EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 101295
Filing Year: 2025
Filename: 101295_10-K_2025_0001171843-25-001611.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1.
Business
Overview
United-Guardian, Inc. (“Company”) is a Delaware corporation that, through its Guardian Laboratories division, manufactures, markets and develops specialty cosmetic ingredients, pharmaceutical products, medical lubricants and sexual wellness ingredients. Prior to July 1, 2023, we manufactured and reported sales of a line of specialty industrial products; however, this product line was discontinued after the second quarter of 2023 due to low sales volume with no growth prospects. In October 2023, we entered into a distribution agreement with Brenntag Specialties, a global market leader in chemicals and ingredients distribution, for the distribution of our new Natrajel® line of sexual wellness ingredients in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and South America. Although there were no sales of these products during 2024, we anticipate that we will begin manufacturing and reporting sales of this new line of products in 2025.
We conduct various research and development activities. Our research and development department primarily develops new and unique specialty cosmetic and sexual wellness ingredients. We develop new products using natural and environmentally friendly raw materials, which is a priority for many of our cosmetic customers. Our research and development department also modifies, refines, and expands the uses for existing products, with the goal of further developing the markets that our products are used in. All the products that we market, except for Renacidin®, are produced at our facility in Hauppauge, New York. Renacidin, a urological product, is manufactured for us by an outside contract manufacturer.
Our predecessor entity, United International Research, Inc. (“UIR”), was founded and incorporated in New York in 1942 by Dr. Alfred R. Globus, our Chairman and Director of Research until his death on April 9, 2009. On February 10, 1982, a merger took place between UIR and Guardian Chemical Corporation (“Guardian”), an affiliate of UIR, whereby Guardian was merged into UIR and the name was changed to United-Guardian, Inc., a New York corporation. On September 14, 1987, United-Guardian, Inc., a New York corporation, was merged with and into a newly formed Delaware corporation by the same name, United-Guardian, Inc., for the purpose of changing the domicile to the State of Delaware.
The cornerstone of our business is our product innovation. We use our product development and formulation expertise to maintain our market position and to propel future growth. We also focus on the development of new products that fill unmet market needs and have unique properties.
Our products are sold into stable and growing markets such as personal care, medical devices and healthcare. Our current product offerings include cosmetic ingredients, medical lubricants, pharmaceuticals and sexual wellness ingredients.
Our website, www.u-g.com, contains our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and any amendments to those reports. All such reports are available as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or electronically furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These documents are also available in print to any stockholder who requests them. The information contained on our website is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is not incorporated by reference in this document. The SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
Business Description
We manufacture, market and develop specialty cosmetic ingredients, pharmaceuticals, medical lubricants and sexual wellness ingredients. Prior to July 1, 2023, we manufactured and reported sales of a line of specialty industrial products; however, this product line was discontinued after the second quarter of 2023 due to low sales volume and no growth prospects. In October 2023, we entered into a distribution agreement with Brenntag Specialties, a global market leader in chemicals and ingredients distribution, for distribution of our new Natrajel line of sexual wellness ingredients in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and South America. Although there were no sales of these products during 2024, we anticipate that we will begin manufacturing and reporting sales of this new line of products in 2025.
We also conduct research and development, primarily related to the development of new and unique cosmetic ingredients, sexual wellness ingredients and medical lubricants. We focus on the development of products that fill unmet market needs, have unique properties, and use proprietary technology that we typically protect as trade secrets rather than with patents. Many of our products are marketed through collaborative distribution agreements with larger companies.
The cosmetic ingredients we manufacture are marketed to end users through our worldwide network of distributors and are currently used by many of the major manufacturers of cosmetic products. One of our most important product lines is our Lubrajel® line of multifunctional hydrogel formulations, which are designed to provide sensory enhancement, lubrication, hydration, and texture to both personal care and medical products. In the last few years, to meet the growing demand for “green” and sustainable products, we have focused on developing and launching new products which only contain ingredients that are considered “natural.” Our Lubrajel products in the natural line have been certified to meet the Cosmetic Organic and Natural Standard (“COSMOS”). This standard is recognized globally by the cosmetic industry. We ship our cosmetic ingredients to our distributors Ex Works (“EXW”) from our facility in Hauppauge, New York. Those distributors in turn resell those products to their customers, who are typically the manufacturers and marketers of cosmetic and personal care products. The cosmetic ingredients are not sold on a consignment basis, so unless a product is determined to be defective, it is not returnable, except at our discretion.
Our pharmaceutical products are sold primarily to several full-line drug wholesalers which in turn supply those products to pharmacies, physicians, and hospitals. We arrange for, and cover the cost of, shipping our pharmaceutical products, and sales of those products are final when shipped. They are returnable only under specific circumstances in accordance with pharmaceutical industry standards, such as if the products are (a) damaged when received; (b) defective; (c) too close to their expiration dates to sell; or (d) within a year after their expiration dates.
We operate as a single business segment. Our current products are separated into four distinct product categories: cosmetic ingredients, pharmaceuticals, medical lubricants and sexual wellness. Each product category is marketed differently. Effective July 1, 2023, we discontinued our industrial product line of products and beginning in 2024, we added sexual wellness ingredients to our portfolio of product categories.
Our cosmetic ingredients are currently marketed globally by five distributors, of which Ashland Specialty Ingredients (“ASI”), a business segment of Ashland, Inc., is the largest. ASI manufactures and markets globally an extensive line of personal care and pharmaceutical additives and various other specialty products. We sell our cosmetic ingredients directly to those distributors, which in turn resell our products to their customers for use in the formulation of one or more of the customers’ personal care and cosmetic products. Our non-pharmaceutical medical lubricants are sold directly to marketers of finished medical products or to the contract manufacturers utilized by those marketers. We market our pharmaceutical products primarily through our dedicated Renacidin website. The pharmaceutical products are sold through full-line drug wholesalers, which purchase our products outright for resale to primarily, hospitals and pharmacies. We also sell a small quantity of pharmaceutical products directly to hospitals and pharmacies. Our products are sold under trademarks or trade names that we own, some of which are registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as well as with comparable regulatory agencies in some foreign countries. We maintain a corporate website at www.u-g.com, and a specific website for Renacidin at www.renacidin.com. The information contained on either website is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is not incorporated by reference in this document.
All references in this Annual Report to “sales” or “Sales” shall mean “net sales” unless specifically identified as “gross sales.”
Products
Our current product offerings are segregated into the following categories:
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Cosmetic Ingredients: Cosmetic ingredients include an extensive line of multifunctional hydrogel formulations designed to offer sensory enhancement, lubrication, texture and moisturization to personal care products.
