuation model included the estimated foregone revenues over a
seven year period resulting from the reduction in the prospective purchase
price payable to us, a discount rate deemed appropriate to this transaction and
an estimate of the remaining economic useful life of the current TMR kit
design, without any benefit being given to potential future product
improvements we may make. We review annually, and adjust if necessary, the
prospective revenue amortization rate for kits based on our best estimate of
the total number of kits likely remaining to be shipped to hospital customers
by Novadaq through 2010. We recorded amortization of $167,000 and $347,000 in
the three and six months ended June 30, 2008, respectively, as compared to
$181,000 and $371,000 in the three and six months ended June 30, 2007,
respectively, which is included in revenues in our Consolidated Statements of
Operations.
TMR
lasers are billed to Novadaq in accordance with purchase orders that we
receive. Invoiced TMR lasers are
recorded as other current assets and deferred revenue on our Consolidated
Balance Sheet until such time as the laser is shipped to a hospital, at which
time we record revenue and cost of revenue.
Under
the terms of the TMR distribution agreement, once Novadaq has recovered a
prescribed amount of revenue from a hospital for the use or purchase of a TMR
laser, any additional revenues earned by Novadaq are shared with us pursuant to
a formula established in the distribution agreement. We only record our share
of such additional revenue, if any, at the time the revenue is earned.
We record all other product revenue, including sales of
TMR lasers and kits to international customers, sales of RenalGuard consoles
and single-use sets and OEM sales of surgical tubes and general purpose CO
2
lasers, at the time of shipment.
Revenues
from service and maintenance contracts are recognized ratably over the life of
the contract.
Installation
revenues related to a TMR laser transaction are recorded as a component of
service fees when the laser is installed.
16
Results of Operations
Results for the
three and six months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007 and the related percent
of revenues were as follows:
|
|
Three Months Ended
June 30,
|
|
Six Months Ended
June 30,
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
%
|
|
$
|
|
%
|
|
$
|
|
%
|
|
$
|
|
%
|
|
|
|
(dollars
in thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total revenues
|
|
$
|
1,310
|
|
100
|
%
|
$
|
1,932
|
|
100
|
%
|
$
|
2,478
|
|
100
|
%
|
$
|
3,425
|
|
100
|
%
|
Total cost of
revenues
|
|
573
|
|
44
|
|
775
|
|
40
|
|
978
|
|
39
|
|
1,569
|
|
46
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
737
|
|
56
|
|
1,157
|
|
60
|
|
1,500
|
|
61
|
|
1,856
|
|
54
|
|
Selling, general &
administrative
|
|
831
|
|
63
|
|
1,076
|
|
56
|
|
1,801
|
|
73
|
|
2,089
|
|
61
|
|
Research &
development
|
|
602
|
|
46
|
|
556
|
|
29
|
|
1,210
|
|
49
|
|
1,047
|
|
31
|
|
Total operating
expenses
|
|
1,433
|
|
109
|
|
1,632
|
|
85
|
|
3,011
|
|
122
|
|
3,136
|
|
92
|
|
Loss from
operations
|
|
(696
|
)
|
(53
|
)
|
(475
|
)
|
(25
|
)
|
(1,511
|
)
|
(61
|
)
|
(1,280
|
)
|
(37
|
)
|
Other income
|
|
25
|
|
2
|
|
112
|
|
6
|
|
78
|
|
3
|
|
231
|
|
6
|
|
Net loss
|
|
$
|
(671
|
)
|
(51
|
)%
|
$
|
(363
|
)
|
(19
|
)%
|
$
|
(1,433
|
)
|
(58
|
)%
|
$
|
(1,049
|
)
|
(31
|
)%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended
June 30,
|
|
|
|
|
|
Six Months Ended
June 30,
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
Increase
(decrease)
over 2007
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
Increase
(decrease)
over 2007
|
|
|
|
$
|
|
$
|
|
$
|
|
%
|
|
$
|
|
$
|
|
$
|
|
%
|
|
|
|
(dollars in thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product sales
|
|
$
|
1,032
|
|
$
|
1,520
|
|
$
|
(488
|
)
|
(32
|
)%
|
$
|
1,838
|
|
$
|
2,654
|
|
$
|
(816
|
)
|
(31
|
)%
|
Service fees
|
|
278
|
|
412
|
|
(134
|
)
|
(33
|
)
|
640
|
|
771
|
|
(131
|
)
|
(17
|
)
|
Total revenues
|
|
1,310
|
|
1,932
|
|
(622
|
)
|
(32
|
)
|
2,478
|
|
3,425
|
|
(947
|
)
|
(28
|
)
|
Product cost of
sales
|
|
423
|
|
562
|
|
(139
|
)
|
(25
|
)
|
643
|
|
1,148
|
|
(505
|
)
|
(44
|
)
|
Service fees
cost of sales
|
|
150
|
|
213
|
|
(63
|
)
|
(30
|
)
|
335
|
|
421
|
|
(86
|
)
|
(20
|
)
|
Total cost of
revenues
|
|
573
|
|
775
|
|
(202
|
)
|
(26
|
)
|
978
|
|
1,569
|
|
(591
|
)
|
(38
|
)
|
Gross profit
|
|
737
|
|
1,157
|
|
(420
|
)
|
(36
|
)
|
1,500
|
|
1,856
|
|
(356
|
)
|
(19
|
)
|
Selling,
general & administrative expenses
|
|
831
|
|
1,076
|
|
(245
|
)
|
(23
|
)
|
1,801
|
|
2,089
|
|
(288
|
)
|
14
|
|
Research &
development expenses
|
|
602
|
|
556
|
|
46
|
|
8
|
|
1,210
|
|
1,047
|
|
163
|
|
16
|
|
Total operating
expenses
|
|
1,433
|
|
1,632
|
|
(199
|
)
|
(12
|
)
|
3,011
|
|
3,136
|
|
(125
|
)
|
(4
|
)
|
Income (loss)
from operations
|
|
(696
|
)
|
(475
|
)
|
(221
|
)
|
(47
|
)
|
(1,511
|
)
|
(1,280
|
)
|
(231
|
)
|
(18
|
)
|
Other income
|
|
25
|
|
112
|
|
(87
|
)
|
(78
|
)
|
78
|
|
231
|
|
(153
|
)
|
(66
|
)
|
Net income
(loss)
|
|
$
|
(671
|
)
|
$
|
(363
|
)
|
$
|
(308
|
)
|
(85
|
)%
|
$
|
(1,433
|
)
|
$
|
(1,049
|
)
|
$
|
(384
|
)
|
(37
|
)%
|
17
Product Sales
Disposable
TMR kit revenues, the largest component of product sales in the three months ended
June 30, 2008, decreased by $34,000, or 5%, as compared to the three
months ended June 30, 2007. This
decrease is primarily related to a lower volume of kit shipments to Novadaq in
the three months ended June 30, 2008 as compared to the three months ended
June 30, 2007.
