EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1554859
Filing Year: 2021
Filename: 1554859_10-K_2021_0001104659-21-033887.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
General
We are a company providing technology solutions to improve the clinical effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare providers. Our mission is to develop, manufacture and market innovative proprietary products and services that assist our customers in evaluating and treating chronic diseases. In 2011, we began commercializing our first patented and U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, cleared product, which measured arterial blood flow in the extremities to aid in the diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. In March 2015, we received FDA 510(k) clearance for the next generation version of our product, QuantaFlo®, which we began commercializing in August 2015. In September 2020, we entered into an agreement with a private company to exclusively market and distribute a new product line in the United States, including Puerto Rico, and, in September and October 2020, in an effort to provide access to potentially complementary product offerings, we made investments in two private companies working in other product areas. We believe our current products and services, and any future products or services that we may offer, position us to provide valuable information to our customer base, which in turn permits them to better guide patient care.
In the year ended December 31, 2020, we had total revenues of $38.6 million and net income of $14.0 million compared to total revenues of $32.8 million and net income of $15.1 million in 2019. We had an income tax expense of $2.5 million in 2020, compared to an income tax benefit of $4.4 million in 2019, primarily due to the release of a tax valuation allowance in the third quarter of 2019. Our pre-tax net income was $16.5 million in 2020 compared to $10.7 million in 2019.
COVID-19 Update
Late in the first quarter and into the second quarter of 2020, we experienced decreased test volumes due to COVID-19 related “social distancing” and other executive orders mandating “shelter-in-place” or similar restrictions, which limited patient visits by our customers. As such restrictions have been lifted around the country and non-emergency medical services resumed in late 2020, our business returned to and even exceeded pre-COVID-19 levels. In the third and fourth quarters of 2020, we experienced even higher test volumes as our customers accelerated usage due to a backlog of untested patients. However, as we look forward into 2021, there is uncertainty that the recent roll-back in restrictions will be maintained. New, additional or different restrictions could be imposed, which could impact the usage of our product by our customers. Other customers who have fixed-fee licenses could decide to cancel their licenses if they are not able to use our device as frequently as they had anticipated in light of such restrictions.
Our Products and Services
We currently market only one patented and FDA-cleared vascular-testing product, QuantaFlo®, to our customers, who include insurance plans, physician groups and risk assessment groups. We also have an exclusive distribution arrangement for the United States, including Puerto Rico, to distribute a new product for which we are currently developing a marketing plan.
QuantaFlo®
QuantaFlo® is a four-minute in-office blood flow test. Healthcare providers can use blood flow measurements as part of their examinations of a patient’s vascular condition, including assessments of patients who have vascular disease. The following diagram illustrates the use of QuantaFlo®:
QuantaFlo® features a sensor clamp that is placed on the toe or finger much like current pulse oximetry devices. Infrared light emitted from the clamp on the dorsal surface of the digit is scattered and reflected by the red blood cells coursing through the area of illumination. Returning light is ‘sensed’ by the sensor. A blood flow waveform is instantaneously constructed by our proprietary software algorithm. Both index fingers and both large toes are interrogated, which takes about 30 seconds for each. A hardcopy report form is generated that displays four waveforms and the ratio of each leg measurement compared with the arms. Results are classified as Flow Obstruction or No Flow Obstruction.
We have primarily developed a license model rather than an outright sales model for QuantaFlo®. This license model eliminates the need to make a capital equipment sale. Consequently, we generally require no down payment or long-term commitment from our customers. QuantaFlo® has an expected average lifetime of at least three years. We intend to reevaluate the monthly price periodically in consideration of the revenue generation associated with QuantaFlo®. To date, we roughly estimate that routine office usage of the QuantaFlo® has ranged from a few tests per week up to 10 tests per day. We also offer contracts in which we invoice on a per test basis for use of QuantaFlo®. Approximately two-thirds of our customers are on the fixed-fee software licensing model, whereas just under one-third are on the variable fee model based on usage.
We have placed our QuantaFlo® product with healthcare insurance plans, integrated delivery networks, independent physician groups and companies contracting with the healthcare industry such as risk assessment groups, in addition to doctors’ offices. Our largest customer is a U.S. diversified healthcare company and its affiliated plans, and in the year ended December 31, 2020, it accounted for 47.2% of our revenues.
Other Blood Flow Testing Methods
Blood flow is the amount of blood delivered to a given region per unit time, whereas blood pressure is the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of arteries. Given a fixed resistance, blood flow and blood pressure are proportional. The traditional ankle brachial index, or ABI, with Doppler test uses a blood pressure cuff to measure the systolic blood pressure in the lower legs and in the arms. A blood pressure cuff is inflated proximal to the artery in question. Using a Doppler device, the inflation continues until the pulse in the artery ceases. The blood pressure cuff is then slowly deflated. When the artery’s pulse is re-detected through the Doppler probe the pressure in the cuff at that moment indicates the systolic pressure of that artery. The test is repeated on all four extremities. Well-established criteria for the ratio of the blood pressure in a leg compared to the blood pressure in the arms are used to assess the presence or absence of flow obstruction. Generally, these tests take 15 minutes to perform and require a vascular technician to be done properly. Like QuantaFlo®, the traditional analog ABI test with Doppler is a non-invasive physiologic measurement that may be abnormal in the presence of PAD. Alternatively, primary care physicians may palpate the pedal pulses to assess blood flow in the lower extremities. However, pulse palpation is generally not sensitive for the detection of vascular disease. Other options to detect arterial obstructions are imaging systems that use ultrasound, x-ray technology or magnetic resonance to obtain anatomic information about blood vessels in the legs. However, as compared to QuantaFlo®, imaging tests are much more expensive and are performed by specialists in special laboratories or offices.
Market Opportunity
Fee-for-service is a payment model where services are unbundled and paid for separately. In health care, it gives an incentive for physicians to provide more treatments because payment is dependent on the quantity of care, rather than quality of care. Capitation is a payment arrangement that pays a physician or group of physicians a set amount for each enrolled person assigned to them, per period of time, whether or not that person seeks care. The amount of remuneration is based on the average expected healthcare utilization of that patient, with greater payment for patients with significant medical history. For Medicare Advantage patients, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, pays a fee per patient, also known as capitation. CMS uses risk adjustment to adjust capitation payments to health plans, either higher or lower, to account for the differences in expected health costs of individuals. Accordingly, under CMS guidelines, risk factor adjustments per patient will provide payment that is higher for sicker patients who have conditions that are codified. Accordingly, there is a financial incentive to identify those Medicare Advantage patients that are sicker, including those that have undiagnosed ailments such as PAD.
The coding system used by CMS for the Medicare Advantage program is a hierarchical condition category, or HCC, diagnostic classification system that begins by classifying over 14,000 diagnosis codes into 805 diagnostic groups, or DXGs. Each code maps to exactly one DXG, which represents a well-specified medical condition, such as DXG 96.01 pre-cerebral or cerebral arterial occlusion with infarction. DXGs are further aggregated into 189 condition categories, or CCs. CCs describe a broader set of similar diseases. Diseases within a CC are related clinically and with respect to cost. An example is CC96 Ischemic or Unspecified Stroke, which includes DXGs 96.01 and 96.02 acute but ill-defined cerebrovascular disease. We believe that quality of care measured by completeness and wellness is an economic benefit. These changes are already in place for the approximately 24 million participants in the Medicare Advantage program and are expected to expand to more types of insured patients as healthcare reform is deployed.
Undiagnosed vascular disease of the legs has been called a major under-diagnosed health problem in the United States by the National Institute of Health and the Wall Street Journal. We believe vascular disease in leg arteries is undiagnosed in 75% of cases, which is about 12 million Americans. Known as PAD, this condition is a common and deadly cardiovascular disease that is often undiagnosed. PAD develops when the arteries in the legs become clogged with plaque - fatty deposits - that limit blood flow to the legs. As with clogged arteries in the heart, clogged arteries in the legs place patients at an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Published studies have shown that persons with PAD are four times more likely to die of heart attack, and two to three times more likely to die of stroke. According to a study by P.G. Steg published in the JAMA, patients with PAD have a 21% event rate of cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular hospitalization within 12 months. The SAGE Group has estimated that as many as 20 million people are affected with PAD in the United States alone and A.T. Hirsch et al. in a JAMA published article further estimate that only 11% have claudication (pain on exertion), a classic symptom of PAD. One can lower the risks associated with PAD if the disease is detected, with early detection providing the greatest benefit.
Many people affected with PAD do not have noticeable symptoms. When symptoms of PAD are present, they often include fatigue, heaviness, cramping or pain in the legs during activity, leg or foot pain, sores, wounds or ulcers on the toes, feet, or legs, which are slow to heal. Persons with PAD may become disabled and not be able to work and can even lead to amputations. According to the National Limb Loss Information Center, an estimated 2 million Americans are amputees and the main causes are vascular disease in 54% of this population.
Risk factors for developing PAD include:
● Age (over 50 years);
● Race (African-American);
● History of smoking;
● Diabetes;
● High blood pressure;
● High blood cholesterol; and
● Personal history of vascular disease, heart attack, or stroke.
We believe insurance plans that have a high number of Medicare Advantage patients are the primary target market for QuantaFlo®, along with other medical personnel who care for those older than 50 years (such as home health care providers). Based on U.S. Census data, we believe there are more than 80 million older Americans who could be evaluated for the presence of PAD.
According to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, there are over 335,000 medical professionals practicing primary care in the United States. In addition, based on American Heart Association data, there are over 20,000 cardiologists and 7,500 vascular and cardiovascular surgeons. Also, there are millions of diabetic patients seen routinely by endocrinologists. Many podiatrists who see patients with these problems and orthopedic surgeons may see value in screening patients for circulation issues prior to leg procedures. Neurologists may need a tool to differentiate leg pain from vascular versus neurologic etiology. Nephrologists see patients with kidney disease, who have a higher frequency of PAD. Wound care centers need to know the adequacy of limb perfusion. We expect that each physician will have many patient visits annually from people older than 50 years. While it is standard practice to ask about symptoms of PAD and to feel for diminished pulses on physical exam, we believe that it is often the case in busy practices that the questions go unasked.
Generally speaking, individual products are not specifically approved by name under a third-party payor code. Physicians who seek reimbursement for PAD testing procedures are likely to use codes that describe non-invasive physiologic testing of extremities. We do not track directly how physicians code for and receive payment for such procedures.
Other Products and Services
In September 2020, we entered into an agreement with a private company to exclusively market and distribute a new product line in the United States, including Puerto Rico, for which we are currently developing a marketing plan. Under this distribution agreement, we agreed to purchase $1.2 million of product inventory. We also agreed to make royalty payments ranging from 0% to 10% of net sales depending on the average net sales price of the distributed products. Unless early terminated in accordance with its terms, the exclusive distribution agreement will remain in full force and effect until December 31, 2024, and thereafter there is an option for this agreement to be automatically renewed for additional 4-year terms. During September 2020, we prepaid for $900,000 of product inventory, of which we have received $72,000 as of December 31, 2020.
In September and October 2020, in an effort to provide access to potentially complementary product offerings, we also made investments in two private companies working in other product areas.
We invested in these three private companies as they are developing products that may allow us to expand our current product offering beyond QuantaFlo® for PAD, in addition to our internal research and development efforts. Their products deal with better chronic disease management and may be used by primary care practitioners, are FDA-cleared or equivalent, produced positive clinical data and two of the three new products seek to improve aspects or sequelae of the metabolic syndrome.
Strategy
Our mission is to develop, manufacture and market products and services that assist healthcare providers in evaluating and treating chronic diseases. We intend to do this by:
● Targeting customers with patients at risk of developing PAD. Healthcare providers use blood flow measurements as part of their assessment of a patient’s vascular condition. Our strategy is to keep marketing QuantaFlo® on a recurrent revenue model to insurance plans and medical personnel who care for those older than 50 years, including cardiologists, internists, nephrologists, endocrinologist, podiatrists, and family practitioners. Specifically, we believe there are more than 400,000 physicians and other potential customers in the United States alone, many of whom care for patients will be more than 50 years old and at increased risk of developing PAD. Based on U.S. Census data, the evaluable patient population for QuantaFlo® is estimated to be more than 80 million patients in the United States annually.
● Expanding the tools available to internists and non-peripheral vascular experts. Our intention is to provide a tool to internists and non-peripheral vascular experts, for whom it was previously impractical to conduct a blood flow measurement unless in a specialized vascular laboratory. For vascular specialists, QuantaFlo® does not require the use of blood pressure cuffs (which should not be used on some breast cancer patients), and measures without blood pressure in obese patients and patients with non-compressible, hard, calcified arteries. Currently, these patients often are unable to be measured satisfactorily with traditional analog ABI devices.
● Developing additional product and service offerings that allow healthcare providers to deliver cost-effective wellness and receive increased compensation for their services. In March 2015, we received FDA 510(k) clearance of our product, QuantaFlo®, reflecting several updates and modifications to the original model that were developed in conjunction with our consultant engineering groups. We are also exploring potential new product and service offerings through our research and development programs. These product and service offerings are designed to provide cost-effective wellness solutions for our growing, established customer base. Our goal is to achieve a reputation for outstanding service and the provision of cost-effective wellness solutions, while leveraging our gains in the marketplace for such product and service offerings.
● Exploring additional product and service offerings through arrangements or potentitial acquisitions. In addition to our in-house research and development efforts, we are also seeking out opportunities to expand our product and service offerings through marketing, distribution and licensing arrangements, such as our agreement to exclusively market and distribute a new product line in the United States, including Puerto Rico. Such arrangements will allow us to sell products related to chronic disease management through our network of physicians and other customers. We may also consider opportunistically acquiring additional products if we believe they fit within our strategy.
Sales and Marketing
We provide our QuantaFlo® product to our customers through our salespersons and our co-exclusive distributor, Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc., or Bard, a large medical device company with a worldwide presence in both interventional cardiology and dialysis, which was acquired by Becton, Dickinson and Company in December 2017. Sales through Bard accounted for less than 3% of our revenues in each of 2020 and 2019. In addition to our co-exclusive distributor, we have direct sales and marketing representatives who have experience selling products and services to our anticipated market.
We deliver our vascular testing product directly to our customers, and in-service training to the customer is provided either on-line or in person. Because QuantaFlo® is relatively easy to use training can generally be accomplished in less than one day.
Customers who have licensed our QuantaFlo® product may pay by credit card or check generally on the 15th of each month as an advance for usage during the next 30 days. In some cases, customers prefer an annual license paid in advance. We provide technical support daily, coupled directly to the manufacturing operation so that replacement products, if needed, can be shipped overnight directly to the customer. The majority of the support is over the telephone and focuses on software and connectivity issues, rather than hardware. We plan to upgrade QuantaFlo® operating systems as appropriate by direct shipments.
In addition to the license model with a fixed monthly fee, we also have contracts that charge a variable monthly fee, in which we invoice based on the number of tests performed with QuantaFlo®. In addition to licensing the QuantaFlo® software, we have sold QuantaFlo® equipment and accessories.
In September 2020, we entered into an agreement with a private company to exclusively market and distribute a new product line in the United States, including Puerto Rico, for which we are currently developing a marketing plan. As of December 31, 2020, we had not made any material sales under this arrangement.
Manufacturing
We manufacture our product, QuantaFlo®, in the United States through independent contractors whom we pay for finished goods. Our contracts provide for subassemblies, product final assembly, test, serialization, finished goods, inventory and shipping operations. Our current contracts will remain in force until terminated by us upon three months written notice, or until terminated by either party for cause. Although we believe we have a good working relationship with our current contract manufacturers, there are many such qualified contract manufacturers available around the country should we need to replace them or if they are not able to meet demand as we grow our business as anticipated. While our current independent contract manufacturers source some supplies from China, we believe QuantaFlo® is relatively easy to manufacture, and should we encounter issues due to supply chain disruptions as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic, we believe alternative sources should be available. We employ a consultant vendor qualification expert to monitor and test the quality controls and quality assurance procedures of our contract manufacturer.
Competition
The principal competitor for QuantaFlo® is the standard blood pressure cuff ABI device. QuantaFlo® does not include a blood pressure cuff. There are several companies that manufacture the traditional ABI device, which range in price from $2,500 to $20,000. Some of these companies are much larger than us and have more financial resources and their own distributor network. The traditional ABI devices are differentiated by the degree of automation designed into each product. ABI devices that rely more heavily on operator assessment (i.e., listening to the return of pulse while decreasing cuff pressure), are thought to have less objectivity in their measurement. Because standard ABI devices require a better trained operator, the products are usually sold to specialized vascular labs that are supervised by a vascular surgeon, with the tests performed by a licensed vascular technician. It is not uncommon for such ABI devices to be marketed to the offices of internists, podiatrists, endocrinologists or most cardiologists.
Our intention is to provide a tool to internists and non-peripheral vascular experts, for whom it was previously impractical to conduct a blood flow measurement unless in a specialized vascular laboratory. For vascular specialists, QuantaFlo® does not require the use of blood pressure cuffs (which should not be used on some breast cancer patients), and measures without blood pressure in obese patients and patients with non-compressible, hard, calcified arteries. Currently, these patients often are unable to be measured with traditional analog ABI devices.
Competitors are beginning to market competing digital devices seeking to provide fast results that may be used outside of a specialized vascular laboratory. Given the potential size of the PAD market, we expect competitors to continue to enter the space.
