Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Contingent Liabilities

v3.23.3
Contingent Liabilities
9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2023
Contingent Liabilities [Abstract]  
Contingent Liabilities Note 12 – Contingent Liabilities

The testing, manufacturing and marketing of consumer products by the Company and the clinical testing of our product candidates entail an inherent risk that product liability claims will be asserted against the Company. The Company maintains product liability insurance coverage for claims arising from the use of its products. The coverage amount is currently $10.0 million.

Legal Proceedings

On December 5, 2022, a putative class action complaint was filed in federal district court for the Southern District of Florida (Ewing v. Veru Inc., et al., Case No. 1:22-cv-23960) against the Company and certain of its current officers and directors (the "Ewing Complaint"). The Ewing Complaint alleges that certain public statements about sabizabulin as a treatment for COVID-19 between May 11, 2022 and November 9, 2022 violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The Company believes that the allegations asserted in the Ewing Complaint are without merit, and the Company intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit. There can be no assurance that the Company will be successful. At this time, the Company is unable to estimate potential losses, if any, related to the lawsuit.

On July 7, 2023, Anthony Maglia, a purported stockholder, filed a derivative action in the Circuit Court for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami-Dade County, Florida, against the Company as a nominal defendant, and Company officers and directors Mitchell S. Steiner, Michele Greco, Harry Fisch, Mario Eisenberger, Grace S. Hyun, Lucy Lu and Michael L. Rankowitz (the “Maglia Lawsuit”). This lawsuit asserts claims for breach of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets, and unjust enrichment primarily in connection with the issues and claims asserted in the Ewing Complaint. The Maglia Lawsuit seeks to direct the Company to improve its corporate governance and internal procedures, and also seeks monetary damages, injunctive relief, restitution, and an award of reasonable fees and expenses. The Company believes that the allegations asserted in the Maglia Lawsuit are without merit, and the Company intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit. There can be no assurance that the Company will be successful. At this time, the Company is unable to estimate potential losses, if any, related to the Maglia Lawsuit.

License and Purchase Agreements

From time to time, we license or purchase rights to technology or intellectual property from third parties. These licenses and purchase agreements require us to pay upfront payments as well as development or other payments upon successful completion of preclinical, clinical, regulatory or revenue milestones. In addition, these agreements may require us to pay royalties on sales of products arising from the licensed or acquired technology or intellectual property. Because the achievement of future milestones is not reasonably estimable, we have not recorded a liability on the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for any of these contingencies.

Collaborative Arrangements

On January 31, 2022, the Company entered into a Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement (the “Lilly Agreement”) with Eli Lilly and Company (“Lilly”). Under the Lilly Agreement, the Company is sponsoring a clinical trial in which both the Company’s enobosarm compound and Lilly’s compound are being dosed in combination. The Company is conducting the research at its own cost and Lilly is contributing its compound towards the study at no cost to the Company. The parties will continue to hold exclusive rights to all intellectual property relating solely to their own respective compounds. The Company will provide to Lilly copies of clinical data relating to the clinical trial and certain rights to use the clinical data. Veru maintains full exclusive, global commercialization rights to the enobosarm compound.

The terms of the Lilly Agreement meet the criteria under ASC Topic 808, Collaborative Arrangements (“ASC 808”), as both parties are active participants in the activity and are exposed to the risks and rewards dependent on the commercial success of the activity. ASC 808 does not provide guidance on how to account for the activities under the collaboration, and the Company determined that Lilly did not meet the definition of a customer under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The Company has concluded that ASC 730, Research and Development, should be applied by analogy. There is no financial statement impact for the Lilly Agreement as the value of the drug supply received from Lilly is offset against the drug supply cost within research and development expense.