In the six months ended June 30,
2008, disposable TMR kit revenues increased by $125,000, or 11%, as compared to
the six months ended June 30, 2007.
This increase is primarily
related to a higher volume of kit shipments to Novadaq in the six months ended June 30,
2008 as compared to the six months ended June 30, 2007.
We expect that kit shipments to Novadaq
during the remaining half of 2008 will be somewhat lower than the number of
kits shipped in the first half of 2008 as Novadaq attempts to reduce its
on-hand stocking level of kits in inventory by yearend.
TMR
laser revenues decreased $413,000, or 67%, and $701,000, or 68%, respectively,
in the three and six months ended June 30, 2008, as compared to the three
and six months ended June 30, 2007.
These decreases are a result of (1) a decrease in the number of new
TMR lasers sold and (2) a lower average selling price on the new TMR
lasers sold. We expect to see a
continuation of the recent trend whereby TMR revenues in future quarters will
be more dependent on the sale of TMR kits and service revenues than on sales of
TMR lasers.
Other
product sales decreased $41,000, or 22%, in the three months ended June 30,
2008 as compared to the three months ended June 30, 2007. This overall decrease is a result of a
decrease in manufacturing contract assembly product revenues, which resulted
from a delay in incoming work product from our sole supplier of general purpose
lasers. We expect normal incoming supply patterns to resume during the third
and fourth quarters of 2008 and consequently we anticipate our revenues from
other product sales will increase over the second half of 2008 as compared to
the first half of 2008.
Other
product sales decreased $240,000, or 47%, in the six months ended June 30,
2008 as compared to the six months ended June 30, 2007. This overall decrease is a result of (1) a
decrease in manufacturing contract assembly product revenues and (2) decreased
revenues from Edwards related to the discontinued Optiwave 980 product line. These decreases were offset in part by new
international RenalGuard revenues.
Service Fee
Revenues
Service
fees decreased $134,000, or 33%, and $131,000, or 17%, in the three and six
months ended June 30, 2008, respectively, as compared to the three and six
months ended June 30, 2007. Domestic service fees related to billable
service calls and spare part sales decreased $100,000 and $89,000, respectively
in the three and six months ended June 30, 2008 as compared to the 2007
periods. International service fees decreased $34,000 and $42,000,
respectively, in the three and six months ended June 30, 2008 as compared
to the 2007 periods.
18
Gross Profit
Gross profit was $737,000, or
56% of total revenues, in the three months ended June 30, 2008 as compared
with gross profit of $1,157,000, or 60% of total revenues, in the three months
ended June 30, 2007. The decrease
in gross profit is due to (1) a decrease in both the number and the
average selling prices of new TMR lasers sold, (2) lower revenues from
service, (3) lower revenues from contract assembly services, (4) higher
cost of sales related to both higher period manufacturing expenses and an
increase in our inventory reserve and (5) lower disposable TMR kit
revenue. These decreases were partially
offset by a reduction in our warranty accrual.
Gross
profit was $1,500,000, or 61% of total revenues, in the six months ended June 30,
2008 as compared with gross profit of $1,856,000, or 54% of total revenues, in
the six months ended June 30, 2007.
The decrease in gross profit is due to (1) a decrease in both the
number and the average selling prices of new TMR lasers sold, (2) lower
revenues from contract assembly services and (3) lower revenues from service. These decreases were offset in part by higher
disposable TMR kit revenues and new international RenalGuard revenues.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling,
general and administrative expenditures decreased 23% and 14% in the three and
six months ended June 30, 2008 as compared to the three and six months
ended June 30, 2007. In the three
months ended June 30, 2008, there were decreases in (1) compensation
related costs, (2) overall spending on sales and marketing activities related
to RenalGuard, (3) bad debt expense, and (4) international expenses
as compared to the three months ended June 30, 2007. In the six months ended June 30, 2008,
there were decreases in (1) compensation related costs, (2) overall
spending on sales and marketing activities related to RenalGuard, and (3) corporate
and legal expenditures incurred in connection with the transfer of the U.S. TMR
distribution agreement and the origination of RenalGuard clinical trial
contracts as compared to the six months ended June 30, 2007.
Research
and Development Expenses
Research
and development expenditures increased 8% and 16% in the three and six months
ended June 30, 2008 as compared to the three and six months ended June 30,
2007. In the three months ended June 30,
2008, the increase was primarily related to a write-off of certain capitalized
development equipment. In the six months ended June 30, 2008, the increase
was due to increased RenalGuard related clinical costs and the write-off of
certain capitalized development equipment offset in part by a decrease in TMR
related clinical costs as compared to the six months ended June 30, 2007.
In
July 2008, we announced that we would defer the commencement of the U.S.
pivotal trial of RenalGuard. We expect therefore that our research and
development expenditures for the second half of 2008 will remain at a similar
level as the first half of 2008.
Other Income
The
largest component of other income consists of interest income earned on our
cash and cash equivalents. Interest income decreased $87,000 and $153,000 in
the three and six months ended June 30, 2008, respectively, due to lower
average investable balances and lower
19
interest
rates on those investable balances in the three and six months ended June 30,
2008 periods as compared to the three and six months ended June 30, 2007.