Research and Development Program
We have dedicated engineering consultants that are well integrated into our overall business, ranging from customer requirements to technical support. The engineering group uses our in-house quality system as its framework for new product development and release. The majority of the engineering is circuit design and software development. We are currently developing several updates and modifications to QuantaFlo® in conjunction with our consultant engineering groups, as well as exploring potential new product and service offerings. These product and service offerings are being designed to provide cost-effective wellness solutions for our growing, established customer base. The new products and service offerings under development or that may be developed may incorporate some of our current technology or new technology. We are also directing much of our activity to building our trade secrets and protecting proprietary positions.
We have sponsored several studies of our blood flow measurement products or provided data to authors on the use of our products for review and publication. One of these studies, the results of which were compiled in 2012 and published in a peer reviewed journal in 2013, sought to determine the frequency of finding undiscovered vascular disease in primary care practices using our vascular testing product. In the study of 632 patients at 19 office practices, the frequency of flow obstruction was 12% and of these patients, 75% did not have classic symptoms of PAD. Among other limitations of the study, the publication mentioned the study’s retrospective design, no direct comparison to other vascular tests and passive data collection such that 8% of patients had one or more missing data fields.
Another study we sponsored was designed to assess the side by side performance of our vascular testing product compared with traditional analog ABI with Doppler measurements in medical practices. In the study of 181 limbs from 121 patients at 5 medical practices during 2012 and 2013, three techniques were used on all limbs: our test, traditional analog ABI with Doppler, and Duplex ultrasound imaging as a gold standard. Traditional analog ABI with Doppler was unable to perform a conclusive study in 8.7% of limbs. In the remaining limbs, our vascular testing product and the ABI with Doppler measurements were in agreement, or in other words concordant, in 78% of limbs. Among the discordant limbs, Duplex imaging judged that the true positive rate of our vascular testing product was significantly higher than that of ABI with Doppler by a 2 to 1 margin. The results of the study are available as a white paper that may be shown to potential customers or other interested parties. Among other limitations of the study, the study had a small sample size, was conducted at specialty practices not primary care practices, had a retrospective design with incomplete collection of demographic information and clinical characteristics of the population, was not peer reviewed and was sponsored by us.
Another study also was designed to assess the side by side performance of our vascular testing product compared with traditional analog ABI with Doppler measurements in medical practices. In this prospective study at five medical practices during 2013 through 2015, 360 limbs from 180 patients were examined with three techniques: Our vascular testing product, traditional analog ABI with Doppler, and Duplex ultrasound imaging as a gold standard. Results demonstrated that our test demonstrated greater sensitivity, greater accuracy and equivalent specificity compared to ABI with Doppler measurements. The results of the study are available as a white paper. Among limitations of the study are that it had a small sample size, was conducted at a mix of primary care and specialty practices, had no formal tracking of consecutive patients, and was sponsored by us.
Another study, the results of which were compiled and published in a peer reviewed journal in 2018, reported an analysis of a registry of screening PAD testing with our product between January 2017 and July 2017. In this study, 226,565 patients were tested and 31.3% had moderate to severe flow impairment in the lower extremities. Further analysis of a subset of 26,459 patients for whom clinical characteristics were recorded showed that 95% were asymptomatic. The authors concluded that earlier recognition of PAD may lead to earlier secondary preventive measures and improved outcomes for a population with a high-risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Among other limitations of the study, the publication mentioned the study’s retrospective design and that clinical factors were recorded for only approximately 10% of patients.
A retrospective case series compiled and published in a peer reviewed journal in 2018 reported on 48 patients that were tested with our product and subsequently had a contrast angiography procedure for clinical indications. Using contrast angiography as the gold standard for determining PAD, the author concluded the data supports the use of our product as an aid for practicing physicians to accurately diagnose PAD in combination with clinical judgment. Among other limitations of the study, the sample size was small, tests were performed at specialty centers, and the analysis was done retrospectively.
Certain racial and economic groups in the United States are underserved by the medical community with limited access to specialists, a lack of early detection programs and inadequate preventive disease management. There is abundant evidence that certain ethnic populations are more at risk for cardiovascular disease and suffer sequelae of untreated PAD. A study was compiled and published in a peer reviewed journal in 2018 that presented a retrospective analysis of 1,901 patients tested with our product at 22 medical practices that serve predominately lower-income, non-white populations. The author concluded that our product can be effectively utilized by primary care clinicians in poor and underserved communities to identify PAD. The author posited that identifying PAD earlier in the disease process can be an important step towards filling the unmet need of higher intensity vascular care for minority populations. Limitations of the study include that it was a retrospective analysis and that there was no protocol to unveil the identity or ethnicity of any of the individual patients.
Women may lack early detection programs and have inadequate preventive disease management. A study was compiled and published in a peer reviewed journal in 2019 that presented a retrospective analysis of 68,402 female patients tested with our product at primary care medical practices in the United States. The author concluded that our product was an efficient means to aid in the diagnosis of PAD in vulnerable women who are currently underserved by their health care providers. Limitations of the study include that it was a retrospective analysis with self-reporting of clinical characteristics.
Patents and Licenses
We have been issued one patent for our apparatus, U.S. Patent No. 7,628,760, which expires December 11, 2027.
Government Regulation
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Regulation
QuantaFlo® is a medical device subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other federal, state, local and foreign regulatory bodies. FDA regulations govern, among other things, the following activities that we or our partners perform and will continue to perform:
● product design and development;
● product testing;
● product manufacturing;
● product safety;
● post-market adverse event reporting;
● post-market surveillance;
● product labeling;
● product storage;
● record keeping;
● pre-market clearance or approval;
● post-market approval studies;
● advertising and promotion; and
● product sales and distribution.
FDA’s Pre-market Clearance and Approval Requirements
To commercially distribute QuantaFlo® or any future medical device we develop requires or will require either prior 510(k) clearance or prior approval of a pre-market approval, or PMA, application from the FDA. The FDA classifies medical devices into one of three classes. Devices deemed to pose lower risk are placed in either class I or II, which requires the manufacturer to submit to the FDA a pre-market notification requesting permission for commercial distribution. This process is known as 510(k) clearance. Some low risk devices are exempt from this requirement. Devices deemed by the FDA to pose the greatest risk, such as life-sustaining, life-supporting or implantable devices, or devices deemed not substantially equivalent to a previously cleared 510(k) device are placed in class III, requiring approval of a PMA application. Both pre-market clearance and PMA applications are subject to the payment of user fees, paid at the time of submission for FDA review. The FDA can also impose restrictions on the sale, distribution or use of devices at the time of their clearance or approval, or subsequent to marketing.
510(k) Clearance Pathway
To obtain 510(k) clearance, a medical device manufacturer must submit a pre-market notification demonstrating that the proposed device is substantially equivalent to a previously cleared 510(k) device or a device that was in commercial distribution before May 28, 1976 for which the FDA has not yet called for the submission of PMA applications. The FDA’s 510(k) clearance pathway usually takes from three to 12 months from the date the application is completed, but it can take significantly longer, and clearance is never assured. Although many 510(k) pre-market notifications are cleared without clinical data, in some cases, the FDA requires significant clinical data to support substantial equivalence. In reviewing pre-market notification, the FDA may request additional information, including clinical data, which may significantly prolong the review process. After a device receives 510(k) clearance, any modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a major change in its intended use, will require a new 510(k) clearance or could require a PMA application. The FDA requires each manufacturer to make this determination initially, but the FDA can review any such decision and can disagree with a manufacturer’s determination. If the FDA disagrees with a manufacturer’s determination regarding whether a new pre-market submission is required for the modification of an existing device, the FDA can require the manufacturer to cease marketing and/or recall the modified device until 510(k) clearance or approval of a PMA application is obtained.
Pre-market Approval Pathway
A PMA application must be submitted if the device cannot be cleared through the 510(k) clearance process and requires proof of the safety and effectiveness of the device to the FDA’s satisfaction. Accordingly, a PMA application must be supported by extensive data including, but not limited to, technical information regarding device design and development, preclinical and clinical trials, data and manufacturing and labeling to support the FDA’s determination that the device is safe and effective for its intended use. After a PMA application is complete, the FDA begins an in-depth review of the submitted information, which generally takes between one and three years, but may take significantly longer. During this review period, the FDA may request additional information or clarification of information already provided. Also, during the review period, an advisory panel of experts from outside the FDA may be convened to review and evaluate the application and provide recommendations to the FDA as to the approvability of the device. In addition, the FDA will conduct a preapproval inspection of the manufacturing facility to ensure compliance with Quality System Regulations, or QSRs, which impose elaborate design development, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures in the design and manufacturing process. The FDA may approve a PMA application with post-approval conditions intended to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the device including, among other things, restrictions on labeling, promotion, sale and distribution and collection of long-term follow-up data from patients in the clinical study that supported approval. Failure to comply with the conditions of approval can result in materially adverse enforcement action, including the loss or withdrawal of the approval. New PMA applications or PMA application supplements are required for significant modifications to the manufacturing process, labeling and design of a device that is approved through the PMA process. PMA supplements often require submission of the same type of information as a PMA application, except that the supplement is limited to information needed to support any changes from the device covered by the original PMA application, and may not require as extensive clinical data or the convening of an advisory panel.
Pervasive and Continuing FDA Regulation
After a device is placed on the market, regardless of its classification or pre-market pathway, numerous regulatory requirements apply. These include, but are not limited to:
● establishment registration and device listings with the FDA;
● Quality System Regulations, which require manufacturers to follow stringent design, testing, process control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures;
● labeling regulations, which prohibit the promotion of products for uncleared or unapproved, i.e., “off-label,” uses and impose other restrictions on labeling;
● medical device reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA if their device may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if it were to recur;
● corrections and removal reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA field corrections and product recalls or removals if undertaken to reduce a risk to health posed by the device or to remedy a violation of the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, that may present a risk to health; and
● requirements to conduct post-market surveillance studies to establish continued safety data.
The FDA enforces these requirements by inspection and market surveillance. Failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements can result in enforcement action by the FDA, which may include any of the following sanctions:
● untitled letters or warning letters;
● fines, injunctions and civil penalties;
● recall or seizure of our products;
● operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of production;
● refusing our request for 510(k) clearance or pre-market approval of new products;
● withdrawing 510(k) clearance or pre-market approvals that are already granted; and
● criminal prosecution.
We are subject to unannounced device inspections by the FDA and the California Food and Drug Branch. These inspections may include our suppliers’ facilities.
Third-Party Coverage and Reimbursement
We cannot control whether or not providers who use QuantaFlo® will seek third-party coverage for such procedures or reimbursement. If providers intend to seek third-party coverage or reimbursement for use of QuantaFlo®, the success of our product could become dependent on the availability of coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors, such as governmental programs including Medicare and Medicaid, private insurance plans and managed care programs. Reimbursement is contingent on established coding for a given procedure, coverage of the codes by the third-party payors and adequate payment for the resources used.
Physician coding for procedures is established by the American Medical Association. CMS, the agency responsible for administering Medicare and Medicaid, and the National Center for Health Statistics, are jointly responsible for overseeing changes and modifications to billing codes used by hospitals for reporting inpatient procedures, and many private payors use coverage decisions and payment amounts determined by CMS as guidelines in setting their coverage and reimbursement policies. All physician and hospital coding is subject to change, which could impact coverage and reimbursement and physician practice behavior. We do not track denial of requests for reimbursement made by the users of QuantaFlo®. It is our belief that such denials have occurred and might occur in the future with more or less frequency. We are not in the business of performing QuantaFlo® measurements that require us to seek reimbursement from third-party payors, including governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, commercial health insurers, including those that offer Medicare Advantage plans, and managed care programs. Many of our customers are third-party payors who pay us directly for use of our product and services.
Independent of the coding status, third-party payors may deny coverage based on their own criteria, such as if they believe that the clinical efficacy of a device or procedure is not well established and is deemed experimental or investigational, is not the most cost-effective treatment available, or is used for an unapproved indication. We will continue to provide the appropriate resources to patients, physicians, hospitals and insurers in order to promote the best in patient care and clarity regarding reimbursement and work to obtain appropriate coverage policies. For some governmental programs, such as Medicaid, coverage and reimbursement differ from state to state, and some state Medicaid programs may not pay an adequate amount for the procedures performed with our products, if any payment is made at all. As the portion of the U.S. population over the age of 65 and eligible for Medicaid continues to grow, we may be more vulnerable to coverage and reimbursement limitations imposed by CMS. National and regional coverage policy decisions are subject to unforeseeable change and have the potential to impact physician behavior. For example, if CMS decreases the monthly payment for a 65-year-old patient, then the provider will have to decide which steps to eliminate from his or her routine office visits in order to maintain a profitable business model. If the time of an office visit will need to be reduced to maintain a profitable business, a provider may decide to eliminate certain services or conducting certain procedures, such as deciding not to use a thermometer, take someone’s blood pressure or use a QuantaFlo® to run an ABI test. Thus, reimbursement limitations imposed by CMS on providers may affect their decision making about which services to provide during an office visit, which could affect our company.
Particularly in the United States, third-party payors carefully review, have undertaken cost-containment initiatives, and increasingly challenge, the prices charged for procedures and medical products as well as any technology that they, in their own judgment, consider experimental or investigational. In addition, an increasing percentage of insured individuals are receiving their medical care through managed care programs, which monitor and often require pre-approval or pre-authorization of the services that a member will receive. Many managed care programs are paying their providers on a capitated basis, which puts the providers at financial risk for the services provided to their patients by paying them a predetermined amount per member per month. The percentage of individuals covered by managed care programs is expected to grow in the United States over the next decade.
There can be no assurance that third-party coverage and reimbursement will be available or adequate, or that future legislation, regulation, or coverage and reimbursement policies of third-party payors will not adversely affect the demand for our products or our ability to sell these products on a profitable basis. The unavailability or inadequacy of third-party payor coverage or reimbursement could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
Healthcare Fraud and Abuse
Our operations may be subject to federal and state healthcare laws and regulations including fraud and abuse laws, such as anti-kickback and false claims laws, data privacy and security laws and transparency laws related to payments and/or other transfers of value made to physicians and other healthcare professionals and teaching hospitals.
The federal Anti-Kickback Law prohibits unlawful inducements for the referral of business reimbursable under federally-funded healthcare programs, such as remuneration provided to physicians to induce them to use certain tissue products or medical devices reimbursable by Medicare or Medicaid. The federal Anti-Kickback Law is subject to evolving interpretations. For example, the government has enforced the federal Anti-Kickback Law to reach large settlements with healthcare companies based on, among other things, inappropriate consultant arrangements with physicians or questionable joint venture arrangements. The majority of states also have anti-kickback laws, which establish similar prohibitions that may apply to items or services reimbursed by any third-party payor, including commercial insurers. Further, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or collectively the Health Care Reform Law, among other things, amended the intent requirement of the federal Anti-Kickback Law and criminal healthcare fraud statutes. A person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of this statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation. In addition, the Health Care Reform Law provided that the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Law constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the civil False Claims Act and certain criminal healthcare fraud statutes.
Additionally, the civil False Claims Act prohibits knowingly presenting or causing the presentation of a false, fictitious or fraudulent claim for payment to the U.S. government. Actions under the False Claims Act may be brought by the Attorney General or as a qui tam action by a private individual in the name of the government. The federal government is using the civil False Claims Act, and the accompanying threat of significant liability, in its investigations of healthcare providers and suppliers throughout the country for a wide variety of Medicare billing practices and has obtained multi-million and multi-billion dollar settlements in addition to individual criminal convictions. In addition, off-label promotion has been pursued as a violation of the federal False Claims Act. Pursuant to FDA regulations, we can only market our products for cleared or approved uses. Although physicians are permitted to use medical devices for indications other than those cleared or approved by the FDA based on their independent medical judgment, we are prohibited from promoting products for such off-label uses. Given the significant size of actual and potential settlements, it is expected that the government will continue to devote substantial resources to investigating healthcare providers’ and suppliers’ compliance with the healthcare reimbursement rules and fraud and abuse laws.
Additionally, the majority of states in which we market our products have similar fraud and abuse laws, such as anti-kickback, false claims, anti-fee splitting and self-referral laws, which may apply to items or services reimbursed by any third-party payor, including commercial insurers, and violations may result in substantial civil, criminal and administrative penalties.
The Health Care Reform Law also imposed new reporting and disclosure requirements on device manufacturers for any “transfer of value” made or distributed to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals. Such information is now made publicly available in a searchable format, and device manufacturers are now required to report and disclose any investment interests held by physicians and their family members during the preceding calendar year. Beginning in 2022, applicable manufacturers will also be required to report such information regarding their payments and other transfers of value to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, anesthesiologist assistants, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified nurse midwives during the previous year. Failure to submit required information may result in significant civil monetary penalties for all payments, transfers of value or ownership or investment interests not reported in an annual submission. Additionally, the commercial compliance environment is continually evolving in the healthcare industry as some states, including California, Massachusetts and Vermont, mandate implementation of corporate compliance programs, along with the tracking and reporting of gifts, compensation and other remuneration to physicians. The shifting compliance environment and the need to build and maintain robust and expandable systems to comply in multiple jurisdictions with different compliance and/or reporting requirements increases the possibility that a healthcare company may run afoul of one or more of the requirements.