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Medical Lubricants: Medical lubricants include a line of hydrogel formulations designed to offer sensory enhancement and lubrication to medical products.
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Pharmaceutical Products: Pharmaceutical products include an FDA approved prescription drug that is used primarily to prevent and to dissolve calcifications in urethral catheters, as well as a chlorine-based topical antimicrobial.
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Sexual Wellness Ingredients: Sexual wellness ingredients include a line of hydrogel formulations designed to offer sensory enhancement, lubrication and moisturization to sexual wellness applications.
Cosmetic Ingredients - Products
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LUBRAJEL is an extensive line of multifunctional hydrogel formulations designed to mainly provide sensory enhancement, lubrication, and texture to personal care products. Most if not all of the Lubrajel products also offer skin hydration benefits. The Lubrajel products are primarily used in skin care products such as moisturizers, anti-aging creams, body lotions, face serums and masks, spa products and sunscreens. The Lubrajel products are also used in makeup products such as primers and foundations. Each Lubrajel product offers unique benefits for the formulation of skin care and color cosmetic products. The basic product line includes Lubrajel CG, Lubrajel DV, Lubrajel IIXD, Lubrajel MS, Lubrajel NP and Lubrajel Oil.
To address customer demand for preservative-free products, we developed and launched Lubrajel DV PF, Lubrajel IIXD PF, Lubrajel MS PF, Lubrajel Oil PF and Lubrajel PF. To address customer demand for paraben-free products, we developed and launched Lubrajel DV free, Lubrajel IIXD free, Lubrajel MS free, Lubrajel NP Free and Lubrajel Oil free.
In the last few years, to meet the growing consumer demand for “green” and sustainable products, we have focused on developing and launching new products which only contain ingredients that are considered “natural.” The Lubrajel products in the natural line have been certified to meet the Cosmetic Organic and Natural Standard (“COSMOS”). This standard is recognized globally by the cosmetic industry.
The COSMOS line of products includes Lubrajel Natural, Lubrajel Marine, Lubrajel Oil Natural and Lubrajel Terra. All of the natural products are designed using green technology and contain natural raw materials. These products are multifunctional, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (“RSPO”) certified, Vegan, biodegradable and COSMOS approved. Each one offers a unique skin feel and improves the sensory characteristics of personal care formulations.
In addition to the Lubrajel line of products, we also manufacture the following additional cosmetic ingredients, which accounted for less than 10% of total sales in 2024 and 2023:
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B-122™ is a powdered lubricant used in the manufacture of certain cosmetics, such as pressed powders, eyeliners, and rouges, as well as some industrial products. The product acts as a binder, increases water-repellency and drop strength, and lowers the coefficient of friction in the products in which it is used.
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ORCHID COMPLEX™ is an oil-based extract of fresh orchids. It is characterized by its excellent lubricity, spreadability, light feel, and emolliency. Because of its alcohol solubility it may also be used in fragrance products, such as perfumes and toiletries. Its emolliency makes it an excellent additive to shampoos, bath products and facial cleansers.
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LUBRASIL™ II SB is a special formulation of Lubrajel in which silicone oil is incorporated into a Lubrajel base using proprietary technology that enables the product to maintain much of the clarity of regular Lubrajel. The product has a silky feel and is water resistant while at the same time providing moisturization.
Sales of our cosmetic ingredients represented approximately 45% and 38% of our total sales for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The cosmetic ingredients we manufacture are marketed and sold to end users through our worldwide network of distributors and marketing partners. Our cosmetic ingredients are currently sold globally by five distributors, of which Ashland Specialty Ingredients (“ASI”), a business segment of Ashland, Inc., is the largest. ASI is the exclusive distributor of these products in the United States, Canada, Asia, South & Central America, Mexico, Europe (all regions other than France, the United Kingdom, Italy & Switzerland), Scandinavia, Africa, Australia, and the Middle East. ASI had been our distributor in South Korea until February 5, 2025, at which time we formally entered into a new marketing and distribution agreement with Azelis Group NV (“Azelis”) to market our products in South Korea. Azelis also markets our cosmetic ingredients in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Our other cosmetic ingredient distributors are Sederma SAS (a subsidiary of Croda International Plc.) in France, Safic-Alcan S.p.A. in Italy, and Azelis Cosmetics GmbH in Switzerland. We are currently in the process of renegotiating some of our marketing and distribution agreements.
We ship our cosmetic ingredients to our distributors Ex Works (“EXW”) from our facility in Hauppauge, New York. The distributors resell the products to their customers, which are typically major manufacturers and marketers of cosmetic and personal care products who utilize our products in their finished products. The cosmetic ingredients are not sold on a consignment basis, so unless a product is determined to be defective, it is not returnable, except at our discretion.
Since our Lubrajel hydrogels are well-known and established specialties, we believe that in the event ASI or any of our other cosmetic product distributors were to cease marketing and selling our products, alternative distribution agreements could be signed with other distributors of cosmetic ingredients in the affected territory or territories. These new distributors would continue supplying products to customers currently using our products, without any significant interruption of sales. If necessary, we would also be able to sell directly to the end users of our products until a new distribution arrangement was put in place.
We believe that there is potential to continue growing the sales of our cosmetic ingredients through the development of new products, product applications, additional claim substantiations, and geographic expansion. Although we have experienced significant pricing pressure from low-cost competitors, we believe that we can compete effectively with these low-cost competitors because our customers value our innovation capabilities, the quality of our products, the reliability of supply and our technical expertise.
Medical Lubricants- Products
Our medical lubricants are sold directly to manufacturers and marketers of finished medical products or to the contract manufacturers utilized by those companies. Sales of our medical lubricants are shipped EXW from our facility in Hauppauge, New York. Sales are deemed final upon shipment, and we have no obligation to repurchase or allow the return of these goods unless they are defective.
Our medical lubricants are also sold under the Lubrajel brand since they are hydrogel formulations designed to provide sensory enhancement and lubrication to medical products. The Lubrajel medical lubricant products are primarily used in catheters, condoms, personal lubricants and in oral care applications such as mouthwashes.
Currently, we offer medical lubricant products for catheter lubrication, medical devices, condom lubrication and oral care. In addition, we develop and sell customized exclusive products for all these applications.
Our medical lubricants include Lubrajel MG, Lubrajel MGL, Lubrajel RRCG, Lubrajel RR, Lubrajel RC, Lubrajel RA, Lubrajel Fluid, Lubrajel LC, Lubrajel BA, and Lubrajel FACO.