Net Loss
In the three and six
months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007, we recorded a net loss of $671,000
and $1,433,000, respectively. In the three and six months ended June 30,
2008, the increased loss was due to lower sales generating lower gross margin
dollars, and lower interest income, offset in part by lower operating expenses
as compared to the three and six months ended June 30, 2007.
Kit Shipments
We generally view disposable kit
shipments to end users as an important metric in evaluating our business,
although we believe that specific short-term factors not indicative of
long-term trends can sometimes affect shipments of disposable kits in any given
quarter.
Disposable
kit shipments to end users were as follows:
|
|
Three Months Ended June 30,
|
|
Six Months Ended June 30,
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
%
Increase
(Decrease)
Over
2007
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
%
Increase
(Decrease)
Over
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Domestic (by
U.S. Distributor)
|
|
347
|
|
429
|
|
(19
|
)
|
722
|
|
881
|
|
(18
|
)
|
International
|
|
35
|
|
25
|
|
40
|
|
50
|
|
30
|
|
67
|
|
Total
|
|
382
|
|
454
|
|
(16
|
)
|
772
|
|
911
|
|
(15
|
)
|
Because a
significant number of the total TMR procedures performed each year by cardiac
surgeons are done in combination with open-heart bypass surgery, we believe any
future growth in the number of TMR procedures will be partly dependent on the
number of bypass surgeries performed in the future, which we believe have the
potential to grow modestly over the next few years.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash
and cash equivalents totaled $5,506,000 as of June 30, 2008, a decrease of
$2,554,000 from $8,060,000 as of December 31, 2007. We have no debt obligations. We believe that
our existing cash resources will meet our working capital requirements through
at least the next 12 months.
Cash
used for operating activities in the six months ended June 30, 2008 was
$2,535,000 due to our net loss and unfavorable working capital changes, offset
in part by non-cash depreciation and amortization, compensation related to
stock options and a loss on retirement of equipment. We received $1,000 from the issuance of
common stock related to proceeds from our employee stock purchase plan. We used
$27,000 for the purchase of equipment.
The effect of exchange rate changes provided an additional $7,000.
20
In
the near term we will be largely dependent on the future success of Novadaqs
sales and marketing efforts in the U.S. to continue to increase the installed
base of HL2 lasers and to substantially increase TMR procedural volumes and
revenues. Should the installed base of HL2 lasers or TMR procedural volume not
increase sufficiently, our liquidity and capital resources will be negatively
impacted. Additionally, other
unanticipated decreases in operating revenues or increases in expenses or
changes or delays in third-party reimbursement to healthcare providers using
our products would adversely impact our cash position and require further cost
reductions or the need to obtain additional capital. It is not certain that we, working with
Novadaq and our international distributors, will be successful in achieving
broad commercial acceptance of the Heart Laser Systems, or that we will be able
to operate profitably in the future.
Some
hospital customers prefer to acquire the Heart Laser Systems on a usage basis
rather than as a capital equipment purchase.
We believe this is the result of current limitations at many hospitals
regarding acquiring expensive capital equipment as well as competitive
pressures in the marketplace. A usage
business model will result in a longer recovery period for Novadaq to recoup
its investment in lasers it may purchase from us in the future. This results in (1) a delay in our
ability to receive additional shared revenue, if any, that we otherwise are
entitled to receive under the terms of our new distribution agreement with
Novadaq and (2) a potential delay in the purchase of new lasers by Novadaq
if the installed base of lasers placed under usage contracts is
under-performing and Novadaq chooses to re-deploy these lasers to other
hospital sites in lieu of purchasing a new laser from us.
We
believe we will incur losses at least through 2010. We cannot be certain that we will be able to
raise the additional capital necessary to complete the pivotal clinical trial
in the U.S. that is necessary to obtain regulatory approval to market
RenalGuard in the U.S., or that future sales, if any, of RenalGuard will justify
the investments we plan to make. There
can be no assurance that the future capital we will need to implement our
business plan will be available on terms and conditions acceptable to us,
especially considering the current uncertainty in the global credit
markets. As a result of the current
market conditions, we have deferred the commencement of the U.S. pivotal trial,
and should additional financing not be available on terms and conditions
acceptable to us, we will need to further curtail our RenalGuard program and
take additional actions that will adversely impact our ability to continue to
realize assets and satisfy liabilities in the normal course of business. The consolidated financial statements set forth
in this report do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future
effects of these uncertainties.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
None.
Item 3. Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
A
portion of our operations consists of sales activities in foreign jurisdictions. We manufacture our products exclusively in
the U.S. and sell our products in the U.S. and abroad. As a result, our
financial results could be affected by factors such as changes in foreign
currency exchange rates or weak economic conditions in the foreign markets in
which we distribute our products. Our
operating results are exposed to changes in exchange rates between the U.S.
dollar and foreign currencies, especially the Euro. When the U.S. dollar
strengthens against the Euro, the value of foreign sales decreases. When the
U.S. dollar weakens, the functional currency amount of sales increases. No
assurance can be given that foreign currency fluctuations in the future will
not
21
adversely affect our business, financial condition and
results of operations, although at present we do not believe that our exposure
is significant, as international sales represented 9% and 3% of our
consolidated sales in the six months ended June 30, 2008 and the year
ended December 31, 2007, respectively. We do not hedge any balance sheet
exposures and intercompany balances against future movements in foreign
exchange rates.
Our
interest income and expense are sensitive to changes in the general level of
U.S. and foreign interest rates. In this regard, changes in U.S. and foreign
interest rates affect the interest earned on our cash and cash
equivalents. We do not believe that a
10% change to the applicable interest rates would have a material impact on our
future results of operations or cash flows.