Our business operations may also be subject to certain federal and state laws regarding the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information, such as the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, which impose obligations on certain entities with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information.
In addition, the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, with specific exceptions, to report annually to CMS information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals, and applicable manufacturers and applicable group purchasing organizations to report annually to CMS ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Beginning in 2022, applicable manufacturers will also be required to report information regarding payments and other transfers of value provided during the previous year to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse anesthetists, anesthesiologist assistants, and certified nurse-midwives.
To enforce compliance with the federal laws, the U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, has increased its scrutiny of interactions between healthcare companies and healthcare providers, which has led to an unprecedented level of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and settlements in the healthcare industry. Dealing with investigations can be time- and resource-consuming. Additionally, if a healthcare company settles an investigation with the DOJ or other law enforcement agencies, the company may be required to agree to additional compliance and reporting requirements as part of a consent decree or corporate integrity agreement.
The U.S. and foreign government regulators have increased regulation, enforcement, inspections and governmental investigations of the medical device industry, including increased U.S. government oversight and enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Whenever a governmental authority concludes that we are not in compliance with applicable laws or regulations, that authority can impose fines, delay or suspend regulatory clearances, institute proceedings to detain or seize our products, issue a recall, impose operating restrictions, enjoin future violations and assess civil penalties against us or our officers or employees and can recommend criminal prosecution. Moreover, governmental authorities can ban or request the recall, repair, replacement or refund of the cost of devices we distribute.
If a governmental authority were to conclude that we are not in compliance with applicable fraud and abuse laws and regulations, we and our officers and employees could be subject to severe penalties including, for example, civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, individual imprisonment, exclusion from participation as a supplier of product to beneficiaries covered by Medicare or Medicaid, additional reporting obligations and oversight if subject to a corporate integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and curtailment or restructuring of operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and the results of our operations.
It is uncertain whether and how future legislation, whether domestic or foreign, could affect prospects for QuantaFlo® or what actions foreign, federal, state or private payors for health care treatment and services may take in response to any such health care reform proposals or legislation.
Healthcare Reform
Political, economic and regulatory influences are subjecting the healthcare industry to fundamental changes. For example, the Health Care Reform Law significantly changed the health care industry and brought a new way of doing business for providers and health insurance plans.
There have been executive, judicial and Congressional challenges to certain aspects of the Health Care Reform Law. For example, President Trump signed several Executive Orders and other directives designed to delay the implementation of certain provisions of the Health Care Reform Law or otherwise circumvent some of the requirements for health insurance mandated by the Health Care Reform Law. Concurrently, Congress considered legislation that would repeal or repeal and replace all or part of the Health Care Reform Law. While Congress has not passed comprehensive repeal legislation, it has enacted laws that modify certain provisions of the Health Care Reform Law such as removing penalties, effective January 1, 2019, for not complying with the Health Care Reform Law’s “individual mandate” to carry health insurance, delaying the implementation of certain Health Care Reform Law-mandated fees, and increasing certain discounts owed by pharmaceutical manufacturers who participate in Medicare Part D. On December 14, 2018, a Texas U.S. District Court Judge ruled that the Health Care Reform Law is unconstitutional in its entirety because the “individual mandate” was repealed by Congress as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Additionally, on December 18, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld the District Court ruling that the individual mandate was unconstitutional and remanded the case back to the District Court to determine whether the remaining provisions of the Health Care Reform Law are invalid as well. The United States Supreme Court is currently reviewing this case, but it is unknown when a decision will be reached. Although the United States Supreme Court has yet ruled on the constitutionality of the Health Care Reform Law, on January 28, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order to initiate a special enrollment period from February 15, 2021 through May 15, 2021 for purposes of obtaining health insurance coverage through the Health Care Reform Law marketplace. The executive order also instructs certain governmental agencies to review and reconsider their existing policies and rules that limit access to healthcare, including among others, reexamining Medicaid demonstration projects and waiver programs that include work requirements, and policies that create unnecessary barriers to obtaining access to health insurance coverage through Medicaid or the Health Care Reform Law. It is unclear how the United States Supreme Court ruling, other such litigation, and the healthcare reform measures of the Biden administration will impact the Health Care Reform Law and our business.
Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since Health Care Reform Law. For example, through the process created by the Budget Control Act of 2011, there are automatic reductions of Medicare payments to providers up to 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect in April 2013 and, following passage of the BBA, will remain in effect through 2030 unless additional Congressional action is taken. However, COVID-19 relief support legislation suspended the 2% Medicare sequester from May 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021.
Additionally, there has been increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect to cost-containment initiatives within the health care industry. We cannot predict what healthcare reform initiatives may be adopted in the future, particularly in light of the new presidential administration. Further, it is possible that additional governmental action is taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Human Capital Management
As of December 31, 2020, we had 86 employees, all of which were full-time. None of our employees are represented by a labor union, and we consider our relationship with our employees to be positive. We also regularly engage consultants and subcontractors on an as-needed basis. We increased our head count in the fiscal year 2020 from 67 to 86, which represents a 28% increase from the prior year. As we grow our business, we expect to continue to experience growth in the number of our employees, particularly in the areas of sales, marketing, and distribution.
Our human capital resources objectives include, as applicable, identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our existing and additional employees. We use different incentive plans such as annual cash bonuses, no-cost healthcare for employees and their families, paid vacation and generous referral bonuses to attract, retain and motivate our employees.
Governance and Culture - Our board of directors, including committees thereof, and executive management team are actively involved in overseeing our employee-related strategies and practices as well as our company culture. Our director of human resources and her team are also actively involved in implementing these decisions. We believe our company culture has been a critical component of our success in attracting and retaining personnel.
Diversity and Inclusion - We aim to create an inclusive working environment where all employees are respected and treated equally. We value diversity of backgrounds and perspectives and our policy is that we do not discriminate based on race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, military and veteran status, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristics established by federal, state or local laws. This message is emphasized from the top of our organization down to all of our employees.
Health, Safety and Well-Being - The safety and well-being of our employees is critical to our successful operation. Our health and safety activities are overseen by our board of directors, executive management team and director of human resources. Most of our employees work remotely, with the exception of a few employees who work in the office. These employees are generally in fulfillment and sales support roles. Our human resources department coordinates on-line training programs with the help of outside consultants. We believe that this model of training better fits our business operations and needs.
Response to COVID-19
As a virtual company, with the global spread of the current COVID-19 pandemic, we were not required to significantly modify our day-to-day operations when shelter-in-place and other orders were mandated in order to address and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our employees and our business. Our sales personnel reduced travel, and we increased the use of our existing virtual and on-line platforms. To date, we have not terminated any of our employees due to the pandemic. We continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation and, if needed, will evolve our plans and policies to keep our employees and customers safe.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Any investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Investors should carefully consider the risks described below and all of the information contained in this annual report on Form 10-K before deciding whether to purchase our common stock. Our business, financial condition or results of operations and trading price or value of our securities could be materially adversely affected by these risks if any of them actually occur. This annual report on Form 10-K also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks we face as described below and elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K.
Risks Related to Our Business
If we do not successfully implement our business strategy, our business and results of operations will be adversely affected.
Our business strategy was formed based on assumptions about the PAD market and healthcare reform that might prove wrong. We believe that various demographics and industry-specific trends, including the aging of the general population, growth of capitated payment programs, numbers of undiagnosed patients with PAD or other diseases and the importance of codifying vascular disease and potentially other diseases will help drive growth in the PAD market and our risk assessment business. However, these demographics and trends, and our assumptions about them, are uncertain. Actual demand for our products and service offerings could differ materially from projected demand if our assumptions regarding these factors prove to be incorrect or do not materialize, or if alternatives to our products or other risk assessment service providers gain widespread acceptance.
In addition, we may not be able to successfully implement our business strategy. To implement our business strategy, we need to (among other things) find new applications for and improve our products and service offerings and educate healthcare providers and plans about the clinical and cost benefits of our products, all of which we believe could increase acceptance of our products by physicians. We may also need to develop or acquire rights to other products and services that would be of interest to our customers given the patient populations they serve. In addition, we are seeking to increase our sales and, in order to do so, might need to expand our direct and distributor sales forces in existing and new territories, all of which could result in our becoming subject to additional or different regulatory requirements, with which we may not be able to comply. Moreover, even if we successfully implement our business strategy, our operating results may not improve or may decline. We may decide to alter or discontinue aspects of our business strategy and may adopt different strategies due to business or competitive factors not currently foreseen, such as new medical technologies that would make our products obsolete. Our attempts to alter aspects of our business strategy, such as our recent entry into an exclusive marketing and distribution agreement and our investments in private companies, may not yield positive effects on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Any delay or failure to implement our business strategy may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our business has been and could continue to be adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our business has been and could continue to be adversely affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. In the first half of 2020, we experienced decreased test volumes due to "social distancing" and other executive orders mandating "shelter-in-place" or similar restrictions, which limited patient visits by our customers. This volume decrease primarily affected revenues from our variable-fee licenses, which are based on usage of our QuantaFlo® product, often during home visits by our customers. The extent and duration of the pandemic is unknown, and the future effects on our business are uncertain and difficult to predict. Any future effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, or any similar pandemic, on our business and sales will depend, in part, on the length and severity of any restrictions and limitations on our ability to conduct our business in the ordinary course. These and similar, and perhaps more severe, disruptions in our operations could negatively impact our business, operating results and financial condition.
We currently actively market only one FDA-cleared product, a vascular testing product; vascular testing may not achieve broad market acceptance or be commercially successful. We may also fail to generate meaningful revenues from our exclusive marketing and distribution arrangement, nor benefit from our recent investments in other companies developing complementary products.
We currently actively market only one product, QuantaFlo®, and have an agreement with a private company to exclusively market and distribute a new product line in the United States, including Puerto Rico, for which we are currently developing a marketing plan. We also recently made minority investments in two companies developing potentially complementary product offerings, although such products are in early stages and may not ultimately fit with our strategy and customer base. Accordingly, we expect that revenues from our vascular testing product will account for the vast majority of our revenues for at least the next several years. Our vascular testing product, and any other products we may offering the future, may not gain broad market acceptance unless we continue to educate physicians and plans of its benefits. Moreover, even if insurance plans, home health care providers and physicians understand the benefits of vascular and other risk assessment testing, they still may elect not to use our products for a variety of reasons, such as familiarity with other devices and approaches. We may not be successful in gaining market acceptance of a technique measuring comparative blood flows using our proprietary algorithm to indicate flow obstruction as opposed to existing techniques that measure comparative blood pressures using well-accepted criteria to indicate flow obstruction, or imaging techniques that visualize anatomy of the arteries. Providers may also object to renting an examining tool with on-going monthly payments rather than making a one-time capital purchase or be reluctant to pay monthly fees for tools in the examining room when they have many such tools, such as thermometer and stethoscope that only required one-time minimal purchases.
If our vascular testing product or other products we may offer are not viewed as an attractive alternative to other products, procedures and techniques, we will not achieve significant market penetration or be able to generate significant revenues. To the extent that any products we offer are not commercially successful or are withdrawn from the market for any reason, our revenues will be adversely impacted, and our business, operating results and financial condition will be harmed.
Physicians and other customers may not widely adopt our products unless they determine, based on experience, long-term clinical data and published peer reviewed journal articles, that the use of our products provides a safe and effective alternative to other existing ABI devices.
We believe that physicians and other customers will not widely adopt our vascular testing product or our other products in development or products we distribute unless they determine, based on experience, long-term clinical data and published peer reviewed journal articles, that the use of such product provides a safe and effective alternative to other existing ABI devices.
We cannot provide any assurance that the data collected from our past, current and any future clinical trials will be sufficient to demonstrate that our products are an attractive alternative to other ABI devices or procedures. If we fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy that is at least comparable to other ABI devices that are available on the market, our ability to successfully market our products will be significantly limited. Even if the data collected from clinical studies or clinical experience indicate positive results, each physician’s actual experience with our products will vary. We also believe that published peer-reviewed journal articles and recommendations and support by influential physicians regarding our vascular testing product and our other products in development will be important for market acceptance and adoption, and we cannot assure you that we will receive these recommendations and support, or that supportive articles will be published. Accordingly, there is a risk that our products may not be adopted by many physicians, which would negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Moreover, we recently acquired exclusive distribution rights to a new product area and may in the future acquire rights to other complementary products. If we are not able to convince potential customers of their benefits, these rights and potential future rights may not generate any meaningful revenues for our company.
If healthcare providers are unable to obtain adequate coverage and reimbursement either for procedures performed using our product or patient care incorporating the use of our product, it is unlikely that our product will gain widespread acceptance.
Maintaining and growing revenues from our products and service offerings depends on the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors, including government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, private insurance plans and managed care programs. Healthcare providers that use medical devices such as our vascular testing product to test their patients generally rely on third-party payors to pay for all or part of the costs and fees associated with the procedures performed with these devices, or to compensate them for their patient care services. The existence of coverage and adequate reimbursement for the procedures or patient care performed with our vascular testing product by third-party payors is central to the acceptance of our vascular testing product and any future products. During the past several years, third-party payors have undertaken cost-containment initiatives including different payment methods, monitoring healthcare expenditures, and anti-fraud initiatives. We may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability if third-party payors deny coverage or reduce their current levels of payment, or if our costs of production increase faster than increases in reimbursement levels. Further, many private payors use coverage decisions and payment amounts determined by CMS, which administers the Medicare program, as guidelines in setting their coverage and reimbursement policies. Future action by CMS or other government agencies may diminish payments to physicians, outpatient centers and/or hospitals. Those private payors that do not follow the Medicare guidelines may adopt different coverage and reimbursement policies for procedures or patient care performed with our vascular testing product. For some governmental programs, such as Medicaid, coverage and reimbursement differ from state to state, and some state Medicaid programs may not pay an adequate amount for the procedures or patient care performed with our vascular testing product if any payment is made at all. As the portion of the U.S. population over the age of 65 and eligible for Medicare continues to grow, we may be more vulnerable to coverage and reimbursement limitations imposed by CMS. Furthermore, the healthcare industry in the United States has experienced a trend toward cost containment as government and private insurers seek to control healthcare costs by imposing lower payment rates and negotiating reduced contract rates with service providers. Therefore, we cannot be certain that the procedures or patient care performed with our product will be reimbursed at a cost-effective level.
Our vascular testing product is generally but not specifically approved for reimbursement under any third-party payor codes; if third-party payors refuse to reimburse our customers for their use of our product, it could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Our vascular testing product is licensed by healthcare providers. They may bill various third-party payors, including governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, private insurance plans and managed care programs for procedures in which our vascular testing product is used. Reimbursement is a significant factor considered by healthcare providers in determining whether to license medical devices or systems such as our vascular testing product. We cannot control whether or not providers who use our vascular testing product will seek reimbursement. Therefore, our ability to successfully commercialize our vascular testing product could depend on the coverage and adequacy of reimbursement from these third-party payors.
Currently, our vascular testing product is generally but not specifically approved for any particular reimbursement code. Although most of our customers report being covered and reimbursed by third-party payors consistently for procedures using a variety of different reimbursement codes, there is a risk that third-party payors may disagree with the reimbursement under a particular code. In addition, some potential customers have deferred renting our product given the uncertainty regarding reimbursement. We do not track denial of requests for reimbursement made by the users of our product. It is our belief that such denials have occurred and might occur in the future with more or less frequency. Even if our product and procedures are often currently covered and reimbursed by third-party payors and Medicare, problems for customers to receive reimbursement or adverse changes in payors’ coverage and reimbursement policies that affect our product could harm our ability to market our vascular testing product. Obtaining approval for a particular reimbursement code is time consuming and can be costly. Accordingly, at this time, and given the way we intend our vascular testing product to be used, we do not intend to pursue formal approval for our vascular testing product for any particular code.
Moreover, we are unable to predict what changes will be made to the reimbursement methodologies used by third-party payors. We cannot be certain that under current and future payment systems, in which healthcare providers may be reimbursed a set amount based on the type of procedure performed, such as those utilized by Medicare and in many privately managed care systems, the cost of our product will be justified and incorporated into the overall cost of the procedure.
We rely heavily upon the talents of a small number of key personnel, the loss of whom could severely damage our business.
Our performance depends to a large extent on a small number of key scientific, technical, managerial and marketing personnel. We do not maintain key man insurance for any of our personnel. The loss of the services of any of these key personnel could still severely damage our business prospects, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We rely on a small number of employees in our direct sales force and face challenges and risk in managing and maintaining our distribution network and the parties who make up that network.
We face significant challenges and risks in managing our distribution network and retaining the parties who make up that network. We had 60 sales and marketing employees as of December 31, 2020. If any of our sales or marketing force were to resign, or if our co-exclusive distributor were to cease to do business with us, our sales could be adversely affected. Our co-exclusive distributor accounted for less than 3% of our revenues for each of the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. If our co-exclusive distributor were to cease to distribute our product, it could slow down our efforts to gain widespread market acceptance of our vascular testing product. While our contract automatically renews for one-year terms, our co-exclusive distributor has the right terminate our arrangement upon 90 days’ notice prior to expiration. Even if not terminated, we may need to seek out alternatives, such as increasing our direct sales and marketing force or contracting with external independent sales representatives or enter another distributor relationship. There is no guarantee that we would be successful in our efforts to find independent sales representatives or another large distributor, or that we would be able to negotiate contract terms favorable to us. Failure to hire or retain qualified direct sales and marketing personnel or independent distributors would prevent us from expanding our business and generating revenues, which would have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve or maintain profitability.