Lubrajel MG and Lubrajel MGL are our standard medical lubricants and can be applied to catheters, thermometers and other instruments to ensure ease of use and patient comfort. Our R-line of products, Lubrajel RRCG, Lubrajel RR, Lubrajel RC and Lubrajel RA can withstand sterilization by gamma radiation, which is one of the methods of terminally sterilizing medical and hospital products. Lubrajel Fluid is designed as an alternative to traditional silicone-based lubricants. The water-based formula offers easy clean up and is non-staining. It is compatible with traditional condom release powders which are used during the manufacture of latex condoms.
Lubrajel LC, Lubrajel BA and Lubrajel FACO are hydrogel formulations developed for use in oral care applications.
Sales of medical lubricants represented approximately 17% and 16% of our total sales for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
We believe that there is potential to continue growing the sales of our medical lubricants through new product development, development of new product applications and markets, and geographic expansion. Pursuant to this cause, the agreement we signed on February 5, 2025 with Azelis gave Azelis the rights to distribute our medical lubricants in the UK and Ireland. We believe this will create opportunities to expand the medical lubricant business.
Pharmaceuticals - Products
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RENACIDIN is a prescription drug approved by the FDA that is used primarily to prevent and to dissolve calcifications in urethral catheters. We maintain a specific website dedicated to this product at www.renacidin.com.
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CLORPACTIN® WCS-90 (“Clorpactin”) is a chlorine-based drug that is marketed as a topical antimicrobial and is also used in urology. It is also a powerful disinfectant, fungicide, and deodorizer.
Our pharmaceutical products represented 39% and 45% of our total sales for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
We sell our pharmaceutical products primarily to full-line drug wholesalers, which in turn supply those products to pharmacies, physicians, hospitals, long-term care facilities, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and other government agencies. We also sell a small quantity of pharmaceutical products directly to hospitals and pharmacies. We arrange for, and cover the cost of, shipping our pharmaceutical products, and sales of those products are final when shipped. The pharmaceutical products are returnable only under specific circumstances in accordance with pharmaceutical industry standards, such as if the products are (a) damaged when received; (b) defective; (c) too close to their expiration dates to sell; or (d) within a year after their expiration dates. These return policies are in conformance with standard pharmaceutical industry practice.
We believe that there is potential to grow the sales of our pharmaceutical products through additional marketing strategies and geographic expansion.
Sexual Wellness Ingredients - Products
Sexual wellness ingredients include a line of hydrogel formulations designed to offer sensory enhancement, lubrication, and moisturization to sexual wellness applications. Although we did not manufacture or have any sales of these products during 2024, we anticipate that we will begin manufacturing and reporting sales of this new line of products in 2025.
The new Natrajel line of products comprises Natrajel NT, Natrajel MA, Natrajel ON and Natrajel TE. This line was designed using green technology and contains natural raw materials. All the products are RSPO certified, vegan, biodegradable and COSMOS approved.
Domestic Sales
For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, approximately 84% and 79%, respectively, of our sales were from domestic sources, which represents sales within the United States only.
Cosmetic Ingredients - Domestic Sales
In the United States, our cosmetic ingredient products have been marketed and distributed exclusively by ASI in accordance with a marketing agreement entered into in 1996 with its predecessor company, International Specialty Products (“ISP”) and last automatically renewed on January 1, 2022. That agreement was for the marketing of the Company’s cosmetic ingredients in North America, Central America, South America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA. ASI also had the exclusive right to market four of our products globally: Lubrajel Marine, Lubrajel BA, Lubrajel Oil PF and Lubrajel II XD PF. The current agreement with ASI terminated on December 31, 2023, pursuant to a letter provided by us to ASI on October 10, 2023. The purpose of the termination was to renegotiate the terms and conditions of the distribution agreement between the two companies. At this time we have not finalized a new agreement, but we are hopeful that a new agreement will be executed by the end of the second quarter of 2025, although there can be no assurance that a new agreement will be executed. We continued to work with ASI as we negotiate a new agreement by fulfilling orders, discussing marketing strategies, and continuing to engage with them on other marketing matters in a manner consistent with past practice.
Domestic sales of cosmetic ingredients accounted for approximately 41% of total sales in 2024, compared with 31% in 2023. Sales to our largest distributor, ASI, accounted for approximately 41% of total sales in 2024 and 30% of sales in 2023.
Medical Lubricants - Domestic Sales
We sell our medical lubricants directly to end users or to contract manufacturers utilized by the end users. Domestic sales of medical lubricants accounted for approximately 4% of our total sales in 2024 and 3% of total sales in 2023. Although all shipments of medical lubricants to U.S. locations are considered domestic sales, a percentage of those shipments are subsequently shipped by some customers to foreign manufacturing facilities, which then produce finished products that could be marketed globally.
Pharmaceuticals - Domestic Sales
Our pharmaceutical products are marketed only in the United States and are sold primarily through full-line drug wholesalers. Sales of those products accounted for approximately 39% of sales in 2024, compared with approximately 45% in 2023.
During 2024 and 2023, we participated in various government drug rebate programs related to the sale of Renacidin, our most important pharmaceutical product. These programs include the Veterans Affairs Federal Supply Schedule (“FSS”), and the Medicare Part D Coverage Gap Discount Program (“CGDP”). These programs require us to sell our product at a discounted price, typically given in the form of a rebate. Our sales, as reported, are net of these rebates, some of which are estimated and are recorded in the same period that the revenue is recognized.
Sexual Wellness - Domestic Sales
Sexual wellness ingredients include a line of hydrogel formulations designed to offer sensory enhancement, lubrication, and moisturization to sexual wellness applications. Although we did not manufacture or have any sales of these products during 2024, we anticipate that we will begin manufacturing and reporting sales of this new line of products in 2025.
Foreign Sales
For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, approximately 16% and 21%, respectively, of our sales revenue was from foreign sources, and was derived from (a) sales of our cosmetic ingredients to foreign distributors, which accounted for approximately 7% of sales for each of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and (b) sales of medical lubricants directly to certain customers in foreign countries, which accounted for approximately 9% and 14% of our sales revenue for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Because all shipments to our largest distributor, ASI, are delivered to ASI’s warehouses in the U.S., all sales to ASI are considered domestic sales, even though a significant percentage of ASI’s sales of our products are to customers in foreign countries. Based on sales information provided by ASI, 79% of ASI’s sales of our products in 2024 were to customers in foreign countries, compared with 69% in 2023. ASI’s largest foreign market in both 2024 and 2023 was China, which accounted for approximately 43% of ASI’s sales of our products in 2024 and 29% in 2023.