Item 4. Controls
and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls
and Procedures
Our
management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief
financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and
procedures as of June 30, 2008. The
term disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and
15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, means controls and other procedures of a
company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed
by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is
recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified
in the Securities and Exchange Commissions rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include,
without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information
required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits
under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the companys
management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers,
as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and
procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only
reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management necessarily
applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible
controls and procedures. Based on the
evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of June 30, 2008,
our chief executive officer and chief financial officer concluded that, as of
such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the
reasonable assurance level.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
No
change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and
15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) occurred during the fiscal quarter ended
June 30, 2008 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Part II. Other Information
Item 1A. Risk
Factors
The risks and uncertainties
described below are not the only risks we face.
Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or
currently deemed immaterial may also impair our business operations. If any of the following risks actually occur,
our financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely
affected.
22
We expect our common stock to be
delisted from AMEX.
Our stockholders
equity was $3,617,000 as of June 30, 2008.
Under the AMEX listing requirements, because we have sustained losses
from continuing operations and/or net losses in three of our four most recent
fiscal years and our stockholders equity has fallen below $4,000,000 as of June 30,
2008 we expect that AMEX will notify us by a deficiency letter within ten
business days after we file this quarterly report that we are not in compliance
with the continued listing standards. We
do not anticipate being able to provide a plan to AMEX that will enable us to
avoid our common stock from being delisted. When our common stock becomes
delisted from AMEX and begins to trade on an over-the-counter basis, we could
face a number of negative implications, including reduced liquidity in our
common stock as a result of the loss of market efficiencies associated with
AMEX and the loss of federal preemption of state securities laws, as well as
the potential loss of confidence by investors, suppliers, customers and
employees, fewer business development opportunities and greater difficulty in
obtaining financing or credit.
We expect to
incur significant operating losses in the near future.
We expect to incur net losses in
future quarters, at least through 2010.
We cannot provide any assurance that we will be successful with our
business strategy, that we will be able to raise sufficient capital to complete
our pivotal clinical trial of RenalGuard in the U.S. or that if such a clinical
trial is completed that RenalGuard will receive FDA approval or commercial
acceptance, or that we will ever return to profitability.
Our company may be unable to
raise needed capital.
As of June 30, 2008, we had
cash and cash equivalents totaling $5,506,000. Based upon our current operating
plan, we anticipate that our existing capital resources should be sufficient to
meet our working capital requirements for at least the next 12 months; however,
we will need to raise additional capital for the future in order to implement
our business plan. As a result of
current capital market conditions, we have deferred the commencement of the
U.S. pivotal trial for RenalGuard, and should additional financing not be
available on terms and conditions acceptable to us, we will need to further
curtail our RenalGuard program and take additional actions that will adversely
impact our ability to continue to realize assets and satisfy liabilities in the
normal course of business. To the extent
that we raise additional capital by issuing equity or convertible securities,
ownership dilution to our shareholders will result. To the extent that we raise additional
capital through the incurrence of debt, our activities may be restricted by the
repayment obligations and other restrictive covenants related to the debt.
Our ability to
commence our planned future U.S. pivotal clinical trial to study the safety and
effectiveness of RenalGuard in preventing contrast-induced nephropathy is
dependent on our ability to raise sufficient additional capital in the future
to fund the completion of the study.
Although we have received conditional FDA
approval to commence our pivotal clinical trial in the U.S. to study the safety
and effectiveness of RenalGuard in preventing contrast-induced nephropathy, we
will need to raise additional capital in the future to fund the cost of
completing the study. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to raise
the necessary capital to complete this trial or that such capital will be
available
on terms and conditions acceptable to us, especially considering the
current uncertainty in the global credit markets.
23
Our company is
currently dependent on one principal customer.
Pursuant to the terms of our TMR
distribution agreement with Novadaq, Novadaq is our exclusive distributor for
our HL2 laser and TMR kits in the U.S.
As a result of this exclusive arrangement, our U.S. distributor (Novadaq
currently and Edwards prior to March 20, 2007) accounted for 83% of total
revenues in both the three and six months ended June 30, 2008,
respectively, and 85% in the year ended December 31, 2007, and we expect
Novadaq to account for the significant majority of our revenue in the near
future. As a result of this expected
concentration of sales with Novadaq, we bear an increased financial risk of
timely sales collection if, for any reason, Novadaqs business condition should
suffer.
We are dependent
on Novadaq in the U.S. to attempt to increase our TMR revenues.
Novadaqs
sales organization is responsible for selling a number of different products,
including our TMR products. We are
largely dependent on the future success of Novadaqs sales and marketing
efforts in the U.S. to increase the installed base of HL2 lasers and TMR
procedural volumes and revenues. If our
relationship with Novadaq does not progress, or if Novadaqs sales and
marketing strategies fail to generate sales of our products in the future,
our revenue will decrease
significantly and our business, financial condition and results of operations
will be seriously harmed.
Our
company is currently dependent upon one principal product line to generate
revenues.
We currently sell one principal
product line, the Heart Laser Systems, which accounts for the majority of our
total revenues. Approximately 89% of our
revenues in both the three and six months ended June 30, 2008,
respectively, and 87% in the year ended December 31, 2007, were derived
from the sales and service of our Heart Laser Systems. This absence of a diversified product line
means that we are directly and materially impacted by changes in the market for
Heart Laser Systems. We believe that the number of opportunities for new TMR
laser sales to hospital customers, and specifically sales of our HL2 laser, is
likely to continue to decline in future quarters as a result of (1) a
diminishing number of available hospitals that have not already implemented a
TMR program that are still likely to in the future and (2) continuing
financial pressures that hospitals face, in particular for the funding of new
capital equipment purchases, in light of ongoing cutbacks in both Medicare and
private insurance reimbursement rates for all medical procedures. In addition,
we have seen a recent downward trend in the price for new TMR lasers in the
market, as competition for the remaining available customers increases. These
market factors and our dependency on revenues related to sales of the Heart
Laser System pose a serious risk to our ongoing ability to generate sufficient
cash to fund our operations, which may seriously harm our business, financial
condition and results of operations in future quarters.
Our
company is dependent upon certain suppliers.
Some
of the components for our Heart Laser Systems, most notably the power supply
and certain optics and fabricated parts for the HL2, are only available from
one supplier, and we have no assurance that we will be able to source any of
our sole-sourced components from additional suppliers. We are dependent upon our sole suppliers to
perform their obligations in a timely manner.