To adequately commercialize our products and any new products we add, we may need to increase our sales and marketing network, which will require us to hire, train, retain and supervise employees and other independent contractors.
We are currently exploring other sales models to generate revenues from our products in addition to the leasing model, such as our fee per test model. We also have exclusive distribution rights to a new product area and may in the future acquire rights to other complementary products. As we increase our marketing efforts to pursue these new strategies and expand our efforts to target insurance plans that serve Medicare Advantage members, we may need to increase our sales and marketing network. Our future success will depend largely on our ability to continue to hire, train, retain and motivate skilled direct sales representatives, independent sales representatives or distributors with significant technical knowledge about our product, in addition to coordinating networks of contract medical assistants and other personnel to staff health and wellness fairs and physicians’ offices in fee-for-service models. New hires and independent contractors require training, supervision and take time to achieve full productivity. If we fail to train and supervise new hires adequately, or if we experience high turnover in our sales force or trained professionals in the future, we cannot be certain that we will maintain or increase our sales. If we are unable to expand our sales and marketing capabilities, we may not be able to effectively commercialize our vascular testing product or our other products and service offerings in development, which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We do not require our customers to enter into long-term licenses or maintenance contracts for our products or services and may therefore lose customers on short notice.
Our business is primarily based on a leasing model rather than an outright sale of our products. Our pricing is based on data collected on use rates and third-party payment rates to physicians and facilities for the use of our product. We require no down payment, long-term commitment or maintenance contract or fees from our customers and replace damaged products free of charge in the service model. If we lose current customers on short notice, we may not be able to find new customers to replace them with in a timely manner and that could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, our business model of replacing damaged products free of charge may prove to be costly and affect the profitability of our service model.
We are exposed to risk as a significant portion of our revenues and accounts receivables are with a limited number of customers.
Three customers account for a significant portion of our revenues and accounts receivable. For the year ended December 31, 2020, two customers accounted for 47.2%, and 22.8% of our revenues, and as of December 31, 2020, four customers accounted for 31.2%, 19.4%, 15.7%, and 10.4% of our accounts receivable. If our largest customers were to cease using or stop payment for our vascular testing devices, it would have a material adverse effect on our revenues and/or our accounts receivable. Our efforts to diversify and potentially expand our product offering are preliminary in nature. This concentration of revenues and accounts receivable among a limited number of customers represents a significant risk.
We rely on a small number of independent suppliers and facilities for the manufacturing of our vascular testing product. Any delay or disruption in the supply of the product or facility may negatively impact our operations.
We manufacture our vascular testing product through a small number of independent contractors based in the United States. We also purchase inventory under our exclusive marketing and distribution agreement in a new product area. The loss or disruption of our relationships with outside vendors and suppliers could subject us to substantial delays in the delivery to customers. Our current contractor manufacturers source some supplies from China and should these outside vendors encounter issues due to supply chain disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise, we believe alternative suppliers should be available. However, significant delays in the delivery of our product or inventory to us could result in possible cancellation of orders and the loss of customers. Although we expect our vendors and suppliers to comply with our contract terms, we do not have control over such parties. Our inability to provide a product that meets delivery schedules could have a material adverse effect on our reputation in the industry, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Further, our vascular testing product is manufactured in the United States in a limited number of facilities. If an event occurred that resulted in material damage to these manufacturing facilities or our manufacturing contractors lacked sufficient labor to fully operate their facilities, we may be unable to transfer the manufacture of our vascular testing product to another facility or location in a cost-effective or timely manner, if at all. This potential inability to transfer production could occur for a number of reasons, including but not limited to a lack of necessary relevant manufacturing capability at another facility, or the regulatory requirements of the FDA or other governmental regulatory bodies. Even if there are many qualified contract manufacturers available around the country and our product is relatively easy to manufacture, such an event could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Because we operate in an industry with significant product liability risk, and we may not be sufficiently insured against this risk, we may be subject to substantial claims against our product or services that we may provide.
The development, manufacture and sale, lease or use of products or provision of services in a medical setting entails significant risks of product liability or other negligence or malpractice claims. Although we maintain insurance to cover us in the event of liability claims, and as of the date of this this annual report on Form 10-K, no such claims have been asserted or threatened against us, our insurance may not be sufficient to cover all possible future liabilities regarding our product, or from performing tests with our product or other non-proprietary products. Accordingly, we may not be adequately protected from any liabilities, including any adverse judgments or settlements, we might incur in connection with the development, clinical testing, manufacture and sale, lease or use of our products or the provision of services. A successful product liability or negligence or medical malpractice claim or series of claims brought against us that result in an adverse judgment against or settlement by us in excess of any insurance coverage could seriously harm our financial condition or reputation. Moreover, even if no judgments, fines, damages or liabilities are imposed on us, our reputation could suffer, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, product liability and other malpractice insurance is expensive and may not always be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all.
We may implement a product recall or voluntary market withdrawal or stop shipment of our product due to product defects or product enhancements and modifications, which would significantly increase our costs.
The manufacturing and marketing of our vascular testing product and any future products that we may develop involves an inherent risk that our products may prove to be defective. In that event, we may voluntarily implement a recall or market withdrawal or stop shipment or may be required to do so by a regulatory authority. A recall of our vascular testing product or one of our future products, or a similar product manufactured by another manufacturer, could impair sales of the products we market as a result of confusion concerning the scope of the recall or as a result of the damage to our reputation for quality and safety. Further any product recall, voluntary market withdrawal or shipment stoppage of our product could significantly increase our costs and have a material adverse effect on our business.
If we fail to properly manage our anticipated growth, our business could suffer.
Our growth has placed, and will continue to place, a significant strain on our management and on our operational and financial resources and systems. Failure to manage our growth effectively could cause us to over-invest or under-invest and result in losses or weaknesses. Additionally, our anticipated growth will increase the demands placed on our supplier, resulting in an increased need for us to carefully monitor for quality assurance. Any failure by us to manage our growth effectively could have an adverse effect on our ability to achieve our development and commercialization goals.
An information security incident, including a cybersecurity breach, could have a negative impact on our business or reputation.
To meet business objectives, we rely on both internal information technology systems and networks, and those of third parties and their vendors, to process and store sensitive data, including confidential research and patient data that may be subject to legal protection. The extensive information security and cybersecurity threats, which affect companies globally, pose a risk to the security and availability of these information technology systems and networks, and the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our sensitive data. We continually assess these threats and make investments to increase internal protection, detection, and response capabilities, as well as ensure our third-party providers have required capabilities and controls, to address this risk. To date, we have not experienced any material impact to our business or operations resulting from information or cybersecurity attacks; however, because of the frequently changing attack techniques, along with the increased volume and sophistication of the attacks, there is the potential for us to be adversely impacted. This impact could result in reputational, competitive, operational or other business harm as well as financial costs and regulatory action.
Fluctuations in insurance cost and availability could adversely affect our profitability or our risk management profile.
We hold a number of insurance policies, including product liability insurance, directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, and workers’ compensation insurance. If the costs of maintaining adequate insurance coverage increase significantly in the future, our operating results could be materially adversely affected. Likewise, if any of our current insurance coverage should become unavailable to us or become economically impractical, we would be required to operate our business without indemnity from commercial insurance providers. If we operate our business without insurance, we could be responsible for paying claims or judgments against us that would have otherwise been covered by insurance, which could adversely affect our results of operations or financial condition.
We will need to generate significant revenues to remain profitable.
We intend to increase our operating expenses substantially as we add sales and technical support representatives to increase our geographic coverage, increase our marketing capabilities, pursue research and new product and service offering development and increase our general and administrative functions to support our growing operations. We will need to generate significant sales to maintain profitability and we might not be able to do so. Even if we do generate significant sales, we might not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis in the future. If our sales grow more slowly than we anticipate or if our operating expenses exceed our expectations, our financial performance will likely be adversely affected.
Our future financial performance will depend in part on the successful improvements and software updates to our vascular testing product on a cost-effective basis.
Our future financial performance will depend in part on our ability to influence, anticipate, identify and respond to changing consumer preferences and needs and the technologies relating to the care and treatment of vascular problems. We can provide no assurances that our vascular testing product will achieve significant commercial success and that it will gain meaningful market share. We may not correctly anticipate or identify trends in consumer preferences or needs or may identify them later than competitors do. In addition, difficulties in manufacturing or in obtaining regulatory approvals may delay or prohibit improvements to our vascular testing product or our other products in development. Further, we may not be able to develop improvements and software updates to our vascular testing product at a cost that allows us to meet our goals for profitability. Service costs relating to our product may be greater than anticipated, rentals may be returned prior to the end of the license term, and we may be required to devote significant resources to address any quality issues associated with our vascular testing product.
Failure to successfully introduce improve or update our products on a cost-effective basis, or delays in customer decisions related to the evaluation of our products could cause us to lose market acceptance and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We operate in an intensely competitive and rapidly changing business environment, and there is a substantial risk our products or service offerings could become obsolete or uncompetitive.
The market for medical systems, equipment and other devices and services is highly competitive. We compete with many medical service companies in the United States and internationally in connection with our vascular testing product and products under development. We face competition from numerous companies in the diagnostic area, as well as competition from academic institutions, government agencies and research institutions. Most of our current and potential competitors have, and will continue to have, substantially greater financial, technological, research and development, regulatory and clinical, manufacturing, marketing and sales, distribution and personnel resources than we do. There can be no assurance that we will have sufficient resources to successfully commercialize our vascular testing product or any other future products, if and when they are approved for sale or license, or service offerings that we may develop. Our future success will depend largely upon our ability to anticipate and keep pace with developments and advances. Current or future competitors could develop alternative technologies or products or service offerings that are more effective, easier to use or more economical than what we or any potential licensee develop. If our technologies or products or service offerings become obsolete or uncompetitive, our related revenues would decrease. This would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
One of our business strategies is developing additional products and service offerings that allow healthcare providers to deliver cost-effective wellness and receive increased compensation for their services. The development of new products and service offerings involves time and expense and we may never realize the benefits of this investment.
As part of our business strategy, we intend to develop additional products and service offerings that allow healthcare providers to deliver cost-effective wellness and receive increased compensation for their services. Such product and service offering development may require substantial investments and we may commit significant resources and time before knowing whether our efforts will translate into profits for our company. We may continue to choose to invest some of our cash resources in other entities that may have complementary technologies or product offerings and may not realize the benefit of such investments. It is possible that our development efforts will not be successful and that we will not be able to develop new products or service offerings, either alone or in partnership with others, or if developed that we will obtain the necessary regulatory approvals for commercialization. Even if we receive necessary regulatory approvals, there is no guarantee that such approved products or any new service offerings will achieve market acceptance and we may never realize the benefits of any investment in this strategy.
We may not realize expected benefits from our investments in other companies, which could harm our business.
From time to time, we may decide to invest in other companies with potentially complementary products or technologies. For example, in September and October 2020, we made investments in two private companies working in other product areas. There can be no assurance that the businesses we invest in will become profitable or remain so or that we will realize any financial benefit from our investments. Additionally, investments in privately held companies are inherently risky, in some instances because the markets for the technologies or products these companies have under development may never materialize or achieve expectations. If these companies do not succeed, we may be forced to record impairment charges and could lose some or all of our investment in these companies. Further, we may need to divest our investments or increase our investment to become a controlling interest sooner than we may like in order to comply with regulations regarding the amount of our assets represented by minority investments. These regulatory requirements may not always coincide with our business objectives and could adversely affect our investments and strategy.
Risks Related to Our Legal and Regulatory Environment
Our business is subject to many laws and government regulations governing the manufacture and sale of medical devices, including the FDA’s 510(k) clearance process, and laws and regulations governing patient data and information, among others.
Our vascular testing product and any future medical devices that we may develop or services that we may offer are subject to extensive regulation in the United States by the federal government, including by the FDA. For a discussion of the relevant regulatory regime, see “Business-Government Regulation.” We cannot assure that any new medical devices or new uses or modifications for our vascular testing product that we develop will be cleared or approved in a timely or cost-effective manner, if cleared or approved at all. Even if such clearances or approvals are received, they may not be for all indications. Because medical devices may only be marketed for cleared or approved indications, this could significantly limit the market for that product and may adversely affect our results of operations.
Furthermore, although QuantaFlo® has received FDA clearance, we must make our own determination regarding whether a modification to the device requires a new clearance. We cannot guarantee that the FDA will agree with our decisions not to seek clearances for particular device modifications or that we will be successful in obtaining 510(k) clearances for modifications. Any such additional clearance processes with the FDA could delay our ability to market a modified product and may adversely affect our results of operations.
The FDA may change its policies, adopt additional regulations, or revise existing regulations, in particular relating to the 510(k) clearance process.
The FDA may change its policies, adopt additional regulations, or revise existing regulations, each of which could prevent or delay pre-market approval or 510(k) clearance of a device, or could impact our ability to market our currently cleared device. Future reforms could require us to file new 510(k) clearances and could increase the total number of 510(k) clearance to be filed. We cannot predict what effect these reforms will have on our ability to obtain 510(k) clearances in a timely manner. We also cannot predict the nature of other regulatory reforms and their resulting effects on our business.
Our business is subject to unannounced inspections by FDA to determine our compliance with FDA requirements.
FDA inspections can result in inspectional observations on FDA’s Form-483, warning letters or other forms of more significant enforcement action. More specifically, if FDA concludes that we are not in compliance with applicable laws or regulations, or that our vascular testing product or any future medical device we develop is ineffective or pose an unreasonable health risk, the FDA could:
● require us to notify health professionals and others that our devices present unreasonable risk of substantial harm to public health;
● order us to recall, repair, replace or refund the cost of any medical device that we manufactured or distributed;
● detain, seize or ban adulterated or misbranded medical devices;
● refuse to provide us with documents necessary to export our product;
● refuse requests for 510(k) clearance or pre-market approval of new products or new intended uses;
● withdraw 510(k) clearances that are already granted;
● impose operating restrictions, including requiring a partial or total shutdown of production;
● enjoin or restrain conduct resulting in violations of applicable law pertaining to medical devices; and/or
● assess criminal or civil penalties against our officers, employees or us.
If the FDA concludes that we failed to comply with any regulatory requirement during an inspection, it could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. We could incur substantial expense and harm to our reputation, and our ability to introduce new or enhanced products in a timely manner could be adversely affected.
Although part of our business strategy is based on payment provisions enacted under government healthcare reform, we also face significant uncertainty in the industry regarding the implementation, transformation or repeal and replacement of the Health Care Reform Law.
Political, economic and regulatory influences are subjecting the healthcare industry to fundamental changes. For example, the Health Care Reform Law brought a new way of doing business for providers and health insurance plans, shifting the focus from fee for service programs to capitated programs that pay a monthly fee per patient. The Health Care Reform law also provided for higher risk factor adjustment payments for sicker patients who have conditions that are codified, as well as economic benefits for achieving certain quality of care measurements. For a discussion of healthcare reform activity, see “Business-Government Regulation-Healthcare Reform.”
We believe that the Health Care Reform Law measures are mainly positive for our business given the ability of our vascular testing product to measure blood flow in an in-office setting, which can assist doctors and other providers to suspect PAD and other vascular diseases. However, we cannot predict what changes will now be made, and if these features will be repealed. If changes are made to the Health Care Reform Law, or it is repealed altogether without a comparable replacement, such that there are no incentives for identifying sicker patients, it would negatively affect our business prospects and strategy, and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Further, the Health Care Reform Law encourages hospitals and physicians to work collaboratively through shared savings programs, such as accountable care organizations, as well as other bundled payment initiatives, which may ultimately result in the reduction of medical device acquisitions and the consolidation of medical device suppliers used by hospitals. Changes to or repeal of the Health Care Reform Law could adversely affect our financial results and business.
The applicable healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations, along with the increased enforcement environment, may lead to an enforcement action targeting us, which could adversely affect our business.
We are subject to various healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations, as described “Business-Government Regulation-Healthcare Fraud and Abuse.” We may be subject to liability under such laws and may also be subject to liability for any future conduct that is deemed by the government or the courts to violate these laws, including significant administrative, criminal and civil penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, exclusion from participation as a supplier of product to beneficiaries covered by Medicare or Medicaid, additional reporting obligations and oversight if subject to a corporate integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and curtailment or restructuring of operations.
Additionally, the government has continued to pursue an increasing number of enforcement actions. This increased enforcement environment may increase scrutiny of us, directly or indirectly, and could increase the likelihood of an enforcement action targeting us. We have entered into a supply and distribution agreement with Bard. These customers include parties that bill Federal healthcare programs for use of our product, all of whom may be subject to government scrutiny. Finally, to the extent that any of the agreements are breached or terminated, our business may experience a decrease in revenues. In addition, to the extent that our customers, many of whom are providers, may be affected by this increased enforcement environment, our business could correspondingly be affected. It is possible that a review of our business practices or those of our customers by courts or government authorities could result in a determination with an adverse effect on our business. We cannot predict the effect of possible future enforcement actions on our business.
Changes in, or interpretations of, tax rules and regulations may adversely affect our effective tax rates.