Since sales of our products are in U.S. Dollars, our selling prices are generally not affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, except to the extent that a stronger dollar compared with foreign currencies can make our products less competitive in foreign markets, sometimes requiring adjustments to our prices in order to be more competitive. We continue to work closely with our network of distributors to price our products as competitively as possible and, when appropriate, to offer additional volume discounts and more aggressive pricing to maintain and increase sales and expand our customer base.
ISO 9001:2015 Certification
On July 23, 2018, we were certified by DQS Inc. to be in compliance with the latest ISO standard, ISO 9001:2015, indicating that our documented procedures and overall operations had attained the high level of quality needed to comply with this current ISO certification level.
Our current ISO 9001:2015 certification is valid through July 22, 2027. We have been in continuous compliance with ISO standards since November 1998. Between November 1998 and December 2003, we were registered under the ISO 9002 standard. From December 2003 to December 2009, we were registered under the ISO 9001:2000 standard. From December 2009 to July 2018, we were registered under the ISO 9001:2008 standard.
Competition
We primarily compete in the specialty ingredients space. The participants in this space offer a broad range of product lines designed to meet specific customer needs. Competition is largely based on product performance, price, quality, service, product availability, security of supply, and responsiveness of product development in cooperation with customers. Many key competitors are significantly larger than us and have greater financial resources, leading to greater operating and financial flexibility.
To improve our competitive position, we are strengthening our core capabilities and investing in product development, especially in naturally derived products. We will continue to provide high-quality products, technical expertise and be a reliable supplier to our distributors and customers.
Intellectual Property
In recent years, we have elected to rely on trade secret protection to protect our intellectual property for proprietary product formulations and manufacturing methods. We will file for patent protection in situations where we believe that relying on trade secret protection alone would not provide sufficient protection.
We own the Lubrajel®, Renacidin®, Clorpactin®, Excellence Through Innovation®, and Natrajel® trademarks.
Raw Materials
We purchase a predominant amount of our raw materials from multiple sources in the United States and believe that raw material supplies will be available in quantities sufficient to meet demand in 2025. Although some of those raw materials may be manufactured overseas, all but one of our suppliers are located within the United States.
The Trump administration has communicated its intention to impose tariffs on many products imported from China, Canada and Mexico. Some of those tariffs went into effect on March 4, 2025. Since that time the Trump administration has increased some of those tariffs and postponed others. It has threatened to levy tariffs on additional countries, including those of the European Union. Many of the countries on which those tariffs have been levied have imposed their own retaliatory tariffs or threated to impose tariffs on goods they import from the U.S. The tariff situation remains fluid and is subject to modification at any time. At this time, it is difficult to determine the impact of these tariffs on our business. We will continue to monitor this situation closely.
While we obtain most of our raw materials and lab supplies from domestic sources, we have three suppliers that obtain their raw materials from China. These materials are not purchased by us in large quantities, and we have adequate stock on hand to cover the next six months. In addition, we have one direct raw material supplier in China; however, the raw materials we purchase from this supplier are not in large quantities and the effect of this tariff would not materially impact the pricing of our products.
The principal raw materials we use consist of common industrial organic and inorganic chemicals. We have three major raw material vendors that together accounted for approximately 83% of our raw material purchases in 2024 and 76% in 2023.
Inventories, Returns, and Allowances
We believe it is important to maintain moderate inventory levels of some of our finished goods in order to fulfill purchase orders in a timely manner. Historically, sufficient inventory levels, returns, and allowances have not been a significant factor in our business.
Backlog
We do not currently have any significant backlog of orders.
Seasonality
Due to the nature of our business and the types of products that we market, we are not subject to any significant seasonal fluctuations in sales.
Customers
Our cosmetic ingredients are currently marketed and sold globally by five distributors. Those distributors, in turn, market and distribute those products to their customers. Although we depend on these distributors for the marketing and distribution of our cosmetic ingredients, we believe that if any of our distributors were to decide not to sell our products, or if we chose to replace one or more of those distributors, we would be able to put new marketing agreements in place to service our customers in all the geographic areas affected. If necessary, we would also be able to sell directly to the end users of our products until such time as a new distributor is put in place.
Our pharmaceutical products are sold to, and distributed by, full-line drug wholesalers throughout the United States. Our medical products are sold directly by us to the end users of those products or, in some cases, to contract manufacturers used by some of those end users.
Research and Development
Our research and development (“R&D”) team’s main focus is to develop new products and product-line extensions. The product development activities are focused on developing products for identified customers and unmet market needs. We frequently collaborate with customers to develop the desired product to meet their specific needs. The R&D team also provides technical support services to assist our customers with application development and co-development. In addition, the R&D team provides ongoing technical assistance and know-how to quality assurance and manufacturing personnel to ensure consistent standards for our products and to deliver environmentally responsible products that exceed customer expectations.
Our research and development expenses in 2024 were $456,779 compared with $463,992 in 2023. We expect our research and development expenses in 2025 to be higher than those in 2024 in order to support innovation and growth initiatives. Any additional increase in R&D expenses will also depend on whether capital investments are required in order to continue development work on, or to manufacture, any of the new products under development.
We require all employees and consultants who may receive confidential and proprietary information to agree in writing to keep such information confidential.
Government Regulation
Regulation by governmental authorities in the United States and other countries is a significant factor in the manufacturing and marketing of many of our products. Some of the products we develop and sell in the United States may require approval from federal regulatory agencies, such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (“FDA”), as well as state regulatory agencies. Some products sold outside the United States may require approval from foreign regulatory agencies.
Our operations and many of our products are subject to chemical control laws. These laws include regulation of chemical substances and inventories under and the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (“REACH”) regulation in Europe, Right to Know laws under the Global Harmonized System (“GHS”) for hazard communication, and the regulation of chemicals used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and personal care products and contact food under the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act in the United States. We are an FDA Drug Establishment registered site.
We are required to comply with all pertinent current Good Manufacturing Practices of the FDA for medical devices and drugs our products may be subject to. Accordingly, the regulations to which we and certain of our products may be subject, and any changes with respect thereto, may materially affect our ability to produce and market new products.
Our present and future activities are, and will likely continue to be, subject to varying degrees of additional regulation under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Environmental Protection Act, import, export and customs regulations, and other present and possible future foreign, federal, state and local regulations.
Portions of our operating expenses are directly attributable to complying with federal, state, and local environmental statutes and regulations. In 2024 and 2023, we incurred approximately $24,000 and $41,000, respectively, in federal, state, and local environmental law compliance expenses. There was no material financial or other impact on our results of operations as a result of compliance with environmental laws.