In the past, we have experienced delays in product delivery from our
sole suppliers and, because we do not have an alternative supplier to produce
these products for us, we have little
24
leverage to enforce timely delivery. Any delay in product
delivery or other interruption in supply from these suppliers could prevent us
from meeting our commercial demands for our products, which could have a
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations. Furthermore, we do not
require significant quantities of any components because we produce a limited
number of our products each year. Our
low-quantity needs may not generate substantial revenue for our suppliers. Therefore, it may be difficult for us to
continue our relationships with our current suppliers or establish
relationships with additional suppliers on commercially reasonable terms, if at
all, and such difficulties may seriously harm our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
We are dependent upon our key personnel and
may need to hire additional key personnel in the future.
Our ability to operate our
business successfully depends in significant part upon the retention and
motivation of certain key technical, regulatory, production and managerial
personnel and consultants and our ongoing ability to hire and retain additional
qualified personnel in these areas. Competition for such personnel is intense,
particularly in the Greater Boston area. We cannot be certain that we will be
able to attract such personnel and the loss of any of our current key employees
or consultants could have a significant adverse impact on our business.
In
order to compete effectively, our current and future products need to gain
commercial acceptance.
Our current TMR products may
never achieve widespread commercial acceptance.
To be successful, we and Novadaq need to:
·
demonstrate to the medical community in
general, and to heart surgeons and cardiologists in particular, that TMR
procedures are effective, relatively safe and cost effective;
·
support third-party efforts to document the
medical processes by which TMR procedures relieve angina;
·
train more heart surgeons to
perform TMR procedures using the Heart Laser Systems; and
·
maintain and expand third-party reimbursement
for the TMR procedure.
To date, only a limited number
of heart surgeons have been trained in the use of TMR using the Heart Laser
Systems. We are dependent on Novadaq to
expand related marketing and training efforts in the U.S. for the use of our
products.
The Heart Laser Systems have not
yet received widespread commercial acceptance.
We believe that concerns over the lack of a consensus view about the
reason or reasons why a TMR procedure relieves angina in patients who undergo
the procedure has limited demand for and use of the Heart Laser Systems. Until
there is consensus, if ever, on the medical processes by which TMR procedures
relieve angina, we believe some hospitals will delay the implementation of a
TMR program.
25
If we are unable to achieve
widespread commercial acceptance of the Heart Laser Systems, our business,
financial condition and results of operations will be materially and adversely
affected.
Our newest
product, RenalGuard, has only had limited testing in a clinical setting and we
may need to modify it in the future to be commercially acceptable.
We have only
completed the first generation product design for RenalGuard and we have only
been able to perform a limited amount of testing of this device in a clinical
hospital setting as part of our recently completed initial pilot human clinical
study. We may need to make substantial modifications to the design, features or
functions of our device in order for it to eventually obtain FDA approval or
otherwise to meet customer expectations in the EU where we are currently
marketing it. These changes may not be able to be completed in a timely
fashion, if at all. Should any such modifications prove to be significantly
more costly or time consuming to engineer than we estimate, our ability to
bring this product to market may be severely and negatively impacted.
Our
potential future success in marketing RenalGuard in the EU as a CIN prevention
device and our ability to raise additional capital in the future will be
largely dependent on the timely outcome of the current investigator-sponsored
clinical trial of RenalGuard being conducted at the Centro Cardiologico Monzino
(CCM) in Milan Italy.
We currently are supporting an
investigator-sponsored clinical trial at the CCM where RenalGuard is being
compared in an equivalency study to that of an overnight hydration protocol in
terms of its safety and effectiveness in preventing CIN in at-risk patients. We
believe our ability to raise additional capital to fund our U.S. pivotal study
of RenalGuard, as well as our ability to successfully market RenalGuard in the
EU and gain widespread market adoption for our system as a CIN prevention
device, is largely dependent on the CCM study results, specifically a favorable
finding that RenalGuard is equivalent to overnight hydration in terms of safely
preventing CIN in the at-risk patients studied.
We can provide no assurance that the CCM study will
be completed in a timely fashion, if at all, or that should it be completed
that it will produce the desired result of showing that RenalGuard is
equivalent to overnight hydration in the study population. If the study shows
that RenalGuard is not at least equivalent to overnight hydration in terms of
its safety or effectiveness in preventing CIN, then our ability to raise
additional capital in the future to complete our U.S. pivotal trial, fund our
operations and implement our business plan will be materially and adversely
affected.
Our
planned U.S. pivotal clinical trial of RenalGuard will, if we can successfully
raise the necessary capital to commence and complete it, take us a significant
amount of time to complete, if we can complete it at all, and the results of
this clinical trial may not show sufficient safety and efficacy for us to
either obtain FDA approval or otherwise be able to successfully market and sell
the product.
Our business strategy to grow our revenues and
profitability is largely dependent upon our success in the timely completion of
our U.S. pivotal clinical trial of RenalGuard. We hope to be able to
demonstrate through this clinical trial that RenalGuard is safe and effective
in preventing CIN.
26
We can provide no assurance that
when studied in humans, RenalGuard will be shown to be safe or effective in
preventing CIN, or that the degree of any positive safety and efficacy results
will be sufficient to either obtain FDA approval or otherwise successfully
market our product. Furthermore, the completion of our planned clinical trial
is dependent upon many factors, some of which are not entirely within our
control, including, but not limited to, our ability to successfully recruit
investigators, the availability of patients meeting the inclusion criteria of
our clinical study, the competition for these particular study patients amongst
other clinical trials being conducted by other companies at these same study
sites, the ability of the sites participating in our study to successfully
enroll patients in our trial, and proper data gathering on the part of the
investigating sites.
Should our U.S. pivotal clinical
trial take longer than we expect to complete, our competitive position relative
to existing preventative measures, or relative to new devices, drugs or
therapies that may be developed, could be seriously harmed and our ability to
successfully fund the completion of the trial and bring RenalGuard to market
may be adversely affected.
