Company: APM
Filing Date: 2025-10-06
Form Type: S-4
Source: 0001213900-25-096656
Chunk: 257

Company: Aptorum Group Ltd
Filing Date: 2025-10-06
Form: S-4
Chunk 257
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ent applications (i.e., a regular patent application). A non -provisionalpatent application is examined by the USPTO, and can mature into a patent once the USPTO determines that the claimed invention meets the standards for patentability. On the other hand, a provisional patent application is not examined for patentability, and automatically expires 12 months after its filing date. As a result, a provisional patent application cannot mature into a patent. Provisional applications are often used, among other things, to establish an earlier filing date for a subsequent non -provisionalpatent application. The term of individual patents depends upon the legal term of the patents in the countries in which they are obtained. The effective filing date of a non -provisionalpatent application is used by the USPTO to determine what information is prior art when it considers the patentability of a claimed invention. If certain requirements are satisfied, a non -provisionalpatent application can claim the benefit of the filing date of an earlier filed provisional patent application. As a result, the filing date accorded by the provisional patent application may supersede information that otherwise could preclude the patentability of an invention. 133

A provisional patent application is not eligible to become an issued patent unless, among other things, we file a non -provisionalpatent application within 12 months of the filing date of the provisional patent application. If we do not timely file a non -provisionalpatent application claiming priority to said provisional application, we may lose our priority date with respect to our provisional patent applications. Further, if any (self or by others) publication of the invention is made after such priority date, and if we do not file a non -provisionalapplication claiming priority to said provisional application, our invention may become unpatentable. Moreover, we cannot predict whether such future patent applications will result in the issuance of patents that effectively protect any of our product candidates or will effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive products. We do not expect to incur material expenses in the prosecution of the provisional applications or other licensed patent applications. We expect to fund the patent costs from our cash and restricted cash. The value of our drug products will depend significantly on our ability to obtain and maintain patent and other proprietary protection for those products, preserve the confidentiality of our trade secrets and operate without infringing the valid and enforceable patents and proprietary rights of other parties. As of the date hereof, we are the patentee of a number of