We are subject to income and other taxes in the United States. Significant judgment is required in evaluating our provision for income taxes. During the ordinary course of business, there are many transactions for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. For example, there could be changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities or changes in the relevant tax, accounting, and other laws, regulations, principles and interpretations. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the final determination of tax audits and any related litigation could be materially different from our historical income tax provisions and accruals. The results of an audit or litigation, or the effects of a change in tax policy in the United States, could have a material effect on our operating results in the period or periods for which that determination is made. In addition, new income, sales, use or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be enacted at any time, which could affect the tax treatment of our earnings. Any new taxes could adversely affect our business operations, and our business and financial performance. Further, existing tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified or applied adversely to us.
For example, on December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law U.S. federal income tax legislation, informally titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or the Tax Act, which significantly revised the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code. Future guidance from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities with respect to the Tax Act may affect us, and certain aspects of the Tax Act could be repealed or modified in future legislation. Changes in corporate tax rates, the realization of net deferred tax assets relating to our U.S. operations, the taxation of foreign earnings, and the deductibility of expenses under the Tax Act or future tax reform legislation could have a material impact on the value of our deferred tax assets, could result in significant one-time charges in the current or future taxable years, and could increase our future U.S. tax expense. The foregoing items, as well as any other future changes in tax laws, could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flow, financial condition, or results of operations. In addition, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to the Tax Act or any newly enacted federal tax legislation.
Our ability to use net operating loss, or NOL, carryforwards to offset future taxable income may be subject to limitations.
As of December 31, 2020, we had federal NOL carryforwards of $310,000. These NOL carryforwards, to the extent they arose prior to 2018, could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities. Under the Tax Act, federal NOLs incurred in 2018 and in future years may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal NOLs is limited. In addition, under Section 382 of the Code, and corresponding provisions of state law, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” which is generally defined as a greater than 50% change, by value, in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change NOL carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income or taxes may be limited. We have completed a formal Code Section 382 study for the period January 1, 2012 through June 30, 2019 and believed a change in ownership has occurred. In addition, we may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership, some of which may be outside of our control. If an ownership change occurs and our ability to use our NOL carryforwards is materially limited, it would harm our future operating results by effectively increasing our future tax obligations.
We have had material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. Although we have remedied our prior material weaknesses, if we identify additional material weaknesses in the future, or if our former material weaknesses recur, it could have an adverse effect on our company.
In prior years, we have identified certain material weaknesses in connection with management’s evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting that we have remedied. These weaknesses have included issues arising from our size and inability to segregate duties; ineffective design of certain of our information technology and change management controls; insufficient controls to validate the completeness and accuracy of underlying data; insufficient protocols and procedures to retain adequate documentary evidence related to the timely review and approval of manual journal entries and those supporting the design and operating effectiveness of certain important management review controls; a lack of controls to identify and analyze related party transactions; a lack of technical accounting competence; and inadequate procedures and controls to appropriately comply with, and account for, certain payroll tax withholdings and related expenses.
Although we have remedied our prior material weaknesses, we cannot assure you that we have identified all material weaknesses or that we will not in the future have additional, or recurrence of our prior, material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we have additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting in the future, or if our former material weaknesses recur, it could have an adverse effect on our company.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
Our success largely depends on our ability to obtain and protect the proprietary information on which we base our product.
Our success depends in large part upon our ability to establish and maintain the proprietary nature of our technology through the patent process, as well as our ability to license from others’ patents and patent applications necessary to develop our product. If our patent or any future patents are successfully challenged, invalidated or circumvented, or our right or ability to manufacture our product was to be limited, our ability to continue to manufacture and market our product could be adversely affected. In addition to patents, we rely on trade secrets and proprietary know-how, which we seek to protect, in part, through confidentiality and proprietary information agreements. The other parties to these agreements may breach these provisions, and we may not have adequate remedies for any breach. Additionally, our trade secrets could otherwise become known to or be independently developed by competitors.
As of December 31, 2020, we have been issued, or have rights to, one U.S. patent. The patent we hold may be successfully challenged, invalidated or circumvented, or we may otherwise be unable to rely on this patent. These risks are also present for the process we use for manufacturing our product. In addition, our competitors, many of whom have substantial resources and have made substantial investments in competing technologies, may apply for and obtain patents that prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use and sell our product, either in the United States or in international markets. The medical device industry has been characterized by extensive litigation regarding patents and other intellectual property rights. We may institute, become party to, or be threatened with, future adversarial proceedings or litigation regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our product and technology, including interference or derivation proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO. Third parties may assert infringement claims against us based on existing patents or patents that may be granted in the future. If we are found to infringe a third party’s intellectual property rights, we could be required to obtain a license from such third party to continue developing and marketing our product and technology. However, we may not be able to obtain any required license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Even if we were able to obtain a license, it could be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. We could be forced, including by court order, to cease commercializing the infringing technology or product. In addition, we could be found liable for monetary damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees if we are found to have willfully infringed a patent. A finding of infringement could prevent us from commercializing our product or force us to cease some of our business operations, which could materially harm our business. Claims that we have misappropriated the confidential information or trade secrets of third parties could have a similar negative impact on our business. The defense and prosecution of intellectual property suits, USPTO proceedings and related legal and administrative proceedings are both costly and time consuming. Any litigation or interference proceedings involving us may require us to incur substantial legal and other fees and expenses and may require some of our employees to devote all or a substantial portion of their time to the proceedings.
We may need to license intellectual property from third parties, and such licenses may not be available or may not be available on commercially reasonable terms.
A third party may hold intellectual property, including patent rights that are important or necessary to the development of our vascular testing product or any future products. It may be necessary for us to use the patented or proprietary technology of a third party to commercialize our own technology or products, in which case we would be required to obtain a license from such third party. A license to such intellectual property may not be available or may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
We may be subject to claims by third parties asserting that our employees or we have misappropriated their intellectual property, or claiming ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property.
Although we try to ensure that we and our employees and independent contractors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we or that these employees or independent contractors have used or disclosed intellectual property in violation of the rights of others. These claims may cover a range of matters, such as challenges to our trademarks, as well as claims that our employees or independent contractors are using trade secrets or other proprietary information of any such employee’s former employer or independent contractors. Although we do not expect the resolution of the proceeding to have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition, litigation to defend ourselves against claims can be both costly and time consuming, and divert management’s attention away from growing our business.
In addition, while it is our policy to require our employees and independent contractors who may be involved in the development of intellectual property to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to us, we may be unsuccessful in executing such an agreement with each party who in fact develops intellectual property that we regard as our own. Our and their assignment agreements may not be self-executing or may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual property.
If we fail in prosecuting or defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in prosecuting or defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.
If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed.
In addition to seeking patents for some of our technology and product, we also rely on trade secrets, including unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information, to maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect these trade secrets, in part, by entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to them, such as our employees, corporate collaborators, outside scientific collaborators, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties. We also generally enter into confidentiality and invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and consultants. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Enforcing a claim that a party infringed a patent or illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts inside and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor, we would have no right to prevent them, or those to whom they communicate it, from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor, our competitive position would be harmed.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
Our executive officers, directors and significant stockholders, if they choose to act together, have the ability to control all matters submitted to stockholders for approval.
Our executive officers, directors and significant stockholders beneficially own in the aggregate shares representing approximately 48.6% of our common stock as of February 26, 2021. If these stockholders choose to act together, they are able to control all matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, as well as our management and affairs. For example, these persons, if they choose to act together, can control the election of directors and approval of any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. This concentration of ownership control may:
● delay, defer or prevent a change in control;
● entrench our management and the board of directors; or
● impede a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us that other stockholders may desire.
Provisions in our corporate charter documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of our company, which may be beneficial to our stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Provisions in our corporate charter and our bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of our company that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which you might otherwise receive a premium for your shares. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock. In addition, because our board of directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors. Among other things, these provisions:
● allow the authorized number of our directors to be changed only by resolution of our board of directors;
● allow for a classified board of directors;
● establish advance notice requirements for stockholders proposal that can be acted on at stockholder meeting and nominations to our board of directors; and
● limit who may call stockholder meetings.
Moreover, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits a person who owns in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner.
Our common stock was delisted from the Nasdaq Capital Market and is trading on the over-the-counter markets, which may negatively impact the price of our common stock and our ability to access the capital markets.
The Nasdaq Stock Market suspended trading of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market in August 2016, and in November 2016, our common stock was delisted. Our common stock is currently trading on the over-the-counter markets, which could adversely affect the liquidity of our common stock. Stocks traded on the over-the-counter market generally have limited trading volume and exhibit a wider spread between the bid/ask quotation, as compared to securities listed on a national securities exchange. Consequently, you may not be able to liquidate your investment in the event of an emergency or for any other reason.
Some significant material adverse consequences of trading on the over-the-counter markets may include:
● a limited availability of market quotations for our common stock;
● a reduced amount of news and analyst coverage for us;
● a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future;
● reduced liquidity for our stockholders;
● potential loss of confidence by partners and employees; and
● loss of institutional investor interest and fewer business development opportunities.
The price of our common stock may be volatile and fluctuate substantially, which could result in substantial losses for purchasers of our common stock.
Our stock price has been and is likely to continue to be volatile. The stock market in general and the market for smaller medical device companies in particular have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. This volatility is even more prevalent in the over-the-counter markets. As a result of this volatility, you may not be able to sell your common stock. The market price for our common stock may be influenced by many factors, including:
● the success of competitive products, services or technologies;
● regulatory or legal developments in the United States and other countries;
● developments or disputes concerning patent applications, issued patents or other proprietary rights;
● the recruitment or departure of key personnel;
● actual or anticipated changes in estimates as to financial results, development timelines or recommendations by securities analysts;
● variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived to be similar to us;
● changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems;
● market conditions in the medical device sector;
● general economic, industry and market conditions; and
● the other factors described in this “Risk Factors” section.
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. Due to the potential volatility of our stock price, we may be the target of securities litigation in the future. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources from our business.
There is no assurance of an established public trading market.
A regular market for our common stock may not be sustained in the future. The OTCQB is an inter-dealer, over-the-counter market that provides significantly less liquidity than the Nasdaq Capital Market. Quotes for stocks included on the OTCQB are not listed in the financial sections of newspapers. As such, investors and potential investors may find it difficult to obtain accurate stock price quotations, and holders of our common stock may be unable to resell their securities at or near their original offering price or at any price. Market prices for our common stock will be influenced by a number of factors, including:
● the issuance of new equity securities pursuant to a future offering;
● change in interest rates;
● competitive development, including announcements by competitors of new products or services or significant contracts, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments;
● variations in quarterly operating results;
● change in financial estimates by securities analysts;
● the depth and liquidity of the market for our common stock;
● investor perceptions of our company and medical device industry generally;
● general economic and other national conditions;
● the issuance of new equity securities pursuant to a future offering; and
● change in interest rates.
We may not be able to achieve secondary trading of our common stock in certain states because our common stock is not nationally traded.
Because our common stock is not listed for trading on a national securities exchange, our common stock is subject to the securities laws of the various states and jurisdictions of the United States in addition to federal securities law. Such regulations cover any primary offering we might attempt and all secondary trading by our stockholders. If we fail to take appropriate steps to register our common stock or qualify for exemptions for our common stock in certain states or jurisdiction of the United States, the investors in those jurisdictions where we have not taken such steps may not be allowed to purchase our common stock and those who presently hold our common stock may not be able to resell their shares without substantial effort and expense. These restrictions and potential costs could be significant burdens on our stockholders.
If we fail to remain current on our reporting requirements, we could be removed from the OTCQB, which would limit the ability of broker-dealers to sell our securities and the ability of stockholders to sell their securities in the secondary market.
Companies trading on the OTCQB, such as we, must be reporting issuers under Section 12 of the Exchange Act and must be current in their reports under Section 13 in order to maintain price quotation privileges. If we fail to remain current on our reporting requirements, we could be removed from the OTCQB. As a result, the market liquidity of our securities could be severely adversely affected by limiting the ability of broker-dealers to sell our securities and the ability of our stockholders to sell their securities in the secondary market.
Because we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future, capital appreciation, if any, will be your sole source of gain.
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We anticipate that we will retain our earnings, if any, for future growth and therefore do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the future. As a result, only appreciation of the price of our common stock will provide a return to stockholders.
General Risk Factors
We are currently a “smaller reporting company,” and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to such companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are a “smaller reporting company,” as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and will remain a smaller reporting company for so long as either our annual revenues are less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, or our annual revenues are greater than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter. For so long as we remain a smaller reporting company, we are permitted and intend to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not smaller reporting companies. These exemptions include:
● being permitted to provide only two years of audited financial statements, in addition to any required unaudited interim financial statements, with correspondingly reduced “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” disclosure; and
● reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation.
We have taken advantage of reduced reporting burdens in this annual report on Form 10-K. We cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
We have incurred and will continue to incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management has been and will continue to be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives and corporate governance practices.
As a public company, we have incurred and will continue to incur increased costs, and our management has been and will continue to be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives and corporate governance practices. Moreover, after we are no longer a smaller reporting company, we will incur additional significant legal, accounting and other expenses to address compliance and corporate governance. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and other applicable securities rules and regulations impose various requirements on public companies, including establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, the currently applicable rules and regulations have already increased our legal and financial compliance costs and made some activities more time-consuming and costly. We will need to continue to dedicate internal resources, potentially engage outside consultants and continue steps to improve control processes as appropriate, validate through testing that controls are functioning as documented and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for internal control over financial reporting
You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings.
In order to raise additional capital or pursue strategic acquisition opportunities, we may in the future offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock. We cannot assure you that we will be able to sell shares or other securities in any other offering at a price per share that is equal to or greater than the price per share paid by investors in such an offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders.
The price per share at which we sell or issue additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price at which you purchased your shares.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Because we outsource our manufacturing to “turn-key” manufacturers and have a geographically dispersed sales force and distributor arrangement, we have minimal needs for office space to conduct our day-to-day business operations. Our headquarters are located in Santa Clara, CA, where we lease an operations fulfillment space that also serves as our corporate headquarters address.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From time to time, we may be subject to legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business. We are not currently a party to any litigation the outcome of which, if determined adversely to us, would individually or in the aggregate be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, cash flows or financial condition.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Our common stock has traded on the OTCQB under the symbol “SMLR” since August 11, 2016. From February 21, 2014 until August 11, 2016, our common stock was traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SMLR.” The following tables set forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low bid prices, reflecting inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may not represent actual transactions, when listed on the OTCQB, for each period indicated.
High
Low
Fiscal Year 2020
First Quarter
$
57.84
$
30.00
Second Quarter
$
51.50
$
32.52
Third Quarter
$
60.00
$
43.20
Fourth Quarter
$
95.00
$
50.11
High
Low
Fiscal Year 2019
First Quarter
$
43.99
$
32.00
Second Quarter
$
49.00
$
34.07
Third Quarter
$
54.50
$
40.00
Fourth Quarter
$
50.00
$
35.26
Holders
On February 26, 2021, the closing sale price of a share of our common stock was $100.53 per share and there were 6,708,672 shares of our common stock outstanding. On that date, our shares of common stock were held by approximately 37 stockholders of record. The number of record holders was determined from the records of our transfer agent and does not include beneficial owners of our common stock whose shares are held in the names of various security brokers, dealers, and registered clearing agencies.
Dividends
We have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock, and we do not anticipate declaring or paying cash dividends for the foreseeable future. We are not subject to any legal restrictions respecting the payment of dividends, except that we may not pay dividends if the payment would render us insolvent. Any future determination as to the payment of cash dividends on our common stock will be at our board of directors’ discretion and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements and other factors that our board of directors considers to be relevant.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
Information about our equity compensation plans is incorporated herein by reference to Part III, Item 12 of this annual report on Form 10-K.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
On October 8, 2020, we issued an aggregate of 40,922 shares of our common stock to two accredited investors as consideration for the purchase of a minority equity interest in a private company that we valued at $2.2 million. The shares were issued in reliance on the exemption from registration requirements provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
Purchases of Equity Securities
Not applicable.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Not applicable.

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATION
The following discussion and analysis should be read together with our financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements reflecting our current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. See “Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those discussed in our forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those set forth under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K.
Overview
We are a company providing technology solutions to improve the clinical effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare providers. Our mission is to develop, manufacture and market innovative proprietary products and services that assist our customers in evaluating and treating chronic diseases. In 2011, we began commercializing our first patented and U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, cleared product, which measured arterial blood flow in the extremities to aid in the diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. In March 2015, we received FDA 510(k) clearance for the next generation version of our product, QuantaFlo®, which we began commercializing in August 2015. In September 2020, we entered into an agreement with a private company to exclusively market and distribute a new product line in the United States, including Puerto Rico, and, in September and October 2020, in an effort to provide access to potentially complementary product offerings, we made investments in two private companies working in other product areas. We believe our current products and services, and any future products or services that we may offer, position us to provide valuable information to our customer base, which in turn permits them to better guide patient care.
In the year ended December 31, 2020, we had total revenues of $38.6 million and net income of $14.0 million compared to total revenues of $32.8 million and net income of $15.1 million in 2019. We had an income tax expense of $2.5 million in 2020, compared to an income tax benefit of $4.4 million in 2019, primarily due to the release of a tax valuation allowance in the third quarter of 2019. Our pre-tax net income was $16.5 million in 2020 compared to $10.7 million in 2019.