We will need to build a direct
sales and marketing organization or otherwise enter into distribution
arrangements in order to market RenalGuard in the U.S, if and when it is
approved for sale, and in the EU, as we prepare for a sales launch in this
market in 2009.
We currently do
not have a direct sales force. Instead, we market our TMR products through
Novadaq in the U.S. and through independent distributors outside the U.S. We do not plan to use Novadaq or our current
international TMR distributors to market RenalGuard if and when it becomes
commercially available. We will need to either build an internal direct sales
and marketing organization or find new distribution partners to successfully
market RenalGuard.
If we choose to build a direct
sales force, we may not be able to attract qualified individuals with the
requisite training or experience to sell our product. In addition, we would
need to devote substantial management time instituting policies, procedures and
controls to oversee and effectively manage this new part of our organization,
which could adversely impact our daily operations and would require us to
invest significant financial resources, the cost of which could be prohibitive.
If we instead choose to pursue
an indirect distribution strategy, which is our current plan for the EU market,
we may not be able to identify suitable distribution partners with sufficient
industry experience, brand recognition, sales capacity and willingness or
ability to maximize sales. Further, we may not be able to negotiate
distribution agreements with terms and conditions that are acceptable to us,
including ensuring that our product receives adequate sales force focus and
attention.
Rapid technological changes in
our industry could make our products obsolete.
Our industry is characterized by
rapid technological change and intense competition. New technologies and products and new
industry standards will develop at a rapid pace, which could make our current
and future planned products obsolete. The advent of new devices and procedures
and advances in new drugs and genetic engineering are especially concerning
competitive threats. Our future success
will depend upon our ability to develop and introduce product enhancements to
address the needs of our customers. Material delays in introducing product
enhancements may cause customers to forego purchases of our products and
purchase those of our competitors.
27
Many potential competitors have
substantially greater financial resources and are in a better financial
position to exploit marketing and research and development opportunities.
We must receive
and maintain government clearances or approvals in order to market our
products.
Our products and our manufacturing
activities are subject to extensive, rigorous and changing federal and state
regulation in the U.S. and to similar regulatory requirements in other major
international markets, including the EU and Japan. These regulations and regulatory requirements
are broad in scope and govern, among other things:
·
product design and
development;
·
product testing;
·
product labeling;
·
product storage;
·
premarket clearance and
approval;
·
advertising and promotion;
and
·
product sales and
distribution.
Furthermore, regulatory
authorities subject a marketed product, its manufacturer and the manufacturing
facilities to continual review and periodic inspections. We are subject to ongoing FDA requirements,
including required submissions of safety and other post-market information and
reports, registration requirements, Quality Systems regulations and
recordkeeping requirements. The FDAs Quality Systems regulations include
requirements relating to quality control and quality assurance, as well as the
corresponding maintenance of records and documentation. Depending on its activities, Novadaq may also
be subject to certain requirements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder, and state laws and registration
requirements covering the distribution of our products. Regulatory agencies may
change existing requirements or adopt new requirements or policies that could
affect our regulatory responsibilities or the regulatory responsibilities of a
distributor like Novadaq. We may be slow
to adapt or may not be able to adapt to these changes or new requirements.
Later discovery of previously
unknown problems with our products, manufacturing processes or our failure to
comply with applicable regulatory requirements may result in enforcement
actions by the FDA and other international regulatory authorities, including,
but not limited to:
·
warning letters;
·
patient or physician
notification;
28
·
restrictions on our products
or manufacturing processes;
·
voluntary or mandatory
recalls;
·
product seizures;
·
refusal to approve pending
applications or supplements to approved applications that we submit;
·
refusal to permit the import
or export of our products;
·
fines;
·
injunctions;
·
suspension or withdrawal of
marketing approvals or clearances; and
·
civil and criminal penalties.
Should any of these enforcement
actions occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations
could be materially and adversely affected.
To
date, we have received the following regulatory approvals for our products:
Heart
Laser Systems
United
States
We received FDA approval to market the HL1 Heart
Laser System in August 1998 and the HL2 Heart Laser System in January 2001. However, although we have received FDA
approval, the FDA:
·
has restricted the use of
the Heart Laser Systems by not allowing us to market these products to treat
patients whose condition is amenable to conventional treatments, such as heart
bypass surgery, stenting and angioplasty; and
·
could impose additional
restrictions or reverse its ruling and prohibit use of the Heart Laser Systems
at any time.
In
addition, as a condition of our original FDA approval for our TMR products, we
were required by the FDA to perform a postmarket surveillance study. The FDA
requested that we submit a PMA Postapproval Study report summarizing this
postmarket surveillance study. As part of this report, the FDA requested that
we analyze and discuss the adverse event and mortality rates seen in the
postmarket study and compare these results to the premarket study which was
presented as part of our initial FDA PMA application. We filed this
postapproval study report with the FDA on February 28, 2007.
Because
of the significant safety information collected in the postapproval study, and
as the FDA has indicated it plans to do in other product areas, we believe that
the FDA plans to present the results at a future meeting of the FDA Circulatory
System Devices Advisory Panel and thereafter determine what, if any, actions
should be taken with respect to our current Heart Laser Systems PMA.
29
Europe
We received the CE Mark from the European Union for the HL1 and HL2 in March 1995
and February 2001, respectively.
However:
·
the European Union could impose additional
restrictions or reverse its ruling and prohibit use of the Heart Laser Systems
at any time; and
·
France has prohibited, and other European
Union countries could prohibit or restrict, use of the Heart Laser Systems.
Japan
Our HL1 Heart Laser System received marketing approval from the
Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) in May 2006.
However, the MHLW could impose restrictions in the future or reverse its ruling
and prohibit use of the Heart Laser Systems at any time.
In addition, it is unclear what
impact the introduction of the HL2 into the U.S. and other international
markets will have on the ability of our Japanese distributor to market our
older, first generation HL1 in Japan. Although our Japanese distributor has
indicated to us that it plans to seek MHLW approval in the future to market our
newer HL2, we can provide no assurance that the distributor will be successful
in obtaining the necessary approvals or how long it may take to secure the required
approvals.