Health and Safety
We value all of our employees, suppliers, customers and distributors as well as the broader environment in which we all live and work. We are committed to protecting the safety, health and security of our employees and that of the environment in which we operate. We are further committed and have implemented strict policies against anti-discrimination, anti-harassment and anti-bulling, and will not compromise employee health and safety or the environment for profit.
Environmental and Corporate Social Responsibility
Sustainability
We have a proactive mindset for sustainability. We are committed to sustainable growth and minimizing our impact on the local community and the environment. We are committed to measuring and monitoring our impact on the environment and, where appropriate, making improvements. We comply in all material respects with all federal, state and local environmental regulations.
We have created a sustainability committee that reviews our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions to determine ways in which we can reduce our impact on the environment. We recently installed an energy efficient roof to lower our energy consumption. We have established goals to lower our energy emissions and recycle water used in our manufacturing process. We have also joined initiatives for core raw materials, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (“RSPO”), to ensure that we support suppliers in protecting the environment and the people in it. We are committed to using green chemistry principles to produce biodegradable, natural, and safe products with renewable feedstocks.
Solid Waste
We do not produce hazardous waste. We comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and Department of Transportation’s (“DOT”) regulations for the disposal of the solid waste.
Water Discharge
We comply in all material respects with all laws and regulations on water discharge.
ECOVADIS
We joined EcoVadis as part of our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”). EcoVadis is a global leader in guiding, measuring, and improving corporate environmental and social responsibility and sustainability performance. The EcoVadis assessment measured 21 key issues centered on the environment, labor & human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. In its latest evaluation we scored in the top 15% of companies evaluated.
As part of the assessment, it was determined that we were strong in the following four areas:
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Environmental:
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Company-specific emergency preparedness and response procedure regarding customer health and safety
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Measures to detect and/or eliminate accidental water contamination
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Formalized procedure related to materials/chemicals management
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Provision of Safety Data Sheets
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Employee awareness/training program on transportation of hazardous materials
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Measures to avoid emissions of dust or particles
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Labor & Human Rights:
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Labor and human rights policy
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Formalized procedure related to employee health and safety
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Compensation for extra or atypical working hours
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Additional leave beyond standard vacation days
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Bonus scheme related to Company performance
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Heath care coverage of employees in place
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Whistleblower procedure on discrimination and harassment
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Awareness training regarding diversity, discrimination and/or harassment
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Regular assessment (yearly) of individual performance
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Active preventative measures for stress and noise
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Training of relevant employees on health and safety risks and best working practices
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Ethics:
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Disciplinary sanctions to deal with policy violations
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Policy on information security
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Polices on corruption
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Whistleblower procedure to report ethics issues
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Sustainable Procurement:
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RSPO Supply Chain Certification
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Formal assessment of supplier’s progress with regards to REACH requirements
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No use of tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold, and/or their derivatives
Areas that required continual improvements were reviewed, and programs and policies were implemented as follows:
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Environmental impact from product end of life: we joined a prescription take-back program for our pharmaceutical products in the state of California.
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Measures on energy consumption and GHG’s: we created a sustainability committee that meets monthly to review our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions as well as determine ways to reduce our energy consumption.
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Established formal CSR Policy: we created a CSR policy to establish a framework for our commitment to sustainable performance.
Employees
Human Capital Management
We currently have 25 employees, 3 of whom serve in an executive capacity, 18 in research, quality control and manufacturing, 1 in maintenance and construction, and 3 in office and administrative support services. Of the total number of employees, 24 are employed full-time.
Compensation and Benefits
We are committed to paying our employees in a fair and equitable manner, regardless of race, gender or country of origin. We believe employees should be compensated equitably based on performance, skills, and experience. We offer a competitive benefits program to support employees through all life stages.
Employee Engagement
We focus significant resources on developing and retaining diverse talent and are committed to actively creating a collaborative environment of innovation that leverages the talents of our workforce to drive sustainable growth and create value for our stockholders, customers, employees, and the community in which we operate.
Talent Management
The talent management process includes a well-established performance assessment process that seeks to provide employees with ongoing feedback to enhance their performance in support of business objectives.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A.
Risk Factors.
The information to be reported under this item is not required of smaller reporting companies.

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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
We own our principal office, manufacturing, and research and development facility consisting of a 50,000 square foot facility on a 2.7-acre parcel located at 230 Marcus Boulevard, Hauppauge, New York 11788. Approximately 30,000 square feet of the facility is manufacturing space, 15,000 square feet is warehouse space, and 5,000 square feet is office and laboratory space. We believe that the property is adequate for our immediately foreseeable needs. The property is presently unencumbered and we believe the property is adequately insured.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we are subject to ordinary routine litigation and claims incidental to our business. We are not currently involved in any legal proceedings that we believe are material.

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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 is currently traded on the NASDAQ Global Market, under the symbol “UG”
Holders of Record
As of March 3, 2025, there were 342 holders of record of Common Stock.
Dividend Policy
On July 10, 2024, our Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.35 per share, which was paid on July 31, 2024, to all holders of record as of July 23, 2024. On January 30, 2024, our Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.25 per share, which was paid on February 20, 2024, to all holders of record as of February 12, 2024. On January 27, 2025, our Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.35 per share, which was paid on February 18, 2025, to all holders of record as of February 10, 2025.
On July 12, 2023, our Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share, which was paid on August 2, 2023, to all stockholders of record as of July 26, 2023. We did not declare any other dividends in 2023. In June of 2023, our Board of Directors changed the dividend declaration practice to a semi-annual dividend declaration in January and July of each year.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Item 6.
[RESERVED]

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Item 7.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with our financial statements and related notes contained elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors discussed in this report and those discussed in other documents we file with the SEC. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements represent beliefs and assumptions as of the date of this report. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if our estimates change. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Executive Level Overview
We specialize in manufacturing cosmetic ingredients, pharmaceuticals, medical lubricants, and sexual wellness ingredients through our Guardian Laboratories division. With a long-standing reputation for delivering high-quality specialty products, we are committed to serving diverse markets with innovative solutions.
As part of our strategic focus, we discontinued our specialty industrial products line in mid-2023 due to low sales and limited growth potential. This shift allows us to concentrate on higher-value product categories with greater market opportunities.
In October 2023, we took a significant step toward expanding our presence in the sexual wellness market by partnering with Brenntag Specialties, a global leader in chemicals and ingredients distribution. Under this agreement, Brenntag will distribute our new Natrajel line of sexual wellness ingredients across North and South America. While we reported no sales of this product in 2024, we anticipate beginning manufacturing and revenue generation in 2025.