Recent Developments
Late in the first quarter and into the second quarter of 2020, we experienced decreased test volumes due to COVID-19 related “social distancing” and other executive orders mandating “shelter-in-place” or similar restrictions, which limited patient visits by our customers. As such restrictions have been lifted around the country and non-emergency medical services resumed in late 2020, our business has returned to and even exceeded pre-COVID-19 levels. In the third and fourth quarters of 2020, we experienced even higher test volumes as our customers accelerated usage due to a backlog of untested patients. However, as we look forward into 2021, there is uncertainty that the recent roll-back in restrictions will be maintained. New, additional or different restrictions could be imposed, which could impact the usage of our product by our customers. Other customers who have fixed-fee licenses could decide to cancel their licenses if they are not able to use our device as frequently as they had anticipated in light of such restrictions.
In September 2020, we entered into an agreement with a private company to exclusively market and distribute a new product line in the United States, including Puerto Rico, for which we are currently developing a marketing plan. Under this distribution agreement, we agreed to purchase $1.2 million of product inventory. We also agreed to make royalty payments ranging from 0% to 10% of net sales depending on the average net sales price of the distributed products. Unless early terminated in accordance with its terms, the exclusive distribution agreement will remain in full force and effect until December 31, 2024, and thereafter there is an option for this agreement to be automatically renewed for additional 4-year terms. During September 2020, we prepaid for $900,000 of product inventory, of which we have received $72,000 as of December 31, 2020.
In September 2020, we acquired a $500,000 promissory note from a second private company in a new product area. We funded $400,000 of the note, and the remaining $100,000 was retained for expense reimbursement. Following this, in October 2020, we purchased 211,928 shares of common stock of such private company from certain sellers in exchange for 40,922 shares of our common stock. We have the right to, in various circumstances, sell any or all of these shares of common stock back to the sellers in exchange for the shares of our common stock originally issued to the sellers. These rights are tied to the private company completing a bona fide equity financing, the share price in such financing, the timing of delivery of certain documents to us or, at our sole option, at any time between March 31, 2021 and October 8, 2021. In December 2020, we agreed to the conversion of the $500,000 promissory note, together with all accrued interest thereon, into shares of the private company’s preferred stock as repayment in full of such promissory note.
In October 2020, we acquired a convertible note in a third private company in a new product area for a purchase price of $58,000, which note converted into shares of preferred stock of such private company concurrent with our purchase of additional shares of preferred stock of such private company for $250,000. Subsequently, we acquired a $1.5 million convertible promissory note and warrants to purchase shares of common stock of this third privately-held company. We funded $1,400,000 of the note, and the remaining $100,000 was retained for expense reimbursement. In November 2020, the $1.5 million convertible promissory note, together with all accrued interest thereon, converted pursuant to its terms into shares of the private company’s preferred stock as repayment in full of such convertible promissory note. In December 2020, we transferred and sold these shares of preferred stock, along with the warrants to purchase common stock we had acquired from such company in October 2020, to one of our significant stockholders, for a cash purchase price of $1.9 million. Following this transfer, we continue to hold the shares of preferred stock we acquired from this company in October 2020.
We invested in these three private companies as they are developing products that may allow us to expand our current product offering beyond QuantaFlo® for PAD, in addition to our internal research and development efforts. Their products deal with better chronic disease management and may be used by primary care practitioners, are FDA-cleared or equivalent, produced positive clinical data and two of the three new products seek to improve aspects or sequelae of the metabolic syndrome.
Sources of Revenues and Expenses
Revenues
We generate revenues primarily from the rental or license of our vascular testing product. We recognize revenues from the licensing of our vascular testing product pursuant to agreements that normally automatically renew each month with revenues recognized on a daily convention basis. Our arrangements with customers for our vascular testing product are normally on a month-to-month basis with fees billed at the rates established in our customer agreements, which are either fixed fees, or variable fees based on usage. We also recognize revenue for hardware and supplies sales, as well as sales of products under our exclusive marketing and distribution agreement, as of the date of shipment.
Cost of revenues
Our cost of revenues for our vascular testing product consists primarily of five components: the depreciation expense of our vascular testing product for lease; the write-off of the residual value of our vascular testing products retired from active leasing; manufacturing oversight personnel costs; the cost of hardware and supplies sold; and other miscellaneous items, such as freight, that are not directly related to product production. Each vascular testing product unit has a depreciation schedule based on the cost of the unit. The cost of each unit is depreciated on a straight-line basis over 36 months. Each unit has its own cost of production, which varies from time to time. We believe that the cost of each unit is a function of manufacturing efficiencies, supply costs and fixed overhead expense as affected by volume of units produced, which change from time to time. When cost of production is lower, the new units have a lower monthly depreciation and decrease the average depreciation per unit per month, which means our cost of revenues is lower. Similarly, if cost of production is higher, the new units will have a higher monthly depreciation and increase the average depreciation per unit per month, which means our cost of revenues is higher. We believe growth in the number of monthly depreciation charges is predominately due to our sales and marketing efforts, which add new customers to an established customer base. The retirement of units from active leasing is primarily a function of the aggregate number of vascular testing units rented and the occurrence from time to time of system upgrades. The cost of hardware or supplies sold are the cost of production for the item sold. The other costs of revenue vary primarily as a function of the aggregate number of vascular testing units rented and changes in operations such as manufacturing, delivery or maintenance.
Engineering and product development expense
Our engineering and product development expense consists of costs associated with the design, development, testing and enhancement of our vascular testing product and other products in development. We also include salaries and related employee benefits, research-related overhead expenses and fees paid to external service providers in our engineering and product development expense.
Sales and marketing expense
Our sales and marketing expense consists primarily of sales commissions and support costs, salaries and related employee benefits, travel, education, trade show and marketing costs.
General and administrative expense
Our general and administrative expense consists primarily of salaries and related employee benefits, professional service fees, associated travel costs and depreciation and amortization expense.
Total other expense
Our total other income expense primarily reflects other taxes and fees as well as interest income and expense.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures in the financial statements. Critical accounting policies are those accounting policies that may be material due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment necessary to account for highly uncertain matters or the susceptibility of such matters to change, and that have a material impact on financial condition or operating performance. While we base our estimates and judgments on our experience and on various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Our most critical accounting estimates include:
● the allowance for doubtful accounts, which impacts revenue;
● the valuation of inventory, which impacts profit margins;
● the valuation and recognition of share-based compensation, which impacts profit margin and operating expenses;
● the recognition and measurement of current and deferred income taxes (including the measurement of uncertain tax positions), which impact our provision for taxes; and
● the valuation and recognition of investments, which impacts our investment portfolio balance when we assess fair value and interest and other income, net, when we record impairments.
For additional information relating to these and other accounting policies, see Note 2 to our audited financial statements, appearing elsewhere in this this annual report on Form 10-K.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue from the licensing of our vascular testing product pursuant to agreements that automatically renew each month with revenue recognized on a daily convention basis. Our arrangements with customers for our vascular testing product are normally on a month-to-month basis with fees billed at the rates established in the customer agreement, which are either fixed fees or variable fees based on usage. We also recognize revenue for hardware and supplies sales as of the date of shipment. Our sale arrangements contain multiple products and services, including License fee for vascular testing product, system accessories, and service. Other than service, we generally deliver all of the products upfront. Each of these products and services is a distinct performance obligation. System accessories and service are also sold on a standalone basis.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
We make estimates of the collectability of accounts receivable, especially analyzing the aging and nature of accounts receivable and historical bad debts, customer concentrations, customer credit-worthiness, current economic trends, and changes in customer payment terms when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. Credit evaluations are undertaken for all major sales transactions before shipment is authorized. On a quarterly basis, we evaluate aged items in the accounts receivable aging report and provide an allowance in an amount that we deem adequate for doubtful accounts. If management were to make different judgments or utilize different estimates, material differences in the amount of our reported operating expenses could result.
Inventory Valuation
Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value on a first-in, first-out basis. The cost basis of our inventory is reduced for any products that are considered excessive or obsolete based upon assumptions about future demand and market conditions. If actual future demand or market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory write-downs may be required, which could have a material adverse effect on the results of our operations.
Stock-Based Compensation
We recognize compensation expense in an amount equal to the estimated grant-date fair value of each option grant, or stock award over the estimated period of service and vesting. Although we calculate the fair value under the Black Scholes option pricing model, which is a standard option pricing model, this model still requires the use of numerous assumptions, including, among others, the expected life (turnover), volatility of the underlying equity security, a risk-free interest rate and expected dividends. The model and assumptions also attempt to account for changing employee behavior as the stock price changes and capture the observed pattern of increasing rates of exercise as the stock price increases. The use of different values by management in connection with these assumptions in the Black Scholes option pricing model could produce substantially different results.
Accounting for Income Taxes
Deferred income taxes result primarily from temporary differences between financial and tax reporting. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement basis and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates. Future tax benefits are subject to a valuation allowance when management is unable to conclude that our deferred tax assets will more-likely-than-not be realized from the results of operations. Our estimate for the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets requires management to make significant estimates and judgments about projected future operating results. If actual results differ from these projections or if management’s expectations of future results change, it may be necessary to adjust the valuation allowance.
The calculation of our tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax regulations. We recognize liabilities for uncertain tax positions based on a two-step process. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. If we determine that a tax position will more likely than not be sustained on audit, then the second step requires us to estimate and measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement. It is inherently difficult and subjective to estimate such amounts, as we have to determine the probability of various possible outcomes. We re-evaluate these uncertain tax positions on a quarterly basis. This evaluation is based on factors including, but not limited to, changes in facts or circumstances, changes in tax law, effective settlement of audit issues, and new audit activity. Such a change in recognition or measurement would result in the recognition of a tax benefit or an additional charge to the tax provision.
Investment Valuation
We have investments in equity securities in privately held companies without readily determinable fair values, which are generally recorded at cost, plus or minus subsequent observable price changes in orderly transactions for identical or similar investments, less impairments. As part of our assessment for impairment indicators, we consider significant deterioration in the earnings performance and overall business prospects of the investee as well as significant adverse changes in the external environment these investments operate. If our qualitative assessment indicates the investments are impaired, the fair value of these equity securities would be estimated, which would involve a significant degree of judgement and subjectivity.
No impairment charges were recorded during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Factors Affecting Future Results
We have not identified any factors that have a recurring effect that are necessary to understand period to period comparisons as appropriate, nor any one-time events that have an effect on the financials.
Results of Operations
Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2019
Revenues
We had revenues of $38.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $32.8 million in 2019. Our revenues are primarily from fees charged to customers for use of our vascular testing products and from sale of accessories used with these products. We recognized revenues of $37.3 million from fees for our vascular testing products in 2020, consisting of $25.7 million from fixed-fee licenses and $11.6 million from variable-fee licenses, compared to $31.8 million in 2019, consisting of $22.9 million from fixed-fee licenses and $8.9 million from variable-fee licenses. The remainder was from other equipment/supply sales of accessories, which were $1.3 million in 2020 as compared to $927,000 in 2019.
Revenues from fees for vascular testing products are recognized monthly for each unit installed with a customer, usually billed as a fixed monthly fee or as a variable monthly fee dependent on usage. The primary reason for the increase in revenues was growth in the number of installed units from both new customers and established customers, which we believe is the result of our sales and marketing efforts.
Operating Expenses
We had total operating expenses of $22.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $22.1 million in 2019. The primary reason for this change was overall growth in our business, increased compensation of the sales team and increased headcount of field sales and technical support personnel to service the expanding number of customers. As a percentage of revenues, operating expenses decreased to 59% in 2020, as compared to 67% in 2019. The changes in the various components of our operating expenses are described below.
Cost of Revenues
We had cost of revenues of $3.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $3.7 million for 2019. The primary reason for this change was lower depreciation per unit per month as a greater percentage of installations were software and sensor only rather than laptop, software and sensor, as well as lower residual value for retired units. These changes were partially offset by increased costs due to increased sales volume of, placement of and technical support for installations in the field. As a percentage of revenues, cost of revenues decreased to 9% in 2020, as compared to 11% in 2019.
Engineering and Product Development Expense
We had engineering and product development expense of $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $2.5 million in 2019. The increase was primarily due to personnel, clinical studies and other costs associated with our product development and customization efforts. As a percentage of revenues, engineering and product development expense was unchanged at 8% in both 2020 and 2019.
Sales and Marketing Expense
We had sales and marketing expense of $9.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $9.0 million in 2019. The increase was primarily due to higher sales compensation and personnel expense partially offset by lower travel expenses compared to the prior year period due to COVID-19. As a percentage of revenues, sales and marketing expense decreased to 26% in 2020, as compared to 27% in 2019.
General and Administrative Expense
We had general and administrative expense of $6.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $7.0 million in 2019. The decrease was primarily due lower professional fees, travel, and stock compensation expense partially offset by higher expenses for personnel, insurance, and our board of directors. As a percentage of revenues, general and administrative expense was 17% in 2020, as compared to 21% in 2019.
Other Income and Expense
We had other income of $525,000 for 2020, compared to $7,000 in other expense in 2019. The increase was primarily due to interest income associated with of notes receivable and the sale of equity of an outside company.
Provision (Benefit) for Taxes
In 2020, we recorded an income tax expense of $2.5 million, compared to a tax benefit of $4.4 million in 2019. The increase in income tax expense was primarily due to an income tax benefit recognized in 2019 relating to the release of the entire valuation allowance against deferred tax assets. The valuation allowance was released in the third quarter of 2019 due to our recent history of eight straight quarters of positive income before income taxes, resulting in an income tax benefit. Due to full release of the valuation allowance in the third quarter of 2019, income in future periods may also result in income tax expense. As of December 31, 2020, we had federal NOL carryforwards of $310,000.
Net Income
For the foregoing reasons, we had a net income of $14.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to a net income of $15.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We had cash of $22.1 million at December 31, 2020, compared to cash of $7.7 million at December 31, 2019, and total current liabilities of $4.5 million at December 31, 2020, compared to $5.2 million at December 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2020, we had working capital of approximately $21.7 million.
Our cash is held in a variety of non-interest bearing bank accounts and interest-bearing instruments subject to investment guidelines allowing for holdings in U.S. government and agency securities, corporate securities, taxable municipal bonds, commercial paper and money market accounts. In addition, we may also choose to invest some of our cash resources in other entities that may have complementary technologies or product offerings.
Operating Activities
We generated $15.4 million of net cash from operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $12.7 million of net cash from operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2019. The improvement was primarily due to changes in net income, as well as both non-cash adjustments and operating assets and liabilities. Non-cash adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities were $2.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to negative non-cash charges of $3.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily due to an increase in deferred tax expense due to changes in accounting for taxes in 2019, partially offset by a decrease in non-cash investment income due to retirement of interest on notes and investments. Changes in operating assets and liabilities used $1.4 million of net cash in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to providing $894,000 of net cash in the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily due to an increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets due to overall growth in our business, lower accrued expenses due to the payment of a majority of annual bonuses earlier than usual and lower deferred revenue due to an increased proportion of monthly licenses instead of annual licenses, partially offset by an increase in trade accounts receivable due to customers choosing to pay earlier than usual.
Investing Activities
We used $1.3 million of net cash in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $1.7 million of net cash in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in purchase of assets for lease as a result of decreased manufacturing activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a decrease in purchase of property and equipment, partially offset by an increase in long-term investments due to our investments in two private companies.
Financing Activities
We generated $230,000 of net cash from financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $6.6 million of net cash used in financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily due to large repurchases of warrants in 2019, partially offset by an increase in proceeds from exercise of stock options due to increased exercise activity and a higher stock price.
Description of Indebtedness
We do not currently have any outstanding material indebtedness.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of each of December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had no off-balance sheet arrangements.
Commitments and Contingencies
As of each of December 31, 2020 and 2019, other than employment/consulting agreements with our executive officers and our Santa Clara lease, and our commitment to purchase $1.2 million of inventory under our exclusive distribution agreement, of which we prepaid $900,000 and have received $72,000 of inventory as of December 31, 2020, we had no material commitments other than the liabilities reflected in our financial statements.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Not applicable.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The financial statements and supplementary data required by this item are included in Part IV, Item 15 of this annual report on Form 10-K.

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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.

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ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure material information required to be disclosed in our reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer, our Senior Vice President, Finance and Accounting and our Vice President, Finance, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required financial disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, we recognized that a control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within a company have been detected. Management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.
Under the supervision of and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer, our Senior Vice President, Finance and Accounting and our Vice President, Finance, we evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of December 31, 2020. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer, our Senior Vice President, Finance and Accounting and our Vice President, Finance concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2020.
Remediation of Prior Material Weaknesses
A “material weakness” is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
In connection with the audit of our 2019 financial statements, we identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting with respect to insufficient segregation of duties due to limited personnel; ineffective design of certain of our information technology and change management controls; insufficient controls to validate the completeness and accuracy of underlying data; and insufficient protocols and procedures to retain adequate documentary evidence related to the timely review and approval of manual journal entries and those supporting the design and operating effectiveness of certain important management review controls.