RenalGuard
We presently
have approval to market RenalGuard only in the EU. We must receive either FDA
approval or clearance before we can market RenalGuard in the United States.
Other countries may require their own approvals prior to our being able to
market RenalGuard in those countries.
The process of obtaining and
maintaining regulatory approvals and clearances to market a medical device can
be costly and time consuming, and we cannot predict when, if ever, such
approvals or clearances will be granted. Pursuant to FDA regulations, unless an
exemption is available, the FDA permits commercial distribution of a new
medical device only after the device has received 510(k) clearance or is
the subject of an approved PMA application. The FDA will clear marketing of a
medical device through the 510(k) process only if it is demonstrated that
the new product is substantially equivalent to other 510(k)-cleared products.
At the present time we are not
aware of any clear predicates with substantially the same proposed indications
for use that would enable us to conclude that RenalGuard is likely to be
cleared by the FDA as a 510(k) device. Therefore, we believe RenalGuard
most likely will need to go through the PMA application process.
Because the PMA application
process is more costly, lengthy and uncertain than the 510(k) process and
must be supported by extensive data, including data from preclinical studies
and human clinical trials, we cannot predict when RenalGuard may eventually
come to market in the U.S. Should we be unable to obtain FDA approval for
RenalGuard, or should the approval process take longer than we anticipate, our
future revenue growth prospects will be materially and adversely affected.
30
Changes
in third party reimbursement for TMR procedures or our inability to obtain
third party reimbursement for RenalGuard could materially affect future demand
for our products.
Demand for medical devices is
often affected by whether third party reimbursement is available for the
devices and related procedures.
Currently Medicare coverage is provided for TMR when it is performed as
a sole therapy treatment. In addition,
when two or more medical procedures are performed in combination with each
other, Medicare rules generally allow hospitals to bill for whichever of
the two procedures carries the higher reimbursement amount. Therefore, in
situations where sole therapy TMR reimbursement rates exceed that provided for
bypass surgery alone, if hospitals perform a combination procedure where both
bypass surgery and adjunctive TMR are performed on a patient, the hospital is
able to bill for the higher TMR procedure reimbursement payment. In these
instances, the doctor also can bill an additional amount for performing
multiple procedures.
Certain private insurance companies and health
maintenance organizations also currently provide reimbursement for TMR
procedures performed with our products and
physician reimbursement codes have been established for
both surgical procedures.
No assurance can be given,
however, that these payers will continue to reimburse healthcare providers who
perform TMR procedures using our products now or in the future. Further, no assurance can be given that additional
payers will reimburse healthcare providers who perform TMR procedures using our
products or that reimbursement, if provided, will be timely or adequate.
Should third party insurance
reimbursement for TMR procedures be reduced or eliminated in the future, our
business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and
adversely affected.
Furthermore, we know of no
existing Medicare coverage or other third party reimbursement that would be
available to either hospitals or physicians that would help defray the
additional cost that would result from the future purchase and/or use of our
RenalGuard System. We also can provide no assurance that we will ever be able
to obtain Medicare coverage or other third party reimbursement for the use of
RenalGuard, which could materially and adversely affect the potential future
demand for this product.
In addition, the market for our
all our products could be adversely affected by future legislation to reform
the nations healthcare system or by changes in industry practices regarding
reimbursement policies and procedures.
Securing
intellectual property rights for RenalGuard is critical to our future business
plans, but may prove to be difficult or impossible for us to obtain.
We have filed
nine patent applications with the U.S. patent office related to RenalGuard and
other intellectual property in the general field of preventing contrast-induced
nephropathy and acute renal failure. Securing patent protection over our
intellectual property ideas in this field is, we believe, critical to our plans
to successfully differentiate and market RenalGuard and grow
31
our
future revenues. We can provide no assurance, however, that we will be successful
in securing any patent protection for our intellectual property ideas in this
field or that our efforts to obtain patent protection will not prove more
difficult, and therefore more costly, than we are otherwise expecting.
Furthermore, even if we are successful in securing patent protection for some
or all of our intellectual property ideas in this field, we cannot predict when
in the future any such potential patents may be issued, how strong such patent
protection will prove to be, or whether these patents will be issued in a
timely enough fashion to afford us any commercially meaningful advantage in
marketing RenalGuard against other potentially competitive devices.
Asserting and
defending intellectual property rights may impact our results of operations.
In our industry, competitors
often assert intellectual property infringement claims against one
another. The success of our business
depends on our ability to successfully defend our intellectual property. Future litigation may have a material impact
on our financial condition even if we are successful in marketing our products.
We may not be successful in defending or asserting our intellectual property
rights.
An adverse outcome in any
litigation or interference proceeding could subject us to significant
liabilities to third parties and require us to cease using the technology that
is at issue or to license the technology from third parties. In addition, a finding that any of our
intellectual property is invalid could allow our competitors to more easily and
cost-effectively compete with us. Thus,
an unfavorable outcome in any patent litigation or interference proceeding
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or
results of operations.
The cost to us of any patent
litigation or interference proceeding could be substantial. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation
and continuation of patent litigation or interference proceedings could have a
material adverse effect on our ability to compete in the marketplace. Patent litigation and interference
proceedings may also absorb significant management time.
We
may be subject to product liability lawsuits; our insurance may not be
sufficient to cover damages.
We may be subject to product
liability claims. Such claims may absorb
significant management time and could degrade our reputation and the
marketability of our products. If
product liability claims are made with respect to our products, we may need to
recall the implicated product, which could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition,
although we maintain product liability insurance, we cannot be sure that our
insurance will be adequate to cover potential product liability lawsuits. Our insurance
is expensive and in the future may not be available on acceptable terms, if at
all. If a successful product liability claim or series of claims exceeds our
insurance coverage, it could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
We
are subject to risks associated with international operations.
A portion of our product sales
is generated from operations outside of the U.S. Establishing, maintaining and expanding
international sales can be expensive.