With a refined product portfolio and strategic partnerships, we are well-positioned for future growth, leveraging our expertise in specialty ingredients to capitalize on emerging market opportunities.
Impact of Global Supply Chain Instability, Inflation and Tariffs
The continued supply chain instability, primarily caused by military tensions in the Middle East, continues to impact vessels’ access to the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Shipping experts say this crisis may last into the first half of 2025. We continue to work with our suppliers regarding lead times and continue to closely monitor this situation. Although we have not yet experienced any delays in receiving raw materials or an increase in shipping costs, we are aware that the situation is fluid and could impact us at any time. If that occurs, we may experience longer lead times and increased shipping costs for some of our raw materials, which may impact our future gross margins. As a result of this global supply chain instability, there continues to be uncertainty regarding the potential impact on our operations or financial results and we are unable to provide an accurate estimate or projection as to what the future impact will be.
The Trump administration has communicated its intention to impose tariffs on many products imported from China, Canada and Mexico. Some of those tariffs went into effect on March 4, 2025. Since that time the Trump administration has increased some of those tariffs and postponed others. It has threatened to levy tariffs on additional countries, including those of the European Union. Many of the countries on which those tariffs have been levied have imposed their own retaliatory tariffs or threated to impose tariffs on goods they import from the U.S. The tariff situation remains fluid and is subject to modification at any time. At this time, it is difficult to determine the impact of these tariffs on our business. We will continue to monitor this situation closely.
While we obtain most of our raw materials and lab supplies from domestic sources, we have three suppliers that obtain their raw materials from China. These materials are not purchased by us in large quantities, and we have adequate stock on hand to cover the next six months. In addition, we have one direct raw material supplier in China; however, the raw materials we purchase from this supplier are not in large quantities and the effect of this tariff would not materially impact the pricing of our products.
Many of our products are used in the formulation of finished products that are manufactured in China and then imported back into the United States (“U.S.”) for sale. There is the possibility that the tariffs levied on these finished products could result in an increase in their price, which could potentially impact demand for these products in the U.S.
Due to the continued uncertainty of this, any other tariffs that may be imposed, there continues to be uncertainty regarding the future impact of any additional tariffs on our operations or financial results.
Critical Accounting Policies
Our financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America (“US GAAP”). Preparation of financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions affecting the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We use our historical experience and other relevant factors when developing our estimates and assumptions, which are continually evaluated. Note A, Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, of the Notes to Financial Statements, included in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Annual Report, includes a discussion of our significant accounting policies. The following accounting policies are those that we consider critical to an understanding of the financial statements because their application places the most significant demands on management’s judgment. Our financial results might have been different if other assumptions had been used or other conditions had prevailed.
Marketable Securities
Our marketable securities include investments in equity mutual funds, Certificates of Deposit and U.S. Treasury Bills with original maturities of greater than three months. Our marketable equity securities are reported at fair value with the related unrealized and realized gains and losses included in net income. Certificates of Deposit and U.S. Treasury Bills with original maturities of more than 3 months are recorded at amortized cost. Realized gains or losses on mutual funds are determined on a specific identification basis. We evaluate our investments periodically for possible other-than-temporary impairment by reviewing factors such as the length of time and extent to which fair value had been below cost basis, the financial condition of the issuer, and our ability and intent to hold the investment for a period of time which may be sufficient for anticipated recovery of market value. We record an impairment charge to the extent that the cost of the available-for-sale securities exceeds the estimated fair value of the securities and the decline in value is determined to be other-than-temporary. During 2024 and 2023, we did not record an impairment charge regarding our investment in marketable securities because management believes, based on an evaluation of the circumstances, that any decline in fair value below the cost of certain of our marketable securities is temporary.
Revenue Recognition
We record revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” Under this guidance, revenue is recognized when a customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration expected to be received in exchange for those goods or services. Our principal source of revenue is product sales.
Our sales, as reported, are subject to a variety of deductions, some of which are estimated. These deductions are recorded in the same period in which the revenue is recognized. Such deductions, primarily related to the sale of our pharmaceutical products, include chargebacks from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”), rebates in connection with our current participation in Medicare programs, distribution fees, discounts, and outdated product returns. These deductions represent estimates of the related obligations and, as such, knowledge and judgment are required when estimating the impact of these revenue deductions on sales for a reporting period.
During 2024 and 2023, we participated in various government drug rebate programs related to the sale of Renacidin, our most important pharmaceutical product. These programs include the Veterans Affairs Federal Supply Schedule (“FSS”), and the Medicare Part D Coverage Gap Discount Program (“CGDP”). These programs require us to sell our products at a discounted price, typically in the form of a rebate. Our sales, as reported, are net of these rebates, some of which are estimated and are recorded in the same period that the revenue is recognized.
On January 1, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) implemented a new Medicare Part D Manufacturer Discount Program (“Discount Program”), which replaced the prior CGDP. The new Discount Program eliminates the coverage gap benefit phase, introduces pharmaceutical manufacturer discounts in the initial and catastrophic coverage phases, and lowers the cap on enrollee out-of-pocket costs. Under the new Discount Program, additional rebates are expected to be owed by pharmaceutical manufacturers due to the restructuring of the benefit periods and removal of the cap that was in place that limited the drug manufacturer’s liability. The overall financial impact of this new program will vary depending on the products being reimbursed but it is expected to increase Medicare Part D rebates for drug manufacturers.
On January 31, 2024, we were notified by CMS that we qualified as a “specified small manufacturer” and would be entitled to a multi-year phase-in period during which we would pay a lower percentage discount on drugs dispensed to beneficiaries. Based on our “specified small manufacturer” designation, it appears, based on our current level of sales through the Medicare Part D Program, we would have reduced rebate liabilities in years 2025 and 2026, with rebates gradually increasing each year after, until they reach their full phase-in by 2031. By the end of the phase in period in 2031, these rebate liabilities are expected to significantly exceed the liabilities we have recorded under the CGDP in previous years.
As long as a valid purchase order has been received and future collection of the sale amount is reasonably assured, we recognize revenue from sales of our products when those products are shipped, which is when our performance obligation is satisfied. Our cosmetic products are shipped EXW from our facility in Hauppauge, NY, and the risk of loss and responsibility for the shipment passes to the customer upon shipment. Sales of our medical lubricant products are deemed final upon shipment, and we have no obligation to repurchase or allow the return of these goods unless they are defective. Sales of our pharmaceutical products are final upon shipment unless (a) they are found to be defective; (b) the product is damaged in shipping; (c) the product is too close to its expiration date for the customer to sell; or (d) the product is expired but is not more than one year after its expiration date. These return policies are in conformance with standard pharmaceutical industry practice. We estimate an allowance for outdated material returns based on previous years’ historical returns of our pharmaceutical products.