In order to remediate these material weaknesses, during the year ended December 31, 2020, we took actions to remediate the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and implemented additional processes, procedures, policies and controls designed to address the underlying causes associated with the above-mentioned deficiencies, including the following:
● Added additional accounting resources to support the objectives of proper segregation of duties within our finance and accounting functions including controls over segregation of duties over the initiation of transactions, the recording of transactions and the custody of assets;
● Reassessed and formalized the design of certain accounting and information technology policies relating to security and change management controls;
● Engaged an outside firm to assist management with (i) reviewing our current processes, procedures and systems and assessing the design of controls to identify opportunities to enhance the design of controls that would address relevant risks identified by management, and (ii) enhancing and implementing protocols to retain sufficient documentary evidence of operating effectiveness of such controls;
● Designed and implemented controls that address the completeness and accuracy of underlying data used in the performance of controls over accounting transactions and disclosures; and
● Enhanced policies and procedures to retain adequate documentary evidence for certain management review controls over certain business processes including precision of review and evidence of review procedures performed to demonstrate effective operation of such controls.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f). We maintain internal control over financial reporting designed to provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Therefore, internal control over financial reporting determined to be effective provides only reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer, our Senior Vice President, Finance and Accounting and our Vice President, Finance, our management evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020. In making its assessment of internal control over financial reporting, our management used the criteria described in the 2013 Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Our evaluation included documenting, evaluating and testing the design and operating effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Based on this evaluation, we concluded that we maintain effective control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Other than in connection with executing upon the implementation of the remediation measures implemented above, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
PART III

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Board of Directors and Executive Officers
The following are our directors and executive officers and their respective ages and positions as of the date of this annual report on Form 10-K:
Name
Age
Position
Director Since
Term Expires
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer and Director
September 2012
Andrew B. Weinstein
Senior Vice President, Finance and Accounting
N/A
N/A
Daniel E. Conger
Vice President, Finance
N/A
N/A
Arthur “Abbie” Leibowitz, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Director
June 2014
Daniel S. Messina
Director
August 2020
Cindy H. Moon
Director
November 2020
Wayne T. Pan, M.D., Ph.D.
Director
May 2014
Board of Directors
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian, M.D. - Dr. Douglas Murphy-Chutorian has served as a member of our board of directors since September 2012 and as our chief executive officer since October 31, 2012. Dr. Murphy-Chutorian has had broad, diverse career experience in healthcare over the past 30 years, stretching from clinician, academician, inventor, entrepreneur, chief executive officer, chairman of the board, and consultant to financial firms. From 2005 to 2012, he was managing director of Select Healthcare Capital, LLC. Dr. Murphy-Chutorian is a named inventor on more than 30 patents, and has guided more than 50 products through various regulatory approval processes. His business career has included extensive involvement in all facets of the medical industry from financial, research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales, regulatory, reimbursement, and clinical trials. His breadth of healthcare experience includes all major sectors of the industry: medical devices, health services, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and managed care. He received his B.A. and M.D. from Columbia University. He completed his internal medicine residency at New York University/Bellevue Medical Center and his fellowship in cardiology at Stanford University Medical Center. He has served as a faculty member in interventional cardiology at both Stanford and Montefiore Medical Center. Dr. Murphy-Chutorian’s experience as a cardiologist, inventor and executive, in particular serving as our Chief Executive Officer, qualify him to be a director of our company.
Arthur “Abbie” Leibowitz, M.D., F.A.A.P. - Dr. Arthur “Abbie” Leibowitz has served as a member of our board of directors since June 2014. Dr. Leibowitz has over 50 years of experience in healthcare, with more than 35 years in leading positions with several healthcare companies. Dr. Leibowitz is the chief medical officer and president emeritus at Health Advocate, Inc., a health advocacy and assistance company he co-founded in 2000 that provides support and helps consumers navigate the healthcare system. In June 2014, Health Advocate, Inc. became a wholly owned subsidiary of the West Corporation. West Corporation was in turn acquired and taken private by Apollo Global Management, LLC in October 2017. Health Advocate is now under a pending agreement of sale to Teleperformance, a leading global group in digitally integrated business solutions. The sale is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021. Health Advocate Inc.’s clients include more than 12,000 small, medium, and large sized companies, not-for-profit organizations and associations, schools, colleges and universities, unions, health plans, and third-party administrators across the United States. Prior to his role at Health Advocate, Inc., Dr. Leibowitz served as executive vice president of digital health strategies and a member of the board of directors at Medicologic, Inc., where he was responsible for developing healthcare data, information services and strategies targeted at users of the company’s electronic medical record system, as well as data customers including payors, pharmaceutical companies, employers, regulatory and government agencies. Dr. Leibowitz served as vice president, medical delivery systems and chief medical officer at Aetna U.S. Healthcare, from 1996 to 2000, where he directed medical affairs and policies for one of the largest health benefits companies in the nation. In this role he was responsible for clinical policy development, technology assessment, patient management activities, and quality improvement programs. From 1993 to 1996, Dr. Leibowitz was the vice president, health delivery, corporate medical director at U.S. Healthcare, where he coordinated the expansion of medical programs regionally into eight new markets. Dr. Leibowitz had also served as vice president, health delivery, and a network medical director at U.S. Healthcare, from 1987 to 1993. From 1975 to 1987, Dr. Leibowitz was the senior physician at Drexel Hill Pediatric Associates, where he established seven physician pediatric group practice serving a large and diverse urban/suburban patient population. Dr. Leibowitz has authored many articles in the medical literature and has made numerous media appearances. Dr. Leibowitz received both his B.A. and M.D. degrees from Temple University. We believe Dr. Leibowitz’s extensive background, experience and knowledge of the healthcare industry qualify him to be a director of our company.
Daniel S. Messina - Daniel S. Messina has served as a member of our board of directors since August 2020. Mr. Messina has nearly 40 years of broad business experience as both a healthcare system professional and a technology solutions entrepreneur. Mr. Messina is the co-founder of HandsFree Health, the creator of WellBe®, the premier voice enabled virtual health assistant platform designed to help individuals access their health and wellness resources from home. Prior to co-founding HandsFree Health in 2016, he was a partner of West Corporation’s health advocate division for ten years, and he concluded his time there as co-president. From 2002 to 2006, Mr. Messina was the president of Rendina Healthcare Real Estate. Before that, from 2000 to 2002, Mr. Messina served as chief executive officer and president of Magellan Health and from 1998 to 2000 as the chief financial officer and head of business strategy of Aetna Health. For the decade prior to that, he was vice president of Financial Reporting at Cigna Corporation. Mr. Messina began his career as a certified public accountant at Deloitte. Mr. Messina earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Notre Dame. We believe Mr. Messina’s extensive experience in virtual health and healthcare systems qualifies him to be a director of our company.
Cindy Moon - Cindy Moon has served as a member of our board of directors since November 2020. Ms. Moon, a D.C.-based, healthcare payment policy expert, is Vice President of Health Care Payment and Delivery Reform with Hart Health Strategies Inc., a bipartisan consulting and lobbying firm specializing in legislative and regulatory health care issues. Prior to joining Hart Health Strategies Inc., Ms. Moon worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) where she advised on policy solutions affecting the Medicare program. In this role, Ms. Moon collaborated with federal stakeholders across the Executive Office of the President, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Secretary, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to oversee implementation of major payment and programmatic changes to the Medicare program. Prior to joining OMB, Ms. Moon held successively increasing leadership positions within the Health Plan of San Mateo, a quasi-public health plan offering publicly-sponsored health coverage for qualifying residents of San Mateo County, California. Ms. Moon earned her Master of Public Policy and Master of Public Health from the University of California at Berkeley and her Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University. We believe Ms. Moon’s extensive experience in shaping federal healthcare policy and promoting high-value care qualifies her to be a director of our company
Wayne T. Pan, M.D., Ph.D., MBA - Dr. Wayne T. Pan has served as a member of our board of directors since May 2014. Dr. Pan has over 20 years of broad healthcare industry experience from clinical medicine, to managed care, health information technology and biotechnology. Dr. Pan is currently a medical director in Global Medical Affairs at BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., functioning as the Global Medical Lead for products in development treating achondroplasia and other short-stature conditions. He is also a part-time associate medical director at San Francisco Health Plan, responsible for utilization management and appeals and grievances, and is a Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Salusive Health, dba mynurse.ai, a private healthcare technology company focused on chronic condition management and remote patient monitoring for seniors with chronic conditions. From April 2016 to February 2018, he was a medical director in Quality of Care and Health Economics and Outcomes Research, US Medical Affairs at Genentech, Inc., a biotechnology company based in South San Francisco. From April 2015 to April 2016, Dr. Pan served as the chief medical officer at Applied Research Works, a healthcare software technology company based in Palo Alto, offering health plans and integrated delivery systems, a cloud-based platform providing timely, actionable clinical data to providers at the point of care. From October 2014 to April 2015, Dr. Pan served as medical director in the technology group of Clover Health Labs, a start-up integrated healthcare delivery system based on the East Coast that includes a hospital system, a medical group and affiliated independent physicians, and a Medicare and Medicaid health plan. From June 2014 to April 2015 he served as the Chief Medical Officer at Santa Clara County IPA (SCCIPA), a large independent physician association in Santa Clara County, California with 800 multi-specialty physicians with 80,000 covered lives in commercial (HMO/ACO) and Medicare Advantage (HMO/ACO) programs. From August 2012 to May 2014 Dr. Pan served as chief medical officer at Thrasys, Inc., a global healthcare technology company that provides a cloud-based platform upon which healthcare delivery systems and provider organizations can build high quality, person-centered accountable care communities. Between October 2010 and July 2012, Dr. Pan was concurrently the chief medical informatics officer for Health Access Solutions, a health care software development company and chief medical officer of Pacific Partners Management Services, Inc., a medical management services company serving medical groups in northern California with over 50,000 covered lives. Prior to that, between September 2009 and February 2010, he served as chief medical officer for Affinity Medical Solutions, LLC, a medical management services organization serving independent physicians association clients and managing commercial and Medicare Advantage members. Dr. Pan has also served as chief medical officer between June 2008 and August 2009 for Alameda Alliance for Health, a local initiative health plan with Medicaid, Medicare Advantage Dual Eligible SNP and IHSS plans, and as an advisory chief medical officer at a data analytics start-up focused on big data issues in healthcare in 2007-2008. Dr. Pan holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and an M.D. and Ph.D. from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, and a B.S. in Biology from Johns Hopkins University. We believe Dr. Pan’s extensive healthcare-related business experience qualifies him to be a director of our company.
Other than as described above in the biographies, there are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
Executive Officers
Andrew B. Weinstein - Mr. Weinstein has served as our Senior Vice President, Finance and Accounting since October 2018. He previously served as the Vice President of Accounting since joining our company in March 2017. From May 2006 until joining our company, Mr. Weinstein served as Vice President, Controller and member of senior management at Health Advocate, Inc., a health advocacy and assistance company that provides support and helps consumers navigate the healthcare system. During his tenure at Health Advocate, Mr. Weinstein was responsible for all accounting, finance, payroll, benefits and financial reporting activities of the company and its four subsidiaries, leading a team of eighteen people. He also served as a director of two of Health Advocate’s subsidiaries. Mr. Weinstein received a B.S. in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University and is a Certified Public Accountant (Pennsylvania).
Daniel E. Conger - Mr. Daniel E. Conger has served as our Vice President of Finance since October 2010. From September 2008 until joining our company, Mr. Conger worked at Bacchus Vascular and its acquirer Covidien, Inc., a medical device, supplies and pharmaceuticals company, where he was the Plant Controller for the San Jose plant. At Covidien, Mr. Conger was responsible for creation of a $130 million annual budget, leading a team of six people. He had responsibility for preparation of monthly and quarterly financial statements, and presented quarterly results to executive management of the global business unit. Mr. Conger has been working in the medical device, start-up and biotechnology industries since 2006, and has experience designing internal control systems, implementing such systems, and running finance in a business centered manner. He received his B.S. in Business Administration from Humboldt State University in May 2001 and an MBA-Accounting Option from California State University East Bay in June 2010.
Director Independence
As previously disclosed, the Nasdaq suspended trading in our shares effective at the open of business on August 11, 2016 and completed the delisting from Nasdaq by filing a Form 25 Notification of Delisting with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on November 10, 2016. Nevertheless, our board of directors has elected to continue to adhere to Nasdaq rules regarding director independence in anticipation of possibly relisting our common stock on Nasdaq if and when such relisting becomes available to us.
As required under the Nasdaq listing standards, a majority of the members of our board of directors must qualify as “independent,” as affirmatively determined by the board of directors. Our board of directors consults with our outside counsel to ensure that its determinations are consistent with relevant securities and other laws and regulations regarding the definition of “independent,” including those set forth in pertinent listing standards of Nasdaq, as in effect from time to time.
Consistent with these considerations, after review of all relevant identified transactions or relationships between each director, or any of his or her family members and our company, our senior management and our independent auditors, our board of directors has affirmatively determined that the following four directors are independent directors within the meaning of the applicable Nasdaq listing standards: Dr. Leibowitz, Mr. Messina, Ms. Moon, and Dr. Pan. In making this determination, the board of directors found that none of these directors had a material or other disqualifying relationship with our company.
In making such determinations, our board of directors considered the relationships that each such director has with our company, including the relationships and transactions described in the section of this annual report on Form 10-K captioned “Certain Relationships And Related Transactions, And Director Independence,” and all other facts and circumstances that our board of directors deemed relevant in determining his independence, including the beneficial ownership of our capital stock by each director.
Changes to Procedures for Recommending Nominees to Board of Directors
None.
Audit Committee
Our board of directors has established a separately designated standing audit committee, which is currently comprised of Dr. Pan, who serves as both member and Chairman, Mr. Messina, and Ms. Moon. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Messina qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of the SEC’s rules.
Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors and executive officers, and persons who own more than ten percent of a registered class of our equity securities, to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of our common stock and other equity securities. Officers, directors and greater than ten percent stockholders are required by SEC regulation to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file.
To our knowledge, based solely on a review of the copies of such reports furnished to us and written representations that no other reports were required, during the year ended December 31, 2020, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to our officers, directors and greater than ten percent beneficial owners were in compliance, other than a late Form 4 due to the sale of shares by the Chang Family Trust, one of our significant stockholders.
Code of Ethics
We have adopted a code of ethics that applies to our principal executive officer (our chief executive officer), our principal accounting officer (our vice president of finance) and other officers performing similar functions, which we refer to as the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available on our website at http://www.semlercientific.com under the Corporate Governance section of the Investors portion of our website. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is designed to meet the requirements of Item 406 of Regulation S-K. We will promptly disclose on our website (i) the nature of any amendment to the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to any covered person, and (ii) the nature of any waiver, including an implicit waiver, from a provision of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that is granted to one of the covered persons.

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
ITEM 11.EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth the information as to compensation paid to or earned by our (i) principal executive officer and (ii) the two most highly compensated executive officers other than our principal executive officer. These individuals are referred to in this annual report on Form 10-K as our named executive officers, and were our only executive officers during the year ended December 31, 2020. As none of our named executive officers received any stock awards, option awards or nonqualified deferred compensation earnings during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we have omitted those columns from the table.
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
All Other
Fiscal
Salary
Bonus
Compensation
Compensation
Total
Name and Principal Position
Year
($)
($)
($)(1)
($)(2)
($)
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian, M.D.,
$
400,000
$
$
300,000
$
21,982
$
721,982
director and chief executive officer
$
400,000
$
$
744,708
$
25,545
$
1,170,253
Andrew B Weinstein,
$
294,792
$
60,000
$
$
31,545
$
352,170
senior vice president, finance and accounting
$
265,625
$
55,000
$
$
1,686
$
322,311
Daniel E. Conger,
$
210,000
$
42,000
$
$
31,545
$
283,545
vice president, finance
$
200,000
$
40,000
$
$
23,058
$
263,058
(1)
Represents annual bonus earned under our incentive compensation plan. The amounts represent performance-based cash incentives earned by Dr. Murphy-Chutorian based on the achievement of certain company goals and his target incentive compensation amount. Incentive compensation awards are paid annually, based on the achievement of the objectives set by the compensation committee of our board of directors at the beginning of the fiscal year.
(2)
Represents payment of health insurance premiums pursuant to the terms of employment agreements.
Named Executive Officer Compensation Arrangements
We enter into individually negotiated compensation arrangements with each of our named executive officers. Our named executive officers may receive salary, bonus and other benefits, such as the payment of health insurance premiums or other individually negotiated health benefits pursuant to the terms of their negotiated compensation package. We may also grant our named executive officers awards under our equity incentive plans.
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian, M.D.
At the time he joined our company as a director, and subsequently as our chief executive officer, Dr. Murphy-Chutorian did not have a formal employment agreement with our company. We engaged Dr. Murphy-Chutorian as an independent contractor, and he received sales commissions, and then later, a monthly stipend of $16,000, in addition to such sales commissions. In September 2012, Dr. Murphy-Chutorian became a director and, effective October 31, 2012, our chief executive officer. On November 11, 2013, we entered into an at-will employment agreement with Dr. Murphy-Chutorian. Under the terms of this agreement, Dr. Murphy-Chutorian can be terminated at any time and his job titles, salaries and benefits may be modified from time to time as we deem necessary.
In 2020, Dr. Murphy-Chutorian’s base salary was $400,000, with target incentive equal to 75% of base salary. Effective January 1, 2021, Dr. Murphy-Chutorian’s base salary is $400,000, with target incentive equal to 100% of base salary, with up to $100,000 achievable per fiscal quarter.