Managing and overseeing foreign operations are difficult and products
may not receive market acceptance. Risks
of doing business outside the U.S. include, but are not limited to, the
following:
32
agreements
may be difficult to enforce and receivables difficult to collect through a
foreign countrys legal system; foreign customers may have longer payment
cycles; foreign countries may impose additional withholding taxes or otherwise
tax our foreign income, impose tariffs or adopt other restrictions on foreign
trade; U.S. export licenses may be difficult to obtain; and the protection of
intellectual property rights in foreign countries may be more difficult to
enforce. There can be no assurance that our
international business will grow or that any of the foregoing risks will not
result in a material adverse effect on our business or results of operations.
Because we are incorporated in Canada, you may not be
able to enforce judgments against us and our Canadian directors.
Under Canadian law, you may not
be able to enforce a judgment issued by courts in the U.S. against us or our
Canadian directors. The status of the law in Canada is unclear as to whether a
U.S. citizen can enforce a judgment from a U.S. court in Canada for violations
of U.S. securities laws. A separate suit may need to be brought directly in
Canada.
Our stock price has historically
fluctuated and may continue to fluctuate significantly in the future which may
result in losses for our investors.
Our stock price
has been and may continue to be volatile. Some of the factors that may affect
our stock price are:
·
delisting of our common stock from the AMEX;
·
announcements relating to the global credit
markets or our ability as a company to raise additional capital;
·
the status of our clinical trials for
RenalGuard;
·
the announcement of new products, services or
technological innovations by us or our competitors;
·
actual or anticipated quarterly increases or
decreases in revenue, gross margin or earnings, and changes in our business,
operations or prospects;
·
speculation or actual news announcements in
the media or industry trade journals about our company, our products, the TMR
or CIN prevention procedures or changes in reimbursement policies by Medicare
and/or private insurance companies;
·
announcements relating to strategic
relationships or mergers;
·
conditions or trends in the medical device
industry;
·
changes in the economic performance or market
valuations of other medical device companies; and
·
general market conditions or domestic or
international macroeconomic and geopolitical factors unrelated to our
performance.
33
The market price of our stock
may fall if shareholders sell their stock.
Certain current shareholders
hold large amounts of our stock, which they could seek to sell in the public
market from time to time. Sales of a
substantial number of shares of our common stock within a short period of time would
cause our stock price to fall. In
addition, the sale of these shares could impair our ability to raise capital
through the sale of additional stock.
Item 4. Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
On June 18, 2008,
the Company held its 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the Shareholders
Meeting). At the Shareholders Meeting, the following matters were
approved by the vote specified below:
1.
Kevin J. Dunn and Brent Norton were
elected as Class III directors and will hold office until the annual
meeting of shareholders in 2011 or until their successors are duly elected and
qualified. Mr. Dunn received 26,978,988 shares of common stock
voting in favor of his election and 962,517 shares of common stock were
withheld. Dr. Norton received 26,859,167 shares of common stock
voting in favor of his election and 1,082,338 shares of common stock were
withheld. The terms of Edward H. Pendergast, Mark R. Tauscher, Robert I.
Rudko, Benjamin L. Holmes and Alan H. Magazine continued after the Shareholders
Meeting.
2.
An amendment was approved increasing the
number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Companys
2005 Stock Incentive Plan. The votes
were cast as follows: 12,415,963 shares of common stock were voted for the approval,
1,545,434 shares of common stock were voted against the approval, 180,620
shares of common stock abstained from the vote, and 13,799,488 shares of common
stock were broker non-votes.
3.
The selection of Vitale, Caturano &
Company, Ltd. as the Companys registered public accounting firm for the fiscal
year ending December 31, 2008 and the authorization of the Audit Committee
of the Board of Directors to fix the remuneration to be paid to the auditors
were approved. The votes were cast as follows: 27,592,827 shares of
common stock were voted for the approval, 211,969 shares of common stock were
voted against the approval and 136,709 shares of common stock abstained from
the vote.
34
Item 6. Exhibits
10.1
|
2005
Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, incorporated by reference to the
Registrants current report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on June 23, 2008.
|
|
|
|
|
10.2
|
Form of
Stock Option Grant Letter for Employees of the Registrant under the
Registrants 2005 Stock Incentive Plan used beginning June 18, 2008,
incorporated by reference to the Registrants current report on Form 8-K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 23, 2008.
|
|
|
|
|
10.3
|
Form of
Stock Option Grant Letter for Non-Employee Directors of the Registrant under
the Registrants 2005 Stock Incentive Plan used beginning June 18, 2008,
incorporated by reference to the Registrants current report on Form 8-K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 23, 2008.
|
|
|
|
|
31.1
|
Certification
of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or
15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to
Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
|
|
|
|
31.2
|
Certification
of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or
15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to
Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
|
|
|
|
32.1
|
Certifications
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
|
35
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to
the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto
duly authorized.
|
PLC SYSTEMS INC.
|
|
|
|
|
Date: August 14, 2008
|
By:
|
/s/
James G. Thomasch
|
|
|
James
G. Thomasch
|
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
|
|
(Principal
Financial Officer and Chief
|
|
|
Accounting
Officer)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
Number
|
|
Description of Document
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.1
|
|
2005
Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, incorporated by reference to the Registrants
current report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on June 23, 2008.
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.2
|
|
Form of
Stock Option Grant Letter for Employees of the Registrant under the
Registrants 2005 Stock Incentive Plan used beginning June 18, 2008,
incorporated by reference to the Registrants current report on Form 8-K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 23, 2008.
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.3
|
|
Form of
Stock Option Grant Letter for Non-Employee Directors of the Registrant under
the Registrants 2005 Stock Incentive Plan used beginning June 18, 2008,
incorporated by reference to the Registrants current report on Form 8-K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 23, 2008.
|
|
|
|
|
|
31.1
|
|
Certification
of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or
15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to
Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
|
|
|
|
|
31.2
|
|
Certification
of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or
15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to
Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
|
|
|
|
|
32.1
|
|
Certifications
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
|
37
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