We do not make sales on consignment, and the collection of the proceeds of the sale of any of our products is not contingent upon the customer being able to sell the goods to a third party.
Any allowances for returns are taken as a reduction of sales within the same period the revenue is recognized. Such allowances are determined based on historical experience under ASC Topic 606-10-32-8. We have not experienced significant fluctuations between estimated allowances and actual activity.
We have distribution agreements with certain distributors of our pharmaceutical products that entitle those distributors to distribution and services-related fees. We record distribution fees, and estimates of distribution fees, as offsets to revenue.
Accounting for Financial Instruments - Credit Losses
We recognize an allowance for our trade receivables to present the net amount expected to be collected as of the balance sheet date. This allowance is based on the credit losses expected to arise over the life of the asset and are based on Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL).
We perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers and adjust credit limits, as determined by a review of current credit information. We continuously monitor collection and payments from customers and maintain an allowance for credit losses based upon historical experience, anticipation of uncollectible accounts receivable and any specific customer collection issues that have been identified. While our credit losses have historically been low and within expectations, we may not experience the same credit loss rates that have historically been attained in the future. The receivables are highly concentrated in a relatively small number of customers. Therefore, a significant change in the liquidity, financial position, or willingness to pay timely, or at all, of any one of our significant customers would have a significant impact on our results of operations and cash flows. When determining the reserve for credit losses, we take into consideration current and future economic conditions and the impact that these changing dynamics may have on potential future losses.
The timing between recognition of revenue for product sales and the receipt of payment is not significant. Our standard credit terms, which vary depending on the customer, range between 30 and 60 days. We provide an allowance for credit losses related to our accounts receivable for which collection is doubtful in accordance with ASU 2016-13. In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 326, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, (“ASC 326”), we present financial assets at the net amount expected to be collected, requiring immediate recognition of estimated credit losses expected to occur over the asset’s remaining life.
As of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the allowance for credit losses on accounts receivable was $14,342 and $16,672, respectively. Prompt-pay discounts are offered to some customers; however, due to the uncertainty of the customers taking the discounts, the discounts are recorded when they are taken.
Inventory Valuation Allowance
In conjunction with our ongoing analysis of inventory valuation, management constantly monitors projected demand on a product-by-product basis. Based on these projections, management evaluates the levels of write-downs required for inventory on hand and inventory on order from contract manufacturers. Although we believe that we have been reasonably successful in identifying write-downs in a timely manner, sudden changes in buying patterns from customers, either due to a shift in product interest and/or a complete pullback from their expected order levels, may result in the recognition of larger-than-anticipated write-downs. We have performed an evaluation of our inventory on hand as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, and believe the reserves are adequate to cover any slow-moving or obsolete inventory.
Results of Operations
Sales
Sales increased by approximately 12%, from $10,885,154 in 2023 to $12,181,971 in 2024. The increase in sales was primarily due to an increase in sales of our cosmetic ingredient products, specifically an increase of 51% in sales to our largest distributor, ASI, in 2024 compared with 2023. In addition, sales of our medical lubricants increased by 16%, primarily due to increased orders placed by our largest customer in China.
Cosmetic Ingredients
Sales of our cosmetic ingredients increased by approximately 32%, from $4,132,334 in 2023 to $5,438,262 in 2024. The increase was primarily due to an increase in sales to ASI. Based on information provided to the Company by ASI, the reasons for the increase during 2024 was due to increased demand for our products in China due to regaining market share at certain key accounts. This increase was offset by sales to our other four distributors, whose sales decreased by a net of approximately 49%, while sales from two of our small direct cosmetic ingredient customers increased by approximately 19%. This decrease was primarily due to reformulations.
We continue to experience global competition from Asian and European companies that manufacture and sell products that are competitive with our products. These competitive products are usually sold at a lower price than our products; however, they may not compare favorably to the level of performance and quality of our products. We work closely with our network of distributors to price our products as competitively as possible and, when appropriate, to offer additional volume discounts and more aggressive pricing to maintain and increase sales and expand our customer base. We expect that this competitive environment will continue in 2025 and we plan to enhance our competitive position by strengthening our core capabilities and investing in new products, especially in the area of naturally derived products. We will continue to provid high-quality products, technical expertise, and the reliability our customers have come to expect from us.
Pharmaceuticals
Because there are fees, rebates, and allowances associated with sales of our two pharmaceutical products, Renacidin and Clorpactin, discussion of our pharmaceutical sales includes references to both gross sales (before fees, rebates and allowances) and net sales (after fees, rebates and allowances). Gross sales of our two pharmaceutical products, Renacidin and Clorpactin, together decreased by approximately 5%, from $5,894,220 in 2023 to $5,602,259 in 2024. Gross sales of Renacidin decreased by approximately 4%, from $5,127,069 in 2023 to $4,897,331 in 2024, and gross sales of Clorpactin decreased by 8% from $767,151 in 2023 to $704,928 in 2024.
The primary reason for the decrease in Renacidin sales was due to our contract manufacturer temporarily ceasing manufacturing during the latter part of 2023 and the beginning of 2024. During this time, we were unable to fill complete orders of Renacidin and were allocating product to all of our pharmaceutical distributors. We resumed filling orders in full towards the end of March 2024.
Net sales of our pharmaceutical products decreased by approximately 5% in 2024 compared with the same period in 2023. The decrease in net sales was due to a decrease in gross sales combined with a commensurate decrease in certain pharmaceutical-related rebates and allowances. The decrease in pharmaceutical-related rebates and allowances in 2024 was primarily due to a decrease in VA Chargebacks and Medicare rebates.
Medical Lubricants
Sales of our medical lubricants increased by approximately 16% in 2024, from $1,750,632 in 2023 to $2,028,564 in 2024. The increase in sales was driven by increased demand from one of our larger contract manufacturer customers located in China.
Sexual Wellness Ingredients
There were no sales of our sexual wellness ingredients in 2024, since we only began our marketing efforts for those products in mid-2023. Customers need to qualify new ingredients and perform product development testing prior to launching a new product. It is not unusual for this process to take a year or more and inherently it will require additional time for new ingredients to generate sales. Our distributor for these products has informed us of the possibility of orders being placed in mid-2025.
Industrial Products
There were no sales of our industrial products during 2024 due to this product line being discontinued after the second quarter of 2023.