Andrew B. Weinstein
On March 14, 2017, we entered into an at-will employment agreement with Mr. Weinstein, our senior vice president, finance and accounting. Under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Weinstein can be terminated at any time and his job titles, salaries and benefits may be modified from time to time as we deem necessary. At the start of 2020, Mr. Weinstein’s base salary was $275,000, with a discretionary bonus equal to 20% of base salary. Effective March 1, 2020, Mr. Weinstein’s base salary was $300,000, with a discretionary bonus of $60,000. There have been no changes to Mr. Weinstein’s compensation in 2021.
Daniel E. Conger
On October 18, 2010, we entered into an at-will employment agreement with Mr. Conger, our vice president of finance. Under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Conger can be terminated at any time and his job titles, salaries and benefits may be modified from time to time as we deem necessary. In 2020, Mr. Conger’s base salary was $210,000, with a discretionary bonus of $40,000. In December 2020, management approved an additional $2,000 discretionary bonus to be paid to Mr. Conger for performance in 2020. Effective January 1, 2021, Mr. Conger’s base salary is $210,000, with a discretionary bonus of $42,000.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
The following table provides information about the number of outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers at December 31, 2020. We have omitted certain columns from the table as we do not have any outstanding stock awards.
Number of
Number of
Securities
Securities
Underlying
Underlying
Unexercised
Unexercised
Option
Option
Options (#)
Options (#)
Exercise Price
Expiration
Name
Exercisable
Unexercisable
($)
Date
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian(1)
20,000
$
0.52
11/21/2022
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian(1)
85,000
$
2.10
11/08/2024
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian(1)
75,000
$
1.96
12/31/2024
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian(1)
180,000
$
3.44
07/20/2025
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian(1)
60,000
$
2.59
12/31/2025
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian(1)
125,000
$
2.23
02/17/2026
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian(1)
125,000
$
1.72
01/19/2027
Douglas Murphy-Chutorian(2)
95,052
29,948
$
8.00
12/31/2027
Andrew B. Weinstein(2)
28,896
1,104
$
3.15
03/14/2027
(1)
The option is fully vested.
(2)
The option is subject to monthly vesting over four years (1/48 per month) such that it will be vested in full on the four-year anniversary of its grant date.
Director Compensation
The following table shows the compensation earned in the year ended December 31, 2020 by our non-employee directors. Our non-employee directors received only director fees in 2020, so we have omitted certain columns from the table. The compensation information for Dr. Murphy-Chutorian, our chief executive officer and a director, is set forth in “- Summary Compensation Table.”
Fees Earned or
Paid in Cash
Name
($)
Total ($)
Arthur “Abbie” Leibowitz, M.D., F.A.A.P.
$
65,625
$
65,625
Wayne T. Pan, M.D., Ph.D.
$
70,500
$
70,500
Daniel S. Messina
$
14,813
$
14,813
Cindy H. Moon
$
6,000
$
6,000
Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy
Our non-employee director compensation program is currently as follows:
All non-employee directors are entitled to receive an annual $45,000 retainer for service as a board member ($82,500 for non-employee chairman of the board, if any) and an annual retainer for each committee on which they serve as a member:
● $22,500 per year for service as chairman of the audit committee or $11,250 per year for service as a member of the audit committee;
● $15,000 per year for service as chairman of the compensation committee or $7,500 per year for service as a member of the compensation committee;
● $7,500 per year for service as chairman of the nominating committee or $3,000 per year for service as a member of the nominating committee;
Cash payments to non-employee directors are to be paid quarterly and will be pro-rated for directors who join the board or a board committee mid-year. In January 2021, we provided equity compensation to each of our non-employee directors for service on our board consisting of 1,089 shares of our common stock.
Compensation-Related Risk
Our board of directors is responsible for the oversight of our risk profile, including compensation-related risks. Our compensation committee monitors our compensation policies and practices as applied to our employees to ensure that these policies and practices do not encourage excessive and unnecessary risk-taking. Our management, together with the compensation committee, reviews of our compensation programs, including our executive compensation program, to determine if such programs create risks that are likely to have a material adverse effect on our company. Based on this review, our board of directors believes that the level of risk associated with our compensation programs is not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our company.

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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
ITEM 12.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of February 26, 2021 of:
● each person who is known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding common stock;
● each of our directors;
● each of our named executive officers; and
● all of our directors and executive officers as a group.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to our common stock and is based on 6,708,672 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of February 26, 2021. Shares of our common stock subject to options or warrants that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days after February 26, 2021 are considered outstanding and beneficially owned by the person holding the options or warrants for the purpose of calculating the percentage ownership of that person but not for the purpose of calculating the percentage ownership of any other person. Except as otherwise noted, the persons and entities in the following table have sole voting and investing power with respect to all of the shares of our common stock beneficially owned by them, subject to community property laws, where applicable. Information with respect to beneficial ownership by 5% stockholders has been based on information filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(d) or Section 13(g) of the Exchange Act, as well as our records. Except as otherwise set forth in the footnotes to the following table, the address of each beneficial owner is c/o Semler Scientific, Inc., 2340-2348 Walsh Avenue, Suite 2344, Santa Clara, CA 95051.
Number of Shares
Percentage of Shares
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner
Beneficially Owned
Beneficially Owned
5% Stockholders:
William H.C. Chang(1)
1,120,705
16.7
%
Park West Asset Management, LLC(2)
648,818
9.7
%
Eric Semler
568,221
8.5
%
Nantahala Capital Management, LLC(3)
360,760
5.4
%
Executive Officers and Directors:
Daniel E. Conger
-
-
Dr. Arthur N. Leibowitz(4)
51,089
*
Cindy H. Moon(5)
6,089
*
Daniel S. Messina(6)
6,089
*
Dr. Douglas Murphy-Chutorian(7)
899,404
11.9
%
Dr. Wayne T. Pan(8)
47,422
*
Andrew B. Weinstein(9)
30,000
*
All directors and officers as a group (7 persons)
1,040,093
13.5
%
*
Less than 1%
(1)
Includes (a) 417,537 shares of our common stock held by the Chang Family Trust U/A DTD 10/23/2006, or the Chang Family Trust, for which Mr. and Mrs. Chang are co-trustees and share voting and investment control, (b) 350,376 shares of our common stock held in six separate grantor retained annuity trusts, or GRATs, for which Mr. Chang acts as sole trustee and has voting and investment control, (c) 350,376 shares of our common stock held in six separate GRATs for which Mrs. Chang acts as sole trustee and has voting and investment control and (d) 2,416 shares of our common stock held by Chang 2020 GP LLC, for which Mr. and Mrs. Chang are the sole managers and share voting and investment control. The address for the Chang Family Trust, Chang 2020 GP, LLC, Mr. Chang and Mrs. Chang is 520 El Camino Real, 9th Floor, San Mateo, CA 94402.
(2)
Includes (a) 590,146 shares of our common stock held by Park West Investors Master Fund, Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company, or PWIMF, and (b) 58,672 shares of our common stock held by Park West Partners International, Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company, or PWPI, and, collectively with PWIMF, the PW Funds. Park West Asset Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, or PWAM, is the investment manager to the PW Funds, and Peter S. Park is the sole member and manager of PWAM. PWAM and Mr. Park may be deemed to beneficially own the 600,000 shares of our common stock held in the aggregate by the PW Funds. The address of the PW Funds, PWAM and Mr. Park is 900 Larkspur Landing Circle, Suite 165, Larkspur, California 94939.
(3)
Shares are held by funds and separately managed accounts controlled by Nantahala Capital Management, LLC, a Massachusetts limited liability company, or Nantahala. Wilmot B. Harkey and Daniel Mack are the managing members of Nantahala and may be deemed to beneficially own the shares held by Nantahala. The address of Nantahala, Mr. Harkey and Mr. Mack is 130 Main Street, 2nd Floor, New Canaan, Connecticut 06840.
(4)
Includes (a) 1,089 shares of our common stock and (b) options to purchase 50,000 shares of our common stock.
(5)
Includes (a) 1,089 shares of our common stock and (b) options to purchase 5,000 shares of our common stock.
(6)
Includes (a) 1,089 shares of our common stock and (b) options to purchase 5,000 shares of our common stock.
(7)
Includes (a) 53,571 shares of our common stock, (b) options to purchase an aggregate of 768,958 shares of our common stock and (c) warrants to purchase an aggregate of 76,875 shares of our common stock. Options are held by Dr. Murphy-Chutorian. Other securities are held in a family trust over which Dr. Murphy-Chutorian is co-Trustee with his spouse, and with whom he shares voting and investment power over such securities.
(8)
Includes (a) 1,089 shares of our common stock and (b) options to purchase 46,333 shares of our common stock.
(9)
Represents options to acquire 30,000 shares of our common stock.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table sets forth information about our equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2020. We do not have any equity compensation plans that have not been approved by securityholders.
Number of Securities
Remaining Available for
Number of Securities
Future Issuance Under
to be Issued Upon
Weighted Average
Equity Compensation
Exercise of
Exercise Price of
Plans (Excluding
Outstanding Options,
Outstanding Options,
Securities Reflected in
Warrants and Rights
Warrants and Rights
Column (a))
Plan Category
(#)
($)
(#)
(a)
(b)
(c)
Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Securityholders:
2014 Stock Incentive Plan
1,359,420
$
3.31
997,163
2007 Key Person Stock Option Plan
92,000
$
1.31
Total
1,451,420
$
3.25
997,163

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
ITEM 13.
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The following includes a summary of transactions since January 1, 2019 to which we have been a party in which the amount involved exceeded or will exceed the lesser of (x) $120,000 or (y) 1% of our average total assets at year-end for the last two completed fiscal years, and in which any of our directors, executive officers or, to our knowledge, beneficial owners of more than 5% of our capital stock or any member of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than equity and other compensation, termination, change in control and other arrangements, which are described under “Management - Summary Compensation Table - Named Executive Officer Compensation Arrangements.” We also describe below certain other transactions with our directors, executive officers and stockholders.
Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons
Our board of directors has adopted a written related person transaction policy setting forth the policies and procedures for the review and approval or ratification of related-person transactions. This policy covers, with certain exceptions set forth in Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, any transaction, arrangement or relationship, or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships in which we were or are to be a participant, where the amount involved exceeds $120,000 (or if we are a “smaller reporting company” at such time, the lesser of (x) $120,000 or (y) 1% of our average total assets at year-end for the last two completed fiscal years) and a related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, including, without limitation, purchases of goods or services by or from the related person or entities in which the related person has a material interest, indebtedness, guarantees of indebtedness and employment by us of a related person. In reviewing and approving any such transactions, our audit committee is tasked to consider all relevant facts and circumstances, including, but not limited to, whether the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in an arm’s length transaction and the extent of the related person’s interest in the transaction. All of the transactions described in this section occurred prior to the adoption of this policy.
Warrant Repurchases
In May 2019, we entered into a warrant purchase agreement, or the May Repurchase Agreement, with the Murphy-Chutorian Family Trust U/D/T dated January 13, 1997, or the Murphy-Chutorian Family Trust, of which Dr. Murphy-Chutorian, our director and chief executive officer is co-Trustee with his spouse and of which he is a beneficiary. Pursuant to the May Repurchase Agreement, we repurchased a warrant to acquire 65,542 shares of our common stock, or the May Repurchase Warrant, held by the Murphy-Chutorian Family Trust, which warrant had an exercise price equal to $4.50 per share and an expiration date of July 31, 2023, at an aggregate purchase price of $2,687,222. The purchase price reflects the difference between the aggregate exercise price of the May Repurchase Warrant and the aggregate fair market value of the shares underlying the May Repurchase Warrant, based on the last trade price of our common stock on May 3, 2019, the date of the May Repurchase Agreement. Following this repurchase, the May Repurchased Warrant was cancelled and is no longer issued and outstanding.
In November 2019, we entered into a warrant purchase agreement, or the November Repurchase Agreement, with the Murphy-Chutorian Family Trust. Pursuant to the November Repurchase Agreement, we repurchased warrants to acquire an aggregate of 93,797 shares of our common stock, or collectively, the November Repurchase Warrants, held by the Murphy-Chutorian Family Trust, which warrants had exercise prices ranging from $2.00 to $4.50 per share and an expiration date of July 31, 2023, at an aggregate purchase price of $3,945,696. The purchase price reflects the difference between the aggregate exercise price of the November Repurchase Warrants and the aggregate fair market value of the shares underlying the November Repurchase Warrants, based on the last trade price of our common stock on November 6, 2019, the date of the November Repurchase Agreement. Following this repurchase, the November Repurchased Warrants were cancelled and are no longer issued and outstanding.
Private Company Equity Transfer
In December 2020, we transferred and sold the shares of preferred stock of a private company along with the warrants to purchase common stock we had acquired from such company in October 2020, to Eric Semler, one of our significant stockholders, for a cash purchase price of $1.9 million. We had acquired the shares of preferred stock in November 2020 upon conversion of the $1.5 million convertible promissory note we acquired from such private company in October 2020.
Employment of Immediate Family Members
We currently employ the brother-in-law and sister-in-law of Daniel E. Conger, our vice president, finance, and since January 1, 2019, we have paid such individuals an aggregate of $211,618 in salary and bonus payments.

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
ITEM 14.PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
The following table presents fees for professional audit services rendered by BDO USA, LLP, or BDO, for the audit of our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. In addition to retaining BDO to conduct an audit of the financial statements, we engage the firm from time to time to perform other services. The following table sets forth all fees incurred in connection with professional services rendered to us by BDO during each of the last two fiscal years.
Year Ended December 31,
Fee Type
Audit Fees
$
328,700
$
402,000
Audit-Related Fees
-
-
Tax Fees
28,150
27,000
Total
$
356,850
$
429,000
Audit Fees. This category consists of the annual audit of our financial statements and the interim reviews of the quarterly financial statements. For 2019 this category also included an audit of our internal controls over financial reporting.
Audit-Related Fees. None.
Tax Fees. This category consists of services related to sales and use tax in 2020 and services related to Internal Revenue Code Section 382 study in 2019.
Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
Our audit committee charter provides that the audit committee will approve the fees and other significant compensation to be paid to our independent auditors, and pre-approve all audit services and all non-audit services of independent auditors permitted under applicable law. The charter also provides that the audit committee may establish other pre-approval policies and procedures for the engagement of independent auditors to render services to us, including without limitation policies that would allow the delegation of pre-approval authority to one or more members of the audit committee, provided that any pre-approval decision is reported to the audit committee at its next scheduled meeting. The audit committee has approved all audit and audit-related work covered by the audit fees, tax fees and all other fees.
PART IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedules
(1)
Financial Statements:
Financial statements are shown in the Index to Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this annual report on Form 10-K.
(2)
Financial Statement Schedules:
Financial statement schedules have been omitted because either they are not applicable or the required information is included in the financial statements or the notes thereto.
(3)
Exhibits
Exhibit No.
Description
3.1
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of our Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 2, 2015).
3.2
Amended and Restated Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of our Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 21, 2016).
4.1
Specimen Common Stock certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Amendment No. 1 of our Form S-1 Registration Statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 6, 2013).
4.2
Description of Capital Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of our Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 9, 2020).
10.1
Form of Series A, Series A-1 and Series A-2 Preferred Stock Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of our Form S-1 Registration Statement, as amended (File No. 333-192362), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15, 2013).
10.2†
Warrant Amendment (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of our Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 21, 2015).
10.3†
2007 Key Person Stock Option Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of our Form S-1 Registration Statement, as amended (File No. 333-192362), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15, 2013).
10.4†
Form of 2007 Key Person Stock Option Plan Option Grant Notice and Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of our Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 3, 2015).
10.5†
At-Will Employment, Confidential Information, Invention Assignment, and Arbitration Agreement between Semler Scientific, Inc. and Douglas Murphy-Chutorian, M.D., dated November 11, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 of our Form S-1 Registration Statement, as amended (File No. 333-192362), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15, 2013).
10.6†
At-Will Employment, Confidential Information, Invention Assignment, and Arbitration Agreement between Semler Scientific, Inc. and Daniel E. Conger, dated October 18, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of our Form S-1 Registration Statement, as amended (File No. 333-192362), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15, 2013).
Exhibit No.
Description
10.7†
At-Will Employment, Confidential Information, Invention Assignment, and Arbitration Agreement between Semler Scientific, Inc. and Andrew B. Weinstein, dated March 14, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 5, 2018).
10.8†
2014 Stock Incentive Plan, dated August 26, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of our Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 2, 2014).
10.9†
Form of 2014 Stock Incentive Plan Stock Option Grant Notice and Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of our Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 3, 2015).
10.10
Form of Indemnification Agreement, approved and entered into between the Company and each of the Company’s directors and executive officers as of July 24, 2014 (incorporated by referenced to Exhibit 10.1 of our Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 29, 2014).
10.11
Service & Supply Agreement between Semler Scientific, Inc. and Phoenix DeVentures, Inc. dated as of April 28, 2011(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to Amendment No. 1 of our Form S-1 Registration Statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 6, 2013).
23.1*
Consent of BDO USA, LLP dated March 9, 2021.
31.1*
Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2*
Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1*(+)
Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2*(+)
Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS
XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
101.CAL
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
101.DEF
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
101.LAB
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase
101.PRE
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase
*
Filed herewith
†
Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement
(+)
The certifications attached as Exhibit 32.1 and 32.2 accompany this Annual Report on Form 10-K pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and shall not be deemed “filed” by the Company for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.