Gross Profit on Sales
Gross profit on sales was 53% in 2024 compared with 50% in 2023. The increase in gross profit was primarily due to two factors. The first was an increase in sales of our cosmetic ingredients of 32% in 2024 compared to 2023, which carry a higher profit margin than our pharmaceutical products, combined with the fact that in 2024, the percentage of cosmetic product sales as a percentage of total sales increased to approximately 45%, compared with 38% in 2023. The second factor was lower per unit overhead costs due to increased production, which was caused by higher demand for some of our products.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses increased by approximately 13%, from $2,078,564 in 2023 to $2,356,819 in 2024. The increase was mainly attributable to the following: 1) increases in sales and marketing expenses incurred in connection with the hiring of our new Marketing Director; 2) an increase in payroll and payroll-related expenses; and 3) an increase in fees paid to our Board of Directors. In connection with our growth initiatives, we anticipate that operating expenses will increase modestly in 2025.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses decreased by approximately 2%, from $463,992 in 2023 to $456,779 in 2024. In connection with the Company’s growth initiatives, we expect our research and development expenses to increase modestly during 2025.
Investment Income
Investment income increased by approximately 42%, from $306,651 in 2023 to $434,679 in 2024. The increase was primarily due to an increase in interest income from investments in longer term U.S. Treasury Bills and Certificates of Deposit in 2024 compared to 2023. In addition, during 2024 we held more funds in money market accounts which yielded higher interest income compared to 2023. During the second half of 2023, we repositioned our marketable securities portfolio, liquidating most of our equity and fixed income mutual funds. The proceeds from these sales were used to purchase U.S. Treasury Bills and Certificates of Deposit to take advantage of the increase in interest rates.
Net Gain on Marketable Securities
For the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded net gains on our marketable securities portfolio of $26,989 compared with net gains of $81,095 in 2023. We repositioned our marketable securities portfolio in the second half of 2023 to take advantage of the increase in interest rates. Management, as well as the Investment Committee of the Board of Directors, continue to closely monitor our investment portfolio and will make any adjustments they believe may be necessary or appropriate in order to minimize the future impact on our financial performance due to volatility of the global financial markets.
Provision for Income Taxes
The provision for income taxes increased from $669,408 in 2023 to $857,582 in 2024. This increase was due to an increase in income before taxes. Our effective income tax rate was 20.9% in 2024 and 20.6% in 2023.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Working capital increased from $10,718,457 at December 31, 2023 to $10,751,082 at December 31, 2024. The increase in working capital was mainly due to an increase in cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities and inventories. The current ratio decreased from 8.0 to 1 at December 31, 2023 to 6.6 to 1 at December 31, 2024. The decrease in the current ratio was due mainly due to an increase in accounts payable.
Accounts receivable (net of allowance for credit losses) as of December 31, 2024 decreased from $1,566,839 in 2023 to $1,428,455 in 2024. The decrease in accounts receivable was due to a decrease in sales during the fourth quarter of 2024. The receivables turnover, or “Days Sales Outstanding,” for 2024, was 45 days, compared with 50 days in 2023. The allowance for credit losses on accounts receivable decreased from $16,672 in 2023 to $14,342 in 2024, and we believe that the net balance of our accounts receivable as of December 31, 2024 was, and continues to be, fully collectible.
We generated cash from operations of $3,466,251 in 2024 compared with $3,144,480 in 2023. The increase in 2024 was primarily due to an increase in net income, offset by increases in inventories and deferred income taxes.
Net cash used in investing activities was $7,077,395 for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared with net cash provided by investing activities of $4,277,577 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The shift was primarily due an increase in the purchase of longer-term investments in 2024 that are classified as marketable securities. During 2023, most of the of our marketable securities consisted of U.S. Treasury Bills and Certificates of Deposit that had maturities of less than three months and were included in cash and cash equivalents. During 2024, we changed our investment strategy to longer term fixed income investments due to the anticipated decrease in interest rates.
Net cash used in financing activities was $2,756,323 and $459,387 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The increase was due to the payment of higher dividends in 2024 compared with 2023. During 2024, we paid dividends of $0.60 per share compared with $0.10 per share in 2023.
We believe that our working capital is sufficient to support our operating requirements for the next fiscal year. Our long-term liquidity position will be dependent upon our ability to generate sufficient cash flow from profitable operations, and we expect to continue to use our cash to make dividend payments, purchase marketable securities, and to take advantage of growth opportunities that may arise that are in the best interest of the business and our stockholders.
In connection with an upgrade to our building sprinkler system, costs of approximately $181,000 have been incurred as of December 31, 2024. The project is substantially complete and is expected to be fully complete by the end of the first quarter of 2025, with additional planned expenditures of $14,000.
During the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company replaced the roof on a portion of its facility in Hauppauge, New York at a cost of approximately $237,000.
We have no off-balance-sheet transactions that have, or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.
New Accounting Pronouncements
See Note “A” to the financial statements regarding new accounting pronouncements, which note is incorporated herein by reference.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.
The information to be reported under this item is not required of smaller reporting companies.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Annexed hereto starting on page.

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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.
(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, has evaluated the design, operation, and effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act as of December 31, 2024. On the basis of that evaluation, management concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to be, and are, effective at providing reasonable assurance that the information required to be disclosed in reports filed or submitted pursuant to the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
(b) Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Our internal control system is designed to provide reasonable assurance to management and to our Board of Directors regarding the preparation and fair presentation of published financial statements. Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO 2013”). Based on management’s evaluation under the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2024.
This Annual Report does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Since we are a non-accelerated filer, management’s report is not subject to attestation by our registered public accounting firm pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. As a result, this Annual Report contains only management’s report on internal controls.
(c) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting in the fourth quarter of 2024 that materially affected, or would be reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
(d) Limitations of the Effectiveness of Internal Controls
The effectiveness of our system of disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting is subject to certain limitations, including the exercise of judgment in designing, implementing and evaluating the control system, the assumptions used in identifying the likelihood of future events, and the inability to eliminate fraud and misconduct completely. As a result, there can be no assurance that our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting will detect all errors or fraud. However, our control systems have been designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives, and our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting are effective at the reasonable assurance level.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B.
Other Information.
None.

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11.
Executive Compensation.
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

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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 information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14.
Principal Accounting Fees and Services.
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.
PART IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a)
Documents filed as part of this report.
(i)
Financial Statements - see Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
(ii)
Financial Statement Schedules - None. (Financial statement schedules have been omitted either because they are not applicable, not required, or the information required to be set forth therein is included in the financial statements or notes thereto.)
(iii)
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
(iv)
Notes to Financial Statements.
(b)
Exhibits
The exhibits listed on the accompanying Exhibit Index are filed as part of this Annual Report.